Greening Wall Plant Container Drainage for Uniform Watering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant containers for greening walls face challenges in controlling the amount of water delivered to each container, leading to excessive watering and potential flooding, with dripping water causing soil stains and risking floor flooding due to uncontrolled water distribution among stacked containers.
Innovation Solution
A plant container design featuring a draining pipe extending along the back wall with a top end above the bottom end, connected via a conduit to the next container, allowing excess water to flow under gravity into a collecting reservoir, preventing water accumulation and enabling independent watering of each container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drainage holes are provided at the bottom wall of plant containers, then excess water can drain from the growth medium, but the lowest-located container receives excess water from all containers above it causing excessive watering
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage system is segmented into individual container-level drains rather than allowing free flow between containers. Each container has its own drainage hole at the bottom wall, and excess water is contained within each container's bottom region rather than flowing to lower containers. This segmentation isolates water control to each container, preventing the accumulation of excess water from upper containers in the lowest container.
2Reliability
If drainage holes are provided at the bottom wall, then water can drain freely, but dripping water contains soil particles that may stain the plants and water may flow over the leaves causing flooding risk
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom wall acts as an intermediary structure that separates the drainage function from the plant growth space. Drainage holes are provided in the bottom wall to allow water to drain from the growth medium, but the design ensures that drained water is contained within the container's bottom region rather than dripping freely. This intermediary structure prevents soil particles from being carried away by dripping water and eliminates the risk of water flowing over plant leaves and causing flooding.
3Productivity
If multiple containers are arranged in a vertical column, then space is utilized efficiently, but water from upper containers accumulates in lower containers requiring precise control that is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical column of containers is segmented into independent water control units. Each container has its own bottom wall with drainage holes that allow water to drain locally without flowing to adjacent containers. This segmentation simplifies the water control system by eliminating the need for complex inter-container water management, allowing each container to be watered independently while maintaining efficient vertical space utilization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively controls water distribution, preventing excess water from reaching lower containers and reducing soil staining and floor flooding, ensuring uniform watering across the greening wall.
Implementation Method 1
water flows under the force of gravity along the internal walls of the draining pipes, via though holes that extend along the whole length of the draining pipes, to the collecting reservoir at the bottom of the greening wall
Data Source
AI summary
A plant container for greening walls has a main body defining a chamber to receive a growth medium for a plant. A draining pipe is coupled with the main body, extends along a back wall of the main body and has a top end, a bottom end and an opening in a wall of the draining pipe to allow water from inside the chamber to enter inside the draining pipe. The opening in the wall of the draining pipe extends from a bottom wall of the main body. A connecting conduit is configured to connect the bottom end of the draining pipe with a top end of the draining pipe of another plant container of the same type. A through hole extends along the whole length of the draining pipe.