Permeable Bottom Wall Indoor Plant Growing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing indoor plant growing systems face challenges in providing sufficient substrate hydration without washing away nutrients and preventing root obstruction and decay, particularly in pot cultivation.
Innovation Solution
A system with a container for plant growth substrate having a lateral and/or bottom wall permeable to water, positioned such that a portion of its height is below the water-tank's maximum fill level, ensuring adequate substrate hydration while preventing root rot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If water is poured on top of the growth substrate, then the substrate is hydrated, but nutrients are washed away and seeds are dragged down preventing germination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional top-down watering approach by implementing bottom-up water supply. The container bottom wall is made permeable to water, allowing water to rise through the substrate from below. This inversion prevents nutrient washaway and seed displacement while ensuring adequate substrate hydration.
Solution Approach 2:
The container bottom wall is designed as a permeable or porous structure that allows water to pass through from the water tank below. This porous design enables controlled water upward movement through capillary action and diffusion, providing hydration without the harmful effects of surface pouring.
2Quantity of substance
If water is supplied through a hole in the bottom wall, then water can penetrate the substrate, but plant roots obstruct the hole forming a barrier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the bottom wall into multiple small permeable regions or pores instead of a single large hole. This segmentation prevents root obstruction because even if some pores are blocked by roots, water can still penetrate through the numerous other available pathways, ensuring reliable continuous water supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom wall is designed as a porous material with multiple small pores distributed across its surface. This porous structure allows water to penetrate through multiple pathways, preventing complete blockage by roots and maintaining reliable water supply to the substrate.
3Quantity of substance
If the bottom wall is made permeable to water, then substrate hydration is improved, but roots may still obstruct and decay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the bottom wall permeable to water while keeping the lateral walls impermeable. This localized permeability ensures water supply to the substrate without creating conditions for root decay, as the water level is controlled to remain below the lateral wall openings, preventing root submersion in standing water.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically controls water level through the permeable bottom wall, allowing water to rise to a controlled level below the lateral wall openings. This dynamic water level control provides adequate substrate moisture while preventing roots from being submerged and decaying.
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
The system effectively maintains substrate moisture and promotes root development by allowing water flow through permeable walls while preventing root obstruction and decay.
Implementation Method 1
the container comprises a lateral wall, a bottom wall and a top opening, wherein the lateral wall and/or the bottom wall is permeable to water
Implementation Method 2
Water then diffuses within the growth substrate by capillarity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to an indoor plant growing system comprising: - a casing (1), - at least one container (2) for a plant growth substrate within the casing, wherein the container comprises a lateral wall (3), a bottom wall (4) and a top opening (5), wherein the lateral wall and/or the bottom wall is permeable to water, wherein the lateral wall has a height from the bottom wall to the top opening, and - a water-tank (6) within the casing and located below the at least one container, wherein the water-tank has a bottom wall (7) and a maximum fill level (8), characterized in that the at least container is disposed such that from 0.5 mm of the height of the lateral wall from the bottom wall to 1/8 of the height of the lateral wall from the bottom wall is below the maximum fill level.