Watering System with Fluid Flow Generator for Automated Plant Care
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plumbing fixtures are often absent in outdoor living areas, and manually transporting water to potted plants is frequent and labor-intensive, lacking an efficient automated solution for watering multiple plants.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained watering system comprising a receptacle with a fluid flow generator and controller that couples to a fluid reservoir, allowing fluid transfer to multiple fluid flow meters for automatic delivery to spaced-apart locations, including potted plants, using a combination of mechanical and programmable components for operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual water transport is used to water potted plants in outdoor areas, then watering can be performed without automated systems, but labor intensity increases and frequency of operation must be high
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the watering system operates autonomously without manual intervention. The fluid flow generator automatically delivers water from the reservoir to multiple plants through programmable control, eliminating the need for manual water transport and frequent human operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical water transport with an automated fluid flow generation system. The fluid flow generator uses electrical or electronic actuation to move fluid through delivery mechanisms, substituting human physical effort with automated mechanical and electrical systems.
2Reliability
If conventional plumbing fixtures are installed in outdoor living areas, then water delivery becomes reliable and automated, but installation complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the water delivery function into discrete, modular components: a fluid reservoir, a fluid flow generator, fluid flow delivery mechanisms, and a controller. This segmentation allows the system to be assembled in outdoor areas without requiring extensive conventional plumbing infrastructure, reducing installation complexity while maintaining reliable automated water delivery.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual watering of multiple spaced-apart plants is performed, then individual plant needs can be addressed, but the quantity of operations and labor required increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid flow generator and delivery system are designed to serve multiple plants simultaneously through a network of fluid flow paths. The system maintains adaptability to address individual plant needs while efficiently servicing multiple locations, thereby increasing overall watering productivity without sacrificing customized care for each plant.
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
Enables efficient, automated, and semi-automated water delivery to multiple potted plants without conventional plumbing, reducing manual effort and ensuring consistent watering through programmable timers and solar-powered operation.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid flow generator housed in the receptacle compartment to generate a flow of a fluid from a fluid flow generator inlet disposed in a fluid contained in the fluid reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A watering system including a receptacle including a fluid flow generator and a fluid flow generator controller which releasably couples to a fluid reservoir containing a fluid which can be transferred by operation of the fluid flow generator from the fluid reservoir to a plurality of fluid flow meters which can be disposed in spaced apart relation to correspondingly deliver the fluid to a plurality of spaced apart locations. In particular embodiments, a plurality of potted plants can be disposed in spaced apart relation and one more of the plurality of fluid flow meters can be correspondingly located to deliver the fluid to each of the plurality of potted plants.