US3673733A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Controlled environment apparatus and process for plant husbandry
Assignee: Environment One Corp
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Filing: 1969-11-26
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Granted: 1972-07-04
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Expires: 1989-11-26
Abstract
Abstract A controlled environment chamber for plant husbandry that is provided with a readily removable sealing top having therein separately sealed light source chamber containing incandescent and fluorescent lights. A control chamber is adjacent to the growing chamber and covered by the top for containing therein a fluid and electrical control circuit for energizing the lights in a timed cycle, individually manually controlling the lights, providing for the introduction of pressurized carbon dioxide into a control volume and simultaneously venting the growing chamber to the outside environment air when the lights are de-energized, discharging the carbon dioxide from the control volume into the growing chamber and simultaneously closing the vent when the lights are energized, and thermostatically controlling only the incandescent light for controlling the temperature within the growing chamber. The fresh air vent valve is spring closed and opened by means of an expansible chamber directly connected to the carbon dioxide control volume. The mixture of carbon dioxide within the growing chamber is controlled by means of a pressure regulator, and a pressure gauge determining the pressure within the control volume and indicating parts of carbon dioxide within the control volume per million parts of gas within the growing chamber. A motor drives one fan to provide circulation within the growing chamber, and another fan to circulate cooling air through the control chamber, light source chamber and through the open vent. Removable slats are provided in the bottom of the growing chamber above a nutrient filled tank for supporting plant containers.
Inventors
- 👤 Merton Allen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 16:42
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G9/00; A01G9/24; A01G9/246; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A40/00; Y02A40/10; Y02A40/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
240 words
A plant growth affecting gas dosage control apparatus for use with a substantially closed growing chamber having a controlled environment for plant husbandry and a source for providing the gas under a pressure greater than the pressure within the growing chamber, comprising: a separate pressurizable sealed control volume chamber having an inlet to be coupled with the source of gas and an outlet to be fluid coupled with the growing chamber; said inlet having first control valve means with a first closed position sealing said control volume chamber and a second open position for selectively introducing gas from the source into said control volume chamber; said outlet having second outlet control valve means with a first closed position sealing said control volume chamber and a second open position for selectively discharging only the contents of said control volume chamber into the growing chamber; and automatic control means for limiting the gas pressure within said control volume chamber when said second outlet control valve means is in its closed position by opening said first inlet control valve means at gas pressures within said control volume chamber below a predetermined gas pressure and closing said first inlet control valve means at gas pressures within said control volume chamber above said predetermined gas pressure for dosing the growth chamber with a correlated predetermined amount of the gas to establish a desired gas concentration within the growth chamber correlated to the growth chamber volume.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
240 words
A plant growth affecting gas dosage control apparatus for use with a substantially closed growing chamber having a controlled environment for plant husbandry and a source for providing the gas under a pressure greater than the pressure within the growing chamber, comprising: a separate pressurizable sealed control volume chamber having an inlet to be coupled with the source of gas and an outlet to be fluid coupled with the growing chamber; said inlet having first control valve means with a first closed position sealing said control volume chamber and a second open position for selectively introducing gas from the source into said control volume chamber; said outlet having second outlet control valve means with a first closed position sealing said control volume chamber and a second open position for selectively discharging only the contents of said control volume chamber into the growing chamber; and automatic control means for limiting the gas pressure within said control volume chamber when said second outlet control valve means is in its closed position by opening said first inlet control valve means at gas pressures within said control volume chamber below a predetermined gas pressure and closing said first inlet control valve means at gas pressures within said control volume chamber above said predetermined gas pressure for dosing the growth chamber with a correlated predetermined amount of the gas to establish a desired gas concentration within the growth chamber correlated to the growth chamber volume.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said automatic control means includes means for adjusting the predetermined gas pressure and indicia means drivingly connected to said means for adjusting so that said indicia means directly reads parts of the dosing gas within said control volume chamber per million gas parts with the plant growing chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1, including a pressure gauge downstream from said first inlet control valve means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
96 words
The apparatus of claim 1, including means for controlling the energizing and de-energizing of an electrically powered artificial light source for prOducing light within the growing chamber; and circuit means opening said first control valve means and closing said second control valve means during the de-energizing of the light source to introduce the dosing gas into the control volume chamber, and further opening said second control valve meanS and closing said first control valve means during the energizing of the light source for discharging the dosing gas from said control volume chamber into the growing chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said circuit means includes solenoid means in series with said means for controlling the light source and mechanically drivingly connected to each of said control valve means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
The apparatus of claim 1, including a vent valve for selectively admitting outside environment air into the growing chamber when open and having a closed position for effectively sealing the growing chamber from the outside environment air; and automatic actuator means for opening said vent valve in response to said second control valve means being closed and for closing said vent valve in response to said second control valve means being open.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
96 words
The apparatus of claim 6, including means for controlling the energizing and de-energizing of an electrically powered artificial light source for producing light within the growing chamber; and circuit means opening said first control valve means and closing said second control valve means during the de-energizing of the light source to introduce the dosing gas into the control volume chamber, and further opening said second control valve means and closing saiD first control valve means during the energizing of the light source for discharging the dosing gas from said control volume chamber into the growing chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said actuator means includes a power cylinder means, spring biased to close said vent valve and having a working chamber expansible to open said vent valve; and said working chamber being in direct fluid communication with said control volume chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 6, including a closed light chamber having artificial lights and a light passing wall for fluid separating the light chamber from the growing chamber; and blower means for circulating outside environment air through said light chamber when said vent valve is closed and for circulating outside environment air through said vent valve into the growing chamber and through said light chamber when said vent valve is open.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said blower means includes a driving motor, a fan within the growing chamber for circulating air around the growing chamber and being drivingly connected to said blower means motor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said light chamber is a separate module top to be readily removable as a unit for providing access downwardly into the growing chamber for the removal of and care of plants therein.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for controlling the supplying of carbon dioxide gas to a substantially closed plant growing chamber, comprising the steps of: filling a separate container with substantially only carbon dioxide gas to a predetermined pressure substantially greater than the gas pressure within the plant growing chamber by withdrawing carbon dioxide gas from a source of carbon dioxide; and venting the thus filled container to the plant growing chamber while simultaneously interrupting gas communication between the container and the source.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for controlling the supplying of carbon dioxide gas to a substantially closed plant growing chamber, comprising the steps of: filling a separate container with substantially only carbon dioxide gas to a predetermined pressure substantially greater than the gas pressure within the plant growing chamber by withdrawing carbon dioxide gas from a source of carbon dioxide; and venting the thus filled container to the plant growing chamber while simultaneously interrupting gas communication between the container and the source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 12, including the step of adjusting a pressure regulator valve to establish the predetermined pressure as correlated to the ratio of volumes between the container and plant growing chamber to obtain a desired parts per million of carbon dioxide dosage greater than 500 above the normal carbon dioxide level within the plant growing chamber for a single filling and venting of the container.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
97 words
Apparatus for use with a substantially closed plant growing chamber having a controlled environment for plant husbandry, comprising: a fluorescent light and an incandescent light for directing light into the growing chamber; a thermostat to be responsive to the temperature within the plant growing chamber; and an electrical circuit having means for actuating both said lights, and separate means having only said incandescent light in series with said thermostat for actuating only said incandescent light only when the temperature within said growing chamber falls below a predetermined temperature independently of said means for actuating both said lights.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
97 words
Apparatus for use with a substantially closed plant growing chamber having a controlled environment for plant husbandry, comprising: a fluorescent light and an incandescent light for directing light into the growing chamber; a thermostat to be responsive to the temperature within the plant growing chamber; and an electrical circuit having means for actuating both said lights, and separate means having only said incandescent light in series with said thermostat for actuating only said incandescent light only when the temperature within said growing chamber falls below a predetermined temperature independently of said means for actuating both said lights.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said incandescent and fluorescent lights are in parallel within said electrical circuit; and said electrical circuit including a manually controlled electrical switch in series with said incandescent light and a manually controlled electrical switch in series with said fluorescent light.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 15, including a manually adjustable timer in series with the electrical unit comprising said fluorescent light, said incandescent light, said thermostat and said manually controlled electrical switches.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus according to claim 14, including a manually adjustable timer in series with the electrical unit comprising said fluorescent and incandescent lights, and said thermostat.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus according to claim 17, including carbon dioxide means actuatable to release a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide into said growing chamber; said electrical circuit including control means in series with said timer for actuating said carbon dioxide Means in response to energizing said lights.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus having a controlled environment for plant husbandry, comprising: a substantially closed plant growing chamber having a sealing top; said top forming a second substantially closed light chamber fluid separate from said plant growing chamber, but in light communication therewith; an artificial light within said top light chamber; an electrical control circuit for having a timer means for controlling the operation of said artificial light; said light including an incandescent light and a fluorescent light; and said control circuit including a thermostat within said growing chamber in electrical series between said timer and only said incandescent light of said artificial light.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus having a controlled environment for plant husbandry, comprising: a substantially closed plant growing chamber having a sealing top; said top forming a second substantially closed light chamber fluid separate from said plant growing chamber, but in light communication therewith; an artificial light within said top light chamber; an electrical control circuit for having a timer means for controlling the operation of said artificial light; said light including an incandescent light and a fluorescent light; and said control circuit including a thermostat within said growing chamber in electrical series between said timer and only said incandescent light of said artificial light.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said control circuit includes separate manual electric switches respectively for said incandescent light and said fluorescent light in series between said timer and said respective lights.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 19, including vent valve means for admitting outside environment air to said growing chamber in response to de-energizing said light; and means for admitting a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide into said growing chamber in response to energizing said light and simultaneously closing said vent valve means for sealing said growing chamber.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said growing chamber includes means forming a reservoir for containing liquid nutrient at the bottom thereof; supports on opposite sides of said means forming a reservoir, and a plurality of parallel removable slats received on said supports and extending between said opposite sides for holding thereon a plurality of plant containers while allowing wick communication between the containers and the nutrient within the reservoir.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
162 words
The apparatus of claim 19, including a sealed control chamber separate from said light compartment and said growing chamber; said top having vent holes at the control chamber end and the opposite end; said top and said control chamber having aligned partition wall means parallel with the division between said control and growing chambers, and providing a fluid passage for outside environment air through said control chamber end louvers only downwardly into said control chamber on the outside of said partition wall means and upwardly through said control chamber along the inside of said partition means; vent valve means in the wall separating said growing chamber and said control chamber for opening to the outside environment air on the inside of said partition wall means; and fan means for drawing air from adjacent the inside of partition wall means and discharging it upwardly into said top light chamber for travel along and between said lights to exit through said opposite end louvers.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus of claim 23, including an electric motor for driving said fan means and being housed within said control chamber for cooling by the flow of outside environment air as it travels into said fan; said motor having a shaft extending through the wall between said control chamber and said growing chamber; and a circulating fan within said growing chamber drivingly attached to said motor shaft.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 19, including cooling means for passing outside environment air through said closed light chamber independently of said growing chamber.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
185 words
A process for improved plant growth employing an improved plant nutrient mixture of commercial plant fertilizer, hormones and an algicide in a controlled environment, said process comprising supplying the improved plant nutrients to plants within the controlled environment while maintaining the relative humidity of the controlled environment atmosphere at high levels near saturation, maintaining the CO2 content of the controlled environment atmosphere at levels in excess of normal ambient value and at some value optimized for particular plants, Controlling the lighting and temperature conditions within the controlled environment to provide optimized growth conditions whereby the improved plant nutrient mixture fed to plants within the controlled environment maintains the stomatal pores of plants open so as to maximize CO2 acceptance by the plants under the conditions where the high relative humidity of the controlled environment prevents excessive transpiration by the plants during the forced growth process; and the improved plant nutrient mixture is composed of commercial plant fertilizer having added thereto kinetin in the range from one two-thousandths to one two-hundredths part by weight and from one one-thousandth to one one-hundredth part by weight of algicide.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
185 words
A process for improved plant growth employing an improved plant nutrient mixture of commercial plant fertilizer, hormones and an algicide in a controlled environment, said process comprising supplying the improved plant nutrients to plants within the controlled environment while maintaining the relative humidity of the controlled environment atmosphere at high levels near saturation, maintaining the CO2 content of the controlled environment atmosphere at levels in excess of normal ambient value and at some value optimized for particular plants, Controlling the lighting and temperature conditions within the controlled environment to provide optimized growth conditions whereby the improved plant nutrient mixture fed to plants within the controlled environment maintains the stomatal pores of plants open so as to maximize CO2 acceptance by the plants under the conditions where the high relative humidity of the controlled environment prevents excessive transpiration by the plants during the forced growth process; and the improved plant nutrient mixture is composed of commercial plant fertilizer having added thereto kinetin in the range from one two-thousandths to one two-hundredths part by weight and from one one-thousandth to one one-hundredth part by weight of algicide.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process according to claim 26, further including venting the controlled environment to the atmosphere during periods of darkness so as to permit the plants to breathe normally under normal ambient conditions where photosynthesis is not occurring as it would occur in the presence of light.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to claim 26, wherein the improved plant nutrient mixture is supplied to the plants in liquid form through wick feeding from a suitable reservoir.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process according to claim 26, wherein the improved plant nutrient mixture is used in liquid form at a total nutrient-hormone-algicide mixture concentration of from 1/2 to 10 grams per gallon of water.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to claim 29, wherein the improved plant nutrient mixture is supplied to the plants in liquid form through wick feeding from a suitable reservoir.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process according to claim 30, further including venting the controlled environment to the atmosphere during periods of darkness so as to permit the plants to breathe normally under normal ambient conditions where photosynthesis is not occurring as it would occur in the presence of light.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-04 | 1976-01-03 | 1976-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-04 | 1980-01-03 | 1980-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-04 | 1984-01-03 | 1984-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |