DE3101249A1 - ROTATING BASE FOR PLANTS - Google Patents

Description

Patent attorneys

Dipl.-ing. E. Eder

Dfpf.-Ing. K. Schieschke

8 Munich 40, ElisebethatraBe 34

DANOLIN MANUFACTURING CO. Vancouver, Canada

Rotatable frame for plants

The invention relates to a rotatable frame for Plants.

The problem of symmetrical growth often arises in growing plants. Often the whole plant bends in Towards the light source, or the side of the plant facing the light, develops faster. In addition, the Colors of a plant are significantly impaired by uneven light exposure. Such problems are not easy to solve if you don't want to spend a disproportionate amount of time on caring for your plants.

These problems are exacerbated for hobby gardeners and others who have an increased interest in well-grown plants still. For this reason, for example, for plant exhibitors, symmetry is often a prerequisite for success, as this is often the case is a special characteristic for awards. Florists and plant lovers can also sell considerably more, when their plants have grown symmetrically.

Thus it is evident that the symmetry of the plants is one is an important goal for decorative plant growth. Furthermore, it is clear that such a symmetry of a

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depends on uniform light irradiation from all sides. the The solution to the problem must therefore be aimed at such uniform light irradiation.

Most of the time, the plant holder simply rotates his plants regularly by hand in order to give the same light to all sides of the plant, which is often done with a special one Lighting system is combined.

However, such a procedure can hardly be recommended as it requires constant observation of the plant's location, which is arguably the biggest disadvantage. The combination with a special lighting arrangement makes the whole thing Plant often very unattractive, which destroys the decorative value of the plants.

It is known to place a plant pot on a motorized, rotatable platform (US Pat. No. 3,360,885). These plants have so far been supplied with electricity from the household circuit. Such a system has many obvious disadvantages on. For example, the connection cable for the socket is difficult to see and interferes with cleaning and the like. This factor is made worse if there is no suitable power outlet and an extension cord is required will. An additional difficulty with the use of sockets is that each plant rack used can be connected to one Outlet must be connected and that most homes have a limited number of sockets.

Another difficulty with conventional electric bogies is that the system switches on and off in the morning and in the evening. must be switched off, otherwise electricity would be wasted during the night. This problem intensifies during the vacation or vacation when nobody is at home to switch the mechanism on or off at the given times.

Thus, it is clear that many of the problems encountered with manually rotating plants are also encountered with electrically powered ones Attachments occur.

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The object of the present invention is to create a rotatable frame for plants which works in an energy-saving manner and eliminates all of the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a fixed base housing with at least one connected thereto Solar energy cell, a motor driven by the solar energy cell and an upper one arranged on the housing Platform that is driven by the motor.

The present invention solves these difficulties by having at least one solar energy cell on the rotatable Plant rack · The plant is simply placed in a window or any other desired location, and that on top of the cells falling light then causes the rotation.

The advantages of the device according to the invention are simple to recognize. It is not necessary to use scarce energy for a purely decorative purpose. Furthermore it is not necessary to switch the system on or off after it has been set up.

Except for the labor and energy saving measures mentioned the invention has the further advantage that the motor can be controlled so that the plant rotates faster, when the incidence of light is very high and that it can rotate more slowly when there is less light. Thus granted the layout of the plant is not only uniform, direction-dependent, but also dependent on the amount of light Irradiation.

The invention is explained below with reference to in the drawings illustrated embodiments described in more detail. In the drawing show:

Fig. 1 is an illustration of the invention

rotatable plant frame in a partially disassembled arrangement;

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Pig, 2 the motor and the countershaft combination.

The base housing 2 is preferably cylindrical, although other shapes can of course also be used. The cylinder 4 contains solar energy cells 6 on the side, which are inserted into the housing in any suitable manner can. The housing is preferably hollow, the cells are inserted into the housing wall and the electrical connections are reached by wires inside the hollow housing. The lines 8 of the cells 6 thus end at the terminals 10.

The motor 12 is attached to the housing 2 and is electrically connected to the terminals 10 by lines 14. This becomes electrical Energy for driving the motor is supplied by the cells 6 via the terminals 10. Only one is pronounced as the end performance slight rotation necessary. For this reason, there must be a reduction mechanism between the motor 12 and the final output can be used.

As a result, the reduction gear 16 is attached to the motor shaft and transfers power from the motor to a main gearbox 18 via the mechanism 20, which is located in the shaft of the transmission 16.

The central shaft 24 is fastened in the housing 2. The bearing holder 26 is inserted into the central shaft 24. The inner running surface 28 of the bearing 30 rests on the central shaft 22. The outer raceway 32 rotates freely on the ball bearings.

The main gear 18 rests on the outer running surface 32 of the bearing 30, preferably by friction fit. The essay 34 in the center of the upper platform 36 rests against the outer running surface 32 of the bearing 30, again preferably by a friction fit.

If energy is transmitted from the shaft 22 of the transmission 16 to the main transmission 18, the upper platform 36 can become free rotate with the outer running surface 32 of the bearing 30.

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The upper platform 36 has a preferably flat surface. In connection with struts 38, which protrude from the central attachment 34-, this arrangement makes the
Mass concentrated in the direction of the central attachment 34 and thus reduced the torque required for the motor. The struts 38 extend outwardly and upwardly from the attachment 34 and meet the lower surface of the platform 36 where the off-center loading of the platform during rotation is reduced.

The cylindrical shape of the housing has the advantage that at least one of the on a portion of the side arranged solar cells can be irradiated by the sun during a larger part of the day.

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Claims (8)

Patent attorneys Dipl.-Ing. E. Eder Dipl.-Ing. K. Schieschke Munich 40, Elisabethstrasse 34 DALTOLIN HAM] PACOiIIRING CO. Vancouver, Canada Rotating Stand for Plants Claims: 1. Rotatable frame for plants, characterized by a fixed base housing (2) with at least one with it connected solar energy cell (6), a motor driven by the solar energy cell (12) and an upper on the housing (2) arranged platform (36) which is driven by the motor. 2. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the platform (36) on the housing (2) by means of a bearing (30) is arranged on a central shaft (22). 3. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (2) has a cylindrical shape, and that the Motor (12) is attached to the cylinder (4). 4. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (2) has a cylindrical shape on wide, and that at least a solar cell (6) is arranged on the cylinder side. 130051/0434 5 · Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the Housing (2) has several consecutively connected solar cells (6). 6. Frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor (12) the upper platform (36) by means of a speed reducer (16) drives. 7. Frame according to claim 3 »characterized in that the upper platform (36) is a hollow cylindrical or hollow truncated cone Has shape, which is closed at the upper end and open at the lower end, that the radius of the lower End is approximately the same as that of the housing (2) and that the sides are so high that the lower circumference of the platform (36) lies next to the upper circumference of the disc. 8. Frame according to claim 7 »characterized in that the The motor (12) and the speed reducer (16) rest on the top of the disc and are enclosed by the upper platform. 9 · Frame according to claim 7 »characterized in that the The top of the Platform (36) is flat and in the center with an attachment (3 * 0 as well as with several radial stiffeners (38) is provided. Patent attorneys Dipl.-Ing / jÜL Eder Dipl.-Ing. KMBchieschke 8 Munich 40 / Qjttibethstrasse 34 / 3 130051/0434