TWI890577B - Modular aquaponics device - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular fish-vegetable symbiotic device comprises: at least one aquaculture box having a cultivation box body and a cultivation space, wherein the cultivation box body is a three-dimensional fan-shaped box, and the cultivation space is formed by a depression extending from the top of the cultivation box body; at least one plant box is stacked on top of the aquaculture box, and the plant box is composed of a plant box bottom wall, a first plant box side wall, a second plant box side wall, and a plant box short end wall. The aquaculture box is composed of a wall, a long end wall of the planting box, a planting space, and an overflow portion. At least one motor is installed in the planting space of the aquaculture box. At least one water pipe assembly is connected to the motor, and the water pipe assembly has a water outlet facing the planting space of the planting box. Therefore, the present invention can be assembled in any number of circles and layers to achieve flexible space utilization and unique personalized design.

Description

Modular aquaponics system

This invention relates to aquaponics equipment, and more specifically, to a modular aquaponics device.

Aquaponics is a currently popular closed-loop ecosystem. It primarily involves raising aquatic animals (such as fish) in an aquaculture facility and growing vegetables or vegetables in a hydroponic system. Water from the aquaculture facility is transferred to the hydroponic system, and then back to the aquaculture system, creating a closed loop. The water in the aquaculture facility, containing fish waste and organic matter, is decomposed and filtered before being transferred to the hydroponic system, where it becomes nutrients such as nitrates that can be absorbed by the vegetables. The vegetables in the hydroponic system then purify the water before transferring it to the aquaculture system, achieving a water purification cycle for reuse.

However, aquaponics equipment currently falls into two main categories. One type is large, custom-made equipment, which is enormous in both size and floor space, intended for commercial use and beyond the reach of the general public. The other type is smaller, more compact, and suitable for home use. However, these types are typically fixed in size, floor space, and height, preventing individuals from freely determining their desired size, width, and height. Consequently, the average person must either purchase a pre-installed system or build it from scratch. This approach, however, consumes significant time and money, and is ultimately unproductive.

In view of this, in order to improve the prior art, the equipment specifications of the known aquaponics are difficult to meet the space available in the user's home, and cannot be modularly assembled, resulting in problems such as inflexibility in use, difficulty in coping with different space uses, and difficulty in self-creation of appearance. Therefore, the present invention provides a modular aquaponics device, comprising: at least one aquaculture box, having a culture box body and a culture space, the culture box body is a three-dimensional fan-shaped box, the culture space is from the top of the culture box body from top to bottom The bottom wall of the aquaculture box is formed by a concave extension; at least one plant box is stacked on top of the aquaculture box, and the plant box has a plant box bottom wall in the shape of a fan-shaped flat plate, a first plant box side wall is combined with one edge of the plant box bottom wall and extends vertically upward, a second plant box side wall is combined with the other edge of the plant box bottom wall and extends vertically upward, and the second plant box side wall forms a 90-degree angle with the first plant box side wall, and a plant box short end wall is combined with one short end edge of the plant box bottom wall and extends vertically upward. The outer peripheral surface of the short end wall of the planting box is a concave arc surface between the side wall of the box and the side wall of the second planting box. A long end wall of the planting box is combined with one long end edge of the bottom wall of the planting box and between the side wall of the first planting box and the side wall of the second planting box, and the outer peripheral surface of the long end wall of the planting box is a convex arc surface. A planting space is formed by the bottom wall of the planting box, the side wall of the first planting box, the side wall of the second planting box, the short end wall of the planting box and the long end wall of the planting box. The top of the planting space is hollow and is connected to the bottom wall of the planting box. The box is connected to the outside world, and includes an overflow portion protruding from the top surface of the bottom wall of the planting box. The overflow portion has a plurality of overflow holes extending downward to the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the planting box. At least one motor is disposed within the cultivation space of the aquaculture box. At least one water pipe assembly is connected to the motor, and the water pipe assembly has a water outlet facing the cultivation space of the planting box. By combining any of the components of the present invention, a unique design with diverse and personalized shapes can be achieved, allowing for flexible use to accommodate different personal spaces.

100: Modular Aquaponics System

10: Aquaculture Box

11: Cultivation Box

111: Bottom wall of the breeding box

112: Side wall of the first culture box

113: Side wall of the second culture box

114: Culture box wall

12: Breeding Space

20: Planting Box

21: Bottom wall of the planting box

22: Side wall of the first planting box

23: Side wall of the second planting box

24: Short end wall of the plant box

25: Long end wall of the plant box

251: Hollow Area

26: Positioning unit

261: First barrier

262: Second barrier

263: Arc to Wall

27: Planting Space

28: Overflow

281: Overflow hole

30: Motor

40: Water pipe assembly

41: Connector

42: Water outlet pipe

421: Water outlet

43: Intermediate tube

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a three-dimensional combination diagram of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a three-dimensional combination diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a three-dimensional combination diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a three-dimensional combination diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a three-dimensional combination diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

To help you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the features and advantages of this invention, the following preferred embodiments are illustrated and illustrated. Please refer to Figures 1 through 7, which illustrate a modular aquaponics device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of this invention. The device primarily comprises at least one aquaculture box 10, at least one plant box 20, at least one motor 30, and at least one water pipe assembly 40. Referring to Figures 1 through 3, the aquaculture box 10 comprises a cultivation box body 11 and a cultivation space 12. The cultivation box body 11 is generally a three-dimensional, fan-shaped box, and the cultivation space 12 is formed by a depression extending downward from the top of the cultivation box body 11. The cultivation box body 11 comprises a bottom wall 111, a first side wall 112, a second side wall 113, and a peripheral wall 114. The bottom wall 111 is a fan-shaped flat plate. The first side wall 112 is vertically connected to one edge of the bottom wall 111. The second side wall 113 is vertically connected to the other edge of the bottom wall 111. One end of the second side wall 113 is connected to one end of the first side wall 112. The second side wall 113 is connected to the first side wall 114. The side walls 112 form a 90-degree angle with each other. The cultivation box peripheral wall 114 is uprightly connected to the periphery of the cultivation box bottom wall 111 and is connected to the other end of the first cultivation box side wall 112 and one end of the second cultivation box side wall 113. The outer circumference of the cultivation box peripheral wall 114 is an outwardly convex arc surface, approximately a quarter of a circle. The cultivation space 12 is enclosed by the cultivation box bottom wall 111, the first cultivation box side wall 112, the second cultivation box side wall 113, and the cultivation box peripheral wall 114, leaving the top of the cultivation space 12 open and connected to the outside world.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the plant box 20 comprises a plant box bottom wall 21, a first plant box side wall 22, a second plant box side wall 23, a plant box short end wall 24, a plant box long end wall 25, a positioning portion 26, a planting space 27, and an overflow portion 28. The plant box bottom wall 21 is generally in the shape of a fan-shaped flat plate. The first plant box side wall 22 is coupled to one edge of the plant box bottom wall 21 and extends upward. The second plant box side wall 23 is coupled to the other edge of the plant box bottom wall 21 and extends upward, forming a 90-degree angle between the second plant box side wall 23 and the first plant box side wall 22. The short end wall 24 of the planting box is connected to one short end edge of the planting box bottom wall 21 and between the same ends of the first planting box side wall 22 and the second planting box side wall 23, and the outer circumference of the short end wall 24 of the planting box is a concave arc surface, which is approximately a 1/4 circle arc surface. The long end wall 25 of the planting box is connected to one long end edge of the planting box bottom wall 21 and between the same ends of the first planting box side wall 22 and the second planting box side wall 23, and the outer peripheral surface of the long end wall 25 of the planting box is a convex arc surface, which is approximately a 1/4 circle arc surface. A hollow area 251 is formed on the long end wall 25 of the planting box, which passes through the inner and outer sides. In this embodiment, the hollow area 251 is generally in the shape of a butterfly, but can also be any other shape such as a butterfly, the sun, a snail, a heart, a circle, a square, etc. The positioning portion 26 protrudes from the bottom surface of the plant box bottom wall 21 and comprises a first baffle 261, a second baffle 262, and an arcuate connecting wall 263. The outer side of the first baffle 261 corresponds to a virtual extension line extending downward from the inner surface of the first plant box side wall 22. The outer side of the second baffle 262 corresponds to a virtual extension line extending downward from the inner surface of the second plant box side wall 23. The arcuate connecting wall 263 connects the first and second plant box side walls 22, 23, and its outer side corresponds to a virtual extension line extending downward from the inner surface of the short end wall 24 of the plant box. The planting space 27 is formed by the bottom wall 21 of the planting box, the first side wall 22 of the planting box, the second side wall 23 of the planting box, the short end wall 24 of the planting box, and the long end wall 25 of the planting box. The top of the planting space 27 is open and connected to the outside. The overflow portion 28 protrudes from the top surface of the plant box bottom wall 21 and abuts the short end wall 24 of the plant box. The top surface of the overflow portion 28 has a plurality of overflow holes 281 extending downward to the bottom surface of the plant box bottom wall 21. The top openings of the overflow holes 281 are not linearly connected to the bottom openings. That is, the top and bottom openings of the overflow holes 281 are not located on the same longitudinal axis (so that when two plant boxes 20 are stacked, water flowing out of the upper plant box 20 through the overflow holes 281 will not flow directly into the overflow holes 281 of the lower plant box 20, ensuring that the lower plant box 20 can retain water).

Furthermore, the length of the first plant box sidewall 22 is shorter than the length of the first cultivation box sidewall 112, and the length of the second plant box sidewall 23 is shorter than the length of the second cultivation box sidewall 113. In this embodiment, two plant boxes 20 are stacked and then placed on the aquaculture box 10. The positioning portion 26 of the lower plant box 20, which protrudes from the bottom surface of the plant box bottom wall 21, fits snugly within the cultivation space 12 of the stacked aquaculture box 10 and is held in place by the inner side of the cultivation space 12 (not shown), thereby enhancing the secure positioning of the stacked boxes (see Figures 2 and 3).

Please refer to Figures 1 to 2. The positioning portion 26 is combined with the bottom surface of the bottom wall 21 of the planting box and is convex. The positioning portion 26 has a first baffle 261, a second baffle 262 and an arc-connected wall 263. The outer side position of the first baffle 261 corresponds to the virtual extension line position of the inner side surface of the first planting box side wall 22 extending downward. The outer side position of the second baffle 262 corresponds to the virtual extension line position of the inner side surface of the short end wall 24 of the planting box extending downward. The arcuate connecting wall 263 is connected between the first baffle 261 and the second baffle 262, and the outer side of the arcuate connecting wall 263 corresponds to the position of the virtual extension line extending downward from the inner side of the short end wall 24 of the planting box. The arcuate connecting wall 263 and the overflow portion 28 form a vertically corresponding protrusion, so that an L-shaped drainage channel A is defined inside. One end of the L-shaped drainage channel A is connected to the plurality of overflow holes 281, and the other end passes through the inner end surface of the arcuate connecting wall 263 to communicate with the outside world.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. The motor 30 is a submersible motor and is installed in the aquaculture space 12 of the aquaculture box 10.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the water pipe assembly 40 comprises a connector 41, a water outlet pipe 42, and at least one intermediate pipe 43. The connector 41 is connected to the motor 30. The top of the water outlet pipe 42 has a water outlet hole 421 that extends outward and then downward, facing the planting space 27. The intermediate pipe 43 is connected between the connector 41 and the bottom end of the water outlet pipe 42 and is located within the concave arc surface of the short end wall 24 of the planting box 20.

The above is an introduction to the various components and assembly methods of a modular aquaponics device 100 provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Its usage features are then introduced as follows: First, water and aquatic products (such as fish) are placed in the cultivation space 12 of the aquaculture box 10, and water and vegetables are placed in the planting space 27 of the planting boxes 20. In this way, the motor 30 generates power and the water pipe assembly 40 transports the water in the cultivation space 12 to the planting space 27. When the water in the planting space 27 is higher than the height of the overflow hole 281 or higher than the height of the hollow area 251, the water in the planting space 27 will pass through the overflow hole 281 or the hollow area 251 and flow into the cultivation space 12 below to circulate. Furthermore, during the water circulation process, the water in the cultivation space 12 contains fish excrement and organic matter. When transported to the planting space 27, it can serve as nutrients that can be absorbed by the vegetables. The vegetable roots in the planting space 27 can also purify the water at the same time, thus achieving the effect of aquaponics.

Therefore, the present invention not only serves as a container device for an aquaponics system, but also, through its unique structural design, allows users to flexibly utilize the number and combination of the present invention, thereby achieving a personalized and aesthetically pleasing overall design. As shown in Figures 1 through 3, a single-layered aquaculture box 10 is paired with two quarter-circular planting boxes 20 in a double-layered arrangement. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, two aquaculture boxes 10 can be spliced into a semicircular single layer, paired with two plant boxes 20 to form a semicircular double layer stacking combination. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 5, three aquaculture boxes 10 can be spliced into a 3/4 circular single layer, paired with three plant boxes 20 to form a 3/4 circular double layer stacking combination. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, four aquaculture boxes 10 can be spliced into a full circular single layer, paired with four plant boxes 20 to form a full circular double layer stacking combination. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7, multiple aquaculture boxes 10 of varying sizes can be stacked in multiple layers, combined with multiple plant boxes 20 for splicing and stacking. These combinations can meet the diverse needs of different users.

Of course, when the present invention is assembled using different numbers of ring-shaped structures, the number of motors 30 and water pipe assemblies 40 can simply be increased or decreased accordingly. Alternatively, when the present invention is assembled in different layers, the number of intermediate pipes 43 in the water pipe assembly 40 can also be increased or decreased accordingly. Both can achieve the same effect.

Therefore, the present invention not only serves as a device for an aquaponics system but also offers modular assembly capabilities. Users can configure the aquaculture box 10 and the planting box 20 in a single quarter-circle shape, two horizontally spliced boxes for a semicircle, three horizontally spliced boxes for a three-quarter circle, or four horizontally spliced boxes for a full circle. The boxes can then be assembled in single layers or by stacking multiple layers vertically upwards. This allows for a variety of unique designs with personalized shapes, allowing for flexible use to accommodate individual spaces.

Secondly, the hollow area of the plant box can be shaped not only into butterflies, but also into sun, snail, heart, circle, square, and other shapes.

Furthermore, when stacking multiple layers of plant boxes, the positioning portion of any upper layer will abut the inner surface of the first plant box side wall of the lower hydroponic vegetable box with its first baffle wall, the inner surface of the second plant box side wall with its second baffle wall, and the outer circumference of its arcuate connecting wall will abut the inner surface of the short end wall of the plant box. This ensures that each layer of plant boxes is securely positioned and connected to the lower layer, ensuring the stability of the stacking assembly.

Finally, in practice, not only can the planting box have a positioning portion, but the bottom surface of the aquaculture box can also be provided with a positioning portion (not shown). Moreover, the positioning portion only needs to be an L-shaped protrusion, that is, only need to have a first baffle and a second baffle to achieve a stable positioning and connection of each layer of aquaculture boxes with the aquaculture boxes on the lower layer.

The above disclosure is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent modifications made by relevant technical personnel in the field of technology based on the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.

100: Modular Aquaponics System

10: Aquaculture Box

11: Cultivation Box

111: Bottom wall of the breeding box

112: Side wall of the first culture box

113: Side wall of the second culture box

114: Culture box wall

12: Breeding Space

20: Planting Box

21: Bottom wall of the planting box

22: Side wall of the first planting box

23: Side wall of the second planting box

24: Short end wall of the plant box

25: Long end wall of the plant box

251: Hollow Area

26: Positioning unit

261: First barrier

262: Second barrier

263: Arc to Wall

27: Planting Space

281: Overflow hole

30: Motor

40: Water pipe assembly

41: Connector

42: Water outlet pipe

421: Water outlet

43: Intermediate tube

Claims (10)

A modular aquaponics device comprising: At least one aquaculture box comprises a box body and a cultivation space. The box body is in the shape of a three-dimensional fan-shaped box, and the cultivation space is formed by a concave shape extending downward from the top surface of the box body. At least one plant box is stacked on top of the aquaculture box, the plant box having a plant box bottom wall in the shape of a fan-shaped flat plate, a first plant box side wall, coupled to one edge of the plant box bottom wall and extending upright, a second plant box side wall, coupled to the other edge of the plant box bottom wall and extending upright, the second plant box side wall and the first plant box side wall forming a 90-degree angle, a plant box short end wall, coupled to one short end edge of the plant box bottom wall and between the first plant box side wall and the second plant box side wall, the outer peripheral surface of the plant box short end wall is a concave arc surface, a plant box long end wall , joined to one long end edge of the plant box bottom wall between the same ends of the first plant box side wall and the second plant box side wall, with the outer circumference of the plant box long end wall being a convex arc surface. A hollow area penetrating the inner and outer sides of the plant box long end wall is formed. A planting space is jointly defined by the plant box bottom wall, the first plant box side wall, the second plant box side wall, the short end wall, and the long end wall. The top of the planting space is open and communicates with the outside. An overflow portion protrudes from the top surface of the plant box bottom wall, and the top surface of the overflow portion has a plurality of overflow holes penetrating downward to the bottom surface of the plant box bottom wall. At least one motor is installed in the aquaculture space of the aquaculture box; At least one water pipe assembly is connected to the motor, and the water pipe assembly has a water outlet facing the planting space of the planting box. The modular aquaponics device of claim 1, wherein the culture box body comprises a culture box bottom wall, a first culture box side wall, a second culture box side wall, and a culture box peripheral wall; the culture box bottom wall is in the shape of a fan-shaped flat plate; the first culture box side wall is uprightly connected to one edge of the culture box bottom wall; the second culture box side wall is uprightly connected to the other edge of the culture box bottom wall; and one end of the second culture box side wall is connected to one end of the first culture box side wall. The second cultivation box side wall forms a 90-degree angle with the first cultivation box side wall. The cultivation box peripheral wall is upright connected to the periphery of the cultivation box bottom wall and is connected to the other end of the first cultivation box side wall and one end of the second cultivation box side wall. The outer peripheral surface of the cultivation box peripheral wall is an outwardly convex arc surface. The cultivation space is enclosed by the cultivation box bottom wall, the first cultivation box side wall, the second cultivation box side wall, and the cultivation box peripheral wall, so that the top of the cultivation space is open and connected to the outside world. The modular aquaponics device as described in claim 2, wherein the peripheral wall of the cultivation box is a quarter-circular arc surface, the outer peripheral surface of the short end wall of the planting box is a quarter-circular arc surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the long end wall of the planting box is a quarter-circular arc surface. The modular aquaponics device as described in claim 1, wherein the hollow area of the planting box is in the shape of any one of a butterfly, a sun, a snail, a heart, a circle, and a square. The modular aquaponics device according to claim 2, wherein the length of the side wall of the first planting box is shorter than the length of the side wall of the first cultivation box, and the length of the side wall of the second planting box is shorter than the length of the side wall of the second cultivation box. The modular aquaponics device as described in claim 1, wherein the overflow portion is adjacent to the short end wall of the planting box, and the opening of the overflow hole at the top and the opening at the bottom are not located on the same longitudinal axis. The modular aquaponics device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plant box further comprises a positioning portion protruding from the bottom surface of the plant box bottom wall. The positioning portion comprises a first baffle wall, a second baffle wall, and an arcuate connecting wall. The outer side of the first baffle wall corresponds to a virtual extension line extending downward from the inner side surface of the first plant box side wall. The outer side of the second baffle wall corresponds to a virtual extension line extending downward from the inner side surface of the short end wall of the plant box. The arcuate connecting wall is connected between the first baffle wall and the second baffle wall, and the outer side of the arcuate connecting wall corresponds to a virtual extension line extending downward from the inner side surface of the short end wall of the plant box. The modular aquaponics device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the water pipe assembly comprises a connector, a water outlet pipe, and at least one intermediate pipe. The connector is connected to the motor. The water outlet extends outward and then downward from the top end of the water outlet pipe. The intermediate pipe is connected between the connector and the bottom end of the water outlet pipe and is located within the concave arc surface of the short end wall of the vegetable box of the planting box. The modular aquaponics device as described in claim 7, wherein the water supply pipe assembly comprises a connector, a water outlet pipe, and at least one intermediate pipe. The connector is connected to the motor. The water outlet extends outward and then downward from the top end of the water outlet pipe. The intermediate pipe is connected between the connector and the bottom end of the water outlet pipe and is located within the concave arc surface of the short end wall of the vegetable box of the planting box. The modular aquaponics device according to claim 1, wherein the aquaculture box further comprises a positioning portion protruding from the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the aquaculture box.