Autonomous wall mounted garden
The invention is an autonomous wall garden system containing removeable trays, a water delivery system, a tray water level sensor system, and optional grow lights and user interface. The present invention provides a vertical plant growing environment that can be configured to monitor and, in certain cases automatically provide, the appropriate light, temperature, humidity and water for the specific plants in the garden.
1 . A wall garden system comprising:
a structural frame configured to provide structure and support for the wall garden system;
a front face insert that attaches within the structural frame;
at least one shelf which is attached to or incorporated into the front face insert;
at least one plant tray configured to sit on the at least one shelf and within the front face insert and further configured to hold an at least one plant growing system and an amount of water;
at least one tray water level sensor system configured to measure the amount of water in the at least one tray;
a water delivery system configured to deliver water to the at least one tray;
a microprocessor or microcontroller unit to control the at least one tray water level sensor system and the water delivery system; and
a power source,
wherein a bottom of each plant tray is configured to have at least one plant tray foot; and
wherein each shelf is configured to have a groove that mates with the plant tray foot to ensure the proper alignment of the tray on the shelf.
2 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , further comprising a front exterior casing configured to movably attach to and to cover the front face insert, and wherein the front exterior casing incorporates an at least one plant window.
3 . The wall garden system of claim 2 , wherein the exterior front casing incorporates at least one movable casing section.
4 . The wall garden system of claim 2 , further comprising at least one lip that extends from the at least one plant window.
5 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more side exterior casings that are configured to conceal any exposed structural frame on an installed wall garden system.
6 . The wall garden system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one plant tray water level sensor system comprises:
a transparent window incorporated into a side of the tray; and
an infrared sensor configured to detect and measure the amount of the water in the tray through the transparent window.
7 . The wall garden system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one plant tray water level sensor system comprises:
a float containing a magnet and confined within a float channel, which is attached to a bottom of the at least one plant tray; and
a Hall Effect sensor on top of or incorporated into the at least one shelf and configured to identify the proximity of the magnet to the Hall Effect sensor.
8 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , further comprising a plant tray lid for each of the at least one plant trays, wherein each plant tray lid has at least one plant tray opening through which a plant can grow.
9 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , wherein the water delivery system comprises:
at least one water tank;
a pump to move water within the water delivery system and to the plant trays;
at least one valve through which the water moves within the system;
tubing to connect the at least one water tanks to any additional water tanks; and
at least one tray fill nozzle that is configured to dispense water into the at least one plant tray.
10 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one grow light incorporated into the front face insert and located above the at least one plant tray.
11 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface.
12 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , further comprising a wall mount mechanism configured to attach the wall garden system to a wall.
13 . The wall garden system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.
14 . The plant tray assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one camera.