KR-102963048-B1 - Non-Powered Sequential Water and Nutrient Delivery System

Abstract

The present invention relates to a non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system that optimizes environmental control and nutrient supply throughout the entire growth cycle of a plant. This system is largely composed of a non-powered plant growth tank device (100) and a multi-stage capsule-type fertilizer (400). The non-powered plant growth tank device (100) completely solves the chronic problem of excessive moisture in conventional technology by utilizing the principles of solar heat evaporation and condensation to prevent liquid water from flowing directly into the soil. In particular, it provides a dual effect of promoting plant growth by utilizing the high specific heat of the water (13) filled in the tank (10) to transfer heat energy accumulated during the day to the soil at night, thereby keeping the temperature around the roots warm. Furthermore, the insulation box device (30) can be actively opened and closed according to the information from the light intensity sensor (40) and the humidity sensor (50) to additionally perform environment-adaptive heat control. The capsule-type fertilizer (400) introduces an oxygen blocking layer (1st layer) on the outermost layer to prevent oxidative deterioration of the internal timer layer (3rd layer/6th layer) during storage, thereby dramatically improving the reliability of the fertilizer supply timing. Depending on the growth stage of the crop, this capsule sequentially switches and releases nitrogen-centered nutrients for early growth (2nd layer), phosphorus/potassium-centered nutrients for late fruiting stage (5th layer), and microbial spores for post-harvest residue decomposition (8th layer). In particular, it has an innovative structure that fundamentally solves the problem of undecomposed residues in the fertilizer shell and maximizes the release efficiency of the late fertilizer through a linkage mechanism that accelerates the physical breakdown of the oxidatively decomposable timer layer using a water-soluble cavity forming layer (4th layer/7th layer) and a foaming agent. Consequently, this system provides an integrated solution that autonomously manages the supply of water and nutrients necessary for plant growth by integrating an energy-independent power source with sensor-based precision control.

Inventors

• 황보민

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20251121

Claims (2)

1. delete
2. The invention relates to a non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system comprising a plant growth tank device (100) and a capsule-type fertilizer (400), wherein the plant growth tank device (100) supplies water to the plant and the capsule-type fertilizer (400) supplies nutrients to the plant. The above plant growth tank device (100) is, Includes a water tank (10) and a flowerpot (20) filled with soil in which a plant (21) is growing, The above tank (10) is, A body part (11) made of a transparent material; A tube (12) connected to the above body part (11) and embedded inside the soil of the flowerpot (20); It includes water (13) filled inside the above tank (10), The height of the water (13) is located lower than the joint between the tube (12) and the body part (11), and The tube (12) buried inside the above soil is characterized by having a hole formed therein. The above body part (11) is divided into an upper body part (111) and a lower body part (112), and the upper body part (111) and the lower body part (112) are connected by a guide, so that by adjusting the connection position of the upper body part (111) and the lower body part (112), the size of the internal space of the body part (11) can be adjusted, and thus the amount of water supplied to the flowerpot (20) can be adjusted. It further includes an insulating box device (30) that surrounds the body part (11), The above insulation box device (30) is, An upper box portion (31) covering the upper body portion (111) above; A lower box portion (32) that surrounds the lower body portion (112); A hinge portion (33) with a motor coupled to it is included in the folding portion between the upper box portion (31) and the lower box portion (32). It further includes a control unit (40) that controls the hinge part (33), and The above control unit (40) is characterized by having a light intensity sensor built in, so that during the day, the hinge unit (33) is controlled to open the upper box unit (31), and at night, the upper box unit (31) is closed. A humidity sensor (50) is embedded inside the flowerpot (20) to transmit humidity information to the control unit (40), and when the humidity inside the flowerpot (20) is excessively wet to the extent that it hinders plant growth, the control unit (40) operates the hinge unit (33) to close the upper box unit (31). The above capsule-type fertilizer (400) is, 8th layer (428) located in the center and composed of microbial spores or decomposition enzymes that promote the decomposition of plant roots; A seventh layer (427) of a water-soluble material that surrounds the outer surface of the eighth layer (428) and dissolves upon contact with moisture to form a second cavity between the eighth layer (428) and the outer layer, thereby accelerating the structural collapse of the outer layer; A sixth layer (426) made of an oxidatively degradable resin that covers the outer surface of the seventh layer (427) and decomposes and cracks upon contact with oxygen in the air due to an oxidation reaction; A fifth layer (425) covering the outer surface of the sixth layer (426) and containing a second nutrient necessary for the later growth of the plant; A fourth layer (424) of a water-soluble material that surrounds the outer surface of the fifth layer (425) and dissolves upon contact with moisture to form a first cavity between the fifth layer (425) and the outer layer, thereby accelerating the structural collapse of the outer layer; A third layer (423) made of an oxidatively degradable resin that covers the outer surface of the above fourth layer (424) and decomposes and cracks upon contact with oxygen in the air due to an oxidation reaction; A second layer (422) covering the outer surface of the third layer (423) and containing a first nutrient necessary for the initial growth of a plant; and A first layer (421) that surrounds the outer surface of the second layer (422) and is made of a water-soluble material that dissolves in water, and has oxygen barrier properties that block the third layer (423) from coming into contact with external air; comprising The above-mentioned fourth layer (424) comprises at least one of starch and sugars, rapidly dissolves due to moisture introduced through cracks in the third layer (423), thereby physically accelerating the collapse of the third layer (423). The above 7th layer (427) comprises at least one of starch and sugars, rapidly dissolves due to moisture introduced through the cracks in the 6th layer (426), thereby physically promoting the collapse of the 6th layer (426). The above-mentioned fourth layer (424) further includes a foaming agent, and the foaming agent reacts with moisture that has penetrated through the cracks in the third layer (423) to generate carbon dioxide gas, thereby increasing the pressure inside the first cavity and accelerating the physical crushing of the third layer (423) which has been oxidized and weakened. The above-mentioned seventh layer (427) further includes a foaming agent, and the foaming agent reacts with moisture that has penetrated through the cracks in the sixth layer (426) to generate carbon dioxide gas, thereby increasing the pressure inside the second cavity and accelerating the physical fracture of the sixth layer (426) which has been oxidized and weakened. The second layer (422) has a composition in which the nitrogen (N) content required during the vegetative growth period of a plant is higher than the phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content, and the fifth layer (425) has a composition in which the phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content required during the reproductive growth period of a plant is higher than the nitrogen (N) content, and the decomposition time of the third layer (423) is set to correspond to the period of transition from the vegetative growth period to the reproductive growth period. A non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system characterized in that the 6th layer (426) is composed of an oxidatively degradable resin that is set to have a slower oxidative decomposition rate than the 3rd layer (423) and disintegrates after the plant harvest.

Description

Non-Powered Sequential Water and Nutrient Delivery System The present invention relates to a system that intelligently controls the plant growth environment and sequentially supplies optimal nutrients throughout the entire growth cycle. More specifically, the invention relates to a 'non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system' in which a plant growth tank device, which utilizes the principles of solar evaporation/condensation to automatically supply the necessary amount of water without power during the day and maintain root temperature by transferring thermal insulation at night, is organically combined with a multi-stage capsule-type fertilizer that sequentially releases fertilizer components and soil-degrading microorganisms at precise times according to the crop's growth stage (vegetative growth stage, reproductive growth stage, and post-harvest dormancy stage). Conventional plant cultivation and fertilization technologies had the following limitations. 1. Limitations of Automatic Water Supply and Environmental Control: Conventional automatic watering systems primarily utilized osmotic pressure or capillary action (wick method) to continuously supply liquid water for 24 hours. This resulted in the problem of excessive moisture, where the soil became excessively wet even at night or on cloudy days when plant transpiration was inactive, thereby hindering root respiration and causing root rot. Additionally, the lack of or insufficient nighttime insulation to prevent soil heated by sunlight from cooling rapidly at night had an adverse effect on plant root growth. 2. Fertilizer Application Timing and Limitations of Soil Cycling: Conventional slow-release fertilizers merely delayed the release of fertilizer components by controlling only the coating thickness or the release rate of the material; consequently, it was impossible to accurately "switch" and supply the nutrients required during the crop's vegetative growth stage (nitrogen-centered) and reproductive growth stage (phosphorus/potassium-centered). Furthermore, existing photodegradable fertilizers had operational reliability issues, as decomposition was delayed or halted when buried in soil or exposed to shade. Furthermore, there was no technology capable of including a soil-reducing microbial core that decomposes residues (such as roots) left after harvest to restore soil fertility, and of precisely controlling the release timing of these microorganisms to after the harvest season. Ultimately, existing technologies fail to actively and intelligently control the moisture, temperature, and nutrients required for plant growth throughout the entire growth cycle; in particular, no integrated solution has been presented that regulates the environment without power, ensures storage stability, and achieves precise sequential nutrient supply. - Related Prior Art - 1. Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0002427 (Watering potted plants using air pressure control inside a PET bottle) 2. Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0124170 (Flowerpot with watering function) 3. Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-03110543 (Photodegradable capsule for controlled-release fertilizer and controlled-release fertilizer containing the same) 4. Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0160288 (Dissolution-controlled fertilizer) FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are schematic diagrams of a plant growth tank device in a non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a capsule-type fertilizer in a non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the form in which a cavity (3141) is formed in a capsule-type fertilizer in a non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a care capsule-type fertilizer in a non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system of this embodiment consists of a plant growth tank device and capsule-type fertilizer. With this non-powered sequential water and nutrient supply system, nutrients (fertilizer) and water are automatically supplied even when plants are left for a long time, making it easier to grow them. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the plant growth tank device (100) according to the present embodiment comprises a tank (10) for storing water and a flowerpot (20) in which a plant (21) is planted. The flowerpot (20) may be a household flowerpot or an agricultural flowerpot applied to a smart farm. The above water tank (10) is provided with a body part (11) made of a transparent or translucent materi