Plant growing heavy weight bearing support assembly

Abstract

A plant growing apparatus of a hydroponic and/or aeroponic plant growing system includes a support assembly and a pair of height control mechanisms. The support assembly includes a bottom platform, supported and mobilized by corner caster wheel devices, and top and intermediate platforms, vertically spaced apart from one another and the bottom platform by upright corner posts rigidly affixed at the corners of the bottom platform. The intermediate platform may be manually raised or lowered along the posts. The height control mechanisms are concurrently operable to raise or lower the top platform along the posts. In addition to the plant growing apparatus, the plant growing system also includes light modules supported by the top platform, plant grow cells supported by the intermediate platform below the light modules, and a water reservoir and pump on the bottom platform and connected in communication with the plant grow cells and height control mechanisms.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plant growing support assembly, comprising:
 a bottom platform having a peripheral frame formed by a plurality of elongated members being disposed in a rectangular configuration and rigidly affixed to one another at adjacent end portions thereof so as to form a plurality of corners of said bottom platform;   a plurality of elongated posts being spaced apart from one another and disposed about and rigidly affixed to respective ones of said plurality of corners of said bottom platform so as to extend upright therefrom and parallel to one another;   a top platform having a peripheral frame formed by a plurality of elongated members being disposed in a rectangular configuration and a plurality of spaced apart couplers being rigidly affixed to respective end portions of adjacent pairs of said elongated members so as to form therewith a plurality of corners of said peripheral frame of said top platform, said couplers defining passages therethrough that slidably receive said elongated posts along corresponding upper portions of said posts; and   an intermediate platform having a plurality of spaced apart couplers, being disposed and affixed at respective corners of said intermediate platform, which define passages therethrough that slidably receive said elongated posts along corresponding intermediate portions of said posts;   wherein said elongated posts have respective pluralities of apertures formed therein at equal vertical spacing from one another along said posts such that different sets of said pluralities of apertures, being aligned with one another, are defined at different heights along said posts;   also wherein said couplers of said top and intermediate platforms have respective apertures formed therethrough that align with respective ones of said different sets of said apertures of said posts; and   further wherein fasteners are fitted through selected aligned ones of said different sets of said apertures of said elongated posts and said apertures of said couplers so as to retain said top and intermediate platforms respectively at selected elevations along said corresponding upper and intermediate portions of said posts.   
     
     
         2 . The support assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of braces each disposed adjacent to one of said corners of said bottom platform and rigidly affixed to a lower end portion of one of said elongated posts and said end portion of one of said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said bottom platform. 
     
     
         3 . The support assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of caster wheel devices being spaced apart and disposed below and mounted to said respective corners of said bottom platform so as to mobilize said support assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The support assembly of  claim 1  wherein said bottom platform also has an interior framework spanning between and rigidly affixed to said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said bottom platform. 
     
     
         5 . The support assembly of  claim 4  wherein said interior framework of said bottom platform has a lattice structure defining an array of openings through said bottom platform. 
     
     
         6 . The support assembly of  claim 1  wherein said top platform also has an interior framework spanning between and rigidly affixed to said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said top platform; and also wherein said interior framework has a lattice structure defining an array of openings through said top platform. 
     
     
         7 . A plant growing support assembly, comprising:
 a bottom platform having a peripheral frame formed by a plurality of elongated members being disposed in a rectangular configuration and rigidly affixed to one another at adjacent end portions thereof so as to form a plurality of corners of said bottom platform;   a plurality of elongated posts being spaced apart from one another and disposed about and rigidly affixed to respective one of said plurality of corners of said bottom platform so as to extend upright therefrom and parallel to one another;   a top platform having a plurality of spaced apart couplers, being disposed and affixed at respective corners of said top platform, which define passages therethrough that slidably receive said elongated posts along corresponding upper portions of said posts; and   an intermediate platform having a peripheral frame formed by a plurality of elongated members being disposed in a rectangular configuration and a plurality of spaced apart couplers being rigidly affixed to respective end portions of adjacent pairs of said elongated members so as to form therewith a plurality of corners of said peripheral frame of said intermediate platform, said couplers defining passages therethrough that slidably receive said elongated posts along corresponding intermediate portions of said posts;   wherein said elongated posts have respective pluralities of apertures formed therein at equal vertical spacing from one another along said posts such that different sets of said pluralities of apertures, being aligned with one another, are disposed at different heights along said posts;   also wherein said couplers of said top and intermediate platforms have respective apertures formed therethrough that align with respective ones of said different sets of pluralities of said apertures of said posts; and   further wherein fasteners are fitted through selected aligned ones of said different sets of said apertures of said elongated posts and said apertures of said couplers so as to retain said top and intermediate platforms respectively at selected elevations along said corresponding upper and intermediate portions of said posts.   
     
     
         8 . The support assembly of  claim 7  further comprising a plurality of braces each disposed adjacent to one of said corners of said bottom platform and rigidly affixed to a lower end portion of one of said elongated posts and said end portion of one of said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said bottom platform. 
     
     
         9 . The support assembly of  claim 7  further comprising a plurality of caster wheel devices being spaced apart and disposed below and mounted to said respective corners of said bottom platform so as to mobilize said support assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The support assembly of  claim 7  wherein said bottom platform also has an interior framework spanning between and rigidly affixed to said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said bottom platform. 
     
     
         11 . The support assembly of  claim 7  wherein said interior framework of said bottom platform has a lattice structure defining an array of openings through said bottom platform. 
     
     
         12 . The support assembly of  claim 7  wherein said intermediate platform also has an interior framework spanning between and rigidly affixed to said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said intermediate platform; and also wherein said interior framework has a lattice structure defining an array of openings through said intermediate platform and a mesh affixed to said interior framework and extending across said opening. 
     
     
         13 . A plant growing support assembly, comprising:
 a bottom platform having a peripheral frame formed by a plurality of elongated members being disposed in a rectangular configuration and rigidly affixed to one another at adjacent end portions thereof so as to form a plurality of corners of said bottom platform;   a plurality of elongated posts being spaced apart from one another and disposed about and rigidly affixed to respective ones of said plurality of corners of said bottom platform so as to extend upright therefrom and parallel to one another;   a top platform having a peripheral frame formed by a plurality of elongated members being disposed in a rectangular configuration and a plurality of spaced apart couplers being rigidly affixed to respective end portions of adjacent pairs of said elongated members so as to form therebetween a plurality of corners of said peripheral frame of said top platform, said couplers defining passages therethrough that slidably receive said elongated posts along corresponding upper portions of said posts; and   an intermediate platform having a peripheral frame formed by a plurality of elongated members being disposed in a rectangular configuration and a plurality of spaced apart couplers being rigidly affixed to respective end portions of adjacent pairs of said elongated members so as to form therebetween a plurality of corners of said peripheral frame of said intermediate platform, said couplers defining passages therethrough that slidably receive said elongated posts along corresponding intermediate portions of said posts;   wherein said elongated posts have respective pluralities of apertures formed therein at equal vertical spacing from one another along said posts such that different sets of said pluralities of apertures, being aligned with one another, are disposed at different heights along said posts;   also wherein said couplers of said top and intermediate platforms have respective apertures formed therethrough that align with respective ones of said different sets of pluralities of said apertures of said posts; and   further wherein fasteners are fitted through selected aligned ones of said different sets of said apertures of said elongated posts and said apertures of said couplers so as to retain said top and intermediate platforms respectively at selected elevations along said corresponding upper and intermediate portions of said posts.   
     
     
         14 . The support assembly of  claim 13  further comprising a plurality of braces each disposed adjacent to one of said corners of said bottom platform and rigidly affixed to a lower end portion of one of said elongated posts and said end portion of one of said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said bottom platform. 
     
     
         15 . The support assembly of  claim 13  further comprising a plurality of caster wheel devices being spaced apart and disposed below and mounted to said bottom platform so as to mobilize said support assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The support assembly of  claim 13  wherein said bottom platform also has an interior framework spanning between and rigidly affixed to said elongated members of said peripheral frame of aid bottom platform. 
     
     
         17 . The support assembly of  claim 16  wherein said interior framework of said bottom platform has a lattice structure defining an array of openings through said bottom platform. 
     
     
         18 . The support assembly of  claim 13  wherein said top platform also an interior framework spanning between and rigidly affixed to said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said top platform; and also wherein said interior framework has a lattice structure defining an array of openings through said top platform. 
     
     
         19 . The support assembly of  claim 13  wherein said intermediate platform also has an interior framework spanning between and rigidly affixed to said elongated members of said peripheral frame of said intermediate platform; and also wherein said interior framework has a lattice structure defining an array of openings through said intermediate platform and a mesh affixed to said interior framework and extending across said openings.