Hydroponic plant cultivating apparatus

Abstract

A hydroponic plant cultivation apparatus includes a reservoir with an opening. A plurality of planting modules can be stacked above the opening. Each planting module includes at least one planting port, a module conduit aperture, a top end, and a bottom end configured to releasably engage the top end. A conduit fluidly communicable with the reservoir is receivable through the module conduit apertures. A fluid distributor is engageable with a top end of the conduit. A fluid contained in the reservoir is selectively circulatable from the reservoir through the conduit to the fluid distributor, where the fluid is redirected down the interior of the planting modules and back to the reservoir when the planting modules are stacked above the opening in the reservoir, the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures and fluidly communicated with the reservoir, and the fluid distributor is engaged with the conduit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hydroponic plant cultivation apparatus comprising:
 a reservoir including an opening with a first lip and a second lip spaced from the first lip;   a plurality of planting modules stackable atop one another in an end to end configuration above the opening, each planting module comprising a sidewall, an interior space, at least one planting port defined in the sidewall for receiving a plant at least partially into the interior space, an interior wall in which is defined a module conduit aperture and a plurality of drain holes, a top end including a third lip, and a bottom end configured to selectably engage either of the top end or the opening in the reservoir, wherein the bottom end includes a first nesting portion configured to nest inside either of the first lip or the third lip, and a second nesting portion configured to nest inside the second lip when the first nesting portion is nested inside the first lip;   a conduit receivable in the module conduit apertures of the plurality of planting modules when the planting modules are stacked atop one another above the opening in the reservoir; and   a fluid distributor engageable with a top of the conduit when the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures;   wherein a fluid contained in the reservoir is selectably circulatable from the reservoir through the conduit to the fluid distributor where the fluid is redirected down the interior space of each planting module and back to the reservoir when the planting modules are stacked atop one another above the opening in the reservoir, the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures and in fluid communication with the reservoir, and the fluid distributor is engaged with the conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one angular stop element formed on a surface of the opening in the reservoir; and   at least one protrusion formed on a surface of the first nesting portion, the at least one protrusion configured to engage the at least one angular stop element to limit relative rotation between the bottom end of the planting module and the opening in the reservoir.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one protrusion is directly below the at least one planting port such that when the plurality of planting modules are stacked atop one another, the at least one protrusion of each planting module above the lowermost planting module engages the at least one planting port of an underlying adjacent planting module to prevent relative rotation between adjacent planting modules and vertically align the at least one planting port of each planting module of the plurality. 
     
     
         4 . A hydroponic plant cultivation apparatus comprising:
 a reservoir for holding a fluid, the reservoir including an opening having a first lip and at least one angular stop element;   a plurality of planting modules stackable atop one another in an end to end configuration above the opening in the reservoir, each planting module comprising:
 a sidewall, an interior space, at least one planting port defined in the sidewall for receiving a plant at least partially into the interior space, an interior wall in which is defined a module conduit aperture and a plurality of drain holes, a top end, and a bottom end configured to releasably engage the top end, 
 wherein the bottom end includes a first nesting portion configured to nest inside the first lip, and at least one protrusion formed on a surface of the first nesting portion, the at least one protrusion configured to engage the at least one angular stop element to limit relative rotation between the bottom end of the module and the opening in the reservoir; 
   a conduit receivable in the module conduit apertures of the plurality of planting modules when the planting modules are stacked atop one another above the opening in the reservoir, the conduit in fluid communication with the reservoir when the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures; and   a fluid distributor engageable with a top of the conduit when the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures, the fluid distributor in fluid communication with the conduit when the fluid distributor is engaged with the top of the conduit;   wherein a fluid contained in the reservoir is selectably circulatable from the reservoir through the conduit to the fluid distributor where the fluid is redirected down the interior space of each planting module and back to the reservoir when the planting modules are stacked atop one another above the opening in the reservoir, the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures, and the fluid distributor is engaged with the conduit.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the opening in the reservoir further includes a second lip spaced from the first lip; and   the bottom end of each planting module further includes a second nesting portion configured to nest inside the second lip.   
     
     
         6 . A hydroponic plant cultivation apparatus comprising:
 a reservoir for holding a fluid;   an opening defined in the reservoir, the opening including a first lip, a second lip spaced from the first lip, and at least one angular stop element;   a plurality of planting modules stackable atop one another in an end to end configuration above the opening in the reservoir, each planting module comprising:
 a sidewall, an interior space, at least one planting port defined in the sidewall for receiving a plant at least partially into the interior space, an interior wall in which is defined a module conduit aperture and a plurality of drain holes, a top end, and a bottom end configured to releasably engage the top end, 
 wherein the bottom end includes a first nesting portion configured to nest inside the first lip, a second nesting portion configured to nest inside the second lip, and at least one protrusion formed on a surface of the first nesting portion, the at least one protrusion configured to engage the at least one angular stop element to limit relative rotation between the bottom end of the module and the opening in the reservoir; 
   a conduit receivable in the module conduit apertures of the plurality of planting modules when the planting modules are stacked atop one another above the opening in the reservoir; and   a fluid distributor engageable with a top of the conduit when the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures;   wherein the fluid is selectively circulatable from the reservoir through the conduit to the fluid distributor where the fluid is redirected down the interior space of each planting module and back to the reservoir when the planting modules are stacked atop one another above the opening in the reservoir, the conduit is received in the module conduit apertures and in fluid communication with the reservoir, and the fluid distributor is engaged with the conduit.