Apparatus for cultivating plants

Abstract

An apparatus for cultivating plants may include a cabinet forming a space in which plants are cultivated; a door connected to the cabinet to open and close the space; at least one bed disposed in the space and configured to support at least one seed package accommodating a medium including seeds; and at least one light assembly that radiates light to the at least one seed package on the at least one bed. The light assembly may include at least one LED module including a plurality of LED groups; a light case that covers an upper portion of the at least one LED module; and a light cover coupled to the light cover and supporting a lower portion of the at least one LED module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for cultivating plants, comprising:
 a cabinet forming a cultivating space in which plants are cultivated;   a door connected to the cabinet to open and close the cultivating space;   a plurality of beds arranged in a vertical direction in the space of the cabinet and on which a plurality of seed packages is placed, respectively;   introduction/withdrawal guides disposed at both side surfaces of the cultivating space and configured to guide sliding-in and out movements of the plurality of beds; and   a plurality of light assemblies disposed, respectively, above the plurality of beds and configured to radiate light onto the plurality of seed packages, wherein the plurality of light assemblies each has a same structure and is respectively mounted on a top surface in the cabinet and a lower surface of the introduction/withdrawal guides.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of light assemblies includes:
 a light emitting diode (LED) module composed of a plurality of LEDs;   a light case that defines a receiving space configured to receive the LED module mounted therein; and   a light cover that is made of a transparent material to transmit light from the plurality of LEDs and that covers a lower portion of the light case, and wherein the light case is mounted on the top surface in the cabinet and the lower surface of the introduction/withdrawal guides.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of light mounts is disposed on the top surface in the cabinet and the lower surface of the introduction/withdrawal guides, and wherein the plurality of light mounts each has a same structure to be coupled with the light case of each of the plurality of light assemblies. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of light mounts protrudes from the top surface in the cabinet and the lower surface of the introduction/withdrawal guides at a front and a rear of corners of the light case. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein each light case has a first set of case restricting holes and a second set of case restricting holes which are formed on a top surface of the light case, wherein positions of the first and second sets of case restricting holes are different from each other, and wherein each light assembly is selectively mountable on the top surface in the cabinet using the first set of case restricting holes and the plurality of light mounts, or on the introduction/withdrawal guides using the second set of case restricting holes and the plurality of light mounts. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second set of case restricting hole includes:
 an insertion portion configured to receive one of the plurality of light mounts inserted therein; and   a restriction portion recessed from an end portion of the insertion portion and smaller in size than the insertion portion to restrict movement of the one of the plurality of light mounts.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of light mounts includes:
 a mount coupling portion coupled to the cabinet or the introduction/withdrawal guide and extended to pass through the insertion portion; and   a mount head formed at a lower end portion of the mount coupling portion to restrict the light mount inside of the restriction portion.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second sets of case restricting holes are spaced and disposed laterally on the top surface of the light case, and wherein the LED module is disposed between the first and second sets of case restricting holes. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein wire guide ribs that extend between side ends of the first and second sets of case restricting holes and the LED module are formed on the top surface of the light case. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a evaporator disposed on an inner rear side of the cabinet to adjust an internal temperature of the cultivating space;   a plurality of blower assemblies provided in front of the evaporator and disposed, respectively, between each of the plurality of light assemblies and the plurality of beds; and   a plurality of blower brackets that connects an upper end portion of each of the plurality of blower assemblies and the plurality of light assemblies, respectively.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein a blower assembly mount is formed at a rear end of the light cover. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a display is disposed at a front end of one of the plurality of light assemblies mounted on the introduction/withdrawal guides, wherein the display is positioned to face a rear surface of the door in a condition in which the door is closed, and wherein at least a portion of the door is transparent such that the display is visible through the door. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the display includes a case mount provided on lateral sides of a top surface of the display and extending rearward to couple with the light case. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the LED module comprises a plurality of LED groups corresponding in position to each of the plurality of seed packages. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of LED groups includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a plurality of lines, and wherein gaps between LEDs of the plurality of LED groups at both sides are smaller than a gap between LEDs of a LED group at a center in the cabinet. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of an inner surface of the cultivating space is formed of a metal material to reflect light emitted from the plurality of LEDs. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the light case has a case edge that extends downward along a circumference thereof, and wherein the light cover has a cover edge that extends upward along a circumference thereof and coupled to overlap the case edge of the light case. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for cultivating plants, comprising:
 a cabinet forming a cultivating space in which plants are cultivated;   a door connected to the cabinet to open and close the cultivating space;   a plurality of beds arranged in a vertical direction in the space of the cabinet and on which a plurality of seed packages is placed, respectively;   introduction/withdrawal guides disposed at both side surfaces of the cultivating space and configured to guide sliding-in and out movements of the plurality of beds; and   a plurality of light assemblies disposed, respectively, above the plurality of beds and configured to radiate light onto the plurality of seed packages, wherein each of the plurality of light assemblies includes:
 a light emitting diode (LED) module; 
 a light case that defines a receiving space configured to receive the LED module mounted therein; and 
 a light cover that is made of a transparent material to transmit light from the plurality of LEDs and that covers a lower portion of the light case, and wherein a display is disposed on one of the plurality of light assemblies, wherein the display is positioned to face a rear surface of the door in a condition in which the door is closed, and wherein at least a portion of the door is transparent such that the display is visible through the door. 
   
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for cultivating plants, comprising:
 a cabinet forming a cultivating space in which plants are cultivated;   a door connected to the cabinet to open and close the cultivating space;   a plurality of beds arranged in a vertical direction in the space of the cabinet and on which a plurality of seed packages is placed, respectively;   introduction/withdrawal guides disposed at both side surfaces of the cultivating space and configured to guide sliding-in and out movements of the plurality of beds; and   a plurality of light assemblies disposed, respectively, above the plurality of beds and configured to radiate light onto the plurality of seed packages, wherein each of the plurality of light assemblies includes:
 a light emitting diode (LED) module composed of a plurality of LEDs; 
 a light case that defines a receiving space configured to receive the LED module mounted therein; and 
 a light cover that is made of a transparent material to transmit light from the plurality of LEDs and that covers a lower portion of the light case, wherein the light case is mounted on the cabinet or the introduction/withdrawal guides, and wherein the LED module comprises a plurality of LED groups corresponding in position to each of the plurality of seed packages. 
   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of LED groups includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a plurality of lines, and wherein gaps between LEDs of the plurality of LED groups at both sides are smaller than a gap between LEDs of a LED group at a center in the cabinet.