System for providing circulating air for a vertical gardening system

Abstract

A flow distribution assembly provides air circulation to a rack-based vertical gardening system. The distribution assembly includes a housing having air inlet and outlet portions, and defining a plenum therebetween. At least one elongated duct has an end fluidly coupled to housing's air outlet portion, the duct adapted to extend along a shelf of the rack, to an opposite end thereof. A fan is fluidly coupled to the housing's air inlet portion and is supportable by the rack so that it can direct ambient air into the air inlet portion. The duct has a plurality of openings arranged to direct air at a plant growing area of the gardening system when the distribution assembly is mounted on a rack system. Optionally, the air inlet portion is positionable laterally outboard of plant growing regions of the vertical gardening system.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A flow distribution assembly for use in providing air flow to growing plants on a rack, said distribution assembly comprising:
 a platform configured to be supported on the rack and to support plants thereon;   a first elongated duct configured to be supported on and extend along the rack, said first elongated duct engaged with and disposed below said platform and having a first duct inlet that receives air in a horizontal direction, said first elongated duct having a plurality of openings defined along said first elongated duct and arranged to direct air in a vertical direction at a plant growing area of the rack;   a fan enclosure configured to be supported on the rack; and   a fan at least partially disposed within said fan enclosure and configured to be supported on the rack, said fan coupled with said first elongated duct, and said fan having an intake that receives ambient air in a vertical direction and provides air to said first duct inlet of said first elongated duct.   
     
     
         4 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a light system configured to be supported on the rack and positioned below said first elongated duct, said light system arranged to direct light downwardly at the plant growing area of the rack. 
     
     
         5 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a housing having an air inlet portion and an air outlet portion, wherein said fan enclosure is coupled to said housing at said air inlet portion, and said housing is configured for coupling to and being supported by the rack. 
     
     
         6 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said air inlet portion is configured to be positioned laterally outboard of said platform. 
     
     
         7 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising an intake collar mounted at said inlet portion of said housing, wherein said fan enclosure is coupled directly to said intake collar. 
     
     
         8 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one filter positioned within said housing. 
     
     
         9 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of braces configured to slidingly support said first elongated duct at the rack. 
     
     
         10 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a second elongated duct configured to be supported on and extend along the rack, said second elongated duct engaged with and disposed below said platform and in parallel spaced arrangement with said first elongated duct, said second elongated duct having a second duct inlet that receives air in a horizontal direction, said second elongated duct having a plurality of openings defined along said second elongated duct and arranged to direct air in a vertical direction at the plant growing area of the rack, wherein said fan is coupled with said second elongated duct. 
     
     
         11 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said first and second elongated ducts are configured to extend linearly and horizontally along the rack and are spaced laterally apart from one another to define an elongate space therebetween. 
     
     
         12 . A flow distribution assembly for use on a rack system having at least one shelf defining vertically aligned plant growing regions, said flow distribution assembly comprising:
 an air system configured to be mounted on and supported by the rack system, said air system comprising:
 a housing having an air inlet portion and a pair of air outlet portions, and defining a plenum between said air inlet and outlet portions, wherein said air inlet portion is configured to be positioned laterally outboard of the vertically aligned plant growing regions; 
 a first elongated duct and a second elongated duct each having an end fluidly coupled to a side of said housing at respective ones of said air outlet portions, and said first and second elongated ducts configured to extend linearly along the at least one shelf to an opposite end; and 
 a fan fluidly coupled to said air inlet portion of said housing and configured to be supported by the rack system and to direct ambient air into said housing through said air inlet portion; 
   wherein said first and second elongated ducts each define a respective plurality of openings arranged to direct the ambient air at one of the vertically aligned plant growing regions when said air system is mounted on the rack system; and   wherein said first and second elongated ducts are configured to extend along the rack system such that the ambient air passing through said air inlet portion is received into said housing and the air passing through said first and second elongated ducts flows in a horizontal direction.   
     
     
         13 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said housing is arranged so that the ambient air passing through said air inlet portion flows in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         14 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said air inlet portion is configured to be positioned laterally outboard of the vertically aligned plant growing regions when said air system is mounted on the rack system. 
     
     
         15 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising an intake collar mounted at said air inlet portion of said housing, wherein said fan is coupled directly to said intake collar. 
     
     
         16 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one filter positioned within said housing. 
     
     
         17 . A flow distribution assembly comprising:
 a rack having opposed ends and elongate sides extending between said ends, said rack comprising:
 a plurality of uprights disposed at said sides of said rack and defining a rack volume; and 
 a platform supported by said uprights within said rack volume; 
   an air distribution system attached to and supported by said rack in vertical arrangement with respect to said platform, wherein said air distribution system comprises:
 a housing having an air inlet portion and a first air outlet portion; 
 a fan fluidly coupled to said air inlet portion of said housing, wherein said fan is configured to direct ambient air into said housing through said air inlet portion; and 
 a first elongated duct fluidly coupled to said first air outlet portion of said housing, said first elongated duct defining a plurality of outlet openings for directing the ambient air at a plurality of plants supported by said rack within said rack volume; 
 wherein said first elongated duct extends linearly and horizontally, and is supported by and along said rack between selected ones of said uprights. 
   
     
     
         18 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 17 , wherein:
 said housing comprises a second air outlet portion spaced laterally from said first air outlet portion;   a second elongated duct is fluidly coupled to said second air outlet portion; and   said second elongated duct extends linearly and horizontally along said rack between said selected ones of said uprights, and is spaced laterally apart from said first elongated duct to define an elongate space therebetween.   
     
     
         19 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said first elongated duct is positioned directly below and is supported by said platform. 
     
     
         20 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 19 , wherein said platform comprises an elevated platform configured to provide an elevated plant growing region. 
     
     
         21 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 20 , further comprising a lower platform spaced below said elevated platform, wherein said lower platform is configured to provide a lower plant growing region, and wherein first elongated duct is configured to direct the ambient air downwardly toward said lower plant growing region. 
     
     
         22 . A flow distribution assembly comprising:
 a rack having opposed ends and elongate sides extending between said ends, said rack comprising:
 a plurality of uprights disposed at said sides of said rack and defining a rack volume; and 
 a platform supported by said uprights within said rack volume; 
   an air distribution system attached to and supported by said rack in vertical arrangement with respect to said platform, wherein said air distribution system comprises:
 a housing having an air inlet portion and a first air outlet portion; 
 a fan fluidly coupled to said air inlet portion of said housing, wherein said fan is configured to direct ambient air into said housing through said air inlet portion; and 
 a first elongated duct fluidly coupled to said first air outlet portion of said housing, said first elongated duct defining a plurality of outlet openings for directing the ambient air at a plurality of plants supported by said rack within said rack volume; 
 wherein said first elongated duct extends linearly and horizontally, and is supported by and along said rack between selected ones of said uprights; and 
   a lighting system attached to and supported by and along said rack between said selected ones of said uprights and below said outlet openings of said first elongated duct.   
     
     
         23 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said fan and said air inlet portion of said housing are positioned laterally outside of said rack volume. 
     
     
         24 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said fan is operable to direct the ambient air in a vertical direction into said air inlet portion, and said first air outlet portion is configured to direct the ambient air in a horizontal direction to said elongated duct. 
     
     
         25 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 22 , wherein:
 said housing comprises a second air outlet portion spaced laterally from said first air outlet portion;   a second elongated duct is fluidly coupled to said second air outlet portion; and   said second elongated duct extends linearly and horizontally along said rack between said selected ones of said uprights, and is spaced laterally apart from said first elongated duct to define an elongate space therebetween.   
     
     
         26 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said first elongated duct is positioned directly below and is supported by said platform. 
     
     
         27 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 26 , wherein said platform comprises an elevated platform configured to provide an elevated plant growing region. 
     
     
         28 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 27 , further comprising a lower platform spaced below said elevated platform, wherein said lower platform is configured to provide a lower plant growing region, and wherein said lighting system is configured to direct light downwardly toward said lower plant growing region and said first elongated duct is configured to direct the ambient air downwardly through said lighting system and toward said lower plant growing region. 
     
     
         29 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 22 , further comprising at least one filter positioned within said housing.