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. 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 . A flow distribution assembly for use in providing air flow to growing plants on a rack, said distribution assembly comprising:
 an air system configured to be supported on a rack system having a plurality of uprights and a plurality of shelves supported by the uprights, the shelves defining vertically aligned plant growing areas, said air system comprising:
 a housing comprising an air inlet portion and an air outlet portion, said housing configured for mounting at a pair of the uprights; 
 a fan coupled to said air inlet portion of said housing; and 
 a first elongated duct having a first plurality of holes arranged to direct air at one of the plant growing areas when mounted on the rack, wherein said first elongated duct has an end coupled to said outlet portion of said housing and extends linearly, and is configured to be supported by and along one of the shelves to an opposite end of said first elongated duct; 
 wherein said fan is configured to direct ambient air in a vertical direction into said housing and out through said outlet portion such that the air flows away from said housing in a horizontal direction through said first elongated duct and out through said first plurality of holes in said first elongated duct. 
   
     
     
         2 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an intake collar mounted at said inlet portion of said housing. 
     
     
         3 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said fan is coupled directly to said intake collar and positioned laterally outboard of the vertically aligned plant growing areas. 
     
     
         4 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a second elongated duct having a second plurality of holes on a lower surface of said second elongated duct, said second elongated duct comprising an end coupled to a second outlet portion of said housing, wherein said second elongated duct extends linearly, and is configured to be supported by and along the one of the shelves to an opposite end of said second elongated duct. 
     
     
         5 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said first elongated duct and second elongated duct define an elongate space therebetween, said elongate space extending uninterrupted from the ends of said first and second elongated ducts to said opposite ends of said first and second elongated ducts. 
     
     
         6 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said fan and said air inlet portion are configured so that air flows downwardly through said fan and said air inlet portion. 
     
     
         7 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter positioned between said air inlet portion and said outlet portion of said housing. 
     
     
         8 . A flow distribution assembly for use on a rack system having at least one shelf supported by first and second pairs of uprights, the at least one shelf defining at least one plant growing region, said flow distribution assembly comprising:
 a housing configured to be coupled to and supported by the first pair of uprights, said housing having an air inlet portion and first and second air outlet portions;   first and second elongated ducts having ends coupled to respective ones of said first and second air outlet portions, said first and second elongated ducts defining respective first and second pluralities of holes therealong, wherein said first and second elongated ducts extend linearly away from said housing and alongside one another, wherein said ducts are configured to be supported by and along the at least one shelf to respective opposite ends of said first and second elongated ducts; and   a fan fluidly coupled to said air inlet portion of said housing and operable to direct ambient air into said housing such that the air flows away from said housing through said air outlet portions in a horizontal direction, through said first and second elongated ducts, and through said first and second pluralities of holes to direct air toward the at least one plant growing region when mounted on the rack system.   
     
     
         9 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said elongate space extends uninterrupted from said ends of said first and second elongated ducts to said opposite ends of said first and second elongated ducts. 
     
     
         10 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said first plurality of holes is along a lower surface of said first elongated duct. 
     
     
         11 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said air inlet portion of said housing is positioned laterally outboard of the first pair of uprights and the at least one plant growing region. 
     
     
         12 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said fan is positioned laterally outboard of the first pair of uprights and the at least one plant growing region. 
     
     
         13 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said fan and said air inlet portion are configured so that air flows downwardly through said fan and said air inlet portion. 
     
     
         14 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said first and second elongated ducts are positioned at opposite sides of said air inlet portion. 
     
     
         15 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said housing defines a plenum between said air inlet portion and said air outlet portion. 
     
     
         16 . The flow distribution assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising a filter positioned between said air inlet portion and said first and second air outlet portions of said housing. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus kit for dispersing air, comprising:
 an air system configured to be mounted on and supported by a rack system having a plurality of uprights and at least one shelf that defines at least one plant growing area and is mountable to the uprights, said air system comprising:
 a housing comprising an air inlet portion and an air outlet portion, said housing defining a plenum between said air inlet and outlet portions, wherein said air inlet portion is configured to be positioned at and supported between a pair of the uprights; 
 a fan configured to be coupled to said air inlet portion of said housing; and 
 a first elongated duct having a first plurality of holes arranged to direct air at the at least one plant growing area when mounted on the rack system, wherein said first elongated duct has an end configured for coupling to said outlet portion of said housing, and is configured to extend linearly along the rack system and be supported by the rack system to an opposite end of said first elongated duct; 
 wherein said fan is operable to direct ambient air into said housing such that the air flows away from said housing in a horizontal direction through said first elongated duct and through said first plurality of holes in said first elongated duct. 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus kit of  claim 17 , wherein said first plurality of holes is arranged along a lower surface of said first elongated duct so that air flows downwardly out through said first plurality of holes. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus kit of  claim 18 , further comprising a second elongated duct having a second plurality of holes on a lower surface of said second elongated duct, and said second elongated duct is configured for coupling to a second outlet portion of said housing. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus kit of  claim 17 , wherein said air inlet portion of said housing is configured to be positioned laterally outboard of the first pair of uprights and the at least one plant growing area. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus kit of  claim 20 , wherein said fan is configured to be positioned laterally outboard of the first pair of uprights and the at least one plant growing area. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus kit of  claim 17 , further comprising a filter configured to be positioned between said air inlet portion and said air outlet portion of said housing.