US 11,641,810 C1 (248th)
System for providing circulating air for a vertical gardening system
Matthew Lawrence Bogner, Watsonville, CA (US); and James Allen Cunningham, Aptos, CA (US)
Filed by Vertical Air Solutions LLC, Aptos, CA (US)
Assigned to VERTICAL AIR SOLUTIONS LLC, Aptos, CA (US)
Supplemental Examination Request No. 96/050,037, Apr. 11, 2024.
Reexamination Certificate for Patent 11,641,810, issued May 9, 2023, Appl. No. 16/892,595, Jun. 4, 2020.
Application 96/050,037 is a continuation of application No. 15/730,659, filed on Oct. 11, 2017, granted, now 10,694,682.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/549,919, filed on Aug. 24, 2017.
Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate from Reexamination Ordered under 35 U.S.C. 257 issued on Nov. 14, 2024.
Int. Cl. A01G 9/18 (2006.01); A01G 9/20 (2006.01); A01G 9/24 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 9/18 (2013.01) [A01G 9/24 (2013.01); A01G 9/246 (2013.01); A01G 9/249 (2019.05); A01G 9/20 (2013.01)]
OG exemplary drawing
AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT:
The patentability of claims 4-7, 13-17, 23 and 26 is confirmed.
Claims 1, 3, 10, 12, 21, 22, 25 and 29 are cancelled.
Claims 2, 8, 9, 11, 18-20, 24, 27 and 30-33 are determined to be patentable as amended.
Claim 28, dependent on an amended claim, is determined to be patentable.
New claims 34-52 are added and determined to be patentable.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 [ 34, ] wherein the first elongated duct has a rectangular cross section that has a width that is greater than a height of the first elongated duct.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 [ 34, ] further comprising:
a light ballast coupled in proximity to the housing; and
a light bar having a plurality of light emitting diodes, the light bar mounted in proximity to the first elongated duct.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 [ 34, ] further comprising a filter positioned between the air inlet portion and the outlet portion of the housing.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 [ 38, ] wherein the first elongated duct has a rectangular cross section that has a width that is greater than a height of the first elongated duct.
18. The apparatus of claim 10 [ 38, ] further comprising:
a light ballast coupled in proximity to the housing; and
a light bar having a plurality of light emitting diodes, the light bar mounted in proximity to the first elongated duct.
19. The apparatus of claim 10 [ 38, ] wherein the first elongated duct extends linearly along one of the shelves from an end at the outlet portion of the housing, to an opposite end.
20. The apparatus of claim 10 [ 38, ] further comprising a filter positioned between the air inlet portion and the outlet portion of the housing.
24. The apparatus kit of claim 21 [ 41, ] further comprising a filter configured to be positioned between the air inlet portion and the outlet portion of the housing.
27. The vertical plant growing system of claim 25 [ 46, ] wherein the housing comprises an air inlet portion and an air outlet portion, wherein the air inlet portion is positioned laterally outboard of the upper and lower plant growing regions.
30. The vertical plant growing system of claim 29 [ 50, ] wherein the elongated duct of the lower air distribution system is supported by the one of the plant shelves and the elongated duct of the upper air distribution system is supported by another of the plant shelves.
31. The vertical plant growing system of claim 29 [ 50, ] wherein the housings comprise air inlet portions and an air outlet portions, wherein the air inlet portions are positioned laterally outboard of the plant shelves.
32. The vertical plant growing system of claim 29 [ 50, ] wherein the fans are positioned laterally outboard of the plant shelves.
33. The vertical plant growing system of claim 29 [ 50, ] further comprising a filter positioned between the air inlet portion and the outlet portion of the housing.
[ 34. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fan is located outside of the housing wherein the air flows from the fan into the air inlet portion of the housing.]
[ 35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the fan is operable to blow the air vertically into the air inlet portion of the housing.]
[ 36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the housing is located laterally outside of the rack system.]
[ 37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the housing comprises a plenum between the air inlet portion and the air outlet portion, and the fan blows air into the air inlet portion wherein air flows into the plenum.]
[ 38. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fan is located outside of the housing wherein the air flows from the fan into the air inlet portion of the housing.]
[ 39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the fan is operable to blow the air vertically into the inlet portion of the housing.]
[ 40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the plurality of vertically stacked shelves and the pair of uprights form a rack, the housing being located laterally outside of the rack.]
[ 41. The apparatus kit of claim 21, wherein the fan is located outside of the housing wherein the air flows from the fan into the air inlet portion of the housing.]
[ 42. The apparatus kit of claim 41, wherein the fan is operable to blow air vertically into the air inlet of the housing.]
[ 43. The apparatus kit of claim 41, wherein the housing is located laterally outside of the rack system.]
[ 44. The apparatus kit of claim 41, wherein the fan is operable to blow air into the air inlet portion wherein air flows into the plenum.]
[ 45. The apparatus kit of claim 41, wherein the first plurality of holes is arranged along a lower surface of the first elongated duct so that air flows downwardly out through the first plurality of holes.]
[ 46. The vertical plant growing system of claim 25, wherein each fan is located outside of its respective housing wherein the air flows from the fans into the respective housings.]
[ 47. The vertical plant growing system of claim 46, wherein each fan is operable to blow air vertically into its respective housing.]
[ 48. The vertical plant growing system of claim 46, wherein the housings are located laterally outside of the rack.]
[ 49. The vertical plant growing system of claim 46, wherein each housing comprises an air inlet portion, an outlet portion, and a plenum between the respective air inlet portion and the respective air outlet portion, and the fans being operable to blow air into the respective air inlet portions wherein air flows into the respective plenums of the housings.]
[ 50. The vertical plant growing system of claim 29, wherein each fan is located outside of its respective housing wherein the air flows from the fans into the respective housings.]
[ 51. The vertical plant growing system of claim 50, wherein the fans are operable to blow air vertically into the respective housings.]
[ 52. The vertical plant growing system of claim 50, wherein the housings are located laterally outside of the rack.]