Portable greenhouse

Claim 2

A portable, self-contained greenhouse comprising: a base pan adapted to receive a soil mixture; a transparent enclosure supported on said base pan; lighting means mounted to said enclosure for artificially stimulating the plant life growing in the soil mixture; heating means positioned within said base pan and buried within the soil mixture for uniformly heating the soil mixture, said heating means including a pair of superimposed heat spreading shields adapted to be placed within said base pan and buried within the soil mixture, said shields each having a plurality of spaced apertures arranged in vertically spaced pairs when said plates are superimposed; a plurality of clips each extending through one of said pairs of vertically spaced apertures being generally U-shaped and including wire retaining tabs extending inwardly between the legs of the clip; and a resistance type heating wire sandwiched between said shields and retained by said tabs between the legs of each of said clips in a serpentine manner, said wire contacting said heat shields at spaced points.

Claim 3

A portable, self-contained greenhouse comprising: a base pan having longitudinally extending troughs adjacent the sides thereof and a curved bottom panel intermediate the troughs, said pan adapted to receive a soil mixture; a transparent enclosure supported on said base pan, said enclosure including end panels, transparent wall members and means for slidably mounting said transparent wall members between said end panels; heating means supported within said pan and buried within the soil mixture for uniformly heating the soil mixture; sensing means for sensing the soil temperature and actuating said heating means; lighting means supported by said enclosure for artificially stimulating the plants growing in the soil mixture; lighting control means electrically connected to said lighting means for automatically activating said lighting means as a function of ambient light, and wherein said heating means includes; a pair of superimposed heat spreading shields adapted to be placed within said base pan above the troughs and buried within the soil mixture, said shields each having a plurality of spaced apertures arranged in vertically spaced pairs when said plates are superimposed; a plurality of clips each extending through one of said pairs of vertically spaced apertures being generally U-shaped and including wire retaining tabs extending inwardly between the legs of the clip; a resistance type heating wire sandwiched between said shields and retained by said tabs between the legs of each of said clips in a serpentine manner, said wire contacting said heat shields at spaced points.

Claim 4

A portable, self-contained greenhouse comprising: a base pan having longitudinally extending troughs adjacent the sides thereof and a curved bottom panel intermediate the troughs, said pan adapted to receive a soil mixture; a transparent enclosure supported on said base pan, said enclosure including end panels, transparent wall members and means for slidably mounting said transparent wall members between said end panels; heating means supported within said pan and buried within the soil mixture for uniformly heating the soil mixture; sensing means for sensing the soil temperature and actuating said heating means; lighting means supported by said enclosure for artificially stimulating the plants growing in the soil mixture; lighting control means electrically connected to said lighting means for automatically activating said lighting means as a function of ambient light, and wherein said heating means includes; a pair of superimposed heat spreading shields adapted to be placed within said base pan above the troughs and buried within the soil mixture, said shields each having a plurality of spaced apertures arranged in vertically spaced pairs when said plates are superimposed; a plurality of clips each extending through one of said pairs of vertically spaced apertures being generally U-shaped and including wire retaining tabs extending inwardly between the legs of the clip; a resistance type heating wire sandwiched between said shields and retained by said tabs between the legs of each of said clips in a serpentine manner, said wire contacting said heat shields at spaced points.

Claim 5

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 2 wherein said transparent enclosure further includes a transparent roof structure and wherein said lighting means includes a fluorescent light supported by said roof structure.

Claim 6

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 2 wherein said sensing means comprises: a temperature sensor adapted to be disposed within the soil mixture; and a temperature control means electrically connected to said temperature sensor and said heating wire for automatically actuating said heating wire to maintain a preselected soil temperature.

Claim 7

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 4 wherein said lighting control means includes a 24 hour clock timer electrically connected to said light means.

Claim 8

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 5 wherein said lighting control means further includes a photocell interrupt means electrically connected to said clock timer, said photocell interrupt means including a photocell ambient light sensor connected to a time delay relay for interrupting or activating said lighting means as a function of ambient lighting.

Claim 9

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 5 wherein said lighting control means further includes a manual bypass switch connected around said clock timer.

Claim 10

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 7 further including means disposed partially within the soil within said pan for indicating the relative moisture content of said soil mixture.

Claim 11

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 8 wherein said moisture indicating means comprises: a pair of electrodes of dissimilar metals adapted to be disposed in the soil mixture, each of said electrodes electrically connected to a meter mounted on one side of said base pan, said meter being calibrated to indicate wet, moist and dry soil conditions.

Claim 12

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 8 further including a ground fault circuit interrupter adapted to be connected to a source of power, said ground fault circuit interrupter being electrically connected to said temperature control means and said photocell interrupt means.

Claim 13

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 10 wherein said means for slidably mounting said transparent wall members includes a lower strut extending between said end panels, said lower strut including a pair of panel receiving tracks; and an upper strut extending between said end panels and vertically spaced from said lower strut, said upper strut having a pair of panel-receiving tracks positioned in the same plane as said tracks of said lower strut whereby said transparent panels may be supported within said tracks for slidable movement.

Claim 14

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 11 wherein said means for mounting said roof panels includes said upper strut further including a second pair of panel-receiving tracks; and a central ridge piece extending between said end panels, said ridge piece including a pair of panel-receiving tracks along a lateral edge thereof, said ridge piece tracks being in the same plane as said upper strut second pair of panel-receiving tracks.

Claim 15

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 11 wherein the side walls of said base pan include a plurality of spaced, vertically extending reinforcing ribs.

Claim 16

A portable self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 2 wherein said means for slidably mounting said transparent wall members includes a lower strut extending between said end panels, said lower strut including a pair of panel-receiving tracks; and an upper strut extending between said end panels and vertically spaced from said lower strut, said upper strut having a pair of panel-receiving tracks positioned in the same plane as said tracks of said lower strut whereby said transparent panels may be supported within said tracks for slidable movement.

Claim 17

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 14 wherein said transparent enclosure further includes a transparent roof structure having a plurality of roof panels and means for slidably mounting said roof panels and wherein said means for mounting said roof panels include said upper strut further having a second pair of panel-receiving tracks; and a central ridge piece extending between said end panels, said ridge piece including a pair of panel-receiving tracks along a lateral edge thereof, said ridge piece tracks being in the same plane as said upper strut, second pair of panel-receiving tracks.

Claim 18

A portable, self-contained greenhouse as defined by claim 15 wherein said base pan includes a plurality of spaced, vertically extending ribs.