The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 09, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 10, 2008
Truman Wold, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Ashok V. Joshi, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Sai Bhavaraju, West Jordan, UT (US);
Truman Wold, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Ashok V. Joshi, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Sai Bhavaraju, West Jordan, UT (US);
Microlin, LLC, A Utah Limited Liability Company, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for delivering a beneficial agent to a subterranean location is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including a water collection chamber having a substantially open end. A water-transporting membrane is provided to communicate with the water collection chamber. An extraction chamber receives water through the water-transporting membrane, expanding the extraction chamber. A dispensing chamber, containing a beneficial agent such as fertilizer, is configured to contract upon expanding the extraction chamber. This causes the dispensing chamber to expel the beneficial agent through a subterranean delivery channel, such as a rigid hollow spike. In certain embodiments, a rate adjustment mechanism may control the rate that water is received through the water-transporting membrane, thereby controlling the rate the beneficial agent is expelled from the subterranean delivery channel.