JP2002247921A - Setting apparatus for pot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a setting apparatus for pots which does not require power supply facilities, and is capable of securely holding plural pots simultaneously in a simple operation. SOLUTION: This setting apparatus for pots 1 arrays a plurality of umbrella rib shaped pot-holding assemblies 15 jointly shrinking diameter and becoming capable of inserting into the pots P by gripping an upper grip 5 and a lower grip 8 and expanding diameter and contacting with the internal circumference of the pots P by releasing the gripping force, the pot-holding assembly 15 comprises a belt like plate capable of elastically deforming by the force smaller than the expanding diameter force of the pot-holding assembly 15 based on a restoring force of a coil spring 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pot setting device capable of simultaneously picking up a plurality of pots in the shape of flowerpots, such as pots for raising seedlings, and setting them on trays or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Pots in the form of flowerpots made of flexible plastics are used for sowing and raising seedlings of flowers and agricultural crops. Such a pot is generally used in combination with a seedling raising tray capable of storing a plurality of pots arranged vertically and horizontally. A standard tray for raising seedlings is formed with 24 pot storage recesses that can hold the pot in an upright state. After inserting the lower half of the pot into each of these storage recesses and setting the pots, The seedlings are sown by putting cultivated soil into the soil, and seedlings are raised.

Usually, one seedling is grown in one pot. Therefore, in a large-scale cultivation facility having a large number of cultivation plants, a large number of pots and a large number of trays for raising seedlings for storing these are used. ing. Therefore, an enormous amount of time and labor is required for setting a plurality of pots in each seedling tray.

Therefore, in order to efficiently perform such a pot setting operation, a pot set having a function of setting the same number of pots at a time in a plurality of storage recesses formed in a tray for raising seedlings. Equipment is being developed. This pot setting device holds a plurality of pots simultaneously by air suction force, inserts the lower half of the pot into the storage recess of the seedling raising tray in this state, and then releases the air suction force. A pot can be set at a time.

[0005]

The conventional pot set device utilizing the air suction force requires an air pump for generating the air suction force and a power supply or other power source for operating the air pump. It cannot be used in places without power supply facilities.

Further, since a plurality of air suction tools for simultaneously sucking and holding a plurality of pots and an air pipe from the air pump to each air suction tool are required, the structure is complicated and a failure can occur. It has high properties and cannot be used easily.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a pot set device which does not require a power supply facility or the like and can hold a plurality of pots simultaneously and reliably with a simple operation.

[0008]

The pot setting device according to the present invention can cooperate to reduce the diameter and insert it into the pot when an external force is applied to the operation unit, and to cooperate to expand the diameter when the external force is released. A pot setting device in which a plurality of umbrella-shaped pot holders that are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the pot are arranged, wherein the pot holders are formed of an elastic material that can be elastically deformed with a force smaller than the expanding force. It is characterized by the following.

[0009] With this configuration, the pot holder having an enlarged diameter in each pot can be deformed along the shape of each pot. , And even if the deformation of the pot holder in each pot varies, the pot holders can be held without interference.

[0010] Even if some of the pot holders inserted into the greatly deformed pot cannot be completely expanded in diameter,
Since the pot holder is deformed by a force smaller than the expanding force, the pot holders can be securely held without adversely affecting the expanding operation of other pot holders.

Furthermore, since the diameter expansion and diameter reduction operations of the pot holders are performed by applying and releasing external force, power supply equipment and the like are not required, and the operation is simple. It is preferable to provide an elastic material such as a spring in order to increase the diameter expanding force of the pot holder when the external force applied to the operation unit is released.

Here, if the pot holder is formed of a band-shaped plate having elasticity, the pot can be accurately placed irrespective of its deformation due to its elastic deformation in the thickness direction and high rigidity in the width direction. Be able to hold.

Further, if a bent portion inclined in the radially expanding direction is provided in a part of the pot holder, the holding force for the deformed pot is improved.

Since the pot holder has a tapered tapered shape, the elastic force is continuously reduced from the base end to the tip, so that the base is hardly deformed and the tip is deformed. It becomes an easy pot holder, and the adaptability to the deformed pot is enhanced.

By attaching a non-slip member to a part of the pot holder, the pot holding function is further enhanced, and the holding pot is prevented from being accidentally detached or dropped, thereby improving workability. . As the non-slip member, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, high-friction plastic, or the like is preferable. For example, it is desirable to attach a tubular rubber near the tip of the pot holder.

By providing a guard member at the bottom of the pot holder, when the unused pot set device is placed on a flat surface such as the ground or a floor, the pot holder is deformed or damaged by its own weight. Can be prevented.

[0017]

1 is a plan view showing a pot setting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the pot setting device, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the vicinity of a pot holder constituting the pot setting device.

In the pot set device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a quadrangular upper plate 2 and a lower plate 3 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance from each other. Two guide posts 4 are erected, and an upper grip 5 is fixed on the guide posts 4 in parallel with the upper plate 2, and a guide rail 6 is provided on the opposing surface of each guide post 4, and the upper plate 2 A substantially rectangular opening 9 is formed in a portion located directly below the upper grip 5.

At the portion of the upper plate 2 located immediately below the opening 9, there are provided two uprights 7 piercing through the end of the opening 9 and slidingly contacting the guide rails 6, respectively. , A lower grip 8 is fixed in parallel with the upper grip 5. Reinforcing ribs 10 are provided on the upper surfaces of the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3, respectively, and openings 11 for reducing the weight are provided.

A plurality of coil springs 12 are arranged between the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3 to urge them in a direction to widen the gap therebetween. Coil spring 12
Is mounted on the outer periphery of the support shaft 13 located at the corner of the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3. In addition,
The coil spring 12 maintains a stationary state at a point where an urging force in the diameter reducing direction of the pot holder 16 described later and an elastic force of the coil spring 12 are balanced.

When the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 of the pot setting apparatus 1 in the state shown in FIG. 2 are grasped and squeezed with the palm, the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 approach and the support column 7 moves along the guide rail 6. When the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3 move closer to each other and the palm is opened, the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3 are separated by the restoring force of the coil spring 12 and return to the state shown in FIG.

The upper plate 2 is provided with a total of 24 support shafts 13 arranged at equal intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions.
The support shafts 13 are suspended in the direction, and the respective support shafts 13 are respectively inserted into guide cylinders 15 shorter than the support shafts 13 fixed to the lower plate 3, and each of the support shafts 13 exposed from the flange 15 a at the lower end of the guide cylinder 15. At the lower end, four pot holders 16 that can be opened and closed like umbrellas are attached at 90-degree intervals.

The pot holder 16 is formed of an elastic band-shaped plate, and is urged in a diameter reducing direction around the support shaft 13, that is, in a direction to close like an umbrella bone. As shown, each pot holder 16 is connected to the guide cylinder 15
By contacting the outer circumference of the flange 15a, the diameter of the pot P to be set is kept larger than the inner circumference.

When the pot setting device 1 is used, FIG.
When the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 in the state described above are grasped and squeezed by hand, the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3 approach each other as described above, so that the guide cylinder 15 and the flange 15a are moved along the support shaft 13. Is raised, and the pot holder 1 that has been in contact with the flange 15a
6 is closed in an umbrella shape by the urging force, thereby reducing the diameter to a shape that can be inserted into the pot P.

As described above, when the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 are gripped by hand, a total of 24 sets of pot holders 16 attached to the lower ends of the spindles 13 are simultaneously reduced in diameter, so that the gripped state is maintained. When each of the pot holders 16 is inserted into the pot P while holding it, and the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 are released, the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3 are separated by the restoring force of the coil spring 12. And return to the original state, and the flange 15a of the guide cylinder 15 descends to expand the diameter of the pot holder 16 to the original state, so that each pot holder 16 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the pot P, Each pot P is held by a pot holder 16.

Since the pot holders 16 themselves have elasticity, the pot holders 16 can be inserted into the pot P without holding the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 by hand. P can be held. That is, if the pot holder 16 is inserted into the pot P while being in the expanded state, the pot holder 16 is elastically reduced in diameter along the inner surface shape of the pot P, and is brought into contact with the inner surface of the pot P. Therefore, the pot P is held without detaching from the pot holder 16.

With such an operation, 24 pots P
Is held at each pot holder 16 at the same time, so that if it is lifted as it is, it can be moved together with the pot setting device 1 to a certain position such as a tray (not shown). Then, after inserting the bottoms of the pots P into the storage recesses of the tray, the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 are squeezed by hand, and the pot holders 16 are simultaneously reduced in diameter, from the inner peripheral surface of each pot P. Because we leave
When the pot setting device 1 is lifted while maintaining the gripping state, the entire pot setting device 1 is detached from the pot P, and 2
Four pots P are simultaneously set in the storage recess of the tray.

In the pot setting device 1, when the upper grip 5 and the lower grip 8 are gripped, the 24 pot holders 16 are reduced in diameter cooperatively and can be inserted into the pot P.
When the gripping force is released, the 24 pot holders 16 cooperate to expand in diameter and abut on the inner peripheral surface of the pot P to hold the pots P. It can be held and released at the same time. In addition, since the diameter expansion and diameter reduction operations of the pot holders 16 are performed only by applying and releasing the gripping force, power supply equipment and power sources are not required.

The pot holder 16 expanded in diameter in each pot P
Is elastic, so that it can be deformed along the shape of each pot P, exhibits excellent holding power, can hold a plurality of pots P simultaneously and reliably, and has a pot holder 16 in each pot P. Can be held without interference from each other even if the deformation state varies.

Further, since the band-shaped plate material constituting the pot holder 16 is formed of an elastic material which can be elastically deformed with a smaller force than the restoring force of the coil spring 12 which is a force for expanding the diameter of the pot holder 16, it is large. Even when some of the pot holders 16 inserted into the deformed pot P cannot be completely expanded, the pot holder 16 is deformed along the inner peripheral surface of the pot P by the expanding force, and other pots are deformed. The plurality of pots P can be reliably held without adversely affecting the diameter expanding operation of the holder 16.

Next, referring to FIG. 4 and FIG.
The structure and function near the pot holder 16 will be described in detail. A circular engaging portion 1 is provided at the upper end of the guide cylinder 15.
5b and an engagement flange 15c having a larger outer diameter than the engagement portion 15b are formed.
c is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the lower plate 3,
The screw 19 is screwed into the female screw portion 15d of the engagement flange 15c from the upper surface through the screw hole 3b and tightened, so that the guide cylinder 15 is fixed to the lower plate 3 in a hanging manner.

The support shaft 13 is slidably inserted into the inside of the guide cylinder 15, and a rectangular column-shaped engaging portion 13 a and a female screw portion 13 b are formed at the upper end of the support shaft 13. The engaging portion 13a is fitted into a rectangular engaging hole 17a formed in the
b is inserted into the positioning hole 2b of the upper plate 2, and the screw 18 is screwed into the female screw portion 13b from above through the screw hole 2a of the upper plate 2 and tightened, whereby the support shaft 13 is fixed to the upper plate 2 in a hanging manner. ing.

At the lower end of the support shaft 13, a flange 13c having a smaller diameter than the flange 15a of the guide cylinder 15 and a female screw portion 13d are provided, and a positioning projection 13e is provided on the lower surface of the flange 13c.

The pot holder 16 is formed by bending two holder bases H formed by bending two places sandwiching a screw hole 16a formed in the center of a strip-shaped plate of a predetermined length at an obtuse angle in the same direction. It is formed by crossing. That is, the intersection of the two holder base materials H superposed at right angles is sandwiched between the lower surface of the flange 13c and the circular fixing plate 20 having substantially the same outer diameter as the flange 13c.
The support shaft 13 is fixed by inserting a screw 21 into the screw hole 20a and the screw hole 16a provided on the shaft 0 and screwing it into the female screw portion 13d of the support shaft 13.

On the upper surface of the circular fixing plate 20, a holder base material H
Are held in a cross at a right angle, a locking groove 20b into which a central portion of the holder base material H can be fitted is formed in a cross shape. Further, in order to fix the circular fixing plate 20 to the flange 13c of the support shaft 13 so as not to rotate, the flange 13c is fixed.
Positioning hole 2 into which positioning protrusion 13e on the lower surface of can be fitted
0 c is provided on the upper surface of the circular fixing plate 20.

With this configuration, the support shaft 1
3 is fixed to the upper plate 2 so as to be non-rotatably suspended,
Since the pot holder 16 is non-rotatably fixed to the flange 13c at the lower end of 3, the pot holder 16 always opens and closes at a fixed position in an umbrella-like shape without turning. Therefore,
The pots P can be reliably held and separated without the adjacent pot holders 16 contacting or interfering with each other.

In the present embodiment, the pot holder 16
Since the bent portion 16b inclined in the diameter-enlarging direction is provided near the front end of the pot P, the holding power for the greatly deformed pot P is excellent. Furthermore, since the pot holder 16 has a tapered shape, the pot holder 16 has a state in which the elastic force is continuously reduced from the base end to the tip end,
That is, the base end is hardly deformed, and the front end is easily deformed. Therefore, the pot P deformed into various shapes can be reliably held, and the adaptability to the deformed pot is enhanced.

On the other hand, since the circular fixing plate 20 for fixing the pot holder 16 is attached so as to cover the lowermost portion of the pot holder 16, it also functions as a guard member for protecting the pot holder 16. Therefore, when the unused pot setting device 1 is placed on a flat surface such as the ground or a floor, the pot holder 16 can be prevented from being deformed or damaged by its own weight.

The pot set device 1 of this embodiment has a total of 2
It is provided with four sets of pot holders 16 and can hold and release 24 pots P at the same time. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Can be increased or decreased,
The arrangement form can also be set arbitrarily. Further, in the present embodiment, four pot holders 16 are provided on one support shaft 13, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pot holders are held in accordance with the size and shape of the pot to be held. The number of ingredients can be increased or decreased.

Next, another embodiment of the pot holder will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. The pot holder 30 shown in FIG. 6A has a tapered holder base H formed of an elastic band-shaped plate material near the tip thereof.
A stepped portion 30a recessed in the diameter reducing direction is provided, and a rubber anti-slip member 3 is provided at a portion from the tip to the stepped portion 30a.
1 is attached. As shown in FIG. 6B, the pot holder 30 is formed by fitting a rubber tube-shaped non-slip member 31 from the tapered tip of the holder base material H. The pot can be more reliably held by the non-slip material 31, and the pot is not accidentally detached or dropped during the work, so that the workability is good.

In the pot holder 30, the step 30
a, the non-slip member 31 is fitted and the anti-slip member 31 is prevented from projecting from the outer surface of the holder base material H in the radially expanding direction. It does not hinder the taking-in / out operation and the pot attaching / detaching operation. Further, even if the pot holder 30 is inserted into the pot with the diameter increased, the edge of the non-slip member 31 does not catch on the upper edge of the pot. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the pot holder 16 described above.

The pot holder 35 shown in FIG. 7A is formed by bending a tapered holder base H formed of an elastic band-like plate at an obtuse angle.
The upright portion 32 of the pot holder 30 shown in FIG. 6 has a smooth curved surface, but the upright portion 3 of the pot holder 35 shown in FIG.
6 has a square shape. The pot holder 30 provided with the curved upright portion 32 has a relatively small spring constant and a small force acting in the radially expanding direction.
Since the spring constant can be changed by changing the radius of curvature of 2, the necessary spring constant can be set only by changing the radius of curvature without changing the thickness or width of the holder base material H. On the other hand, in the case of the pot holder 35 having the angular upright portions 36, the spring constant cannot be changed by changing the shape of the upright portions 36. However, if the thickness and width of the holder base materials H are the same, a curved surface shape is used. A spring constant larger than the upright portion 32 can be set. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the pot holder 16 described above.

Further, the tip 35a of the pot holder 35
Is pointed at an obtuse angle like a piece of shogi, so the tip 35a
Are easily caught on the inner surface of the pot and exhibit an excellent pot holding function. Since the shape of the tip of the pot holder is not limited to this, the shape of the flat end face as shown in FIG. 7B or the shape of FIG. An arbitrary shape such as a semicircular shape as shown in FIG.

[0044]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) When an external force is applied to the operation unit, the diameter is reduced in a coordinated manner so that the operation unit can be inserted into the pot. In a pot set device in which a plurality of pot holders are arranged, the pot holder is made of an elastic material that can be elastically deformed with a force smaller than its expanding force, so that a simple power supply facility is not used. A plurality of pots can be simultaneously and reliably held by the operation, and the function of holding the deformed pot is improved.

(2) By forming the pot holder from a band-shaped plate having elasticity, the pot holder is elastically deformable in the thickness direction and high in the width direction, so that it can be held properly regardless of the presence or absence of the pot deformation. become able to.

(3) By providing a bent portion that is inclined in the diameter-enlarging direction in a part of the pot holder, the holding force for the deformed pot is further improved.

(4) By forming the pot holder into a tapered shape with a taper, the base end is less likely to be deformed, and the tip is a pot holder that is easily deformed, so that the adaptability to the deformed pot is enhanced.

(5) By attaching a non-slip member to a part of the pot holder, the pot holding function is further enhanced, and the pot being held is prevented from being accidentally detached or dropped, so that workability is improved. improves.

(6) By providing a guard member at the bottom of the pot holder, the pot holder is deformed by its own weight when the unused pot setting device is placed on a flat surface such as the ground or floor. , Can be prevented from being damaged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a pot setting device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the pot setting device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the vicinity of a pot holder constituting the pot setting device shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing another embodiment of the pot holder.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing another embodiment of the pot holder.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pot set apparatus 2 Upper plate 2a, 3b Screw hole 2b, 20c Positioning hole 3 Lower plate 3a, 17a Engagement hole 4 Guide support 5 Upper grip 6 Guide rail 7 Support 8 Lower grip 9, 11 Opening 10 Reinforcement rib 12 Coil Spring 13 Support shaft 13a, 15b Engagement part 13b, 13d, 15d Female screw part 13c, 15a Flange 15 Guide cylinder 15c Engagement flange 16, 30, 35 Pot holder 16b Bend part 17 Connection plate 17b Positioning protrusion 18, 19, 21 Screw 20 Circular fixing plate 20b Engagement groove 30a Step portion 31 Non-slip member 32, 36 Standing portion 35a Tip P pot H Holder base material

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Chisumi Taniguchi 1-81-1116 Fujisato, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka F-term (reference) 2B027 XA11

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of umbrella-shaped ribs that cooperate to reduce the diameter when an external force is applied to the operation unit and can be inserted into the pot. When the external force is released, the diameter increases cooperatively and abuts on the inner peripheral surface of the pot. A pot setting device in which pot holders are arranged, wherein the pot holder is formed of an elastic material that can be elastically deformed with a force smaller than the expanding force. 2. The pot setting device according to claim 1, wherein said pot holder is formed of a band-shaped plate having elasticity. 3. The pot setting device according to claim 1, wherein a bent portion inclined in a radially increasing direction is provided in a part of the pot holder. 4. The pot setting device according to claim 2, wherein the pot holder has a tapered shape. 5. The pot setting device according to claim 1, wherein a non-slip member is mounted on a part of said pot holder. 6. The pot setting device according to claim 1, wherein a guard member is provided at a lowermost portion of the pot holder.