JP2002281830A - Light source method, and vessel for plant cultivation - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light source with which plants can be satisfactorily grown even in a room being short of quantity of light, a method for cultivating plants and a vessel for plant cultivation. SOLUTION: This vessel for plant cultivation has a rack 1 on which plants are put, and a light source supporting part 3 where light sources 2 for irradiating the plants with white light emitting diode comprising an InGaN-based semiconductor material, is set; wherein a permanent magnet 6 is attached to the rack 1. This vessel makes it possible to create the environment for growing plants even in a room short of quantity of light, and for admiring them for a long period of time while maintaining their freshness because white-light emitting diode contains blue-light components (having the light wavelength of 430-470 nm (nanometers) and red-light components (having the light wavelength of 630-680 nm (nanometers) respectively necessary for growing plants.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a light source for plant cultivation,
The present invention relates to a plant cultivation method and a container for plant cultivation. More specifically, the present invention relates to a plant cultivation light source for growing flowers, vegetables, plant seedlings, and the like in a room or in a dark place, and a plant cultivation container used for viewing a plant cultivation method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Potted plants planted with flowers give moisture and ease to our working environment, such as homes and offices, as well as social welfare facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. Potted plants can be placed directly on a desk or on a potted shelf or plant box installed on the floor. There is also a method of hanging from a ceiling or the like. Such indoor gardening has become increasingly popular in recent years.

[0003]

However, in recent offices, there are very few wooden interior furniture and utensils that provide a human-friendly feel, such as steel (iron) desks, chairs, furniture, and lockers. The majority has been occupied. Recently, rapid computerization has progressed, and desks have been occupied by personal computers and their peripheral devices, and the space for potted plants has gradually disappeared. In these workplaces, even plants in potted plants have become immaculate due to the use of plastic imitations and artificial forests. Furthermore, many office supplies and furniture have been made steel and further occupied by information equipment, and amenity (comfort, comfort) has been lacking from the indoor environment.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a light source, a cultivation method, and a cultivation container capable of sufficiently growing and appreciating plants even in a room with insufficient light quantity. Another object of the present invention is to provide a container for plant cultivation that can easily decorate plants such as potted plants in a room and produce comfort.

[0005]

A light source for plant cultivation according to claim 1 irradiates a blue light component and a red light component having light wavelengths corresponding to two light absorption peaks of chlorophyll from a single kind of light source. It is characterized by being. The light source for plant cultivation according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a white light emitting diode. The light source for plant cultivation according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 2, wherein the white light emitting diode is a white light emitting diode made of an InGaN-based semiconductor material. A light source for plant cultivation according to a fourth aspect is the invention according to the first aspect, wherein the light source is a fluorescent lamp. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plant cultivation method, wherein light is applied to a plant using the light source according to the first, second, third or fourth aspect. The container for plant cultivation according to claim 6 comprises a shelf on which the plant is placed, and a light source support unit to which a single type of light source for irradiating a blue light component and a red light component to the plant placed on the shelf is attached. It is characterized by the following. Claim 7
In the container for cultivating a plant according to the sixth aspect, the light source support portion is detachably attached to the shelf. The container for cultivating plants according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 6, wherein a magnet is attached to the shelf.

[0006] The light source of claim 1 comprises a blue light component (light wavelength of 430 to 470 nm (nanometer)) and a red light component (light wavelength of 630 to 680 nm (nanometer)) necessary for growing a plant.
, It is possible to grow plants even in a room with a small amount of light, maintain freshness, and create an environment for long-term viewing. According to the invention of claim 2, the blue light component (light wavelength is 430 to 470 nm (nanometers)) and the red light component (light wavelength is 630 to 680 nm (nanometers) are necessary for the white light emitting diode to grow a plant. )), It is possible to grow plants even in a room with a small amount of light, maintain freshness, and create an environment for long-term viewing. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the white light-emitting diode made of the InGaN-based semiconductor material emits a sufficient amount of light, so that it looks bright, and since the plant looks the same as the original color, an environment suitable for plant viewing can be provided. . Furthermore, since the light source using the light emitting diode can be easily connected electrically and reduced in size and consumes less power, a cultivation container used indoors or the like can be made compact. Also in the invention of claim 4, if the fluorescent lamp contains the blue light component and the red light component, it is possible to exhibit the effect of growing plants and maintaining freshness. According to the plant cultivation method of the fifth aspect, a blue light component (light wavelength of 430 to 470 nm (nanometer) and a red light component (light wavelength of 630 to 680 nm (nanometer) necessary for growing a plant are included. By irradiating the light, it is possible to grow the plant even in a room with a small amount of light, maintain freshness, and create an environment in which the plant can be enjoyed for a long period of time to give a relaxation to the people. According to the container, when the plant is placed on the shelf, the light source attached to the light source support irradiates the plant with the blue light component and the red light component. The cultivation container in which the shelves and the light source are set can be freely decorated in a room or an office, so that it is possible to easily give a person comfort and comfort. According to the container, the light source support member 9. The container for plant cultivation according to claim 8, which can be used without a light source in a place with a large amount of light, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of use. Since the shelves can be freely adsorbed to the plate, the degree of freedom in selecting the place to decorate is increased, and it is possible to view plants for a long time even in a room where the amount of light is insufficient.

[0007]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a container for cultivating a plant according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container for cultivating a plant, and FIG. 3 is a light absorption characteristic of chlorophyll (chlorophyll) and blue / red light emitting diodes. FIG. 4 is a basic configuration diagram of a white light emitting diode, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing an emission spectrum of a GaN white LED;
(a) is a diagram illustrating the use state of the container for plant cultivation, (b) is a bottom view of the light source unit, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container for plant cultivation according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of the container for cultivating a plant of the present invention.

Before describing the light source of the present invention, the nature of light required for plant growth will be described. Plants make up plants using the photosynthetic reaction using carbon dioxide in the air as a carbon source and light as an energy source in the presence of inorganic substances such as water, nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur. Synthesize organic matter and live and multiply. Chlorophyll (chlorophyll) contained in leaves is responsible for this photosynthetic reaction.
It is. For this reason, chlorophyll absorbs light, but not all wavelengths. The light absorption wavelength range of chlorophyll is in the human visible light range from 400 nm to 700 nm,
As shown in FIG. 3, there are two peaks near 450 nm in the blue region and near 660 nm in the red region. Further, the two peaks of the light wavelength acting on photosynthesis almost coincide with those of the light absorption peak of chlorophyll (see FIG. 3). Therefore, it is considered that plants can be grown if there is a light source that emits these two light wavelengths.

The light source according to the first aspect of the present invention has been obtained on the basis of such findings, and has a blue light component (light wavelength of 430 to 470 nm (nanometer)) and a red light component necessary for growing plants. (Light wavelength of 630 to 680 nm (nanometers)). The "single type" does not include, for example, a type using two types of light sources combining a blue LED and a red LED disclosed in JP-A-8-103167. As long as the condition of the light component and the single type is satisfied, the light source of claim 1 includes all light sources. According to the light source of the present invention, it is possible to grow an plant even in a room with a small amount of light, maintain freshness, and create an environment where the plant can be enjoyed for a long period of time.

A light source according to a second aspect of the invention is a light source in which a white light emitting diode is selected from the light source according to the first aspect of the invention. Any white light emitting diode can be used without any particular limitation because it contains a blue light component and a red light component necessary for growing a plant. Therefore, in addition to the InGaN-based white light-emitting diode described later, for example, a zinc selenide-based white light-emitting diode developed by Sumitomo Electric, or a combination of a GaN-based diode and a phosphor of three colors can be used. The zinc selenide-based white light-emitting diode is characterized in that the same zinc selenide thin film is formed on a zinc selenide single crystal substrate.

A light source according to a third aspect of the present invention is a light source wherein a white light emitting diode made of an InGaN-based semiconductor material is selected from the white light emitting diodes according to the second aspect of the present invention. The white light-emitting diode made of InGaN-based semiconductor material is a relatively new light-emitting diode developed around 1996. Nichia Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture) has a brand name of "White LED".
(Model NSPW300BS). Its basic structure is
As shown in FIG. 4, YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) is provided on the surface of the blue light emitting diode chip a.
A fluorescent substance b is applied. This phosphor b is
Converts blue light to yellow light. A part of the blue light emitted from the light emitting diode chip a passes through the phosphor layer c, and the rest strikes the phosphor b to become yellow light. These two colors of light are mixed to form white light. Note that d is a terminal, e is a metal cup, f is a wire (lead wire), g is a transparent resin, and the overall shape is a shell shape having a diameter of about 3 to 5 mm and a length of about 6 to 8 mm. Things. This white light emitting diode emits very strong white light with a power of only 70 mW (applied voltage: 3.5 V, input current: 20 mA), and its emission spectrum (see FIG. 5) shows the blue light ( 430 to 470 nm in light wavelength and red light component (630 to 680 n
m) is included. As described above, blue light is necessary for the formation of chlorophyll (chlorophyll), while red light is the light that maximizes the photosynthetic action of chlorophyll.

By the way, the present inventor has developed a technique for growing a plant seedling (lettuce seedling) exhibiting a healthy form using an LED light source in which a plurality of blue LEDs and a plurality of red LEDs emitting very strong light are arranged on a substrate. (See JP-A-8-103167). According to this conventional technique, both the blue and red light components, which are indispensable for the photosynthesis of the plant, can be increased, and the growth of the plant itself is promoted. However, there are disadvantages: (1) The synthesized light becomes reddish purple or deep pink, which causes discomfort to human eyes. Also, the light emitted by the blue light emitting diode and the red light emitting diode are located at the left end and the right end, respectively, of the luminosity curve of the human eye (the yellow-green peak-shaped characteristic). Feels low light (light appears dark). (2) The leaves and flowers of a plant placed under a light source look completely different from the original color under natural light, and thus are not suitable for a light source of a houseplant or the like. In other words, it is not suitable for use in living rooms or offices where people and plants live together. (3) Since the lighting voltage of the blue light emitting diode and the red light emitting diode is twice as large as 1.7 to 1.8 V for the former and 3.4 to 3.5 V for the latter, the blue light emitting diode group and the red light emitting diode group The connection circuit must be separated, and the pattern design of the printed circuit board and the electrical connection are complicated. On the other hand, if a light emitting diode that emits light containing both blue light and red light is used as in the inventions of claims 2 and 3, the following advantages can be obtained. You can see the leaves and flowers of the plants in their original colors. Because white light is perceived as bright by human eyes, you can view the plants with less power consumption than a light source that mixes two types of light-emitting diodes, red and blue. If only white light emitting diodes can be used, the number of light emitting diodes used can be reduced, the circuit configuration can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. The brightness of the light source can be continuously adjusted according to the magnitude of the input current to the light source.The number of light emitting diodes to be used and the array density on the board can be freely designed according to the required irradiation area, and it can be created in any shape It's easy to do. The light emitting diode has an extremely long lifetime of tens of thousands of hours and is suitable for long-term use.

The light source in the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be used without any particular limitation as long as the above conditions are satisfied. For example, a certain kind of fluorescent lamp contains a blue light component and a red light component. It can be used as a light source of the present invention. The light of a fluorescent lamp is generated by converting ultraviolet light emitted by mercury atoms excited by electric discharge in a lamp tube into visible light by a fluorescent substance applied on the inner wall of the lamp.
Since light of various hues can be obtained by changing the type of the fluorescent material, it is possible to irradiate light containing a blue light component and a red light component.

A plant cultivation method according to a fifth aspect is characterized in that the plant is irradiated with light using any one of the above light sources.
In this method, the size and shape of the light source, how to put it, etc., are not limited at all, and in what form the plant is placed, for example, whether it is small like a potted plant, like a planter There is no restriction at all as to whether to put it in a slightly larger container or even to plant it in the ground, and any use form may be adopted. Of course, as far as this method goes,
From the light source, the blue light component (light wavelength
430 to 470 nm (nanometers) and red light components (light wavelengths of 630 to 680 nm (nanometers)) irradiate plants to grow plants indoors with low light levels,
Freshness can be maintained.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a container A for plant cultivation according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a shelf 1 on which a plant P is placed and a light source support 3 on which a light source 2 is mounted. It is composed of The shelf 1 only needs to be able to be grown and watched with the plant P placed thereon, and the shape, size, material and the like are not particularly limited. The plant P may be placed in a potted state, or soil may be directly put into the shelf 1 to plant the plant. It is optional to attach a fence 4 or the like to the shelves 1 to prevent pots and plants from falling, and the shape and size thereof are also optional. In the illustrated example, a shelf 1 in which a bottom plate 1a and a back plate 1b are connected in an L-shape in a side view is used. A suitable number of light sources such as the white light emitting diodes 2 may be attached to the light source support 3. Although the illustrated light source support 3 is rectangular, its shape and size are arbitrary. The light source support 3 may be integrally attached to the shelf 1 or may be detachably attached. In the case where the light source is detachable, the degree of freedom of use is increased such that the light source is used in a room with a bright light amount and the light source is used in a dark place. Also, the mechanism for attachment and detachment can be freely adopted without any particular limitation. In the illustrated example, two thin columns 5 are attached to the rear end of the flat light source support 3,
It is inserted into a hole formed in the back plate 1b of the shelf 1 so as to be able to come and go. Reference numeral 3a denotes a light-shielding plate for preventing light emitted from the light-emitting diode from directly entering human eyes. However, when the diode 2 is embedded in the top plate or the like of the light source support 3, the light shielding plate 3a is unnecessary.

It is preferable that the plant cultivation container A of the present embodiment can be freely decorated and placed indoors or the like. Therefore, it is preferable to flatten the bottom surface of the shelf 1 or attach a suspension ring or the like to the shelf 1 or the light source support 3. Alternatively, the magnet 6 may be attached to the shelf 1 and magnetically attached to a metal wall or the like. As the magnet 6, a permanent magnet or an electromagnet can be used freely. Recently, magnets (permanent magnets, magnets) have undergone tremendous development, and magnets with extremely strong attraction, such as neodymium iron magnets, have been developed and sold on the market. It is possible to magnetically attach a container A for plant cultivation of several kilograms or more to a wall or the like made of a magnetic material such as steel. By making it magnetically attachable in this way, even in recent indoor environments where many furniture items have been made into steel, plants can be fairly freely decorated in various places, and not only healthy people, Sick people and the like can also enjoy the pleasure of watching plants. It is preferable that the magnet 6 be coated with a material that does not prevent the penetration of the lines of magnetic force, since the mounting object such as a wall surface will not be damaged.

[0017]

EXAMPLE A container A for plant cultivation shown in FIG. 6 is a shelf 1 having a disk-shaped bottom plate 1a (13 cm in diameter) and a back plate 1b (9 cm wide × 13 length, 1.8 cm thick) attached in an L-shape. A hole having a diameter of 60 mm is formed in the back plate 1b, and two ring-shaped ferrite magnets (an outer diameter of 60 mm, an inner diameter of 30 mm, and a thickness of 8 mm) are stacked and fitted in the hole. A fence 4 is erected around the upper surface of the bottom plate 1b so that potted plants do not fall. When this container for plant cultivation A was attached to the side of a steel library, it could withstand about 800 g of overload. Plant P
A container for catching water may be placed under the potted plant.
The white light emitting diode may be connected to a 100 V AC outlet power supply by a power cord 7 via an AC / DC converter (AC adapter), or may be connected to any battery. The use of a battery system increases the degree of freedom in selecting a placement place. As shown in FIG. 6B, as the light source,
54 white light emitting diodes were used, the illuminance of which was about 2000 lux at 20 cm below the light source surface, and about 35 μmol / m 2 in the photosynthetic effective photon flux density (PPFD) used in cultivation.
The value of s was obtained. This light power is large enough to grow plant seedlings and to keep potted plants alive,
In fact, the pansies could be raised without dying.

The container A for plant cultivation of this embodiment is not limited to the magnetically attached container, but may be used in a suspended state. In this case, only one container for plant cultivation A may be hung, but as shown in FIG. 7, the backs of the two containers for plant cultivation A are connected to each other with the magnet 6 and hung with the string 10 or the like. It can be displayed in the air with both weights balanced and stable.

The magnet-attached potted shelf of the apparatus of the present invention can be used in various ways around us. FIG. 8 shows an example of use in an office. In the office, steel archives and lockers are used,
What is necessary is just to set the container A for plant cultivation in the place which does not obstruct walk and work on those side and back surfaces. FIG. 9 shows an example of use with an iron door of an apartment or the like. FIG. 10 shows an application example in a hospital room or a bedroom, which is useful for placing a potted plant or the like from a visitor. In each of the above-mentioned application examples, a simple seedling pot sold at a garden store or a market can be used as it is, and when it is unnecessary or obstructive, it can be removed. As described above, by using the plant cultivation container A utilizing the attractive force of the magnet and the white light emitting diode as the light source, the present day's workplace, house, sick room, and the like surrounded by steel furniture and appliances or walls are planted. It can be decorated with flowers and flowers, and can bring moisture and ease to life. Thereby, it becomes possible to give more activity to the indoor gardening business.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to grow an plant even in a room with a small amount of light, maintain freshness, and create an environment for long-term viewing. According to the light source of the second aspect, it is possible to grow a plant even in a room with a small amount of light, maintain freshness, and create an environment for long-term viewing. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the plant is suitable for ornamental viewing of plants because the amount of light looks bright and the plant looks the same as the original color. Suitable for making the container compact. The light source of claim 4 can also be effective in growing plants and maintaining freshness. According to the plant cultivation method of the fifth aspect, it is possible to grow a plant even in a room with a small amount of light, maintain freshness, and create an environment for long-term viewing. According to the invention of claim 6, since the cultivation container in which the shelf and the light source are set can be freely decorated in a room or an office, it is possible to provide comfort and comfort to a person. According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the light source supporting member is detached from the shelf portion, the light source supporting member can be used in a place with a large amount of light without using a light source, and the degree of freedom of use is increased. According to the invention of claim 8, the shelf can be freely adsorbed to the steel metal furniture or the magnetic metal plate constituting the wall surface, and the plant can be freely decorated and viewed in the room.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional side view of a container for cultivating a plant according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container for cultivating a plant.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing light absorption characteristics of chlorophyll (chlorophyll) and emission spectra of blue / red light emitting diodes.

FIG. 4 is a basic configuration diagram of a white light emitting diode.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing an emission spectrum of an InGaN-based white light emitting diode.

FIG. 6 (a) is a diagram illustrating a use state of a container for cultivating a plant,
(b) is a bottom view of the light source unit.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container for cultivating a plant according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a usage example of the container for cultivating a plant of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing an example of use of the container for cultivating a plant of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of the container for cultivating a plant of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shelf part 2 Light source 3 Light source support part 4 Fence 5 Prop 6 Magnet

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A light source for plant cultivation, wherein a blue light component and a red light component having light wavelengths corresponding to two light absorption peaks of chlorophyll are irradiated from a single kind of light source. 2. The light source for plant cultivation according to claim 1, wherein said light source is a white light emitting diode. 3. The light source for plant cultivation according to claim 2, wherein said white light emitting diode is a white light emitting diode made of an InGaN-based semiconductor material. 4. The light source for plant cultivation according to claim 1, wherein said light source is a fluorescent lamp. 5. A plant cultivation method comprising irradiating a plant with light using the light source according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4. 6. A light source comprising: a shelf on which a plant is placed; and a single light source for irradiating a blue light component and a red light component to the plant placed on the shelf. Container for plant cultivation. 7. The container for cultivating plants according to claim 6, wherein said light source supporting portion is detachably attached to said shelf. 8. The container for cultivating plants according to claim 6, wherein a magnet is attached to said shelf.