JP2007259796A - Lighting device for raising plant - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting device for raising plants capable of taking in with extremely high efficiency, sunshine as main light in a condition of being fixed to a ceiling of a plant raising room and at the same time, irradiating artificial light as subordinate light to plants if necessary, and formable only with static parts. <P>SOLUTION: This lighting device 5 for raising plants comprises forming a plant raising space 3 which is nearly airtightly isolated from fresh air by a transparent side surrounding wall 11 and a top plate member 12, inside a plant raising house 4 which is mainly composed of the side surrounding wall 11 and the top plate 12 forming a ceiling above the wall, and setting the lighting device 5 mainly to the top plate 12. The lighting device 5 has a colorless transparent plate 6 and a plurality of semiconductor lasers 7 as light source emitting subordinate light L2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant-growing lighting device and a plant-growing device for supplying light necessary for plant growth, and more particularly to a plant-growing lighting device and a plant-growing facility that can simultaneously supply sunlight and artificial light. Is.

In a conventional plant growing method that uses only sunlight, such as greenhouses and outdoor cultivation, the light cannot be controlled depending on the weather, which may cause uneven production of plants. Therefore, recently, a plant growing apparatus for growing plants with artificial light such as a fluorescent lamp has been developed (Patent Document 1). According to such a thing, it is possible to produce a plant irrespective of the weather. However, artificial light alone has the disadvantage that power consumption increases and this is disadvantageous in terms of cost. On the other hand, as a compromise between the two, it is conceivable to improve the power consumption efficiency by incorporating sunlight as needed, but in this way, the lighting device blocks sunlight and efficiently incorporates sunlight into the room. Disturb. Of course, if the lighting device is movable as in Patent Document 2, it is possible to move the lighting device as needed to efficiently incorporate sunlight, but the structure becomes large and the construction cost is high. It will be expensive.
JP-A-2005-328702 JP-A-2005-27521

As described above, conventionally, when growing plants, there is a problem in one of light controllability, daylighting, electric power, and structure.

  Therefore, the present invention can incorporate sunlight, which is the main light, with very high efficiency in a state in which the lighting device is fixed to the ceiling of the plant growing room, and at the same time, irradiate the plant with artificial light, which is a side light, as necessary. It is possible to provide a plant-growing lighting device that can be configured with only static parts, and to solve all the conventional problems at once.

  That is, the lighting device for plant cultivation according to the present invention is arranged so that one surface can take in the main light from the outside, and the opposite surface is arranged toward the plant side, and the secondary light is emitted. And a light source arranged so that the secondary light can be introduced into the transparent member from the end face of the transparent member. Here, the transparent member is preferably colorless and transparent, but may be colored and transparent.

  In such a case, since the main light taken from the outside passes through the transparent member almost as it is, for example, the main light from the outside even in a state where the plant growing lighting device is fixed to the ceiling of the plant growing room or the like. Can be taken into the room. Further, since the light source is disposed outside the transparent member that is the light emitting unit, the light source can be easily replaced, and the light controllability can be improved by using various light sources as necessary.

  In order to efficiently emit the sub-light to the plant side, the transparent member has a plate shape, and one surface thereof is a smooth mirror-finished surface, and the opposite surface is a rough-finished surface that performs a light diffusing action. What is present is preferred.

  Furthermore, in order to increase energy efficiency, the light source is preferably a laser, and a semiconductor laser with high power-light conversion efficiency is particularly suitable. Due to its coherence, laser light has the risk of blindness when viewed directly, even if it has a low output. Conventionally, its use is limited to certain fields such as medical and industrial use, and it is used for plant growth lighting. It was not thought of to do. However, according to the present invention, the laser light introduced into the transparent member diffuses and reflects through the transparent member, and loses only the coherence without losing its high energy efficiency, and becomes a safe light. The idea of using a laser as a light source for an illuminating device for plant growth utilizing such a property of laser light is completely new.

  Moreover, as a specific embodiment, the plant growing lighting device may include one in which the main light is sunlight.

  Furthermore, in order to efficiently irradiate the plant with main light and sub-light, it is preferable that the plant-growing lighting device has the transparent member disposed above the plant.

  In order to facilitate replacement of the light source, it is preferable that the plant growing illumination device further includes an optical fiber having one end facing the end surface of the transparent member and the other end facing the light source.

Further, the present invention is provided with a plant growing space for growing a plant, and part or all of the wall body forming the plant growing space located above the plant is externally provided. It is a transparent member that transmits irradiated main light in the thickness direction and takes it into the plant growing space, is provided with a light source that emits secondary light, and the secondary light is introduced into the transparent member from the end face of the transparent member. The plant growing facility is characterized in that the light source is arranged as described above.

  If it is such, even if it is indoors, a required main light and sublight can be irradiated to a plant, and a plant can be grown without being influenced by weather conditions.

As a specific embodiment, the transparent member preferably has a plate shape, and the outer surface thereof is a smooth mirror-finished surface, and the inner surface is a rough-finished surface that performs a light diffusing action. .

Furthermore, in order to make the environment of the plant growing space more optimal, the plant growing facility is configured so that the plant growing space is almost completely covered by the wall body and can maintain airtightness. Those are preferred.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the sunlight that is the main light is taken in with a very high efficiency in a state where the lighting device is fixed to the ceiling of the plant growing room, and at the same time, artificial light that is a secondary light to the plant as necessary. It is possible to irradiate the plant, and the plant-growing lighting device and the like can be configured with only static parts.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in the schematic structural diagram of FIG. 1, the plant growing facility 8 according to the present embodiment has a transparent wall 1 such as a greenhouse and a plant growing space 3 for growing a plant 2 inside. A plant growing house 4 to be formed and an environment control mechanism for controlling the plant growing environment in the plant growing space 3 are provided.

  As described above, the plant-growing house 4 is composed mainly of the transparent wall 1, that is, the side wall 11 and the top plate 12 that forms the ceiling above the transparent wall 1, and the sunlight L1 that is the main light pours into it. Installed outdoors. And in the inside, the plant growing space 3 separated from the outside air by the wall 1 is formed almost airtight, in the plant growing space 3 on the planter installed on the floor or on the exposed ground, Edible and ornamental plants 2 can be cultivated. Here, the main light is the main light necessary for growing plants.

  The environment control mechanism controls a plant growth environment related to temperature, humidity, irradiation light, and the like. As the irradiation light control mechanism, the plant growth lighting device 5 (hereinafter referred to as illumination) described below in the present embodiment is used. Also referred to as a device).

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the lighting device 5 is a colorless and uniform colorless plate made of a material having a higher refractive index than air such as resin such as acrylic or glass. A transparent plate 6 that is a transparent member and a plurality of semiconductor lasers 7 that are light sources that generate laser light L2 that is auxiliary light are provided. Here, the secondary light is basically light added to the main light to assist or control the growth of plants.

  As shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, the transparent plate 6 is provided with a light diffusing action as a rough finished surface 6c having one surface as a smooth mirror-finished surface 6b and the opposite surface having fine irregularities. In the present embodiment, the top surface 12 is used with the one surface facing outward. Although the rough finish surface 6c depends to some extent on the wavelength of the laser light L2, irregularities of 100 nm to 1 mm are suitable.

  The semiconductor lasers 7 are well-known, and in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, these semiconductor lasers 7 are arranged in a row so as to face the outer peripheral end surface 6a, which is the end surface of the transparent plate 6, for example. The laser beam L2 is guided from the peripheral end surface 6a of the transparent plate 6 to the inside. As shown in FIG. 4, the direction of each semiconductor laser 7 is slightly inclined so that the laser light L2 does not pass through the transparent plate 6 without being reflected anywhere.

  Next, the operation of the illumination device 5 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 1, when the semiconductor laser 7 is turned on, the laser light travels while being reflected between the one surface 6b and the opposite surface 6c in the transparent plate, but is a smooth mirror-finished surface. The outer surface 6b is totally reflected by the difference in refractive index between air and the transparent plate 6, while the inner surface 6c, which is a rough finish surface, is diffusely reflected and partly released from the inner surface 6c into the plant growing space 3, 2 is irradiated. At this time, the coherence of the laser beam L2 is almost lost.

  According to the plant growing facility and the plant growing lighting device 5 according to this embodiment configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 1, the sunlight L1 as the main light has the thickness of the transparent member 6 when the sky is sunny during the daytime. The plant is irradiated with almost no loss in the direction (actually, it can be easily transmitted with an efficiency of 85 to 90% or more depending on the configuration of the rough finish surface).

  Therefore, basically, the illuminating device 5 compensates for the light of the weak wavelength when the sunlight L1 is weak or the light of a certain wavelength is weak over the entire surface, such as in cloudy weather, at dawn, or in the evening. Thus, each color semiconductor laser L2 may be lit at a predetermined ratio and intensity. And from this, energy consumption can be significantly reduced and cost reduction can be achieved compared to a system that performs plant growth entirely with artificial light. Of course, the lighting device 5 may be turned on at night, and this lighting device may be used for the purpose of supplementing a desired color (light control purpose) in order to promote the growth of plants even on a sunny day. 5 may be lit.

  In terms of good energy efficiency, it is also possible to use the semiconductor laser 7 as the light source. Although the laser is highly efficient, it is dangerous to enter the human eye due to its coherence, and in the present embodiment, there has been no example of practical use for such plant growth. The coherence is negated and the danger is eliminated. From this, it can be said that this embodiment opens up a new application of laser.

  Also, in the configuration, complicated moving parts and mechanism parts are not used, and it is only necessary to make the top plate 12 the transparent glass 6 whose inner surface is ground glass and to allow the auxiliary light L2 to be introduced from the peripheral end surface 6a. So it is very simple. This can be achieved by simply modifying an existing greenhouse.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the transparent plate 6 may be used not only on the top plate 12 like the top plate 12 but also on part or all of the side peripheral wall located on the side or below the plant. The plate may be a dome-shaped or kamaboko-shaped curved plate. In addition, the structure which installs the shelf which can mount a plant in the said plant breeding house 4, and arrange | positions the said transparent plate on the upper part of each shelf may be sufficient.

  The transparent plate does not necessarily have to have a smooth mirror-finished surface on one side and a rough surface with fine irregularities on the other side, and if the structure can increase the light irradiation efficiency to the plant, for example, The light scattering fine particles may be dispersed inside the transparent plate. Further, one surface may be a rough finish surface with fine irregularities, and the opposite surface may be a smooth mirror finish surface.

  Furthermore, the light-emitting part of the plant-growing lighting device is not limited to a transparent plate. For example, a light-transmitting optical fiber called a light guide may be used as long as it is a transparent member. Light that passes through a plastic fiber consisting of a core and a clad propagates by total reflection, but light with an angle exceeding the critical angle by giving scattering factors such as bending of the fiber and uneven processing on the clad. Leaks. According to this principle, for example, when laser light is irradiated on the side surface of a side-emitting type plastic fiber used for illumination from the vertical direction, 90% or more of the light is transmitted. Therefore, like the transparent plate, the plant growth illumination according to the present invention It can be used as a light emitting part of the device.

  In addition, the present invention is a system capable of adding main light and sub-light, but when the main light is not used (such as at night), the surroundings of the plant are so arranged that the reflected light of the sub-light is irradiated on the plant. It is possible to easily improve the light utilization rate by covering with a reflecting plate or a reflecting film.

  Similarly to the above, the operation of selectively removing unnecessary wavelength components of sunlight as main light can be easily performed by covering the periphery of the plant with a filter plate or a film.

  The main light is not limited to sunlight, and this equipment may be installed indoors, and artificial light may be used as the main light, and the secondary light may be introduced from any peripheral end surface of the transparent plate.

  Semiconductor lasers can be used in multiple colors such as red, blue, and yellow. Of these, blue and yellow are currently problematic in terms of cost, so other types of lasers may be used. . Furthermore, the light source is not limited to a semiconductor laser, and an LED or a fluorescent lamp can be substituted if efficiency is not important.

  In addition to direct light irradiation from the light source to the transparent plate, the light source is installed at a location away from the transparent plate, and the secondary light is guided to the peripheral edge of the transparent plate with a light guide such as an optical fiber. Things can be used. In such a system that supplies light to the transparent plate using optical fibers, the fibers are individually drawn from two transparent plates, and light from one light source is switched by an optical path switching mirror, etc. It is also possible to reduce the cost by switching alternately.

  The wall of the plant growing facility may have a side peripheral wall having an opening or only a top plate, and the plant growing house consists of a top plate and a pillar supporting it. May be.

  In addition, it goes without saying that the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The typical structure figure of the plant growth equipment in one embodiment of the present invention. The plant growth lighting device according to the above-described embodiment. The partial cross-section enlarged view of the transparent member in the said form. The schematic diagram of the laser beam irradiation of the illuminating device for plant cultivation in the said form.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Wall body (side wall, top plate)
2 ... Plant 3 ... Plant growth space 5 ... Plant growth lighting device 6 ... Transparent member (transparent plate)
6a ... end face (circumferential end face)
6b ... one side (outer surface, smooth mirror finished surface)
6c ... Opposite surface (inner surface, rough finish surface)
7 ... Light source (semiconductor laser)
8 ... Plant breeding equipment L1 ... Main light (sunlight)
L2 ... Sub-light (laser light)

Claims (9)

A transparent member in which one side is arranged so that the main light from the outside can be taken in, and the opposite side is arranged toward the plant side;
An illumination device for plant growth, comprising: a light source that emits sub-light, and is arranged so that the sub-light can be introduced into the transparent member from an end face of the transparent member.   2. The plant growing lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent member has a plate shape, one surface of which is a smooth mirror-finished surface, and the other surface is a rough-finished surface that performs a light diffusing action.   The plant growth lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser.   The plant growth lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the main light is sunlight.   The plant growing lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent member is disposed above the plant.   The plant growing lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber having one end facing the end face of the transparent member and the other end facing the light source. A plant growth space for growing plants,
Of the wall forming the plant growing space, a part or all of the wall located above the plant is a transparent member that allows the main light irradiated from the outside to pass through in the thickness direction and take it into the plant growing space. ,
A plant growing facility characterized in that a light source that emits sub-light is provided, and the light source is arranged so that the sub-light is introduced into the transparent member from an end face of the transparent member.   8. The plant growing facility according to claim 7, wherein the transparent member has a plate shape, the outer surface thereof is a smooth mirror-finished surface, and the inner surface is a rough-finished surface that performs a light diffusing action. 9. The plant growing facility according to claim 7 and 8, wherein the plant growing space is configured to be substantially completely covered with the wall body so as to maintain airtightness.