JP2011072224A - Plant cultivation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plant cultivation apparatus enabling stable conveyance of a cultivation container where plants can be planted and conveyance of a lot of cultivation containers so as to improve cultivation efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: The plant cultivation apparatus includes: inside wheels 12 disposed vertically on one and the other sides; outside wheels 14 separated from the inside wheels 12 on one and the other sides while leaving a prescribed space so as to be on the outside of the apparatus; an endless inside moving body 13 hung around the inside wheels 12 so as to snake in a space to the inside wheels 12; an endless outside moving body 15 hung around the outside wheels 14 so as to snake in a space to the outside wheels 14; a conveying table 16 on which a cultivation container C where one-side end part of both side surfaces is turnably supported on the endless outside moving body 15 by a second joint member and the other side end part opposite to the one side is turnably supported on the endless inside moving body 13 by a first joint member, is placed; and a driving unit 17 revolving the endless outside moving body 13 and the endless inside moving body 15 to revolve the conveying table 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus for cultivating a plant housed in a cultivation container while carrying the plant on a conveyance table.

In order to increase the yield, Patent Documents 1 to 3 describe apparatuses for growing plants while conveying plants by a conveyor.
In Patent Document 1, shiitake mushrooms or fungi grown from a bench that is connected to a supply take-out device position by connecting a plurality of bench rows to the left and right with a pair of endless chains and circulating them back and forth over a plurality of stages by a sprocket row. A shiitake cultivation apparatus is described in which the bed is harvested and a new fungal bed is supplied to sequentially transfer the fungus bed on the bench to an environment suitable for the growth of shiitake.

  Patent Document 2 includes an endless conveyor net that is superimposed and stretched in a serpentine manner in the vertical direction, a driving unit that runs the conveyor net, a seedling seeding unit and an intake unit that are provided on the conveyor net, and an exterior. The cultivation apparatus provided with the water supply means provided in the body is described.

  Patent Document 3 describes a rotary centrally managed cultivation system in which cultivation containers are arranged and bridged to a pair of rotating moving bodies, and the rotating moving bodies are circulated by a pair of guide rollers.

JP-A-6-245646 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-62848 JP 11-318214 A

  However, the shiitake cultivation apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is a gondola type cultivation apparatus in which a bench is suspended from an endless chain, so that plants are cultivated when it is stopped for work or restarted. The container shakes greatly. Further, the container may be shaken when folded from one to the other. In addition, since the center of gravity changes as the plant grows, the container hung on the chain may be tilted. If the container is not kept horizontal, but swings or tilts, the sprayed water may spill or the culture soil may spill.

  The cultivation apparatus described in Patent Document 2 uses a conveyor net for cultivating sprouts, and thus is not suitable for cultivating lettuce or carrots planted in a cultivation container containing culture soil. .

  In the rotary centrally managed cultivation system described in Patent Document 3, since both ends of the container are only supported by the rotary moving body, there is a possibility that the container may swing when starting, stopping, or turning back. Moreover, when conveying a container with a large capacity, it is necessary not only to widen the width of the guide roller but also to increase the diameter of the guide roller so as not to be buffered by the guide roller when folded. When the diameter of the guide roller is increased, when the rotationally moving body is meandered as in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2, the gap between the steps increases, and the number of containers that can be transported decreases.

  Then, this invention aims at providing the plant cultivation apparatus which can improve cultivation efficiency by conveying the cultivation container in which a plant is planted in the stable state, and conveying many cultivation containers. And

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is arranged such that an inner ring arranged in a row on one side and the other side is spaced apart by a predetermined distance on one side in the horizontal direction of the inner ring of the one side and the other side, and the rotation surface is a device from the rotation surface of the inner ring. An outer ring provided side by side so as to be on the outside, an endless inner moving body that is wound around and wound around the inner ring of the next stage while being folded so as to meander between the inner rings of the one and the other, and the one And an endless outer moving body that is wound around and loops around the outer ring of the next stage in turn so as to meander between the outer ring and the other outer ring, and one end of one side of the endless outer moving body is the endless An outer connecting member connected beyond the inner moving body is rotatably supported, and an end on the other side opposite to one side of the one side surface is rotated by the inner connecting member on the endless inner moving body. It is supported movably and on the opposite side to the one side The side surface is movably supported while holding the mounting surface horizontally, and the transport table on which the cultivation container is mounted, the endless outer moving body, and the endless inner mobile body are circulated to rotate the transport table. And a drive unit.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention includes an endless inner moving body in which a conveyance table on which a cultivation container is placed circulates between inner rings arranged on one side and the other, and an endless circuit that circulates between outer rings on one side and the other side. The outer moving body moves to the next stage in order while reciprocating in a meandering manner. An endless inner moving body is wrapped around the inner ring, and an endless outer moving body is wrapped around the outer ring, but the outer ring is positioned so that the rotation surface is outside the device from the rotation surface of the inner ring. Therefore, the endless outer moving body and the endless inner moving body can be circulated without buffering each other. In addition, since the end of one side surface is rotatably supported by the outer coupling member connected to the endless outer moving body beyond the endless inner moving body, the carriage is moved endlessly. An end of the other side opposite to one side of one side surface is rotatably supported by the body. Therefore, when the transfer table turns the inner ring and the outer ring, the end on one side of the transfer table turns around the outer ring, and the end on the other side rotates around the inner ring. The inner ring and the outer ring can be folded while facing. Therefore, the cultivation container can be transported in a stable state. In addition, since the transport table is supported by the other side so as to be movable while holding the mounting surface horizontally, the transport table can be formed wide, so that a large number of cultivation containers can be mounted. .

Each of the outer ring and the inner ring is provided with a pair of coaxial outer rings and inner rings. An endless inner moving body is wound around the inner ring provided as the pair, and the outer ring provided as the pair The outer connecting member on which the endless outer moving body is wound and the other side surface of the transport table is connected to the endless outer moving body beyond the endless inner moving body. It is desirable that the other end of the other side surface is rotatably supported by the endless inner moving body.
If the inner ring and the outer ring are each provided as a coaxial pair, and the endless outer moving body and the endless inner moving body are wound around, the end on one side of the other side of the transport table is the endless outer side. By allowing the moving body to rotatably support the other side end of the other side surface on the endless inner moving body, it is possible to support the moving table while moving the holding surface horizontally. The carrier can be moved in a stable state.

  The inner ring and the outer ring may be a single guide wheel. By doing so, it can be configured with a simple structure.

  The inner ring and the outer ring may be at least two guide wheels arranged in the vertical direction. By doing so, even when a plant is placed with a high height, if the guide wheels are arranged with a wide vertical distance, it is possible to easily secure a gap above the transport table.

  Cultivation mounted on a conveyance table that moves between one outer ring and inner ring arranged in the column and the other outer ring and inner ring arranged in the column, and moved from the upper stage to the lower stage It is desirable to provide a lighting device that illuminates the plant in the container. Illumination is possible if the carriage is located at the uppermost stage, but if the carriage is located at the middle stage, the upper carriage becomes obstructive and the light hits worse. By providing the lighting device, it is possible to compensate for the poor sunlight. In addition, although the lighting device generates heat, there is a concern about the effect on the plant, but since the cultivation container is moving with the transport stand, even if the distance between the lighting device and the plant is close, the effect of heat on the plant is suppressed. Can do.

  Between the one outer ring and the inner ring and the other outer ring and the inner ring, when the upper part of the apparatus is formed at a wider interval than the lower part of the apparatus, a part of the upper part of the apparatus protrudes from the lower part of the apparatus. be able to. Therefore, even when the side of the apparatus is used as a work place, it is possible to prevent a dead space by forming the upper part of the apparatus that protrudes above the work place. Therefore, cultivation space can be used effectively.

  When a part or all of the outer ring and the inner ring arranged in tandem on the one side and the other side are arranged linearly, the apparatus can be arranged according to the wall surface of the cultivation space.

  A water tank for storing temperature-adjusted water is provided below a conveyance path through which the conveyance table is conveyed, and the conveyance table is immersed in the water tank while being moved and cultivated and placed on the conveyance table It is desirable to provide a heat conductor for transferring heat to the container. Since the heat conductor provided on the transport platform is immersed in the stored water tank while moving, the temperature of the temperature-adjusted water can be transferred to the cultivation container, so the temperature of the entire surrounding air is controlled. It is possible to manage the temperature of plants more efficiently.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, the inner ring and the outer ring can be folded back with the mounting surface facing up without reversing the conveyance table, so that the cultivation container can be conveyed in a stable state, and the conveyance table Can be formed wide so that many cultivation containers can be placed.

It is a perspective view which shows the cultivation factory in which the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention was installed. It is a front view which shows the 1st cultivation apparatus installed in the cultivation factory shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the sprocket which is an inner ring | wheel of the 1st cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 2 and the sprocket which is an outer ring | wheel, these circulating chains, and a conveyance stand, (A) is a figure of the state before a conveyance stand returns, (B ) Is a diagram of the state when the carrier is folded. It is the elements on larger scale which show the state with which the conveyance stand is connected with the chain, (A) is a figure for demonstrating a 1st connection member, (B) is a figure for demonstrating a 2nd connection member. It is a front view which shows the 2nd cultivation apparatus installed in the cultivation factory shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which is supporting the other side surface of a conveyance stand with a guide rail. It is a perspective view which shows the state which is supporting the other side surface of a conveyance stand with one sprocket. It is a figure which shows the state which comprised the inner ring | wheel and the outer ring | wheel with two sprockets. It is the schematic for demonstrating the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the cultivation container by which the plant was planted on the conveyance stand of the plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
A plant cultivation apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is installed in a cultivation factory F. The cultivation factory F is a cultivation room in which a sowing room R1 located in the back of the second floor, a germination room R2 adjacent to the sowing room R1, and two types of first and second cultivation apparatuses 1 and 2 are arranged as plant cultivation apparatuses. R3, a packing area P adjacent to the cultivation room R3, and a refrigeration room R4 located under the sowing room R1 and the germination room R2.

  In the sowing room R1, seeds are planted by a seed sowing machine A in a cultivation container C containing culture soil for planting plants. In the germination room R2, the cultivation container C sowed in the sowing room R1 is placed until germination. In the cultivation room R3, a first cultivation device 1 and a second cultivation device 2 are installed to grow plants. The cultivation container C sprouted in the germination room R2 is placed on the conveyance platform of the first cultivation device 1 from the window W on the second floor, or directly carried to the place of the second cultivation device 2 and placed on the conveyance platform. The cultivation room R3 is provided with an opening on the roof or a light-transmitting ceiling for daylighting. The packing area P is a place where plants that have grown and become products are taken in and packed by the packaging machine B. In the refrigerator compartment R4, the packaged product is refrigerated and stored and awaits shipment. Here, the structure of the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 installed in cultivation room R3 is demonstrated based on FIG.

  The 1st cultivation apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 2 grows a plant by carrying the cultivation container C 8 steps | paragraphs in an up-down direction, orbiting like a conveyor. The first cultivation apparatus 1 includes a frame 11, an inner ring 12, an endless inner moving body 13, an outer ring 14, an endless outer moving body 15, a transport table 16, a driving unit 17, and an illumination device 18. And an irrigation device 19.

  The frame 11 includes four column frames 111 erected in the vertical direction on the floor surface F, and a beam frame 112 bridged in the horizontal direction to the four column frames 111. In FIG. 2, the front pillar frame 111 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 (A), and FIG. 3 (B), the inner ring 12 has a pair of sprockets 12a and 12b that are coaxial and have a rotating surface facing each other. It functions as a guide wheel arranged in a row at a predetermined interval from the (wall surface W2 side).
The endless inner moving body 13 is wound around the next-stage sprockets 12a and 12b, which are successively lower while being folded so as to meander between the sprocket 12a and the sprocket 12b. And it is formed by the chain 13a which circulates by returning from the sprocket 12b used as the other inner ring 12 at the lowermost stage to the other sprocket 12b at the uppermost stage.

The outer ring 14 has a pair of sprockets 14a and 14b that are coaxial and face each other with a rotating surface facing each other, and are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction between one sprocket 12a and the other sprocket 12b. It functions as a guide wheel that is positioned so as to be outside the apparatus from the rotating surface of 12b. The sprockets 14a and 14b have the same diameter as the sprockets 12a and 12b. The distance between the sprockets 14 a and 14 b of the outer ring 14 and the sprockets 12 a and 12 b of the inner ring 12 is the same as the distance at which one end side and the other end side of the carrier 16 are supported.
The endless outer moving body 15 is wound around the next-stage sprockets 14a and 14b, which are sequentially lower, while being folded back so as to meander between the sprocket 14a and the sprocket 14b. And it is formed by the chain 14a which circulates by returning from the sprocket 14b used as the other outer ring 14 of the lowermost stage to the other sprocket 14b of the uppermost stage.

  The conveyance stand 16 is a table on which a cultivation container C in which a plant to be cultivated formed in a rectangular shape is planted is placed. As shown in FIG. 4A, one end of both sides is connected to a chain 15a that is an endless inner moving body 15 by a first connecting member 161 that is an outer connecting member. . Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the transport table 16 is connected to a chain 13a that is an endless inner moving body 13 by a second connecting member 162 that is an inner connecting member at the other end on both sides. ing.

  The first connecting member 161 shown in FIG. 4A is formed by a plate member 161a formed in a substantially U shape, and a shaft member 161b whose both ends are larger in diameter than the shaft portion. The plate member 161 a has a distal end portion that is fixed to the chain 15 a beyond the chain 13 a, and a proximal end portion that is connected to the conveyance base 16 through the shaft member 161 b. In this way, since the transport table 16 is connected to the chain 15a by the first connecting member 162, the transport table 16 is rotatable with respect to the chain 15a that moves in a certain direction.

The second connecting member 162 shown in FIG. 4B is formed by a plate member 162a formed in a substantially U shape, and a shaft member 162b whose both ends are larger in diameter than the shaft portion. The plate member 162a has a distal end portion fixed to the chain 13a, and a base end portion connected to the carriage base 16 through the shaft member 162b. As described above, since the transport table 16 is connected to the chain 13a by the first connecting member 162, the transport table 16 is rotatable with respect to the chain 13a moving in a certain direction.
If bearings are provided in the through holes of the transport table 16 through which the shaft members 161b and 162b pass, it is desirable that the shaft members 161b and 162b rotate smoothly.

  The drive unit 17 shown in FIG. 2 includes drive sprockets 171a and 171b and drive sprockets 171a and 171b provided coaxially with the sprocket 12b of the other inner ring 12 and the sprocket 14b of the other outer ring 14 located at the lower end. And a motor 173 for rotating the drive chains 172a and 172b wound around the motor. In the first embodiment, the sprocket driven by the motor 173 is the sprocket 12b of the other inner ring 12 and the sprocket 14b of the other outer ring 14 located at the lower end, but other sprockets may be used. The sprockets 12a and 12b of the inner ring 12 and the sprockets 14a and 14b of the plurality of outer rings 14 may be driven simultaneously.

The illuminating device 18 is the LED lighting fixture 182 arrange | positioned for every predetermined space | interval of the attachment stick | rod 181 attached between pillar frame 11a.
The irrigation device 19 is a device for watering plants. In the first embodiment, the irrigation device 19 is provided in the upper right as viewed from the top to be turned from the uppermost stage to the next stage. However, the irrigation apparatus 19 only needs to be provided in any one place around which the conveyance platform 6 circulates. You may make it provide the irrigation apparatus 19 in multiple places according to the amount of water.

Next, the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2 is demonstrated based on FIG. In addition, in the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2, the thing of the same structure as FIG. 2 which shows the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 attaches | subjects a same sign, and abbreviate | omits description.
The second cultivating apparatus 2 is formed in multiple stages from the first cultivating apparatus 1, and the interval between the one inner ring 12 and the outer ring 14 located on the uppermost stage and the other inner ring 12 and the outer ring 14 is different from the other stages. The extended part 21 is provided because the interval is formed wider. The uppermost extension portion 21 extends to the ceiling of the sowing room R1 and the germination room R2 on the second floor.

The second cultivation apparatus 2 receives the chains 13a and 15a from the lowermost stage in order to extend the extension part 21 to the ceiling of the seeding room R1 and the germination room R2 on the second floor, and the horizontal direction that is the direction of the extension part 21 The sprocket 211a of the inner ring 12 and the sprocket 212a of the outer ring 14 which are directed toward the upper side, the sprocket 211b of the inner ring 12 and the sprocket 212b of the outer ring 14 which are directed toward the upper side are provided.
The chain 13a wound around the inner ring 12 circulates including the sprockets 211a and 211b, and the chain 15a wound around the outer ring 14 circulates including the sprockets 212a and 212b. .

The operation | movement and use state of the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 and the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2 which were comprised as mentioned above are demonstrated based on drawing.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, seeds of a plant cultivated in a cultivation container C which is a culture medium filled with culture soil in a sowing room R1 are planted by a seeder A. And the cultivation container C which germinated by germination room R2 is sequentially mounted on the conveyance stand 16 of the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 or the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2. FIG.

When placing the cultivation container C on the transport table 16 of the first cultivation apparatus 1, germination was easily germinated because the other end of the uppermost stage was located under the window of the germination chamber R2 on the second floor. The cultivation container C can be placed on the conveyance table 16.
As shown in FIG. 2, since the lowermost sprockets 12b and 14b and the uppermost sprockets 12b and 14b for raising the transport table 16 are positioned above and below each other, the first sprockets 12b and 14b are aligned with the wall surface W1. The cultivation apparatus 1 can be arranged. Moreover, since all of one sprocket 12a, 14a is linearly arrange | positioned in a column, the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 can be arrange | positioned according to the wall surface W2.

When the motor 173 of the drive unit 17 is started, the motor 173 drives the sprockets 171a and 171b via the drive chains 172a and 172b, so that the lowermost sprockets 12b and 14b are rotationally driven.
When the lowermost sprockets 12b and 14b are rotationally driven, the other sprockets become driven sprockets and the chains 13a and 15a start to circulate.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the transport table 16 moves to one end (the wall surface W1 side). The front end of the carriage 16 is connected to the chain 15a that goes around the outer ring 14 by the plate member 161a of the first connecting member 161, but the plate member 161a is connected to the chain 15a beyond the chain 13a. The carriage 16 can move to one end without interfering with the chain 13a that circulates inside.

  The front end of the carriage 16 that has moved to one end becomes a rear end by turning the sprocket 14a half-turned by the chain 15a that moves along with the rotation of the sprocket 14a and switching the traveling direction. At this time, the platen 161a of the first connecting member 161 is turned upside down by the conveyance table 16 half-rotating around the sprocket 14a, but the plate member 161a is rotatably connected to the conveyance table 16. The front end of the transport table 16 is smoothly folded back without turning upside down to become the rear end. Hereinafter, when the sprocket 14a is viewed from the front, the counterclockwise rotation direction that rotates is referred to as the forward rotation direction, and the reverse direction is referred to as the reverse rotation direction.

  Further, the rear end of the carriage 16 becomes the rear end when the sprocket 12a is rotated halfway in the forward rotation direction by the chain 13a moving with the rotation of the sprocket 12a, and the traveling direction is switched. The plate member 162a of the second connecting member 162 is turned upside down. However, since the plate member 162a is rotatably connected to the transport table 16, the rear end of the transport table 16 is smoothly folded back without being turned upside down. It becomes.

  In this way, when the transport table 16 moves to one end (the wall surface W1 side), the sprockets 12a and 14a can be folded back with the mounting surface facing upward without inverting the transport table 16.

  When the transport table 16 that has been folded and moved to the lower stage reaches the other end (wall surface W2 side), the front end of the transport table 16 is turned back by rotating the sprocket 12b, which is the inner ring 12, halfway in the reverse direction, and becomes the rear end. The sprocket 14b whose end is the outer ring 14 is rotated halfway in the reverse direction and turned back to become the front end, and the traveling direction is switched.

  And the conveyance stand 16 moves to a lower stage sequentially, repeating the return | turnback which reciprocates between one and the other. When the transport table 16 is moving on the uppermost stage, the sunlight taken from the roof is directly irradiated to the plant cultivated by the cultivation container C. It becomes a shadow of the container C and the plant cannot be irradiated with sunlight. In the 1st cultivation apparatus 1, since the illuminating device 18 which illuminates the plant planted in the cultivation container C mounted in the conveyance stand 16 moved from the upper stage to the lower stage is provided for every predetermined interval, badness of sunlight is reduced. Can be supplemented. Since the lighting device 18 generates heat, there is a concern about the influence on the plant. However, since the cultivation container C is moved together with the carriage 16, the influence of heat on the plant is affected even if the distance between the lighting device 18 and the plant is short. Can be suppressed.

When the carriage 16 reaches the sprocket 12b which is the inner ring 12 and the sprocket 14b which is the outer ring 14 on the other lowermost stage (W2 side in FIG. 2), the carriage 16 is accompanied by rotation in the forward direction of the sprockets 12b and 14b. Around the sprockets 12b, 14b, turn 1/4 and turn upward.
And if the conveyance stand 16 raises to the other sprocket 12b, 14b of the uppermost stage, the circumference | surroundings of the sprocket 12b, 14b will make 1/4 rotation in the normal rotation direction, and will return to the uppermost stage.

Next, about 2nd cultivation apparatus 2, operation | movement and a use condition are demonstrated based on drawing. About the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2, since it is the same as the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 except that the expansion part 21 with many steps is provided, description of basic operation | movement is abbreviate | omitted.
The carriage 16 that has turned around the lowermost sprockets 12b and 14b rises and rotates around the sprockets 211a and 212a in the reverse direction by a quarter in the reverse direction toward the horizontal direction that is the direction of the expansion portion 21. Next, the transfer table 16 moves on the second floor sowing room R1 and the germination room R2 on the ceiling 21 and rotates around the sprockets 211b and 212b by 1/4 in the forward direction. Head to. Then, the periphery of the uppermost sprockets 12b, 14b is rotated 1/4 in the forward direction to return to the uppermost stage.
Thus, in the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2, all the one inner ring | wheel 12 and the outer ring | wheel 14 are arrange | positioned linearly in the column, and the inner ring | wheel 12 and the outer ring | wheel 14 except the expansion part 21 located in the other uppermost stage are substantially straight in the column. Since it arrange | positions in the shape, since the cultivation space pinched | interposed into wall surface W1, W2 can be utilized to the maximum, cultivation efficiency can be improved. Moreover, in the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2, since the expansion part 21 is provided, it can also be set as the cultivation room R3 even on the ceiling of the sowing room R1 and the germination room R2 of the 2nd floor which tends to become a dead space. Therefore, cultivation efficiency can be improved further.

  Thus, since the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 and the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2 can go around without the conveyance stand 16 reversing or inclining, it is stable without giving an impact and a rocking to the cultivation container C. The cultivation container C can be conveyed in the state which carried out. Moreover, since the width | variety of the conveyance stand 16 in which the cultivation container C is mounted can be expanded by expanding the opposing width | variety of the sprockets 12a and 12b which are the inner rings 12, and the sprockets 14a and 14b which are the outer rings 14, many The cultivation container C can be conveyed. Therefore, the 1st cultivation apparatus 1 and the 2nd cultivation apparatus 2 can improve cultivation efficiency.

  For example, in a cultivation apparatus that suspends and circulates a horizontally long cultivation container C like a gondola, once the water is biased to one side of the cultivation container C, the center of gravity is deviated and circulates. You can't get water throughout. Therefore, it is necessary to make the cultivation container into a cube shape or an inverted cone shape, and it becomes difficult to grow a large amount of plants. However, in the 1st and 2nd cultivation apparatuses 1 and 2 concerning this Embodiment 1, since cultivation container C can be conveyed in a stable state, without giving impact or rocking to cultivation container C, landscape cultivation Even if it is the container C, since it can maintain level, water can be spread throughout the cultivation container C naturally only by replenishing fixed quantity of water.

  In the first embodiment, the inner ring 12 is a pair of sprockets whose rotating surfaces face each other and the outer ring 14 is a pair of sprockets whose rotating surfaces face each other. It is also possible to omit the sprocket. In that case, as shown in FIG. 6, the first connecting member 161 and the second connecting member 162 (not shown in FIG. 6) are connected to the chains 13 a and 15 a and are opposite to one side surface of the transport table 16. The other side is configured to be movably supported by a guide rail 19 that meanders along the movement of the chains 13a and 15a. By doing so, even if there is no pair of sprockets, the transport table 16 can be moved along the chains 13a and 15a while holding the mounting surface of the transport table 16 horizontally.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the sprockets 12a and 12b of the inner ring 12 and the sprockets 14a and 14b of the outer ring 14 are not paired, a common sprocket S is arranged, and the sprockets are arranged in accordance with the arrangement positions of the sprockets S. By connecting the transport table 16 to the chain C wound around S using, for example, the second connecting member 162, the other surface of the transport table 16 is supported, and the mounting surface is moved while the transport table 16 is moved. It is possible to keep it level.

  Further, in FIGS. 2 and 5, the sprockets 12a and 12b of the inner ring 12 and the sprockets 14a and 14b of the outer ring 14 are constituted by a single sprocket as a guide wheel. However, as shown in FIG. The two sprockets 12c and 12c can be arranged in the vertical direction, and the outer ring 14 can also be constituted by arranging the two sprockets 14c and 14c in the vertical direction. By doing so, since the space | interval of the upper stage and lower stage when the conveyance stand 16 is turned back can be ensured by the up-and-down distance of two sprockets, it is suitable when growing a tall plant.

(Embodiment 2)
A plant cultivation apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. In FIG. 9, the same components as those in FIG. Further, in FIG. 10, a frame, a drive unit, and the like are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the plant cultivation apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment is suitable for cultivating a plant V that requires temperature adjustment in a cultivation container C.
The plant cultivation apparatus 3 is provided with a plurality of fins 163 that face each other in parallel on the back surface of the transport table 16x. The fin 163 protrudes from the base body 164 along the same direction as the moving direction. The fins 163 are immersed in the water tank 20 disposed below the conveyance path along which the conveyance table 16x moves. The water tank 20 stores water whose temperature is controlled by the temperature adjusting device 21.

In the plant cultivation apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment, the transport table 16x is a frame body that is a plate body that forms a placement surface, and a rectangular frame body that surrounds and holds the periphery of the table body 164. Therefore, the heat sink 22 in which the fins 163 and the base body 164 are integrally formed is employed as the heat conductor.
The heat sink 22 is formed of a metal having high thermal conductivity. For example, the heat sink 22 can be made of copper, stainless steel, aluminum or the like, but is preferably made of aluminum from the viewpoint of cost and procurement.

  Moreover, since it is desirable to employ a container having high thermal conductivity so that the heat from the heat sink 22 can be easily transferred to the culture medium, the cultivation container C is formed of aluminum like the heat sink 22.

  As described above, in the plant cultivation apparatus 3 according to the second embodiment, the temperature adjustment apparatus 21 performs temperature management according to the room temperature by using hot water when the plant V is weak at low temperature, cold water when the plant V is weak at high temperature, and the temperature control apparatus 21. It is possible to manage efficiently and to save energy than adjusting the air in the entire cultivation room R3 (see FIG. 1).

In addition, since the mounting surface of the transfer table 16x moves while maintaining the level, the water tank 20 having a depth about the length of the fins 163 may be prepared. Therefore, since it is not necessary to use a deep water tank, the amount of stored water may be small, and temperature management is easy.
Further, since the transport table 16x moving in the horizontal direction does not swing vertically, the water stored in the water tank 20 is not easily spilled.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention has been described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. In this embodiment, sprockets 12a and 12b are used as the inner ring 12, sprockets 14a and 14b are used as the outer ring 14, a chain 13a is used as the endless inner moving body 13, and a chain 15a is used as the endless outer moving body 15, but the inner and outer rings are pulleys. A belt may be employed as the endless inner moving body and the endless outer moving body. The belt may be a rope. Moreover, the conveyance stand may not be rectangular.
In the first embodiment, the outer ring 14 is positioned outside the inner ring 12 on the one hand, and the inner ring 12 is positioned outside the outer ring 14 on the other side. As long as the positional relationship is the same, the reverse arrangement may be used.

  The present invention is suitable for a plant cultivation apparatus for cultivating a large amount of plants indoors.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st cultivation apparatus 11 Frame 11a Pillar frame 11b Beam frame 12 Inner ring 12a, 12b Sprocket 13 Endless inner moving body 13a Chain 14 Outer ring 14a, 14b Sprocket 15 Endless outer moving body 15a Chain 16 Carrying table 161 First connection member 161a Plate member 161b Shaft member 162 Second connecting member 162a Plate member 162b Shaft member 17 Drive unit 171a, 171b Drive sprocket 172a, 172b Drive chain 173 Motor 18 Lighting device 2 Second cultivation device 21 Expansion portion 211a, 211b Sprocket 212a, 212b Sprocket 3 Plant Cultivation Equipment R1 Sowing Room R2 Germination Room R3 Cultivation Room R4 Refrigeration Room P Packing Area C Cultivation Container A Seeding Machine B Packaging Machine W Window W1, W2 Wall G Guide Rail S Sprocket C chain 3 cultivation device 16x conveying table 163 fin 164 units main body 165 frame portions 19 irrigation device 20 water bath 21 temperature controller 22 heat sink V plants

Claims (8)

Inner rings arranged in tandem on one and the other,
An outer ring provided side by side with a predetermined distance apart on one side in the horizontal direction of the inner ring of the one and the other, and positioned so that the rotation surface is located outside the rotation surface of the inner ring;
An endless inner moving body that is wound around the inner ring of the next stage while turning around so as to meander between the inner rings of the one and the other;
An endless outer moving body that is wound around the outer ring of the next stage in turn while being folded so as to meander between the outer rings of the one and the other;
One end of one side surface of the endless outer moving body is rotatably supported by an outer connecting member connected to the endless inner moving body beyond the endless inner moving body. The other end which is the opposite side to the side is rotatably supported by the inner connecting member, and the other side which is opposite to the one side is movably supported while holding the mounting surface horizontally. A transport table on which the cultivation container is placed;
A plant cultivation apparatus comprising: a drive unit configured to circulate the endless outer movable body and the endless inner movable body to circulate the transport table. Each of the outer ring and the inner ring is provided with a pair of coaxial outer and inner rings,
An endless inner moving body is wound around the inner rings provided as the pair,
An endless outer moving body is wound around the outer rings provided as the pair,
The other side surface of the transport table is rotatably supported by an outer connecting member having an end on one side of the other side connected to the endless outer moving body beyond the endless inner moving body. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an end on the other side is rotatably supported by the endless inner moving body.   The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are one guide wheel.   The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are at least two guide wheels arranged in a vertical direction.   Cultivation mounted on a conveyance table that moves between one outer ring and inner ring arranged in the column and the other outer ring and inner ring arranged in the column, and moved from the upper stage to the lower stage The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an illumination device that illuminates the plant in the container is provided.   The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an upper portion of the apparatus is formed at a wider interval than a lower part of the apparatus between the one outer ring and the inner ring and the other outer ring and the inner ring. .   The plant growing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a part or all of the outer ring and the inner ring arranged in tandem on the one side and the other side are linearly arranged. A water tank for storing temperature-adjusted water is provided below a conveyance path through which the conveyance table is conveyed,
The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer table is provided with a heat conductor that is immersed in the water tank while being transferred and transfers heat to a cultivation container placed on the transfer table.

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