JP2012147765A - Plant cultivation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple plant cultivation device that provides people seeking safe vegetables with the opportunities of private production for private consumption of vegetables or the like, or shop production for shop consumption at restaurants or the like and that saves space, while taking indoor decoration properties into consideration.SOLUTION: The plant cultivation device comprises a combination of a base, a light irradiation device, a germination/seedling-raising device, and a raising device, as shown in Figure 1. The light irradiation device includes a red light source and a light source 1 that combines blue and white colors. The light irradiation of each of the light sources is controlled by a controller. The germination/seedling-raising device is placed in a position where it does not block light to a plant in the raising device, in such a manner that it is detachable from a column 21. The germination/seedling-raising device comprises a culture medium 7, a seedling-raising container 12, a culture medium tray 11, and a germination cover 16. The raising device comprises a raising box 5, a raising panel 6, a raising pot 4, and a foam generator 9. The plant cultivation device allows optimum use of the light sources to enable germination, the raising of a seedling, and raising to be conducted simultaneously.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus that can grow vegetables, flowers, foliage plants, and small fruit trees indoors at any household, store, office, etc., regardless of the season.

  Conventionally, large plants that grow a large amount of plants by a hydroponics method or the like exist in plant factories. However, large devices are expensive and are not common except when doing large businesses. Recently, plant cultivation devices used in stores such as restaurants have been developed, but they are large and unsuitable for indoor use.

  There is also a small plant cultivation device that can be used indoors. However, as described in Patent Document 1, a device including an illuminator and a seedling raising device has been proposed, but a device for germination and seedling and a device for growing the seedling into vegetables are integrated. Inconvenient because it is not considered.

  Further, Patent Document 2 proposes an apparatus including an illuminator and an apparatus for growing seedlings, but an apparatus for growing seedlings from germination and an apparatus for growing the seedlings into vegetables and the like are considered together. It is not what has been done.

  Further, as described in Patent Document 3, although it is described that plants are efficiently grown by combining the light wavelengths of LEDs, the light wavelengths of LEDs are used for the purpose of optimal plant growth and its ornamental use. There is no example that is controlled by.

JP 2008-167704 A JP 2002-159220 A JP-A-10-178899

"A well-understood plant factory" High ▲ 辻 ▼ Masamoto Publisher Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun

In response to social trends such as environmental protection and consumer disguise issues, such as food production disguised, the movement of self-extinguishment on agricultural products, especially vegetables and other plants, is expanding. However, cultivated land is necessary to cultivate farmland found in Sunday farming, etc., but it is difficult for people living in the city to find satisfactory farmland due to time constraints and distance constraints, and it is easy to rent farmland is not. In addition, although it is Sunday agriculture, basic agricultural knowledge is required for soil maintenance and management of pests and pests thereafter, and not everyone can easily and effectively grow. On the other hand, large plant cultivation equipment for plant factories is not suitable for growing plants and the like close to general consumers and restaurant managers. This invention provides a device that can easily grow vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, small fruit trees, etc. for people who have difficulty in obtaining cultivated land and people who want safe vegetables and plants, etc. It is a challenge to provide a plant cultivation device that is space-saving, efficient, and simple, and provides an opportunity for self-extinguishing or self-extinguishing in stores or in stores.

A light source of a conventional indoor plant cultivation apparatus mainly uses an LED or a fluorescent lamp, and the wavelength of light most suitable for growing plants such as leaf vegetables is said to be red (around 600 nm to 700 nm). When I tried to use it indoors, the green leaves reflected red and there was a sense of incongruity. An object of the present invention is to provide an optimal plant growing environment and at the same time to provide a plant growing device that can be used for plant growing and ornamental by controlling the light source.

In addition, since the conventional apparatus has a separate germination and seedling apparatus and a growing apparatus, a plurality of light sources are necessary for each. In the present invention, germination, seedling and breeding are efficiently performed with one light source. This is one of the issues.

  Furthermore, since the conventional germination apparatus placed a soft foam resin as a medium directly on the germination tray, rooting interfered with the bottom of the tray and became an obstacle to fine root development. One of the challenges is to improve efficiency. In addition, when changing the solution in the growing box and when cleaning the plant, anyone can easily clean without damaging the roots and leaves of the plant in the growing pot, and from seed to harvest with little effort The challenge is what can be done.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the plant cultivation device is a device composed of a combination of a light irradiation device, a germination seedling device, and a growth device, and the light source of the light irradiation device used in the plant cultivation device of the present invention Is composed of a combination of a red light source that emits light with a wavelength of about 600 nm to 700 nm and a blue / white light source that emits light with a wavelength of about 400 nm to 500 nm. It is controlled by. For this reason, during the daytime, the blue / white light source can be turned on and used for plant growth and ornamental purposes, and the red light source can be turned on at night to encourage plant growth. Switching of light sources having different wavelengths used for the light source of the present invention can be automatically performed.

In the germination and seedling device, the medium in which the seeds are inserted is placed on a medium tray in a seedling container filled with an appropriate amount of water, and the seedling in the medium is dried by covering the seedling container with a germination cover. Can be prevented. After cotyledon generation, the germination cover is removed from the seedling container and placed in the middle of the light irradiation device and the growth device to receive light from the light irradiation device and promote germination and root elongation of the main leaves. In addition, this seedling container is placed at a position where light to the plant of the rearing device is not blocked, and light is poured into the plant of the growing device without blocking. Further, the fine roots extended from the culture medium in the seedling container extend into a space provided between the bottom of the seedling container through a hole in the medium tray.

The growing device is a device that is grown until the plant placed in the growing pot is harvested. The growing box includes a growing panel with a leg on which the growing pot is placed and a bubble generator. When cleaning the plants transplanted in the growing pot or changing the water in the growing box, the plants can be taken out from the growing box together with the growing panel, and it is on the desktop without damaging the roots coming out of the growing pot Can be processed. In addition, in order to monitor the water level of the solution in the growth box, a transparent resin or transparent structure is provided and a water level mark line is provided on the side surface.

Plants planted in this plant cultivation device can be easily and efficiently grown even in places where light does not shine from the outdoors, and leaf vegetables can be harvested in 30 to 40 days after sowing. is there. When grown indoors, there is no concern about pests and pesticides, and no pesticides are used, so it can be supplied to the table without washing, and fresh, delicious and nutritious leaf vegetables can be harvested. In addition to leafy vegetables, flowers and fruits can be cultivated and enjoyed. The light source of the light irradiation device used in the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention is composed of a combination of a red light source that emits light with a wavelength of about 600 nm to 700 nm and a blue / white light source that emits light with a wavelength of about 400 nm to 500 nm. The light emission time and light emission intensity of the light source are controlled. For this reason, blue and white light sources are turned on during daytime and used for plant growth and ornamental use, and red light sources are turned on at night to encourage plant growth. This makes it possible to cultivate plants in homes as a tool to decorate the interior, and as a store-store at the storefront of restaurants, etc., and at the same time as a store interested in fresh and healthy vegetables It can be used as a decoration for appeal. Similarly, when growing flowers, growing plants can be used as decorations. In addition, since this plant cultivation device can be cared for while simultaneously observing the germination, seedling and growth state of the plant, it can be continuously harvested by accurately judging the timing of sowing, transplantation to the growth device, etc. it can. In addition, without a lot of specialized knowledge and experience, mainly leafy vegetables (various leaf lettuce, endive, arugula, chimasanchu, ice plant, etc.) can be harvested hygienically and efficiently regardless of the season.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an apparatus for carrying out the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an external view and a longitudinal sectional view showing the germination apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an external view and a longitudinal sectional view showing the seedling raising apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an external view showing the growing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a manual electric circuit in the light irradiation apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of a timer-type electric circuit in the light irradiation apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram of a sensor-type electric circuit in the light irradiation apparatus of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the seedling container 12 placed between the upper light source 1 and the growing box 5 and covered with the germination cover 16, after the cotyledons 23 germinate from the seeds of the medium 7, When exposed to light for several days, the true leaves germinate and many roots emerge at the same time. Plants grown to a certain size in the seedling container are respectively transplanted to the growth pot 4, fixed to the growth panel 6 in the growth box 5 at the bottom, and then supplied with light, fertilizer and oxygen from the light source 1. Plant 3 grows rapidly. Then, when the grown plant 3 is, for example, a vegetable, the vegetable is harvested for meals, but seeds are newly sown in the culture medium 7, germinated and grown in the seedling container 12, and further grown using the growing box 5. This is a device that can continuously harvest vegetables. With this device, leaf vegetables can be harvested 30 to 40 days after sowing, and since they are grown in the house, there is no need to use pesticides because there is no need to worry about pests and pesticides. You can eat delicious and nutritious vegetables.

  First, at the stage of germination and rooting of the seeds 14, the soft foamed resin medium 7 into which the seeds 14 are inserted as shown in FIG. 3 is placed on the medium tray 11 and placed in a seedling container 12 filled with water at an appropriate water level. If it is covered with a transparent or black germination cover 16 so that the medium does not dry, it will germinate and germinate in about 2 to 10 days, depending on the seeds and temperature. The color and material of the germination cover vary depending on the germination characteristics of the seed, but use a colorless and transparent resin cover for seeds that germinate easily when irradiated with light, and cover a black opaque resin cover for seeds that germinate easily in the dark. Therefore, germination and rooting are performed with good probability.

As shown in FIG. 4, cotyledons 23 germinate from the medium 7 in the seedling raising container 12, and fine roots 15 are rooted. At this stage, fine root development is important. Fine roots coming out of the medium placed on the medium tray 11 pass through the holes 25 in the medium tray and grow without being damaged. Further, a leg portion 28 is provided at the lower part of the medium tray so that the fine roots are spaced from the bottom of the seedling container 12. A space is created in this area, and the fine roots can grow smoothly. Further, a projection 29 for fixing the culture medium is provided on the top of the culture medium tray so that the culture medium does not float or shift. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the seedling container 12 provided with the hanging tool 13 is placed between the light source cover 2 and the growth box 5 of the present apparatus at the position where the light from the light source to the plant of the growth box is not blocked. Multiply. By making the seedling container 12 detachable from the support column 21 in this manner, the operation of transplanting the germinated cotyledons 23 to the growing pot 4 is facilitated. The light from the light source is simultaneously irradiated to the seedling container and the growing container, and stems, leaves, and fine roots develop.

  As a light source for plant cultivation, an LED, a fluorescent lamp or the like is appropriate. The wavelength of the light source is important for the smooth growth of the plant by photosynthesis, but it is considered that the wavelength around the red light source of 600 nm to 700 nm is particularly effective for the growth of leaves, and the blue light source is 400 nm for the growth of the stem. The area around ˜500 nm is considered effective. Since the white light source is generally effective, using a light source in which a plurality of light sources having different wavelengths are combined at a certain ratio is efficient for plant growth. In addition, when it is irradiated with a red light source, the color of the plant does not look beautiful, so it is not suitable for ornamental use. It is valid. Therefore, the irradiation time of the red light source and the blue / white light source is controlled to turn on the red light source mainly at night and the blue / white light source during the day.

  The circuit shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 includes a red light source 31 connected in series or in parallel with the power supply unit 30, a blue / white light source 32 connected in series or in parallel, and other control circuits. . Although LED is used as an actual example, the red light source 31 and the blue / white light source 32 are artificially switched by a switch on the circuit as shown in FIG. 6, or a timer circuit 33 is provided on the circuit as shown in FIG. The switching between the red light source and the blue / white light source can be controlled by time, or can be implemented by a sensor circuit that switches between day and night using the optical sensor 34 as shown in FIG. In FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the red light source and the blue / white light source are connected in series, but a parallel connection is also conceivable. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic substrate 24 fixing the LED is supported on the base 22 by the support column 21 through the reflection plate 2. The light from the LED light source 1 is directed to the plant 23 in the seedling raising container 12 and the plant 3 in the breeding box 5, and at the same time, seedling raising and raising are possible.

  On the other hand, a fluorescent lamp can also be used as the light source. Light from fluorescent lamps also generates light corresponding to the photosynthetic reaction curve of plants, but at the same time, wavelengths unnecessary for plant growth, harmful ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, etc. are also generated, so they can be controlled using filters. it can. Thus, a fluorescent lamp can also be used with the light source of the present invention. In the case of a fluorescent lamp, the necessary brightness and number are determined according to the area to be irradiated and the amount of light is controlled, and the lighting time is also controlled by an external timer 26.

  The seeds in the medium grown in the seedling container 12 are transplanted to the growth pot 4 as shown in FIG. 5 when the cotyledon 23 becomes large and the roots grow to a certain length. Hydroballs 8 having a spherical shape of about 3 to 12 mm and excellent in hygroscopicity are uniformly arranged in the growth pot 4, and the germinated and rooted medium is placed thereon. The amount of the hydroballs to be placed in the growth pot is determined according to the growth status of the roots and cotyledons of the plant, and the position of the medium is determined. A gap of an appropriate size is provided around the bottom of the growth pot so that the hydroball cannot be removed, and the roots grown from the gap extend.

As shown in FIG. 5, the growing pot 4 transplanted with the plant is fixed in the hole 17 provided in the growing panel 6. The growing panel 6 has several legs 18, and the height of the legs is set so that an appropriate space is provided at the bottom of the growing box so that the roots from the growing pot placed on the growing panel steadily extend. Also, when changing the solution in the growth box, etc., the entire growth panel containing the growth pot can be taken out of the growth box and placed on a desk without damaging the roots, and the leaves and roots of the plant can be maintained.

As shown in FIG. 5, the growth panel 6 in which the growth pot 4 is inserted is stored in a growth box 5 that is filled with the solution fertilizer 27 and has a translucent structure or a structure in which the inside can be seen through. The amount of the solution fertilizer is injected according to the instruction of the water level mark line 19 placed on the outer wall of the growing box. The uppermost line is the initial water level where the root of the growing pot is submerged several millimeters and the root growth is low, and then the solution is added according to the degree of solution divergence, but the lowermost line is the solution shortage It is a water mark mark line that is monitored so that the plant will not be depleted below the warning line.

  In order for plants to grow smoothly, water, nutrients and oxygen are needed from the roots. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, a bubble generator 9 directly connected by an air pump 10 and a flexible hollow pipe 20 is installed at the bottom of the growth box to always supply oxygen.

  For plant growth, light energy is necessary for smooth photosynthesis. However, some plants may become tired of photosynthesis when irradiated for a long time, and some leaf vegetables require irradiation even at night. Time needs to be controlled appropriately. Further, since it is not necessary to constantly supply oxygen, the light source and the air pump are connected to the timer 26 as shown in FIG. 2 to control the energization time according to the growing condition for each type of plant.

Other embodiments

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the form of the said Example, A various change is possible within the range which does not change the summary. For example, when the light source is a fluorescent lamp alone, it is not necessary to switch the light source, and the control only needs to control the lighting time using a timer.

  In the embodiment, the LED light source is controlled on the electronic circuit, and the light source is switched every day at a certain time. However, the microcomputer has the control time, the irradiation intensity of the light source, etc. so as to be optimal depending on the plant species. It is also possible to use and control it highly. In the control, when a plurality of LEDs having different wavelengths are used as the light source, switching of blinking, simultaneous lighting, or extinguishing for a certain period of time can be controlled according to the plant.

  In the examples, a relatively small plant cultivation apparatus was described as an example, but the size of the apparatus can be changed as necessary, and many apparatuses can be used simultaneously to grow a large amount in large quantities. Is also possible.

  It is also possible to incorporate the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention into an emotional education or science education program for children and schoolchildren together with teaching materials that describe different cultivation methods for each seed together with the characteristics and properties of the plant. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, Light source 2, Light source cover 3, Plant 4, Growing pot 5, Growing box 6, Growing panel 7, Medium 8, Hydro ball 9, Foam generator 10, Air pump 11, Medium tray 12, Breeding container 13, Hanging part 14, seed 15, root 16, germination cover 17, hole 18, leg 19, water level marking line 20, hollow pipe 21, column 22, base 23, cotyledon 24, LED substrate 25, medium tray hole 26, timer 27, solution Fertilizer 28, leg 29, protrusion 30, power source 31, red LED (wavelength 600nm-700nm)
32, blue and white LED (wavelength 400nm ~ 500nm)
33, timer circuit 34, illuminance sensor 35, sensor circuit

Claims (5)

  A plant cultivation device comprising a combination of a base, a light irradiation device, a germination and seedling device, and a growth device, wherein the germination and seedling device prevents light from growing on the plant of the growth device between the light irradiation device and the growth device. A plant cultivation device that is placed in a position where it can germinate, grow seedlings and grow at the same time. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base includes a member that supports the light irradiation device, and the germination and seedling device is detachably held by the supporting member. The light irradiation device includes a light source cover that reflects and protects light, a light source that emits light with a wavelength of about 600 nm to 700 nm, and a light source that emits light with a wavelength of about 400 nm to 500 nm. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein irradiation is controlled when light is required.   The germination and seedling device comprises a culture medium, a seedling container, a culture medium tray and a germination cover, has a plurality of holes in the top part of the culture medium tray, has protrusions at the top part of the top part, and has legs at the bottom part. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seedling container is covered with a germination cover at the time of germination of seeds.   The growing device includes a growing box, a growing panel, and a growing pot. The growing box has a bubble generator at the bottom, the growing box is made of a transparent material or structure, and the amount of water is measured on the side of the growing box. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a leg at a lower portion so as to be independent on the growth panel. .

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