JP2020130015A - Cultivation system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cultivation system that enables efficient cultivation of plants by appropriately irradiating plants with light in each growth process of plants to improve productivity.SOLUTION: A cultivation system 500 has: an irradiation device 100 in which a plurality of light sources 112 are arranged along a first direction X; and a cultivation board 200 on which a plurality of settled planting parts 211 capable of settling planting plants S which are irradiated with light by the irradiation device 100 are arranged along the first direction X, in which an interval between the plurality of light sources 112 arranged along the first direction X of the irradiation device 100 is changeable, and an interval between the plurality of settled planting part 211 arranged along the first direction X of the cultivation board 200 is changeable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 41

Description

The present invention relates to a cultivation system.

In plant cultivation by a hydroponic cultivation system, there is known a method of cultivating plants using cultivation boards having different planting positions of seedlings and strains according to the growth of the plants to be cultivated.
In this method, seedlings are extracted from a cultivation board with a small interval and replaced with a cultivation board with a large interval, so-called transplanting work is performed.

In plant cultivation using an irradiation device that uses an LED or the like that irradiates a plant with artificial light as a light source, in order to efficiently use the light emitted from the light source, the light source is directly above the strain of the plant to be cultivated. It is desirable to place.
In this regard, although a technique for changing the size of the entire irradiation device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1), in this technique, the interval between light sources in the irradiation device cannot be easily adjusted. That is, although the interval between planting positions becomes wider as the plant grows, the plant is cultivated with the interval between the light sources fixed, so that the light emitted from the light source cannot be used efficiently. was there.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cultivation system in which efficient plant cultivation is possible and productivity is improved by appropriately irradiating the plant with light in each growth process of the plant.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention can plant an irradiation device in which a plurality of light sources are arranged along the first direction and a plant irradiated with light by the irradiation device along the first direction. In a cultivation system having a cultivation board in which a plurality of planting portions are arranged, the distance between the light sources arranged in the plurality of directions along the first direction of the irradiation device can be changed, and the first of the cultivation boards. The cultivation system is characterized in that the spacing between a plurality of planting portions arranged along one direction can be changed.

According to the present invention, efficient cultivation of a plant becomes possible and productivity can be improved by appropriately irradiating the plant with light in each growth process of the plant.

It is the schematic of an example of the cultivation system which concerns on this invention. It is a top view of an example of the cultivation board when the interval of the planting position of a plant is a small interval. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state which the planting part was removed from the base part. It is a top view of an example of the cultivation board when the interval of the planting position of a plant is a medium interval. It is a perspective view and sectional view of the cultivation board shown in FIG. It is a top view of an example of the cultivation board when the interval of the planting position of a plant is a large interval. It is a perspective view and sectional view of the cultivation board shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows an example of the state before changing the orientation of a plant. It is a front view which shows an example of the state after changing the orientation of a plant. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of the orientation of a plant. It is a figure which shows the structure which can change the orientation of the base part by 90 ° with respect to the interval adjustment part. It is a figure which shows the structure which can change the orientation of the base part to 90 ° and 135 ° with respect to the interval adjustment part. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state which changed the orientation of the base part by 135 ° with respect to the interval adjustment part. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state which changed the direction of the interval adjustment part by 0 °. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state which changed the direction of the interval adjustment part by 90 °. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state which changed the direction of the interval adjustment part by 135 °. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure which can change the orientation of a planting part with respect to a base part. It is a figure which shows another example of the structure which can change the orientation of a planting part with respect to a base part. It is a top view which shows the state which a plurality of base portions are arranged in the Y direction. It is a perspective view of an example of a base part. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state before connecting a plurality of base portions with each other. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state after connecting a plurality of base portions with each other. It is a top view which showed the state of pushing out and moving a cultivation board. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of interval adjusting portions are arranged in the Y direction. It is a perspective view of an example of an interval adjusting part. It is a perspective view which shows how the interval of a planting position of a plant is changed from a small interval to a medium interval. It is a perspective view which shows how the interval of a planting position of a plant is changed from a medium interval to a large interval. It is a figure which shows the state which changed the interval of the planting position of a plant from a small interval to a medium interval. It is a figure which shows the state which changed the interval of the planting position of a plant from a medium interval to a large interval. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the interval adjustment part. It is a perspective view of an example of the irradiation apparatus provided in the cultivation system shown in FIG. It is a perspective view from another angle of the irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of an example of a first member, a second member, and a third member provided in the irradiation device shown in FIG. 31. It is a top view of each member shown in FIG. 33. It is a bottom view of each member shown in FIG. 33. It is a figure which shows an example of the arrangement of the light source provided in the 1st member shown in FIG. 33. It is a perspective view of an example of the case provided in the irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a right side view of the case shown in FIG. 37. It is a circuit diagram of the irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view of an example of the irradiation apparatus used when the interval of the planting position of a plant is a small interval. It is a front view showing the positional relationship between a plant and a light source when the irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. 40 is used. It is a top view of an example of the irradiation apparatus used when the interval of the planting position of a plant is a medium interval. It is a front view showing the positional relationship between a plant and a light source when the irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. 42 is used. It is a top view of an example of the irradiation apparatus used when the interval of the planting position of a plant is a large interval. It is a front view showing the positional relationship between a plant and a light source when the irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. 44 is used. It is a figure which shows another example of the 1st member shown in FIG. 33. (A) is a right side view of another example of the case shown in FIG. 37, and (b) is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of light sources are arranged in the Y direction. It is a figure which shows the case where the interval of the planting position of a plant is a small interval. It is a figure which shows the case where the interval of the planting position of a plant is a medium interval. It is a figure which shows the case where the interval of the planting position of a plant is a large interval. It is a perspective view which showed the positional relationship between a plant and a light source. It is a front view which showed the positional relationship between a plant and a light source. It is the figure which made the light source of an irradiation apparatus one line from the state shown in FIG. It is the figure which made the light source of the irradiation apparatus three lines from the state shown in FIG. It is the figure which made the light source of an irradiation apparatus one line from the state shown in FIG. 48. It is a figure which shows the state which changed the interval of the planting position of a plant from the state of a small interval shown in FIG. 41 to the medium interval. It is a figure which showed the state of changing the height of a light source. It is a functional block diagram of a cultivation system.

(Hydroponic cultivation system)
FIG. 1 shows an example of a hydroponic cultivation system 500 as a cultivation system according to the present invention. In each of the drawings after FIG. 1, the X direction, which is the first direction indicated by the arrow X, is the left-right direction of the hydroponic cultivation system 500, and the Y direction, which is the second direction (predetermined direction) indicated by the arrow Y, is. The front-back direction of the hydroponic cultivation system 500 and the Z direction indicated by the arrow Z indicate the vertical direction of the hydroponic cultivation system 500.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hydroponic cultivation system 500 includes a cultivation tank 10 arranged in the upper stage and a cultivation tank 20 arranged in the lower stage of the cultivation tank 10. The cultivation tanks 10 and 20 are tanks of the same volume connected via a siphon tube 30, and the nutrient solution L can be stored in the lower part of each tank. In the present embodiment, as the nutrient solution L, a liquid containing water as a main component and containing nutrients is used, but the nutrient solution L is not limited to this, and is simply water or a liquid not containing water as a main component. It may be.

Cultivation boards 200 capable of planting a plurality of plants S grown by the nutrient solution L are arranged above the cultivation tanks 10 and 20, respectively. In FIG. 1, one plant S is arranged on the cultivation board 200, but a plurality of plants S are actually arranged. The plant S is a plant having leaf H and root N, and in this embodiment, leafy vegetables such as lettuce and Japanese mustard spinach are assumed.

A storage tank 50 connected to the cultivation tank 20 via a siphon pipe 40 is provided in the lower stage of the cultivation tank 20, and the nutrient solution L is stored in the storage tank 50.
The storage tank 50 is connected to the cultivation tank 10 via a circulation pipe 60, and a nutrient solution pump 70 and a bubble generator 80 are provided in the middle of the circulation pipe 60. By operating the nutrient solution pump 70, the nutrient solution L in the reservoir tank 50 can be supplied to the cultivation tank 10 through the circulation pipe 60.

The bubble generator 80 receives gas from the gas tank 90 to generate bubbles in the nutrient solution L, and is provided on the downstream side of the nutrient solution pump 70. As the bubble generation method, a cavitation method, a pressure melting method, or the like can be used.
Immediately above the cultivation tanks 10 and 20, a plant irradiation device 100 is provided as an irradiation device for irradiating the entire upper surface of the cultivation tanks 10 and 20, that is, the plant S planted on the cultivation board 200 with light.

The siphon pipe 30 is a pipe curved in an inverted J shape in a side view, and has an intake port and a drain port at both ends thereof. The intake port is located at the lower limit water level LWL set near the bottom surface of the cultivation tank 10, for example, the lower end of the root N, and the drainage port is arranged inside the cultivation tank 20. The top of the siphon tube 30 is located at the upper limit water level HWL set at the height of the boundary between the leaf H and the root N of the plant S.

The siphon tube 40 also has the same arrangement as the siphon tube 30. That is, the intake port of the siphon pipe 40 is located at the lower limit water level LWL set near the bottom surface of the cultivation tank 20, and the drainage port is arranged inside the reservoir tank 50. The top of the siphon tube 40 is located at the upper limit water level HWL set at the height of the boundary between the leaf H and the root N of the plant S.

In the hydroponic cultivation system 500, the nutrient solution pump 70 is turned on and off at a predetermined timing to alternately fill the insides of the siphon pipes 30 and 40 with the nutrient solution L, and alternately generate drainage by the siphon operation for cultivation. The water level WL of the nutrient solution L in the tanks 10 and 20 is alternately raised and lowered. When the water level WL rises and falls between the upper limit water level HWL and the lower limit water level LWL in each of the cultivation tanks 10 and 20, the state in which the root N of the plant S is immersed in the nutrient solution L and the state in which it is exposed from the nutrient solution L are repeated. In the present embodiment, the time for the root N of the plant S to be exposed from the nutrient solution L is set longer than the time for being immersed in the nutrient solution L.

The above-mentioned operation procedure will be described more specifically.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the water level WL of the nutrient solution L in the cultivation tank 10 reaches the lower limit water level LWL, the automatic drainage from the siphon pipe 30 from the cultivation tank 10 to the cultivation tank 20 is stopped. On the other hand, when the water level WL of the nutrient solution L in the cultivation tank 20 reaches the upper limit water level HWL, the siphon tube 40 is filled with the nutrient solution L, so that automatic drainage by siphon operation is started. As a result, the nutrient solution L in the cultivation tank 20 is drained to the storage tank 50 through the siphon pipe 40.

Here, the nutrient solution pump 70 is turned on and operated at the time when the automatic drainage from the siphon pipe 30 is stopped or after that. The supply of the nutrient solution L from the reservoir tank 50 to the cultivation tank 10 through the circulation pipe 60 is started, and the water level WL of the cultivation tank 10 rises. Bubbles generated by the bubble generator 80, that is, microbubbles or ultrafine bubbles, are mixed in the nutrient solution L. On the other hand, the water level WL of the cultivation tank 20 is lowered by the automatic drainage of the siphon pipe 40. When the water level WL of the cultivation tank 20 reaches the lower limit water level LWL, the siphon operation is stopped, and the automatic drainage from the cultivation tank 20 to the storage tank 50 is stopped.

When the water level WL of the cultivation tank 10 reaches the upper limit water level HWL, the siphon tube 30 is filled with the nutrient solution L, so that automatic drainage by siphon operation is started. As a result, the nutrient solution L in the cultivation tank 10 is drained to the cultivation tank 20 through the siphon pipe 30.

Here, at the time when the automatic drainage by the siphon pipe 30 is started, or after that, the nutrient solution pump 70 is turned off to stop the operation. As a result, the supply of the nutrient solution L from the circulation pipe 60 to the cultivation tank 10 is stopped. After that, by repeating the on / off operation of the nutrient solution pump 70 in the above procedure, the water level WL of the nutrient solution L in the cultivation tanks 10 and 20 is alternately raised and lowered between the upper limit water level HWL and the lower limit water level LWL.

(First Embodiment of Cultivation Board)
In the hydroponic cultivation system 500 according to the embodiment, the interval or orientation of the planting position of the seedling or the strain can be changed in the planted state according to the growth of the plant S to be cultivated. Hereinafter, a specific configuration will be described.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the cultivation board 200 when the interval between the planting positions, which is the position where the plant S is planted, is a small interval. The interval between planting positions is, for example, the distance between the outer peripheral portions of adjacent planting portions 211, the distance between the centers of the planting portions 211, or the distance between the planting positions of the plants S planted in the planting portion 211. The small interval means that the interval between planting positions is the minimum in the hydroponic cultivation system 500.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cultivation board 200 has a plurality of base portions 210 provided so as to be adjacent to each other along the X direction. The base portion 210 has a planting portion 211 that holds the plant S and is planted in the central portion in the X and Y directions. The base portion 210 forms a surface having a predetermined area around the planting portion 211. The base portion 210 has a rectangular shape, and each base portion 210 in the X direction is arranged independently and has the same configuration. The base portion 210 is made of plastic such as vinyl chloride or styrofoam, and its surface is preferably subjected to a reflection process such as whitening in order to efficiently use the light from the plant irradiation device 100.

The base portion 210 is placed on the upper ends of the cultivation tanks 10 and 20, and the position in the X direction is determined by abutting the opposite sides of the adjacent base portions 210 against each other.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the base portion 210 has a rib 216 as a protruding portion protruding downward from the lower surface. The rib 216 extends in the X direction. When the base portion 210 is placed on the cultivation tank 10 (FIG. 2), the rib 216 is formed so as to be arranged inside the side wall 10a of the cultivation tank 10. Therefore, the rib 216 prevents the base portion 210 from moving in the Y direction in FIG. 2 and falling from the cultivation tank 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the planting portion 211 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the diameter of the outer peripheral portion 211b at the upper end is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 211c. The diameter of the outer peripheral portion 211b is larger than the diameter of the engagement hole 210a of the base portion 210, and the diameter of the cylindrical portion 211c is set to be the same or smaller.
Further, the planting portion 211 holds the root N of the plant S on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 211c (FIG. 3A), or the seeds are sown in the holding portion 211a mounted on the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 211c. It may be in any form in which the plant S is planted by growing the plant (FIG. 3 (b)). The holding portion 211a is made of a water-absorbent material such as sponge, and a notch for holding the seed is formed in the central portion.

As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the planting portion 211 is attached to the base portion 210 body from above and is removable so as to be detached from the upward direction, and the planting portion 211 is attached to the base portion 211. It is positioned in the base portion 210 main body by inserting it into the engaging hole 210a in the center of 210. The positioning referred to here means that, in a state where the planting portion 211 is attached to the base portion 210, the downward movement is restricted and the horizontal movement is restricted. The plant S was planted in the base 210 by inserting the root N of the plant S into the planting section 211 (FIG. 3 (a)) or sowing the seeds of the plant S into the holding section 211a (FIG. 3 (b)). A state, that is, a planting state in which the plant S is positioned at a fixed position of the base portion 210 is formed.

Further, the base portion 210 has a grip portion 210b that is gripped when the surface area of the cultivation board 200 is expanded (also referred to as changing the interval). The grip portion 210b is formed at one end in the Y direction as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and forms a convex portion protruding in the same direction as the attachment / detachment direction of the planting portion 211 with respect to the base portion 210. There is. Therefore, both the attachment / detachment work of the planting portion 211 and the gripping of the base portion 210 are in the same direction, and workability is improved.

Next, after the plant S is grown for a predetermined period in the state of small intervals shown in FIG. 2, the interval of the planting positions is increased. FIG. 4 is an example of the cultivation board 200 in the case where the planting positions of the plants S are spaced at medium intervals. The medium interval is an interval larger than the small interval shown in FIG. 2 and smaller than the large interval described later.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the cultivation board 200 has an intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 as a detachable interval adjusting portion on the outer periphery of the base portion 210 while maintaining the planted state. The state in which the planting state is maintained is a state in which the planting portion 211 is attached to the base portion 210.
The middle interval adjusting portion 220 has a surface having a predetermined area outward from the outer circumference of the base portion 210. That is, the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 has a surface that expands the surface area of the cultivation board 200 so as to surround the surface of the base portion 210. Like the base portion 210, the medium interval adjusting portion 220 is made of plastic such as vinyl chloride or styrofoam, and its surface is subjected to reflection processing such as whitening in order to efficiently use the light from the plant irradiation device 100. It is desirable that

Further, the middle interval adjusting portion 220 has an opening located substantially in the center and mounting portions 220a and 220b exposed from the opening. The opening has the same shape as the base portion 210 and is larger than the area of the planting portion 211. Therefore, when the base portion 210 is lowered from above to below and attached to the middle interval adjusting portion 220, the roots extending downward from the planting portion 211 can be reliably accommodated in the opening region.
Further, the medium interval adjusting unit 220 has a grip unit 224 that is gripped when the surface area of the cultivation board 200 is expanded (the interval is changed). As shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), the grip portion 224 is formed at one end in the Y direction like the base portion 210, and the planting portion 211 and the base portion 210 are attached to and detached from the middle interval adjusting portion 220. A convex portion protruding in the same direction as the direction is formed. Therefore, the work of attaching / detaching the planting portion 211 and the base portion 210 and the gripping of the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 are both in the same direction, and workability is improved.

When the grip portion 210b of the base portion 210 is held and the base portion 210 is mounted on the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220, the lower surface of the base portion 210 is mounted on the mounting portions 220a and 220b, and the downward movement is restricted. Since the horizontal side surface of the base portion 210 and the side surface of the opening of the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 when the base portion 210 is mounted on the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 are opposed to each other, the base portion 210 is X of the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220. The position in the direction and the Y direction is regulated. In this way, the cultivation boards 200 are adjacent to each other in the X direction as shown in FIG. 4 while maintaining the planting state at the time of small intervals by mounting the medium interval adjusting portion 220 on the outer circumference of the base portion 210. The interval of the planting position of the plant S can be changed from a small interval to a medium interval.

Here, each of the intermediate interval adjusting portions 220 in the intermediate interval state in FIG. 4 is placed on the upper ends of the cultivation tanks 10 and 20, and the opposite sides of the adjacent intermediate interval adjusting portions 220 abut against each other. The position in the X direction is fixed by being used.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (b) which is a cross-sectional view of Y1-Y2 in FIG. 4, the ribs 216 are arranged inside the side wall 10a as in the case of a small interval, so that the ribs 216 are arranged inside the side wall 10a in the Y direction in FIG. The cultivation board 200 is prevented from moving and falling from the cultivation tank 10. Further, the lower surface of the base portion 210 (FIG. 5 (b)) and the lower surface of the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 (FIG. 4) are placed on the upper end of the side wall 10a, so that the cultivation board 200 is stable in the cultivation tank 10. Will be placed.

Next, after the plant S is grown for a predetermined period in the state of the medium interval shown in FIG. 4, the interval at the planting position is further increased. FIG. 6 is an example of the cultivation board 200 when the planting positions of the plants S are spaced at large intervals. The large interval is an interval in which the interval between planting positions in the hydroponic cultivation system 500 is larger than the medium interval shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the cultivation board 200 has a large interval adjusting unit 230 as a detachable interval adjusting unit on the outer periphery of the medium interval adjusting unit 220 while maintaining the planted state. The state in which the planting state is maintained is a state in which the planting portion 211 is attached to the base portion 210 and the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220.
The large interval adjusting unit 230 has a surface that expands the surface area of the cultivation board 200 so as to surround the surface of the medium interval adjusting unit 220. Like the base portion 210 and the medium spacing adjusting unit 220, the large interval adjusting unit 230 is made of plastic such as vinyl chloride or styrofoam, and its surface is white because the light from the plant irradiation device 100 is efficiently used. It is desirable that reflection processing such as styrofoam is applied.

Further, the large interval adjusting portion 230 has an opening located substantially in the center and mounting portions 230a and 230b exposed from the opening. The opening has the same shape as the middle interval adjusting portion 220 and is larger than the area of the planting portion 211. Therefore, when the medium-interval adjustment unit 220 is mounted on the large-interval adjustment unit 230 by lowering it from above to downward, the roots extending downward from the planting unit 211 can be reliably accommodated in the opening region.

Since the middle interval adjusting portion 220 has a structure that receives the base portion 210, the lower surface of the middle interval adjusting portion 220 is placed on the mounting portion by having the grip portion 224 of the middle interval adjusting portion 220 and mounting it on the large interval adjusting portion 230. It is placed on 230a and 230b, and its downward movement is restricted. Since the horizontal side surface of the medium-interval adjustment unit 220 and the side surface of the opening of the large-interval adjustment unit 230 face each other when the medium-interval adjustment unit 220 is mounted on the large-interval adjustment unit 230, the medium-interval adjustment unit 220 is large. The positions of the interval adjusting unit 230 in the X direction and the Y direction are regulated. In this way, the cultivation board 200 is provided with the large-interval adjustment unit 230 on the outer periphery of the medium-interval adjustment unit 220, so that the planting state at the medium-interval is maintained in the X direction as shown in FIG. The spacing between planting positions of adjacent plants S can be changed from medium spacing to large spacing.

Here, each of the large interval adjusting portions 230 in the large interval state in FIG. 6 is placed on the upper ends of the cultivation tanks 10 and 20, and the opposite sides of the adjacent large interval adjusting portions 230 abut against each other. The position in the X direction is fixed by being used.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7 (b) which is a cross-sectional view of Y1-Y2 of FIG. 6, the ribs 216 are arranged inside the side wall 10a as in the case of the small interval and the medium interval. The cultivation board 200 is prevented from moving in the Y direction and falling from the cultivation tank 10. Further, not only the lower surface of the base portion 210 and the lower surface of the intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 are placed on the upper end of the side wall 10a, but also another side wall L is provided on the outside of the side wall 10a to further grow the cultivation board 200 in the cultivation tank. It can be stably placed on 10. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (b), the side wall L is arranged at a position straddling the medium-interval adjustment unit 220 and the large-interval adjustment unit 230, so that the cultivation board can be cultivated at both medium-interval and large-interval. It is possible to stably place 200 in the cultivation tank 10.

In this way, in the transplanting operation when adjusting the interval between the planting positions of the plant S, the transplanting operation is completed without going through the steps of extracting the seedlings from the cultivation board having a small interval and replacing the seedlings with the cultivation board having a large interval. That is, since the transplanting work is completed without touching the plant S itself by grasping the base portion 210 and the intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 and adjusting the spacing, damage to seedlings (for example, leaves and roots of the plant S) and human origin Adhesion of viable bacteria is reduced. In addition, due to the simplicity of the transplantation work, the work efficiency required for the transplantation work is improved as compared with the conventional transplantation method.

In the present embodiment, the shapes of the grip portions 210b and 224 are not limited to the protrusions, and any configuration may be used as long as the base portion 210 or the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 can be gripped. For example, a hole may be provided in the base portion 210 or the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 at a position where it does not directly touch the plant S, and the hole may be gripped by inserting a finger into the hole. Alternatively, the flat surface portion itself of the base portion 210 or the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 may be used as the grip portion.

In the present embodiment, as shown by arrows A in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the interval between planting positions of the plant S is changed from the medium interval to the large interval, the intermediate interval adjusting unit 220 is rotated by 90 ° in the XY plane. On top of that, the large-interval adjustment unit 230 is mounted on the outer circumference of the medium-interval adjustment unit 220. Therefore, as shown by arrows A in FIGS. 8 and 9, it is possible to rotate the plant S by 90 ° in the XY plane while maintaining the planted state (without grasping the plant S).
In this way, since the orientation of the plant S can be changed while maintaining the planted state, it is possible to eliminate the overlap of the leaves of the adjacent plant S and allow the plant S to receive light uniformly.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the orientation of the plant S can be changed only when the interval of the planting position of the plant S is changed from the medium interval to the large interval, but the interval of the planting position of the plant S is changed from the small interval to the medium interval. The orientation of the plant S may be changed at the same time. For example, FIG. 10A shows a state in which the interval is changed from the small interval in FIG. 2 to a medium interval, and FIG. 10B shows a state in which the interval is changed from the medium interval in FIG. 10A to a large interval. FIG. 10A shows an intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 on which the base portion 210 is mounted as shown in FIG. 5A, which is rotated 90 ° clockwise from FIG. 2 and placed on the side wall 10a. .. Then, the grip portion 224 of the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 of FIG. 10 (a) is held and placed on the large spacing adjusting portion 230 as in FIG. 7 (a). FIG. 10 (b) shows the large-interval adjustment unit 230, which has been placed on the medium-interval adjustment unit 220, rotated 90 ° clockwise from FIG. 10 (a) and placed on the side wall 10a. By changing the orientation of the plants S at each interval in this way, it is possible to further eliminate the overlap of the leaves of the adjacent plants S and allow the plants S to receive light more uniformly.

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment)
Further, in the first embodiment, it is not specified that the orientation of the base portion 210 with respect to the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 and the orientation of the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 with respect to the large spacing adjusting portion 230 can be relatively changed. It may be possible.

As a form in which the orientation of the base portion 210 with respect to the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 can be changed, for example, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, a groove for fixing the position of the base portion 210 on the surface of the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220. May be provided at several places and the base portion 210 may be rotated to fit the engaging portion 210c of the base portion 210 into the groove. FIG. 11 shows an example in which the orientation of the base portion 210 can be changed by 90 ° with respect to the middle interval adjusting portion 220, and FIGS. 12 and 13 show an example in which the orientation can be changed to 90 ° and 135 °.
The base portion 210 has a rectangular engaging portion 210c that is opposite to the grip portion 210b and projects downward from the lower surface. The grooves 220a and 220b of the intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 are provided around the opening 220d and form the same rectangular shape as the engaging portion 210c of the base portion 210.

In the example of FIG. 11, assuming that the same state as in FIG. 5 (when the grip portion 210b and the grip portion 224 are located on the same side in the Y direction) is 0 °, when the engaging portion 210c engages with the groove 220a. Is 0 °, and when it engages with the groove 220b, it is rotated 90 ° clockwise. When changing the orientation of the base portion 210 with respect to the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220, the grip portion 210b is gripped and the entire base portion 210 is lifted to disengage the engaging portion 210c and the groove 220a, and the orientation is changed. The joint 210c is engaged with the groove 220b. At this time, since the size of the opening 220d of the middle interval adjusting portion 220 is larger than the opening at the center of the base portion 210, the root interferes with the opening 220d of the middle interval adjusting portion 220 when the base portion 210 is raised. Can be prevented. Further, with such a configuration, it is possible to change only the direction of the desired base portion 210 from the state shown in FIG. 4, so that the overlapping of the leaves of the adjacent plants S can be further eliminated and the plants S can be more uniformly oriented. It is possible to receive light.
FIG. 12 shows a groove 220c of the intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 that engages with the engaging portion 210c of the base portion 210 at the position of 135 ° in FIG. With such a configuration, it is possible to change the base portion 210 in three directions with respect to the middle interval adjusting portion 220.

Further, the form of FIGS. 11 to 13 can be applied to the large interval adjusting unit 230. As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 has a rectangular engaging portion that is opposite to the grip portion 224 and projects downward from the lower surface. Grooves 230a, 230b, 230c having the same shape as the engaging portion of the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 are provided around the opening 230d of the large spacing adjusting portion 230. By engaging the engaging portion of the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 with the grooves 230a, 230b, 230c of the large spacing adjusting portion 230, 0 ° (FIG. 14), 90 ° (FIG. 15), and 135 ° (FIG. 15) in the XY plane. The direction of the intermediate interval adjusting unit 220 can be changed to 16).

In FIGS. 14 to 16, the orientation of the medium spacing adjustment unit 220 was changed with respect to the large spacing adjustment portion 230 while the orientation of the base portion 210 with respect to the medium spacing adjustment portion 220 was fixed, but only the base portion 210. May be changed with respect to the large interval adjusting unit 230. Further, by further changing only the base portion 210 to the groove 220c from the state of FIG. 15 or further changing only the base portion 210 to the groove 220b from the state of FIG. 16, the orientation other than 0 °, 90 °, and 135 ° It is possible to change to.

(Modification 3 of the first embodiment)
In the second modification of the first embodiment, the orientation of the plant S is changed by changing the orientation of the base portion 210 with respect to the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 and the orientation of the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 with respect to the large spacing adjusting portion 230. , The planting portion 211 may be changed with respect to the base portion 210.
As shown in FIG. 17, which is an embodiment in which the planting portion 211 rotates with respect to the base portion 210, the planting portion 211 has a rotary grip portion 211d protruding from the outer peripheral portion 211b at the upper end. The rotary grip portion 211d is integrally formed with the outer peripheral portion 211b and is made of plastic such as vinyl chloride or styrofoam, and its surface is reflected by making it white in order to efficiently use the light from the plant irradiation device 100. It is desirable that it is processed. With such a configuration, in the states of FIGS. 2, 4, and 6, the plant S is oriented in a desired direction by rotating the rotary grip portion 211d in a predetermined direction while the planting portion 211 is mounted on the base portion 210. Can be changed to. Further, this example may be applied to the form of the above-mentioned modification 2.
According to this embodiment, it is possible to further eliminate the overlap of leaves of adjacent plants S while reducing damage to seedlings, and to allow the plants S to receive light more uniformly.

FIG. 18 shows a polygonal cross-sectional shape of the planting portion 211. As shown in FIG. 18, the outer peripheral portion 211b and the cylindrical portion 211c have a pentagonal cross section, and the engaging hole 210a that engages with the cylindrical portion 211c also has a pentagonal shape. When changing the orientation of the plant S with respect to the base portion 210, the planting portion 211 is lifted upward, rotated in a predetermined direction, and connected to the base portion 210 again. At this time, the height at which the base portion 210 is lifted is preferably such that the roots extending downward from the planting portion 211 do not come out upward from the engaging hole 210a of the base portion 210. Since the plant S can be rotated without being completely extracted, it is possible to further eliminate the overlap of the leaves of the adjacent plant S while reducing the damage to the seedlings, and to allow the plant S to receive light more uniformly. In addition, this example may be applied to the form of the above-mentioned modification 2. Further, a grip portion for lifting the planting portion 211 may be formed on the outer peripheral portion 211b.

(Second Embodiment of Cultivation Board)
The second embodiment is an embodiment in which a plurality of base portions 210 can be arranged in the Y direction at small intervals.
FIG. 19 shows an example of arranging the cultivation boards 200 at small intervals, and the three-row base portion 210 is arranged in the Y direction in addition to the X direction. Therefore, while the seedlings are small, by planting a plurality of plants S in the Y direction, the space in the Y direction can be effectively utilized, which leads to an increase in yield.

In the hydroponic cultivation system 500 according to the present invention, the cultivation board 200 is extruded from the upstream side to the downstream side in the X direction at regular intervals, for example, every other day, and reaches the ends of the cultivation tanks 10 and 20. The plant S is transplanted by collecting the cultivation board 200.
When the base portions 210 are pushed out and moved, if the adjacent base portions 210 are not fixed to each other in the Y direction, it becomes necessary to push out and move each group of the base portions 210 in each row.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20, the base portion 210 has a connecting portion 212 that receives one end of adjacent base portions 210 in the Y direction. The connecting portion 212 is provided on one end side in the Y direction, and has a concave portion that engages with the other end side (the side on which the engaging convex portion 213 is formed) of the other base portion 210. There is. By engaging the other end side of the other base portion 210 with the connecting portion 212, a plurality of base portions 210 arranged in the Y direction are connected in the Y direction. The base portion 210 includes an engaging convex portion 213 provided at one end in the Y direction and an engaging concave portion 214 provided at the other end in the Y direction and receiving the engaging convex portion 213 of the adjacent base portion 210 in the Y direction. ,have. The side surface of the engaging convex portion 213 on the outer side in the Y direction has a curved surface, so that it can be easily inserted into the engaging concave portion 214. The engaging convex portion 213 also serves as a grip portion 215 for changing the interval between planting positions of the plant S and the orientation of the plant S.
The engaging recess 214 is provided in the connecting portion 212. Further, the engaging convex portion 213 is formed in a U shape long in the Y direction. Therefore, when the other end side of the other base portion 210 engages with the connecting portion 212, the movement in the rotation direction centered on the Z direction is restricted by the engagement between the engaging convex portion 213 and the engaging concave portion 214. However, the concave portion of the connecting portion 212 can regulate the movement in the Z direction.

As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the base portion 210 is fixed in the Y direction by connecting the engaging convex portion 213 and the engaging concave portion 214 of the base portions 210 adjacent to each other in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 23, since the Y direction of the base portion 210 is connected and fixed, the portion where the pushing force is applied when the base portion 210 is pushed out and moved in the X direction during the cultivation period is located on the leftmost base. At least one location in the Y direction of the portion 210 (one location in the center or two locations on both sides in the Y direction) may be used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 20, the base portion 210 has ribs 216 for preventing the base portions 10 and 20 from falling off from the cultivation tanks 10 and 20. The rib 216 is formed along one side of the base portion 210 and inward by a predetermined distance from the one side. When the base portion 210 is placed in the cultivation tank 10, the rib 216 comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall 10a from the Y direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the base portion 210 from slipping down from the cultivation tank 10 when the base portion 210 is pushed out and moved, and the rib 216 can guide the pushing movement in the X direction. Further, in the case of FIG. 23, the ribs 216 at both ends in the Y direction come into contact with the inner surface of the side wall 10a of the cultivation tank 10. In order to guide the base portion 210 smoothly, the rib 216 and the side wall 10a of the cultivation tank 10 may face each other with a predetermined clearance. Further, a plurality of groups of base portions 210 in one row in the Y direction shown in FIG. 23 are arranged in the X direction in FIG. 19, and the groups of base portions 210 in adjacent rows abut against each other. The position in the X direction is fixed by being used.

Next, FIG. 24 shows a state in which the plant S is grown for a predetermined period in the state of the small interval shown in FIG. 19 and then the interval of the planting position is changed to the medium interval. In the cultivation board 200, the base portion 210 is attached to the middle spacing adjusting section 220, and the two-row middle spacing adjusting section 220 is arranged in the Y direction in addition to the X direction. The orientation of the base portion 210 is the same as that shown in FIG. Similar to the first embodiment, the cultivation board 200 is provided with the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 attached to the outer periphery of the base portion 210 so that the planting positions of the adjacent plants S in the X and Y directions can be maintained while maintaining the planting state. The interval can be changed from small interval to medium interval.

Similar to the example of FIG. 5, the middle interval adjusting portion 220 has mounting portions 220a and 220b that receive the lower surface of the base portion 210 (FIG. 25). The mounting portion 220a is arranged at a position where the lower surface does not come into contact with the connecting portion 212 protruding downward. Therefore, by holding the grip portion 215 and mounting the lower surface of the base portion 210 on the mounting portions 220a and 220b as shown in FIG. 26, the position of the base portion 210 with respect to the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 is determined. At this time, the upper surface of the middle interval adjusting portion 220 and the upper surface of the base portion 210 (excluding the connecting portion 212) have substantially the same height.

Further, similarly to the configuration of the base portion 210 shown in FIG. 20, the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 has a connecting portion 221 that receives one end of the intermediate interval adjusting portions 220 adjacent to each other in the Y direction (FIG. 25). The connecting portion 221 is provided on one end side in the Y direction, and has a concave portion that engages with the other end side (the side on which the engaging convex portion 222 is formed) of the other intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220. are doing. By engaging the other side of the other intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 with the connecting portion 221, the plurality of intermediate spacing adjusting portions 220 arranged in the Y direction are connected in the Y direction. The intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 is provided at one end in the Y direction and is provided at the other end in the Y direction to receive the engaging convex portion 222 of the adjacent intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 in the Y direction. It has a joint recess 223 and. The side surface of the engaging convex portion 222 on the outer side in the Y direction has a curved surface, so that it can be easily inserted into the engaging concave portion 223. The engaging convex portion 222 also serves as a grip portion 224 for changing the interval between the planting positions of the plant S and the orientation of the plant S.
The engaging recess 223 is provided in the connecting portion 221. Further, the engaging convex portion 222 is formed long in the Y direction. Therefore, when the other end side of the other intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 engages with the connecting portion 221, the engagement in the engaging convex portion 222 and the engaging concave portion 223 causes the movement in the rotational direction centered on the Z direction. The movement in the Z direction can be regulated by the recess of the connecting portion 221.

In this way, the intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220 is fixed in the Y direction by connecting the engaging convex portion 222 and the engaging concave portion 223 of the intermediate spacing adjusting portions 220 adjacent to each other in the Y direction. By connecting and fixing the Y direction of the middle interval adjusting part 220, the place where the pushing force is applied when pushing out and moving the middle interval adjusting part 220 in the X direction during the cultivation period is located on the leftmost side of the middle interval adjusting part. At least one location in the Y direction of 220 (one location in the center or two locations on both sides in the Y direction) may be used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 25, the intermediate interval adjusting unit 220 has ribs 225 for preventing the cultivation tanks 10 and 20 from falling off. The rib 225 is formed along one side of the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 and inside the side by a predetermined distance. When the medium interval adjusting portion 220 is placed in the cultivation tank 10, the rib 225 comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall 10a from the Y direction. As a result, the rib 225 can guide the pushing movement in the X direction while preventing the middle spacing adjusting portion 220 from slipping down from the cultivation tank 10 when the middle interval adjusting portion 220 is pushed out and moved. Further, when a plurality of intermediate spacing adjusting portions 220 are connected in the Y direction as shown in FIG. 24, the ribs 225 at both ends in the Y direction come into contact with the inner surface of the side wall 10a of the cultivation tank 10. In addition, in order to smoothly guide the middle interval adjusting portion 220, the rib 225 and the side wall 10a of the cultivation tank 10 may face each other with a predetermined clearance.

Next, after the plants S are grown for a predetermined period in the state of medium intervals shown in FIG. 24, the intervals of the planting positions are further expanded to bring them into a state of large intervals. At this time, one row of large interval adjusting portions 230 are arranged in the Y direction with respect to the cultivation tanks 10 and 20.
Similar to the medium-interval adjustment unit 220 shown in FIG. 25, the large-interval adjustment unit 230 has mounting units 230a and 230b that receive the lower surface of the medium-interval adjustment unit 220 (FIG. 27). The mounting portion 230a is arranged at a position where the lower surface does not come into contact with the connecting portion 221 protruding downward. Therefore, by having the grip portion 224 and mounting the lower surface of the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 on the mounting portions 230a and 230b as shown in FIG. 27, the medium spacing adjusting portion 220 (or the base portion) with respect to the large spacing adjusting portion 230 is placed. The position of 210) is fixed. At this time, the upper surface of the large interval adjusting portion 230, the upper surface of the medium interval adjusting portion 220 (excluding the connecting portion 221), and the upper surface of the base portion 210 (excluding the connecting portion 212) have substantially the same height.

Similarly, the large interval adjusting unit 230 shown in FIG. 27 also has ribs 231 for preventing the plants from falling out of the cultivation tanks 10 and 20. The rib 231 is formed along one side of the large interval adjusting portion 230 and inward by a predetermined distance from the one side. When the large interval adjusting portion 230 is placed in the cultivation tank 10, the rib 231 comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall 10a from the Y direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the large interval adjusting unit 230 from slipping down from the cultivation tank 10 when the large interval adjusting unit 230 is pushed out and moved, and the rib 231 can guide the pushing movement in the X direction.

In the present embodiment, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the base portion 210 and the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 can be connected in the Y direction, so that the space in the Y direction can be effectively utilized and the yield can be increased. Connect.
Further, when the plant S is planted, transplanted, harvested, or the like, by gripping the grip portions 215 and 224, the work can be performed without touching the plant S itself. By performing the cultivation work without touching the plant S during the cultivation period, damage to the leaves and roots of the plant S and adhesion of viable bacteria due to human origin are reduced. In addition, it is possible to reduce the man-hours required for the transplantation work as compared with the conventional transplantation method.

In the present embodiment, the grip portions 215 and 224 have a protrusion shape, but the shape of the grip portions 215 and 224 is not limited to the protrusions, and any configuration may be used as long as the base portion 210 or the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 can be gripped.
For example, a hole may be provided in the base portion 210 or the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 at a position where it does not directly touch the plant S, and the hole may be gripped by inserting a finger into the hole. In this case, the engaging convex portion that engages with the hole of the other base portion 210 is formed so as to project downward at the position of the engaging concave portion 214, and the lower surface of the connecting portion 212 is deleted. Then, when connecting the base portions 210 in the Y direction in a small interval state, the base portion 210 is moved from above to below so that the engaging convex portion engages with the holes of the other base portions 210. Just do it. With such a configuration, the hole of the base portion 210 can have both the grip portion and the engaging portion described above.
Further, the flat surface portion itself of the base portion 210 or the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 may be used as the grip portion.

(Modification 1 of the second embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the orientation of the plant S can be changed only when the interval between the planting positions of the plant S is changed from the medium interval (FIG. 24) to the large interval (FIG. 27), but the interval between the planting positions of the plant S is changed. The orientation of the plant S may be changed even when the interval is changed from the small interval to the medium interval. For example, FIG. 28 shows a state in which the interval is changed from the small interval in FIG. 19 to a medium interval, and FIG. 29 shows a state in which the interval is changed from the medium interval in FIG. 28 to a large interval.
In FIG. 28, the base portion 210 is rotated 90 ° clockwise with respect to the middle spacing adjusting section 220 and placed on the middle spacing adjusting section 220, and the middle spacing adjusting section 220 is connected in the Y direction. The positions of the intermediate spacing adjusting portions 220 adjacent to each other in the X direction are determined by abutting each other.

In FIG. 29, from the state of FIG. 28, the base portion 210 is placed on the middle interval adjusting portion 220 by changing the direction so as to be 0 ° with respect to the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220, and the intermediate interval adjusting portion 220 is placed at a large interval. It is placed on the adjusting portion 230, and the large-interval adjusting portion 230 is placed on the side wall 10a so as to be rotated 90 ° clockwise from the direction of the base portion 210 in FIG. 28. In addition, you may place it on the large-spacing adjustment part 230 while keeping the positional relationship between the medium-spacing adjustment part 220 and the base part 210 shown in FIG. 28 as it is.
As a method of changing the orientation of the plant S, the modified examples 2 and 3 of the first embodiment may be applied or combined.
By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the overlap of the leaves of the adjacent plants S from small intervals to large intervals, and to allow the plants S to receive light more uniformly.

(Modification 2 of the second embodiment)
FIG. 30 shows a modified example of the middle interval adjusting unit 220. The medium-interval adjustment unit 220 of this example is divided into a first medium-interval adjustment unit 220a and a second medium-interval adjustment unit 220b, and the second medium-interval adjustment unit 220b is the first medium-interval adjustment unit 220b. It is removable from 220a.
Connecting portions 220a3 and 220a2 that engage with the other first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a are provided on one end side of the first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a in the Y direction. The connecting portions 220a3 and 220a2 are provided at both ends in the X direction, and have recesses for receiving the other end side of the other first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a. The connecting portion 220a3 has a notch 220a1 that receives the convex portion 220a8 of the other first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a. The convex portion 220a8 is formed long in the Y direction, and by engaging with the notch 220a1, the movement of the first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a in the rotational direction about the Z direction can be restricted.

The first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a has convex portions 220a6 and 220a7 protruding inward from the opening. As shown in FIG. 30A, the base portion 210 is slid in the Y direction while the upper surface of the base portion 210 is brought into contact with the convex portions 220a6 and 220a7, and the convex portion 213a is engaged with the concave portion 220a5. Then, while engaging the connecting portions 220b1 and 220b2 of the second intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220b with the first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a, the second intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220b is slid in the Y direction to connect the sides 220b3. Engage with portion 212.

With such a configuration, the middle interval adjusting portion 220 is attached to the base portion 210 by sliding the base portion 210 to the first intermediate interval adjusting portion 220a, so that the grip portion of the base portion 210 is attached. 215 is no longer needed.
Further, by engaging the convex portion 220a8 of the first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a to which the second intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220b is attached with the notch 220a1 of the other first intermediate spacing adjusting portion 220a, FIG. As shown in b), it is possible to arrange a plurality of plants S in the Y direction.
The configuration of the middle interval adjusting unit 220 and the base unit 210 in this embodiment may be applied to the first embodiment.

(Irradiation device for plants)
31 and 32 show an example of the plant irradiation device 100. The plant irradiation device 100 is long in the X direction and extends in the X direction.
As shown in FIGS. 31, 32 or 33, the plant irradiation device 100 includes a plurality of first members 111, each having an LED 112 as a light source.
The plant irradiation device 100 includes a plurality of second members 121 having no LED 112.
The plant irradiation device 100 includes a third member 131 having an LED driver 132 as a drive circuit for the LED 112.
The plant irradiation device 100 includes a resin case 140 for positioning and accommodating the first member 111, the second member 121, and the third member 131.

The first member 111 is a so-called electronic circuit board. As shown in FIG. 34 or FIG. 35, the first member 111 has a ground electrode 113, a positive electrode 114, and a negative electrode 115. The LED 112 is electrically connected to the ground electrode 113, the positive electrode 114, and the negative electrode 115. The first member 111 is subjected to reflection processing such as covering the surface of a portion excluding the ground electrode 113, the positive electrode 114, and the negative electrode 115 with a white resist.
The spacing of the LEDs 112 in the X direction can be changed by changing the position of the first member 111 in the X direction.
As shown in FIG. 36, in the present embodiment, the LED 112 is a package of two red LEDs 112r and one blue LED 112b. The LED 112r and the LED 112b are arranged as shown in FIGS. 36 (a) to 36 (c), for example, but the arrangement method is not limited to this.

As shown in FIG. 34 or FIG. 35, the width of the second member 121 in the X direction is a. The width a can be set arbitrarily. The second member 121 is arranged at a position between the two first members 111 or between the first member 111 and the third member 131. By arranging the second member 121 at such a position, it is possible to set the interval of the LEDs 112 in the X direction to an arbitrary width by adjusting the width a.
The second member 121 reflects the light from the LED 112 toward the plant S. That is, the surface of the second member 121 is subjected to a reflection process.
If the thickness of the second member 121 is the same as that of the first member 111 and the third member 131 and the surface is reflectively processed, the material is not the material for the electronic circuit board. You may. Further, the number of the second members 121 may not be plural.

The third member 131 is the same as the first member 111, and the surface of the electronic circuit board is subjected to reflection processing. The third member 131 has a ground electrode 133, a positive electrode 134, and a negative electrode 135. The LED driver 132 is electrically connected to the ground electrode 133, the positive electrode 134, and the negative electrode 135.

As shown in FIG. 37 or 38, the case 140 has a slide rail 141 as a holding member that slidably holds the first member 111, the second member 121, and the third member 131 in the X direction. are doing.
The case 140 has a cover member 142 having a waterproof function and a dustproof function of the first member 111 and the third member 131.
The case 140 has a ground electrode 143, a positive electrode 144, and a negative electrode 145 as energizing members arranged so as to extend in the X direction. The first member 111, the second member 121, and the third member 131 can be arranged at desired positions of the ground electrode 143, the positive electrode 144, and the negative electrode 145. By inserting the first member 111, the second member 121, and the third member 131 into the slide rail 141 from the X direction, the first member 111, the second member 121, and the third member 131 are arranged in the ground electrode 143, the positive electrode 144, and the negative electrode 145 in the X direction. The position at is held adjustable. Therefore, the LED 112 that occupies an arbitrary position within the set range of the ground electrode 143, the positive electrode 144, and the negative electrode 145 in the X direction is energized.

The ground electrode 143, the positive electrode 144, and the negative electrode 145 are provided on the slide rail 141.
The ground electrode 143 electrically connects the ground electrode 133 and the ground electrode 113. The positive electrode 144 electrically connects the positive electrode 134 and the positive electrode 114. The negative electrode 145 electrically connects the negative electrode 135 and the negative electrode 115.
As shown in FIG. 39, the primary power supply of the LED driver 132 is supplied from the outside by DC. When the negative electrode 145 is used as the reference potential, the ground electrode 143 may not be provided.

FIG. 40 shows the plant irradiation device 100 used for the cultivation board 200 (that is, when hydroponics is performed using the cultivation board 200 shown in FIG. 2) when the planting positions of the plants S are spaced at small intervals. An example is shown. As shown in FIG. 40, when only the first member 111 and the third member 131 are set on the slide rail 141, a plurality of LEDs 112 are arranged in the X direction.
When all the members are set on the slide rail 141, the ground electrode 113, 133 and the ground electrode 143, the positive electrode 114, 134 and the positive electrode 144, the negative electrode 115, 135 and the negative electrode 145 are electrically connected. .. The output current of the LED driver 132 mounted on the third member 131 energizes the LED 112 mounted on the first member 111, and the LED 112 emits light.
By using the plant irradiation device 100 shown in FIG. 40, as shown in FIG. 41, the LED 112 can be arranged directly above the plant S to be cultivated, and the light emitted from the LED 112 can be efficiently used. Is possible.

FIG. 42 shows a plant used when the interval between planting positions of adjacent plants S in the X direction is changed from a small interval to a medium interval (that is, when hydroponics is performed using the cultivation board 200 shown in FIG. 4). An example of the irradiation device 100 is shown. In order to change from the state shown in FIG. 40 to the state shown in FIG. 42, first, the first member 111 and the third member 131 are slid in the X direction and removed from the slide rail 141. Then, the first member 111 and the second member 121 whose width a is adjusted are alternately inserted into the slide rail 141 from the upstream side in the X direction and set. The first member 111 and the second member 121 may be set from the downstream side in the X direction.
The third member 131 has no problem in electrical connection regardless of the position set in the X direction, but in order to align the pitch between the LEDs 112, the third member 131 should be located at the end end of the slide rail 141 in the X direction. It is desirable to set it to.

When all the members are set on the slide rail 141, the ground electrode 113, 133 and the ground electrode 143, the positive electrode 114, 134 and the positive electrode 144, the negative electrode 115, 135 and the negative electrode 145 are electrically connected. .. The output current of the LED driver 132 mounted on the third member 131 energizes the LED 112 mounted on the first member 111, and the LED 112 emits light. By setting the second member 121 whose width a has been adjusted on the slide rail 141, the pitch between the LEDs 112 can be easily widened and the positioning can be performed accurately.
By using the plant irradiation device 100 shown in FIG. 42, as shown in FIG. 43, the LED 112 can be arranged directly above the plant S to be cultivated, and the light emitted from the LED 112 can be efficiently used. Is possible.

In FIG. 44, a plant used when the interval between planting positions of adjacent plants S in the X direction is changed from a medium interval to a large interval (that is, when hydroponics is performed using the cultivation board 200 shown in FIG. 6). An example of the irradiation device 100 is shown. In order to change from the state shown in FIG. 42 to the state shown in FIG. 44, the first member 111, the second member 121, and the third member 131, if necessary, are moved upstream or downstream from the slide rail 141 in the X direction. Pull it out to the side and remove it. Then, by replacing the width a of the second member 121 with a wider one and setting it on the slide rail 141, the pitch between the LEDs 112 can be easily widened and the positioning can be performed accurately.
By using the plant irradiation device 100 shown in FIG. 44, as shown in FIG. 45, the LED 112 can be arranged directly above the plant S to be cultivated, and the light emitted from the LED 112 can be efficiently used. Is possible.

In this way, not only can the planting position be changed according to the growth of the plant S, but also the position of the LED 112 can be changed so that the position of the LED 112 is suitable for the changed planting position, so that light can be appropriately changed in each growth process. Is irradiated to the plant S, and the growth of the plant S is promoted. As a result, efficient cultivation of the plant S becomes possible, and improvement in productivity is achieved.
Further, since the members 111, 121, and 131 can be removed individually, even if a certain LED 112 has a decrease in light intensity, a failure, or a non-lighting, only the first member 111 including the LED 112 is replaced. It becomes possible.
Since the distance between the LEDs 112 can be set to an arbitrary width by various combinations of the first member 111 and the second member 121, the degree of freedom in design is high.

(Modification example of irradiation device for plants)
In the present embodiment, the distance between the LEDs 112 in the X direction can be changed by using the second member 121, but as shown in FIGS. 46A and 46B, only the first member 111 is used in the X direction. The interval of the LEDs 112 in the above may be changed.
For example, as shown in FIG. 46A, the spacing between the LEDs 112 may be changed by using the first members 111 in which the arrangement positions of the LEDs 112 in the X direction are different from each other.
Further, using a slide rail 141 composed of two upper and lower stages as shown in FIG. 46 (c), the first member 111 is arranged in two upper and lower stages as shown in FIG. 46 (b), and each can be slidable. By doing so, the interval between the LEDs 112 may be changed. At this time, the plurality of first members 111 are held so as to overlap each other with a predetermined length in the X direction. The predetermined length can be appropriately changed according to the strain spacing of the plant S.
As described above, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 46, the distance between the LEDs 112 in the X direction can be changed without using the second member 121 as a spacer.

In the present embodiment, the LED driver 132 is provided on the third member 131, but may be provided on the first member 111 or the second member 121. However, it is desirable to provide a third member 131 on which the LED driver 132 is mounted separately from the first member 111 and the second member 121. This is because the LED 112 deteriorates with time and needs to be replaced, but the third member 131 on which only the LED driver 132 is mounted can be used for a long period of time.

In the present embodiment, the case 140 is composed of the slide rail 141 and the cover member 142 integrally, but is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 47 (a), the case 140 is composed of only the slide rail 141. It may be.

(Positional relationship between cultivation board and plant irradiation device)
As shown in FIG. 47 (b), the LED 112 described above can be arranged not only in the X direction but also in the Y direction. That is, a plurality of rows of LEDs 112 arranged along the X direction can be arranged in a plurality of rows in the Y direction. Therefore, the LEDs 112 can be arranged in the X direction and the Y direction according to the arrangement of each plant S on the cultivation board 200 in each of the above-described embodiments.

(Embodiment 1 regarding the position of the plant irradiation device and the cultivation board according to the second embodiment)
When the planting positions of the plants S shown in FIG. 48 are spaced at small intervals, the plant irradiation device 100 shown in FIG. 48 (b) is arranged above the cultivation board 200 shown in FIG. 48 (a). ing. In the X direction, as shown in FIG. 48 (c), each LED 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 is arranged directly above the planting position (planting portion 211) of each plant S in the X direction of the cultivation board 200. .. On the other hand, in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. 48 (d), each LED 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 is arranged directly above the planting position (planting portion 211) of each plant S in the Y direction of the cultivation board 200. ing. By arranging the LED 112 directly above the central portion of each planting portion 211 in this way, it is possible to reliably illuminate the plant S of each planting portion 211.

Next, FIG. 49 shows a state in which the plant S is grown for a predetermined period in the state of the small interval shown in FIG. 48 and then the interval of the planting position is changed to the medium interval. By changing from the three-row cultivation board 200 (FIG. 48 (a)) to the two-row cultivation board 200 (FIG. 49 (a)), the plant irradiation device 100 also changed from three rows (FIG. 48 (b)) to 2 It is changed to the line (Fig. 49 (b)). Even in this state, by arranging the LED 112 directly above the central portion of each planting portion 211 (FIGS. 49 (c) and 49 (d)), the plant S of each planting portion 211 in the medium interval state is also surely Can shed light on.

Next, FIG. 50 shows a state in which the plant S is grown at a medium interval shown in FIG. 49 for a predetermined period of time and then the planting position interval is changed to a large interval. By changing from the two-row cultivation board 200 (FIG. 49 (a)) to the one-row cultivation board 200 (FIG. 50 (a)), the plant irradiation device 100 also changed from two rows (FIG. 49 (b)) to one. It is changed to the line (Fig. 50 (b)). Even in this state, by arranging the LED 112 directly above the central portion of each planting portion 211 (FIGS. 50 (c) and 50 (d)), the plant S of each planting portion 211 in the large interval state can be reliably used. Can shed light on.
In this way, the distance between the adjacent LEDs 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 is adjusted in response to the widening of the distance between the adjacent planting portions 211 due to the growth of the plant S (as shown in FIG. 51, the X direction and the Y direction). The positions of the LED 112 and the planting portion 211 in the above are matched). The state where the positions of the LED 112 and the planting portion 211 are the same means that the center of the LED 112 is located on the outer circumference of the planting portion 211 or in the range inside the outer circumference of the planting portion 211 when viewed from the Z direction. It means the state of being. As a result, light can be irradiated from directly above each plant S in the growing state of any plant S, and variations in the shape of the plant S when viewed from above can be suppressed as compared with the conventional case.

Further, according to the growth of the plant S, the interval of the planting position of the plant S is adjusted by the combination of the base portion 210, the medium interval adjusting portion 220 and the large interval adjusting portion 230 connected to the outer periphery of the base portion 210. Then, the distance between the LED 112 is adjusted by the combination of the first member 111 provided with the LED 112 and the second member 121 which is a spacer so that the planting portion 211 and the LED 112 are aligned with each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 52, the plant S is appropriately irradiated with light in each growth process, and the growth of the plant S is promoted. As a result, efficient cultivation of the plant S becomes possible, and improvement in productivity is achieved.

(Modification example 1 of the position of the plant irradiation device and the cultivation board)
FIG. 53 shows a line of LED 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 instead of FIG. 49 according to the first embodiment.
The cultivation board 200 of FIG. 53 is in the medium-interval state, and FIG. 48 is applied to the small-interval state, and FIG. 50 is applied to the large-interval state.
In this example, the LED 112 is arranged between the two planting portions 211 in the Y direction (FIGS. 53 (b) and 53 (d)). The distances from each planting portion 211 to the LED 112 in the Y direction are equal. In the X direction, the LED 112 is arranged at the same position as the position of each planting portion 211 (FIG. 53 (c)).
Unlike the form of FIG. 49, in FIG. 53, the position of the LED 112 in the Y direction is deviated from the position of the planting portion 211. However, by changing the orientation of the plant S at predetermined time intervals as described above, the plant S can be transformed into the plant S. It is possible to irradiate light uniformly.

(Modification example 2 of the position of the plant irradiation device and the cultivation board)
FIG. 54 shows a three-row LED 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 instead of FIG. 50 according to the first embodiment.
The cultivation board 200 of FIG. 54 is in a state of large intervals, and FIG. 48 is applied to the state of small intervals, and FIG. 49 is applied to the state of medium intervals.
In this example, three LEDs 112 are arranged in the Y direction of one planting portion 211 (FIGS. 54 (b) and 54 (d)). In the X direction, the LED 112 is arranged at the same position as the position of each planting portion 211 (FIG. 54 (c)).

The LED 112 (LED 112 in the center of FIGS. 54 (b) and 54 (d)) directly above the planting portion 211 has a smaller amount of light on both sides of the plant S in the Y direction than the amount of light directly below. Therefore, by arranging the LEDs 112 on both sides in the Y direction, the difference in the amount of light between the center of the plant S and both sides in the Y direction can be reduced. In this example, the amount of light in both sides of the plant S in the X direction is small, but as described above, by changing the direction of the plant S at predetermined time intervals, it is possible to uniformly irradiate the plant S with light.
In order to eliminate the imbalance of the amount of light in the X direction, nine LEDs 112 (3 rows × 3 columns) are set for one planting position, and the central LED 112 comes directly above the center of the planting portion 211. It is good to do so. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the work of changing the orientation of the plant S in a large interval state.

(Modification example 3 of the position of the plant irradiation device and the cultivation board)
FIG. 55 shows a line of LED 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 instead of FIG. 48 according to the first embodiment.
The cultivation board 200 of FIG. 55 is in a state of small intervals, and FIG. 49 is applied to the state of medium intervals, and FIG. 50 is applied to the state of large intervals.
At the stage of small intervals, since the germinated state or the leaves are small, the LED 112 is not arranged directly above each planting part 211, and one LED 112 illuminates the three planting parts 211 in the Y direction. Good (FIGS. 55 (b), (d)). In the X direction, the LED 112 is arranged at the same position as the position of each planting portion 211 (FIG. 55 (c)). In the growth stage, which does not require a large amount of light, the power consumption can be reduced by using the minimum number of LEDs required.
Since the LED 112 is arranged directly above the central planting portion 211 in the Y direction, the plant S is uniformly illuminated by changing the position of the base portion 210 in the Y direction at predetermined time intervals as described above. It is possible to irradiate. Further, the cover member 142 may have a diffusion function so that the light diffuses when the light of the LED 112 passes through the cover member 142. As a result, the difference in the amount of light in the Y direction can be suppressed.

(Embodiment relating to the position of the plant irradiation device and the cultivation board according to the first embodiment)
The positional relationship between the cultivation board 200 (cultivation board 200 arranged in one row in each of the small intervals, medium intervals, and large intervals in the Y direction) and the plant irradiation device 100 according to the first embodiment is shown in FIGS. 41 and 56. This will be described with reference to FIG. 54.
When the planting positions of the plants S shown in FIG. 41 are spaced at small intervals, the plant irradiation device 100 shown in FIG. 41 (b) is arranged above the cultivation board 200 shown in FIG. 41 (a). ing. In the X and Y directions, each LED 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 is arranged directly above the planting position (planting portion 211) of each plant S (FIGS. 41 (a) and 41 (b)). By arranging the LED 112 directly above the central portion of each planting portion 211 in this way, it is possible to reliably illuminate the plant S of each planting portion 211.

Next, FIG. 56 shows a state in which the plant S is grown for a predetermined period in the state of the small interval shown in FIG. 41 and then the interval of the planting position is changed to the medium interval. As the X and Y directions of the cultivation board 200 become larger, the plant irradiation device 100 is also changed from one row (FIG. 41 (b)) to two rows (FIG. 56 (b)). If one LED 112 is located directly above the center of the planting portion 211, the amount of light on both sides of the plant S in the Y direction is smaller than the amount of light directly below, but by arranging two LEDs 112 in the Y direction, the amount of light of the plant S can be reduced. The difference in the amount of light between the center and both sides in the Y direction can be reduced. In this example, the amount of light in both sides of the plant S in the X direction is small, but as described above, by changing the direction of the plant S at predetermined time intervals, it is possible to uniformly irradiate the plant S with light.

Next, FIG. 54 shows a state in which the plant S is grown for a predetermined period at the medium interval shown in FIG. 56 and then the interval between the planting positions is changed to a large interval. As the X and Y directions of the cultivation board 200 become larger, the plant irradiation device 100 is also changed from two rows (FIG. 56 (b)) to three rows (FIG. 54 (b)). In this example, three LEDs 112 are arranged in the Y direction of one planting portion 211 (FIGS. 54 (b) and 54 (d)). In the X direction, the LED 112 is arranged at the same position as the position of each planting portion 211 (FIG. 54 (c)).

The LED 112 (LED 112 in the center of FIGS. 54 (b) and (d)) directly above the planting portion 211 has a smaller amount of light on both sides of the plant S in the Y direction than the amount of light directly below. Therefore, by arranging the LEDs 112 on both sides in the Y direction, the difference in the amount of light between the center of the plant S and both sides in the Y direction can be reduced. In this example, the amount of light in both sides of the plant S in the X direction is small, but as described above, by changing the direction of the plant S at predetermined time intervals, it is possible to uniformly irradiate the plant S with light.
In order to eliminate the imbalance of the amount of light in the X direction, nine LEDs 112 (3 rows × 3 columns) are set for one planting position, and the central LED 112 comes directly above the center of the planting portion 211. It is good to do so. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the work of changing the orientation of the plant S in a large interval state.

In this way, the distance between the adjacent LEDs 112 of the plant irradiation device 100 is adjusted in response to the widening of the distance between the adjacent planting portions 211 due to the growth of the plant S (LED 112 and the planting portion 211 in the X and Y directions). Match the position with) and increase the number of LEDs. As a result, light can be irradiated from directly above each plant S in the growing state of any plant S, and variations in the shape of the plant S when viewed from above can be suppressed as compared with the conventional case.

Further, according to the growth of the plant S, the interval of the planting position of the plant S is adjusted by the combination of the base portion 210, the medium interval adjusting portion 220 and the large interval adjusting portion 230 connected to the outer periphery of the base portion 210. Then, the distance between the LED 112 is adjusted by the combination of the first member 111 provided with the LED 112 and the second member 121 which is a spacer so that the planting portion 211 and the LED 112 are aligned with each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 52, the plant S is appropriately irradiated with light in each growth process, and the growth of the plant S is promoted. As a result, efficient cultivation of the plant S becomes possible, and improvement in productivity is achieved.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the arrangement and number of LEDs 112 for each planting portion 211 are optimized, but the area of the leaves that require light increases as the plant S grows, so that the LED 112 is irradiated. It is more desirable to adjust the area of the light to be large. That is, it is desirable that the height of the LED 112 can be adjusted according to the growth of the plant S. It suffices if the distance between the plant S and the LED 112 can be changed, and the height of the shelf on which the LED 112 is attached may be adjustable as shown in FIG. 57 (a), or as shown in FIG. 57 (b). The height of the planting position of the plant S may be adjustable.

The amount of light required for cultivating the plant S is small as long as the plant S is small, and increases as the plant S becomes large. Therefore, it is desirable that not only the height of the LED 112 but also the amount of light of the LED 112, that is, the output can be adjusted according to the growth of the plant S.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 58, the amount of light of the LED 112 can be adjusted by the input unit 510, the control unit 520, and the output unit 530 provided in the hydroponic cultivation system 500. For example, the input unit 510 may input that the interval between the planting positions of the plant S has been changed, or may provide a sensor for detecting that the height of the LED 112 has been changed, and input the detection result by the sensor. You may try to do it. The control unit 520 controls the amount of light of the LED 112 based on the information input from the input unit 510. The output unit 530, that is, the plant irradiation device 100, outputs an amount of light controlled by the control unit 520.
By making it possible to adjust the amount of light of the LED 112 according to the growth of the plant S in this way, excessive light irradiation is suppressed, and cultivation efficiency and power saving are achieved.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such a specific embodiment, and unless otherwise specified in the above description, the present invention described in the claims. Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the above.

The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention merely list the most preferable effects arising from the present invention, and the effects according to the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. is not.

10, 20 Cultivation tank 30, 40 Siphon pipe 50 Reservoir tank 60 Circulation pipe 70 Nutrient solution pump 80 Bubble generator 90 Gas tank 100 Irradiation device, plant irradiation device 111 First member 112 Light source, LED
121 Second member 131 Third member 132 Drive circuit, LED driver 140 Case 141 Holding member, slide rail 142 Cover member 143 Energizing member, ground electrode 144 Energizing member, positive electrode 145 energizing member, negative electrode 200 Cultivation board 210 base Part 210b Grip part 211 Planting part 212 Connecting part 213 Engagement convex part 214 Engagement concave part 215 Grip part 216 Protruding part, rib 220 Interval adjustment part, Medium interval adjustment part 221 Connecting part 222 Engagement convex part 223 Engagement concave part 224 Gripping Part 225 Protruding part, Rib 230 Spacing adjustment part, Large spacing adjusting part 231 Protruding part, Rib 500 Cultivation system, Hydroponics system 510 Input part 520 Control part 530 Output part H Leaf L Nutrient solution N Root S Plant WL Water level X One direction Y Second direction, predetermined direction

Japanese Patent No. 5794760

Claims (5)

An irradiation device in which multiple light sources are arranged along the first direction,
A cultivation system including a cultivation board in which a plurality of planting portions capable of planting plants irradiated with light by the irradiation device are arranged along the first direction.
The distance between the plurality of light sources arranged along the first direction of the irradiation device can be changed.
A cultivation system characterized in that the spacing between a plurality of planting portions arranged along the first direction of the cultivation board can be changed. In the cultivation system according to claim 1,
A plurality of the light sources in the irradiation device can be arranged along the second direction intersecting with the first direction.
A cultivation system characterized in that a plurality of planting portions in the cultivation board can be arranged along the second direction. In the cultivation system according to claim 2,
The distance between the light sources in the irradiation device can be changed in the first direction and the second direction.
A cultivation system characterized in that the spacing between the planting portions on the cultivation board can be changed in the first direction and the second direction. In the cultivation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cultivation board has a base portion that forms a surface having a predetermined area around the planting portion and a surface that is detachably provided around the base portion and has a predetermined area outward from the outer periphery of the base portion. Has an interval adjustment unit,
A cultivation system characterized in that the positions of the light source and the planting portion in the first direction coincide with each other. In the cultivation system according to claim 4,
A cultivation system characterized in that the planting portion of the cultivation board can be oriented relative to the base portion or the spacing adjusting portion.

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