JP2020137513A - Cultivation pallet, cultivation system and cultivation method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a cultivation pallet capable of efficiently performing take-out work in a state of being floated on a culture broth, and a cultivation system and a cultivation method using the same.SOLUTION: There is provided a cultivation pallet 1 which is used by being floated on a culture broth, in the cultivation pallet, an engagement part 4 is provided on one of a front side and a rear side, and an engaged part 5 to which the engagement part can be engaged is provided on the other side, or a connection tool is detachably connected to a front side or a rear side of the cultivation pallet. The cultivation pallet is formed into a substantially rectangular shape in which a longitudinal width is shorter than a lateral width, in plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a cultivation palette for hydroponics, and a cultivation system and cultivation method using the same.

Conventionally, in each of the water tanks (cultivation lanes) 51 provided in multiple stages above and below, a cultivation system is known in which the cultivation pallets 52 are sequentially put in from one side thereof, cultivated for a certain period of time, and then the cultivation pallets 52 are sequentially taken out from the other side. (See FIG. 8 (A), Patent Document 1).

In such a cultivation system, space for putting in and taking out the cultivation pallet 52 is required on both sides (one side and the opposite side) of the water tank 51, and the area efficiency is reduced accordingly. Further, in order to perform the work of inserting the cultivation pallet 52 from one side of the water tank 51 and the work of taking out the cultivation pallet 52 from the opposite side, devices (not shown) for taking in and out the cultivation pallet 52 are installed on both sides of the water tank 51. If one device is moved and used alternately on both sides of the water tank 51 in order to avoid this, the extra work of moving the device increases. Further, if the cultivation pallets 52 are not lined up from one side of the water tank 51 to the other side, the cultivation pallets 52 do not reach the other side, which makes it difficult to take out the cultivation pallets 52.

Therefore, it is conceivable to allow the cultivation pallet 52 to be taken in and out of the aquarium 51 from only one side of the aquarium 51 (see FIG. 8B). For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which a plurality of cultivation plates (cultivation pallets) 54 are installed on a nutrient solution tank 53 (cultivation lane) and the cultivation plates 54 are attracted by the attracting bar 55. (See FIGS. 9 (A) and 9 (B)).

Japanese Patent No. 5916189 JP-A-2017-195863

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, when all the cultivation plates 54 on the nutrient solution tank 53 are taken out, the string-like body 56 having one end fixed to the pulling bar 55 is pulled to pull the cultivation plate 54. It is necessary to repeat the work of pulling and taking out the cultivation plate 54, and there is room for improvement in terms of work efficiency.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned matters, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cultivation pallet capable of efficiently taking out from a state of being floated in a culture solution, and a cultivation system and cultivation method using the cultivation pallet. To provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the cultivation pallet according to the present invention is a cultivation pallet used by floating in a culture solution, and a locking portion is provided on one of the front side or the rear side, and the locking portion is provided on the other side. A lockable portion is provided, or a connector that is detachably connected to the front side or the rear side is provided (claim 1).

The cultivation pallet may have a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view in which the front-rear width is shorter than the left-right width (claim 2).

The cultivation pallet has a main body portion and a plurality of holding portions that project upward from the edge of a through hole that penetrates the main body portion vertically and hold the medium, and the medium held by the holding portion is a medium. It may be configured to be open toward the through hole and to be located above the through hole (claim 3).

In the cultivation pallet, the holding portion may have a rising portion that rises from the edge of the through hole, and a folded portion that folds back from the upper portion of the rising portion to the inside of the rising portion and goes downward (claim). 4).

The cultivation pallet may have a collar portion extending inward from the lower part of the folded portion (claim 5).

The cultivation pallet may further have a reinforcing portion formed by raising the main body portion upward, and the two adjacent holding portions may be connected by the reinforcing portion (claim 6). At this time, it is preferable that a plurality of the reinforcing portions are arranged so as to form a triangular lattice having the arrangement position of the holding portion as the apex position (claim 7).

In the cultivation pallet, a first displacement prevention portion is provided at an intermediate position of the engaging portion in the left-right direction of the cultivation pallet, and a second displacement prevention portion is provided at an intermediate position of the engaged portion in the left-right direction. The locking portion is locked to the locked portion and the first displacement preventing portion engages with the second displacement preventing portion, thereby preventing the displacement of the cultivation pallet in the left-right direction. It may be (claim 8).

The cultivation pallet has a main body portion, a rising wall rising from the peripheral edge of the main body portion, and a folded flange that is folded outward and downward from the upper portion of the rising wall portion, and has front and rear sides of the peripheral edge. A notch portion in which the folded flange is cut out is provided on at least one of the above, and the end of the notch portion is located inside the left and right ends of the cultivation pallet in the left-right direction of the cultivation pallet. It may be (claim 9).

On the other hand, in order to achieve the above object, the cultivation system according to the present invention includes the cultivation palette according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and the cultivation lane containing the culture solution, and the cultivation is described. The lanes are configured so that a plurality of the cultivation pallets can be floated on the culture solution in a row (claim 10). On the other hand, in order to achieve the above object, the cultivation method according to the present invention uses the cultivation system according to claim 6 (claim 11), and in this case, the cultivation pallet is taken in and out of the cultivation lane. It may be carried out from only one side of the cultivation lane (claim 12).

In the present invention, a cultivation pallet capable of efficiently performing the work of taking out from the state of floating in the culture solution, and a cultivation system and cultivation method using the cultivation pallet can be obtained.

That is, in the cultivation pallet of the invention according to each claim of the present application, when a plurality of cultivation pallets are sequentially loaded into the cultivation lane from one side thereof, for example, the locking portion of the cultivation pallet is floated on the cultivation lane toward the front in the loading direction. After moving a little forward, the locking part of another cultivation pallet is locked to the locked part, and the operation of moving the pallet a little forward is repeated, so that the feeding work can be performed efficiently. When a connector is used, the connector may be used instead of the locking.

In addition, after cultivation, the plurality of cultivation pallets are sequentially taken out from one side of the cultivation lane from the cultivation pallet in the foreground (the position closest to one side), but at the time of this taking out, the cultivation in the foreground is performed. By lifting the rear side (tilting so that the rear side is higher) and pulling it while keeping the locking part of the pallet locked to the locked part of the cultivation pallet next to the front side, the cultivation pallet next to the front side and this The entire series of other cultivation pallets can be pulled to one side, and if this work is repeated, all cultivation pallets can be efficiently taken out. In addition, when using a connecting tool, the connection of the connecting tool to the attracted cultivation pallet may be appropriately disconnected.

In the cultivation pallet of the invention according to claim 2, the moving distance of the cultivation pallet at the time of loading and unloading into the cultivation lane can be shortened as compared with the case where the front-rear width of the cultivation pallet is equal to or greater than the left-right width. It is possible to improve the efficiency of loading and unloading work.

In the cultivation palette of the invention according to claim 3, the roots of the plants planted in the medium are immersed in the culture medium while the cultivation palette is floated in the culture medium, and the medium is not immersed in the culture medium. Can be done. Here, if the medium is immersed in the culture medium and contains water, algae are likely to be generated on the upper surface exposed to light, resulting in poor appearance. However, if the medium is not immersed in the culture medium as described above, the algae are likely to grow. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of.

With the cultivation pallet of the invention according to claim 4, it is possible to easily manufacture the cultivation pallet by vacuum forming or the like.

In the cultivation pallet of the invention according to claim 5, the collar portion can reliably prevent the medium from falling out below the holding portion when the medium is attached to the holding portion or after the medium is attached.

In the cultivation pallet of the invention according to claim 6, the strength of the main body can be increased. Further, in the cultivation pallet of the invention according to claim 7, the strength of the main body can be increased more effectively.

In the cultivation pallet of the invention according to claim 8, two cultivation pallets adjacent to each other are attracted to one side in a state where the locking portion of one cultivation pallet is locked to the locked portion of the other cultivation pallet. At that time, it is possible to prevent the cultivation pallets from being displaced from each other in the left-right direction.

In the cultivation pallet of the invention according to claim 9, it is possible to prevent the cut end (edge) of the notch portion provided in the folded flange of the cultivation pallet from being caught in the peripheral object.

(A) is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a cultivation pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (B) is an explanatory view showing a method of forming a notch portion of the cultivation pallet. (A) is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of the locked portion and the locked portion of the cultivation pallet, and (B) to (F) are explanatory views showing modified examples thereof. (A) is a plan view showing a state of two connected cultivation pallets, and (B) and (C) are plan views showing a state of connecting two cultivation pallets according to each modification. It is explanatory drawing which shows the main part of the cultivation palette in the state of floating in a culture solution. (A) and (B) are vertical cross-sectional views and plan views schematically showing the configuration of the holding portion of the cultivation pallet, and (C) and (D) are front views showing a modified example of the medium of the cultivation pallet. (A) to (D) are explanatory views schematically showing the molding method of the cultivation pallet. (A) to (D) are plan views which show the modification of the cultivation palette. (A) and (B) are conceptual diagrams of the cultivation system of the prior art and the present invention. (A) and (B) are exploded perspective views and explanatory views of other examples of the conventional cultivation system. (A) to (C) are explanatory views which show the modification of the cultivation palette. (A) to (C) are explanatory views which show the modification of the cultivation palette. (A) is an explanatory diagram showing a water level unfavorable for the growth of the plant from the viewpoint of the root state, (B) is an explanatory diagram showing a preferable water level, and (C) is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of the cultivation palette in a state of floating in a culture solution. Is. (A) and (B) are a vertical profile and a plan view showing a modified example of the cultivation pallet, and (C) is a perspective view showing a main part of another modified example. (A) and (B) are explanatory views showing the difference in drainage property between the case where the main body of the cultivation pallet is vertically raised and the case where the main body is laid down. It is a perspective view of the cultivation palette which concerns on other modification of this invention. It is a top view of the cultivation pallet which concerns on other modification of this invention. In the two cultivation pallets according to another modification of the present invention, the portion where the first displacement prevention portion provided on the engaging portion side and the second displacement prevention portion provided on the engaged portion side are engaged is provided. It is an enlarged plan view. It is a top view which enlarges and shows the periphery of the notch part provided in the corner part of the cultivation pallet which concerns on other modification of this invention.

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

In the cultivation system of this example, as shown in FIG. 8 (B), the cultivation palette (float) 1 shown in FIG. 1 (A) is put in from one side of the cultivation lane 2 and taken out from the same side instead of the other side. It was made like this. Here, the culture solution 3 is placed in the aquarium constituting the cultivation lane 2, and the cultivation pallet 1 is used by floating on the culture solution 3, and the cultivation lane 2 cultivates a plurality of cultivation pallets 1 in a row. It is configured so that it can be floated on the liquid 3.

Then, in the cultivation pallet 1 shown in FIG. 1 (A), the locking portion 4 can be locked to one of the front edge (an example on the front side) or the trailing edge (an example on the rear side), and the locking portion 4 can be locked to the other. A locking portion 5 is provided. Assuming that the loading direction shown in FIG. 8B is forward, in this example, the locking portion 4 is provided on the front edge of the cultivation pallet 1, and the locked portion 5 is provided on the trailing edge.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 (A) and 1 (B), the cultivation pallet 1 has a substantially plate-shaped main body portion 6, and the peripheral edge of the main body portion 6 is raised, and this raised portion is the main body portion 6. It is composed of a rising wall 7 that rises from the peripheral edge of the wall 7 and a folded flange 8 that folds outward and downward from the upper part of the rising wall 7. Then, in this example, in the front portion of the peripheral edge (the front edge of the cultivation pallet 1) that is raised in this way, the portion sandwiched between the two notches 9 provided at both ends thereof is used as the locking portion 4, and the portion is raised. The rear portion of the peripheral edge (the trailing edge of the cultivation pallet 1) itself is used as the locked portion 5. The notch 9 in this example is obtained by eliminating the folded flange 8 connected to the rising wall 7 (see FIG. 1B), but in this notch, the locking portion 4 is locked. It can be changed as appropriate within the range that can be locked to 5.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2A, the locking portion 4 covers the locked portion 5 from above and locks the locked portion 5. FIG. 3A shows the state of two cultivation pallets 1 adjacent to each other before and after being connected by this locking.

In the state where the locking portion 4 is locked to the locked portion 5, it is preferable that an appropriate gap is provided between the locking portion 4 and the locked portion 5. Strictly speaking, a state in which the locking portion 4 is locked to the locked portion 5 so that the center positions of the upper ends of the folded flanges 8 in the locking portion 4 and the locked portion 5 coincide with each other in the front-rear direction. (See Fig. 2 (A)). In this state, between the rising wall 7 on the locking portion 4 side and the portion extending downward in the folded flange 8 on the locked portion 5 side, and the rising wall 7 on the locked portion 5 side. It is preferable that a gap corresponding to play is provided between the folded flange 8 on the locking portion 4 side and the portion extending downward.

In the cultivation pallet 1 configured as described above, when a plurality of cultivation pallets 1 are sequentially put into the cultivation lane 2 (see FIG. 8B) from one side thereof, the locking portion 4 on the front edge of the cultivation pallet 1 Is floated in the cultivation lane 2 toward the front in the loading direction and moved slightly forward, and then the locking portion 4 of another cultivation pallet 1 is locked to the locked portion 5 at the trailing edge, and slightly forward. The work of moving can be repeated, and the input work can be performed efficiently.

Further, after cultivation, the plurality of cultivation pallets 1 are sequentially taken out from one side of the cultivation lane 2 from the cultivation pallet 1 which is the closest to the front side (the position closest to one side). By lifting the rear side (tilting so that the rear side is high) while keeping the locking portion 4 on the front side of the front cultivation pallet 1 locked to the locked portion 5 of the cultivation pallet 1 adjacent to the front side, the locking portion 4 is pulled. , The cultivation pallet 1 adjacent to the front and the entire cultivation pallet 1 connected thereto can be pulled to one side, and if this work is repeated, all the cultivation pallets 1 can be efficiently taken out.

Further, in this example, the front-rear width of the cultivation pallet 1 is shorter than the left-right width so as to exhibit a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The moving distance of the cultivation pallet 1 at the time of loading and unloading can be shortened, and in this respect as well, the efficiency of loading and unloading work can be improved.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the main body 6 is provided with a plurality of holding portions 11 for holding the medium 10 in which the plant is planted. Here, the holding portion 11 projects upward from the edge of the through hole 12 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 (A)) that penetrates the main body portion 6 vertically, and the medium 10 held in the holding portion 11 is through the through hole. It is configured to open toward 12 and to be located above the through hole 12.

With such a configuration, it is possible to immerse the roots of the plants planted in the medium 10 in the culture solution 3 while preventing the medium 10 from being immersed in the culture solution 3. Here, when the medium 10 is immersed in the culture solution 3 and contains water, algae are likely to be generated on the upper surface exposed to light and the appearance is deteriorated. However, as described above, the medium 10 should not be immersed in the culture solution 3. If this is done, the growth of algae can be suppressed.

In this example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (A), the holding portion 11 is folded back downward from the rising portion 13 rising from the edge of the through hole 12 and from the upper portion of the rising portion 13 to the inside of the rising portion 13. It is composed of a folded-back portion 14 and a flange portion 15 extending inward from the lower portion of the folded-back portion 14, and the flange portion 15 constitutes an edge of a communication hole 16 communicating with the through hole 12.

If the cultivation pallet 1 is configured as described above, the cultivation pallet 1 can be easily obtained by, for example, vacuum forming. That is, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the plate 17 used as the material of the cultivation pallet 1 is pressed against the mold 18 in a heated state, and the cultivation pallet 1 is pressed by the punching die 20 having the blade portion 19. The cultivation pallet 1 is approximately completed by cutting off the excess portion (outer peripheral portion) connected to the peripheral edge and the portion blocking the communication hole 16. Here, in FIGS. 6A to 6C, 21 is a clamp and 22 is a back presser.

The notch portion 9 may be provided by post-processing using CNC (Computer Numerical Control) or the like, or a mold capable of removing the notch portion 9 may be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 (B), parts having different heights are removed, and it is conceivable to use an oblique blade for such parts.

Here, when the cultivation pallet 1 is floated on the culture solution 3, the culture solution 3 enters the inside of the tubular holding portion 11 to some extent due to the weight of the plants and the like planted in the medium 10 (see FIG. 4). Then, as described above, in order to suppress the growth of algae by immersing the medium 10 in the culture solution 3, the height difference h1 from the lower surface of the medium 10 to the liquid level of the culture solution 3 (see FIG. 4). Is preferably 0 mm or more, more preferably 5 mm or more, still more preferably 10 mm or more, at least for a part of the cultivation period (particularly half or more). Further, if the height difference h1 is made too large, the roots become long and the suction of the culture solution becomes poor. Therefore, the height difference h1 is preferably 100 mm or less, more preferably 50 mm or less.

Along with this, the height difference h2 (see FIG. 4) from the lower surface of the medium 10 to the upper surface of the main body 6 (lower end of the holding portion 11) is preferably 5 mm or more, more preferably 10 mm or more, still more preferably 15 mm or more. To do. Further, if the height difference h2 is made too large, the roots become long and the suction of the culture solution becomes poor. Therefore, the height difference h2 is preferably 100 mm or less, more preferably 50 mm or less.

It is preferable that the base of the rising portion 13 of the holding portion 11 (the boundary portion from the upper surface of the main body portion 6 to the rising portion 13) has an R in view of crack prevention, moldability, cleanability, and the like. In this case, the size of R may be 0.1 mm or more, 0.5 mm or more, 1 mm or more, and the like. Further, if R is too large, the buoyancy is reduced, so it is conceivable that R is 50 mm or less, 20 mm or less, 10 mm or less, and the like.

The upper surface width w1 (see FIG. 5A) of the holding portion 11 is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 2 mm or more and 3 mm or more. This is because if the upper surface width w1 is too small, it becomes difficult to manufacture the mold and the durability of the mold is also lowered. The upper surface width w1 is preferably 100 mm or less, more preferably 50 mm or less, and 20 mm or less. This is because if the upper surface width w1 is too large, the buoyancy is reduced. Then, it is preferable that both the inner and outer ridges of the upper surface of the holding portion 11 have R.

It is preferable that the lower portion of the folded-back portion 14 (the boundary portion from the folded-back portion 14 to the flange portion 15) also has an R in view of crack prevention, moldability, cleanability, and the like. In this case, the size of R is considered to be 0.1 mm or more, 0.5 mm or more, 1 mm or more, and the like. Further, if R is too large, the buoyancy is reduced, so it is conceivable that R is 50 mm or less, 20 mm or less, 10 mm or less, and the like.

When vacuum forming as shown in FIGS. 6 (A) to 6 (D), the communication hole 16 can be formed by punching (see FIGS. 6 (C) and 6 (D)), but at that time, a wound during handling. Since a causative burr is generated, it is preferable to add R to the tip of the flange portion 15 forming the edge of the communication hole 16. Here, R may be formed according to the shape of the mold, or may be attached by post-processing. In this case, the size of R is 10% or more of the thickness of the collar portion 15 and 2 Percentage or more, 30% or more is preferable.

Further, the diameter of the communication hole 16 is preferably 90% or less, more preferably 80% or less, and further preferably 70% or less of the minimum width of the lower surface of the medium 10. This is because if the diameter of the communication hole 16 is too large, the medium 10 will fall out from the communication hole 16 below the holding portion 11. Further, the diameter of the communication hole 16 is preferably 10% or more, more preferably 20% or more, and further preferably 30% or more of the maximum width of the lower surface of the medium 10. This is because if the diameter of the communication hole 16 is too small, it becomes difficult to remove the roots of the plant from the communication hole 16 when the medium 10 in which the plant is planted is attached to the holding portion 11.

Here, the medium 10 is formed of a porous substance (urethane sponge in this example) that is easily elastically deformed by human power such as a sponge, and is inserted inside the holding portion 11 in a compressed state. That is, in this example, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the medium 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, whereas the inner surface of the holding portion 11 (folded portion 14) to which the medium 10 is mounted is narrowed downward. It has a round taper shape. Then, when the medium 10 is pushed into the holding portion 11, the medium 10 shrinks and is settled, and the medium 10 is held by the frictional force between the holding portion 11 and the inner surface. In particular, the four corners at the bottom of the medium 10 are recessed, and a large pressure is applied to the inner surface of the holding portion 11.

The diameter of the portion of the folded-back portion 14 in contact with the medium 10 is preferably smaller than the maximum width of the medium 10, and more preferably 90% or less and 80% or less of the maximum width of the medium 10. This is because if the diameter of the folded-back portion 14 is too large, the frictional force is small and the medium 10 is likely to come off. Further, the diameter of the folded-back portion 14 is preferably 50% or more and 40% or more of the maximum width of the medium 10. This is because if the diameter of the folded-back portion 14 is too small, the medium 10 must be compressed considerably, and it becomes difficult to attach the medium 10 to the holding portion 11.

Further, the inclination angle θ of the folded-back portion 14 (see FIG. 5 (A)) is preferably −10 ° or more, preferably 0 °, from the viewpoint of firmly holding down the medium 10 and allowing the medium 10 to pass through the folded-back portion 14 without difficulty. As mentioned above, 10 ° or more is more preferable. In the example of FIG. 5, the inclination angle θ is positive, and when the folded-back portion 14 expands downward, the inclination angle θ becomes negative. On the other hand, if the inclination angle θ is too large, the medium 10 is likely to come off from the folded-back portion 14, so that the inclination angle θ is preferably 45 ° or less and 30 ° or less.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following modification examples can be given.

As described above, the cultivation pallet 1 used by floating on the culture solution 3 may be one that floats on the culture solution 3 depending on the characteristics and structure of the material, or may be provided by a swim bladder or the like (not shown) provided separately from the culture solution 1. It may float in the culture solution 3.

When the light transmittance of the cultivation pallet 1 is 0.1% or less, it is possible to reduce the amount of light irradiation to the culture solution 10 due to the light irradiation of the plants held in the medium 10 of the cultivation pallet 1. , Algae growth in the culture medium 10 is suppressed. For that reason, for example, the color of the front surface (the surface on the side to be visually recognized) of the cultivation palette 1 may be white, and the color of the back surface may be black.

In the example of FIG. 2A, the folded flange 8 of the locked portion 5 is extended below the folded flange 8 of the locked portion 4, but the folding flange of the locked portion 5 is not limited to this. 8 may be shortened as shown in FIG. 2 (B) and FIG. 2 (C).

Further, it is preferable that the folded flange 8 of the locking portion 4 is extended longer than the folded flange 8 of the locked portion 5, but if there is no inconvenience in locking, it is shortened as shown in FIG. 2 (D), for example. You may.

Further, in the example of FIG. 2A, as described above, the rear portion (rear edge of the cultivation pallet 1) of the raised peripheral edge of the main body portion 6 itself is the locked portion 5, but the locked portion 5 is not limited to this, for example. As shown in FIG. 2 (E), the locked portion 5 may be provided on the rear side of the rear portion (rear edge of the cultivation pallet 1) of the raised peripheral edge of the main body portion 6. The same thing can be done for the locking portion 4, and the locking portion 4 may be provided on the front side of the raised peripheral edge of the main body 6 (the front edge of the cultivation pallet 1). In the example of FIG. 2F, the locking portion 4 and the locked portion 5 are provided separately from the raised peripheral edge of the main body portion 6 in this way.

In the example of FIG. 3 (A), only one locking portion 4 is provided, but for example, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), the number may be two or three or more. The same thing can be done for the locked portion 5, and in the example of FIG. 3C, two locked portions 4 and two locked portions 5 are provided.

In order to perform centering when locking the locking portion 4 to the locked portion 5 and to prevent the two cultivation pallets 1 from being displaced in the left-right direction after locking, FIG. 7 (A) shows. As shown, a guide protrusion 23 for guiding the locking portion 4 may be provided at an appropriate position on the cultivation pallet 1 (in the illustrated example, the peripheral edge of the main body portion 6). 7 (B) to 7 (D) show variations in how the guide protrusions 23 are provided when two locking portions 4 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 5C, an engaging groove 24 that engages with the collar portion 15 may be provided in the lower part of the medium 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (D), a lateral protrusion 25 that wraps around below the collar portion 15 may be provided at the lower part of the medium 10, and is engaged with the upper surface of the folded portion 14 at the upper part of the medium 10. However, a lateral protrusion 26 may be provided to prevent the medium 10 from entering too much below the holding portion 11.

The medium 10 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may have a columnar shape, a polygonal columnar shape, or the like, and the dimensions thereof may be the same over the top and bottom or may change at the top and bottom.

Further, the holding portion 11 is not limited to a substantially cylindrical shape, but may be a polygonal cylinder or the like, and may be divided into a plurality of portions in the circumferential direction thereof.

The cultivation pallet 1 may have a connection structure for enabling the two cultivation pallets 1 to be connected to each other in a state of being arranged side by side, and the connection structures are shown in FIGS. 1 (A) and 2 (A). ), Both the locking portion 4 and the locked portion 5 to which the locking portion 4 can be locked may be provided integrally with the main body portion 6 of the cultivation pallet 1, but the figure may be made. As shown in 10 (A), a connector 27 that is detachably connected to the front side and the rear side of the cultivation pallet 1 may be used.

That is, in the example shown in FIG. 10A, a connecting tool 27 separate from the cultivation pallet 1 is connected to two cultivation pallets 1 adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction so as to connect them. The portion of the cultivation pallet 1 to which the connecting tool 27 is connected may have a shape suitable for connecting the connecting tool 27, and an appropriate structure or the like of the connecting tool 27 can be adopted, for example. It is also possible to use a horticultural pinch (clip) as a connector 27.

As another example of the connector 27, the connector 27A shown in FIG. 11 (C) is a U-shaped member, and as another example, the connector 27B shown in FIG. 11 (A) is two connectors. The center of 27A is connected to each other by a frame-shaped handle portion 27C, and the two connecting tools 27A are integrated with the handle portion 27C so as to form a C shape in a plan view. FIG. 11A shows a state in which two cultivation pallets 1 arranged one after the other are connected by two connecting tools 27B, and the directions of the two connecting tools 27B are opposite to each other. The two cultivation pallets 1 may be connected by one or more connecting tools 27B. Further, as shown in FIG. 11A, the cultivation pallet 1 may be provided with a hole 1a into which a protrusion 27D protruding below the connector 27B is inserted. For example, the peripheral edge of the cultivation pallet 1 rises. If the connector 27B can be locked from above on the rising peripheral edge portion, the hole 1a may not be provided.

By the way, when the connector 27 is used as shown in FIG. 10A, if the cultivation pallet 1 is made of a brittle material such as Styrofoam, when a large number of cultivation pallets 1 are connected and pulled, etc. In addition, the cultivation pallet 1 may be damaged due to the low tensile strength. Therefore, in such a case, as shown in FIG. 10B, a reinforcing member 28 having a higher tensile strength than the main body 6 is attached to, for example, the main body 6 of the cultivation pallet 1 and connected to the reinforcing member 28. The tool 27 may be connected.

Here, FIG. 11C shows, as a specific example of the reinforcing member 28, a reinforcing member 28 provided with projecting portions 28a protruding downward at both ends of the strip-shaped main body, and the cultivation pallet 1 has a reinforcing member 28. May be provided with a hole (not shown) into which the protrusion 28a is inserted, but if the two protrusions 28a can be engaged with, for example, the front and rear portions of the cultivation pallet 1, the hole is unnecessary. Can be done. Further, holes 28b for inserting the protrusions 27D of the connector 27A shown in FIG. 11C are provided above the protrusions 28a at both ends of the reinforcing member 28.

Further, in the examples of FIGS. 10 (B) and 11 (C), the connector 27 and the reinforcing member 28 are separate bodies, but as shown in FIGS. 10 (C) and 11 (B), the reinforcing member A connector 29 in which the 28 and the connector 27 are integrated may be used. That is, the connector 29 shown in FIG. 11 (B) is provided with a protruding portion 27D that extends downward from one end side of the reinforcing member 28 shown in FIG. 11 (C) and projects downward.

The connecting tools 27, 29 and the reinforcing member 28 described above need to withstand a load of about 0.1 to 1000 kg applied when pulling the cultivation pallet 1, and appropriate strength is required. It is preferable to have a strength of 1 kg / cm ² or more, 10 kg / cm ² or more, and further 50 kg / cm ² or more. Further, each material may be appropriately selected in consideration of its usage environment, and is not particularly limited to metals, oxides, plastics and the like, but plastic is most preferable in consideration of lightness. Specifically, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, styrene, polyethylene, vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polyacetal, PMMA, PET, ABS, polycarbonate and the like are preferable, and among them, polyethylene, polypropylene and polychloride are preferable. Vinyl, ABS, PET and polycarbonate are more preferable.

Then, when the two cultivation pallets 1 are arranged side by side and can be connected to each other, the connecting tools 27 and 29 are shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C and 11A to 11C. Even when the locking portion 4 and the locked portion 5 are provided on the cultivation pallet 1 as shown in FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (F) without using the connector 27, the cultivation is adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction. Since there is no gap between the pallets 1 or only a relatively small gap is formed, the amount of light irradiation to the culture solution 10 should be reduced due to the light irradiation of the plants held in the medium 10 of the cultivation pallet 1. This leads to the effect of suppressing the growth of algae in the culture medium 10.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the plant is in a state where the plants are sufficiently sucked up by the roots that have grown from the medium 10 and are immersed in the culture medium 3, but the roots do not come out from the medium 10 so much, and the plants are firmly in the culture medium 3. If the plant is not in a state where it can sufficiently absorb water due to a small number of soaked roots or thin roots, the medium 10 must be soaked in the culture medium 3 as shown in FIG. 12 (A). , The medium 10 becomes dry, and the plant cannot obtain water and may die. Therefore, when the length of the longest root coming out of the medium 10 is 30 mm or less, preferably 20 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or less, the medium 10 is added to the culture medium 10 as shown in FIG. 12 (B). It is preferable to soak.

By the way, in the space 30 shown in gray in FIG. 12C, gas flow with the outside world is restricted, harmful gas may be accumulated, and necessary oxygen and carbon dioxide may be insufficient, which adversely affects the growth. May give. In order to prevent this, it is also preferable to directly connect the space 30 to the outside world. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, it is conceivable to provide a through hole 31 in the top plate portion, the side surface portion, or the like of the holding portion 11. Further, as shown in FIG. 13C, when forming a three-dimensional gas passage 32 connecting the holding portions 11, the passage 32 may be provided with a sill hole 31, and a plurality of passages 32 connected to each other. When one of the holding portions 11 extends to the peripheral edge portion of the main body portion 6 via the passage 32 and is connected to the outside world on the peripheral edge portion side thereof, the through hole 31 may not be provided. When the passage 32 is provided, the strength of the main body 6 or the entire cultivation pallet 1 can be increased.

In the cultivation pallet 1 shown in FIG. 1 (A), since the peripheral edge portion of the main body portion 6 is raised, a liquid such as a culture solution 3 can be accumulated inside the cultivation pallet 1 by use, so that the buoyancy of the cultivation pallet 1 can be secured. Must drain the accumulated liquid. Then, as a method, it is conceivable to tilt the main body 6. However, for example, if the peripheral edge portion stands up perpendicular to the inner bottom surface of the main body portion 6, as shown in FIG. 14 (A), even if the main body portion 6 is tilted considerably, all the liquid cannot be discharged. Yes, this leads to a decrease in work efficiency. Therefore, it is preferable to lay the peripheral edge of the main body 6 at an angle of 10 degrees or more, preferably 20 degrees or more, and more preferably 30 degrees or more from the vertical so that the main body 6 can be easily drained. Is. It should be noted that such angle adjustment does not have to be performed over the entire peripheral edge portion of the main body portion 6, and for example, even if the peripheral edge portion is performed only on the side (part) to be the locking portion 4 and the locked portion 5. Frequently, in this case, when the cultivation pallets 1 are sequentially taken out from the cultivation lane 2, each cultivation pallet 1 is tilted, and the drainage is inevitably performed at the same time. Therefore, improvement in work efficiency can be expected.

As an example of changing the shape of the cultivation pallet 1 shown in FIG. 1A, the cultivation pallet 101 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the cultivation pallet 101) will be described. The basic structure of the cultivation pallet 101 will be described. Is substantially the same as the cultivation palette 1 shown in FIG. 1 (A). The parts of the cultivation pallet 101 that are common to the cultivation pallet 1 shown in FIG. 1 (A) are shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 with the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 (A).

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the cultivation pallet 101 is provided with a locking portion 4 at the front edge and a locked portion 5 at the trailing edge, respectively. In the cultivation pallet 101, the locking portion 4 may be provided on the trailing edge and the locked portion 5 may be provided on the front edge.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, a first slip prevention portion 4a is provided at an intermediate position of the engaging portion 4 in the left-right direction of the cultivation pallet 101. The first displacement prevention portion 4a is configured by recessing the rising wall 7 arranged on the engaging portion 4 side to the outside. A second displacement prevention portion 5a is provided at an intermediate position of the engaged portion 5 in the left-right direction (strictly speaking, a position corresponding to the first displacement prevention portion 4a). The second slip prevention portion 5a is configured by recessing a portion extending downward of the folded flange 8 arranged on the engaged portion 5 side inward (the side on which the rising wall 7 is located). Then, when the locking portion 4 is covered with the locked portion 5 from above and locked, the first slip prevention portion 4a engages with the second slip prevention portion 5b. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, the recess forming the first displacement prevention portion 4a enters the inside of the recess forming the second displacement prevention portion 5a, and the recesses overlap each other. As a result, the misalignment of the cultivation pallet 101 in the left-right direction is prevented. Therefore, for example, even if one of the two connected cultivation pallets 101 is pulled to the left (or right), the cultivation pallet 101 is separated from the other cultivation pallet 101 and the connected state is released. Can be prevented.
By the way, in a state where the two cultivation pallets 101 are connected, the engaged portion 5 and the second displacement prevention portion 5a are under the engaging portion 4 and the first displacement prevention portion 4a and can be viewed in a plane. Therefore, in FIG. 17, it is represented by a broken line for convenience of illustration.

Further, the cultivation pallet 101 has a plate-shaped main body portion 6, and the peripheral edge of the main body portion 6 is raised. This swelling is composed of a rising wall 7 and a folded flange 8 as in the cultivation pallet 1 of FIG. 1 (A). Further, two notches 9 arranged at both ends of the swelling on the front edge side (front side of the peripheral edge) of the cultivation pallet 101 are provided. Each notch 9 is formed by notching a folded flange 8, and at least a portion extending downward of the folded flange 8 is missing, and as shown in FIG. 18, outside the folded flange 8. The notch may extend to the extended portion.

The ends of the respective notches 9 do not wrap around to the left and right ends of the cultivation pallet 101 as shown in FIG. 1 (B), and are located inside the left and right ends of the cultivation pallet 101 in the left-right direction of the cultivation pallet 101. .. That is, the end of the notch 9 on the right side (strictly speaking, the right end) is located slightly to the left of the right end of the cultivation pallet 101, as shown in FIG. Further, the end (strictly speaking, the left end) of the notch portion 9 on the left side is located slightly to the right of the left end of the cultivation pallet 101. In this way, if the left and right notches 9 do not wrap around the left and right ends of the cultivation pallet 101 but fit within the range of the front edge of the cultivation pallet 101, the cut when the cutouts 9 wrap around to the left and right ends of the cultivation pallet 101. It is possible to prevent the cut end (edge) of the notch 9 from being caught in a peripheral object.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the main body 6 of the cultivation pallet 101 is provided with a plurality of holding portions 11. Each of the holding portions 11 has the same structure as that provided in the cultivation pallet 1 shown in FIG. 1 (A), and protrudes from the edge of the through hole 12, and includes a rising portion 13, a folded portion 14, and a flange portion 15. It is configured. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the holding portions 11 are arranged in a fixed pit in the left-right direction of the cultivation pallet 101 to form a row (holding portion row), and a plurality of holding portion rows are provided in the front-rear direction of the cultivation pallet 11. Has been done. In two holding rows adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 16, each holding portion 11 may be arranged in a staggered manner in the left-right direction, or may be arranged at the same position between the holding rows in the left-right direction. May be done.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, of the main body 6 of the cultivation pallet 101, the peripheral portion of the holding portion 11 is provided with a reinforcing portion 6a formed by raising the main body 6 upward. There is. By providing the reinforcing portion 6a, the strength (rigidity) of the main body portion 6 can be increased. In the main body 6, a linearly extending reinforcing portion 6a is arranged between two adjacent holding portions 11, and the two holding portions 11 are connected by the reinforcing portion 6a. Here, the reinforcing portion 6a may be formed as a three-dimensional gas passage 32 shown in FIG. 13C.

Further, in the cultivation pallet 101 shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of reinforcing portions 6a are arranged so as to form a triangular lattice having the arrangement position of the holding portion 11 as the apex position. Specifically, the reinforcing portion 6a is arranged between two adjacent holding portions 11 in the same holding portion row. Further, when each holding portion 11 in one holding section row is used as the target holding section among the two adjacent holding section rows, the target holding section is diagonally in front (or diagonally behind) in the other holding section row. A reinforcing portion 6a is arranged between the holding portion 11 arranged in the above and the target holding portion. With such a configuration, the strength (rigidity) of the main body 6 can be sufficiently ensured.

Needless to say, the modifications described above may be appropriately combined in this specification.

1 Cultivation pallet 1a Hole 2 Cultivation lane 3 Culture solution 4 Locking part 4a 1st slip prevention part 5 Locked part 5a 2nd slip prevention part 6 Main body 6a Reinforcing part 7 Rising wall 8 Folded flange 9 Notch 10 Medium 11 Holding part 12 Through hole 13 Rising part 14 Folded part 15 Flange part 16 Communication hole 17 Plate 18 Mold 19 Blade part 20 Draining mold 21 Clamp 22 Back holding 23 Guide protrusion 24 Engagement groove 25 Lateral protrusion 26 Lateral Protruding part 27 Connecting tool 27A Connecting tool 27B Connecting tool 27C Handle part 27D Protruding part 28 Reinforcing member 28a Protruding part 28b Hole 29 Connecting tool 30 Space 51 Water tank 52 Cultivation pallet 53 Hydroponic tank 54 Cultivation plate 55 Pulling bar 56 String Body h1 Height difference h2 Height difference w1 Top surface width θ Tilt angle

Claims (12)

A cultivation palette that is used by floating in a culture solution.
A locking portion is provided on one of the front side or the rear side, and a locked portion on which the locking portion can be locked is provided on the other side, or is detachably connected to the front side or the rear side. A cultivation pallet characterized by being equipped with a connector. The cultivation pallet according to claim 1, which has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view in which the front-rear width is shorter than the left-right width. It has a main body and a plurality of holding parts that project upward from the edge of a through hole that penetrates the main body up and down to hold a medium.
The cultivation pallet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the medium held in the holding portion is open toward the through hole and is configured to be located above the through hole. The holding part is
A rising portion rising from the edge of the through hole and
The cultivation pallet according to claim 3, further comprising a folded portion that is folded downward from the upper portion of the rising portion to the inside of the rising portion. The cultivation pallet according to claim 4, which has a collar portion extending inward from the lower part of the folded portion. It further has a reinforcing portion formed by raising the main body portion upward.
The cultivation pallet according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein two adjacent holding portions are connected by the reinforcing portion. The cultivation pallet according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of the reinforcing portions are arranged so as to form a triangular lattice having the arrangement position of the holding portion as the apex position. A first displacement prevention portion is provided at an intermediate position of the engaging portion in the left-right direction of the cultivation pallet, and a second displacement prevention portion is provided at an intermediate position of the engaged portion in the left-right direction.
A claim that the locking portion is locked to the locked portion and the first displacement prevention portion engages with the second displacement prevention portion to prevent the displacement of the cultivation pallet in the left-right direction. The cultivation palette according to any one of Items 1 to 7. It has a main body, a rising wall that rises from the peripheral edge of the main body, and a folded flange that is folded outward and downward from the upper part of the rising wall.
At least one of the front side and the rear side of the peripheral edge is provided with a notch portion in which the folded flange is cut out.
The cultivation pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the end of the notch portion is located inside the left and right ends of the cultivation pallet in the left-right direction of the cultivation pallet. The cultivation pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and the cultivation lane containing the culture solution are provided, and the cultivation lanes float a plurality of the cultivation pallets on the culture solution in a row. A cultivation system that is configured to be possible. A cultivation method using the cultivation system according to claim 10. The cultivation method according to claim 11, wherein the cultivation pallet is taken in and out of the cultivation lane from only one side of the cultivation lane.