JP2020146006A - Fruit color development promoting device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fruit color development promoting device that can easily adjust a distance from a light source to fruits, and has less restriction to the size or the number of fruits installed inside the device.SOLUTION: A fruit color development promoting device 1a comprises: a pair of light-emitting units 4a, 4a each of which is made up of a light-emitting part 2a and a support part 3; a guide unit 5 which supports the light-emitting units 4a; and a rectangular parallelepiped housing 6 which is made of a heat insulation material such as styrene foam, to the bottom surface of which a bottom plate 6a is detachably attached so as to close an opening, and in which the light-emitting units 4a, 4a and the guide unit 5 are housed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a fruit color development promoting device that irradiates a fruit to be three-dimensionally irradiated with light in a specific wavelength region to promote color development of the pericarp, and in particular, regardless of the size and number of fruits installed. The present invention relates to a fruit color development promoting device capable of efficiently irradiating the above-mentioned light.

It is known that fruits that grow on plants are colored by the production of coloring substances such as polyphenols containing anthocyanins in the pericarp. It has also been clarified that irradiation of fruits with light in a specific wavelength region promotes the production of coloring substances in the pericarp.
By utilizing this phenomenon, letters and figures can be easily drawn on the surface of the fruit by attaching a translucent sticker in the shape of letters and figures to the pericarp. In recent years, such fruits have been distributed on the market as high value-added products. The work of attaching the sticker to the pericarp is often performed on the tree, but in this case, there is a problem that not only labor such as turning a ball is required but also the yield is poor.
Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 1, the applicant of the present application has developed a device for efficiently coloring the peel by irradiating the harvested fruit with light in a specific wavelength region with the sticker attached. ..

The "fruit color development promoting device" disclosed in Patent Document 1 promotes the color development of the fruit skin and the container body in which the entire fruit is housed inside and the reflective portion coated or polished is formed on the inner side surface. It has a structure provided with an LED light source that emits light in a specific wavelength region having an action.
In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the light emitted from the LED light source is prevented from being dissipated by the container body, and the light is reflected by the inner surface of the container body to irradiate the entire circumference of the fruit surface. It has the effect of being done. Therefore, according to the present invention, color development can be promoted all around the pericarp of the fruit.

Although the present invention does not relate to a technique for promoting color development of fruit skin, Patent Document 2 discloses an invention named "plant cultivation apparatus".
In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, an optical path adjusting member that diffuses light emitted by a plurality of light sources including LEDs and functions as a surface light source is arranged between the light source and a plant, and the optical path adjusting member is used. It is characterized in that a plurality of supporting portions are installed so that the distance between the light source and the optical path adjusting member can be adjusted.
According to such a structure, it is possible to uniformly irradiate a growing plant with light.

Further, Patent Document 3 discloses an invention relating to a device for cultivating a plant using artificial light emitted by a light source in a plant factory or the like under the name of "lighting device for plant cultivation".
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 3 is characterized in that a light deflection element and a lens array are provided on each of the two incident surfaces, and a light guide body in which a light source composed of an LED is arranged on one side end surface is provided. It is said.
According to such a structure, it is possible to irradiate a desired region with light without waste, so that the cost for a plant factory can be reduced.

Further, in Patent Document 4, under the name of "lighting device and plant cultivation device", the light reflected on the surface of the cultivation tray can be efficiently re-irradiated to the plants planted in the cultivation tray. An invention relating to an apparatus and a plant cultivation apparatus using the apparatus is disclosed.
In the plant cultivation apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 4, a housing provided with a transparent window portion, a plurality of light sources composed of LEDs, and a plurality of holes for emitting light emitted by each light source are formed, and at the same time, a plurality of holes are formed. It is characterized by having a reflective sheet attached to the housing so as to cover the window portion.
According to such a structure, since the window part is covered with the reflective member except for the part where the light is emitted from the light source, the light reflected on the surface of the cultivation tray is applied to the plant planted in the cultivation tray. On the other hand, it can be irradiated again with high efficiency.

Then, Patent Document 5 discloses an invention relating to a device for promoting plant growth by irradiating light emitted by a luminescent material under the name of "plant growth promoting device".
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 5 includes a light emitting diode substrate in which a plurality of LEDs are electrically connected to be integrated, a light guide plate that guides the light emitted by the LEDs to a light irradiation surface, and light irradiation from the light guide plate. It is characterized by being provided with a reflecting plate that reflects the light guided to the opposite side of the surface to the light irradiation surface.
According to such a structure, even when the number of light emitting bodies is reduced, it is possible to homogenize the light emitted from the light emitting bodies to the plants without using a diffusion film.

Further, Patent Document 6 discloses an invention relating to a device used for tissue culture and cultivation of a plant by an artificial light source under the name of "a plant culture device equipped with a lighting device and a lighting device used therefor".
The plant culture apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 6 transmits a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, a reflective sheet, a light guide plate arranged to face the reflective sheet, and the light guide plate inside a panel-shaped housing. It is characterized by being equipped with a diffuser sheet that diffuses light and an edge-type lighting device consisting of a reflector.
According to the plant culture apparatus having such a structure, irradiation light having a uniform color distribution can be supplied into the culture vessel.

Japanese Patent No. 5439649 JP-A-2015-223102 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-29432 Japanese Patent No. 5856691 JP-A-2007-185115 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-49211

In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to change the size of the container body according to the size and number of fruits contained therein. There is also a problem that it is difficult to accurately adjust the distance from the LED light source to the fruit.

Further, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, although the distance between the plant and the optical path adjusting member can be adjusted, the size and number of plants that can be installed in the apparatus are determined by the size of the shelf, so that it is versatile. There was a problem that it was scarce. In addition, there is also a problem that the plant cannot be irradiated with light from the side surface.

The invention disclosed in Patent Document 3 has a problem that the size and number of plants that can be used are limited. In addition, there is a problem that the distance from the light source or the light guide to the plant cannot be changed.

The invention disclosed in Patent Document 4 has a problem of poor versatility because the types and numbers of plants planted in the cultivation tray are limited. There is also a problem that the distance between the light source and the plant tray cannot be adjusted.

The invention disclosed in Patent Document 5 has a problem that it is not possible to irradiate a plant to be irradiated with light from the side surface. In addition, since the above-mentioned light irradiation target (plant) is not housed inside, there is also a problem that it cannot be used for the purpose of promoting color development of harvested fruits and the like.

The plant culture apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 6 has a problem that the type and size of plants installed in the apparatus are limited. There is also a problem that it is not easy to adjust the distance between the light source and the plant.

The present invention has been made in response to such conventional circumstances, and the distance from the light source to the fruit can be easily adjusted, and the fruit coloring has few restrictions on the size and number of fruits installed inside. The purpose is to provide a facilitator.

In order to achieve the above object, the fruit color development promoting device according to the first invention has a planar light source composed of a plurality of LEDs, and the light emitting surfaces of the planar light source are parallel to the vertical plane and face each other. A first guide rail composed of a pair of light emitting units arranged in such a manner, a first guide rail composed of a long member arranged below the pair of light emitting units so that the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the light emitting surface, and a first guide for the light emitting unit. It is characterized in that it includes a guide member that is movablely held along a rail.

In the first invention having the above configuration, the inside of the device is partitioned into a plurality of areas by a light emitting unit that constitutes the frame of the device together with the guide member and the first guide rail.
Further, in the first invention, when the guide member moves in the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail, the pair of light emitting units together with the guide member are the length of the first guide rail perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the planar light source. Move in the direction. That is, in the first invention, the first guide rail has an action of guiding the pair of light emitting units in a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the planar light source while maintaining the parallel state.
Furthermore, LEDs generate less heat than incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, and since light of uniform intensity is emitted from the planar light source, the planar light source is composed of a plurality of LEDs. In the first invention, even when the planar light source is arranged near the fruit, the fruit is less likely to be damaged by heat.

According to the second invention, in the first invention, the guide member holds the first guide roller and the first guide roller rotatably about a rotation axis whose axial direction is parallel to the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit. The first guide roller is provided inside the first guide rail so as to be rotatable along the inner surface of the first guide rail. ..
In the second invention, in addition to the action of the first invention, when the first guide roller held by the holder rolls along the inner surface of the first guide rail, the guide member becomes the first. It has the effect of moving in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail.

According to the third invention, in the first invention or the second invention, the guide member includes a second guide rail made of a long member arranged so as to be parallel to the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit in the longitudinal direction. The light emitting unit includes a second guide roller and a support portion that rotatably holds the second guide roller around a rotation axis whose axial direction is parallel to the normal of the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit. This support portion is characterized in that the second guide roller is installed inside the second guide rail so as to be rollable along the inner surface of the second guide rail.

In the third invention of the above configuration, when the second guide roller of the support portion rolls along the inner surface of the second guide rail, the light emitting unit moves in the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail. At this time, the light emitting unit moves in the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source. That is, in the third invention, in addition to the action of the second invention, the second guide rail has an action of guiding the light emitting unit in a direction parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, a pair of elongated conductors connected to a power source are provided on the inner surface of the pair of second guide rails over the entire length in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail. The support is embedded with a pair of electrodes connected to a wiring that supplies power to a planar light source with the surface exposed, and the surface of the pair of electrodes is embedded with respect to the pair of conductors. It is characterized in that it is installed inside the second guide rail in a contacted state.
In the fourth invention, in addition to the action of the third invention, the pair of conductors come into contact with the pair of electrodes at any position with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail. , It has the effect of always maintaining the energized state between the two.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the guide member has a convex portion that is movably installed inside the first guide rail so as to be movable along the inner surface of the first guide rail. Is to be.
In the fifth invention, in addition to the action of the first invention, the movable direction of the guide member is limited only to the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail by the convex portion.

The sixth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the diffuser plate is installed close to the planar light source so as to be parallel to the vertical plane. Is what you do.
In the sixth invention, in addition to the action of any one of the first to fifth inventions, the light emitted from the planar light source is diffused by the diffuser plate.

A seventh invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the planar light source is composed of a light guide plate in which a plurality of LEDs are installed at the ends. Is what you do.
In the seventh invention, in addition to the action of any one of the first to fifth inventions, after the light emitted from the LED is incident on the inside of the light guide plate from one end. When traveling toward the other end while repeating total reflection, a part of the light is emitted from the side surface of the light guide plate, and the entire surface is uniformly emitted.

The eighth invention, in any one of the first to seventh inventions, comprises a heat insulating material, and includes a light emitting unit, a first guide rail, and a housing in which a guide member is housed. It is characterized by being.
In the eighth invention, in addition to the action of any one of the first to seventh inventions, the inside of the apparatus is maintained at a desired temperature by the housing.

In the first invention, by moving the light emitting unit in a direction orthogonal to the light emitting surface of the planar light source, the size of the area where the fruits are installed and the size of the entire device are changed according to the type and number of fruits. can do.
Further, in the first invention, since the light emitting unit can be accurately moved in the direction orthogonal to the light emitting surface of the planar light source, the distance from the light emitting surface of the planar light source to the fruit can be easily adjusted. Therefore, according to the first invention, it is possible to arrange the light emitting unit in close proximity to a specific part of the pericarp of the fruit.
Further, according to the first invention, since the fruit is not easily damaged by heat from the planar light source, by arranging the light emitting unit close to the poorly colored portion of the fruit, the efficiency is not damaged. It can be colored well.

According to the second invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, since the guide member can be easily moved in the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail, the light emitting unit is brought close to a specific part of the fruit skin. And the work of arranging can be performed more efficiently.

In the third invention, when the length of the light emitting unit with respect to the direction parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source is shorter than the length of the second guide rail, the light emitting unit moves along the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail. It will be possible. Therefore, according to the third invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention or the second invention, the fruit is irradiated with light by moving the light emitting unit in a direction parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source. It has the effect of being able to place a planar light source in the most suitable location.

In the fourth invention, electric power can always be supplied to the planar light source regardless of the position of the light emitting unit in the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail. Therefore, according to the fourth invention, in addition to the effect of the third invention, it is possible to finely adjust the position of the light emitting unit with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail.

According to the fifth invention, the same effect as that of the second invention is obtained.

According to the sixth invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to fifth inventions, it is possible to irradiate the whole fruit with uniform light.

In the seventh invention, since the light guide plate in the state where the LEDs are installed at the end functions as a planar light source, the number of LEDs is larger than that in the case of any one of the first to fifth inventions. Can be reduced. Therefore, according to the seventh invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to fifth inventions, the manufacturing cost is reduced.

According to the eighth invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to seventh inventions, the fruit can be kept at a temperature suitable for coloring, so that the color of the fruit is further developed. It has the effect of being promoted.

(A) and (b) are external perspective views of the fruit color development promoting device and the housing of Example 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, respectively. It is a top view of the fruit color development promotion apparatus of Example 1. FIG. (A) is an external perspective view of the guide unit shown in FIG. 1 (a), (b) is a view taken in the direction of arrow A in the same figure (a), and (c) is a B in the same figure (b). It is a direction arrow view. (A) and (b) are perspective views and front views showing the appearance of the guide members constituting the guide unit, respectively, and (c) is a perspective view showing the appearance of the guide rail holding the guide members. (A) is a perspective view showing the appearance of the light emitting unit in FIG. 1 (a), (b) is a perspective view showing the appearance of a support portion of the light emitting unit, and (c) is a light emitting unit on a guide member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which is attached. (A) is a front view of the light emitting portion shown in FIG. 5 (a), (b) is a plan view of a planar light source constituting the light emitting portion of FIG. 5 (a), and (c) is the same figure. It is a figure which showed the 1st modification of (a), and (d) is a figure which schematically showed the structure of the light source part of FIG. (C). (A) is a diagram showing a second modified example of FIG. 6 (a), (b) is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged structure of the light emitting portion, and (c) is the same figure (a). It is a front view of the light guide plate shown in). (A) and (b) are external perspective views of the fruit color development promoting device and the housing of Example 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention, respectively. (A) is a plan view of the fruit color development promoting device of Example 2, and (b) is a front view of a light emitting unit constituting the light emitting unit 4b shown in FIG. 2A.

The fruit color development promoting device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. In the following description, expressions such as "upper surface" and "lower surface" are used assuming a state in which the fruit color development promoting device is installed on a workbench or the like during actual use. Further, in the following description, the LED is used as a light source, but an organic EL can be used as a light source instead of the LED. Further, the fruit color development promoting device of the present invention can be used not only for fruits (fruits) such as apples, grapes, mangoes, strawberries and peaches, but also for vegetables such as eggplants.

The fruit color development promoting device 1a according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.
1 (a) and 1 (b) are perspective views showing the appearances of the fruit color development promoting device 1a and the housing 6, respectively, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fruit color development promoting device 1a. In FIG. 2, the housing 6 is indicated by a broken line.
3 (a) is an external perspective view of the guide unit 5 shown in FIG. 1 (a), FIG. 3 (b) is a view taken along the arrow A in FIG. 3 (a), and FIG. It is a B direction arrow view in FIG. 3 (b). 4 (a) and 4 (b) are an external perspective view and a front view of the guide member 7 constituting the guide unit 5, respectively, and FIG. 4 (c) is a guide rail 12 for holding the guide member 7. It is a perspective view which shows the appearance. Further, FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the light emitting unit 4a in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing the appearance of the support portion 3 of the light emitting unit 4a. FIG. 5C is a perspective view showing a state in which the light emitting unit 4a is attached to the guide member 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the fruit color development promoting device 1a according to the first embodiment includes a pair of light emitting units 4a and 4a including a light emitting unit 2a and a support unit 3, and the light emitting unit 4a. The guide unit 5 is made of a heat insulating material such as styrofoam, and has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 6 in which the light emitting units 4a and 4a and the guide unit 5 are housed. A bottom plate 6a is detachably attached to the bottom surface of the housing 6 so as to close the opening. The housing 6 may have a structure in which the inner surface is coated with a reflective agent.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guide unit 5 has a pair of guide members 7 and 7 arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals, and a pair of guide members 7 and 7 under the pair of guide members 7 and 7 in the longitudinal direction of each other. Consists of a pair of guide rails 12, 12 arranged so that
As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the guide member 7 has a lower surface 8a having a rectangular shape in a plan view and a pair of guide members 7 standing on both edges of the lower surface 8a to form a rectangular shape in a plan view. A second guide rail having side surfaces 8b and 8b and provided with a pair of convex portions 8c and 8c and a pair of concave portions 8d and 8d (see FIG. 3B or FIG. 3C) at both ends, respectively. It is composed of 8 and a pair of first guide rollers 9 and 9, and a pair of holders 10 and 10 for rotatably holding them, respectively. Further, the pair of concave portions 8d and 8d are formed so that the pair of convex portions 8c and 8c can be arranged inside.
That is, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, the two guide members 7 are brought into contact with the convex portions 8c and 8c of one of the second guide rails 8 and the concave portions 8d and 8d of the other second guide rail 8. By arranging it, it is possible to connect it to another fruit color development promoting device 1a.

The pair of side surfaces 8b and 8b of the second guide rail 8 have a stepped structure in which the thicknesses of the upper part and the lower part are different, and the concave groove 8e parallel to the longitudinal direction is second in the thick portion of the upper part. It is formed over the entire length of the guide rail 8.
Inside the pair of recessed grooves 8e, 8e, an elongated conductor 11 connected to a power source (not shown) is installed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8, and the lower surface 8a of the second guide rail 8 is installed. The pair of holders 10 and 10 are attached to the first guide roller 9 at a predetermined distance from each other so that the axial direction of the rotation axis of the first guide roller 9 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8. ing.

As shown in FIG. 4C, the first guide rail 12 includes a lower surface 12a having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and a pair of side surfaces 12b standing on both edges of the lower surface 12a to form a rectangular shape in a plan view. It has a pair of upper surfaces 12c and 12c extending inward from the upper ends thereof so as to be orthogonal to the pair of side surfaces 12b and 12b. Further, the first guide rail 12 is formed so that the pair of holders 10 and 10 can be stored in a state where the pair of first guide rollers 9 and 9 can be rotated on the inner bottom surface 12d thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a plurality of second guide rollers 13 are attached to the lower end of the support portion 3 of the light emitting unit 4a so that the axial directions of the rotation axes are parallel to each other. It has a structure that can be moved in one direction. That is, the second guide roller 13 is rotatably held by the support portion 3 about a rotation axis whose axial direction is parallel to the normal of the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit 4a.
Further, between the upper surface 3a of the support portion 3 on which the light emitting portion 2a is installed and the second guide roller 13, elongated protrusions 14 are provided on the side surfaces 3b and 3b of the support portion 3, respectively, and a pair of protrusions are provided. The portions 14 and 14 have a side end surface 14a parallel to the side surface 3b of the support portion 3. When the second guide roller 13 and the protrusion 14 are viewed in a plan view, the axial direction of the rotation axis (not shown) of the second guide roller 13 and the longitudinal direction of the protrusion 14 are orthogonal to each other.

A pair of first electrodes (not shown) are embedded in the pair of protrusions 14, 14 in a state where the surfaces are exposed from the side end faces 14a, 14a, respectively, and a support portion 3 is embedded in the upper surface 3a. A pair of second electrodes (not shown) connected to the pair of first electrodes via wiring installed inside are embedded in a state where the surface is exposed.
As shown in FIG. 5C, the support portion 3 is inside the second guide rail 8 of the guide member 7 and is exposed from the side end surfaces 14a and 14a of the pair of protrusions 14 and 14. The surface of the electrode 1 is in contact with the pair of conductors 11 and 11, respectively, and the second guide roller 13 is housed in a rollable state on the inner bottom surface 8f (see FIG. 4B). .. The above-mentioned "first electrode" corresponds to the "electrode" described in claim 4 within the scope of claims.

6 (a) is a front view of the light emitting unit 2a, FIG. 6 (b) is a plan view of a planar light source constituting the light emitting unit 2a, and FIG. 6 (c) is a first modification of the light emitting unit 2a. It is a front view of the light emitting part 2b which concerns on an example, and FIG. 6D is a figure which schematically showed the structure of the light emitting part 2b. Further, FIG. 7A is a front view of the light emitting unit 2c according to the second modification of the light emitting unit 2a, and FIG. 7B is a schematic view showing an enlarged structure of the light emitting unit 2c. FIG. 7C is an enlarged front view showing the light guide plate 21 constituting the light emitting unit 2c.
In addition, in FIG. 6 (b) and FIG. 6 (d), only one of a large number of LEDs and light scattering particles is coded in order to avoid complicating the drawings. For the same reason, only one recess is coded in FIGS. 7 (b) and 7 (c).

As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the light emitting unit 2a of the light emitting unit 4a includes a plurality of LEDs 15 arranged at desired intervals in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and the plurality of LEDs 15. Is a structure in which a planar light source made of a substrate 16 attached to one side is supported by a support 17 attached to the lower end of the substrate 16 and housed in a protective case 18 made of a translucent member. ing.
In the light emitting unit 4a, the light emitting portion 2a is installed on the upper surface 3a of the support portion 3 (see FIG. 5B) so that the light emitting surface of the above-mentioned planar light source is parallel to the vertical plane.
A pair of third electrodes are connected to the wiring for supplying electric power to the plurality of LEDs 15, and the light emitting portion 2a is installed on the upper surface 3a of the support portion 3 in the pair of third electrodes. It is provided at the lower end of the light emitting portion 2a so as to come into contact with the pair of second electrodes described above.

In the fruit color development promoting device 1a having such a structure, the fruit is installed in the area sandwiched between the pair of light emitting units 4a and 4a. Then, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, the inside of the device is divided into a plurality of areas by a light emitting unit 4a that constitutes a frame of the device together with the guide member 7 and the first guide rail 12.
Therefore, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, by moving the light emitting unit 4a in the direction orthogonal to the light emitting surface of the planar light source, the size of the area where the fruits are installed and the entire device are adjusted according to the type and number of fruits. It is possible to change the size.

Further, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, when the first guide roller 9 held by the holder 10 rolls along the inner surface of the first guide rail 12, the guide member 7 is moved to the first guide rail 12. It moves in the longitudinal direction, but at this time, the pair of light emitting units 4a and 4a also move in the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail 12 perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the planar light source.
As described above, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, the first guide rail 12 guides the pair of light emitting units 4a and 4a in the direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the planar light source while maintaining the parallel state. It has the effect of That is, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, it is possible to accurately move the light emitting unit 4a in the direction orthogonal to the light emitting surface of the planar light source. Therefore, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, the distance from the light emitting surface of the planar light source to the fruit can be easily adjusted.

Furthermore, LEDs generate less heat than incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, and since light of uniform intensity is emitted from the planar light source, the fruit in which the planar light source is composed of a plurality of LEDs 15. In the color development promoting device 1a, the fruit is less likely to be damaged by heat even when the planar light source is arranged near the fruit. Therefore, according to the fruit color development promoting device 1a, by arranging the light emitting unit close to the poorly colored portion of the fruit skin, the color can be efficiently developed without damaging that portion.

Further, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, when the second guide roller 13 of the support portion 3 rolls along the inner surface of the second guide rail 8, the light emitting unit 4a moves in the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8. At this time, the light emitting unit 4a moves in the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8 parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source. That is, the second guide rail 8 has an action of guiding the light emitting unit 4a in a direction parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source.
In the fruit color development promoter 1a, when the length of the light emitting unit 4a with respect to the direction parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source is shorter than the length of the second guide rail 8, the light emitting unit 4a is the length of the second guide rail 8. It becomes movable along the direction. Therefore, in this case, by moving the light emitting unit 4a in the direction parallel to the light emitting surface of the planar light source, the planar light source can be arranged at the most suitable place for irradiating the fruit with light.

Further, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, regardless of the position of the light emitting unit 4a with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8, the side end surfaces 14a, 14a of the pair of protrusions 14, 14 of the support portion 3 By contacting the pair of conductors 11 and 11 with the pair of first electrodes whose surfaces are exposed from the surface, the energized state between the two is always maintained. That is, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, electric power can always be supplied to the planar light source regardless of the position of the light emitting unit 4a in the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8. Therefore, according to the fruit color development promoting device 1a, it is possible to finely adjust the position of the light emitting unit 4a with respect to the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8.
Further, in the fruit color development promoting device 1a, the housing 6 made of a heat insulating material has a structure in which the fruit is not easily affected by the outside air temperature. Therefore, according to the fruit color development promoting device 1a having such a structure, the fruit can be maintained at a temperature suitable for coloring, so that the effect of promoting the color development of the fruit is further exhibited.

The fruit color development promoting device of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. For example, the guide member 7 has a convex portion instead of having the first guide roller 9 and the holder 10, and the convex portion allows the first guide rail 12 to move along the inner surface of the first guide rail 12. The structure may be such that it is installed inside the.
In this case, when the guide member 7 moves in the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail 12, the pair of light emitting units 4a and 4a are also included in the length of the first guide rail 12 perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the planar light source. Move in the direction. That is, when the guide member 7 has the convex portion instead of having the first guide roller 9 and the holder 10, the first guide rail 12 maintains the parallel state with respect to the pair of light emitting units 4a and 4a. As it is, the action of guiding the planar light sources in the direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface is exhibited in the same manner as when the guide member 7 has the first guide roller 9 and the holder 10.
Therefore, according to the fruit color development promoting device having the above structure, it is possible to accurately move the light emitting unit 4a in the direction orthogonal to the light emitting surface of the planar light source. That is, even if the guide member 7 has a structure having the convex portion instead of having the first guide roller 9 and the holder 10, the distance from the light emitting surface of the planar light source to the fruit can be easily adjusted. The effect of being able to do so is exhibited in the same manner as when the guide member 7 has the first guide roller 9 and the holder 10.
However, when the guide member 7 has the first guide roller 9 and the holder 10 instead of the convex portion, the guide member 7 has the convex portion instead of the first guide roller 9 and the holder 10. Since the guide member 7 can be easily moved in the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail 12 as compared with the case, the workability when arranging the light emitting unit close to a specific portion of the fruit skin is good.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the light emitting unit 2b has a structure in which the diffuser plate 19 installed in the light emitting unit 2a in the vicinity of the planar light source so as to be parallel to the substrate 16 is housed in the protective case 18. It has become.
As shown in FIG. 6D, the diffuser plate 19 is a plate-like member formed of a resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate having high light transmittance, in which light scattering particles 20 are dispersed and blended, and is emitted from the LED 15. It has a function of diffusing the emitted light.
According to the fruit color development promoting device 1a provided with the light emitting unit 2b having such a structure, the light emitted from the planar light source is diffused by the diffuser plate 19, so that the whole fruit can be uniformly irradiated with light. It is possible.

As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, in the light emitting unit 2c, a plurality of LEDs 15 are installed below the light guide plate 21 instead of the plurality of LEDs 15 being attached to the substrate 16 as in the light emitting unit 2a. It is characterized by being done. The light guide plate 21 is a plate-shaped member formed of a resin having a high light transmittance such as acrylic, and has a structure in which innumerable minute dents 21a are formed on one surface. Further, the lower end of the light guide plate 21 is supported by the support tool 22 so that the light emitting surface 21b is parallel to the vertical plane in a state where the light emitting portion 2c is installed on the upper surface 3a of the support portion 3.

The light emitted from the LED 15 enters the inside of the light guide plate 21 from the lower end, and then travels toward the upper end while repeating total reflection. At that time, a part of the light whose reflection angle is changed to the recess 21a is emitted from the surface on the side where the recess 21a is not formed, so that the entire surface emits light uniformly.
That is, in the light emitting unit 2c, the light guide plate 21 in which a plurality of LEDs 15 are installed at the lower ends functions as a planar light source having the above-mentioned surface as the light emitting surface 21b. Therefore, according to the fruit color development promoting device 1a provided with the light emitting unit 2c, it is possible to reduce the number of LEDs 15 as compared with the light emitting unit 2a and reduce the manufacturing cost.

The fruit color development promoting device of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. For example, in the light emitting unit 2c, instead of the light guide plate 21 provided with the recess 21a, a light guide plate provided with a spherical minute protrusion can be used. Further, the recesses 21a and the protrusions may be provided on both sides of the light guide plate so that both sides of the light guide plate emit light uniformly. Further, the LED 15 is not limited to the lower end of the light guide plate 21, and may be provided at any of the upper, lower, left and right ends. The above-mentioned actions and effects are similarly exhibited in the light guide plate having such a structure.

Further, in the guide member 7, the first guide roller 9 can roll along the inner side surface of the first guide rail 12 while the axial direction of the rotation axis is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 8. It can also have a structure. Even with such a structure, the action that the guide member 7 is movably held by the first guide rail 12 in the longitudinal direction is exhibited as in the case shown in this embodiment.
Then, in the support portion 3 of the light emitting unit 4a, the second guide roller 13 can roll along the inner side surface of the second guide rail 8, and the axial direction of the rotation axis is the second guide rail. The structure may be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of 8. Even with such a structure, the action that the support portion 3 of the light emitting unit 4a is movably held by the second guide rail 8 in the longitudinal direction is exhibited as in the case shown in this embodiment. ..

The fruit color development promoting device 1b according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. However, the components shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
8 (a) and 8 (b) are perspective views showing the appearance of the fruit color development promoting device 1b and the housing 6, respectively. 9 (a) is a plan view of the fruit color development promoting device 1b, and FIG. 9 (b) is a front view of the light emitting unit 2d constituting the light emitting unit 4b shown in FIG. 9 (a). In addition, in FIG. 8A and FIG. 9A, the housing 6 is indicated by a broken line.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the fruit coloring promoting device 1b according to the second embodiment has three fruit coloring promoting devices 1a (housing 6) connected so that the light emitting surfaces of the planar light sources form the same plane. (Excluding), it corresponds to a pair of light emitting units 4b, 4b installed between the pair of light emitting units 4a, 4a, respectively. However, the housing 6 is installed so as to cover the entire six light emitting units 4a and 4b and the three guide units 5, and the light emitting unit 4b is mounted on the substrate 16 instead of the light emitting unit 2a in the light emitting unit 4a. It is provided with a light emitting unit 2d having a structure in which a plurality of LEDs 15 are attached to both sides.

In the fruit color development promoting device 1b having such a structure, the fruit is installed in the area sandwiched between the light emitting unit 4a and the light emitting unit 4b, and the fruit is installed in the area in the fruit coloring promoting device 1a. Since it is clearly larger than the area, many fruits can be processed at once by using the fruit color promoting device 1b. Therefore, according to the fruit color development promoting device 1b, the work of promoting the color development of the fruit can be performed more efficiently than the case of using the fruit color development promoting device 1a.

The present invention is available in the fields relating to agriculture and agricultural product processing.

1a ... Fruit color development promoting device 2a to 2d ... Light emitting part 3 ... Support part 3a ... Top surface 3b ... Side surface 4a, 4b ... Light emitting unit 5 ... Guide unit 6 ... Housing 6a ... Bottom plate 7 ... Guide member 8 ... Second guide rail 8a ... Bottom surface 8b ... Side surface 8c ... Convex part 8d ... Concave part 8e ... Concave groove 8f ... Inner bottom surface 9 ... First guide roller 10 ... Holder 11 ... Conductor 12 ... First guide rail 12a ... Bottom surface 12b ... Side surface 12c ... Top surface 12d ... Inner bottom surface 13 ... Second guide roller 14 ... Projection 14a ... Side end surface 15 ... LED 16 ... Substrate 17 ... Support 18 ... Protective case 19 ... Diffusing plate 20 ... Light scattering particles 21 ... Light guide plate 21a ... Recess 21b ... Light emitting surface 22 ... Support

Claims (8)

A pair of light emitting units having a planar light source composed of a plurality of LEDs and arranged so that the light emitting surfaces of the planar light source are parallel to the vertical plane and face each other.
A first guide rail made of a pair of long members arranged below the light emitting unit so that the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the light emitting surface, and
A fruit color development promoting device including a guide member that movably holds the light emitting unit along the first guide rail. The guide member
With the first guide roller,
It has a holder that rotatably holds the first guide roller around a rotation axis whose axial direction is parallel to the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit.
The fruit color development promotion according to claim 1, wherein the first guide roller is installed inside the first guide rail so as to be rollable along the inner surface of the first guide rail. apparatus. The guide member includes a second guide rail made of a long member arranged so as to be parallel to the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit in the longitudinal direction.
The light emitting unit is
With the second guide roller,
A support portion that rotatably holds the second guide roller around a rotation axis whose axial direction is parallel to the normal of the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit is provided.
Claim 1 or claim, wherein the support portion is installed inside the second guide rail so that the second guide roller can roll along the inner surface of the second guide rail. Item 2. The fruit color development promoting device according to item 2. On the inner surface of the pair of the second guide rails, a pair of elongated conductors connected to a power source are provided over the entire length in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the second guide rails.
The support portion is embedded with a pair of electrodes connected to a wiring for supplying electric power to the planar light source with the surface exposed, and the surface of the pair of electrodes with respect to the pair of conductors. The fruit color development promoting device according to claim 3, wherein the two guide rails are installed inside the second guide rail in contact with each other. The fruit according to claim 1, wherein the guide member has a convex portion that is movably installed inside the first guide rail so as to be movable along the inner surface of the first guide rail. Color development accelerator. The fruit color development promoting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the diffuser plate is installed close to the planar light source so as to be parallel to the vertical surface. The fruit color development promoting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the planar light source is composed of a plurality of the LEDs provided with a light guide plate installed at an end portion. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the light emitting unit, the first guide rail, and a housing in which the guide member is housed are provided, which is made of a heat insulating material. Fruit color development promotion device.

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