JP4279379B2 - Plant cultivation equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus. More specifically, the seedling-like plants planted on trays are stored three-dimensionally on shelves, etc., or while being moved by a conveyor, water and nutrients are supplied through a water supply pipe, and artificial light (sometimes natural It is related to an apparatus for cultivating plants in a productive manner. In the present specification, the plant includes vegetables and fruits, and moss.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The present applicant has already proposed a plant cultivation apparatus of this kind. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-245646, a large number of trays are suspended on a chain conveyor, the inside of the building is circulated and driven, and an operator supplies a tray on which plant seedlings are planted to the conveyor. We propose a three-dimensional bench for plant cultivation that can be harvested and the growing process is performed automatically. In JP-A-10-136790, cultivation is provided with a fixed shelf frame, a cultivation container placed on the shelf frame so as to be freely removable, and a light source such as a light emitting diode provided above each container. Propose a shelf.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The three-dimensional bench-type plant cultivation apparatus has a complicated drive mechanism and a complicated support method. In addition, because the trays and containers are arranged at relatively large intervals according to the size when the plants are grown, the plants are arranged at intervals greater than the space actually required in the state of seeds and seedlings. , Space is wasted. Therefore, the length of the water supply pipe is increased, and the interval between the light sources is increased, so that the irradiation efficiency is also reduced. Moreover, in the above-mentioned cultivation shelf, it is possible to move to a larger shelf in order according to the growing state, but in reality, there are many difficulties. This invention makes it the technical subject to omit the useless space of the said conventional plant cultivation apparatus, and to simplify the facility and building of water supply / drainage.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of trays for cultivating plants, a conveyor that conveys a tray planting seedlings of the plant from the entrance side to the exit side, and means for supplying water and nutrients to the tray Means for irradiating the plants on the tray with light, the tray is long in the transverse direction with respect to the traveling direction, and a large number of seedlings are planted, and the conveyor is near or on the left and right ends of the tray. It consists of a pair of left and right conveyors that support the position somewhat inside from the end, and the plants on the trays conveyed by the conveyors are matched to each growth stateTheGiven proper nutrition and moisture, light is irradiatedThe supply means and the illumination means are arranged along a conveyorIt is characterized by being.
  In such a plant cultivation apparatus, a supply mechanism for supplying a tray in which seedlings are planted at the entrance of the conveyor and a take-out mechanism for taking out the tray from the exit of the conveyor hold a horizontally long tray. These are preferably provided in pairs on the left and right. In that case, it is preferable that the conveyor is provided in a plurality of stages above and below, and the supply mechanism provided at the entrance of the conveyor at each stage and the take-out mechanism provided at the exit are respectively movable up and down.
[0005]
  Of the present inventionPlant cultivation equipmentSecond aspect of the present invention (Claim 4)IsMultiple trays for cultivating plants, a conveyor that transports the seedlings of the plants from the entrance side to the exit side, means for supplying water and nutrients to the tray, and irradiating the plants on the tray with light And means forThe conveyor is on the entrance sideThe amount of tray movement per day is small,To the exit sideAmount of tray movement per dayButStepwise or continuously manyConfigured to beIt is characterized by.
  In that case,The conveyor is provided in a plurality of stages up and down, a supply mechanism movable up and down to supply a tray planted with seedlings at the entrance of each stage conveyor,Each stageWhat is provided with the taking-out mechanism movable up and down for taking out a tray from the exit part of a conveyor is preferable. Furthermore, it is preferable that the means for irradiating the light is a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged above the conveyor, and a conduit for passing a fluid for cooling the light emitting diodes is provided. Further, an optical fiber for guiding light from the light source side to the upper side of the tray may be provided in the means for irradiating the light.
  The conveyor whose amount of movement of the tray changes is composed of a plurality of conveyors arranged from the entrance side to the exit side, and the transport speed of the trays of those conveyors is increased from the entrance toward the exit side. Or a screw conveyor having blades whose pitch gradually or continuously increases from the entrance side to the exit side.
[0006]
[Operation and effect of the invention]
  In the plant cultivation apparatus according to the first aspect, the tray is moved from the entrance side to the exit side while being supported by a pair of left and right conveyors in the lateral direction in which the plants are planted. TherebyTransported by the conveyorThe plants in the tray are tailored to each growth condition.From the supply meansGiven proper nutrition and water supply,From lighting meansIt grows well when irradiated with light. And finally, it is harvested by taking out the whole tray on the exit side. This apparatus can cultivate plants on a large scale and has a simple transport drive mechanism. Therefore, various means for supplying nutrients, water, and irradiating light can be adopted.
  Since the plant cultivation apparatus according to the second aspect includes the tray supply mechanism on the entrance side of the conveyor and the extraction mechanism on the exit side, the tray supply operation and the extraction operation are easy. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 3 includes a plurality of conveyors, and the supply mechanism and the take-out mechanism can be moved up and down, so that space can be saved, and the operator does not have to approach a high-level conveyor. All that is required is to feed the tray to the supply mechanism at or near the surface and harvest the tray from the removal mechanism. Therefore, for example, an elderly person or a disabled person can work sufficiently.
[0007]
  Also,Of the present inventionCultivation equipmentSecond aspect of the present invention (Claim 4)ThenConveyed by conveyorToreLeeOn the entrance sideLess travel per dayAs the plant growsA lot of movementThe Therefore, in the first stage where the plants are small, the interval between the trays is narrow, and when the plants grow and a large space is required, the interval between the trays becomes wide. Therefore, the space of the entire apparatus can be reduced as compared with the case of carrying at the same speed, that is, at the same interval. Further, it is possible to reduce the facilities such as the water supply and drainage pipes, and the irradiation area by the light irradiation means may be narrow. As a result, many plants can be cultivated in the same building. in this wayPlant of the present inventionCultivation equipmentSecond aspect ofThen, “Movement to match the environment of the plant to be cultivated” is also used for “Expansion of the interval according to the growing state of the plant”, so that the plant can be efficiently cultivated in a small space. .
[0008]
  Claim5Since the cultivation apparatus is provided with a plurality of stages of the conveyor, it can save more space. Furthermore, since the supply mechanism and the take-out mechanism are provided, the operator does not need to approach a high-level conveyor, and it is only necessary to supply the tray to the supply mechanism on or near the floor and harvest the tray from the take-out mechanism. Therefore, for example, an elderly person or a disabled person can work sufficiently.
[0009]
  Claim6Since the cultivation apparatus employs a light emitting diode (LED) as a means for irradiating light, it can be irradiated with a spectrum of light suitable for plant growth. Furthermore, since the vertical space can be reduced, the vertical space can be reduced. In addition, since the light emitting diode is cooled by the fluid passing through the conduit, it is possible to prevent the light emission efficiency from being lowered by heat and to irradiate light efficiently. Furthermore, since only the light source can be cooled by a pipe line, there is little influence on plants.
[0010]
  Claim7In this cultivation apparatus, since light is guided by an optical fiber from the light source side to the upper side of the tray, a remote light source such as sunlight can be employed. Further, it is easy to isolate a light source such as a light emitting diode with a heat insulating material, the cooling effect can be enhanced, and the light source can be protected from dew condensation.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIGS. FIG. 7 is a side view showing an embodiment of a water supply facility related to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a side view of an essential part showing an embodiment of the planting conveyor of FIG. It is.
[0012]
The cultivation apparatus A shown in FIG. 2 includes multistage transport conveyor apparatuses 2, 2... Assembled in the building 1, lighting fixtures 3 arranged between the conveyor apparatuses 2 of each stage, and those A duct 4 for cooling the luminaire, a planting conveyor 6 for supplying the tray 5 to the conveyor device 2, and a harvesting conveyor 7 for taking out the tray are provided. Furthermore, ancillary facilities such as a water supply facility 8 for supplying water and nutrients to the tray on which the conveyor device 2 is placed and a drainage facility for draining water from the tray 5 are also provided. In this embodiment, the configuration of the exceptional conveyor device 2 is substantially the same, and the same plant can be cultivated in a remarkable manner, or different plants can be cultivated for each stage.
[0013]
The building 1 has, for example, a height of about 10 m, a length of about 12 m, and a frontage of about 10 m, and a heat insulating wall of about 10 cm is adopted as the outer wall. However, the size and height of the building can be freely changed depending on the type of plant to be cultivated. In the lower part of the building 1, a work room 10 is provided for an operator 9 to place the tray 5 on the planting conveyor 6 and to harvest the tray from the harvesting conveyor 7. Is arranged. The central part of the working chamber 10 is a sowing area 10a for planting seeds on the tray 5, the part close to the planting conveyor 6 is a breeding area 10b for growing seeds from seeds, and the part close to the harvesting conveyor 7 is loaded and unloaded on the tray. This is a harvesting area 10c for harvesting plants.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor devices 2 of each stage are arranged at two locations on the left and right sides of the building 1 so as to support a position somewhat inward from the left and right ends of the horizontally long tray 5. Further, a plurality of rails 11 for supporting the tray 5 so as to slide are provided near the left and right ends and between the conveyor devices 2.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the lighting fixture 3 is provided so as to expand in a plane near the lower surface of the conveyor device 2, and irradiates the tray 5 of the conveyor device 2 below by one level. In addition, the lighting fixture 3 is not provided in the lower surface of the lowermost conveyor, but the lighting fixture which irradiates the tray 5 of the uppermost conveyor apparatus 2 is provided in the ceiling vicinity. The lighting fixture 3 may be a fluorescent lamp or an electric lamp, but is preferably a light emitting diode (LED) that emits light of a wavelength (color) appropriate for plant cultivation. For example, when using a light emitting diode in a panel shape, an appropriate combination may be selected according to the type of plant, such as 2/3 of each panel being a red light emitting diode and 1/3 being a blue light emitting diode. . The brightness of the entire panel is preferably about 2000 to 3000 lux, for example, but may be set to an appropriate illuminance depending on the plant, and the brightness may be controlled temporally.
[0016]
The temperature of the light emitting diode increases due to light emission, and the light emission efficiency decreases. Furthermore, the interior of the building 1 is often maintained at a high temperature and high humidity, and the luminous efficiency is further reduced. In this embodiment, the duct 4 is piped in parallel with the conveyor device 2, and the duct 4 is configured to communicate with the back side of the lighting fixture 3. The duct 4 is used to send dry air of about −40 ° C. to −80 ° C. in the direction of arrow P to cool the lighting fixture 3 directly or via a cooling plate or the like. However, the temperature and humidity are arbitrary. The air whose temperature has risen by cooling the lighting fixture 3 may be recovered by the duct 4 as it is, or may be discharged indoors. Further, instead of the duct, a water pipe may be provided and cooled with a liquid such as water.
[0017]
The light source such as LED is surrounded by a box of heat insulating material, and the inside of the box is cooled with dry low-temperature air or water, and light is guided from the light source to the lower surface of the conveyor (above the tray) with an optical fiber. Also good. In that case, the light source can be sufficiently cooled to a low temperature, and condensation can be prevented, so that the light source can be protected. Moreover, you may make it guide outside natural light, such as the sun, to the lower surface of the conveyor in a building with an optical fiber.
[0018]
The symbol H in FIG. 2 is a fan that circulates the air in the building 1, and includes temperature control, humidity control, CO₂An air conditioner is provided for control. In addition, when changing the growth environment of a plant in the middle of a conveyor, you may make it provide partitions, such as a transparent synthetic resin sheet. It is preferable to provide a sensor for detecting gas concentration, temperature, humidity, etc., and to automatically control various environmental elements while constantly monitoring.
[0019]
Next, the conveyor device 2 will be described with reference to FIG. Each conveyor device 2 arranged on the left and right may be a conveyor such as a belt conveyor, but a plurality of belt conveyors may be arranged in series. In that case, you may make it make the conveyance speed of each conveyor slow down in order. Further, instead of the belt conveyor, a circulating conduction element such as a chain conveyor may be used. In the case of FIG. 1, it is composed of four belt conveyors of a first conveyor C1, a second conveyor C2, a third conveyor C3, and a fourth conveyor C4 from the side close to the planting conveyor 6. The first conveyor C1 and the second conveyor C2 are shifted in the left-right direction, and the terminal end of the first conveyor C1 is disposed so as to overlap the start end of the second conveyor C2 in the front-rear direction. Similarly, the end portion of the second conveyor C2 and the start end portion of the third conveyor C3, and the end portion of the third conveyor C3 and the start end portion of the fourth conveyor C4 are arranged so as to overlap in the front-rear direction. .
[0020]
The first conveyor C1 is a stage corresponding to the entrance side, and the tray interval (inter-space size) P1 is, for example, about 4 cm. The speed is, for example, about 24 cm / day on average if six trays are advanced per day. In the second conveyor C2, the tray interval P2 is about 6 cm, for example, and the average speed is about 36 cm / day. In the third conveyor C3, the tray interval P3 is about 10 cm and the average speed is about 60 cm / day. In the fourth conveyor C4, the tray interval P4 is about 16 cm and the average speed is about 96 cm / day. Thus, in this conveyor apparatus 2, the speed of the conveyor is increased stepwise from the initial seedling raising stage toward the exit side where the plant grows greatly, and therefore the tray intervals P1 to P4 are also gradually increased stepwise. It has become.
[0021]
However, the conveyor does not need to move all day, but may move once or several times a day and stop halfway. Moreover, the speed of said conveyor may be the average speed of the day, for example, the time which the 1st-4th conveyor is moving together, and when the actual speed (continuous operation speed) of each conveyor differs, it is actually However, the operation time may be longer as going to the exit side, and the stop time may be longer at the entrance side. Also in that case, since the moving distance per day becomes longer as it goes to the exit side, the same effect can be achieved. The "conveying speed" in the claims is an average speed when viewed in such a large unit of time, and is a concept that includes not only the actual speed but also the case where the moving distance differs due to the difference in operating time. .
[0022]
For example, as shown in FIG. 4, each of the conveyors C1 to C4 includes a belt 13 having a protrusion 12 that hooks the tray 5, a roller 14 that supports the upper surface of the belt, and a drive gear that is driven at the end of the belt. Or it has a drive drum 15 and a driven drum (not shown) that supports the opposite end of the belt 13. Although not visible in the drawing, the driven drum of the second conveyor 2 is provided so as to freely rotate on the drive shaft 16 of the drive drum 15 of the first conveyor C1. However, it may be supported by a separate shaft. In this conveyor device 2, the tray 5 that is hooked and conveyed by the protrusion 15 of the first conveyor C 1 comes off from the protrusion 12 near the end of the first conveyor and stops, and is pushed by the protrusion 15 of the second conveyor C 2. Being advanced again. If the belt can be sufficiently conveyed by the frictional force of the belt, the belt 15 does not have to be provided.
[0023]
In the plant cultivation apparatus A, the interval between the trays 5 gradually increases according to the size of the plant, so that no extra space or equipment is required and efficient cultivation is possible. The length of each conveyor varies depending on the type of plant. For example, it grows for about 2 days on the first conveyor C1, about 6 days on the second conveyor C2, about 5 days on the third conveyor C3, and about 2 days on the fourth conveyor C4. Grow and harvest. In that case, the whole can be harvested in about 15 days. In the above embodiment, the speed of the conveyor is changed in four stages, but depending on the type of plant, it may be five stages or more, and it is sufficient that there is a change in at least two stages. However, in order to save space, three or more stages are preferable. In addition to changing the speed stepwise, the speed may be changed continuously like a screw type conveyor described later.
[0024]
In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the tray 5 is directly transferred from the first conveyor C1 to the second conveyor C2. However, if it is difficult to adjust the timing of the protrusion 15 due to the feed speed or the like, between the two An idle stage for timing adjustment may be provided (not shown). In such a case, the first conveyor C1 is temporarily transferred to the idle stage, and is moved forward a little so as to match the timing of the protrusion of the second conveyor C2, and is then placed on the second conveyor C2. The idle stage may be moved up and down. In this case, the tray 15 is lifted so as to float from the first conveyor, and the idle stage is lowered in accordance with the timing of the protrusion 15 and transferred to the second conveyor C2. Like that.
[0025]
When the first conveyor and the second conveyor having the same continuous operation speed are used, the first conveyor is temporarily stopped when the tray reaches the end of the first conveyor, and the previous tray on the second conveyor is set to a predetermined level. After leaving the distance, it may be operated again and transferred to the second conveyor.
[0026]
The conveyor 20 shown in FIG. 5 includes a feed bar 21 that is long before and after reciprocating movement, and a triangular claw member 23 that is provided on the feed bar 21 so as to be rotatable within a predetermined angle range. This moves the tray 15 forward when the feed bar 21 moves forward in the direction of arrow F, and when the feed bar 21 moves backward in the direction of arrow R, the claw member 23 enters under the tray 15 and does not retract the tray 15. When using such a conveyor that reciprocates back and forth, the rail 11 of FIG. 1 is provided, and the frictional force between the rail and the tray 15 is applied between the feed bar 21 and the tray 15 so that the tray does not return. It is preferable to make it larger than the frictional force. Further, when the feed bar 21 moves backward, it is lowered somewhat and separated from the tray 5, or a claw member similar to the claw member 23 of FIG. 5 is provided on the rail 11 to ensure that the tray returns. You may make it prevent.
[0027]
As in the case of FIG. 1, the conveyor 20 of FIG. 5 has a feed rate (in this case, the stroke of the reciprocating movement of the feed bar 21) gradually increased toward the downstream side (left side) in about 3 to 5 stages. Arranged in series in multiple stages. In this case, the interval between the claw members 23 is set to be slightly narrower than the reciprocating stroke of the feed bar 21 at each stage so that the tray slides over the feed bar 21 somewhat. Also in this embodiment, when the plants are small, the trays 5 can be arranged at a narrow interval, and a useless space can be reduced.
[0028]
The interval between the claw members 23 is usually equal for one feed bar 21, but can be increased as much as the downstream side (left side in FIG. 5) as long as it is to some extent. In that case, the tray 5 is arranged at a somewhat wider interval as the pitch advances, and the closer the entrance is, the more the tray slides on the feed bar 21. In that case, the traveling pitch of the tray does not change abruptly between the first-stage and second-stage, or the second-stage and third-stage conveyors. Therefore, delivery of the tray between conveyors becomes smooth.
[0029]
A conveyor 25 shown in FIG. 6 has a shaft 27 provided with a screw-like or blade-like protrusion 26 like a screw conveyor. Both ends or midway of the shaft 27 are rotatably supported by bearings, and an output shaft of a motor with a reduction gear is connected to the end of the shaft 27. The pitch of the protrusions 26 is gradually increased from the entrance side (right side of the drawing) toward the exit side (left side). Although the pitch can be expanded stepwise, it is preferable to increase the pitch continuously. One blade-like protrusion 26 may be provided, or a plurality of blade-like protrusions 26 may be provided like a multi-threaded screw.
[0030]
As in the case of FIG. 1, the conveyor 25 is arranged to support the vicinity of the left and right ends of the tray 5. The other part of the tray is supported by the rail 11. In that case, the left and right conveyors can be screwed in the same direction (for example, right-handed screws), but it is recommended that one be a right-handed screw and the other be a left-handed screw. preferable. Thereby, the thrust in the left-right direction applied to the tray 5 is canceled out. Further, unlike the case of FIG. 1, the conveyor 25 does not need to be provided in a plurality of stages, and can be configured from a seedling raising stage to a harvesting stage with a single conveyor. However, the structure may be divided for manufacturing or other reasons.
[0031]
In the conveyor 25, when the shaft 27 is rotated at a constant speed, the tray 5 moves by one pitch every time the shaft 27 rotates once. Therefore, it moves faster as it goes upstream. Further, the tray intervals P1, P2, and P3 are increased toward the downstream side in accordance with the pitch of the blade-like protrusions 26. Therefore, an unnecessary space can be omitted according to the growth of the plant, and a necessary space can be secured.
[0032]
4, 5, and 6, the conveyor can be operated all day long, but it is usually advanced once or several times a day, and water or water is stopped at the stop position of the tray 5 at that time. It is preferable to supply nutrients.
[0033]
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the water supply facility viewed from a direction perpendicular to the conveyor. In this water supply equipment, the central portion of the tray 5 is somewhat lowered, and a drain port 30 is provided in the central portion. Further, water supply pipes 31 are disposed at the upper part of both ends of the tray 5, and drainage troughs or grooves 32 are provided at the lower part of the central drainage port 30 along the flow direction of the conveyor. The water supply pipe 31 is provided above the position where the tray 5 stops. The number of rows along the flow direction of the conveyor of the water supply pipe 31 is matched to the number of trays 5 on the conveyor device 2. On the other hand, the number of the water supply pipes 31 arranged in the left-right direction per one tray 5 can be further increased to 4 to 6 places in addition to the above-described two places on both ends. Alternatively, the tray 5 may be inclined to one side, and water and nutrients may be supplied only from the higher end portion side and drained from the lower side.
[0034]
In this case, while the tray 5 is stopped, water and nutrients suitable for the growth state of the plant at that position are allowed to flow from the water supply pipe 31. As a result, water and nutrients are supplied to the plants from both ends of the tray 5, and the waste water flows from the drain port 30 to the drain groove 32. The amount of water and nutrients and the supply time may be set to a certain state, but the state of plant growth is monitored and the appropriate amount and supply time are automatically controlled by a computer or the like. Good.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 3, the planting conveyor 6 has a form in which the endless chain 41 is supported by four sprockets 40 arranged at the upper and lower ends, that is, a form in which the chain conveyor is arranged in the vertical direction. The chain 41 is provided with receptacles 42 for supporting the tray 5 at a pitch corresponding to the upper and lower steps of the conveyor device 2. The chain 41 is driven to circulate so that the front side is raised and the rear side is lowered. Since the planting conveyor 6 is disposed so as not to interfere with the conveyor device 2 for conveyance, a delivery mechanism 43 as shown in FIG. 8 is provided. The delivery mechanism 43 is a combination of the delivery bar 44 that moves back and forth and the vertical movement of the planting conveyor 6.
[0036]
The delivery bar 44 is normally drawn to the conveyor device 2 side in order to avoid interference with the rising tray 5 (first step S1). When the tray 5 becomes higher than the delivery bar 44, the planting conveyor 6 temporarily stops and the delivery bar 44 extends (second step S2). Next, the front side of the planting conveyor 6 is lowered, and the tray 5 on the receiving member 42 is placed on the delivery bar 44 (third step S3). Subsequently, the delivery bar 44 is retracted and placed on the conveyor device 2 for transport (in the case of FIG. 1, the first conveyor C1). The trays 5 may be transferred to the corresponding conveyors simultaneously from the receptacles 42 at each stage of the planting conveyor 6, or may be changed one by one in order. The empty planting conveyor 6 is loaded with the tray 5 on which the worker 9 in FIG. 2 has planted the next seedling.
[0037]
The planting conveyor 6 and the delivery mechanism 43 are not limited to those described above, and various devices used in a three-dimensional warehouse or the like can be employed. For example, the delivery bar 44 described above may move up and down itself. In that case, there is no need to lower the front side of the planting conveyor somewhat. Moreover, the delivery from the delivery bar 44 to the conveyor device 2 for conveyance is smooth.
[0038]
The harvesting conveyor 7 of FIG. 2 can employ substantially the same apparatus as the planting conveyor 6 only by reversing the circulation direction and the order of action. The tray 5 lowered by the harvesting conveyor 7 is lowered by the operator to the harvesting area 10c of the work room, and only plants are harvested from the tray 5. The emptied tray 5 is again used for sowing in the sowing area 10a. The tray 5 normally contains only water, nutrients, a moisture retaining material that absorbs and retains them, and seeds. That is, it is cultivated by hydroponics. However, you may put soil and plant seeds in the soil. Alternatively, seedlings may be planted from the beginning.
[0039]
In the above embodiment, a duct through which air passes is used to cool the light emitting diode, but a pipe through which a liquid such as water can pass can also be used. In that case, you may make it also serve as piping for the water supply to a plant. In particular, in the case of a plant in which it is preferable that the temperature of the water to be supplied is somewhat high, the water used for cooling the light emitting diode is particularly preferable because the temperature is somewhat increased.
[0040]
Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the conveyor device is slower on the entrance side and faster on the exit side, but may have the same speed. The conveyor of the conveyor device is of a type in which a tray is placed like a belt conveyor, and the tray can be somewhat shifted back and forth. In addition, even if it is displaced during the movement, there is not much influence. Therefore, the synchronous drive of the front and rear conveyors is not always necessary. However, they may be synchronized. Further, instead of the mounting type conveyor, circulation drive elements such as a chain conveyor may be provided on the left and right sides, and the hooks may be suspended from these, and the tray may be suspended on the hooks. However, this requires the left and right or front and rear drive elements to be synchronized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing an embodiment of a conveyor according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side view showing another embodiment of a conveyor according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side view showing still another embodiment of a conveyor according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side view showing an embodiment of a water supply facility according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a side view of a main part of the fixed planting conveyor of FIG. 2;
[Explanation of symbols]
A cultivation equipment
1 building
2 Conveyor device
3 lighting equipment
4 Duct
5 trays
6 Planting conveyor
7 Harvest conveyor
8 Water supply facilities
10 Working room
11 rails
C1 first conveyor
C2 second conveyor
C3 3rd conveyor
C4 4th conveyor
12 Protrusions
13 belt
14 Laura
15 Driving drum
16 Drive shaft
20 conveyor
21 Feed bar
23 Claw member
25 Conveyor
26 Protrusions
27 axes
30 Drainage port
31 Water supply piping
32 Drainage channel
40 sprocket
42 Receiver
43 Delivery mechanism
44 delivery bar

Claims (9)

Multiple trays for cultivating plants, a conveyor that transports the seedlings of the plants from the entrance side to the exit side, means for supplying water and nutrients to the tray, and irradiating the plants on the tray with light And means for
The tray is long in the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction, and is intended to plant a large number of seedlings,
The conveyor consists of a pair of left and right conveyors that support a position near the left and right ends of the tray, or somewhat from the inside from the left and right ends,
Plants plant trays carried by the conveyor proper nutrition and moisture is given in accordance with the state of each growth, in so that the light is irradiated, the supply means and the lighting means are arranged along the conveyor Cultivation equipment. A supply mechanism for supplying a tray in which seedlings are planted at the entrance of the conveyor and a take-out mechanism for taking out the tray from the exit of the conveyor are provided in a pair of left and right to hold a long horizontal tray. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1. The plant cultivation device according to claim 2, wherein the conveyor is provided in a plurality of stages up and down, and a supply mechanism provided at an entrance of each stage of the conveyor and a take-out mechanism provided at an exit side are respectively movable up and down. Multiple trays for cultivating plants, a conveyor that transports the seedlings of the plants from the entrance side to the exit side, means for supplying water and nutrients to the tray, and irradiating the plants on the tray with light And means for
Said conveyor, less daily amount of movement of the tray is at the inlet side, the daily movement of the tray toward the outlet side has been configured to stepwise or continuously multi Kunar so plant culture apparatus. The conveyor is provided in a plurality of stages above and below, a supply mechanism that can move up and down to supply a tray planted with seedlings at the entrance of each stage conveyor, and a tray from the exit of each stage conveyor The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a take-out mechanism movable up and down for taking out. A plurality of light emitting diodes means for applying are arranged above the conveyor the light, according to claim 1 and 2 conduit through which fluid for cooling the light emitting diodes are provided, 3, 4 or 5. The plant cultivation apparatus according to 5 . The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the means for irradiating light comprises an optical fiber for guiding light from the light source side to the upper side of the tray. The plant cultivation according to claim 4, wherein the conveyor is composed of a plurality of conveyors arranged from the entrance side to the exit side, and the conveying speed of the trays of the conveyors is increased from the entrance toward the exit side. apparatus. The plant cultivation device according to claim 4, wherein the conveyor is a screw conveyor provided with blades whose pitch gradually or continuously expands from the entrance side toward the exit side.

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