JP5912386B2 - Plant cultivation equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus for growing a plant cultivated indoors by lighting means or watering means.

  Plants grown in indoor cultivation such as plant factories and house cultivation require lighting means for irradiating light instead of sunlight and watering means for supplying water instead of rain. Plant cultivation devices provided with such illumination means and watering means have been developed.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a substantially cylindrical gear portion provided at a lower portion of a cylindrical light emitting unit having a substantially dodecagonal cross section is rotated by a motor pinion so that light from the light emitting unit is cultivated in plants. A plant cultivation device is described that can sequentially irradiate a room to give the plant a desired light / dark period. Moreover, this patent document 1 describes that the culture solution sent from the pump is caused to flow into the conduit of the cultivation tray through the piping in the upper lid.

JP 2001-128571 A

  According to the plant cultivation apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the illumination of the plant cultivation room is sequentially performed by rotating the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit, the number of semiconductor light emitting elements necessary for the same cultivation area is reduced. However, since the light emitting unit is rotated by the gear portion (internal gear) provided at the lower portion of the light emitting unit, the larger the overall size, the larger the diameter of the gear portion.

  Therefore, man-hours and costs are required for processing the gear portion, and even if the number of semiconductor light emitting elements used as the light source of the light emitting unit can be reduced, the effect of the reduction may be reduced.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the plant cultivation apparatus which can aim at suppression of cost, without the man-hour required for manufacture increasing by constructing with a simple structure.

  The plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention includes a rotation driving means installed at the center of a circle of a plant cultivation floor arranged in a substantially annular shape, a support member that rotates as the drive shaft of the rotation driving means rotates, and the support It is supported by a member, and has a growth means for promoting the growth of plants planted on the cultivation floor.

  In the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, the rotation driving means installed at the center of the circle of the plant cultivation floor promotes the growth of the plant by rotating the support member on which the growth means is arranged. The growing means can be rotated without providing a gear having a large diameter for rotation. Here, the cultivation floor of the plant arranged in a substantially annular shape means that the cultivation floor is arranged in a circular shape, an arc shape, a polygonal shape, or on the circumference in a state where a gap is secured between the cultivation beds. Includes things that are placed.

  Preferably, the support member is disposed asymmetrically about the drive shaft of the rotation drive means, and the drive shaft is provided with a weight member for balancing the support member. Since the weight member is provided on the support member, the rotation drive unit can rotate without rotation when the support member is rotated, so that it is possible to prevent an eccentric load from being applied to the rotation drive unit. it can.

  The rotation driving means is supported by a ceiling portion of a device frame surrounding the cultivation bed arranged in a substantially annular shape, the cultivation floor is supported by a support frame of the device frame, and the support member is provided on the cultivation bed. It is desirable to rotate the inner circumference. To support the cultivation floor by rotating the support member on which the cultivation means is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the cultivation bed, by supporting the cultivation floor on the support frame of the apparatus frame that supports the rotation driving means on the ceiling. This mounting table can also be used as an apparatus frame that supports the rotation driving means, so that there is no need to provide it separately.

  It is preferable that a position sensor for detecting a rotation range of the drive shaft is provided, and the rotation drive unit rotates and reciprocates within the rotation range. If the range other than the range where the cultivation floor is not provided is set as the rotation range of the rotation drive means, and the rotation range is rotated and reciprocated, the growth means can be rotated without waste.

  The growing means may be one of or both of an illuminating means for irradiating light to the plant cultivated on the cultivation floor and a watering means for supplying water to the plant cultivated on the cultivation floor. it can.

  According to the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, since the growing means can be rotated without providing a gear having a large diameter, construction with a simple configuration does not increase the number of man-hours required for manufacturing and suppresses costs. Can be planned.

It is a perspective view which shows the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a partially cutaway figure showing the internal structure of the plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the rotation drive means of a plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a supporting member, and a growing means. It is a figure for demonstrating the rotation drive means shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the wiring and water supply tube of the plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG.

A plant cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The plant cultivation apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is for growing vegetables, which are examples of plants planted in a cultivation container P in which soil serving as a cultivation floor is placed, in indoor cultivation.
The plant cultivation apparatus 10 includes an apparatus frame 20 formed in a hut shape, a rotation driving means 30 disposed on the ceiling portion 21 of the apparatus frame 20, a support member 40 that rotates together with the drive shaft 35 of the rotation driving means 30, A weight member 50 for balancing, a growth means 60 that is supported by being disposed on the support member 40 and promotes the growth of plants, and a control unit 70 are provided.

The device frame 20 includes a ceiling portion 21 formed in a dome shape and a support frame 22 that supports the ceiling portion 21. The roof and wall surface of the plant cultivation device 10 are formed by covering the outside of the device frame 20 with a vinyl material.
The ceiling portion 21 is provided with radial frames 212 radially from the central portion 211 at equal intervals, and a circular frame 213 is provided concentrically with the radial frame 212 with the central portion 211 as a circle center. It is formed in a substantially dodecagon shape.

  The support frame 22 is erected from the ground so as to correspond to the radial frame 212 of the ceiling portion 21 and supports the ceiling portion 21. Between each of the support frames 22, shelves 23 for installing the cultivation containers P are provided at substantially equal intervals along the height direction except for a portion serving as the entrance E. Further, on the opposite side of the shelf portion 23 supported by the support frame 22, support leg portions 24 that support the end portions of the shelf portion 23 are provided. By arranging the cultivation container P on the shelf 23, the cultivation container P is arranged in a substantially annular shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the rotation driving unit 30 includes four suspension members 31 for hanging from the ceiling portion 21, and two circular shapes fixed to the suspension member 31 at intervals. The base members 321, 322, the motor 33 disposed on the upper base member 321, the position sensor 34 for detecting the rotational position, and the center of the circular base members 321, 322, And a drive shaft 35 that rotates the support member 40 by rotation.

  The base member 321 is arranged at the center of a drive gear 331 provided coaxially with the rotation shaft of the motor 33, a transmission chain 332 wound around the drive gear 331, and two circular base members 321 and 322. And a driven gear 333 that is rotationally driven by the transmission chain 332.

The position sensor 34 is provided on the lower base member 322 and rotates together with a pair of light emitting units 341 arranged in accordance with the width range of the entrance E and the driven gear 333 to detect the light emitting unit 341. A light receiving unit 342 for notifying the control unit 70 of a notification to the effect. In the present embodiment, the fixed side is the light emitting unit 341 and the rotating side is the light receiving unit 342, but the light receiving unit and the light emitting unit may be interchanged.
The drive shaft 35 is disposed at the center of the two circular base members 321 and 322 and rotates together with the driven gear 333. In the present embodiment, the rotation of the motor 33 is transmitted to the drive shaft 35 by the drive gear 331, the transmission chain 332, and the driven gear 333, but the rotation of the motor 33 is the same as the rotation of the growing means 60. The motor may be directly connected to the drive shaft.

As shown in FIG. 3, the support member 40 has an L-shape that is vertically moved by a single horizontal member 41 extending in the radial direction from the tip of the drive shaft 35 and a hanging member 42 depending from the tip of the horizontal member 41. It is formed in an inverted shape.
The weight member 50 is provided in the direction opposite to the horizontal member 41 of the support member 40 around the drive shaft 35.

  The growing means 60 is provided on the hanging member 42 of the support member 40. In the present embodiment, as the growing means 60, a light emitting unit 61 that functions as an illuminating means in which a fluorescent lamp (UV fluorescent lamp) for irradiating ultraviolet rays is disposed, and a watering nozzle 62 that functions as a watering means by spraying water. And are provided. In this Embodiment, as a combination of the light emission unit 61 and the watering nozzle 62, four sets are provided by the cultivation container P being stacked | piled up by 4 steps | paragraphs.

As shown in FIG. 5, the light emitting unit 61 is connected to a wiring W for receiving power supply from the control unit 70. A water supply tube T for receiving water supplied from the water pipe is connected to the watering nozzle 62 via an electromagnetic valve V.
The wiring W is suspended from the control unit 70 to the ceiling portion 21 and from the central portion 211 of the ceiling portion 21 to the rotation driving means 30 and is inserted from the proximal end side to the distal end side of the hollow drive shaft 35, and then the support member 40. Each of the horizontal members 41 is connected to the light emitting unit 61 through the hanging member 42.
The water supply tube T is suspended from the central portion 211 of the ceiling portion 21 to the rotation driving means 30 after being changed from the electromagnetic valve V to the ceiling portion 21, and the distal end from the proximal end side of the hollow drive shaft 35. After being inserted to the side, the horizontal member 41 of the support member 40 is connected to the water spray nozzle 62 through the drooping member 42.

  The control unit 70 has a function of reversing the rotation direction of the motor 33 according to notification from the position sensor 34, controlling the light emission time of the light emitting unit 61, and controlling the spraying time using the watering nozzle 62. .

The operation | movement and use condition of the plant cultivation apparatus 10 which concern on embodiment of this invention comprised as mentioned above are demonstrated based on drawing.
The control unit 70 determines whether it is the lighting time of the light emitting unit 61. If it is the lighting time, the control unit 70 turns on the light emitting unit 61. Moreover, the control unit 70 determines whether it is a watering time. If it is the watering time, the control unit 70 opens the electromagnetic valve V and sprays water from the watering nozzle 62. Then, the control unit 70 rotates the motor 33.

  As the rotation shaft of the motor 33 rotates, this rotation is transmitted in order to the drive gear 331, the transmission chain 332, and the driven gear 333, and the drive shaft 35 rotates due to the rotation of the driven gear 333. As the drive shaft 35 rotates, the inner peripheral side of the cultivation container P on which the support members 40 are stacked is rotated.

  At this time, since the support member 40 is disposed so as to be astigmatized around the drive shaft 35, the drive shaft 35 is biased in one direction by the support member 40 and is biased. However, since the weight member 50 is provided in the opposite direction to the support member 40, the support member 40 and the weight member 50 can be balanced around the drive shaft 35. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an eccentric load from being applied to the drive shaft 35.

  Ultraviolet rays from the light emitting unit 61 are irradiated to the plant in the cultivation container P where the drooping member 42 of the support member 40 approaches. Moreover, the water sprayed from the watering nozzle 62 is supplied to the plant. Therefore, by rotating the support member 40 provided with the growing means 60, it is possible to irradiate light and supply water to the plants in the cultivation container P arranged in a substantially annular shape in order and evenly. .

  Since the light emitting unit 61 and the watering nozzle 62 which are the growing means 60 are rotated by the rotation driving means 30 and light can be sequentially applied to the plants and water can be supplied, it is necessary to provide a large number of growing means 60. There is no. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of a plant cultivation apparatus can be suppressed.

  When the light receiving unit 342 rotates with the rotation of the drive shaft 35 and detects one light emitting unit 341, the control unit 70 is notified that the one light emitting unit 341 has been detected from the light receiving unit 342. As a result, the control unit 70 instructs the motor 33 to reverse. As the rotation of the motor 33 is reversed, the support member 40 starts to rotate in the opposite direction. When the light receiving unit 342 detects the other light emitting unit 341 again, the control unit 70 notifies the motor 33 that the light receiving unit 342 has notified the control unit 70 that the other light emitting unit 341 has been detected. Instruct to reverse.

  Thus, since the rotation range from one light emission part 341 to the other light emission part 341 becomes a range in which the motor 33 rotates and reciprocates, the area where the cultivation container P is installed is supplied with light and water, and the entrance E No light or water is supplied in the range of width. Therefore, the growing means 60 can be rotated without waste. Moreover, since a pair of light emission part 341 is arrange | positioned in the range of the width | variety of the entrance E as a range which does not rotate reciprocatingly, when a grower enters from the entrance E, there is no fear of getting wet.

  In the plant cultivation apparatus 10, the rotation driving means is installed at the center of the circle of the cultivation container P arranged in an annular shape, and the support member 40 on which the growth means 60 is arranged is rotated, so that the growth means 60 is rotated. The growing means 60 can be rotated without providing a gear having a large diameter. Therefore, the plant cultivation apparatus 10 can be constructed with a simple configuration, the number of man-hours required for production does not increase, and the cost can be suppressed.

  In this Embodiment, although the supporting member 40 is rotating the inner peripheral side of the cultivation container P supported by the support | pillar frame 22, as the length of the horizontal member of the supporting member 40 so that an outer peripheral side may be rotated. Also good. However, when the support member 40 rotates on the outer peripheral side of the cultivation container P, it is necessary to secure a space for the support member 40 to rotate between the support frame 22 and the shelf 23. Legs for supporting the end of the shelf 23 instead of the frame 22 and using the shelf for placing the cultivation container P as a mounting table are required. Therefore, it is desirable to rotate the support member 40 on the inner peripheral side where the cultivation container P is installed.

In the present embodiment, since only one support member 40 is provided, the weight member 50 is provided on the opposite side of the support member 40 so that the weight is balanced, but the opposite side of the support member 40 is provided. In addition, when the supporting member 40 having the same growing means 60 is provided, the weight portion can be omitted.
Further, when three or more support members 40 provided with the growing means 60 are provided, it is desirable that the weight portions can be omitted if the support members 40 are provided so as to be point-symmetrical, and the support member 40 provided with the growing means 60 becomes non-point-symmetrical. In such an arrangement, it is desirable to provide a weight portion in consideration of the overall balance.

In this embodiment, since the tap water is sprinkled from the sprinkling nozzle 62, the control unit 70 controls the electromagnetic valve V that controls the supply from the water pipe, but the nutrient solution is supplied from the nutrient tank. In the plant cultivation apparatus to be supplied, the control unit 70 may control a pump that supplies the nutrient solution to the watering nozzle 62.
The light emitting unit 61 employs a fluorescent lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays as a light source, but may be a fluorescent lamp that emits visible light according to the plant to be grown. The fluorescent lamp may be an LED that emits visible light or ultraviolet light.
Further, in the present embodiment, the growing unit 60 includes a light emitting unit 61 that functions as an illuminating unit and a watering nozzle 62 that functions as a watering unit, but the light emitting unit 61 as an illuminating unit on the support member 40. Only the watering means 62 may be provided, or the supporting member 40 may be provided with only the watering nozzle 62 as the watering means, and may be provided with the illumination means. Further, the growing means can be an air blowing means for blowing warm air or cold air, or an insecticide spraying means for spraying an insecticide.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitable for a plant cultivation apparatus that grows plants that are cultivated indoors by lighting means or watering means.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Plant cultivation apparatus 20 Apparatus frame 21 Ceiling part 211 Center part 212 Radial frame 213 Annular frame 22 Prop frame 23 Shelf part 24 Support leg part 30 Rotation drive means 31 Suspension member 321, 322 Base member 33 Motor 331 Drive gear 332 Transmission chain 333 Drive gear 34 Position sensor 341 Light emitting part 342 Light receiving part 35 Drive shaft 40 Support member 41 Horizontal member 42 Drooping member 50 Weight member 60 Growing means 61 Light emitting unit 62 Watering nozzle 70 Control unit E Inlet P Cultivation container W Wiring T Water supply tube V solenoid valve

Claims (2)

Rotation drive means installed at the center of the circle of the plant cultivation floor arranged in a substantially annular shape,
A support member that rotates as the drive shaft of the rotation drive means rotates;
Illumination means for irradiating light to the plant cultivated on the cultivated floor, or a plant cultivated on the cultivated floor, in order to promote the growth of the plant supported by the support member and planted on the cultivated floor And one or both of watering means for supplying water to the cultivating means,
The support member is arranged asymmetrically about the drive shaft of the rotation drive means,
The drive shaft is provided with a weight member for balancing with the support member ,
The rotation driving means is supported by a ceiling portion of an apparatus frame that surrounds the cultivation bed arranged in a substantially annular shape,
The cultivation floor is supported by a support frame of the device frame,
The plant cultivation device , wherein the support member rotates an inner peripheral side of the cultivation floor . Rotation drive means installed at the center of the circle of the plant cultivation floor arranged in a substantially annular shape,
A support member that rotates as the drive shaft of the rotation drive means rotates;
Illumination means for irradiating light to the plant cultivated on the cultivated floor, or a plant cultivated on the cultivated floor, in order to promote the growth of the plant supported by the support member and planted on the cultivated floor And one or both of watering means for supplying water to the cultivating means,
A position sensor for detecting a rotation range of the drive shaft is provided;
The said rotation drive means is a plant cultivation apparatus which reciprocates within the rotation range.

Images