JP6168392B2 - Plant growing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant growing apparatus for growing plants.

  The following Patent Document 1 is known as a technique for growing plants. This Patent Document 1 describes a hydroponics method for supplying moisture to the roots of a plant body by a spraying method. In this hydroponics method, a cultivation bed is used in which a cultivation medium container having a bottom surface on which a plant root can freely extend downward is installed on a gantry. And this hydroponics method grows a young tree by spreading the sterilized culture medium containing culture soil. Further, in this hydroponics method, the open surface of the space below the gantry is covered with a light-shielding material to form a mist spraying chamber.

JP 2006-067999 A

  By the way, in the hydroponics method, the roots tend to grow longer than the method using soil. On the other hand, in order to increase the yield at a plant factory, it is desired to cultivate cultivation places in a vertical direction. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the space for the rhizosphere in the hydroponics method.

  In particular, in spray-cultivation cultivation among hydroponics, the roots extend downward due to gravity. For this reason, in order to make use of the merit of spray cultivation, a wide space is required in the downward direction.

  Then, this invention is proposed in view of the situation mentioned above, and it aims at providing the plant growing apparatus which can perform hydroponic cultivation, omitting the space which a rhizosphere requires.

  The plant growing device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a plant growing device that grows a plant that stores nutrients in an underground portion by hydroponics, and includes a root support unit that supports the root of the plant, and the root The support portion includes a support portion that supports the root, a fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum for the operation in which the support portion supports the root, a fixing portion that fixes the position of the support portion, and the fulcrum portion. A first holding part that connects the support part, and a second holding part that connects the support part and the fixing part, and reduces the region where the roots exist in the height direction. The position of the support portion can be adjusted.

  The plant growing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention is the plant growing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the support body part, the fulcrum part, the fixing part, the first holding part, and the second part. A plurality of sets of holding portions are provided, and the roots are supported at different height positions depending on each set.

Plant growing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plant growing apparatus of the second embodiment, a plurality of support portions for a single of the supporting point portion, said plurality of support parts, characterized in that it is arranged to be the same direction from the supporting point portion of the single.

  A plant growing device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the plant growing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, and divides a space for arranging a nutrient part and a space for arranging the root. It is provided with the partition part and the water supply part which supplies a water | moisture content to the said root divided by the said partition part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  A plant growing device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the plant growing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the root is present in a sensor unit and the region where the root exists. A control unit that adjusts the position of the support body part so as to reduce the height of the support body part in the height direction, and the control unit controls the position of the support body part based on the detection result by the sensor unit. And

  The plant growing device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the plant growing device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the water supply unit has a spray port for spraying moisture onto the roots. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, the area where roots exist can be reduced in the height direction, and hydroponics can be performed while omitting the space required for the rhizosphere.

It is a side view which shows one structural example of the plant growing apparatus shown as embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the other structural example of the plant growing apparatus shown as embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the other structural example of the plant growing apparatus shown as embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the other structural example of the plant growing apparatus shown as embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the other structural example of the plant growing apparatus shown as embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the other structural example of the plant growing apparatus shown as embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A plant growing apparatus shown as an embodiment of the present invention includes each unit as shown in FIG. This plant growing apparatus grows plants that store nutrients in the underground by hydroponics. In the present embodiment, a description will be given of what grows a crop that stores nutrients in an underground portion such as potato as a plant body to be grown. However, it is not limited to crops that store nutrients in the underground part, but of course, any plant that stores nutrients in the underground part can be grown by the plant growing apparatus of this embodiment. In addition, the plant growing apparatus performs hydroponics for cultivating a plant by supplying liquid to the root 102 (underground) of the plant without using soil for growing the plant.

  The plant growing device has a root support portion 1 that supports the roots of plants. The root support portion 1 includes a fulcrum portion 3, a holding portion 4 (hereinafter also referred to as a first holding portion 4), and a support body portion 5 provided on the light shielding sheet 2. Although not shown, the plant growing device has a base portion that supports the nutrient body portion 100 of the plant body. In addition, this nutrient body part 100 contains parts, such as tubers of potato tubers and sweet potatoes. The vegetative body part 100 is sprouting by a seedling raising device (not shown) and placed on the base part with the stem extended to some extent, and the stem 101 extends through the upper light shielding sheet 2. On the other hand, the root 102 extends downward and hangs down to the lower part of the nutrient body 100.

  The support body 5 supports the root 102 that hangs downward. The support body 5 is made of, for example, a rod-shaped member having a circular cross section. Both ends of the support body portion 5 in the length direction are connected by the holding portions 4.

  The fulcrum portion 3 serves as a fulcrum for the operation in which the support body portion 5 supports the root 102. The fulcrum part 3 is provided for each holding part 4 connected to the support part 5.

  The root support part 1 in such a plant growing apparatus is moved in a substantially horizontal direction toward the side of the root 102 as shown by an arrow in FIG. As a result, the root support 1 lifts the root 102 as shown in FIG. As a result, the space in the vertical direction of the root 102 is shortened.

  Furthermore, the root support part 1 has the 2nd holding | maintenance part 6, the fixing | fixed part 7, and the adjustment part 8, as shown in FIG.

  The fixing part 7 fixes the position of the support part 5. The fixing part 7 fixes the second holding part 6 in order to fix the position of the support part 5. By fixing the second holding unit 6, the second holding unit 6 is prevented from sliding from the adjusting unit 8.

  The second holding part 6 connects the support part 5 and the fixing part 7. Similarly to the holding unit 4, the second holding unit 6 may be connected to both ends of the support body unit 5. The second holding portion 6 is fixed by the fixing portion 7 when the position of the support body portion 5 is fixed. Further, the second holding unit 6 is released from the fixing unit 7 and is slid by the adjusting unit 8 when adjusting the position of the support unit 5.

  The root support portion 1 has a configuration in which the positional relationship among the support body portion 5, the fulcrum portion 3, and the fixing portion 7 can be adjusted so as to reduce the region where the root 102 exists. As this configuration, the adjusting unit 8 is provided. The adjustment unit 8 operates to pull the second holding unit 6 by rotating, for example. The adjustment unit 8 may be configured to be manually rotatable, or may be configured to be automatically rotatable.

  In the case of a configuration in which the second holding unit 6 is automatically pulled, the control unit 11 as shown in FIG. 2 is provided. The control unit 11 includes a microcomputer that outputs a command to drive an actuator that controls the operation of the adjustment unit 8. The control part 11 adjusts the position of the support part 5 so that the area | region where the root 102 exists may be decreased in the height direction. When the control part 11 moves the support body part 5 in a horizontal direction, the control part 11 controls the actuator or the like to rotate the adjustment part 8. Thereby, the root support part 1 can pull the 2nd holding | maintenance part 6 automatically, and can move the support body part 5 to a horizontal direction.

  In addition, the plant growing device may have a spray port 10 below the root 102. The spray port 10 supplies mist-like moisture to the root 102 according to the control of the control unit 11.

  As described above, according to this plant growing device, by providing the root support portion 1, the root 102 can be gathered by moving the support body portion 5 in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. Thereby, the plant growing apparatus can raise the lower end of the root 102 upward. In addition, by fixing the second holding unit 6 with the fixing unit 7, it is possible to maintain the state in which the root 102 is pulled up. As a result, the plant growing device can perform hydroponics while omitting the space required for the rhizosphere in the height direction.

  In addition, the plant growing device can supply moisture from the spray port 10 toward the lower end of the root 102. Thereby, even if the root 102 is gathered by the support part 5, it can suppress that the growth of a plant is prevented.

  In addition, although the plant growing apparatus assumes the hydroponics cultivation by the mist from the spraying port 10, implementation by other hydroponics may be sufficient.

  The plant growing apparatus mentioned above may have several support body parts 5a and 5b, as shown in FIG. This plant growing device has support parts 5a and 5b, fulcrum parts 3a and 3b, first holding parts 4a and 4b, second holding parts 6a and 6b, fixing parts 7a and 7b, and adjusting parts 8a and 8b. . Accordingly, the plant growing device has a plurality of sets of the fulcrum part 3, the holding part 4, the support body part 5, the second holding part 6, and the fixing part 7.

  In such a plant growing device, as shown in a front view in FIG. 4, the height position of the support body portion 5a is different from the height position of the support body portion 5b. As a result, the root 102 is supported at different height positions for each group.

  As shown in FIG. 3, such a plant growing apparatus moves the support body part 5a in the left direction in the figure by pulling the second holding part 6a connected to the support body part 5a. On the other hand, the plant growing device moves the support body part 5b in the right direction in the drawing by pulling the second holding part 6b connected to the support body part 5b. That is, one support body part 5a and the other support body part 5b are moved in different horizontal directions. Accordingly, the plant growing device converges the root 102 in the left direction at the height position of the support body portion 5a, and converges the root 102 in the right direction at the height position of the support body portion 5b.

  As described above, according to this plant growing device, the lower end of the root 102 can be raised higher than the plant growing device shown in FIG. 2, and the space of the root 102 can be further reduced.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the plant growing apparatus described above may have a partition 12 that separates a space in which the nutrient body 100 is disposed and a space in which the root 102 is disposed. The plant growing device includes a spray port 10 as a water supply unit that supplies moisture to the roots 102 divided by the partition unit 12 at a lower portion of the partition unit 12.

  The partition part 12 is comprised by the waterproof sheet which consists of a material which does not transmit a water | moisture content, for example. The partition portion 12 is configured such that the tip of the root 102 is positioned below the partition portion 12. For example, the partition 12 is configured such that the tip of the root 102 is positioned below the partition 12 by making a hole in a part.

  Moreover, the partition part 12 can also support the crop 110 grown from the stem or root 111. In addition, in the case of a potato, the stem or root 111 is a part called Stron that is connected to the seed pod from the stem.

  According to such a plant growing device, moisture is effectively absorbed by the root 102 located below the partition portion 12. On the other hand, the root 102 located above the partition part 12 can absorb oxygen efficiently. Thereby, the plant growing apparatus can grow the plant body more efficiently.

  For example, in a plant that produces the crop 110 from the nutrient body part 100 in the underground part such as potato, the partition part 12 may be positioned above the partition part 12 so that the crop 110 is grown. As a result, no extra moisture is given to the crop 110, and for example, it is possible to reduce the cause of growth failure and quality deterioration such as skin hypertrophy.

  Furthermore, the plant growing device may have a sensor unit 9 that detects the length of the root 102 as shown in FIG. The sensor part 9 recognizes the length in the height direction of the underground part in the plant body. Examples of the sensor unit 9 include a CMOS image sensor and an infrared sensor. That is, the sensor unit 9 may be another sensor as long as the length in the height direction of the root 102 can be recognized in the underground part. The sensor unit 9 may detect that the root 102 has extended to a predetermined height.

  The control unit 11 acquires the detection result from the sensor unit 9. The control unit 11 controls the position of the support unit 5 based on the detection result by the sensor unit 9. At this time, the control unit 11 determines the length read by the sensor unit 9. The control unit 11 can reduce the area of the root 102 in the height direction by operating the fixing unit 7.

Furthermore, root support part 1 of the plant growing device, as shown in FIG. 6 may have a plurality of support portions for a single supporting point portion. The root support portion 1 is arranged such that a plurality of support portions 5a and 5b are in the same direction from a single fulcrum portion 3a. That is, the fulcrum part 3a and the support part 5a are connected by the holding part 4a, and the support part 5a and the support part 5b are connected by the holding part 4b. The support portions 5a and 5b are connected to the fixing portions 7a and 7b and the adjustment portions 8a and 8b by the second holding portions 6a and 6b, respectively. Similarly, the plurality of support parts 5c and 5d are arranged in the same direction from the single fulcrum part 3b. That is, the fulcrum part 3b and the support part 5c are connected by the holding part 4c, and the support part 5c and the support part 5d are connected by the holding part 4d. The support portions 5c and 5d are connected to the fixing portions 7c and 7d and the adjustment portions 8c and 8d by the second holding portions 6c and 6d, respectively.

  Moreover, this plant growing apparatus may arrange the hydroponic tank 13 and the nutrient solution 14 below the root 102. This plant growing device supplies water to the root 102 by immersing the root 102 in the nutrient solution 14.

  Such a plant growing device supports the root 102 by the support portions 5a and 5b. In addition, the plant growing device supports the other root 102 by the support body portions 5c and 5d.

  In such a plant growing device, a plurality of support parts 5 are arranged in the same direction. Thereby, according to the plant growing apparatus, it becomes possible to narrow a necessary range in the horizontal direction of the root 102 at the same height. Therefore, according to this plant growing apparatus, the separation distance between the plant bodies due to the space restriction in the underground part for growing a plurality of plant bodies can be shortened.

  Note that the plant growing device can also move and fix the plurality of support members 5 in alternate directions. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the space in the vertical direction of the root 102 can be omitted.

  Moreover, the root support part 1 may fix the some support body part 5 with the single fixing | fixed part 7 and the adjustment part 8, and may adjust a height position. Furthermore, the root support portion 1 may support a plurality of plant bodies with a single support body portion 5.

  Furthermore, the plant growing apparatus may arrange the waterproof sheet 15 below the nutrient body part 100 and the crop 110. The waterproof sheet 15 serves as a threshold for dividing the air between the nutrient solution 14 below and the nutrient part 100 and the crop 110. By making a sill in this way, for example, potatoes formed in the basement can be cultivated in a place with low humidity in the basement. By providing the waterproof sheet 15 in this manner, a plant body can be effectively cultivated even in hydroponics other than spray plowing, like the hydroponic tank 13.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention. For this reason, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made depending on the design and the like as long as the technical idea according to the present invention is not deviated from this embodiment. Of course, it is possible to change.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Root support part 3 Supporting point part 4 Holding part (1st holding part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Support body part 6 2nd holding part 7 Fixing part 8 Adjustment part 9 Sensor part 10 Spraying port 11 Control part 12 Partition part

Claims (6)

A plant growing device that grows plants that store nutrients in the basement by hydroponics,
A water supply unit for supplying moisture to the roots of the plant;
Comprising a root support for supporting the roots of the plant,
The root support is
A support part for supporting the root;
A fulcrum part serving as a fulcrum for the operation in which the support part supports the root;
A fixing part for fixing the position of the support part;
A first holding part that connects the fulcrum part and the support part;
A second holding part that connects the support part and the fixing part;
The plant growing device characterized in that the position of the support portion can be adjusted so that the area where the roots exist is reduced in the height direction. A plurality of sets of the support body part, the fulcrum part, the fixing part, the first holding part, and the second holding part;
The plant growing device according to claim 1, wherein the roots are supported at different height positions depending on each group. A plurality of support portions for a single of the supporting point portion,
Wherein the plurality of support portions, plant growing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it is arranged to be the same direction from the supporting point portion of the single. A partition section that divides a space in which a nutrient body part is disposed and a space in which the root is disposed;
The said water supply part supplies a water | moisture content to the said root divided by the said partition part, The plant growing apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. A sensor unit for detecting the length of the root;
A control unit that adjusts the position of the support unit so as to reduce the region where the roots exist in the height direction;
The said control part controls the position of the said support body part based on the detection result by the said sensor part, The plant growing apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said water supply part has a spraying opening which sprays a water | moisture content on the said root, The plant growing apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned.

Images