JP6305367B2 - Mobile cultivation equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile cultivation apparatus that circulates a plurality of cultivation benches for cultivating plants such as vegetables and flowers in a closed loop.

  Conventionally, for example, a mobile cultivation apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been put into practical use. In this mobile cultivation device, a plurality of cultivation benches are arranged from a downstream conveyance side of one horizontal conveyance device to a conveyance upstream side of the other horizontal conveyance device, with a pair of horizontal conveyance devices arranged in parallel with the conveyance directions opposite to each other. A pair of vertical guiding devices for guiding are arranged in a closed loop. By the operation of the pair of push units that move the cultivation bench on the horizontal conveying device toward the vertical guiding device, a plurality of cultivation benches on the vertical guiding device are conveyed in a ball shape.

  The cultivation bench pushed out from the most downstream position of the vertical guide device to the transport upstream side of the horizontal transport device is transported to the transport downstream side by the lateral transport device after operations such as fruit picking and flower picking are performed. In this way, the worker can perform operations such as fruit picking and flower picking at a certain place, so that the workload of the worker accompanying the movement of the work place can be reduced.

  In the conventional mobile cultivation device, a plurality of idler wheels are arranged on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench so as to be separated from each other in the horizontal direction (horizontal conveyance direction) and the vertical direction (vertical conveyance direction). A plurality of pairs of parallel pipes (guide rails) that support and guide the wheels are provided. In addition, a belt conveyor is used as the lateral conveying device, and a mounting plate that supports and guides the idler wheel on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench is attached to the belt surface at a predetermined interval. The cultivation bench transferred from the vertical guide device to the belt conveyor is horizontally conveyed by the belt conveyor in a state where the idler wheel on the bottom surface is supported by the placing plate on the belt surface.

JP 2014-036578 A

  As described above, in the conventional mobile cultivation device, a plurality of idler wheels are provided on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench on the moving side, and the guide rail supports and guides the plurality of cultivation benches on the vertical guidance device on the stationary side. As a parallel pipe. The cultivation bench is vertically conveyed by rolling a plurality of idler wheels provided on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench on guide rails (parallel pipes) of the vertical guide device.

  Whereas the horizontal conveying device and the vertical guiding device on the fixed side are handled as equipment, the cultivation bench is a consumable item, and it is required to reduce the cost per unit as much as possible. In addition, when storing and transporting the cultivation bench, a plurality of idlers provided on the bottom surface may get in the way.

  In order to solve the problems as described above, the present invention aims to reduce the cost of the cultivation bench by removing a plurality of idlers from the bottom surface of the cultivation bench and to facilitate the storage and transportation of the cultivation bench. An object is to provide an apparatus.

The mobile cultivation device according to claim 1 is a pair of horizontal conveyance devices arranged in parallel with the conveyance directions opposite to each other, and from the conveyance downstream side of one horizontal conveyance device to the conveyance upstream side of the other horizontal conveyance device. A pair of vertical guide devices for guiding a plurality of cultivation benches are arranged in a closed loop shape, and the vertical guide is operated by operating a pair of push units that move the cultivation bench on the horizontal conveyance device toward the vertical guide device. It is a mobile cultivation device that conveys a plurality of cultivation benches on the apparatus in a ball shape and circulates the plurality of cultivation benches, wherein the cultivation bench includes a pair of parallel pipes that are separated in the horizontal direction and extend in the vertical direction. The vertical guide device includes a plurality of pairs of idle wheels that roll while supporting a pair of parallel pipes on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench, and each of the pair of parallel pipes includes a plurality of idle wheels. Support As the plurality of pairs idler wheel are arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, one of the pair of idler wheels the longitudinal guide device is provided in, obliquely downward a single parallel pipe of the cultivation Bench A pair of secondary idler wheels that are supported so as to be sandwiched from each other, and the other of the pair of idler wheels is configured to rotate about a lateral axis to support the other of the parallel pipes from below. It is characterized by that.

The mobile cultivation apparatus according to claim 2 is the mobile cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein ends of parallel pipes are engaged with each other between adjacent cultivation benches on the vertical guiding apparatus. A plurality of cultivation benches on the guide device are connected.

  According to the mobile cultivation apparatus of Claim 1, since it is a structure where a plurality of idler wheels were provided in the vertical guide device on the fixed side, and a pair of parallel pipes were provided on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench, The plurality of idler wheels provided on the bottom surface are not necessary. Therefore, the cost of the cultivation bench can be reduced, and the cultivation bench can be easily stored and transported.

Also, hand a pair of idler wheels vertical guiding device is provided in a pair of auxiliary idle wheel, supports as a pair of auxiliary idle wheel is sandwiched from the obliquely downward a single parallelepiped cultivation bench, The other of the pair of idler wheels is configured to rotate around a horizontal axis and support the other one of the parallel pipes from below, so that it is conveyed in the vertical direction on the vertical guide device. The movement (lateral deviation) of the cultivating bench in the lateral direction is prevented, and the vertical transfer of the plurality of cultivating benches is smoothly performed.

According to the mobile cultivation apparatus of Claim 2, when the edge part (the rear-end part of a pipe adjacent to the front-end part of one pipe) of a parallel pipe mutually engages between adjacent cultivation benches, Since the plurality of cultivation benches on the vertical guide device are connected, the effect of preventing the movement (displacement) of the cultivation bench in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction is further obtained. It is performed more smoothly.

It is a schematic plan view of the mobile cultivation apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic front view which looked at the mobile cultivation apparatus from the front side. It is the schematic side view which looked at the mobile cultivation apparatus from the right side. It is a schematic plan view of the cultivation bench which comprises a mobile cultivation apparatus. It is a schematic front view of a cultivation bench. It is a schematic side view of a cultivation bench. It is a schematic front view which shows the upper part of a vertical guide apparatus. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of a horizontal conveying apparatus. It is a front view which shows schematic structure of a horizontal conveying apparatus. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the horizontal drive part of a horizontal conveying apparatus. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the side view of a vertical guide apparatus and a horizontal conveying apparatus. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the horizontal conveying apparatus containing a raising / lowering apparatus when a vertical guide member exists in a raise position. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the horizontal conveying apparatus containing a raising / lowering apparatus when a vertical guide member exists in a retracted position. It is a top view which shows the structure of a push unit typically. It is a side view which shows the structure of a push unit typically. It is a side view which shows the structure of a pull unit typically. It is a top view which shows the structure of a pull unit typically. It is a block diagram which shows the example of control of a mobile cultivation apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the example of control of a mobile cultivation apparatus. It is a schematic side view of the cultivation bench concerning a modification.

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

  First, the schematic structure of the mobile cultivation apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the following description, when using a term indicating a specific direction or position (for example, “left / right”, “up / down”, etc.) as necessary, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. Direction (or front-rear direction), and the left-right direction on the paper is the horizontal direction (or left-right direction). The terms representing these directions are used for convenience of explanation, but do not limit the technical scope of the invention.

  Further, in the embodiment, it is assumed that the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are parallel to the horizontal plane, but the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, fruit vegetables such as strawberries and leaf vegetables. Alternatively, one or both of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction may be slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal plane within a range that does not hinder flower cultivation.

  FIG.1 and FIG.3 is the top view and side view which show schematic structure of the mobile cultivation apparatus in embodiment of this invention, and has shown the state which has the some cultivation bench 10 on 20 A of vertical guide apparatuses, 20B. . In addition, although the number of the cultivation benches 10 arranged on the vertical guide devices 20A and 20B may be as many as 50, the central portion of the vertical guide devices 20A and 20B is omitted in the drawing. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the mobile cultivation apparatus, and schematically illustrates a state in which the cultivation bench 10 exists on the conveyance upstream side of the horizontal conveyance apparatus 40A.

  The mobile cultivation apparatus of this embodiment circulates and moves a plurality of cultivation benches 10 for cultivating plants such as fruit vegetables, leaf vegetables, or flower buds along a closed loop that is rectangular in plan view. The mobile cultivation apparatus has a pair of horizontal conveyance apparatuses 40A and 40B arranged in parallel with the conveyance directions opposite to each other, and the other horizontal conveyance apparatus 40B (40A) from the conveyance downstream side of one horizontal conveyance apparatus 40A (40B). A pair of vertical guide devices 20A (20B) for guiding the plurality of cultivation benches 10 are provided on the upstream side of the transport, and these form a closed loop having a rectangular shape in plan view.

  In addition, push units 21A and 21B are provided to move the cultivation bench 10 laterally transported to the transport downstream side of the lateral transport devices 40A and 40B toward the vertical guide devices 20A and 20B, and the most downstream of the vertical guide devices 20A and 20B. A pair of pull units 22A and 22B are provided for moving the cultivation bench 10 at the position to the upstream side of conveyance of the lateral conveyance devices 40A and 40B.

  When the push units 21A and 21B are operated to move the cultivation bench 10 on the transport downstream side of the horizontal transport devices 40A and 40B toward the vertical guide devices 20A and 20B, a plurality of the bench units 21A and 21B are arranged on the vertical guide devices 20A and 20B. The cultivation benches 10 move in a ball shape at the same time. On the other hand, pull unit 22A, 22B moves only the cultivation bench 10 in the most downstream position of vertical guide apparatus 20A, 20B to the conveyance upstream of horizontal conveyance apparatus 40A, 40B. Thereafter, the pull units 22A and 22B return to the standby position, and after the cultivation bench 10 is moved to the conveyance downstream side by the lateral conveyance devices 40A and 40B, the ball-like shapes of the plurality of cultivation benches 10 by the push units 21A and 21B described above. Transport is performed.

  A series of operations as described above by the horizontal conveying devices 40A and 40B, the push units 21A and 21B, and the pull units 22A and 22B are repeated to form the horizontal conveying devices 40A and 40B and the vertical guiding devices 20A and 20B. A plurality of cultivation benches 10 circulate in a counterclockwise direction (arrow direction) in FIG. 1 along a closed loop having a rectangular shape in plan view. In this example, an operator who performs operations such as fruit picking and flower picking stands in front of the transport upstream side of the horizontal transport device 40A (the lower side in FIG. 1) and transports from the vertical guide device 20B by the pull unit 22A. Work will be performed on the cultivation bench 10 moving to the apparatus 40A.

  Next, the structure of the cultivation bench 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. 4 to 6 are a plan view, a front view, and a side view showing a schematic structure of the cultivation bench 10. The cultivation bench 10 includes a rectangular frame 11 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and is set in the mobile cultivation apparatus so that the longitudinal direction thereof is the conveyance direction of the horizontal conveyance apparatus. The rectangular frame 11 includes a pair of horizontal frame members 111 extending in parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof, a pair of horizontal frame members 111 at both ends and a center portion of the pair of horizontal frame members 111, and an intermediate position therebetween. It consists of five vertical frame members 112. The horizontal frame member 111 and the vertical frame member 112 are long members formed of a sheet metal processed product and having a cross-sectional shape close to a U shape or a B shape. The horizontal frame member 111 and the vertical frame member 112 are firmly connected to each other using welding or bolts and nuts.

  On the upper surface side of the rectangular frame 11 of the cultivation bench 10, a planter placement section 12 is provided on which a plurality of planters 2 are placed in a line in the longitudinal direction. The planter 2 accommodates soil for cultivation and the like, and a general resin horizontal planer or the like is used. The planter 2 is drawn with a broken line in FIG.5 and FIG.6, and the five planters 2 are arranged side by side so that it may become a line in a longitudinal direction.

  The planter mounting portion 12 holds the planter 2 so as to sandwich the width direction from both sides, and extends in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction) of the planter 2. The six vertical members that connect the pair of horizontally long members function as members that restrict the lateral movement of the five planters 2. The pair of horizontally long members and the six vertical members are connected to each other by welding or using bolts and nuts, and the planter mounting portion 12 (the pair of horizontally long members) and the rectangular frame body 11 (the five vertical frame members 112) are They are connected to each other using welding or bolts and nuts.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 6, the planter mounting portion 12 is provided close to one side (the upper side in FIG. 4 and the right side in FIG. 6) of the opposing long sides on the upper surface side of the rectangular frame 11. Yes. In the space on the other side (lower side in FIG. 4 and left side in FIG. 6), as shown in FIG. 6, a downward U-shaped net support member 13 is provided. The net support members 13 are formed, for example, by bending a steel pipe, and a total of five net support members 13 are provided along the five vertical frame members 112 of the rectangular frame 11 respectively. For example, the net support member 13 is attached to the rectangular frame 11 by fitting both ends (cylindrical portions) of the net support member 13 from above into bosses (not shown) protruding from the upper surface of the vertical frame member 112. It is preferable that it can be detachably mounted.

  Further, instead of attaching both end portions of the net support member 13 to the five vertical frame members 112 of the rectangular frame body 11, the planter mounting portion 12 (the horizontally long member on the near side) and the near side of the rectangular frame body 11 are arranged. You may mount so that it may span between the horizontal frame members 111. FIG. In that case, an arbitrary number of net support members 13 can be provided at an arbitrary interval. Alternatively, instead of the U-shaped net support member 13, a conventional cantilever arm-shaped net support member (see Patent Document 1) is replaced with a vertical frame member 112 or a planter mounting portion 12 (a laterally long member on the front side thereof). ) May be fixed.

  A plurality of wires are fixed to the plurality of mesh support members 13 as described above so as to be bridged in the horizontal direction, and the mesh 131 can be covered (laid) thereon. When using a net having high rigidity, the net 131 can be directly covered on the net support member 13. And the extended part of the growing vegetable (for example, strawberry) extended to the near side from the upper surface of the planter 2 can be placed on the net 131 and can be supported in a state of being floated from the upper surface of the rectangular frame 11.

  When a strawberry is cultivated in the planter 2 on the cultivation bench 10, the extended portion extends only to the net 131 side (the other side of the opposing long side, the left side in FIG. 6) and the opposite side (the opposing long side) On the other side, the right side in FIG. For example, when a strawberry seedling is transplanted to the planter 2, the extending part on one side of the opposing long side is cut and extended only to the other side (the net 131 side).

  On the bottom surface side of the rectangular frame 11 of the cultivation bench 10, a pair of parallel pipes 14 that are separated in the horizontal direction and extend in the vertical direction are provided. The parallel pipes 14 are fixed to the lower surfaces of the two vertical frame members 112 except for the central and outer three of the five vertical frame members 112 constituting the rectangular frame 11 by means such as welding. . As can be seen from FIG. 6, the parallel pipe 14 is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction on the inner side so as not to overlap the front and rear horizontal frame members 11 constituting the rectangular frame 11.

  Vertical guide devices 20A and 20B that support a plurality of cultivation benches 10 and guide them in the vertical direction (hereinafter simply referred to as vertical guidance devices 20) support parallel pipes 14 of cultivation bench 10 as shown in FIG. Thus, a plurality of pairs of idler wheels 16 and 17 are provided. As shown in FIG. 11 to be referred to later, a plurality of pairs of idler wheels 16 and 17 are predetermined in the vertical direction so that each of the pair of parallel pipes 14 is supported by a plurality of idler wheels 16 (or 17). Arranged at intervals.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the upper portion of the vertical guide device 20 as viewed from the front, and a pair of idler wheels 16 and 17 are provided on the upper portion of the vertical guide device 20 in accordance with the interval between the parallel pipes 14 of the cultivation bench 10. It has been. A vertical rail 201 is stretched in the vertical direction on the right column 202 of the vertical guide device 20 (see FIG. 11), and the right idler wheel 16 is pivotally supported on the bracket 18 fixed on the vertical rail 201. ing. The idler wheel 16 is rotatable around a lateral (horizontal) axis X1 and supports the pipe 14 on the right side of the cultivation bench 10 from below and rolls according to the vertical conveyance of the cultivation bench 10.

  Similarly, a vertical rail 201 is stretched in a vertical direction on a left column 202 of the vertical guide device 20, and the left and right vertical rails 201 are connected by a beam member 203. On the left vertical rail 201, a bracket 19 that pivotally supports an idler wheel 17 different from the right side is fixed. The left idler wheel 17 includes a pair of auxiliary idler wheels 17A and 17B that support the left pipe 14 of the cultivation bench 10 so as to be sandwiched obliquely from below.

  The pair of auxiliary idler wheels 17A and 17B are pivotally supported by the bracket 19 so as to be rotatable about axes X2 and X3 inclined at 45 degrees in the opposite direction from the horizontal direction (horizontal direction). Therefore, the left idler wheel 17 including the pair of auxiliary idler wheels 17A and 17B has a function of supporting the left pipe 14 of the cultivation bench 10 from below and restricting lateral movement (lateral deviation). . The point which rolls according to the vertical conveyance of the cultivation bench 10 is the same as that of the free wheel 16 on the right side. Since the left idler wheel 17 (17A, 17B) prevents the lateral deviation of the cultivation bench 10, the vertical transfer of the plurality of cultivation benches 10 by the push units 21A, 21B is smoothly performed.

  Moreover, the IC tag (illustration omitted) is provided in the rectangular frame 11 of the cultivation bench 10, and the various information of the plant cultivated on the cultivation bench 10 is memorize | stored in the IC tag. Thereby, the information of the plant cultivated is managed for every cultivation bench 10, and it contributes to the improvement of traceability.

  Next, the structure of the lateral transfer devices 40A and 40B will be described. Since the basic structure of the pair of horizontal transfer apparatuses 40A and 40B is the same, the horizontal transfer apparatus 40 will be referred to as a horizontal transfer apparatus 40 hereinafter. The same applies to the vertical guide device 20 (20A, 20B). 8 and 9 show a schematic structure of the lateral conveyance device 40 (40A) in a plan view and a front view. In FIG. 9, the state where the cultivation bench 10 exists in the conveyance upstream is drawn. The horizontal conveying device 40 includes a pair of parallel horizontal rails 47 supported by a plurality of legs 41 and beams 42 and extending in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, each horizontal rail 47 is divided into an upstream side, a central part, and a downstream side, which are divided into a vertical guide device 20 (20A, 20B) and a horizontal conveying device. This is because the pull unit 22 (22A, 22B) and the push unit 21 (21A, 21B) that deliver the cultivation bench 10 to and from 40 (40A, 40B) are arranged so as to intersect the horizontal rail 47 at a right angle. . When adopting a pull unit and push unit structure that does not interfere with the horizontal rail 47, each horizontal rail 47 may be a single continuous rail. In the following description, the horizontal rail 47 means one horizontal rail 47 in which three divided rails on the upstream side, the central portion, and the downstream side are combined.

  A plurality of pairs (17 pairs in the illustrated example) of guide wheels 48 are attached at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the pair of horizontal rails 47. The guide wheel 48 has a function of guiding the cultivation bench 10 in the lateral direction by supporting the bottom surfaces of the two front and rear horizontal frame members 111 constituting the rectangular frame 11 of the cultivation bench 10. As can be seen from FIG. 10, which is a side view showing a lateral drive section described later, the guide wheel 48 is attached to the upper surface of the lateral rail 47 so as to face inward using an L metal fitting 49 and bolts and nuts. The guide wheel 48 includes an inner small-diameter portion that contacts the bottom surface of the horizontal frame member 111 of the cultivation bench 10 and an outer large-diameter portion (flange). The large-diameter portion is located on the outer side in the width direction (vertical direction) of the horizontal frame member 111 of the cultivation bench 10 and functions to regulate movement (displacement) in the direction perpendicular to the horizontal conveyance direction (vertical direction) of the cultivation bench 10. Have. In addition, when sliding friction can be made small enough, the sliding vertical guide member which supports the bottom face side of the cultivation bench 10 is used instead of the guide wheel 48, and the cultivation bench 10 slides along the horizontal rail 47. It is also conceivable to configure so as to.

  In FIG. 10, the schematic structure of the horizontal drive part 50 which carries out the horizontal conveyance of the cultivation bench 10 along the horizontal rail 47 is shown as a side view. The lateral drive unit 50 includes an electric motor 501, a gear box 502, and a drive roller 503. An output shaft (rotary shaft) 504 of the electric motor 501 is connected to a gear box 502, and a drive roller 503 is fixed to the output shaft (rotary shaft) 505 of the gear box 502. When the electric motor 501 operates, the rotational speed thereof is reduced by the gear box 502, the driving force is increased, and the driving roller 503 rotates around the axis AX1.

  The outer peripheral surface of the driving roller 503 is in contact with the bottom surface of the horizontal frame member 111 on the rear side (back side) in the vertical direction among the two front and rear horizontal frame members 111 of the cultivation bench 10. The outer peripheral portion of the driving roller 503 is formed of a rubber material having a large surface friction (grip force). When the driving roller 503 rotates around the axis AX1, the outer peripheral surface of the driving roller 503 and the bottom surface of the horizontal frame member 111 are formed. The cultivation bench 10 is conveyed laterally (along the plurality of guide wheels 48) by the frictional force. Therefore, the upper end surface of the outer peripheral surface of the drive roller 503 is arranged so as to protrude slightly above the upper end surface of the inner small diameter portion of the guide wheel 48 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the horizontal drive unit 50 (drive roller 503) is provided at two locations that are separated in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction) of the horizontal conveyance device 40. The interval is shorter than the horizontal length of the horizontal frame member 111 of the cultivation bench 10. Therefore, when the cultivation bench 10 is conveyed from the conveyance upstream side (left side) to the conveyance downstream side (right side) by the horizontal conveyance device 40, at least one of the two left and right drive rollers 503 is always behind the cultivation bench 10. It is in contact with the bottom surface of the lateral frame member 111 on the side. That is, the cultivation bench 10 positioned on the upstream side of the horizontal conveying device 40 is initially conveyed by the left driving roller 503 when the horizontal driving unit 50 (driving roller 503) is operated, and accompanying the movement in the right direction. The right end of the bottom surface of the rear lateral frame member 111 is in contact with the right drive roller 503, and after a short period of time that is conveyed by both the left and right drive rollers 503, the latter half is conveyed by the right drive roller 503 to the conveyance downstream side. The

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a horizontal conveyance completion sensor 401 for detecting that the cultivation bench 10 has been conveyed to the conveyance downstream side is provided at the right end of the horizontal conveyance device 40. As the horizontal transfer completion sensor 401, for example, a limit switch that outputs a signal by contacting the horizontal transfer tip (right end) of the cultivation bench 10, or an optical sensor or a magnetic sensor that detects the horizontal transfer tip of the cultivation bench 10. A simple non-contact sensor can be used.

  Next, FIG. 11 shows a schematic structure in a side view of the vertical guide device 20 and the horizontal conveyance device 40. As described with reference to FIG. 7, the vertical guide device 20 includes a pair of parallel vertical rails 201 spanned on a plurality of support columns 202 and a beam member 203 that connects the left and right vertical rails 201. ing. A plurality of pairs of idler wheels 16 (and 17) are mounted on the vertical rail 201 at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction via brackets 18 (and 19). Each of the pair of parallel pipes 14 provided in the lower part of the cultivation bench 10 is configured to be supported by a plurality of idle wheels 16 (or 17). In the illustrated example, the parallel pipe 14 of the cultivation bench 10 is supported by two or three idle wheels 16. In addition, in FIG. 11, the center part of the vertical guide apparatus 20 is abbreviate | omitted and drawn.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the horizontal conveyance device 40 positioned before and after the vertical guide device 20 (left and right in FIG. 11) smoothly transfers the cultivation bench 10 between the vertical guide device 20 and the horizontal conveyance device 40. In order to perform, the raising / lowering apparatus 43 which raises / lowers the cultivation bench 10 is provided. A pair of lifting devices 43 are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the horizontal conveying device 40. A plurality of (three in the illustrated example) idler wheels 16 are attached to the upper end of the lifting / lowering device 43 in the vertical direction at predetermined intervals via the bracket 18, similarly to the vertical guide device 20 (on the right side thereof). . The lifting / lowering device 43 is located between a rising position (state shown in FIG. 11) in which the idler wheel 16 at the upper end is at the same height as the idler wheel 16 (or 17) of the vertical rail 201 and a retracted position for retreating downward. Go up and down.

  FIGS. 12 and 13 schematically show the lateral conveying device 40 including the lifting device 43 when the lifting device 43 is in the raised position and the retracted position as side views. The elevating device 43 supports an air cylinder 432 installed on the beam member 431, a piston rod 433 extending above the air cylinder 431, an elevating plate 434 fixed to the tip thereof, and the elevating plate 434 slidably in the vertical direction. A pair of guide frames 435 is provided. Three brackets 18 that pivotally support the idler wheel 16 are attached to the upper end of the elevating plate 434 at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, and each idler wheel 16 is laterally (like the idler wheel 16 of the vertical guide device 20). It can rotate around the axis in the horizontal direction.

  When the piston rod 433 of the air cylinder 432 is extended, the elevating plate 434 is raised to the raised position shown in FIG. In this raised position, the plurality of idler wheels 16 at the upper end of the lift plate 434 are at the same height as the plurality of idler wheels 16 (or 17) of the vertical rail 201. In this state, the cultivation bench 10 can smoothly move horizontally between the vertical guide device 20 and the horizontal conveyance device 40. Therefore, the vertical movement (delivery) of the cultivation bench 10 by the pull unit 22 or the push unit 21 can be performed smoothly.

  If the piston rod 433 (projection length) of the air cylinder 432 is shortened in the state where the cultivation bench 10 is supported by the pair of lifting devices 43 (the state shown in FIG. 12) on the upstream side of the horizontal transport device 40, the lifting plate 434 descends. And in the middle of the raising / lowering plate 434 descending to the retracted position shown in FIG. 13, the bottom surface side of the cultivation bench 10 that descends together, that is, the bottom surfaces of the pair of horizontal frame members 111 are supported in contact with the plurality of guide wheels 48. . Further, as described above with reference to FIG. 10, the bottom surface of the horizontal frame member 111 on the rear side in the vertical direction (right side in FIG. 10) is in contact with and supported by the driving roller 503.

  As shown in FIG. 13, in a state where the lifting plate 434 is lowered to the retracted position, the plurality of idler wheels 16 at the upper end of the lifting plate 434 are free from the pair of parallel pipes 14 on the bottom side of the cultivation bench 10. become. Therefore, when the driving roller 503 rotates and the cultivation bench 10 is conveyed laterally, the plurality of idler wheels 16 at the upper end of the lifting plate 434 do not hinder it.

  In addition, when the piston rod 433 of the air cylinder 432 extends from the state of FIG. 13 below the cultivation bench 10 that has been laterally transported to the transport downstream side of the lateral transport device 40, the lifting plate 434 in the retracted position is shown in FIG. Ascend to the ascending position. During the ascent, the plurality of idler wheels 16 at the upper end of the lifting plate 434 come into contact with and support the pair of parallel pipes 14 on the bottom side of the cultivation bench 10 and lift the cultivation bench 10. Then, the plurality of idler wheels 16 at the upper end of the lifting plate 434 have the same height as the plurality of idler wheels 16 (and 17) of the vertical guide device 20. By operating the push unit 21 in this state, the cultivation bench 10 is smoothly conveyed to the vertical guide device 20.

  Next, the structure of the push unit 21 will be described. 14 and 15 are a plan view and a side view showing a schematic structure of the push unit 21, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the push unit 21 (21 </ b> A, 21 </ b> B) is provided on the conveyance downstream side of the horizontal conveyance device 40 (40 </ b> A, 40 </ b> B) and is located on the conveyance downstream side of the horizontal conveyance device 40. By moving 10 to the vertical guide device 20, a plurality of cultivation benches 10 arranged on the vertical guide device 20 are vertically conveyed in a ball shape. The push unit 21A and the push unit 21B have the same structure, but the front and rear direction (vertical direction) of the cultivation bench 10 conveyed thereby is different. In FIG. 15, the push unit 21 </ b> A provided on the transport downstream side of the lateral transport device 40 on the near side is illustrated as an example.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the push unit 21 has an electric motor 211, a drive sprocket 213 fixed to the output shaft (rotary shaft) 212, and a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction (vertical direction). A driven sprocket 214 arranged between the drive sprocket 213 and the driven sprocket 214, and a push plate member 217 fixed to the upper surface of the chain 215 using bolts, nuts 216 and metal fittings. It has.

  In FIG. 15, when the rotating shaft 212 of the electric motor 211 rotates clockwise, the chain 215 spanned between the drive sprocket 213 and the driven sprocket 214 rotates clockwise, and the push plate fixed to the upper surface thereof. The member 217 moves in the right direction (vertical direction) from the position of the solid line to the position of the broken line. At this time, the action surface 218 of the push plate member 217 comes into contact with the lateral center of the horizontal frame member 111 of the cultivation bench 10 located on the conveyance downstream side of the horizontal conveyance device 40, and the cultivation bench 10 is removed from the horizontal conveyance device 40. It is conveyed to the vertical guide device 20. And the some cultivation bench 10 currently located in a line on the vertical guide apparatus 20 is vertically conveyed in a ball shape.

  A push completion sensor (such as a limit switch or an optical sensor) that detects that the push plate member 217 has moved from the solid line position in FIGS. 14 and 15 to the broken line position supports the drive sprocket 213 and the driven sprocket 214. When the push plate member 217 is detected as being moved to the position indicated by the broken line by the output of the push completion sensor, the electric motor 211 is reversed and the push plate member 217 is moved to the solid line. Controlled to return to position. Similarly, a push return sensor that detects that the push plate member 217 has returned to the solid line position is disposed on the frame (not shown), and the push plate member 217 returns to the solid line position by the output of the push completion sensor. When it is detected that the electric motor 211 is stopped, until the next cultivation bench 10 is laterally transported downstream of the lateral transport device 40 (until the output of the lateral transport completion sensor 401 changes). stand by. Details of the control will be described later.

  As described above, in this embodiment, a sprocket and a chain are used as a mechanism for converting the rotational force of the electric motor 211 into a linear driving force. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other mechanisms such as a rack and pinion and a screw feed mechanism are used. A mechanism may be used. Moreover, although the electric motor 211 is used as the drive source of the push unit 21, the present invention is not limited to this, and other drive sources such as an air cylinder and a hydraulic cylinder may be used.

  Next, the structure of the pull unit 22 will be described. 16 and 17 are a side view and a plan view showing a schematic structure of the pull unit 22, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pull unit 22 (22 </ b> A, 22 </ b> B) is provided on the transport upstream side of the lateral transport device 40 (40 </ b> A, 40 </ b> B), and the cultivation bench 10 located at the most downstream position of the vertical guide device 20. Is moved to the transport upstream side of the lateral transport device 40. Although the pull unit 22A and the pull unit 22B have the same structure, the front and rear directions (vertical direction) of the cultivation bench 10 conveyed thereby are different. In FIG. 16, the pull unit 22 </ b> A provided on the transport upstream side of the lateral transport device 40 on the near side is illustrated as an example.

  The pull unit 22 is a slender slider 221 that extends in the vertical direction, a slide bracket 222 that slides in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) on the slider 221, and a swingable pivot about an axis AX 2 in the lateral direction with respect to the slide bracket 222. A supported swinging engagement member 223 is provided. The slider 221 is fixed on the drive unit 224, and the drive unit 224 is supported by a plurality of legs.

  The driving unit 224 is for applying a driving force for sliding the slide bracket 222 along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the slider 221. The drive unit 224 is specifically composed of a rodless cylinder. Not limited to this, an appropriate one can be selected from an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric motor and a screw feed mechanism, and various other known drive means. Since the above-mentioned push unit 21 vertically conveys the cultivation bench 10 located on the conveyance downstream side of the horizontal conveyance device 40 and the plurality of cultivation benches 10 arranged on the vertical guide device 20 in a ball shape, a relatively large driving force. However, since the pull unit 22 only needs to move the cultivation bench 10 (one unit) located at the most downstream position of the vertical guide device 20 to the lateral conveying device 40, a small driving force is sufficient.

  The swing engagement member 223 pivotably supported around the axis AX2 with respect to the slide bracket 222 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block made of aluminum or resin. The pivot axis AX2 is positioned closer to the front side in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the slide bracket 222, and the swinging engagement member 223 in the steady state has its rear end side caused by its own weight as shown by a solid line in FIG. The tip engaging portion 225 is lowered and raised. Further, the slide bracket 222 stands by at the rear end position (right end position in FIG. 16) in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the slider 221 as indicated by a solid line in FIG.

  A plurality of cultivation benches 10 arranged on the vertical guide device 20 are vertically conveyed in a ball shape by the push unit 21 described above, and the most advanced cultivation bench 10 is located above the slide bracket 222 and the swinging engagement member 223 (mostly). Come downstream). At this time, the horizontal frame member 111 on the front end side (front side) in the moving direction of the cultivation bench 10 passes so as to push down the front end engaging portion 225 of the swing engaging member 223. As a result, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 16, the swing engagement member 223 swings to a state where the tip engagement portion 225 is slightly lowered, and then returns to the solid line position.

  Although not shown in the drawings, a vertical conveyance sensor that detects that the swing engagement member 223 has swung as described above is disposed on the slide bracket 222. When it is detected based on the detection signal of the vertical conveyance sensor that the most advanced cultivation bench 10 that has been vertically conveyed in a ball shape has come to the most downstream position, the drive unit 224 is activated and the slide bracket 222 is moved to the slider 221. It is controlled to move from the standby position indicated by the solid line to the pull completion position indicated by the broken line along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction). At this time, the front end engaging portion 225 of the swing engaging member 223 returning to the position of the solid line contacts (engages with) the inner side (rear side) of the horizontal frame member 111 on the front end side (front side) in the moving direction of the cultivation bench 10. ) And transport the cultivation bench 10 to the position of the broken line. The swing engagement member 223 can swing counterclockwise from the solid line position (to the broken line position), but cannot swing clockwise from the solid line position. .

  A pull completion sensor (such as a limit switch or an optical sensor) that detects that the slide bracket 222 has moved along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the slider 221 to the pull completion position (dashed line position) is disposed on the slider 221 ( When the slide bracket 222 is detected to have moved to the pull completion position based on the output of the pull completion sensor, the drive unit 224 reverses and the slide bracket 222 returns to the standby position (solid line position). To be controlled. Similarly, a pull return sensor that detects that the slide bracket 222 has returned to the standby position is provided on the slider 221 (not shown), and the slide bracket 222 has returned to the standby position by the output of the pull return sensor. When detected, the drive unit 224 stops operating, and waits until the next cultivation bench 10 reaches the most downstream position of the vertical guide device 20 (until the detection signal of the vertical conveyance sensor changes). In this way, the pull unit 22 transports the cultivation bench 10 located at the most downstream position of the vertical guide device 20 to the lateral transport device 40.

  In this embodiment, the space in front of the transport upstream side of the lateral transport device 40 </ b> A on the near side in FIG. 1 is set as a work space for the cultivation bench 10. The worker performs various operations (for example, fruit picking, flower picking, weeding, pruning, replacement of the planter 2) in the work space. In addition, in the substantially central portion in the conveyance direction (lateral direction) of the lateral conveyance device 40B on the back side, a irrigation device 31 for irrigating the plants on the cultivation bench 10 during horizontal conveyance and a chemical spray for pest control are performed. A medicine spraying device 32 is arranged.

  Since the medicine spraying device 32 sprays the medicine at the position farthest from the work space, it is possible to reduce the adverse effect of the medicine on the worker who is working in the work space. Since the irrigation of the plant by the irrigation device 31 does not particularly have an adverse effect on the worker, the irrigation device 31 is provided at substantially the center of both the rear side conveyance device 40B and the front side conveyance device 40A. It may be provided.

  Next, an example of control by a control device (hereinafter referred to as a controller) provided in the mobile cultivation device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating an example of control, and FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the horizontal conveyance completion sensor S1 (401), the push completion sensor S2, the push return sensor S3, the vertical conveyance sensor S4, the pull completion sensor S5, and the pull return are added to the controller 600 provided in the mobile cultivation apparatus. Each output signal (detection signal) of the sensor S6 is input. These sensors are as already described. Further, the signal of the start switch SW1 is also input to the controller 600.

  On the other hand, the control signal output from the controller 600 includes the electric motor 501 for lateral conveyance described above, the lifting device 43 (air cylinder 432), the electric motor 211 for the push unit, the drive unit 224 for the pull unit, the irrigation device 31, and It is given to the medicine spraying device 32. Actually, a control signal from the controller 600 is given to each drive circuit, but it can be considered that each drive circuit is included in the controller 600. The controller 600 includes a microcomputer, a program memory, a working memory, various interfaces, and the like. Furthermore, the controller 600 has a timer 601 that counts the internal clock. The controller 600 controls each electric motor, air cylinder, etc. (drive circuit thereof) based on the output signal (detection signal) from each sensor according to a predetermined control program. An example of the control will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

  In step # 101 of FIG. 19, when the signal of the activation switch SW1 is input to the controller 600, the controller 600 operates the electric motor 501 for horizontal conveyance in step # 102 to move the cultivation bench 10 upstream of the horizontal conveyance device 40. It conveys from the side to the conveyance downstream side. Also, the internal timer 601 is activated (reset) simultaneously with the activation of the electric motor 501. At this time, the lifting plate 434 is in the retracted position (lowered position) by the lifting device 43.

  When the elapse of the predetermined time (first time) is detected by the timer 601 in Step # 103, the controller 600 activates the irrigation device 31 and the medicine spraying device 32 (Step # 104). Further, when a predetermined time (second time) elapses (step # 105), the controller 600 stops the irrigation device 31 and the medicine spraying device 32 (step # 106). In this way, the irrigation device 31 and the drug spraying device 32 provided in the substantially central part of the transport direction (lateral direction) of the horizontal transport device 40 automatically perform irrigation and drug spraying on the plant of the cultivation bench 10 during the horizontal transport. Done.

  In addition, said 1st time and 2nd time were calculated based on the conveyance speed of the horizontal conveying apparatus 40, the horizontal direction distance to the irrigation apparatus 31 and the chemical | medical agent spraying apparatus 32, the horizontal direction length of the cultivation bench 10, etc. An appropriate value is set. Instead of the timer 601 for measuring the first time and the second time, a sensor for detecting the passage of the front end and the rear end of the cultivation bench 10 during horizontal conveyance is provided, and the controller 600 is based on the detection signal. You may comprise so that the operation start and stop of the irrigation apparatus 31 and the chemical | medical agent spraying apparatus 32 may be controlled.

  When the cultivation bench 10 reaches the conveyance downstream side of the horizontal conveyance device 40, the controller 600 detects it based on the output signal of the horizontal conveyance completion sensor S1 (401) (step # 107), and the electric motor 501 for horizontal conveyance is detected. Stop (step # 108). Subsequently, the lifting device 43 is operated to move the lifting plate 434 to the raised position (step # 109). Further, the electric motor 211 of the push unit is operated (step # 110). Thereby, while the cultivation bench 10 in the conveyance downstream side of the horizontal conveying apparatus 40 is conveyed to the vertical guide apparatus 20, the several cultivation bench 10 on the vertical guide apparatus 20 is vertically conveyed in the shape of a ball.

  In step # 111, when it is detected by the output signal of the push completion sensor S2 that the vertical conveyance of the cultivation bench 10 by the push unit 21 is completed, the controller 600 reverses the electric motor 211 of the push unit (step # 112). Return the push unit 21 to the standby position. When the return to the standby position is detected by the output signal of the push return sensor S3 (step # 113), the controller 600 stops the electric motor 211 of the push unit (step # 114).

  When the vertical transfer of the cultivation bench 10 by the push unit 21 is completed, the output signal of the vertical transfer sensor S4 changes (step # 115), so the controller 600 operates the drive unit 224 of the pull unit (step # 116). ), The cultivation bench 10 at the most downstream position of the vertical guide device 20 is conveyed to the horizontal conveyance device 40. In the flowchart of FIG. 19, for simplification of explanation, after the reverse rotation and stop of the electric motor 211 of the push unit, the change of the output signal of the vertical conveyance sensor S4 is checked and the drive unit 224 of the pull unit is operated. Although it is configured to operate, the change of the output signal of the vertical conveyance sensor S4 is checked in parallel with the reverse rotation and stop of the electric motor 211 of the push unit, and the drive unit 224 of the pull unit is controlled to operate. Is preferred.

  In step # 117, when it is detected by the output signal of the pull completion sensor S5 that the movement of the cultivation bench 10 to the lateral conveyance device 40 by the pull unit 22 is completed, the controller 600 reverses the drive unit 224 of the pull unit. (Step # 118), the pull unit 22 is returned to the standby position. When the return to the standby position is detected by the output signal of the pull return sensor S6 (step # 119), the controller 600 stops the drive unit 224 of the pull unit (step # 120). Subsequently, the lifting device 43 is operated to lower the lifting plate 434 to the retracted position (step # 121). As a result, as described above, the cultivation bench 10 is supported by the guide wheel 48 and the driving roller 503 on the upstream side of the horizontal conveying device 40 and can be laterally conveyed by the driving roller 503.

  In this state, the series of controls as described above by the controller 600 ends, and a standby state is entered. Thereafter, when the worker finishes the work in the work space on the upstream side of the conveyance of the horizontal conveyance device 40 and presses the start switch SW1, the control from step # 101 is repeated again. Instead of ending the control once in step # 121 and putting it in a standby state, the control from step # 101 is automatically repeated when a predetermined time elapsed by the controller 600 using the timer 601 has elapsed. Also good.

  The predetermined time is set in consideration of the time required for work on the cultivation bench 10, but it is preferable that the predetermined time can be changed. In this case, even if the operator does not press the start switch SW1 after completing the work on the cultivation bench 10, the control from step # 101 starts automatically, and the cultivation bench 10 as the next work object is moved to the horizontal conveyance device 40. It is carried to the upstream side. A stop switch for inputting a signal for stopping (interrupting) such a repetitive operation (control) to the controller 600 is required. It is also possible to use the start switch SW1 as a stop switch.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 19, the pair of push units 21 (21A, 21B) and the pair of pull units 22 (22A, 22B) are simultaneously controlled, and a pair is arranged on the transport upstream side and transport downstream side of the lateral transport device 40. The lifting and lowering devices 43 provided one by one are also controlled simultaneously. That is, in step # 109 before the vertical conveyance (step # 110) by the push unit 21, when the lifting device 43 on the downstream conveyance side of the horizontal conveyance device 40 is operated to move the lifting plate 434 to the raised position, the conveyance upstream. The lifting device 43 on the side is also operated simultaneously to move the lifting plate 434 to the raised position. Therefore, when the pull unit 22 is operated in step # 116 and the cultivation bench 10 located at the most downstream position of the vertical guide device 20 is moved to the horizontal transfer device 40, the lifting plate 434 is already in the raised position. There is no need to operate the lifting device 43 immediately before.

  However, as a modification, the lifting and lowering devices 43 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the horizontal conveying device 40 may be individually controlled. In that case, in step # 109, only the lifting and lowering device 43 on the downstream side of the horizontal conveying device 40 is operated (raised), and immediately before the pull unit 22 is operated in step # 116, the upstream side of the horizontal conveying device 40 on the upstream side of conveyance. You may control so that only the raising / lowering apparatus 43 may be operated (raised).

  Next, the modification regarding the parallel pipe 14 provided in the bottom face of the cultivation bench 10 is demonstrated. The horizontal conveyance device 40 of the above-described embodiment supports and guides the bottom surface of the horizontal frame member 111 before and after the cultivation bench 10 with a plurality of pairs of guide wheels 48, and the driving roller 503 is the bottom surface of the rear horizontal frame member 111. The cultivation bench 10 is laterally conveyed by frictional force in contact with For this reason, the parallel pipe 14 provided on the bottom surface of the rectangular frame 11 of the cultivation bench 10 is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction on the inner side so as not to overlap the front and rear horizontal frame members 111. That is, the length of the parallel pipe 14 is shorter than the length of the rectangular frame 11 in the vertical direction.

  However, as a modified example, it is also possible to use a belt conveyor type lateral conveyance device like the mobile cultivation device described in Patent Document 1 cited as the prior art. In this case, since there is no need to consider interference between the guide wheel 48 or the driving roller 503 and the parallel pipe 14, the length of the parallel pipe 14 is substantially equal to the longitudinal length of the rectangular frame 11, as shown in FIG. Can be the same length. Accordingly, the vertical interval (predetermined interval) between the plurality of pairs of idler wheels 16 of the vertical guide device 20 can be set longer than that in the above embodiment, so the necessary number of idler wheels 16 is required. Can be reduced.

  That is, when the parallel pipe 14 of the cultivation bench 10 is supported and guided by the plurality of idler wheels 16 (and 17) of the vertical guide device 20 as described above, the cultivation bench 10 does not tilt forward and backward. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to support each of the parallel pipes 14 with a plurality (at least two) of idler wheels 16 (or 17) spaced apart in the vertical direction. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately set the installation interval (predetermined interval) in the vertical direction of the plurality of pairs of idler wheels 16 according to the length of the parallel pipe 14.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 20, one end side (front end side) 14 a of the parallel pipe 14 has a convex shape and the other end side (rear end side) 14 b has a concave shape (or opening), and is adjacent on the vertical guide device 20. Between the cultivation bench 10, you may comprise so that the front end side and the rear end side 14b of the parallel pipe 14 may mutually engage. Thus, since the effect which prevents the movement (shift | offset | difference) to the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the cultivation bench 10 will further be acquired if the several cultivation bench 10 on the vertical guide apparatus 20 connects, several cultivation is carried out. The vertical transfer in the shape of a ball on the bench is performed more smoothly.

  In addition, when using a belt conveyor as a horizontal conveying apparatus, the raising / lowering apparatus 43 in the above-mentioned embodiment is unnecessary. The pull unit 22 is arranged between the vertical guide device 20 and the horizontal conveying device so that the parallel pipes 14 on the bottom surface side of the cultivation bench 10 slide on the mounting plates provided at predetermined intervals on the belt surface of the belt conveyor. Or the delivery of the cultivation bench 10 by the push unit 21 will be performed.

  The embodiment of the present invention described above is merely an example, and is not limited to the modifications described as appropriate in the description, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of cultivation benches 10 are configured to circulate counterclockwise in a plan view, but the direction of horizontal conveyance by the horizontal conveyance devices 40A and 40B is reversed. And if the arrangement of push unit 21A, 21B and pull unit 22A, 22B is reversed, the circulation direction of the some cultivation bench 10 can be changed clockwise. In addition, the configuration of each unit is not limited to the embodiment described with reference to the drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cultivation bench 14 Parallel pipes 14a and 14b Ends 16 and 17 of parallel pipes Free wheel 17A and 17B Secondary free wheel 20 (20A and 20B) Vertical guide device 21 (21A and 21B) Push unit 22 (22A and 22B) Pull unit 40 (40A, 40B) Horizontal transfer device

Claims (2)

A pair of horizontal conveyance devices arranged in parallel with the conveyance directions opposite to each other, and a pair of vertical guides for guiding a plurality of cultivation benches from the conveyance downstream side of one horizontal conveyance device to the conveyance upstream side of the other horizontal conveyance device A plurality of cultivation benches on the vertical guide device are arranged in a ball shape by operating a pair of push units that move the cultivation bench on the horizontal conveying device toward the vertical guide device. A mobile cultivation apparatus that circulates the plurality of cultivation benches,
The cultivation bench includes a pair of parallel pipes on the bottom surface that are spaced apart in the horizontal direction and extend in the vertical direction,
The vertical guide device includes a plurality of pairs of idler wheels that roll while supporting a pair of parallel pipes on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench, and each of the pair of parallel pipes is supported by a plurality of idler wheels. The plurality of pairs of idler wheels are arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction ,
One of the pair of idler wheels provided in the vertical guide device comprises a pair of secondary idler wheels that support one of the parallel pipes of the cultivation bench so as to be sandwiched from diagonally below, and the pair of idler wheels The other is configured to rotate around a lateral axis to support the other one of the parallel pipes from below.
Mobile cultivation equipment. The plurality of cultivation benches in the vertical guide device are connected by engaging the ends of the pair of parallel pipes with each other,
The mobile cultivation apparatus according to claim 1.

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