JP7089867B2 - Plant cultivation equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus.

Conventionally, as a plant cultivation device, a bed body through which nutrient solution flows, a lid member covering the upper opening of the bed body, a liquid tank in which nutrient solution is stored, and a liquid tank at one end of the inclined bed body are fed from the liquid tank. Some are provided with a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid and a liquid return unit for returning the nutrient solution flowing out from the other end of the bed body to the liquid tank (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-11284 (Patent Document 1). reference).

In the above plant cultivation device, the bed body is gently tilted, the nutrient solution is poured into a thin film on the inclined surface of the bottom inside the bed body, and a part of the roots of the plant held by the planting holes of the lid member (lower). Plants are cultivated by thin-film hydroponics (NFT: Nutrient Film Technique) in which the side) is immersed in a thin-film nutrient solution.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-11294

In the above-mentioned conventional plant cultivation apparatus, since oxygen is directly absorbed from the roots, there is no need for an air pump to supply air, and since the entire roots are not immersed in the nutrient solution, the amount of nutrient solution can be reduced.

However, in the above plant cultivation device, when the liquid pump of the liquid supply section that supplies the nutrient solution from the liquid tank to the bed body is stopped due to a power failure or failure, the nutrient solution flowing to the bottom of the bed body disappears and the roots of the plant Since everything is exposed to the air and dried, there is a problem that the plants wither in a short time.

Therefore, the subject of the present invention is a plant cultivation apparatus capable of switching to deep flow technique (DFT) and continuing plant cultivation even if the liquid pump that supplies nutrient solution in thin film hydroponics is stopped. To provide.

The plant cultivation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is
A storage unit that stores nutrient solution for growing plants,
A cultivation section that cultivates the above plants using the nutrient solution supplied from the storage section, and a cultivation section.
A plant mounting part, which is arranged in the cultivation part at a distance from the bottom of the cultivation part and on which the plant is mounted,
A communication section that communicates the inside of the storage section and the inside of the cultivation section,
It is provided with a liquid pump that sucks the nutrient solution that has flowed into the inside of the cultivation section from the storage section through the communication section and returns it to the storage section.
The suction port of the liquid pump is arranged at a predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section.
The bottom surface of the plant mounting portion is located at a position higher than the predetermined height from the bottom of the cultivation portion.
By sucking the nutrient solution in the cultivation section and returning it to the storage section during the operation of the liquid pump, the liquid level in the cultivation section becomes lower than the liquid level in the storage section.
When the liquid pump is stopped during operation, the nutrient solution flows from the storage section into the inside of the cultivation section through the communication section, and the liquid level in the cultivation section becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage section. As it rises to the point
The plant mounting portion is characterized in that the liquid level in the cultivation part is raised by stopping the liquid pump so as to float on the nutrient solution.

According to the above configuration, the suction port of the liquid pump is arranged at a predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section, and the bottom surface of the plant mounting section is located at a position higher than the predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section. When the suction port of the liquid pump is arranged at a predetermined height of 1 cm from the bottom of the cultivation section, the nutrient solution in the cultivation section is sucked from the suction port of the liquid pump and returned to the storage section during the operation of the liquid pump, thereby returning from the storage section. A thin-film nutrient solution flow is formed in which the nutrient solution flows into the inside of the cultivation section through the communication section and flows to the suction port of the liquid pump. At this time, by making the discharge amount of the liquid pump larger than the amount of nutrient solution flowing into the inside of the cultivation part through the communication part, the liquid level in the cultivation part becomes lower than the liquid level in the storage part and also in the cultivation part. The flow of the nutrient solution is about 1 cm in depth, and a part (lower side) of the root of the plant becomes a thin-film nutrient solution on the lower side of the bottom surface of the plant mounting part located at a position higher than the predetermined height of 1 cm. After being soaked, plants are cultivated by thin-film hydroponics. When the liquid pump stops during operation due to a power outage or failure, the liquid level in the storage section is higher than the liquid level in the cultivation section, so the nutrient solution is cultivated from the storage section through the communication section due to the water pressure difference. It flows into the inside of the part and rises until the liquid level in the cultivation part becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage part. As a result, the plant-mounted part floats in the nutrient solution whose liquid level has risen due to the stop of the liquid pump, and most of the roots of the plants mounted on the plant-mounted part are immersed in the nutrient solution. Switch to tillage. Therefore, even if the liquid pump that supplies the nutrient solution in the thin film type hydroponics is stopped, it is possible to switch to the inundation type hydroponics and continue the plant cultivation.

When the power failure is restored or the failure is corrected, the operation of the liquid pump is restarted, and the nutrient solution in the cultivation section is returned to the storage section by the liquid pump, so that the nutrient solution from the storage section is returned to the storage section via the communication section. The liquid level in the cultivation section is lowered while flowing into the inside of the cultivated part, and a thin-film nutrient solution flow is formed in which the position of the suction port of the liquid pump is almost the liquid level. This makes it possible to re-cultivate plants by thin-film hydroponics in which a part (lower side) of the roots of the plant is immersed in a thin-film nutrient solution.

Further, in the plant cultivation apparatus of one embodiment,
The liquid pump returns the nutrient solution sucked from the suction port and the air sucked together with the nutrient solution into the nutrient solution in the reservoir.

According to the above embodiment, the liquid pump returns the nutrient solution sucked from the suction port and the air sucked together with the nutrient solution into the nutrient solution in the reservoir, so that air is mixed in the nutrient solution in the reservoir. It is possible to increase the dissolved oxygen concentration in the nutrient solution. As a result, sufficient oxygen can be supplied to the root portion of the plant soaked in the nutrient solution.

Further, in the plant cultivation apparatus of one embodiment,
The cultivation section is arranged in the storage section.

According to the above embodiment, by arranging the cultivation part in the storage part, the installation space can be effectively used as compared with the case where the cultivation part is arranged on the side of the storage part.

Further, in the plant cultivation apparatus of one embodiment,
Equipped with an air pump that supplies air to the nutrient solution in the cultivation section,
The air pump operates when the liquid level in the cultivation section is higher than the liquid level during operation of the liquid pump and is equal to or higher than a predetermined liquid level.

According to the above embodiment, the liquid pump is stopped during operation, the liquid level in the cultivation section rises, and the rising liquid level becomes higher than a predetermined liquid level higher than the operating liquid level of the liquid pump. Then, the air pump operates to supply air to the nutrient solution in the cultivation section. As a result, even if most of the roots of the plants mounted on the plant mounting part are switched to the flooded hydroponics in which the nutrient solution is immersed, air is mixed into the nutrient solution by the air pump and dissolved in the nutrient solution. It can maintain oxygen concentration and maintain root oxygen absorption.

Further, the plant cultivation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is
A storage unit that stores nutrient solution for growing plants,
A cultivation section that cultivates the above plants using the nutrient solution supplied from the storage section, and a cultivation section.
A plant mounting part, which is arranged in the cultivation part at a distance from the bottom of the cultivation part and on which the plant is mounted,
It is provided with a liquid pump that sucks the nutrient solution supplied from the storage unit to one side of the cultivation unit from the other side of the cultivation unit and returns it to the storage unit.
The suction port of the liquid pump is arranged at a predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section.
The bottom surface of the plant mounting portion is located at a position higher than the predetermined height from the bottom of the cultivation portion.

According to the above configuration, the suction port of the liquid pump is arranged at a predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section, and the bottom surface of the plant mounting section is located at a position higher than the predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section. When the suction port of the liquid pump is arranged at a predetermined height of 1 cm from the bottom of the cultivation section, the nutrient solution in the cultivation section is sucked from the suction port of the liquid pump and returned to the storage section during the operation of the liquid pump, thereby returning from the storage section. A thin-film nutrient solution flow is formed in which the nutrient solution is supplied to one side of the cultivation section and flows to the suction port of the liquid pump on the other side of the cultivation section. At this time, by making the discharge amount of the liquid pump larger than the amount of nutrient solution flowing into the inside of the cultivation part through the communication part, the liquid level in the cultivation part becomes lower than the liquid level in the storage part and also in the cultivation part. The flow of the nutrient solution is about 1 cm in depth, and a part (lower side) of the root of the plant becomes a thin-film nutrient solution on the lower side of the bottom surface of the plant mounting part located at a position higher than the predetermined height of 1 cm. After being soaked, plant cultivation by thin-film hydroponics can be carried out with a simple configuration.

Further, in the plant cultivation apparatus of one embodiment,
The cultivation section is installed so that the bottom surface of the cultivation section is substantially horizontal.

According to the above embodiment, since the cultivation section is installed so that the bottom surface in the cultivation section is substantially horizontal, stable installation can be easily performed as compared with the case where the cultivation section is installed with a gentle inclination.

As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, when the liquid pump that supplies the nutrient solution in thin film hydroponics is stopped during operation, the nutrient solution flows from the storage section into the inside of the cultivation section through the communication section. Then, the liquid level in the cultivation part rises until it becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage part, and the liquid pump stops because the plant mounting part floats on the nutrient solution whose liquid level in the cultivation part has risen due to the stop of the liquid pump. However, it is possible to switch to deep flow technique (DFT) and continue plant cultivation.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the overall configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the plant cultivation apparatus. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus. FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view of a main part of the plant cultivation apparatus. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration when the liquid pump of the plant cultivation device is stopped. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus of the modified example. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration when the liquid pump of the plant cultivation device of the modified example is stopped. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the overall configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration when the liquid pump of the plant cultivation device is stopped.

Hereinafter, the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail by the illustrated embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the overall configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view of the plant cultivation apparatus.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plant cultivation apparatus of the first embodiment has a storage unit 1 for storing a nutrient solution (a mixed solution of water and fertilizer) for cultivating a plant P, and a storage unit. A cultivation unit 2 for cultivating a plant P with a nutrient solution supplied from 1, a plant mounting unit 3 on which the plant P is mounted, a communication unit 4 for communicating the inside of the storage unit 1 and the inside of the cultivation unit 2, and a communication unit 4. One end is connected to the discharge side of the liquid pump 5 and the liquid pump 5 that sucks the nutrient solution that has flowed into the cultivation part 2 from the storage part 1 through the communication part 4 and returns it to the storage part 1, and the other end is the storage part. It is provided with a return pipe 6 arranged in 101. The communication portion 4 is a through hole provided on the bottom 2a side of the side wall of the cultivation portion 2.

The storage section 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped container having an open upper surface, and is installed so that the bottom 1a of the storage section 1 is substantially horizontal.

Further, the cultivation section 2 is a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped container having an open upper surface, and most of the cultivation section 2 is arranged in the storage section 1 so that the bottom 2a of the cultivation section 2 is substantially horizontal. There is. Further, the cultivation unit 2 is fixed to the storage unit 1 so that the bottom 2a is located above the bottom 1a of the storage unit 1 at a predetermined interval.

Further, the plant mounting portion 3 is arranged at a distance from the bottom 2a in the cultivation portion 2. Further, the plant mounting portion 3 has a rectangular float plate 31 made of foamed resin and supports 32, 32 made of foamed resin erected downward from the bottom surface 31b of the float plate 31. The material of the float plate 31 and the supports 32, 32 is not limited to the foamed resin, and may be any material that floats in the nutrient solution. The bottoms of the supports 32 and 32 are provided with grooves and through holes along the longitudinal direction of the float plate 31 to secure a flow path for the nutrient solution from the communication portion 4 side to the liquid pump 5 side. ..

Further, the carrier 10 in which the plant P is planted is inserted into the planting hole 31a provided in the center of the float plate 31 of the plant mounting portion 3. The carrier 10 may be any carrier generally used for hydroponics, and urethane, rock wool, cotton-like material, sponge and the like are used.

The float plate 31 is supported by the supports 32 and 32 so that the bottom surface 31b of the float plate 31 of the plant mounting portion 3 is located at a predetermined bottom surface height H1 (shown in FIG. 4) from the bottom 1a of the storage portion 1. ing. The predetermined bottom height H1 is higher than the predetermined height H2 (shown in FIG. 4) from the bottom 2a in the cultivation portion 2 of the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5, and the root of the plant P in thin film hydroponics. A part (lower side) of is set to be immersed in a thin-film nutrient solution.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, in the above-mentioned plant cultivation apparatus, the storage section 1 and the cultivation section 2 are provided with a sheet 20 having water impermeability, light shielding property and flexibility except for the upper portion of the carrier 10 of the plant P. Covering. This sheet 20 suppresses evaporation of the nutrient solution in the storage section 1 and the cultivation section 2.

Further, a root-proof sheet (not shown) for preventing the roots of the plant P from invading the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 is placed so as to cover the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 or the roots of the plant P in the cultivation unit 2. It is arranged. For the root-proof sheet, use a fine-grained knitted fabric.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the liquid pump 5, an AC voltage (for example, A100V (60Hz)) from the AC voltage source 30 is applied via the power switch SW1.

Further, the plant cultivation apparatus includes an air pump 40, a DC voltage source BT, and a float switch SW2. In the air pump 40, a DC voltage (for example, DC12V) from the DC voltage source BT is applied via the float switch SW2.

In the above plant cultivation apparatus, when the power switch SW1 is turned on and the operation of the liquid pump 5 is started, the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 is sucked and returned to the storage unit 1 when the liquid pump 5 is operated, thereby feeding the storage unit 1. The liquid circulates through the communication unit 4, the cultivation unit 2, and the liquid pump 5.

In the plant cultivation apparatus having the above configuration, the liquid pump 5 is arranged in the cultivation unit 2 so that the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 has a predetermined height H2 (shown in FIG. 4) from the bottom 2a in the cultivation unit 2. is doing.

<When operating the liquid pump>
During the operation of the liquid pump 5, the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 is sucked from the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 and returned to the storage unit 1, so that the nutrient solution from the storage unit 1 is returned to the storage unit 1 via the communication unit 4 of the cultivation unit 2. A thin-film nutrient solution flow that flows into the inside and flows to the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 is formed.

By making the discharge amount of the liquid pump 5 larger than the amount of nutrient liquid flowing into the inside of the cultivation part 2 through the communication part 4, the liquid level in the cultivation part 2 becomes lower than the liquid level in the storage part 1. At the same time, the flow of the nutrient solution in the cultivation part 2 is thin and has a depth of about 1 cm, and the root of the plant P is under the bottom surface 31b of the plant mounting part 3 at a position higher than the predetermined height H2. A part (lower side) is immersed in a thin-film nutrient solution, and plants are cultivated by thin-film hydroponics.

The depth of the thin-film nutrient solution flowing in the cultivation section 2 is appropriately set according to the variety of the plant P to be cultivated, and the ratio of the underwater root to the aerial root according to the morphology of the growing root of the plant P. The height of the supports 32, 32 of the plant mounting portion 3 is adjusted so as to be optimum.

<Stopping the operation of the liquid pump>
During the operation of the liquid pump 5, the liquid level in the storage unit 1 is higher than the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2. Therefore, if the liquid pump 5 is stopped during the operation due to a power failure or failure, the liquid pump 5 is stored due to the difference in water pressure. The nutrient solution flows from the part 1 into the inside of the cultivation part 2 through the communication part 4, and rises until the liquid level in the cultivation part 2 becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage part 1 as shown in FIG. .. As a result, when the liquid pump 5 is stopped, the liquid level of the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 rises, and most of the roots of the plant P mounted on the plant mounting unit 3 are immersed in the nutrient solution. Switch to tillage. Here, the plant mounting portion 3 is lifted by the rise in the liquid level of the nutrient solution in the cultivation section 2, and the stems and leaves of the plant P are not immersed in the nutrient solution.

Therefore, according to the plant cultivation apparatus of the first embodiment, even if the liquid pump 5 that supplies the nutrient solution in the thin film type hydroponics is stopped, it is possible to switch to the inundation type hydroponics and continue the plant cultivation. ..

Further, when the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 rises due to the stop operation of the liquid pump 5 and the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 reaches a predetermined liquid level height H3 (shown in FIG. 4) or higher, the float switch is used. SW2 is turned on and the operation of the air pump 40 is started. As a result, in thin-film hydroponics, air is mixed into the nutrient solution in the reservoir 1 to increase the dissolved oxygen concentration in the nutrient solution.

Here, the predetermined liquid level height H3 is higher than the liquid level during operation of the liquid pump 5, and the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage unit 1. It is set at a position lower than the surface height.

<Resume operation of liquid pump>
When the power failure is restored or the failure is corrected, the operation of the liquid pump 5 is restarted, and the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 is returned to the storage unit 1 by the liquid pump 5. Since the discharge amount of the liquid pump 5 is larger than the amount of the nutrient liquid flowing into the inside of the cultivation unit 2 from the storage unit 1 through the communication unit 4, the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 gradually drops, and the liquid pump A thin-film nutrient solution flow is formed in which the position of the suction port 5a of 5 is substantially the liquid level. At this time, when the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 becomes lower than the predetermined liquid level height H3 (shown in FIG. 4), the float switch SW2 is turned off and the air pump 40 is stopped.

In this way, by resuming the operation of the liquid pump 5, it is possible to re-cultivate the plant by thin-film hydroponics in which a part (lower side) of the root of the plant P is immersed in the thin-film nutrient solution.

The plant cultivation device may be provided with a nutrient solution adjusting device that periodically adjusts the component concentration of the nutrient solution, a temperature control device that controls the temperature of the nutrient solution in the storage unit 1, and the like.

In the plant cultivation apparatus having the above configuration, plant cultivation is performed by thin-film hydroponics in which a part (lower side) of the root of plant P is immersed in a thin-film nutrient solution by operating the liquid pump 5. Since the liquid level in the storage unit 1 is higher than the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2, if the liquid pump 5 is stopped during operation due to a power failure or failure, the nutrient solution is discharged from the storage unit 1 due to the water pressure difference. It flows into the inside of the cultivation part 2 through the communication part 4 and rises until the liquid level in the cultivation part 2 becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage part 1. Further, the plant mounting portion 3 floats in the nutrient solution whose liquid level has risen in the cultivation section 2 due to the stop of the liquid pump 5, and most of the roots of the plant P mounted on the plant mounting section 3 are immersed in the nutrient solution. Switch to flooded hydroponics. Therefore, even if the liquid pump 5 that supplies the nutrient solution in the thin film type hydroponics is stopped, it is possible to switch to the inundation type hydroponics and continue the plant cultivation.

Further, since the liquid pump 5 returns the nutrient solution sucked from the suction port 5a and the air sucked together with the nutrient solution into the nutrient solution in the storage unit 1, air is mixed into the nutrient solution in the storage unit 1. Therefore, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the nutrient solution can be increased. As a result, sufficient oxygen can be supplied to the root portion of the plant P soaked in the nutrient solution.

Further, by arranging the cultivation unit 2 in the storage unit 1, the installation space can be effectively used as compared with the case where the cultivation unit 2 is arranged on the side of the storage unit 1.

Further, when the liquid pump 5 is stopped during operation and the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 rises and the liquid level becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined liquid level, the air pump 40 operates to supply the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2. Since air is supplied, even if most of the roots of the plant P mounted on the plant mounting portion 3 are switched to the inundation type hydroponics in which the nutrient solution is immersed, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the nutrient solution is maintained. Can maintain root oxygen absorption.

The plant cultivation apparatus of the first embodiment may be provided with a means for charging the DC voltage source BT (solar power generation or the like), or may be provided with an uninterruptible power supply instead of the DC voltage source BT.

Further, in the first embodiment, one carrier 10 in which the plant P is planted is arranged on the float plate 31 of the plant mounting portion 3, but for example, the plant P is placed on the float plate 31 of the plant mounting portion 3. A plurality of planted carriers 10 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the float plate 31, and the carriers 10 may be appropriately arranged according to the variety and size of the plant to be planted.

As in the modified examples shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the foamed resin supports 32 and 32 of the plant mounting portion 3 may be configured to float on the nutrient solution. FIG. 6 shows the state of thin film hydroponics when the liquid pump 5 is in operation, and FIG. 7 shows the state of inundation type hydroponics when the liquid pump 5 is stopped.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the overall configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The plant cultivation device of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the plant cultivation device of the first embodiment except for the storage unit 101 and the communication unit 104, and the same configuration unit is assigned the same reference number. ..

As shown in FIG. 8, the plant cultivation apparatus of the second embodiment is supplied from a storage unit 101 for storing a nutrient solution (a mixed solution of water and fertilizer) for cultivating the plant P, and a storage unit 101. The cultivation unit 2 for cultivating the plant P with the nutrient solution, the plant mounting unit 3 on which the plant P is mounted, the communication unit 104 connecting the inside of the storage unit 101 and the inside of the cultivation unit 2, and the storage unit 101. One end is connected to the discharge side of the liquid pump 5 and the liquid pump 5 which sucks the nutrient liquid flowing into the inside of the cultivation part 2 through the communication part 104 and returns it to the storage part 101, and the other end is in the storage part 101. It is provided with an arranged return pipe 6. The communication unit 104 is a pipe, a hose, or the like that connects the storage unit 101 and the cultivation unit 2.

The storage section 101 is a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped container having an open upper surface, and is installed so that the bottom 101a of the storage section 101 is substantially horizontal.

Further, the cultivation section 2 is a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped container having an open upper surface, and is arranged on the side of the storage section 101 so that the bottom 2a of the cultivation section 2 is substantially horizontal.

Further, the plant mounting portion 3 is arranged at a distance from the bottom 2a in the cultivation portion 2. Further, the plant mounting portion 3 has a rectangular float plate 31 made of foamed resin and supports 32, 32 made of foamed resin erected downward from the bottom surface 31b of the float plate 31. The carrier 10 in which the plant P is planted is inserted into the planting hole 31a provided in the center of the float plate 31 of the plant mounting portion 3.

<When operating the liquid pump>
During the operation of the liquid pump 5, the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 is sucked from the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 and returned to the storage unit 101, so that the nutrient solution from the storage unit 101 is returned to the storage unit 101 via the communication unit 104. A thin-film nutrient solution flow that flows into the inside and flows to the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 is formed.

By making the discharge amount of the liquid pump 5 larger than the amount of nutrient liquid flowing into the inside of the cultivation part 2 through the communication part 4, the liquid level in the cultivation part 2 becomes lower than the liquid level in the storage part 101. At the same time, the flow of the nutrient solution in the cultivation section 2 is thin-film and the depth is about 1 cm, and a part (lower side) of the root of the plant P is immersed in the thin-film nutrient solution. Cultivation is carried out.

<Stopping the operation of the liquid pump>
During the operation of the liquid pump 5, the liquid level in the storage section 101 is higher than the liquid level in the cultivation section 2. Therefore, if the liquid pump 5 stops during operation due to a power failure or failure, the water pressure difference causes the liquid pump 5. The nutrient solution flows from the storage section 101 into the cultivation section 2 via the communication section 104, and rises until the liquid level in the cultivation section 2 becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage section 101 as shown in FIG. do. As a result, when the liquid pump 5 is stopped, the liquid level of the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 rises, and most of the roots of the plant P mounted on the plant mounting unit 3 are immersed in the nutrient solution. Switch to tillage. Here, the plant mounting portion 3 is lifted by the rise in the liquid level of the nutrient solution in the cultivation section 2, and the stems and leaves of the plant P are not immersed in the nutrient solution.

Therefore, according to the plant cultivation apparatus of the second embodiment, even if the liquid pump 5 that supplies the nutrient solution in the thin film type hydroponics is stopped, it is possible to switch to the inundation type hydroponics and continue the plant cultivation. ..

When the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 rises due to the shutdown of the liquid pump 5 and the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 reaches a predetermined liquid level height H3 (shown in FIG. 4) or higher, the float switch SW2 (Shown in FIG. 2) is turned on to start the operation of the air pump 40 (shown in FIG. 2). As a result, in thin-film hydroponics, air is mixed into the nutrient solution in the reservoir 1 to increase the dissolved oxygen concentration in the nutrient solution.

<Resume operation of liquid pump>
When the power failure is restored or the failure is corrected, the operation of the liquid pump 5 is restarted, and the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 is returned to the storage unit 101 by the liquid pump 5. Since the discharge amount of the liquid pump 5 is larger than the amount of the nutrient liquid flowing into the inside of the cultivation unit 2 from the storage unit 101 via the communication unit 104, the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 gradually drops, and the liquid pump A thin-film nutrient solution flow is formed in which the position of the suction port 5a of 5 is substantially the liquid level. At this time, when the liquid level in the cultivation unit 2 becomes lower than the predetermined liquid level height H3 (shown in FIG. 4), the float switch SW2 is turned off and the operation of the air pump 40 is stopped.

Further, the plant cultivation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is
Reservoir 1,101 for storing nutrient solution for cultivating plant P, and
Cultivation unit 2 that cultivates the plant P by the nutrient solution supplied from the storage units 1, 101, and
A plant mounting unit 3 arranged in the cultivation unit 2 and on which the plant P is mounted,
A liquid pump 5 that sucks the nutrient solution supplied from the storage units 1, 101 to one side of the cultivation unit 2 from the other side of the cultivation unit 2 and returns it to the storage units 1, 101. Prepare,
The suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 is arranged at a predetermined height H2 from the bottom 2a in the cultivation unit 2.
The bottom surface 31b of the plant mounting portion 3 is located at a position higher than the predetermined height H2 from the bottom 2a in the cultivation portion 2.

According to the above configuration, the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 is arranged at a predetermined height H2 from the bottom 2a in the cultivation unit 2, and the bottom surface 31b of the plant mounting portion 3 is at a predetermined height from the bottom 2a in the cultivation unit 2. Since it is located higher than H2, for example, if the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 is arranged at a height of 1 cm from the bottom 2a in the cultivation unit 2, the nutrient solution in the cultivation unit 2 is operated when the liquid pump 5 is operated. Is sucked from the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 and returned to the storage units 1,101, so that the nutrient solution is supplied from the storage units 1,101 to one side in the cultivation unit 2 and the other side in the cultivation unit 2. A thin-film nutrient solution flow to the suction port 5a of the liquid pump 5 is formed. At this time, by making the discharge amount of the liquid pump larger than the amount of nutrient liquid flowing into the inside of the cultivation part through the communication part, the liquid level in the cultivation part 2 is larger than the liquid level in the storage parts 1,101. As it becomes lower, the flow of nutrient solution in the cultivation part 2 becomes approximately 1 cm in depth, and the root of the plant P is below the bottom surface 31b of the plant mounting part 3 located at a position higher than 1 cm of the predetermined height H2. A part (lower side) is immersed in a thin-film nutrient solution, and plant cultivation by thin-film hydroponics can be performed with a simple configuration.

In conventional thin-film hydroponic plant cultivation, the bottom surface of the cultivation section is gently tilted, so it is necessary to separately prepare support members to support the cultivation section and install the cultivation section at an inclination angle. Therefore, the configuration becomes complicated and stable installation is not easy.

On the other hand, in the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, the bottom 2a of the cultivation unit 2 may be installed so as to be substantially horizontal, so that stable installation can be easily performed and the installation space in the height direction is larger than before. Can be lowered. Further, it is possible to increase the dissolved oxygen concentration in the nutrient solution by mixing air into the nutrient solution in the reservoir 1 by the liquid pump 5 without using an ejector or the like.

In the first and second embodiments, the plant cultivation apparatus having one cultivation unit 2 in the storage units 1 and 101 has been described, but one storage unit may be provided with a plurality of cultivation units. In this case, the plurality of cultivated parts are arranged side by side of the storage part and horizontally side by side with respect to the storage part.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the storage section 1 and the cultivation section 2 are covered with the sheet 20 having impermeable and light-shielding properties except for the upper portion of the carrier 10 of the plant P. And the cultivation unit 2 or the like may be stored in a closed greenhouse or the like to manage the environment or the like in the greenhouse.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the liquid pump 5 is arranged inside the cultivation section 2, but the liquid pump itself is arranged outside the cultivation section, and the suction side of the liquid pump is connected by a hose or the like. The suction port at the tip of the hose may be arranged at a predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section.

Although the specific embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

1,101 ... Storage part 2 ... Cultivation part 3 ... Plant mounting part 4,104 ... Communication part 5 ... Liquid pump 6 ... Return pipe 10 ... Carrier 20 ... Sheet 31 ... Float plate 32 ... Support 40 ... Air pump P ... Plant SW1 … Power switch SW2… Float switch

Claims (4)

A storage unit that stores nutrient solution for growing plants,
A cultivation section that cultivates the above plants using the nutrient solution supplied from the storage section, and a cultivation section.
A plant mounting part, which is arranged in the cultivation part at a distance from the bottom of the cultivation part and on which the plant is mounted,
A communication section that communicates the inside of the storage section and the inside of the cultivation section,
It is provided with a liquid pump that sucks the nutrient solution that has flowed into the inside of the cultivation section from the storage section through the communication section and returns it to the storage section.
The suction port of the liquid pump is arranged at a predetermined height from the bottom in the cultivation section.
The bottom surface of the plant mounting portion is located at a position higher than the predetermined height from the bottom of the cultivation portion.
By sucking the nutrient solution in the cultivation section and returning it to the storage section during the operation of the liquid pump, the liquid level in the cultivation section becomes lower than the liquid level in the storage section.
When the liquid pump is stopped during operation, the nutrient solution flows from the storage section into the inside of the cultivation section through the communication section, and the liquid level in the cultivation section becomes the same as the liquid level in the storage section. As it rises to the point
The plant-mounted portion is a plant cultivation apparatus characterized in that the liquid level in the cultivation section is raised by stopping the liquid pump so as to float on the nutrient solution. In the plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1,
The liquid pump is a plant cultivation apparatus characterized in that the nutrient solution sucked from the suction port and the air sucked together with the nutrient solution are returned to the nutrient solution in the reservoir. In the plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
A plant cultivation apparatus characterized in that the cultivation section is arranged in the storage section. In the plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Equipped with an air pump that supplies air to the nutrient solution in the cultivation section,
The air pump is a plant cultivation apparatus characterized in that it operates when the liquid level in the cultivation section is higher than a predetermined liquid level higher than the operating liquid level of the liquid pump.

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