JP7153252B2 - plant cultivation system - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed embodiments relate to plant cultivation systems.

For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a plant cultivation system in which a plant to be cultivated is held by a holder, and the holder is moved along a rail over a predetermined period to grow the plant. . In this plant cultivation system, a nutrient solution is stored in a water tank arranged below the rails, and the plants held by the holder absorb the nutrient solution by immersing their roots in the plant to promote growth.

WO2017/042891

However, since the culture medium filled in the holes of the holder tends to dry out, it is necessary to bring the culture medium into contact with and absorb the nutrient solution during the sowing period and the seedling-raising period. On the other hand, in order to allow the holder to slide smoothly while being supported by the rail, it is necessary to avoid a state in which the portion of contact between the main body of the holder and the rail is immersed in the nutrient solution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant cultivation system capable of improving plant growth functions while ensuring the movement performance of plant holders.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plant holder that holds a plant to be cultivated, a support that supports a plurality of the plant holders, and a plant that is arranged below the support. a water tank portion in which a culture solution is stored; and a weir portion provided in the water tank portion over which the culture solution is discharged to the outside of the water tank portion, the plant holder comprising: The height of the lower end is equal to or higher than the height of the upper end of the weir and equal to or lower than the water level of the culture solution obtained by adding the height of the upper end of the weir to the height of the upper end of the weir due to the surface tension of the culture solution. A plant cultivation system supported by the support part is applied so as to become.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the growth function of a plant can be improved, ensuring the movement performance of a plant holder.

It is a system block diagram showing a schematic structure of the whole plant cultivation system concerning an embodiment. It is a perspective view showing an example of a layered cultivation shelf. It is explanatory drawing showing an example of arrangement|positioning of the rail in each cultivation shelf of a laminated cultivation shelf. It is explanatory drawing showing an example of arrangement|positioning of the light source in each cultivation shelf of a laminated cultivation shelf. It is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a robot. It is a perspective view showing an example of a structure of a hand. It is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of a plant holder. FIG. 8(a) is a left-right orthogonal cross-section taken along the arrow VIIIa-VIIIa in FIG. 7(a), and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-section taken along the arrow VIIIb-VIIIb in FIG. It is a cross section perpendicular to the direction. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of rails that support a plant holder; FIG. 8B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the holding cylinder part, in which part A in FIG. 8A is enlarged; It is a figure explaining the growth process of a plant in a seeding period and a seedling raising period, and the function of the inner diameter part of a holding|maintenance cylinder part. FIG. 4 is a horizontal orthogonal sectional view of the end of the rail; 13(a) is a front-rear direction orthogonal cross-section viewed from arrow XIIIa-XIIIa in FIG. 12, and FIG. 13(b) is a front-back direction orthogonal cross-section viewed from arrow XIIIb-XIIIb in FIG. It is a diagram. Fig. 10 is a side view of an example of a plant holder in which rectangular and chevron convex portions and concave portions are formed on both ends of a main body portion in the conveying direction;

An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, for convenience of explanation of the configuration of the plant cultivation system, directions such as up, down, left, right, front and back shown in each drawing may be commonly defined and appropriately used. However, the positional relationship of each component of the plant cultivation system is not limited.

<1. Configuration of Plant Cultivation System>
An example of the overall configuration of a plant cultivation system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. In FIG. 1, in order to avoid complication of illustration, only a schematic configuration of the entire system is shown, and the detailed structure of each part is simplified and schematically shown.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plant cultivation system 1 holds a plant 2 to be cultivated by a plant holder 3, and moves the plant holder 3 along rails 4 over a predetermined period of time. This is a system for growing plants. The plant cultivation system 1 includes a stacked cultivation shelf 5 , a transport robot 6 , an input conveyor 7 , an output conveyor 8 , and a large number of plant holders 3 .

(1-1. Laminated cultivation shelf)
In the stacked cultivation shelf 5, a plurality of stages (eight stages in this example) of cultivation shelves 5a are arranged so as to be stacked in multiple stages in the vertical direction. Note that the "vertical direction" does not have to be a strict vertical direction, and may be a substantially vertical direction. Therefore, the "vertical direction" includes a direction slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Moreover, the stacking direction of the cultivation shelves 5a in the stacked cultivation shelf 5 is not limited to the vertical direction, and may be a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction.

A plurality of rails 4 extend horizontally along the front-rear direction on each of the cultivation shelves 5a. In addition, the “front-back direction” referred to in the present embodiment is the flow direction (conveyance direction) of the plants 2 on each cultivation shelf 5 a, and is also the longitudinal direction or extension direction of the rails 4 . Also, the "horizontal direction" does not have to be a strictly horizontal direction, and may be a substantially horizontal direction. Therefore, directions slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction are also included. A plurality of rails 4 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction on each cultivation shelf 5a, and each rail 4 is arranged substantially in parallel. The "horizontal direction" referred to in this embodiment is a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction.

Although the detailed structure will be described later, the rail 4 supports the plurality of plant holders 3 movably along the longitudinal direction. In the rail 4, the plant holders 3 are supplied from one side in the front-rear direction, so that the plurality of other supported plant holders 3 are pushed out toward the other side in the front-rear direction and slide. configured as follows.

Although the number of stages of the cultivation shelves 5a in the stacked cultivation shelf 5 is not particularly limited, a case of eight stages will be described as an example in the present embodiment. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the bottom stage of the cultivation shelf 5a of the stacked cultivation shelf 5 is appropriately referred to as A stage, the top one stage is B stage, and the second to fifth stages from the top are grouped together. The C stage and the 6th and 7th stages from the top are collectively called the D stage. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the A stage has one cultivation shelf 5a, the B stage has one cultivation shelf 5a, the C stage has four cultivation shelves 5a, and the D stage has four cultivation shelves 5a. has two cultivation racks 5a. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a relatively large number of rails 4 (eight in the illustrated example) are installed on the cultivation shelf 5a of the A stage. The number of rails 4 smaller than that of the A stage (six in the illustrated example) is installed on the cultivation shelf 5a of the B stage. Each of the cultivation shelves 5a on the C stage is provided with rails 4 that are smaller in number (four in this example) than on the B stage. Each of the cultivation shelves 5a on the D stage is provided with rails 4 in a smaller number (three in this example) than on the C stage.

(1-2. Transfer order)
Next, an example of the order of transporting the plant holders 3 and the plants 2 in the plant cultivation system 1 will be described. In this example, the carry-in conveyor 7 carries in and supplies plant holders 3 (details will be described later) that hold plants 2 in which seeds have been sown and germinated from a palletizer (not shown) from the rear side of the A stage. Further, the carry-out conveyor 8 carries out the plant holder 3 holding the fully grown plant 2 from the rear side of the cultivation shelf 5a of each stage in the D stage.

1 and 3 show the conveying directions of the plant holders 3 and the plants 2 on each cultivation shelf 5a. In addition, the broken line arrow in FIG. 1 has shown the conveyance direction of the plant holder 3 and the plant 2 in each cultivation shelf 5a. Symbol 101 in FIG. 3 indicates the conveying direction of the plant holder 3 and the plant 2 from the front side to the rear side in the front-rear direction, and symbol 102 indicates the conveying direction of the plant holder 3 and the plant 2 from the rear side to the front side. The conveying direction of the plant 2 is shown. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the A stage, the plant holders 3 and the plants 2 are conveyed from the rear side to the front side on each rail 4 . In stage B, plant holders 3 and plants 2 are conveyed from the front side to the rear side on each rail 4 . In the C stages, the plant holders 3 and the plants 2 are transported from the rear side to the front side on each rail 4 in each stage. In the D stages, the plant holders 3 and the plants 2 are conveyed from the front side to the rear side on each rail 4 in each stage.

A transport robot 6 positioned on the front side of the stacked cultivation shelf 5 transports the plant holders 3 and the plants 2 upward from the A stage to the B stage, and downwardly transports the plant holders 3 and the plants 2 from the C stage to the D stage. I do. At this time, the transport robot 6 on the front side sorts in the horizontal direction and also sorts in the vertical direction between the C stage and the D stage which are different in number of stages. In addition, the transport robot 6 positioned behind the stacked cultivation shelf 5 horizontally transports the plant holder 3 and the plant 2 from the carry-in conveyor 7 to the A stage, and transports the plant holder 3 and the plant 2 from the B stage to the C stage. 2, and collectively convey the plant holder 3 and the plant 2 from the D stage to the carry-out conveyor 8. At this time, the transport robot 6 on the rear side carries out distribution in the left-right direction, and also performs distribution in the vertical direction between the B stage and the C stage, which are different in number of stages.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, above the cultivation shelf 5a of the stacked cultivation shelf 5, a plurality of light sources 15 for illuminating the leaves 2b of the plants 2 (see FIG. 9 described later) are installed. Each light source 15 is installed so as to extend in the left-right direction on the lower surface of a support plate 11 provided above each cultivation shelf 5a. Each light source 15 is arranged at predetermined intervals along the front-rear direction. Although the light source 15 is not particularly limited, for example, an LED, a fluorescent lamp, or the like is used in order to promote photosynthesis of plants.

In the above conveying route, the rail interval in the left-right direction gradually widens as the sheet is conveyed in the order of A stage→B stage→C stage→D stage. As a result, in the seedling raising stage where the overall size of the plant 2 is smaller than that of the plant holder 3, the rails are densely cultivated in the A stage where the rail spacing is the narrowest, and then the rail spacing becomes wider in order of B stage→C stage→D. Can be conveyed in tiers. That is, it is possible to widen the arrangement interval according to the stage in which the whole of each plant 2 grows gradually, and to enable so-called fixed planting in which the cultivation area of the plant 2 can be efficiently used with respect to the installation area of the entire stacked cultivation shelf 5. Become.

<2. Transport robot>
Next, an example of the configuration of the transport robot 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 and 6, the transfer robot 6 arranged on the front side of the multi-layered cultivation shelf 5 is shown obliquely. The positive direction of the X-axis is right, the negative direction of the X-axis is left, and the positive direction of the Y-axis. , the negative direction of the Y-axis corresponds to the front, the positive direction of the Z-axis corresponds to the up, and the negative direction of the Z-axis corresponds to the down. The transfer robot 6 arranged on the rear side of the multi-layered cultivation shelf 5 has the same structure, but the positive and negative directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis are reversed, so the illustration thereof is omitted.

(2-1. Overall configuration)
The conveying robot 6 picks up the plant holder 3 and the plant 2 from the end of one rail 4, conveys them, pushes them into the end of the other rail 4, and supplies them. As shown in FIG. 5 , the transport robot 6 has a base 16 , a gate-shaped support frame 17 placed on the base 16 , an actuator 30 provided on the support frame 17 , and a hand 21 .

The support frame 17 comprises a pair of pillars 17a installed along the Z-axis direction on the base 16 so as to face each other in the X-axis direction, and a pair of pillars 17a that span the upper ends of the pair of pillars 17a along the X-axis direction. and a substantially horizontal beam 17b.

The actuator 30 has an X-axis unit 18 , a Z-axis unit 19 and a Y-axis unit 20 . The X-axis unit 18 has a beam 18a, a slider 18b, and an X-axis motor 18c. The beam 18a is installed substantially horizontally in the X-axis direction between the pair of columns 17a. The slider 18b is movably supported by the beam 18a along the X-axis direction. The X-axis motor 18c is attached to the left end of the beam 18a and drives the slider 18b in the X-axis direction via a chain or the like (not shown) attached to the slider 18b.

The Z-axis unit 19 has a beam 19a, a slider 19b, and a Z-axis motor 19c. The beam 19a has its upper end supported by the beam 17b so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, and is fixed to the slider 18b. The slider 19b is movably supported by the beam 19a along the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis motor 19c is attached to the lower end of the beam 19a and drives the slider 19b in the Z-axis direction via a chain or the like (not shown) attached to the slider 19b.

The Y-axis unit 20 has a beam 20a, a slider 20b, and a Y-axis motor 20c. The slider 20b is fixed to the slider 19b. The beam 20a is movably supported along the Y-axis direction by a slider 20b. The Y-axis motor 20c is attached to the front end of the beam 20a and drives the slider 20b in the Y-axis direction via a chain or the like (not shown) attached to the slider 20b.

In the actuator 30, when the slider 18b is driven in the X-axis direction by the X-axis motor 18c, the beam 19a moves in the X-axis direction, and the beam 20a moves in the X-axis direction via the sliders 19b and 20b. Further, when the slider 19b is driven in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis motor 19c, the beam 20a moves in the Z-axis direction via the sliders 19b and 20b. When the Y-axis motor 20c drives the slider 20b in the Y-axis direction, the beam 20a moves in the Y-axis direction via the slider 20b. In this manner, the actuator 30 can move the beam 20a in three axial directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

The hand 21 is attached to the rear end of the beam 20 a of the actuator 30 and holds the plant holder 3 . The actuator 30 can move the hand 21 in three axial directions by moving the beam 20a in three axial directions. That is, the actuator 30 moves the hand 21 along the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction of the rail 4). In addition, the actuator 30 can move in two directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction and perpendicular to each other, that is, the left-right direction (the direction in which the rails 4 are arranged side by side, which is also a substantially horizontal direction) and the vertical direction (the stacking direction of the cultivation shelves 5a, which is also the height direction). can be moved in two directions.

(2-2. Hand)
As shown in FIG. 6 , the hand 21 has a base 22 , a pair of sliders 24 , a pair of claw members 25 and a drive block 26 . A pair of sliders 24 are fitted to two pairs of rail members 23 extending in the X-axis direction at the lower front portion of the base 22 so as to be slidable along their extending directions. The pair of claw members 25 are attached to the lower ends of the pair of sliders 24, respectively, and arranged substantially parallel to the X-axis direction. The drive block 26 is provided on the front upper portion of the base 22 and incorporates a drive mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism drives the slider 24 by fluid pressure from a pressure source such as an air compressor, and opens and closes the pair of claw members 25 while maintaining a substantially parallel posture in the X-axis direction so as to move forward and backward. Groove portions 28 a are formed inside the claw portions 28 at the tips of the pair of claw members 25 to support the support portions 35 (see FIG. 7 described later) of the plant holder 3 . The groove portion 28a has a shape (in this example, an isosceles trapezoidal shape) corresponding to the shape of the support portion 35 when viewed in the Y-axis direction. Further, a pair of stopper pins 28b are provided at positions a predetermined distance from the tip of the claw member 25 inside each groove 28a and protrude in directions facing each other and approaching each other. In the illustrated example, each stopper pin 28b is formed in a columnar shape, but may be formed in a polygonal columnar shape (not shown).

For example, when extracting the plant holder 3 positioned at the end of the rail 4, the hand 21 closes the pair of claw members 25 to the plant holder 3 by operating the drive mechanism, and the claws at the tips of the claw members 25 are closed. At 28, the plant holder 3 is gripped from both sides and pulled out. For example, when inserting the plant holder 3 into the end of the rail 4 , the hand 21 moves the gripped plant holder 3 to the end of another rail 4 by driving the actuator 30 . insert. Then, while holding the plant holder 3, it is pushed in the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction) by one pitch (the length of the plant holder 3 in the front-rear direction). As a result, the inserted plant holder 3 and the plurality of plant holders 3 supported on the rail 4 can be slid by one pitch. At this time, the end surface of the plant holder 3 gripped by the claws 28 on the side opposite to the pushing direction (the inner side of the groove 28a, the rear side in the Y direction in the drawing) comes into contact with each stopper pin 28b. Even when there is variation in the dimensional tolerance of the plant holder 3, the relative position of the plant holder 3 with respect to the claw portion 28 can be positioned at the prescribed position. As a result, the transport robot 6 uses the position of the stopper pin 28b as a reference to determine the position of the plant holder 3 itself gripped at that time and the plurality of plant holders 3 supported on the rail 4 into which the holder is inserted. Accurate positioning of the entire row with respect to the conveying direction is possible. After the insertion operation described above, the hand 21 opens the pair of claw members 25 to release the grip of the plant holder 3 .

<3. Plant holder>
Next, an example of the configuration of the plant holder 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. Incidentally, FIG. 8(a) shows a left-right orthogonal cross section taken along the arrow VIIIa-VIIIa in FIG. 7(a), and FIG. VIIIb shows an orthogonal cross section in the front-rear direction. The directions shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 indicate the directions when the plant holder 3 is actually used while being supported by the rails 4 .

The plant holder 3 is a member that holds each plant 2 to be cultivated by the plant cultivation system 1 . As used herein, "one strain" refers to one individual grown from a single seed. For example, like the plant 2 shown in FIG. 9, one plant is one plant in which a plurality of (or single) leaves 2b are supported by one stem 2a to form one individual. Also, even if there are a plurality of stems due to branching or the like, only one strain is united as one individual by connecting the roots 2c.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the plant holder 3 has a symmetrical shape in each of the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Therefore, the plant holder 3 has directional compatibility so that it can be used in both forward and reverse directions in the longitudinal direction (that is, the conveying direction). The plant holder 3 is integrally formed of a highly slidable material (for example, resin, metal, etc.), and is configured to be slidable on rails 4 that support the plant holder 3 . The plant holder 3 mainly has a main body portion 31, a holding cylinder portion 32, a guiding taper portion 33, and a guide plate portion 34 as parts of its overall or local shape.

The body portion 31 is a substantially rectangular flat plate portion whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction when viewed from above. A chamfer 31a with a small angle is formed. The left and right side edge portions of the main body portion 31 function as support portions 35 that are supported by the claw members 25 particularly when gripped by the hand 21 (see FIG. 6 described above) of the transfer robot 6 . Although the support portion 35 in this example is formed in an isosceles trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front-rear direction by the chamfer 31a, it may be formed in another shape such as a triangle or a circle. Further, in this example, the support portions 35 on both sides in the left-right direction are arranged, for example, two at intervals in the front-rear direction, but they may be connected, or may be three or more.

The holding tube portion 32 is a cylindrical portion penetrating in the vertical direction (vertical direction) at the central position of the main body portion 31 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. It is formed in a flush state (a flat state without a step), and the lower end opening is formed to protrude downward from the lower surface of the main body portion 31 by a predetermined dimension. In this example, the holding tube portion 32 has a cylindrical shape with a round hole in the inner diameter, but may have a polygonal tubular shape in which the cross section of the inner diameter perpendicular to the axis is a polygonal shape such as a square. A detailed configuration of the inner diameter portion of the holding cylinder portion 32 will be described later (see FIG. 10 described later).

The guide tapered portion 33 is formed to protrude downward from the lower surface of the main body portion 31 and is tapered so that the dimension in the lateral direction (the dimension in the width direction) expands from both ends in the front-rear direction (conveyance direction) toward the central portion. It is a shape part. Further, the maximum width dimension of the guiding taper portion 33 on the central side of the main body portion 31 is such that it can be fitted into the lower rail groove 43b (see FIG. 9 described later) of the rail 4 described later with an appropriate fitting tolerance. , the maximum width dimension portion 36 is extended to the vicinity of the holding cylinder portion 32 .

The guide plate portions 34 are a pair of flat plate-shaped portions that protrude upward from the upper surface of the main body portion 31 and extend in the front-rear direction. It is The widthwise dimension w1 and the lateral position of the pair of guide plate portions 34 as a whole substantially coincide with the maximum widthwise dimension portion 36 following the guide taper portion 33 .

As shown in each figure, the entire body portion 31 including the guiding tapered portion 33 is formed with a hollow structure in which the lower side is opened and hollowed out, so that the weight of the entire plant holder 3 is light. has been made Further, as shown in each figure, the body portion 31 and each guide taper portion 33 are orthogonal to the front-rear direction in a state where both end portions in the front-rear direction are flush with each other (that is, the conveying direction is the normal direction). It is formed with a flat surface 37 .

The configuration of the plant holder 3 described above is merely an example, and configurations other than those described above may be adopted. For example, although the plant holder 3 is integrally molded in the above description, it may be composed of a plurality of parts.

<4. Rail>
Next, an example of the configuration of the rail 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . Note that the direction shown in FIG. 9 indicates the direction when the rail 4 is installed on the cultivation shelf 5a, and in the drawing, the orthogonal cross section of the rail 4 in the front-rear direction is shown.

As shown in FIG. 9, the rail 4 has a rail portion 40 and a water tank portion 47, which are integrally formed of a highly slidable material (eg, resin, metal, etc.). The rail portion 40 includes a pair of left and right upper rail plates 41a extending in the front-rear direction and each having a predetermined width in the left-right direction, and a predetermined width in the left-right direction below the upper rail plates 41a. A pair of left and right lower rail plates 42a extending in the front-rear direction are provided. Upper rail protrusions 44 having the same size and projecting downward are formed at the edges of the pair of upper rail plates 41a facing each other. The distance between the upper rail protrusion 44 and the lower rail plate 42a in the vertical direction is such that it can be fitted to the vertical thickness of the main body 31 of the plant holder 3 with an appropriate fitting tolerance. , and the body portion 31 of the plant holder 3 is accommodated in this separated space. An upper rail groove 43a in which the pair of guide plate portions 34 of the plant holder 3 is accommodated is formed between the pair of upper rail plates 41a (upper rail protrusions 44). Between the pair of lower rail plates 42a, a lower rail groove 43b is formed in which the maximum width dimension portion 36 of the guide tapered portion 33 of the plant holder 3 is accommodated.

The water tank portion 47 includes a pair of side wall portions 47a projecting downward from the pair of lower rail plates 42a and extending in the front-rear direction, and extending in the front-rear direction across the lower ends of the pair of side wall portions 47a. It has a bottom wall portion 47b and is an elongated water tank with a substantially U-shaped cross section that is entirely open at the top, and a culture solution 48 is stored therein. The culture solution 48 is caused to flow in the front-rear direction by an appropriate flow means (not shown) such as a pump. The structure of the end portions of the water tank portion 47 in the front-rear direction will be described in detail later (see FIGS. 12 and 13, which will be described later).

The plant holder 3 inserted into the rail 4 is accommodated in the space 46 of the rail portion 40 . At this time, the lower surface of the main body portion 31 of the plant holder 3 slidably contacts the upper surfaces of the left and right lower rail plates 42a, and the upper surface of the main body portion 31 contacts the left and right upper rail protrusions 44. As shown in FIG. In this way, the plant holder 3 is sandwiched between the upper rail protrusions 44 and the lower rail plate 42a, thereby preventing the plant holder 3 from tilting or collapsing. At this time, the lower surface of the main body portion 31 of the plant holder 3 (the surface in contact with the lower rail plate 42 a ) functions as a holder support surface 38 that supports the entire plant holder 3 including the holding tube portion 32 . In this example, since the lower surface of the main body portion 31 is open as described above, the contact area (contact resistance) between the holder support surface 38 and the rail support surface 45, which is the upper surface of the lower rail plate 42a, is reduced. , the slidability with the rail 4 can be improved.

In the plant holder 3, the pair of guide plate portions 34 above the body portion 31 and the maximum width dimension portion 36 of the guide taper portion 33 below the body portion 31 are positioned between the upper and lower rail grooves 43a and 43b. are accommodated so as to fit with appropriate fitting tolerances. Therefore, the plant holder 3 can be moved along the longitudinal direction of the rail 4 while suppressing lateral displacement and horizontal deviation.

As shown in the figure, when the plant holder 3 is used, the inner diameter portion of the holding tube portion 32 is filled with the medium 50, and the holding tube portion 32 holds the stem 2a of the plant 2 grown from the seeds sown in the medium 50. . The plant 2 penetrates the roots 2c downward through the lower end opening of the holding tube portion 32 and is immersed in the culture solution 48 in the water tank portion 47, while railing the leaves 2b through the upper end opening of the holding tube portion 32. 4 can be grown to bulge upward. As the culture medium 50 filled in the holding tube portion 32, for example, a gelatinous culture medium such as agar may be used, or a solid culture medium such as sponge, urethane, or rock wool may be used.

In addition, in the plant cultivation system 1, spacers are used (not particularly shown) that are inserted between the plurality of plant holders 3 to define the space between the plant holders 3 in the front-rear direction. The spacer is composed of parts common to the plant holder 3 . That is, an empty plant holder 3 in which the inner diameter portion of the holding tube portion 32 is not filled with the culture medium 50 is used as a spacer. Therefore, along with the plurality of plant holders 3, the plurality of spacers are aligned along the front-rear direction on the rail 4, and the whole is supported movably. Each time a spacer is supplied from one side of the rail 4 in the front-rear direction, the already supported plant holder 3 and the spacer as a whole move toward the other side.

<5: Features of this embodiment>
The plant cultivation system 1 having the above-described configuration can cultivate a large number of plants 2 such as leafy vegetables collectively through the steps of sowing, raising seedlings, and planting. In the cultivation process, each plant 2 to be cultivated is held by the plant holder 3, and the plant holder 3 is moved along the rail portion 40 to shift to an environment corresponding to each step of the process. Plant 2 is grown. In such a plant cultivation system 1, for example, a hole portion (holding cylinder portion 32 in this example) penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the body portion 31 of the plant holder 3, and the inside of the hole portion is filled with Growth is started from a state in which the seeds of the plant 2 are sown in the medium 50 . The seed germinates, the radicle 2e takes root in the culture medium 50 and penetrates downward through the hole, and the bud 2f grows upward. is held so as to surround from the outer periphery. Further, as described above, the water tank portion 47 for storing the culture solution 48 is provided below the rail portion 40 that supports the plant holder 3, and the plant 2 grows by soaking the roots 2c in the culture solution 48 and absorbing it. promote

However, as described above, the medium 50 filled in the holes of the plant holder 3 and seeded with the seeds of the plants 2 is often made of a material (agar, sponge, etc.) that easily dries, and the seeds before germination and In order to continue supplying sufficient water to the radicle 2e after germination, it is necessary to bring the culture medium 50 into contact with the culture solution 48 and absorb it during the sowing period and the seedling raising period. On the other hand, in order for the plant holder 3 to slide smoothly while being supported by the rails 40 , the culture solution 48 should be added to the contact portion between the main body 31 of the plant holder 3 and the rails 40 . should be avoided.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the plant holder 3 has a holding cylinder portion 32 that holds the plant 2 in the inner diameter portion with the vertical direction as the axial direction, and a main body portion 31 that supports the holding cylinder portion 32. The holding tube portion 32 has a lower end opening protruding downward from a holder supporting surface 38 that supports the main body portion 31 .

That is, the plant holder 3 of the present embodiment has the above-mentioned hole for holding the plant 2 as a holding tube portion 32 formed in a tubular shape, and the inner diameter portion thereof is filled with the culture medium 50 at the time of sowing. The lower end opening of the holding cylinder 32 protrudes downward from the holder support surface 38 on the main body 31 side that contacts and supports the entire plant holder 3 on the rail support surface 45 on the rail portion 40 side. In this manner, the lower end opening of the holding cylinder portion 32 is positioned downward, the holder supporting surface 38 is positioned upward, and a height difference is provided between them. By maintaining the water level of the culture medium 48 between the height differences, the culture medium 48 is not soaked in the contact portion between the rail portion 40 and the main body portion 31, and the inner portion is passed through the lower end opening of the holding cylinder portion 32. The culture solution 48 can be immersed in the medium 50 and absorbed. Hereinafter, such a configuration will be sequentially described in detail.

<6: Detailed Configuration and Function of Holding Cylinder>
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 8(a). In FIG. 10 , the holding tube portion 32 is a tubular portion that has the inner diameter portion 39 whose axial direction is the vertical direction as described above and vertically penetrates the main body portion 31 . The upper end opening is formed in a flush state without protruding from the upper surface of the main body 31, and the lower end opening is formed to protrude downward from the lower surface of the main body 31 with a predetermined projection dimension t1.

In the example of the present embodiment, the inner diameter portion 39 of the holding cylinder portion 32 formed as a circular hole is opened with various inner diameters depending on the position in the axial direction. The entirety of 32 can be broadly divided into four parts, an upper end opening 39a, a straight cylinder part 39b, a small diameter part 39c, and a lower end opening 39d, in order from the top to the bottom of the axial position.

The upper end opening 39a (corresponding to the other end opening) is formed with a tapered chamfered portion 39e whose inner diameter dimension continuously increases from the center toward the upper end over the entire axial range. ing.

The straight cylindrical portion 39b is formed of a cylindrical portion having a uniform inner diameter dimension in the axial direction, which is the minimum inner diameter dimension at the center side of the upper end opening 39a.

The small diameter portion 39c is opened with an inner diameter dimension smaller than that of the straight cylinder portion 39b. That is, the small diameter portion 39c has an inner diameter smaller than the maximum inner diameter of the upper end opening 39a. It is formed as an edge portion with a small cross-sectional area orthogonal to the axis.

The lower end opening 39d (corresponding to one end opening) is formed so that the inner diameter dimension gradually increases from the central portion toward the lower end portion over the entire axial range. That is, the lower end opening 39d has an inner diameter larger than that of the small diameter portion 39c.

The above four portions, ie, the upper end opening 39a, the straight cylinder portion 39b, the small diameter portion 39c, and the lower end opening 39d are formed in a coaxial arrangement with their axial centers aligned.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 11(a) to 11(d), the function of each portion of the inner diameter portion 39 will be described. In each figure, only the holding cylinder portion 32 is shown in an axial side cross-section corresponding to FIG. 10 to avoid complication of the illustration, and illustration of other components is omitted.

FIG. 11(a) shows the state of the inner diameter portion 39 of the holding tube portion 32 during sowing. In the example shown in this figure, before seeding, the inner diameter portion 39 of the holding tube portion 32 is filled with the culture medium 50 so as to fill the entire space from the upper end opening 39a to the lower end opening 39d. Seeds 2d of plants 2 are sown on the top surface of medium 50 at 39a. In the illustrated example, the seed 2d of the plant 2 is coated with a predetermined coating agent and formed into a spherical shape as a whole. may be used. In this state, the seeding period is the period from when the seeds 2d absorb moisture from the culture medium 50 until they germinate. As described above, the carry-in conveyor 7 of this example carries and supplies the plant holders 3 to the stage A of the layered cultivation shelf 5 in a state in which the seeds 2d have germinated. The holder 3 may be carried in and supplied to the stacked cultivation shelf 5 .

Here, even if the culture medium 50 filled in the inner diameter portion 39 of the holding cylinder portion 32 is made of a material that is flexible and has a high specific gravity, the small diameter portion 39c with a small inner diameter can hold the culture medium 50 at an intermediate position in the axial direction. can prevent the culture medium 50 from dropping downward.

Next, when the seed 2d germinates, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the radicle 2e emerges from the seed 2d (in the illustrated example, the radicle 2f also emerges at the same time). However, at this early stage of germination, the radicle 2e does not necessarily extend directly downward toward the culture medium 50, and may temporarily extend slightly upward as in the illustrated example. On the other hand, in the holding tube portion 32 of the plant holder 3 of the present embodiment, as described above, the tapered chamfered portion 39e is formed at the upper end opening portion 39a to be larger than the straight tube portion 39b. As shown in FIG. 11(c), when the radicle 2e, which has extended upward, then descends downward, the inner diameter portion 39 is easily guided to the culture medium 50. As shown in FIG. This is because the inner diameters of the straight cylindrical portion 39b and the small diameter portion 39c are defined relatively small so that the outer periphery of the stem 2a of the plant 2 in the final growth stage can be properly held, and the upper end opening 39a is defined to be relatively small. By forming the area larger than that of the straight cylindrical portion 39b, the ground contact area of the radicle 2e with respect to the culture medium 50 is set wide.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the radicle 2e of the plant 2 that has absorbed the nutrients of the culture medium 50 extends downward and penetrates the inner diameter portion 39, and after that, the water tank portion 47 arranged on the lower side extends. It can contact and absorb nutrients from the culture medium 48 (see FIG. 9 above). At this time, the root 2c of the plant 2 extends downward through the lower end opening 39d and swells so as to expand even in the horizontal direction. By being formed larger, the free growth of the root 2c of such a plant 2 can be promoted without being hindered. The growing period from the time of germination in FIG. 11(b) to FIG. 11(d) is the seedling raising period.

<7: Dimensional Arrangement Relationship between Plant Holder and Rail>
Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the detailed configuration of the end portion of the rail 4 from the viewpoint of the dimensional arrangement relationship with the plant holder 3 will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a horizontal cross section at the end of the rail 4 , that is, a vertical cross section along the conveying direction of the plant holder 3 . The rail 4 is, for example, a rail 4 that is provided on the A stage of the stacked cultivation shelf 5 and supports the plant holder 3 in a seedling-raising period (or seeding period), and is particularly on the side from which the plant holder 3 is taken out. is assumed to be the end portion in the conveying direction (see section B in FIG. 4). Also, FIG. 13(a) shows a cross section orthogonal to the front-rear direction viewed from arrow XIIIa-XIIIa in FIG. 12, and FIG. represents a cross section. In addition, illustration of the plant 2 is abbreviate|omitted in order to avoid the complexity of illustration.

12 and 13, a water tank wall portion 47c and a drainage portion 51 are provided at the end portion of the rail 4. As shown in FIG. The water tank wall portion 47c is a wall surface portion fitted only to the water tank portion 47 positioned on the lower side at the end of the rail 4, and is lower in height than the left and right side wall portions 47a. It functions as a weir to block free outflow. The drainage section 51 is a hollow structure that surrounds the entire end of the water tank section 47 including the water tank wall section 47 c and communicates the internal space with the drainage pipe 52 .

In this configuration, the culture solution 48 supplied from a flow means such as a pump (not shown) into the water tank portion 47 is drained after a part of the surface of the water overflows over the upper edge portion 47d of the water tank wall portion 47c. The water is drained to the outside through the portion 51 and the drain pipe 52 . As a result, in the water tank 47, the culture fluid 48 flows in the direction from the water supply position (not shown) from the flow means toward the water tank wall 47c at the end of the rail 4, and the water level rises to the water tank wall 47c. It depends on the height position of the upper edge portion 47d and the water supply speed (amount of water supply per unit time) from the flow means.

Here, as described above, the culture medium 50 filled in the inner diameter portion 39 of the plant holder 3 and seeded with the seeds 2d of the plant 2 is often made of a material (agar, sponge, etc.) that easily dries. In order to keep supplying sufficient moisture to the seeds 2d and radicles 2e after germination, the medium 50 needs to be brought into contact with the culture solution 48 during the sowing period and the seedling raising period so that the medium 50 is absorbed. On the other hand, in order for the plant holder 3 to slide smoothly while being supported by the rails 40 , the culture solution 48 should be added to the contact portion between the main body 31 of the plant holder 3 and the rails 40 . should be avoided. Furthermore, when the transport robot 6 removes the plant holder 3 from the end of the rail portion 40 in the horizontal transport direction, the lower end opening 39d of the holding cylinder portion 32 is positioned above the upper edge portion 47d of the water tank wall portion 47c. The height position of the upper edge portion 47d must be limited so that it can pass through. In order to satisfy the above conditions at the same time, in the plant cultivation system 1 of the example of the present embodiment, the plant holders 3 and the rails 4 are configured with the following dimensional arrangement relationship.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 13(b), the holding tube portion 32 of the plant holder 3 has a lower end opening 39d that extends from the holder supporting surface 38 of the main body 31 (the rail supporting surface of the lower rail plate 42a). It is formed so as to protrude downward by a protrusion dimension t1 from the surface on the side of the plant holder 3 that contacts the surface 45). That is, in the plant holder 3 in the use posture, the lower end of the holding tube portion 32 is positioned relatively lower than the holder supporting surface 38, and a height difference of the projection dimension t1 is provided therebetween. . By maintaining the water level of the culture solution 48 in the water tank portion 47 on the lower side of the rail portion 40 within the height difference t1, the contact portion between the rail portion 40 and the main body portion 31 is not soaked with the culture solution 48. , the culture solution 48 can be immersed in the internal culture medium 50 through the lower end opening 39 d of the holding cylinder 32 and absorbed.

Here, as shown in FIG. 13, the height position of the rail support surface 45 on the side of the rail 4 that contacts the holder support surface 38 of the plant holder 3 is used as a reference, and the height position of the water tank wall portion 47c located below it is used as a reference. Let t2 be the height difference with the upper edge portion 47d. Also, let Δt be the amount by which the water level can rise in the culture medium 48 due to its own surface tension.

In this case, the water level of the culture medium 48 can be maintained at least higher than the height position which is relatively downwardly spaced from the height position of the rail support surface 45 by t2−Δt. This is because the culture solution 48 in the water tank 47 continues to be supplied with water no matter how slow the water supply rate is, and the surface tension of the culture solution 48 itself will cause the water level to rise by at least a predetermined amount above the upper edge 47d of the water tank wall 47c. This is because the water level can be raised by Δt. Therefore, in order to keep the lower end opening 39d in contact with the water surface of the culture solution 48, the water level of the culture solution 48 must be relatively higher than the lower end position of the lower end opening 39d.
t2-Δt≦t1
→ t2 ≤ t1 + Δt (Formula 1)
The relative height position of the upper edge portion 47d (the separation distance below the rail support surface 45) may be set so as to be . By setting the design dimensions of the rail 4 including the water tank wall portion 47c in this manner, it is possible to always ensure the contact state of the culture solution 48 with the water surface of the lower end opening 39d. Also, the water supply speed may be appropriately adjusted so that the water level of the culture solution 48 does not become higher than the rail support surface 45 .

On the other hand, the end portion of the rail portion 40 and the water tank wall portion 47c are arranged close to each other in the front-rear direction so that the longitudinal dimension of the rail 4 as a whole can be shortened. For this reason, as described above, when the transport robot 6 removes the plant holder 3 from the end of the rail portion 40 in the horizontal transport direction, the lower end opening 39d of the holding cylinder portion 32 is positioned at the upper edge of the water tank wall portion 47c. It is necessary to position the upper edge portion 47d relatively lower than the lower end position of the lower end opening 39d so that it can pass through the portion 47d without interfering with it. On the contrary,
t1≦t2 (Formula 2)
The relative height position of the upper edge portion 47d (the separation distance below the rail support surface 45) may be set so as to be .

From the above (Equation 1) and (Equation 2), the upper edge portion 47d of the water tank wall portion 47c in this embodiment has a projection dimension t1 (design value) of the lower end opening 39d and Height difference t2 (t1 ≤ t2 ≤ t1 + Δt) that is equal to or less than the total dimension (t1 + Δt) with the water level rise dimension Δt (physical constant of the culture solution 48) by which the water level can rise due to surface tension and is equal to or greater than the protrusion dimension t1 : design value) and positioned below the rail support surface 45 .

12 and 13 described above is not limited to the end of the rail 4 on the side from which the plant holder 3 is taken out, but the rail 4 on the opposite side into which the plant holder 3 is inserted. can also be applied to the ends of

<8. Effect of Embodiment>
As described above, in the plant cultivation system 1 of the present embodiment, the plant holder 3 supports the holding tube portion 32 that holds the plant 2 with the inner diameter portion 39 whose axial direction is the vertical direction, and the holding tube portion 32. A lower end opening 39 d of the holding tube portion 32 protrudes downward from a holder support surface 38 that supports the main body portion 31 .

In this manner, the lower end opening 39d of the holding cylinder portion 32 is positioned downward, and the holder support surface 38 is positioned upward, and a height difference is provided between them. By maintaining the water level of the culture solution 48 in the 47 between the height differences, the culture solution 48 is not soaked in the contact portion between the rail portion 40 and the main body portion 31, and the culture solution 48 is not soaked through the lower end opening 39d of the holding cylinder portion 32. The culture medium 48 can be immersed in the medium 50 inside and absorbed. As a result, it is possible to improve the growth function of the plant 2 while ensuring the movement performance of the plant holder 3 .

In the present embodiment, in particular, in the water tank part 47, the upper edge part 47d of the water tank wall part 47c located at the end in the conveying direction is the lower end opening of the plant holder 3 directed downward from the holder supporting surface 38. Positioned below the rail support surface 45 with a height difference (t2 ≤ t1 + Δt1) equal to or less than the total dimension (t1 + Δt) of the projection dimension t1 of 39d and the water level rise dimension Δt by which the water level rises due to surface tension in the culture solution 48 are arranged to

As a result, the water level of the culture solution 48 in the water tank portion 47 can be at least higher than the upper edge portion 47d of the water tank wall portion 47c by the water level rise dimension Δt due to its surface tension. Therefore, in the configuration in which the upper edge portion 47d is arranged based on the above dimensional relationship (t2≦t1+Δt1) so as to utilize the height difference, the lower end opening 39d of the holding cylinder portion 32 is located at a position lower than the water level of the culture solution 48. You can maintain constant contact with

In the present embodiment, in particular, in the water tank part 47, the upper edge part 47d of the water tank wall part 47c located at the end in the conveying direction is the lower end opening of the plant holder 3 directed downward from the holder supporting surface 38. It is arranged to be located below the rail support surface 45 with a height difference (t2≧t1) equal to or greater than the projecting dimension t1 of 39d. As a result, even when the plant holder 3 is removed from the end of the rail portion 40 in the horizontal conveying direction, the lower end opening 39d of the holding cylinder portion 32 is located at the end of the water tank portion 47 in the conveying direction. It becomes possible to pass above without interfering with the upper edge portion 47d of 47c.

In addition, particularly in this embodiment, the holding tube portion 32 of the plant holder 3 has a small diameter portion 39c at an intermediate position in the axial direction of the inner diameter portion 39, the small diameter portion 39c having a smaller cross-sectional area perpendicular to the axis than the upper end opening 39a. As a result, even if the culture medium 50 filled in the inner diameter portion 39 of the holding tube portion 32 is made of a soft material with a high specific gravity, the small diameter portion 39c can retain the culture medium 50 at an intermediate position in the axial direction. can be prevented from falling downward.

In addition, particularly in this embodiment, the holding tube portion 32 of the plant holder 3 has a tapered chamfered portion 39e formed at the upper end opening portion 39a. As a result, since there is no substantially right-angled corner at the upper end opening 39a of the holding cylinder 32, damage to the stem 2a of the plant 2 to be held can be prevented, and the radicle 2e extends upward when the seed 2d germinates. Even if it is lost, it can be easily guided to the inner diameter portion 39 (culture medium 50) afterward because the opening area is large.

In addition, particularly in the present embodiment, the holding cylinder portion 32 of the plant holder 3 is formed so that the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the axis of the lower end opening portion 39d is larger than that of the small diameter portion 39c. As a result, while the stem 2a of the plant 2 is securely held by the engagement of the small diameter portion 39c in the inner diameter portion 39 of the holding tube portion 32, when the root 2c of the plant 2 extends downward through the lower end opening 39d, Horizontal expansion is also easy. Also, when the root 2c is removed from the plant holder 3 after the plant 2 has grown sufficiently and the leaves 2b are cut from the stem 2a and harvested, the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the axis of the lower end opening 39d is formed to be wide. The removal work can be easily performed by being installed.

In addition, particularly in the present embodiment, the body portion 31 of the plant holder 3 protrudes downward from the holder support surface 38 and has a width direction dimension (horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction) from the end portion in the conveying direction toward the central portion. ) has an expanding guiding taper 33 . As a result, even when the plant holder 3 is inserted into the lower rail groove 43b between the two lower rail plates 42a arranged on the left and right sides, the guide taper portion 33 located at the end portion of the main body portion 31 is Since the tip is sufficiently smaller than the width of the lower rail groove 43b, the insertion operation is facilitated. Therefore, even when the position of the lower rail groove 43b fluctuates due to thermal expansion of the rail portion 40 itself, or when the operation accuracy of the transport robot 6 is low, the insertion machine for the plant holder 3 can be improved.

In addition, particularly in the present embodiment, the body portion 31 including the guide taper portion 33 in the plant holder 3 is formed in a hollow structure with an open bottom. As a result, the weight of the entire plant holder 3 can be reduced, and the area of the holder support surface 38 of the main body 31 can be reduced to reduce the contact resistance with the rail support surface 45. The moving performance of the plant holder 3 is improved.

In addition, particularly in this embodiment, the main body portion 31 of the plant holder 3 is formed with flat surfaces 37 perpendicular to the conveying direction (with the conveying direction as the normal direction) at both ends in the conveying direction. . As a result, even when a plurality of plant holders 3 are closely arranged in a row on the rail portion 40 and transported so as to push out the entirety from one end portion, it is possible to ride on or position between the adjacent plant holders 3 . Pushing thrust can be reliably transmitted while maintaining a serially aligned state by suppressing deviation. Further, by improving the adhesion between the plant holders 3 in such an aligned state, the light shielding property from the light source 15 positioned above to the inside of the water tank part 47 positioned below is also improved. The growth of blue-green algae and the like in the culture solution 48 in 47 can be suppressed.

Both ends of the main body 31 in the conveying direction are not limited to the flat surfaces 37 described above, and as shown in FIG. good too. For example, as shown in FIG. 14(a), one plant holder 3 has a rectangular convex portion 37a formed at the forward end in the conveying direction and a rectangular concave portion 37b formed at the rear end. may be formed. As a result, when a new plant holder 3 is pushed into the row of already aligned plant holders 3 and arranged, the convex portion 37a on the pushed side fits into the concave portion 37b on the pushed side to hold the plant. The tools 3 can be connected more reliably. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 14(b), for example, it may be formed by a combination of a mountain-shaped convex portion 37c and a concave portion 37d. In addition, the positions of the convex portion and the concave portion with respect to the conveying direction may be reversed, and the convex portion and the concave portion may be formed in a shape other than the rectangular or chevron as long as they can be fitted to each other. good.

In addition, in the above description, when there are descriptions such as “perpendicular”, “parallel”, “planar”, etc., these descriptions do not have a strict meaning. In other words, "perpendicular," "parallel," and "flat" mean "substantially perpendicular," "substantially parallel," and "substantially flat," with allowance for design and manufacturing tolerances and errors. .

In addition, in the above description, descriptions such as "the same", "equal", and "different" regarding external dimensions and sizes are not strictly defined. That is, the terms "same", "equal", and "different" mean "substantially the same", "substantially equal", and "substantially different", with allowance for design and manufacturing tolerances and errors. .

In addition to the methods already described above, the methods according to the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined and used.

In addition, although not exemplified one by one, the above-described embodiment and each modified example can be implemented with various modifications within the scope not departing from the spirit thereof.

1 Plant Cultivation System 2 Plant 3 Plant Holder 4 Rail 5 Laminated Cultivation Shelf 5a Cultivation Shelf 6 Transport Robot 7 Carry-In Conveyor 8 Carry-Out Conveyor 15 Light Source 21 Hand 31 Body Part 32 Holding Cylinder Part 33 Guide Taper Part 34 Guide Plate Part 35 Support Part 36 Maximum width dimension portion 37 Flat surface 38 Holder support surface 39 Inner diameter portion 39a Upper end opening portion 39b Straight tube portion 39c Small diameter portion (small mouth portion)
39d lower end opening 39e chamfered portion 40 rail portion 45 rail support surface 47 water tank portion 47c water tank wall portion (weir portion)
48 culture medium 50 medium

Claims (3)

a plant holder for holding a plant to be cultivated;
a support portion that supports the plurality of plant holders;
a water tank portion disposed below the support portion and in which a culture solution is stored;
a weir portion provided in the water tank portion and over which the culture solution is discharged when the culture solution is discharged to the outside of the water tank portion;
has
The plant holder is
The height of the lower end is equal to or higher than the height of the upper end of the weir and equal to or lower than the water level of the culture solution obtained by adding the height of the upper end of the weir to the height of the upper end of the weir due to the surface tension of the culture solution. is supported by the support so that
A plant cultivation system characterized by: The support part is
A rail portion that supports the plant holder movably along the conveying direction,
The plant cultivation system according to claim 1, characterized by: a plant holder for holding a plant to be cultivated;
a rail portion configured to movably support the plurality of plant holders along the transport direction on a rail support surface;
a water tank portion disposed below the rail portion, the upper portion of which is open and the culture solution is stored therein;
has
The plant holder is
a holding tube portion that holds the plant in an inner diameter portion whose axial direction is the vertical direction;
a body portion that supports the holding tube portion;
has
The holding cylinder part
the lower end opening protrudes downward from the holder supporting surface that supports the main body,
The water tank part
The upper edge of the weir over which the culture solution is discharged to the outside of the water tank is greater than or equal to the projecting dimension of the lower end opening directed downward from the support surface of the plant holder, and It is characterized in that it is positioned below the rail support surface with a height difference equal to or less than the total dimension of the projection dimension and the water level rise dimension by which the water level rises due to surface tension in the culture solution. plant cultivation system.

Images