JPH0391423A - Culturing equipment of transferable vertical cylinder type and nutritive solution-feeding device used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To feed nutritive solution to every culturing cylinders without stopping circulating transfer of culturing cylinder by providing plural nutritive solution- feeding devices, knowing position of culturing cylinder in transferring with detecting means and ejecting suitable amount of nutritive solution from top end nozzle of solution-feeding head. CONSTITUTION:Plural nutritive solution-feeding devices 15 are provided along loop track 2. Nutritive solution is ejected only in the time of facing culturing cylinder 5 to the feeding device 15 by culturing cylinder-detecting means (limit switch 20). Namely, feeding of nutritive solution is performed in a state of circulation of the culturing cylinder 5. Besides, leakage to outside of the culturing cylinder 5 is able to be prevented as ejecting amount from each nutritive solution-feeding device is relatively small. Scattering of nutritive solution is prevented, cutting of the solution is made to excellent state and simultaneously formation of solution drop at the nozzle part is also prevented by making top end of solution-feeding head to a nozzle and reverse side to releasing end.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a method for attaching at least one cultivation bed to a cultivation tube, which is a cylindrical member, and supplying a nutrient solution to the cultivation bed from the top of the cultivation tube. The present invention relates to a type of cultivation device, a so-called vertical tube cultivation device. In particular, the present invention relates to a mobile vertical tube cultivation device that arranges a plurality of cultivation tubes in an annular shape in advance and moves them simultaneously along an annular trajectory.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a nutrient solution supply device that can be used in the mobile vertical cultivation device or other cultivation devices.

[Conventional technology] Currently, regarding the production of plants such as vegetables, it is necessary to maintain stable production by always producing a constant quantity of products of a constant quality, to meet consumer demand regardless of the season, and to produce without pesticides. There are demands such as: In response to this request,
Many hydroponic techniques have been developed. however,
Many hydroponic systems simply plant plant seedlings in flat seedbeds, and therefore require large areas of land.

Further, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 51-91143, a nutrient solution tank is provided above a large number of cultivation cylinders.

A device is disclosed in which a nutrient solution is intermittently supplied from the tank to each cultivation tube. According to this device, the seedbed is provided on the cultivation tube in the vertical direction, so the above-mentioned drawback of requiring a large land area is solved. However, in this device, all the cultivation tubes are fixed, and therefore, the lighting for each cultivation tube is uneven, and the operator has to move along each cultivation tube during harvesting. There is.

According to Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 64-467, an apparatus is disclosed in which a plurality of cultivation cylinders are moved on a circular orbit and a nutrient solution is supplied to each cultivation cylinder. According to this device, since each cultivation cylinder moves in a wI ring, the above-mentioned drawback that the lighting of each cultivation cylinder becomes uneven is solved. However, there are two nutrient solution supply ports for supplying nutrient solution to each cultivation tube.
If you try to supply a sufficient amount of nutrient solution to the cultivation tube and a large amount of nutrient solution is discharged from the nutrient solution supply port.

Nutrient solution leaks from the cultivation tube and spreads onto the stems, leaves, and flowers of the plants.

When it comes into contact with fruits, etc., so-called salt damage occurs, causing the plants to wither and rot. In order to prevent this, it is possible to supply the nutrient solution while the movement of the cultivation cylinder is temporarily stopped, but this method requires an extremely long working time.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks in conventional devices.

In the mobile vertical tube cultivation device, l1Ijl of the cultivation tube! It is possible to supply a sufficient amount of nutrient solution to each cultivation tube without stopping the movement, and it also prevents the nutrient solution supplied from the nutrient solution supply device from leaking to the outside of the cultivation tube, preventing salt damage. The first challenge is to prevent plants from withering and rotting.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a nutrient solution supply device that can reliably prevent the nutrient solution from riding on waves and prevent the nutrient solution from leaking to the outside of the cultivation tube.

[Means for Solving the Problem] The means for solving the first problem described above includes a plurality of cultivation tubes arranged parallel to each other along a circular orbit, and at least one cultivation tube provided in each cultivation tube. A mobile type that has a cultivation bed on which plants can be planted, supplies the nutrient solution to each cultivation bed by dropping the nutrient solution from the top of the cultivation tube, and cultivates plants while moving each cultivation tube along a circular orbit. The vertical tube cultivation device includes a nutrient solution tank for storing the nutrient solution, and a nutrient solution tank arranged above the cultivation tube along the annular track to supply the nutrient solution sent from the nutrient solution tank into the cultivation tube. A plurality of nutrient solution supply devices, a cultivation tube detection means for detecting that a cultivation tube moving along the annular trajectory is passing through a position corresponding to the nutrient solution supply devices, and a cultivation tube detection means for the cultivation tube detection means. This is a mobile vertical tube cultivation device that operates the nutrient solution supply device to supply nutrient solution based on the detection results only while the cultivation tube passes under the nutrient solution supply device.

Means for solving the above-mentioned second problem is a nutrient solution supply device that supplies a nutrient solution to a cultivation tube to which a cultivation bed on which plants are planted is attached, and is arranged corresponding to the upper end of the cultivation tube. A nutrient solution supply comprising a nutrient solution supply head, the end of the nutrient solution supply head facing the cultivation tube serving as a nozzle, and the opposite end thereof being open to the outside air. It is a device.

[Function] In the invention of claim 1, a plurality of nutrient solution supply devices (15) are provided along the annular track (2). The amount of nutrient solution discharged from one nutrient solution supply device is set to a relatively small amount in order to suppress leakage of the nutrient solution to the outside of the cultivation cylinder (5) as much as possible. It is sufficient that the required amount of nutrient solution can be obtained when the discharge amounts of all the nutrient solution supply devices are combined.

The cultivation tube detection means (limit switch 20) is.

Detects whether the cultivation cylinder is facing the nutrient solution supply device. The cultivation cylinder detecting means discharges the nutrient solution from the nutrient solution supply device to supply the nutrient solution to the cultivation tube only for the time period during which it is determined that the cultivation tube is facing the nutrient solution supply device.

As described above, the nutrient solution can be supplied while the 'fi ring is moved without stopping the cultivation tube. Moreover, since the amount of nutrient solution discharged from one nutrient solution supply device is suppressed to a relatively small amount as described above, it is possible to prevent the nutrient solution from leaking out of the cultivation cylinder.

In the invention of claim 2, the nutrient solution sent to the liquid supply head (work 6) is discharged into the cultivation cylinder via the tip nozzle part (18). By using the tip as a nozzle, it is possible to prevent the nutrient solution from scattering and furthermore to prevent the nutrient solution from leaking from the cultivation cylinder. In addition, by using a nozzle, the liquid drains better, and as a result.

It is possible to prevent droplets from the liquid supply head from falling somewhere other than the cultivation tube and landing on the leaves of plants.

Furthermore, the side opposite to the nozzle of the liquid supply head is an open end (19).
This reliably prevents droplets from forming at the tip nozzle.

[Example] FIG. 1 is a side view of an example of the mobile vertical tube cultivation apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, which uses the nutrient solution supply device according to the invention of claim 2.

In the figure, a drain rail 1 is installed on the ground or other base. An annular track 2 is fixedly disposed on this drain rail 1 by a machine frame (not shown). The drain rail 1 and the annular track 2 are both formed in an annular shape as shown by the chain line in FIG. A plurality of cultivation tubes 5 are suspended from the annular track 2 at equal intervals and parallel to each other, and the lower ends of the cultivation tubes 5 extend to the drain rail 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, a chain 4 is housed in the annular track 2, and a cultivation cylinder 5 is suspended from the chain 4. The cultivation cylinder 5 is formed of a rectangular cylindrical member with a substantially square cross section, and a plurality of cultivation beds 6 are attached to the side surface of the cultivation cylinder 5 one after another in the vertical direction. Also,
In the embodiment, a cultivation bed 6 is spirally attached to the side surface of the cultivation cylinder 5. That is, the top cultivation bed 6 protrudes to the left side of the cultivation tube 5, the cultivation bed 6 below it protrudes to the back side of the figure, and the cultivation bed 6 below it protrudes to the right side of the figure, which extends to the bottom end of the cultivation tube 5. It's being repeated.

A cylindrical drainage part 7 is formed at the lower end of the cultivation [5], and it fits into the drainage rail 1.

Each cultivation bed 6 includes a plant placement section 8 on which plants are placed;
It has a liquid tray part 9 for storing a nutrient solution. The roots of a plant (not shown) placed on the plant placement section 8 extend to the liquid tray section 9 through an opening 10 made in advance in the cultivation cylinder 5.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a chain drive device 11 is disposed in a part of the annular track 2. As shown in FIGS. This drive device consists of the above-mentioned chain 4 (third
) in the annular track 2 at a constant speed and in a constant direction, for example, in the direction indicated by the arrow. The specific configuration of this chain drive device 11 is not limited to a special one. For example, it can be driven by an electric motor via power transmission means such as gears and a suitable speed reduction device. When the chain 4 is driven in the A direction by the chain drive bag N11, all the cultivation cylinders 5 suspended thereon circulate in the same direction at the same time.

The operation of the chain driven bag Mll is controlled by a control device 25, as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the nutrient solution supply pipe 12 extending from the nutrient solution tank 23 arranged outside the annular track 2 is connected to the annular track 2.
The liquid supply pipe 14a is divided into two branch pipes inside the liquid supply pipe 14a, and each branch pipe is a liquid supply pipe 14a that extends parallel to the annular track 2 after passing through the solenoid valve 13.

It ended as 14b. Eleven nutrient solution supply devices 15 are attached to each of these liquid supply pipes at equal intervals. The intervals between the individual nutrient solution supply devices are set to be approximately equal to the intervals between the cultivation cylinders 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the nutrient solution supply device 15 includes a liquid supply head 16 and a pipe 17 connecting the liquid supply head and the liquid supply pipes 14a and 14b. Liquid supply head 1
6 has a nozzle 18 at its end corresponding to the cultivation tube 5, and its opposite end 19 is open to the outside air, that is, the atmosphere.

A pump 26 is attached to the nutrient solution supply pipe 12, and this pump is turned on and off by a control device 25.

When the pump 26 is turned on, the nutrient solution in the nutrient solution tank 23 is pumped up along the nutrient solution supply pipe 12. At this time, if the solenoid valves 13, 13 are on, the liquid supply pipe 14 a
, 14b, the nutrient solution is supplied to each nutrient solution supply device 15.

The above-mentioned nutrient solution tank 23 is connected to the drain rail 1 through a pipe 24, as shown in FIG.

In addition, in FIG. 2, a limit switch 20, 20 as a cultivation cylinder detection means is fixedly disposed on the outer side of the annular track 2 at approximately the center thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, this limit switch 20 is arranged so that the tip of its actuator 21 hits a hanging tool 22 for suspending the cultivation cylinder 5.

The output of limit switch 20 is guided to control device 25. The control device controls on/off of the solenoid valves 13 and 13 based on the output information of the limit switch 20.

The mobile vertical cultivation device and the nutrient solution supply device according to this embodiment are configured as described above. less than.

Explain their effects.

When the chain drive device 11 is turned on by the N control device 25, the chain 4 in the annular track 2 is driven in the inward direction, thereby causing all the cultivation tubes 5 to circulate in the A direction. This movement continues continuously until an off command is issued from the control device 25.

When the cultivation cylinder 5, which is being circulated and moved by the chain 4, reaches a position facing the limit switch 20, the limit switch 2
0 actuator 21 is moved and its switch 20
turns on. That is, the limit switch 20 is turned on only for an appropriate predetermined time period when one cultivation cylinder 5 passes in front of the limit switch 20. This on signal is sent to the control device 25.

Upon receiving this ON signal, the control device 25 controls the solenoid valve 13.
13 is turned on. When the solenoid valve 13 is turned on, the nutrient solution is discharged from the tip nozzle 18 to the cultivation cylinder 5. The discharged nutrient solution falls from the cylindrical pipe 27 into the liquid tray 9 of the cultivation bed 6.

A through hole 28 having an appropriate height is provided in advance in the liquid dish part 9, and the nutrient solution that has fallen into the liquid dish part 9 passes through this through hole 28 and is sequentially transferred to the liquid dish one below. As a result, the nutrient solution is supplied to all the cultivation beds 6 attached to the side surfaces of the cultivation cylinder 5. The nutrient solution that has fallen from the liquid tray 9 of the cultivation bed 6 at the bottom flows into the drain rail 1 and is further transferred to the nutrient solution tank 23 via the pipe 24 (FIG. 1).
will be collected.

In the above operation, when the ξ button switch 20 is turned on, the nutrient solution is simultaneously discharged from the 11 nutrient solution supply devices 15 in FIG. 2. Therefore, the cultivation tube 5 is connected to the circular orbit 2.
The liquid is supplied 11 times during half a revolution, and 22 times during one revolution. As a result, cultivation cylinder 5
is supplied with a sufficient amount of nutrient solution during one revolution around the annular orbit 2.

In addition, if one liquid supply nozzle 15 is used, it is not necessary to discharge a large amount of nutrient solution per unit time, so there is no need to temporarily stop the circulation movement of the cultivation tube 5, and therefore, the chain lubricating device 11 and a control device 25 that controls it.
The configuration can be simplified.

In addition, supplying the nutrient solution to the cultivation cylinder 5 in a plurality of times means that it is necessary to supply the nutrient solution to the cultivation cylinder 5 in a plurality of times, as in this embodiment.
If a multi-tiered cultivation bed 6 is installed, the next nutrient solution will be supplied after the nutrient solution has completely fallen from the upper cultivation bed to the lower cultivation bed. Nutrient solution can be uniformly supplied to the tiered cultivation beds 6. In addition, leakage of the nutrient solution from each cultivation bed 6 is also eliminated.

Further, the liquid supply head 6 of the nutrient liquid supply device 15 has one end serving as a nozzle 18 and the other end 19 serving as an open end. As a result, when the solenoid valve 13 is turned off, the liquid in the liquid supply head (6) is well drained, and liquid dripping from the liquid supply head (16) can be prevented.

If the liquid drips, the nutrient solution will leak to the outside of the cultivation cylinder 5, and the nutrient solution will leak onto the stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. of the plants planted on the plant placement part 8 of the cultivation bed 6. There is a risk of adhesion and salt damage. However, according to the above embodiment in which dripping is prevented, there is no fear of such salt damage.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be modified in various ways.

First, although the above-mentioned embodiment is a case where the invention of claim 1 and the invention of claim 2 are implemented simultaneously, both inventions can also be implemented independently. That is, in FIG. 3, the nutrient solution supply device 15 can be replaced with other conventionally known solution supply means, while the nutrient solution supply device 15 shown in FIG. It can also be applied to any other cultivation device other than the mobile vertical cultivation device. For example, the nutrient solution supply device can also be applied to a fixed cultivation tube that is not mobile.

The number of nutrient solution supply devices 15 is not limited to 11 on each side and 22 in total, but can be arbitrarily set depending on the speed of W ring movement of the cultivation cylinder 5, the size of the cross-sectional area of the cultivation cylinder 5, etc. .

The arrangement position of the nutrient solution supply device 15 is also not limited to the example, and can be set at any position.

For example, instead of being distributed to both sides as in the embodiment, it may be provided only on one side of the circulation track 2.

The control device 25 can be configured using a microcomputer, or can use a well-known sequence circuit using relay elements or the like.

As a detection means for detecting the cultivation cylinder 5, other switching elements such as a photosensor can also be used in addition to the limit switch 20.

[Effect of the Invention] According to the invention of claim 1, the position of the cultivation cylinder is detected by the cultivation cylinder detection means (20), and the nutrient solution supply device (15) is activated only while the cultivation cylinder is facing the cultivation cylinder (5). ) to discharge the nutrient solution. Therefore, the nutrient solution can be supplied without stopping the circulation movement of the cultivation tube.

Furthermore, since a plurality of nutrient solution supply devices 1e (15) are provided, the amount of nutrient solution supplied by one device can be relatively small. Therefore, compared to the case where a large amount of nutrient solution is supplied at once, leakage of the nutrient solution from the cultivation cylinder can be reliably avoided.

According to the invention of claim 2, the tip of the liquid supply head (16) is the nozzle (18), and the opposite end thereof is the nozzle (18).
L, the draining of the nutrient solution is improved and the formation of droplets at the tip of the nozzle can be prevented. This can prevent the droplet from falling to places other than the cultivation tube.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The first construction drawing is a side view of one embodiment of the mobile vertical cultivation device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing an example of a supply device. 2: Circular orbit, 5: Cultivation tube.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) It has a plurality of cultivation tubes arranged parallel to each other along a circular orbit, and at least one cultivation bed provided in each cultivation tube on which plants are planted, and the nutrient solution is dropped from the top of the cultivation tube. A mobile vertical tube cultivation device for cultivating plants while moving each cultivation tube along a circular track, and a nutrient solution tank for storing the above-mentioned nutrient solution; A plurality of nutrient solution supply devices arranged side by side along the annular orbit above the cylinder and supplying the nutrient solution sent from the nutrient solution tank into the cultivation cylinder, and a cultivation cylinder that moves along the annular orbit. a cultivation cylinder detection means for detecting that the cultivation cylinder is passing under a position corresponding to the nutrient solution supply device; A mobile vertical cultivation device characterized in that the nutrient solution supply device is operated to supply the nutrient solution only while the user is in the room. (2) A nutrient solution supply device that supplies a nutrient solution to a cultivation cylinder to which a cultivation bed on which plants are planted is attached, which has a liquid supply head disposed corresponding to the upper end of the cultivation cylinder; A nutrient solution supply device characterized in that the end of the solution head facing the cultivation tube is a nozzle, and the opposite end is open to the outside air.