JPH0528090B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a control unit for a hydroponic cultivation field device.

BACKGROUND ART In recent years, hydroponic cultivation in which plants are cultivated without using soil has become popular, and hydroponic cultivation using hydroponic cultivation devices is now practiced in each household.
Such hydroponic cultivation equipment used for home use, etc., stacks multiple cultivation dishes in multiple tiers at predetermined intervals, and supplies water (nutrient solution) containing fertilizer to each cultivation dish. It is common to do so. Also,
Some systems supply nutrient solution from a nutrient solution tank installed at the bottom to the top cultivation dish, and then circulate the nutrient solution from the top cultivation dish to the cultivation dishes and nutrient solution tank below.

Here, in a nutrient solution circulation type hydroponic cultivation device, there are centers such as a thermometer that measures the temperature of the nutrient solution, an EC meter that measures the fertilizer concentration in the nutrient solution, and a PH meter that measures the acidity of the nutrient solution. A pump and the like for supplying nutrient solution to the top cultivation dish are also installed. A control unit equipped with a display section for displaying detection results from various sensors and an operation section for operating pumps, etc. is provided separately from the nutrient solution tank, and is connected to it by electric wires, Bourdon tubes, etc.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention If the display section, operation section, etc. of the control unit are connected to the sensor, pump, etc. installed on the nutrient solution tank side using electric wires, Bourdon tubes, etc., the cost increases and the measurement accuracy decreases. In addition, it requires a large installation space.

Means for Solving the Problem A plurality of cultivation plates held in multi-tiered form by holding members are provided above the nutrient solution tank, and a supply section is provided for supplying the nutrient solution from the nutrient solution tank to the topmost cultivation dish. At the same time, a communicating hole is formed in the bottom of the cultivation dish. A lid is provided on a part of the upper surface of the nutrient solution tank, and a control box containing an electric circuit is attached to the lid, which holds the sensor in a downward position.

Function: By attaching the control box to the top of the lid of the nutrient solution tank, the nutrient solution tank and control box are integrated. Sensor and holding are performed using a control box without using a dedicated holding member.

Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 7. A substrate 2 having casters 1 at the four corners of its lower end is provided parallel to the ground surface 3. A fitting hole 4 is formed in the center of the substrate 2, and a cylindrical base tube 5 extending upward is fitted and fixed in the fitting hole 4. A cylindrical support tube 6 extending upward is fitted into the inner peripheral portion of the base tube 5 so as to be rotatable around the axis, and further, the upper end of the base tube 5 is rotatable around the support tube 6. Multiple rotary tubes 7 that fit together freely
are stacked with bearings 8 in between. A holding member 11 is fixed to each rotary tube 7, which is made up of four linear support rods 9 that are perpendicular to each other and extend horizontally, and a ring-shaped support rod 10 that connects the tips of the linear support rods 9 to each other. has been done. Further, a controller main body 12, which will be described later, is fitted and fixed to the upper end of the support tube 6, and an umbrella-shaped ceiling member 13 is attached to the upper part of the controller main body 12.
A bowl-shaped cap 15 having a mounting hole 14 in the center is fixed to the upper part of the cap.

Next, a nutrient solution tank 17 containing a nutrient solution 16 is installed on the substrate 2. In addition,
This nutrient solution tank 17 is formed into a substantially donut shape, and the base pipe 5 is inserted through the center thereof. Further, a part of the nutrient solution tank 17 is formed with a side projecting part 18, the top surface of this projecting part 18 is covered with a lid 19, and the other parts of the nutrient solution tank 17 are covered with many parts. It is covered by a support plate 20 in which small holes are formed. A seedling box installation hole 21 is formed in a part of the support plate 20, and a seedling box 22 is inserted into this seedling box installation hole 21 while floating on the surface of the nutrient solution 16. An artificial culture agent 23 is stored in the seedling box 22, and a communication hole 24 is formed in the bottom of the seedling box 22. A first heater 25 is provided below the seedling box 22 in the nutrient solution tank 17. Additionally, a second heater 26 is installed inside the nutrient solution tank 17.
A porous air generator 27 is provided, and a filter 28 covering one corner of the nutrient solution tank 17 is provided.
is provided.

Next, a holding plate 29 is attached to the holding member 11, and on the holding plate 29 attached to the lowermost holding member 11, a pair of small-sized cultivation plants are placed at positions 180 degrees apart with the support tube 6 in between. A plate 30 is placed,
Similarly, the other holding plate 29 is 180° with the support tube 6 in between.
A pair of large cultivation dishes 31 are placed at separated positions. The support tube 6 of the cultivation dishes 30, 31
A communication hole 32 is formed in the inner bottom surface close to the cultivation trays 30 and 31, and a cylindrical support 33 that communicates with the communication hole 32 and extends upward is integrally formed in the bottom surface of the cultivation dishes 30, 31. is formed. A cylindrical adjustment tube 34 is fitted into the inner circumference of the support column 33 so as to be rotatable about its axis, and the lower end of the adjustment tube 34 protrudes downward from the communication hole 32 and is connected to the holding plate. 29, and a knob 35 is fixed to the upper end of the adjustment tube 34 for rotationally adjusting the adjustment tube 34. Here, the pillar 33
A plurality of holes 36 are formed in the vertical direction, and a plurality of holes 37 are spirally formed in the adjustment tube 34 at a height opposite to the holes 36. Furthermore, a symbol is attached to the upper surface of the knob 35 to serve as a mark when the holes 36 and 37 are opposed to each other.

The rotary tube 7 is provided with the cultivation plates 30 and 3, respectively.
A water sink 38 located above 1 is fixed, and water holes 39 are formed in the bottom of each water sink 38, and these water holes 39 are connected to the cultivation dishes 30, 3.
It is opened facing the inner side of 1. A water guide plate 40 is provided inside the cultivation dishes 30, 31 to partition the interior of the cultivation dishes 30, 31 into a side facing the water flow holes 39 and a side where the pillars 33 are formed.
Note that this water guide plate 40 is bent in a zigzag shape as shown in FIG. A communication portion 41 is formed that communicates both sides of the cultivation dishes 30 and 31 partitioned by the plate 40. Here, the cultivation dish 31
The upper surface part is covered with a support plate 42 in which a large number of small holes are formed similarly to the support plate 20, and the cultivation plate 3
A support 43 for sowing seeds and growing seedlings from the seeds is provided inside the container. Further, a filter 44 surrounding the support column 33 is provided in the cultivation dishes 30, 31.

A control box 45 is attached to the top of the lid 19 of the nutrient solution tank 17, and the control box 45 includes a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the solution, an EC meter for measuring the fertilizer concentration, and an EC meter for measuring the acidity of the nutrient solution 16. Sensors 46 such as PH meters are held, and these sensors 46 penetrate the lid 19 and extend downward. Further, the control box 45 is provided with a thermostat 47 to which the heaters 25 and 26 are connected, and an air pump 48 to which the air generator 27 is connected. Furthermore, the control box 45 is provided with a display section (not shown) for displaying measurement results by the sensor 46 and an operation section (not shown) for operating the heaters 25, 26, etc. A waterproof cover 49 that covers the control box 45 is attached to the lid 19 so as to be openable and closable via an opening/closing hinge 50. A pump 51 is fixed to the lower surface of the projecting portion 18, the suction side of the pump 51 is connected to the bottom surface of the nutrient solution tank 17 via a suction pipe 52, and the support pipe 6 is connected to the water supply side of the pump 51. One end of a water supply pipe 53 installed inside is connected. The other end of the water pipe 53 is connected to the controller main body 12, and the pump 51, suction pipe 52, water pipe 53, etc. supply the nutrient solution 16 in the nutrient solution tank 17 to the top cultivation dish 31. A supply section 54 is configured.

The other end of the water pipe 53 is connected to the controller main body 12. Inside this controller main body 12, an inflow passage 55 connected to the water pipe 53 side and a branch passage 56 branching into two from this inflow passage 55 are formed, and the tip of the branch passage 56 is connected to the uppermost stage of the water flow. An air mixer 57 is attached with an opening facing the container 38. Further, the control body 12 includes a needle valve 5 facing the intersection of the inflow passage 55 and the branch passage 56.
8 is provided. A valve 59 is integrally formed at the upper end of the needle valve 58 to adjust the amount of restriction by rotating the needle valve 58. In addition, a liquid scattering prevention cover 60 covers above the water flower 38 at the top stage and around the air mixer 57.
is provided.

Next, a cooling fan 61 is provided below the opening on the lower surface of the base tube 5 . This cooling fan 61 is placed on the ground surface 3 and is arranged in a position where it can blow air upward. Further, a blower fan 62 is provided above the controller main body 12 in a downward direction, and the blower fan 62 is held by a hook 63 provided on the ceiling member 13. Here, the cooling fan 61 and the ventilation fan 62 have the same structure with a built-in drive unit and electric current, and it is also possible to provide only one of them and replace them in the other's position depending on the situation. . Next, a transparent heat-retaining cover 64 is provided to completely cover the holding member 11, the cultivation dishes 30, 31, and the like. This heat insulation cover 64 is connected to the ceiling member 13.
It is a bag-like member with an opening at the bottom, which is attached from the side, positioned and held by the holding member 11 and the cap 15, and whose lower end is held in the nutrient solution. Note that a hole is bored at the top at a position that fits the mounting hole 14 .

In such a configuration, various plants are planted on the support plates 20 and 42, and seeds are sown on the support 43. Here, the supply of the nutrient solution 16 to each cultivation dish 30, 31 and the circulation of the nutrient solution 16 will be explained. The nutrient solution tank 17 is driven by the pump 51.
The nutrient solution 16 inside is transferred to the suction pipe 52 and the water supply pipe 5.
Water is fed from the controller main body 12 into the water flower 38 through the water flow chamber 38. Nutrient solution 1 fed into the water flower 38
6 flows down from the water hole 39 into the cultivation dish 31, and the nutrient solution 16 is supplied into the cultivation dish 31. When the nutrient solution 16 supplied to the cultivation dish 31 reaches the set nutrient solution level, the nutrient solution 16 reaches the support columns 33 facing each other.
The liquid flows through the hole 36 of the control tube 34 and the hole 37 of the control tube 34 to reach the inner side of the control tube 34, and further flows down from the communication hole 32 into the water sink 38 located below. Then, from the water flow hole 39 of the water flow device 38, the lower cultivation dish 3
1, and from this cultivation dish 31, it similarly flows down into the water sink 38 and the cultivation dishes 31, 30 located below. The cultivation dish 30 at the bottom tier flows down into the nutrient solution tank 17, where each cultivation dish 30, 31
The nutrient solution 16 is supplied to the nutrient solution 16 and the nutrient solution 16 is circulated. The nutrient solution 16 refluxed into the nutrient solution tank 17 is filtered for impurities by a filter 28, and is again sent to the water flower 38 on the uppermost stage. As the plants grow, the area occupied by the roots in the cultivation dishes 30, 31 increases, but since the periphery of the support 33 is covered with a filter 44, the roots clog the holes 36 of the support 33, preventing the circulation of the nutrient solution 16. is prevented from interfering with

Next, the fertilizer concentration, acidity, and liquid temperature in the nutrient solution 16 are measured by the sensor 46 and displayed on the display section of the control box 45. Based on this measurement result, the type and amount of fertilizer to be dissolved can be adjusted.
Further, the temperature of the nutrient solution 16 is controlled by the heater 26. Note that by blowing air with the cooling fan 61, the nutrient solution 16 flowing down into the nutrient solution tank 17 is cooled, and the temperature of the nutrient solution 16 is lowered. Further, by blowing air with the blower fan 62, the internal temperature is made uniform when the heat retaining cover 64 is attached. Furthermore, by generating air with the air generator 27, the amount of oxygen contained in the nutrient solution 16 is increased, and the amount of oxygen supplied to the plants from the roots is increased. Here, the sensor 46 is held by the control box 45, which eliminates the need for a special member for holding the sensor 46, reduces the number of parts, and furthermore, the sensor 46, heater 26, etc. The connection can be made directly with other parts, the structure of the connection is simple and inexpensive, and accurate measurement results can be obtained. Further, a new space for installing the control box 45 is not required. The control box 45 is covered with a prevention cover 49, and rainwater can be reliably prevented.

The nutrient solution 16 that has reached the controller main body 12 via the water pipe 53 flows from the inflow path 55 to the branch path 5.
6 and flows down into the water sink 38 via the air mixer 57. Here, by adjusting the throttle amount of the needle valve 58, the amount of the nutrient solution 16 to be fed can be adjusted without adjusting the rotational speed of the pump 51. Therefore, the same pump 51 can be used even in areas with different frequencies, and the amount of water supplied to the nutrient solution 16 can be easily adjusted. In addition, the nutrient solution 16 is in a spouting state due to the restriction in the needle valve 58, and the air mixer 57 is provided at the tip of the branch path 56, so that oxygen is added to the nutrient solution 16 flowing into the water flower 38. The amount of contamination is increased.

Next, the nutrient solution 16 in each cultivation dish 30, 31
This section explains how to adjust the liquid level. knob 3
5 and rotate the adjustment tube 34 around its axis.
When the adjustment tube 34 is rotated to a predetermined rotation position, a predetermined hole 36 of the support column 33 and a predetermined hole 37 of the adjustment tube 34 are opened.
are in communication with each other, and the nutrient solution 16 in the cultivation dishes 30, 31 flows through these holes 36, 37 to the regulating pipe 3.
4 and flows down from the communication hole 32. The liquid level of the nutrient solution 16 in the cultivation dishes 30 and 31 is maintained at the height of the opposing holes 36 and 37.
When the adjustment tube 34 is rotated to another rotation position, the other holes 36 and 37 face each other, and the liquid level of the nutrient solution 16 in the cultivation dishes 30 and 31 is changed. Therefore, the nutrient solution 16 can be adjusted only by rotating the regulating tube 34.
The liquid level can be easily and reliably adjusted, and the necessary amount of nutrient solution 16 can be supplied in accordance with the growth of the plant. Note that by attaching a mark corresponding to the liquid level on the upper surface of the knob 35, the liquid level can be adjusted even more easily. Also, holes 36, 3
7 is a general round hole, which is easy to form. Furthermore, the support column 3 after forming the holes 36 and 37
3 and the adjustment tube 34 maintain sufficient strength.

Next, the nutrient solution 16 flowing down from the water flow hole 39 of the water flow device 38 reaches one side of the cultivation dishes 30 and 31 partitioned by the water guide plate 40, and this nutrient solution 16 flows into the fourth
It flows as shown by the arrow in the figure. The water then reaches the opposite side partitioned by the water guide plate 40 from the communication portion 41, and flows downward through the holes 36 and 37 that adjust the liquid level. Here, the nutrient solution 16 is
Since the nutrient solution 16 flows along the inner peripheral surfaces of the tubes 0 and 31 and the water guiding plate 40, no boundary layer or stagnation of the nutrient solution 16 occurs in the cultivation dishes 30 and 31, and the supply of the nutrient solution 16 is distributed throughout the cultivation dishes 30 and 31. can be done evenly. Therefore,
The nutrient solution 16 is surely distributed to the roots of each plant, and the growth of the plants is promoted.

Seeds are sown in a seedling box 22 floating in a nutrient solution tank 17. Therefore, the hydroponic cultivation device can be used to sow seeds and raise seedlings at the same time, and the hydroponic cultivation device can be used effectively. In addition, the heater 25 installed below the seedling box 22 controls the nutrient solution 1 around the seedling box 22.
The liquid temperature in part 6 can be made higher than other parts,
Seeds can be sown and seedlings raised even in the cold winter months.

Here, by rotating the cultivation plates 30, 31 as a whole or individually around the axis of the base tube 5, each plant can be exposed to sunlight evenly. The overall rotation is performed by rotating the support tube 6 around its axis, and the individual rotations are performed by rotating each rotary tube 7 around its axis. Moreover, each cultivation dish 30, 31 can be easily attached and detached by simply being placed on the holding plate 29, and the cultivation dishes 30, 31 can be easily repositioned within the holding member 11 at the same height, and , the cultivation dishes 30, 31 can be easily changed between the holding members 11 located at different heights. Moreover, each cultivation dish 30, 31 can be individually taken out to an arbitrary location.

In addition, in the embodiment, a support column 65 that protrudes in the outer circumferential direction may be attached to the holding member 11. The support columns 65 are connected and fixed to each other, and grown plant vines or the like are wrapped around these support columns 65.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 8 and 9. Incidentally, the same parts as those explained in FIGS. 1 to 7 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, a cylindrical connecting rod 66 is bolted to the mounting hole 14 of the cap 15, and a cover frame 67 surrounding the entire device is bolted to the upper end of this connecting rod 66. The cover frame 67 is covered with a large heat-insulating cover 69 having an entrance/exit 68 that can be opened and closed.

Effects of the Invention The present invention enables the hydroponic cultivation device to be installed in a narrow space by integrally connecting the control box with the nutrient solution tank as described above, and also by holding the sensor in the control box. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts by eliminating the need for a special member to hold the sensor.Furthermore, it is possible to directly connect the display and operation part of the control box to the sensor, etc., resulting in a simple and inexpensive connection structure. This has the advantage that accurate measurement results can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of the present invention with a part thereof in cross section, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a holding part fold and a holding plate, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a cultivation dish. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the cultivation dish with the support plate removed; FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the strut and adjustment tube; and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section showing the main body of the controller. 7 is a plan view showing a control box section, FIG. 8 is a front view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view thereof. 11... Holding member, 16... Nutrient solution, 17... Nutrient solution tank, 19... Lid, 30, 31... Cultivation dish, 32... Communication hole, 45... Control box, 46... Sensor, 54... Supply department.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A nutrient solution tank for storing a nutrient solution and a plurality of cultivation dishes held in a multi-tiered manner by a holding member above the nutrient solution tank and each having a communication hole formed in the bottom are provided, A supply unit for supplying a solution to the cultivation dish located at the upper part is provided,
A control unit for a hydroponic cultivation apparatus, characterized in that a lid is provided on a part of the upper surface of the nutrient solution tank, and a control box that holds a sensor facing downward and has a built-in electric circuit is attached to the lid. .