JPH08140478A - Harvesting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a harvesting device capable of surely and automatically carrying out a series of harvesting operation including treating lower leaves and cutting roots. CONSTITUTION: Roots are cut by a root cutting means 520, a stock containing culture cup 25 is taken out by a cup taking out means 530, a stock 24 is separated by a stock taking out means 540, lower leaves are treated by a lower leaf treating means 550 and delivered by a stock carrying out means 560 while transporting a culture panel 28 by a transporting means 510. The culture cup 25 is recovered by a cup recovering means 570. A withered stock 24A is removed by a withered stock removing means 580 during the recovery operation. Consequently a series of harvesting operations are automatically carried out.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a harvesting device, which can be used in a plant factory for automating the cultivation of agricultural products.

[0002]

BACKGROUND ART In the agricultural field, mechanization has been conventionally achieved by introducing various agricultural machines, but further labor saving and improvement of working environment have been demanded against the background of labor shortage in recent years. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand for high-quality crops with low pesticides from the viewpoint of environmental hygiene. As a response to such a demand, a plant factory that hydroponically cultivates crops in a building shielded from the outside world has been attempted. In such a plant factory, the influence of pests can be eliminated by shutting off from the outside, and the influence of pests in soil can be eliminated by hydroponics, and therefore the amount of pesticide used can be greatly reduced. Also,
Since it is cultivated in a building, it is possible to freely set environmental conditions such as internal temperature, humidity, light intensity, and ventilation, and it is also possible to freely set the culture solution for hydroponic cultivation. It enables efficient cultivation and harvesting.

As the above-mentioned hydroponic culture, a method of placing a plant strain to be cultivated on a panel or the like and immersing the root extending from the lower surface side in a culture solution in which a root is stretched in an aquarium has been conventionally used (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI-1 -See 137926 publication). However, the aquarium immersion method requires a large amount of culture solution and is economically problematic. Therefore, in recent years, a method of spraying and supplying the culture solution to the back side of a panel or the like has been used. Kaihei 2-13
(See Gazette No. 332). Furthermore, when making a plant factory,
In order to be able to convey a route from a device for placing a strain on a panel or the like to a device for harvesting while cultivating, a conveying and cultivating device for performing spray cultivation while moving the panel or the like has also been developed (JP-A-2- 276515, etc.).

In order to realize shipment as a plant factory, it is necessary to automate individual planting work such as taking out of plants, lower leaf treatment, root cutting, and the like so that these can be executed as a series. . For this reason, a device for removing the lower leaves by sandwiching them with the rollers while passing the plant (see JP-A-55-92681) and a device for removing the lower leaves by jetting water (JP-A-55-926-). (See Japanese Patent No. 34075) has been proposed. Further, an apparatus for sequentially automatically packaging strains cultivated in a sponge-like medium has also been proposed (JP-A-51).
-1618 gazette).

However, leaf vegetables such as spinach and salad vegetables have a problem that their roots are strong and have large overhangs, and it is difficult to machine them like lower leaves. In particular, if the leaves are gripped during root cutting, a sufficiently strong force cannot be applied to the root cutting in order to prevent damage to the leaves. Therefore,
Root cutting of strong-rooted plants had to be done manually. Since such a root cutting process becomes a bottleneck, there has been a problem that full automation of plant cultivation or overall labor saving cannot be advanced. In contrast,
The applicant of the present application has proposed a harvesting device capable of reliably and automatically performing a series of harvesting operations including lower leaf treatment and root cutting (Japanese Patent Application No. 5-245552).

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Japanese Patent Application No. 5-2455 mentioned above.
According to the No. 52 harvesting device, lower leaf treatment and root cutting can be reliably performed, but in plant cultivation, not all of the strains grow well, and strains that die during growth can be avoided. Absent. Also, cultivation cups are often used for cultivation in plant factories, and this cultivation cup is collected and reused.However, if there is a dead strain as described above, the work of extracting and removing it when reusing the cultivation cup is necessary. This is necessary, and there is a problem in that work efficiency or reuse efficiency is reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide a harvesting device that can reliably and automatically perform a series of harvesting operations including lower leaf treatment and root cutting, and can also reliably and easily perform a harvesting operation of a culturing cup that includes processing of dead strains. is there.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a transport means for receiving a transport body containing a cultivation cup containing a strain that has been cultivated for transport and transporting the transport body along a predetermined transport route, and a transport route sent through the transport route. Root cutting means for cutting off the root of the plant exposed on the lower surface side of the body, cup removing means for taking out the cultivation cup containing the strain from the carrier sent through the transportation path, and the strain from the cultivation cup containing the strain taken out To remove the strains, the strain carrying-out means to carry out the strains taken out, the cup collecting means to collect the cultivation cup from which the strains have been taken out, and the dead strains are removed from the cultivation cups collected by the cup collecting means. And a means for removing dead strains.

[0008] It is desirable to provide a lower leaf treatment means for removing the lower leaves of the strain taken out after the above-mentioned stock removal means. The carrier is a plurality of cultivating panels that are cultivated and cultivated in a cultivating device by accommodating a predetermined number of the cultivating cups containing the strain, and the conveying means cultivates from the panel conveying means that conveys the cultivating panel and the culturing device. A panel transfer means for picking up the panel and transferring it to the panel transfer means,
It is desirable that the root cutting means is installed at an entrance portion of the panel transfer means. It is preferable that the root cutting means is a cutter extending along the lower surface side of the transport path and in the width direction thereof.

It is preferable that the cup take-out means has a cup handler for grasping and taking out the cultivation cup from the carrier, and a cup lifter arranged immediately below the cup handler and pushing up the cultivation cup from the lower surface side of the carrier. It is preferable that the cup take-out means can turn upside down the cultivation cup containing the taken-out stock and hold it upside down, and the stock taking-out means should take out the stock housed in the cultivation cup held upside down.

It is preferable that the stock take-out means can invert the picked-out stock and hold it with its root facing downward, and that the lower leaf processing means can be approached from below the stock held in the stock take-out means. desirable. It is preferable that the dead stock removal unit has a push rod that is introduced from the bottom opening of the cultivation cup held by the cup collection unit and pushes out the dead stock in the cultivation cup.

The cup collecting means receives the cultivation cup from the cup removing means by dropping it from above the cup collecting rod, and the cup collecting rod for inserting and holding a large number of cultivation cups through the upper and lower openings of the cultivation cup. It is desirable to have a cup collection handler that It is preferable that a large number of the cup collecting rods are vertically and detachably supported on the upper surface of the cup collecting carriage.

[0012]

[Operation] In the present invention as described above, the stock cup is carried by the carrying means while being held by the carrying means, the root is cut by the root cutting means, and then taken out from the carrying body by the cup removing means. . Here, by performing root cutting while the plant is housed in the carrier, it is possible to apply sufficient force without damaging the leaves of the plant, and it is possible to reliably cut even rooted plants such as spinach. It becomes possible to perform root cutting. Further, since the root cutting is performed in a state of being aligned with the carrier, the root cutting operation can be performed stably and surely.

The taken-out cup containing the stock is taken out by the stock take-out means and separated from the cultivation cup. The stock is carried out by the stock carrying-out means, packed, and shipped.
The cultivation cup is collected by the cup collecting means and is reused. At this time, the dead strain remaining in the cultivation cup is removed by the dead strain removing means. As a result, lower leaf processing or unloading is automatically performed in the strain, and
In the cultivation cup, the dead strains are automatically removed or collected, so that a series of harvesting operations can be automated, facilitated, and ensured.

At this time, if a lower leaf treatment means is provided after the stock take-out means, the lower leaves of the stock can be automatically removed before carrying out. Also, by using the cultivation panel as a carrier, it is possible to facilitate the transfer and transfer during cultivation,
Such a cultivation panel can be taken into the harvesting apparatus from the cultivation apparatus by the panel transfer means, and the taken-in cultivation panel can be carried by the panel carrying means to sequentially perform the above-mentioned cup removal. Then, by using the widthwise cutter as the root cutting means, it is possible to collectively carry out root cutting of one line of the stock with a simple structure.

On the other hand, in the cup take-out means, a cup handler for holding the cultivation cup is used, and the cultivation cup is pushed up by the cup lifter from below, so that the taking-out by the cup handler can be carried out easily and reliably. In addition, by inverting the cultivation cup containing the stock taken out by the cup taking-out means and pulling the stock downward by the stock taking-out means, it is possible to take out the stock surely and easily by utilizing gravity. And
By reversing and erecting the stock taken out by the stock taking means, the lower leaf processing means 550 may cut the lower lobe of the lower end of the stock 24 and drop it downward, etc., which is reliable and efficient. The lower leaves can be discharged.

Further, the dead plant removing means 580 can discharge the dead plant 24A in the cultivation cup 25 by pushing the pushing rod 582, and can surely remove the dead plant with a simple structure. Further, the cup collecting means 570 is capable of holding a large number of cultivation cups on the cup collecting rod and transporting them to a planting device or directly attaching them by inserting and stacking the cultivation cups in the cup collecting rod by the cup collecting handler. The work for reusing the cultivation cup can be simplified. Then, by using the cup recovery cart to collectively support a large number of cup recovery rods, the work for transfer can be further simplified and facilitated.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a plant factory 10 to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 shows a work process in the plant factory 10. In FIG. 2, the plant factory 10 of the present example is for manufacturing leafy vegetables such as spinach and salad vegetables, and mainly focuses on a cultivation process in which a culture solution or the like is spray-supplied and grown while the strain is housed in a panel and conveyed. First, each step of sowing, raising seedlings, and fixed planting is performed, and then the harvesting step is performed.

(Seeding Step) The seeds 20 of leaf vegetables to be produced are settled on a seedling raising mat 21 which serves as a nursery bed. The seedling-growing mat 21 is a sponge-like material having a water-absorbing property, and is preliminarily provided with a cut 21A.
Are formed and partitioned in a grid shape, and can be separated by pulling them away from each other. An adhesive for fixing the seed 20 is applied to the surface of each section. (Seedling raising step) The seeded raising seedling mats 21 are accommodated in a tray or the like and hydroponically cultivated, and seeds 20 are germinated to be raised as seedlings 22. (Planting process) The seedlings 22 raised by the seedling mat 21 are cut 21
By separating from A, each seedling block 23 is divided into strains 24. Then, the individual strains 24 are housed in the cultivation cup 25, and the cultivation cup 25 is placed on the cultivation panel 26.

(Cultivation Step) The cultivation step is divided into first to third stages, in each of which the strain 24 is transported and cultivated using three kinds of cultivation panels 26 to 28 of small, medium and large. Between each stage, the strain 24 on the cultivation panels 26, 27 of the previous stage is sequentially transferred to the cultivation panels 27, 28 of the next stage together with the cultivation cup 25 by the first and second transplantation. In each cultivation panel 26-28 to which the strain 24 is transferred, the mutual spacing of the holes 26A to 28A for accommodating the strain 14 is made larger as the later one, and the strain 24 sent to each stage is suitable for the growth degree. Cultivated at intervals of plants. (Harvesting Step) Subsequently, the cultivation panel 28 is received from the cultivation step, the roots 29 of the strain 24 are cut off, and the cultivation cup 25 is taken out, and the strain 24 with the seedling block 23 is taken out from the cultivation cup 25 to obtain a product. The product is appropriately packaged and shipped.

Next, the cultivation cup 25 and the cultivation panels 26 to 28 used in the above-mentioned steps will be described. (Cultivation Cup) FIGS. 3 and 4 show a cultivation cup 25 used in this embodiment. The cultivating cup 25 has a tubular main body 250, and the main body 250 is composed of a tapered upper part 251 and a lower part 252, each of which has an expanded upper side.
1 has a larger diameter than the lower part 252. The upper part 251 and the lower part 252 are connected by a substantially horizontal step 253, and the upper opening 254
A substantially horizontal flange 255 is formed on the outer periphery of the.

The bottom surface of the lower portion 252 is formed with a lower surface opening 256 whose inner peripheral edge is curved downward, and the inner periphery of the upper portion 251 is formed with three ribs 257 evenly in the circumferential direction, each of which is a main body 250.
And is connected to the step portion 253. here,
The inner edge of the rib 257 is gradually widened downward, and the envelope circle connecting the same height of each inner edge is reduced in diameter as it goes downward. The lower end of each inner edge is continuous with the inner surface of the lower portion 252. Further, on the inner periphery of the lower surface opening 256, six locking protrusions 258 are formed at equal intervals. These parts 250 to 258 are integrally formed by injection molding a semitransparent synthetic resin material.

(Effect of Cultivation Cup) In the cultivation cup 25 of this embodiment, the seedling block 23 is inserted from the upper surface opening 254, the seedling 22 extends from the upper surface opening 254, and the root 29 extends from the lower surface opening 256. To be done. At this time, the seedling block 23 is tightened by the rib 257 as it is inserted,
Although it is easy to introduce, it does not easily fall off the cultivation cup 25. Furthermore, since the rib 257 is continuous with the inner surface of the lower portion 252, a part of the seedling block 23 can be guided to the inside of the lower portion 252, and more reliable fall prevention can be achieved. Further, the locking projection 258 on the inner periphery of the lower surface opening 256 can lock the seedling block pulled in from above and prevent the seedling block from protruding from the lower surface opening 256.

Further, when introducing a mechanical retracting means from the lower surface opening 256 for inserting the seedling block 23, since the inner circumference of the lower surface opening 256 is curved downward, the seedling block 23 is sandwiched and the diameter is expanded. Even if it is done, it is easy to pull out. Furthermore, since the step portion 253 and the flange 255 are provided,
The cultivation cups 25 can be supported by each, and they can be easily handed over or handed over by alternately supporting them.

Since the upper part 251 and the lower part 252 are tapered so that the upper side is widened, in this respect also, the seedling block 23 can be easily drawn in and taken out, and the panels 26 to 28 can be taken out.
It is easy to insert it when storing it in the
Upper 251 and lower 252 depending on inner diameter setting from A to 28A
It can also be supported in the middle part of. In addition, the upper 251
Further, since the lower portion 252, the rib 257, and the like are tapered, it is easy to take them out from the mold during integral molding.

(Cultivation Panel) FIGS. 5 and 6 show cultivation panels 26 to 28 used in this embodiment. In addition,
FIG. 5 shows a quarter of each of the cultivation panels 26 to 28. FIG. 5 (A) shows the cultivation panel 26 for the first stage, and FIG. 5 (B) shows the cultivation panel 27 for the second stage. 5 (C) shows the cultivation panel 28 for the third stage. Each of the cultivation panels 26 to 28 has a plate-shaped base material 260 made of a styrene resin foam and a large number of holes 26A to 28A penetrating through the front and back sides thereof so that the cultivation cup 25 can be held. At the edges of each cultivation panel 26-28, a reinforcing material 26 having a U-shaped cross section covering from the upper surface to the lower surface.
1 is covered all around. A plurality of ridges 262 are formed in the longitudinal direction on the lower surface and side surfaces of the reinforcing material 261.

In the cultivation panels 26 and 27, the inner diameters of the holes 26A and 26B are larger than the lower portion 252 of the cultivation cup 25 and smaller than the step portion 253, and the cultivation cup 25 is locked by the step portion 253. On the other hand, in the cultivation panel 28, the inner diameter of the hole 28A is the same as the outer diameter of the middle position of the upper portion 251 of the cultivation cup 25, and the cultivation cup 25 is locked in a state where the upper portion 251 is partially retracted. The holes 26A-28A of each cultivation panel 26-28 are
It is arranged in seven long rows 26B to 28B arranged in rows of eight and six short rows 26C to 28C arranged in rows of seven, forming a total of 98 pieces. The holes in the long rows 26B to 28B and the holes in the short rows 26C to 28C are staggered and staggered as a whole.

In each cultivating panel 26-28, the inter-row spacing d261-d281 between the holes in each row and the inter-row spacing d2 between each row.
62-d282, the spacing d261, d262 of the cultivation panel 26 is smaller than the spacing d271, d272 of the cultivation panel 27, and between the cultivation panel 28 and the cultivation panel 27, the row spacing d282 and the row spacing d2.
Same as 72, but in-row spacing d281 is larger than in-row spacing d271. And, assuming that the plant spacing d263 to d283 to the nearest hole of each hole in each cultivation panel 26-28, in the cultivation panel 26, 27 the intra-row spacing d261, d271 is the stock spacing d263, d273.
Therefore, the cultivation panel 27 has a wider spacing than the cultivation panel 26. On the other hand, the plant spacing d283 of the cultivation panel 28 is generated between the holes of the adjacent rows and is smaller than the intra-row spacing d281, but is wider than the plant spacing d273 of the cultivation panel 27.

(Effect of Cultivation Panel) In the cultivation panels 26 to 28 of this embodiment, the strain 24 is added to each cultivation panel 26 in the cultivation process.
Sequential transplantation to ~ 28 allows the plant interval to be gradually expanded as the plant grows, and an appropriate cultivation environment can be obtained while improving space efficiency. In particular, the cultivation panel 26,
Between 27, the use of panels of different vertical and horizontal dimensions allows for greater intra-row and inter-row spacing and two-dimensional extension of the stock spacing. In addition, since the staggered arrangement is used between the cultivation panels 27 and 28, it is possible to two-dimensionally expand the stock spacing only by expanding the intra-row spacing. Therefore, cultivation panels 27,28
Can have the same width but different depth,
It is also possible to share the transportation mechanism and the like in the cultivation process.

Further, since the reinforcing material 261 is provided all around,
It is possible to prevent damage caused by handling the cultivation panels 26 to 28, and to secure the load strength when the plant 24 is placed. Further, since the ridges 262 are provided on the reinforcing material 261, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance when the both sides are slidably guided by the guide rails and conveyed in the cultivation process. Further, since the reinforcing material 261 and the base material 260 are separated from each other, a strip-shaped metal reinforcing plate can be sandwiched along the end surface of the base material 260 inside the widthwise reinforcing material 261 as necessary. It is possible to further increase the load strength when supporting both sides during transportation in the cultivation process.

Next, an apparatus configuration provided in the plant factory 10 for performing the above-mentioned steps will be described. (Overall Configuration of Factory) Returning to FIG. 1, the plant factory 10 has a seeding device 11, a nursery bed 12, and a planting device in order to automate the operations of the above-described steps of sowing, seedling raising, planting, cultivation, and harvesting.
It is equipped with 13, a cultivation device 14, and a harvesting device 15. Then, the cultivating device 14, the cultivation line 16, the lane shifter 17, the panel server 1 in order to automate the transport cultivation of the first to third stages and the first to second transplantation in the above-described cultivation process.
8, equipped with spacing machine 19. These are collectively installed in a greenhouse-like building (not shown) whose environment is regulated so that temperature, light intensity, ventilation, etc. suitable for cultivation can be obtained.

FIG. 7 shows the arrangement of each device in the cultivation device 14 and the flow of the stock 24 and cultivation panels 26 to 28 by these devices. (Arrangement of cultivating device) It is the cultivating process that occupies the longest time in each of the above-mentioned processes. Therefore, in the plant factory 10, the cultivating device 14 among the cultivation panels 26 to 28
The cultivation line 16 for carrying and cultivating occupies most of the area. The cultivation line 16 has the planting device 13 and the panel server 18
A large number are arranged in parallel so as to extend from the (in / out side) to the side where the lane shifter 17 is (folding side) .These are the first, second, and third in order from the planting device 13 side to the harvesting device 15 side. It is said to be the stage.

Each of the first to third stages comprises a feed line 16A extending from the loading / unloading side to the folding side, and a return line 16B traveling in the opposite direction. These are cultivation lines 16 having the same structure, but installed in the opposite direction.
The first stage has one feed line 16A but two return lines 16B. The second stage has one feed line 16A but eight return lines 16B. The third stage has six feed lines 16A but one return line 16B.

The lane shifter 17 is for returning the cultivation panels 26-28 sent from the feed line outlet of each stage to the return line inlet of the same stage, and three units (17A, 17B, 17C for each stage on the folding side). ) Is placed.
The lane shifter 17 collects each line for feeding and returning as one stage, and a series of transport cultivation is performed. The panel server 18 supplies new cultivation panels 27, 28 to the feed line inlet of the rear stage, and collects the used cultivation panels 26, 27 from the return line outlet of the preceding stage. Two units for the second stage and the second and third stage (18A, 18B)
Is arranged. The spacing machine 19 takes out the stock 24 from the cultivation panels 26, 27 at the exit of the return line of the previous stage, and a new cultivation panel at the entrance of the feed line of the latter stage.
It is to be replaced with 27 and 28, and one unit shared for each stage is placed on the loading and unloading side. These panel servers
18 and the spacing machine 19 are adapted to carry out transplantation between stages.

In this embodiment, the cultivating line 16 does not have a carrying mechanism and is simply provided with a guide rail or the like for guiding the cultivating panels 26 to 28. Meanwhile, the lane shifter 17,
The panel server 18 can be extruded and driven by a predetermined driving force when feeding the cultivation panels 26 to 28 to the cultivation line 16, and the panels of all the lines are sequentially sent by this driving force, and one panel is pushed out from the outlet side. It is supposed to be.

(Flow of cultivation panel 26 for the first stage) The cultivation panel 26 for the first stage is taken into a planting device 13 from a predetermined stocker or the like, and a stock 24 is placed thereon, and then a feed line of the first stage. Supplied to 16A entrance. The supplied cultivation panel 26 is conveyed to the exit through the feed line 16A for a predetermined time, and when it reaches the exit, it is taken out by the first stage lane shifter 17A. The lane shifter 17A alternately selects one of the two return lines 16B of the first stage, moves to the entrance, and feeds the cultivation panel 26. The fed cultivation panel 26 is conveyed through the return line 16B for a predetermined time, and when it reaches the exit, the spacing machine 19 that has moved to the exit removes the stock 24 and then moves to the exit. Panel server for stage 18
Recovered by A.

(Flow of Cultivation Panel of Second Stage) Cultivation panel 27 for the second stage is supplied from the panel server 18A for the first and second stages to the inlet of feed line 16A of the second stage in an empty state. It This includes the stocking machine from the first stage by the spacing machine 19 that has moved to the entrance.
24 are placed. The supplied cultivation panel 27 is conveyed to the exit through the feeding line 16A for a predetermined time, and when it reaches the exit, it is taken out to the second stage lane shifter 17B.
Lane shifter 17B has 8 return lines 16 in the second stage
Select any one of B in order, move to the entrance, and feed the cultivation panel 27. The sent cultivation panel 27 is conveyed through the return line 16B for a predetermined time, and when it reaches the exit, the spacing machine 19 that has moved to the exit takes out the stock 24 and then moves to the exit. Collected in the panel server 18B for the stage.

(Flow of Third Stage Cultivation Panel) The third stage cultivation panel 28 is an empty state from the second and third stage panel server 18B, and the entrance of the six feeding lines 16A of the third stage. Are supplied in order. The stock 24 from the second stage is placed on this by the spacing machine 19 that has moved to the entrance. Cultivated panels supplied 28
Is conveyed to the exit through the feed line 16A for a predetermined time, and when it reaches the exit, it is taken out by the third stage lane shifter 17C that has moved to the exit. Lane shifter 17C
Moves to the entrance of the return line 16B of the third stage and feeds the cultivation panel 28. The cultivation panel 28 sent in,
It is transported through the return line 16B for a predetermined time, and when it reaches the exit, it is picked up by the harvesting device 15. From the harvested cultivation panel 28, the stock 24 is taken out by the harvesting device 15 and then discharged to a predetermined stocker or the like.

(Flow of stock) The stock 24 is successively passed through each stage of the cultivation device 14 and sent from the planting device 13 to the harvesting device 15. First, the plant 24 is placed on the cultivation panel 26 by the planting process in the planting device 13, and is transported and cultivated through the first stage. Then, it is taken out from the cultivation panel 26 by the spacing machine 19 and the mutual plant spacing is set to the next cultivation panel 27.
It is expanded so as to meet the above conditions and placed on the second-stage cultivation panel 27 to be transported and cultivated. Further, it is taken out from the cultivation panel 27 by the spacing machine 19, the mutual plant spacing is expanded to fit the next cultivation panel 28, and then placed on the cultivation panel 28 of the third stage for carrying cultivation. After this, the stock 24 is taken into the harvesting device 15 together with the cultivation panel 28, and taken out as a product by the harvesting process.

(Conveying speed of each stage) In the cultivation apparatus 14 of the present embodiment, the conveying speeds of the feeding lines 16A of the first and second stages and the returning line 16B of the third stage, which are installed one by one, are as follows. It is set based on the number of cultivation panels 26 to 28 (the number of 24 strains) processed per hour. On the other hand, the transport speed of the two return lines 16B of the first stage is half that of the feed line 16A of the first stage. As a result, the number of cultivation panels 26 coming out of the feed line 16A and the number of cultivation panels 26 fed into the two return lines 16B are kept the same, and the transportation period at the time of returning is two.
It is doubled (three times as the first stage transportation period). In addition, the transport speed of the eight return lines 16B of the second stage is set to 1/8 of the feed line 16A of the second stage, which allows the number of feed and return cultivation panels 27 to match. The carrying period at the time of returning is set to 8 times (as a second stage carrying period, 9 times). Furthermore, the transport speed of the six feed lines 16A in the third stage is set to 1/6 that of the return line 16B in the second stage, which allows the number of feed and return cultivation panels 27 to remain the same. The transport period during feeding is 6 times (7 stages for the third stage transport period)
Times).

(Transplanting Order Between Each Stage) In the cultivating apparatus 14 of the present embodiment, the transplanting operation by the panel server 18 and the spacing machine 19 is performed in the rear stage (third side) before the front stage (first side). It is supposed to be processed.
In other words, first send and return the third stage,
A new cultivation panel 28 is prepared at the entrance of the third stage, and the strain 24 is transplanted from the cultivation panel 27 at the exit of the second stage. Next, the second stage is fed and returned, a new cultivation panel 27 is prepared at the entrance of the second stage, and the plant 24 is transplanted from the cultivation panel 26 at the exit of the first stage. Finally, the first stage is fed and returned, a new cultivation panel 27 is prepared at the entrance of the second stage, and the plant 24 is transplanted from the cultivation panel 26 at the exit of the first stage.

(Effects of the cultivating apparatus of the present embodiment) In the cultivating apparatus 14 of the present embodiment, since the stock cultivation is carried out while increasing the interval between the stocks in each of the first to third stages, space efficiency is improved. Appropriate strains 24 can be cultivated and the harvesting efficiency can be improved. In particular, in expanding the plant interval, using the cultivation panels 26 to 28 in which the plant interval gradually expands to the first to third stages, the plant interval was expanded when transplanting between each stage, so that the bidirectional It is possible to easily and surely extend the stock interval.

Further, since the numbers of the strains 24 on one of the cultivation panels 26 to 28 are matched and the strains of each panel are collectively transplanted at the time of transplantation, the working efficiency can be improved and the interval between the strains can be easily expanded. It can be carried out. Furthermore, in transplanting between each stage, by processing from the rear stage to the front stage in order, the spacing machine 19 takes out the strain 24 from the cultivation panel 26, 27 at the exit of the previous stage and the new cultivation at the entrance of the rear stage. Shares 24 to panels 27, 28
Can be continuously placed, and work efficiency can be improved. Then, by performing the transplant in the order from the later to the previous, all the transplantation can be performed on the cultivation line 16, since the strain 24 does not go out of the range of the cultivation line 16, the strain 24 is not It is possible to avoid inconvenience such as being exposed to a stable situation for a long time, and it is possible to prevent stains and the like around the surroundings due to drops from the stock 24.

In the cultivating apparatus 14 of the present embodiment, each cultivating line 16 is arranged in parallel and opposite directions as the feed line 16A and the return line 16B, and each stage is constituted by folding back by the lane shifter 17 on the folding side. The equipment structure can be made compact while securing the stage length. Also, since the panel server 18 and the spacing machine 19 on the loading and unloading side made the three stages continuous,
The stages are arranged in a zigzag manner, which makes it possible to make the equipment configuration more compact. Further, since the folding side and the putting-in side of each stage are matched with each other, the lane shifter 17 of each stage does not interfere with each other on the folding side, and the occupied area can be reduced, and at the putting-in side, the panel server 18 and the spacing machine. 19 can be shared by a plurality of stages, and equipment can be simplified and compacted.

Further, in the cultivating apparatus 14 of the present embodiment, since either one of the feed line 16A and the return line 16B of each stage is arranged in parallel, it is possible to convey and cultivate a larger number of panels on the plural line side. The transport time at each stage can be extended, and the stock 24 can be sufficiently grown. In particular, since only one of the feed and return is pluralized, the period during which the seeds are continuously conveyed and cultivated during folding or transplanting can be extended, and the strains 24 can be left standing in the same state for a long time. Can be further improved.

Further, since the feeding speed of a plurality of lines is set to be a fraction of the number of lines with reference to the feeding speed of one line,
The number of panels to be delivered between the feed and return lines can be made equal, and timing adjustment and the like are not required, so that feed control and the like can be simplified. Further, since the lane shifter 17 and the panel server 18 can be moved to perform panel distribution from one line and panel merging from a plurality of lines, it is not necessary to use a dedicated allocating means and merging means for multiple lines. The equipment configuration and control can be simplified.

Further, in this embodiment, since each stage is constituted by using a large number of cultivation lines 16, the same members can be shared and the installation cost can be reduced. Further, by adjusting the number of lines, it is possible to flexibly adjust the scale, cultivation period, and the like. Furthermore, cultivation line 16
Since no drive unit is installed in the lane shifter and the entire panel of each line is moved by extrusion drive by the lane shifter 17 and the panel server 18, the drive mechanism of the lane shifter 17 and the panel server 18 shared by multiple lines can be effectively used. At the same time, it is not necessary to provide a drive mechanism or the like in each of the cultivation lines 16, and the equipment can be simplified.

(Harvesting Device) Next, the harvesting device 15 for harvesting the stock 24 transported and cultivated by the above-described cultivating device 14 will be described in detail. 8 to 13 show the entire harvesting device 15, of which FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 are C1, C2, and C3 cross sections in FIG. 8, respectively, and FIG. The elevation view seen from the lower side, and FIG. 13 is the elevation view seen from the upper side of FIG.
14 to 19 show the main part of the harvesting device 15.

The harvesting device 15 is provided with a frame 501 facing the third stage return line outlet of the cultivating device 14, and at the position facing the cultivating device 14, the stock 24 to be harvested from the third stage return line outlet. A conveyance means 510 and a root cutting means 520 for picking up the accommodated cultivation panel 28 and conveying it to the side are installed. A cup take-out means 530 is installed in the middle of the conveying means 510, and the stock take-out means 54 is provided around it.
0, lower leaf processing means 550, stock carrying-out means 560, cup collecting means 5
70, dead stock removal means 580 is installed.

(Conveying Means) The conveying means 510 comprises a panel conveying means 511, a panel transferring means 512 and a panel collecting means 513 (see FIGS. 8, 9 and 12). Panel transfer means
511 is a pair of parallel conveyors 5111 extending laterally from a position facing the third stage return line outlet of the cultivation device 14.
The cultivation panel 28 can be conveyed rightward in FIG.
This transportation can be performed intermittently at each pitch of each row of the cultivation cups 25 when passing through the intermediate portion provided with the cup removing means 530. Such a conveyor 51
As the structure 11, a structure in which both end edges of the cultivation panel 28 are supported by using a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor can be adopted. Alternatively, a pedestal that supports both ends or the periphery of the cultivation panel 28 may be used and the pedestal may be transported.

The panel transfer means 512 includes a guide rail 5121 arranged on an extension line of the return line of the third stage of the cultivation device 14, a moving member 5122 which moves along the guide rail 5121, and a moving member 5122 of the moving member 5122. A gripping member 5123 installed at the tip and capable of gripping the end of the cultivation panel 28 at the exit of the third stage is provided. The moving member 5122 is movable along the guide rail 5121 by a linear driving mechanism such as an air cylinder or a combination of a rack and pinion and a motor, and the gripping member 5123 at the tip is the edge position of the cultivation panel 28 reaching the third stage exit. To the position opposite to the panel conveying means 511. The gripping member 5123 is capable of gripping the end of the cultivation panel 28 by adsorption or sandwiching, and the cultivation member 28 gripped by moving the moving member 5122 while gripping the cultivation panel 28 reaching the third stage exit. It is possible to transfer from the exit of the third stage onto the panel transfer means 512.

The pillar portion 5124 faces the third stage exit.
An opening / closing lever 5125 is supported on the pillar 5124 so as to be able to move up and down. A drive mechanism such as a chain is housed in the column portion 5124, and this drive mechanism is driven by a motor or the like to drive the opening / closing lever 5125 up and down. Thus, when the cultivation panel 28 of the panel transfer means 512 is transferred, the opening / closing lever 5125 is engaged with the operation lever of the door 141 provided at the third stage exit, and the door can be lifted and opened. It is possible.

The panel collecting means 513 is the panel conveying means 511.
Panel driving means 5131 arranged on the terminal side (right side in FIG. 8) of the
And a panel stocker 5132 arranged on the extension thereof (downward in FIG. 8). The panel driving means 5131 uses a linear driving mechanism such as an air cylinder or a combination of a rack and pinion and a motor.
The cultivation panel 28 sent to the terminal side of 1 is moved in the cross direction. The panel stocker 5132 receives the cultivation panels 28 sent from the panel driving means 5131, and stacks and holds a plurality of the cultivation panels 28. Panel stocker
5132 is surrounded by a fence 5133 that also serves as a safety fence.

(Root Cutting Means) The root cutting means 520 includes cutters 521 and 522 having saw-like blades, and a drive mechanism 523 that relatively reciprocates the cutters 521 and 522 in their respective longitudinal directions (FIG. 8, FIG. (See FIG. 9). The cutters 521 and 522 are arranged in the width direction facing the third stage outlet, and the blade is on the third stage outlet side (the direction in which the cultivation panel 28 is drawn in).
Is directed to. The height of the cutters 521 and 522 is set to a position slightly lower than the lower surface of the cultivation panel 28 drawn by the panel transfer means 512. The drive mechanism 523 is configured to reciprocate the cutter 522 by a combination of a motor and a crank or the like so as to move relative to the cutter 521 fixed to the frame 501.

Therefore, when the cultivation panel 28 is introduced by the panel transfer means 512, the strain 24 contained in this panel is transferred.
The root of is cut off by a pair of cutters 521 and 522 which are relatively moved by the amount exposed from the lower surface side of the panel. This excision is sequentially performed on one row of roots in the width direction, and when the panel is completely accommodated in the panel conveying means 511, the roots of all the plants 24 are excised. There is no root sushi just below the cutters 521, 522, but a root discharge conveyor is installed,
The roots excised at 521 and 522 are received by the root discharge conveyor and discharged.

A cutter 521 is shown in FIG. 14 (A), and FIG. 14 (B).
Cutter 522 is shown in FIG. 15, and these cutters 521, 5 are shown in FIG.
Twenty-two main parts are shown enlarged. The cutter 521 has a straight edge 5211 on the blade side, and a recess 5212 is formed at a position corresponding to the cultivation cup 25 supported by the cultivation panel 24. Each of the recesses 5212 has a horseshoe shape in which the open side is smaller than the inner side. The cutter 522 also has a similar recess 5 on the blade side.
Although it has 222, the concave portion 5222 is displaced from the inner side on the opening side, and the edge 5221 on the blade side is sequentially inclined between the concave portions.

The cutter 521 is fixed to the frame 501, but the cutter 522 is reciprocally moved by the driving means 523. At this time, when the cutter 522 is in one movement limit, the concave portions 5212 and 5222 of each cutter are in a state where the inner circular portions overlap (states of solid lines and hidden dotted lines in FIG. 15), and when the cutter is in the other movement limit. Indicates that the inner circular portions of the recesses 5212 and 5222 are completely displaced (the state indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 15). Therefore, the roots of the plants 24 are introduced into the recesses 5212, 5222 in the above-mentioned overlapping state, and in this state, the two cutters are displaced to each recess 521.
The root inside 2,5222 is cut off. With such a cutter, more reliable cutting can be performed than in the case where a sharp edge is formed on the edge 5221 and cutting is performed. Also, the recess
By making one of the 5212 and 5222 horseshoe-shaped, the introduced root is less likely to escape and more reliable cutting can be performed.

(Cup take-out means) Cup take-out means
530 is a cultivation panel 28 sent by the panel conveying means 510.
A cup handler that lifts a row of growing cups 25 from
531 and a cup lifter 532 that pushes up the row of cultivation cups 25 from the lower surface side of the cultivation panel 28 prior to this lifting (see FIGS. 8, 10, 12, and 16).

The cup handler 531 has a supporting member 5311 extending over the entire width of the cultivation panel 28, and a cup holder 5312 is arranged on the supporting member 5311 at a position corresponding to the cultivation cup 25 accommodated in the cultivation panel 28. There is. Cup holder 5312
Are configured to hold the outer peripheral surface of the cultivation cup 25 by a pair of arm members, respectively. A drive mechanism such as an air cylinder or a solenoid is used for this clamping.

The support member 5311 is supported by the reversing mechanism 5314 via an expansion / contraction mechanism 5313 using an air cylinder and a guide rod. The reversing mechanism 5314 includes a reversing member 5315 rotatably supported by the frame 501, and a motor 5316 that rotationally drives the reversing member 5315. This allows
Rotate the reversing mechanism 5314 downward to extend and retract the mechanism 5313.
By extending the state, the support member 5311 comes close to the upper surface of the cultivation panel 28, and the cultivation cup 25 can be held by the cup holder 5312. Then, by retracting the expansion mechanism 5313, the cultivating cup 25 is taken out of the cultivating panel 28 and raised, and by inverting the reversing mechanism 5314 upward, the cultivating cup 25 is moved to the upper part of the frame 501, and the top and bottom are turned upside down. Can be held at.

The cup lifter 532 includes a cup pushing member 5321 disposed immediately below the position where the cultivation cup 25 is taken out by the cup handler 531 and the cup pushing member 5321.
It is provided with an elevating mechanism 5322 using an air cylinder and a guide rod for elevating and lowering, and by raising the cup pushing member 5321, it is possible to push up the lower surface of one row of cultivation cups 25 from the lower surface side of the cultivation panel 28. As a result, the cultivation cup 25 to be gripped by the cup handler 531 can be pushed out to the upper surface side of the cultivation panel 28, and the gripping by the cup handler 531 is ensured.

(Stock take-out means) The stock take-out means 540 is
A moving mechanism 541 arranged along the upper surface of the frame 501,
The reversing mechanism 542 supported by the moving mechanism 541 and the plurality of stock holders 544 supported by the reversing mechanism 542 are provided (see FIGS. 8, 11, 12, and 16). The moving mechanism 541 is capable of horizontally moving the reversing mechanism 542 using a pair of guide rails 5411 and an air cylinder 5412 installed on the frame 501. The reversing mechanism 542 includes a reversing member 5423 which is rotatably supported by the moving member 5421 supported by the moving mechanism 541 and is rotationally driven by the motor 5422.

The stock holder 544 has a structure in which the outer peripheral surface of the cultivation cup 25 is held by a pair of arm members, and a driving mechanism such as an air cylinder or a solenoid is used for this holding. Each stock holder 544 has its own cup holder 5312 when the above-mentioned cup handler 531 is in the upper position.
Cup holder 5312 of the reversing member 5423 so that
It is installed at a position corresponding to.

With this, by moving the stock holder 544 to the cup handler 531 side by the moving mechanism 541 with the reversing mechanism 542 reversed, the cultivation cup 25 held by the cup handler 531 which is being reversed upward is placed. The stock holders 544 are close to each other, and the stock 24 stored in each cultivation cup 25 is transferred to each stock holder 544.
Can be held at. Stock holder 544 in this state
The plant 24 is taken out of the cultivation cup 25 by lowering the plant relative to the cup handler 531. In addition,
This relative movement may be realized by elongating the expansion / contraction mechanism 5313 of the cup handler 531. Then, by moving the moving mechanism 541 to the opposite end and reversing the reversing mechanism 542, the stocks 24 held by the stock holders 544 are held in an upright state.

(Lower Leaf Processing Means) The lower leaf processing means 550 is located directly below the stock 24 held by the stock holder 544 when the stock take-out means 540 is in the upright state at the side end apart from the cup handler 531. A plurality of processing cylinders 551 arranged in the above, a fluid ejecting means 552 arranged in an upper end opening of the processing cylinder 551,
A collecting cylinder 553 that covers the lower portions of the plurality of processing cylinders 551, and an elevating mechanism 55 that integrally lifts the processing cylinders 551 or the collecting cylinder 553.
4 and a discharge cylinder 555 connected to the lower end side of the collecting cylinder 553 (see FIGS. 8, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18).

The processing cylinder 551 reaches a position for accommodating the lower portion of the stock 24 held by the stock holder 544 when the processing cylinder 551 is lifted by the lifting mechanism 554. The upper side of the processing cylinder 551 is enlarged, and the lower part of the stock 24 can be reliably accommodated in the upper end opening.

The fluid ejecting means 552 is a pair of introducing pipes 5521 inserted into the inside from a notch 5511 in the upper edge of the processing cylinder 551.
And a plurality of injection nozzles 5522 installed in the introduction pipe 5521.
The lower lobes 24 of the lower part 24 can be cut by jetting a water jet downward and inward from each jet nozzle 5522. Here, the introduction tube 5521 is configured to be reciprocally moved in the longitudinal direction by a driving means (not shown), and the lower lobe of the interval portion of each injection nozzle 5522 is also reliably removed. A stopper 5512 is provided at a position below the injection nozzle 552 of the processing cylinder 551.
The insertion position of is fixed.

The collecting cylinder 553 covers the lower parts of the plurality of processing cylinders 551 and can collect and discharge the lower leaves and water discharged from each collecting cylinder 553. Here, the collecting cylinder 553 is 2
The processing cylinders 551 are installed in a book, and four processing cylinders 551 each are assembled. The drive mechanism 554 uses a guide rod, an air cylinder, etc., and includes a processing cylinder 551,
The fluid ejecting means 552 and the collecting cylinder 553 can be integrally lifted with respect to the frame 501 while integrally supporting them.

The upper end of the discharge cylinder 555 surrounds the lower end side of the collecting cylinder 553 to allow the collecting cylinder 553 to move up and down while ensuring continuity. The lower side of the discharge cylinder 555 is bent so as to avoid the panel conveying means 511, and the lower end is configured to communicate with the waste box 5551. With these, the lower leaves of the stock 24 taken out by the stock take-out means 540 are processed, and the cut-off lower leaves are received in the waste box 5551.

(Stock Unloading Means) The stock unloading means 560 is composed of a conveyor arranged orthogonally below the moving path of the stock unloading means 540. This conveyor is stock picking means 540
It extends horizontally from the lower position and is guided to the outside of the harvesting device 15 (upper side in FIG. 8). Here, stock taking means 540
Sends the taken-out strain 24 to the lower leaf treatment means 550, performs lower leaf treatment, and then separates and drops the strain 24 just above the strain carrying-out means 560. As a result, the stock 24 is delivered to the stock carry-out means 560 and sent to the outside.

(Cup collecting means) The cup collecting means 570 is
A moving mechanism 571 arranged along the upper surface of the frame 501,
A cup recovery handler 573 including an expansion mechanism 572 supported by the moving mechanism 571 and a plurality of cup holders 574 supported by the expansion mechanism 572 is provided, and a cup for receiving the cultivation cup 25 held by the cup holder 574. Receiving cylinder 575, cup collecting rod 576, cup collecting cart 57
7 and (FIGS. 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 1).
6, see Fig. 19). Among these, the cup receiving cylinder 575, the cup collecting rod 576, and the cup collecting carriage 577 are adjacent to the section in which the conveying means 510 or the lower leaf processing means 550 is installed (see FIG. 8).
It is installed on the upper side).

The moving mechanism 571 can move the moving member 5712 horizontally along the pair of guide rails 5711 installed on the frame 501. The moving range is from above the cup handler 531 to the front position of the cup receiving cylinder 575 on the side thereof. The expansion / contraction mechanism 572 is composed of an air cylinder or the like that is supported by the moving member 5712 and expands / contracts in the intersecting direction, and its tip can move horizontally. The cup holder 574 has a telescopic mechanism 572.
It has a structure in which the outer peripheral surface of the cultivation cup 25 is sandwiched between a pair of arm members and is supported by the tip end of the soil, and a drive mechanism such as an air cylinder or a solenoid is used for sandwiching.

Each cup holder 574 has its own cup holder 5312 when the above-mentioned cup handler 531 is in the upper position.
The cup holder 5312 of the moving member 5712 so that
It is installed at a position corresponding to. Cup receiving cylinder 575
Is a plurality of substantially vertical cylinders arranged along the opposite end of the cup handler 531 of the moving mechanism 571.
It is set so that it is directly under each cup holder 574 when it is extended. The cup receiving cylinder 575 has an expanded upper end opening, receives the cultivation cup 25 dropped from the cup holder 574, guides it downward, and discharges it from the lower end side.

The cup collecting rod 576 is for stacking and holding a large number of cultivation cups 25 inserted thereinto,
A plurality of cup recovery carts 577 are vertically supported on the upper surface. These cup collecting rods 576 are arranged in the width direction according to the cup receiving cylinder 575, and one row of the cup collecting rods 576 can be arranged immediately below the cup receiving cylinder 575. Further, detachable or projecting / withdrawing stoppers for locking the cultivation cup 25 are provided at both ends of the cup collecting rod 576.

The cup recovery cart 577 is provided with a receiving portion 5771 for inserting and holding the cup recovery rod 576 on the upper surface. The cup recovery trolley 577 has two types of wheels, a rail wheel 5772 and a floor wheel 5773, on the lower surface side. When the cup recovery cart 577 is housed in the harvesting device 15, the rail wheel 5772 is mounted on the rail 502 formed on the frame 501. The wheel 5773 for floor can run on the floor while being received via the outside.

As a result, by moving the moving member 5723 onto the cup handler 531 by the moving mechanism 571 while the expansion mechanism 572 is contracted, the cup handler 53 which is being inverted upwards.
The cup holder 574 is close to the cultivation cup 25 held in 1, and each cultivation cup 25 can be held by each cup holder 574. Then, the moving mechanism 571 is moved to the opposite end side, the expansion mechanism 542 is extended, and the cultivation cup held by the cup holder 574 is located right above the cup receiving cylinder 575.
By releasing 25, each cultivation cup 25 becomes a cup receiving cylinder
It is inserted through the cup collecting rod 576 directly below through 575 and is held in a stacked state. When the cup collecting rod 576 for one row is full, the cup collecting pedestal 577 is fed for one row, and the next cup collecting rod 576 is moved to the cup receiving cylinder 575.
Place immediately below to continue collecting cups. However, when all the cup collection rods 576 are full, take out the cup collection cart 577 and transport it to the reuse part,
A new cup collection trolley 577 is housed to continue collecting the cups.

(Dead stock removal means) Dead stock removal means 580
Is the cup receiving cylinder 575 of the cup collecting means 570 and the moving member.
An elevating mechanism 581 such as an air cylinder arranged above the path to the 5712 and an extruding rod 582 supported by the lower end of the elevating mechanism 582 are provided. As a result, while the cup holder 574 is moved from the moving member 571 side to directly above the cup receiving cylinder 575 by the expansion / contraction mechanism 572 in the cup collecting means 570, the cup holder 574 is temporarily stopped immediately below the pushing rod 582, and in this state the lifting mechanism is moved. By lowering 581, even if the dead strain 24A remains in the cultivation cup 25 held by each cup holder 574, the dead strain 24A can be pushed out and dropped and removed.

(Effect of Harvesting Device) In this embodiment, the cultivation cup 25 containing the stock 24 (cup containing stock) is carried by the carrying means 510 while being held by the cultivation panel 28, and the root cutting means is used. After root cutting is performed at 520, it is taken out from the cultivation panel 28 by the cup taking-out means 530. Here, by performing root cutting in a state where the strain 24 is housed in the cultivation panel 28, it becomes possible to apply sufficient force without damaging the leaf portion of the strain 24, and for strong-rooted plants such as spinach. It becomes possible to surely perform root cutting. Further, since the root cutting is performed in a state of being aligned with the cultivation panel 28, the root cutting operation can be performed stably and surely.

From the stock cup thus taken out, the stock 24 is taken out by the stock taking means 540 and separated from the cultivation cup 25. After the lower leaves are removed by the lower leaf processing means 550, the stock 24 is carried out by the stock carrying-out means 560, packed, and shipped. The cultivation cup 25 is recovered by the cup recovery means 570 and is reused. At this time, the dead strain 24A remaining in the cultivation cup 25 is removed by the dead strain removal means 580. As a result, lower leaves are automatically processed or carried out in the strain 24, and the dead strain 24 in the cultivation cup 25.
The removal or collection of A is automatically performed, and the series of harvesting operations can be automated, facilitated, and ensured.

Further, the cultivation panel 28 in the cultivation device 14 is used.
By using, it is possible to facilitate the transfer and transfer when performing cultivation, such a cultivation panel 28 is taken into the harvesting device 15 from the cultivation device by the panel transfer means 512, and the cultivation panel 28 taken in is a panel. By carrying by the carrying means 511, it is possible to sequentially perform the above-mentioned cup removal. By using the widthwise cutters 521 and 522 as the root cutting means 520, it is possible to collectively carry out root cutting of a single-row stock with a simple structure.

On the other hand, in the cup take-out means 530,
By using the cup handler 531 that holds the cultivating cup 25 and pushing up the cultivating cup 25 with the cup lifter 532 from below, the takeout by the cup handler 531 can be performed easily and reliably. Further, the cultivation cup 25 containing the stock 24 taken out by the cup taking-out means 530 is inverted, and the stock taking-out means 540 draws the stock 24 downward, so that the stock 24 can be surely and easily used by utilizing gravity.
Can be extracted. Then, by reversing and erecting the stock 24 taken out by the stock take-out means 530, the lower leaf processing means may cut the lower lobe of the lower end of the stock and drop it downward, etc. Efficient lower leaf discharge is possible.

Further, the dead plant removing means can eject the dead plant in the cultivation cup by pushing the pushing rod, and can surely remove the dead plant with a simple structure. Further, the cup collecting means 570 conveys the cultivating cup 25 by the cup collecting handler 573, inserts the cultivating cup 25 into the cup collecting rod 576, and stacks the cultivating cup 25 on the cup collecting rod 576, so that a large number of cultivating cups 2 are formed on the cup collecting rod 576.
It is also possible to hold 5 and carry it to the planting device 13 or the like, or attach it to the planting device 13 as it is, so that the work for reusing the cultivation cup 25 can be simplified. By using the cup recovery cart 577 to collectively support a large number of cup recovery rods 576, it is possible to further simplify and facilitate the transfer operation.

Further, in this embodiment, the root cutting means 520,
Cup removing means 530, stock removing means 540, lower leaf processing means 550, cup collecting means 570, dead stock removing means 580,
All the rows of the strains 24 and the cultivation cups 25 for one row of the cultivation panel 28 are processed in parallel, so that the processing can be performed quickly and efficiently with a simple structure.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the arrangement and detailed configuration of each means constituting the harvesting device 15 may be appropriately selected for implementation. That is, the transportation of the cultivation panel 28 may be performed by other means, the same is true for the transportation of the cultivation cup 25 and the transportation of the stock 24, that is, the predetermined steps such as root cutting or unloading can be sequentially performed in succession. It should be. Further, means, mechanisms, etc. for realizing each process may be appropriately configured so as to realize each purpose based on the existing technology. For example,
The cutter 511 of the root cutting means 510 may be a sharp blade instead of the saw blade shape, and its installation position may be in the middle of the panel conveying means 511. However, the position of the above-described embodiment can reduce the interference between other devices and the root.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to carrying cultivation using a cultivation panel, but may be applied to a cultivation device utilizing a continuous carrying conveyor as a carrying body. In this case, root cutting means is installed on the lower surface of the carrying conveyor. The panel carrying portion of the above embodiment may be omitted, and the other parts may be arranged along the carrying conveyor. Further, the cultivation device 14 that supplies the cultivation panel 26 to the harvesting device 15 according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and the shape and arrangement of each part of the cultivation line 16 and the cultivation panels 26 to 28, the number of installations, etc. It may be selected appropriately.

[0085]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to automate by carrying out root cutting of the cultivated strains in the cultivation panel accommodation state, and it becomes possible to automate the mutual separation and transportation of the cultivation panel, the cultivating cup, and the strains by each means. A series of harvesting operations including root cutting and root cutting can be performed reliably and automatically, and manual work can be eliminated to improve the overall work efficiency of the plant factory.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing work contents in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the cultivation cup of the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cultivation cup of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the cultivation panel of the above-mentioned embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the cultivation panel of the above embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of the cultivation device of the above-mentioned embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the harvesting device according to the embodiment.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing the harvesting device at positions C1-C1 in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the harvesting device at a position C2-C2 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the harvesting device at positions C3-C3 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the lower part of FIG. 8 showing the harvesting device.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the harvesting device on the upper side of FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a root cutting cutter of the harvesting device.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a main part of the cutter.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the removal of the cup and the treatment of the lower leaves of the harvesting device.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of an essential part of the lower leaf processing unit of the harvesting device.

FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lower leaf processing unit of the harvesting device.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the collection of cups and removal of dead strains of the harvesting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Plant factory 11 Seeding device 12 Seedling bed 13 Planting device 14 Cultivating device 15 Harvesting device 16 Cultivation line 21 Nursery mats 22 Seedlings 23 Seedling blocks 24 Stocks 25 Cultivation cups 26 to 28 Cultivation panels 26A to 28A Strain storage holes 510 Transporting means 511 Panels Conveying means 512 Panel transferring means 513 Panel collecting means 530 Cup removing means 531 Cup handler 5312 Cup holder 5313 Expansion / contraction mechanism 5314 Inversion mechanism 532 Cup lifter 540 Stock removal means 541 Moving mechanism 542 Inversion mechanism 544 Stock holder 550 Lower leaf processing means 551 Processing tube Body 552 Fluid ejecting means 553 Collecting cylinder 554 Lifting mechanism 555 Discharging cylinder 560 Stock carry-out means 570 Cup collecting means 571 Moving means 572 Expansion and contracting means 573 Cup collecting handler 574 Cup holder 575 Cup receiving cylinder 576 Cup collecting rod 577 Cup collecting base 580 Dead stock removal means 582 Extruded rod

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A transport means for receiving a transporter containing a cultivating cup containing a strain that has been transported and cultivated, and transporting the transporter along a predetermined transport path, and the strain exposed on the lower surface side of the transporter to which the transport route is sent. Root cutting means for cutting off the roots, cup removing means for taking out the stock-containing cultivation cup from the carrier sent through the carrying path, stock taking-out means for taking out the stock from the taken stock-containing cultivation cup, and taken out. Equipped with a stock carrying-out means for carrying out the stock, a cup collecting means for collecting the cultivation cup from which the stock has been taken out, and a dead stock removing means for removing dead stock from the cultivation cup collected by the cup collecting means. Harvesting device characterized by 2. The harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein
A harvesting device comprising lower leaf processing means for removing the lower leaves of the stock taken out by the stock taking means. 3. The harvesting device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is a plurality of cultivation panels that contain a predetermined number of the cultivation cups containing the strain and are conveyed and cultivated by the cultivation device. The transport means comprises a panel transport means for transporting the cultivation panel, and a panel transfer means for picking up the cultivation panel from the cultivation device and transferring it to the panel transfer means, and the root cutting means of the panel transfer means. A harvesting device that is installed at the entrance. 4. The harvesting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the root cutting means is a cutter extending along the lower surface side of the transport path and in the width direction thereof. apparatus. 5. The harvesting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cup take-out means is disposed immediately below the cup handler, which holds the cultivation cup from the carrier and takes it out. And a cup lifter that pushes up the cultivation cup from the lower surface side of the carrier. 6. The harvesting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cup removing means is capable of reversing a picked-up cultivation cup containing a plant and holding it upside down. The harvesting device is characterized in that the means takes out the stocks stored in the cultivation cup held upside down. 7. The harvesting device according to claim 6,
The above-mentioned stock take-out means is capable of holding the taken-out stock in a state where the root is downward by reversing the taken-out stock, and the lower leaf processing means is accessible from below the stock held by the stock take-out means. Harvesting equipment. 8. The harvesting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the dead plant removing means is introduced from a bottom opening of the cultivation cup held by the cup collecting means, and the inside of the cultivation cup is removed. A harvesting device having an extruding rod for extinguishing dead strains of. 9. The harvesting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cup collecting means inserts the upper and lower openings of the cultivation cup and holds a large number of cultivation cups in a stacked manner. And a cup collecting handler that receives the cultivation cup from the cup removing means and drops it from above the cup collecting rod. 10. The harvesting device according to claim 9, wherein a large number of the cup collecting rods are vertically and detachably supported on an upper surface of a cup collecting carriage.