KR20130068387A - Apparatus for hydroponics - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A cultivation apparatus is provided to offer a stable habitat to fishes, and to enable the easy observation of rhizogenesis and the life of fishes. CONSTITUTION: A lighting part irradiates plants with light. A nutrient solution circulation part comprises a pipe for the supply-recovery of a nutrient solution of a nutrient reservoir to each floor of a culture aquarium, a connection pipe, a return duct, and a pump. A control unit controls the operation of the nutrient solution circulation part and the lighting part. The nutrient reservoir has at least one part, which is transparent in the frontal side, is a fishbowl, and is a habitat for the fish. The lighting part is an LED lamp. [Reference numerals] (AA) Breeding water and fish bowl

Description

Plant cultivation apparatus {Apparatus for hydroponics}

The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus, and more particularly, to a small hydroponic plant cultivation apparatus that can easily grow plants even at home by providing an optimal environment suitable for plant growth.

In addition, the present invention relates to a fish tank plant cultivation apparatus that provides a condition that the plant and fish can grow at the same time to observe the growth process of the plant and fish interact with one device.

Hydroponic cultivation refers to a cultivation method in which plants are grown in a nutrient solution (culture solution) containing water and various nutrients necessary for plant growth under artificial light sources.

According to hydroponic cultivation, it is possible to control the cultivation environment of the plant relatively easily, unlike the usual cultivation of plants outside or in the house, so that clean vegetables or crops are not polluted without using pesticides that are harmful to the human body. In addition to shortening the growing period of the crop can be obtained a large yield in the short run.

Recently, various types of plant cultivation apparatuses and various lighting apparatuses applied thereto have been disclosed under the concept of "plant factories." (Registration Utility Model No. 00269898, Patent No. 0459631, 0761253, 0959994) , Korean Patent No. 1034513, 2011-0071636) These prior arts mainly focus on the characteristics of artificial lighting, heat generation control, and efficient management of the system.

However, nutrient plant cultivation equipment (including plant plants) is an environment in which water, nutrients, lighting and proper temperature are provided, so that algae can be inhabited and nutrient solution is contaminated. If antibiotics or pesticides are used to solve the problem of algae habitat, there is no meaning of "hydroponic cultivation". Therefore, conventionally, a method of shielding or filtering the medicinal solution is applied so that light is not irradiated to the nutrient solution in which the nutrient solution is stored. However, even with such measures, it is difficult to prevent algae from being inhabited, so it was common to replace the whole nutrient solution every 10 to 20 days.

Therefore, even though there are still enough nutrients in the nutrient solution, they must be discarded or regenerated, which leads to waste of raw materials (nutrients), increased disposal costs, and additional environmental pollution. The algae remaining in the bed multiply again.

On the other hand, as the society is industrialized, artificial structures such as iron and concrete are increasing, while the environment as it is is decreasing, thereby reducing the opportunity to encounter natural ecosystems. Accordingly, in order to be able to experience the natural ecosystem, it is necessary to visit the weekend educational farm, rural experience education field, nature learning field (hereinafter referred to as "eco-learning field").

Pollen and fish tanks are used to supplement these problems somewhat so that plants or fish can be observed from time to time.

If they are installed separately, they occupy a large space and are difficult to manage. Therefore, a combined fish tank pot (or potted fish tank) combining these into one has been developed and used. Registered Patent No. 1026265)

However, such a conventional fish tank combined pot is a form of simply put a pot on the top of the fish tank and the water of the fish tank and the water for plants (pollen) are separated from each other spatially simply the "water supply" of the fish tank to the pot. In addition, according to the prior art, since the water of the fish tank and the water for plants (pollen) are spatially separated from each other, the user (for example, a student who wants to observe nature) cannot observe the ecological interdependence between the fish and the plant. There are disadvantages.

Utility Model Registration No.0261098 Registered Patent No. 0459631 Registered Patent No. 0761253 Registered Patent No. 0959994 Registered Patent No. 1034513 Patent Publication No. 2011-0071636 Utility Model Registration No. 0227425 Utility Model Registration No. 0239731 Utility Model Model No. 0367594 Registered Patent No. 1026265

The present invention was developed to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a plant cultivation apparatus that can also be used for ornamental purposes at home or business, offices and the like.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a plant cultivation apparatus of a new concept that the problem caused by algae in the conventional plant cultivation apparatus (including a plant factory) is solved.

In addition, the present invention provides a more stable habitat environment for the fish by allowing the root of the plant to grow in the nutrient solution inhabited by the fish to provide a more stable habitat environment for the fish and the root of the plant by extending the root of the plant in the nutrient solution of the nutrient tank An object of the present invention is to provide a fish tank and plant cultivation device set that is easy to observe growth and fish life.

The present invention for achieving the above object is (A) a frame partitioned into a plurality of layers; (B) a nutrient solution provided in a predetermined layer, the nutrient solution containing the nutrient solution; (C) a culture tank provided on the bottom of the layer other than the layer in which the nutrient solution tank is provided, and a plurality of planting holes for plants are formed; (D) a light source unit which is provided on the top of the layer is provided with the culture tank, and irradiates light to the plant planted; (E) a nutrient solution circulating unit consisting of a supply pipe, a connecting tube, a recovery tube and a pump for supplying and recovering the nutrient solution of the nutrient solution tank to the culture tank of each layer; And (F) a control unit for controlling the operation of the light source unit and the nutrient solution circulation unit.

In the apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the nutrient solution tank is a fish tank in which at least a part of the front surface (preferably at least the entire front surface) is made transparent so that fish live therein. In this way, when the fish are raised in the nutrient tanks, these fish feed on algae naturally occurring in the nutrient tanks, thereby minimizing the generation of algae in the nutrient tanks. As confirmed in the following examples, when raising a fish in a nutrient tank used as a fish tank, it was possible to prevent nutrient solution contamination by algae, even if the entire nutrient solution is not periodically replaced. Of course, if necessary, the nutrient solution can be replenished or replaced at predetermined intervals.

In addition to the pollution prevention effect of the nutrient solution, according to the present invention, since the fish tank is an organically coupled plant cultivation device, the interior effect can be additionally obtained at home, office, or business. In this case, the height of the nutrient tank (fish tank) may be installed at any height suitable for human attention.

Meanwhile, according to the conventional plant cultivation apparatus, the nutrient solution tank is fixedly arranged at the bottom of the apparatus and is spatially separated from the plant to be grown. On the contrary, in the present invention, the nutrient tank may be provided in any layer of the frame divided into multiple stages, and the plant may be planted on the upper part of the nutrient tank.

To this end, in the cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, a planting bed is added to the upper portion of the nutrient tank (fish tank) is formed so that the lower root of the plant is directly immersed in the nutrient solution in the nutrient solution tank, the top of the layer on which the nutrient solution tank is formed The light source unit can be added to. Thus, in the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, even if the same cross-sectional area and the same number of layers are manufactured, the plant cultivation layer can be obtained by one more increase compared to the prior art. In addition, the application of transparent nutrient tanks (fish tanks) allows the observation of planted plants as well as the ground and roots (roots). The roots that extend into the nutrient solution provide fish with a natural environment.

The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention enables the user to observe the plant sowing and growth, the growth of the fish, the harmony of the plant and the fish, and the like, in addition to achieving the conventional plant cultivation purpose.

In the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, the light source is preferably a low power consumption LED lighting known to favor plant growth, in particular LED lighting consisting of blue LED and red LED.

The present invention can provide an environmentally friendly solution to the nutrient solution contamination of the conventional plant cultivation apparatus by providing a plant cultivation apparatus that can grow fish. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time and cost of replacing the entire chemical solution and the disposal cost of the nutrient solution, which can help to popularize the plant cultivation system.

In addition, the present invention provides a nutrient for plants and a habitat environment for fish, which has the effect of observing the process of growing plants and fish in one place. That is, by extending the roots of the plant into the nutrient solution of the nutrient tank (fish tank), not only the observer can observe the growth process of the roots, but also the life of the fish living between the roots.

In addition, the present invention by supplying the acidity (pH), dissolved oxygen, water temperature of the water required for the growth of plants and fish at the same time in one device at the same time optimal conditions, it is possible to cultivate a variety of plant cultivation rather than decorative plants It is easy to observe the actual growth and has the effect of providing a stable growth environment for fish.

1 is a photograph showing an example of a cultivation tank in the form of a square tube that can be applied to the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention.
Figure 2a and Figure 2b is a left side view and a front view respectively showing that the nutrient solution tank (gyeom port) formed in the middle layer and the lowest layer in the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only the contents and scope of technology of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the present invention based on these examples.

As described above, the present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus including a frame, a nutrient solution tank, a culture tank, a light source unit, a nutrient solution circulation unit, and a control unit. Figure 1 is a photograph showing an example of a square tube type cultivation tank that can be applied to the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, the nutrient solution tank (gyeom port) in the middle layer of the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, respectively in Figures 2a and 2b The left side view and the front view which show what was formed and what was formed in the lowest layer were shown.

In the present invention, the frame is a kind of case partitioned into a plurality of layers. At least the front surface of the frame may be formed with a transparent blocking plate openable. The frame functions to contain and support other components constituting the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention.

The nutrient tank is a nutrient solution in which various nutrients are dissolved in water is stored therein, is provided in a predetermined layer of the frame, preferably in an intermediate layer. The nutrient tank also functions as a fish tank where fish grow to suppress algae. When serving as a fish tank, at least part of the front surface is preferably made transparent so as to provide light to the fish inside, so that the user can observe the inside well. On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the plant can be planted in the upper portion of the nutrient tank. That is, the nutrient tank can be configured to have both a nutrient tank function + fish tank function + culture tank function. To this end, a planting bed having a plurality of planting holes formed on the nutrient solution tank is installed, and a light source unit is added to the upper portion. At this time, one side of the planting bed may be further formed a feed port on one side for the purpose of feeding the fish.

The culture tank is circulated in the nutrient solution, the root of the plant is planted is provided in the bottom of the layer other than the layer provided with the nutrient solution tank . The culture tank is formed in a square tube shape (see Fig. 1) in which a plurality of planting holes for plants are formed at the upper ends and both ends of the incubator, or at the upper ends of the square pipes with the upper ends and the pipes installed. It may be a structure (not shown) assembled with a planting bed is formed a number of planting holes for plants. The shape and structure of the specific culture tank may vary depending on the type of crop. The planter has a plant support function that allows the plant to be planted and 'fixed' as it grows.

On the other hand, the culture tank may be present only (circulating) pure nutrient solution, and may be filled with a substitute material for soil such as vermiculite and the nutrient solution is circulated therebetween.

In the present invention, the root of the planting bed plant can be produced in a plate shape or a tubular shape that can support the plant grown by forming a jaw on the edge formed a plurality of planting holes. The planting bed can be planted germinated seedlings or sowing seeds, so that the seedlings or seeds do not fall into the nutrient solution, and the seedlings or seeds so as to feed the plant while the roots of the germinated plant extends to the nutrient solution It can also be inserted into the planting work.

The light source unit is a means for providing light for photosynthesis of planted plants, and is installed on an upper layer of the culture tank. Various lighting lamps may be employed as the light source, but it is preferable to employ LED lamps in consideration of power consumption and photosynthetic efficiency. In this case, it is particularly preferable that the LED lamp is composed of blue light 450nm 10%, red light 660nm 80%, far infrared light 730nm 10%, which is known to be effective for plant growth. The light source unit is controlled by the control unit on-off ratio, the number of on-off and the like. The specific control method may be appropriately determined by the user according to the type and growth stage of the plant planted.

In the present invention, the nutrient solution circulation part functions to supply-recover the nutrient solution of the nutrient solution tank to the culture tank of each layer. The nutrient solution circulation part includes a supply pipe, a connection pipe, a recovery pipe, and a pump for providing a circulation force. The supply pipe is connected between the [nutrient tank-top layer culture tank] and [the nutrient tank-culture tank immediately below], and the nutrient solution of the nutrient tank is cultured under the culture tank and the nutrient tank of the top layer according to the operation of the pump. Supply to the tank. On the other hand, the connecting tube is installed between the [up culture tank-lower culture tank] or [culture tank-nutrient tank directly above the nutrient tank] and the nutrient solution supplied to the culture tank of the top layer and the culture tank just below the nutrient tank sequentially Or (zigzag) to the lowermost culture tank. The recovery tube is connected between the lowermost culture tank and the nutrient solution tank so that the nutrient solution collected in the lowermost culture tank is returned to the nutrient solution tank by a pump. Of course, the above is a description of the case where the nutrient solution tank is formed in the middle layer of the frame, when the nutrient solution tank is installed at the bottom of the frame, operate the pump to supply the chemical liquid to the top layer culture tank through the supply pipe, and then the nutrient solution is naturally recovered by the gravity solution. do. The pump may be implemented to be driven only by the set time at regular time intervals by the control unit. For example, it may be run every 10 hours for 10 minutes to ensure that sufficient water and nutrients are supplied to the culture tank.

As the control unit described above in the present invention, serves to control the operation the light source and the nutrient solution circulating portion. Although not shown, it is preferable that an input / output system or computer system is provided for inputting information to the control unit and displaying the current state of the plant culture apparatus. A control unit, an input / output system, a computer system, and the like for controlling the operation of the device are well known in various fields in the related art, and thus descriptions thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, plant cultivation nutrient solution is generally a composition as shown in Table 1 below, it is natural that the composition can be variously adjusted according to a specific plant or fish, the technical scope of the present invention is in the composition of the nutrient solution itself It is also obvious that it is not changed by.

In the natural state (ie, soil cultivation), in addition to the above components, there may be various trace amounts of substances required by plants. Although not proved empirically, it can be assumed that a plant fed only with fixed ingredients, such as Table 1, will not grow “as is” even if it can grow better. (Just like feeding fertilizers without compost will not grow crops healthy)

However, according to the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, in the nutrient solution, the remaining food left in the fish food and the excreta excreted by the fish can be decomposed by the bacteria in the nutrient solution and supplied to the nutrient of the plant. As a result, by supplying the trace elements not supplemented with nutrient solution to the plant, it is possible to create a more natural cultivation environment.

On the other hand, in the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, insoluble matters may be generated or added to the nutrient solution, or sudden contamination may occur. In preparation for such an emergency situation, it is preferable to add a predetermined filtering means to the nutrient solution tank.

<Examples>

Crops were cultivated using the nutrient solution of the composition shown in Table 2 in the plant cultivation apparatus of the structure as shown in Figure 2a.

 Approximately three to five lettuce seeds were planted in a planting bed with water induction members, and ten fish were placed in the nutrient tank. As the fish food, normal fish feed purchased from a commercial aquarium dealer was fed according to the use example.

By artificial lighting, a 25W LED bulb was installed 20cm above the planting bed and adjusted to 14 hours light / 10 hours dark. Lettuce was grown for 4 months at the water temperature of 22 ~ 26 ℃ and pH6.0 ~ 7.0, and the growth of fish and the condition of fish were analyzed. At this time, lettuce was harvested every 21 days and planted again.

From time to time, 100 ml of the nutrient solution was taken from the nutrient tank, placed in a 250 ml beaker, placed under a beaker, printed with 12 font black paper, and observed from above.

In the comparative example, all the same conditions were maintained except that no fish were put in the nutrient solution tank.

As a control example, the fish was raised in a tank of the same size and shape as the nutrient tank while maintaining a water temperature of 22 to 26 ° C.

(1) nutrient solution replacement cycle

In the comparative example, the nutrient solution was changed five times during the experimental period (4 months), but in the example, the nutrient solution was not required to be replaced. However, in the Example, the amount of nutrient solution decreased every week.

(2) Comparison of Growth of Planted Plants

In the case of Example, the harvested lettuce leaves were 25-30 pieces, and the largest leaf length and width were 18-25 cm and 12-18 cm, respectively, which were not different from those of the comparative example (hydroponics without fish in the tank).

(3) Comparison of fish

In the examples, no fish died or deformed, and there was no difference in size as compared to the control (the one grown in a tank containing ordinary water, not nutrient solution), and the color and activity of the scales did not differ. .

Claims (6)

A frame partitioned into a plurality of layers;
A nutrient solution provided in a predetermined layer and containing a nutrient solution of a nutrient component;
A culture tank provided at the bottom of the layer other than the layer on which the nutrient solution tank is provided, and having a plurality of planting holes for plants;
A light source unit provided at an upper portion of the layer in which the culture tank is provided and irradiating light on the plant;
A nutrient solution circulating unit including a supply pipe, a connection pipe, a recovery pipe, and a pump for supplying and recovering the nutrient solution of the nutrient solution tank to the culture tank of each layer;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the light source unit and the nutrient solution circulation;
Plant cultivation apparatus comprising a.
The method of claim 1,
The nutrient solution tank,
At least a part of the front is transparent, plant cultivation device, characterized in that the fish tank inhabited therein.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The planting bed is added to the upper portion of the nutrient tank is formed so that the lower root of the plant to be directly immersed in the nutrient solution in the nutrient solution tank,
Plant cultivation apparatus, characterized in that the light source is added to the top of the layer in which the nutrient solution tank is formed.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The nutrient solution circulation portion,
Plant cultivation apparatus further comprises a filtration means for filtering the foreign matter in the nutrient solution stored in the nutrient solution tank.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Plant cultivation apparatus, characterized in that the light source is an LED lamp.
The method of claim 5, wherein
The LED lamp is a plant cultivation device, characterized in that consisting of blue LED, red LED and far-infrared LED.

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