KR20170021076A - Plant cultivation apparatus and method for controlling plant clutivation - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a plant cultivation apparatus and a method for controlling a plant cultivation apparatus. The plant cultivation apparatus comprises: a water tank; a flooding pipe which has a circular or polygonal cylinder shape with the perforated inside, of which one side is connected with the water tank and the other side is connected with a water storage box including a spray nozzle of spraying water, and which transfers water stored in the water tank through an underwater pump; and a plant pipe formed in a pillar shape with the perforated inside on the upper surface of the water tank and having at least one cultivation hole in which plants can grow on sides. According to the present invention, plants can be cultivated in the minimum indoor space.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus and a control method for a plant cultivation apparatus,

The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus and a method of controlling the plant cultivation apparatus, and more particularly, to a plant cultivation apparatus using a minimum space and a control method of the plant cultivation apparatus.

Plant plant "is a system that automatically controls the environmental conditions such as light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and culture liquid in a controlled facility to automatically produce crops and seedlings, regardless of season or place .

Factors that the plant should have include facilities and buildings, lighting systems, air conditioning systems, gas control systems, hydroponic cultivation systems, transport systems, and automation systems. These elements are being researched and developed individually.

Recently, proposed plant factories have installed a LED lighting lamp which can act as a light source, installed a water tank capable of storing a large number of flower pots in a multi-layer structure, and then a plurality of pipe pipes extending from the pump to each water tank Provides a configuration in which water is supplied.

In order to cultivate a large number of plants in such a narrow space, the multi-stage plant factories are required not only to uniformly supply light to each multi-layered structure but also to install a plurality of piping pipes for supplying water properly.

However, since such a conventional plant plant requires a large number of flower pots to be installed in the water pot connected to the support structure on both sides only in the longitudinal direction, when a large number of flower pots are installed and the water is flowed, There is a problem that durability such as damage is reduced.

Particularly, such a conventional plant plant is constructed so that a small amount of soil is contained in a pot and the seedlings are planted in the soil so that the root can be easily absorbed while protecting roots for plant growth. In this case, The gravity applied to the plant growing apparatus is increased and the durability of the plant growing apparatus is weakened.

Meanwhile, in recent years, a number of plant factories have been installed inside a building which may not be subject to unexpected climate change or seasonal or pest insufficiency, and in order to massively grow and sell plants in such plant factories, Plant factories that can produce plants from the inside are emerging as new fields of agricultural technology and research is being conducted as an indoor landscape system by taking advantage of the ability to grow plants in a limited space.

One aspect of the present invention is a plant including a plant pipe in which a plurality of cultivation holes formed on the side of the pipe and a drainage hole capable of guiding the water not absorbed by the plant to the water tank are formed so that more plants can be cultivated in a limited space Thereby providing a cultivation apparatus.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a control method of a plant cultivation apparatus that controls a plant cultivation apparatus using a mobile terminal so that a user can remotely plant the plant.

A plant cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water tank having a shape of a column through which the inside thereof penetrates, one side connected to the water tank, the other side connected to a water tank for spraying water, And a plant pipe which is formed in the form of a column penetrating the inside of the upper surface of the water tank and at least one cultivation hole is formed at a side surface of the water pipe for moving the water conveyed through the provided underwater pump .

And a lighting member formed spirally along the side of the water pipe.

And a rotating member for rotating the plant pipe with the vertical center of the plant pipe as a rotation axis so that light emitted from the lighting member can be transmitted to all the surfaces of the plant pipe.

When a plurality of plant pipes are formed, the plurality of plant pipes are formed in the periphery with respect to the water pipe, and distances from the water pipe are different for each plant pipe It may be the same.

The plant pipe may include at least one drain hole on a surface connected to the water tank.

The plant pipe may include a spray pipe formed inside the plant pipe in a height direction and having at least one injection port for spraying the water delivered from the water tank to the side wall of the plant pipe.

The plant pipe may be separated into at least one pipe end, and the at least one pipe end may be detachable.

A control method of a plant cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can receive a control signal input by a user from a mobile terminal and control illumination and water supply according to a control signal received from the mobile terminal.

The plant cultivation apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention can efficiently utilize the space by cultivating the plant in the cultivation hole formed on the side of the plant pipe and the water coming out from the plant pipe through the hole in the part where the tank is connected is collected into the water tank It is possible to save water used for plant cultivation, and also it is possible to reduce the size of the water tank by not needing much water.

 Another aspect of the present invention allows the user to remotely control the plant cultivation device, thereby allowing the plant to be managed remotely from the plant cultivation device.

1 is a perspective view showing a plant cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A is a perspective view showing a plant pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2B is a perspective view showing a plant pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2C is a perspective view showing a plant pipe including a flow obstruction device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3A and 3B are perspective views showing a water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view showing an irrigation pipe and a water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a control block diagram of a plant cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a conceptual diagram of lighting control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain features, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in connection with an embodiment. It is also to be understood that the position or arrangement of the individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled, if properly explained. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions throughout the several views.

1 is a perspective view of a plant cultivation apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a plant cultivation apparatus 1 may include a plant pipe 100, a water tank 200, an irrigation pipe 300, and a water tank 400.

The plant pipe 100 can grow plants through pipes of various shapes. The space in which the plant is grown uses the side of the pipe, which allows efficient plant cultivation in a limited space. On the other hand, the plant pipe 100 may be located above the water tank 200, and may be installed apart from the water tank 200 as occasion demands. In this case, the plant pipe 100 may be provided on the upper part of the water tank 200, and when a plurality of plant pipes 100 are installed, the plurality of plant pipes 100 are connected to the water pipe 200, And the distance between the water pipe and the water pipe may be different or equal to each other.

The water tank 200 can store water to be supplied to the plant pipe 100. The water tank 200 may include an underwater pump for delivering water to the irrigation pipe 200.

The water pipe 300 may connect the water tank 200 and the water tank 400 to provide a path through which the water can move from the water tank 200 to the water tank 400. The irrigation pipe 300 may include an LED 301 to provide light to the plant pipe 100 and may be installed at the upper center of the water tank 200, And may be formed in the height direction.

The water tank 400 is a storage place for supplying water to the plant pipe 100 and may be located at the top of the water pipe 300 and may supply water to the plant pipe 100 using a pipe or a hose.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a plant pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing a plant pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2C is a perspective view of a plant including a flow- It is a perspective view showing a pipe.

Referring to FIG. 2A, a plant pipe 100 may include a plant pipe frame 101, a plant pipe support 102, a plant pipe drain 103, and a plant pipe rotating member 104. As shown in FIG.

The plant pipe frame 101 may be a hollow vertical cylindrical pipe, and the planting hole 108 may be formed at regular intervals on the outer wall so that the plant can grow. At this time, the empty interior of the plant pipe frame 101 may include gravel, sand, stone, or a material that provides an environment in which the plant can grow. The plant pipe frame 101 may be a combination of a plurality of pipe ends, and each pipe end can be attached or detached, and the height of the plant pipe 101 can be adjusted by using the same. In another embodiment, the plant pipe frame 101 may be formed as an integral plant pipe frame 101 having a constant size and a constant height.

On the other hand, the lower end of the plant pipe frame 101 may be clogged with a net or a plate to prevent the contents contained in the plant pipe frame 101 from being poured. At this time, the dense mesh or hole may have a degree of denseness or hole size such that the substance contained in the plant pipe frame 101 is not discharged to the outside of the plant pipe frame 100, Supplied water that is not absorbed by plants can be drained. The position where the water draining space is formed can be the lower end of each plant pipe frame 101.

The plant pipe support 102 can support the plant pipe frame 101. The plant pipe support 102 is composed of at least one support, and may be attached to an outer wall of the plant pipe frame 101 at a position not covering the plant hole. The plant pipe supports 102 can be separated into a plurality of lengths corresponding to the length of the pipe ends of the plant pipe frame 101. Each plant pipe support 102 can be combined with a plurality of plant pipe supports 102 to adjust the length can do.

The plant pipe support 102 may be integral with a part of the plant pipe frame 101. The plant pipe frame 101 according to another embodiment is configured to fix the plant pipe support 102 to the plant pipe support 102 fixing groove formed on the side wall of the plant pipe frame 101, .

The plant pipe drain 103 can send the remaining water to the water tank if the water supplied by the water supply system remains unabsorbed. The plant pipe drain port (103) may have a diameter-sized hole of the plant pipe frame (101). In another embodiment, the plant pipe drain 103 may include a water collection vessel having a structure that facilitates collecting unabsorbed water. More specifically, the water collecting container may be formed to be inclined to the center portion or the outer portion, and the lowest container bottom may be formed with a drain hole through which water can be discharged.

 The plant pipe rotating member 104 is formed at a portion where the plant pipe 100 and the water tank 200 are joined so that the plant cultivated on the side wall of the plant pipe 100 is connected to the LED 301) can be rotated in all directions. The plant pipe rotating member 104 may include a motor, and may receive the power using the motor included therein to rotate the plant pipe 100.

The plant pipe 100 may be provided with a water supply device for efficiently supplying water to the plants cultivated in the plant pipe 100, and FIGS. 2B and 2C provide an embodiment of the water supply device.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the plant pipe 100 may include a spray pipe 105 positioned at the center of the plant pipe and spraying the supplied water toward the side wall of the plant pipe frame 101. At this time, the spray tube 105 can receive water from the water tank 400 through the tube or hose to the top of the spray tube 105. The jetting pipe 105 may include a plurality of jetting ports 107 for jetting the supplied water toward the inner wall of the plant pipe.

Referring to FIG. 2C, the plant pipe 100 may include a flow obstruction device 106 (106 ') formed at the upper end of the plant pipe frame 101. When the water is supplied from the pipe or the hose connected from the water tank 400, the flow obstructing devices 106 and 106 'are positioned directly below the pipe or hose so that the flow obstructing devices 106 and 106' are scattered evenly inside the plant pipe 100 . At this time, the flow disturbing apparatuses 106 and 106 'may be an inverted hemisphere, a cone, a triangular-pyramid, a quadrangular-pyramid, or the like.

3A and 3B are perspective views showing a water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The water tank 200 disposed at a position to be joined to the lower part of the plant pipe 100 may store water to be supplied to the plant pipe 100. The water tank 200 can supply water to the water tub 400 connected to the plant pipe 100 through a pipe or hose through an irrigation pipe 300 by using an underwater pump inside the water tank 200. The water tank 200 may have the shape of a cube as in the case of FIG. 3A or 3B, but the shape and shape thereof are not fixed. In some cases, it may have various shapes such as a cylindrical shape, a pentagonal prism shape, and a star prism shape. In order for the water tank 200 to supply water, it is necessary to replenish the water, and the water can be replenished through the recovery of the water used in the plant pipe 100 and the supply of new water.

More specifically, the water tank 200 can not be absorbed by the plants cultivated in the plant pipe 100, and the flowing water can be recovered to the water tank 200 using a drainage hole. A method of collecting the water flowing out from the plant pipe 100 can be confirmed through FIG. 3A or FIG. 3B. 3A, a water tank 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention forms a recovery hole 201 having the same size as the drain hole formed in the plant pipe 100 at a portion contacting the plant pipe 100 . The water flowing from the lower end of the plant pipe 100 can be collected in the recovery hole 201 of the water tank 200 connected to the drain hole of the plant pipe 100 without leaking to another place. At this time, the drain hole and the recovery hole 201 can be connected by a pipe. Referring to FIG. 3B, the water tank 200 according to an exemplary embodiment may include an upper surface of the water tank 200 having a lower inclination toward the center and a recovery hole 201 at the lowest point. At this time, the water flowing out of the drain hole of the plant pipe 100 falls to the upper end of the water tank 200, and the dropped water can flow into the recovery hole 201 according to the inclination of the upper surface of the water tank 200.

On the other hand, when the amount of water flowing from the plant pipe 100 is not sufficient, the water tank 200 can receive fresh water from the outside.

4 is a perspective view showing an irrigation pipe and a water tank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the water pipe 300 may have a cylindrical or regular polygonal column shape with an inside thereof penetrating, one side of which is connected to the water tank 200 and the other side of which is connected to the water tank 400 have. Such a structure allows the water supplied from the water pipe 300 through the water pump in the water tank 200 to the water tank 400 connected to the upper end of the water pipe 300. The water pipe 300 may be formed in a height direction at the center of the upper surface of the water tank 200. The water pipe 300 at this time may be formed in a vertical direction on the upper surface of the water tank 200, and may be formed in an inclined state in some cases. The water pipe 300 may be connected to an underwater pump installed inside the water tank 200. An irrigation pipe 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be fixed inside the water tank 200 so as not to collapse using a fixed frame.

Meanwhile, the irrigation pipe 300 may include an LED 301 to provide light to the plant pipe 100. The LED according to one embodiment is installed in a spirally wound structure on the irrigation pipe 300, but the LED 301 is not installed in the structure. The irrigation pipe 300 according to another embodiment may have the LED 301 installed around the irrigation pipe 300, and the LED 301 may be installed in a predetermined pattern.

The water tank 400 may be formed by joining to the upper end of the water pipe 300 and temporarily store the water supplied from the water pipe 300. The water tank 400 can supply water to the plant pipe 100 using a pipe or a hose. More specifically, the water tank 400 can form a channel for supplying water by connecting a pipe to the plant pipe 100 by piercing the pipe on the side of the water tank. At this time, the pipe may be provided with a valve capable of controlling the amount of water to be supplied. In another embodiment, the water tank 400 can supply water by connecting a pipe having a structure in which a cap is opened to a plant pipe 100 when a predetermined amount of water is filled in the water tank. The water tank 400 may receive water in the form of an umbrella fountain for aesthetics when water is supplied from the water pipe 300.

On the other hand, the plant cultivation apparatus 1 can wirelessly control water supply and illumination through a user terminal. One embodiment of a control method of a system of a plant cultivation apparatus can be seen from FIG.

5, a plant cultivation apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plant cultivation communication unit 510, a plant cultivation memory unit 520, a plant cultivation lighting control means 530, a plant cultivation water supply control means 540 And a plant growth control unit 55. [

The plant growing / communicating unit 510 can receive the control signal from the mobile terminal and can transmit the received control signal to the plant cultivation controller 550. The plant growing / communicating unit 510 may receive a control signal from the mobile terminal by using various communication means such as a wireless network, a wireless Internet, and a local area network. The control signal received by the plant growing / communicating unit 510 may include illumination control signal information and water supply control signal information. The plant cultivation / communication unit 510 can forward the information received from the plant cultivation control unit 550 to the mobile terminal. The information transmitted by the plant cultivation / communication unit 510 to the mobile terminal may include a current state of the illumination, and a control state of the current water supply.

The plant cultivation memory unit 520 may store programs necessary for the plant cultivation control unit 550 to operate. The plant cultivation and storage unit 520 may temporarily store the information received from the mobile terminal by the plant cultivation and communication unit 510. The plant cultivation and communication unit 510 may store information received from the power source lighting control unit 530 and the plant cultivation feed control unit 540, And the control state of the current water supply.

The plant cultivation lighting control means 530 may include an illumination control signal electrically connected to the LED lighting unit and input through the mobile terminal and then transmitted through the integrated operating means, The illuminance of the LED illumination and the light exposure time can be adjusted to the illumination control signal automatically generated and transmitted. At this time, the lighting control means 530 may be connected to a plurality of LED lights provided in a plurality of plant factories, and may be configured to be able to be controlled at one time. In some cases, It can be installed for each plant.

The plant cultivating water supply control means 540 can control the amount of water supplied to the plant pipe 100 through a submerged pump provided in the water tank 200. At this time, the plant cultivating water supply control means 540 may include a sensor capable of recognizing the amount of water stored in the water tank 200 so as to detect the lack of water, Can be informed. The plant cultivation feed control unit 540 controls the amount of water supplied to the plant pipe 100 by adjusting the valve provided in the pipe connecting the water tub 400 and the plant pipe 100.

The plant cultivation control unit 550 can control the overall operation of the plant cultivation apparatus system. The plant cultivation control unit 550 controls the plant cultivation memory unit 520 to store the control state of the current illumination and the control state of the current water supply received from the plant cultivation lighting control unit 530 and the plant cultivation feed control unit 540 And the information stored in the memory unit 520 may be transmitted from the plant cultivation / communication unit 510 to the mobile terminal. In addition, the control signal received from the mobile terminal may be stored in the plant cultivation memory unit 520, and the plant cultivation lighting control unit 530 and the plant cultivation feed control unit 540 may be controlled according to the received control signal. The plant growth control unit 550 may include an illumination control unit 551 and a water supply control unit 552.

The lighting control unit 551 can process information received from the plant cultivation lighting control unit 530 and can control the plant cultivation lighting control unit 530 by processing the control signal received from the mobile terminal. The lighting control unit 551 may control the plant cultivation lighting control means 530 to adjust the speed or time at which each plant pipe 100 rotates. More specifically, referring to FIG. 6, the lighting control unit 551 according to one embodiment controls the rotational speed using the rotating member 104 to measure the time for which the plants of the plant pipe 100 are exposed to light It can be controlled. The illumination control unit 551 according to another embodiment controls the rotation of the plant pipes 100 in a predetermined angle by controlling the rotation time of the plant being irradiated to the light by using the rotary member 104 have.

 The water supply control unit 552 can process the information received from the plant cultivation feedwater control means 54 and process the control signal received from the mobile terminal to generate a signal for controlling the plant recharge water control means 530 have. The water supply control means 530 may include a submerged pump installed in the water tank 200 and a valve installed in the pipe connecting the water tank 400 and the plant pipe 100.

The plant cultivation equipment system can manage a single plant or a plurality of plant cultivation apparatuses 1 at the same time.

The techniques described above may be implemented in an application or may be implemented in the form of program instructions that may be executed through various computer components and recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination.

The program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be ones that are specially designed and configured for the present invention and are known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software.

Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like.

Examples of program instructions include machine language code such as those generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules for performing the processing according to the present invention, and vice versa.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It will be possible.

1: plant cultivation equipment
100: plant pipe
200: Water tank
300: water pipe
400: aquarium

Claims (8)

A water tank provided with an underwater pump therein for supplying water to the outside;
An irrigation pipe connected to the water tank for spraying water and having a shape of a column through which the water is sprayed, one end connected to the water tank, and the other end connected to a water tank for spraying water;
A plant pipe which is formed in the form of a column through which the inside of the water tank penetrates and which receives water through a pipe connected to the water tank and has at least one cultivation hole formed on a side surface thereof, Device. The method according to claim 1,
And a lighting member formed in a spiral shape along a side surface of the water pipe. 3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a rotating member for rotating the plant pipe with the vertical center of the plant pipe as a rotation axis so that light emitted from the lighting member can be transmitted to all the surfaces of the plant pipe. The method according to claim 1,
The plant pipes may be single or plural,
Wherein when the plurality of plant pipes are formed, the plurality of plant pipes are formed around the water pipe, and distances from the water pipe are different or identical for each plant pipe. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plant pipe comprises:
And at least one drainage hole on a surface connected to the water tank. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plant pipe comprises:
And a spray pipe formed in the interior of the plant pipe in a height direction and having at least one injection port for spraying the water delivered from the water tank to the side wall of the plant pipe. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plant pipe is separated into at least one pipe end,
Wherein the at least one pipe end is removably attachable to each other. Receives a lighting control signal and a water supply control signal input by a user from a mobile terminal,
Controlling the brightness of the illumination and the operation time of the illumination according to the illumination control signal received from the mobile terminal, and controlling the water supply amount and the water supply time according to the water supply control signal.

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