WO2012124632A1 - Plant factory and culture benches with light-guiding plate - Google Patents

Abstract

A plant factory comprising: a culture room (10) in which plants are cultured; and a plurality of culture benches piled up in the culture room (10), said culture benches including at least first culture benches (20A) and second culture benches (20B). The first culture benches comprise: a plurality of culture benches located immediately above the second culture benches; a first light-guiding plate (22A) which is located on the bottom face of the first culture benches and provided with a first photoirradiation part on the surface facing the second culture benches; and a first light-receiving part (30A) which is provided with a first light-receiving face (32A) for receiving the sunlight and allows the light falling on the first light-receiving face to fall on the side face of the first light-guiding plate. According to this structure, in conducting multi-stage culture in a culture room of a plant factory with the use of the sunlight, the sunlight can be also let in plants on culture benches that are located on stages other than the top stage.

Description

Plant factory and cultivation bench with light guide plate

The present invention relates to a plant factory and a cultivation bench with a light guide plate.

In recent years, Japan's agricultural problems have been scrambled and plant factories are attracting attention as a new form of high value-added agriculture. Plant factories are able to produce stable crops regardless of the season or climate by artificially controlling environmental conditions such as light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and culture solution in a closed or semi-closed space. It is a system that enables

There are two types of plant factories: a “sunlight-using type” that uses sunlight and a “fully controlled type” that uses artificial light. Strictly speaking, the sunlight utilization type is classified into two types: one using only sunlight as a light source and one using artificial light as an auxiliary (sometimes referred to as “artificial light combined type”).

In plant factories, multi-stage cultivation in which cultivation benches are stacked may be performed in order to effectively utilize the space in the cultivation room and efficiently grow plants. In this specification, “multi-stage cultivation” means cultivating a plant on a cultivation bench stacked in two or more stages in a cultivation room in which temperature, humidity, and the like are controlled.

When multi-stage cultivation is performed at a plant factory using sunlight, the plants on the uppermost cultivation bench are sufficiently irradiated with sunlight, but the plants on the lowermost cultivation bench are There is a problem that it is not irradiated with sufficient sunlight because it is shielded from light by the cultivation bench.

In order to solve this problem, it is also conceivable to irradiate the plant on the cultivation bench other than the uppermost stage with insufficient light using a supplementary light means such as a fluorescent lamp or LED (Light Emitting Diode). However, the cost such as the installation cost and maintenance cost of the light supplement means becomes high. In addition, it is necessary to take a waterproof measure against the light supplement means. Therefore, there is a possibility that the demerit is larger than the merit by performing multi-stage cultivation.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 proposes that, in a multi-stage plant cultivation system using a plurality of cultivation tanks, use a plastic optical cable to induce sunlight to the cultivation bench at each stage other than the uppermost stage. Yes.

On the other hand, although not related to multi-stage cultivation, Patent Documents 2 and 3 propose methods for efficiently using sunlight.

Patent Document 2 proposes to install an optical duct above the cultivation room on each floor in a plant factory having a configuration in which cultivation rooms are stacked in multiple stages. According to this configuration, the plants cultivated on floors other than the top floor are also irradiated with sunlight guided by the light duct. The optical duct refers to a cylindrical duct having an inner surface constituted by a reflecting surface, and light taken in the duct is repeatedly reflected on the inner surface and guided to the back of the optical duct (see Patent Document 2 [ 0005] paragraph).

Patent Document 3 proposes to change the traveling direction of light (sunlight) irradiated from above the culture tank by 90 degrees using a light guide plate. Thereby, light can be irradiated to the whole side surface of a culture tank.

JP 2000-166407 A JP 2004-97172 A JP-A-11-113558

In the method proposed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of optical cables are used, one end of each optical cable is arranged as a light receiving unit at the top of the cultivation room, and the other end is used as a light irradiation unit in the second and third stages. It is arranged above the cultivation bench. According to this structure, it is difficult to irradiate light uniformly to the whole cultivation bench of each step. In order to irradiate more uniformly, it is necessary to install a large number of optical cables, which is not practical.

In addition, Patent Documents 2 and 3 do not mention that multistage cultivation is performed in one cultivation room, and do not effectively use the space in the cultivation room.

Furthermore, the optical duct used in Patent Document 2 is installed so as to be connected to a daylighting unit provided outside the cultivation room, and since its volume is large, the cultivation bench at each stage in the cultivation room It is difficult to install every one. Furthermore, as will be described later, there is a possibility that condensed water or agrochemicals adhere to the reflecting surface in the optical duct or a pest enters the optical duct. Therefore, it is difficult to apply an optical duct to multistage cultivation in a cultivation room.

The method proposed in Patent Document 3 can be applied to the cultivation of plants such as algae grown in a culture tank, but flower cultivars, leaf vegetables, and fruit clusters grown on a cultivation bench using a medium. May not be suitable for cultivation. In group cultivation using a culture medium, many plants are usually grown on a cultivation bench. For this reason, some plants arranged at the end of the cultivation bench on the light guide plate side are irradiated with light from the side, but these plants become light obstacles, up to the plants arranged in the back Light rays are difficult to reach.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a plant on a cultivation bench other than the uppermost stage when performing multi-stage cultivation in a cultivation room in a plant factory using sunlight. The purpose is to make sunlight incident uniformly and efficiently.

The plant factory of the present invention is a plurality of cultivation benches including a cultivation room in which plants are cultivated and at least a first cultivation bench and a second cultivation bench stacked in the cultivation room. The bench has a plurality of cultivation benches located immediately above the second cultivation bench and a lower surface of the first cultivation bench, and has a first light irradiation unit on the surface facing the second cultivation bench. A first light guide plate, and a first light receiving unit that has a first light receiving surface that receives sunlight, and that makes light incident on the first light receiving surface incident on a side surface of the first light guide plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the height of the first light receiving surface is equal to or higher than the height of the lower surface of the first cultivation bench, and when the first cultivation bench is viewed from above, the first light receiving surface is It extends along at least a part of the side surface of the first cultivation bench.

The first light guide plate may be installed on the lower surface of the first cultivation bench via an upper reflection sheet.

When the first cultivation bench is viewed from above, the first cultivation bench is substantially rectangular, and the first light receiving surface may be arranged along at least one side of the first cultivation bench.

In a preferred embodiment, when the first cultivation bench is viewed from above, the first light guide plate is extended from at least a part of a side surface of the first cultivation bench to the first light receiving unit, and The surface of the part extended from the said 1st cultivation bench among the 1st light-guide plates is covered with the reflective sheet.

When the direction from the side surface on the first light receiving unit side of the first cultivation bench toward the side surface facing it is the first direction, the first light guide plate has the light incident on the first light guide plate as the first direction. It may be configured to travel in the direction.

At least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the first light guide plate may have a plurality of inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the first light guide plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the first light-receiving surface is disposed along a part of the first cultivation bench, and is disposed along a side of the first cultivation bench facing the part of the side. Another light receiving part having a light receiving surface is further provided.

In a preferred embodiment, the first light guide plate includes a first light guide part into which the light received at the first light receiving surface is introduced and another light guide into which the light received at the other light receiving surface is introduced. A part.

The first light guide portion extends from the partial side surface toward the opposing side surface, and the other light guide portion extends from the opposing side surface toward the partial side surface. One light guide and the other light guide may be disposed adjacent to each other.

In a preferred embodiment, a surface of the first light guide plate facing the second cultivation bench is covered with a lower reflection sheet having a plurality of openings.

In a preferred embodiment, a third cultivation bench disposed immediately below the second cultivation bench, and a light irradiation unit disposed on a lower surface of the second cultivation bench and facing the third cultivation bench. A second light guide plate and a second light receiving portion that has a second light receiving surface that receives sunlight, and that causes light incident on the second light receiving surface to enter the side surface of the second light guide plate.

In a preferred embodiment, the height of the second light receiving surface is not less than the height of the lower surface of the second cultivation bench and less than the height of the lower surface of the first cultivation bench.

In a preferred embodiment, the first light receiving surface and the second light receiving surface do not overlap when viewed from above the first cultivation bench.

In a preferred embodiment, when viewed from above the first cultivation bench, the first light receiving surface and the second light receiving surface overlap each other.

The cultivation bench with a light guide plate of the present invention includes a cultivation bench having a front surface and a back surface, and a light guide plate attached to the back surface side of the cultivation bench, and the light guide plate is attached to the light guide plate from a side surface of the light guide plate. It has a light irradiation part which irradiates the incident light below the said cultivation bench.

The light guide plate may be installed on the back surface of the cultivation bench via a reflective sheet.

In a preferred embodiment, the cultivation bench with a light guide plate has a light receiving surface that receives sunlight, and further includes a light receiving unit that makes light incident on the light receiving surface incident on a side surface of the light guide plate.

In a preferred embodiment, when the cultivation bench is viewed from above, the cultivation bench is substantially rectangular, and the light receiving surface is disposed along at least one side of the cultivation bench.

In a preferred embodiment, the light receiving surface is disposed along a part of the side surface of the cultivation bench, and the cultivation bench with a light guide plate is disposed along a side surface facing the partial side surface of the cultivation bench. In addition, another light receiving portion having another light receiving surface is further provided.

In a preferred embodiment, the light guide plate includes a light guide part into which light received at the light receiving surface is introduced and another light guide part into which light received at the other light receiving surface is introduced.

According to the present invention, when performing multi-stage cultivation in a cultivation room in a plant factory using sunlight, sunlight can be efficiently incident on plants on the cultivation bench other than the uppermost stage.

It is sectional drawing which shows typically the plant factory of 1st Embodiment by this invention. (A) is a perspective view which shows the light-guide plate and light-receiving part in 1st Embodiment, (b) is an expanded sectional view of a light-receiving part. It is sectional drawing which shows the other light-receiving part in 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the other plant factory of 1st Embodiment. (A) And (b) is sectional drawing which each illustrates a light-guide plate, (c) is a top view which shows the other example of a light-guide plate. (A) And (b) is the perspective view and top view which respectively show the light-guide plate and light-receiving part in 2nd Embodiment by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect by 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates the plane structure and side structure of another light-guide plate and light-receiving part in 2nd Embodiment. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating the arrangement pitch of the light guide part in 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the light-guide plate, lower reflection sheet, and light-receiving part in 3rd Embodiment by this invention. (A) And (b) is a top view which illustrates other reflective sheets in a 3rd embodiment, respectively.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a solar-powered plant factory according to this embodiment.

The plant factory of this embodiment includes a cultivation room 10 and a plurality of cultivation benches 20 stacked in the cultivation room 10. Here, the cultivation bench 20 includes three stages of cultivation benches stacked in order of the cultivation bench 20C, the cultivation bench 20B, and the cultivation bench 20A from the bottom. In addition, the number of stages of the cultivation bench 20 should just be 2 steps or more, and is not specifically limited.

The cultivation room 10 is a space in which plants are cultivated, and the environment such as temperature and humidity is controlled so as to be suitable for growing plants. Although depending on the type of plant, generally, photosynthesis is most promoted in a temperature range of 25 ° C. to 30 ° C. Therefore, the cultivation room 10 is preferably maintained at a temperature within this range. The cultivation room 10 has a daylighting unit (not shown) for taking sunlight into the cultivation room 10. Sunlight introduced into the cultivation room 10 through the daylighting unit is used for plant photosynthesis.

The cultivation benches 20A to 20C may be any platform on which a plant is placed, which is installed at a predetermined height, and may be a shelf at each stage in a multistage cultivation shelf. On the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20A, a light guide plate 22A is installed so as to face the cultivation bench 20B below the cultivation bench 20A. The light guide plate 22A may be made of a transparent resin such as an acrylic resin.

The light guide plate 22A has a light irradiation part 24A for irradiating light on the plant on the cultivation bench 20B on the surface facing the cultivation bench 20B. The light irradiation unit 24A may be the entire surface on the cultivation bench 20B side of the light guide plate 22A or may be a part thereof. The size (area) of the light guide plate 22A and the size and number of the light irradiation units 24A are not particularly limited, but it is preferably designed so that the entire plant on the cultivation bench 20B is irradiated with light. In the illustrated example, the light guide plate 22A is provided on substantially the entire lower surface of the cultivation bench 20A, and light is irradiated from the entire portion of the surface of the light guide plate 22A facing the cultivation bench 20B.

A light receiving portion 30A that receives sunlight is connected to the light guide plate 22A. The light receiving unit 30A has a light receiving surface 32A, and causes light (sunlight) received by the light receiving surface 32A to enter the side surface of the light guide plate 22A.

The light receiving surface 32A is disposed in the cultivation room 10 at a place where sunlight can be received. In this embodiment, when the cultivation bench 20A is viewed from above, the light receiving surface 32A extends along a part of the side surface of the cultivation bench 20A (here, one side of the rectangular cultivation bench 20A). When the light guide plate 22A and the light receiving surface 32A are separated from each other, the light guide plate 22A is extended from the side surface of the cultivation bench 20A toward the light receiving surface 32A when the cultivation bench 20A is viewed from above, and the light guide plate 22A is extended. The portion (extended portion) 28 and the light receiving portion 30A may be connected.

The light guide plate 22A is preferably installed on the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20A via a reflection sheet (also referred to as “upper reflection sheet”) 40. Thereby, the light incident on the light guide plate 22A can be efficiently emitted from the light irradiation unit 24A on the surface on the cultivation bench 20B side. For the same reason, it is preferable that the side surface of the light guide plate 22A other than the light receiving portion 30A side is also covered with the reflection sheet 40. Furthermore, it is preferable that the surface (exposed surface) of the extended portion 28 of the light guide plate 22 </ b> A is also covered with the reflection sheet 40. The reflection sheet 40 may be a diffuse reflection sheet.

Similarly, on the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20B, a light guide plate 22B having a light irradiation unit 24B for irradiating light to the plants on the cultivation bench 20C located thereunder is installed. The light guide plate 22B is connected to a light receiving unit 30B having a light receiving surface 32B. In the present embodiment, the light guide plate 22B extends from the side surface of the cultivation bench 20B when viewed from above the cultivation bench 20B. The length of the extended portion 28 of the light guide plate 22B (the distance between the light receiving unit 30B and the cultivation bench 20B) is set to be larger than the length of the extended portion 28 of the light guide plate 22A. Thereby, the light receiving surface 32B can be arranged so as not to overlap the light receiving surface 32A.

If the distance between the cultivation bench 20A and the cultivation bench 20B disposed immediately below is DB, the height h _{A of} the light receiving surfaces 32A, 32B from the lower surfaces of the cultivation benches 20A, 20B (the upper surfaces of the light guide plates 22A, 22B), h _B is preferably zero or more and less than DB. In this case, for example, the height H _B of the light receiving surface 32B is equal to or higher than the height of the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20B (the upper surface of the light guide plate 22B) and less than the height of the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20A. Accordingly, the light receiving surface 32B is disposed below the light receiving surface 32A. Thereby, since each light-receiving part 30A, 30B and light-receiving surface 32A, 32B can be arrange | positioned in the substantially same planar shape as light- guide plate 22A, 22B connected to them, from light-receiving surface 32A, 32B to light- guide plate 22A, 22B. It becomes possible to suppress the distance in the height direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in light guiding efficiency. Moreover, the space of the cultivation room 10 can be used effectively rather than arranging the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B side by side at the same height in the cultivation room 10, for example. Furthermore, it becomes easy to arrange each cultivation bench, the corresponding light guide plate, and the light receiving unit as a unit in the cultivation room 10, to move them, or to change the top and bottom of the plurality of cultivation benches.

In this embodiment, the light receiving surface 32A and the light receiving surface 32B are arranged so as not to overlap each other when viewed from above the cultivation bench 20A. In this way, when the plurality of light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B that receive sunlight are arranged so as not to overlap each other with respect to the main incident direction of sunlight (for example, the normal direction of the cultivation bench 20A), each light reception is performed. The amount of sunlight incident on the surfaces 32A and 32B can be made more uniform. The light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B are preferably arranged along the side surface located on the south side of the cultivation benches 20A and 20B.

In the illustrated example, the light guide plates 22A and 22B are installed on all of the cultivation benches 20A and 20B except for the cultivation bench 20C which is the lowermost stage among the plurality of cultivation benches 20, but the cultivation benches other than the lowermost stage are used. The light guide plate should just be installed in at least one. In addition, no light guide plate is installed on the uppermost cultivation bench, but if necessary, a light guide plate for irradiating light on the plants on the uppermost cultivation bench can be installed above the uppermost cultivation bench. You may install in.

In this embodiment, the light guide plates 22A and 22B that are solid are used to guide sunlight to the cultivation bench below. For this reason, it is more advantageous than a case (Patent Document 2) in which an optical duct that propagates light in the air (a cylindrical duct having an inner surface formed of a reflecting surface) is used. The reason for this will be described below.

In the cultivation room, the humidity is higher than the outside due to transpiration of plants, irrigation and spraying of pesticides with equipment, so condensed water, liquid fertilizer, and pesticides generated by water drops and temperature differences are likely to adhere to the inner surface (reflecting surface) of the light duct. In addition, pest secretions may adhere. As a result, the reflectance of the reflecting surface is lowered, and there is a possibility that the light guiding efficiency of the light duct is lowered. In addition, pest carcasses accumulate in the cavity in the optical duct, which may cause a reduction in light guide efficiency. If the optical duct is regularly cleaned, it is possible to suppress a decrease in light guide efficiency, but it is difficult to clean the inside of the cylindrical optical duct and the workability is considered to be low. Furthermore, considering the workability at the time of cleaning, the cross section of the optical duct can be enlarged, but if the optical duct is enlarged, the cultivation bench becomes higher by that amount, and the number of cultivation benches that can be stacked decreases. . Furthermore, when spraying pesticides on plants, the cavities in the light duct may be a place for pests to escape. For this reason, the effect by spraying a pesticide may not be sufficiently obtained, and the plant may not be sufficiently protected from pests.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the light path from the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B to the light irradiating portion is made of a solid. For this reason, even if condensed water or the like adheres to the outer surface of the light guide plate, it can be easily cleaned, so that a decrease in light guide efficiency due to the attachment of condensed water or the like can be suppressed. Also, no pests can enter the light guide plate. Therefore, maintenance is easier than using an optical duct, and high light guide efficiency can be maintained even after long-term use.

Although not shown, the plant factory of the present embodiment further includes various devices for managing the air conditioning of the cultivation room 10, devices for supplying compost and water to the plant, and the like. Moreover, you may provide supplementary means, such as LED.

Next, an example of a more specific configuration of the light guide plate 22A and the light receiving unit 30A in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

2 (a) is a perspective view of the light guide plate 22A, and FIG. 2 (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the light receiving unit 30A.

In this example, when the cultivation bench 20A is viewed from above, the cultivation bench 20A is a rectangle of length D1 × width W1, and the light guide plate 22A is a rectangle of height D1 × width (W1 + W3). The light guide plate 22A extends from the side P of the cultivation bench 20A by a length W3. A light receiving portion 30 </ b> A is provided on a side surface 28 s along the side P of the extended portion 28. A reflection sheet 40 is installed between the light guide plate 22A and the cultivation bench 20A. Further, the surface (exposed surface) of the extended portion 28 of the light guide plate 22 </ b> A is also covered with the reflection sheet 40.

The light receiving unit 30A includes a light receiving surface 32A extending along the side P, a light converging unit 34 for converging light incident from the light receiving surface 32A, and a light direction adjusting unit 36 for refracting light converged by the light converging unit 34. have. The light converged by the light converging unit 34 enters the light direction adjusting unit 36 from the converging light input surface 34s, and is substantially reflected by the reflective layer 37 in the light direction adjusting unit 36 with respect to the side surface 28s of the light guide plate 22A. The direction of travel is changed so that it is incident perpendicularly. In this example, the reflective layer 37 is disposed at an angle that changes the direction of the light incident on the light direction adjusting unit 36 by 90 °. The angle changed by the light direction adjusting unit 36 is not limited to this example because it changes depending on the direction of the light receiving surface 32A and the direction of the side surface 28s of the light guide plate 22A. The light whose direction is changed by the light direction adjusting unit 36 enters the light guide plate 22A from the side surface 28s of the light guide plate 22A, is diffused by the diffusion surface, and is transmitted to the entire light guide plate 22A. Here, the light incident on the light guide plate 22A travels in the light guide plate 22A toward the side Q facing the side P and diffuses throughout the light guide plate 22A. The light diffused in the light guide plate 22A is irradiated downward from the light irradiation unit 24A. For this reason, more uniform light can be introduced into the entire plant on the lower cultivation bench 20B from the light irradiation part 24A of the light guide plate 22A.

The light converging unit 34 is, for example, a condenser lens. The light converging unit 34 and the light direction adjusting unit 36 may be made of any material having high light transmissivity, such as acrylic or glass, and can be appropriately selected from the viewpoints of cost, performance, and ease of processing.

In the illustrated example, the light receiving surface 32A is rectangular. When the length of the side along the side P of the light receiving surface 32A is D2, and the length of the side perpendicular to the side P is W2, the size of the light receiving surface 32A is represented by D2 × W2.

The lengths D2 and W2 of each side of the light receiving surface 32A are expressed by the following formula (1), where S is the photon flux density of sunlight, F is the photon flux density necessary for plant cultivation, and a% is the overall light guide efficiency. Is preferably set so as to satisfy the above.
D2 * W2 = D1 * W1 * F / (S * a) (1)

Further, the length D2 may be substantially equal to the length D1 of the side P of the light guide plate 22A. Thereby, light can be propagated more uniformly in the light guide plate 22A.

The position of the light receiving surface 32A can be adjusted as appropriate in consideration of the influence of a light beam obstacle or the like. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the light receiving unit 30A and the light guide plate 22A when the position of the light receiving surface 32A is adjusted. As shown in FIG. 3, when it is desired to install the light receiving surface 32A at a position away from the side surface of the cultivation bench 20A, the light guide plate 22A may be extended to the vicinity of the light receiving surface 32A. Further, when it is desired to make the light receiving surface 32A higher, a further light guide plate 35 may be introduced between the light direction adjusting unit 36 and the light converging unit 34 of the light receiving unit 30A. This makes it possible to install the light receiving surface 32A at a position where sunlight is likely to be incident, that is, where it is difficult to be shaded. Since the distance from the light receiving surface 32A to the side surface of the light guide plate 22A is increased, the light guide efficiency is slightly reduced. In order to compensate for this, the area of the light receiving surface 32A may be increased.

The light converging part 34 can change the photon flux density S of the light incident on the light guide plate 22 </ b> A depending on its size. You may change the size of the light convergence part 34 according to the kind of plant cultivated on the cultivation bench 20B. For example, leaf vegetables can be cultivated with a photon flux density S of 200 μmol / m ² s (μmol · m ⁻² · s ⁻¹ ), while strawberry has a photon flux density S of 300 to 400 μmol / m ² s. Needed. The light converging unit 34 or the entire light receiving unit 30A including the light converging unit 34 and the light direction adjusting unit 36 may be replaceable. Thereby, even if it changes the kind of plant grown on the cultivation bench 20B, light can be irradiated with the photon flux density S suitable for the growth of the plant.

Although not shown, the configurations of the light guide plate 22B and the light receiving unit 30B installed on the cultivation bench 20B may be the same as those of the light guide plate 22A and the light receiving unit 30A shown in FIG. In addition, when viewed from above the cultivation bench 20A, the light receiving surface 32B of the light receiving unit 30B is arranged at a distance W2 or more away from the side surface of the cultivation bench 20B, and the light guide plate 22B extends to the vicinity of the light receiving surface 32B. Good. Thereby, when sunlight irradiates from the substantially normal direction of cultivation bench 20A, it can control that light-receiving surface 32B becomes a shadow of light-receiving surface 32A, and can reduce the quantity of incident light, and is efficient also for light-receiving surface 32B. Sunlight can be incident well. In this case, the light guide efficiency of the light incident from the light receiving surface 32B is lower than the light guide efficiency of the light incident from the light receiving surface 32A. To compensate for this, the area of the light receiving surface 32B is the area of the light receiving surface 32A. May be larger. In this way, by appropriately changing the size of the light receiving surface according to the length of the light path, the amount of light applied to the plants on each cultivation bench can be made approximately equal.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the cultivation bench 20A to which the light guide plate 22A is attached may be referred to as a “cultivation bench with a light guide plate”. The cultivation bench with a light guide plate shown in FIG. 2 includes an edge light type light guide plate 22A installed on the back surface side, a light receiving unit 30A that makes light incident on the side surface of the light guide plate 22A, and light incident on the light guide plate 22A from the light receiving unit 30A. A light irradiating unit 24A that irradiates the light below the cultivation bench 20A. In addition, the cultivation bench with a light-guide plate does not need to be provided with 30 A of light-receiving parts. In that case, the light receiving unit 30A may be detachably installed. For example, after arranging and arranging a plurality of cultivation benches with a light guide plate in the cultivation room, the light receiving unit 30A can be attached to a cultivation bench with a light guide plate other than the uppermost stage, if necessary. The light receiving unit 30A may be arranged on the side surface on the side where the sunlight can be efficiently received in the cultivation bench. Moreover, you may install a light-receiving part in the both ends of cultivation bench 20A like embodiment mentioned later, respectively. In that case, 22 A of light guide plates may be comprised from the light guide part which guides the light received by each light-receiving part.

According to this embodiment, a part of sunlight that is not directly irradiated onto the cultivation benches 20A to 20C can be used for cultivation using the light receiving units 30A and 30B and the light guide plates 22A and 22B. In addition, according to the present embodiment, the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B are arranged at positions avoiding a light obstacle (eg, a cultivation bench above the plant) that shields the plant, and the received light is shielded. It becomes possible to irradiate from above the plant. Therefore, the present invention can also be applied to a case where a large number of plants are cultivated on a cultivation bench.

Thus, according to this embodiment, multistage cultivation can be efficiently performed in the cultivation room 10. Therefore, compared with the case where the cultivation room itself is increased, the effective cultivation area can be increased without newly adding a device or power for adjusting the cultivation environment (temperature, humidity, etc.). Furthermore, compared with the case where an illuminating device such as a fluorescent lamp is installed to irradiate the plants on the cultivation bench other than the uppermost stage, the electric power required for cultivation can be reduced, and maintenance is easy.

Furthermore, since light can be emitted from almost the entire bottom surface of the cultivation bench, it is possible to irradiate light uniformly on the plants on the lower cultivation bench, rather than introducing sunlight into the lower cultivation bench using an optical cable. become.

Furthermore, the light guide plates 22A and 22B can be manufactured by the same manufacturing process as that of the light guide plate used in the edge light type backlight that is put into practical use in a large liquid crystal display device. Thereby, manufacturing cost can be suppressed and mass productivity can be improved.

The configuration of the plant factory of the present embodiment is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, when viewed from above the cultivation bench 20 </ b> A, the plurality of light receiving surfaces 32 </ b> A and 32 </ b> B are arranged so as not to overlap each other, but they may overlap.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the cultivation bench 20 arranged such that a plurality of light receiving surfaces are overlapped. For simplicity, the same components as those in FIG.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the light receiving surface 32A that allows light to enter the light guide plate 22A installed on the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20A and the light reception that causes light to enter the light guide plate 22B installed on the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20B below the light receiving plate 22A. It is arrange | positioned so that it may overlap with the surface 32B seeing from the upper direction of the cultivation bench 20A. The light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B are installed so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. As shown in the figure, when the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B are inclined so as to face the direction E when sunlight enters the cultivation room from the direction E inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B have sufficient strength. Can receive the light. With such a configuration, space can be saved as compared with the case where the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B are shifted from each other when viewed from above the cultivation bench 20A. Further, when the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B are inclined, even if water droplets or the like adhere to the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B, the attached water droplets easily fall from the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B along the inclination. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the light receiving efficiency of the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B due to adhesion of water droplets.

The light receiving units 30A and 30B may be configured such that the inclination angles of the light receiving surfaces 32A and 32B can be changed according to changes in the incident direction of sunlight depending on the season and time.

In the light guide plates 22A and 22B in the present embodiment, the light incident on the light receiving portion side surface of the light guide plates 22A and 22B travels in a specific direction while repeatedly reflecting on the upper and lower surfaces thereof, and so on. A part of the light to be emitted may be emitted from the lower surface side of the light guide plates 22A and 22B.

For example, irregularities may be formed on either the upper surface or the lower surface of the light guide plate 22A. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the light guide plate in the present embodiment.

In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the upper surface 62 of the light guide plate 22A is substantially flat, and the lower surface 60 is formed with irregularities having a sawtooth cross section. Here, the lower surface 60 is a surface 65b for connecting a plurality of inclined surfaces 65a inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the light guide plate 22A (normal direction of the light guide plate 22A) and two adjacent inclined surfaces 65a. Including. The plurality of inclined surfaces 65a are arranged in the light traveling direction 70 when viewed from above the light guide plate 22A. In the illustrated example, the surface 65b is also an inclined surface, but may be a surface substantially perpendicular to the light guide plate 22A. With such a configuration, the light 69 that has entered the light guide plate 22 </ b> A travels in the direction 70 while being repeatedly reflected by the upper surface 62 and the lower surface 60. A part 67 of the light traveling in the direction 70 passes through the inclined surface 65a and exits downward. Although not shown, in order to adjust the amount of light emitted from the lower surface 60, the light guide plate 22 </ b> A may have a structure that is thicker on the light receiving unit side and thinner as it moves away from the light receiving unit. As shown in FIG. 5B, the inclined surfaces 65a and 65b may be curved surfaces.

Alternatively, a light scattering layer that can scatter light may be formed on the upper surface of the light guide plate 22A (for example, a transparent acrylic resin). The light incident on one side surface of the light guide plate 22A is totally reflected on the upper and lower surfaces of the light guide plate 22A, travels in the vertical direction by the light scattering layer, and enters the cultivation bench below from the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22A. Light is emitted. The light scattering layer formed on the upper surface of the light guide plate 22A may include, for example, a dot light scattering pattern (hereinafter simply referred to as a dot pattern) 96 as shown in FIG. The dot pattern 96 is formed by, for example, a screen printing method. The illustrated dot pattern 96 has a structure in which the dot size increases as the distance from the side surface of the light guide plate 22A on the light receiving portion side increases. Thereby, it becomes possible to emit light with uniform brightness from the lower surface side of the light guide plate 22A to the entire lower cultivation bench. The dot pattern is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-271893.

In addition, although the pattern which enlarges the size of a dot so that it leaves | separates from a light receiving part was illustrated here, the effect similar to the above can also be acquired by raising the density of a dot so that it leaves | separates from a light receiving part. In addition, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 6, in the case where light receiving portions are provided at both ends of the light guide plate 22A, the size and density of the dot pattern are adjusted for each light guide portion that guides light from each light receiving portion. May be.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the present embodiment, as viewed from above the cultivation bench, a light receiving portion is provided in the vicinity of both ends of the cultivation bench, and the light guide plate has a plurality of light guide portions, and each light guide portion has a corresponding light reception. 1 is different from the structure shown in FIG.

6A and 6B are a perspective view and a top view, respectively, of the light receiving unit and the light guide plate in the present embodiment. For simplicity, the same components as those in FIG.

Here, a case where rectangular cultivation benches as viewed from above are used in a stacked manner will be described as an example, but the shape (planar shape) of the cultivation bench is not particularly limited.

In the present embodiment, a light receiving unit 30Aa and a light receiving unit 30Ab are provided along both ends of the cultivation bench 20A, respectively. A light guide plate 22A including a light guide 22Aa and a light guide 22Ab is provided on the lower surface of the cultivation bench 20A.

The side surface of the light guide portion 22Aa on the light receiving portion 30Aa side is connected to the light receiving portion 30Aa. Further, the light guide portion 22Aa extends toward the end portion on the light receiving portion 30Ab side. The light 70a received by the light receiving unit 30Aa enters the light guide unit 22Aa and travels toward the end of the light receiving unit 30Ab by the light guide unit 22Aa (light 72a). On the other hand, the side surface of the light guide portion 22Ab on the light receiving portion 30Ab side is connected to the light receiving portion 30Ab. The light guide portion 22Ab extends toward the end portion on the light receiving portion 30Aa side. The light 70b received by the light receiving unit 30Ab enters the light guide unit 22Ab, and travels toward the end of the light receiving unit 30Aa by the light guide unit 22Ab (light 72b).

In the illustrated example, the light receiving unit 30Aa and the light receiving unit 30Ab are arranged along side surfaces of the cultivation bench 20A that face each other. For example, when using a rectangular cultivation bench 20A as viewed from above, the light receiving unit 30Aa and the light receiving unit 30Ab are arranged in the vicinity of the side P and the side Q facing each other of the cultivation bench 20A, respectively.

The light receiving unit 30Aa includes a light receiving surface 32Aa, a light converging unit 34a, and a light direction adjusting unit 36a. The light receiving unit 30Ab includes a light receiving surface 32Ab, a light converging unit 34b, and a light direction adjusting unit 36b. When viewed from above the cultivation bench 20A, the light receiving surface 32Aa of the light receiving unit 30Aa is disposed along one side P of the cultivation bench 20A, and the light receiving surface 32Ab of the light receiving unit 30Ab is along the side Q facing the side P. Are arranged.

In the present embodiment, the light guide plate and the light receiving unit having the configuration as shown in FIG. 6 are installed on the lower surface of the cultivation bench at each stage (excluding the lowest stage). According to this embodiment, since the light-receiving surface is arrange | positioned at the both ends of a cultivation bench, it becomes possible to irradiate a sufficient amount of sunlight to a cultivation bench below irrespective of a season and time.

The light guide part 22Aa and the light guide part 22Ab may be provided at least one by one on the light guide plate 22A, but a plurality of light guide parts 22Aa and light guide parts 22Ab are preferably provided. In this case, light guide part 22Aa and light guide part 22Ab may be arranged by turns (namely, comb-tooth shape) within the plane parallel to the cultivation bench. Thereby, regardless of the incident direction of sunlight, light can be uniformly irradiated by the lower cultivation bench.

It is preferable to provide the reflective sheet 40 between the light guide 22Aa and the light guide 22Ab and at the end of the light path such as the side surface of the light guide plate 22A. Thereby, it becomes possible to irradiate received light to a lower cultivation bench more efficiently.

The light received by the light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ab may be incident on the same light guide from both sides without separating the light guide for each light receiving unit.

Next, the advantages of the plant factory of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

Here, a case where a three-stage cultivation bench is used and the light guide plate and the light receiving unit shown in FIG. 6 are installed on the lower surfaces of the first and second cultivation benches will be described as an example. The light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ba are installed on the west side of the cultivation bench, and the light receiving surfaces 32Ab and 32Bb are installed on the east side. Further, the ratio of the area of the light guide portion 22Aa to the entire lower surface of the light guide plate 22A and the ratio of the area of the light guide portion 22Ab are 50%. Although not shown, the light guide plate 22B also has a configuration in which two light guide portions 22Ba and 22Bb are alternately arranged in the same manner as the light guide plate 22A shown in FIG. 6B.

During the south and middle of the sun, the sunlight is incident on the ground from substantially vertically above, so that the sunlight is incident on all the light receiving surfaces and is irradiated on the cultivation bench below by the light guide plates 22A and 22B.

At sunrise or sunset, sunlight enters from a direction that is significantly inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the ground. For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, at the time of sunrise, sunlight hardly enters the light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ba installed on the west side. This is because sunlight is blocked by the plant and the cultivation bench. However, sunlight enters the light receiving surfaces 32Ab and 32Bb installed on the east side, and light propagates through at least the light guides 22Ab and 22Bb among the light guide plates 22A and 22B installed on the bottom surface of the cultivation bench. As a result, even at sunrise, although the amount of light is less than during the day, light can be irradiated from a part of the light guide plates 22A and 22B (50% of the irradiation surface of the light guide plates 22A and 22B). . Similarly, at sunset, sunlight is hardly incident on the light receiving surfaces 32Ab and 32Bb installed on the east side, but sunlight is incident on the light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ba installed on the west side. Therefore, since light propagates at least in the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ba among the light guide plates 22A and 22B, even at sunset, a part of the light guide plates 22A and 22B (50 on the irradiation surface of the light guide plates 22A and 22B). %) Can be irradiated with light.

In addition, the ratio of the area of light guide part 22Aa, 22Ba and light guide part 22Ab, 22Bb with respect to the lower surface of light guide plate 22A, 22B does not need to be 50% at a time. For example, the area ratio of the light guide portions 22Ab and 22Bb may be adjusted to 55%, the area ratio of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ba may be adjusted to 45%, and the like.

In general, since photosynthesis is more actively performed in the morning than in the afternoon, the area of the light receiving surfaces 32Ab and 32Bb installed on the east side is larger than the area of the light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ba installed on the west side. It is preferable to use sunlight efficiently. In this case, according to the area ratio of the light receiving surfaces, the ratio of the area of the light guide portions 22Ab and 22Bb that guide light from the light receiving surfaces 32Ab and 32Bb installed on the east side is determined from the light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ba installed on the west side You may set higher than the ratio of the area of light guide part 22Aa which guides the light of 22Aa, and 22Ba. Thereby, sunlight of predetermined intensity can be used for growth of a plant below.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a planar structure and a side structure of another light guide plate and a light receiving unit in the present embodiment.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the area ratio between the light receiving surface 32Ab installed on the east side and the light receiving surface 32Aa installed on the west side is set to 5: 4. The area ratio of the light guide 22Ab that guides light from the light receiving surface 32Ab installed on the east side to the light guide 22Aa that guides light from the light receiving surface 32Aa installed on the west side is also set to 5: 4. Yes. In this example, the area ratio (5: 4) is realized by setting the ratio of the number of the light guide portions 22Aa and the light guide portions 22Ab constituting the light guide plate 22A to 5: 4. In addition, the number of light guides 22Aa and light guides 22Ab is made equal, and the area of the light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ab (for example, the widths W4 and W5 of the light receiving surfaces 32Aa and 32Ab) is adjusted to control the area ratio of the light receiving units. It is also possible to do. Furthermore, the area ratio of the light guides can be controlled by adjusting the width of each light guide.

Next, a preferred range of the widths Da and Db of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 (a) and (b).

The widths Da and Db (that is, the arrangement pitch of the light guide portions) perpendicular to the light traveling direction in the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab are set to be smaller than the width when the plant to be cultivated is viewed from above. Is preferred.

When the widths Da and Db of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab are larger than the width of the plant, as shown in FIG. 9A, light from the light irradiation portion 24Ab of the light guide portion 22Ab is incident on the plant 80 on the right side. Hard to do. For this reason, there is a possibility that a predetermined amount of light cannot be irradiated to the plant 80 at sunrise. In addition, light from the light irradiation unit 24Aa of the light guide unit 22Aa is not easily incident on the plant 81 on the left side. For this reason, there is a possibility that the plant 81 cannot be irradiated with a predetermined amount of light at sunset.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), if the widths Da and Db of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab are less than the width of the plant, regardless of the incident direction of sunlight, any of the plants 80 and 81 is used. In addition, light from both of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab can be made incident. More preferably, the total width (Da + Db) of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab is set to be less than the width of the plants 80 and 81. Thereby, sufficient light can be irradiated to each of plants 80 and 81 from each light guide part 22Aa and 22Ab.

To give a specific example, when cultivating strawberries, the width when the strawberry strain is viewed from above is about 30 cm, so the widths Da and Db of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab are both set to less than 30 cm. Is preferred. More preferably, the sum of the widths Da and Db (Da + Db) is set to less than 30 cm. Thereby, a group of strawberries grown on the lower cultivation bench can be grown under substantially uniform conditions.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is difficult to prevent the introduction of light to the light receiving surface due to the incident direction of sunlight or an obstacle. Therefore, it is possible to use sunlight for plant growth while it is irradiated with sunlight (from sunrise to sunset). Moreover, the ratio of the incident amount of sunlight to the light guide plate at the time of sunrise or sunset can be controlled by adjusting the area ratio of the irradiation surfaces of the light guide portions 22Aa and 22Ab.

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, a plant factory according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, in the plant factory shown in FIG. 1, a reflection sheet having an opening is provided on the lower surface of the light guide plates 22A and 22B.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration and arrangement of the reflection sheet 91 in the present embodiment. In FIG. 10, for ease of understanding, the reflective sheet 91 is intentionally separated from the light guide plate 22A, but the lower surface of the light guide plate 22A and the reflective sheet 91 are actually in close contact. In addition, the same components as those in FIG. In addition, in this specification, in order to distinguish from the reflective sheet (reflective sheet 40 of FIG. 1) provided between the light guide plate 22A and the cultivation bench 20A, the reflective sheet 91 may be referred to as a “lower reflective sheet”. .

The reflection sheet 91 has a plurality of openings 90. When the reflection sheet 91 is installed on the lower surface of the light guide plate 22A, light is emitted from the surface of the light guide plate 22A exposed by the opening 90. That is, the light irradiating part of the light guide plate 22A is defined by the opening 90.

In the embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 1, light is emitted from the entire surface (referred to as “lower surface”) of the light guide plate 22 </ b> A facing the lower cultivation bench. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, since the light irradiation part which radiate | emits light can be arrange | positioned to the selected part of the lower surface among light guide plates 22A, an irradiation position and an irradiation amount can be adjusted.

For example, when plants are arranged at intervals on the cultivation bench 20B, it is not necessary to irradiate the entire cultivation bench 20B with light. In such a case, when the reflective sheet 91 is used, it becomes possible to irradiate light only to the area | region where light is needed among the cultivation bench 20B. Specifically, as shown in the drawing, the light irradiation unit can be disposed only above the plant on the cultivation bench 20B.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, even when the amount of sunlight incident on the light receiving surface 32A is small, the light is concentrated on a specific portion (light irradiating portion) of the lower surface of the light guide plate 22A, and the lower cultivation bench Irradiation can be concentrated on the planted area in 20B. Therefore, compared with the case where light is irradiated from substantially the entire lower surface of the light guide plate 22A, the plant on the cultivation bench 20B can be irradiated with light at a higher photon flux density. Therefore, the sunlight received by the light receiving surface 32A can be used more efficiently. Moreover, since it can suppress that light is irradiated to the area | region where the plant in the cultivation bench is not planted, generation | occurrence | production of algae can be suppressed.

The preferable range of the width d of the opening 90 of the reflection sheet 91 (the diameter d when the opening 90 is circular) varies depending on the plant to be cultivated. For example, when cultivating strawberries, a plurality of openings 90 having a width d comparable to the width (30 cm) when the strawberries are viewed from above are formed in the reflective sheet 91 according to the arrangement of strawberries on the cultivation bench 20B. It may be formed. The width d of the opening 90 can be set, for example, in the range of 1 to 1.5 times the width of the plant.

If there is a portion where light introduction is unnecessary under the light irradiation part defined by the opening 90 of the reflection sheet 91, another reflection sheet is attached to the surface of the reflection sheet 91, You may block the light from the light irradiation part located above the location which does not need introduction. Alternatively, the reflection sheet 91 may be replaced with a reflection sheet having a different position or number of openings. Thereby, the intensity | strength of the light irradiated to the predetermined area | region in the cultivation bench 20B can further be increased.

In order to adjust the irradiation area of the light guide plate 22A (total area of the light irradiation unit) and the irradiation position, a plurality of light irradiation units are arranged on the lower surface of the light guide plate 22A, and a part of the light is necessary as necessary. It is also possible to shield the irradiation part with a shutter or the like. However, when a shutter is installed in the light irradiation unit, a mechanical member, a power unit and a control unit of the shutter, and electric power for opening and closing the shutter are required. Moreover, when a shutter is installed, a plant on the lower cultivation bench grows and interferes with the shutter, and the plant may be damaged. If it is going to avoid this, it is necessary to make the space | interval of the height direction between cultivation benches fully larger than the height of the final form of a plant. On the other hand, when another reflecting sheet is further attached to the surface of the reflecting sheet 91 or the reflecting sheet is replaced, the irradiation area and the irradiation position can be arbitrarily set without separately providing a power unit and a control unit. . In addition, unlike the case where a shutter is installed, it is not necessary to increase the height interval between the cultivation benches, so the number of cultivation benches can be increased, and the effective cultivation area is more effective. Can be increased.

The configuration of the reflective sheet (lower reflective sheet) used in the present embodiment is not limited to the configuration of the reflective sheet 91 shown in FIG. FIGS. 11A and 11B are plan views illustrating other lower reflecting sheets 93 and 95 in the present embodiment, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the opening 92 may be formed only on one half of the reflection sheet 93. The width d of the opening 92 (diameter when the opening 92 is circular) is preferably set to be equal to or greater than the width of the plant grown immediately below it. In the case of cultivating a plant composed of stocks on the lower cultivation bench, it is preferable to form a circular opening 92.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), a rectangular opening 94 may be formed in the reflection sheet 95. On the lower cultivation bench, for example, when cultivating a plant that floats on the water like floating grass or a plant that does not spread in a circle like lawn cherry, it is preferable to form a rectangular opening 94 as shown in the figure. There is a case. Further, for example, when the plant is planted only on one half of the cultivation bench, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the opening 94 is applied so that only the portion where the plant is planted is irradiated with light. Can be arranged.

Furthermore, the aperture ratio of the reflection sheet may be varied depending on the position. The aperture ratio of the reflection sheet refers to the ratio of the area occupied by the opening per unit area.

The lower reflective sheet in this embodiment may be attached to the lower surface of the light guide plate 22A. Or you may provide a reflection sheet board so that a slide exchange is possible. In this case, reflection sheet plates having various shapes may be prepared, and the reflection sheet plate may be appropriately replaced according to the type of plant and the growth state on the lower cultivation bench.

In the first to third embodiments described above, the plant cultivated in the cultivation room 10 is not particularly limited, and may be various vegetables and fruits. The vegetable may be, for example, leafy vegetables (lettuce, mizuna, italian parsley, etc.) that eat the leaves, or fruit vegetables (eggplants, tomatoes, etc.) that eat fruits, Root vegetables that are edible roots (such as turnips, radish, etc.) may be used. Furthermore, ornamental plants such as lavender, shibazakura and impatiens may be cultivated.

According to the present invention, when multi-stage cultivation is performed in the cultivation room, sunlight can be efficiently incident on plants on the cultivation bench other than the uppermost stage. The present invention is suitably used for any plant factory using sunlight or using artificial light in combination.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cultivation room 20A, 20B, 20C Cultivation bench 22A, 22B Light guide plate 24A, 24B Light irradiation part 30A, 30B Light reception part 32A, 32B Light reception surface 40 Reflection sheet

Claims (21)

1. A cultivation room where plants are cultivated,
   A plurality of cultivation benches including at least a first cultivation bench and a second cultivation bench stacked in the cultivation chamber, wherein the first cultivation bench is located immediately above the second cultivation bench. A cultivation bench,
   A first light guide plate disposed on a lower surface of the first cultivation bench and having a first light irradiation unit on a surface facing the second cultivation bench;
   A plant factory comprising: a first light receiving surface that receives sunlight; and a first light receiving portion that causes light incident on the first light receiving surface to be incident on a side surface of the first light guide plate.
2. The height of the first light receiving surface is equal to or higher than the height of the lower surface of the first cultivation bench,
   The plant factory according to claim 1, wherein when the first cultivation bench is viewed from above, the first light receiving surface extends along at least a part of a side surface of the first cultivation bench.
3. The plant factory according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first light guide plate is installed on the lower surface of the first cultivation bench via an upper reflective sheet.
4. When the first cultivation bench is viewed from above, the first cultivation bench is substantially rectangular, and the first light receiving surface is disposed along at least one side of the first cultivation bench. 4. The plant factory according to any one of 3.
5. When the first cultivation bench is viewed from above, the first light guide plate is extended from at least a part of a side surface of the first cultivation bench to the first light receiving unit, and the first light guide plate The plant factory in any one of Claim 1 to 4 in which the surface of the part extended from the said 1st cultivation bench is covered with the reflective sheet.
6. When the direction from the side surface on the first light receiving unit side of the first cultivation bench toward the side surface facing it is the first direction, the first light guide plate has the light incident on the first light guide plate as the first direction. The plant factory in any one of Claim 1 to 5 comprised so that it may advance to a direction.
7. The plant factory according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the first light guide plate has a plurality of inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the first light guide plate.
8. The first light receiving surface is disposed along a part of the first cultivation bench,
   The plant factory in any one of Claim 1 to 7 further equipped with the other light-receiving part which has another light-receiving surface arrange | positioned along the side surface facing the said one part side surface of a said 1st cultivation bench.
9. The said 1st light-guide plate is provided with the 1st light guide part in which the light received by the said 1st light-receiving surface is introduce | transduced, and the other light guide part into which the light received by the said other light-receiving surface is introduced. The plant factory according to 8.
10. The first light guide portion extends from the partial side surface toward the opposing side surface, and the other light guide portion extends from the opposing side surface toward the partial side surface,
    The plant factory according to claim 9, wherein the first light guide unit and the other light guide unit are disposed adjacent to each other.
11. The plant factory according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a surface of the first light guide plate facing the second cultivation bench is covered with a lower reflection sheet having a plurality of openings.
12. A third cultivation bench arranged immediately below the second cultivation bench;
    A second light guide plate disposed on the lower surface of the second cultivation bench and having a light irradiation part on the surface facing the third cultivation bench;
    The second light receiving portion that has a second light receiving surface that receives sunlight, and that makes light incident on the second light receiving surface incident on a side surface of the second light guide plate. Plant factory.
13. The plant factory according to claim 12, wherein a height of the second light receiving surface is equal to or higher than a height of the lower surface of the second cultivation bench and less than a height of the lower surface of the first cultivation bench.
14. The plant factory according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the first light receiving surface and the second light receiving surface do not overlap when viewed from above the first cultivation bench.
15. The plant factory according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the first light receiving surface and the second light receiving surface overlap each other when viewed from above the first cultivation bench.
16. A cultivation bench having a front surface and a back surface;
    A light guide plate attached to the back side of the cultivation bench,
    The said light guide plate is a cultivation bench with a light guide plate which has the light irradiation part which irradiates the light which injected into the said light guide plate from the side surface of the said light guide plate below the said cultivation bench.
17. The cultivation bench with a light guide plate according to claim 16, wherein the light guide plate is installed on the back surface of the cultivation bench via a reflection sheet.
18. The cultivation bench with a light guide plate according to claim 16 or 17, further comprising a light receiving portion that has a light receiving surface that receives sunlight and that makes light incident on the light receiving surface incident on a side surface of the light guide plate.
19. The cultivation bench with a light guide plate according to claim 18, wherein when the cultivation bench is viewed from above, the cultivation bench is substantially rectangular, and the light receiving surface is disposed along at least one side of the cultivation bench.
20. The light receiving surface is disposed along a part of the side surface of the cultivation bench,
    The cultivation bench with a light-guide plate of Claim 18 or 19 further provided with the other light-receiving part which has another light-receiving surface arrange | positioned along the side surface which opposes the said one part side surface of the said cultivation bench.
21. 21. The light guide plate according to claim 20, wherein the light guide plate includes a light guide portion into which light received at the light receiving surface is introduced and another light guide portion into which light received at the other light receiving surface is introduced. Cultivation bench with.

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