Bed Washing Apparatus for Plant Cultivation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a crop cultivation bed cleaning device that allows for hygienic and clean management of a crop cultivation bed installed in agricultural facilities such as vinyl greenhouses or glass greenhouses to cultivate crops and provide a space for crop growth, while also being applicable to crop cultivation beds of various sizes as its length is variable in all directions (up, down, left, and right), and is manufactured in a compact size, making it lightweight and convenient to move. The device is characterized by comprising: a pair of driving units (10) that move along racks provided on both sides of the upper part of the bed (100); a cleaning unit (20) located between the driving units (10) that cleans the upper surface of the bed (100) using a brush (21); a pair of horizontal position adjustment units (30) that connect the driving units (10) and the cleaning unit (20) respectively and adjust the horizontal position of the cleaning unit (20); a lifting adjustment unit (40) provided on the driving unit (10) to raise and lower the cleaning unit (20); and a control unit (50) provided on the cleaning unit (40) to control the driving unit (10) and the cleaning unit (20).

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a crop cultivation bed, and more specifically, to a cleaning device for a crop cultivation bed installed in a farm facility such as a vinyl greenhouse or a glass greenhouse to provide a space for cultivating crops and growing crops, which allows the crop cultivation bed to be cleaned to maintain the bed hygienically and cleanly, and at the same time, the length is variable in all directions so as to be applicable to crop cultivation beds of various sizes, and is manufactured in a compact size so as to be lightweight and easy to move. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, soil is required to cultivate crops, and yields are determined by the amount of sunlight and water supplied by rainfall. In other words, crop yields are significantly affected by weather conditions that cannot be artificially controlled. In particular, crop yields tend to decline sharply when weather changes drastically, such as during typhoons, heavy rains, or abnormal high and low temperatures.

[0005] Furthermore, cultivating conventional crops requires a large amount of land. As crops are continuously grown on the land, nutrients within the soil are depleted, causing crop growth to slow down; consequently, fertilizers were used to promote growth. Additionally, because crops are exposed to the outside to ensure a smooth supply of sunlight and rainwater, they become vulnerable to various pests and diseases, which were prevented using pesticides. These fertilizers and pesticides utilized fast-acting and inexpensive chemical substances. However, as the use of fertilizers and pesticides has caused environmental pollution and harm to the human body, there has recently been a shift toward using eco-friendly fertilizers and pesticides or avoiding their use altogether, resulting in a decline in crop yields.

[0007] Accordingly, methods such as hydroponics and aeroponic cultivation, which supply nutrient solution to crops in a designated location instead of growing them in soil, have recently been developed and are being used. These methods of growing crops by supplying nutrient solution are widely used as eco-friendly cultivation techniques because they do not require high-quality soil for cultivation and do not use pesticides or fertilizers.

[0009] Here, hydroponic cultivation is a method in which a nutrient solution is supplied so that the crop is submerged while the crop is placed in a cultivation bed, and the solution is continuously exchanged after supply to cultivate the crop. Various vegetables and ginseng can be grown using this method, but the types of crops grown are expanding due to continuous research and development. Additionally, aeroponic cultivation is a method in which a nutrient solution is supplied in a spray form while the crop is placed in a cultivation bed, and it is used to cultivate vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins.

[0011] The aforementioned hydroponic and aeroponic cultivation methods involve growing crops by supplying nutrient solution; they allow for cultivation in small spaces, making them suitable for home use, and have the advantage of preventing pests and diseases by being grown in a closed environment.

[0013] At this time, the crop cultivation bed, which provides a space for crops to grow, is fixedly installed using supports at a height of 60 to 70 cm above the ground for work efficiency. To minimize the load, it is constructed using styrofoam in the form of a box and then installed by laying waterproof vinyl over the cultivation space where crops are grown.

[0015] In addition, for crop cultivation beds, after harvesting the crops, the waterproof vinyl is removed and a new waterproof vinyl is installed before sowing new crops. This is to prevent pests and diseases and to prevent bacteria from penetrating the new crops.

[0017] However, as mentioned above, installing new waterproof vinyl every time a new crop is sown results in a large amount of waste vinyl and the inconvenience of having to purchase and install waterproof vinyl. Therefore, recently, a method of reusing waterproof vinyl by washing and sterilizing it has been used. However, since the washing of waterproof vinyl is done manually using a brush, it is difficult to uniformly wash a large number of large crop cultivation beds, and problems arise where plant cultivation beds made of styrofoam are damaged during the washing process.

[0019] Accordingly, a new type of plant cultivation bed washing device has been developed that allows the washing, drying, sterilization, and disinfection processes of the crop cultivation bed to be carried out sequentially or selectively using a single unit, thereby enabling the crop cultivation bed to be managed hygienically and cleanly.

[0021] Specifically, the above-described plant cultivation bed cleaning device comprises: a pair of racks installed on the upper part of a bed for cultivating plants; a base having a brush groove formed on one side and a connecting plate formed by folding both sides of a plate downward to form a connecting hole, which is seated on the racks; a driving shaft having a pair of first rolling gears formed on both sides that mesh with racks installed on both sides of the bed, and a driven gear connected to a driving gear of a first motor fixedly installed on the base and fitted into the connecting hole of the base; a driven shaft having a second rolling gear formed on both sides, which is fitted in a rotatable form into a connecting hole at a position opposite to the driving shaft and connected to a brush with a pulley connected to the inside in a form that allows natural rotation; a second motor fixedly installed on the base that rotates the brush connected to the pulley; a spray nozzle fixedly installed on the base to spray sterilizing water or disinfecting water onto the bed surface; and an air spraying unit fixedly installed on the base to spray high-pressure air onto the bed surface.

[0023] The above-described plant cultivation bed cleaning device can be installed on existing beds of various widths and lengths, making it highly suitable for distribution to farms. Furthermore, since it is designed to move by resting on gears or rails installed on the upper sides of each bed, it can prevent damage to the bed during the cleaning process even when installed on beds made of easily damaged materials such as styrofoam, thereby enabling the continuous use of the beds to reduce bed purchase costs and decrease the discharge of farm waste.

[0025] However, the aforementioned conventional plant cultivation bed washing device is manufactured to fit the size of the bed, so it must be provided for each size of plant cultivation bed of different sizes, and it has the problem of being heavy and inconvenient to move.

[0027] Meanwhile, as a result of investigating the prior art related to the present invention, numerous patent documents were found, some of which are introduced below.

[0029] Patent Document 1 discloses a smart hydroponic cultivation device comprising: a cultivation bed; a planting plate placed on the cultivation bed; and a bed washing unit that is positioned above the cultivation bed and moves along the top of the cultivation bed to wash the inner side of the cultivation bed, and is equipped with a bed washing unit capable of washing the inner side or bottom surface of the cultivation bed while moving along the cultivation bed.

[0031] Patent Document 2 discloses a cleaning device for a gas supply unit comprising: a case; a first cleaner including a brush that rotates to remove foreign substances attached to a gas injection unit having a plurality of holes formed therein for supplying gas, installed in the case; a second cleaner installed in the case for wiping residual foreign substances on the gas injection unit that have been cleaned by the first cleaner; a guide rail located on the outside of the gas injection unit; and a driving unit for driving the case on the guide rail, wherein the cleaning process of the gas supply unit is automated to maintain consistency in cleaning, shorten the cleaning process time, increase the time allocated to the device formation process, and improve deposition yield. Prior art literature

[0033] (Patent Document 0001) KR 10-2023-0078507 A(Patent Document 0002) KR 10-1363003 B1(Patent Document 0003) KR 10-2251083 B1 The problem to be solved

[0034] Accordingly, the present invention was devised to solve the problems of the aforementioned conventional technology, and aims to provide a crop cultivation bed cleaning device that allows for hygienic and clean management of the crop cultivation bed installed in agricultural facilities such as vinyl greenhouses or glass greenhouses to cultivate crops and provide a space for crop growth, while also being applicable to crop cultivation beds of various sizes by varying the length up, down, left, and right, and being manufactured in a compact size, making it lightweight and easy to move. means of solving the problem

[0036] The crop cultivation bed cleaning device of the present invention for achieving the above objective comprises: a pair of driving units that move along racks provided on both sides of the upper part of the bed; a cleaning unit located between the driving units that cleans the upper surface of the bed using a brush; a pair of horizontal position adjustment units that connect the driving units and the cleaning unit, respectively, and adjust the horizontal position of the cleaning unit; a lifting control unit provided in the driving unit to raise and lower the cleaning unit; and a control unit provided in the cleaning unit to control the driving unit and the cleaning unit.

[0037] In addition, according to the crop cultivation bed cleaning device of the present invention, the driving unit is characterized by comprising a driving unit body having a pair of pinions that move along the rack of the bed on both sides of the lower end, a driving motor that rotates one of the pinions, a gearbox that varies the rotational force provided on the pinion, and a moving handle installed on the driving unit body.

[0038] In addition, according to the crop cultivation bed cleaning device of the present invention, the cleaning unit comprises a brush for cleaning the bed, a brush driving motor for rotating the brush using a chain, a brush cover that accommodates the brush and has a viewing window on one side, and a hollow brush fixing bar that is installed longitudinally on the upper side of the brush cover so that the horizontal position adjustment unit can be slidably inserted and on which the brush driving motor is installed.

[0039] In addition, according to the bed cleaning device for crop cultivation of the present invention, the horizontal position adjustment unit is characterized by comprising a fixed bar connected to the driving unit side, a sliding bar having one end slidingly coupled to the brush fixed bar of the cleaning unit and the other end slidingly coupled to the outside of the fixed bar, and a sliding finishing material provided at the end of the fixed bar to allow the sliding bar to slide in a surface contact form.

[0040] In addition, according to the bed cleaning device for crop cultivation of the present invention, the lifting control unit comprises a fixed block fixed to a driving unit, a lifting block connected to the lower end of the horizontal position control unit and movably coupled to the fixed block, a height adjustment screw rotatably coupled to the fixed block and raising the lifting block through rotation, and a handle provided on the upper outer side of the fixed block to rotate the height adjustment screw. Effects of the invention

[0042] The crop cultivation bed washing device of the present invention can adjust the size of the device through a horizontal position adjustment unit and a lifting adjustment unit, so it is configured in a compact size and has the effect of being lightweight and easy to move.

[0043] In addition, according to the crop cultivation bed washing device of the present invention, the position of the washing unit can be varied up, down, left, and right, so it can be applied to beds of various sizes, and there is an effect of eliminating the need to provide it separately depending on the size of the bed.

[0044] In addition, according to the crop cultivation bed washing device of the present invention, since the washing unit can be moved left and right, there is an effect of being able to wash large-sized beds by dividing them into zones.

[0045] In addition, according to the crop cultivation bed cleaning device of the present invention, a sliding finishing material is provided in the horizontal position adjustment part, so the sliding of the sliding bar becomes smooth.

[0046] In addition, according to the bed cleaning device for crop cultivation of the present invention, the lifting control unit is equipped with a height adjustment screw, thereby enabling precise height adjustment.

[0047] In addition, according to the bed cleaning device for crop cultivation of the present invention, after adjusting the position of the cleaning unit, the operation and movement of the brush can be automatically controlled using the control unit, which has the effect of being able to be controlled automatically. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0049] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the washing section of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a horizontal position adjustment unit of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the driving part and the lifting control part of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the horizontal position adjustment unit and the lifting adjustment unit of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing the horizontal position adjustment and the lifting position adjustment of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a reference diagram showing the horizontal position adjustment of a bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0050] Hereinafter, the bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0052] The terms used in this invention are defined in consideration of their functions within the invention; however, since these may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator, the definitions of these terms should be interpreted in a sense and concept consistent with the technical details of this invention.

[0053] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of the rights of the present invention, but are merely exemplary matters of the components presented in the claims of the present invention, and are embodiments that include components that are included in the technical concept throughout the specification of the present invention and can be substituted as equivalents for the components of the claims.

[0054] Additionally, optional terms in the following examples are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by said terms.

[0055] Accordingly, in describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art that may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention are omitted.

[0056] To explain a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front view of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a cleaning part of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a horizontal position adjustment part of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a driving part and a lifting / lowering adjustment part of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a horizontal position adjustment part and a lifting / lowering adjustment part of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention, FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing the horizontal position adjustment and lifting / lowering position adjustment of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a reference diagram showing the horizontal position adjustment of a bed cleaning device for crop cultivation according to the present invention.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the bed washing device for crop cultivation according to the present invention comprises a driving unit (10), a washing unit (20), a horizontal position adjustment unit (30), a lifting adjustment unit (40), and a control unit (50).

[0060] The above-mentioned driving unit (10) moves along racks provided on both sides of the upper part of the bed (100), and a pair of left and right units are provided.

[0061] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the driving unit (10) comprises a driving unit body (11) having a pair of pinions (12) that move along the rack of the bed (100) on both sides of the bottom, a driving motor (13) that rotates one of the pinions (12), and a gearbox (14) that is provided on the pinion (12) to vary the rotational force.

[0062] At this time, it is preferable that a moving handle (15) be installed on the driving body (11) to align the positions of the driving parts (10) on both sides.

[0064] And the above driving unit (10) may be equipped with a spray nozzle that sprays sterilized water or disinfectant water onto the surface of the bed (100) and an air spray unit that sprays high-pressure air onto the surface of the bed (100).

[0066] The above cleaning unit (20) cleans the upper surface of the bed (100) using a brush (21) and is located between the driving unit (10).

[0067] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning unit (20) comprises a brush (21) for cleaning the bed (100), a brush driving motor (22) for rotating the brush (21) using a chain (25), a brush cover (23) that accommodates the brush (21) and has a viewing window (23') on one side, and a hollow brush fixing bar (24) that is installed longitudinally on the upper side of the brush cover (23) so that the horizontal position adjustment unit (30) can be slidably inserted and on which the brush driving motor (22) is installed.

[0069] At this time, a driven sprocket (21') is provided on the shaft of the brush (21) and is connected to the driving sprocket (22') of the brush driving motor (22) by a chain (25), and a ∩-shaped groove (23") is formed on the lower side of both ends of the brush cover (23) for installing the brush.

[0070] And on the upper surface of the brush cover (23), an installation bar (24') is provided so that a brush fixing bar (24) can be installed, and a motor bracket (22") on which the brush driving motor (22) is installed is connected to the brush fixing bar (24) by a bolt.

[0072] The above horizontal position adjustment unit (30) connects the driving unit (10) and the washing unit (20) respectively, and a pair is provided on the left and right sides to adjust the horizontal position of the washing unit (20).

[0073] As shown in FIG. 6, this horizontal position adjustment unit (30) comprises a fixed bar (31) connected to the driving unit side, a sliding bar (32) which is slidably coupled at one end to the brush fixed bar (24) of the washing unit (20) and slidably coupled at the other end to the outside of the fixed bar (31), and a sliding finishing material (33) provided at the end of the fixed bar (31) to allow the sliding bar (32) to slide in a surface contact form.

[0075] The above-mentioned lifting control unit (40) is provided in the driving unit (10) to raise and lower the washing unit (20), and is provided in each driving unit (10) so as to match the left and right heights of the washing unit (20).

[0076] Specifically, the lifting control unit (40) comprises a fixed block (41) fixed to the driving unit (10), a lifting block (42) connected to the fixed block (41) so as to be able to be lifted and lowered, a height adjustment screw (43) rotatably connected to the fixed block (41) and lifting the lifting block (42) through rotation, and a handle (44) provided on the upper outer side of the fixed block (41) to rotate the height adjustment screw (43).

[0078] The above control unit (50) is provided in the above washing unit (40) and controls the above driving unit (10) and washing unit (20).

[0080] The crop cultivation bed cleaning device of the present invention configured as described above is installed in agricultural facilities such as vinyl greenhouses or glass greenhouses to clean the crop cultivation bed, which provides a space for cultivating crops and growing crops, thereby enabling the crop cultivation bed to be managed hygienically and cleanly.

[0081] Before attaching the crop cultivation bed washing device to the crop cultivation bed (100), the positions of the driving parts (10) on both sides are adjusted to correspond to the size of the crop cultivation bed (100).

[0082] That is, by adjusting the distance between the driving units (10) through the horizontal position adjustment unit (30), the pinions (12) of the driving units (10) on both sides correspond to the rack positions of the crop cultivation bed (100).

[0084] Afterwards, the two driving units (10) are placed on the crop cultivation bed (100), and the washing unit (20) is raised using the lifting control unit (40) according to the height of the bed.

[0085] That is, by rotating the handle (44) left and right to raise the lifting block (42), the brush (21) of the cleaning unit (20) comes into contact with the upper surface of the bed (100) so that the bed (100) can be cleaned.

[0087] When the position of the washing unit (20) is determined through the above process, the control unit (50) rotates the brush (21) of the washing unit (20) and simultaneously moves the driving unit (10) along the length direction of the crop cultivation bed (100) so that washing is performed.

[0088] At this time, it is preferable to check the cleaning status through the viewing window provided in the brush cover (23) of the cleaning unit (20).

[0090] Although the technical concept of the present invention has been described and illustrated in relation to several embodiments for exemplifying it, the present invention is not limited to the configuration and operation as described above, and those skilled in the art will understand that numerous changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the technical concept described in the description of the invention. Accordingly, all such appropriate changes and modifications and equivalents should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0092] 10... Driving part 11...driving body 12...Pinion 13...driving motor 14...gearbox 15...moving handle 20...washing section 21...brush 22....Brush drive motor 23....brush cover 24...Brush fixing bar 30...Horizontal position adjustment part 31...fixed bar 32...sliding bar 33... Sliding finish 40... Lifting position adjustment unit 41...fixed block 42... Elevator block 43...height adjustment screw 44...handle 50...control unit 100...bed

Claims

Claim 1 A pair of driving units (10) that move along racks provided on both sides of the upper part of the bed (100); a cleaning unit (20) located between the driving units (10) that cleans the upper surface of the bed (100) using a brush (21); a pair of horizontal position adjustment units (30) that connect the driving units (10) and the cleaning unit (20) respectively and adjust the horizontal position of the cleaning unit (20); and a lifting adjustment unit (40) provided on the driving unit (10) to raise and lower the cleaning unit (20). A crop cultivation bed cleaning device comprising: a control unit (50) provided in the cleaning unit (20) and controlling the driving unit (10) and the cleaning unit (20); wherein the cleaning unit (20) comprises a brush (21) for cleaning the bed (100), a brush driving motor (22) for rotating the brush (21) using a chain (25), a brush cover (23) in which the brush (21) is received and which has a viewing window (23') on one side, and a hollow brush fixing bar (24) installed longitudinally on the upper side of the brush cover (23) so that the horizontal position adjustment unit (30) can be slidably inserted and in which the brush driving motor (22) is installed. Claim 2 A crop cultivation bed cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit (10) comprises a driving unit body (11) having a pair of pinions (12) that move along the rack of the bed (100) on both sides of the lower end, a driving motor (13) that rotates one of the pinions (12), a gearbox (14) that is provided on the pinion (12) to vary the rotational force, and a moving handle (15) installed on the driving unit body (11). Claim 3 delete Claim 4 A pair of driving units (10) that move along racks provided on both sides of the upper part of the bed (100); a cleaning unit (20) located between the driving units (10) that cleans the upper surface of the bed (100) using a brush (21); a pair of horizontal position adjustment units (30) that connect the driving units (10) and the cleaning unit (20) respectively and adjust the horizontal position of the cleaning unit (20); and a lifting adjustment unit (40) provided on the driving unit (10) to raise and lower the cleaning unit (20). A crop cultivation bed cleaning device comprising: a control unit (50) provided in the cleaning unit (20) and controlling the driving unit (10) and the cleaning unit (20); wherein the horizontal position adjustment unit (30) comprises a fixed bar (31) connected to the driving unit side, a sliding bar (32) having one end slidingly coupled to the brush fixing bar (24) of the cleaning unit (20) and the other end slidingly coupled to the outside of the fixed bar (31), and a sliding finishing material (33) provided at the end of the fixed bar (31) to allow the sliding bar (32) to slide in a surface contact form. Claim 5 A pair of driving units (10) that move along racks provided on both sides of the upper part of the bed (100); a cleaning unit (20) located between the driving units (10) that cleans the upper surface of the bed (100) using a brush (21); a pair of horizontal position adjustment units (30) that connect the driving units (10) and the cleaning unit (20) respectively and adjust the horizontal position of the cleaning unit (20); and a lifting adjustment unit (40) provided on the driving unit (10) to raise and lower the cleaning unit (20). A crop cultivation bed washing device comprising: a control unit (50) provided in the washing unit (20) and controlling the driving unit (10) and the washing unit (20); wherein the lifting control unit (40) comprises a fixed block (41) fixed to the driving unit (10), a lifting block (42) connected to the lower end of the fixed bar (31) of the horizontal position adjustment unit (30) and movably coupled to the fixed block (41), a height adjustment screw (43) rotatably coupled to the fixed block (41) and raising the lifting block (42) through rotation, and a handle (44) provided on the upper outer side of the fixed block (41) and rotating the height adjustment screw (43).

Images