Plant cultivation showcase

Abstract

To provide a plant cultivation showcase that allows for easy observation of plants cultivated within a housing section.SOLUTION: A plant cultivation showcase 1 includes: a base section 2; and a housing section 4 that covers the top of the base section 2 and is defined by an exterior section 3 having transparency in side sections 20 and 21. The housing section 4 is provided with a three-dimensional frame 8 having multiple levels of vertical shelf sections 11 for supporting containers 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant cultivation showcase that is mainly installed indoors and in which plants are cultivated. [Background technology]

[0002] As an apparatus that can be installed indoors to cultivate small-scale plants, there is one that includes a case, a plurality of vertical shelves installed in the case, a hydroponic cultivation mechanism, an air conditioning mechanism, and a light source. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a relatively small plant cultivation showcase in which the case itself is translucent and the plants inside can be seen. Such a plant cultivation showcase is intended to be useful in improving customer satisfaction by being appropriately installed in a conspicuous place such as a greengrocer or fruit shop, a department store, a supermarket, a retail store such as a commercial facility, a restaurant, a lodging facility, an exhibition hall, or an office, as well as being a topic of conversation and an eye-catcher, and giving a sense of security about the vegetables provided.

[0003] The plant cultivation showcase of Patent Document 1 includes a base in which the main part of the hydroponic cultivation mechanism and the like are built, and a storage section that is partitioned by a case covering the upper part of the base, stores plants, and is air-conditioned by an air-conditioning mechanism. An air-conditioning main body part such as an evaporator in the air-conditioning mechanism is installed on the top plate part of the exterior part. The front and rear sides of the exterior part, which are in the short direction, are composed of a transparent window structure such as glass, and the left and right sides, which are in the long direction, are composed of metal walls.

[0004] The storage section is provided with multiple shelves on the top and bottom. Since the shelves are used for hydroponic cultivation, and the plants to be grown are placed on them, they must have a certain amount of weight and be kept horizontal to prevent the culture solution from becoming biased. For this reason, the shelves in Patent Document 1 are rectangular in shape, the same as the planar shape of the interior of the storage section, and each of the four corners is fixed to a metal wall. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5767506 (page 4, figure 3) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In this way, the plant cultivation showcase of Patent Document 1 adopts a configuration in which the shelf is supported by fixing each of its four corners to metal walls, so that the heavy shelf can be stably supported while keeping it level. However, in order to stably support the shelf, it is necessary to use a rigid metal body for the case wall, and the plants cultivated in the storage section cannot be observed from two of the four side surfaces of the exterior, the left and right, which may not contribute sufficiently to improving customer satisfaction.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and has an object to provide a plant cultivation showcase that makes it easy to observe plants cultivated in the storage section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the plant cultivation showcase of the present invention comprises: A plant cultivation showcase comprising a base and a storage section partitioned by an exterior part covering the upper part of the base and having a transparent side part, The container section is characterized in that a three-dimensional frame body having a plurality of upper and lower shelf mounting sections for supporting containers is disposed therein. According to this feature, the frame body, whose structural strength is ensured by its three-dimensional structure, has multiple shelf mounting sections on the top and bottom, so that the exterior part does not require structural strength to support the containers that make up the shelves, and therefore a large transparent area can be secured on the side part, making it easy to observe the plants grown in the storage part.

[0009] The frame body includes four vertical rods extending in the up-down direction, a horizontal rod connecting the central portions of the opposing vertical rods, and a support rod extending across the opposing horizontal rods. The support rod constitutes the shelf portion. According to this feature, the support rods installed across the opposing cross rods function as structural members of the frame body, and since there are no frame members on the widthwise outer side of the support rods, the line of sight is not obstructed, making it easier to observe the plants being cultivated in the storage area.

[0010] The frame body is characterized by including connecting rods that connect the upper ends of adjacent vertical rods to each other. According to this feature, by forming a rectangular shape at the upper end of the frame, bending of the vertical rod can be effectively suppressed, and the container can be more reliably and stably supported on the shelf support portion.

[0011] The support rod is characterized by being provided with movement restriction means that fit externally onto each of the four corners of the container, which is rectangular in plan view. According to this feature, the movement of the container can be restricted at a predetermined position on the support rod.

[0012] The frame is fixed onto the base, and the exterior is attached to the frame. According to this feature, the assembly of the base and the frame and the attachment of the exterior to the frame can be performed in that order, resulting in excellent assembly workability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a plant cultivation showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structural materials of the plant cultivation showcase. [Diagram 5]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of conditioned air inside the storage section. [Figure 6] 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the shape of a louver of an air outlet in a main body of an air conditioning mechanism. FIG.

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A plant cultivation showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. EXAMPLES

[0015] A plant cultivation showcase according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. In the following description, the depth direction of the paper surface of Fig. 2 will be the front and rear sides of the plant cultivation showcase, and the left and right sides of the paper surface will be the left and right sides.

[0016] The plant cultivation showcase according to the present invention is appropriately installed in a place where people can see it, such as a greengrocer or fruit shop, a department store, a supermarket, a retail store such as a commercial facility, a restaurant, a lodging facility, an exhibition hall, an office, etc. The plant cultivation showcase can be powered from a 100V AC power outlet, for example, and is relatively small in external dimensions, with a length of 300 cm or less, a width of 100 cm or less, and a height of 300 cm or less, so that it can be installed indoors anywhere. Installing such a plant cultivation showcase can be useful for improving customer satisfaction, such as by creating a buzz and catching the eye, and by providing a sense of security about the vegetables provided.

[0017] The plant cultivation showcase is basically designed for hydroponic cultivation, and edible plants such as vegetables and fruits, as well as fresh flowers (hereinafter simply referred to as "plants") are displayed with their roots attached on the shelves described below. The plant cultivation showcase is a so-called fully controlled type, where plants are cultivated in a closed environment without using sunlight, and by controlling the plant growth environment (light, temperature, humidity, nutrients, water, etc.), cultivation that allows for planned production throughout the year can be carried out.

[0018] 1, the plant cultivation showcase 1 includes a base 2 in which the main part of the hydroponic cultivation mechanism and the like are built, and a storage section 4 which is partitioned by an exterior part 3 that covers the upper part of the base 2 and is air-conditioned by an air-conditioning mechanism. The storage section 4 is provided with shelf parts 5A to 5C in multiple levels, one above the other.

[0019] The base 2 is composed of a pedestal portion 6 and a cover member 7 surrounding the four side surfaces of the pedestal portion 6, and has a hollow space inside. As shown in FIG. 4 showing the internal structural materials of the plant cultivation showcase 1, the pedestal portion 6 is composed of a rectangular support surface portion 6a in a plan view and a pair of legs 6b spaced apart in the short direction of the support surface portion 6a. An insulating plate 15 is placed on the support surface portion 6a of the pedestal portion 6, and this insulating plate 15 constitutes the upper surface of the base 2. Although not shown here, the insulating plate 15 is formed with an insulating layer inside by injecting and foaming a foamable resin between a hard upper wall material and a hard lower wall material supported so as to form an appropriate gap between them.

[0020] In the hollow space of the base 2, the main part of the hydroponic cultivation mechanism, a control device, a power tap, etc. (not shown here) are arranged. In the plant cultivation showcase 1, an air conditioning mechanism is used to manage the temperature and humidity in the storage section 4, a hydroponic cultivation mechanism is used for nutrients and moisture in the shelves 5A to 5C, and lighting devices (see Figs. 2 and 3) are arranged on each of the shelves 5A to 5C, and these air conditioning mechanism, hydroponic cultivation mechanism, and lighting device 16 are controlled by the control device to achieve optimal conditions for plant growth. A carbon dioxide generator capable of changing the carbon dioxide concentration may be installed under the control of the control device.

[0021] A rectangular parallelepiped frame 8 is disposed and fixed on the upper surface of the base 2 (the upper surface of the heat insulating plate 15), and the weight of the frame 8 is supported by the base 2. The frame 8 has four vertical rods 9 extending in the up-down direction and horizontal rods 10 connecting adjacent vertical rods 9 in the short direction, and further has a pair of left and right support rods 11, 11 connecting the horizontal rods 10 facing each other in the front-rear direction. In addition, the frame 8 has connecting rods 35 and 36 connecting the upper ends of adjacent vertical rods 9. The pair of left and right support rods 11, 11 form a shelf support portion that supports a container 12 described later.

[0022] The container 12 is a horizontally long tray with a bottom that opens at the top, and a sufficient amount of culture solution necessary for cultivation always flows in the container 12. The culture solution is circulated by a circulation device (not shown) that constitutes the hydroponic cultivation mechanism, so that fresh culture solution is always supplied to the plants.

[0023] The distance between the pair of left and right support rods 11, 11 is greater than the width dimension in the short direction of the container 12. As shown in Fig. 1, the support rod 11 is made of a flat plate, and L-shaped metal fittings 13, which serve as movement restriction means, are fixed to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the upper surface 11a of the support rod 11, and these L-shaped metal fittings 13 are adapted to fit externally to the four corners of the container 12. This restricts the movement of the container 12 in the longitudinal direction and short direction at a predetermined position, and supports the container 12 on the support rods 11, 11 so that it cannot fall off.

[0024] Additionally, upwardly rising bar members 14 are provided on both longitudinal ends of the upper surface 11a of the support rod 11. These bar members 14 are rods for spreading or winding the fruits of vine plants such as strawberries upward and outside the container 12, and may be omitted if vine plants are not being cultivated.

[0025] The containers 12 supported on the support rods 11, 11 that respectively constitute the two shelf mounting sections constitute the top shelf section 5A and the second shelf section 5B from the bottom. The container 12 placed on the upper surface of the base 2 (the upper surface of the insulating plate 15) constitutes the bottom shelf section 5C. L-shaped metal fittings 13 are fixed to the insulating plate 15 at positions corresponding to the four corners of the container 12.

[0026] Illumination devices 16 such as LEDs are disposed on the undersides of the pair of left and right support rods 11 by fixing means (not shown) so as to illuminate the lower shelves 5B and 5C. Although not shown in detail here, the shelf 5A is illuminated by a similar illumination device 16 disposed on the underside of the top surface 19 of the exterior part 3.

[0027] 1, the exterior portion 3 is made up of a pair of front and rear side portions 20 extending along the longitudinal direction of the shelves 5A to 5C, a pair of left and right side portions 21 extending along the lateral direction of the shelves 5A to 5C, and a top surface portion 19. These side portions 20, 21 and top surface portion 19 are each attached to a frame 8 arranged and fixed on the base 2 using fixing means such as screws (not shown).

[0028] The pair of front and rear side sections 20 are made up of two sliding doors 20A, 20B, one on each side. These sliding doors 20A, 20B are made up of a transparent glass panel 20c and a frame 20d. In this way, the side section 20 is mainly transparent, and the inside of the storage section 4 can be easily observed through the transparent glass panel 20c.

[0029] The pair of left and right side sections 21 are composed of a metal plate 21d and a glass panel 21c which is a transparent window section that closes an opening 21e formed in the plate 21d. The opening area of ​​the opening 21e is larger than the surface area of ​​the plate 21d, and the side sections 21 are mainly transparent, making it easy to observe the inside of the storage section 4 through the transparent window section.

[0030] The top surface 19 is formed into a bottomless box shape by bending a metal plate, and the bottom part is made of a separate heat insulating plate (similar in structure to the heat insulating plate 15), forming a thin, hollow box. The top surface 19 is attached so as to close the upper opening of the storage section 4, which is surrounded by a pair of front and rear side sections 20 and a pair of left and right side sections 21. A rail section (not shown here) is formed on the lower part of the top surface 19 along the pair of front and rear side sections 20. A similar rail section is also formed on the base 2 side, and the two sliding doors 20A and 20B that make up the side section 20 are attached to be movable on the double sliding surfaces by these upper and lower rail sections.

[0031] 2, the longitudinal dimension of the container 12 is smaller than the longitudinal dimension of the support rod 11, and the movement of the container 12 is restricted by an L-shaped metal fitting 13, which is a movement restriction means, at a position offset to one side of the longitudinal direction of the support rod 11. More specifically, the container 12 is offset to the opposite side to the direction in which the main body 25 of the air conditioning mechanism, which will be described in detail later, is arranged. As a result, a gap G (G1, G2) is formed between the end of the container 12 and the side surface portion 21A on the side on which the main body 25 of the air conditioning mechanism is arranged. Since the longitudinal movement of the container 12 is restricted at the offset position by the L-shaped metal fitting 13 fixed to the support rod 11, the opening area of ​​the gap G is maintained. In addition, since the containers 12 supported by the two upper and lower tiers of support rods 11 are all positioned offset in the same direction, the gaps G1, G2 formed in each tier overlap vertically, forming a structure in which there is an open atrium from the main body 25 of the air conditioning mechanism to the top surface 19.

[0032] The air conditioning mechanism is a well-known structure and will not be described in detail in the drawings, but it has a main body 25 on the storage unit 4 side which performs air conditioning, and a control unit which controls the refrigerant. The control unit has a condenser, a compressor, and a pressure reducer, which are built into the base 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the main body 25 has an evaporator 26 and a fan 27, and the evaporator 26 on the main body 25 side and the condenser on the control unit side are connected via a compressor and a pressure reducer by pipes not shown.

[0033] The main body 25 includes a housing 28 having a vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape and incorporating an evaporator 26 and a fan 27 therein. As shown in Fig. 5, the housing 28 is disposed on the heat insulating plate 15 provided on the support surface 6a of the base 6 (see Fig. 4), similar to the lowermost container 12. Furthermore, the housing 28 is disposed adjacent to the side surface 21A, of the pair of left and right side surface portions 21A, 21B constituting the exterior portion 3, on the side where the above-mentioned gap G is located.

[0034] 5, the height dimension L1 of the housing 28 is formed to be approximately the same as or slightly lower than the distance dimension L2 from the upper surface of the heat insulating plate 15 to the lower surface of the lower support rod 11. The depth dimension L3 is formed to be slightly smaller than the opening width (not shown) in the depth direction of the gap G1, so that the housing 28 partially closes the gap G1. Furthermore, although not shown here, the left-right width dimension is formed to be slightly smaller than the left-right inner dimension of the exterior part 3, i.e., the distance dimension between the pair of front and rear side parts 20, 20, so that the gap between the housing 28 and the pair of front and rear side parts 20, 20 is small.

[0035] The housing 28 of the main body 25 has an air outlet 29 on a top plate portion (upper surface) 28a, and an intake port 30 on a side plate portion (side surface) 28b facing the lowermost shelf portion 5C. The intake port 30 is formed to be wide in the horizontal direction, and is formed to extend vertically to a height that is half or more of the distance dimension from the upper surface of the heat insulating plate 15 to the lower surface of the support rod 11 of the lower stage.

[0036] 5, the internal structure of the housing 28 of the main body 25 is shown in detail with an evaporator 26 and a fan 27 serving as a blowing means disposed below the air outlet 29 of the top plate 28a. Although not shown here, a plurality of fans 27 are installed in the front-to-rear width direction of the air outlet 29. An intake port 30 is disposed facing the side of the evaporator 26, and air within the storage section 4 drawn in from the intake port 30 on the side of the housing 28 by the fan 27 is cooled by the evaporator 26 and blown out from the air outlet 29 above the housing 28 into the storage section 4.

[0037] Air outlet 29 is formed across approximately the front-to-rear width dimension of container 12, and is provided with louvers 31A, 31B that are airflow directing means facing upward, as shown in Fig. 6. A plurality of louvers 31A, 31B are provided at air outlet 29 and are arranged in parallel from the side surface portion 21A toward the inside. Seven louvers are arranged here, with the four inner louvers 31A set at an angle that is more horizontal than the three louvers 31B on the side surface portion 21A side.

[0038] Next, the flow of air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism will be described by assigning the symbol F to the air flow as an image (note that flows similar to F5 and F8 occur on the far side of the page, but their description is omitted). As shown in Fig. 5, when the air conditioning mechanism is activated, air that has absorbed heat by the evaporator 26 is blown out of the air outlet 29 by the fan 27. A portion of the air blown out of the air outlet 29 is guided by the louver 31A and sent toward the ventilation passage S1 (see Fig. 2) between the second shelf 5B from the bottom and the top shelf 5A (F1), and the remaining portion is guided by the louver 31B and sent toward the ventilation passage S2 between the top shelf 5A and the top surface 19 (F2).

[0039] Specifically, the air guided by louver 31A and blown out from outlet 29 passes through gap G1 in the lower stage (next to shelf 5B, the second stage from the bottom) and is sent to ventilation passage S1 (F1). Similarly, the air guided by louver 31B and blown out from outlet 29 passes through gap G2 in the upper stage (next to shelf 5A, the top stage) and is sent to ventilation passage S2 (F2).

[0040] The air blown toward the ventilation passage S1 defined by the second-lowest shelf portion 5B, the topmost shelf portion 5A and the pair of front and rear side portions 20 flows in the opposite direction from the entrance gap G1 along the longitudinal direction through the ventilation passage S1 (F3), and most of the air is guided to the inner surface of the exterior portion 3 (here side portion 21B) which is the end of the ventilation passage S1, passes through the gap C1 between the end of the shelf portion 5B on the longitudinal opposite side to gap G1 and the exterior portion 3 (here side portion 21B), and flows into the ventilation passage S3 between the bottommost shelf portion 5C and the second-lowest shelf portion 5B (F4).

[0041] In this way, the flow of (F3) causes the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism to be diffused from one end of the ventilation passage S1 in the longitudinal direction of the second-lowest shelf section 5B to the other end, so that the air around the plants lined up in the longitudinal direction of the second-lowest shelf section 5B can be uniformly conditioned to a temperature range suitable for growth.

[0042] Also, part of the air passing through the ventilation passage S1 flows into the ventilation passage S3 through a gap between the inner surface of the pair of front and rear side portions 20 of the exterior part 3 and the shelf part 5A (F5). In detail, since there is no member constituting the frame body 8 between the widthwise outer sides of the support rods 11, 11 (both front and rear sides of the storage part 4, and the short direction of the frame body 8) and the pair of front and rear side portions 20, and there is a gap between the container 12 and the pair of front and rear side portions 20, part of the air can flow from the ventilation passage S1 to the ventilation passage S3 through this gap. This utilizes the characteristic that the air immediately after being blown out from the air outlet 29 is colder than the air in the ventilation passage S3 away from the air outlet 29, and the cold air tends to move downward from the ventilation passage S1 to the ventilation passage S3.

[0043] The air blown toward the ventilation passage S2 defined by the top shelf portion 5A, the top surface portion 19, and the pair of front and rear side portions 20 flows in the opposite direction from the entrance gap G2 along the longitudinal direction of the ventilation passage S2 (F6), and most of it is guided to the inner surface of the exterior portion 3 (here side portion 21B) which is the end of the ventilation passage S2, passes through the gap C2 between the end of the shelf portion 5A on the longitudinal opposite side to gap G2 and the exterior portion 3 (here side portion 21B), and flows further below toward the gap C1 between the end of the second shelf portion 5A from the bottom and the exterior portion 3 (F7), where it merges with the air flow (F4) flowing from the lower-level ventilation passage S1 toward the bottom-most ventilation passage S3.

[0044] Part of the air passing through ventilation passage S2 passes through the gap between the shelf 5B and the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right side surface portions 21 of the exterior portion 3 and flows (F8) into the lower ventilation passage S1, where it joins with the flow (F3) of the lower ventilation passage S1. In the uppermost ventilation passage S2, the flow (F6) causes the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism to be diffused from one end of the longitudinal direction of ventilation passage S2 where the uppermost shelf 5A is located to the other, so that the air around the plants arranged in the longitudinal direction of the uppermost shelf 5A can be uniformly conditioned to a temperature range suitable for growth.

[0045] The air (F4) that flows from the lower ventilation passage S1 toward the lowest ventilation passage S3 and the air (F4) that flows through the gap C1 between the inner surface of the pair of front and rear side portions 20 of the exterior portion 3 and the shelf portion 5A to the lowest ventilation passage S3 flows in the opposite direction from the gap C1 side, which is the inlet, along the longitudinal direction of the lowest ventilation passage S3, that is, toward the main body portion 25 of the air conditioning mechanism arranged facing the longitudinal end of the ventilation passage S3 (F9). Then, it is drawn into the intake port 30 of the main body portion 25 of the air conditioning mechanism. The fan 27 of the main body portion 25 of the air conditioning mechanism draws in air from the intake port 30, generating a flow (F9), which diffuses the conditioned air from one end of the lowest ventilation passage S3 to the other, and the air around the plants arranged in the longitudinal direction of the lowest shelf portion 5C can be evenly conditioned to a temperature range suitable for growth.

[0046] As described above, the storage section 4 of the plant cultivation showcase 1 is configured to have a three-dimensional frame 8 having multiple upper and lower shelf sections for supporting the containers 12. Therefore, the exterior section 3 does not need structural strength to support the containers 12, and the side sections 20, 21 of the exterior section 3 are provided with a large amount of transparency, making it easy to observe the plants cultivated in the storage section 4.

[0047] In addition, the rack is provided with four vertical rods 9 extending in the up-down direction, horizontal rods 10 connecting adjacent vertical rods 9 in the short direction, and support rods 11, 11 installed across the opposing horizontal rods 10, and these support rods 11, 11 form a shelf mounting section. With this, the support rods 11, 11 installed across the opposing horizontal rods 10 function as structural members of the frame body 8, and therefore, since there are no members that configure the frame body 8 on the outside in the width direction of the support rods 11, 11 (on both the front and rear sides of the storage section 4) particularly near the glass panels 20c, 20c of the front and rear side sections 20, 20, the view is not obstructed, and it is easy to observe the plants cultivated in the storage section 4.

[0048] Furthermore, the frame 8 includes a connecting rod 35 that connects the upper ends of the vertical rods 9 adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction, and a connecting rod 36 that connects the upper ends of the vertical rods 9 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to suppress bending of the vertical rods 9 by forming a rectangular frame on the upper part of the frame 8, and to more reliably support the containers 12 on the shelf support portions formed in the central parts of the vertical rods 9 in a stable manner.

[0049] In addition, since the frame body 8 is fixed onto the base 2 and the exterior part 3 is attached to the frame body 8, the assembly of the base 2 and the frame body 8 and the attachment of the exterior part 3 to the frame body 8 can be performed in that order, resulting in excellent assembly workability.

[0050] In addition, since all side portions 20, 21 of exterior portion 3 are mainly transparent, shelf portions 5A, 5B, 5C can be seen from all directions on the sides of exterior portion 3, making it easy to observe plants growing in storage portion 4.

[0051] Furthermore, the shelves 5A, 5B other than the lowest shelf 5C are arranged with gaps G1, G2 between at least one end in the longitudinal direction and the exterior part 3, and the air outlet 29 is provided to face the gaps G1, G2, so that conditioned air can be reliably sent from the air outlet 29 to the top surface part 19 of the storage part 4 through the gaps G1, G2 lined up in the vertical direction. As described above, the containers 12 constituting the shelves 5A, 5B are restricted in their longitudinal movement at the eccentric positions described above by the L-shaped metal fittings 13 fixed to the support rods 11, so that the opening areas of the gaps G1, G2 are reliably secured.

[0052] Furthermore, by having the containers 12 supported on the frame body 8 of a frame structure arranged inside the storage section 4 to form multiple shelf sections 5A, 5B, the structure of the exterior section 3 can be simplified, the storage capacity of the storage section 4 can be further secured, and the plants growing in the storage section 4 can be easily observed.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0054] For example, in the above embodiment, three upper and lower shelves 5A, 5B, and 5C are arranged inside the storage section 4, but the present invention is not limited to this and may have two upper and lower shelves or four or more shelves.

[0055] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the upper ends of the vertical rods 9 constituting the frame body 8 are connected by the connecting rods 35, 36, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the connecting rods 35, 36 may be omitted, or conversely, the upper and lower ends of the vertical rods 9 may be connected by connecting rods, respectively.

[0056] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the frame body 8 is described as being positioned and fixed on the pedestal portion 6 that constitutes the base 2, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the frame body may be extended to the lowest end of the plant cultivation showcase 1 and a cover member may be attached to this frame body to form the base.

[0057] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the frame body 8 is formed into a rectangular shape in a plan view, the same shape as the exterior part 3, but this is not limited to this. For example, the frame body is not limited to the same shape as the exterior part. For example, the exterior part may be formed into a circle in a plan view, and the frame body and the container may be formed into a regular octagon in a plan view.

[0058] In addition, the exterior part 3 is not limited to having the top surface part 19 and the four side surface parts 20, 21 each separate, and may be configured, for example, such that the top surface part and the four side surface parts are integrated into a box shape and covered with the frame body. Furthermore, the exterior part 3 is not limited to being fixed to the frame body 8, and may be configured, for example, to be fixed to the pedestal part 6 or the cover member 7 of the base part 2.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the air conditioning mechanism is of a refrigeration cycle type, but it may be of a type using a Peltier element or of other types.

[0060] Furthermore, the location where the plant cultivation showcase 1 is installed is not limited to a place visible to general customers, but may be, for example, the back yard of a restaurant.

[0061] In addition, the movement control means provided on the support rod 11 may be arranged on the support rod 11 so that the longitudinal separation distance is greater than the longitudinal dimension of the container 12, thereby allowing the container to move slightly in the longitudinal direction of the support rod and making it possible to adjust the opening area of ​​the gaps G1 and G2.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the shelf sections 5A, 5B are formed by the containers 12 placed on the support rods 11, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be, for example, containers fixed integrally to the support rods (shelf mounting section), or shelves fixed integrally to the support rods (shelf mounting section) on which a separate dish-shaped tray or the like can be placed. In other words, any member having a flat lower surface extending in the short and long directions of the storage section may be used. In addition, in the case of a member such as a shelf fixed integrally to the support rods (shelf mounting section), an opening may be provided in the shelf as a substitute for the gap in the above embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Plant Cultivation Showcase 2 base 3 Exterior part 4. Storage section 5A~5C Shelf section 6 Pedestal 7 Cover material 8 Frame 9 Vertical Rod 10 horizontal rod 11 Support rod 11a Top side 12 Container (shelf) 13 L-shaped bracket (means for restricting movement) 15 Insulation board 16 Lighting Equipment 19 Top section 20 Side part 20A, 20B Sliding door 20c Glass Panel 21(21A,21B) Side part 21c Glass Panel 21d board material 21e opening 25 Main body 26 Evaporator 27 Fan (air blowing means) 28 Case 28a Top plate (upper surface) 28b Side plate (side) 29 Air outlet 30 Intake port 31A, 31B Louvers C1, C2 gap G(G1,G2) Gap S1~S3 ventilation passage

Claims

1. A plant cultivation showcase comprising a base and a storage section partitioned by an exterior part covering the upper part of the base and having a transparent side part, The plant cultivation showcase is characterized in that the storage section is provided with a three-dimensional frame body having multiple shelf mounting sections on the top and bottom for supporting containers.

2. The frame body includes four vertical rods extending in the up-down direction, a horizontal rod connecting the central portions of the opposing vertical rods, and a support rod extending across the opposing horizontal rods.

2. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 1, wherein the support rod constitutes the shelf portion.

3. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 2, wherein the frame body is provided with connecting rods that connect upper ends of adjacent vertical rods to each other.

4. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 2, characterized in that the support rod is provided with movement restriction means fitted onto each of the four corners of the container, which is rectangular in plan view.

5. 5. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 1, wherein the frame is fixed onto the base, and the exterior part is attached to the frame.

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