Plant cultivation showcase

Abstract

To provide a plant cultivation showcase that can efficiently secure a large storage capacity relative to its external dimensions.SOLUTION: A plant cultivation showcase 1 includes a base 2 and a storage section 4 which is partitioned by an exterior section 3 covering an upper part of the base 2 and in which a plurality of upper and lower shelf sections 5 to 5C are arranged, wherein the storage section 4 is air-conditioned by an air conditioning mechanism. In a lower part near a side surface 21A of the exterior section 3 in the storage section 4, an air outlet 29 of the air conditioning mechanism is arranged toward a top surface 19 of the exterior section 3, and an intake port 30 of the air conditioning mechanism is arranged below the air outlet 29 and toward the side of the lowest shelf section 5C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

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 plants, there is one that includes a case, multiple shelves installed vertically inside the case, a hydroponic cultivation mechanism, an air conditioning mechanism, and a light source. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a plant cultivation showcase in which the case itself is translucent and the plants inside can be seen.

[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 partitioned by an exterior covering the upper part of the base, which stores plants and is air-conditioned by an air-conditioning mechanism. An air-conditioning main body such as an evaporator in the air-conditioning mechanism is installed on the top plate of the exterior. The front and rear sides of the exterior are made of a transparent window structure such as glass, and the left and right sides are made of metal walls. A space extending left and right is formed to the left of the top plate, and a space extending up and down is formed inside one of the left and right walls, and the two spaces are connected to each other.

[0004] The air conditioned by the air conditioning main unit passes through the opening in the top plate, then is guided downward through the space inside the wall, and is then blown out from the openings formed on the inside surface of the wall toward the top of the two upper and lower shelves arranged in the storage unit. The air inside the storage unit is guided toward the top plate along the other of the left and right walls, and some of it is collected by the air conditioning main unit through the opening in the top plate. [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 the plant cultivation showcase of Patent Document 1, the space in the top plate and the space in the wall each constitute a duct in the air conditioning mechanism, and the air flow in the storage section is controlled to deliver conditioned air to two upper and lower shelves arranged in the storage section. However, because the duct protrudes to the top and sides of the storage section, there is a risk that the storage capacity will be reduced, and there is a problem that the external dimensions of the entire plant cultivation showcase will be large in order to ensure sufficient storage capacity.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and has an object to provide a plant cultivation showcase that can efficiently ensure a large storage capacity relative to its external dimensions. [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 in which a plurality of shelf sections are arranged above and below the base and is partitioned by an exterior covering the upper part of the base, and the storage section is air-conditioned by an air-conditioning mechanism, The air conditioning mechanism has an outlet arranged at the lower part of the storage section near the side of the exterior part, facing toward the top surface of the exterior part, and an intake port of the air conditioning mechanism is arranged below the outlet and facing toward the side of the lowest shelf part. According to this feature, the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism is blown into the storage unit from the air outlet arranged facing upward at the bottom of the storage unit, flows in one direction in the left-right direction within the storage unit along the side and top surfaces of the exterior part, flows in the other direction between the lowest shelf part and the second shelf part from the bottom, flows toward the side of the lowest shelf part, and is collected from the intake port arranged facing the side of the lowest shelf part, so that the conditioned air can be circulated across multiple shelves in the storage unit. In addition, the air blown into the storage unit from the air outlet is unlikely to be directly drawn into the intake port arranged below the air outlet. In this way, the conditioned air can be controlled in the storage unit using the side and top surfaces of the exterior part and the second shelf part from the bottom, and a large storage capacity can be efficiently secured for the external dimensions.

[0009] The exterior portion is characterized in that all of the side portions are primarily transparent. According to this feature, the shelf portion can be seen from all sides of the exterior portion, making it easy to observe the plants growing in the storage portion.

[0010] The multiple shelf portions other than the lowest shelf portion are arranged with a gap between at least one of the longitudinal ends and the side portion of the exterior portion, and the air outlet is arranged facing the gap. According to this feature, conditioned air can be reliably sent from the air outlet to the top surface of the storage section through the gaps aligned in the vertical direction.

[0011] The air conditioning mechanism has a main body having an evaporator, the main body being disposed within the storage portion. According to this feature, by adopting a configuration in which a main body having an evaporator is not built inside the base, the vertical dimensions of the base can be reduced, and the vertical dimensions of the plant cultivation showcase can be made compact.

[0012] The main body is characterized by having an air outlet on its top surface facing the gap beside the shelf portion second from the bottom, and an air inlet on its side surface. According to this feature, the return ventilation duct facing the intake port can be partitioned by the second-lowest shelf portion and the main body portion, and the conditioned air blown out from the outlet upward from the second-lowest shelf portion and the air on the intake port side are less likely to mix, making it easier to create a smooth air flow and enabling precise air conditioning.

[0013] A frame body is disposed in the storage section, the frame body having vertical rods extending in the up-down direction at four corners, horizontal rods connecting adjacent vertical rods to the left and right, and a pair of left and right support rods connecting the horizontal rods facing each other in the front and rear, The plurality of shelf portions other than the lowest shelf portion are characterized in that they are constituted by horizontally elongated containers supported on a pair of left and right support rods of the frame body. According to this feature, by adopting a structure in which the container is supported on the frame body of a frame structure, the structure of the exterior part can be simplified, the storage capacity of the storage part can be secured, and the plants growing in the storage part can be easily observed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [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.

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A plant cultivation showcase according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. EXAMPLES

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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) 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 16 (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 devices 16 are controlled by a control device to be in an optimal state for plant growth. A carbon dioxide generator capable of changing the carbon dioxide concentration may be installed under the control of the control device.

[0022] 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. The pair of left and right support rods 11, 11 form a shelf support portion that supports a container 12 described later.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 the short direction, and the container 12 is supported on the support rods 11, 11 so that it cannot fall off.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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).

[0040] 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).

[0041] 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).

[0042] 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.

[0043] Also, part of the air passing through ventilation passage S1 flows into ventilation passage S3 through a gap between the shelf portion 5A and the inner surfaces of the pair of front and rear side portions 20 of the exterior portion 3 (F5). This utilizes the characteristic that the air immediately after being blown out from the air outlet 29 is colder than the air in ventilation passage S3 away from the air outlet 29, and so the cold air tends to move downward from ventilation passage S1 to ventilation passage S3.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] As described above, the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism is blown into the storage unit 4 from the air outlet 29 arranged facing upward at the bottom of the storage unit 4, a part of it is guided in the longitudinal direction in the ventilation passage S2 along the exterior part 3 and the top surface part 19 (F2, F6, F7), the other part is guided in the longitudinal direction in the ventilation passage S1 along the exterior part 3 and the top shelf part 5A (F1, F3, F4), guided in the longitudinal direction in the ventilation passage S3 below the second shelf part 5B from the bottom, and then collected from the intake port 30. In this way, by using the exterior part 3, the top surface part 19, the top shelf part 5A, and the second shelf part 5B from the bottom in the storage unit 4, the conditioned air can be circulated across the upper and lower multiple shelves 5A, 5B, and 5C in the storage unit 4, and a large storage capacity can be efficiently secured for the external dimensions of the plant cultivation showcase 1. In addition, the air blown out from the air outlet 29 into the storage section 4 is unlikely to be directly drawn into the air inlet 30 arranged below the air outlet 29 .

[0048] 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.

[0049] In addition, the multiple shelf sections 5A, 5B other than the lowest shelf section 5C are arranged with gaps G1, G2 between at least one of their longitudinal ends and the exterior section 3, and the air outlet 29 is provided facing the gaps G1, G2, so that conditioned air can be reliably sent from the air outlet 29 to the top surface section 19 of the storage section 4 through these gaps G1, G2 that are aligned vertically.

[0050] Furthermore, since the main body 25 having the evaporator 26 in the air conditioning mechanism is installed within the storage section 4, no space is required inside the base 2 to accommodate a main body having such an evaporator, and the vertical dimensions of the base 2 can be reduced, thereby making the vertical dimensions of the entire plant cultivation showcase 1 compact.

[0051] Main body 25 in the air conditioning mechanism is provided with an air outlet 29 on top plate 28a that faces gap G1 next to shelf 5B second from the bottom, and an intake port 30 on side plate 28b. This allows return ventilation passage S3, which intake port 30 faces, to be partitioned by shelf 5B second from the bottom and main body 25, and the conditioned air blown out from air outlet 29 to ventilation passage S1 second from the bottom and the air in ventilation passage S3 near intake port 30 are less likely to mix, allowing for accurate air conditioning.

[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] The main body 25 of the air conditioning mechanism is not limited to being installed inside the storage unit 4, and as long as the air outlet and suction port are installed inside the storage unit 4, the evaporator, fan and housing in particular may be built into the base 2.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the shelves 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, a container fixed integrally to the support rod, or a shelf plate fixed integrally to the support rod 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 the case of a member such as a shelf plate fixed integrally to the support rod, an opening may be provided in the shelf plate as a substitute for the gap in the above embodiment.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the conditioned air mainly flows to one side in the left-right direction in the second-lowest ventilation duct S1 and the top-lowest ventilation duct S2, and mainly flows to the other side in the left-right direction in the bottom-lowest ventilation duct S3. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the intake port 30 of the main body 28 of the air conditioning mechanism may be positioned toward the side of the shelf portion 5B of the second-lowest ventilation duct S1 in addition to the shelf portion 5C of the bottom-lowest ventilation duct S3, thereby allowing the conditioned air to mainly flow to the other side in the left-right direction in the bottom-lowest ventilation duct S3 and the second-lowest ventilation duct S1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 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 in which a plurality of shelf sections are arranged above and below the base and is partitioned by an exterior covering the upper part of the base, and the storage section is air-conditioned by an air-conditioning mechanism, A plant cultivation showcase characterized in that an air conditioning mechanism's air outlet is arranged in a lower part of the storage section near the side portion of the exterior part, facing toward the top surface of the exterior part, and an air conditioning mechanism's air intake is arranged below the air outlet and facing toward the side of the lowest shelf part.

2. 2. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 1, wherein all of the side portions of the exterior portion are mainly transparent.

3. The plant cultivation showcase of claim 1, characterized in that the multiple shelf portions other than the lowest shelf portion are arranged with a gap between at least one end in the longitudinal direction and a side portion of the exterior portion, and the air outlet is arranged to face the gap.

4. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 1, wherein a main body portion having an evaporator in the air conditioning mechanism is installed inside the storage portion.

5. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 3, characterized in that the main body portion has an air outlet on its upper surface facing the gap next to the shelf portion second from the bottom, and an air inlet on its side.

6. A frame body is disposed in the storage section, the frame body having vertical rods extending in the up-down direction at four corners, horizontal rods connecting adjacent vertical rods to the left and right, and a pair of left and right support rods connecting the horizontal rods facing each other in the front and rear, A plant cultivation showcase as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the multiple shelf portions other than the lowest shelf portion are composed of elongated containers supported on a pair of left and right support rods on the frame body.

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