Mold unit for manufacturing hydroponic cultivation panel and method for manufacturing hydroponic cultivation panel
The mold unit for hydroponic panels addresses the challenge of producing panels with varying hole configurations by using a common mold with interchangeable hole forming and blocking pieces, enabling efficient production of multiple panel types.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024026699
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-09-29
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-26
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-10
AI Technical Summary
Hydroponic panels require different numbers of holes for various cultivation materials and environments, making it challenging to use a common mold to produce multiple types of panels with different hole configurations.
A mold unit with first and second molds, each featuring a mold body with frame mounting holes, allows for the attachment of hole forming pieces and blocking pieces. This configuration enables the production of panels with varying numbers of cultivation material insertion holes by changing the number of hole forming pieces and blocking pieces attached to the mold.
The mold unit allows for the efficient manufacturing of multiple types of hydroponic panels with different numbers of holes using a common mold, preventing resin from entering unused frame mounting holes and reducing production costs.
Smart Images

Figure 2025060371000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a mold unit for manufacturing a hydroponic cultivation panel and a method for manufacturing a hydroponic cultivation panel. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a hydroponic cultivation panel having holes into which cultivated plants are inserted, the holes being configured by planting cultivated plants in a seedbed member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-103203 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] Hydroponic cultivation panels may be required to have different numbers of holes for inserting cultivated plants depending on the type of cultivated plant and the cultivation environment, etc. Hydroponic cultivation panels are usually manufactured by molding using a mold, and from the viewpoint of manufacturing costs, etc., it is desirable to use a common mold to manufacture multiple types of hydroponic cultivation panels with different numbers of holes, but since the shape of the mold differs depending on the number of holes, it is not easy to standardize the mold.
[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a mold unit capable of manufacturing a plurality of types of hydroponic cultivation panels having different numbers of holes. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided. [1] A mold unit for manufacturing a panel for hydroponic cultivation, the mold unit comprising first and second molds configured to be openable and closable, the first and second molds each comprising a mold body, a cavity surface of the mold body having a plurality of piece mounting holes, the piece mounting holes configured to accommodate both hole forming pieces for forming plant insertion holes and closing pieces for closing the piece mounting holes, and by changing the number of hole forming pieces attached to the piece mounting holes, it is possible to change the number of plant insertion holes formed in the hydroponic cultivation panel. [2] A mold unit as described in [1], wherein the piece mounting hole of the mold body of the first mold and the piece mounting hole of the mold body of the second mold are positioned opposite each other. [3] A mold unit as described in [2], wherein the hole forming piece attached to the piece mounting hole of the first mold and the hole forming piece attached to the piece mounting hole of the second mold have the same shape. [4] A method for manufacturing a hydroponic cultivation panel using the mold unit described in any one of [1] to [3], comprising a first manufacturing process and a second manufacturing process, in which in the first manufacturing process, the hydroponic cultivation panel is manufactured using the mold unit in a first state, the first state being a state in which the numbers of the hole forming pieces and the closing pieces to be attached to the piece mounting holes are each a first predetermined number, and in the second manufacturing process, the hydroponic cultivation panel is manufactured using the mold unit in a second state, the second state being a state in which the numbers of the hole forming pieces and the closing pieces to be attached to the piece mounting holes are each a second predetermined number, the second predetermined number being a number different from the first predetermined number. Effect of the Invention
[0007] In the mold unit of the present invention, both hole forming pieces and closing pieces can be attached to the piece mounting holes, and the hole forming pieces can be attached to the piece mounting holes for the desired number of plant insertion holes, and the remaining piece mounting holes can be closed with closing pieces. With this configuration, it is possible to manufacture a variety of hydroponic panels with different numbers of holes. In addition, since the piece mounting holes are closed with closing pieces, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem in which molding material gets into the piece mounting holes that do not have hole forming pieces attached. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hydroponic cultivation panel 10. [Diagram 2] Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 2B is an enlarged view of region B in Fig. 2A. Fig. 2C is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2B, showing a state in which the panel 10 with the cultivated object 4 inserted in the cultivated object insertion hole 1 is floated on the nutrient solution 9. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a hydroponic cultivation panel 10 having 16 cultivation insertion holes 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mold unit 20. [Diagram 5] Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4. Fig. 5B is an enlarged view of region B in Fig. 5A. Fig. 5C is an exploded view of Fig. 5B. [Figure 6] 6A to 6C are respectively perspective views of the mold body 23, the hole forming piece 24, and the closing piece 25. Fig. 6D is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 6B. [Figure 7] Fig. 7A is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a mold body 23 having 64 piece mounting holes 23c. Fig. 7B is a plan view in which, of the piece mounting holes 23c of the mold body 23 in Fig. 7A, those (16 pieces) for mounting hole forming pieces 24 are surrounded by thick lines 26. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are plan views in which, of the piece mounting holes 23c of the mold body 23 in FIG. 7A, those (32 pieces, 48 pieces) for mounting the hole forming pieces 24 are surrounded by thick lines 26. In FIG. [Figure 9]2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b are placed as a parison 5 between a first mold 21 and a second mold 22. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b have been shaped by first and second molds 21, 22 from the state shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after first and second molds 21 and 22 are closed from the state shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the molded body 8 is taken out of the first and second molds 21 and 22 from the state shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 13A to 13C are a perspective view, a plan view, and a front view, respectively, showing a modified example of the blocking piece 25. [Figure 14] Fig. 14A is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5B, showing a state in which the closing piece 25 of Fig. 13A is attached to the mold body 23. Fig. 14B is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2B, of a panel 10 manufactured using the mold unit 20 to which the closing piece 25 of Fig. 13A is attached. Fig. 14C is an enlarged view of region C in Fig. 14B. [Figure 15] 15A to 15C are views corresponding to FIGS. 14A to 14C, showing a case where the closing piece 25 is attached to the mold body 23 so that the top surface 25c of the closing piece 25 protrudes from the cavity surface 23a. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention. The various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Each feature can be an invention independently. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, elements that are not specified in the claims are optional elements and can be omitted. Any number of "0"s (for example, one or two) may be added to the end of the numerical values disclosed in the following description. For example, one or two "0"s may be added after "1.4" to make it "1.40" or "1.400".
[0010] 1. Hydroponic cultivation panels 10 First, a hydroponic cultivation panel 10 that can be manufactured using a hydroponic cultivation panel manufacturing mold unit 20 described later will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
[0011] A hydroponic cultivation panel 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is floated on a nutrient solution 9 as shown in Fig. 2C and used for hydroponic cultivation. The panel 10 is preferably made of a hollow resin molded body. The inside of the hollow resin molded body may be hollow, or may contain a core material such as a foam.
[0012] The panel 10 is substantially rectangular, and the dimension in the short side direction is, for example, 20 to 70 cm, the dimension in the long side direction is, for example, 50 to 120 cm, and the thickness is, for example, 20 to 40 mm. The dimension in the short side direction is, for example, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 cm, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here. The dimension in the long side direction is, for example, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120 cm, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here. The thickness of the panel 10 is, for example, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 mm, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here.
[0013] The panel 10 is provided with a hole 1 for inserting a plant and a closing hole 2. The details of the closing hole 2 will be described later.
[0014] The cultivated object insertion hole 1 is a hole for inserting the cultivated object 4. The cultivated object insertion hole 1 is provided so as to penetrate the panel 10 in the up-down direction. The cultivated object 4 is preferably configured by planting a plant P in a plug 50 so as to make it easier to hold the cultivated object 4 in the cultivated object insertion hole 1. The plug 50 is preferably made of an elastically deformable and water-absorbent material such as a sponge. The elastic force of the plug 50 presses the plug 50 against the inner surface of the cultivated object insertion hole 1, making it possible to hold the cultivated object 4 in the cultivated object insertion hole 1.
[0015] The panel 10 is provided with a plurality of plant insertion holes 1, and it is preferable that the plurality of plant insertion holes 1 are provided regularly. The interval between adjacent plant insertion holes 1 is preferably, for example, 50 mm or more. This interval is, for example, 50 to 200 mm, specifically, for example, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, or 200 mm, and may be in the range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here, or any one or more of them.
[0016] The colors and / or reflectances to visible light (hereinafter, "reflectances") of the upper surface 10a and the lower surface 10b of the panel 10 may be the same or different from each other. For example, one of the upper surface 10a and the lower surface 10b may be white and the other black. In this case, when floating the panel 10 on water, the black surface (the surface with low reflectance) faces the underwater side and the white surface (the surface with high reflectance) faces the abovewater side, thereby suppressing the proliferation of algae in the water and promoting the growth of plants above the water. In addition, in a low-temperature environment such as winter, the temperature of the panel 10 can be increased by absorbing light, thereby reducing utility costs, by facing the black surface (the surface with low reflectance) above the water when floating the panel 10 on water.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 2A, the panel 10 is preferably symmetrical with respect to a central plane CP in the vertical direction of the panel 10. In this case, there is an advantage that the panel 10 can be easily used by turning it upside down. In this case, the plant insertion hole 1 is also symmetrical with respect to the central plane CP. The opening diameter D1 on the upper surface 10a side or the lower surface 10b side is, for example, 20 to 60 mm. In this specification, the "opening diameter" means a circle equivalent diameter. Specifically, D1 is, for example, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, or 60 mm, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here.
[0018] The plant insertion hole 1 preferably has a shape in which the diameter decreases from the upper surface 10a or the lower surface 10b toward the inside of the panel 10. In other words, the plant insertion hole 1 preferably has a shape in which two truncated cones are connected at their tips. If the opening diameter at the portion with the smallest opening diameter in the plant insertion hole 1 is D2, D2 / D1 is, for example, 0.40 to 0.95, and preferably 0.50 to 0.80. Specifically, this value is, for example, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, or 0.95, and may be in a range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here.
[0019] The number of the cultivated plant insertion holes 1 is not particularly limited, and in one example, as shown in Fig. 3, 16 cultivated plant insertion holes 1 are provided. On the other hand, there are cases where panels 10 having the same outer shape but different numbers of cultivated plant insertion holes 1 are required. For example, there are cases where a panel 10 having 32 or 48 cultivated plant insertion holes 1 is required. In such cases, if a mold is prepared for each panel 10, the costs required for producing and managing the molds will be high, so it is desirable to use a common mold to manufacture multiple types of panels 10 having different numbers of cultivated plant insertion holes 1.
[0020] 2. Hydroponic cultivation panel manufacturing mold unit 20 Next, a mold unit 20 for manufacturing a panel for hydroponic cultivation according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. The mold unit 20 has a configuration suitable for manufacturing a plurality of types of panels 10 having different numbers of plant insertion holes 1.
[0021] As shown in Fig. 4, the mold unit 20 has first and second molds 21 and 22 that are configured to be openable and closable. In this embodiment, the first and second molds 21 and 22 are symmetrical about the parting surface, but may be asymmetrical. Each of the first and second molds 21 and 22 has a mold body 23.
[0022] Each mold body 23 has a cavity surface 23a. The cavity surface 23a is surrounded by a pinch-off portion 23b. The cavity surface 23a of the first mold 21 and the cavity surface 23a of the second mold 22 are joined together to form a cavity having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the panel 10.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 5C and FIG. 6A, the cavity surface 23a is provided with a plurality of piece mounting holes 23c. The piece mounting holes 23c are configured to be able to mount both hole forming pieces 24 for forming the plant insertion holes 1 and closing pieces 25 for closing the piece mounting holes 23c. By changing the number of hole forming pieces 24 mounted in the piece mounting holes 23c, it is possible to change the number of plant insertion holes 1 formed in the hydroponic cultivation panel 10. In this embodiment, the plurality of hole forming pieces 24 mounted on the first mold 21 or the second mold 22 have the same shape, but may include pieces with different shapes. Similarly, the plurality of closing pieces 25 mounted on the first mold 21 or the second mold 22 have the same shape, but may include pieces with different shapes.
[0024] The mechanism for mounting the hole forming piece 24 and the blocking piece 25 to the piece mounting hole 23c is not particularly limited, but since it may be necessary to replace the hole forming piece 24 mounted in the piece mounting hole 23c with a blocking piece 25, or conversely, to replace the blocking piece 25 with a hole forming piece 24, it is preferable that the hole forming piece 24 and the blocking piece 25 are configured to be easily attached and detached from the piece mounting hole 23c.
[0025] The hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 preferably have insertion protrusions 24a and 25a, respectively, that can be inserted into the piece mounting hole 23c. The hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 are preferably attached to the piece mounting hole 23c by inserting and engaging the insertion protrusions 24a and 25a into the piece mounting hole 23c.
[0026] Preferably, the piece mounting hole 23c includes a female screw portion 23c1 and an enlarged diameter portion 23c2. The enlarged diameter portion 23c2 is provided at a position adjacent to the cavity surface 23a. The enlarged diameter portion 23c2 is preferably not female-threaded. The outer peripheral surfaces of the insertion projections 24a and 25a are preferably provided with male screw portions 24a1 and 25a1. In this case, the hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 can be attached to the piece mounting hole 23c by screwing the female screw portion 23c1 and the male screw portions 24a1 and 25a1, and the hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 can be removed from the piece mounting hole 23c by releasing the screwing. Instead of screwing the insertion projections 24a and 25a into the piece mounting hole 23c, they may be engaged with the piece mounting hole 23c by snap-fitting or by strong fitting to a degree that allows removal.
[0027] It is preferable that the hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 have enlarged diameter portions 24a2, 25a2 that are enlarged in diameter from the male thread portions 24a1, 25a1. The inner diameter of the enlarged diameter portion 23c2 is the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the enlarged diameter portions 24a2, 25a2, and the positioning accuracy of the hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 is improved by engaging the enlarged diameter portions 24a2, 25a2 with the enlarged diameter portion 23c2.
[0028] The hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 preferably have engagement parts 24b, 25b that can be engaged with a fastening tool such as a screwdriver or a wrench. This allows the hole forming piece 24 and the closing piece 25 to be attached and detached using an attachment tool. In this embodiment, the engagement part 24b of the hole forming piece 24 is formed as a hexagonal hole, and the hole forming piece 24 can be attached and detached to the piece attachment hole 23c by engaging a hexagonal wrench with the engagement part 24b and rotating it. The engagement part 25b of the closing piece 25 is formed as a straight groove, and the closing piece 25 can be attached and detached to the piece attachment hole 23c by engaging a flathead screwdriver or a coin with the engagement part 25b and rotating it.
[0029] The hole forming piece 24 comprises a piece body 24c and an engaging member 24d. The outer peripheral surface of the piece body 24c has a shape corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the plant insertion hole 1. The engaging member 24d comprises an engaging portion 24d1 that engages with the piece body 24c and an insertion protrusion 24a connected thereto. The hole forming piece 24 can be attached to the piece mounting hole 23c by engaging the engaging member 24d with the piece body 24c and inserting and engaging the insertion protrusion 24a into the piece mounting hole 23c.
[0030] The hole forming pieces 24 are preferably arranged in the first mold 21 and the second mold 22 at positions facing each other, and when the first and second molds 21 and 22 are closed, the tip 24f of the hole forming piece 24 of the first mold 21 and the tip 24f of the hole forming piece 24 of the second mold 22 are preferably in contact with each other. In this case, as shown in Figs. 9 to 11, when the first and second molds 21 and 22 are closed with the parison 5 sandwiched between them, the hole forming piece 24 of the first mold 21 and the tip 24f of the hole forming piece 24 of the second mold 22 can sandwich and press the parison 5 to form a cut-off portion 5d by welding the opposing inner surfaces of the parison 5 to each other. In order to sandwich and press the parison 5 with high pressure, the tip 24f of the hole forming piece 24 is preferably provided with an annular portion 24f1, and a resin reservoir 24g for accommodating the inner portion 5e of the annular cut-off portion 5d is preferably provided inside the annular portion 24f1. The outer circumferential surface of the structure in which the hole forming piece 24 of the first die 21 and the hole forming piece 24 of the second die 22 are joined together becomes the inner circumferential surface of the plant insertion hole 1 penetrating the panel 10 .
[0031] In order to position the hole forming piece 24 on each of the first and second molds 21 and 22 at positions facing each other, the piece mounting holes 23c are also positioned on each of the first and second molds 21 and 22 at positions facing each other, and as a result, the closing piece 25 is also positioned on each of the first and second molds 21 and 22 at positions facing each other.
[0032] The closing piece 25 is preferably configured so that the top surface 25c protrudes from the cavity surface 23a, and the bottom of the engagement portion 25b provided on the top surface 25c is preferably configured so that it is flush with the cavity surface 23a or protrudes from the cavity surface 23a. In this case, the closing mark 2 (shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2B) formed due to the closing piece 25 is prevented from protruding from the upper surface 10a or the lower surface 10b of the panel 10. This prevents the closing mark 2 of one panel 10 from interfering with the other panel 10 when the panels 10 are stacked. In addition, the edge 25d of the top surface 25c is preferably rounded. In this case, since the bottom edge 2a (shown in FIG. 2B) of the closing mark 2 is rounded, it is prevented from dirt remaining on the bottom edge 2a of the closing mark 2 when the panel 10 is washed and used repeatedly.
[0033] As described above, the mold unit 20 of this embodiment is configured so that the hole forming pieces 24 and the closing pieces 25 can be easily replaced, so that the number of hole forming pieces 24 attached to the mold unit 20 can be easily increased or decreased. Also, since the closing pieces 25 are arranged in the piece mounting holes 23c to which the hole forming pieces 24 are not attached, the infiltration of resin into the piece mounting holes 23c is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the mold unit 20 from being broken due to the infiltration of resin into the piece mounting holes 23c, and to prevent the formation of protrusions on the panel 10 due to the piece mounting holes 23c.
[0034] In one example, as shown in Fig. 7A, each mold body 23 is provided with 64 piece mounting holes 23c. When manufacturing a panel 10 having 16 plant insertion holes 1, for example, the hole forming pieces 24 are attached to the 16 piece mounting holes 23c surrounded by the thick line 26 in Fig. 7B, and the closing pieces 25 are attached to the remaining piece mounting holes 23c. When manufacturing a panel 10 having 32 plant insertion holes 1, for example, the hole forming pieces 24 are attached to the 32 piece mounting holes 23c surrounded by the thick line 26 in Fig. 8A, and the closing pieces 25 are attached to the remaining piece mounting holes 23c. When manufacturing a panel 10 having 48 plant insertion holes 1, for example, the hole forming pieces 24 are attached to the 48 piece mounting holes 23c surrounded by the thick line 26 in Fig. 8A, and the closing pieces 25 are attached to the remaining piece mounting holes 23c. In this way, by replacing the hole forming pieces 24 and the closing pieces 25, it is possible to manufacture a plurality of types of panels 10 having different numbers of plant insertion holes 1 using a common die unit 20.
[0035] 3. Manufacturing method of hydroponic panel 10 A method for manufacturing the hydroponic cultivation panel 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be carried out using the above-mentioned mold unit 20. This method includes a first manufacturing step and a second manufacturing step.
[0036] In the first manufacturing process, the hydroponic panel 10 is manufactured using the mold unit 20 in the first state. The first state is a state in which the numbers of the hole forming pieces 24 and the closing pieces 25 to be attached to the piece mounting holes 23c are first predetermined numbers. The first predetermined numbers are, for example, 64 piece mounting holes 23c, 16 hole forming pieces 24, and 48 closing pieces 25.
[0037] In the second manufacturing process, the hydroponic panel 10 is manufactured using the mold unit 20 in the second state. The second state is a state in which the numbers of the hole forming pieces 24 and the closing pieces 25 to be attached to the piece mounting holes 23c are each a second predetermined number. The second predetermined number is a number different from the first predetermined number. For example, the second predetermined number is 64 for the number of piece mounting holes 23c, 32 for the number of hole forming pieces 24, and 32 for the number of closing pieces 25.
[0038] The above method may include a third manufacturing step. In the third manufacturing step, the hydroponic panel 10 is manufactured using the mold unit 20 in the third state. The third state is a state in which the number of hole forming pieces 24 and closing pieces 25 to be attached to the piece mounting holes 23c is a third predetermined number. The third predetermined number is a number different from both the first predetermined number and the second predetermined number. The third predetermined number is, for example, 64 piece mounting holes 23c, 48 hole forming pieces 24, and 16 closing pieces 25.
[0039] According to the above method, a common mold unit 20 can be used to manufacture a plurality of types of panels 10 each having a different number of plant insertion holes 1.
[0040] In each of the first to third manufacturing processes, the panel 10 can be manufactured by a method including, for example, an arrangement step, a molding step, and a post-processing step. The first to third manufacturing processes are similar to each other except that the numbers of hole forming pieces 24 and closing pieces 25 attached to the mold unit 20 are different. The arrangement step, molding step, and post-processing step will be described in detail below.
[0041] 3-1. Placement process In the arrangement step, as shown in FIG. 9, the first and second molds 21, 22 which are mutually openable and closable are opened, and the parison 5 is arranged between the first and second molds 21, 22.
[0042] The parison 5 can be formed by extruding molten resin from an extrusion head (not shown). The parison 5 may be cylindrical or sheet-shaped. When the parison 5 is sheet-shaped, the parison 5 is composed of, for example, first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b are disposed between the first and second molds 21, 22. The first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b can have different colors and / or reflectances, and thus a panel 10 having upper and lower surfaces 10a, 10b with different colors and / or reflectances can be manufactured.
[0043] The resin constituting the parison 5 is preferably a thermoplastic resin such as polyolefin. Examples of polyolefin include low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymers, and mixtures thereof.
[0044] 3-2. Molding process In the molding process, as shown in Figs. 10 to 12, the first and second molds 21 and 22 are closed while the parison 5 is placed between them, and the hole forming piece 24 of the first mold 21 and the hole forming piece 24 of the second mold 22 are butted against each other at the tip 24f, thereby sandwiching the parison 5 and welding the opposing inner surfaces of the parison 5 to form the pinch-off portion 5d, and the parison 5 is molded into a panel shape to form the molded body 8. At this time, a flash 5c is formed on the outside of the pinch-off portion 23b. Also, the inner portion 5e of the annular pinch-off portion 5d is placed in a resin reservoir 24g (shown in Fig. 5B) provided on the hole forming piece 24. Examples of molding methods include blow molding, vacuum molding, and combinations thereof.
[0045] When the parison 5 is composed of the first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b, first, as shown in Fig. 10, the first resin sheet 5a is vacuum-suctioned by the first mold 21 to be shaped into a shape that conforms to the cavity surface 23a of the first mold 21, and the second resin sheet 5b is vacuum-suctioned by the second mold 22 to be shaped into a shape that conforms to the cavity surface 23a of the second mold 22. Next, as shown in Fig. 11, the first and second molds 21, 22 are closed, and the first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b are molded into a panel shape to form the molded body 8.
[0046] By performing the molding process with a core material such as a foam placed inside the cylindrical parison 5 or between the first and second resin sheets 5a, 5b, a panel 10 having a core material inside the resin molding can be manufactured.
[0047] 3-3. Post-processing In the post-processing step, as shown in Fig. 12, the cutting edge 5d and its inner portion 5e are removed from the molded body 8 to form the plant insertion hole 1. The cutting edge 5d and the portion 5e may be removed within the first and second molds 21, 22, or may be removed after the first and second molds 21, 22 are opened and the molded body 8 is taken out. The cutting edge 5d and the portion 5e may be removed by cutting the cutting edge 5d with a cutter or the like.
[0048] Furthermore, various post-treatments such as removal of burrs 5c attached to the molded body 8 can be carried out to obtain the desired panel 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
[0049] 4. Modification of the occlusion piece 25 A modified example of the blocking piece 25 is shown in Fig. 13. In this modified example, the engaging portion 25b of the blocking piece 25 is not a groove, but is composed of a plurality of island-shaped recesses 25b1 arranged in an island shape. Since the resin of the resin sheets 5a, 5b is unlikely to penetrate into the island-shaped recesses 25b1, forming the engaging portion 25b with the island-shaped recesses 25b1 suppresses the formation of traces of the engaging portion 25b on the panel 10.
[0050] The island-shaped recesses 25b1 are arranged in the circumferential direction around the rotation center C of the closing piece 25. The closing piece 25 can be attached to and detached from the mold body 23 by engaging a jig with the island-shaped recesses 25b1 and rotating the closing piece 25. The number of island-shaped recesses 25b1 required to rotate the closing piece 25 may be provided, and in this modification, four island-shaped recesses 25b1 are provided at 90 degree intervals, but the intervals and number can be changed as appropriate. In one example, two island-shaped recesses 25b1 can be provided at 180 degree intervals.
[0051] In addition, the blocking piece 25 of this modified example has a tapered surface 25a3 at the tip of the insertion projection 25a, which makes it easier to insert the insertion projection 25a into the piece mounting hole 23c.
[0052] Furthermore, in the closing piece 25 of this modification, the thickness of the expanded diameter portion 25a2 is thinner than that of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6C, and is the same as the depth of the expanded diameter portion 23c2 of the piece mounting hole 23c. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 14A, when the closing piece 25 is attached to the mold body 23, the top surface 25c of the closing piece 25 can be flush with the cavity surface 23a of the mold body 23. In this case, as shown in Figs. 14B to 14C, the formation of a mark of the expanded diameter portion 25a2 on the panel 10 is suppressed.
[0053] On the other hand, the resin of the resin sheets 5a, 5b may enter the island-shaped recess 25b1, and in that case, the protrusion 2b formed due to the island-shaped recess 25b1 may protrude from the upper surface 10a or the lower surface 10b as shown in Fig. 14B. If the protrusion 2b protrudes from the upper surface 10a or the lower surface 10b, it may cause rattling when multiple panels 10 are stacked, so it is preferable that the protrusion 2b does not protrude from the upper surface 10a or the lower surface 10b.
[0054] For this reason, as shown in Fig. 15A, it is preferable to mount the blocking piece 25 so that the top surface 25c protrudes from the cavity surface 23a. In this case, as shown in Figs. 15B to 15C, the protrusion 2b is formed in the recess 2c formed due to the enlarged diameter portion 25a2, so that the protrusion 2b is prevented from protruding from the upper surface 10a or the lower surface 10b.
[0055] The amount of protrusion of the top surface 25c from the cavity surface 23a is preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less, and even more preferably 1 mm or less. This protrusion amount is, for example, 0 to 5 mm, specifically, for example, 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 mm, and may be in the range between any two of the numerical values exemplified here or less than any one of them. [Explanation of symbols]
[0056] 1: Plant insertion hole 2: Obstruction marks 2a: Edge 2b: Protrusion 2c: Recess 4: Cultivated products 5: Parison 5a: First resin sheet 5b: Second resin sheet 5c: Bali 5d: Cutting part 5e: part 8: Molded body 9: Nutrient solution 10: Hydroponic cultivation panel 10a:Top surface 10b: Bottom surface 20: Mold unit for manufacturing hydroponic panels 21: Second mold 22: Second mold 23: Mold body 23a: Cavity surface 23b: Pinch-off section 23c: Bridge mounting hole 23c1: Female thread 23c2: Expanded diameter part 24: Hole forming piece 24a: Insertion protrusion 24a1: Male thread 24a2: Expanded diameter part 24b: Engagement part 24c: Piece body 24d: Engagement member 24d1: Engagement part 24f: Tip 24f1: Circular section 24g: Resin pool 25: Blocking piece 25a: Insertion protrusion 25a1: Male thread 25a2: Expanded diameter part 25a3: Tapered surface 25b: Engagement part 25b1: Island-shaped recess 25c:Top surface 25d: Edge 26: Thick line 50: Plug body C: Center of rotation CP : Central plane P: Plants
Claims
1. A mold unit for manufacturing a hydroponic panel, The mold unit includes first and second molds configured to be openable and closable, Each of the first and second molds includes a mold body; A plurality of piece mounting holes are provided on a cavity surface of the mold body, The piece mounting hole is configured to be capable of mounting both a hole forming piece for forming a plant insertion hole and a closing piece for closing the piece mounting hole, A mold unit for manufacturing hydroponic cultivation panels, in which the number of plant insertion holes formed in the hydroponic cultivation panel can be changed by changing the number of hole forming pieces attached to the piece mounting holes.
2. 2. The mold unit according to claim 1, A mold unit, wherein the piece mounting hole of the mold body of the first mold and the piece mounting hole of the mold body of the second mold are positioned opposite each other.
3. 3. The mold unit according to claim 2, A mold unit, wherein the hole forming piece attached to the piece mounting hole of the first mold and the hole forming piece attached to the piece mounting hole of the second mold have the same shape.
4. A method for manufacturing a hydroponic panel using the mold unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The method includes a first manufacturing process and a second manufacturing process, In a first manufacturing step, the hydroponic cultivation panel is manufactured using the mold unit in the first state, the first state is a state in which the number of the hole forming pieces and the number of the closing pieces attached to the piece attachment holes are first predetermined numbers, In a second manufacturing step, the hydroponic cultivation panel is manufactured using the mold unit in the second state, the second state is a state in which the number of the hole forming pieces and the number of the closing pieces attached to the piece attachment holes are second predetermined numbers, A method, wherein the second predetermined number is a different number than the first predetermined number.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Panel for solution culture and solution culture apparatus using the panel
JP1997103203A