Plant cultivation show case

Abstract

To provide a plant cultivation show case that can efficiently secure a large accommodation capacity relative to an outer dimension.SOLUTION: A plant cultivation show case 1 includes: a base part 2; and an accommodation part 4 which is sectioned by an exterior part 3 for covering an upper side of the base part 2 and in which shelf parts 5A-5C are vertically disposed, where the accommodation part 4 is air-conditioned by an air conditioning mechanism. The air conditioning mechanism includes an air outlet 29 that is disposed so as to be directed to a top surface part 19 of the exterior part 3. Air blowing means 32 is disposed along a longitudinal direction in the top surface part 19 near a lateral part 21A on the exterior part 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to a plant cultivation showcase installed indoors for cultivating plants inside.

Background Art

[0002] As an apparatus that can be installed indoors for cultivating small-scale plants, there is one provided with a case, a plurality of shelves in multiple stages vertically installed inside this 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 has translucency and the plants inside can be seen.

[0003] The plant cultivation showcase of Patent Document 1 includes a base portion in which the main part of the hydroponic cultivation mechanism and the like are incorporated, and a storage portion that is partitioned by an exterior portion covering the upper part of this base portion, houses plants, and is air-conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism. The air conditioning main body portion such as an evaporator in the air conditioning mechanism is installed on the top plate portion of the exterior portion. The exterior portion is configured by a window structure having transparency such as glass for the front and rear surfaces, and the left and right surfaces are configured by metal wall portions. A space extending left and right is formed on the left side of the top plate portion, and a space extending vertically is formed inside one of the left and right wall portions, and both spaces communicate with each other.

[0004] The air air-conditioned by the air conditioning main body portion passes through the space inside the top plate portion from the opening of the top plate portion, then is guided downward through the space inside the wall portion, and then blows out from the opening formed on the inner surface of the wall portion toward the upper part of the upper and lower two-stage shelves arranged in the storage portion. The air in the storage portion is guided toward the top plate portion along the other left and right wall portions, and a part of it is recovered by the air conditioning main body portion through the opening of the top plate portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the plant cultivation showcase of Patent Document 1, the space in the top plate part and the space in the wall part respectively constitute the duct parts in the air conditioning mechanism, the flow of air in the storage part is controlled, and the air-conditioned air can be delivered to the upper and lower two-stage shelf parts arranged in the storage part. However, since the duct parts protrude into the upper part and the side part in the storage part, there is a risk of compressing the storage capacity, and there is a problem that the overall external dimensions of the plant cultivation showcase become large in order to secure a sufficient storage capacity.

[0007] The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a plant cultivation showcase capable of efficiently securing a large storage capacity with respect to the external dimensions.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the plant cultivation showcase of the present invention includes a base, and a storage part partitioned by an exterior part covering the upper part of the base and having a plurality of upper and lower shelf parts arranged therein, the storage part being a plant cultivation showcase air-conditioned by an air conditioning mechanism, wherein the air outlet of the air conditioning mechanism is arranged to face the top surface of the exterior part, and air blowing means is arranged along the front-rear direction on the top surface near the side surface of the exterior part. According to this feature, the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism is blown out from the air outlet facing the top surface into the storage part, flows in the left - right direction along the top surface and then flows downward along the side surface, and flows in the left - right direction between the plurality of upper and lower shelf parts, so that the air - conditioned air can be circulated over the plurality of upper and lower shelf parts in the storage part. Therefore, there is no need to provide the air - conditioning duct part as in the prior art, which projects to the upper part and the side part in the storage part, and an efficiently large storage capacity can be ensured with respect to the overall external dimensions of the plant cultivation showcase. Also, since the air - blowing means is provided along the front - rear direction on the top surface portion near the side surface portion in the storage part, the air - conditioned air can be diffused and circulated throughout the storage part without staying near the top surface portion, and the temperature in the storage part can be kept uniform.

[0009] The air outlet is arranged at the lower part near the side surface portion in the exterior part, and a gap is formed between the plurality of shelf parts and the side surface portion. According to this feature, the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism flows in one direction in the left - right direction inside the storage part along the side surface portion and the top surface portion of the exterior part, and flows in the other direction in the left - right direction between the plurality of upper and lower shelf parts. Therefore, the air - conditioned air can be efficiently circulated over the plurality of upper and lower shelf parts in the storage part. Also, the air - conditioned air can be surely sent from the air outlet to the top surface portion through the gap between the plurality of upper and lower shelf parts and the side surface portion of the exterior part.

[0010] The air - blowing means is a cross - flow fan that is long in the front - rear direction and has an air suction port on the upper surface side and an air outlet facing the inside of the storage part on the side surface side. According to this feature, since the cross - flow fan can blow uniform and wide air in the front - rear direction along the top surface portion, it is surely prevented that air stays near the top surface portion. Also, it becomes easier to suck the air staying on the top surface portion from the suction port on the upper surface side, and it becomes more difficult to directly suck the air blown out from the air outlet of the air - conditioning mechanism to the top surface portion into the suction port.

[0011] The front - rear dimension of the cross - flow fan is formed to be at least equal to the front - rear width of the shelf part. According to this feature, the uppermost shelf part can be effectively air-conditioned by the uniform and wide air flow blown out from the cross-flow fan.

[0012] It is characterized in that a gap is formed between the cross-flow fan and the side surface part of the exterior part. According to this feature, the air blown out from the air outlet of the air-conditioning mechanism toward the top surface is sucked in from the suction port on the upper surface side of the cross-flow fan through the gap between the cross-flow fan and the side surface part of the exterior part, so that air does not stay between the opposing surfaces of the cross-flow fan and the top surface.

[0013] It is characterized in that a lighting device that is long in the left-right direction is arranged along the top surface, and the air outlet of the cross-flow fan is located below the lower surface of the lighting device. According to this feature, the air staying on the top surface can be efficiently blown in the left-right direction without being obstructed by the lighting device, and the temperature in the accommodation part can be kept uniform.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

[0015] The mode for implementing the plant cultivation showcase according to the present invention will be described below based on the embodiments.

Embodiment

[0016] Regarding the plant cultivation showcase according to the embodiment, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In the following, the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1 will be used as the front, rear, left, and right directions of the plant cultivation showcase for the description.

[0017] The plant cultivation showcase 1 according to the present invention is appropriately installed in a place that catches people's eyes, such as stores like greengrocers and fruit shops, department stores, supermarkets, retail stores in commercial facilities, restaurants and accommodation facilities, exhibition venues, offices, etc. The plant cultivation showcase 1 can be powered, for example, from a 100V AC power outlet, and its external dimensions are relatively small, with a left-right width within 300 cm, a front-rear width within 100 cm, and a height within 300 cm, enabling indoor installation regardless of the location. By installing such a plant cultivation showcase 1, it can become a topic of conversation and an eye-catcher, and it may also help improve customer satisfaction, such as giving a sense of security to the vegetables provided.

[0018] The plant cultivation showcase 1 is basically a hydroponic cultivation specification, and plants for food such as vegetables and fruits and plants such as fresh flowers (hereinafter simply referred to as "plants") are displayed on the shelves described later with their roots attached. The plant cultivation showcase is a so-called fully controlled type that cultivates in a closed environment without using sunlight, and by controlling the growth environment of the plants (light, temperature, humidity, nutrients, water, etc.), it is possible to carry out cultivation that enables year-round and planned production.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 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-in, and an outer packaging part 3 that covers the upper part of the base 2, and a storage part 4 that is partitioned and air-conditioned by an air-conditioning mechanism. A plurality of upper and lower shelves 5A to 5C are provided in the storage part 4.

[0020] The base 2 is composed of a pedestal portion 6 and a cover member 7 that surrounds the front, rear, left, and right side surfaces of the pedestal portion 6, and has a hollow space inside. The pedestal portion 6, which is a structural member inside the plant cultivation showcase 1, is composed of a support surface portion 6a that is rectangular in plan view as shown in FIG. 4, and a pair of legs 6b, 6b that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the support surface portion 6a. A heat insulating plate 15 is placed on the support surface portion 6a of the pedestal portion 6, and this heat insulating plate 15 constitutes the upper surface of the base 2. Although not shown here, the heat insulating plate 15 is formed with a heat insulating layer inside by injecting and foaming a foaming resin between a rigid upper wall material and a lower wall material that are supported so as to form an appropriate interval therebetween.

[0021] In the hollow space of the base 2, the main part of a hydroponic cultivation mechanism (not shown here), a control device, a power tap, etc. are arranged. In the plant cultivation showcase 1, an air conditioning mechanism is used for managing the temperature and humidity inside the storage portion 4, a hydroponic cultivation mechanism is used for the nutrients and moisture in the shelf portions 5A to 5C, and lighting devices 16 (see FIGS. 2, 3, and 5) that illuminate the upper surfaces of the lower shelf portions 5A to 5C are arranged on the lower surfaces of the shelf portions 5A and 5B and the top surface portion 19 of the exterior portion 3. These air conditioning mechanism, hydroponic cultivation mechanism, and lighting device 16 are controlled by the control device so as to be in an optimal state for plant growth. Incidentally, a carbon dioxide generator capable of changing the carbon dioxide concentration may be installed under the control of the control device.

[0022] On the upper surface of the base 2 (the upper surface of the heat insulating plate 15), a frame body 8 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 4 is arranged and fixed, and the load of the frame body 8 is supported by the base 2. The frame body 8 includes four vertical rods 9 that extend in the vertical direction and are arranged in the front, rear, left, and right directions, and horizontal rods 10 that connect the adjacent vertical rods 9, 9 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, it has a pair of front and rear support rods 11, 11 that connect the horizontal rods 10, 10 facing each other on the left and right. The pair of front and rear support rods 11, 11 on the upper and lower sides constitute a shelf placement portion that supports a container 12 (described later) of the shelf portions 5A and 5B.

[0023] The container 12 is a bottomed, horizontally long tray that opens upward, and a sufficient amount of culture solution necessary for cultivation constantly flows. Note that this culture solution is circulated by a circulation device (not shown) that constitutes the hydroponic cultivation mechanism, and fresh culture solution is constantly supplied to the plants.

[0024] The separation dimension between the pair of front and rear support rods 11, 11 is made larger than the front-rear width of the container 12. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the support rod 11 is composed of a flat plate, and L-shaped metal fittings 13 are respectively fixed to both longitudinal ends on the upper surface 11a of the support rod 11, and these L-shaped metal fittings 13 are externally fitted to the four corners of the container 12 respectively. Thereby, the movement of the container 12 in the front-rear, left-right directions is restricted, and the container 12 is supported on the support rods 11, 11 so as not to fall off.

[0025] Also, on the upper surface 11a of the front and rear support rods 11, bar members 14 that stand upward are erected at both longitudinal ends. This bar member 14 is a rod for spreading or winding around the fruits of vine plants such as strawberries upward and outside the container 12, and may be omitted when not cultivating vine plants.

[0026] The containers 12 supported on the support rods 11, 11 adjacent to each other vertically respectively constitute a part of the uppermost shelf portion 5A and a part of the second shelf portion 5B from the bottom. Also, the container 12 placed on the upper surface of the base 2 (the upper surface of the heat insulating plate 15) constitutes a part of the lowermost shelf portion 5C. L-shaped metal fittings 13 are respectively fixed to the heat insulating plate 15 at positions corresponding to the four corners of the container 12.

[0027] The lighting devices 16, 16 of the aforementioned shelf portions 5A, 5B are composed of lighting devices such as LEDs, and are arranged by fixing means (not shown) across the longitudinal lower surfaces of the pair of front and rear support rods 11, 11, enabling the lower shelf portions 5B, 5C to be illuminated respectively. Also, the lighting device 16 arranged by fixing means (not shown) on the lower surface of the top surface portion 19 of the exterior portion 3 is also composed of a lighting device such as an LED, enabling the shelf portion 5A to be illuminated.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the exterior portion 3 is composed of a pair of front and rear side portions 20 along the left - right direction of the shelf portions 5A to 5C, a pair of left and right side portions 21 along the front - rear direction of the shelf portions 5A to 5C, and a top surface portion 19.

[0029] The front and rear side portions 20 are constituted by two sliding doors 20A and 20B that slide left and right. These sliding doors 20A and 20B are composed of a glass panel 20c having transparency and a frame 20d. Thus, since the front and rear side portions 20 mainly have transparency, the inside of the storage portion 4 can be observed through the transparent glass panel 20c.

[0030] The pair of left and right side portions 21 are constituted by a metal plate material 21d and a glass panel 21c which is a window portion having transparency and closing an opening 21e formed in the plate material 21d. The opening area of the opening 21e is larger than the surface area of the plate material 21d, and since the side portion 21 mainly has transparency, the inside of the storage portion 4 can be observed through the transparent glass panel 21c.

[0031] The top surface portion 19 is formed in a bottomless box shape by bending a metal plate material, and the bottom portion is constituted by a separate heat - insulating plate (having the same structure as the heat - insulating plate 15), so that it is formed into a thin and hollow box body. This top surface portion 19 is attached so as to close the upper opening of the storage portion 4 surrounded by the pair of front and rear side portions 20 and the pair of left and right side portions 21. A rail portion (not shown here) is formed at the lower part of the side along the front - side portion 20 of the top surface portion 19. Also, a similar rail portion is formed on the base 2 side, and the two sliding doors 20A and 20B constituting the front - side portion 20 are movably attached in a sliding manner by these upper and lower rail portions.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, the left - right dimension of the container 12 is smaller than that of the support rod 11, and the container 12 is restricted from moving by the L - shaped metal fitting 13 at a position biased to the right side in the left - right direction of the support rod 11. Specifically, the container 12 is arranged slightly biased to the side opposite 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, gaps G1 and G2 are formed between the left end of the container 12 in the shelf parts 5A and 5B and the left side surface part 21A where the main body 25 of the air - conditioning mechanism is arranged, and gaps C1 and C2, which are smaller than the gaps G1 and G2, are also formed between the right end of the container 12 and the right side surface part 21B. Since the movement of the container 12 in the front - rear, left - right directions is restricted by the L - shaped metal fitting 13 fixed to the support rod 11, the opening areas of the gaps G1, G2, C1, and C2 are maintained, and the gaps G1, G2, C1, and C2 formed in each stage are arranged in the vertical direction and blow through to the top surface part 19.

[0033] Regarding the air - conditioning mechanism, since it has a well - known structure from before, it will not be described in detail in the figure, but it has a main body 25 in the housing part 4 for performing air - conditioning and a control part for controlling the refrigerant. The control part has a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion valve, and these are built in the base 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the main body 25 includes an evaporator 26 and a fan 27, and the evaporator 26 on the main body 25 side and the condenser on the control part side are connected via a compressor and an expansion valve by a pipe (not shown).

[0034] The main body 25 includes a rectangular parallelepiped - shaped housing 28 with a vertically long shape that houses the evaporator 26 and the fan 27 inside. As shown in Fig. 5, the housing 28 is arranged on the heat - insulating plate 15 provided on the support surface part 6a of the pedestal part 6 (see Fig. 4) in the same way as the lowermost container 12. Also, the housing 28 is arranged close to the left side surface part 21A where the aforementioned gaps G1 and G2 are located among the pair of left - right side surface parts 21A and 21B that constitute the exterior part 3.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 28 is formed such that the height dimension L1 is substantially 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. Further, the depth dimension (front-rear dimension) is formed to be slightly smaller than the opening width (not shown) in the depth direction of the gap G1, and the housing 28 partially blocks the gap G1. Further, although not shown here, the front-rear width dimension is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner dimension in the front-rear direction of the exterior portion 3, that is, the separation dimension between the pair of front and rear side portions 20, 20, and the gap between the housing 28 and the pair of front and rear side portions 20, 20 is made small.

[0036] The housing 28 of the main body portion 25 is provided with an air outlet 29 in the top plate portion (upper surface) 28a and an air inlet 30 in the side plate portion (side surface) 28b facing the lowermost shelf portion 5C side. The air inlet 30 is formed wide in the front-rear direction and extends vertically to a height of at least half of the distance dimension from the upper surface of the heat insulating plate 15 to the lower surface of the lower support rod 11.

[0037] Regarding the internal structure of the housing 28 of the main body portion 25, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, an evaporator 26 and a blower fan 27 are arranged below the air outlet 29 of the top plate portion 28a. Although not shown here, a plurality of blower fans 27 are installed in the front-rear width direction of the air outlet 29. The air inlet 30 is arranged facing the inner side of the evaporator 26, and the air in the accommodation portion 4 drawn in from the air inlet 30 on the side portion of the housing 28 by the blower fan 27 is cooled by the evaporator 26 and blown out into the accommodation portion 4 from the air outlet 29 above the housing 28.

[0038] The air outlet 29 is formed across substantially the front-rear width dimension of the container 12, and as shown in FIG. 6, louver 31A, 31B which are air direction directing means facing upward are provided. The louvers 31A, 31B provided in the air outlet 29 are arranged in parallel in a plurality of sheets from the side portion 21A side toward the inside. Here, seven louvers are arranged, and the four inner louvers 31A are set at an angle inclined inward in the left-right direction compared to the three louvers 31B on the side portion 21A side.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a cross-flow fan 32 that is long in the front-rear direction and serves as a blowing means is attached to the lower surface of the top surface portion 19 near the left side surface portion 21A in the exterior portion 3 via a pair of front and rear brackets 33, 33. Since this cross-flow fan 32 is a known one, detailed description thereof is omitted. Inside a casing 32a that is long in the front-rear direction, an impeller 32c that is long in the front-rear direction and a motor (not shown) that rotates the impeller 32c counterclockwise in a front view are accommodated. In this embodiment, the front-rear dimension of the cross-flow fan 32 is set to be larger than the front-rear width of the container 12 by a required dimension, but it may be made equal to the front-rear width of the container 12.

[0040] The cross-flow fan 32 is disposed such that gaps D1 and D2 are formed between the left side surface portion 21A and the top surface portion 19. On the upper surface of the casing 32a of the cross-flow fan 32 and on the left side surface facing the side surface portion 21A, a large number of, for example, slit-shaped air inlets 32d are formed along the front-rear direction. Further, at the lower part of the right side surface of the casing 32a, an air outlet 32b that is long in the front-rear direction and faces inward of the accommodating portion 4 is formed so as to be positioned below the lower surface of the lighting device 16 attached to the top surface portion 19. Furthermore, the lower surface and the front and rear surfaces of the casing 32a are flat surfaces, and through holes for allowing air to pass through are not formed.

[0041] Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the flow of the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism will be described by attaching a symbol F as an image to the air flow (note that flows similar to F5 and F8 occur on the back side of the paper surface, but the description thereof is omitted). As shown in FIG. 5, when the air conditioning mechanism operates, the air absorbed by the evaporator 26 is blown out from the air outlet 29 by the fan 27. A part of the air blown out from the air outlet 29 is guided by the louver 31A and blown toward the ventilation path S1 (see FIG. 2) between the second-stage shelf portion 5B from the bottom and the uppermost-stage shelf portion 5A (F1), and the other is guided by the louver 31B and blown toward the ventilation path S2 between the uppermost-stage shelf portion 5A and the top surface portion 19 (F2).

[0042] Specifically, the air guided by the louver 31A and blown out from the air outlet 29 is sent to the ventilation path S1 through the gap G1 in the lower part (next to the second shelf part 5B from the bottom) (F1). Similarly, the air guided by the louver 31B and blown out from the air outlet 29 is sent to the ventilation path S2 through the gap G2 in the upper part (next to the top shelf part 5A) (F2).

[0043] The air blown toward the ventilation path S1 defined by the second shelf part 5B from the bottom, the top shelf part 5A, and the pair of front and rear side parts 20 flows in the right direction along the left - right direction of the ventilation path S1 from the gap G1 side which is the inlet (F3). Most of it is guided to the inner surface of the exterior part 3 (here, the side part 21B) which is the end of the ventilation path S1, and passes through the gap C1 between the end on the side opposite to the longitudinal direction of the gap G1 in the shelf part 5B and the exterior part 3 (here, the side part 21B), and flows into the ventilation path S3 between the bottom - most shelf part 5C and the second shelf part 5B from the bottom (F4).

[0044] In this way, due to the flow of (F3), the air conditioned by the air - conditioning mechanism is diffused from one end to the other end in the left - right direction of the ventilation path S1 where the second shelf part 5B from the bottom is located, and the air around the plants grown side - by - side in the longitudinal direction (left - right direction) of the second shelf part 5B from the bottom can be evenly air - conditioned to a temperature zone suitable for growth.

[0045] Also, a part of the air passing through the ventilation path S1 flows into the ventilation path S3 through the gap between the inner surfaces of the pair of front and rear side parts 20 in the exterior part 3 and the shelf part 5A (F5). This is because the air just blown out from the air outlet 29 is colder than the air in the ventilation path S3 away from the air outlet 29, and it utilizes the characteristic that the cold air tends to move downward from the ventilation path S1 to the ventilation path S3.

[0046] The air blown toward the ventilation passage S2 defined by the uppermost shelf portion 5A, the top surface portion 19, and the pair of front and rear side surface portions 20 flows (F6) from the gap G2 side, which is the inlet, along the left-right direction in the ventilation passage S2 toward the right (the details of the flow around the cross-flow fan 32 will be described later). Most of the air is guided to the inner surface of the exterior portion 3 (here, the side surface portion 21B), which is the end of the ventilation passage S2, and passes through the gap C2 between the end portion on the side opposite to the longitudinal direction of the gap G2 in the shelf portion 5A and the exterior portion 3 (here, the side surface portion 21B), and further flows (F7) toward the gap C1 between the end portion of the second shelf portion 5A from the bottom and the exterior portion 3 below it, where it merges with the flow (F4) of the air from the lower ventilation passage S1 toward the lowermost ventilation passage S3.

[0047] Also, a part of the air passing through the ventilation passage S2 flows (F8) into the lower ventilation passage S1 through the gap between the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right side surface portions 21 of the exterior portion 3 and the shelf portion 5B, where it merges with the flow (F3) of the lower ventilation passage S1. In the uppermost ventilation passage S2, the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism is diffused from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the ventilation passage S2 where the uppermost shelf portion 5A exists due to the flow (F6), and the air around the plants grown side by side in the longitudinal direction of the uppermost shelf portion 5A can be evenly air-conditioned to a temperature range suitable for growth.

[0048] The air (F4) flowing from the lower ventilation passage S1 toward the lowermost ventilation passage S3 and the air (F4) flowing into the lowermost ventilation passage S3 through the gap C1 between the inner surfaces of the pair of front and rear side surface portions 20 of the exterior portion 3 and the shelf portion 5A flow (F9) along the longitudinal direction of the lowermost ventilation passage S3 from the gap C1 side, which is the inlet, in the opposite direction, that is, toward the main body portion 25 of the air conditioning mechanism arranged facing the longitudinal end of the ventilation passage S3. Then, it is drawn into the suction port 30 of the main body portion 25 of the air conditioning mechanism. When the fan 27 of the main body portion 25 of the air conditioning mechanism sucks air from the suction port 30, the flow (F9) is generated, and by this flow, the air-conditioned air is diffused from one end to the other end of the lowermost ventilation passage S3, and the air around the plants grown side by side in the longitudinal direction of the lowermost shelf portion 5C can be evenly air-conditioned to a temperature range suitable for growth.

[0049] Here, the flow around the cross-flow fan 32 will be described in detail. A part of the air (F2) blown out from the air outlet 29 of the evaporator 26 toward the top surface portion 19 flows into the gap D1 between the cross-flow fan 32 and the left side surface portion 21A, and the gap D2 between the cross-flow fan 32 and the top surface portion 19. The other part of the air (F2) becomes the left-right flow (F6) as described above. The air flowing into the gap D2 is sucked inside through the suction ports 32d formed on the left side surface and the upper surface of the casing 32a of the cross-flow fan 32, and wide air is blown uniformly and in the front-rear direction from the air outlet 32b toward the uppermost ventilation path S2 (F10). Note that although the flow (F10) is a part of the flow (F6), for convenience of explanation, it is shown separately in the figure. At this time, since the air outlet 32b is located below the lower surface of the lighting device 16 of the top surface portion 19, it is efficiently blown toward the ventilation path S2 without being obstructed by the lighting device 16. The air (F10) blown from the cross-flow fan 32 toward the ventilation path S2 flows toward the right side surface portion 21B direction, merges with the flow (F7), and flows downward.

[0050] As described above, the air conditioned by the air conditioning mechanism is blown into the housing portion 4 from the air outlet 29 disposed upward at the lower portion of the housing portion 4. A part of it is guided longitudinally in the ventilation path S2 along the exterior portion 3 and the top surface portion 19 (F2, F6, F7). Another part of it is guided longitudinally in the ventilation path S1 along the exterior portion 3 and the uppermost shelf portion 5A (F1, F3, F4), and after being guided longitudinally in the ventilation path S3 below the second shelf portion 5B from the bottom, it is recovered from the suction port 30. In this way, by using the exterior portion 3, the top surface portion 19, the uppermost shelf portion 5A, and the second shelf portion 5B from the bottom in the housing portion 4, the air conditioned over the plurality of upper and lower shelf portions 5A, 5B, 5C in the housing portion 4 can be circulated, and an efficiently large accommodation capacity can be ensured with respect to the outer dimensions of the plant cultivation showcase 1. In addition, the air blown into the housing portion 4 from the air outlet 29 is less likely to be directly drawn into the suction port 30 disposed below this air outlet 29.

[0051] In addition, since all side surfaces 20, 21 of the exterior part 3 mainly have transparency, the shelf parts 5A, 5B, 5C can be seen from all directions on the side surfaces of the exterior part 3, and it is easy to observe the plants grown in the accommodation part 4.

[0052] In addition, a plurality of shelf parts 5A, 5B other than the lowermost shelf part 5C are arranged with gaps G1, G2 between at least one end in the longitudinal direction and the exterior part 3, and the air outlets 29 are provided so as to face the gaps G1, G2. Through these gaps G1, G2 arranged in the vertical direction, the air-conditioned air can be reliably sent from the air outlets 29 to the top surface part 19 of the accommodation part 4.

[0053] In addition, since the main body part 25 having the evaporator 26 in the air-conditioning mechanism is installed in the accommodation part 4, there is no need for a space in the base part 2 to house such a main body part having an evaporator, and the vertical dimension of the base part 2 can be reduced. As a result, the vertical dimension of the entire plant cultivation showcase 1 can be made compact.

[0054] The main body part 25 in the air-conditioning mechanism is provided with an air outlet 29 facing the gap G1 beside the shelf part 5B at the second stage from the bottom on the top plate part 28a, and an air inlet 30 on the side plate part 28b. According to this, the return air passage S3 facing the air inlet 30 can be partitioned by the shelf part 5B at the second stage from the bottom and the main body part 25, and the air-conditioned air blown out from the air outlet 29 to the air passage S1 at the second stage from the bottom and the air in the air passage S3 near the air inlet 30 are less likely to mix, and accurate air-conditioning can be performed.

[0055] In addition, by adopting a structure in which the containers 12 are supported by the frame body 8 having a frame structure arranged inside the accommodation part 4 to form a plurality of shelf parts 5A, 5B, the structure of the exterior part 3 can be simplified, the accommodation capacity of the accommodation part 4 can be further ensured, and it becomes easier to observe the plants grown in the accommodation part 4.

[0056] In addition, since a cross-flow fan 32 that is long in the front-rear direction is provided on the top surface portion 19 near the side surface portion 21A in the exterior portion 3, the air-conditioned air can be diffused and circulated throughout the entire storage portion 4 without being retained near the top surface portion 19, and the temperature inside the storage portion 4 can be kept uniform. Moreover, since the front-rear dimension of the cross-flow fan 32 is larger than the front-rear width of the container (shelf portion) 12, the upper and lower plurality of shelf portions can be effectively air-conditioned by the uniform and wide air flow blown out from the cross-flow fan 32. Further, although the cross-flow fan 32 may also be provided in the second ventilation path S1 from the bottom, from the viewpoint of not obstructing the flow (F2), it is more preferable to provide it only in the uppermost ventilation path S2 as in this embodiment.

[0057] In addition, since the air outlet 32b of the cross-flow fan 32 is located below the lower surface of the lighting device 16 attached to the top surface portion 19, the air that has accumulated on the top surface portion 19 can be efficiently blown to the right without being obstructed by the lighting device 16, and the temperature inside the storage portion 4 can be kept uniform.

[0058] Also, gaps D1 and D2 are formed between the cross-flow fan 32 and the side surface portion 21A of the exterior portion 3 and between the cross-flow fan 32 and the top surface portion 19, and air inlets 32d are formed on the left side surface and the upper surface of the cross-flow fan 32. Therefore, the air can be inhaled from the inlets 32d on the left side surface and the upper surface and blown out from the air outlet 32b without retaining the air between the opposing surfaces of the cross-flow fan 32 and the top surface portion 19.

[0059] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications and additions within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0060] For example, in the above-described embodiment, three upper and lower shelf portions 5A, 5B, and 5C are arranged in the storage portion 4, but the present invention is not limited to this, and two upper and lower shelf portions may be provided, or a plurality of four or more shelf portions may be provided.

[0061] The main body 25 of the air conditioning mechanism is not limited to being installed in the accommodating portion 4. As long as the air outlet and the suction port are installed in the accommodating portion 4, the evaporator, the fan, and the housing may be incorporated in the base 2 in particular.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the air conditioning mechanism has been described for the case of the refrigeration cycle system. However, a system using a Peltier element or other systems may be used.

[0063] In addition, the place where the plant cultivation showcase 1 is installed is not limited to a place visible to the general customers. For example, it may be in the backyard of a restaurant or the like.

[0064] Further, the movement restricting means provided on the support rod 11 may be arranged on the support rod 11 such that the separation distance in the longitudinal direction is larger than the longitudinal dimension of the container 12. Thereby, the container can be slightly moved in the longitudinal direction of the support rod, and the opening areas of the gaps G1 and G2 can be adjusted.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the shelf portions 5A and 5B are constituted by the containers 12 placed on the support rod 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be a container integrally fixed to the support rod, or a shelf board integrally fixed to the support rod on which a separate dish-shaped tray or the like can be arranged. That is, any member having a flat lower surface extending in the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction of the accommodating portion may be used. In the case of a member such as a shelf board integrally fixed to the support rod, an opening may be provided in the shelf board as a substitute for the gap in the above-described embodiment.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, in the second ventilation path S1 from the bottom and the uppermost ventilation path S2, the air-conditioned air mainly flows to one side in the left-right direction in the accommodating portion 4, and in the lowermost ventilation path S3, it mainly flows to the other side in the left-right direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, by arranging the suction port 30 of the housing 28 of the air conditioning mechanism not only in the shelf portion 5C of the lowermost ventilation path S3 but also toward the side of the shelf portion 5B of the second ventilation path S1 from the bottom, the air-conditioned air in the lowermost ventilation path S3 and the second ventilation path S1 from the bottom may mainly flow to the other side in the left-right direction.

[0067] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the cross-flow fan 32 that is long in the front-rear direction is used as the air-blowing means, but a plurality of axial-flow fans arranged side by side along the front-rear direction of the top surface portion 19 may be used instead.

[0068] In addition, the cross-flow fan 32 of the above-described embodiment has an air intake on the left side surface, but the air intake on the left side surface may be omitted.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0069] 1 Plant cultivation showcase 2 Base 3 Exterior portion 4 Storage portion 5A to 5C Shelf portions 6 Pedestal portion 7 Cover member 8 Frame body 9 Vertical rod 10 Horizontal rod 11 Support rod 11a Upper surface 12 Container (shelf portion) 13 L-shaped metal fitting 15 Heat insulating plate 16 Lighting device 19 Top surface portion 20 Side surface portion 20A, 20B Slide doors 20c Glass panel 21 (21A, 21B) Side surface portion 21c Glass panel 21d Plate material 21e Opening 25 Main body portion 26 Evaporator 27 Air-blowing fan 28 Housing 28a Top plate portion (upper surface) 28b Side plate portion (side surface) 29 Air outlet 30 Air intake 31A, 31B Louvers 32 Cross-flow fan (air-blowing means) 32a Casing 32b Air outlet 32c impeller 32d suction port 33 bracket Gap between C1 and C2 Gap between G1 and G2 Gap between D1 and D2 Ventilation paths S1 to S3

Claims

1. A plant cultivation showcase comprising a base and a storage part partitioned by an exterior part covering above the base and having a plurality of upper and lower shelf parts arranged therein, wherein the storage part is air-conditioned by an air-conditioning mechanism, The air outlet of the air-conditioning mechanism is arranged to face the top surface of the exterior part, and air blowing means is arranged along the front-rear direction on the top surface near the side surface of the exterior part. The plant cultivation showcase is characterized by this.

2. The air outlet is arranged at the lower part near the side surface of the exterior part, and a gap is formed between the plurality of shelf parts and the side surface. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The air blowing means is a cross-flow fan that is long in the front-rear direction and has an air suction port on the upper surface side and an air outlet facing the inside of the storage part on the side surface side. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

4. The front-rear dimension of the cross-flow fan is formed to be at least equal to the front-rear width of the shelf part. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 3 is characterized by this.

5. A gap is formed between the cross-flow fan and the side surface of the exterior part. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 3 is characterized by this.

6. A lighting device that is long in the left-right direction is arranged along the top surface, and the air outlet of the cross-flow fan is located below the lower surface of the lighting device. The plant cultivation showcase according to claim 4 or 5 is characterized by this.

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