Plant cultivation device

Abstract

To provide a plant cultivation device capable of generating an updraft without using a blower.SOLUTION: A plant cultivation device comprises a long cultivation bed capable of cultivating plants, and a lighting fixture which lights the plants, the cultivation bed is equipped with a long bottom surface part and a housing part having a pair of side surface parts extending upward from both ends in a shorter direction of the bottom surface part, the plurality of housing parts are provided along a shorter direction of the cultivation bed, and the cultivation bed is further equipped with gaps formed between the plurality of housing parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant cultivation device used for cultivating plants in a cultivation room. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a plant cultivation device equipped with a lighting fixture and a blower has been known as a plant cultivation device used when cultivating plants in a cultivation room (Patent Document 1, etc.). In the plant cultivation device described in Patent Document 1, the blower is provided above the plants, and blows air from above the plants downward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-041694 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, recent research by the present inventor has revealed that in plant cultivation, air flowing from below to above the plants makes the carbon dioxide concentration around the plants uniform, which is beneficial for plant growth. In contrast, the plant cultivation device described in Patent Document 1 blows air from above to below the plants, which may not create an environment suitable for plant growth. Furthermore, the plant cultivation device described in Patent Document 1 requires the use of an air blower, so there is room for improvement from the perspective of cost reduction.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a plant cultivation device that can generate an ascending air current without using an air blower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The plant cultivation device of the present invention is a plant cultivation device comprising a long cultivation bed in which plants can be cultivated and a lighting fixture for illuminating the plants, wherein the cultivation bed comprises a storage section having a long bottom surface portion and a pair of side surfaces extending upward from both ends of the short side of the bottom surface portion, and wherein a plurality of the storage sections are provided along the short side of the cultivation bed, and the cultivation bed further comprises gaps formed between the plurality of storage sections.

[0007] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the lighting fixtures include at least a lower lighting fixture that illuminates the plants from below, and that the lower lighting fixture is provided in the gap or above the gap.

[0008] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, the lighting fixture may include an upper lighting fixture that illuminates the plants from above.

[0009] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cultivation bed is made of metal.

[0010] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, the cultivation bed may be formed by roll forming. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the plant cultivation device of the present invention, it is possible to generate an ascending air current without using an air blower. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a plant cultivation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cultivation bed according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA' in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a plant cultivation device according to a modified example. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cultivation bed of a plant cultivation device according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, in the present embodiments, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0014] [Overall configuration of the plant cultivation device] The plant cultivation device 1 according to this embodiment is a plant cultivation device used for cultivating plants in a cultivation room. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the plant cultivation device 1 includes a rack 10, a long cultivation bed 20 on which plants can be cultivated, and a lighting fixture 30 for illuminating the plants.

[0015] In addition, examples of plants that can be cultivated using the plant cultivation device 1 include, but are not limited to, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemons, and zucchinis. Various plants can be cultivated. In Figures 1 to 3, strawberries are shown as an example.

[0016] Hereinafter, in this specification, the left-right direction of the plant cultivation device 1 (X direction in Figs. 1 to 3) will be described as the "lateral direction," the depth direction of the plant cultivation device 1 (Y direction in Figs. 1 and 2) will be described as the "front-rear direction," and the up-down direction of the plant cultivation device 1 (Z direction in Figs. 1 to 3) will be described as the "height direction." Note that these directions are not necessarily the directions in actual use.

[0017] [Rack configuration] 1 and 3, the rack 10 comprises a plurality of pillars 11 installed on an installation surface such as the ground or floor, a plurality of horizontal beams 12 and a plurality of vertical beams 13 spaced apart in the height direction of the pillars 11. The pillars 11 comprise at least a pair of front pillars 11a spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and at least a pair of rear pillars 11b spaced apart in the horizontal direction by the same spacing as the spacing between the front pillars 11a.

[0018] The front pillar portion 11a and the rear pillar portion 11b are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction by a distance wider than the distance between the front pillar portions 11a and the rear pillar portions 11b. Therefore, the front pillar portion 11a and the rear pillar portion 11b form a rectangular internal region of the pillar portion 11 that has a length in the front-to-rear direction.

[0019] At least one pair of horizontal beams 12 are provided spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, and are installed between the front pillars 11a and the rear pillars 11b, respectively. The vertical beams 13 are formed to be longer than the horizontal beams 12. At least one pair of vertical beams 13 are provided spaced apart in the lateral direction, and each vertical beam 13 is installed between the front pillars 11a and the rear pillars 11b.

[0020] [Cultivation bed configuration] 1 and 3, a plurality of cultivation beds 20 are provided in the height direction of the rack 10. Specifically, the cultivation bed 20 is formed in an elongated shape having a length in the front-rear direction, and is placed on the cross beam portions 12 of the rack 10. The cultivation bed 20 also includes a plurality of (two in this embodiment) storage sections 21 provided along the short-side direction of the cultivation bed 20 (X direction in FIGS. 1 to 3), an inclined surface 22 provided at least at one end of the short-side direction of the storage sections 21, and gaps 23 formed between the plurality of storage sections 21.

[0021] 1 to 3, the storage section 21 includes a main body 21A having a generally U-shaped cross section with an open top and both front-rear end portions, and closing portions 21B closing both front-rear end portions of the main body 21A, and is formed as a bucket-like structure as a whole that can store pots 2 containing plant seeds, seedlings, etc. A plurality of pots 2 are stored in the storage section 21 along the front-rear direction.

[0022] The main body 21A has an elongated bottom surface 40 and a pair of side surfaces 50 extending upward from both ends of the bottom surface 40 in the short side direction (the X direction in FIGS. 1 to 3). The bottom surface 40 is formed so that its length in the short side direction is longer than that of the pot 2. The bottom surface 40 also has a recess 41 formed by recessing downward at the center in the short side direction, and is configured to form a space between the bottom surface 40 and the underside of the pot 2 when the pot 2 is accommodated in the accommodation section 21. Having the recess 41 in the bottom surface 40 in this way has the advantage of improving drainage.

[0023] The side surface portion 50 is formed to extend upward from the entire area of ​​both short-side end portions of the bottom surface portion 40. Specifically, the side surface portion 50 has a lower side surface portion 51 that slopes upward and outward in the short-side direction of the bottom surface portion 40 from both short-side end portions of the bottom surface portion 40, a first intermediate side surface portion 52 that slopes upward and outward in the short-side direction of the bottom surface portion 40 from the upper end of the lower side surface portion 51, a second intermediate side surface portion 53 that slopes upward and outward in the short-side direction of the bottom surface portion 40 from the tip of the first intermediate side surface portion 52, and an upper side surface portion 54 that extends horizontally from the upper end of the second intermediate side surface portion 53 toward the outside in the short-side direction of the bottom surface portion 40.

[0024] In this embodiment, the pair of side portions 50 have the same height. However, the configuration of the side portions 50 is not limited thereto. For example, the side portion 50 on the side where the other storage section 21 is not located may be configured to be higher than the side portion 50 on the side where the other storage section 21 is located, or may be configured to be lower than the side portion 50 on the side where the other storage section 21 is located. Regardless of the height of the side portion 50 on the side where the other storage section 21 is not located, the side portion 50 can support the plant, which has the advantage of preventing the plant from falling or tipping over due to its own weight. Note that, in this specification, the "height of the side portion" refers to the vertical distance between the top surface of the upper side portion 54 and the bottom surface of an imaginary plane extending horizontally laterally from the bottom portion 40.

[0025] The blocking portion 21B is formed in a plate shape and has an outer shape that follows the shapes of both front and rear end portions of the main body portion 21 A. In addition, the blocking portion 21B is configured to be attachable to the main body portion 21A so as to block both front and rear end portions of the main body portion 21A.

[0026] 1 to 3, inclined surface 22 is formed from at least one side surface portion 50 of storage portion 21 so as to be inclined downward and outward in the short-side direction of storage portion 21. Specifically, inclined surface 22 is formed extending from the entire tip end portion of upper side surface portion 54 of side surface portion 50, and has inclined portion 22a inclined downward and outward in the short-side direction of storage portion 21 from the tip end portion of upper side surface portion 54, flat portion 22b extending horizontally from the tip end of inclined portion 22a toward the inside of storage portion 21 in the short-side direction, and bent portion 22c bent upward from the tip end of flat portion 22b.

[0027] Moreover, the inclined surfaces 22 are provided in each storage section 21 so as to be adjacent to each other. In this embodiment, since two storage sections 21 are provided along the short direction of the cultivation bed 20, the inclined surfaces 22 are provided only on one side surface portion 50 of the storage section 21, and each inclined surface 22 is configured to be located between the two storage sections 21. By providing the inclined surfaces 22 in this configuration, the distance between the storage sections 21 is increased, and the leaves of the plants stored in each storage section 21 do not overlap, which has the advantage of allowing the lighting fixture 30 to uniformly illuminate the plants.

[0028] Moreover, the inclined surface 22 has the same height as the height of the storage section 21. In this specification, the "height of the inclined surface" refers to the vertical distance between the base end of the inclined portion 22a and the support surface on which the cultivation bed 20 is placed, and the "height of the storage section" refers to the vertical distance between the top surface of the upper side surface portion 54 and the support surface.

[0029] 1 to 3, the gaps 23 are formed over the entire area in the front-rear direction between the plurality of storage sections 21. In this embodiment, the "gaps" refer to spaces formed between the flat plate portions 22b of the adjacent inclined surfaces 22.

[0030] The size of gap 23 is not particularly limited, but is preferably large enough to generate at least the amount of airflow necessary to create an environment favorable for plant growth. As an example, gap 23 has a distance L between the base end of one flat plate portion 22b and the base end of the other flat plate portion 22b of preferably 0.1 cm to 10 cm, and more preferably 0.2 cm to 3 cm.

[0031] In this embodiment, the main body 21A, the closing portion 21B, and the inclined surface 22 are made of metal. Examples of metals that can be used to form the main body 21A, the closing portion 21B, and the inclined surface 22 include galvalume steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and iron, with galvalume steel and stainless steel being particularly preferred, but not limited to these. Furthermore, in order to prevent metal damage, the main body 21A is preferably subjected to various known coating treatments or the like to impart resistance to water and the like (corrosion prevention).

[0032] In this embodiment, the main body 21A and the inclined surface 22 are integrally formed by roll-forming a metal plate. Here, roll-forming is a sheet metal processing method in which a flat material is shaped into a desired cross-sectional shape using multiple sets of forming rolls. By forming the main body 21A and the inclined surface 22 according to this embodiment using roll-forming, a large, continuous cultivation bed can be formed without joints along the front-to-rear direction, which has the advantage of significantly reducing the risk of liquid leakage. Alternatively, the main body 21A and the inclined surface 22 may be formed as separate members and then connected to each other.

[0033] [Lighting fixture configuration] 1 to 3, the lighting fixture 30 has an upper lighting fixture 30A that illuminates plants from above and a lower lighting fixture 30B that illuminates plants from below. Various known lighting fixtures can be used as the upper lighting fixture 30A and the lower lighting fixture 30B, but in this embodiment, as an example, a long lighting fixture having a straight tube LED lamp 31 and a pair of sockets 32 provided at both ends of the straight tube LED lamp 31 in the longitudinal direction is used.

[0034] The upper lighting fixtures 30A are attached to the underside of the cross beam portion 12, and a plurality of them (four in this embodiment) are provided spaced apart in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 3). The lower lighting fixtures 30B are provided above the gap 23. Specifically, the lower lighting fixtures 30B are placed so as to bridge the inclined portions 22a of the adjacent inclined surfaces 22. In this way, by placing the lower lighting fixtures 30B on the inclined portions 22a of the inclined surfaces 22, the lower lighting fixtures 30B and the plants do not come into contact with each other, which has the advantage of reducing heat damage to the plants.

[0035] In the present embodiment, as described above, the lower lighting fixture 30B is described as being provided above the gap 23. However, this is not limited to this, and the lower lighting fixture 30B may be configured to be provided in the gap 23, for example. In this case, the lower lighting fixture 30B can be positioned in the gap 23 by, for example, attaching the lower lighting fixture 30B to the upper surface of the horizontal beam portion 12, or by providing a vertical beam portion 13 below the gap 23 and attaching the lower lighting fixture 30B to the upper surface of the vertical beam portion 13. In this specification, "the lower lighting fixture is provided in the gap" includes both a case where a part of the lower lighting fixture 30B is located in the gap 23 and a case where the entire lower lighting fixture 30B is located in the gap 23.

[0036] [Advantages of the plant cultivation device according to this embodiment] As described above, the plant cultivation device 1 of this embodiment comprises a long cultivation bed 20 in which plants can be cultivated, and a lighting fixture 30 for illuminating the plants, and the cultivation bed 20 comprises a storage section 21 having a long bottom portion 40 and a pair of side portions 50 extending upward from both ends of the short side of the bottom portion 40, and multiple storage sections 21 are provided along the short side of the cultivation bed 20, and the cultivation bed 20 further comprises gaps 23 formed between the multiple storage sections 21.

[0037] According to the plant cultivation device 1 having such a configuration, the gaps 23 are formed between the accommodation sections 21, so that the air present below the cultivation beds 20 passes through the gaps 23 and heads toward the plants. That is, since the air flows from below the plants to above them, the carbon dioxide concentration around the plants becomes uniform, which is advantageous in that it is possible to create an environment suitable for plant growth. Another advantage is that it is possible to generate an updraft without using a blower, which reduces costs.

[0038] Furthermore, in the plant cultivation device 1 according to this embodiment, the lighting fixture 30 includes at least a lower lighting fixture 30B that illuminates the plants from below, and the lower lighting fixture 30B is provided in the gap 23 or above the gap 23. The plant cultivation device 1 having such a configuration has the advantage that the air around the gap 23 is heated by the lower lighting fixture 30B and rises, thereby promoting the flow of air from below the cultivation bed 20 toward the plants. Furthermore, recent research has shown that irradiating the undersides of plant leaves and stumps with light is beneficial for plant growth. In the plant cultivation device 1 according to this embodiment, the lower lighting fixture 30B illuminates the plants from below, thereby irradiating the undersides of plant leaves and stumps with light, thereby creating an environment favorable for plant growth.

[0039] Furthermore, in the plant cultivation device 1 according to this embodiment, the lighting fixture 30 has an upper lighting fixture 30A that illuminates the plants from above. The plant cultivation device 1 having such a configuration has the advantage of being able to create an environment suitable for plant growth because the plants are illuminated not only from below but also from above.

[0040] In the plant cultivation device 1 according to this embodiment, the cultivation bed 20 is made of metal. The plant cultivation device 1 having such a configuration has an advantage that heat generated by the lower lighting fixture 30B is conducted and spreads throughout the cultivation bed 20, and the heat is transferred to the plants, thereby creating an environment suitable for plant growth.

[0041] [Variations] The plant cultivation device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention.

[0042] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the plant cultivation device 1 is described as being equipped with an upper lighting fixture 30A and a lower lighting fixture 30B, but this is not limited to this, and the plant cultivation device 1 may be configured to be equipped with either the upper lighting fixture 30A or the lower lighting fixture 30B.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the cultivation bed 20 is described as being made of metal, but this is not limited thereto, and the cultivation bed 20 may be made of various known materials.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the gap 23 is described as being formed over the entire area in the front-to-rear direction between the multiple storage sections 21, but this is not limited to this, and the gap 23 may be formed in part of the front-to-rear direction, for example, the flat portions 22b of adjacent inclined surfaces 22 are connected by a connecting portion, and the gap 23 may be formed in part of the front-to-rear direction of the connecting portion.

[0045] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the cultivation bed 20 is described as being placed on the rack 10, but this is not limitative and the cultivation bed 20 may be placed on a member other than the rack 10.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the lower lighting fixtures 30B are described as being placed on adjacent inclined surfaces 22, but this is not limiting. For example, as in a plant cultivation device 1' shown in FIG. 4, the side surfaces 50 may be adjacent to each other, and the lower lighting fixtures 30B may be placed on the upper side surfaces 54 of the adjacent side surfaces 50. In the plant cultivation device 1' according to the modified example, the gap 23' is a space formed between the upper side surfaces 54 of the adjacent side surfaces 50. In FIG. 4, components similar to those in the plant cultivation device 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals or the reference numerals are omitted.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the bottom surface portion 40 is described as having a recess 41, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the bottom surface portion 40' may be configured not to have a recess 41, as in the plant cultivation device 1'' shown in Figure 5.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the side portion 50 has been described as having a lower side portion 51, a first intermediate side portion 52, a second intermediate side portion 53, and an upper side portion 54, but this is not limited to this. For example, as in the plant cultivation device 1'' shown in Figure 5, the side portion 50' may have only a lower side portion 51' and an upper side portion 54', and the upper side portion 54' may be inclined outward and downward in the short direction of the bottom portion 40'.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the inclined surface 22 is described as having a bent portion 22c, but this is not limited to this. For example, the inclined surface 22′ may be configured not to have a bent portion 22c, as in the plant cultivation device 1'' shown in Figure 5.

[0050] According to the plant cultivation device 1'' shown in FIG. 5, the main body 21A' and the inclined surface 22' can be made simple in structure, which has the advantage of reducing the amount of material used for the main body 21A' and the inclined surface 22' and simplifying the molding process, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Another advantage is that the mold used to mold the main body 21A' and the inclined surface 22' by roll forming can be made smaller. In FIG. 5, components similar to those in the plant cultivation device 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals or the reference numerals are omitted.

[0051] It is clear from the claims that the above-mentioned modifications are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1, 1', 1'': Plant cultivation equipment 2: Pot 10: Rack 11: Pillar part 11a:Anterior pillar part 11b: Posterior pillar part 12: Cross beam part 13: Vertical beam section 20: Cultivation bed 21: Storage unit 21A, 21A': Main body 21B:Occluded part 22, 22': Inclined surface 22a: Inclined part 22b: Flat plate part 22c: Bent part 23, 23': Gap 30: Lighting equipment 30A: Upper lighting fixture 30B:Lower lighting fixture 31: Straight tube LED lamp 32: Socket 40, 40': Bottom part 41: Recess 50, 50': Side part 51, 51': Lower side part 52: First intermediate side part 53: Second intermediate side part 54, 54': Upper side part

Claims

1. A plant cultivation device comprising a long cultivation bed capable of cultivating plants and a lighting fixture for illuminating the plants, The cultivation bed includes a storage section having a long bottom surface portion and a pair of side surfaces extending upward from both ends of the bottom surface portion in the short side direction, The storage section is provided in plurality along the short side direction of the cultivation bed, The cultivation bed further includes gaps formed between the plurality of storage sections. A plant cultivation device characterized by:

2. The lighting fixture includes at least a lower lighting fixture that illuminates plants from below, The lower lighting fixture is provided in the gap or above the gap.

2. The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 .

3. The lighting fixture includes an upper lighting fixture that illuminates the plants from above.

3. The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The cultivation bed is made of metal.

3. The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The cultivation bed is formed by roll forming.

3. The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 or 2.

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