Plant cultivation device

Abstract

To provide a plant cultivation device capable of lightening heat damage given to plants while lighting up the plants from below.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, the lighting fixture at least has lower lighting fixtures which light up the plants from below, and the lower lighting fixtures are arranged 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 lighting fixture illuminates the plants from above. [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 inventor has revealed that irradiating the undersides of plant leaves and stalks with light is beneficial for plant growth. In contrast, the plant cultivation device described in Patent Document 1 only illuminates plants from above, leaving room for improvement in terms of creating an environment favorable for plant growth. However, placing lighting fixtures near plant leaves or stalks poses the problem of plants coming into contact with the lighting fixtures and suffering heat damage.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and its object is to provide a plant cultivation device that can reduce heat damage to plants while illuminating the plants from below. [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 portion and a pair of side portions extending upward from both ends of the short side of the bottom portion, and a plurality of the storage sections are provided along the short side of the cultivation bed, and the lighting fixture comprises at least a lower lighting fixture for illuminating the plants from below, and the lower lighting fixture is arranged between the plurality of storage sections.

[0007] In the plant cultivation device of the present invention, it is preferable that the cultivation bed further has an inclined surface that slopes from at least one of the side portions of the storage section toward the outside and downward in the short direction of the storage section, and that the inclined surface is configured to be able to reflect light from the lower lighting fixture.

[0008] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, the inclined surfaces may be provided in each storage section so as to be adjacent to each other, and the lower lighting device may be disposed between the adjacent inclined surfaces.

[0009] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the lighting fixture further includes an upper lighting fixture that illuminates the plants from above.

[0010] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, the cultivation bed may be made of metal.

[0011] In the plant cultivation device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cultivation bed is formed by roll forming. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the plant cultivation device of the present invention, it is possible to reduce heat damage to plants while illuminating the plants from below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [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. 2 is a diagram showing an inclined surface according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cultivation bed of a plant cultivation device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. 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 solution of the invention. Furthermore, in the present embodiments, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0015] [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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] [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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] [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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] The inclined surfaces 22 are provided adjacent to each other in each storage section 21. In this embodiment, two storage sections 21 are provided along the short side direction of the cultivation bed 20, and therefore, the inclined surfaces 22 are provided only on one side surface 50 of each storage section 21, and each inclined surface 22 is configured to be located between two storage sections 21.

[0029] In this specification, "inclined surfaces adjacent to each other" includes both a configuration in which the flat portion 22b of one inclined surface 22 abuts against the flat portion 22b of the other inclined surface 22, and a configuration in which a space is formed in part or all of the spaces between the flat portions 22b of the inclined surfaces 22. In this embodiment, a space is formed in all of the spaces between the flat portions 22b of the inclined surfaces 22.

[0030] In this embodiment, the inclined surface 22 is configured to be able to reflect light from a lower lighting fixture 30B, which will be described later. An example of such a light-reflecting configuration is, for example, a configuration in which the inclined portion 22a of the inclined surface 22 is painted white, making the entire or part of the inclined portion 22a of the inclined surface 22 white, but this is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the inclination angle θ (see FIG. 4) of the inclined portion 22a of the inclined surface 22 with respect to the placement surface on which the cultivation bed 20 is placed is preferably greater than 90° and less than 180°, and is preferably 120° from the viewpoint of efficiently reflecting light from the lower lighting fixture 30B.

[0031] In addition, 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 placement surface, 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 placement surface.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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).

[0034] 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.

[0035] [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.

[0036] 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 disposed between the plurality of storage portions 21, i.e., between adjacent inclined surfaces 22. Specifically, the lower lighting fixtures 30B are placed so as to bridge the inclined portions 22a of the adjacent inclined surfaces 22.

[0037] In the present embodiment, as described above, the lower lighting fixture 30B is described as being placed so as to bridge the inclined portions 22a of adjacent inclined surfaces 22. However, this is not limited thereto, and the lower lighting fixture 30B may be configured to be provided in the space formed between the flat portions 22b of adjacent inclined surfaces 22, i.e., the gap 23. In this case, for example, the lower lighting fixture 30B can be positioned in the gap 23 by 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. Note that in this specification, "the lower lighting fixture is disposed between adjacent inclined surfaces" includes both a configuration in which a part of the lower lighting fixture 30B is disposed between the inclined surfaces 22 and a configuration in which the entire lower lighting fixture 30B is disposed between the inclined surfaces 22.

[0038] [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. The cultivation bed 20 comprises a storage section 21 having a long bottom surface portion 40 and a pair of side surfaces 50 extending upward from both ends of the short side of the bottom surface portion 40. A plurality of storage sections 21 are provided along the short side of the cultivation bed 20. The lighting fixture 30 has at least a lower lighting fixture 30B for illuminating the plants from below, and the lower lighting fixture 30B is arranged between the plurality of storage sections 21.

[0039] The plant cultivation device 1 having such a configuration has the advantage that the lower lighting fixture 30B can irradiate light onto the undersides of plant leaves and onto the stumps, creating an environment suitable for plant growth. In addition, because the lower lighting fixture 30B is disposed between the multiple housing sections 21, there is the advantage that the lower lighting fixture 30B does not come into contact with the plants, thereby reducing heat damage to the plants.

[0040] Furthermore, in the plant cultivation device 1 according to this embodiment, the cultivation bed 20 further includes an inclined surface 22 that slopes downward and outward in the short-side direction of the storage unit 21 from at least one side surface 50 of the storage unit 21, and the inclined surface 22 is configured to be able to reflect light from the lower lighting fixture 30B. The plant cultivation device 1 having such a configuration has the advantage that the inclined surface 22 reflects light from the lower lighting fixture 30B, thereby enabling efficient illumination of plants. Furthermore, because the inclined surface 22 slopes downward and outward in the short-side direction of the storage unit 21, it also has the advantage of being able to illuminate a wider area compared to a case without the inclined surface 22.

[0041] Furthermore, in the plant cultivation device 1 according to this embodiment, the inclined surfaces 22 are provided in each storage section 21 so as to be adjacent to one another, and the lower lighting device 30B is disposed between the adjacent inclined surfaces 22. According to the plant cultivation device 1 having such a configuration, the inclined surfaces 22 are provided in each storage section 21 so as to be adjacent to one another, which increases the distance between the storage sections 21 and prevents the leaves of the plants stored in each storage section 21 from overlapping, which has the advantage that the plants can be uniformly illuminated by the lower lighting device 30B.

[0042] 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 that it can create an environment suitable for plant growth because it illuminates the plants not only from below but also from above.

[0043] Furthermore, 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 the 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.

[0044] [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.

[0045] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cultivation bed 20 is described as having an inclined surface 22, and the inclined surface 22 is configured to be able to reflect light, but this is not limited to this, and the cultivation bed 20 may be configured without an inclined surface 22, or the inclined surface 22 may be configured not to reflect light.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the inclined surfaces 22 are described as being provided in each storage section 21 so as to be adjacent to each other, but this is not limited to this, and the inclined surfaces 22 may also be configured not to be adjacent to each other.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the lighting fixture 30 has been described as having the upper lighting fixture 30A, but this is not limitative, and the lighting fixture 30 may be configured without the upper lighting fixture 30A.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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. For example, the flat portions 22b of adjacent inclined surfaces 22 may be connected by a connecting portion, and the gap 23 may be formed in part of the front-to-rear direction of the connecting portion, or the flat portions 22b of each inclined surface 22 may abut against each other without forming the gap 23.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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'.

[0053] 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, and 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.

[0054] According to the plant cultivation device 1' shown in Figure 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 Figure 5, components similar to those in the plant cultivation device 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals or the reference numerals are omitted.

[0055] It is clear from the claims that the above-mentioned modifications are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 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: 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 lighting fixture includes at least a lower lighting fixture that illuminates plants from below, The lower lighting device is disposed between the plurality of receiving portions. A plant cultivation device characterized by:

2. The cultivation bed further includes an inclined surface that slopes downward and outward in the short-side direction of the storage unit from at least one of the side surfaces of the storage unit, The inclined surface is configured to be able to reflect light from the lower lighting fixture.

2. The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 .

3. The inclined surfaces are provided in each storage section so as to be adjacent to each other, The lower lighting fixture is disposed between the adjacent inclined surfaces.

3. The plant cultivation device according to claim 2.

4. The lighting fixture further includes an upper lighting fixture that illuminates the plants from above. The plant cultivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The cultivation bed is made of metal. The plant cultivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The cultivation bed is formed by roll forming. The plant cultivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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