Suspension structure of connected containers

Abstract

In a pot-type hydroponic cultivation system, I want to use the pots for weight measurement to ensure that the correct amount of liquid fertilizer is supplied at the appropriate time. [Solution] The suspension shaft 25 of the suspension frame 23 is hooked to a pair of U-shaped hooks 21, 21 fixed to the lower surface of the weight measuring box 17 so as not to rotate, while simultaneously being able to move in the axial direction. When there is a difference in the weight of the pots 3, 3, ... and the center of gravity of the connected pot 4 is shifted left or right from the center on the plane, the suspension frame 23 can be moved left or right relative to the suspension pivot point to align the suspension pivot point and the center of gravity, bringing the connected pot 4 to a position where it can be maintained in a horizontal position. At that time, by moving the weight measuring box 17 in the opposite direction to the movement of the suspension frame 23 relative to the mounting shaft 15, the position of the connected pot 4 remains the same when viewed from above, and does not interfere with the adjacent pots 3, 3, ... Furthermore, it does not hit the drainage collection trough 5 below, which reduces the accuracy of weight measurement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hanging structure of a connecting container suitable for hydroponics in which a liquid fertilizer is supplied to cultivated plants arranged indoors such as in a vinyl house for cultivation.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1 related to the previous application of the applicant of the present application, a hydroponics device has been proposed that automatically supplies a liquid fertilizer to cultivated plants planted in a large number of cultivation containers at the same time. In this hydroponics device, at least one of the containers during plant cultivation is used for measurement, and the decrease in the weight of this container is treated as the decrease in the liquid fertilizer. When the decrease amount becomes less than or equal to a threshold value, the liquid fertilizer is supplied. It is intended to supply an appropriate amount of liquid fertilizer at an appropriate timing without wasting the liquid fertilizer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Thus, water in the liquid fertilizer easily escapes from the bottom opening of the container, and the amount of soil is limited in some cases. Depending on the container, water may be insufficient and the soil may dry out rapidly. Even if water is supplied at the next supply timing, the phenomenon that the soil repels the water may occur at that stage. In consideration of such a situation, it is required to further improve the accuracy of weight measurement. By measuring the weights of a plurality of selected containers instead of one container, it is conceivable to make the measurement results reflect the differences in the situations of individual containers.

[0005] However, measuring the weight of multiple containers individually would complicate the structure and be impractical. On the other hand, conventionally, a single circular container was suspended with a carabiner, but depending on the growth stage of the plants, there can be weight differences between containers beyond the weight of the water, and when multiple containers are suspended together in the same way, the balance is easily disrupted. Furthermore, since the multiple containers are connected in a rectangular shape to match the drainage collection trough below, if the balance is disrupted, they may rotate or twist, causing the rectangular connected containers to enter the passageway and collide with workers in the passageway, or the containers to hit the wall of the drainage collection trough, making accurate weight measurement impossible.

[0006] This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a special structure that enables rectangular connected containers to be suspended almost symmetrically, even if there are weight differences between the containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been made to achieve the above objective, and is a suspension structure for a connecting container comprising: a pair of support shafts fixed above inside a cultivation greenhouse and extending horizontally at the same height and spaced apart; a pair of mounting shafts erected perpendicular to the pair of support shafts; a mounting shaft erected perpendicular to the pair of mounting shafts and located between the pair of support shafts; and a suspension frame suspended and supported via a weight measuring box attached to the mounting shaft so as to be movable in the axial direction, wherein a connecting container is set on the suspension frame, characterized in that the hanging portion of the suspension frame is hooked onto a pair of hooks fixed to the lower surface of the weight measuring box so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the mounting shaft.

[0008] Preferably, the upper guide piece of the weight measuring box is slidably fitted into a concave guide portion configured on the lower side of the shaft to be mounted, thereby being lifted and supported. Preferably, the shaft to be mounted is made of a lip grooved material, and the groove forms a concave guide portion. Preferably, the system includes a position adjustment mechanism that allows a pair of erection axes to move in a direction perpendicular to the pair of support axes. Preferably, the set section of the connecting container of the suspension frame is composed of a pair of support shafts extending horizontally at the same height and spaced apart, and an orthogonal shaft installed between the pair of support shafts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The suspension structure for connected containers of the present invention makes it possible to suspend the connected containers almost symmetrically, even if there are differences in weight between the containers. Therefore, it prevents the connected containers from entering the passageway and colliding with workers in the passageway, and prevents the containers from hitting the wall of the drainage collection trough, which would prevent accurate weight measurement. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of the inside of a greenhouse, including a suspension structure for connected containers according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of the suspension structure of the connected containers. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the upper part of the suspension structure of the connected container. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the upper part of the suspension structure of the connecting container, seen from a different direction. [Figure 5] Figures 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the components that make up the front-to-back position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the combined state of the front-to-back position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 7] Figures 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the components that make up the left-right position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the combined state of the left-right position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 9] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lower part of the suspension structure of the connected container. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The suspension structure of the connected container according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of tomato pots (containers) for hydroponic cultivation in a greenhouse, which is an agricultural facility for growing crops. Inside the greenhouse, numerous pots (containers) 3, 3, ... are arranged in two rows and connected to each other between two parallel support rails 1, 1 that extend at the same height and spaced apart. Below these pots 3, 3, ..., a recessed drainage collection trough 5 is provided. The lower part of each pot 3 is contained within this drainage collection trough 5, and excess liquid fertilizer is discharged through holes formed in the bottom surface of each pot 3, falling into the drainage collection trough 5 and being collected. While the liquid fertilizer may be recycled, it is mostly continuously flowed through the greenhouse, and this embodiment is also continuously flowed through. Pot 3 contains a growing medium made of coconut fiber, into which tomatoes have been planted.

[0012] In a group of pots arranged as pots 3, 3, ..., 12 pots (2 rows x 6 pots = 12 pots) are grouped together and their weight is measured. These 12 pots used for weight measurement are separated from the other pots and form a single rectangular connected pot group 4. Note that the size and number of rows of this pot group are merely examples. The following description is based on the front, back, left, and right directions indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.

[0013] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, reference numeral 7 denotes a cylindrical beam pipe (i.e., a single-pipe tube) that forms the framework of the greenhouse. Multiple such pipes are installed at intervals in the upper space inside the greenhouse, perpendicular to the direction of the rows of pots 3, 3, ... . Note that the use of single-pipe tubes is merely one example. A pair of support shafts 9, 9 are erected on a pair of adjacent beam pipes 7, 7, with a gap between them and in a direction perpendicular to each other. The pair of support shafts 9, 9 extend horizontally parallel to each other at the same height. The support shaft 9 is composed of a lip groove steel, with the concave side facing downward, and is fixed to the beam pipe 7 by appropriate means. A round hole 9b is formed on the flat top surface 9a of the support shaft 9.

[0014] A pair of erection shafts 11, 11 are placed and erected in a direction perpendicular to each other with a gap between them with respect to the pair of support shafts 9, 9. The pair of erection shafts 11, 11 extend horizontally in parallel at the same height position. The erection shaft 11 is also composed of a lip groove steel, with the concave side facing upward, and an axially long slot 11b is formed on the flat bottom surface 11a of the erection shaft 11. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, at the position where the top surface 9a of the support shaft 9 and the bottom surface 11a of the erection shaft 11 overlap vertically and the round hole 9b and the slot 11b communicate, the bolt 13a of the fastening member 13 is passed through and tightened with the nut 13b to be connected, and the erection shafts 11, 11 are fixed to the support shafts 9, 9 in the above-described orthogonal state. By moving the communication position of the slot 11b with respect to the round hole 9b, as shown by the arrow, the orthogonal position of the erection shaft 11 with respect to the support shaft 9 can be adjusted.

[0015] With respect to the pair of erection shafts 11, 11, the attached shaft 15 is erected in a state of hanging downward in a direction perpendicular thereto. The attached shaft 15 is composed of a lip groove steel, with the concave surface facing downward, and is fixed to the erection shaft 11 by bolt-nut fastening. The attached shaft 15 extends parallelly approximately in the middle of the pair of support shafts 9, 9, and both axial ends thereof are connected to the pair of erection shafts 11, 11. Utilizing the lip groove shape of this attached shaft 15, a concave guide portion is formed by a pair of grooves 15a, 15a facing each other in the width direction.

[0016] A weight measuring box 17, having a rectangular box-like outer shape, is suspended and supported from the mounting shaft 15. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the weight measuring box 17 is a suspension scale containing a load cell. A protrusion 17b extends upward from the upper surface 17a of the weight measuring box 17, and the plate surface of a rectangular plate-shaped guide piece 19 is fixed to its upper surface. The guide piece 19 protrudes outward from the protrusion 17b. The center of the guide piece 19 is located on the center of gravity of the weight measuring box 17.

[0017] A pair of opposing edges 19a, 19a of the guide piece 19 are inserted into a pair of grooves 15a, 15a of the mounting shaft 15, and the guide piece 19 is lifted and supported by the edges 19a contacting the lower surface of the grooves 15a. The width between the grooves 15a and 15a of the concave guide portion is slightly larger than the width between the edges 19a of the guide piece 19, and the height of the grooves 15a is set to be greater than the thickness of the guide piece 19, so the guide piece 19 is loosely fitted into the grooves 15a, 15a. Therefore, as shown by the arrow, the weight measuring box 17 is slidable while being guided in the axial direction of the mounting shaft 15, and by moving the position of the weight measuring box 17 relative to the mounting shaft 15, the position of the weight measuring box 17 relative to the erection shaft 11 can be adjusted.

[0018] A cable (not shown) connected to a load cell is routed out from the weight measurement box 17, and the weight measurement signal from the load cell is sent to a controller (not shown) that controls the entire hydroponic cultivation system.

[0019] A pair of U-shaped hooks 21, 21 are fixed to the lower surface 17c of the weight measuring box 17. The U-shaped hooks 21 are fixed at both ends to the lower surface 17c in an upright position, closing to form a ring, and the inside enclosed by the lower surface 17c and the U-shaped hooks 21 is an insertion hole. In addition, the U-shaped hooks 21 have a horizontal, straight portion on the lower side, which forms a frame-like mounting portion 21a. When the weight measuring box 17 is fixed to the mounting shaft 15 as described above, the linear direction of this mounting portion 21a is perpendicular to the mounting shaft 15. Furthermore, the pair of U-shaped hooks 21, 21 are positioned horizontally at equal intervals from the center of gravity of the weight measuring box 17.

[0020] A suspension frame 23 is suspended and supported from the weight measuring box 17. The suspension frame 23 is a frame structure, and the narrow, strip-shaped suspension shaft 25 is inserted into the U-shaped hooks 21, 21 described above, and placed on the mounting sections 21a, 21a with the plate surfaces facing up and down. The length of the mounting section 21a is set to be slightly larger than the width of the suspension shaft 25, so that the suspension shaft 25 can move in the axial direction of the shaft to be mounted 15, but can hardly move in the direction of their intersection. In other words, the suspension shaft 25 acts as a hook on the suspension frame 23 and is hooked onto the weight measuring box 17 side.

[0021] Meanwhile, column axes 27, 27, 27, 27 rise up at each of the four corners, and when viewed from above, they are located at the top of the rectangle. Of these column axes 27, 27, 27, 27, connecting shafts 29 are installed and connected to the upper ends of two of the column axes 27, 27. The pair of opposing connecting shafts 29, 29 are located at the positions of the two opposing long sides of the rectangle described above. Another pair of connecting shafts 31, 31 are installed orthogonally to and connected to this pair of connecting shafts 29, 29. The pair of connecting shafts 31, 31 are positioned at equal intervals outward from the axial centers of the pair of connecting shafts 29, 29, and their axial ends do not protrude beyond the connecting shafts 29.

[0022] The column shaft 27, connecting shaft 29, and connecting shaft 31 are all made of lip channel steel. The column shaft 27 has a concave surface facing outward along the long side of the rectangle, the connecting shaft 29 has a concave surface facing upward, and the connecting shaft 31 has a concave bottom surface facing downward. The column shaft 27 and connecting shaft 29 are connected by bolts and nuts via L-shaped brackets, while the connecting shaft 29 and connecting shaft 31 are directly connected by bolts and nuts as their plate surfaces overlap. The suspension shaft 25 described above is mounted on the upper surface of the connecting shafts 31, 31 and fixed in place by bolt and nut fastening. The suspension shaft 25 is parallel to the connecting shafts 29, 29 and is located approximately midway between them. In addition, both axial ends of the suspension shaft 25 are approximately aligned with the connecting shafts 29, 29.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the receiving shafts 33, 33 and orthogonal shafts 35, 35 are connected to the lower ends of the column shafts 27, 27, 27, 27, respectively, and are made of the same components as the connecting shafts 29, 29 and connecting shafts 31, 31, respectively, thereby forming the set section of the suspension frame 23. These receiving shafts 33, 33 are located above the support rails 1, 1, and the edges of the connecting pot 4 are locked and set to the receiving shafts 33, 33 instead of the support rails 1, 1. At this time, since the pots 3 that make up the connecting pot 4 are located on both sides of the orthogonal axis 35, the connecting pot 4 will not fall off.

[0024] The suspension frame 23 is constructed as a single cage-like structure by connecting the column axes 27, 27, 27, 27, connecting axes 29, 29, connecting axes 31, 31, receiving axes 33, 33, orthogonal axes 35, 35, and suspension axis 25 as described above, and is configured symmetrically in the front-back and left-right directions when viewed from any direction, including the vertical direction. Furthermore, when viewed from above, the set connecting pots 4 are symmetrical in both the row direction and the direction perpendicular to it.

[0025] As described above, the weight measuring box 17 suspends and supports the suspension frame 23 via the suspension shaft 25. In the initial state, the center of the connected pot 4 on the plane almost coincides with the center of gravity of the suspension frame 23 (including the connected pot 4). Therefore, if its center is placed below the suspension support point of the weight measuring box 17, the balance is achieved, and the connected pot 4 set on the suspension frame 23 is suspended almost symmetrically.

[0026] In this configuration, when viewed from above, the connecting pot 4 is positioned between two rows of pots 3, 3, ... set on support rails 1, 1, without disrupting the row configuration. The connecting pot 4 is positioned higher than the other pots 3, 3, ... set on the other support rails 1, 1, but it does not rotate because the suspension shaft 25 is inserted through the insertion holes of the U-shaped hooks 21, 21. The connecting pot 4 is composed of 12 pots 3 and is a relatively large rectangle. If it rotated, it would protrude into the passageway and could hit workers, posing a safety problem, but it is designed not to rotate, so safety is ensured.

[0027] Subsequently, as the growth of the tomatoes and other factors cause differences in the weight of the pots 3, 3, ... that make up the connected pot 4, the actual center of gravity shifts away from the center of the connected pot 4 on its plane. In this case, the position adjustment mechanism handles the situation. The suspension shaft 25 is placed on the mounting points 21a, 21a of the U-shaped hooks 21, 21 on the weight measuring box 17 side and is slidable. Therefore, when the center of gravity shifts to the left or right, the suspension frame 23 can be moved to the left or right side relative to the suspension pivot point, thereby aligning the suspension pivot point with the center of gravity and bringing the connecting pot 4 to a position where it can be maintained in a horizontal position. If the horizontal position is disrupted, the degree of sagging on one end in the long direction increases, causing it to hit the lower drainage collection trough 5, which reduces the accuracy of weight measurement. However, as described above, the horizontal position can be maintained, so the accuracy of weight measurement is not negatively affected.

[0028] In this case, the entire suspension frame 23 shifts in the left-right direction, and if it were only moved by sliding, it would collide with the pots 3, 3, ... set on the adjacent support rails 1, 1. However, by sliding the weight measuring box 17 that supports the suspension frame 23 in the opposite direction to the sliding movement of the suspension frame 23 relative to the mounting shaft 15, the position of the connected pots 4 can be kept the same when viewed from above, not only so as not to interfere with the adjacent pots 3, 3, ..., but also to prevent adverse effects on weight measurement due to collision.

[0029] Furthermore, when the center of gravity shifts in the front-to-back direction, the suspension frame 23 tilts slightly in that direction. However, the mounting shafts 11, 11 to which the mounting shaft 15 on the weight measurement box 17 side is connected can be moved in the front-to-back direction by readjusting the bolt and nut fastening to the support shafts 9, 9. Therefore, if the side that is higher in the tilting direction is the front, it can be moved to the rear, and if the side that is higher in the tilting direction is the rear, it can be moved to the front, thereby preventing the lower side of the pot 3 from hitting the inner surface of the drainage collection trough 5.

[0030] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any design changes that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included in the invention. For example, the size of the connected pots 4 is optimally designed according to the plants being cultivated and the available space, and the specific structure of the suspension frame 23 that supports the connected pots 4 is also optimally designed according to the size of the connected pots 4, as long as it fulfills its function as a suspension structure. Alternatively, the weight measuring box 17 may be configured to have a hook attached to it that fastens to the mounting shaft 15. When cleaning the inside of the greenhouse, the weight measuring box 17 needs to be removed, and if a hook is used, the weight measuring box 17 can be easily removed without disassembling the frame structure. Furthermore, the size and number of rows of pots vary considerably depending on the cultivation tray manufacturer, and are not particularly limited to those shown in the above embodiment. The structural members of the greenhouse are also not particularly limited, as they can support the support shaft 9 and can utilize H-beams or C-shaped steel in addition to round pipes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1...Support rail 3...Pot 4...Connecting pot 5... Drainage collection trough section 7... Beam pipe 9... Support shaft 9a...Top surface 9b...Round hole 11...Elevation axis 11a...Bottom surface 11b...Slotted hole 13...Fastening member 13a... Bolt 13b... Nut 15... Shaft to be mounted 15a…Groove 17…Weight measuring box 17a…Top surface 17b...Protrusion 17c...Bottom surface 19...Guide piece 19a...Edge 21...U-shaped hook 21a...Placement area 23...Suspension frame 25...Suspension shaft 27...Column shaft 29...Connecting shaft 31...Connecting shaft 33...Support shaft 35... orthogonal axis

Claims

1. A suspension structure for a connecting container, comprising: a pair of support shafts fixed above inside a cultivation greenhouse and extending horizontally at the same height and spaced apart; a pair of mounting shafts erected perpendicular to the pair of support shafts; a mounting shaft erected perpendicular to the pair of mounting shafts and located between the pair of support shafts; and a suspension frame suspended and supported via a weight measuring box attached to the mounting shaft so as to be movable in the axial direction, wherein a connecting container is set on the suspension frame, A suspension structure for a connected container, characterized in that the hanging portion of the suspension frame is hooked to a pair of hooks fixed to the lower surface of the weight measuring box so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the shaft to which it is attached.

2. In the suspension structure for the connecting container described in claim 1, A suspension structure characterized in that the upper guide piece of the weight measuring box is slidably fitted into and lifted by a concave guide portion formed on the lower side of the shaft to be mounted.

3. In the suspension structure for the connecting container described in claim 2, A suspension structure characterized in that the mounting shaft is made of a lip grooved material, and the groove forms a concave guide portion.

4. In the suspension structure for the connecting container described in claim 3, A suspension structure characterized by having a position adjustment mechanism that allows a pair of erection axes to move in a direction perpendicular to a pair of support axes.

5. In the suspension structure for the connecting container described in claim 4, A suspension structure characterized in that the set section of the connecting container of the suspension frame is composed of a pair of receiving shafts extending horizontally at the same height and spaced apart, and an orthogonal shaft installed between the pair of receiving shafts.

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