Pressure vessel for plant growth

Abstract

To provide a plant growth pressure container capable of attaining a high sealing degree even when an entrance / exit door is installed on a curved surface part.SOLUTION: A plant growth pressure container for cultivating plants under a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure comprises a container body 10 having a cultivation chamber, which is a space for cultivating plants; and an entrance / exit door 50 for allowing a worker to enter and exit the container body. The entrance / exit door comprises a cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 installed at an entrance / exit opening of the container body, and an opening / closing door 53 for opening and closing the opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame. Also, the opening / closing door is an inward opening door that is pressed against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame to seal the opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure vessel for growing plants under a predetermined pressure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to grow plants under a predetermined pressure, plants have been grown in pressure vessels, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-65763 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-162747 A [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2013 / 035816 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to grow plants, it is necessary to install an entrance door for entering and exiting the pressure vessel. Since the pressure vessel must be able to withstand the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vessel, cylindrical or spherical shapes are often adopted, and this tendency is particularly noticeable in the case of large pressure vessels.

[0005] Therefore, in the case of pressure vessels for plant cultivation, it is conceivable that entrance / exit doors will be installed on curved portions, but it is more difficult to ensure a high degree of airtightness when installing entrance / exit doors on curved portions than when installing them on flat portions.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a pressure vessel for cultivating plants that can achieve a high degree of airtightness even when an entrance / exit door is installed on a curved portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a pressure vessel for cultivating plants for cultivating plants under a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, the pressure vessel comprising a vessel body having a cultivation chamber therein which is a space for cultivating the plant, and an entrance door for an operator to enter and exit the vessel body, the entrance door comprising a cylindrical reinforcing frame installed at an entrance opening of the vessel body, and an opening / closing door for opening and closing the opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame. The opening and closing door is an inward-opening door that is pressed against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame to seal the opening, and the inward-opening door is provided with a plurality of sealing levers that, when closed, come into contact with a wedge-shaped protrusion provided on the cylindrical reinforcing frame to press the inward-opening door outward and against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the pressure vessel for cultivating plants of the present invention, a cylindrical reinforcing frame is installed at the entrance / exit opening of the vessel body, and the opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame is opened and closed with an opening / closing door, thereby achieving a high level of airtightness even when an entrance / exit door is installed on a curved portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a pressure vessel for cultivating plants according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of the entrance door according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the entrance door in FIG. 7 is open. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of an inward-opening door according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the inward-opening door portion of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a tightening stand according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration of a tightening base support part according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The pressure vessel 1 for cultivating plants comprises a vessel body 10, a light-receiving window 30, an entrance door 50, a lighting device 60, and an air conditioning system 70. The vessel body 10 is a horizontally placed cylindrical vessel made of steel, and both the left and right ends are hemispherical with outwardly convex shapes. Note that in Figs. 1 to 3, a part of the light-receiving window 30 and the lighting device 60 are omitted.

[0011] The container body 10 is divided inside by a vertical partition wall 11 and has a cultivation chamber 15 in which plants are cultivated and an air conditioning chamber 17 for adjusting the air circulated and supplied to the cultivation chamber 15, and is supported by fixed legs 10a and placed on the ground.

[0012] The container body 10 also includes a floor plate 19, and an underfloor air circulation path 20 is provided under the cultivation room 15 and the air conditioning room 17. The inner wall surface of the container body 10 is colored white to increase the light reflectance and brighten the room.

[0013] The light-receiving windows 30 are circular windows, and are provided in multiple locations on the upper portion of the container body 10 in order to introduce light from outside the container into the cultivation room 15. In this embodiment, a total of 16 light-receiving windows 30 are regularly arranged in three rows parallel to the longitudinal direction of the container body 10.

[0014] The light collecting window 30 comprises a holder 31 fixed to the container body 10, and an ultraviolet and infrared ray cutting glass 35 and a pressure resistant glass 37 fixed and held by the holder 31. The holder 31 is substantially cylindrical in shape and has a base 32 fixed to the container body 10 by welding, and only the base 32 is shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0015] The support base 31 supports, from inside the room to outside (from bottom to top), a pressure-resistant glass 37 and an ultraviolet and infrared ray blocking glass 35 in that order, and a lighting device 60 is installed at the upper end, which is the outer end.

[0016] The entrance door 50 is installed to allow an operator to enter and exit the cultivation room 15, and is installed on the hemispherical portion at the end of the container body 10. The entrance door 50 includes a cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, an inward opening door 53 that opens and closes the opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, and a door tightening member 90.

[0017] Here, Figures 5 to 7 show a state in which the inward-opening door 53 and the door tightening member 90 are closed, i.e., a state in which the entrance / exit door 50 is closed and the container body 10 is sealed, and Figure 8 shows a state in which the inward-opening door 53 and the door tightening member 90 are open, i.e., a state in which entry and exit from the container body 10 are free.

[0018] Fig. 9 shows the configuration of the inward-opening door 53, with Fig. 9(a) being the front view of the outer surface of the inward-opening door 53 and Fig. 9(b) being the back view of the inner surface of the inward-opening door 53. Fig. 11 shows the configuration of the tightening base 91, with Fig. 11(a) being a plan view, Fig. 11(b) being a front view seen from the outside, and Fig. 11(c) being a back view seen from the inside. Fig. 12 shows the configuration of the tightening base support part 94, with Fig. 12(a) being a plan view, Fig. 12(b) being a front view seen from the outside, and Fig. 12(c) being a bottom view.

[0019] The cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 is a frame that is fixedly installed at the entrance / exit opening of the container body 10 in order to secure an entrance / exit in the hemispherical portion of the container body 10, and is a cylindrical frame with an oval shape (the shape of an athletics track) that allows people to pass through the frame.

[0020] The inward-opening door 53 has an oval plate-like shape and is configured with an inward-opening structure that opens toward the interior side of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 so as to close the end opening on the inside (inside of the room) of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, allowing the inner opening to be opened and closed freely.

[0021] The inward-opening door 53 is pivotally supported by the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 by a door hinge member 55. The door hinge member 55 is composed of a hinge support shaft 55a fixed to the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 and a hinge 55b fixed to the inward-opening door 53, and an oval hinge hole 55c is formed in the hinge 55b, through which the shaft of the hinge support shaft 55a passes.

[0022] The inward-opening door 53 has reinforcing ridges 53d formed in a lattice pattern on the inside surface. The inward-opening door 53 has tightening rod connectors 53e installed in two locations, the upper and lower portions, on the outside surface for connecting to tightening rods 96, which will be described later.

[0023] Further, the inward opening door 53 has a packing groove 53a formed around the periphery of its outer surface, and is provided with an oval frame-shaped packing 53b that is arranged around the packing groove 53a.

[0024] In this embodiment, since the pressure inside the container body 10 becomes higher than atmospheric pressure when plants are being cultivated, by employing the inward-opening door 53, when the container body 10 is closed, the inward-opening door 53 is pressed against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 by the indoor pressure. At this time, the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 is pressed against the packing 53b of the inward-opening door 53, so that the inside of the container body 10 can be reliably sealed.

[0025] The inward-opening door 53 is provided with a sealing lever 54 for closing the door 53 by pressing it against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51. The sealing lever 54 is provided with a shaft 54a which is a horizontal rotation axis perpendicular to the outer surface of the inward-opening door 53, a handle 54b, and a sliding contact part 54c which slides and comes into contact with the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 during the closing operation. The sealing lever 54 is provided at eight places on the peripheral part of the outer surface of the inward-opening door 53.

[0026] The cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 has wedge-shaped protrusions (wedge portions) 51a provided at eight locations each facing the sealing lever 54. The wedge portions 51a function to push the sealing lever 54 and the inward-opening door 53 outward when the inward-opening door 53 is closed by contacting the sliding portion 54c with a tapered surface.

[0027] Therefore, when closing the inward-opening door 53, closing the eight sealing levers 54 presses the inward-opening door 53 firmly against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, thereby more reliably sealing the inside of the container body 10.

[0028] In this embodiment, the entrance / exit door 50 is composed of a cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 installed at the entrance / exit opening of the container body 10, and an inward-opening door 53 that is pressed against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 to open and close the opening. The contact surface of the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 and the contact surface (gasket 53b) of the flat inward-opening door 53 are flat and come into contact with each other, so the entrance / exit door 50 can be sealed without any gaps.

[0029] The door tightening member 90 includes a tightening base 91, a tightening base hinge member 93, and a tightening rod 96. The tightening base 91 is a horizontally elongated rod-shaped member, and two of the tightening bases 91 are installed in parallel on the upper and lower sides of the outer end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51.

[0030] The tightening base 91 is pivotally supported by a tightening base hinge member 93 installed at the outer end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, and can be freely opened and closed between a closed position that closes the outer opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 and an open position that opens the outer opening. A tightening rod insertion hole 91a for passing a tightening rod 96 is formed in the center of the tightening base 91.

[0031] The tightening base hinge member 93 has a tightening base support part 94 fixed to the outer surface of the outer end part of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, and the tightening base 91 has an oval hinge hole 93c formed therein through which the hinge support shaft 94a of the tightening base support part 94 is inserted.

[0032] A temporary fixing hole 94b is formed in the upper tightening base support portion 94, and the tightening base 91 can be locked in the open position by inserting a temporary fixing pin (not shown) into the temporary fixing hole 94b while the tightening base 91 is positioned in the open position.

[0033] The tightening rod 96 has a door connecting portion 97 formed at one end, a male threaded portion 98 formed at the other end, and a tightening nut 99 attached to the male threaded portion 98. A door connecting hole is formed in the door connecting portion 97, and the vertical support shaft of the tightening rod connecting portion 53e of the inward-opening door 53 is passed through this door connecting hole, so that the tightening rod 96 is connected to the inward-opening door 53 so as to be swingable in the horizontal direction.

[0034] The other end of the tightening rod 96 passes through a tightening rod insertion hole 91a in the tightening base 91, with a male threaded portion 98 exposed to the outside of the tightening base 91, and a tightening nut 99 is screwed onto this exposed male threaded portion 98.

[0035] By rotating this tightening nut 99 in the tightening direction, the tightening nut 99 comes into contact with the outer surface of the tightening base 91, and by further tightening the tightening nut 99 and screwing it inward, the inward-opening door 53 connected to the door connecting part 97 can be pulled outward relative to the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, making the inward-opening door 53 more tightly sealed.

[0036] The lighting device 60 includes a metal halide lamp 61, a socket 62, and tempered glass 63, and is installed beside each light-receiving window 30. The air conditioning system 70 is a system that adjusts the air in the air-conditioned room 17, and the adjusted air is supplied to the cultivation room 15 through the underfloor air circulation path 20 described above. The air conditioning system 70 includes an air conditioner 71 that adjusts the room temperature in the air-conditioned room 17, and a gas component / pressure regulator 80 that adjusts the air pressure and gas component concentration in the air-conditioned room 17.

[0037] The gas component / pressure adjustment device 80 is equipped with a compressed air supply passage 81 for supplying compressed air, an oxygen supply passage 82 for supplying oxygen, a carbon dioxide supply passage 83 for supplying carbon dioxide, and a nitrogen supply passage 84 for supplying nitrogen, and by adjusting the opening / closing and opening degree of the valves installed in each supply passage 81-84, these gases can be supplied into the air-conditioning room 17 at a predetermined mixing ratio.

[0038] The gas component / pressure adjustment device 80 adjusts the amount of compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply path 81, thereby adjusting the air pressure within the air-conditioning chamber 17, i.e., adjusting the air pressure within the cultivation chamber 15 to a higher pressure than a specified atmospheric pressure.

[0039] The configuration of the pressure vessel 1 for cultivating plants has been described above, and next, a description will be given of a mode of use of the pressure vessel 1 for cultivating plants. When cultivating a plant, an operator passes through the entrance door 50, carries a desired plant into the cultivation chamber 15 in the vessel body 10, and sets it there.

[0040] When closing the entrance door 50, first, the inward-opening door 53 is closed while the tightening base 91 is left open. Specifically, in a state where the inward-opening door 53 is pulled from the outside so as to be pressed against the inside (room side) end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 and closed, first, all the sealing levers 54 installed on the outside surface of the inward-opening door 53 are closed.

[0041] When the handle 54b is turned to close the sealing lever 54, as the handle 54b is rotated, the sliding contact portion 54c comes into contact with the tapered surface of the wedge-shaped protrusion 51a installed on the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, thereby pushing the inward-opening door 53 outward.

[0042] Therefore, when all eight sealing levers 54 are closed, the inward-opening door 53 is pressed firmly against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, and is sealed by the pressure contact between the gasket 53b of the inward-opening door 53 and the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51.

[0043] Next, the inward-opening door 53 is further tightened by the door tightening member 90. First, the door connecting portion 97 of the tightening rod 96 is connected to the tightening rod connecting portion 53e of the inward-opening door 53. Specifically, the connecting shaft of the tightening rod connecting portion 53e is passed through the door connecting hole of the tightening rod 96 to connect them.

[0044] Thereafter, while keeping the tightening rod 96 with the tightening nut 99 removed in a horizontal position perpendicular to the inward-opening door 53, the tightening base 91 is closed so that the male threaded portion 98 of the tightening rod 96 passes through the tightening rod insertion hole 91a. Then, the tightening nut 99 is attached to the tip of the male threaded portion 98 of the tightening rod 96 protruding outward from the tightening base 91, and the screw is tightened.

[0045] By tightening the tightening nut 99 further after it comes into contact with the tightening base 91 by tightening the screw, the inward-opening door 53 is pulled in a direction approaching the tightening base 91. In this way, by tightening the inward-opening door 53 by pulling it outward with the screw feed of the door tightening member 90, the degree of adhesion between the inward-opening door 53 and the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 can be further increased.

[0046] After closing the entrance door 50 and sealing the inside of the container body 10, the lighting device 60 and the air conditioning system 70 are driven and controlled to grow plants under a predetermined air pressure, a gas atmosphere with a predetermined component concentration, a predetermined irradiation time, and a predetermined illuminance. For example, by adjusting the amount of compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply path 81, the pressure inside the cultivation chamber 15 can be adjusted to 2 atmospheres, and plants can be grown under a high pressure of 2 atmospheres.

[0047] Here, when the pressure inside the container body 10 is increased above atmospheric pressure by the gas component / pressure adjusting device 80, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container body 10 causes the inward-opening door 53 to be pushed outward and pressed more strongly against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame 51, further increasing the degree of adhesion.

[0048] The above describes the operation for closing the entrance door 50. Next, the operation for opening the entrance door 50 will be described. To open the door, first operate the gas component / pressure adjusting device 80 to reduce the pressure inside the container body 10 to approximately atmospheric pressure, and then remove the door tightening member 90 to open the door. Specifically, after removing the tightening nut 99, the tightening base 91 is opened and temporarily fixed in the open state by the temporary fixing pin.

[0049] Next, the tightening rod 96 is removed to a position where it does not get in the way, or the door connecting portion 97 of the tightening rod 96 is removed from the inward-opening door 53, and then all the sealing levers 54 are opened, so that the inward-opening door 53 can be opened inward. In this state, if the inward-opening door 53 is pushed from the outside toward the room, the inward-opening door 53 can be opened, and it becomes possible to enter and exit the container body 10 through the entrance door 50.

[0050] The above describes this embodiment. According to this embodiment, a cylindrical reinforcing frame 51 is installed at the entrance / exit opening portion of the container body 10, and the inner opening of this cylindrical reinforcing frame is sealed with an inward-opening door 53, so that a high degree of sealing can be achieved even when the entrance / exit door 50 is installed on the hemispherical portion of the container body 10.

[0051] In addition, in this embodiment, a plurality of sealing levers 54 that press the inward-opening door 53 against the inner end of the entrance reinforcing frame 51 in response to the closing operation are provided on the periphery of the inward-opening door 53, thereby further improving the degree of sealing of the entrance door 50. In addition, in this embodiment, the door tightening member 90 for pulling the inward-opening door 53 in the closed state outward by screw feed is further provided, thereby further improving the degree of sealing of the entrance door 50.

[0052] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, material, etc. of the members constituting the pressure vessel for plant cultivation can be appropriately changed.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the inner opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame is opened and closed by an inward-opening door, but the outer opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame or an opening in the middle of the frame of the cylindrical reinforcing frame may be opened and closed by an opening / closing door. However, in order to increase the degree of airtightness by pressing the door against the opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame by the high pressure inside the pressure vessel, it is preferable to adopt a door with an inward-opening structure.

[0054] In addition, in the above embodiment, the tightening rod that connects the outer surface of the inward-opening door to the tightening base tightens the inward-opening door and the tightening base relatively by screwing the tightening nut that contacts the outer surface of the tightening base inward, but the length of the tightening rod can be made variable by screwing, and the tightening rod itself can be shortened to tighten it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Pressure vessel for plant growth 10 Container body 10a fixed leg 11 Partition Wall 15 Cultivation room 17 Air conditioned room 19 Floorboards 20 Underfloor air circulation 30 Skylight window 31 Holding stand 32 Foundation 35 UV / IR cut glass 37 Pressure-resistant glass 50 Entrance Door 51 Cylindrical reinforcing frame 51a Wedge-shaped protrusion 53 Inward-opening door 53a Packing groove 53b Gasket 53d Reinforcement ridges 53e Tightening rod connection 54 Sealing lever 54a Shaft 54b Handle 54c Sliding contact part 55 Door hinge parts 55a Hinge support shaft 55b Hinge 55c hinge hole 90 Door tightening member 91 Tightening stand 91a Tightening rod insertion hole 93 Tightening stand hinge member 93c Hinge hole 94 Tightening table support part 94a Hinge support shaft 94b Temporary fixing hole 96 Tightening rod 97 Door connection part 98 Male thread 99 Tightening Nut 60 Lighting Equipment 61 Metal halide lamp 62 Sockets 63 Tempered Glass 70 Air Conditioning System 71 Air conditioner 80 Gas composition and pressure regulator 81 Compressed air supply line 82 Oxygen supply line 83 Carbon Dioxide Supply Pathway 84 Nitrogen supply channel

Claims

1. A pressure vessel for growing plants at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, A container body having a cultivation chamber therein for cultivating the plant; An entrance door for an operator to enter and exit the container body. The entrance door has a cylindrical reinforcing frame installed at the entrance opening of the container body, an opening / closing door for opening and closing the opening of the cylindrical reinforcing frame, the opening / closing door is an inward-opening door that is pressed against an inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame to seal the opening, A pressure vessel for growing plants, characterized in that the inward-opening door has a plurality of sealing levers that come into contact with a wedge-shaped protrusion installed on the cylindrical reinforcing frame during closing operation, thereby pushing the inward-opening door outward and against the inner end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame.

2. A tightening stand is installed at the outer end of the cylindrical reinforcing frame; A tightening rod that connects the outer surface of the inward-opening door and the tightening base and tightens the inward-opening door and the tightening base by pulling them together using a screw feed; 2. The pressure vessel of claim 1, further comprising a door tightening member having a door fastening member.

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