Fruit cultivation system and fruit cultivation method

Abstract

To provide a fruit cultivation system and a fruit cultivation method by which an ambient environment of fruit can be locally and efficiently conditioned, and man-hour of work such as manufacturing and installation can be lightened.SOLUTION: A fruit cultivation system comprises: an air conditioning part which conditions at least humidity of air; a circulation piping which is connected to the air conditioning part, and through which conditioned air being air conditioned by the air conditioning part circulates; a surrounding part into which a plurality of fruit are inserted, and surrounds the plurality of fruit; a delivery piping which is connected to the circulation piping and the surrounding part, and leads conditioned air to the surrounding part; and a receiving piping which is connected to the surrounding part and the circulation piping, and leads air inside the surrounding part to the circulation piping.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fruit cultivation system that cultivates fruit by adjusting the environment surrounding the fruit, and a fruit cultivation method using the system. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to cultivate and ship grapes and other fruits commercially, it is necessary to ensure a certain level of quality. Fruit quality is greatly influenced by the surrounding environment, including climate, soil, and even pests and diseases. Therefore, in order to cultivate high-quality fruit, it is essential to pay attention to the surrounding environment. Insufficient consideration of the surrounding environment can lead to various damages, such as stunted growth and damage from pests and diseases. One of the phenomena that can occur due to such damage is fruit cracking.

[0003] Fruit cracking is the phenomenon in which the fruit splits, and is sometimes called nut cracking. Fruit cracking can occur due to pests, diseases, or excessive tightness of the fruit, but one of the main causes is an increase in moisture inside the fruit due to rainfall, etc. It is thought that when moisture inside the fruit increases due to water absorption during ripening, the skin bursts as it is unable to withstand the turgor pressure. This increase in moisture inside the fruit can occur not only due to excess soil moisture, but also due to high air humidity, and some believe that the latter has a greater impact on fruit cracking. Fruit cracking also occurs in grapes, and the abnormal weather in recent years during the grape ripening period from July to September is likely to exacerbate the damage caused by grape cracking, so immediate measures are needed.

[0004] As mentioned above, high air humidity is one of the causes of fruit cracking, so controlling humidity can be expected to prevent fruit cracking. However, even when grapes are grown in greenhouses such as vinyl houses to control humidity, controlling the humidity of the entire greenhouse is economically problematic and difficult to achieve. Therefore, there was a need for humidity control technology that also took economical aspects into consideration.

[0005] As an example of such humidity control technology, the present inventor has proposed in Patent Document 1 a fruit cultivation system that can efficiently adjust the environment around the fruit to make it suitable for fruit cultivation, thereby suppressing damage such as fruit cracking.

[0006] The fruit cultivation system described in Patent Document 1 allows for efficient localized adjustment of the environment surrounding the fruit by circulating humidity- and temperature-regulated air through the covering that encases the fruit. The air conditioned by the air conditioning unit circulates through the circulation piping, flows into the covering through the delivery tubing connected to the circulation piping and the covering, and returns to the circulation piping through the receiving tubing connected to the covering and the circulation piping. This allows for low-cost prevention of damage such as fruit cracking. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7076859 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in the fruit cultivation system of Patent Document 1, a covering part, a delivery capillary tube, and a receiving capillary tube are prepared for each fruit, each fruit is covered with a covering part, and a delivery capillary tube and a receiving capillary tube are inserted into each covering part. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a considerable number of covering parts, delivery capillaries, and receiving capillaries, which corresponds to the number of fruits being grown, and installing them on the fruits can be a labor-intensive task.

[0009] The present invention was made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fruit cultivation system and a fruit cultivation method that can locally and efficiently adjust the environment surrounding the fruit and reduce the labor required for work such as manufacturing and installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems, and as a result have found that the following invention meets the above object, thereby completing the present invention.

[0011] That is, the present invention relates to the following inventions. <1> A fruit cultivation system comprising: an air conditioning unit that adjusts at least the humidity of the air; a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air conditioned by the air conditioning unit circulates; an enclosure unit into which multiple fruits are inserted and which surrounds the multiple fruits; a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure unit and which guides the conditioned air to the enclosure unit; and a receiving pipe connected to the enclosure unit and the circulation pipe and which guides the air in the enclosure unit to the circulation pipe. <2> A fruit cultivation system comprising: a plurality of air conditioning units that adjust at least the humidity of the air; a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning units and through which conditioned air conditioned by the air conditioning units circulates; an enclosure unit into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits; a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure unit and which guides the conditioned air to the enclosure unit; and a receiving pipe connected to the enclosure unit and the circulation pipe and which guides the air within the enclosure unit to the circulation pipe, wherein the circulation pipe is arranged so that the circulating conditioned air passes through at least two of the air conditioning units. <3> The surrounding portion is made to have rigidity. <1> or <2> The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1. <4> The surrounding portion has an insertion opening through which the fruit is inserted. <1> from <3> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of the preceding items. <5> The surrounding portion is formed so that the insertion opening has light-transmitting properties and the portion other than the insertion opening has light-blocking properties. <4> The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1. <6> The delivery pipe is connected to one end of the enclosing portion in the longitudinal direction, and the receiving pipe is connected to the other end of the enclosing portion in the longitudinal direction. <1> from <5> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of the preceding items. <7> The delivery pipe is connected to the center of the enclosing portion in the longitudinal direction, and the receiving pipes are connected to both ends of the enclosing portion in the longitudinal direction. <1> from <5> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of the preceding items. <8> The surrounding portion is provided with a flow dividing member at a position on the inner surface of the surrounding portion opposite to the portion where the delivery pipe is connected, which divides the conditioned air in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction of the surrounding portion. <7> The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1. <9> The area of ​​the opening surface of the end of the delivery pipe connected to the surrounding portion is equal to the sum of the areas of the opening surfaces of the end of the receiving pipe connected to the surrounding portion. <7> or <8> The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1. <10> <1> from <9> A fruit cultivation method using the fruit cultivation system described in any one of the above. <11> The fruit is a grape. <10> The fruit cultivation method described in .

[0012] The present invention also relates to the following inventions. <1A> The delivery pipe is connected to the circulation pipe so that an opening face of the end of the delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe faces in a direction opposite to the direction in which the conditioned air flows in the circulation pipe, and the receiving pipe is connected to the circulation pipe so that an opening face of the end of the receiving pipe connected to the circulation pipe faces in the same direction as the direction in which the conditioned air flows in the circulation pipe. <1> from <9> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of the preceding items. <2A> The air conditioning unit adjusts the humidity and temperature of the air. <1> from <9> , or <1A> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of the above. <3A> The circulation piping is composed of a plurality of circulation component pipes with different inner diameters, and the inner diameters become smaller from the circulation component pipe connected to the air conditioning unit to the circulation component pipes connected to the delivery pipe and the receiving pipe. <1> from <9> , <1A>, or <2A>, a fruit cultivation system according to any one of the above. <4A> Further provided is a chemical addition means for adding a chemical used for cultivating the fruit to the conditioned air. <1> from <9> Or a fruit cultivation system according to any one of <1A> to <3A>. <5A> The air adjusting unit adjusts the air so as to suppress cracking of the fruit. <1> from <9> Or a fruit cultivation system according to any one of <1A> to <4A>. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the fruit cultivation system and fruit cultivation method of the present invention, conditioned air is circulated in the enclosure surrounding the fruit, thereby enabling local and efficient adjustment of the environment around the fruit and reducing damage such as cracking at low cost. Furthermore, since the enclosure surrounds multiple fruits, the number of enclosures, delivery pipes, and receiving pipes used can be reduced compared to when an enclosure is used for each fruit, and the labor required for installing them can also be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example (first embodiment) of a greenhouse in which a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention is used. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view showing an example (first embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example (first embodiment) of a connection point between a delivery pipe and a receiving pipe and a circulation pipe. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a surrounding portion (first embodiment). [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing an example of an enclosing part with grape berries inserted, in which (A) is a schematic diagram before fastening a closing member, and (B) is a schematic diagram after fastening the closing member. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of air inside the surrounding part in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection point between a separable delivery pipe and a receiving pipe and a circulation pipe. FIG. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a surrounding portion (second embodiment), in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a cross-sectional view. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of air inside the surrounding part in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example (third embodiment) of the connection points between the delivery pipe and the receiving pipe and the circulation pipe. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example (fourth embodiment) of a greenhouse in which the fruit cultivation system according to the present invention is used. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example (fourth embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example (fifth embodiment) of a greenhouse in which the fruit cultivation system according to the present invention is used. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example (fifth embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of the example (fifth embodiment) of the fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example (sixth embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention relates to a fruit cultivation system comprising an air conditioning unit that adjusts at least the humidity of the air, a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air circulates, the conditioned air being air conditioned by the air conditioning unit, an enclosure unit into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits, a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure unit and which guides the conditioned air to the enclosure unit, and a receiving pipe connected to the enclosure unit and the circulation pipe and which guides the air in the enclosure unit to the circulation pipe.

[0016] The present invention also relates to a fruit cultivation system comprising a plurality of air conditioning units that adjust at least the humidity of the air, a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning units and through which conditioned air circulates, the air conditioned by the air conditioning units, an enclosure unit into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits, a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure unit and which guides the conditioned air to the enclosure unit, and a receiving pipe connected to the enclosure unit and the circulation pipe and which guides the air in the enclosure unit to the circulation pipe, wherein the circulation pipe is arranged so that the circulating conditioned air passes through at least two of the air conditioning units.

[0017] The present invention also relates to a fruit cultivation method using the fruit cultivation system.

[0018] In this invention, air conditioned by an air conditioning unit (conditioned air) is circulated through a circulation pipe. The air is then sent through a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe to an enclosure surrounding the fruit, and the air in the enclosure is returned to the circulation pipe through a receiving pipe connected to the circulation pipe. Therefore, the range of the ambient environment to be regulated is limited to the air conditioning unit, circulation pipe, delivery pipe, receiving pipe, and enclosure, rather than the entire greenhouse, such as a vinyl greenhouse, in which the fruit is grown. This allows for localized regulation, and the ambient environment around the fruit can be accurately regulated without using a large-scale device.

[0019] Furthermore, the present invention is configured so that a portion of the air circulating within the circulation piping is returned to the circulation piping via the flow from the delivery pipe to the enclosed section to the receiving pipe, thereby preventing weakening of the air flow within the circulation piping and allowing for efficient adjustment.

[0020] Furthermore, in the present invention, since the enclosing portion encloses multiple fruits, the number of enclosing portions, delivery pipes, and receiving pipes can be reduced compared to when enclosing each fruit individually, and the labor required for installing them can also be reduced. By reducing the number of delivery pipes and receiving pipes connecting the circulation pipe and the enclosing portion, the air flow becomes smoother and the possibility of air leakage can be reduced. In this way, the present invention adjusts the surrounding environment locally, accurately, and efficiently, making it possible to suppress damage to fruit such as cracking at low cost, and also reducing the cost and labor required to build the system.

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. Furthermore, the numerical values, shapes, etc. in the following description are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Furthermore, while this embodiment uses the suppression of fruit cracking in grape cultivation as an example, the present invention is not limited to grape cultivation and can also be applied to the cultivation of other fruits, and is also effective in suppressing damage to fruits other than cracking, and promoting fruit development such as coloring.

[0022] An example (first embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention used for cultivating grapes in a greenhouse will be described.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a greenhouse 1, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a fruit cultivation system 2 used in the greenhouse 1. In Fig. 2, the fruit cultivation system 2 is drawn larger than the greenhouse 1 in order to clearly show the structure of the fruit cultivation system 2 within the greenhouse 1. The greenhouse 1 is a row of buildings, five in this embodiment, and the buildings are lined up in the left-right direction in Figures 1 and 2. Each building has an arched ceiling. The frontage (width) (length in the left-right direction in Figure 2) and depth (length in the up-down direction in Figure 2) of each building can be set as appropriate, and in this embodiment the frontage is 4m and the depth is 50m. There is no vinyl covering the boundaries between the buildings (hereinafter referred to as "building boundaries"), and multiple pillars support the greenhouse 1.

[0024] The grapes 3 are planted along the ridge boundaries using the H-shaped pruning method. In other words, the main trunks of multiple grapes 3 extend vertically from the ground at the ridge boundaries, and the main branches spread out in an H shape from there, extending toward the depth of the greenhouse 1 (the up-down direction in FIG. 2), as shown in FIG. 2. Small branches extend from the main branches, and fruit (grape berries) grow on each small branch. Note that only the main branches are shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, when the fruit cultivation system 2 is viewed from above, the main branches of the grapes 3 are located below the third circulation component pipe 30, which will be described later, and are therefore represented by dotted lines in FIG. 2.

[0025] The fruit cultivation system 2 includes an air conditioning unit 80 that adjusts the air to a humidity and temperature suitable for preventing cracking of the grapes 3, an enclosing unit 70 that surrounds the grape berries 3A (see Figure 5 described below), a circulation pipe that circulates the air adjusted by the air conditioning unit 80, a delivery pipe 50 that guides the circulating air to the enclosing unit 70, and a receiving pipe 60 that guides the air in the enclosing unit 70 to the circulation pipe.

[0026] The air conditioning unit 80 is located approximately in the center of the greenhouse 1 and is connected to a circulation pipe arranged inside the greenhouse 1. The air conditioning unit 80 is a closed space surrounded by walls or the like to prevent cracking of the grapes 3, and uses commercially available devices to adjust the air in the space to a predetermined humidity and temperature and then blows out the adjusted air. Specifically, an air conditioner (hereinafter abbreviated as "air conditioner") that automatically adjusts the humidity and temperature to set values ​​and an electric fan are used.

[0027] In order to prevent cracking, it is preferable to keep the area around the grape berries 3A in a low-humidity, low-temperature environment, so an air conditioner is used to adjust the air in the air conditioning unit 80 to the humidity and temperature of such an environment. The specific humidity and temperature are appropriately determined based on experiments and known knowledge in the field, taking into consideration the variety of grapes 3, the state of growth of grape berries 3A, and the like.

[0028] For example, the humidity level of the grape berries 3A should be kept at the same level as that inside the greenhouse 1 (60-70%) during the early stages of growth. To prevent cracking, the humidity level within the enclosure 70 should be controlled to 50% or less, 30% or less, and 20% or less (just before harvest) as the grape berries 3A grow. Furthermore, because the grape berries 3A begin to color at approximately 23°C, the temperature of the circulating air is preferably controlled to 15°C to 23°C (nighttime temperature). Note that excessive drying of the grape berries 3A during the late ripening period can cause berries far from the base to fall off, and other phenomena must also be considered. Air conditioned by the air conditioner is sent to the circulation piping connected to the air conditioning unit 80 using an electric blower. The number of electric blowers installed in the air conditioning unit 80 and the air volume delivered by each electric blower are determined based on the size and structure of the circulation piping within the greenhouse 1. For example, four electric blowers are installed in the air conditioning unit 80, and the air volume of each electric blower is 11.5 m 3 / minutes.

[0029] Since simply maintaining a low-humidity environment is effective in preventing fruit cracking, it is also possible to use an air conditioner to adjust only the humidity inside the air conditioning unit 80. In this case, a dehumidifier may be used instead of an air conditioner. In cases where humidity (and temperature) can be adjusted solely by the air discharged from the air conditioning unit 80, an electric blower alone may be used. If the air conditioner is equipped with an air purification function, this function may be enabled. To efficiently adjust the air inside the air conditioning unit 80, an air agitator such as a circulator may be used. The air conditioning unit 80 may be constructed as a dedicated device rather than a commercially available device. The air conditioner's outdoor unit is usually located outside the greenhouse 1. However, if it is difficult to place it outside and it must be located inside, a path is provided to release heat emitted from the outdoor unit to the outside of the greenhouse 1. For example, an exhaust port is drilled in the ceiling of the greenhouse 1 above the air conditioning unit 80, and a path is provided connecting the outdoor unit to the exhaust port, and heat from the outdoor unit is released through this path.

[0030] Furthermore, the air conditioning unit 80 is set so that the humidity and temperature within the air conditioning unit 80 are at values ​​appropriate for preventing cracking, but the humidity and temperature within the surrounding unit 70 may be measured and the settings of the air conditioning adjusted so that the measured values ​​are appropriate for preventing cracking. This allows for more appropriate adjustment of the humidity and temperature.

[0031] The circulation piping is composed of three types of circulation component pipes (first circulation component pipe 10, second circulation component pipe 20, and third circulation component pipe 30). The circulation pipes are hard polyvinyl chloride pipes (commonly known as PVC pipes). The inner diameters decrease in the order of first circulation pipe 10, second circulation pipe 20, and third circulation pipe 30. Inside the greenhouse 1, they are connected in this order from the air conditioning unit 80, and then connected in the reverse order to return to the air conditioning unit 80.

[0032] The different types of circulation pipes are connected in a structure where two circulation pipes with smaller inner diameters are connected to one circulation pipe with a larger inner diameter, i.e., the two are either separated or joined. Therefore, from the perspective of uniform air flow, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area of ​​the circulation pipe with the smaller inner diameter be half the cross-sectional area of ​​the circulation pipe with the larger inner diameter, i.e., 1 / √2 of the inner diameter. However, when using prefabricated PVC pipes to reduce costs, the available inner diameters are limited, so the inner diameters should at least be kept small. For example, the inner diameter of the first circulation pipe 10 is 75 mm, the inner diameter of the second circulation pipe 20 is 65 mm, and the inner diameter of the third circulation pipe 30 is 65 mm. The circulation pipe is wrapped with a sheet that has heat insulating and heat-shielding properties, such as a polyethylene foam light cover, and then wrapped with a light-shielding sheet, such as an aluminum vapor deposition sheet (a sheet with aluminum vacuum-deposited on the surface). Note that if the benefits of using these are not required or can be met by other means, it is not necessary to wrap these around the circulation pipe. The circulation pipe is positioned higher than the grapes 3A and is fixed to the pipes that form and support the greenhouse 1 with metal fittings, wire, etc.

[0033] Within the greenhouse 1, the circulation pipes are arranged symmetrically in four areas divided around the air conditioning unit 80. Below, the arrangement of the circulation pipes in one area (the area in the upper right corner of Figure 2) will be explained. In the other areas, the arrangement is symmetrical to that in that area. In one area, four main branches of grapevines 3 extend in the depth direction.

[0034] The first circulation component pipe 10 is composed of first circulation component pipes 11 and 12 , both of which are connected to the air conditioning unit 80 .

[0035] The first circulation component pipe 11 is connected to the outlet of the electric blower in the air conditioning unit 80 and penetrates the wall of the air conditioning unit 80. It is arranged so as to extend horizontally in the frontage direction of the greenhouse 1 (the left-right direction in FIG. 2) up to a distance equivalent to one frontage (4 m). The end of the first circulation component pipe 11 that is not connected to the discharge port of the electric blower is connected to the second circulation component pipe 20. Two second circulation component pipes 20 (21 and 22) are connected to one first circulation component pipe 11. Since the second circulation component pipes 21 and 22 are arranged to extend in the same direction as the first circulation component pipe 11, the first circulation component pipe 11 and the second circulation component pipes 21 and 22 are connected, for example, using a combination of an L-shaped pipe and a T-shaped pipe as a joint. That is, the end of the first circulation component pipe 11 is connected to one opening of the L-shaped pipe, and the other opening is connected to an opening on the branch pipe side of the T-shaped pipe (openings that are not facing each other), and the ends of the second circulation component pipes 21 and 22 are connected to the two openings on the main pipe side of the T-shaped pipe (openings that are facing each other). Note that combinations of pipes of other shapes may also be used as joints.

[0036] The first circulation component pipe 12 is connected to the air conditioning unit 80 by fitting an end of the first circulation component pipe 12 into a connection port drilled in the wall of the air conditioning unit 80. The first circulation component pipe 12 extends horizontally in the depth direction of the greenhouse 1 to one end face (the upper part in FIG. 2), bends vertically near the end face toward one end face (side face) in the width direction (the face on the right side in FIG. 2), and is arranged to extend along the end face for about one width (4 m). The end of the first circulation component pipe 12 that is not connected to the air conditioning unit 80 is also connected to the second circulation component pipe 20, and the second circulation component pipes 23 and 24 are connected to the first circulation component pipe 12. As in the case of the first circulation component pipe 11, the first circulation component pipe 12 and the second circulation component pipes 23 and 24 are also connected using, for example, a combination of an L-shaped pipe and a T-shaped pipe as a joint.

[0037] As described above, the second circulation component pipe 20 is composed of the second circulation component pipes 21, 22, 23 and 24, and the second circulation component pipes 21 and 22 are connected to the first circulation component pipe 11, and the second circulation component pipes 23 and 24 are connected to the first circulation component pipe 12.

[0038] The second circulation component pipe 21 is connected to the first circulation component pipe 11 via a joint, and is arranged so as to extend horizontally in the frontage direction of the greenhouse 1 toward one side. The end of the second circulation component pipe 21 that is not connected to the first circulation component pipe 11 is connected to the third circulation component pipe 30. Two third circulation component pipes 30 (31 and 32) are connected to one second circulation component pipe 21. The connection between the second circulation component pipe 21 and the third circulation component pipes 31 and 32 is made using, for example, a combination of an L-shaped pipe and a T-shaped pipe as a joint, similar to the connection between the first circulation component pipe 11 and the second circulation component pipes 21 and 22.

[0039] The second circulation component pipe 22 is connected to the first circulation component pipe 11 via a joint and is arranged so as to extend horizontally toward the other side of the greenhouse 1 in the direction of the frontage. The end of the second circulation component pipe 22 that is not connected to the first circulation component pipe 11 is connected to two third circulation component pipes 30 by a structure similar to that of the second circulation component pipe 21.

[0040] The second circulation component pipe 23 is connected to the first circulation component pipe 12 via a joint, and is connected to the third circulation component pipes 31 and 32 with the same arrangement and structure as the second circulation component pipe 21. The second circulation component pipe 24 is also connected to the first circulation component pipe 12 via a joint, and is connected to the two third circulation component pipes 30 with the same arrangement and structure as the second circulation component pipe 22.

[0041] The third circulation component pipe 30 is made up of four circulation component pipes including the third circulation component pipes 31 and 32, and the third circulation component pipes 31 and 32 are connected to the second circulation component pipes 21 and 23.

[0042] The third circulation component pipe 31 is connected to the second circulation component pipe 21 via a joint, extends horizontally in the frontage direction of the greenhouse 1 toward one side to the main branches of the grapes 3, bends vertically from there toward one end face, extends in the depth direction above the main branches of the grapes 3, bends vertically toward the other side near the second circulation component pipe 23, extends toward the other side, and is connected to the second circulation component pipe 23 via a joint.

[0043] The third circulation component pipe 32 is connected to the second circulation component pipe 21 via a joint, extends horizontally in the frontage direction of the greenhouse 1 toward the other side to another adjacent main branch of the grape vines 3, and like the third circulation component pipe 31, bends vertically from there toward one of the gable surfaces, extends in the depth direction above the main branch of the grape vines 3, bends vertically toward one side near the second circulation component pipe 23, extends toward one side, and is connected to the second circulation component pipe 23 via a joint.

[0044] In this embodiment, since the depth of the greenhouse 1 is 50 m, the length of the portion of the third circulation component pipes 31 and 32 that extends in the depth direction of the greenhouse 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "straight portion") is approximately 24 m, taking into consideration the installation area of ​​the air conditioning unit 80, etc. Note that the third circulation component pipe 32 may be positioned so that the straight portion passes through a position shifted to the left or right rather than directly above the main branches of the grape vines 3.

[0045] With this configuration of the circulation piping, the air conditioned by the air conditioning unit 80 flows from the air conditioning unit 80, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2, through the first circulation component pipe 11, the second circulation component pipes 21 and 22, and the four third circulation component pipes 30 including the third circulation component pipes 31 and 32, in that order, and then through the second circulation component pipes 23 and 24 and the first circulation component pipe 12, before returning to the air conditioning unit 80.

[0046] In addition, a valve may be installed near the joint of the circulation pipe to adjust the amount of air flowing through the circulation pipe. Furthermore, while the circulation pipe is composed of three types of circulation component pipes, the number of types of circulation component pipes is not limited to three and may be other numbers. Furthermore, while the different types of circulation component pipes are connected in a structure in which they are separated into two or joined together, they may also be connected into three or more. The inner diameter of each circulation component pipe is also not limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate, and the inner diameter of all circulation component pipes may be the same.

[0047] The delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are tubes made of silicone rubber, which is a rubber-like type of silicone resin, and have an inner diameter of, for example, 20 to 40 mm, smaller than that of the third circulation component pipe 30. Note that other materials may be used instead of silicone rubber.

[0048] In this embodiment, each of the delivery pipes 50 and receiving pipes 60 forms a pair and is connected to the third circulation component pipe 30 and the surrounding section 70. Normally, grape berries 3A grow on the left and right sides of the extending direction of the main branch, and in the fruit cultivation system 2, one third circulation component pipe 30 is arranged for each main branch, and the surrounding section 70 is arranged so as to surround the growing grape berries 3A, so the surrounding section 70 is arranged on the left and right sides of the straight section of one third circulation component pipe 30. Therefore, the delivery pipes 50 and receiving pipes 60 are connected in pairs to the left and right sides of the longitudinal direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 2 ) of the straight section of the third circulation component pipe 30.

[0049] A schematic diagram of the connection points between the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 and the third circulation component pipe 30 is shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the internal structure of the third circulation component pipe 30 when the third circulation component pipe 30 is cut along a plane that passes through these connection points and extends in the longitudinal direction of the third circulation component pipe 30 (the left-right direction in Figure 3). The arrows indicate the direction of air flow.

[0050] The delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are inserted into the third circulation pipe 30 through separate openings formed in the third circulation pipe 30. The delivery pipe 50 is installed so that the opening at its end faces the opposite direction to the air flow in the third circulation pipe 30, and the receiving pipe 60 is installed so that the opening at its end faces the same direction as the air flow in the third circulation pipe 30. In FIG. 3 , air flows from left to right in the third circulation pipe 30, so the opening of the delivery pipe 50 faces left, and the opening of the receiving pipe 60 faces right. This makes it easier for air flowing through the third circulation pipe 30 to flow into the delivery pipe 50, and easier for air flowing through the receiving pipe 60 to flow out into the third circulation pipe 30.

[0051] The delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are inserted into openings bored in the third circulation component pipe 30, then bent into an L shape and fastened to the inner surface of the third circulation component pipe 30. The delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 fastened to the inner surface of the third circulation component pipe 30 extend in the longitudinal direction of the third circulation component pipe 30 so that the open surfaces of their ends are located within a range of a predetermined length (for example, 10 to 15 cm) from the openings. The delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60 are fastened to the inner surface of the third circulation tube 30 using, for example, stainless steel wire. That is, holes or grooves for the wire are drilled near the ends of the delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60 to be inserted, and the wire is passed through the holes or grooves and wound around the outer surfaces of the delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60. The wire is then drawn toward the inner surface of the third circulation tube 30 to attach the delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60 to the inner surface, and the wire is fixed so that it does not move, thereby fastening the delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60 to the inner surface of the third circulation tube 30. By fastening the delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60 to the inner surface near the openings in this way, the delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60 do not interfere with the flow of air within the third circulation tube 30. Alternatively, the delivery tubes 50 and the receiving tubes 60 may be fastened using adhesive or the like.

[0052] As described above, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are inserted into the openings and then bent into an L-shape. This means that the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 may be compressed in the radial direction of the third circulation component pipe 30 at the bending point, narrowing the area through which air passes. To prevent this, the openings are drilled so that they are elliptical in shape, with their major axis oriented in the longitudinal direction of the third circulation component pipe 30. Since the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are compressed in the circumferential direction of the third circulation component pipe 30 at the openings, drilling the openings in this manner can alleviate radial compression. Note that the openings may be circular in cases where the area through which air passes is not significantly narrowed even when compressed in the radial direction.

[0053] The delivery pipes 50 and the receiving pipes 60 are connected to the surrounding section 70, and the spacing (the distance in the longitudinal direction of the third circulation pipe 30) between the openings of the third circulation pipe 30 into which the delivery pipes 50 and receiving pipes 60 connected to the same surrounding section 70 are inserted is preferably approximately the same as the spacing between the points where the delivery pipes 50 and receiving pipes 60 are connected in the surrounding section 70, in order to shorten the delivery pipes 50 and receiving pipes 60 and smooth air flow. However, it does not have to be approximately the same. Furthermore, if adjacent surrounding sections 70 are arranged close to each other, and the inserted portions of the receiving pipes 60 and delivery pipes 50 connected to adjacent surrounding sections 70 overlap, the openings of the third circulation pipe 30 can be shifted circumferentially or the inserted portions can be shifted to prevent the overlap.

[0054] The surrounding unit 70 surrounds the grape berries 3A, forming a gap around the surrounded grape berries 3A that serves as a closed space isolated from the outside. Air conditioned by the air conditioning unit 80 is sent into this gap to regulate the environment surrounding the grape berries 3A.

[0055] An example of the surrounding portion 70 in a state where it is connected to the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 is shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the surrounding portion 70. In Fig. 4, as indicated by the arrows, the upper and lower sides of the figure are the "top" and "bottom" of the surrounding portion 70, respectively, the front and back sides are the "front" and "rear" of the surrounding portion 70, respectively, and the right and left sides as viewed from the front (the right and left sides of the figure) are the "right" and "left" of the surrounding portion 70, respectively.

[0056] The surrounding portion 70 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is positioned so that its longitudinal direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 4 ) coincides with the extension direction of the main branches of the grapevines 3. The surrounding portion 70 is made of a material that has appropriate rigidity to suppress dispersion of the force (pressure) of the air being blown into it, and is lightweight to allow for easy installation. For example, the surrounding portion 70 is made using polystyrene foam. Polystyrene foam is a material created by foaming polystyrene beads to a certain magnification (e.g., approximately 45 times), and is lightweight and has excellent insulation, waterproofing, and shock absorption properties. The surrounding portion 70 is made using polystyrene foam with a thickness of, for example, 2 cm. The thus-made surrounding portion 70 is fixed to the pipes and other components that form and support the greenhouse 1 using metal fittings, wire, etc., in the same way as the circulation piping. The surrounding portion 70 may be made using polystyrene foam of a different thickness (for example, 1 cm), or may be made using a material other than polystyrene foam.

[0057] In order to surround a plurality of grape berries 3A, the surrounding portion 70 has a plurality of insertion openings 71 formed on its upper surface (the upper surface in FIG. 4) for inserting the grape berries 3A. Since one grape berry 3A is inserted into each insertion opening 71, the inner diameter of the insertion opening 71 is large enough for the grape berries 3A to pass through, for example, 15 cm, and the insertion openings 71 are formed on the upper surface of the surrounding portion 70 at intervals (for example, 15 cm) corresponding to the spacing between the growing grape berries 3A.

[0058] The height (vertical dimension in FIG. 4 ) and width (front-to-back dimension in FIG. 4 ) of the enclosing portion 70 are sized to form an appropriate gap between the grape berries 3A and the inner surface of the enclosing portion 70, for example, a height of 34 cm and a width of 19 cm. The length of the enclosing portion 70 (horizontal dimension in FIG. 4 ) is sized according to the number of grape berries 3A to be enclosed, but if it is too long, the internal air flow may be weakened, so it is set to a length that does not weaken it, for example, 2 m.

[0059] A fitting member 72 protruding outward by a certain length (for example, 2 to 3 cm) is fitted into the insertion opening 71. A thin-walled VU pipe, a PVC pipe, is used as the fitting member 72. A closure member 73 made of a flexible material, having a certain length and an open top, is wound around the outer surface of the fitting member 72. After the grapes 3A are inserted through the opening of the closure member 73 and further inserted into the surrounding portion 70 through the insertion opening 71, the opening of the closure member 73 is fastened to the main rachis of the grapes 3A using a string-like member or the like.

[0060] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the surrounding portion 70 near the insertion opening 71 with grape berries 3A inserted through the insertion opening 71. FIG. 5(A) shows the state before fastening the opening of the closing member 73 to the main cob 3B of the grape berries 3A, and FIG. 5(B) shows the state after fastening. Fastening the opening of the closing member 73 in this manner closes the insertion opening 71, thereby preventing air leakage from the surrounding portion 70. The length of the closing member 73 is set to a length that allows easy fastening of the opening to the main cob 3B, e.g., the same size as the inner diameter of the insertion opening 71. The closing member 73 is made of a transparent film that is flexible and has high light transmission (high visible light transmittance), such as polyvinylidene chloride or polypropylene. To reduce the impact of external temperature on the inside of the surrounding portion 70, the surrounding portion 70 preferably has light-blocking properties and heat resistance. As described above, if the surrounding portion 70 is made of polystyrene foam, it will have these properties. However, to accommodate high ambient temperatures, the outer surface of the surrounding portion 70 is covered with a light-blocking sheet, such as an aluminum-evaporated sheet. However, because a certain amount of external light is necessary for the grapes 3A to color, the closure member 73 is fabricated to allow light in through the insertion opening 71, allowing external light to enter the surrounding portion 70. If the external light entering through the insertion opening 71 is too intense, a nylon net or similar may be attached over the closure member 73. This net also functions as a bird deterrent. The shape of the insertion opening 71 may be polygonal, such as rectangular, rather than circular. However, a circular shape is preferable, considering the ease of installation of the fitting member 72 and the closure member 73 and the ease of inserting the grapes 3A. Although one grape 3A is inserted into each insertion opening 71, multiple grapes 3A may be inserted into each insertion opening 71. In this case, it is preferable that the shape of the insertion opening 71 is not circular, but is a shape (for example, rectangular, etc.) that corresponds to the number of grape berries 3A to be inserted.

[0061] The surrounding section 70 has a delivery pipe 50 and a receiving pipe 60 connected to both longitudinal ends thereof, respectively. Air delivered from the delivery pipe 50 flows inside the surrounding section 70 and is discharged from the receiving pipe 60. Therefore, to ensure smooth air flow, the delivery pipe 50 is connected at its end to a side surface (the left side surface in FIG. 4 ) located upstream in the direction of air flow in the third circulation component pipe 30 to which the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are connected (hereinafter referred to as the "left side surface"), and the receiving pipe 60 is connected to a side surface (the right side surface in FIG. 4 ) located downstream (hereinafter referred to as the "right side surface"). Specifically, the delivery pipe 50 is connected to the surrounding section 70 on the left side surface near the center in the height direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 4 ) of the surrounding section 70 and close to the third circulation component pipe 30 in the width direction (the front-to-back direction in FIG. 4 ). The receiving pipe 70 is connected to the surrounding section 70 on the right side, near the center of the surrounding section 70 in the height direction and close to the third circulation component pipe 30 in the width direction. Connecting the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 at such a position allows for smooth air flow within the surrounding section 70. Figure 6 shows a plan view of the surrounding section 70 connected to the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60, with arrows indicating the direction of air flow within the surrounding section 70 when grape berries 3A are inserted into the surrounding section 70. As indicated by the arrows, air can flow within the surrounding section 70 without being obstructed by the grape berries 3A. The delivery pipe 50 and / or the receiving pipe 60 may also be connected to other surfaces (top, bottom, front, or rear) at the end of the surrounding section 70.

[0062] As described above, the enclosing portion 70 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the insertion openings 71 are drilled linearly at regular intervals on the upper surface of the enclosing portion 70. Therefore, it is preferable that the grape berries 3A enclosed by the enclosing portion 70 grow in a substantially linear manner at substantially regular intervals. For this reason, as a pruning method in the process of growing the grapes 3, top pruning is used, which makes it easy to align the growing positions of the grape berries 3A. Top pruning is a method of pruning branches bearing fruit, leaving about four to five buds. Note that even if the grape berries 3A grow irregularly, this can be accommodated by adjusting the shape of the enclosing portion 70 and the drilling positions of the insertion openings 71.

[0063] In addition, the exposed portions of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 may be wrapped with a sheet having heat insulating or heat-shielding properties, such as bubble cushioning material.

[0064] Furthermore, although the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are fixed so as not to come off from the third circulation component pipe 30, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 may be connected to the third circulation component pipe 30 in a detachable state. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the delivery pipe 150 and the receiving pipe 160 are structured to be separable near the outside of the connection point with the third circulation component pipe 30. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the connection point between the delivery pipe 150 and the receiving pipe 160 and the third circulation component pipe 30. One of the separated ends is connected to the third circulation component pipe 30, and the other is connected to the surrounding portion 70. The two are connected by fitting their ends together.

[0065] The surrounding portion 70 is made of a material with appropriate rigidity, such as polystyrene foam, but like the closing member 73, it may also be made of a flexible material, such as polyvinylidene chloride or polypropylene. In this case, the main body of the surrounding portion 70 and the closing member 73 may be integrated without using the fitting member 72. However, when the surrounding portion 70 is made of a flexible material, the force of the air delivered to the surrounding portion 70 is also used to expand the surrounding portion 70, so it may be necessary to take measures such as delivering a stronger force of air to the surrounding portion 70 than when the surrounding portion 70 is made of a rigid material.

[0066] In the above-described fruit cultivation system 2, the air conditioning unit 80 is located approximately in the center of the greenhouse 1, but it may also be located elsewhere within the greenhouse 1, for example, near the center of the side. The air conditioning unit 80 may also be installed outside the greenhouse 1 rather than inside the greenhouse 1. In these cases, however, the distance from the air conditioning unit 80 to each pipe of the third circulation component pipe 30 will differ, and so in order to equalize the conditions of the air flowing through each pipe of the third circulation component pipe 30, it is necessary to adjust the air volume, etc., of the electric blower connected to each pipe of the first circulation component pipe 10.

[0067] Furthermore, multiple air conditioning units 80 may be installed, and if the size of the greenhouse 1 is large, it is practical to install multiple air conditioning units 80. The air conditioning units 80 may be made smaller so that multiple air conditioning units 80 are installed in the greenhouse 1 of the size shown in Fig. 1. For example, one air conditioning unit may be installed in each of the four regions shown in Fig. 2.

[0068] Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described. First, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0069] In the first embodiment, one delivery pipe 50 and one receiving pipe 60 are connected to the surrounding portion 70, but it is also possible to connect multiple delivery pipes 50 and / or receiving pipes 60 to the surrounding portion. By connecting multiple delivery pipes 50 and / or receiving pipes 60, it becomes possible to lengthen the surrounding portion, etc. When connecting multiple delivery pipes 50 and / or receiving pipes 60, it is preferable to apply a structure that allows air to flow smoothly inside the surrounding portion.

[0070] An example (second embodiment) of an enclosing portion 70 in which one delivery pipe and two receiving pipes are connected to the enclosing portion 70 is shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8(A) is a plan view of the enclosing portion 170 in which one delivery pipe 50 and two receiving pipes 61 and 62 are connected, and Fig. 8(B) is a cross-sectional view of the enclosing portion 170 cut along a horizontal plane.

[0071] The surrounding portion 170 has the same shape (rectangular parallelepiped), structure (including multiple insertion openings), and material (such as polystyrene foam) as the surrounding portion 70 shown in Figures 4 and 6, but the delivery pipe 50 is connected to the center of the length, and the receiving pipes 61 and 62 are connected to both ends of the length. Specifically, the delivery pipe 50 is connected to the surrounding portion 170 on the rear surface (the upper surface in Figure 8) of the surrounding portion 170 near the center in the length (left-right direction in Figure 8) and height (front-back direction in Figure 8) of the surrounding portion 170. The receiving pipe 61 is connected to the surrounding portion 170 on the rear surface of the surrounding portion 170 near the center in the height direction, near the left side surface (the left surface in Figure 8) of the surrounding portion 170. The receiving pipe 62 is connected to the rear surface of the surrounding portion 170 at a position close to the right side surface of the surrounding portion 170 (the right surface in FIG. 8) and near the center in the height direction.

[0072] The inner diameter of the delivery pipe 50 is the same as in the first embodiment, but the inner diameters of the receiving pipes 61 and 62 are sized so that the sum of the area of ​​the opening face of the receiving pipe 61 and the area of ​​the opening face of the receiving pipe 62 is approximately the same as the area of ​​the opening face of the delivery pipe 50. Specifically, when the inner diameter of the delivery pipe 50 is 20 to 40 mm, for example, the inner diameters of the receiving pipes 61 and 62 are set to 10 to 30 mm so that the area of ​​the opening face of each of the receiving pipes 61 and 62 is approximately half the area of ​​the opening face of the delivery pipe 50. With this setting, the air delivered from the delivery pipe 50 is efficiently discharged from the receiving pipes 61 and 62.

[0073] Since the surrounding portion 170 is connected to the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipes 61 and 62 in the structure described above, a diverting member 171 for diverting air is provided on the inner surface of the surrounding portion 170 at a position opposite to the portion where the delivery pipe 50 is connected so that the air delivered from the delivery pipe 50 can smoothly flow toward the receiving pipes 61 and 62. Specifically, the diverting member 171 is joined inside the front surface (the lower surface in FIG. 8 ) of the surrounding portion 170 at a position opposite to the portion where the delivery pipe 50 is connected on the rear surface. The diverting member 171 has a shape such that, for example, two curved concave surfaces of the same shape are joined at an acute angle at a position away from the front surface of the surrounding portion 170 so that the air delivered from the delivery pipe 50 can be smoothly diverted in opposite directions in the longitudinal direction of the surrounding portion 170 (leftward and rightward in FIG. 8 ). Like the surrounding portion 170, the flow dividing member 171 is made of a lightweight and rigid material such as polystyrene foam.

[0074] FIG. 9 shows the airflow inside the surrounding portion 170 when grape berries 3A are inserted into the surrounding portion 170. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the airflow with arrows when grape berries 3A are inserted, as compared to the cross-sectional view of the surrounding portion 170 shown in FIG. 8(B). As shown in FIG. 9, the air delivered from the delivery pipe 50 is diverted to the left and right by the diverting member 171, and flows smoothly into the receiving pipes 61 and 62 without being obstructed by the grape berries 3A. Alternatively, the delivery pipe 50 may be connected to another surface (top, bottom, or front) in the center of the surrounding portion 170, and the receiving pipes 61 and / or 62 may be connected to another surface (side, top, bottom, or front) at the end of the surrounding portion 170. Furthermore, in cases where the air flow is divided by other means, such as dividing the opening surface of the delivery pipe 50 into two and delivering the air to the left and right, the flow dividing member 171 may be omitted.

[0075] A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0076] In the first embodiment, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are inserted through openings drilled in the third circulation component pipe 30 and fastened to the inner surface of the third circulation component pipe 30, but it is also possible to have the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 not extend to the inner surface of the third circulation component pipe 30, but only extend to a position where the opening surfaces of the ends of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 contact the outer periphery of the opening.

[0077] Fig. 10 shows a schematic diagram of the connection points between the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 and the third circulation component pipe 30 when the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are connected to the third circulation component pipe 30 as described above. As in Fig. 3, Fig. 10 shows the internal structure of the third circulation component pipe 30 when the third circulation component pipe 30 is cut at a plane that passes through the connection points and extends in the longitudinal direction of the third circulation component pipe 30.

[0078] The delivery pipe 50 is inserted into the opening 30a formed in the third circulation component pipe 30, and the lower part of the opening of the delivery pipe 50 is in close contact with the third circulation component pipe 30 at the location indicated by arrow S1 on the outer periphery of the opening 30a in Fig. 10. The upper side of the delivery pipe 50 is in close contact with the third circulation component pipe 30 at the location indicated by arrow S2, which is the location opposite the location indicated by arrow S1 on the outer periphery of the opening 30a. The delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 are connected by adhering the delivery pipe 50 to the third circulation component pipe 30 at the locations indicated by arrows S1 and S2 using an adhesive or the like, and further by covering the connection between the delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 with a sealant or the like so as to fill any gaps that occur between the delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 at the opening 30a. In addition, in cases where the delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 can be connected only with a sealing material or the like, it is not necessary to adhere them with adhesive or the like at the locations indicated by arrows S1 and S2. Furthermore, in cases where the delivery pipe 50 can be fixed to the third circulation component pipe 30 only with adhesion at the location indicated by arrow S1, it is not necessary to adhere them with adhesive or the like at the location indicated by arrow S2.

[0079] The receiving pipe 60 is inserted into the opening 30b formed in the third circulation component pipe 30, and is tightly connected to the third circulation component pipe 30 at the points indicated by arrows R1 and R2 in Figure 10 using the same structure and means as the delivery pipe 50.

[0080] By connecting the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 to the third circulation pipe 30 in this manner, the opening face at the end of the delivery pipe 50 faces in the opposite direction to the air flow direction in the third circulation pipe 30, and the opening face at the end of the receiving pipe 60 faces in the same direction as the air flow direction in the third circulation pipe 30. Therefore, the air flowing in the third circulation pipe 30 easily flows into the delivery pipe 50, and the air flowing in the receiving pipe 60 easily flows out to the third circulation pipe 30. In addition, since the range of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 inserted into the third circulation pipe 30 is smaller than in the first embodiment, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 can be further prevented from interfering with the air flow in the third circulation pipe 30 compared to the first embodiment. Furthermore, since there is no need to fasten the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 to the inner surface of the third circulation component pipe 30 with wire or the like, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 can be easily connected to the third circulation component pipe 30. Note that, in a state where the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are connected to the third circulation component pipe 30, the opening faces at the ends of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 may be formed at an angle slightly inclined from the short side direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60, respectively, so that the opening faces at the ends of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the third circulation component pipe 30. This allows air to flow into the delivery pipe 50 and out of the receiving pipe 60 more efficiently.

[0081] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0082] In the first embodiment, the circulation piping is configured with a structure in which different types of circulation pipes are connected in two separate or combined connections, but with this configuration, if the number of circulation pipes to which the delivery pipes and receiving pipes are connected is increased to accommodate grapes 3 grown over a wider area, the number of stages of circulation pipes connected from the air conditioning unit 80 to the circulation pipes will increase, which may make the configuration more complicated. This can be addressed by preparing multiple air conditioning units 80 and arranging multiple configurations such as those shown in Figure 2, or by changing the configuration of the circulation piping.

[0083] An example of a fruit cultivation system (fourth embodiment) that addresses the above will be described. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a greenhouse 4 in the fourth embodiment, and Fig. 12 is a plan view of a fruit cultivation system 5 used in the greenhouse 4. As in Fig. 2, in Fig. 12, the fruit cultivation system 5 is drawn larger than the greenhouse 4 in order to clearly show the structure of the fruit cultivation system 5 in the greenhouse 4.

[0084] In the fourth embodiment, the greenhouses 4 are connected to each other and consist of 10 buildings, each with a width of 4 m and a depth of 50 m, similar to the first embodiment. The air conditioning unit 80 is located outside the greenhouses 4.

[0085] The circulation piping in the fourth embodiment is composed of a main circulation pipe 110, a branch circulation pipe 120, a small branch circulation pipe 130, and a thin circulation pipe 140, and further, the branch circulation pipe 120 is composed of branch circulation pipes 121 and 122, and the small branch circulation pipe 130 is composed of small branch circulation pipes 131 and 132. The main circulation pipe 110, the branch circulation pipe 120, the small branch circulation pipe 130, and the thin circulation pipe 140 correspond to the circulation component pipes.

[0086] The inner diameters of the main circulation pipe 110, the branch circulation pipe 120, and the small branch circulation pipe 130 decrease in this order. For example, the inner diameter of the main circulation pipe 110 is 100 mm, the inner diameter of the branch circulation pipe 120 is 75 mm, and the inner diameter of the small branch circulation pipe 130 is 65 mm. The inner diameter of the thin circulation tube 140 is the same as that of the small branch circulation pipe 130, 65 mm.

[0087] The circulation main pipe 110 is connected to the air conditioning unit 80. Specifically, it is connected to the outlet of the electric blower in the air conditioning unit 80, penetrates the wall of the air conditioning unit 80, and extends into the interior of the greenhouse 4. Inside the greenhouse 4, the circulation main pipe 110 is located approximately in the center of the depth direction of the greenhouse 4, and is piped so as to extend horizontally in the width direction. Therefore, it is preferable to install the air conditioning unit 80 near the center of one side of the greenhouse 4. For example, when the air conditioning unit 80 is installed on the outside of one side of the greenhouse 4 as shown in Figure 12, the circulation main pipe 110 extends from the point where it is inserted into the greenhouse 4 in the frontage direction to the other side. The end of the circulation main pipe 110 facing the other side is closed.

[0088] Circulation branch pipes 121 and 122 that make up circulation branch pipe 120 are also connected to air conditioning unit 80. Circulation branch pipes 121 and 122 are connected by fitting the ends of circulation branch pipes 121 and 122 into separate connection ports drilled in the wall of air conditioning unit 80.

[0089] Inside the greenhouse 4, as shown in Figure 12, the circulation branch pipe 121 extends from the point where it is inserted into the greenhouse 4 along the side to one of the end faces (the upper part in Figure 12), bends vertically near the end face, and extends along the end face to the other side face.

[0090] The arrangement of the circulation branch pipe 122 is symmetrical to the arrangement of the circulation branch pipe 121. That is, the circulation branch pipe 122 extends from the point where it is inserted inside the greenhouse 4 along the side to the other end face (the lower part in FIG. 12), bends vertically near the end face, and extends along the end face to the other side face. The end faces of the circulation branch pipes 121 and 122 facing the other side face are closed.

[0091] The circulation branch pipe 131 constituting the circulation branch pipe 130 is connected to the circulation main pipe 110, and the circulation branch pipe 132 is connected to the circulation branch pipe 120 (circulation branch pipe 121 or 122).

[0092] The circulation branch pipes 131 extend from the main circulation pipe 110 toward each main branch of the grapevines 3 that develop on both sides of the main circulation pipe 110 (above and below the main circulation pipe 110 in Figure 12), and four of them are arranged near the ridge boundary. Air flowing through the main circulation pipe 110 passes through the circulation branch pipes 131 and flows into the circulation thin tubes 140, so the circulation branch pipes 131 are connected at an angle to the main circulation pipe 110 to facilitate air flow. Specifically, the circulation branch pipes 131 are connected to the main circulation pipe 110 so that the angle formed by the direction of air flowing through the main circulation pipe 110 and the direction of air flowing through the circulation branch pipes 131 from the connection point is acute. A Y-shaped pipe is used as a joint for the connection. Therefore, the circulation branch pipes 131 connected in one direction to the circulation main pipe 110 (the circulation branch pipes 131 connected to the upper part of the circulation main pipe 110 or the circulation branch pipes 131 connected to the lower part in Figure 12) are connected to the circulation main pipe 110 at a position offset from the circulation branch pipes 131 connected in the other direction.

[0093] The circulation stubble 132 is paired with the circulation stubble 131 and extends from the circulation stubble 120 toward each main branch of the grapevine 3. Four of them are arranged near the ridge boundary, two connected to the circulation stubble 121 and two connected to the circulation stubble 122. Air from the circulation thin tube 140 flows through the circulation stubble 132 to the circulation stubble 120, so like the circulation stubble 131, the circulation stubble 132 is connected at an angle to the circulation stubble 120 to facilitate air flow. Specifically, the circulation stubble 132 is connected to the circulation stubble 120 so that the angle formed by the direction of air flowing through the circulation stubble 120 toward the connection point and the direction of air flowing through the circulation stubble 132 is acute. As with the circulation stubble 131, a Y-shaped joint is used for the connection.

[0094] The circulation branch pipe 131 may be connected to the circulation main pipe 110 at a right angle instead of an angle, and the circulation branch pipe 132 may be connected to the circulation branch pipe 120 at a right angle instead of an angle.

[0095] A valve 90 is installed in the circulation branch pipe 130. The valve 90 adjusts the amount of air flowing through the circulation branch pipe 130, thereby adjusting the amount of air ultimately sent to the surrounding section 70. Note that the valve 90 may be omitted in consideration of costs, etc.

[0096] The circulation capillary 140 is connected to the circulation branch pipes 131 and 132. One circulation capillary 140 is connected to one set of circulation branch pipes 131 and 132, and extends in the depth direction of the greenhouse 4 above the main branches of the grapevines 3, similar to the straight section of the third circulation component pipe 30 in the first embodiment.

[0097] In this embodiment, the depth of the greenhouse 4 is 50 m, so the length of one circulation capillary tube 140 is approximately 25 m.

[0098] With this type of circulation piping configuration, the air conditioned by the air conditioning unit 80 flows from the air conditioning unit 80 through the main circulation pipe 110, the small circulation branch pipe 131, and the thin circulation pipe 140, as shown by the arrows in Figure 12, and then flows through the small circulation branch pipe 132 and the circulation branch pipe 120 (circulation branch pipe 121 or 122) in that order, before returning to the air conditioning unit 80.

[0099] In the fourth embodiment, the circulation capillary 140 is connected to the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60. Therefore, when the number of circulation capillaries 140 is increased to accommodate grapes 3 grown over a wider area, the main circulation pipe 110 and the branch circulation pipe 120 can be extended, and the small branch circulation pipe 130 and the circulation capillary 140 can be connected to the extended portions. In the fourth embodiment, the circulation piping is composed of four types of pipes: the main circulation pipe 110, the branch circulation pipe 120, the small branch circulation pipe 130, and the thin circulation pipe 140. However, the number of pipes is not limited to four and may be other numbers. The number of each pipe is also not limited to the above and may be other numbers. The inner diameter of each pipe is also not limited to the above and may be changed as appropriate, and the inner diameter of all pipes may be the same.

[0100] A fifth embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0101] The fruit cultivation system 2 of the first embodiment basically has one air conditioning unit 80, and the air discharged from the air conditioning unit 80 flows through the circulation piping, delivery pipe, receiving pipe, and surrounding section before returning to the air conditioning unit 80 (hereinafter referred to as a "single-section configuration"). Even when multiple air conditioning units are provided, the single-section configuration is arranged side by side. Alternatively, the fruit cultivation system can be configured with multiple air conditioning units in a single-section configuration (hereinafter referred to as a "multi-section configuration"), i.e., the air discharged from an air conditioning unit flows through the circulation piping, delivery pipe, receiving pipe, and surrounding section, as well as through another air conditioning unit, before returning to the original air conditioning unit. In a single-section configuration, if the circulation piping is long, the effectiveness of the air conditioning unit near the most downstream of the air flow may be weakened. However, a multi-section configuration can prevent this weakening of the conditioning effect.

[0102] An example of a multi-part fruit cultivation system (fifth embodiment) will be described. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a greenhouse 6 in the fifth embodiment, and Fig. 14 is a plan view of a fruit cultivation system 7 used in the greenhouse 6. As in Figs. 2 and 12, in Fig. 14, the fruit cultivation system 7 is drawn larger than the greenhouse 6 in order to clearly show the structure of the fruit cultivation system 7 in the greenhouse 6.

[0103] In the fifth embodiment, the greenhouse 6 is a row of three buildings, each with a width of 4 m and a depth of 50 m, similar to the first embodiment. Inside the greenhouse 6, four main branches of grapes 3 extend in the depth direction.

[0104] The fruit cultivation system 7 has a multi-part configuration including two air conditioning units 181 and 182. The circulation piping is arranged to connect the air conditioning units 181 and 182 and is composed of an A circulation component pipe 210 and a B circulation component pipe 220 that are the same in shape, material, etc. The A circulation component pipe 210 and the B circulation component pipe 220 each have an inner diameter of, for example, 65 mm.

[0105] Air conditioning unit 181 is located near one end face (top in FIG. 14) inside greenhouse 6 and is connected to one end of all of the circulation component pipes. Air conditioning unit 182 is located near the other end face (bottom in FIG. 14) inside greenhouse 6 and is connected to the other end of all of the circulation component pipes.

[0106] The air conditioning units 181 and 182 are closed spaces, similar to the air conditioning unit 80 of the first embodiment, and use air conditioners and electric fans to adjust the air in the spaces to a predetermined temperature and humidity, and send the adjusted air to the circulation piping. Four electric fans are installed in each of the two air conditioning units 181 and 182, and because the air is circulated by the electric fans installed in the two air conditioning units 181 and 182, the air volume can be made smaller than that of the electric fans installed in the air conditioning unit 80, for example, 8 m 3 / minutes. Note that the air conditioning units 181 and 182 do not need to have the same configuration of the devices installed as long as they can adjust the humidity (and temperature) of the air. For example, only an electric blower may be installed in the air conditioning unit 182.

[0107] The A circulation component pipe 210 is composed of two circulation component pipes (A circulation component pipes 211 and 212) and is arranged in one of the areas (the left half area in Figure 14) that is approximately divided into two equal parts by the boundary line in the depth direction of the greenhouse 6, and extends in the depth direction of the greenhouse 6 at a position above the main branches of the grapes 3, similar to the straight section of the third circulation component pipe 30 in the first embodiment.

[0108] One end of the A circulation component pipe 210 is connected to the discharge port of the electric blower in the air conditioning unit 181 and passes through the wall of the air conditioning unit 181. The other end of the A circulation component pipe 210 is connected to the air conditioning unit 182 by fitting into a connection port drilled in the wall of the air conditioning unit 182. In this embodiment, the depth of the greenhouse 6 is 50 m, so the length of one A circulation component pipe 210 is approximately 50 m.

[0109] The B circulation component pipe 220 is composed of two circulation component pipes (B circulation component pipes 221 and 222), and is arranged symmetrically to the A circulation component pipe 210 within the greenhouse 6. That is, the B circulation component pipe 220 is arranged in the other area (the right half area in FIG. 14 ) that is approximately divided into two equal parts by the boundary line in the depth direction of the greenhouse 6, and like the A circulation component pipe 210, it extends in the depth direction of the greenhouse 6 above the main branches of the grapevines 3.

[0110] One end of the B circulation component pipe 220 is connected to the discharge port of the electric blower in the air conditioning unit 182 and passes through the wall of the air conditioning unit 182. The other end of the B circulation component pipe 220 is connected to the air conditioning unit 181 by fitting into a connection port drilled in the wall of the air conditioning unit 181. The length of one B circulation component pipe 220 is approximately 50 m, the same as the length of one A circulation component pipe 210.

[0111] The delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are connected to the A circulation arrangement pipe 210 and the B circulation arrangement pipe 220 . With this multiple-section configuration, in air conditioning unit 181, air from B circulation component pipe 220 is conditioned in air conditioning unit 181 and sent to A circulation component pipe 210, and in air conditioning unit 182, air from A circulation component pipe 210 is conditioned in air conditioning unit 182 and sent to B circulation component pipe 220. As shown by the arrows in Figure 14, the conditioned air circulates through air conditioning unit 181, A circulation component pipe 210, air conditioning unit 182, and B circulation component pipe 220. Because the circulating air is conditioned at two locations, air conditioning units 181 and 182, it is possible to suppress weakening of the air conditioning effect without increasing air conditioning parameters such as the air volume of the electric blower in each air conditioning unit. Since the circulation piping is composed only of A circulation component pipe 210 and B circulation component pipe 220, which extend linearly, and has no bends, this configuration also contributes to suppressing weakening of the air conditioning effect.

[0112] In the fruit cultivation system 7, the A circulation component pipe 210 and the B circulation component pipe 220 each consist of two circulation component pipes. However, the number of circulation component pipes may be other than two, as long as the A circulation component pipe 210 and the B circulation component pipe 220 are the same. Furthermore, while the fruit cultivation system 7 has a multi-part configuration with two air conditioners 181 and 182, a multi-part configuration with three or more air conditioners may be used. In this case, the configuration of each air conditioner may be the same or different. This allows for flexible adaptation to the size of the greenhouse and the scale of the air conditioner. For example, as in the fruit cultivation system 7A shown in FIG. 15, an air conditioner 183 may be provided midway between the A circulation component pipe 210 and the B circulation component pipe 220, and the air conditioner 183 may be equipped with only an electric blower. This further reduces the weakening of the air flow. Furthermore, the fruit cultivation system may be configured as a mixture of single-part and multi-part configurations, i.e., the circulation piping may be arranged to form a mixture of circulation paths including only one air conditioning unit and circulation paths including two or more air conditioning units.

[0113] The circulation piping in the fifth embodiment is composed of a linear A circulation component pipe 210 and a B circulation component pipe 220, but like the circulation piping in the first and fourth embodiments, it may also be composed of circulation component pipes with different inner diameters or a configuration with branching points.

[0114] A sixth embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0115] In the first embodiment, the air conditioning unit 80 simply delivers humidity- and temperature-regulated air. However, it is also possible to further include a chemical addition means for adding chemicals used for fruit cultivation to the air conditioned by the air conditioning unit. For example, chemicals used to promote the growth of grapes 3 or prevent disease can be made into a mist and added to the air being delivered. For example, vapors of a fumigant or hypochlorous acid water can be added to the air being delivered. Adding a fumigant can control pests, and adding hypochlorous acid water can sterilize and disinfect.

[0116] When the grape berries 3A are covered with a container such as the enclosure 70, it is usually difficult to spray such aerosol chemicals onto the grape berries 3A, but by adding them to the air sent out from the air conditioning unit, it becomes possible to spray them.

[0117] An example of a fruit cultivation system corresponding to the above (sixth embodiment) is shown in Figure 16. In the fruit cultivation system 8 of the sixth embodiment, compared to the fruit cultivation system 2 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the air conditioning unit 80 is replaced with an air conditioning unit 280, which is equipped with a chemical application means 281.

[0118] The chemical adding means 281 is composed of a fumigant and hypochlorous acid water sprayer. These are used simultaneously or individually to add a mist of the fumigant and / or hypochlorous acid water to the air sent out from the air adjusting unit 280 to the first circulation component pipe 11. The chemical agent addition means 281 may generate a gas containing beneficial bacteria such as noble rot fungus (Botrytis cinerea) in addition to a smoky fumigant or hypochlorous acid water. The chemical agent addition means 281 is provided within the air conditioning unit 280, but may be independent of the air conditioning unit 280 and directly connected to the first circulation component pipe 11. When multiple air conditioning units are provided, as in the fruit cultivation system 7 of the fifth embodiment, all of the air conditioning units may be provided with the chemical agent addition means, or any number of the air conditioning units may be provided with the chemical agent addition means. Even when the chemical agent addition means is provided independent of the air conditioning unit, two or more chemical agent addition means may be provided.

[0119] In the above-described embodiments (first to sixth embodiments), the entire greenhouse may be covered with a windbreak net. Use of the windbreak net can reduce damage to grape berries and new shoots.

[0120] The present invention can be realized not only as the above-mentioned fruit cultivation system, but also as a fruit cultivation method using the same system.

[0121] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0122] In addition, matters not explicitly disclosed in the above embodiments, such as the dimensions and weight of components, do not deviate from the scope of what a person skilled in the art would normally do, and values ​​that a person skilled in the art would easily be able to assume can be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 1, 4, 6 Greenhouses 2, 5, 7, 7A, 8 Fruit Cultivation System 3. Grapes 3A Grape Fruit 3B Main Cob 10, 11, 12 1st circulation component pipe 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 2nd circulation component pipe 30, 31, 32 Third circulation component pipe 30a, 30b opening 50, 150 delivery pipe 60, 61, 62, 160 Receiving pipe 70, 170 Surrounding area 71 Insertion port 72 Fitting member 73 Closure member 80, 181, 182, 183, 280 Air conditioning unit 90 valves 110 Circulation main 120, 121, 122 Circulatory branches 130, 131, 132 Circulatory ducts 140 Circulating tubules 171 Diversion element 210, 211, 212 A circulation configuration pipe 220, 221, 222 B circulation configuration pipe 281 Drug Addition Methods

Claims

1. an air conditioning unit that adjusts at least the humidity of the air; a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air circulates; a surrounding portion into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits; a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosed section and configured to guide the conditioned air to the enclosed section; A fruit cultivation system comprising: a receiving pipe connected to the surrounding portion and the circulation piping, and configured to guide air within the surrounding portion to the circulation piping.

2. a plurality of air conditioning units that adjust at least the humidity of the air; a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air circulates; a surrounding portion into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits; a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosed section and configured to guide the conditioned air to the enclosed section; a receiving pipe connected to the surrounding portion and the circulation pipe and configured to guide air within the surrounding portion to the circulation pipe; A fruit growing system, characterized in that the circulation piping is arranged so that the circulating conditioned air passes through at least two of the air conditioning units.

3. 3. The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding portion is made to have rigidity.

4. The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surrounding portion has an insertion opening through which the fruit is inserted.

5. The fruit cultivation system according to claim 4 , wherein the surrounding portion is formed so that the insertion opening has light-transmitting properties and the portion other than the insertion opening has light-blocking properties.

6. the delivery pipe is connected to one end of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction; The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving pipe is connected to the other end of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction.

7. the delivery pipe is connected to a central portion of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction; The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving pipes are connected to both longitudinal ends of the surrounding portion.

8. 8. The fruit cultivation system according to claim 7, wherein the enclosure includes a diverting member at a position on the inner surface of the enclosure opposite to the point where the delivery pipe is connected, for diverting the conditioned air in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction of the enclosure.

9. 8. The fruit cultivation system according to claim 7, wherein the area of ​​the opening surface of the end of the delivery pipe connected to the surrounding portion is equal to the sum of the areas of the opening surfaces of the end of the receiving pipe connected to the surrounding portion.

10. A fruit cultivation method using the fruit cultivation system according to claim 1 or 2.

11. The fruit cultivation method according to claim 10, wherein the fruit is a grape.

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