Plant cultivation equipment

Abstract

To provide a thin plant cultivation device that ensures sufficient space inside a housing to store liquid and can stably support a culture medium storage container.SOLUTION: A plant cultivation device 1 of the present invention comprises: a thin box-shaped housing 10 with an open top surface; a liquid storage part 20 located on the lower side inside the housing 10 and capable of storing liquid; a culture medium storage container 30 that is disposed in the space above the liquid storage part 20 inside the housing 10 and can contain a culture medium for growing a plant; a plurality of arch-shaped support parts 21 that rise upward from the bottom surface of the liquid storage part 20 and support the culture medium storage container 30; and a liquid supply mechanism 40 capable of pumping up the liquid stored in the liquid storage part 20 and supplying it to the culture medium contained in the culture medium storage container 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plant cultivation device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a plant cultivation device is known that includes a fluid storage part located on the lower side inside a housing and capable of storing a liquid, a medium storage container arranged above the fluid storage part inside the housing and capable of accommodating a medium for growing plants, and a liquid supply mechanism that pumps up the liquid stored in the fluid storage part and supplies it to the medium accommodated in the medium storage container (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When using such a plant cultivation device indoors, it is desirable to make the housing thin from the perspective of space. However, when the housing is made thin, the space inside the housing becomes small and the stability deteriorates.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a thin plant cultivation device that sufficiently secures the space inside the housing capable of storing a liquid and can stably support the medium storage container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a plant cultivation device comprising: a thin, box-shaped housing with an open top; a liquid storage section located at the bottom of the housing and capable of storing liquid; a culture medium container located in the space above the liquid storage section within the housing and capable of accommodating a culture medium for growing plants; a plurality of arch-shaped support sections rising upward from the bottom of the liquid storage section and supporting the culture medium container; and a liquid supply mechanism capable of pumping up the liquid stored in the liquid storage section and supplying it to the culture medium contained in the culture medium container.

[0007] The housing includes a front, rear, two sides, a bottom, and an open top, and the height of the housing is preferably five times or more the width of the sides.

[0008] Preferably, a recess for arranging a timer is formed on one of the aforementioned sides, on the side of the portion where the culture medium container is located.

[0009] Preferably, a transparent section capable of observing the water level is formed on one of the aforementioned side surfaces, on the side of the portion where the liquid storage section is located.

[0010] The liquid supply mechanism preferably includes a spraying pipe for spraying the liquid stored in the liquid storage section onto the culture medium container, and a liquid pump for supplying the liquid to the spraying pipe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thin plant cultivation device that can secure sufficient space within the housing for storing liquid and stably support the culture medium container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the plant cultivation device 1 of the embodiment in use. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of plant cultivation device 1, showing the state after removing the outer frame 2 from the state in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a partial cutout perspective view of the housing 10. [Figure 4] This is a partial perspective view of the upper part of the plant cultivation device 1, showing the dispersal state of the spraying pipe 43, which will be described later. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The following describes an embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus 1 of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the plant cultivation apparatus 1 of the embodiment in use, where the plant cultivation apparatus 1 is covered on its outer perimeter with an outer frame 2 made of, for example, wooden board material. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the plant cultivation apparatus 1 of the embodiment, showing the state in which the outer frame 2 has been removed from the state in Figure 1.

[0014] (Plant cultivation device 1) The plant cultivation device 1 is, for example, placed on a window frame indoors, and comprises a thin, box-shaped housing 10, a liquid storage section 20 located at the bottom inside the housing 10 and capable of storing liquid, a culture medium container 30 located above the liquid storage section 20 inside the housing 10 and capable of containing a culture medium for growing plants, and a liquid supply mechanism 40 capable of pumping up the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 20 and supplying the liquid to the culture medium contained in the culture medium container 30.

[0015] (Cabinet 10) Figure 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the housing 10. The housing 10 is a box-shaped member with an open top, having a front surface 11 and a rear surface 12 facing each other, a pair of side surfaces 13 facing each other, and a bottom surface 14.

[0016] As shown in the diagram below, the direction in which the front surface 11 and rear surface 12 extend is defined as the length direction L, the direction in which the side surface 13 extends is defined as the width direction W, and the direction in which the front surface 11, rear surface 12, and side surface 13 extend is defined as the height direction H.

[0017] The length L1 of the front surface 11 and the rear surface 12 of the housing 10 shown in FIG. 3 is greater than the width W1 of the side surface 13. In the embodiment, the length L1 of the front surface 11 and the rear surface 12 is 8 times or more the width W1 of the side surface 13. The height H1 of the housing 10 is greater than the width W1 of the side surface 13, and the height H1 is 5 times or more the width of the side surface W1, that is, the housing 10 has a thin box shape. Although not limited thereto, in the embodiment, the length L1 is about 1000 mm, the width W1 is about 120 mm, and the height is about 850 mm. The length L1 is about 8 times the width W1 of the side surface 13, and the height H1 is about 7 times the width W1 of the side surface.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower space of the housing 10 is a liquid storage portion 20 that stores liquids such as water and nutrient solution sprayed on plants. A culture medium container 30 is disposed in the upper space 10A of the housing 10. The liquid storage portion 20 occupies, although not limited thereto, about the lower half of the housing 10 in the height direction H. Therefore, the upper space 10A also occupies about the upper half of the housing 10 in the height direction H.

[0019] A recess 15 where a timer box 51 for arranging a timer 50 can be arranged is formed on the side of a portion of one side surface 13 of the housing 10 where the culture medium container 30 is arranged. Further, a perspective portion 16 for observing the water level is formed on the side of a portion of one side surface 13 where the liquid storage portion 20 is located. The perspective portion 16 is formed by cutting out a part of the side surface 13 into an elongated rectangle over substantially the entire height direction of the liquid storage portion 20, and a transparent member is arranged in the cut-out portion. The water level of the liquid storage portion 20 can be observed from the outside through the perspective portion 16.

[0020] Note that the side plate 2a of the exterior frame 2 is detachable even when the exterior frame 2 is attached to the outside of the housing 10. Even when the exterior frame 2 is attached to the outside of the housing 10, the timer 50 can be set and the water level can be observed by removing the side plate 2a.

[0021] (Support portion 21) Multiple identical support sections 21 are erected in the liquid storage section 20, extending upward from the bottom surface 14. All of the support sections 21 are identical arch-shaped. In other words, the support sections 21 are U-shaped or U-shaped. Each support section 21 has a leg section 21a extending upward from the front and rear sides of the bottom surface 14, and a connecting section 21b at the upper end of the leg section 21a that connects the front and rear leg sections 21a. The front leg section 21a and the rear leg section 21a are identical in shape, and the lower ends of the leg sections 21a are fixed to the bottom surface 14. Preferably, at least one of the front leg section 21a and the rear leg section 21a is fixed to the front surface 11 or the rear surface 12.

[0022] The height (width) H2 of the connecting portion 21b in the H direction is smaller than the height of the leg portion 21a, i.e., the height H3 from the bottom surface 14 to the lower edge of the connecting portion 21b, and in an embodiment, it is 1 / 10 or less. Also, the width W2 of the leg portion 21a is smaller than the width W3 between the front and rear leg portions 21a, and in an embodiment, it is 1 / 2 or less. Although not limited to this, in an embodiment, the height (width) H2 of the connecting portion 21b and the width W2 of the leg portion 21a are approximately equal.

[0023] In other words, in a cross-section of the liquid storage section 20 parallel to the side surface 13 at the position including the support portion 21, the area occupied by the support portion 21 is small, and the proportion occupied by the gap 23 formed between the bottom surface 14 and the support portion 21 is large. The proportion occupied by the gap 23 in the cross-section including the support portion 21 is preferably 70% or more, and more preferably 80% or more. In the embodiment, it is about 80%. In other words, since the gap 23 occupies a large proportion of the cross-section parallel to the side surface 13 at the position including the support portion 21, the flow of liquid in the longitudinal direction L within the liquid storage portion 20 is not obstructed by the support portion 21.

[0024] A support plate 25 is horizontally positioned above the multiple support sections 21, spanning between them. The support plate 25 is plate-shaped, and its outer circumference is approximately the same as the inner circumference of the housing 10. The support plate 25 is provided with multiple rectangular openings 25a. The openings 25a are formed such that the connecting sections 21b of the support sections 21 are located between the openings 25a, that is, the openings 25a are not positioned on the connecting sections 21b. This allows liquid to fall through the openings 25a from the drainage holes 31 of the culture medium container 30, which will be described next, into the liquid storage section 20.

[0025] (Culture medium container 30) Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the upper part of the plant cultivation device 1, showing the dispensing pipe 43, which will be described later, in a disassembled state. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the culture medium container 30 is a container with an open top that can hold the culture medium 35 in which plants are planted. The culture medium container 30 is placed on a support plate 25 supported by a support part 21.

[0026] A recess 32 for arranging the liquid delivery pipe 42 is provided in the portion of the culture medium container 30 that abuts against the corner between the side surface 13 and the rear surface 12 of the housing 10. The recess 32 extends in the height direction H. At the lower end of the culture medium container 30 on the side surface 13, a container-side recess 33 is provided, corresponding to a recess 15 in the housing for arranging the timer box 51. Furthermore, on the rear surface 12 of the culture medium container 30, a plurality of protrusions 34 for arranging the dispensing pipe 43 are provided at approximately equal intervals. In addition, a plurality of drainage holes 31 are provided on the bottom surface of the culture medium container 30.

[0027] (Liquid supply mechanism 40) The liquid supply mechanism 40 shown in Figure 2 comprises a liquid pump 41 positioned at the bottom of one side 13 of the liquid storage section 20, a liquid supply pipe 42 extending upward from the liquid pump 41 across the liquid storage section 20 and the upper space 10A, along the corner between the side 13 and the rear surface 12 of the housing 10, and a spray pipe 43 connected to the upper end of the liquid supply pipe 42, which sprays the liquid that has been sent out by the liquid pump 41 and risen up the liquid supply pipe 42 onto a plurality of culture medium containers 30.

[0028] (Scatter pipe 43) The spraying tube 43 rests on a plurality of protrusions 34 provided on the culture medium container 30 and extends along the upper part of the culture medium container 30 in the longitudinal direction L. An opening 43a is provided at one end of the lower surface of the spraying tube 43 into which the upper end of the liquid delivery tube 42 is inserted. When the upper end of the liquid delivery tube 42 is inserted into the opening 43a of the spraying tube 43, the liquid delivery tube 42 and the spraying tube 43 are connected. A plurality of spraying holes 43b are provided on the lower surface of the spraying tube 43 at approximately equal intervals.

[0029] (Timer 50) The operating time of the liquid transfer pump 41 varies depending on the season, but for example, it is set to about 5 minutes once a day, and this time can be controlled by a timer 50 or the like. On one side of the housing 10, in the part where the culture medium container 30 is placed, a recess 15 is formed where a timer box 51 for housing the timer 50 can be placed. The timer 50 is placed inside the timer box 51, and a cord 52 extends from the timer 50 to the liquid transfer pump 41. In addition, a power cord from the timer 50 to the outside extends from the side of the timer box 51 to the outside.

[0030] When the time set by the timer 50 is reached, the liquid supply pump 41 is activated, and liquids such as water and nutrient solutions are sent out by the liquid supply pump 41 and rise up the liquid supply pipe 42. The rising liquid is sprayed onto the culture medium 35 through the spray pipe 43 and the spray holes 43b. The liquid sprayed onto the culture medium 35 is absorbed by the culture medium 35, and any excess liquid falls into the liquid storage section 20 through the drain holes 31 provided on the bottom of the culture medium container 30.

[0031] The liquid level in the liquid storage section 20 can be observed by removing the side plate 2a of the outer frame 2 and viewing it through the transparent section 16 provided in the housing 10. If the liquid level drops, for example, the timer box 51 can be removed from the recess 15 in the housing 10, and liquid can be supplied through a hole provided in the bottom of the recess 15.

[0032] In this case, in a structure where the culture medium container is placed in the housing, for example, unlike the embodiment, it is conceivable to make the liquid storage container narrower than the culture medium container, and to create a stepped section between the liquid storage section and the culture medium container, and to place the culture medium container in that stepped section. However, if the plant cultivation device is a thin box shape, such a structure would result in a small liquid storage section, making it impossible to secure a sufficient amount of liquid. In contrast, in this embodiment, the culture medium container 30 is placed on the arch-shaped support portion 21. Therefore, there is no need to provide a stepped portion for placing the culture medium container 30. Therefore, there is no need to make the liquid storage portion 20 narrower than the culture medium container 30.

[0033] Furthermore, unlike the embodiment, a structure is also conceivable in which a portion is provided on the outer circumference of the culture medium container to hook onto the upper edge of the housing. However, in this case, the culture medium container that holds the culture medium or plants is held at the top of the thin housing, resulting in poor stability. However, in this embodiment, the culture medium container 30 is supported by the support portion 21 in the central part of the housing 10. Therefore, stability is good.

[0034] Furthermore, since the plant cultivation device 1 of this embodiment is a thin, box-shaped structure, the width W1 of the liquid storage section 20 is small. However, the overall height H1 of the housing 10 is approximately 850 mm, which is relatively tall for a planter, and the liquid storage section 20 occupies about half of the lower part of the height H1 of the housing 10. Therefore, a sufficient volume of liquid can be secured.

[0035] Furthermore, within the liquid storage section 20, when the liquid transfer pump 41 is activated, the liquid flows in the longitudinal direction L. At this time, since the support section 21 is arch-shaped, the proportion of the cross-section including the support section 21 that is occupied by the gap 23 through which the liquid can pass is large. Therefore, the flow of the liquid is not obstructed.

[0036] The liquid is automatically delivered to the culture medium by the liquid delivery pump 41 when the time set by the timer 50 has elapsed, thus saving the user the trouble of spraying. Furthermore, drying or stunted growth due to forgetting to supply the liquid will not occur.

[0037] The liquid is not continuously flowing; any liquid not absorbed by the culture medium flows out into the liquid storage section 20. The liquid stored in the liquid storage section 20 is then sent back to the culture medium by the liquid transfer pump 41, so no liquid is wasted.

[0038] Since the timer 50 is located on the side of the casing 10, it is not visible from the front and does not detract from the aesthetics. Furthermore, the timer 50 and other components can be covered by the side panel 2a of the exterior frame 2, thus further maintaining the aesthetic appearance. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 1 Plant cultivation equipment 10 cabinets 10A upper space 11 Front 12 Rear 13 Side view 14. Base 15 recesses 16 Transparent part 20 Liquid storage section 21 Support part 21a Legs 21b Connection part 23 gaps 25 Support plate 25a opening 30 Culture medium containers 31 drain holes 32 indentations 33 Container side recess 34 Protrusion 35 Culture medium 40 Liquid supply mechanism 41. Liquid transfer pump 42 Liquid delivery pipe 43 Spray pipe 43a opening 43b Spread hole 50 timer 51 Timer Box

Claims

1. A thin, box-shaped housing including a front, rear, two sides, bottom, and an open top, wherein the length of the front and rear is eight times or more the width of the sides, A liquid storage section located at the bottom inside the aforementioned housing, capable of storing liquid, A culture medium container is provided, located in the upper space of the liquid storage section inside the aforementioned enclosure, and capable of containing a culture medium for growing plants. Multiple arch-shaped support sections rise upward from the bottom surface of the liquid storage section and support the culture medium container, A liquid supply mechanism capable of pumping up the liquid stored in the liquid storage section and supplying it to the culture medium contained in the culture medium container, A plant cultivation device equipped with the following features.

2. The height of the housing is five times or more the width of the side. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1.

3. A recess for arranging a timer is formed on one of the aforementioned sides, in the portion where the culture medium container is located. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 2.

4. A transparent section is formed on one of the aforementioned sides, on the side of the portion where the liquid storage section is located, allowing observation of the water level. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The liquid supply mechanism is A spraying tube for spraying the liquid stored in the liquid storage section onto the culture medium container, The system includes a liquid pump that delivers the liquid to the spray pipe, The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1.

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