Nori (seaweed) processing system vessel

Abstract

The seaweed net 11 is uniformly immersed in the chemical treatment solution to achieve effective activation. [Solution] By providing a position regulating member 80 that regulates the relative position of the net retaining member 70 with respect to the activation treatment tank 60, the position of the net retaining member 70, which is suspended by a float member 72, is stabilized, and the net retaining member 70 is made to reliably and smoothly follow fluctuations in the liquid level of the chemical treatment solution in the activation treatment tank 60, thereby ensuring that the nori net 11 is subjected to uniform activation treatment without unevenness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seaweed working system ship configured to perform an activation treatment on a seaweed net by dipping the seaweed net scooped up from the sea surface into a liquid chemical agent.

Background Art

[0002] In seaweed cultivation, a seaweed working system ship is utilized that can continuously and consistently perform a series of processes from scooping up a seaweed net, harvesting seaweed, performing an activation treatment, to re-immersing the seaweed net in water. In a conventionally used seaweed working system ship, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the seaweed working system ship 3 is self-propelled toward the seaweed net 2 spread on the sea surface 1, and the seaweed net 2 on the sea surface is scooped onto the ship through a scooping member 4 provided at the bow of the seaweed working system ship 3. Then, after appropriately cutting the seaweed growing on the scooped seaweed net 2 by a seaweed harvester 5 or the like, the seaweed net 2 is introduced into an activation treatment tank 6 storing a chemical treatment liquid composed of various chemical agents typified by acid treatment, and the seaweed net of the seaweed net 2 is immersed in the chemical treatment liquid to perform the activation treatment of the seaweed net 2.

[0003] The activation treatment at this time is carried out in response to factors that deteriorate the quality of seaweed, such as floating substances such as seawater scale and dust adhering to the cut surface of the seaweed at the time of harvesting, or the surface of the seaweed net and the seaweed growing on the seaweed net, or the propagation of miscellaneous bacteria. It is a necessary treatment from the viewpoint of growing high-quality and healthy seaweed and improving the harvest rate. Therefore, in the above-described activation treatment tank 6, a net pressing member 7 for guiding the seaweed net 2 introduced into the activation treatment tank 6 into the chemical treatment liquid is arranged. By the guiding action of the net pressing member 7 on the seaweed net 2, the seaweed net 2 is sufficiently immersed in the chemical treatment liquid, and the activation treatment of the seaweed net 2 is performed well.

[0004] Here, a float member (buoyancy device) that floats in the chemical treatment solution is attached to the net-holding member 7 of the seaweed net 2 described above, and the entire net-holding member 7 is positioned to float in the chemical treatment solution due to the buoyancy of the float member. This is intended to allow the net-holding member 7 to follow fluctuations in the volume and level of the chemical treatment solution, and to uniformly immerse the seaweed net 2 in the chemical treatment solution. By using such a float member, it becomes possible to effectively activate the seaweed net 2 with a lightweight and simple net-holding member 7. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5254594 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5254595 [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] On the other hand, as mentioned above, if a structure is adopted in which a float member (buoyancy body) is provided on the retaining member 7 of the seaweed net 2, when the float member swings up and down or left and right due to waves, etc., the position of the retaining member 7 may become unstable, and there is a risk that the retaining member 7 will not be able to follow the fluctuations in the liquid level of the chemical treatment solution. If the followability of the retaining member 7 is impaired, it is possible that a part of the seaweed net 2 may sink or float excessively, leading to uneven treatment and impairing the uniform treatment performance that is important in activation treatment.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to stably support a net-holding member having a structure that floats with a float member (buoyancy body), and to ensure that the net-holding member reliably and smoothly follows fluctuations in the liquid level of the chemical treatment solution, thereby uniformly immersing the seaweed net in the chemical treatment solution and achieving good activation treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above objective, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a seaweed net 11 scooped up from the sea surface onto the hull is guided into an activation treatment tank 60 in which a chemical treatment liquid is stored, and the seaweed net 11 in the activation treatment tank 60 is immersed in the chemical treatment liquid while being pressed from above by a net holding member 70 to perform activation treatment, wherein the net holding member 70 is equipped with a float member 72 that floats relative to the chemical treatment liquid in the activation treatment tank 60, and the buoyancy of the float member 72 causes the net holding member 70 to follow fluctuations in the liquid level of the chemical treatment liquid, and in the seaweed work system ship 20, the net holding member 70 is equipped with a position regulating member 80 that regulates the relative position of the net holding member 70 with respect to the activation treatment tank 60.

[0009] In this first embodiment of the invention, even if the net-holding member 70, which is floating in the activation tank 60 by the float member 72, is shaken by waves or the like that generated on the sea surface, the net-holding member 70 is kept in a stable state by the position-regulating member 80. As a result, the net-holding member 70 smoothly follows fluctuations in the liquid level of the chemical treatment solution in the activation tank 60, and a uniform and even activation treatment is successfully performed on the seaweed net.

[0010] Furthermore, in a second embodiment of the present invention, the seaweed net 11 is held via a suspension rope 17 extending from the widthwise edge of the seaweed net 11, and the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11 is moved relative to the ship by sliding it along the surface of net support guide members 35, 36 provided on the ship hull from the front to the rear of the ship, the position regulating member 80 is rotatably attached to shaft members 85, 86 provided on the net holding member 70, and the portion of the position regulating member 80 extending from the shaft members 85, 86 is arranged to be in contact with the suspension rope 17, and the suspension rope 17 comes into contact with the extension of the position regulating member 80 from the front, causing the extension of the position regulating member 80 to rotate to the rear, and the suspension rope 17 can pass through the position regulating member 80 as the extension of the position regulating member 80 rotates to the rear.

[0011] In this second embodiment of the invention, the position regulating member 80 is rotated backward by the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11, thereby allowing the suspension rope 17 to pass backward. As a result, the seaweed net 11 moves smoothly backward along the net support guide member 30 without being obstructed by the position regulating member 80.

[0012] Furthermore, in a third embodiment of the present invention, the net support guide member 30 comprises a front fixing frame 35 extending in the longitudinal direction of the hull at a forward portion of the hull and a rear fixing frame 36 extending in the longitudinal direction of the hull at a rear portion of the hull, either separately or integrally, wherein the rear end portion of the front fixing frame 35 and the front end portion of the rear fixing frame 36 overlap and extend in the width direction of the hull, and a downwardly recessed valley portion 30a is formed at the intersection of the overlap, and the position regulating member 80 is positioned rearward relative to the valley portion 30a of the net support guide member 30.

[0013] In this third embodiment of the invention, before the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11 contacts the position regulating member 80, the suspension rope 17 temporarily drops downward into the valley 30a of the intersection region between the front fixing frame 35 and the rear fixing frame 36, and the suspension rope 17 located below then reliably contacts the extended portion of the position regulating member 80. Furthermore, rotational movements such as flipping up the position regulating member 80 are reliably performed, and these rotational movements such as flipping up the position regulating member 80 are easily and reliably performed by light contact with the suspension rope 17.

[0014] Furthermore, in a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the position regulating member 80 comprises first regulating members 81, 82 that regulate the relative position of the net holding member 70 in the width direction of the seaweed net 11, and a second regulating member 84 that regulates the relative position of the net holding member 70 in the direction of movement of the seaweed net 11, wherein the first regulating members 81, 82 are rotatably attached to shaft members 85, 86 provided on the net holding member 70, and the first regulating member 81 The extensions of the shaft members 85 and 86 in 82 are arranged to be in contact with the suspension rope 17, and when the suspension rope 17 comes into contact with the extensions of the first restricting members 81 and 82 from the front, the extensions of the first restricting members 81 and 82 are rotated backward, and as the extensions of the first restricting members 81 and 82 are rotated backward, the suspension rope 17 is able to pass through the first restricting members 81 and 82.

[0015] In this fourth embodiment of the invention, the lateral swinging of the net-holding member 70 due to waves or the like generated on the sea surface is reliably restricted by the first restricting members 81 and 82, while the rearward movement of the net-holding member 70 due to the advance of the seaweed net 11 is stably restricted by the second restricting member 84. At that time, the first restricting members 81 and 82 are rotated by the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11, and the suspension rope 17 is allowed to pass to the rear by this simple configuration, so that the seaweed net 11 moves smoothly along the net support guide member 30 without being obstructed by the first restricting members 81 and 82.

[0016] Furthermore, in a fifth embodiment of the present invention, a third restricting member 83 is positioned rearward and above the first restricting members 81 and 82, restricting the relative position of the net holding member 70 in the width direction of the seaweed net 11. The third restricting member 83 is rotatably attached to a shaft member 88 provided on the net holding member 70, and the portion of the third restricting member 83 extending from the shaft member 88 is positioned to abut against the suspension rope 17. The suspension rope 17 abuts against the extended portion of the third restricting member 83 from the front, causing the extended portion of the third restricting member 83 to rotate rearward. The suspension rope 17 can pass through the third restricting member 83 as the extended portion of the third restricting member 88 rotates rearward.

[0017] In this fifth embodiment of the invention, even if the misalignment of the net-holding member 70 is not suppressed by the first restricting members 81 and 82, the misalignment of the net-holding member 70 is reliably restricted by the positional restricting action of the third restricting member 83. Furthermore, the third restricting member 83 is rotated by the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11, and this simple configuration allows the suspension rope 17 to pass to the rear, so that the seaweed net 11 moves smoothly along the net support guide member 30 without being obstructed by the third restricting member 83.

[0018] Furthermore, in a sixth embodiment of the present invention, the position regulating member 80 is positioned at a location that extends forward from the front edge of the activation tank 60, beyond the overall length of the activation tank 60.

[0019] In this sixth embodiment of the invention, since the positional restriction of the screen retaining member 70 is performed at a distance, it becomes possible to restrict the position while appropriately ensuring the freedom of movement of the screen retaining member 70, and it becomes possible to precisely follow fluctuations in the liquid level of the chemical treatment solution. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the present invention uses the position regulating member 80 that regulates the relative position of the net pressing member 70 with respect to the activated treatment tank 60 to hold the net pressing member 70 having a structure that floats on the float member 72 in a stable state, and enables the net pressing member 70 to surely and favorably follow fluctuations in the liquid level height of the chemical treatment liquid in the activated treatment tank 60, thereby enabling uniform activated treatment without unevenness to be favorably performed on the seaweed net 11.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a schematic external perspective view showing an enlarged view of one side of the position regulating members provided on both sides of the seaweed working system ship according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a side explanatory view schematically showing the position regulating member of the seaweed working system ship shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a plan explanatory view schematically showing the position regulating member of the seaweed working system ship shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4] It is an external perspective explanatory view schematically showing the main frame of the seaweed net pressing member used in the seaweed working system ship shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. [Figure 5] It is a side explanatory view showing the whole seaweed working system ship provided with the seaweed net pressing member according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a plan explanatory view showing the whole seaweed working system ship shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is an external perspective explanatory view showing the state of deployment of the seaweed net in the seaweed cultivation field. [Figure 8] It is a side explanatory view schematically showing a conventional seaweed working system ship.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0023] [Regarding the Seaweed Net] First, as shown in Figure 7, multiple support poles 10, 10, ... are erected in two rows at appropriate intervals on the seabed of the shallow sea where the seaweed farm is located, and long seaweed nets 11 are stretched across the sea surface along the direction in which the support poles 10 are arranged, with the space between these two rows of support poles 10, 10, ... being used.

[0024] A pair of support posts 10a, 10a located at both ends in the arrangement direction of the support posts 10 described above have buoyant floating rings 12, 12 loosely inserted so as to move up and down with the sea surface, and these two floating rings 12, 12 are connected in the net width direction (short side direction) by a float rope 13 having a float 13a in the middle. In addition, edge ropes 14 extending in the net width direction (short side direction) are provided at both ends of the longitudinal edge of the seaweed net 11, and both ends of these edge ropes 14 are connected to the float ropes 13 described above via hand ropes 15.

[0025] On the other hand, ring-shaped sinking bodies 16, which have an appropriate weight so that they sink into the sea, are attached to each of the two rows of support posts 10 located on both sides of the seaweed net 11 in the width direction (short side direction), so that they can move up and down. The ends of the suspension ropes 17 that extend slackly from the sinking bodies 16 are fastened to both ends of the seaweed net 11 in the width direction (short side direction). Furthermore, extension rods 18 are positioned midway along the longitudinal direction of the seaweed net 11, extending in the width direction (short side direction) to provide buoyancy to the seaweed net 11 and prevent it from twisting, thereby maintaining the seaweed net 11 in an extended state.

[0026] Furthermore, the sinking body 16 to which each suspension rope 17 is connected can be replaced with a floating ring 12.

[0027] [Regarding seaweed processing system vessels] Next, an overview of a seaweed processing system vessel 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the stern of the seaweed processing system vessel 20 is equipped with propulsion devices such as a screw (not shown in the figure), which enable the seaweed processing system vessel 20 to move under its own power on the sea. Hereafter, the direction in which the seaweed processing system vessel 20 moves under its own power will be referred to as "forward," and the opposite direction of self-propulsion will be referred to as "rear."

[0028] In such a seaweed processing system vessel 20, an operation control room 21 is located in the rearward (stern) part of the upper hull where the deck is formed, where an operator boards, steers, and performs various operations on the seaweed nets. Based on commands issued from the operation control room 21, the seaweed processing system vessel 20 moves under its own power, scooping up the seaweed nets 11 on the ship while moving them relatively from the surface of the sea, then guiding the seaweed nets 11 from the bow to the stern, and finally returning the seaweed nets 11 to the surface of the sea from the stern, thereby completing the seaweed processing.

[0029] The aforementioned seaweed processing system vessel 20 is equipped with a seaweed net guide path A that guides the seaweed net 11 along the entire length of the vessel. The total length of this seaweed net guide path A is a route that runs from the sea surface S1 in front of the bow, through the entire length of the vessel, to the sea surface S2 behind the stern, and in detail consists of the following four guide paths A1 to A4. A1: A "scooping path" for scooping up the seaweed nets 11 that are spread out on the sea surface onto the ship and sending them to the rear. A2: A "seaweed harvesting guidance route" that picks and stores seaweed leaves from the seaweed net 11 sent out from the "scooping route A1". A3: An "activation treatment route" in which the harvested seaweed nets 11 are immersed in chemicals to perform activation treatment. A4: An "aerial holding path" that returns the activated seaweed net 11 to the sea surface S2 from the stern, passing above the operation control room 21, and then back into the water.

[0030] Furthermore, along the seaweed net guide path A, which consists of guide paths A1 to A4, a net support guide member 30 made of a pipe frame structure is installed along the entire length of the hull. The seaweed net 11 supported on the ship by the net support guide member 30 is moved relatively toward the rear as the seaweed work system ship 20 moves forward. The configuration of each guide path A1 to A4 together with the net support guide member 30 will be described below.

[0031] First, each of the aforementioned guide routes A1 to A4 is equipped with equipment that has the functions required for each route. The "scooping route A1," which constitutes the forward area of ​​the leading "seaweed net guide route A," is equipped with a scooping member 31 that forms the front end portion of the net support guide member 30 used to scoop up the seaweed net 11, which is spread out on the sea surface as described above, onto the ship.

[0032] [Regarding the scooping member 31] The scooping member 31 provided in the "scooping path A1" consists entirely of a stainless steel pipe frame structure and has an outer frame 32 that protrudes forward from the bow of the seaweed processing system vessel 20 in a roughly U-shape in plan view, and a grid-like inner frame 33 is provided in the area inside the outer frame 32.

[0033] The scooping member 31 is designed so that its tip is submerged in the sea when in use. The structure allows the seaweed work system vessel 20 to be propelled forward while the submerged tip is lowered beneath the seaweed net 11 that is spread out on the sea surface, thereby scooping the seaweed net 11 onto the vessel. The scooping member 31 extends in a cantilevered manner from a sliding part 34 that moves back and forth in the longitudinal direction by the driving force of a motor (not shown). The sliding part 34 moves back and forth, causing the tip of the scooping member 31 to move back and forth between an operating position where it is submerged in the sea and a storage position where it is retracted onto the vessel.

[0034] The reciprocating movement of the scooping member 31 at this time may be performed manually. Furthermore, the scooping member 31 may be supported so as to be rotatable, and may be held so as to be rotatable or move back and forth by the wire unwinding and winding operations.

[0035] [Regarding the front fixing frame 35 and the rear fixing frame 36] The "seaweed harvesting guide path A2," located behind the aforementioned "scooping path A1," is provided with a front fixing frame 35 which constitutes the front part of the net support guide member 30 that moves the seaweed net 11 scooped onto the ship by the scooping member 31 backward relative to the front. In addition, a rear fixing frame 36 which constitutes the rear part of the net support guide member 30 is provided in the section from the "seaweed harvesting guide path A2" to the "activation treatment path A3" and the "air holding path A4."

[0036] These front and rear fixing frames 35 and 36 are formed from elongated pipe-shaped members that extend along the longitudinal direction of the hull at both side edges, and in a side view they extend in a gently sloping mountain shape. In contrast, the multiple suspension ropes 17 that support the seaweed net 11 extend in the width direction toward the front and rear fixing frames 35 and 36, and these suspension ropes 17 extend crossing in the width direction of the hull while resting on the surfaces of the front and rear fixing frames 35 and 36. When the seaweed processing system vessel 20 moves forward, the entire seaweed net 11 moves relatively toward the rear, causing the suspension ropes 17 to slide backward along the surfaces of the front and rear fixing frames 35 and 36.

[0037] Here, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 in particular, the rear end portion of the front fixed frame 35 is positioned outside the front end portion of the rear fixed frame 36 in the ship's width direction, and the front end portion of the rear fixed frame 36 extends inside the rear end portion of the front fixed frame 35, overlapping in the ship's width direction. Therefore, when these rear end portions of the front fixed frame 35 and the front end portion of the rear fixed frame 36 are viewed from the side, these two fixed frames 35 and 36 extend in a state where they intersect in the longitudinal direction of the hull, and a valley portion 30a that is recessed in a roughly V-shape downwards is formed at the intersection. On both sides of the valley portion 30a in the longitudinal direction, there are two gentle mountain shapes that continue across the two mountains.

[0038] As mentioned above, in this embodiment, a valley 30a is formed at the intersection of the two separate fixing frames 35 and 36. However, it is also possible to have an embodiment in which the two fixing frames 35 and 36 are integrated, and a downwardly recessed valley is formed in the middle portion of the integrated fixing frame.

[0039] [About the Nori Harvesting Machine 40] Here, the aforementioned "seaweed harvesting guidance route A2" is equipped with a seaweed harvesting machine 40 that cuts and picks a portion of the seaweed leaves growing on the seaweed net 11, and a seaweed tank 50 that stores the picked seaweed leaves.

[0040] The seaweed harvesting machine 40 located in the "seaweed harvesting guide route A2" is equipped with a rotating cutter 41 along a base that extends in the direction of the ship's width. The rotating cutter 41 is driven by a drive unit (not shown), and by rotating the rotating cutter 41 below the seaweed net 11, it has the function of harvesting a portion of the seaweed thallus growing on the seaweed net 11.

[0041] In order to efficiently harvest seaweed using this seaweed harvesting machine 40, the base described above is provided with a position-adjustable guide bar (not shown). This guide bar has a structure that allows the seaweed net 11 to be separated from the rotating cutter 41 by any desired distance, and is adjusted to achieve a suitable amount of seaweed leaves to be harvested.

[0042] The seaweed leaves harvested by the seaweed harvesting machine 40 are sent to the inner space of the seaweed tank 50, which is located immediately behind the seaweed harvesting machine 40, and stored there. When the seaweed processing system vessel 20 returns to port, the seaweed stored in the seaweed tank 50 is recovered through a recovery pipe connected to the outside of the tank 50.

[0043] Furthermore, in the "Activation Treatment Route A3" located behind the "Seaweed Harvesting Guide Route A2," an acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60 for storing chemicals such as acids is provided.

[0044] [Regarding the acid treatment tank (activated treatment tank) 60] Furthermore, the "activation treatment route A3" forms a guide path for the nori net 11 from the rear of the nori tank 60 to the front of the operation control room 21, and the "activation treatment route A3" is equipped with an acid treatment tank 60, which is a shallow, pool-like activation treatment tank. An acid treatment solution, which is a chemical treatment solution, is stored in the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60. With the acid treatment solution stored in the acid treatment tank 60, the nori net 11 from which the nori leaves have been harvested is guided into the tank, and the nori net 11 is immersed in the acid treatment solution, thereby activating the nori net 11.

[0045] The activation treatment at this stage is intended to remove floating matter such as seawater scale and debris, as well as bacteria, that are attached to the surface of the seaweed net 11 and the seaweed growing on it. This is an important process that aims to simultaneously improve the quality and yield of the seaweed by eliminating factors that degrade the quality of the seaweed through the activation treatment. For this reason, a net retaining member 70 is positioned from above inside the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60, and the activation treatment is performed with the seaweed net 11 stably pressed and held below the net retaining member 70.

[0046] [Regarding the screen retaining member 70] The aforementioned net retaining member 70 has a retaining frame 71 that is roughly rectangular in shape and is placed inside the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60. This retaining frame 71 is formed from a grid-like structure made of stainless steel pipes, and multiple float members (buoyancy bodies) 72 that float in the acid treatment liquid (chemical treatment liquid) inside the acid treatment tank 60 are attached to the central part of the retaining frame 71 in a parallel manner in the width direction of the ship.

[0047] Furthermore, a guide frame 73 extending diagonally upward and forward is connected to the front end portion of the retaining frame 71. This guide frame 73 has an inclined surface that guides the seaweed net 11 sent out from the seaweed tank 50 downward along the inclined surface of the guide frame 73, and has the function of guiding the seaweed net 11 guided downward along the guide frame 73 toward the lower surface of the retaining frame 71.

[0048] The seaweed net 11, guided below the holding frame 71 by the guide frame 73 described above, moves while being pressed down and immersed in the acid treatment solution (chemical treatment solution) in the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60, while in contact with the lower surface of the holding frame 71. At this time, the downward pressing force of the holding frame 71 on the seaweed net 11 is appropriately adjusted by the buoyancy of the float member (buoyancy body) 72 described above. Furthermore, the buoyancy of the float member 72 keeps the entire net holding member 70 in a state that constantly follows fluctuations in the liquid level of the acid treatment solution in the acid treatment tank 60, so that the seaweed net 11 is reliably and effectively immersed in the acid treatment solution in the acid treatment tank 60.

[0049] A rear frame 74 extending in the ship's width direction is provided at the rear end of the aforementioned retaining frame 71, and a pair of connecting arms 75, 75 extend forward in a cantilevered manner from the upper ends of both ends of the rear frame 74 in the ship's width direction. These pair of connecting arms 75, 75 are formed from pipe-shaped members that have a gently curved mountain shape in side view, and the front end portion of the connecting arms 75 extends to a position above the intersection of the aforementioned front fixing frame 35 and rear fixing frame 36.

[0050] The front ends of this pair of connecting arms 75, 75 are integrally connected via a front frame 76 that extends in the direction of the ship's width. Position regulating members 80 are provided at both ends of the front frame 76 in the direction of the ship's width to regulate the overall relative position of the aforementioned net retaining members 70. Since these position regulating members 80 are positioned above the intersection of the front fixed frame 35 and the rear fixed frame 36, they are positioned in a location forward of the entire length of the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60, from the front edge of the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60.

[0051] [Regarding the position regulating member 80] The specific configuration of such a position regulating member 80 consists of first regulating members 81, 82 and third regulating member 83 that regulate the relative position of the net holding member 70 in the width direction (ship width direction) of the seaweed net 11, and a second regulating member 84 that regulates the relative position of the net holding member 70 in the direction of travel (rearward) of the seaweed net 11. Of these, the first regulating members 81, 82 and third regulating member 83 are rotatably provided at both ends in the ship width direction of the front frame 76 of the connecting arm 75, while the second regulating member 84 is fixed on the surface of the rear fixing frame 36.

[0052] [Regarding the first regulating members 81 and 82] The front frame 76, on which the first regulating members 81 and 82 of the position regulating member 80 are provided, extends to a position above the intersection of the front fixed frame 35 and the rear fixed frame 36 described above. A pair of support arms 77 and 78 are formed, extending downward from this position above the intersection at approximately a right angle. These support arms 77 and 78 extend diagonally downward in a bifurcated shape toward the valley 30a at the intersection of the front fixed frame 35 and the rear fixed frame 36. In the plan view of Figure 3, the two support arms 77 and 78 are positioned to sandwich the valley 30a formed at the intersection of the front fixed frame 35 and the rear fixed frame 36 from both sides in the direction of the ship's width.

[0053] At the lower ends of the pair of support arms 77 and 78 described above, shaft members 85 and 86, which form part of the position regulating member 80, are provided, respectively, extending in the direction of the ship's width. These shaft members 85 and 86 are provided above the valley 30a formed at the intersection of the front fixed frame 35 and the rear fixed frame 36, and in a plan view, they are positioned to sandwich the valley 30a formed at the intersection from both sides in the direction of the ship's width.

[0054] Furthermore, the two shaft members 85 and 86 described above are integrally connected by a connecting rod 87 that extends in the direction of the ship's width. This connecting rod 87 is positioned directly above the valley 30a formed at the intersection of the front fixed frame 35 and the rear fixed frame 36, and is positioned to face the second restricting member 84, which will be described later, from the front.

[0055] Furthermore, the upper ends of the first restricting members 81 and 82, which are rod-shaped members, are rotatably attached to the two shaft members 85 and 86 described above, and the pair of first restricting members 81 and 82 extend downward from the two shaft members 85 and 86 in a bifurcated fork shape.

[0056] Furthermore, the downward-extending portions of these first restricting members 81 and 82, which hang down in a bifurcated fork shape, are positioned to sandwich the portion located slightly rearward from the valley 30a formed at the intersection of the front fixing frame 35 and the rear fixing frame 36, from both sides in the ship's width direction. More specifically, the first restricting member 81, which is positioned on the outward side in the ship's width direction, is positioned close to the outer surface of the rear fixing frame 36 from the outward side in the ship's width direction, while the first restricting member 82, which is positioned on the inward side in the ship's width direction, is positioned close to the inner surface of the front fixing frame 35 from the inward side in the ship's width direction.

[0057] In the initial stage of the first restricting members 81 and 82, which have the configuration described above, that is, before the seaweed processing is carried out, the downwardly extending portions of the first restricting members 81 and 82 are maintained in a state of hanging down due to their own weight. In this initial stage, the first restricting members 81 and 82 are positioned to cover from both the inside and outside a portion located slightly behind the valley 30a where the front fixing frame 35 and the rear fixing frame 36 intersect. When viewed in a side view in Figure 2, the downwardly extending portions of the first restricting members 81 and 82 overlap with the front fixing frame 35 and the rear fixing frame 36 in a crossed state.

[0058] In other words, the downwardly extending portions of these first restricting members 81 and 82 are positioned to face the suspension rope 17 that moves along the front fixing frame 35 and rear fixing frame 36 described above, thereby allowing the suspension rope 17 to come into contact with the downwardly extending portions of the first restricting members 81 and 82 from the front.

[0059] Furthermore, if the net retaining member 70, which is floating in the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60 due to the aforementioned float member (buoyancy body) 72, is about to move in the width direction of the ship due to some cause including waves on the sea surface, the aforementioned first restricting members 81 and 82 will come into contact with the front fixing frame 35 or the rear fixing frame 36 from the side, thereby restricting the net retaining member 70 from shifting position any further in the width direction of the ship.

[0060] Furthermore, as the process transitions from the initial stage described above to the stage where seaweed processing begins, and the suspension ropes 17 of the seaweed net 11 slide backward along the upper surfaces of the front fixing frame 35 and the rear fixing frame 36, the suspension ropes 17 come into contact with the first restricting members 81 and 82 from the front. When the suspension ropes 17, which are in contact with the first restricting members 81 and 82, attempt to move further backward, the suspension ropes 17 press against the first restricting members 81 and 82 from front to back, causing the first restricting members 81 and 82 to rotate to a state where they are flipped upward diagonally towards the rear, as shown by the dashed lines in Figures 1 and 2. When the first restricting members 81 and 82 are rotated in this way, flipped upward, the suspension ropes 17 become able to pass behind the first restricting members 81 and 82 together with the seaweed net 11.

[0061] In this embodiment, as described above, the first restricting members 81 and 82, which serve as position restricting members, are configured to be rotated to a rearward-facing position. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration that allows the suspension rope 17 to pass to the rearward side by rotating these first restricting members 81 and 82 in a horizontal plane, or by rotating them to a downward-facing position.

[0062] [Regarding the second regulatory component] On the other hand, as mentioned above, the second restricting member 84 attached to the upper surface of the rear fixing frame 36 is formed from an arch-shaped pipe material positioned behind the first restricting members 81 and 82. This second restricting member 84 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the rear fixing frame 36 in a mountain shape, and the base portion of the front end of the second restricting member 84, which is fixed to the rear fixing frame 36, is positioned to face the connecting rod 87 of the first restricting members 81 and 82 from the rear.

[0063] Then, if the net-holding member 70, which is floating in the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60 due to the aforementioned float member (buoyancy body) 72, is about to move backward due to any reason, including the backward movement of the seaweed net 11, the connecting rod 87 of the first restricting members 81 and 82 will come into contact with the second restricting member 84 from the front, thereby restricting the net-holding member 70 from shifting further backward.

[0064] Here, the second restricting member 84 is provided to form part of the rear fixing frame 36 which serves as the net support guide member 30. As described above, when the first restricting members 81 and 82 are flipped up, the suspension rope 17 that has moved to the rear slides along the upper surface of the mountain-shaped second restricting member 84 and passes over the second restricting member 84 towards the rear.

[0065] [Regarding the third regulatory component] Furthermore, the aforementioned third restricting member 83 is positioned at both ends of the front frame 76 of the retaining frame 71, similar to the first restricting members 81 and 82, but is positioned higher than the first restricting members 81 and 82. More specifically, at both ends of the front frame 76 of the retaining frame 71, a shaft member 88, which forms part of the position restricting member 80, is provided in a manner that extends in the direction of the ship's width, in a manner that is close to the rear of the front frame 76. The upper end portion of the third restricting member 83, which consists of a single rod-shaped member, is rotatably attached to the shaft member 88.

[0066] The third restricting member 83 is positioned directly above the first restricting member 82, which is located inward in the ship's width direction, of the pair of first restricting members 81 and 82 described above. It is formed from a member that extends longer than the first restricting member 82, and thus extends diagonally downward to a region further aft from the tip of the first restricting member 82. In the initial stage, as is particularly clear from the side view in Figure 2, the tip portion of the extending third restricting member 83 overlaps with the aforementioned arch-shaped second restricting member 84 in a manner that crosses inward in the ship's width direction, and the downward extending portion of the third restricting member 83 is positioned so that it can come into contact with the suspension rope 17 that moves aft along the second restricting member 84.

[0067] At the base of the third restricting member 83, that is, at the joint with the front frame 76 of the retaining frame 71 described above, a rotation stopper 89, which has a roughly rectangular shape in plan, is positioned along the lower surface of the third restricting member 83. In the initial stage, the third restricting member 83 is locked in place by contacting the rotation stopper 89 from above, and is maintained in a state where it cannot be rotated further downward from the state in which it intersects with the rear fixing frame 36, as shown in the side view of Figure 2.

[0068] Furthermore, if the net retaining member 70, which is floating in the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60 by the aforementioned float member (buoyancy body) 72, attempts to move in the ship's width direction due to some cause, including waves on the sea surface, the aforementioned third restricting member 83 abuts against the second restricting member 84 from the side, thereby restricting the net retaining member 70 from shifting further in the ship's width direction. In particular, when the displacement of the net retaining member 70 cannot be suppressed by the relatively short first restricting members 81 and 82 mentioned above, the positional restricting action of the elongated third restricting member 83 becomes effective.

[0069] On the other hand, in the initial stage, the third restricting member 83 extends inward in the width direction of the ship, intersecting the arch-shaped second restricting member 84 as described above, so that the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11 comes into contact with it from the front. That is, the suspension rope 17, which has moved backward after riding over the second restricting member 84 after the first restricting members 81 and 82 have been raised, comes into contact with the third restricting member 83 from the front. Then, when the suspension rope 17 that has come into contact with the third restricting member 83 attempts to move further backward relative to it, the third restricting member 83 is rotated to a state where it is raised diagonally upward to the rear, as shown by the dashed line in Figures 1 and 2, thereby allowing the suspension rope 17 to easily pass through the third restricting member 83 toward the rear together with the seaweed net 11.

[0070] In this embodiment, as described above, the third restricting member 83, which serves as a position restricting member, is configured to be rotated to a rearward-facing position. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration that allows the suspension rope 17 to pass to the rear by rotating the third restricting member 83 in a horizontal plane or by rotating it to a downward-facing position.

[0071] In a seaweed processing system vessel 20 equipped with such a configuration, the seaweed net 11, which is stretched out on the sea surface S1 in front of the vessel, is scooped up onto the vessel by a scooping member 31, harvested by a seaweed harvesting machine 40, and then immersed in an acid treatment solution (chemical treatment solution) in an acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60 for activation treatment. In this embodiment, the activation treatment is carried out well by a position regulating member 80.

[0072] In other words, if the float member (buoyancy body) 72 provided on the net holding member 70 is swayed from side to side by waves generated on the sea surface, or is moved backward by the advance of the seaweed net 11, the net holding member 70 may not be able to follow the fluctuations in the liquid level of the acid treatment solution (chemical treatment solution) in the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60 due to the displacement of the net holding member 70, and the activation treatment may not be performed properly. However, in this embodiment, the net holding member 70 is kept in a stable state by the restricting action of the position restricting member 80, and the ability of the net holding member 70 to follow the fluctuations in the liquid level of the acid treatment solution is stably ensured, thereby enabling the activation treatment of the seaweed net 11 to be performed properly.

[0073] More specifically, the lateral swinging of the net-holding member 70 due to waves generated on the sea surface is restricted by the first restricting members 81, 82 and the third restricting member 83, while the backward movement of the net-holding member 70 due to the advance of the seaweed net 11 is restricted by the second restricting member 84. As a result, the net-holding member 70 smoothly follows fluctuations in the liquid level of the acid treatment solution (chemical treatment solution) in the activation treatment tank 60, and the seaweed net 11 in the acid treatment tank 60 moves stably without twisting or other issues, thus ensuring a uniform and even activation treatment of the seaweed net 11.

[0074] In particular, in this embodiment, the position regulating member 80 effectively holds the screen retaining member 70 in a forward region at an appropriate distance from the float member (buoyancy body) 72 which is swayed by waves or the like. That is, since the position regulating of the screen retaining member 70 is performed at a distance from the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60, it is possible to regulate the position while ensuring an appropriate degree of freedom of movement for the screen retaining member 70, and it becomes possible to precisely follow fluctuations in the liquid level of the chemical treatment solution.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first restricting members 81, 82 and the third restricting member 83 described above are simply swung upward by the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11, allowing the suspension rope 17 to pass to the rear. As a result, the seaweed net 11 moves smoothly along the net support guide member 30 without being obstructed by the first restricting members 81, 82 and the third restricting member 83.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, just before the suspension rope 17 of the seaweed net 11 makes contact with the first restricting members 81 and 82, the suspension rope 17 is temporarily lowered into the valley 30a where the front fixing frame 35 and the rear fixing frame 36 intersect. Then, the lowered suspension rope 17 comes into contact with the lower portion of the first restricting members 81 and 82, causing them to spring up. Thus, the springing up of the first restricting members 81 and 82 is reliably performed by light contact with the suspension rope 17.

[0077] [Regarding the bridge guide member 37] On the other hand, in the "aerial holding path A4" formed in the area from the aforementioned control room 21 towards the stern, a bridge guide member 37 extending from the front of the control room 21 along the roof surface of the control room 21 and a stern guide member 38 extending from the bridge guide member 37 toward the rear are arranged as net support guide members 30 in the aerial holding path A4.

[0078] The bridge guide member 37 is made of a stainless steel grid-like pipe frame member that slidably supports the seaweed net 11, which has been activated in the acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 60 described above, from below. This bridge guide member 37 has a guiding function that guides the activated seaweed net 11 from the front of the operation control room 21 to the roof surface of the operation control room 21, and further to the rear of the operation control room 21, and also has a function of passing the seaweed net 11 to the stern guide member 38 further aft.

[0079] [Regarding the stern guide member 38] Similar to the bridge guide member 37 described above, the stern guide member 38, which is positioned in the "aerial holding path A4" as part of the net support guide member 30, has a frame structure made of a stainless steel pipe-shaped member that cantilevered outwards from the stern of the seaweed processing system vessel 20 toward the sea surface aft. Specifically, it has a horizontal guide section that extends substantially horizontally toward the rear from directly below the rear end of the bridge guide member 37 described above, and an inclined guide section that continuously protrudes diagonally upward toward the rear from the rear end of the horizontal guide section.

[0080] The stern guide member 38, which consists of a horizontal guide section and an inclined guide section, is arranged in pairs on both sides in the width direction of the ship and has a guiding function that guides the seaweed net 11, which has been sent out aft from the aforementioned bridge guide member 37, toward the stern, and a guiding function that guides it further aft from the stern onto the sea surface and allows it to be returned to the water.

[0081] At this time, the protruding tip of the stern guide member 38, which is the apex of the stern guide member 38, is positioned higher than the bridge guide member 37 and the roof surface of the control room 21 in the height direction from the sea surface. Furthermore, the position of this protruding tip of the stern guide member 38 is the highest point along the entire length of the "seaweed net guide route A" that extends along the entire length of the hull.

[0082] In other words, after the seaweed net 11 is scooped up onto the ship and subjected to activation treatment, a "re-landing path" is formed in which it proceeds down to the sea surface S2 with a downward slope, with the protruding tip of the stern guide member 38, which is the highest point in the seaweed net guide path A that extends along the entire length of the ship, as its apex. Compared to the conventional method, where the apex of the "re-landing path" is the rear edge of the operation control room or other lower position, the starting point of the "re-landing path" is moved significantly further aft to the protruding tip of the stern guide member 38. As a result of this rearward movement, the air-holding time of the seaweed net 11, which is proportional to the length of the "air-holding path A4" from the activation treatment to re-landing, is increased, allowing the chemical treatment solution to penetrate sufficiently and resulting in a good activation treatment effect. [Industrial applicability]

[0083] As described above, the present invention can be widely applied to various system vessels for performing various seaweed harvesting operations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10,10a pillar 11 Nori net 12 Floating ring 13 Float line 13a Float 14. Edge rope 15 Reins 16. Settlement 17. Suspension rope 18. Stretching rod 20 Nori (seaweed) processing system vessel 21 Control Room 30. Mesh support guide member 30a Tanibe 31 Scooping member 32 Outer frame 33 Inner frame 34. Slide section 35 Front fixed frame 36 Rear fixed frame 37 Bridge guide member 38 Stern guide member 40 Nori plucking machine 50 Seaweed Tanks 60. Acid treatment tank (activation treatment tank) 70 Mesh retaining member 71 Presser Frame 72. Float components (buoyancy devices) 73 Guide Frames 74 Last frame 75 Connecting Arms 76 Front frame 77,78 Support arms 80 Position regulating member 81,82 First regulating member 83 Third Regulating Member 84 Second Regulating Member 85,86 Shaft member 87 Connecting rod 88 Shaft member 89 Rotating Stopper

Claims

1. The method involves scooping up seaweed nets from the sea surface onto the hull, guiding them into an activation tank containing a chemical treatment solution, and then immersing the seaweed nets in the chemical treatment solution while pressing them from above with a net-holding member to activate them. The aforementioned screen retaining member includes a float member that floats in the chemical treatment liquid in the activated treatment tank, In a seaweed processing system vessel equipped with a configuration that causes the net-holding member to follow the surface of the chemical treatment liquid due to the buoyancy of the float member, The seaweed processing system vessel is characterized in that the net-holding member is provided with a position-regulating member that regulates the relative position of the net-holding member with respect to the activation treatment tank.

2. The aforementioned seaweed net is held in place by suspension ropes extending from the widthwise edge of the seaweed net, The suspension ropes of the seaweed net are moved relative to the hull by sliding them along the surface of a net support guide member provided on the hull from the front to the rear of the hull. The position regulating member is rotatably attached to the shaft member provided on the mesh retaining member, The portion of the position regulating member extending from the shaft member is arranged so as to be able to contact the suspension rope. The suspension rope contacts the extended portion of the position-regulating member from the front, thereby causing the extended portion of the position-regulating member to rotate backward. The nori (seaweed) processing system vessel according to claim 1, characterized in that the extended portion of the position-regulating member is rotated rearward, thereby allowing the suspension rope to pass through the position-regulating member.

3. The net support guide member comprises, either separately or integrally, a front fixing frame extending in the longitudinal direction of the hull at the forward portion of the hull and a rear fixing frame extending in the longitudinal direction of the hull at the aft portion of the hull. The rear end portion of the front fixed frame and the front end portion of the rear fixed frame overlap and extend in the width direction of the hull, and a downward-sloping valley is formed at the intersection of their overlapping portions. The nori (seaweed) processing system vessel according to claim 2, characterized in that the position regulating member is positioned aft of the valley portion of the net support guide member.

4. The aforementioned position regulating member, A first restricting member restricts the relative position of the net-holding member in the width direction of the seaweed net, A second restricting member restricts the relative position of the net-holding member in the direction of movement of the seaweed net, It is equipped with, The first regulating member is rotatably attached to the shaft member provided on the mesh retaining member, The portion of the first regulating member extending from the shaft member is arranged to be in contact with the suspension rope. The suspension rope contacts the extended portion of the first restricting member from the front, causing the extended portion of the first restricting member to rotate backward. The nori (seaweed) processing system vessel according to claim 3, characterized in that the extended portion of the first restricting member is rotated rearward so that the suspension rope can pass through the first restricting member.

5. A third restricting member is positioned rearward and above the first restricting member, restricting the relative position of the net retaining member in the width direction of the seaweed net. The third restricting member is rotatably attached to the shaft member provided on the mesh retaining member, The portion of the third restricting member extending from the shaft member is arranged to be in contact with the suspension rope. The suspension rope contacts the extended portion of the third restricting member from the front, causing the extended portion of the third restricting member to rotate backward. The nori (seaweed) processing system vessel according to claim 4, characterized in that the extension portion of the third restricting member is rotated rearward so that the suspension rope can pass through the third restricting member.

6. The nori processing system vessel according to claim 5, characterized in that the position regulating member is positioned forward from the front edge of the activated treatment tank, beyond the total length of the activated treatment tank.

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