Automated Seedling System with Heat-Insulated Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seedling production systems face inefficiencies due to weather and seasonal dependencies, heavy operational loads, and difficulties in transporting and handling seedling trays, particularly in closed environments like greenhouses and conservatories.
Innovation Solution
A seedling growing system incorporating heat-insulated storage, movement means, and transfer mechanisms that include multi-shelf germination, seedling growing, and shipment racks with artificial lighting and automatic watering, allowing for controlled environmental conditions and efficient tray handling within a closed environment, such as a cargo transport container, to produce seedlings independently of weather and seasons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling of seedling trays is used in multi-shelf racks, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to heavy operator workload and inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the movement robot autonomously transports seedling trays between racks without human intervention. The robot navigates independently along rails, picks up trays from germination racks, and delivers them to growing racks, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring manual operation for each tray transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical handling by operators is replaced with an automated robotic system. The movement robot uses mechanical arms or grippers to grasp and transport trays, substituting human physical labor with automated mechanical manipulation. This replacement increases productivity while managing complexity through standardized robotic mechanisms.
2Area of stationary object
If racks are placed at a height of 1.3 m or taller to increase space efficiency, then area of stationary object is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to need for stepladders and climbing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual climbing and ladder usage with an automated movement robot that operates at elevated heights. The robot travels along rails positioned above operator level, autonomously accessing trays on upper shelves without requiring human operators to climb or use stepladders. This substitution maintains high rack positioning for space efficiency while eliminating operational difficulties.
3Temperature
If cooling power exceeds incoming heat by sunlight in vinyl greenhouses to produce cool-environment seedlings, then temperature control is improved, but use of energy becomes unrealistic due to excessive power requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates an inert or controlled environment within the cargo container by isolating it from external sunlight and heat. The container acts as a thermal barrier, blocking incoming solar radiation. Inside, artificial lighting provides minimal heat compared to sunlight, and the enclosed space maintains stable temperatures without requiring excessive cooling power. This controlled environment approach replaces the unrealistic high-power cooling requirement with a passive thermal isolation strategy.
4Area of stationary object
If cultivation units are arranged in rows and columns in plant factories to increase space efficiency, then area of stationary object is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to difficulty in accessing and transporting trays
Solution Approach 1:
Manual tray handling in densely arranged rows and columns is replaced with an automated movement robot system. The robot travels along rails positioned above the cultivation units, accessing trays from above rather than requiring operators to reach into dense row arrangements. This substitution maintains high space density while dramatically improving operational ease through automated retrieval and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from horizontal row-column arrangement to a three-dimensional access model. Instead of operators moving along ground-level rows, the movement robot operates in the vertical dimension above the cultivation units, traveling along elevated rails. This dimensional change allows dense packing of cultivation units while maintaining easy access through vertical rather than horizontal movement paths.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enables efficient mass production of seedlings without weather or seasonal influence, reduces operator workload, and improves space and operational efficiency by allowing controlled growth and transportation of seedlings within a closed environment.
Implementation Method 1
a storage (11) provided with heat insulating treatment
Data Source
AI summary
A seedling growing system includes: a cargo transport container provided with heat insulating treatment; a movement robot for moving on a path in the cargo transport container; seedling growing tray racks including a multi-shelf germination rack for holding, until germination, a seedling growing tray on which seeds are sown, a multi-shelf seedling growing rack for holding a seedling growing tray on which seedlings have germinated, and a multi-shelf shipment rack for holding a seedling growing tray for shipping grown seedlings; and an arm or table provided to the movement robot and capable of transferring each seedling growing tray between the movement robot and each of the multi-shelf germination rack, multi-shelf seedling growing rack, and the multi-shelf shipment rack.