JP7212928B2 - plant cultivation equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a plant cultivation device.

BACKGROUND ART Many studies have been made on plant cultivation apparatuses as devices capable of stably producing plants such as vegetables without being affected by weather or the like.
The present applicant also has a shelf frame, a cultivation container supported by the shelf board, and a lighting fixture provided with a large number of light-emitting diodes arranged on the lower surface of the shelf board, and the culture solution in the cultivation container We have proposed a cultivation shelf that cools lighting fixtures via plates (Patent Document 1).
In addition, the present applicant has proposed a box consisting of a temperature insulating wall that exerts heat insulation, a light-emitting panel disposed on the top of the box, an upper circulation path between the ceiling of the box and the light-emitting panel, and the It has a lower circulation path between the bottom surface of the box and the light-emitting panel, and a cooling device for supplying air for cooling the light-emitting panel into the upper circulation path, and the upper circulation path and the lower circulation path communicate at one end. , also proposed a plant cultivation apparatus in which the cooling air of the cooling device is supplied from the other end of the upper circulation path (Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 3952220 Japanese Patent No. 5357863

However, as in Patent Document 1, when the lighting fixture is cooled by the culture solution in the cultivation container, the culture solution is conversely warmed. is required, it is not preferred. In addition, depending on the circulation route of the culture solution, there is a possibility that part of the culture solution may be filled with heat.
On the other hand, when cooling the light-emitting panel with cooling air as in Patent Document 2, the cooling air may not sufficiently cool the lighting equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a plant cultivation apparatus that has a small influence on a cultivation space and can reliably cool a lighting device.

A first aspect of the plant cultivating apparatus of the present invention includes a cultivating space, a cultivating container installed below the cultivating space, and a lighting device installed above the cultivating space. The device is characterized in that it is cooled by waste liquid discharged from the cultivation vessel.
In the present invention, the term "waste liquid" refers to the culture solution discharged from the cultivation container, or the culture solution downstream of the cultivation container when the culture solution is circulated.
In the present invention, since the lighting device is cooled by the waste liquid, the influence on the cultivation environment can be minimized, and the cultivation conditions can be controlled accurately.

A second aspect of the plant cultivating apparatus of the present invention includes a frame, a plurality of cultivating spaces vertically partitioned within the frame, a cultivating container installed below the cultivating space, and a and a lighting device to be installed, wherein the lighting device is cooled by the waste liquid discharged from the cultivation container in the cultivation space above the cultivation space.
Since this plant cultivation device also cools the lighting device with the waste liquid, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in the first aspect. Furthermore, since the waste liquid is supplied from the cultivation container located above the lighting device, the lighting device can be cooled by the waste liquid with simple equipment without using equipment such as a pump.

In the second aspect of the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, the cultivation space is preferably hermetically sealed, and particularly preferably hermetically sealed. Here, "sealed" refers to a state in which intrusion of solid foreign matter is prevented in a normal state, and "sealed" refers to a state in which intrusion of moisture and gas is prevented in a normal state. When the cultivation spaces are closed, the environment can be independently controlled according to the type or growth state of the plants in each cultivation space. In particular, when each cultivation space is sealed, the environment of each cultivation space can be strictly controlled.

The plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention has a waste liquid channel for flowing the waste liquid or a waste liquid tank for storing and discharging the waste liquid, and the waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank can be heat-exchanged with the lighting device. It is preferable that the configuration is as follows.
When the lighting device is configured to exchange heat with the waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank through which the waste liquid passes, the lighting device can be cooled with simple equipment.

In the plant cultivating apparatus according to the second aspect, the cultivating space is separated by a shelf board, the lighting device and the waste liquid channel or waste liquid tank are provided below the shelf board, and the cultivation space is provided above the shelf board. A container is preferred. In this case, it is more preferable that the waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank is provided between the lighting device and the shelf board. Alternatively, it is more preferable that the waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank is provided on the lateral side of the lighting device.

The plant cultivation apparatus according to the second aspect has a plurality of cultivation beds arranged vertically while being supported by the frame, the cultivation space is partitioned by the cultivation beds, and the cultivation beds preferably includes a cultivation container, a lighting device provided therebelow, and the waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank. In this case, the liquid waste channel or the liquid waste tank is provided on the lateral side of the cultivation container, and the liquid waste channel or the bottom of the liquid waste tank is provided on the lateral side or the upper side of the lighting device. preferable. Alternatively, it is more preferable that the waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank is provided between the cultivation container and the lighting device.

In the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank is adjacent to the lighting device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is side sectional drawing which shows the outline of 1st Embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus of this invention. 2a is a cross-sectional view along line XX of FIG. 1, FIG. 2b is a partial side cross-sectional view showing an example of a cultivation container of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2c is illumination of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG. It is a top view which shows an apparatus. 3a is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 1, FIG. 3b is a schematic diagram showing an overflow discharge mechanism of the waste liquid tank, FIG. 3c is a cross-sectional view of the waste liquid tank, and FIG. FIG. 3e is a cross-sectional view showing an example, and FIG. 3e is a cross-sectional view taken along line ZZ of FIG. 1; FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the waste liquid tank, FIG. 4b is a partial side cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the cultivation container and the waste liquid tank, and FIG. 4c is the Z1-Z1 line of FIG. 4b. Fig. 4d is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a second embodiment of the plant cultivation device of the present invention; FIG. 5a is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a second embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 5b and 5c are X1-X1 line cross-sectional views and Y1-Y1 line cross-sectional views, respectively. FIG. 6a is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a third embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 6b and 6c are X1-X1 line cross-sectional views and Y2-Y2 line cross-sectional views, respectively. FIG. 7a is a partial side cross-sectional view showing another example of a cultivation bed, and FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view taken along line X3-X3 of FIG. 7a.

The plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 includes a frame 11, a plurality of cultivation spaces 12 vertically partitioned within the frame 11, a cultivation container 13 installed below the cultivation space 12, and a cultivation container 13 installed above the cultivation space 12. and a lighting device 14 to be installed. The cultivation space 12 of the plant cultivation device 10 is separated by the shelf board 21 of the frame 11 . The lighting device 14 in the lower cultivation space 12 is cooled by the waste liquid discharged from the cultivation container 13 in the upper cultivation space 12 .

The frame 11 includes pillars 20 arranged in four directions in a rectangular shape, and shelf boards 21 fixed to the pillars 20 at regular intervals in the vertical direction. In addition, walls (not shown) are provided on the front and rear (left and right in FIG. 1) and on the left and right (front and back in FIG. 1) so as to cover the pillars 20 on the four sides. The top cultivation space 12 is closed by a ceiling 22 . Note that the front and rear walls can be opened and closed or removed according to each stage, and the cultivation container 13 is taken out from the cultivation space 12 . However, the left and right walls may be made openable and removable, and it is preferable that both the front, rear, left and right walls are openable and removable.
The cultivation space 12 is closed by corresponding front, rear, left, and right walls and upper and lower shelf boards 21 . That is, each cultivation space 12 is independent. By sealing in this way, the temperature and humidity of each cultivation space can be controlled independently. If it is hermetically sealed, air at a predetermined temperature is circulated through the duct 16 as will be described later, and the culture solution at a predetermined temperature is circulated through the control tank 32, so that it is sufficiently sealed. The temperature of the cultivation space can be controlled. However, it is preferable to seal each cultivation space 12 . For example, a sealing material or the like may be provided around the peripheries of the front and rear walls that can be freely opened and closed to prevent entry of moisture or gas. By sealing in this way, the environment of the cultivation space can be strictly controlled. Whether to close or seal can be appropriately determined depending on the plant to be cultivated.

The frame 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. Cultivation space 12 that is vertically divided also has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and extends vertically (horizontal direction in FIG. 1). The shelf plate 21 is also made of a rectangular plate.
In FIG. 1, the cultivation space 12 is provided in three steps. However, the number of stages is not particularly limited, and may be two or four or more.
As described above, the structure of the frame 11 is not particularly limited as long as the shelf board 21 can be supported vertically at regular intervals. For example, the pillars 20 may be connected with beams to increase the strength of the frame 11 . In that case, the shelf board 21 may be supported by beams. Further, the shelf board 21 may be formed by arranging a plurality of pipes to form a rectangular shape, for example. In this case, it suffices to pass the drainage tube of the overflow drainage mechanism of the cultivation container, which will be described later, between the pipes. Furthermore, the frame 11 and the cultivation space 12 are preferably rectangular parallelepipeds, but they may be squares.

The cultivation container 13 is placed on the shelf board 21 , opens upward, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the shelf board 21 . The cultivation container 13 is positioned below the cultivation space above the cultivation space 12 divided vertically by the shelf board 21 .
A supply part 13a for supplying a culture solution is provided at one end (left side in FIG. 1) of the cultivation container 13 . An overflow drainage mechanism 13b is provided at the other end of the cultivation container 13 (on the right side in FIG. 1). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2a, it comprises a drainage hole 13b1 provided in the bottom surface of the cultivation container 13 and a drainage tube 13b2 inserted into the drainage hole 13b1. The drain tube 13b2 is also inserted into a hole 21a provided in the shelf plate 21, and sends waste liquid to a waste liquid tank 15, which will be described later. The upper end of the drain pipe 13b2 is aligned with the water surface S of the cultivation container. As a result, when the culture solution becomes higher than the water surface S, the culture solution flows out of the drainage tube 13b2 and becomes waste liquid. Although the structure shown in FIG. 2a is used as the overflow drainage mechanism, the structure is not particularly limited as long as the water is drained by the increased amount when the water level reaches a certain level or higher. With such an overflow drainage mechanism, a constant amount of the culture solution is held in the cultivation container 13 while constantly circulating the culture solution. Therefore, the plants can be continuously fed with a constant amount of culture solution.
Further, on the upper surface of the cultivation container 13, as shown in FIG. 2b, partition plates 13d for separating the plants P to be cultivated one by one are provided so as to close the opening of the cultivation container 13. As shown in FIG. This prevents the cultivated plants from entangling with each other. However, it is not necessary to provide such a delimiter.

The lighting device 14 is installed below the shelf board 21 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the shelf board 21, as shown in FIG. That is, it is provided below the shelf board 21 along the shelf board 21 . The lighting device 14 is positioned above the lower cultivation space of the cultivation space 12 vertically divided by the shelf plate 21 and irradiates light toward the cultivation container 13 in the lower cultivation space.
As shown in FIGS. 2a and 2c, the illumination device 14 includes a rectangular frame 14a, a light guide plate 14b fixed to an opening 14a1 of the frame 14a, and light guide plates 14b provided along the sides of the light guide plate 14b. , and a light source 14c inserted inside the side edges 14a2 of the frame 14a so as to illuminate the light guide plate 14b. The illumination device 14 has a panel shape and is configured to irradiate the panel with light in a vertical direction. The light source 14c includes a vertically long substrate (not shown) and a plurality of light emitting diodes (not shown) evenly arranged in the longitudinal direction of the substrate. In this illumination device 14, the light source 14c generates heat. The lighting device 14 is installed so that the light sources 14c are arranged on both outer sides (left and right sides in FIGS. 2a and 2b) in the longitudinal direction of the shelf board 21. As shown in FIG. The lighting device 14 attached to the shelf board 21 may consist of one panel, or may be configured by connecting a plurality of panels.
The frame 14a of the lighting device 14 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as metal such as aluminum, or ceramics with high thermal conductivity. However, as long as heat can be exchanged between the light source 14c and the waste liquid tank 15, a material with a high thermal conductivity may be used as a part.

As shown in FIG. 2a, the waste liquid tank 15 is below the shelf board 21 and fixed to both side edges of the shelf board 21, and is open upward. A shelf plate 21 closes the opening. That is, they are provided below the shelf board 21 and on both sides of the lighting device 14 . Moreover, the waste liquid tank 15 is positioned below the drain tube 13b2 of the cultivation container 13 described above. Therefore, the waste liquid is supplied from the other end (the right side in FIG. 1) of the waste liquid tank 15 through the drain tube 13b2. At one end (left side in FIG. 1) of the waste liquid tank 15, an overflow drainage mechanism 15a is provided as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. Specifically, it comprises a drain hole 15a1 provided in the wall of the other end 15c of the waste liquid tank 15, and an L-shaped drain tube 15a2 inserted into the drain hole 15a1. The overflow drainage mechanism of the waste liquid tank 15 is not particularly limited as long as it drains water by an amount corresponding to the increase when the water level reaches a certain level or higher. With such an overflow drainage mechanism, a certain amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 15 can be stored while being circulated.

A holding portion 15 b for holding the lighting device 14 is formed at the bottom of the waste liquid tank 15 . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3c, the holding portion 15b has an upper side surface 15b1, a lower side surface 15b2, and a vertical surface 15b3 connecting them, and has a U-shaped cross section with an open side surface. The upper surface 15b1 also serves as the bottom of the waste liquid tank 15. As shown in FIG. The holding portions 15b are provided at the bottoms of the respective waste liquid tanks 15, and are installed so that the respective openings face each other. Each holding portion 15b then holds each side edge 14a2 of the lighting device 14, in particular the outside of the light source 14c of the lighting device 14, as shown in FIG. 3a. Therefore, the lighting device 14 is fixed by the holding portions 15 b of both waste liquid tanks 15 . In other words, the waste liquid tank 15 and a duct 16 (to be described later) are provided between the lighting device 14 and the shelf board 21 . More specifically, the waste liquid tank 15 is adjacent to the light source 14 c of the lighting device 14 and supports the lighting device 14 . The waste liquid tank 15 is fixed to the pillar 20 of the frame 11, the shelf plate 21, or the like.
The waste liquid tank 15 is made of the above-mentioned material with high thermal conductivity. However, in this case as well, if heat can be exchanged between the light source 14c of the lighting device 14 and the waste liquid tank 15, a material with high thermal conductivity may be used as part of it.

Since the waste liquid tank 15 is provided between the light source 14c of the lighting device 14 and the shelf plate 21 in this way, heat can be exchanged between the waste liquid tank 15 and the light source 14c, and the light source 14c can be cooled. can. In particular, since the waste liquid tank 15 and the light source 14c are adjacent to each other, heat can be exchanged efficiently.
However, as long as heat can be exchanged between the light source 14c of the lighting device 14 and the waste liquid tank 15, the structure is not particularly limited. For example, the waste liquid reservoir 15 may be provided on the side of the lighting device 14, as shown in FIG. 3d. In particular, the waste tank 15 and the lighting device 14 may be laterally adjacent to each other.

Returning to FIG. 1, the duct 16 is a longitudinally extending space provided between the lighting device 14 and the shelf board 21 . Cooled air flows through this duct 16 . Thereby, the lighting device 14 is cooled. By circulating the air through the duct 16 to the cultivation space 12, the environmental temperature of the cultivation space 12 is also controlled. Direct exposure of the cooled air to the plants causes cold damage, so once the air passed through the duct 16 is used to control the environmental temperature, healthy plants can be cultivated. In addition, it is not necessary to pass the cooled air through the duct 16 . Even in that case, since a layer of air is formed between the lighting device 14 and the cultivation container 13, the influence of heat generated by the lighting device 14 can be minimized.

A lighting device 14 is provided on the ceiling 22 of the frame 11 . The lighting device 14 is held by two cooling baths 25 and cooled by the two cooling baths 25, as shown in FIG. 3e. That is, a holding portion 25b is formed at the lower end of the cooling bath 25. As shown in FIG. The cooling tank 25 is also provided with an overflow drainage mechanism 25a. As described above, the top lighting device of the plant cultivation device 10 requires a separate cooling mechanism, but the cooling means is not particularly limited. For example, the waste liquid of the cultivation container 13 in the cultivation space (top cultivation space) 12 may be flowed to the cooling tank 25 by a pump or the like.
Returning to FIG. 1, the plant cultivation apparatus 10 supplies waste liquid discharged from each waste liquid tank 15 to the supply unit 13a as a new culture medium through the control tank 32. As shown in FIG. That is, the culture solution is circulated. In this plant cultivation apparatus 10, the waste liquid of the cooling tank 25 of the ceiling 22 and the waste liquid of the cultivation container 13 of the lowest cultivation space 12 are also returned to the control tank. In the control tank 32, waste liquid waste is removed by a filter or the like, and the temperature is adjusted to the set temperature by the heat pump 33 or the like. In addition, the components of the culture solution may be controlled to be constant.

In the plant cultivation apparatus 10 configured as described above, the culture solution supplied from the supply unit 13a flows from one end of the cultivation container 13 to the other end. Then, it is supplied to the waste liquid tank 15 drained from the other end of the cultivation container 13 . The waste liquid flows from the other end of the waste liquid tank 15 to one end and is discharged. The waste liquid tank 15 is designed to store waste liquid at a certain depth, and the waste liquid tank 15 and the lighting device 14 are configured to exchange heat. Therefore, the lighting device 14 can be reliably cooled in the waste liquid tank 15 . Since the plant cultivation apparatus 10 cools the lighting device 14 with the waste liquid discharged from the cultivation container 13 as described above, the cultivation conditions are not affected, and the cultivation conditions can be accurately controlled.

In the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, the waste liquid tanks 15 are provided on both sides of the shelf board 21, but as shown in FIG. 4a, they may be provided only on one side. In this case, it is preferable to provide the light source 14c of the lighting device 14 at the side edge of the light guide plate 14b corresponding to the waste liquid tank 15 so that the waste liquid tank 15 and the light source 14c are adjacent to each other.
Also, in the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, the cultivation space 12 is closed, but it may be opened to the outside. Such an open plant growing apparatus can be used, for example, in factories where the internal temperature is controlled. In this case, the control is looser than that of the closed type, but since the lighting device is cooled by the waste liquid, the environment in the cultivation space can be controlled. In addition, it is possible to prevent the heat of part of the culture solution from remaining inside the cultivation container. In that case, it is not necessary to pass the cooled air through the duct 16, but passing the cooled air allows the air in the cultivation space to be circulated, making it easier to equalize the environment.

Moreover, in the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 2B, it is assumed that the plants are separated by a partition plate or the like and the plants are directly cultivated in the cultivation container 13 . However, as shown in FIGS. 4b and 4c, a rectangular parallelepiped gutter-shaped cultivation container 26 for cultivating plants is engaged in the width direction of the cultivation container 13 (first waste liquid tank 27) of the plant cultivation device 10, and cultivation is performed. A plurality of containers 26 may be arranged in the longitudinal direction of the cultivation container. Here, the flange portion 26 a of the cultivation container 26 is engaged with the edge portion of the first waste liquid tank 27 . Each cultivation container 26 is provided with a supply unit 13a and an overflow drainage mechanism 13b. In this case, the cultivation container 13 of the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 acts as the first waste liquid tank 27, and the waste liquid tank 15 of the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 functions as the second waste liquid tank. Other configurations are substantially the same as those of the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG.
With this configuration, the culture solution is supplied from the supply unit 13a to the cultivation container 26 and drained to the first waste liquid tank 27 from the overflow drainage mechanism 13b. The drained waste liquid is supplied to the second waste liquid tank (waste liquid tank 15 of the plant cultivating apparatus of FIG. 1) through the drainage hole 27a of the first waste liquid tank 27 (cultivating container 13 of the plant cultivating apparatus of FIG. 1). Also in this case, since the lighting device 14 can be cooled in the second waste liquid tank, a similar effect can be obtained. An overflow drain mechanism may be provided instead of the drain hole 27a.
As an example of a cultivation method using such a trough-shaped cultivation container 26, a plant such as a seedling is cultivated at one end of the first waste liquid tank, and the plant is moved to the other end as it grows to produce the first waste liquid. At the other end of the tank, plants are grown just before harvest. By moving the cultivation container 26 in the first waste liquid tank according to the state of growth of the plant in this manner, cultivation can be performed by efficiently using the cultivation space.

The plant growing device 40 of Figure 4d consists of only one stage. That is, it has a cultivation space 41, a cultivation container 42 installed below it, and a lighting device 43 installed above it. A waste liquid tank 44 is adjacent above along the illumination device 43 . In addition, the waste liquid discharged from the cultivation container 42 is sent to the waste liquid tank 44 by the pump 45 . The waste liquid discharged from the waste liquid tank 44 is circulated to the cultivation container 42 via, for example, the control tank 32 described above. The waste liquid tank 44 is provided with an overflow drainage mechanism (not shown) for storing a certain amount of waste liquid similar to the plant cultivation apparatus 10 described above.
Even if the plant cultivation apparatus 40 is composed of one stage, the lighting apparatus can be cooled by the waste liquid by sending the waste liquid to the waste liquid tank 44 with the pump 45 . In this plant cultivation device 40, the cultivation space 41 is closed. However, it may be left open.

The plant cultivation device 50 of FIG. 5 does not include the duct 16 of the plant cultivation device 10. As shown in FIG. Frame 11, cultivation space 12, and lighting device 14 are substantially the same as plant cultivation device 10 in FIG. Further, since the cultivation container 13 has the waste liquid tank 51 positioned below the cultivation container 13, as shown in FIG. 5, the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. It is substantially the same as the cultivation container 13 .
The waste liquid tank 51 is fixed below the shelf plate 21 and opens upward. The waste liquid tank 51 is provided substantially entirely below the shelf board 21 . Therefore, the waste liquid is supplied from the other end (the right side in FIG. 6) of the waste liquid tank 51 through the drain tube 13b2. On the other hand, one end of the waste liquid tank 51 (left side in FIG. 5) is provided with an overflow drainage mechanism 15a which is substantially the same as the waste liquid tank 15 of the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. Ejected.
A holding portion 51 a for holding the lighting device 14 is formed on the lower surface of the waste liquid tank 51 , and the lighting device 14 is provided so as to be in contact with the lower surface of the waste liquid tank 51 . That is, the waste liquid tank 51 and the lighting device 14 are configured to exchange heat.

The plant cultivating apparatus 50 configured in this way also has a liquid waste tank 51 in which a certain depth of liquid waste is stored in the same manner as the plant cultivating apparatus 10 of FIG. Since it is configured to exchange heat with the device 14, the lighting device 14 can be reliably cooled by the waste liquid. In the plant cultivation device 50, the entire rear surface of the lighting device 14 and the waste liquid tank 51 are adjacent to each other. Therefore, although the lighting device 14 is used here, it is preferable to cool a lighting device that generates heat as a whole, such as a lighting device in which light emitting diodes are mounted on the entire panel.
In addition, the cultivation space 12 of the plant cultivation device 50 may not be sealed. As described above, for example, if the temperature in the factory is controlled, the environment of the cultivation space 12 can be controlled because the lighting device is cooled by the waste liquid. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the heat of part of the culture solution from remaining in the cultivation container.

A plant cultivation apparatus 60 of FIG. 6a has a frame 61, a plurality of cultivation spaces 62 vertically partitioned within the frame 61, and a plurality of cultivation beds 63 supported by the frame 61 and arranged vertically. ing. The cultivation space 62 is separated by cultivation beds 63 . The cultivation bed 63 includes a cultivation container 66 for cultivating target plants in the upper cultivation space partitioned by the cultivation bed 63, and a lighting device 67 for illuminating the cultivation container 66 in the lower cultivation space. The lighting device 67 in the lower cultivation space 62 is cooled by the waste liquid discharged from the cultivation container 66 in the upper cultivation space 62 .

The frame 61 includes columns 61a arranged in four directions in a rectangular shape, and a plurality of fixing claws 61b provided at regular intervals on the columns 61a. Like the frame 11 in FIG. 1, this frame 61 also has walls (not shown) on the front and rear (left and right in FIG. 6a) and on the left and right (back in FIG. 6a). It is possible. The cultivation space 62 is hermetically sealed, preferably hermetically sealed. Moreover, it is preferable that the frame 61 is provided with an elevating device (not shown) for raising and lowering the cultivation bed 63 . Thereby, the cultivation bed can be freely moved according to the cultivation method. The frame 61 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. Cultivation space 62 that is vertically divided also has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and extends vertically. Although the plant cultivation device 60 has three stages of cultivation spaces 62, the number of stages is not particularly limited, and may be two stages or four or more stages.
The fixed claws 61 b support the cultivation bed 63 . In order to increase the strength of the frame 61, the pillars 61a may be connected to each other with beams. In that case, the fixing claws 61b may be omitted and the cultivation bed 63 may be supported by beams. Also, the fixing claw 61b may be provided on the beam instead of the pillar. Furthermore, the fixing claw 61b may be made foldable, or may be stored in a pillar or beam. This is because when the cultivation bed is moved by the lifting device as described above, the cultivation bed can be efficiently moved by making the fixing claws foldable. However, the structure of the frame 61 is not particularly limited as long as it can support the cultivation beds 63 so as to be arranged vertically. The cultivation space 62 is also preferably rectangular parallelepiped and vertically long, but may be a square.

The cultivation bed 63 is vertically long and installed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rectangular plane of the frame 61 . As shown in FIGS. 6b and 6c, the cultivation bed 63 includes a cultivation container 66 that opens upward, a lighting device 67 that is below the cultivation container 66 and faces downward, and along the cultivation container 66, and waste liquid tanks 68 provided on both sides of the cultivation container 66 . A duct 69 is provided between the bottom surface of the cultivation container 66 and the lighting device 67 . The lighting device 67 and the duct 69 are substantially the same as the lighting device 14 and the duct 16 of the plant cultivation device 10 of FIG.
Such a cultivation bed 63 can be integrally formed of a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum.

The cultivation container 66 is open upward and extends in the longitudinal direction. That is, the cultivation container 66 is positioned below the cultivation space above the cultivation space 62 divided vertically by the cultivation bed 63 . Others are substantially the same as the cultivation container 13 of the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, and are provided with a supply portion 66a (left side in FIG. 7) for supplying the culture solution and an overflow drainage mechanism 66b. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6b, it consists of a drain hole 66b1 provided on the side surface of the cultivation container 66 and an L-shaped drain pipe 66b2 inserted into the drain hole 66b1. As a result, when the culture solution is supplied above the water surface S, the culture solution is discharged from the overflow drain mechanism or the drain tube 66b2 into the waste liquid tank 68, and becomes waste liquid. Although one example of the overflow drainage mechanism has been given, the mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it drains water by an amount corresponding to the increase when the water surface reaches or exceeds a certain level. This enables stable cultivation.
In this case as well, on the upper surface of the cultivation container 66, a dividing plate (not shown) for dividing the plants to be cultivated one by one may be floated, or the gutter-shaped cultivation container 26 may be used.

In the cultivation bed 63 of the plant cultivation apparatus 60 , the waste liquid tank 68 is provided on the lateral side of the cultivation container 66 , and the bottom of the waste liquid tank 68 is provided above the lighting device 67 . Furthermore, the bottom of the waste liquid tank 68 is in contact with the illumination device 67 . Therefore, similarly to the plant cultivation device 10 of FIG. 1, the lighting device 14 can be cooled with the waste liquid. Note that even when the cultivation bed 63 is integrally formed of a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, a duct 69 is provided between the lighting device 14 and the cultivation container 66, and the lighting device serving as a heat source is provided. Since the waste liquid tank 65 is provided between 14 and the cultivation container 66, the influence of the heat source of the lighting device 14 on the cultivation environment can be minimized.
In addition, although this plant cultivation apparatus 60 also has a closed cultivation space 62, it may be opened to the outside as long as the environment can be controlled, similarly to the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG.

In the plant cultivation device 60 of FIG. 6, the cultivation bed 63 may be replaced with the cultivation bed 71 of FIGS. 7a and 7b. The cultivation bed 71 includes a gutter-shaped cultivation container 72 for cultivating target plants in the upper cultivation space partitioned by the cultivation bed 71, a lighting device 73 for illuminating the cultivation container in the lower cultivation space, the cultivation container 72, and the illumination. and a waste liquid tank 74 provided between the device 73 and the device 73 . The cultivation container 72 is positioned below the upper cultivation space vertically divided by the cultivation bed 71 , and the lighting device 73 is positioned above the lower cultivation space vertically divided by the cultivation bed 71 . The lighting device 73 in the lower cultivation space is cooled by the waste liquid discharged from the cultivation container 72 in the upper cultivation space. The illumination device 73 is substantially the same as the illumination device 14 of the plant cultivation device 10 of FIG.

The cultivation bed 71 is vertically elongated and installed in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rectangular plane of the frame 61, and includes a waste liquid tank 74 extending in the longitudinal direction and having an upper opening, and a waste liquid tank 74 provided in the width direction of the waste liquid tank. It has a plurality of gutter-shaped cultivation containers 72 and a lighting device 73 provided on the lower surface of a waste liquid tank 74 . The cultivation containers 72 are arranged in the longitudinal direction.

The cultivation container 72 is a rectangular parallelepiped with an open upper side and flange portions 72a provided at the front and rear ends (in the width direction of the cultivation bed 71). The cultivation container 72 is fixed by engaging the flange portion 72 a with the edge portion of the waste liquid tank 74 . One end of the cultivation container 72 is provided with a supply unit (not shown) for supplying the culture solution, and the other end is provided with an overflow drainage mechanism 72b. As the overflow drainage mechanism, a known one is used as described above. Like the gutter-shaped cultivation container 26, the gutter-shaped cultivation container 72 can be moved according to the growth state of the plant being cultivated, so that the cultivation space can be efficiently used for cultivation.

The waste liquid tank 74 is a container that is provided on the top of the cultivation bed 71 and has an upward opening.
An overflow drainage mechanism is provided at an arbitrary location in the waste liquid tank 74 . As a result, a certain amount of waste liquid can be stored in the waste liquid tank 74 (water surface S1).

Even when this cultivation bed 71 is used, similarly to the plant cultivation apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, the lighting apparatus can be cooled by the waste liquid, and the same effect can be obtained. Further, in this cultivation bed 71, the entire rear surface of the lighting device 73 and the waste liquid tank 74 are adjacent to each other. Therefore, it is preferable to cool a lighting device that generates heat as a whole, such as a lighting device in which light-emitting diodes are mounted on the entire panel, rather than a lighting device that partially generates heat like the lighting device 73 .

In the embodiments of the plant cultivation device described so far, light emitting diodes were used as the light source of the lighting device, but the light source is not particularly limited. For example, a light bulb, a fluorescent lamp, and the like also generate heat, so that a similar effect can be obtained.
Further, in the embodiments described so far, the waste liquid tank may be used as a waste liquid channel through which the waste liquid flows. In this case, it is preferable that the circulation of the culture solution is controlled so that the waste liquid always flows through the waste liquid channel. However, since the lighting device is cooled at least when the waste liquid flows, such circulation of medium may not be controlled.
Furthermore, if the cultivation container (cultivation tank) can control the same amount of supply and drainage of the culture solution, the overflow drainage mechanism need not be provided.

10 Plant Cultivation Apparatus 11 Frame 12 Cultivation Space 13 Cultivation Container 13a Supply Portion 13b Overflow Drainage Mechanism 13b1 Drainage Hole 13b2 Drainage Cylinder 13d Partition Plate 14 Lighting Device 14a Frame Body 14a1 Opening 14a2 Side Edge 14b Light Guide Plate 14c Light Source 15 Waste Liquid Tank 15a Overflow Drainage Mechanism 15a1 Drainage hole 15a2 Drainage pipe 15b Holding portion 15b1 Upper side surface 15b2 Lower side surface 15b3 Vertical surface 15c Other end 16 Duct 20 Column 21 Shelf plate 21a Hole 22 Ceiling 25 Cooling tank 25a Overflow drainage mechanism 25b Holding portion 26 Cultivation container 26a Flange portion 27 First liquid waste tank 27a Discharge hole 32 Control tank 33 Heat pump 40 Plant cultivation device 41 Cultivation space 42 Cultivation container 43 Lighting device 44 Waste liquid tank 45 Pump 50 Plant cultivation device 51 Waste liquid tank 51a Holding part 60 Plant cultivation device 61 Frame 61a Column 61b Fixed Claw 62 Cultivation space 63 Cultivation bed 65 Waste liquid tank 66 Cultivation container 66a Supply part 66b Overflow drainage mechanism 66b1 Drainage hole 66b2 Drainage cylinder 67 Lighting device 68 Waste liquid tank 69 Duct 71 Cultivation bed 72 Cultivation container 72a Flange 72b Overflow drainage mechanism 73 Lighting device 74 Waste liquid tank S Water surface S1 Water surface

Claims (10)

a frame;
a plurality of cultivation spaces separated vertically within the frame;
a cultivation container installed below the cultivation space;
a lighting device installed above the cultivation space;
It has a waste liquid channel or a waste liquid tank installed in the cultivation space ,
The waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank stores the waste liquid discharged from the cultivation container in the cultivation space above the cultivation space, and is configured to exchange heat with the lighting device in the cultivation space,
The waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank has an overflow drainage mechanism that drains an amount of the increase when the waste liquid in the waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank reaches or exceeds a certain water level,
The lighting device is cooled by the waste liquid through the waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank .
plant cultivation equipment. The cultivation space is separated by shelf boards,
The lighting device and the waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank are provided below the shelf board, and the cultivation container is provided above the shelf board,
The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 . The waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank is provided between the lighting device and the shelf board,
The plant cultivation device according to claim 2 . The waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank is provided on the lateral side of the lighting device,
The plant cultivation device according to claim 2 . Having a plurality of cultivation beds arranged vertically supported by the frame,
The cultivation space is separated by the cultivation bed,
The cultivation bed includes a cultivation container, a lighting device provided below the cultivation container, and the waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank.
The plant cultivation device according to claim 1 . The waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank is provided on the lateral side of the cultivation container,
The waste liquid channel or the bottom of the waste liquid tank is provided on the side or upper side of the lighting device,
The plant cultivation device according to claim 5 . wherein the waste liquid path or the waste liquid tank is provided between the cultivation container and the lighting device;
The plant cultivation device according to claim 5 . the waste liquid channel or the waste liquid tank is adjacent to the lighting device;
The plant cultivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The cultivation space is sealed,
The plant cultivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The cultivation container has a supply unit that supplies a culture solution, and an overflow drainage mechanism that, when the culture solution in the cultivation container reaches a certain water level or higher, sends the increased amount of the culture solution to the waste solution tank as the waste solution.
The plant cultivation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 .

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