JP7780807B2 - Fruit cultivation system and fruit cultivation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fruit cultivation system that cultivates fruit by regulating the environment surrounding the fruit, and a fruit cultivation method using the system.

In order to cultivate grapes and other fruits and ship them commercially, it is necessary to ensure that they are of a certain level of quality. Fruit quality is greatly influenced by the surrounding environment, including climate, soil, and even pests and diseases, so consideration of the surrounding environment is essential to growing high-quality fruit. Insufficient consideration of the surrounding environment can result in various types of damage, such as stunted growth and pest damage. One of the phenomena that can occur as a result of such damage is fruit cracking.

Fruit cracking is the phenomenon in which the fruit splits, and is sometimes called nut cracking. Fruit cracking can occur due to pests, diseases, or excessively tightly packed berries, but one of the main causes is an increase in moisture content within the berries due to rainfall, etc. It is thought that when moisture content within the berries increases due to water absorption during ripening, the berries are unable to resist the turgor pressure and burst. This increase in moisture content within the berries can occur not only due to excess soil moisture, but also due to high air humidity, and some believe that the latter has a greater impact on fruit cracking.
Fruit cracking also occurs in grapes, and the abnormal weather conditions experienced in recent years during the grape ripening period from July to September may exacerbate the damage caused by grape cracking, so immediate measures are needed.

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

As an example of this humidity control technology, the inventor has proposed in Patent Document 1 a fruit cultivation system that efficiently adjusts the environment around the fruit to suit fruit cultivation, thereby suppressing damage such as fruit cracking.

The fruit cultivation system described in Patent Document 1 circulates humidity- and temperature-regulated air through the covering that encases the fruit, allowing for localized and efficient regulation of the environment surrounding the fruit. The air regulated by the air conditioning unit circulates through the circulation piping, flows into the covering through the delivery tubing connected to the circulation piping and the covering, and returns to the circulation piping through the receiving tubing connected to the covering and the circulation piping. This makes it possible to prevent damage such as fruit cracking at low cost.

Patent No. 7076859

However, in the fruit cultivation system of Patent Document 1, a covering unit, a delivery capillary tube, and a receiving capillary tube are prepared for each fruit, each fruit is covered with a covering unit, and a delivery capillary tube and a receiving capillary tube are inserted into each covering unit. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a significant number of covering units, delivery capillaries, and receiving capillaries, equivalent to the number of fruits being grown, and installing them on the fruits can be a labor-intensive task.

The present invention was conceived in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a fruit cultivation system and method that can locally and efficiently adjust the environment surrounding the fruit, while also reducing the amount of work required for construction, installation, etc.

As a result of extensive research aimed at solving the above problems, the inventors discovered that the following invention meets the above objectives, leading to the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to the following inventions.
<1> A fruit cultivation system comprising: an air conditioning unit that adjusts at least the humidity of air; a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air conditioned by the air conditioning unit circulates; an enclosure unit into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits; a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure unit and which guides the conditioned air to the enclosure unit; and a receiving pipe connected to the enclosure unit and the circulation pipe and which guides the air in the enclosure unit to the circulation pipe.
<2> A fruit cultivation system comprising: a plurality of air conditioning units that adjust at least the humidity of the air; a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning units and through which conditioned air conditioned by the air conditioning units circulates; an enclosure unit into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits; a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure unit and which guides the conditioned air to the enclosure unit; and a receiving pipe connected to the enclosure unit and the circulation pipe and which guides the air within the enclosure unit to the circulation pipe, wherein the circulation pipe is arranged so that the circulating conditioned air passes through at least two of the air conditioning units.
<3> The fruit cultivation system according to <1> or <2>, wherein the surrounding portion is made to have rigidity.
<4> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the surrounding portion has an insertion opening through which the fruit is inserted.
<5> The fruit cultivation system according to <4>, wherein the surrounding portion is fabricated so that the insertion opening has light-transmitting properties and the portion other than the insertion opening has light-blocking properties.
<6> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the delivery pipe is connected to one end of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction, and the receiving pipe is connected to the other end of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction.
<7> The fruit cultivation system according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the delivery pipe is connected to a central portion of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction, and the receiving pipe is connected to each of both end portions of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction.
<8> The fruit cultivation system according to <7>, wherein the surrounding portion includes a diverting member at a position on the inner surface of the surrounding portion opposite to the point where the delivery pipe is connected, the diverting member diverting the conditioned air in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction of the surrounding portion.
<9> The fruit cultivation system according to <7> or <8>, wherein the area of the opening surface of the end of the delivery pipe connected to the surrounding portion is equal to the sum of the areas of the opening surfaces of the end of the receiving pipe connected to the surrounding portion.
<10> A fruit cultivation method using the fruit cultivation system according to any one of <1> to <9>.
<11> The fruit cultivation method according to <10>, wherein the fruit is a grape fruit.

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

The fruit cultivation system and fruit cultivation method of the present invention circulate conditioned air in the enclosure surrounding the fruit, allowing for localized and efficient adjustment of the environment around the fruit and reducing damage such as fruit cracking at low cost. Furthermore, because the enclosure surrounds multiple fruits, the number of enclosures, delivery pipes, and receiving pipes used can be reduced compared to when each fruit is enclosed individually, and the labor required to install them can also be reduced.

1 is a perspective view showing an example (first embodiment) of a greenhouse in which a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention is used. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example (first embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example (first embodiment) of a connection point between a delivery pipe and a receiving pipe and a circulation pipe; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a surrounding portion (first embodiment). 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing an example of an enclosing part with grape berries inserted therein, in a state before fastening a closure member thereto, and in a state after fastening the closure member thereto. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of air inside the surrounding portion in the first embodiment. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a connection point between a separable delivery pipe and a receiving pipe and a circulation pipe. FIG. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a surrounding portion (second embodiment), in which FIG. 10A is a plan view and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of air inside the surrounding portion in the second embodiment. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example (third embodiment) of a connection point between a delivery pipe and a receiving pipe and a circulation pipe; FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example (fourth embodiment) of a greenhouse in which the fruit cultivation system according to the present invention is used. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example (fourth embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example (fifth embodiment) of a greenhouse in which the fruit cultivation system according to the present invention is used. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example (fifth embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of the example (fifth embodiment) of the fruit cultivation system according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example (sixth embodiment) of a fruit cultivation system according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to a fruit cultivation system comprising an air conditioning unit that adjusts at least the humidity of the air, a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air circulates, an enclosure that surrounds a plurality of fruits inserted therein, a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure and that guides the conditioned air to the enclosure, and an inlet pipe connected to the enclosure and the circulation pipe and that guides the air within the enclosure to the circulation pipe.

The present invention also relates to a fruit cultivation system comprising: a plurality of air conditioning units that adjust at least the humidity of the air; a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning units and through which conditioned air circulates, the air conditioned by the air conditioning units; an enclosure unit into which multiple fruits are inserted and which surrounds the multiple fruits; a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosure unit and which directs the conditioned air to the enclosure unit; and a receiving pipe connected to the enclosure unit and the circulation pipe and which directs the air within the enclosure unit to the circulation pipe, with the circulation pipe arranged so that the circulating conditioned air passes through at least two of the air conditioning units.

The present invention also relates to a fruit cultivation method that uses the above-mentioned fruit cultivation system.

In this invention, air conditioned by the air conditioning unit (conditioned air) is circulated through a circulation pipe. The air is then flowed into the enclosure surrounding the fruit through a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe, and the air within the enclosure is returned to the circulation pipe through a receiving pipe connected to the circulation pipe. Therefore, the range of the ambient environment to be regulated is limited to the air conditioning unit, circulation pipe, delivery pipe, receiving pipe, and enclosure, rather than the entire greenhouse, such as a plastic greenhouse, where the fruit is grown. This allows for localized regulation, and the ambient environment around the fruit can be accurately regulated without the use of large-scale equipment.

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

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

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

This section describes an example (first embodiment) of the fruit cultivation system of the present invention used to cultivate grapes in a greenhouse.

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

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

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

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

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

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

In addition, since simply creating a low-humidity environment is effective in preventing fruit cracking, it is also possible to use an air conditioner to adjust only the humidity within the air conditioning unit 80. In this case, a dehumidifier may be used instead of an air conditioner. In cases where humidity (and temperature) can be adjusted simply by blowing air from the air conditioning unit 80, it is also possible to use only an electric blower. If the air conditioner is equipped with an air purification function, this function may be enabled. To efficiently adjust the air within the air conditioning unit 80, an air mixer such as a circulator may be used. Instead of configuring the air conditioning unit 80 as a commercially available device, a dedicated device may be manufactured. The air conditioner's outdoor unit is usually located outside the greenhouse 1. However, if placing it inside is difficult because of the difficulty in placing it outside, a path is provided to release heat emitted from the outdoor unit to the outside of the greenhouse 1. For example, an exhaust port is drilled in the ceiling of the greenhouse 1 above the air conditioning unit 80, and a path is provided connecting the outdoor unit to the exhaust port. Heat from the outdoor unit is released through this path.

In addition, the air conditioning unit 80 is set so that the humidity and temperature within the air conditioning unit 80 are at values appropriate for preventing cracking, but it is also possible to measure the humidity and temperature within the surrounding unit 70 and adjust the settings on the air conditioning unit so that these measured values are appropriate for preventing cracking. This allows for more appropriate adjustment of humidity and temperature.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The second circulation component pipe 22 is connected to the first circulation component pipe 11 via a joint and is positioned so that it extends horizontally toward the other side of the greenhouse 1 in the direction of the greenhouse's frontage. The end of the second circulation component pipe 22 that is not connected to the first circulation component pipe 11 is connected to two third circulation component pipes 30 using a structure similar to that of the second circulation component pipe 21.

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

The third circulation component pipe 30 is composed of four circulation component pipes, including the third circulation component pipes 31 and 32, which are connected to the second circulation component pipes 21 and 23.

The third circulation component pipe 31 is connected to the second circulation component pipe 21 via a joint, extends horizontally in the direction of the greenhouse 1's frontage toward one side to the main branches of the grapevines 3, then bends vertically toward one of the gable walls, extends in the depth direction above the main branches of the grapevines 3, bends vertically toward the other side near the second circulation component pipe 23, extends toward the other side, and connects to the second circulation component pipe 23 via a joint.

The third circulation component pipe 32 is connected to the second circulation component pipe 21 via a joint, extends horizontally in the direction of the greenhouse 1's frontage toward the other side to another adjacent main branch of the grapevine 3, and like the third circulation component pipe 31, bends vertically from there toward one end face, extends in the depth direction above the main branch of the grapevine 3, bends vertically toward one side face near the second circulation component pipe 23, extends toward the other side face, and connects to the second circulation component pipe 23 via a joint.

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

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

It is also possible to install a valve near the joint of the circulation pipe to adjust the amount of air flowing through the circulation pipe. While the circulation pipe is composed of three types of circulation component pipes, the number of types of circulation component pipes is not limited to three and may be other numbers. Furthermore, while the different types of circulation component pipes are connected in a structure that separates or combines them into two, they may also be connected in a structure that separates or combines them into three or more. The inner diameter of each circulation component pipe is also not limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate, and the inner diameter of all circulation component pipes may be the same.

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

In this embodiment, each delivery pipe 50 and receiving pipe 60 forms a pair and is connected to the third circulation component pipe 30 and the surrounding section 70. Grape berries 3A typically grow on the left and right sides of the main branch in the extension direction, and in the fruit cultivation system 2, one third circulation component pipe 30 is arranged for each main branch, and the surrounding section 70 is positioned to surround the growing grape berries 3A, so the surrounding section 70 is arranged on the left and right sides of the straight section of one third circulation component pipe 30. Therefore, the delivery pipe 50 and receiving pipe 60 are connected in pairs to the left and right sides of the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in Figure 2) of the straight section of the third circulation component pipe 30.

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

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

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

As described above, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are inserted into the opening and then bent into an L-shape. This means that the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 may be compressed radially from the third circulation component pipe 30 at the bend, potentially narrowing the area through which air passes. To prevent this, the opening is drilled so that it is elliptical, with its major axis aligned with the longitudinal direction of the third circulation component pipe 30. Because the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are compressed circumferentially from the third circulation component pipe 30 at the opening, drilling the opening in this manner can alleviate radial compression. Note that the opening may be circular in cases where radial compression does not significantly narrow the area through which air passes.

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

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

Figure 4 shows an example of the surrounding portion 70 connected to the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the surrounding portion 70. In Figure 4, as indicated by the arrows, the upper and lower sides of the figure are the "top" and "bottom" of the surrounding portion 70, respectively, the front and back sides are the "front" and "back" of the surrounding portion 70, respectively, and the right and left sides viewed from the front (the right and left sides of the figure) are the "right" and "left" of the surrounding portion 70, respectively.

The enclosure 70 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is positioned so that its longitudinal direction (the left-right direction in Figure 4) coincides with the extension direction of the main branches of the grapevines 3. The enclosure 70 is made of a material that is both moderately rigid to suppress dispersion of the force (pressure) of the air being sent inside and lightweight to allow for easy installation. For example, the enclosure 70 is made using polystyrene foam. Expanded polystyrene is a material created by expanding polystyrene beads to a certain magnification (e.g., approximately 45 times), and is lightweight and has excellent insulating, waterproof, and shock-absorbing properties. The enclosure 70 is made using, for example, 2 cm thick polystyrene foam. The enclosure 70 thus made is fixed to the pipes and other components that form and support the greenhouse 1 using metal fittings, wire, etc., in the same way as the circulation piping. The surrounding portion 70 may be made using polystyrene foam of a different thickness (e.g., 1 cm), or may be made using a material other than polystyrene foam.

The surrounding portion 70 has multiple insertion openings 71 drilled into its upper surface (the upper surface in Figure 4) for inserting the grape berries 3A in order to surround multiple grape berries 3A. Since one grape berry 3A is inserted into each insertion opening 71, the inner diameter of the insertion opening 71 is large enough for the grape berries 3A to pass through, for example, 15 cm, and the insertion openings 71 are drilled into the upper surface of the surrounding portion 70 at intervals (for example, 15 cm) that correspond to the spacing between the growing grape berries 3A.

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

A fitting member 72, which protrudes a certain length (e.g., 2-3 cm) to the outside, is fitted into the insertion opening 71. For example, a thin-walled VU pipe, a PVC pipe, is used as the fitting member 72. Furthermore, a closure member 73, made of a flexible material, of a certain length and open at the top, is wrapped around the outer surface of the fitting member 72. Grape berries 3A are inserted through the opening of the closure member 73, and then inserted into the surrounding portion 70 through the insertion opening 71. After that, the opening of the closure member 73 is fastened to the main rachis of the grape berries 3A using a string-like member or the like.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More than one air conditioning unit 80 may be installed, and if the greenhouse 1 is large, it is practical to install more than one air conditioning unit 80. The air conditioning unit 80 may be made smaller, and multiple air conditioning units 80 may be installed for the greenhouse 1 of the size shown in Figure 1. For example, one air conditioning unit may be installed in each of the four areas shown in Figure 2.

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

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

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

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

The inner diameter of the delivery pipe 50 is the same as in the first embodiment, but the inner diameters of the receiving pipes 61 and 62 are sized so that the sum of the area of the opening surface of the receiving pipe 61 and the area of the opening surface of the receiving pipe 62 is approximately the same as the area of the opening surface of the delivery pipe 50. Specifically, the area of the opening surface of each of the receiving pipes 61 and 62 is approximately half the area of the opening surface of the delivery pipe 50. For example, if the inner diameter of the delivery pipe 50 is 20 to 40 mm, the inner diameters of the receiving pipes 61 and 62 are 10 to 30 mm. This allows the air delivered from the delivery pipe 50 to be efficiently discharged from the receiving pipes 61 and 62.

Because the surrounding portion 170 is connected to the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipes 61 and 62 using the structure described above, an air diverting member 171 is installed on the inner surface of the surrounding portion 170 opposite the connection to the delivery pipe 50 to ensure that the air discharged from the delivery pipe 50 flows smoothly toward the receiving pipes 61 and 62. Specifically, the diverting member 171 is joined to the inside of the front surface (the lower surface in Figure 8) of the surrounding portion 170, opposite the connection to the delivery pipe 50 on the rear surface. The diverting member 171 has a shape such that, for example, two curved, identically shaped concave surfaces are joined at an acute angle away from the front surface of the surrounding portion 170, so that the air discharged from the delivery pipe 50 is smoothly diverted in opposite directions along the length of the surrounding portion 170 (to the left and right in Figure 8). Like the surrounding portion 170, the flow diverting member 171 is made of a lightweight, rigid material such as polystyrene foam.

Figure 9 shows the air flow inside the surrounding section 170 when grape berries 3A are inserted into the surrounding section 170. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the air flow with arrows when grape berries 3A are inserted, relative to the cross-sectional view of the surrounding section 170 shown in Figure 8(B). As shown in Figure 9, the air discharged from the delivery pipe 50 is divided into left and right flows by the flow dividing member 171, and flows smoothly to the receiving pipes 61 and 62 without being obstructed by the grape berries 3A. It is also possible to connect the delivery pipe 50 to other surfaces (top, bottom, front) in the center of the surrounding section 170, and the receiving pipes 61 and/or 62 to other surfaces (side, top, bottom, front) at the ends of the surrounding section 170. Additionally, if the air flow is divided by other means, such as by dividing the opening of the delivery pipe 50 into two and sending the air to the left and right, the flow dividing member 171 may not be necessary.

This section describes the third embodiment of the present invention.

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

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

The delivery pipe 50 is inserted into the opening 30a drilled in the third circulation component pipe 30, and the lower portion of the opening of the delivery pipe 50 is in intimate contact with the third circulation component pipe 30 at the location indicated by arrow S1 on the outer periphery of the opening 30a in Figure 10. The upper side of the delivery pipe 50 is in intimate contact with the third circulation component pipe 30 at the location indicated by arrow S2, which is the location opposite the location indicated by arrow S1 on the outer periphery of the opening 30a. The delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 are connected by adhering the delivery pipe 50 to the third circulation component pipe 30 at the locations indicated by arrows S1 and S2 using adhesive or the like, and then covering the connection between the delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 with a sealant or the like to fill the gap that occurs between the delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 at the opening 30a. Note that in cases where the delivery pipe 50 and the third circulation component pipe 30 can be connected using only a sealant or the like, it is not necessary to use adhesive or the like to secure them to each other at the locations indicated by arrows S1 and S2. Furthermore, in cases where the delivery pipe 50 can be fixed to the third circulation component pipe 30 using only adhesive or the like at the location indicated by arrow S1, it is not necessary to use adhesive or the like to secure them to each other at the location indicated by arrow S2.

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

By connecting the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 to the third circulation pipe 30 in this manner, the opening at the end of the delivery pipe 50 faces the opposite direction to the air flow within the third circulation pipe 30, and the opening at the end of the receiving pipe 60 faces the same direction as the air flow within the third circulation pipe 30. Therefore, air flowing within the third circulation pipe 30 is more likely to flow into the delivery pipe 50, and air flowing through the receiving pipe 60 is more likely to flow out of the third circulation pipe 30. Furthermore, because the area of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 inserted into the third circulation pipe 30 is smaller than in the first embodiment, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are less likely to interfere with the flow of air within the third circulation pipe 30 than in the first embodiment. Furthermore, since there is no need to fasten the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 to the inner surface of the third circulation component pipe 30 with wire or the like, the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 can be easily connected to the third circulation component pipe 30. Note that the openings at the ends of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 may be formed at a slight angle relative to the short side (the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60, respectively, so that they are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the third circulation component pipe 30 when the delivery pipe 50 and the receiving pipe 60 are connected to the third circulation component pipe 30. This allows air to flow into the delivery pipe 50 and out of the receiving pipe 60 more efficiently.

This section describes the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

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

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

In the fourth embodiment, the greenhouses 4 are connected together in a row of 10 buildings, and as in the first embodiment, each has a width of 4 m and a depth of 50 m. The air conditioning unit 80 is located outside the greenhouses 4.

In the fourth embodiment, the circulation piping is composed of a main circulation pipe 110, a branch circulation pipe 120, a small branch circulation pipe 130, and a thin circulation pipe 140. Furthermore, the branch circulation pipe 120 is composed of branch circulation pipes 121 and 122, and the small branch circulation pipe 130 is composed of small branch circulation pipes 131 and 132. The main circulation pipe 110, branch circulation pipe 120, small branch circulation pipe 130, and thin circulation pipe 140 correspond to the constituent circulation pipes.

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

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

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

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

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

The circulation branch pipe 131 that constitutes the circulation branch pipe 130 is connected to the main circulation pipe 110, and the circulation branch pipe 132 is connected to the circulation branch pipe 120 (circulation branch pipe 121 or 122).

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

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

Furthermore, the circulation branch pipe 131 may be connected to the circulation main pipe 110 at a right angle rather than at an angle, and the circulation branch pipe 132 may be connected to the circulation branch pipe 120 at a right angle rather than at an angle.

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

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

In this embodiment, the depth of the greenhouse 4 is 50 m, so the length of each circulation capillary 140 is approximately 25 m.

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

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

This section describes the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

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

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

In the fifth embodiment, the greenhouses 6 are connected together in a row of three buildings, and as in the first embodiment, they have a width of 4 m and a depth of 50 m. Inside the greenhouse 6, four main branches of grapes 3 extend in the depth direction.

The fruit cultivation system 7 has a multi-part structure, including two air conditioning units 181 and 182. The circulation piping is arranged to connect the air conditioning units 181 and 182, and is composed of an A circulation component pipe 210 and a B circulation component pipe 220, which are identical in shape and material. The inner diameter of the A circulation component pipe 210 and the B circulation component pipe 220 is, for example, 65 mm.

Air conditioning unit 181 is located near one end of the greenhouse 6 (top in Figure 14) and is connected to one end of all of the circulation pipes. Air conditioning unit 182 is located near the other end of the greenhouse 6 (bottom in Figure 14) and is connected to the other end of all of the circulation pipes.

Like the air conditioning unit 80 of the first embodiment, the air conditioning units 181 and 182 are closed spaces, and use air conditioners and electric fans to adjust the air in the spaces to a predetermined temperature and humidity, and send the adjusted air to the circulation piping. Four electric fans are installed in each of the two air conditioning units 181 and 182, and because the air is circulated by the electric fans installed in the two air conditioning units 181 and 182, the air volume can be smaller than that of the electric fan installed in the air conditioning unit 80, for example, 8 ^m3 /min.
The air conditioning units 181 and 182 do not need to have the same configuration as the devices installed therein, as long as they can adjust the humidity (and temperature) of the air. For example, the air conditioning unit 182 may be equipped with only an electric blower.

The A circulation component pipe 210 is composed of two circulation component pipes (A circulation component pipes 211 and 212) and is located in one of the areas (the left half of the area in Figure 14) that are roughly divided into two equal parts by the boundary line in the depth direction of the greenhouse 6. Similar to the straight section of the third circulation component pipe 30 in the first embodiment, it extends in the depth direction of the greenhouse 6 above the main branches of the grapevines 3.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This section describes the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

In the first embodiment, the air conditioning unit 80 simply emits humidity- and temperature-regulated air, but it may also be equipped with a chemical addition means for adding chemicals used for fruit cultivation to the air conditioned by the air conditioning unit. For example, chemicals used to promote grape 3 growth or prevent disease can be made into a mist and added to the emitted air. For example, vapors of fumigants or hypochlorous acid water can be added to the emitted air. Adding fumigants can control pests, and adding hypochlorous acid water can sterilize and disinfect.

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

An example of a fruit cultivation system (sixth embodiment) corresponding to the above is shown in Figure 16. Compared to the fruit cultivation system 2 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the fruit cultivation system 8 of the sixth embodiment has an air conditioning unit 280 instead of the air conditioning unit 80, and the air conditioning unit 280 is equipped with a chemical application means 281.

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

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

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

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Note that matters not explicitly disclosed in the above embodiments, such as the dimensions and weight of components, do not deviate from the scope of ordinary skill in the art, and values that a person of ordinary skill in the art could easily assume can be used.

1, 4, 6 Greenhouses 2, 5, 7, 7A, 8 Fruit cultivation system 3 Grapes 3A Grape fruits 3B Main cobs 10, 11, 12 First circulation component pipes 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Second circulation component pipes 30, 31, 32 Third circulation component pipes 30a, 30b Openings 50, 150 Delivery pipes 60, 61, 62, 160 Receiving pipes 70, 170 Surrounding section 71 Insertion opening 72 Fitting member 73 Closing member 80, 181, 182, 183, 280 Air adjustment section 90 Valve 110 Circulation main pipe 120, 121, 122 Circulation branch pipes 130, 131, 132 Circulation branch pipe 140 Circulation thin pipe 171 Dividing members 210, 211, 212 A circulation component pipes 220, 221, 222 B circulation component pipe 281 Drug adding means

Claims (11)

an air conditioning unit that adjusts at least the humidity of the air;
a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air circulates;
a surrounding portion into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits;
a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosed section and configured to guide the conditioned air to the enclosed section;
A fruit cultivation system comprising: a receiving pipe connected to the surrounding portion and the circulation piping, and configured to guide air within the surrounding portion to the circulation piping. a plurality of air conditioning units that adjust at least the humidity of the air;
a circulation pipe connected to the air conditioning unit and through which conditioned air circulates;
a surrounding portion into which a plurality of fruits are inserted and which surrounds the plurality of fruits;
a delivery pipe connected to the circulation pipe and the enclosed section and configured to guide the conditioned air to the enclosed section;
a receiving pipe connected to the surrounding portion and the circulation pipe and configured to guide air within the surrounding portion to the circulation pipe;
A fruit growing system, characterized in that the circulation piping is arranged so that the circulating conditioned air passes through at least two of the air conditioning units. The fruit cultivation system described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the surrounding portion is constructed to be rigid. The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surrounding portion has an insertion opening through which the fruit is inserted. The fruit cultivation system described in claim 4, wherein the surrounding portion is constructed so that the insertion opening allows light in and the portion other than the insertion opening is light-blocking. the delivery pipe is connected to one end of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction;
The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving pipe is connected to the other end of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction. the delivery pipe is connected to a central portion of the surrounding portion in the longitudinal direction;
The fruit cultivation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving pipes are connected to both longitudinal ends of the surrounding portion. The fruit cultivation system of claim 7, wherein the surrounding section is provided with a diverting member located on the inner surface of the surrounding section opposite the point where the delivery pipe is connected, diverting the conditioned air in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction of the surrounding section. The fruit cultivation system described in claim 7, wherein the area of the opening surface at the end of the delivery pipe that connects to the surrounding portion is equal to the sum of the areas of the opening surfaces at the end of the receiving pipe that connects to the surrounding portion. A fruit cultivation method comprising using the fruit cultivation system described in claim 1 or 2. The fruit cultivation method according to claim 10, wherein the fruit is grape fruit.