Plant cultivation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058041-B2
Application number	US-201615254441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A plant cultivation apparatus according to the present technology includes a cultivation space where a cultivation environment is controllable, and a plurality of cultivation shelves disposed in the cultivation space. An air conditioner for supplying airflow to the cultivation shelves is provided in an upper region of the cultivation space. An induced draft fan for inducing the airflow supplied from the air conditioner to the cultivation shelves is provided at least at an end of the cultivation space. The induced draft fan is configured to induce the airflow supplied from the air conditioner to the cultivation shelves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plant cultivation apparatus comprising:
a cultivation shelf disposed in a cultivation space, and including a plurality of cultivation units each including a cultivation bed and a cultivation plate disposed above the cultivation bed;
an air conditioner disposed in an upper region of the cultivation space and configured to supply airflow toward the cultivation shelf;
an induced draft fan configured to guide the airflow supplied from the air conditioner to a side of the cultivation shelf; and
suction equipment disposed on the plurality of cultivation units and configured to suck the airflow through the side of the cultivation shelf,
wherein each cultivation bed includes a first air intake port formed in a rib at an end of the cultivation bed through which the airflow is introduced by the suction equipment, a first air discharge port formed in the rib and through which the airflow is guided to the cultivation plate, and a recess in which a cultivation liquid is maintained in the cultivation bed, the cultivation liquid including a nourishing solution for actively providing nourishment to a cultivation plant positioned on upper surface of the cultivation plate, and
each cultivation plate includes,
an air supply path formed inside a conduit in the cultivation plate and extending a length of the cultivation plate,
a second air intake port formed in the cultivation plate and configured to directly connect the air supply path and the first air discharge port for supplying the airflow introduced from the first air discharge port of the cultivation bed to the air supply path, the second air intake port being positioned higher than both the cultivation liquid and the air supply path, and
a second air discharge port formed in the upper surface of the cultivation plate, on which the cultivation plant is disposed, the second air discharge port of each of the cultivation plates being configured to connect with the corresponding air supply path to supply the airflow to the cultivation plant from below.

2. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the airflow is cool air.

3. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the induced draft fan guides the airflow upward.

4. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the cultivation shelves are disposed in parallel within the cultivation space, and the air conditioner is disposed such that the airflow passes through clearances between the plurality of cultivation shelves.

5. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a shielding member disposed so as to shield a side of the cultivation unit,
wherein the shielding member is disposed in a manner so as to be openable and closable around a hinge and to form a clearance for the airflow on an upper part of the side in a state of forming a shielding space between the hinge and the cultivation bed.

6. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the clearance is disposed at a position above the cultivation plant.

7. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first air discharge port and the second air intake port are connected by supplying air into a tube included in the cultivation unit.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hanzawa Fumio
• Naka Hiroyuki
• Okui Yousuke
• Kageyama Hiroshi
• Tanaka Kazunori

Classifications

• A01G31/02

  Special apparatus therefor (self-acting watering devices A01G27/00) · CPC title

• A01G9/246 Primary

  Air-conditioning systems · CPC title

• A01G9/24

  Devices {or systems} for heating, ventilating, regulating temperature {, illuminating}, or watering, in greenhouses, forcing-frames, or the like · CPC title

• A01G31/06 Primary

  Hydroponic culture on racks or in stacked containers · CPC title

• Y02P60/216

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic