KR102394039B1 - Apparatus for growing crop - Google Patents

Abstract

The present technology relates to an apparatus for growing crops. A crop cultivation apparatus of the present technology includes a frame defining a plurality of cultivation spaces; and a supply unit connected to the frame and having a plurality of supply lines for creating a crop growth environment with respect to the cultivation space. The present technology can provide a crop cultivation apparatus capable of providing a crop cultivation space at low cost and low power through an efficient arrangement method of each element constituting a crop cultivation environment.

Description

Apparatus for growing crop

The present invention relates to a crop cultivation apparatus, and more particularly, to a plant factory type crop cultivation apparatus.

A plant factory is a facility that produces agricultural products by artificially adjusting the environment of plants, such as light, air, temperature, humidity, and nutrients, in a space isolated from the external environment.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 1321336 (invention name: multi-stage cultivation device for plant factories cultivated crops) is provided with a groove for transplanting crops in a unit of a certain distance, spaced up and down from each other, and arranged in a slanted form inside a cultivation bed unit comprising a plurality of cultivation beds configured to flow a culture solution; a controller that receives information of some or all of the temperature, humidity, and CO2 of the plant factory, and controls the cultivation environment of crops based on the received information and preset cultivation conditions; a water supply unit for providing a culture medium mixed with water and a nutrient solution in a predetermined ratio to the cultivation bed; And it includes one or more artificial light sources and shows a configuration including a lighting unit for irradiating light for cultivating crops by controlling some or all of the wavelength, intensity, and irradiation cycle of the artificial light source.

Most of the existing plant factory-type cultivation apparatuses including the prior patent are focused only on methods for artificially controlling the cultivation environment such as light, temperature and humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and culture medium.

The attention is focused only on how to automatically set up the optimal growing environment for crops by attaching more control elements.

In the case of the preceding patent, a big data concept of artificial intelligence (AI) that learns growth data according to cultivation conditions for each crop is also introduced.

However, these additional configurations require a lot of power for automatic control of a complex growing environment along with an increase in cost due to the additional installation of many elements, which in turn leads to an increase in the cost of growing crops.

Plant factories have to maintain a constant indoor temperature regardless of the external temperature due to the nature of the plant. also consume.

This is why a system capable of cultivating plant-based crops with lower power and lower cost is required.

The inventor of the present invention has completed the present invention after long research and trial and error in order to solve these problems.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a crop cultivation apparatus capable of providing a crop cultivation space at low cost and low power through an efficient arrangement method of each element constituting a crop cultivation environment.

On the other hand, other objects not specified in the present invention will be additionally considered within the range that can be easily inferred from the following detailed description and effects thereof.

A crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a frame defining a plurality of cultivation spaces; and a supply unit connected to the frame and having a plurality of supply lines for creating a crop growth environment with respect to the cultivation space.

The supply unit may include an air pipeline for supplying air to the cultivation space, a water pipeline for supplying water to the cultivation space, and a plurality of light source arrangement lines for supplying light to the cultivation space.

The air pipeline may provide a space for mounting the water pipeline and the light source arrangement lines.

The air pipeline includes a main branch (air main branch) and a plurality of sub-branches (air sub-branches) connected thereto, and the water pipeline includes a main branch (water main branch) and a plurality of sub-branches connected thereto (water sub-branches), wherein the water sub-branches are arranged to overlap with first air sub-branches of the air sub-branches, and the light source arrangement lines are a second air sub-branch of the air sub-branches They may be arranged to overlap with each other.

The first air sub-branches and the second air sub-branches may be alternately disposed with each other.

The frame includes an upper crossbar and a lower crosspiece, a vertical rod connecting the upper crosspiece and the lower crosspiece, and a holder disposed to cross the crosspiece and the vertical rod, wherein the air pipeline may be coupled to the holder .

The air pipeline may be formed of a rigid material, and the water pipeline may be formed of a flexible material.

A plurality of air outlets are provided in each of the air sub-branches, and the plurality of air outlets in any one of the air sub-branches includes first air outlets and the first air outlets arranged in a line at a predetermined interval; may include second air outlets arranged in a line at a predetermined interval with different discharge angles.

A plurality of nozzles may be provided in each of the water sub-branches.

The water pipeline may be embedded and disposed inside the air pipeline.

The present technology can provide a crop cultivation apparatus capable of providing a crop cultivation space at low cost and low power through an efficient arrangement method of each element constituting a crop cultivation environment.

In addition, the present technology may provide a crop cultivation apparatus capable of cultivating crops of equal quality in any of the plurality of cultivation spaces regardless of the growth location.

1 is a view showing an overall perspective view of a crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing a perspective view of a frame of a crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating a perspective view of a supply unit of a crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view showing an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 3 .
5 is a view showing a crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with respect to any one cultivation space provided thereby.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 4 .
7 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of an air sub-branch and a water sub-branch according to another embodiment of the present invention.
It is revealed that the accompanying drawings are exemplified by reference for understanding the technical idea of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

In the following, the most preferred embodiment of the present invention is described. In the drawings, thickness and spacing are expressed for convenience of description, and may be exaggerated compared to the actual physical thickness. In describing the present invention, well-known components that are not related to the gist of the present invention may be omitted. In adding reference numbers to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that only the same components are given the same number as possible even though they are indicated on different drawings.

1 shows an overall perspective view of a crop cultivation apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 shows a perspective view of a frame 100 of a crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 shows a perspective view of the supply unit 200 of the crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 3 .

And, FIG. 5 is a view showing the crop cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with respect to any one cultivation space CS provided thereby.

1 to 5 , the crop cultivation apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a frame 100 and a supply unit 200 .

The frame 100 forms the basic structure of the crop cultivation apparatus.

The frame defines a plurality of cultivation spaces (CS, see FIG. 5 ). A plurality of cultivation spaces CS is illustrated in FIG. 2 , and a cultivation space CS of any one of the plurality of cultivation spaces is illustrated in FIG. 5 . As shown in FIG. 5 , it is shown that crops MR are grown in any one cultivation space CS.

The supply unit 200 is connected to the frame 100 to create a crop growth environment for the cultivation spaces CS.

To this end, the supply unit includes a plurality of supply lines 210 , 230 , and 250 , an air pipeline 210 for supplying air, a water pipeline 230 for supplying water, and a plurality of light source arrangement lines for supplying light. (250).

The supply section has an air/water/light integrated line as described below.

First, let's look at the frame in more detail.

The frame 100 forms a plurality of cultivation spaces CS.

In the drawing, a total of five tiers of cultivation spaces are formed. Since one cultivation bed has 6 cultivation spaces, a total of 30 cultivation spaces are formed. The present invention is not limited to the number.

The frame 100 has an upper crossbar 110 , a lower crosspiece 120 , and a vertical bar 130 connecting the upper crosspiece and the lower crosspiece. It also includes a cradle 140 disposed to cross with respect to the crossbar and the vertical bar.

The upper and lower crossbars (these are simply referred to as 'runs') extend in the I direction. The vertical bar extends in the II direction. The cradle extends in the III direction. I-direction, II-direction, and III-direction are orthogonal to each other.

In the present invention, the term 'crosspiece' is composed of a plurality of elements forming the entire frame structure (ie, has several horizontal elements), but for convenience of description, it is used as a singular expression of crossbar to represent them, and the rest The same is true for vertical stands and cradles.

The frame may be formed of a solid material. It may be made of aluminum or steel. The crossbar, the vertical bar, and the cradle may be bolted to each other for a solid connection as shown in the drawings.

The frame may further include a pedestal 150 (refer to FIG. 5 ) for supporting the tray for growing crops. A pedestal may be disposed for each cultivation bed. The pedestal has a shape similar to that of the crossbar, and may be provided in greater number than the crossbar to serve as a stable support.

In the present invention, for convenience of explanation, it is shown that the crop MR (shown as a mushroom) is grown through the culture soil in the tray TR, but the type of crop or the shape of the tray is not limited thereto. A variety of crops such as and trays suitable therefor may be provided. In addition, the pedestal may be provided in a suitable number or shape suitable for the tray provided.

The cradle 140 serves as a cradle for the supply unit to be described in detail below.

The supply unit 200 supplies air, water, and light to each cultivation space CS.

In the present invention, air supply is also for supplying carbon dioxide, which is a crop growth condition, but more concentrated on artificial wind blowing to crops. The water supply may be supplied by being connected to a water supply facility, a water tank, or a nutrient solution tank. In the present invention, the description will be focused on the embodiment in which water is supplied, but it may be a nutrient solution depending on the type of crop to be grown. The light supply can be made by a light source such as an LED which takes up little cultivation space.

To this end, the supply unit includes an air pipeline, a water pipeline and a plurality of light source arrangement lines. It has an air/water/light source integrated line.

A supply unit is provided for each cultivation bed. 1, one at the top end (200A), one at the lower end (200B), one below it (200C), one below it (200D), and one at the bottom end (200E). A total of five supply units are provided. Reference numerals 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D and 200E may be referred to as 200.

3 and 4 in more detail, in the supply unit 200, the sub-branches 234 of the water pipeline 230 and the light source arrangement lines 250 are alternately arranged with respect to the air pipeline 210. has a structure to be This is to create the same growth environment for any location in the cultivation space.

The sub-branches 214 of the air pipeline have a structure in which the sub-branches 234 of the water pipeline are densely provided.

Specifically, the air pipeline 210 may be divided into an air main branch 212 and air sub-branches 214 connected thereto.

The air main branch 212 is a single long pipe extending in the I direction. The air sub-branches 214 are several pipes extending in the III direction. A total of 29 air sub-branches are shown in the figure.

A water pipeline is provided in a substantially similar shape to this air pipeline.

Like the air pipeline, the water pipeline 230 may be divided into a water main branch 232 and water sub-branches 234 connected thereto.

The water main branch 232 is a single long pipe extending in the I direction. The water sub-branches 234 are several pipes extending in the III direction. However, a total of 14 water sub-branches are shown in the figure in which the number of water sub-branches is half that of the air sub-branch.

That is, the 14 water sub-branches are arranged to overlap each other with the 14 air sub-branches. Among the air sub-branches, the one overlapping the water sub-branch is referred to as a first air sub-branch 214a.

For the remaining 15 air sub-branches, light source arrangement lines are arranged to overlap each other. A second air sub-branch 214b that overlaps the light source arrangement line among the air sub-branches is referred to as a second air sub-branch 214b.

In addition, the air main branch 212 and the water main branch 232 are disposed to overlap each other.

Accordingly, the water sub-branches and the light source arrangement lines are alternately arranged with each other. The first air sub-branch and the second air sub-branch are also alternately arranged with each other. This ensures that water and light sources can be evenly supplied to the cultivation space located directly below without a shadow area that cannot be reached.

Water is supplied through nozzles WN provided in the water sub-branches. Light is supplied through light sources LS provided on the light source arrangement lines. These are all factors that inevitably accompany an increase in cost as the number increases.

On the other hand, air is supplied through the air outlets AH provided in the air sub-branches. It is sufficient if the hole shape through which air can pass is sufficient. Therefore, compared to the nozzle or the light source, there is no cost due to the addition of the number of nozzles. It is an element that is formed by simply drilling the required number of holes as much as the required amount of air to be blown toward the cultivation space. This is the reason why the air pipeline is arranged most densely without the additional cost, and the nozzle and light source are alternately arranged under it.

Referring to the cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 4 , a plurality of air outlets AH are formed in the air sub-branch 214 to blow air into the cultivation space located directly below it.

The plurality of air outlets includes first air outlets arranged in a line at a predetermined interval and second air outlets having a different discharge angle and arranged in a line at a predetermined interval. It is shown that five first air outlets are formed for one air sub-branch. The second air outlet disposed on the opposite side is not visible in the perspective view but only in the cross-sectional view taken along line BB.

The first air outlets and the second air outlets may be formed at an angle of 45 degrees to blow air obliquely to the cultivation space located directly below, respectively. Therefore, the first air outlets and the second air outlets may have an angle of 90 degrees to each other. The air sub-branch is located relatively above the nozzle WN or the light source LS, and the formation positions of these first and second air outlets do not interfere with the supply of water and light made below, and are directly below Make sure that it is evenly supplied to the growing space of the room without a shaded area where the wind cannot reach.

That is, it has a structure in which an air supply line is disposed at the top for dense supply of cultivation environment elements to the cultivation space, and a water supply line and a light supply line are disposed below it.

As described above, the air pipeline according to the embodiment of the present invention provides a space for mounting the water pipeline and the plurality of light source arrangement lines.

Although not shown in the drawings, the air pipeline and the water pipeline may be coupled to each other through separate tie members (such as cable ties). In addition, the air pipeline and the plurality of light source arrangement lines may be coupled to each other through a bolting method. It is not limited thereto, and various coupling methods may be applied. In either case, it is common in that a water pipeline and a plurality of light source arrangement lines are mounted using the mounting space provided by the air pipeline.

On the other hand, the air pipeline and the water pipeline may be composed of a combination of several pipes. The pipe may be made of a plastic material such as PVC. Alternatively, it may be a pipe made of aluminum or steel. Alternatively, according to another embodiment of the present invention, since it is preferable that the air pipeline providing the mounting space has a relatively stronger material than the water pipeline, when the air pipeline is made of PVC, the water pipeline is made of vinyl or silicone. may be

In addition, although not shown in the drawings, the air pipeline is connected to an air supply source (not shown) for receiving compressed air from the outside. The air supply source may be an air pump. The water pipeline is connected to a water supply source (not shown) for receiving water from the outside. The water source may be a water supply facility or a water tank or a nutrient solution tank. Alternatively, it may be a mixing tank in which a water tank and a nutrient solution tank are connected. A plurality of light source arrangement lines may be connected to an electric wire that draws in electric power from the outside.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air supplied by the air pipeline is supplied in an amount sufficient to cause wind in the cultivation space. It corresponds to the level of wind strength that will apply a physical force to the crops in the cultivation space located directly below it.

The air supplied by the air pipeline according to the embodiment of the present invention induces a flow (convection) of air in the cultivation space located directly below, thereby minimizing temperature and humidity deviations when viewed as a whole of the crop cultivation apparatus. Minimize the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of indoor air or the temperature difference between the entrance side and the rear of the cultivation room, which is usually accompanied when the crop cultivation device is installed and operated indoors (such as in the cultivation room). Also, in the same way, the humidity difference, which may vary by location, is minimized.

It is possible to create the same growth conditions in all cultivation spaces (in all of the 60 cultivation spaces in the present invention), thereby cultivating a crop having a uniform quality regardless of a growth location.

In addition, the air supplied by the air pipeline according to the embodiment of the present invention induces artificial stress by applying a physical force to the crops in the cultivation space located directly below, creating an environment as if the crops are grown outdoors. do. It provides a robust crop growing environment.

In addition, the water supplied by the water pipeline according to the embodiment of the present invention and the light supplied by the light source arrangement lines are alternately arranged to provide an even amount of moisture and incident amount to the crops in the cultivation space located directly below. By doing so, it is possible to create the same growing conditions in all cultivation spaces and thus to grow crops with uniform quality.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 4 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the air sub-branches 214a and 214b are disposed at the top, and the water sub-branch 234 and the light source arrangement line 250 are disposed below them. A nozzle WN is provided in the water sub-branch. A light source LS is provided on the light source arrangement line.

The first air sub-branch 214a and the water sub-branch 234 are disposed to overlap each other. The second air sub-branch 214b and the light source arrangement line 250 are disposed to overlap each other.

That is, the air supply line is arranged at the top, and the water supply line and the light supply line are alternately arranged below it.

It corresponds to the most compact arrangement using the upper air supply line as a cradle for installation of the water supply line and the light supply line.

The air supply through the air sub-branch does not interfere with the supply of water and light made below it, and ensures that it is evenly supplied to the cultivation space directly below without the shaded area where the wind cannot reach.

The water sub-branch and the light source arrangement line, which are alternately arranged with each other, ensure that water and light can be uniformly supplied to the cultivation space immediately below without a shaded area where light cannot reach.

By densely arranging air sub-branches at the top (which is relatively inexpensive to add) and sparsely arranging alternately water sub-branches and light source arrangement lines below it, the device manufacturing cost is reduced. .

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, crop cultivation is possible at a lower cost by more efficiently arranging the air/water/light source integrated supply unit, and consistent crop quality can be obtained by creating the same growth environment for any location in the cultivation space. there is.

7 shows the arrangement of the air sub-branch and the water sub-branch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7, the air sub-branch 214a' and the water sub-branch 234' are arranged to overlap each other, so that the water sub-branch 234' is embedded in the air sub-branch 214a'. may be placed.

Except that the arrangement position is inserted in from the outside, the above-described descriptions in FIGS. 1 to 6 can be applied in the same manner, and the following will focus on the differences.

In the same manner, although not shown in the drawings, the water main branch may also be arranged to be embedded in the air main branch.

An air pipeline and a water pipeline have a similar overall shape including a main branch and sub-branches. Thus, the water pipeline can be arranged to be completely embedded inside the air pipeline. However, the light source arrangement line may be maintained as shown in FIG. 6 .

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the air pipeline and the water pipeline may be integrally manufactured as one. The air pipeline and the water pipeline may be made of the same material.

Even in this arrangement method, the air sub-branch is located relatively above the nozzle or the light source, and the formation positions of the first and second air outlets provided in the air sub-branch prevent interference with the supply of water and light made below. It should be supplied evenly to the cultivation space directly below without causing any shady areas where the wind cannot reach. In addition, the water sub-branch and the light source arrangement line, which are alternately arranged with each other, ensure that water and light can be evenly supplied to the cultivation space immediately below without a shaded area where light cannot reach. That is, the interference between the supply of air to the cultivation space, the supply of water and the supply of light does not occur is the same as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 .

As described above, in the present invention, specific matters such as specific components, etc., and limited embodiments and drawings have been described, but these are only provided to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. , various modifications and variations are possible from these descriptions by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and not only the claims to be described later, but also all those with equivalent or equivalent modifications to the claims will be said to belong to the scope of the spirit of the present invention. .

10: crop growing device
100 : frame
110: upper crossbar
120: lower crossbar
130: vertical bar
140: cradle
150: pedestal
200, 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D, 200E: supply
210: air pipeline
212 : Air Main Branch
214 : Air sub-branches
230: water pipeline
232 : Water Main Branch
234 : Water sub-branches
250: light source arrangement lines
CS: Cultivation space

Claims (10)

a frame defining a plurality of cultivation spaces; and
A supply unit connected to the frame and having a plurality of supply lines for creating a crop growth environment with respect to the cultivation space;
The supply unit,
An air pipeline for supplying air to the cultivation space, a water pipeline for supplying water to the cultivation space, and a plurality of light source arrangement lines for supplying light to the cultivation space,
The air pipeline provides a space for mounting the water pipeline and the light source arrangement lines,
The air pipeline includes a main branch (air main branch) and a plurality of sub-branches (air sub-branches) connected thereto,
The water pipeline includes a main branch (water main branch) and a plurality of sub-branches (water sub-branches) connected thereto,
The water sub-branches are arranged to overlap with first air sub-branches among the air sub-branches, and the light source arrangement lines are arranged to overlap with second air sub-branches from among the air sub-branches crop growing device. delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The first air sub-branches and the second air sub-branches are crop cultivation apparatus, characterized in that arranged alternately with each other. According to claim 1,
The frame is
An upper crossbar and a lower crosspiece, a vertical rod connecting the upper crosspiece and the lower crosspiece, and a holder disposed to cross the crosspiece and the vertical rod,
The air pipeline is a crop cultivation apparatus, characterized in that coupled to the cradle. According to claim 1,
The air pipeline is formed of a solid material, and the water pipeline is formed of a flexible material. According to claim 1,
A plurality of air outlets are provided in each of the air sub-branches,
In any one of the air sub-branches, the plurality of air outlets include first air outlets arranged in a line at a predetermined interval, and a first air outlet arranged in a line at a predetermined interval with an exhaust angle different from that of the first air outlet. 2 Crop cultivation apparatus comprising air outlets. According to claim 1,
A crop cultivation apparatus, characterized in that a plurality of nozzles are provided in each of the water sub-branches. According to claim 1,
The water pipeline is a crop cultivation apparatus, characterized in that it is embedded in the lower inside of the air pipeline.

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