Plant culture apparatus

• US 5,111,612 A
• Filed: 04/03/1990
• Issued: 05/12/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shimizu Construction Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Shimizu Construction Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Takagi, Fumito, Hirosawa, Yuji, Takada, Hiromitsu, Takishima, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Raduazo, Henry E.
• Application Number:
  US07/504,130
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 47/60, 47/62, 47/17
• US Class Current: 47/60
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 47/06 Plant growth regulation by control of light thereon

Abstract

In a plant culture apparatus, plants being cultured are accommodated in a body. A culture bed is arranged within the body for culturing the plants. An illuminating device is arranged within the body for emitting a light to the plants on the culture bed. A gas-conditioning device is mounted to the body for recirculating gas therethrough. The illuminating device includes a lighting unit for emitting ultraviolet rays to the plants, and a transducing unit arranged below the lighting device for transducing the ultraviolet rays emitted from the lighting unit, to visible radiation. The transducing unit has long-wave absorbability and is formed by a plate element having its entire surface which is coated with phosphor.

Claims

1. A plant culture apparatus comprising:

a body within which a plurality of plants to be cultured are disposed;

a culture bed arranged within said body for culturing the plants;

illuminating means arranged within said body for emitting a light to the plants on said culture bed; and

air-conditioning means mounted to said body for recirculating air through said body and removing heat from said body which is created by said illuminating means;

said illuminating means comprising;

lighting means for emitting ultraviolet rays to said plants; and

transducing means disposed below said lighting means for transducing the ultraviolet rays emitted from said lighting means to visible radiation when the ultraviolet rays pass through said transducing means, such that the visible radiation is uniformly emitted to said plants;

said transducing means having long-wave absorbability and comprising plate means having a surface which is entirely coated with phosphor;

wherein said air-conditioning means comprises;

an introducing duct means for introducing air into said body, said introducing duct means being mounted to an upper surface of said body; and

discharge duct means for discharging air from said body, said discharge duct means being mounted to a peripheral surface of said body at a location above said transducing means.

2. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air-conditioning means comprises an introducing duct means mounted to said body, said air being introduced into said body from the ambient atmosphere through said introducing duct means, and a discharge duct means mounted to said body, the air being discharged from said body to the ambient atmosphere through said discharge duct means.

3. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said body is formed by a container made of a heat insulating material.

4. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said body has an inner surface which is coated with a reflecting material.

5. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said culture bed is arranged at a bottom of said body and is formed by a sheet material having water absorbability.

6. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein lighting means comprises a plurality of lighting elements which are arranged within said body at a location above said transducing means, said lighting elements being spaced from each other in a horizontal plane and extending in parallel relation to each other.

7. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said lighting elements are arranged in a spaced fashion toward a central axis of said body and in a close fashion toward both ends of said body, said central axis extending in parallel relation to said lighting elements, and said both ends of said body extending in parallel relation to said central axis of said body.

8. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said lighting elements generates only the ultraviolet rays due to an electric discharge effect.

9. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising ventilating plate means arranged above said lighting means, said ventilating plate means being formed therein with a plurality of perforations.

10. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said ventilating plate means has a lower surface coated with a reflecting material for reflecting the ultraviolet rays from said lighting means, and said body has an inner surface section between said transducing means and said ventilating plate means, said inner surface section being coated with said reflecting material.

11. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transducing means is arranged below said lighting means and in parallel relation to said culture bed.

12. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 1, further including heat blocking means having light permeability and arranged below said transducing means for blocking heat from said lighting means.

13. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 12, further including passage means arranged between said transducing means and said heat blocking means wherein a cooling medium passes through said passage means.

14. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said cooling medium is a gas.

15. The plant culture apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said cooling medium is a liquid.