DE102021002840B4 - crop cultivation facility - Google Patents

Abstract

Field crop cultivation facility with a paternoster-like movement of plant containers, characterized in that plant containers with round or almost square bottoms are guided on both sides on a central chain.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

“Urban farming” is a very popular concept among future planners, but despite high yields, it has so far only been able to establish itself economically for special applications because the investment and operational costs involved are high.

The object of the invention is to create a system that is nevertheless economical due to the highest yield per area and low labor expenditure.

STATE OF THE ART

The cultivation of fast-growing crops in elongated tubs, which are moved around the greenhouses like a paternoster, was already practiced in the Netherlands in the 1950s.

However, the reason was less to increase the yield per area than to improve work ergonomics, as it is now possible to plant and harvest plants without bending over and even while sitting.

However, the known system has the disadvantage that the elongated tubs have to be guided synchronously on two distant chains.

However, this often leads to tension, which is reflected in squeaking, high power requirements for the drives and the corresponding high wear and tear and rising energy costs.

In addition, the trays can only be illuminated from a distance without touching the lighting fixtures. However, it is known that plant growth can be increased by lighting from all sides from different angles, for example from below or from the side.

From the patent document DE 15 07 018 A is a greenhouse with means for circulating the goods to be cultivated, in particular plants, on an endless track, characterized in that the trays or baskets holding the plants or plant boxes are hinged to a rotating wheel.

document AT 298 869 B discloses a greenhouse with a roof structure resting on supports and endless circulating belts guided over pulleys for receiving plants which are guided through at least one conditioned zone of the greenhouse during their ripening process, wherein the supports of the greenhouse roof support self-contained, substantially vertical circulating units with two or more upper pulleys. Both the upper and lower pulleys are attached to the supports.

TASK

The object of the present invention is therefore to create a breeding facility which is designed in such a way that the highest yields can be achieved in the smallest space.

SOLUTION

The inventive step to achieve the goal is to construct the system in such a modular way that different rows of plants can be moved in an interlocking arrangement.

This is done in conjunction with lighting that illuminates plants from different sides, especially from half below and from all directions.

This can be achieved with plant containers that are moved on a structure such as a paternoster and can be regularly watered and fertilized by spraying.

EXECUTION

For this purpose, a paternoster is constructed in such a way that only one chain is used, which is balanced on both sides with containers, thus having less drive resistance and less adjustment and service requirements, because resistances resulting from tension in the usual two-chain systems are eliminated.

A further step is to concentrate the lighting on the narrow segment where the plants are actually located and to illuminate them from as many sides as possible. This is not a problem with artificial light, but natural light can be concentrated on it by installing glass surfaces and mirrors.

This arrangement allows the installation density and the yield per unit area to be increased significantly, especially for use in greenhouses.

DESCRIPTION BASED ON THE DRAWING

• 1 shows a side view of a vertical crop cultivation system (1) with drive chain (2) and movably arranged plant pots (4) as well as the base (7) and the support mast (8). There is a gear wheel at the distal (5) and proximal (6) end of the support mast (8) arranged on a base (7). In addition to the The system includes a rod-shaped lighting system (9) and an irrigation system (10).
• 2 shows the vertical crop cultivation system (1) in frontal view with the central drive chain (2) visible here and the plant pots (4) movably arranged on crossbeams (3).
• 3 shows a variant in which the lighting is provided by LEDs (11, 12).
• 4 shows the arrangement of LEDs (11, 12) on a rectangular (13) plant container.
• 5 shows the arrangement of the LEDs (11, 12) on a round (14) plant container.

Claims (6)

Field crop cultivation facility with a paternoster-like movement of plant containers, characterized in that plant containers with round or almost square bottoms are guided on both sides on a central chain. field crop cultivation facility according to claim 1 , characterized in that two plant pots are suspended from a crossbeam which is guided through the bearing of each chain link. field crop cultivation facility according to claim 1 and 2 , characterized in that the exposure of the plant to natural light is achieved by concentrating with mirrors on the stripes that run through the surfaces of the plant containers. field crop cultivation facility according to claim 1 and 2 , characterized in that the plants are illuminated by fluorescent tubes which are arranged laterally, parallel to the movement of the plant containers, vertically one above the other. field crop cultivation facility according to claim 1 and 2 , characterized in that the illumination of the plants is carried out with light-emitting diodes with incident light from above and from below-laterally under the foliage. field crop cultivation facility according to claim 5 , characterized in that the lighting is provided by a ring of light-emitting diodes around the upper edge of the plant containers, radiating upwards at an angle to the centre and as a grid on the bottom of the plant containers as incident light on what lies underneath.

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