HK1058879B - Light-emitting panel - Google Patents

Description

Luminous screen

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a plant cultivation method, a cultivation apparatus and a lighting apparatus thereof, and more particularly to a so-called industrial cultivation method, a cultivation apparatus and a lighting apparatus thereof, in which seeds or seedlings are planted in pots, in which a culture solution containing water and nutrients is supplied through a water feed pipe, the pots being transferred by a transfer apparatus and irradiated with artificial sunlight (in some cases, natural sunlight).

Further, the plants described herein include vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and the like.

Background

The applicant has invented a plant growing apparatus of this type. For example, in japanese unexamined patent publication 245646/1994, a multi-layer work table serving as a plant cultivation apparatus is disclosed. The table has a plurality of pots suspended by a chain conveyor circulating in a building, in which seedlings are planted in the respective pots and the cultivation of plants is automated except for loading and unloading of the pots by workers. And in japanese unexamined patent publication No. 136970/1998, a cultivation shelf is disclosed. The frame adopts a fixed frame, cultivation pots are placed on the frame, and a light source with a light emitting diode is arranged on each pot. In addition, in japanese unexamined patent publication No. 106757/2000, another plant cultivation apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus employs a plurality of upper and lower conveyors, with upper and lower structures for loading and unloading located on the input and output sides of each conveyor.

The multi-deck type plant cultivation apparatus has a complicated driving mechanism and requires a complicated supporting method. Since the individual pots are arranged at relatively large intervals, the space between the pots is useless when the plant is in the seed or seedling stage. These dead spaces require long water supply pipes and also result in low lighting efficiency because of the long spacing between the light sources. In the cultivation shelves it is possible to move pots to larger shelves according to the growth of the plants, but this involves great difficulties. In japanese unexamined patent publication No. 106757/2000, a particularly large space is required in the growth stage of the plant, which causes insufficient lighting efficiency.

It is known in the field of greenhouse cultivation of vegetables to illuminate the plants with lighting devices, such as fluorescent lamps, in order to obtain an effect similar to extended sunlight. Especially in the industrial cultivation of vegetables, cultivation pots are placed on shelves of several levels and illuminated by lighting devices to obtain a sufficient cultivation area.

Under such circumstances, it has been disclosed that a light-emitting screen on which a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged is used as an illumination device for illuminating plants (refer to Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 275779/1997, etc.). Such a lighting panel includes a circuit pattern formed on an aluminum plate and a plurality of LEDs arranged on the circuit pattern, the LEDs being enclosed on the pattern by a translucent synthetic resin, wherein a reflection plate is sometimes interposed between the LEDs and the plate to increase the amount of light.

Conventional lighting devices such as fluorescent lamps consume a large amount of electric energy causing high electric charge, and their large amount of heat radiation requires a moderate power consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus. On the other hand, the lighting panel using the LED has a problem that its life is not as good as that of the fluorescent lamp due to possible deterioration under high ambient humidity. In addition, it has another problem that a manufacturing process thereof requires much labor and the amount of light of the screen is insufficient in case of using a large number of LEDs. The manufacturing process is as follows: an LED is soldered to a circuit pattern formed on a substrate, electrodes are soldered to the circuit pattern, the LED and the electrodes are connected by gold wires, and then a metal mold is mounted on the circuit pattern, and a molten translucent synthetic resin such as an epoxy resin is poured into the mold to seal the LED and the electrodes in the mold. In the case of using the reflective plate, the LED is first soldered to the disk-shaped reflective plate, and then soldered to the circuit pattern of the substrate, connected to a wire, and finally sealed with resin.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has an object to save the useless space of the conventional plant cultivation apparatus and to improve its illumination efficiency, and also aims to provide an illumination screen having characteristics of low electric power consumption, low heat radiation, and long life. In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide an illumination screen having a large amount of light and being easy to manufacture.

The first aspect of the present invention is a cultivation method comprising: arranging the seedlings in a basin filled with a cultivating solution; conveying the pots by a conveying device; irradiating the seedlings through a light emitting screen with a large number of light emitting diodes, which is obliquely arranged above the transfer device so as to gradually leave the transfer device along the upstream side to the downstream side of the transfer device; at the same time, cooling water is circulated in the duct at the back of the luminescent screen.

The second aspect of the cultivation method is as follows: soaking the roots of the seedlings in a pot filled with the cultivation solution; a transparent or semitransparent funnel-shaped holder is arranged on the upper surface of the pot to support the upper part of the plant; conveying the pots by a conveying device; and illuminating the plant with an illumination device located above the conveyor device.

The cultivation apparatus of the present invention comprises: a delivery device for delivering the plant; a light-emitting screen disposed obliquely above the conveyor and having a plurality of light-emitting diodes; and a pipe for circulating cooling water on the back of the luminescent screen; wherein the illumination device is arranged to exit the conveyor device stepwise from upstream to downstream of the conveyor device. And the temperature of the incubation solution is preferably 10 to 20 ℃; and the basin is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

A second aspect of the cultivation apparatus comprises: a pot for holding the plant, the roots of the seedlings being immersed in the cultivation solution contained in the pot; a conveying device for conveying the pots; a lighting device located above the conveying device, and a transparent or translucent funnel-shaped holder on the upper surface of the pot for holding the upper part of the plant.

A third aspect of the cultivation apparatus comprises: keeping the pot of plant, soaking the seedling root in the pot; a conveying device for conveying the pots; an illumination device positioned above the conveyor; upper and lower conveyors for loading and unloading respectively away from each end of the conveyor apparatus; a partition disposed between the conveyors and the conveying apparatus; and a transfer bar for transferring the disc between the transfer device and the upper and lower conveyors, the bar being movable in both directions along an extension of the transfer device; wherein the partition has an opening enabling the transfer bar to enter and exit along the extension of the conveying apparatus.

In the cultivation apparatus, a door is preferably provided so as to be able to close or open the opening on the partition.

Also, a reflective surface is preferably provided to reflect light from the illumination device into the bulkhead and into the door.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable to provide an upper and lower conveyor having an upper and lower arm for supporting the pot, the arm having a horizontal portion extending toward the conveying means and further having a gripper extending downward from a front end of the horizontal portion and also extending in a direction opposite to the conveying means.

A fourth aspect of the cultivation apparatus includes: a pot for holding the plant, the roots of the seedlings being immersed in the cultivation solution contained in the pot; a conveying device for conveying the pots; an illumination device positioned above the conveyor; an upper and lower conveyor leaving the respective ends of the conveying apparatus for receiving and extracting the pots, respectively; a wall surrounding the transfer device; a transfer bar for transferring pots between the transfer device and the upper and lower conveyors, said bar being bidirectionally movable along the extension of the transfer device; wherein the partition has an opening for allowing the transfer bar to enter and exit along the extension of the conveying apparatus.

According to the invention, the plants transported by the conveyor grow under the illumination of a light screen and grow as they move downstream of the conveyor. In the first aspect of the cultivation method, since the light-emitting screen is disposed obliquely so that it gradually leaves the conveyor device along the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveyor, the distance between the light-emitting screen and the upper end of the seedling is kept approximately constant, thereby achieving the close illumination of the plant for higher illumination efficiency. The lighting efficiency of the light emitting diode is deteriorated due to the temperature rise caused by the light emission. The method cools the light emitting screen due to the light emission of the light emitting diodes.

The first aspect of the plant cultivation apparatus is more suitable for the above cultivation method. And by maintaining the temperature of the cultivation solution at 10 to 20 degrees celsius, the danger of overgrowth of plants and the like is prevented. In addition, since the tub is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, it can cool the ambient air, thereby preventing a temperature rise due to light emission of the light emitting diodes and maintaining the environment at a desired temperature.

In a second aspect of the method of cultivation, the upper part of the plant is supported by a transparent or translucent funnel-shaped holder located on the upper surface of the tray so that green vegetables such as lettuce are bunched up. Thus, even if the interval between adjacent plants is small, the leaves are not mixed, and the upward leaves are sufficiently illuminated by the lighting device, so that a plurality of plants sufficiently illuminated by the lighting device can be accommodated in one pot.

The height of the plants becomes higher due to bunching up the leaves of the plants using the funnel-shaped holder. For this reason, the second cultivation method is preferably combined with the first cultivation method to irradiate the plants from a higher position.

The second aspect of the cultivation apparatus can effectively realize the second cultivation method.

In a third aspect of a cultivation apparatus, a partition is provided between the conveying apparatus and the upper and lower conveyors, and the partition prevents light of the illumination apparatus from spreading to the outside and thus makes it easy to control the internal temperature. The manipulation of the pots between the transfer device and the upper and lower conveyors is easily accomplished through the openings provided on the partitions. In case a door is provided to be able to close and open the opening, this will cut off the light of the lighting device at the window and make it easy to control the temperature, except when the tub is transported through the window, which always closes the opening. In case that a reflecting surface for reflecting light of the lighting device is provided inside the partition and the door, the efficiency of lighting is further improved.

In addition, the transfer between the upper and lower conveyors and the transfer bar may be accomplished through the opening to prevent interference between the door and the hand grip. In addition, the opening and closing movements of the door are linked to the forward and backward movements of the transfer bar, thereby simplifying the driving and control mechanism.

In a fourth aspect of the cultivation apparatus, the wall is provided around the transportation apparatus, and the wall reflects the light of the illumination apparatus, thereby preventing the spread of the light from the illumination apparatus.

The light emitting panel of the present invention comprises a substrate, a circuit board mounted on the substrate, a light emitting unit with a plurality of bulbs arranged and fixed on a circuit pattern of the circuit board, a translucent cover disposed adjacent to the substrate with a predetermined interval from the substrate, a sealing material sandwiched between the substrate and the cover for keeping the space airtight, and the lamps are fixed on the circuit board by means of a conductive paste.

In such a luminescent screen, it is preferred that a frame is sandwiched between the substrate and the cover, wherein a sealing material is filled around the frame, the space is filled with a dry inert gas, and a desiccant and/or an oxygen scavenger is contained in the frame.

Further, it is preferable that the bulb has a concave reflecting plate on which the light emitting element is mounted, a wiring connecting the light emitting element and an electrode, and a translucent synthetic resin molding material enclosing the above-described portion, and the conductive paste is composed of a cream solder which is a heat setting paste.

The light emitting unit of the present invention comprises a circuit board having a circuit pattern, a plurality of bulbs arranged and fixed by a conductive paste, wherein the bulbs and a reflecting plate, a light emitting element, a connecting wire and an electrode are enclosed together in one package by a translucent molding material.

In the light emitting unit, the circuit board is preferably made of aluminum, and an insulating layer is formed on the aluminum circuit board, wherein a circuit pattern is formed on the insulating layer. It is also preferable to form a layer of cream solder on the circuit pattern, wherein the layer of cream solder is heated after the lamps are mounted to be melted and then naturally cooled to be solidified, thereby fixing the lamps on the circuit pattern. In addition, the substrate may serve as a circuit board.

The luminescent screen of the present invention employs a light emitting element as a light source, which consumes a relatively small amount of electric power as compared with conventional light sources such as fluorescent lamps, and whose heat radiation amount is small to reduce the energy required for temperature adjustment. In addition, the selection of light-emitting elements with specific wavelengths makes the construction of the light-emitting screen well adapted to any object.

The luminescent screen with the light-emitting elements is accommodated in a space between the substrate and the translucent cover. Since the space is made airtight by the sealing material, it blocks the entry of moisture from the outside and reduces the deterioration of the light emitting element due to humidity, thereby achieving a high lifetime.

Since the space is hermetically sealed, the heat provided by the luminescence tends to accumulate within the space. However, this heat is radiated outward through the substrate to keep the heat build-up relatively low. In addition, since the separately manufactured bulbs are mounted and fixed on the circuit board by using the adhesive, it is easy to control the entire manufacturing process and the quality of each lamp in the case of using many bulbs.

The luminescent screen has a frame sandwiched between the substrate and the cover, a sealing material filled around the frame, the space filled with a drying gas and containing a desiccant and/or an oxygen scavenger in the frame, the luminescent screen having a precise spacing between the substrate and the cover and having a large unit intensity. In addition, since only the gap between the frame, the substrate, and the cover needs to be sealed with the sealing material, it has a large sealing efficiency. In addition, by the action of the desiccant and the oxygen scavenger, the amount of moisture and/or oxygen contained in the space is very low, thereby preventing the light emitting element such as a light emitting diode from being deteriorated due to moisture and/or oxygen.

In the case where the lamp is provided with a concave reflecting plate on which the light emitting element is mounted, a connecting wire connecting the light emitting element and the electrode, and the above portion is closed with a translucent synthetic resin molding material, a relatively large amount of light is obtained by reflection of light from the light emitting element. In addition, since the light emitting elements, the electrodes and the connecting wires are enclosed in one assembly by using a molding material, it is easy to handle a plurality of lamps in an automatic assembling process for manufacturing a light emitting screen, thereby efficiently manufacturing the light emitting screen.

In the case where a paste of a thermosetting adhesive is used as the conductive adhesive, a large number of bulbs can be fixed to the circuit board by only a heat treatment each time after the bulbs are mounted on the circuit board.

In the light emitting unit of the present invention, employing the bulb in which the reflection plate, the light emitting element, the connection wires, and the electrodes are enclosed with a translucent molding material enables easy handling of a plurality of bulbs. In the case where an insulating layer is formed on an aluminum circuit board and a circuit pattern is formed on the insulating layer, the weight of the circuit board makes it easy to manufacture. In addition, in the case where the substrate can serve as a circuit board, the number of components required becomes smaller, thereby making it easier to manufacture.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a growing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the growing apparatus of the present invention, fully illustrating the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cultivation apparatus;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a pot of the cultivation apparatus with a fragmentary sectional view, and FIG. 4B is a sectional view of a main part of the pot;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a transfer mechanism of the growing apparatus of the present invention;

fig. 6 and 7 are process diagrams of the transfer mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a rough cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a transfer mechanism in the harvester side of the transfer mechanism;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the illumination device of the present invention;

fig. 9B is a sectional view of a main part of the lighting device;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view with a fragmentary cross-sectional view, fully illustrating another aspect of the luminescent screen

Example (c);

FIG. 11A shows a cross-sectional view of a main portion of a luminescent screen of another embodiment thereof; fig. 11B is a main part of a light emitting unit used in the above light emitting screen;

fig. 12A is a sectional view of the light emitting cell to show one manufacturing method of the cell, and fig. 12B is a plan view of a main portion of fig. 12A;

FIGS. 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D are rough process diagrams illustrating a method of manufacturing a luminescent screen of the present invention;

14A, 14B, 14C are rough process diagrams illustrating another embodiment of a method of manufacturing a luminescent screen;

fig. 15 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of a bulb associated with the present invention;

16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E are enlarged cross-sectional views illustrating one embodiment of a light emitting element of the lighting device;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a luminescent screen control circuit;

18A, 18B, 18C illustrate other embodiments of each of the luminescent screen control circuits;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a pointer screen using the luminescent screen of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a cultivating rack using the luminescent screen of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a luminescent screen of the present invention; and

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a luminescent screen of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The plant growing apparatus is described in its entirety herein with reference to fig. 2 and 3. The plant-growing apparatus a shown in fig. 2 and 3 comprises a plurality of stages of conveyor apparatuses 2, … assembled within the building 1, lighting devices 3 mounted below each conveyor apparatus 2, a mounting planting conveyor 6 for supplying pots 5, and a harvesting conveyor 7 for retrieving the pots to the conveyor apparatuses 2. The planting conveyor 6 and the harvesting conveyor 7 are mounted to move up and down, respectively. In addition, the plant-growing apparatus includes a cold water pipe for cooling the lighting device 3, a water supply facility for supplying a nutrient solution to the tray 5 on the conveying device 2, and an accessory facility, such as a drain facility for draining water from the tray 5. In this embodiment, each stage of the conveyor device 2 has practically the same structure, wherein the same or different plants can be cultivated on each stage.

The building 1 has a size of, for example, 10 meters high, 12 meters long and 10 meters wide and its heat insulating wall is 10 centimeters thick, wherein the size can be changed according to the kind of plants to be cultivated.

In addition, in this embodiment, reflecting walls (partitions) 8 are installed between the planting conveyor 6 and the conveying device 2 and between the conveying device 2 and the harvesting conveyor 7 to reflect light from the lighting devices 3. The reflective wall 8 may be arranged to surround the conveying device 2. A heat insulating material may be used as the reflecting wall 8. For example, white styrofoam has a dual effect. A light metal reflection film of an aluminum film may be attached on the inner side surface of the reflection wall 8 to reflect light.

A workroom 10 is provided at the lower level of the building 1 for workers 9 to place the trays 5 on the planting conveyor 6 and remove the trays from the harvesting conveyor 7. In the upper part of the cell, a transfer device 2 of, for example, about 10 stages is provided. The central part of the cell 10 is a sowing area 10a, the proximal part where the planting conveyor 6 is installed is a breeding area 10b, and the proximal part of the harvesting conveyor 7 is a harvesting area 10c where the plants are harvested by unloading the tray 5 from the conveyor device 2.

As shown in fig. 3, each stage of the conveyor 2 is located at the left and right sides of the building 1, wherein the conveyor 2 supports the basin 5 somewhere inside the left and right ends of the basin 5, wherein the basin 5 is long in the lateral direction.

In addition, a plurality of balustrades 11 are provided between the proximal portions of the left and right ends of the conveying apparatus 2 and in the middle of the conveying apparatus 2 to slidably support the tub 5.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the illumination device 3 with a flat surface is supported by the tie rods 12 below the bottom of the conveyor device 2 with a certain interval therebetween, wherein the illumination device 3 is disposed lower on the upstream side and higher on the downstream side to illuminate the basin 5 of the next stage.

The reason why the lighting device 3 is inclined is that, in an early stage of plant growth, since the height of the plant is relatively low, it is necessary to bring the lighting device 3 close to the plant to illuminate the plant.

The lighting device 3 is omitted below the bottom of the lowest level conveyor 2, but a lighting device 3 is provided near the ceiling of the building to illuminate the basin 5 on the highest level conveyor 2.

Fluorescent lamps and light bulbs can be used for the lighting device 3, but Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) emitting light with a wavelength optimal for plant cultivation are preferred.

In the case of using several light emitting diodes in a screen configured as the lighting device 3, it is possible to select diodes of different colors depending on the kind of plant. For example, two-thirds of each light-emitting screen are red light-emitting diodes and one-third are blue light-emitting diodes. The total light illumination intensity of the luminescent screen is preferably 2000 to 3000 lux. However, it is possible to set an optimum intensity depending on the plants to be irradiated, and the intensity may also be controlled arbitrarily in time.

Reference numeral 13 in fig. 2 shows a fan for circulating air in the building 1, which is equipped with an air conditioner providing control of temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide. In the case of changing the growing environment of plants preferably at the center of the transfer device 2, a translucent synthetic resin plate may be used as the partition.

In addition, it is desirable to automatically control various environmental factors by continuously monitoring gas density, temperature and humidity with various sensors.

The transfer device 2 is described herein with reference to fig. 1 and 3.

The conveying apparatuses 2 on the left and right sides may each be constituted by one belt conveyor. The belt conveyor comprises a rotating drive roller 14 at the end, a number of intermediate wheels (idlers) 15 between the rollers 14, a belt 16 around the intermediate wheels and a motor (reference number M in fig. 5) driving the rollers 14. The drive rollers 14 of the left and right transfer devices 2 are coupled to each other by a drive shaft (reference numeral 17 in fig. 5). The belt conveyor may be replaced with an endless conveying device such as a chain conveyor. The conveyor apparatus may consist of a series of small individual conveyors from the mounting planting conveyor 6 to the harvesting conveyor 7, where the conveying speed of each conveyor may be different from each other.

As shown in fig. 2, the planting conveyor 6 is installed so that four sprockets 20 are located at upper and lower ends to hold an endless chain 21, like a chain conveyor arranged in a vertical direction. The chain 21 is provided with pockets 22 to hold the pots 5 at a pitch coinciding with the conveyor 2. In addition, as shown in fig. 1, the reservoir 22 has a horizontal portion 23 extending forward with respect to a transfer mechanism described later and an L-shaped grip 24, the grip 24 extending downward from a front edge of the portion 23 and also extending back from a lower end. A hook 25 is provided at the edge of the hand grip 24.

The chain 21 is driven cyclically by a motor (not shown) so that the front side rises and the rear side falls. Since the harvesting conveyor 7 is substantially identical to the mounting planting conveyor 6, the description is simplified by assigning the same reference numerals to the same parts.

Fig. 4A shows a preferred embodiment of the basin 5. The tub 5 is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, and both ends thereof are closed by a case 5a or the like. The upper surface is provided with openings for cultivating plants at intervals of 50-300 mm. As shown in fig. 4B, the basin 5 has a structure for filling liquid so as to contain the incubation solution 27. At one end of the upper surface of the basin 5, there is an opening 5b for supplying the culture solution, and at the bottom of the other end, there is a drain pipe 5c passing through the bottom for draining the culture solution. The height of the drain pipe defines the upper limit of the solution level so that the culture solution exceeding the level is discharged through the discharge pipe 5 c. The temperature of the incubation solution is generally maintained at 10-20 deg.C, or more preferably at about 15-16 deg.C. Since the pot 5 is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, it can cool the surrounding air, thereby preventing not only the roots of plants but also excessive growth of stems and leaves, etc. by suppressing the temperature rise due to the room temperature of 22-23 ℃ or due to the lighting device 3.

In this embodiment, the opening 26 of the basin 5 is circular, in which a funnel-shaped holder 30 is mounted. On the upper inner side of the central portion of the tub 5, there is a rib 5d projecting downward, and the opening 26 zigzags off the rib 5 d. Holder 30 includes a cylindrical base 31 disposed in opening 26 and a conical support portion 33 extending upwardly from base 31.

The upper edge of the support portion 33 has a fold 32 for reinforcing the holding portion 33. The holding portion 33 does not necessarily need to be preferably cylindrical or square, and the tub 5 may be integrally molded with synthetic resin or the like. For example, it can be produced as follows: molding the synthetic resin plate into the holding portion 33 and the base 31 by hot pressing; finishing the outer edges of the folds 32 by trimming; and punching out the bottom of the substrate 31. The support portion 33 is preferably transparent or translucent so as to transmit light. When holder 30 is placed in opening 26 as shown in FIG. 4B, base 31 contacts the inner wall or rib 5d of the basin to prevent holder 30 from falling. Of course, it is permissible to provide a ferrule on the periphery of the base 31 and the holding portion 33.

The use of such holders 30 enables the leaves of green-leaf vegetables 35, for example known as "sunny lettuce", to be held without spreading.

When the plant 35 is planted directly in the opening 26, the leaves of the plant 35 spread in the lateral direction as shown by the dotted line as the plant grows. When the leaves are widely spread as shown in this figure, these leaves and the leaves of the adjacent plants 35 interfere with each other and are sometimes torn off at the time of harvesting. In addition, due to the obstruction of the leaves of adjacent plants, the illumination of the leaves is poor, so that the spacing of the openings 26 needs to be large.

However, as shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the pot 5 has a support portion that causes the leaves of the plant to wrap upward, thereby preventing the leaves from scattering as shown by the dotted lines and preventing adjacent leaves from interfering with each other. As a result, the spacing between the openings can be reduced to about 50-200mm, which increases the number of plants in a unit area. In addition, the plants can be sufficiently illuminated by the lighting device.

The planting conveyor 6 is arranged to avoid interference with the conveyor apparatus 2. For this reason, as shown in fig. 5, a transfer mechanism 40 for transferring the tub 5 between the two conveyors is provided. The transfer mechanism 40 is a combination of a transfer rod 41 that moves forward and backward and a mounting planting conveyor 6 that moves up and down. The transfer bar 41 is for example a plate or a tube with an upward hook 42 on its front edge for securely holding the basin 5. The transfer rod 41 is supported by a guide rail 43 so as to be movable forward and backward, and it is moved forward and backward by a lower rack 44 and a pinion 45 driven by a motor M2.

A plurality of, for example, two to three transfer rods 41 are provided in parallel to achieve stable transfer of the elongated tub 5. The respective pinions 45 of the drive transmission rod 41 are synchronously driven by the respective motors M2, so that synchronous operation is possible. Alternatively, other types of direct drive actuators, such as pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, may be used as the drive member, but are preferably driven by a motor.

As previously explained, a reflective wall 8 is provided between the mounting planting conveyor 6 and the carrier conveyor 2. The reflecting wall 8 has an opening 50 or window for the transmission rod 41 to pass through. In this embodiment, a gate 51 is provided on the leading edge of the transfer bar 41 to close the opening 50. The door 51 may be formed of white styrofoam as a reflective wall, or of aluminum foil attached to the inner surface.

Since the tanks 22 where the planting conveyor 6 is installed and the transfer bars 41 can be staggered left and right, the pots 5 can be initially transferred to the transfer bars 41 when the transfer bars 41 are forward and the planting conveyor 6 is installed downward. However, in this embodiment, since the gate 51 is provided on the leading edge of the transfer bar 41, interference between the gate 51 and the reservoir 22 must be avoided. For this reason, the reservoir 22 is equipped with a grip 24 for taking out the basin 5 from below, as previously described. The transfer process from the reservoir 22 to the transfer rod 41 is described below with reference to fig. 1, 6 and 7. The motor M2 for mounting the planting conveyor 6 and the motor for transferring the rod 41 are controlled, thereby sequentially completing the following processes.

Initially, as shown in fig. 1, the reservoir 22 is at a position not interfering with the door 51 and higher than the opening 50 of the reflecting wall 8. In this state, as shown in the upper part of fig. 6, the transfer bar 41 moves toward the mounting planting conveyor 6 and the hook 42 is located behind the pot 5 (step 1). The planting conveyor 6 is then driven to lower the reservoir 22 and place the pots 5 gently on the transfer bar 41 (step 2). Subsequently, the transfer bar 41 is moved backward so that the tub 5 can be held by the hook 42 (step 3).

Continuing, as shown in the upper part of fig. 7, the reservoir 22 is lowered slightly and the transfer sticks are moved forward again (step 4). Next, the hopper 22 is raised to a position not interfering with the door 51 in this state (step 5). Further, the transfer bar 41 moves backward to transfer the tub 5 to the conveyor 2. Then, the transfer bar is moved backward to close the opening 50 of the reflecting wall 8 with the door 51.

The above-described sequence of operation of the reservoir 22 and the transfer rod 41 prevents mutual interference between the door 51, the tub 5 and the reservoir 22.

The provision of the door 51 achieves automatic closing of the opening 50 without provision of another drive source, and also achieves reliable reflection and thermal isolation of the reflection wall 8.

In the case where the upper portion of the door 51 and the reflecting wall 8 are hinge-coupled, other driving sources may be used. Such as a motor or a pneumatic cylinder. In this case, the reservoir 22 may be provided with only one upward projection for hooking the tub 5 on the front edge of the horizontal portion 23. Also, after transferring the basin 5 onto the transfer bar 41 by lowering the reservoir 22, the reservoir 22 does not need to be raised any more, but only needs to be moved downward.

The pots 5 may be transferred from the reservoir 22 where each stage of the planting conveyor 6 is mounted to the conveyor 2 together, or may be transferred relative to each stage where the planting conveyor 6 is mounted. The empty planting conveyor 6 is loaded with the next pot 5 of planted plants by a worker 9 as shown in fig. 2.

For mounting the planting conveyor 6 and the transfer mechanism 40, there is no need to be limited to the above equipment, and various kinds of equipment such as equipment used in a multi-story warehouse can be employed. For example, the transfer bar 41 described above may be a part that ascends and descends itself with respect to the chain. In this case, it becomes unnecessary to slightly lower the front end of the mounting planting conveyor, and the transfer from the transfer bar 41 to the carrying conveyor 2 becomes smooth.

For the harvesting conveyor 7 shown in fig. 8, essentially the same components as the mounting of the planting conveyor 6 can be used, wherein it is only necessary to reverse the cycle and sequence of operations.

However, when the pot 5 is removed from the conveying device 2, tangling of the leaves of the plant and the leaves of the plant of the next pot sometimes occurs. A shoulder is preferably provided near the leading edge of the transfer bar 41 for hooking the basin 5 to prevent tangling.

The pots 5 taken out from the harvesting conveyor 7 are put into the working area 10C by workers and only plants are harvested.

The empty pot 5 is used again at the planting area 10a for seed application. Basin 5 is typically filled with only water, nutrients, water-holding substances and seeds; in other words, by hydroponic cultivation. Soil may be placed in the pots and seeds may be planted in the soil. The seedling can be put into the pot from the beginning.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the lighting device 3 using light emitting diodes is explained. The light emitting efficiency of the light emitting diode is lowered by temperature rise due to light radiation. In addition, inside the building 1, the indoor air is kept at high temperature and high humidity, which causes further decrease in luminous efficiency.

In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 9A, the substrate of the lighting panel P on which the plurality of light emitting diodes are mounted is made of a metal plate having high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum plate. The back of the luminescent screen P is provided with a duct 56 for allowing cooling water to flow therethrough. As the metal plate, other plate having high thermal conductivity, such as a ceramic plate, can be used.

In the light emitting panel P of fig. 9B, the duct 56 is made of a rectangular tube in which a stud 57 is protruded from the rear surface of the light emitting panel P, and a folded-shaped metal fixing plate 58 and a nut 59 fix the duct 56. Such a rectangular tube is preferable because it improves heat transfer.

In addition, the luminescent screen P includes a base plate 60 made of aluminum or the like, a frame 61 made of rectangular aluminum pipe at the bottom of the screen, a cover 62 placed on the lower surface of the frame 61, and a sealing material 63 such as silicone resin filled around the periphery of the frame 61.

On the lower surface of the base plate 60, a circuit board 65 has arranged thereon a number of lamps 64 with light-emitting elements, for example light-emitting diodes. A desiccant 66 is contained inside the frame 61. The space N between the substrate 60 and the cover 62 is filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen to reduce degradation due to oxidation of the light emitting diode. Instead of this gas, dry air may be used. The space N may be evacuated to the extent of 0-0.3 standard atmospheric pressure. In this case, not only the deterioration due to oxygen or humidity is reduced, but also the heat conduction due to convection from the side of the cover 62 is reduced. A layer of sealing material such as butyl putty 67 is sandwiched between the frame 61 and the substrate 60 and between the frame 61 and the cover 62 so as to maintain the airtightness of the space N together with the silicone resin sealing material 63.

As shown in fig. 1 and the like, the light-emitting screen P is installed obliquely. The cooling water circulates in the pipes 56 located on the rear surface of the luminescent screen P, and the pipes 56 are also placed obliquely to facilitate the circulation of the water.

Alternatively, the screen P may be arranged in segments and its ducts arranged in a segmented pattern on the rear side. Furthermore, dry air having a temperature of about-40 ℃ to-80 ℃ may be fed into the duct 56 to cool the lighting device 3 directly or indirectly through the cooling plate. The hot air after cooling the lighting device 3 may be directly recovered through a duct or discharged to the indoor.

Furthermore, the light source, e.g. a light emitting diode, from which light is guided by means of optical fibers onto the lower surface of the conveying device 2 (above the basin), can be sealed, e.g. in a thermally insulated box and cooled by cold dry air or cold water. In this case, the light source can be cooled effectively and also fogging can be prevented to protect the light source. In addition, external natural light can be guided to the lower surface of the transmission device 2 in the building through an optical fiber.

As shown in fig. 10, the light-emitting screen P is a screen on which the above-described plates 65 and light-emitting units 69 constituted by the lamps 64 are arranged in an array, wherein a plurality of plates and dozens or hundreds of light-emitting units are respectively arranged throughout the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the screen. The plate 65 of the light emitting unit 69 may be approximately the same size as the substrate 60. Also, the substrate 60 may serve as a plate 65 (see fig. 22). Such a light-emitting screen P may also serve as a message screen for propagating prescribed messages by connecting the terminals of the circuit pattern to a computer-controlled circuit and causing a number of light-emitting diodes to emit light in sequence.

The color screen image display can be realized by using the light emitting diodes with the colors of red, green, purple, and the like. Since such a light emitting screen has a large amount of light, it can be expected to transmit a large number of messages. In addition, simplification of the manufacturing process enables a large-scale light emitting screen having a size ranging from several tens of centimeters to 5 meters to be manufactured at low cost.

The type of the light emitting element used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and a light emitting diode is generally used. It is preferable to use red light having a wavelength of 600nm because it is most efficient in the photosynthetic reaction of plants. The circuit pattern 70 may be formed by connecting wiring patterns of each light emitting diode in series or in parallel or by a matrix wiring pattern. Discrete wiring by connecting the respective lines may also be performed in other cases.

After completing each wiring and drawing out the wires from the corners of the light emitting unit 69, the wiring between each board 65 is sealed with a sealant as described later.

The luminescent screen P shown in fig. 11A includes a base plate 60 composed of a high thermal conductive metal plate such as an aluminum plate and a cover 62 made of glass opposed to the base plate at a space H. The substrate 60 and the cover 62 are rectangular, and the frame 61 is sandwiched therebetween. The frame 61 is a rectangular tube made by, for example, folding a thin metal sheet into a C-shape or square in cross-section, the interior of the tube presenting mating surfaces 68 along the edges. In frame 61, a desiccant is filled. An oxygen scavenger may be charged with the desiccant. The frame 61 may be made of synthetic resin.

In the space between the base plate 60 and the cover 62 as shown in fig. 11A, a drying gas such as drying air is filled. A sealing material 63, such as a silicone sealant, is applied around the frame 61 to seal the space N between the substrate 60 and the cover 62.

One way to fill the space N with dry air is simply to fit the substrate 60, the frame 61 with the desiccant therein and the cover 62 in a dry room. Even if the assembly is completed under the atmosphere, the air becomes dry air by the action of the desiccant 66 through the mating surface 68. In the case of using an inert gas such as nitrogen, one method of filling the gas is as follows: air is let out of the space on one side and the gas is filled on the other side. To assemble the screen, the frame 61 and the substrate 60 or the cover are temporarily tied with a double-sided adhesive tape or the like so that they can be joined together by applying a sealing material 63.

The dimensions of the base plate 60 and the cover 62 are not particularly limited, and they may take various sizes each having an edge in the range of 10 cm to 5 m. However, from the viewpoint of ease of assembly, transportation and high efficiency, it is preferably 50 cm to 1 m per side, and most preferably 1 m per side. In addition, a rectangular shape or a bar shape may be used. The base plate 60 preferably has a thickness in the range of 0.3 to 3 mm, and the cover 62 preferably has a thickness in the range of 1 to 5 mm. The spacing H between the base plate 60 and the cover 62 is preferably in the range of 3 to 20 mm, especially 5 to 10 mm, although it varies with the size of the screen.

On the substrate 60 of the light emitting screen P shown in fig. 11A, a plurality of heat sinks 104 may be mounted, as indicated by dotted lines.

The sheet 104 may be made of a thin metal plate having high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum plate, and folded into a C-shape. Preferably, a fan blows air over the sheet 104.

On the inner side of the base plate 60, light emitting units 69 are arranged in an array in which a plurality of lamps 64 are arrayed on the surface of a plate 65 made of an aluminum plate or the like, and the plate 65 and the base plate 60 are tightly connected by brazing or the like to secure high thermal conductivity.

As shown in fig. 11B and 12, the light emitting unit 69 is manufactured as follows: an insulating layer 65a of an inorganic material or an organic material is coated on the board 65 on which the circuit pattern 70 is formed, and the lamp 64 is mounted in place after the cream solder 71 (solder paste) is applied. Other metal plates may be used instead of the aluminum plate 65. Although the insulating layer 65 is coated on the entire board 65, it may be coated only on the circuit pattern 70. The circuit pattern 70 is formed by plating copper on the entire area and then removing unnecessary portions by an etching process. The cream solder 71 is applied efficiently by forming and printing the pattern. In addition, the plate 65 may be made of an insulating material, in which case the insulating layer 65a is no longer required.

The lamp 64 includes a thin copper reflector plate 73 formed by pressing a plate with a concave surface 72 made of aluminum, an LED (light emitting diode) 74 mounted on the concave surface 72 of the reflector plate 73, an electrode 75 on the same surface as the reflector plate 73, a connecting wire 76 for connecting the LED74 and the electrode 75, and a molding material 77 made of epoxy resin or the like for sealing the above portions. In the reflection plate 73, there is a remaining annular projection 78 which is generated in the step-by-step casting process in the pressing work. By the lower edge of the annular projecting portion being a flat surface, the lower edge can be used as a bottom portion for mounting the lamp 64. In addition, through the bottom, the electrode 75 and the reflection plate 73 of another light emitting unit can be left unseparated and cut after being closed with the molding material 77.

The molding material 77 is formed using a translucent synthetic resin, particularly a thermosetting resin such as an epoxy resin. An upper surface 77a of the molding material 77 facing the Light Emitting Diode (LED)74 is a spherical surface, thereby increasing the amount of light due to a lens action of the molding material 77. In addition, the aluminizing of the concave surface 72 of the reflection plate 73 realizes concentrated reflection of light from the LED74, thereby increasing the amount of light in the frontward direction.

The reflection plate 73 and the electrode 75 may be manufactured by integrally molding an insulating material such as a synthetic resin plate. In this case, copper sheets or the like are inserted through the upper and lower surfaces in the respective portions before the molding process. Also, the successive process of forming the electrical paths may be applied: a through-going trench is formed in each section and the trench is filled with a conductive material, gold plated, or a combination of these processes.

The cream solder 71 is a paste-like micronized solder dissolved in a solvent and is well known. When heated, the solvent disappears into the air and the solder melts due to the heating, fills the space between the reflection plate 73, the electrode 75 and the circuit pattern 70 and becomes hard as the temperature decreases. In this case, the bulb 64 is firmly fixed to the plate 65. Other materials than solder paste may be used as the conductive paste.

Fig. 13A-13D illustrate other methods of manufacturing a luminescent screen P. First, a base material 80 of a long plate of metal having high conductivity, such as a copper plate, is pressed to form an array of regions 81 in which the lamps 64 are located in the regions 81. In this pressing work, some of the feed 82 such as perforations on the film are formed first, thereby achieving high feeding accuracy. Next, the lateral grooves 83 are formed at given intervals to facilitate the pressing work between the grooves 83.

In addition, as shown in fig. 13B, an annular projecting portion 78 whose inner surface is concave (mark 72) is formed. Reference numeral 75a is a portion which becomes the electrode described above. Reference numeral 84a is an area to be removed later by an etching process, and reference numeral 84b is a portion to be left unchanged. After the pressing work and masking, the concave surface 72 is plated with a white metal such as aluminum to form a mirror surface that reflects light.

Next, as shown in fig. 13C, the light emitting diode 74 is placed at the bottom of the concave surface 72 and the electrode 75 is placed in the region 75 a. In addition, the light emitting diode 74 and the electrode 75 are connected by a connection wire 76, wherein the reflection plate 73 is made conductive so that it is an electrode of the light emitting diode 74. Next, the molding material 77 is attached. Masking is performed on the back surface and the copper region 84a is removed, thereby cutting off the led74 end and the electrode 75 end and also cutting off the region 81 composed of the respective lamp units to obtain the lamps 64. The long sheet may be cut in the line in advance by an appropriate process. After each lamp 64 is made, as shown in fig. 13D, the installer mounts the lamp on an appropriate position of the substrate 60 serving as a circuit board in which the reflection plate 73 and the electrode 75 are directly connected by the method using the cream solder described above. In the case of using the substrate 60 made of an aluminum plate or the like, an insulating layer and a circuit pattern are formed in advance.

The mounting process of the light emitting diode and the electrode 75 and the wiring process of the connection line require high-precision operations. However, this work can be automated since the lamp-mounting region 81 can be positioned with relatively high accuracy. In addition, this does not require high-precision work once the reflection plate 73 and the electrode 75 are attached to the substrate 60 after each lamp 64 is manufactured. So that it can be directly mounted to a base plate 60 having dimensions of about 1 meter square. Thus, it is not necessary to separately provide a circuit board, thereby achieving efficient manufacturing (refer to fig. 2).

In the lamp 64 shown in fig. 15, the reflection plate 73 on which the light emitting diode 74 is mounted and the circuit are insulated from each other, and two electrodes 75a and 75b are exposed on the lower surface of the lamp 64, wherein the light emitting diode 74 and the respective electrodes 75a and 75b are connected with connection wires 76a and 76 b. These structures are for a blue led 74. The other structures are the same as those described above.

Fig. 16 a-16 f show an embodiment of a light emitting element employing light emitting diodes mounted on the lower surface of the light emitting screen P. As shown in fig. 16a, the lamp 64 includes a light emitting diode 74 and a molding material 77, wherein the light emitting diode 74 is mounted on a circuit board 65 made of aluminum or the like, and the molding material 77 made of a translucent, heat-resistant synthetic resin such as epoxy resin is stacked on the diode like a semi-sphere or like a convex lens 79. In addition, in this embodiment, a double-layered second convex lens layer 79 and third convex lens layer 79 are provided, in which reference numeral 75 denotes an electrode, 76 denotes a connection line, and 85 denotes a kind of ring such as a funnel (tundish)85 for preventing the molding material 77 from flowing out.

The molding material 77 of the on-stack lamp 64 prevents diffusion of light from the light emitting diode 74, thereby allowing forward light emission perpendicular to the substrate 65. The second and third convex lens layers 79 and 79 also condense light, thereby achieving illumination of plants with these light intensities. As a result, the use of such a luminescent screen P as the lighting device 3 can realize more efficient cultivation of plants.

The lamp 64 in fig. 16b has a concave plate on the plate 65 with a depth of about 0.9 mm, which is mirror ground to reflect light, and the upper surface of the molding material 77 enclosed in the concave plate is raised like a convex lens. At least the inner, bottom 86 of the concave plate 72 is the plane on which the electrodes 75 are mounted, while the sides 87 are curved like a concave mirror. The light emitted from the light emitting diode 74 is reflected by the inner surface and converged to some extent and then further converged by the convex lens function of the molding material 77.

The lamp 64 shown in fig. 16c is a combination of the three-layer convex lens structure shown in fig. 16a and the internal reflector structure shown in fig. 16b, thereby performing the functions of both. Fig. 16d shows a lamp 64 having substantially the same structure as fig. 16 c. But differs in that the recess is slightly shallower in depth, the electrode 75 is provided on the surface of the plate 65, and the area of the molding material 77 is larger than the recess so as to cover the electrode 75. It has essentially the same function as fig. 16c and is also easily connected with a connection wire 76.

Fig. 16e shows a lamp 64 identical to the light emitting element shown in fig. 16b-16d, except that the upper surface of the molding material 77 and the surface of the plate 65 are on the same plane. Although it does not have a lens function. The light is collected to some extent by the concave mirror action of the concave plate 72, which allows sufficiently strong light to reach the plants.

Fig. 17 shows an embodiment of a circuit for forming a plurality of light emitting diodes. Reference numerals 1, 2, 3 … denote positive leads, and reference letters a, b, c, d … denote negative leads. The positive electrode leads 1, 2, 3 … and the negative electrode leads a, b, c … intersect like a grid pattern to form a matrix circuit 92 in which one light emitting element 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, 2c, etc. is provided at each intersection. In accordance with a signal generated from a control not shown in the drawing, some of the positive electrodes are selectively applied with a voltage and the corresponding negative electrodes are grounded, which causes those light emitting elements located at the intersections of the positive and negative electrode wires that are operating to emit light. The optional setting of the positive conductor voltage can increase and decrease the illumination intensity of the light emitting diode at a given location, which allows the display of letters or prescribed patterns.

When the light emitting elements in a certain area are degraded by humidity and temperature to cause a decrease in illumination intensity, it is possible to increase the illumination intensity of these elements to smooth the entire intensity. In this case, a feedback control circuit for obtaining a smooth intensity on a steady-state basis is constituted as follows: sensors using phototransistors for detecting light intensity in a prescribed area are provided at some positions, and an arithmetic circuit such as a central processing unit (microprocessor) applies appropriate voltages to each of the positive electrode leads based on the outputs of the sensors, thereby obtaining nearly smooth light intensity over the entire light-emitting screen. In the case of a luminescent screen for plant cultivation, precise control of the increased illumination intensity at the area part around or near the plant can be achieved.

In the case where such precise illumination intensity control is not required, a well-known series circuit 93 shown in fig. 18A may be employed. In fig. 18A, reference numeral 94 denotes a direct current power source, 95 denotes a fuse, and 14a denotes a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode or the like. Such a series circuit has a simple, short-wired printed pattern. However, when the conduction of a certain light emitting diode is turned off, the entire light emitting screen or the entire light emitting unit is turned off. In addition, the parallel circuit 9B shown in fig. 18B may be used in which the turning off of one light emitting diode 14a does not affect the other light emitting elements. Further, as shown in fig. 18C, one control line 97 may be connected to each of the light emitting diodes arranged in a matrix and each line is controlled by a switch or by illumination intensity. In this case, a microcomputer or the like for achieving precise control may also be used, thereby smoothing the illumination intensity or changing the illumination intensity on a block-by-block basis.

The above-described light emitting panel P can be used not only for plant cultivation but also as a display panel 98 such as a break light (brake light) shown in fig. 19 used alone or in combination of a plurality of panels. Reference numeral 99 denotes a control. Since the lamp 64 is hermetically sealed, the display screen 98 hardly deteriorates under a high humidity environment. The heat generated by the lamps 64 is effectively radiated through the substrate 60 to prevent heat from accumulating in the screen, which improves the life of the light emitting elements to achieve long-term, stable operation of the display screen 98.

Fig. 20 shows another embodiment of the light-emitting screen P. In this embodiment, the luminescent screen P is positioned on the upper side of each shelf 102 of the multi-shelf 101. A cultivation box 103 for plants to be cultivated is provided on each shelf 102. With this configuration, in addition to providing moisture and nutrients and temperature control, the light from the lamps 64 illuminates the plants and plant growth is promoted to achieve efficient harvesting. In the case where the light emitting screen is used as the lighting device for plant cultivation as above, the humidity is high in the room where the plant cultivation boxes 103 of the multi-layered shelf 101 are located. However, since the lamp 64 is hermetically sealed between the substrate 60 and the cover 62 and the inside is very dried by the desiccant 66, the lamp is prevented from being deteriorated due to humidity. Although the heat radiation amount of the lamp 64 is relatively small compared to the conventional fluorescent lamp, some heat is radiated from the lamp 64 and light radiation heat is accumulated in the luminescent screen P. But then, the high thermal conductivity of the substrate 60 effectively generates heat radiation from the upper side of the light emitting panel P, which also prevents the lamp 64 from being deteriorated by heat.

In the light-emitting panel P in fig. 21, a frame 61 made of synthetic resin is used instead of a frame containing a desiccant, which reduces heat conduction from the cover 62 to the substrate 60. In addition, in the light emitting panel P, the duct 56 through which a cooling medium such as cooling water flows is tightly contacted with the upper surface of the base plate 60. Cooling media which can be used are, for example, chlorofluorocarbon substitutes or alcohols, and it is additionally possible to pass cooling air through pipes or tubes. Also, in the luminescent screen P of fig. 10 and in the luminescent screen P of fig. 21, the plate 65 is preferably in close contact with the substrate 60, which allows heat generated in the lamps 64 to be conducted from the plate 65 to the substrate 60 for efficient radiation.

The forced cooling of the substrate 60 is provided by: good heat conduction from the plate 65 to the base plate 60 increases the heat radiation emitted from the lamps 64 and the ducts 56 for the cooling medium enable a more reliable temperature control of the lamps 64. It is desirable to have the light emitting elements, such as light emitting diodes, at as low a temperature as possible to achieve high efficiency. In addition, when the rack 102 in fig. 20 includes a pipe, it is possible to inject the cooling medium into the duct 56 through the pipe.

In luminescent screen P3 of fig. 22, lamps 64 are mounted directly to substrate 60, where substrate 60 also serves as plate 65. In addition, in this embodiment, a frame between the substrate 60 and the cover 62 is omitted and the space therebetween is simply supported by the sealing material 63.

The plate (or substrate) or the frame may be omitted by having the substrate 60 act as the plate, not only for relatively small light emitting screens but also for screens about 1 meter square.

However, as in fig. 11, a frame 61 may be provided. In addition, the light-emitting element described herein includes a semiconductor laser and other various semiconductor lighting components in addition to the light-emitting diode.

All the light emitting panels P employ the cover 62 made of a glass plate, but a cover made of a translucent synthetic resin plate such as an acrylic plate, and a cover made of a laminate of a glass plate and a synthetic resin plate or a synthetic resin sheet may be employed.

Claims (7)

1. A luminescent screen comprising:

a substrate;

a circuit board mounted on the substrate;

a light emitting unit having a plurality of lamps arranged and fixed on the circuit pattern of the circuit board;

a translucent cover disposed adjacent to the substrate and having a predetermined interval with the substrate;

a sealing material sandwiched between the substrate and the cover to maintain the space airtight; and

the lamps are fixed on the circuit board by using a conductive paste.

2. The luminescent screen according to claim 1, further comprising a frame sandwiched between the substrate and the cover, wherein the frame is filled with a sealing material around the frame, the space is filled with a dry inert gas, and a desiccant and/or an oxygen scavenger is contained in the frame.

3. The luminescent screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lamp with a concave reflector plate;

a light emitting element mounted on the reflection plate;

a connection line connecting the light emitting element and an electrode; and

a translucent synthetic resin molding material for enclosing the above portions.

4. The luminescent screen according to claim 1, wherein the conductive paste is a solder paste.

5. The luminescent screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

an aluminum circuit board; and

an insulating layer disposed on the circuit board, wherein a circuit pattern is formed on the insulating layer.

6. The luminescent screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

and a duct disposed at a rear surface of the light emitting screen for cooling the light emitting unit.

7. A luminescent screen comprising:

a substrate;

a light emitting unit having a plurality of lamps arranged and fixed on the circuit pattern of the substrate;

a translucent cover disposed adjacent to the substrate and having a predetermined interval with the substrate;

a sealing material sandwiched between the substrate and the cover to maintain the space airtight; and

the lamps are fixed on the substrate by using a conductive paste.