Hydroponic cultivation system comprising seedbeds and a transport mechanism

A hydroponic cultivation system, comprising:

• a plurality of seedbeds configured to receive seedlings of a plant being transplanted to the seedbeds, wherein each seedbed of the plurality of seedbeds has a length, measured in a vertical direction, that is greater than a width, measured in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction;
• a hanging part that hangs each seedbed of the plurality of seedbeds while seedbeds of the plurality of seedbeds are arranged in the horizontal direction from a first side of the hydroponic cultivation system configured for planting the seedlings in the seedbeds to a second side of the hydroponic cultivation system configured for harvesting the seedlings from the seedbeds, wherein the plurality of seedbeds is initially arranged on the hanging part such that initial spacings are respectively present in the horizontal direction between adjacent seedbeds of the plurality of seedbeds;
• and
• a transport mechanism that transports the plurality of seedbeds in the horizontal direction, from the first side of the hydroponic cultivation system to the second side of the hydroponic cultivation system, while widening the respective initial spacings either continuously or in a discrete manner,
• wherein the transport mechanism includes one screw formed to have a pitch that is increased in a discrete manner toward the horizontal direction, the screw including grooves, and upper ends of the seedbeds of the plurality of seedbeds being configured to engage with the grooves,
• wherein each seedbed of the plurality of seedbeds includes a roller member that slides, on the hanging part in the horizontal direction, the corresponding seedbed to a position hung by the hanging part at the time of transporting the seedbed, and
• wherein the roller member has a width, measured in the horizontal direction, the width matching a pitch of an end portion of the screw on the first side of the hydroponic cultivation system.

A hydroponic cultivation system, comprising:

• a plurality of seedbeds configured to receive seedlings of a plant being transplanted to the seedbeds, wherein each seedbed of the plurality of seedbeds has a length, measured in a vertical direction, that is greater than a width, measured in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction;
• a hanging part that hangs each seedbed of the plurality of seedbeds while seedbeds of the plurality of seedbeds are arranged in the horizontal direction from a first side of the hydroponic cultivation system configured for planting the seedlings in the seedbeds to a second side of the hydroponic cultivation system configured for harvesting the seedlings from the seedbeds, wherein the plurality of seedbeds is initially arranged on the hanging part such that initial spacings are respectively present in the horizontal direction between adjacent seedbeds of the plurality of seedbeds;
• and
• a transport mechanism that transports the plurality of seedbeds in the horizontal direction, from the first side of the hydroponic cultivation system to the second side of the hydroponic cultivation system, while widening the respective initial spacings either continuously or in a discrete manner,
• wherein the transport mechanism includes one screw formed to have a pitch that is increased in a discrete manner toward the horizontal direction, the screw including grooves, and upper ends of the seedbeds of the plurality of seedbeds being configured to engage with the grooves,
• wherein the screw includes a plurality of screw members each having a predetermined length and connection members each connecting two screw members,
• wherein connection holes are formed at both end portions of the screw members in a rotation axis direction of the screw,
• wherein the connection members each engage with the corresponding connection holes of the plurality of screw members, and
• wherein the transport mechanism includes:
• a screw supporting part that rotatably supports an end portion of the screw;
• and
• a biasing member that is provided between the screw supporting part and the screw, and biases the screw members in the rotation axis direction.