Roof construction for plant winter protection frames
A lightweight, curved roof structure with a plug-in system addresses the instability of existing frames by providing stability under heavy loads, enabling protection of large plants from frost.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing protective frames for plants lack a stable roof structure, leading to water accumulation and eventual collapse under weight, limiting their use to small diameters and posing a risk of damage to large plants.
A lightweight, curved roof structure with a plug-in system is installed on a vertical frame, featuring a central section with multiple connections and a 45° angled stabilizing tube, ensuring stability under extreme loads.
Enables protection of large plants by preventing roof collapse and ensuring stability even under heavy snow loads, allowing diameters of several meters without damage.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[0001] Climate change is leading to an increase in the planting of Mediterranean or exotic plants in home gardens, most of which are sensitive to frost.
[0002] To prevent frost damage to these plants, various protective measures exist. The principle is always the same: a protective enclosure must keep the cold winter air away from the plant. The air inside the enclosure must be brought to suitable temperatures using appropriate methods.
[0003] However, in order to apply a suitable protective covering to the plant without damaging it, it is usually necessary to first attach a protective frame, onto which the covering in the form of a sleeve or hood can then be placed if required.
[0004] Most protective frames are ring-shaped and do not have a special roof. Only after the frame structure has been attached to the plant can the hood or protective cover be placed over the frame.
[0005] Unfortunately, this is only possible up to very small diameters.
[0006] Since waterproof materials are usually used for the hood, water or snow collects in the roof area, leading to water bubbles. The increasing weight of the accumulating water gradually pulls or pushes the hood's roof downwards into the interior of the frame. If these water bubbles are not removed regularly, the entire structure will eventually collapse under the weight.
[0007] Therefore, a roof structure made of lightweight tubes was developed, which, after the vertical frame has been erected and the final height of the entire structure has been reached, is only installed in the upper area of the frame using a plug-in system, before the hood is put over it.
[0008] The roof structure can be plugged into the vertical structure, which significantly simplifies installation at great heights while standing on ladders.
[0009] The roof structure is curved overall, allowing rain and melting snow to run off. This curvature, in conjunction with the last or uppermost stabilizing tube, which acts as a "ring beam" and is installed at a 45° angle in the final section of the vertical support tube, achieves an enormous roof load capacity. This ensures that the entire structure remains stable even under extreme snow loads and does not collapse under the weight.
[0010] The central element of the roof structure is a middle section, which can be equipped with a total of 4, 8, or even 16 connections (depending on the desired diameter of the overall structure) to which the curved pipes are attached. This middle section can be made round or square. Therefore, there are no limits to the diameter of the overall structure! With this roof structure, diameters of several meters are possible, ensuring that even very large Mediterranean plants are safely protected during the winter.
Claims
[1] Roof structure for plant winter protection frames, characterized by , that it has a curved roof structure made of lightweight tubes which can be inserted into one another ( Fig. 1) [2] Roof structure for plant winter protection frames, characterized by , that it has a central element, which can be octagonal or round and has 4, 8 or 16 connections for the curved pipes ( Fig. 4) [3] Roof structure for plant winter protection frames, characterized by , that it has a 45° angle with a bore and connection for the curved pipes ( Fig. 2) [4] Roof structure for plant winter protection frames, characterized by , that it has 45° angles that can be inserted into the vertical stand tubes with a connection for the connector of the curved tubes ( Fig. 2) [5] Roof structure for plant winter protection frames, characterized by, that it has a circumferential ring anchor at the upper end of the frame construction or directly at a 45° angle ( Fig. 2 and Fig. 4) [6] Roof structure for plant winter protection frames, characterized by that it has a special connector plug with which the curved pipes are connected at a 45° angle. Fig. 3)