Protection system for the physical protection of plants with multiple boom devices supporting a rotating shaft, retrofit kit with boom devices for an existing protection system

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a protection system for the physical protection of plants, in particular of several plants arranged in a row, and their blossoms and / or fruit clusters, comprising at least one protective net; at least one rotating shaft; wherein the protective net is fastened to the rotating shaft by a first (lower) net edge region, in particular the first (lower) net edge, and is fastened to a support element by a second (upper) net edge region, in particular the second (upper) net edge, which is arranged in an upper region or above the plants and is connected to at least one pole-like support, such that the protective net can be rolled off the rotating shaft from top to bottom or rolled up onto the rotating shaft from bottom to top, as required.

[0002] Such a protection system is known, for example, from DE 10 2006 028 273 A1. Furthermore, EP 2 269 442 A2 also discloses such a protection system. Reference is also made to MD 1 634 Y and EP 1 203 526 A1.

[0003] Another protection system is shown in the following internet video: France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine: "Vinitech: le viti-tunnel prix spécial de I innovation", 1 December 2022 (2022-12-01), XP093142714, https: / / www.youtube.com / watch?v=ujzFX70dLmA&ab_channel=Brut

[0004] Such protection systems are particularly designed to protect plants arranged in rows, such as vines, fruit trees, and the like. The protective nets used are primarily designed to protect the plants from weather influences, such as heavy rain or hailstorms. However, the protective nets are also suitable for protecting the plants from wildlife damage and the fruit from animal and insect damage, such as birds, wasps, flies, and the like.

[0005] FR 3 056 077 A1 shows a protection system in which a tunnel-like tarpaulin is pulled out and unfolded from a folded state along a row of plants and guided in rails, whereby the tunnel-like tarpaulin extends over the entire height of the plants to be protected.

[0006] In the protection system known from DE 10 2006 028 273 A1, the unrolled protective net extends essentially vertically downwards, so that it can also come into contact with blossoms, inflorescences, or fruits of the plants. This poses the risk that the protective net could cause undesirable damage, which could lead to crop losses. The object underlying the invention is to further develop a protection system of the aforementioned type in such a way that improved physical protection of the plants and fruits is enabled.

[0007] This object is achieved by a protection system according to claim 1 and a retrofit system according to claim 12. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments are specified in the dependent patent claims.

[0008] What is proposed is a protection system for the physical protection of plants, in particular of several plants arranged in a row, and their blossoms and / or fruit clusters, comprising at least one protective net; at least one rotating shaft; wherein the protective net is fastened to the rotating shaft by a first (lower) net edge region, in particular the first (lower) net edge, and is fastened to a support element by a second (upper) net edge region, in particular the second (upper) net edge, which is arranged in an upper region of the plants and is connected to at least one pole-like support, such that the protective net can be rolled off the rotating shaft from top to bottom or rolled up onto the rotating shaft from bottom to top, as required.It is provided that the protection system has a plurality of boom devices which are indirectly connected to the rotary shaft at a first, in particular outer end and are rotatably mounted on a respective pile-like support at a second, in particular inner end, such that the rotary shaft can be moved along an arcuate path when rolling up / down.

[0009] By means of the cantilever devices mounted on the supports in a rotatable or movable manner, a sufficient distance between the protective net and the plant, in particular its fruit clusters or fruits, can be easily achieved when unrolling or rolling it up. Since the rotating shaft moves along an arcuate, in particular essentially circular, path, the protective net can be moved around the plant or fruits, even if it is stretched between the rotating shaft and the support element during the unrolling / rolling process.

[0010] The length of the boom devices can be adjusted, particularly depending on the plant species to be protected, such as grapevines, fruit trees, and the like, in order to adjust the distance between the protective net and the plant or fruit. When adjusting the distance, the height of the boom device's attachment along the pole-like support can also be taken into account and selected accordingly.

[0011] In the protection system, a guide sleeve is attached to the first end of a respective boom device, in which the rotating shaft is received. The guide sleeve has an outlet opening over its entire axial length through which the protective net extends. The rotating shaft, with the protective net wound (at least partially) around it, is rotatably received in the guide sleeve and simultaneously enables the protective net to be tensioned from the rotating shaft to the support element through the outlet opening of the guide sleeve.

[0012] In the protective system, the exit opening of the guide sleeve can be dimensioned such that the rotating shaft can be inserted, in particular clipped, through the exit opening into the guide sleeve, particularly when the protective net is fully or at least 80% unrolled. This makes it possible to subsequently attach the guide sleeve to a rotating shaft with a protective net or to establish the connection between the guide sleeve and the rotating shaft. Inserting the rotating shaft into the respective guide sleeve can be done very easily and, in particular, without the need for tools.

[0013] In the protective system, the exit opening of the guide sleeve can have a dimension of approximately π / 6 rad to π / 3 rad in the circumferential direction, based on a cross-section through the guide sleeve. In other words, two imaginary limbs, each connecting the center of the guide sleeve with a respective edge of the exit opening, form an angle of 30° to 60°. This ensures that the protective net can be unrolled or rolled up unhindered during the arcuate path movement of the rotating shaft.

[0014] In the protection system, the guide sleeve has a concave sleeve section that surrounds the rotating shaft, except in the area of ​​the outlet opening, with a convex net guide section adjoining the concave sleeve section on the side of the guide sleeve facing the boom device. The concave sleeve section ensures that, despite the outlet opening, the guide sleeve has a sufficient guide surface along which the rotating shaft can be supported and moved, in particular rolled. The convex net guide section enables, depending on the position of the boom element, essentially tangential contact and guidance of the protective net being rolled up / unrolled, so that the net can slide along the convex net guide section. This also prevents the protective net from snagging or tangling on the guide sleeve when rolling up / unrolling the protective net.

[0015] In the protection system, the convex net guide section can form an edge of the exit opening. This allows the exit opening to slide smoothly into place, so that the unwinding / rolling process is not hindered by the guide sleeve.

[0016] In the protection system, the rotating shaft can have a hexagonal profile, in particular a hexagonal hollow profile. A hexagonal profile allows the rotating shaft to be designed torsionally rigid. The rotating shaft can be designed to be flexible along its axial direction. The hexagonal profile of the rotating shaft enables, on the one hand, a rotationally fixed coupling to a drive device, such as a manually operated crank on which a complementary hexagonal counterpart is provided, or to another drive or gear shaft on which a complementary hexagonal counterpart is present. A complementary hexagonal counterpart can, in particular, be inserted into the hexagonal hollow profile of the rotating shaft in the axial direction. On the other hand, the hexagonal profile enables good rollability of the rotating shaft within the guide sleeves.

[0017] In the protection system, an electrically driven motor can be attached to a first end of a respective boom device, which is coupled to the rotating shaft and is configured to rotate the rotating shaft or to hold the rotating shaft in a desired position. As already mentioned, a hexagonal counterpart can be coupled to the motor, for example, which can be rotated by the motor to transmit the rotational movement to the rotating shaft. The hexagonal counterpart can, for example, be part of a drive or transmission shaft.

[0018] The motor can be axially coupled to two rotating shaft sections extending in opposite directions, which together form the entire rotating shaft. In such a case, each rotating shaft section can be connected to a respective hexagonal counterpart.

[0019] The motor can, for example, set a gear shaft in rotation by means of a worm gear, wherein the gear shaft is connected on one or both sides to the rotating shaft or two rotating shaft sections, in particular by means of hexagonal counterparts.

[0020] In the protection system, the motor can be movable along the curved path. The motor used for rolling up / unrolling the safety net is thus moved along the curved path together with the rotating shaft. This involves a superposition of the rotary movement of the rotating shaft around its axis and the translational movement of the rotating shaft along the curved path. The translational movement occurs, in particular, along a circular path, with the center of the circle formed by the rotatable mounting or linkage of the second end of the boom device to the pole-like support.

[0021] The protection system can comprise, relative to the total length of the rotating shaft, at least two cantilever devices with respective guide sleeves and at least one cantilever device with a motor, wherein the motor is arranged along the rotating shaft between two guide sleeves. In particular, the motor can be arranged substantially centrally or at a substantially equal distance from the two guide sleeves. In such an arrangement, as already described above, respective rotating shaft sections extend from the motor in opposite directions, wherein the two rotating shaft sections together form the rotating shaft. In such an arrangement, each rotating shaft section is supported by a respective guide sleeve.Other configurations are also conceivable, in which, for example, two or more guide sleeves are arranged along a respective rotary shaft section, so that four or more guide sleeves are present along the entire rotary shaft.

[0022] In this context, it should be noted that the number of boom devices in such a protection system corresponds to the sum of the guide sleeves and the motors used, because one guide sleeve or one motor is provided per boom device.

[0023] The rotating shaft of the protection system, possibly formed by two rotating shaft sections, can have a total length of 100 meters or more. In other words, using a single motor, the protective net can be rolled up and down as needed along a very long row of plants.

[0024] The protection system may include a control unit configured to control the motor to unroll or roll up the safety net or to hold it in a specific protective position. The control unit may also be configured to control multiple motors simultaneously to roll up / unroll multiple safety nets essentially synchronously.

[0025] For example, if a field contains several rows of plants, each of which needs to be protected by the protection system, it is conceivable to have a separate control unit for each row, or to have one control unit for multiple rows. If a control unit is provided for each row of plants, it can control at least two motors that drive the rolling up and down of the protective net on each side of the row.

[0026] In the protection system, the control unit can be configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile terminal and / or a server unit, such that the control unit receives input data from the mobile terminal and / or the server unit. Furthermore, the control unit can be configured to control the motor depending on the received input data.

[0027] The mobile device can, in particular, be a smartphone, a tablet computer, or the like, on which an application for adjusting the safety system, in particular the position of the safety net, is stored. This allows an operator to use the mobile device to roll or unroll the safety net as needed, or to position it in a desired, at least partially unrolled position.

[0028] Alternatively or additionally, the control unit can communicate with a server unit. The server unit can be a cloud application or the like. The input data received by a server unit can, for example, be derived from meteorological information, such as warnings of heavy rain, hailstorms, and the like. In particular, geographical information about the position of the protection system with geographical details of meteorological conditions can also be used. For example, the control unit can be configured to unroll the protective net and adjust it to a desired position if a warning of heavy rain and / or hailstorms is issued for the area in which the protection system is located.

[0029] In the protection system, the electrical power supply of the protection system, in particular of the motor and the control unit, can be in the low-voltage range and provided by at least one photovoltaic generation unit and at least one electrical storage unit. This allows for a self-sufficient power supply without the need to use or install additional higher-voltage power lines. This improves occupational safety when tending or harvesting crop rows, especially when using so-called harvesters or combine harvesters.

[0030] The protection system can be arranged along a row of several plants, wherein a plurality of pole-like supports are arranged in the row and two boom devices are arranged on each pole-like support, such that a roll-up / unrollable protective net is arranged on each side of the row in order to substantially completely physically protect the plants when the protective nets are at least partially unrolled.

[0031] A retrofit kit for an existing protection system of the known type described above is also proposed. The retrofit kit is intended to include: a plurality of boom devices having a first end and a second end; a plurality of guide sleeves which are connectable or connected to the first end of a respective boom device and in which the rotary shaft of the existing protection system can be received; a plurality of connecting joints which are connectable or connected to the second end of a respective boom device and which are connectable to a respective pile-like support of the existing protection system; at least one electrically driven motor which is connectable or connected to the first end of a respective boom device and which is connectable to the rotary shaft of the existing protection system; and at least one control unit which is configured to control the motor.

[0032] Such a retrofit kit enables the automation of an existing, previously manually operated protection system, so that the existing protection system can be optimized and improved for use with little effort.

[0033] The retrofit kit can further comprise a photovoltaic generation unit and at least one electrical storage unit. This allows a self-sufficient energy supply for the retrofitted protection system to be provided, eliminating the need to lay any electrical supply lines to the respective plant row or cultivation area.

[0034] Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the figures. Fig. 1: a simplified perspective view of a protection system; Fig. 2: a top view of a support with a boom device of the protection system; Fig. 3: a top view of a support with a boom device of the protection system; Fig. 4: a side view of a guide sleeve; Fig. 5: a top view of the guide sleeve; Fig. 6: in the partial figures A) to C), the guide sleeve with the rotating shaft and protective net accommodated therein in different positions.

[0035] In Fig. 1 A simplified and schematic representation of a protection system 10 for the physical protection of plants 12 is shown. Vines or vines are shown as examples of plants 12. Furthermore, fruit clusters 12f of the plants are also visible. The plants 12 are arranged along a row R. For the further description, the orientation of the row R is assumed to be the X direction (longitudinal direction). A Y direction (width direction) and a Z direction (height direction) are visible orthogonally to the X direction.

[0036] The protection system 10 comprises at least one protective net 14 and at least one rotating shaft 16. The protective net 14 is attached to the rotating shaft 16 by a first (lower) net edge region 14u. A second (upper) net edge region 14o is attached to a support element 18. In the example shown, the support element 18 is arranged above the plants 12 in the vertical direction Z. However, the support element 18 can also be arranged in an upper (growth) region of the plants 12.

[0037] The support element 18 can, for example, be a tensioned wire or a strut or the like. The support element 18 is connected to at least one pole-like support 20. In the example shown, the support element 18 is connected to four supports 20, whereby the illustration shows only an exemplary partial length of a protection system 10.

[0038] The protective net 14 can be attached to the support element 18, in particular wire, by means of fastening aids 15, which can also be referred to as plaques.

[0039] The protective net 14 is thus connected to the support element 18 and the rotating shaft 16 in such a way that it can be rolled off the rotating shaft 16 from top to bottom or rolled up onto the rotating shaft 16 from bottom to top, as required.

[0040] As from the Fig. 1 As can be seen, in the protection system 10, several supports 20 or posts are arranged one after the other along the row of plants R or along the longitudinal direction X. The supports 20 are firmly connected to the ground or subsoil by their lower ends, in particular by means of foundations not shown.

[0041] From the Fig. 1 It is also evident that the protection system 10 has a plurality of boom devices 22. The boom devices 22 are each indirectly connected to the rotating shaft 16 at a first, in particular outer, end 24. At a second, in particular inner, end 26, the boom devices 22 are rotatably mounted on a respective pole-like support 20. By means of the boom devices 22, the rotating shaft 16 therefore follows an arcuate path when rolling up / unrolling the protective net 14.

[0042] As from the Fig. 1 As can be seen, the protection system 10 can have differently designed boom devices 22. In Fig. 1 Purely by way of example, three supports 20 (from left: first, second, and fourth supports) are shown with one boom device 22 and one support 20 (from left: third support) with the other boom device 22. The different configurations of the boom devices 22 are described in more detail below.

[0043] Fig. 2 shows a plan view in the X direction of a support 20, to which a respective boom device 22 is attached on both sides. The boom devices 22 shown here each comprise two articulated or rotatably mounted boom arms 22a. An electrically driven motor 30 is attached to the first end 24 of the boom device 22. The motor 30 is coupled to the rotating shaft 16 and is configured to rotate the rotating shaft 16 or to hold the rotating shaft 16 in a desired position.

[0044] The motor 30 is attached to a structural component 32, in particular a vertical support, which is articulated to the two cantilever arms 22a. Also attached to the structural component 32 is a gear device 34, the gear shaft of which (not shown) is coupled to the rotating shaft 16 of the protection system 10. The gear device 34 can, for example, comprise a worm gear, so that a motor rotational movement generated about a motor rotational axis MA parallel to the Z-axis can be transmitted, in particular also translated, into a rotational movement of the rotating shaft 16 substantially orthogonal thereto about a rolling axis AR substantially parallel to the X-direction.

[0045] In connection with the motor 30, which serves as the drive for the unwinding / winding of the protective net 14, with reference to the Fig. 1 It should be noted that the motor 30 can be coupled in the axial direction (rolling axis AR) of the rotary shaft 16 to two rotary shaft sections 16-1, 16-2 extending in opposite directions, wherein the two rotary shaft sections 16-1, 16-2 together form the entire rotary shaft 16.

[0046] The motor 30 can thus be arranged together with the transmission device 34 between two rotary shaft sections 16-1, 16-2, so that both rotary shaft sections 16-1, 16-2 can be set in rotation by means of the transmission shaft. It is clear that the two rotary shaft sections 16-1, 16-2 extend in opposite directions from the position of the motor 30 or the transmission device 34, even if they both run along the longitudinal direction (X-direction).

[0047] From the Fig. 2 It can also be seen that due to the rotational movement of the rotary shaft 16 and its articulated connection to the support 20 by means of the boom device 22, the motor 30 and also the rotary shaft 16 can be moved on an arcuate path BB, which is illustrated by the solid double arrows and the lighter, dashed lines.

[0048] Furthermore, in Fig. 2 The protective net 14 is also visible, with it being more unrolled on the right side than on the right side of the support 20. The protective net 14 shown on the right side can, for example, provide protection against heavy rain or hailstorms in the position shown. On the left side of the support 20, the protective net 14 is shown in a substantially fully unrolled position.

[0049] As from the Fig. 2 As can be seen, the protective net 14 or the rotating shaft 16 can be set at any desired position along the curved path BB. Relative to the position shown on the right, the protective net 14 can be unrolled further, whereby the motor 30 and the rotating shaft 16 are moved further downwards and closer to the plant 12 or the fruit clusters 12f or the support 20. Or the protective net 14 can be rolled up again, whereby the motor 30 and the rotating shaft 16 are moved upwards and further away from the plant 12 or the fruit clusters 12f or the support 20 before approaching the support 20 again upon reaching the upper end position, as illustrated on the left side of the support 20.

[0050] From the Fig. 2 It is further apparent that the protective system 10 has a control unit 40 which is configured to control the motor 30 or several motors 30 in order to unroll or roll up the protective net 14 or to hold it in a specific protective position.

[0051] The control unit 40 can, for example, be attached to the support 20 to which the boom device 22 with motor 30 is attached.

[0052] The control unit 40 can be configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile terminal 42 and / or with a server unit 44, such that the control unit 40 receives input data from the mobile terminal 42 and / or the server unit 44. The control unit 40 can further be configured to control the motor 30 depending on the received input data.

[0053] In the protection system 10, the electrical power supply, in particular for the motor 30 and the control unit 40, can be in the low-voltage range and provided by at least one photovoltaic generation unit 46 and at least one electrical storage unit 48. In the example shown, the control unit 40 and the storage unit 48 are represented in a simplified manner by the same symbol. It should be noted that the control unit 40 and the storage unit 48 can actually be provided separately from one another in separate housings. However, it is also conceivable for the control unit 40 and the storage unit 48 to be housed in a common housing.

[0054] The photovoltaic generation unit 46 can, for example, be mounted on a support 20 or adjacent thereto.

[0055] Fig. 3 shows a plan view in the X direction of a support 20, to which a respective boom device 22 is attached on both sides. The boom devices 22 shown here each comprise an articulated or rotatably mounted boom arm 22c. A guide sleeve 50 is attached to the first end 24 of the boom device 22. The rotary shaft 16 (including the protective net 14 rolled up thereon) is movably, in particular rotatably, received in the guide sleeve 50. In other words, the motor 30 ( Fig. 2 ) driven rotary shaft 16 can be rotated in the guide sleeve 50, whereby the protective net 14 can be rolled up / unrolled.

[0056] It is pointed out that the boom device 22 of the Fig. 2 and the boom device 22 of the Fig. 3 are each designed or dimensioned such that the arcuate path BB described by the rotary shaft 16 when rolling up / unrolling the protective net 14 is essentially the same in the area of ​​a respective support 20.

[0057] In the Fig. 3 The support element 18 is also visible, which is designed here as a tensioned wire. Furthermore, the fastening aids 15 for attaching the second (upper) net edge area are also illustrated purely schematically, which are arranged at various locations along the support element 18 (see Fig. 1 ).

[0058] The following is a summary of the Fig. 4 und 5 the guide sleeve 50 is described in more detail. Fig. 4 a lateral plan view of the guide sleeve 50 in the X-direction, which also essentially corresponds to an axial direction AH of the guide sleeve, i.e. approximately according to the contour arrow IV in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows a top view (Z-direction) of the guide sleeve 50, approximately according to the contour arrow V of the Fig. 4 .

[0059] The guide sleeve 50 has an outlet opening 52 through which the protective net (in the Fig. 4 und 5 not shown). The outlet opening 52 extends in the X-direction over the entire axial length of the guide sleeve 50, which is particularly evident from the Fig. 5 is evident.

[0060] The guide sleeve 50 comprises a coupling piece 54 which is connected to the boom arm 22c ( Fig. 3 ) or its outer end 24. In particular, the coupling piece 54 can be inserted into the cantilever arm 22c.

[0061] The guide sleeve 50 has a concave sleeve section 56 which Fig. 4 und 5 surrounds the rotating shaft 16 indicated by dashed lines, except in the area of ​​the outlet opening 52. On the side facing the coupling piece 54 or, in the assembled state of the boom device 22, the guide sleeve 50 has a convex net guide section 58, which adjoins or merges into the concave sleeve section 56. The convex net guide section 58 forms, in particular, an edge or a boundary of the outlet opening 52.

[0062] The outlet opening 52 of the guide sleeve 50 is dimensioned such that the rotary shaft 16 can be inserted, in particular clipped, through the outlet opening 52 into the guide sleeve 50, in particular when the protective net is completely or at least 80% unrolled.

[0063] The outlet opening 52 has, based on a cross section through the guide sleeve 50, a dimension of approximately π / 6 rad to π / 3 rad in the circumferential direction, which in Fig. 4 represented by the dot-dash line DA. In other words, two imaginary legs, each connecting the center point MP of the guide sleeve 50 with a respective edge or boundary of the outlet opening 52, form an angle β of 30° to 60°. This ensures that the protective net can be unrolled or rolled up without hindrance during the arcuate path movement of the rotating shaft. This will be explained below with reference to the Fig. 6 described in more detail.

[0064] The concave sleeve portion 56 has a bead-like guide edge 60 along the outlet opening 52, which guides the protective net upon contact without causing damage. Similarly, the convex net guide portion 58 has a bead-like guide edge 62 facing away from the outlet opening 52, which guides the protective net upon contact without causing damage.

[0065] The guide sleeve 50 can have an inner diameter of approximately 30 mm to 60 mm, in particular 40 mm, in the region of the concave sleeve section 56.

[0066] In Fig. 6 the guide sleeve 50 together with the rotary shaft 16 and the protective net 14 guided through the outlet opening 52 is shown in different positions which can occur when the rotary shaft 16 is moved along the curved path BB ( Fig. 2 and 3 ). The shown relationships between the rotating shaft 16 and the protective net 14 to the guide sleeve are drawn purely qualitatively in order to be able to describe different constellations.

[0067] In Fig. 6A the guide sleeve 50 is by means of the extension arm 22c ( Fig. 3 ) is oriented obliquely upward. The protective net 14 is predominantly rolled up onto the rotating shaft 16. In such a position, the protective net 14, which extends through the outlet opening 52, can come into contact with the bead-like guide edge 60 of the concave sleeve portion 56. The protective net 14 can slide past the guide edge 60 during rolling up / unrolling without being damaged.

[0068] In Fig. 6B the guide sleeve 50 is by means of the extension arm 22c ( Fig. 3 ) is positioned substantially horizontally. The protective net 14 is approximately halfway unrolled from the rotating shaft 16. In such a position, the protective net 14 can be stretched through the outlet opening 52 without further contact.

[0069] In Fig. 6C the guide sleeve 50 is by means of the extension arm 22c ( Fig. 3 ) is oriented obliquely downward. The protective net 14 is largely unrolled from the rotating shaft 16. In such a position, the protective net 14, which extends through the outlet opening 52, can come into contact with the convex net guide section 58 and / or the bead-like guide edge 62. During rolling up / unrolling, the protective net 14 can slide past the convex net guide section 58 or the guide edge 62 without being damaged.

[0070] The Fig. 2 bis 6 The rotary shaft 16 shown has a hexagonal profile. This enables high torsional rigidity of the rotary shaft 16. It should be noted that other geometries for the profile of the rotary shaft 16 may also be considered, such as circular or octagonal, or the like.

[0071] The protection system 10 described above can be arranged along a row R of several plants 12 ( Fig. 1 ), wherein several pile-like supports 20 are arranged in the row R and on each pile-like support 20 two outrigger devices 22 ( Fig. 2 and 3 ) are arranged such that a rollable / unrollable protective net 14 is arranged on each side of the row R in order to substantially completely physically protect the plants 12 when the protective nets 14 are at least partially unrolled.

Claims

1. A protection system (10) for the physical protection of plants (12), in particular of a plurality of plants (12) arranged in a row (R), and their flowers and / or fruiting heads (12f), comprising at least one protective net (14); at least one rotary shaft (16); wherein the protective net (14) is fastened to the rotary shaft (16) with a first net edge region (14u), in particular a first net edge, and is fastened to a carrier element (18) with a second net edge region (14o), in particular a second net edge, which carrier element (18) is arranged in an upper region or above the plants (12) and is connected to at least one pole-like support (20), such that the protective net (14) can be unrolled from the rotary shaft (16) from top to bottom or can be rolled up onto the rotary shaft (16) from bottom to top as required, characterized in that the protection system (10) has a plurality of boom devices (22) which are indirectly connected to the rotary shaft (16) at a first, in particular outer, end (24) and are rotatably mounted on a respective pole-like support (20) at a second, in particular inner, end (26), such that the rotary shaft (16) can be moved along an arcuate path (BB) during unrolling / rolling up, in that a guide sleeve (50) is attached to the first end (24) of a respective boom device (22), in which guide sleeve (50) the rotary shaft (16) is received, wherein the guide sleeve (50) has an outlet opening (52) over its entire axial length, through which outlet opening (52) the protective net (14) extends, and in that the guide sleeve (50) has a concave sleeve portion (56) which surrounds the rotary shaft (16), except in the region of the outlet opening (52), wherein a convex net guide portion (58) adjoins the concave sleeve portion (56) on that side of the guide sleeve (50) which faces the boom device (22).

2. The protection system (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the outlet opening (52) is dimensioned such that the rotary shaft (16) can be inserted, in particular clipped, into the guide sleeve (50) through the outlet opening (52), in particular when the protective net is completely or at least 80% unrolled.

3. The protection system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outlet opening (52), in relation to a cross section through the guide sleeve (50), has a dimension of approximately π / 6 rad to π / 3 rad in the circumferential direction.

4. The protection system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the convex net guide portion (58) forms an edge of the outlet opening (52).

5. The protection system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary shaft (16) has a hexagonal profile.

6. The protection system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electrically driven motor (30) is fastened to a first end (24) of a respective boom device (20), which motor (30) is coupled to the rotary shaft (16) and is configured to set the rotary shaft (16) in rotation or to hold the rotary shaft (16) in a desired position, wherein in particular the motor (30) is coupled in the axial direction (AR) of the rotary shaft (16) to two rotary shaft portions (16-1, 16-2) which extend in opposite directions and which jointly form the entire rotary shaft (16).

7. The protection system (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the motor (30) can be moved on the arcuate path (BB).

8. The protection system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that, in relation to an overall length of the rotary shaft (16), it has at least two boom devices (22) with respective guide sleeves (50) and at least one boom device (20) with a motor (30), wherein the motor (30) is arranged along the rotary shaft (16) between two guide sleeves (50).

9. The protection system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it has a control unit (40) which is configured to control the motor (30) in order to unroll or roll up the protective net (14) or to hold it in a specific protective position, wherein in particular the control unit (40) is configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile terminal (42) or / and with a server unit (44), such that the control unit (40) receives input data from the mobile terminal (42) and / or the server unit (44), and the control unit (40) is further configured to control the motor (30) as a function of the received input data.

10. The protection system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the electrical energy supply of the protection system (10), in particular of the motor (30) and of the control unit (40), lies in the extra-low voltage region and is provided by at least one photovoltaic generating unit (46) and at least one electrical storage unit (48).

11. The protection system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is arranged along a row (R) of a plurality of plants (12), wherein a plurality of pole-like supports (20) is arranged in the row (R) and two boom devices (22) are arranged on each pole-like support (20), such that a protective net (14) which can be rolled up / unrolled is arranged on each side of the row (R), in order to provide substantially complete physical protection to the plants (12) when the protective nets (14) are at least partially unrolled.

12. A retrofit kit for an existing protection system according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the retrofit kit comprises: a plurality of boom devices (22) with a first end (24) and a second end (26); a plurality of guide sleeves (50) which can be connected or are connected to the first end (24) of a respective boom device (22) and in which the rotary shaft (16) of the existing protection system can be received, wherein the guide sleeve (50) has a concave sleeve portion (56) which surrounds the rotary shaft (16), except in the region of an outlet opening (52), wherein a convex net guide portion (58) adjoins the concave sleeve portion (56) on that side of the guide sleeve (50) which faces the boom device (22); a plurality of connecting joints which can be connected or are connected to the second end (26) of a respective boom device (22) and which can be connected to a respective pole-like support (20) of the existing protection system; at least one electrically driven motor (30) which can be connected or is connected to the first end (24) of a respective boom device (22) and which can be connected to the rotary shaft (16) of the existing protection system; and at least one control unit (40) which is configured to control the motor.

13. The retrofit kit according to claim 12, characterized in that it comprises a photovoltaic generating unit (46) and at least one electrical storage unit (48).