Adjustable Plant Collar Support for Stable Potted Stems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing potted plant stabilizing devices, such as wooden stakes with ties, are cumbersome, often require repositioning, and provide inadequate support, risking plant damage and instability, especially for plants growing beyond their pots.
Innovation Solution
A potted plant stabilizing device featuring a hard plastic or metal collar with adjustable diameter and detachable legs, providing 360-degree support through a collar arrangement with projections and telescoping legs for secure attachment to pots of varying dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wooden stake with ties is used to support the plant, then the plant can be supported, but the device is cumbersome to install and often needs to be repositioned
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing device is divided into separate components: a collar that fits around the plant stem and detachable legs that connect to the pot rim. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easy assembly and disassembly without requiring complex installation procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates adjustable elements including telescoping legs with locking mechanisms and an expandable collar structure. These dynamic features enable the device to adapt to different plant sizes and pot dimensions, maintaining stability while allowing for easy repositioning and adjustment as the plant grows
2Reliability
If a stake-and-tie system is used, then support is provided, but it only provides support on one or two sides of the plant
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple support legs are combined with a central collar structure that encircles the plant stem. This merging of components creates a unified 360-degree support system that distributes support forces evenly around the plant, eliminating the need for multiple separate stakes while reducing overall structural complexity
3Strength
If the collar is made from hard plastic or metal, then firm support is provided, but the collar needs to be adjustable to accommodate different trunk diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is designed with expandable and contractible features that allow it to dynamically adjust its diameter. The collar can be expanded to accommodate larger plant stems and contracted for smaller stems, while maintaining sufficient structural strength through its rigid material construction and geometric design
Solution Approach 2:
The collar's key parameter (diameter) is made variable through mechanical expansion and contraction mechanisms. This allows the same collar structure to adapt to different plant sizes by changing its dimensional parameters without requiring multiple different collar sizes
4Force
If the gripping arms are pressed onto the rim, then increased gripping force is generated, but the arms need to be temporarily deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping arms are constructed from resilient material that allows temporary deformation during installation. This flexibility enables the arms to be easily pressed onto the pot rim and then spring back to their original shape, generating strong gripping force without requiring excessive installation effort or special tools
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device offers firm, adjustable support to potted plants, minimizing damage and ensuring stability by accommodating varying trunk diameters and growth, while allowing easy installation and repositioning without damaging the plant.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the gripping arms includes a resilient material to permit the gripping arms to be temporarily deformed and spread apart upon placement of the gripping structure on a rim of a pot to generate increased gripping force
Data Source
AI summary
A potted plant stabilizing device includes a collar arrangement and legs. The collar arrangement is designed to fit around and hold a trunk or stem of a potted plant in an upright, stable position. The legs are designed to detachably connect the collar arrangement to a rim of a pot to minimize or prevent displacement of the collar arrangement. The collar arrangement includes a collar, which is made at least in part from a hard plastic or metal material or combination thereof. The collar is adjustable between a minimum and maximum diameter to accommodate trunks or stems of potted plants of different diameters.