Adjustable Modular Plant Protection Enclosure for Ice and Wind
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant protection systems are often permanent, complex, expensive, unstable, and difficult to deploy or adjust, failing to effectively protect plants from ice and wind damage without causing additional stress or harm.
Innovation Solution
A modular, adjustable plant protection apparatus with a framework of longitudinally and transversely extending members forming rigid structures, anchored to the ground, and covered with removable fabric to enclose plants, allowing for easy deployment and scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permanent protection system is installed, then plant protection reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protection system is divided into multiple independent panels that can be assembled together to form an enclosure around the plant. Each panel is a separate, manageable component that can be easily installed and removed, avoiding the need for a complex permanent structure while maintaining protection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses adjustable-length members that can be modified as the plant grows, transforming a static permanent structure into a dynamic adaptable one. This allows the same system to serve multiple plants at different growth stages without requiring multiple fixed installations.
2Reliability
If a heat transfer system is used to protect plants, then protection effectiveness is improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heat transfer system entirely from the protection apparatus, keeping only the physical enclosure structure. The covering material provides passive thermal protection without requiring active heating or ground heat extraction systems, dramatically simplifying the overall system while maintaining protection effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If a single-point attachment system is used, then ease of installation is improved, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple ground contact points distributed around the plant base. This multi-point attachment provides stable anchoring while keeping each individual attachment point simple and easy to install, avoiding the need for complex single-point mechanisms.
4Ease of manufacture
If a fixed-size protection structure is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The structure incorporates adjustable-length members that can be extended or shortened to accommodate plants of different sizes and growth stages. This maintains manufacturing simplicity by using standardized components while achieving adaptability through variable configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The same panel and member components can be used to protect multiple plants at different sizes by reconfiguring the assembly. A single set of components serves universal protection needs across various plant stages, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-size structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an adjustable protective enclosure for trees or shrubs, comprising: a first enclosing portion having a upper region, and a lower region adapted to contact the ground, and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending panels, each panel comprising a plurality first longitudinal members and a plurality of first transverse members, wherein the first longitudinal members and the first transverse members of a panel are attached to one another to form one or more first rigid frameworks; at least a portion of the longitudinal members or at least a portion of the transverse members, or both, are adjustable in length; each panel is adjustably attached to two adjacent panels to enclose one or more trees or shrubs; a second enclosing portion attached to the first enclosing portion in the upper region thereof, and comprising a plurality of second longitudinal members and a one or more second transverse members, wherein the second longitudinal members and second transverse members form one or more second rigid frameworks; a first covering removably disposed around the first enclosing portion; a second covering removably disposed around the second enclosing portion.