Antimicrobial Plant Drying Hanger with Latching Separator Bar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drying and curing apparatuses are not suited for drying and curing all parts of plants, such as new bud growth, and conventional hangers lack anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties, leading to potential mold, fungus, or bacteria growth and inefficient material handling.
Innovation Solution
A hanging apparatus with a latching feature and plant separators made from materials with anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial characteristics, designed to maintain proper spacing and facilitate easy loading and unloading of plant material to prevent contamination and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional plastic clothes hangers are used for drying plant material, then the hangers are inexpensive and readily available, but they lack anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties leading to potential contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the hanger from conventional plastic to antimicrobial materials (such as treated wood, metal with antimicrobial coating, or antimicrobial polymers). This parameter change directly addresses the harmful factor of microbial contamination while maintaining the basic hanger function, resolving the contradiction between material properties and ease of manufacture.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If plant material is hung without separators, then the drying apparatus is simpler, but plant sections slide together creating high humidity zones that promote mold and fungus growth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the continuous hanger bar into segmented sections by introducing separators at regular intervals. These separators create discrete drying zones that prevent plant material from sliding together, eliminating high humidity zones and the associated mold and fungus growth risk. The segmentation adds necessary complexity to prevent harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The separators act as intermediary elements between plant sections, maintaining proper spacing and preventing direct contact between adjacent plant material. This intermediary structure ensures adequate air circulation and prevents the formation of high humidity zones, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and prevention of microbial growth.
3Ease of operation
If dried plant material is removed from the hanger bar, then the drying process is complete, but removal is difficult due to size and unbalancing of the material on the bar
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a latch mechanism that is engaged during the drying process to secure plant material on the hanger bar. Before removal is needed, the latch is released, allowing the plant material to be easily slid off the bar. This preliminary action of engaging and disengaging the latch simplifies the removal process and reduces the time and effort required.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger bar is designed with the ability to tilt or rotate, allowing it to shift from a horizontal drying position to a tilted removal position. This dynamic adjustment enables dried plant material to slide off easily under gravity, significantly improving ease of operation and reducing removal time compared to a fixed horizontal bar.
4Ease of operation
If a latching feature is added to facilitate easy loading and unloading, then operational ease is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is designed to be self-latching during the drying process, automatically securing the plant material on the hanger bar without requiring continuous attention. For release, a simple manual action (such as pulling a release tab or flipping a lever) disengages the latch. This self-service approach maximizes ease of operation while minimizing the complexity of the latching mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A plant curing and drying hanger apparatus for use with harvested plant material which includes a primary frame, a plant support bar and one or more separators arranged to space from one another plant sections positioned on the support bar. The plant support bar is hingedly coupled to the primary frame. A latch releasably joins the plant support bar to one end of the primary frame so that an end of the plant support bar can be dropped away from the primary frame to enable the insertion and removal of plant sections into the spaces between adjacent separators to allow for effective plant drying and efficient loading and unloading of plant material without damaging the product.