Crop Cover Installation Using Ridge and Valley Cable Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective cover systems for crop fields are laborious and expensive to install and remove, as they require lifting covering bands over tautened cables and attaching cables to stakes in a non-removable manner, making seasonal replacement economically unviable.
Innovation Solution
A method for installing and removing a protective cover system over a crop field involves initially disposing ridge lines at a lower level than valley lines, with covering bands passing over ridge lines and under valley lines. The ridge lines are then raised and anchored at the upper ends of stakes, allowing for easy removal by releasing the ridge lines and compacting or extracting the covering bands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If covering bands are attached to tautened cables in a non-removable manner, then the cover structure is strong and stable, but the installation and removal process becomes extremely laborious and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The cover system is divided into modular components: stakes with detachable cable attachments, covering bands that can be independently installed and removed, and tautened cables that serve as temporary supports. This segmentation allows the cover to be assembled and disassembled efficiently while maintaining structural integrity during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable attachment mechanism transitions from a static non-removable connection to a dynamic detachable connection. The cables are attached to stakes in a manner that allows quick attachment and detachment, enabling the covering bands to be installed by simply lifting them over the cables and secured, then easily removed when needed.
2Ease of operation
If covering bands are simply supported on top of cables, then installation is facilitated, but the cover becomes vulnerable to wind lifting and premature wear
Solution Approach 1:
The cables are pre-tautened between stakes before the covering bands are installed. This preliminary action creates a stable, tensioned framework that prevents wind from lifting the covering bands and reduces vibration against the cables, thereby preventing premature wear while maintaining easy installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the cables is changed from loose to tautened through pre-tensioning. This parameter change increases the stiffness and stability of the cable framework, providing adequate wind resistance and reducing contact friction between the covering bands and cables, thus preventing premature wear.
3Reliability
If ridge lines are attached to stakes at the upper ends, then the cover structure is stable, but seasonal removal and replacement becomes economically unviable
Solution Approach 1:
The ridge lines are segmented into detachable sections that can be independently attached and detached from the stakes. This allows the covering bands to be removed seasonally by simply detaching the ridge lines from the stakes, while the stakes and cable framework remain in place for rapid reinstallation the following season.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment of ridge lines to stakes is made dynamic and reversible rather than permanent. This allows the system to transition between a stable configured state during use and a disassembled state for seasonal removal, enabling economically viable seasonal replacement of covering bands.
4Area of stationary object
If covering bands are laid out in an undulated path over peaks and valleys, then the cover provides large coverage area, but the installation process becomes extremely laborious
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of laying out covering bands in a complex undulated path over peaks and valleys, the invention inverts the approach by creating a flat or gently sloped framework of tautened cables between stakes. The covering bands are then simply laid over this simplified framework, dramatically reducing installation labor while maintaining adequate coverage area.
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
This method facilitates the efficient installation and removal of protective covers, reducing labor and costs while allowing for quick and simple attachment and detachment of ridge lines from stake supports, enabling seasonal replacement without significant expense.
Implementation Method 1
The protective cover system will typically be used to generate a greenhouse effect by increasing the temperature in the crop field, by means of a cover that is transparent to sunlight
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention proposes a method for the installation of a protective cover for crop fields, comprising the disposition of a matrix of vertical stakes (30), locating a plurality of horizontal valley lines (10) tautened at a first level (A1) interspersed between the rows of stakes; locating a number of horizontal ridge lines coinciding with the rows of stakes at a lower level of installation (A0) than that of the first level (A1); disposing horizontally a number of transversal covering bands (40) passing over the ridge lines (20) and under the valley lines (10); raising the ridge lines (20) to a second level (A2) higher than the first level (A1) and attaching the same to a number of supports (31) on the stakes (30), tautening the covering bands (40) forming a zigzag.