Cultivation Trough Stabilizer for Transport Tilting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cultivation troughs and transport systems in horticultural cultivation systems face challenges in maintaining stability, particularly as plants grow and become heavier, leading to tilting and tipping issues that result in crop loss and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The cultivation trough and transport system incorporate a stabilizer that encloses and engages with the flange of the transport system, preventing tilting by maintaining the cultivation trough's stability during transport and growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the cultivation trough is designed without a stabilizer, then the device complexity is reduced, but the stability of the cultivation trough deteriorates leading to tilting and tipping
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer is divided into distinct functional segments: a stabilizing element that contacts the flange, and a hook element that engages with the flange. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall structure manageable and not overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizer is positioned within the cultivation trough structure, with the stabilizing element extending downward to contact the flange and the hook element nesting around the flange. This nested arrangement provides stability without adding significant external complexity to the overall trough design.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cultivation trough is made wider to improve stability, then the stability is improved, but the area efficiency of greenhouse space utilization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the width (horizontal dimension) of the cultivation trough to improve stability, the invention introduces a vertical dimension solution through the stabilizer that extends downward to contact the flange. This vertical stabilization mechanism provides the needed stability without increasing the horizontal footprint, thereby maintaining efficient greenhouse space utilization.
3Ease of operation
If the transport system moves the cultivation trough without a stabilizer, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of the transport system deteriorates due to tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer is designed to automatically engage with the flange during the transport process. As the cultivation trough is placed on the transport system, the stabilizing element naturally contacts the flange surface and the hook element engages with the flange, providing self-stabilization without requiring additional manual intervention or complex operational procedures. This maintains ease of operation while significantly improving reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cultivation trough (200) comprising at least one elongate receptacle (219) extending in a longitudinal direction and configured to receive one or more of crops, water and substrate, wherein the cultivation trough (200) is configured to be transportable by a transport system (100) in a transport direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the cultivation trough (200), and wherein the cultivation trough (200) comprises a stabilizer (217) configured to engage with a tilt support (321,322) of the transport system (100) to thereby stabilize the cultivation trough (200) to prevent tilting thereof. Moreover, the present disclosure relates to a transport system (100) configured to transport a plurality of cultivation troughs (200) in a transport direction transverse to longitudinal directions of the cultivation troughs (200), wherein the transport system (100) comprises a tilt support (321,322) configured to engage with one or more of respective stabilizers (217) of each of the plurality of cultivation troughs (200), to thereby stabilize the cultivation troughs (200) to prevent tilting thereof. Lastly, the present disclosure relates to a method comprising usage of the here above cultivation trough (200) and/or transport system (100).