Elastic Deployment Arms for Rapid Plant Cover Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant protection installations for rows of plants, such as vines, are limited by the inability to rapidly deploy protective covers, are prone to damage from wind, and often require manual operation which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A plant protection installation featuring vertical posts with a framework that can be deployed or retracted, equipped with elastic deployment arms and a flexible protective cover that can be quickly deployed and folded using a motorized winding shaft, ensuring rapid coverage and protection of plants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual installation and removal of protective sheets is used, then the structure is simple, but the operation is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is equipped with elastic deployment arms that automatically extend to deploy the cover and retract to fold it, enabling the system to perform its own covering and uncovering operations without manual intervention. The elastic arms store potential energy during folding and release it during deployment, creating a self-service mechanism that resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and operational speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The framework transitions from a static manual system to a dynamic automated system using elastic deployment arms that can rapidly extend and retract. This dynamic mechanism allows the protective cover to be deployed and folded quickly in response to weather changes, significantly improving productivity while maintaining relatively simple structural components.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid longitudinal rails are used to hold covers on arms, then the covers are securely positioned, but they are subject to fluttering and turning over under wind effect
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover itself acts as a flexible element that can adapt to wind loads without rigid support structures. By eliminating rigid longitudinal rails and using the flexible cover combined with elastic deployment arms, the system reduces wind catch area and allows the cover to flex naturally with wind forces, preventing fluttering and turning over while maintaining secure positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive and complex rigid rail systems with simpler, more flexible components that can withstand wind loads through flexibility rather than rigidity. The elastic deployment arms and flexible cover work together to create a reliable system that is less susceptible to wind-induced failures.
3Device complexity
If the framework is manually deployed, then the structure is simple, but the deployment speed is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic deployment arms are pre-loaded with potential energy in the folded position. When deployment is needed, this stored energy is rapidly released, causing the arms to extend quickly and deploy the protective cover almost instantaneously. This preliminary energy storage mechanism enables rapid deployment without complex motorized systems, maintaining structural simplicity while achieving high deployment speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static manual deployment to dynamic elastic-driven deployment. The elastic arms provide rapid motion through their elastic properties, allowing the framework to respond quickly to weather changes while keeping the overall mechanism relatively simple.
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 installation provides rapid and reliable protection for plants against bad weather and frost, with the elastic deployment arms absorbing wind impacts and the motorized system ensuring quick deployment and folding, thus minimizing damage and labor.
Implementation Method 1
equipped with elastic deployment arms and a flexible protective cover that can be quickly deployed and folded
Implementation Method 2
motorized winding shaft, ensuring rapid coverage and protection of plants
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for protecting plants cultivated in rows, comprising vertical posts (1) carrying a deployable and retractable frame (2) on which a protective cover (4) is installed. The frame is formed of modules (20), each of which is carried by a post and comprises at least one deployment arm (201d, 201g) which is secured to the post so as to be angularly movable. The apparatus comprises a means (3) for moving the frame (2) between the deployed and retracted positions. Each frame module (20) comprises a guiding head (200) provided to guide the moving means (3), and the or each deployment arm is biased towards the deployment position of the frame by resilient return forces. The moving means comprises, in particular, a winding shaft (32) associated with an anti-lift means (6). The apparatus can be formed by sections of covers wound onto winding shaft sections that are coupled to one another.