Expandable Plant Container for Root Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vertical farming systems face high energy consumption due to lighting and air conditioning, and complex automated plant separation processes often damage plants during relocation.
Innovation Solution
A transportable plant container with a foldable, modular planting surface that adapts to plant growth phases, allowing for increased plant density and efficient use of space, while minimizing root damage during relocation by maintaining plants in the same opening throughout the growth phase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If plants are densely planted in containers to save space and reduce energy consumption per plant, then energy efficiency improves, but plants shade each other and require separation as they grow
Solution Approach 1:
The planting container features an expandable bottom that can dynamically change volume as plants grow. The bottom comprises multiple expandable elements that can be adjusted to increase container capacity, allowing the same container to accommodate plants at different growth stages without requiring relocation or separation.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple expandable elements are nested within the container bottom structure. These elements can be sequentially deployed or expanded, creating a nested configuration that maximizes space utilization during early growth phases and provides progressive expansion capacity as plants require more volume.
2Productivity
If automated robots are used to separate and relocate plants as they grow, then productivity is maintained, but plant roots are damaged during the relocation process
Solution Approach 1:
The container bottom dynamically expands to provide continuous growth space, eliminating the need for automated separation and relocation operations. Plants remain in the same container throughout their growth cycle, with the container adapting its volume rather than requiring plant movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the need for complex automated separation systems by providing an inherent expansion mechanism within the container itself. The problem of plant relocation is eliminated by taking out the requirement for plant separation entirely.
3Device complexity
If the planting container volume is fixed, then device complexity is reduced, but the container becomes too small as plants grow requiring separation
Solution Approach 1:
The container transforms from a static fixed-volume structure to a dynamic expandable structure. The bottom expansion mechanism adds functionality without significantly increasing overall device complexity, as the expansion elements are integrated into the existing container framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The container bottom is segmented into multiple expandable elements that can independently or collectively expand. This segmentation allows for controlled volume increase while maintaining structural integrity and relatively simple overall design.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 2a~5c
Figure 6
AI summary
Device and method for growing plants (3), comprising at least one planting area (2) which has several parallel folds (4) in the planting area (2), wherein a plurality of spaced openings (9) are provided in the planting area (2) into which the plants (3) can be inserted, wherein the device is designed as a planting container (1) in the interior of which a foldable planting area (2) is arranged.