Modular Grow Tower Cart Lowering Lift Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current crop growth technologies face challenges in efficiently managing the movement and positioning of carts within modular grow towers, which affects crop growth and harvesting efficiency, particularly in scenarios where land is limited and precise control over crop conditions is necessary.
Innovation Solution
A modular grow tower system featuring a plurality of body frames with subframe supports and lift frames, equipped with lowering lift mechanisms that pull and push carts in a serpentine or customizable path, utilizing engagement mechanisms and synchronized lift mechanisms to ensure efficient cart movement and crop management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional cart movement systems are used in modular grow towers, then the structure remains simple, but cart movement efficiency and positioning precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the grow tower into multiple body frames with subframe supports, and the cart movement system into multiple independent lowering lift mechanisms. Each mechanism handles specific cart transfer operations between subframe supports, enabling efficient cart movement while maintaining modular system architecture that avoids excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lowering lift mechanisms serve multiple functions: they transfer carts between subframe supports, maintain cart engagement through the serpentine path, and enable precise positioning. This multi-functionality improves cart movement efficiency without requiring separate specialized mechanisms for each operation, thus avoiding increased system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If carts move in fixed paths, then the system is simple to operate, but adaptability to different crop management needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a serpentine movement path that dynamically adapts to different crop management requirements. The engagement mechanisms allow carts to traverse through body frames in a flexible pattern, enabling the system to accommodate various crop growth stages and harvesting schedules while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized mechanism repetition.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple carts share subframe supports simultaneously, then space utilization improves, but cart positioning precision and control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The lowering lift mechanisms act as intermediaries between carts and subframe supports. They provide controlled engagement and disengagement points, ensuring that even when multiple carts share subframe supports, each cart maintains precise positioning through the mediated interaction with the lift mechanisms, preventing positioning conflicts while maximizing space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure presents systems and related methods for lowering a cart in a modular grow tower assembly. One such system comprise a plurality of body frames, each having multiple subframe supports arranged in parallel in a vertical direction, and a plurality of lift frames positioned at opposite ends of the body frames. The system further includes a plurality of carts, each cart comprising at least a plurality of wheels for traversing the subframe supports; a tray to support growing of crop material; or an engagement mechanism such that the carts remain in contact with adjacent carts as they traverse the subframe supports and become disengaged when the cart is moved vertically by a lowering lift mechanism. The system also includes a plurality of lowering lift mechanisms confined within the lift frames that are configured to pull, lower, and push one of the carts.