Modular Vegetated Wall with Removable Plant Baskets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing green wall technologies face challenges in plant installation at heights, limited plant variety and renewal, exposure to weather, and inadequate insulation and sound absorption.
Innovation Solution
A green wall system using removable, easy-to-fix baskets with open mesh substrates for pre-cultivation, allowing for selection and combination of plants, integrated irrigation, and easy replacement, along with a design that provides thermal and sound insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If plants are cultivated after placement of constituent elements on the wall, then the wall structure is simplified, but plant installation becomes difficult at great heights and may fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by cultivating plants in modular cassettes on the ground before mounting them on the wall. This allows plants to be grown and prepared in advance at ground level, avoiding the difficulty of planting at great heights. The cassettes are pre-filled with substrate and plants, then simply installed on the wall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall is divided into modular cassettes that can be independently prepared, handled, and installed. Each cassette is a self-contained unit with its own substrate and plants, making it easy to transport and install without complex operations at height. Failed cassettes can be replaced individually without affecting the entire wall.
2Device complexity
If plants are cultivated after wall installation, then initial setup is simpler, but plant variety and renewal are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic renewal of plants by allowing cassettes to be easily removed and replaced. Different plant varieties can be installed in different seasons, and plants can be renewed when they complete their growth cycle. This transforms the static green wall into a dynamic system that adapts to seasonal and aesthetic requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cassette types with different plant varieties can be prepared in advance for different seasons. This allows for planned variety changes and renewals without complicating the initial wall installation, as all plant selection and preparation occurs before mounting.
3Ease of operation
If front openings are provided in cassettes for plant access, then plant installation is easier, but plants and substrates are exposed to weather attack
Solution Approach 1:
Plants are installed in cassettes at ground level where they can be easily accessed and handled during preparation. Once the cassettes are sealed and ready, they are mounted on the wall where they are protected from direct weather exposure. The front opening is only needed during ground-level preparation, not during wall service.
Solution Approach 2:
The cassette design separates the installation phase (with front opening for access) from the service phase (closed and protected on the wall). This segmentation allows easy plant installation during preparation while protecting plants from weather once mounted.
4Device complexity
If the same plant variety is used throughout the wall, then installation is simpler, but the ability to vary plant qualities and mix cultivation cycles is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The wall is segmented into multiple independent cassettes that can each contain different plant varieties. This segmentation allows for variation in plant qualities and cultivation cycles across the wall while maintaining simple installation procedures for each individual cassette unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The cassette design provides a universal platform that can accommodate multiple plant varieties and types. Each cassette is standardized for easy installation, but the content can be varied to achieve different aesthetic effects, scents, and cultivation cycles throughout the wall.
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
Enables perfect installation of developed plants on walls, easy plant renewal, and enhanced insulation and sound absorption, accommodating various climates and seasons with reduced maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
The support consists of a preferably planar structure which can be constituted by a rigid metal mesh, by a mesh, by a support made of wood, terracotta or synthetic material... leaves an air gap
Implementation Method 2
the vegetated wall according to the invention... offers to the outside a non-reverberating absorbent surface, which is a sound insulator
Data Source
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AI summary
The inventive vegetated wall comprises supports arranged on a wall to be covered or at a small distance therefrom, an integrated irrigation system and a plurality of open mesh baskets which are provided with a vegetable culture substrate arranged therein and which are removably associated with said supports in such a way that the baskets are enabled to be displaceable.