Movable Cultivation Rack for Balanced Harvesting and LED Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multistage plant cultivation systems face challenges in securing horizontal balance during harvesting, require excessive manpower, and suffer from inefficient energy use due to fixed vertical spacings between plant cultivation units and LEDs, leading to low productivity and energy inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a driving unit, wire transfer units, and vertical gutter holder spacing adjustment units allows for adjustable vertical spacings between plant cultivation units and gutter holders, enabling plants to be harvested in a natural posture without ladders and adjusting LED spacing based on plant growth stages to enhance energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a ladder or lift is installed to harvest plants on upper stages, then workers can reach upper-stage plants, but it causes inconvenience and requires excessive manpower and work time
Solution Approach 1:
The plant cultivation unit is made movable through a rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by a motor. The cultivation unit can be dynamically lowered to the ground for harvesting and raised back to its elevated position, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that adapts to harvesting needs without requiring ladders or lifts
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an automatic motor-driven rack-and-pinion mechanism to lower and raise the cultivation unit, eliminating the need for manual operation of ladders or lifts. The motor automatically controls the vertical movement, making the system self-serving and reducing human labor requirements
2Ease of operation
If the plant cultivation unit is lowered to the ground for harvesting, then workers can harvest in natural posture, but the unit must be raised back to maintain multistage structure
Solution Approach 1:
The cultivation unit is designed with dynamic vertical movement capability through the rack-and-pinion mechanism, allowing it to be lowered to ground level for harvesting and automatically raised back to its elevated position, enabling repeated cycles of harvesting without permanent structural change
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical system of ladders or lifts is replaced with an automatic motor-driven rack-and-pinion mechanism that electronically controls the vertical movement of the cultivation unit, reducing manual intervention and time requirements
3Device complexity
If a single rack is installed on the plant cultivation unit, then the structure is simple, but the center of gravity shifts under load causing imbalance and requiring reinstallation
Solution Approach 1:
The single rack structure is segmented into two separate racks positioned on opposite sides of the cultivation unit. This segmentation distributes the load symmetrically, preventing center of gravity shifts and maintaining horizontal balance even when plants are stacked on the floor
Solution Approach 2:
The dual rack configuration creates a symmetric load distribution system that counteracts asymmetric loading conditions. When plants are stacked on one side, the opposing rack provides counterbalancing support, maintaining overall horizontal equilibrium
4Stability of the object's composition
If vertical spacing between plant cultivation units is fixed, then the structure is stable, but energy efficiency decreases when plants are at different growth stages
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed vertical spacing is transformed into a dynamic, adjustable spacing system. The rack-and-pinion mechanism enables independent vertical adjustment of cultivation units, allowing the spacing between units and between LEDs and plants to be modified according to plant growth stages, optimizing LED energy efficiency while maintaining structural stability
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical spacing parameter is changed from a fixed value to an adjustable parameter. The system allows modification of the vertical distance between cultivation units and between LEDs and plants by operating the motor-driven rack mechanism, adapting to different plant growth requirements
5Adaptability or versatility
If the spacing between LEDs and plants is increased for tall plants, then plant growth is accommodated, but energy efficiency decreases due to greater distance
Solution Approach 1:
The LED spacing is made dynamic through the adjustable rack system. As plants grow taller, the cultivation unit can be lowered to maintain optimal LED-to-plant distance, preventing energy loss while accommodating continued plant growth. This dynamic adjustment ensures energy efficiency throughout the entire growth cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows preliminary adjustment of the cultivation unit position before plants reach maximum height. By proactively lowering the unit as plants grow, the optimal LED spacing is maintained throughout the growth process, preventing energy loss rather than correcting it after the fact
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 apparatus improves productivity by allowing easy harvesting and minimizes manpower while optimizing energy use by adjusting LED spacing to promote plant growth and reduce energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a pinion gear (3), an upper rack (4) installed on the upper part of the pinion gear (3), and a lower rack (5) installed on the lower part of the pinion gear (3)
Implementation Method 2
wire transfer units (200) connected to the driving unit (100)
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an apparatus for adjusting vertical spacings between plant cultivation units and gutter holders movable up and down, that, when growing plants in a multistage structure of 3-7 stages in height using sunlight or LED light in a greenhouse or a general commercial structure, allows workers to harvest the plants in an upper-stage plant cultivation unit in a natural posture by lowering the cultivation unit to the floor while maintaining horizontal balance without using a height-adjusting lift or a ladder to improve productivity and maximize manpower saving effects, and adjusts a vertical spacing between cultivation beds in the early stage of plant cultivation and at harvest time to promote growth of the plant and improve energy efficiency.