Movable Wire Fastening Device for Grape Vines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for fastening movable wires on grape vines require significant labor and resources, limit the ability to manage canopy growth effectively, and can cause damage to plants during the training process, as they often necessitate multiple operators, complex operations, and restricted vertical movement of wires.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device with guide means and wire mounting means that allows for independent adjustment of movable wires along transverse displacement paths, enabling a single operator to change wire heights without tools, and allowing wires to pass each other without interfering with fixed wires or poles, thus facilitating efficient canopy management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal chains with coupling devices are used to fasten movable wires to head poles, then the wires can be securely fastened, but the operation requires at least two persons and involves considerable physical labour and long working times
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is divided into independent modular components: a fastening device that attaches to the head pole and separate wire tensioning devices that can be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows each component to be operated separately, enabling one person to manage the entire system efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire tensioning devices are designed to be self-adjusting through mechanical advantage mechanisms. The system allows operators to easily tighten or loosen wires using simple hand operations on the tensioning devices themselves, eliminating the need for complex coupling/uncoupling operations and reducing the number of persons required.
2Ease of operation
If elastic compensation devices are used to allow single-person operation, then physical labour is reduced, but the movable wires form oblique portions that prevent proper canopy management in the area between head poles and first intermediate poles
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening device incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through wire tensioning devices that can be independently positioned at various heights along the head pole. This dynamic positioning system allows the movable wires to maintain proper alignment with the ground and intermediate poles throughout the adjustment range, enabling effective canopy management while still allowing single-person operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds vertical dimensionality to the wire positioning by allowing wire tensioning devices to be mounted at different heights on the head pole. This vertical adjustment capability enables the wires to reach intermediate poles at appropriate heights, eliminating the oblique positioning problem while maintaining ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wire tensioning devices are slidingly coupled to head poles to enable vertical displacement, then movable wires can be repositioned, but the friction and tension make the operation laborious and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The wire tensioning devices incorporate mechanical advantage mechanisms that counteract the friction and tension forces. By using lever arms or pulley systems, a small input force from the operator can overcome the large friction forces in the sliding coupling, making the repositioning operation simple and requiring minimal effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediary mechanical elements between the wire tensioning devices and the head pole that reduce direct friction contact. These intermediaries may include low-friction bearings, rollers, or lubricated surfaces that mediate the sliding motion, significantly reducing the operational force required while maintaining vertical repositioning capability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If movable wires are fastened to head poles at fixed positions, then the fastening is stable, but the wires cannot be moved to different heights to accommodate growing canopy
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system transitions from a static fixed-position design to a dynamic adjustable design. Wire tensioning devices can be moved along the head pole to different heights and securely locked in place, providing both stability when positioned and adaptability for height changes as the canopy grows throughout the season.
Solution Approach 2:
The head pole fastening system is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides stable anchoring for the movable wires, allows vertical repositioning at different heights, and maintains tension control. This multi-functional design enables the same fastening mechanism to accommodate both stability requirements and height adjustment needs throughout the growing season.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for fastening movable wires on a row of plants, in particular grape vines.A fastening device for movable wires (F′, F″) of a row of plants according to the invention includes connecting means (1, 201, 301, 401) suitable to arrange said device in proximity of a head pole (PE) of said row, guide means (2) and a plurality of mounting means (3) of a wire slidingly connected to said guide means (2). The device is characterized in that said guide means (2) include a plurality of guide portions (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D) that define a corresponding plurality of displacement paths of said movable wires (F′, F″) distributed on opposite sides of the row, said displacement paths being oriented transversally relative to the direction of extension of said movable wires (F′, F″), and in that said mounting means (3) are designed to receive a single movable wire (F′, F″) so that each one of said movable wires (F′, F″) is independently displaceable along one of said displacement paths.