Nestable Plastic Double Tray for Damage-Free Seedling Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seed sowing and seedling transplantation methods using expanded polystyrene trays face difficulties in plant extraction due to root anchoring, leading to root damage and increased infection risk, and are costly and non-recyclable, with existing solutions either failing to address extraction issues or increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
A plastic double tray system comprising a top tray for sowing or transplantation and a bottom supporting tray with a reverse negative shape and additional surrounding wall, made from PP, PS, or PET, forming an impenetrable and recyclable system that allows easy plant extraction through drain holes and reduces transport and storage volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If expanded polystyrene trays are used for seed sowing and seedling transplantation, then the trays provide adequate support and volume for plant growth, but roots anchor into the tray body making plant extraction difficult and causing root damage
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is divided into two separate components: a removable top tray that contains the plants and substrate, and a bottom tray that provides support. This segmentation allows the top tray to be easily removed with plants intact, preventing root damage during extraction while maintaining adequate support functionality through the bottom tray.
2Ease of operation
If insert trays are placed inside expanded polystyrene trays to prevent root anchoring, then plant extraction becomes easier, but the sowing or transplantation line is troubled and tray cost significantly increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding insert trays inside existing trays, the solution segments the tray into two functional parts from the beginning: a top removable tray and a bottom support tray. This avoids the complexity of nested structures while achieving easy plant extraction.
3Productivity
If expanded polystyrene trays with large volume are used, then adequate space for plant growth is provided, but transport and storage costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The top tray is designed to nest inside the bottom tray when not in use, significantly reducing the volume required for storage and transport. When needed, the trays are separated for their respective functions: the bottom tray provides support during growth, and the top tray contains plants for transplantation.
4Strength
If expanded polystyrene trays are used, then adequate support for substrate and plants is provided, but the material is not recyclable through normal procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The tray system uses recyclable plastic materials (such as polypropylene or polyethylene) for both the top and bottom trays, replacing non-recyclable expanded polystyrene. The composite structure maintains adequate support capability through the bottom tray while enabling recyclability of both components.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention refers to a thermoformed plastic double tray system, where the bottom tray that is supporting the system has the reversed negative shape of the top tray. This double tray system can be used through a automatic sowing or transplanting line, which was using up to now expanded polystyrene trays, without any modifications. With this double tray system we get all the advantages of the thermoformed plastic trays and also the stiffness and stability of expanded polystyrene trays. These are smooth and unobstructed plant extraction from the tray with no injuries as roots don't anchor on cell walls, very small storage and transport volume as trays fit one inside the other respectively, and the whole system is 100% recyclable. Under plastic double tray system's philosophy; any sized tray can be built with whichever number of possible cell's, to be used for sowing seeds, rooting plugs or transplanting seedlings.