Modular Plant Growing Tray Inter-Tray Joint Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plant growing tray systems are not leak-proof, require extensive use of adhesives for assembly, and have bulky components that increase cost and complexity, making them difficult to disassemble and reassemble, which can lead to leaks and cross-contamination in indoor agriculture.
Innovation Solution
A modular plant growing tray system with inter-tray joints that use a substantially impermeable interstitial medium to create a leak-proof connection between trays, eliminating the need for adhesives and reducing assembly complexity by compressing the medium between male and female parts to generate residual stresses and support tray loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesives and sealants are used to join trays together, then connection strength is improved, but leak-proof performance deteriorates and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes adhesives and sealants from the tray connection system entirely. Instead, it uses a mechanical interlocking mechanism with male and female parts that create a physical seal through geometric complementarity, eliminating the need for chemical bonding agents and their associated leakage risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an interstitial medium as an intermediary element between the male and female connection parts. This medium fills the gap between the complementary surfaces, providing both the sealing function and the bonding function that previously required adhesives, thereby achieving leak-proof performance without chemical sealants.
2Reliability
If bulky assembly components like couplers are used, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connection function and the sealing function into a single integrated mechanism. The male and female parts serve both as structural connectors and as seal interfaces, eliminating the need for separate couplers and gaskets, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The male and female connection parts are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: mechanical interlocking for connection reliability, geometric sealing for leak prevention, and structural support for tray loading. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple specialized components.
3Strength
If adhesives are used for assembly, then connection strength is improved, but ease of disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic connection system where the male and female parts can be easily inserted and removed. The mechanical interlocking design allows for quick assembly by simply pushing the male part into the female part, and easy disassembly by pulling them apart, without the need to chemically break adhesive bonds.
Solution Approach 2:
By removing adhesives from the connection system, the patent enables easy disassembly. The mechanical interlocking mechanism can be separated without chemical degradation, allowing for quick reconfiguration and cleaning of the modular tray system.
4Stability of the object's composition
If protrusions are present in the growing space, then connection stability is improved, but plant growing space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the connection mechanism to a different dimensional plane - the connections are formed at the edges or perimeters of the trays rather than having protrusions extend into the central growing space. This allows connection stability to be achieved through edge interlocking while preserving the full area of the plant growing space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes protrusions from the plant growing space entirely. Instead, it uses flush-mounted or edge-based connection mechanisms where the male and female parts are integrated into the tray edges, providing connection stability without any elements extending into the area where plants need to grow.
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 system provides a leak-proof, cost-effective, and efficient way to connect trays, preventing leaks and cross-contamination while allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, maximizing plant growing space and reducing energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The interstitial medium is configured to be compressed between the male and female parts to generate residual stresses to at least partially support a tray load
Implementation Method 2
The interstitial medium is configured to be compressed between the male and female parts to generate residual stresses
Implementation Method 3
The substantially impermeable interstitial medium is configured to at least partially extend around a circumferential surface of the male part to fill a space between the male and female parts
Data Source
AI summary
A plant growing tray system, comprising a plurality of trays sequentially connected to each other via substantially impermeable inter-tray joints. Each of the plurality of trays extends between respective first and second lateral ends and has a respective plant growing space portion vertically recessed relative to respective first and second lateral ends in-between. Each inter-tray joint includes a male part positioned at a first horizontal longitudinal end of a tray and elongated between the respective first and second lateral ends of the tray, a female part complementary to the male part positioned at a second horizontal longitudinal end of an adjacent tray and elongated between the first and second lateral ends of the adjacent tray, and a substantially impermeable interstitial medium configured to be compressed between the male and female parts to generate residual stresses to at least partially support a tray load and mitigate leakage.