Plant tree
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant support devices are not height adjustable, portable, or easily customizable to accommodate various locations and orientations, and they lack secure attachment mechanisms for radially extending arms, leading to instability and potential arm detachment.
Innovation Solution
A modular plant tree design featuring height-adjustable center posts with removably attached triangular legs and cylindrical brackets, equipped with side-by-side receptacles for radially extending arms that can be secured using set screws, allowing for upward or downward extension and secure attachment to the plant tree.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing plant support devices are used, then they provide basic plant holding functionality, but they are not height adjustable and cannot be positioned in various locations
Solution Approach 1:
The plant tree is divided into multiple post sections (first post section, second post section, third post section) that can be connected in different configurations. The center post consists of separable sections that can be assembled to achieve different heights, allowing the device to adapt to various locations and requirements while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates adjustable features including height adjustment through connectable post sections and reconfigurable arm positions. The arms can be extended or repositioned along the posts, providing dynamic adaptability to different plant sizes and locations without requiring complete structural redesign
2Reliability
If existing plant support devices are used, then they provide basic support, but they lack secure attachment mechanisms for radially extending arms leading to instability
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism includes pre-positioned receptacles on the posts and corresponding arms with set screws. The set screws are preliminarily positioned to engage with the receptacles, creating a secure attachment system that prevents arm detachment while maintaining structural integrity. This preliminary arrangement of attachment components ensures reliability without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacles serve as intermediary elements between the posts and the radially extending arms. These receptacles provide a standardized interface that secures the arms to the posts through set screws, creating a reliable connection mechanism that is simpler than custom-fitted attachments while ensuring stability and preventing arm detachment
3Ease of operation
If a modular design with multiple components is used, then height adjustability and portability are improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plant tree is segmented into multiple removable post sections and triangular legs that can be easily assembled and disassembled. This segmentation enables portability as components can be separated for transport, and ease of assembly as the modular sections connect through straightforward interfaces, balancing component number with operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical brackets serve multiple functions: they connect post sections together, provide attachment points for triangular legs, and offer receptacles for radially extending arms. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, simplifying the overall assembly while maintaining height adjustability and portability
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for an upright standing plant tree for supporting plants including potted plants, feeding plants, flower pots or the like and having a plurality of post sections which are adapted to be connected to each other so as to form a height adjustable center post support. Also shown are a plurality of triangular shaped legs which can be removably attached to the center post by using an upper longer cylindrical bracket and a lower, shorter cylindrical bracket so that the legs can be attached to the plant tree by being removably connected to each of the cylindrical brackets. Each of the cylindrical brackets has a plurality of side by side receptacles being integrally formed into the cylindrical brackets so that a plurality of radially extending arms can be connected to the cylindrical brackets using the receptacles. Also shown are the plurality of radially extending arms which can be connected so that the arms can be either extended upwardly or extended downwardly using set screws so that the downwardly extending arms do not fall out of their corresponding receptacle.