Radially Slotted Annular Coupler for Plant Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for providing plant support are cumbersome and inconvenient, often requiring direct tethering to stakes, which can impede plant growth and harvesting, and involve complex assembly of custom support structures.
Innovation Solution
A radially slotted annular coupler with a resilient annular body and inwardly projecting teeth, allowing for adjustable support attachment and easy coupling with stakes or tethers, facilitating flexible and secure plant support without obstructing harvesting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tether is connected directly to a stake, then the plant receives support, but the tethering process becomes difficult and inconvenient due to limited accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coupler as an intermediary device between the tether and stake. The coupler includes a stake receiving portion that attaches to the stake and a tether receiving portion that secures the tether, making the tethering process convenient while maintaining reliable plant support
2Reliability
If a tether is connected directly to a stake, then the plant receives support, but the tether obstructs harvesting of the plant or plant product
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler is divided into distinct functional segments: a stake receiving portion for attachment to the stake, a tether receiving portion for securing the tether, and a plant support portion that extends toward the plant. This segmentation allows the tether to be positioned away from the plant body, enabling harvesting without obstruction while maintaining support stability
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom support structures are built to meet individual plant needs, then the support can be tailored to specific requirements, but the assembly becomes cumbersome and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler is designed as a universal support structure with multiple functional portions that can be adjusted to meet different plant support needs. The stake receiving portion, tether receiving portion, and plant support portion can be configured in various ways to accommodate different plant sizes, shapes, and support requirements, eliminating the need for custom-built structures while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The coupler incorporates adjustable and flexible features that allow it to adapt to different plant support requirements. The plant support portion can be positioned and adjusted to provide support at various heights and angles, and the tether receiving portion can accommodate tethers of different lengths and configurations, enabling customization without complex assembly
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 coupler provides adjustable and secure support for plants, simplifying the process of attaching supports and allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, thereby enhancing plant care and reducing the complexity of support structures.
Implementation Method 1
the annular body sufficiently resiliently flexible to provide an adjustable radial slot width of the radial slot
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of spaced apart teeth radially inwardly projecting from the annular body inner surface
Data Source
AI summary
A coupler including an annular body having an annular body outer surface and an annular body inner surface connecting opposed annular body first and second faces, the annular body inner surface bounding an internal opening communicating between the opposed annular body first and second faces; the annular body having opposed annular body first and second ends which connect the annular body outer and inner surfaces and the annular body first and second faces to define a radial slot which communicates with the internal opening; the annular body sufficiently resiliently flexible to provide an adjustable radial slot width of the radial slot; and a plurality of spaced apart teeth radially inwardly projecting from the annular body inner surface.