Removable Cordon Wire Vine Trellis for Pruning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vine trellis systems require numerous heavy and expensive posts, making them costly to maintain and difficult to prune efficiently, while also leading to woody cordons that reduce vine productivity.
Innovation Solution
A trellis system comprising metallic primary and secondary posts, with a cordon thread supported by these posts, allowing for non-destructive removal and re-tensioning of the thread to facilitate vine pruning and encourage new growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If numerous heavy posts are used to support the trellis wires, then the structural stability is improved, but the cost and difficulty of maintenance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trellis structure is segmented into two types of posts: primary posts that provide main structural support and secondary posts that provide local support. This segmentation allows the system to achieve stability through strategic placement rather than using uniformly heavy posts throughout, reducing overall material costs and maintenance complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the trellis structure have different requirements for support. The primary posts are positioned at intervals to provide overall structural stability, while secondary posts are placed locally at wire attachment points to provide specific support functions. This local differentiation optimizes the balance between stability and cost-effectiveness.
2Ease of operation
If wires are used to support the vine cordons, then the vine training is improved, but the pruning efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wire supporting the cordons is extracted from the permanent trellis structure and made removable. The wire can be detached from the secondary posts during pruning operations, allowing efficient access to the vines without the permanent interference of fixed wires. After pruning, the wire can be reattached to resume its training function.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the cordons are allowed to grow continuously, then the vine structure is maintained, but the productivity decreases due to woody cordons
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic management of the cordons through the removable wire mechanism. The wire can be detached to allow severing of woody cordons and promotion of new growth, then reattached to maintain the trained structure. This dynamic capability allows the vine structure to adapt between maintenance modes and productivity-enhancing modes.
Data Source
AI summary
Grape vines may grow on a trellis comprising a series of wires supported by a line of posts, but it is difficult to machine-prune vines after harvest without interference from wires. A trellis having primary posts and secondary posts may support vines in a manner that cane growing from vine's cordons can be readily removed. Between each neighing pair of primary posts there are at least two secondary posts. A cordon wire runs along and is supported by the posts at or adjacent to top. Cordons of vines are connected to, and grow along, wire such that most foliage and grapes forming part of vines grow below wire. Wire is held by posts above ground level in a manner to be non-destructively pulled upwards to free it from posts. This may occur after cordons have been severed from rest of vine and may then be readily stripped from wire.