Rooting Tray With Guided Root Passages for Plant Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydroponic support devices fail to maintain plants upright, obstruct the view of the root system, and hinder root entanglement below the support device, leading to potential tipping and jostling during growth and transportation.
Innovation Solution
A rooting tray with a raised platform and passageways that urge root growth below, supported by pins and legs, allowing root entanglement and anchoring, while being easily transferable and stackable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional hydroponic support device is used, then the plant can be supported during growth, but the root system becomes obstructed and cannot be viewed, and root entanglement occurs above the support device causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The support device is divided into an upper support structure and a lower root training structure, separating the functions of plant support and root anchoring. This segmentation allows roots to entangle below the device while the upper structure maintains plant upright position, resolving the contradiction between stability and root management.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention redirects root entanglement from the vertical dimension (above the support device) to the horizontal dimension (below the support device). By providing a lower root training structure with multiple support points, roots are encouraged to spread horizontally and entangle beneath the device, improving stability without obstructing the view of the root system.
2Device complexity
If the support device structure is simplified for easy viewing of roots, then the anchoring capability and plant support stability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a simple upper support portion for plant placement and a more complex lower root training portion for anchoring. This segmentation allows the upper structure to remain simple and transparent for viewing, while the lower structure provides sufficient complexity for effective root entanglement and anchoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower root training structure acts as an intermediary between the nutrient solution and the plant root system. It provides multiple contact points and support surfaces that facilitate root entanglement and anchoring, while being positioned below the main support device to maintain structural simplicity and visibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If root entanglement is allowed above the support device, then roots can grow freely, but the plant lacks mechanical support and tips over during growth and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing root entanglement above the support device as in traditional systems, the invention inverts the approach by providing a dedicated lower root training structure. This inversion redirects root growth and entanglement to the space below the support device, where it can occur freely without compromising the mechanical support function of the upper structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions root entanglement from the vertical space above the support device to the horizontal space below the device. By providing a lower root training structure with multiple support points, roots are encouraged to spread and entangle in the horizontal plane beneath the device, maintaining both growth freedom and mechanical stability.
4Ease of operation
If the support device is made transferable between containers, then ease of operation is improved, but the plant may tip over or fall off during transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The lower root training structure is designed to establish root entanglement and anchoring before the transfer operation occurs. By the time the device needs to be transferred, the roots have already developed sufficient anchoring capability in the lower structure, providing mechanical stability that prevents tipping or falling during the transfer process.
Solution Approach 2:
The support device is segmented into a transferable upper portion and a stabilizing lower root training portion. The upper support structure can be easily removed and transferred between containers, while the lower root training structure remains in place to provide continuous anchoring and prevent plant instability during the transfer operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A rooting tray for supporting a plant, typically a bulbous plant, as it grows. The rooting tray includes a raised platform supported by a lower frame, and the raised platform defines one or more passageways that urge a direction of root growth of the plant below the raised platform. The raised platform is supported by a plurality of frame supports integrally formed around the periphery of the lower frame and raised outer frame. The raised platform also defines a plurality of pins extending above the raised platform. The rooting tray further includes one or more legs that elevate the lower frame above a base of a container to provide ample space for the roots to grow into and preferably entangle with other roots or around portions of the rooting tray.