Modular Subsurface Tubing Installation With Adjustable Trench Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual installation of sub-surface dripline irrigation is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to inconsistencies in line placement and depth, especially over large areas, and existing machinery is either too labor-intensive or too expensive, failing to provide efficient and cost-effective installation solutions.
Innovation Solution
A device that can dig trenches, lay flexible tubing, and pack soil back into the trenches in a single pass, allowing for the simultaneous installation of multiple strands of hose below the terrain surface, utilizing a chassis with trenching blade assemblies, reel mounts, hose guides, and trench filler-packers to achieve accurate and efficient installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual installation of sub-surface dripline is used, then installation flexibility is maintained, but labor intensity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple installation operations (trenching, hose laying, and soil packing) into a single integrated machine that performs all functions in one pass, eliminating the need for separate manual operations and significantly increasing installation productivity while maintaining operational flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The installation apparatus is designed as a multi-functional device that can perform trenching, hose deployment, and soil packing operations simultaneously, allowing a single machine to replace multiple manual processes and achieve high productivity without sacrificing adaptability
2Productivity
If existing installation machinery is used, then installation speed increases, but equipment cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the installation system into modular components (trenching blade assembly, hose guide assembly, and soil packing assembly) that can be independently manufactured and assembled, reducing overall equipment cost while maintaining high installation productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is designed to be self-contained, using the trenching operation itself to generate soil that is then automatically packed back into the trench, eliminating the need for separate soil handling equipment and reducing overall system cost
3Ease of manufacture
If manual installation is used, then equipment cost is low, but placement consistency and depth accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical placement operations with a mechanically-controlled apparatus that uses guided hose deployment and structured soil packing to achieve consistent placement depth and spacing, ensuring manufacturing precision at reasonable equipment cost
4Loss of time
If single-pass installation is implemented, then installation time is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges three separate installation functions (trenching, hose laying, and soil packing) into a single integrated apparatus that operates in one pass, reducing installation time while managing complexity through functional integration rather than separate operations
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for installing multiple strands of hose below a surface of terrain can include a chassis, a first module coupled to the chassis, wherein the first module comprises a first trenching blade assembly comprising a first trenching blade configured to dig a first trench along a first trench axis, a first hose guide, and a first trench filler-packer, wherein the first trench filler-packer is configured to dispose soil excavated from the first trench back into the first trench and to pack at least a portion of the soil disposed back into the first trench, and one or more additional modules coupled to the chassis, wherein each of the one or more additional modules is configured to dig an additional trench along an additional trench axis. A lateral spacing between the first trench axis and an additional trench axis can be adjustable.