Treefall Prevention Device with Spiral Root Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tree supporting devices fail to provide sufficient support as roots grow, leading to tree instability and potential falls, especially in disaster-prone areas where enhanced rootage is crucial for damage prevention.
Innovation Solution
A treefall preventing device buried in soil with parallel supporting parts and ring-like retaining bodies that entwine with growing roots, featuring spiral assisting bodies to enhance root engagement and stability, secured by pile members for reliable anchoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tree supporting devices use wires to secure the root ball, then initial support is provided, but the wires become loose as roots grow, resulting in insufficient support
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from a static wire-based support system to a dynamic root-engagement system where the retaining body and assisting bodies adapt as roots grow. The spiral assisting bodies rotate to follow root growth, maintaining continuous engagement and support reliability over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes the tree's own root growth as the support mechanism. As roots naturally grow and spread, they automatically engage with the retaining body and spiral assisting bodies, creating a self-reinforcing support system that improves over time rather than degrading.
2Adaptability or versatility
If trees are planted in areas with insufficient rootage, then trees can be established, but the trees are prone to falling due to inadequate root support
Solution Approach 1:
The device adds a spatial dimension to root support by using a three-dimensional retaining body structure with spiral assisting bodies that extend vertically and radially. This multi-dimensional configuration allows roots to engage from multiple directions and depths, significantly increasing support strength in locations where natural soil anchorage is insufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The device combines multiple functional components (retaining body, spiral assisting bodies, pile member) made from different materials and structures to create a composite support system that provides both mechanical anchorage and biological root engagement capabilities, enhancing overall support strength.
3Reliability
If spiral assisting bodies are added inside the retaining bodies, then root engagement is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral assisting bodies are designed as flexible, thin-walled structures that can deform and adapt to root growth patterns. This flexibility allows complex root systems to engage effectively without requiring equally complex device structures, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enhancing root engagement reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral shape of the assisting bodies provides curved surfaces that naturally guide and accommodate root growth. The continuous curved geometry simplifies the structure compared to angular or segmented designs while maximizing root contact area and engagement reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Provided is a treefall preventing device capable of reliably preventing a planted tree from falling. A treefall preventing device 1 is buried in soil such that roots 32 entwine the treefall preventing device 1 as a planted tree 30 grows, wherein the treefall preventing device 1 comprises three or more supporting parts 2 extending in parallel with each other and ring-like retaining bodies 4 supported by the supporting parts 2, and the retaining bodies 4 are secured so as to be placed at intervals along the supporting parts 2. The treefall preventing device 1 is disposed in the bottom part of a planting hole 12, secured by pile members 20, and then buried, and a tree 30 is planted above the buried treefall preventing device 1.