Underground Crop Protector with Vertical Roll Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crop protection systems fail to provide comprehensive and flexible protection against various environmental factors such as sun, rain, hail, and wind, as they often require multiple systems and lack efficient deployment and retraction mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A crop protection system comprising a housing with multiple roller mechanisms for different orientations of material, a retractable door, and adjustable struts for positioning, along with motorized and spring-based mechanisms for deployment and retraction, allowing for customizable protection using various materials like netting or sheeting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate crop protection systems are used to protect against different environmental factors, then comprehensive protection coverage is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single crop protection system that can deploy different materials (netting, sheeting, fabric) to protect against multiple environmental factors including sun, rain, hail, and wind. The housing contains multiple roller mechanisms that can independently deploy various protective materials, allowing one system to replace multiple specialized systems while providing comprehensive protection coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system divides the protective function into separate deployable modules within the housing, with each roller mechanism carrying a specific material type. This segmentation allows the system to provide comprehensive protection through multiple materials while keeping each individual component manageable and the overall system deployment controlled.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fixed crop protection structures are used, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to different crop sizes and configurations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs roller mechanisms that can deploy and retract protective materials dynamically. The struts can be adjusted to different positions, and materials can be rolled out or retracted as needed. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to various crop sizes and configurations while maintaining structural stability through the supportive housing and adjustable strut framework.
3Device complexity
If manual deployment mechanisms are used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates motorized mechanisms to replace manual deployment operations. Motors drive the roller mechanisms to automatically deploy and retract protective materials, and control systems manage the strut adjustments. This substitution of mechanical automation for manual operation significantly improves deployment efficiency and productivity while the integrated control system manages the increased complexity.
4Reliability
If materials are permanently installed, then reliability of protection is improved, but ease of operation and maintenance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses deployable materials mounted on roller mechanisms that can be extended or retracted as needed. This dynamic deployment allows the protective materials to be reliably positioned when required while enabling easy retraction for maintenance, crop access, or storage. The motors and control systems manage the deployment smoothly, ensuring reliable protection when activated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a system where protective materials can be deployed, used, and then retracted or replaced. The roller mechanisms allow materials to be rolled out for use and then retracted or swapped with fresh materials, enabling maintenance and replacement without permanent installation. This approach maintains protection reliability while improving operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method can include providing an underground vault; providing a lift mechanism; providing a crop protection system that includes a housing that houses a vertically oriented roll of material; and positioning the crop protection system in the underground vault where the lift mechanism provides for vertically adjusting the crop protection system with respect to the underground vault to raise the vertically oriented roll of material above ground. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.