Integrated Bracket for Vertical Garden Tray Support and Lamp Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical garden systems lack efficient solutions for supporting multiple plant trays and integrating grow lamps in a way that optimizes light distribution and tray support.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with a unitary construction that includes a body for supporting plant trays and integrated lamp-mounting clips to retain grow lamps beneath the tray support surface, ensuring efficient light distribution and tray support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate components are used for supporting plant trays and mounting grow lamps, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the tray support bracket and lamp mounting structure into a single integrated component. The bracket includes a support surface for holding plant trays and integrated lamp retaining clips that extend downward to secure grow lamps, eliminating the need for separate mounting hardware and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket serves multiple functions simultaneously: it supports the weight of plant trays, positions trays at appropriate heights, and mounts grow lamps beneath the tray support surface. This multi-functional design reduces the number of components needed while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single unified structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If grow lamps are mounted separately from tray supports, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lamp mounting clips are integrated directly into the bracket structure, with clips extending downward from the support surface. This merging allows the same component that supports trays to also securely mount lamps, reducing device complexity while maintaining adaptability through the resilient clip design that can accommodate various lamp sizes.
3Ease of repair
If multiple separate components are used for vertical garden assembly, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated bracket design combines tray support and lamp mounting functions in one piece, reducing the total number of components that could potentially fail. The resilient clips are built into the bracket structure, eliminating separate mounting hardware and simplifying the overall system while maintaining ease of repair through reduced component count.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for positioning between an upper plant tray and a lower plant tray is disclosed. The bracket comprises a bracket body having a body proximal end attachable to a vertical support surface, and a body distal end spaced apart from the body proximal end. The bracket body has a body upper surface extending lengthwise between the body proximal end and the body distal end for supporting the upper plant tray. The bracket further comprises at least one lamp-mounting clip affixed to the bracket body. Each of the lamp-mounting clips includes a first finger and a second finger spaced apart from the first finger lengthwise along the bracket body to retain a grow lamp between the first and second fingers and beneath the body upper surface.