Tying system employing an accessory bearing a quick attachment hook for tying a plastic film covering for linear cultivations

Abstract

The invention refers to a tying system employing an accessory bearing a quick attachment hook, for tying a plastic cover film for agricultural crops such as soft fruit covers. Cultivation of soft fruits in covered space has been growing in recent decades. Several solutions have been developed including greenhouses or gable systems. The placement, fastening and fixing of the plastic film is achieved with ropes, elastic cords or soft PVC tubing. However, the cost of binding the plastic film is significant as skilled staff and considerable amounts of man hours are required to tie the plastic film to the supporting structure. Tying the film, in most cases, is carried out by employing knots on grommets that the plastic films.

Claims

1. An accessory for a tying system, comprising: a main body including a first end, a second opposite end, a first side, a second opposite side, a first upper section including a first formation and a second formation, and a second lower section including a hook, wherein a first distance between the first end and the second opposite end define a length of the main body, wherein a second distance between the first side and the second opposite side define a width of the main body, the first formation comprising a first grip with a first notch at the first end of the main body, a second grip with a second notch at the second opposite end of the main body, and a first protrusion at a first intermediate position between the first grip and the second grip and along the length of the main body, wherein the first grip, the second grip, and the first protrusion define a first opening and a second opening in the first side of the main body, the second formation comprising a third grip with a third notch at the first end of the main body, a fourth grip with a fourth notch at the second opposite end of the main body, and a second protrusion at a second intermediate position between the third grip and the fourth grip along the length of the main body, wherein the third grip, the fourth grip, and the second protrusion define a third opening and a fourth opening in the second opposite side of the main body, wherein a first plane defined from the first end to the second opposite end through the first notch, the second notch, the third notch, and the fourth notch is non-intersecting with a second plane defined from the first side to the second opposite side through the hook.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein at least two of the first opening, the second opening, the third opening, the fourth opening, the first notch, the second notch, the third notch, and the fourth notch are interconnected within the main body.

3. The accessory of claim 2, wherein all of the first opening, the second opening, the third opening, the fourth opening, the first notch, the second notch, the third notch, and the fourth notch are interconnected within the main body.

4. The accessory of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first opening, the second opening, the third opening, and the fourth opening include substantially opposite sidewalls with a selected spacing at a selected depth into the main body from an upper surface of the main body.

5. The accessory of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first opening, the second opening, the third opening, and the fourth opening include a second, narrower spacing between the substantially opposite sidewalls at a second, lower depth into the main body from the upper surface of the main body.

6. The accessory of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first notch, the second notch, the third notch, and the fourth notch includes a first inner chamber and a second outer chamber.

7. The accessory of claim 1, wherein at least one of: the first intermediate location for the first protrusion is a substantially equal distance from both the first grip and the second grip; and the second intermediate location for the second protrusion is a substantially equal distance from both the third grip and the fourth grip.

8. The accessory of claim 1, wherein at least one of: the first intermediate location for the first protrusion is a first distance from the first grip and a second different distance from the second grip; and the second intermediate location for the second protrusion is a third distance from the third grip and a fourth different distance from the fourth grip.

9. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the hook has an entry point and an exit point, wherein the entry point and the exit point provide access to a free space defined within the second lower section by at least one flap and a lower surface of a portion of the main body between the first upper section and the second lower section of the main body, wherein the at least one flap is attached to the main body, and wherein the at least one flap includes a lip at one end.

10. The accessory of claim 9, wherein the first notch, the first opening, the second opening, and the second notch are configured to receive and engage with a first length of tying material within the first plane, wherein the third notch, the third opening, the fourth opening, the fourth notch are configured to receive and engage with a second length of tying material within the first plane, wherein the entry point, the exit point, and the free space are operable to receive a wire rope within the second plane, wherein at least one flap defines an entry point gap with a distance that is less than half of a diameter of the received wire rope, and wherein the at least one flap is bendable when the hook attaches to and/or detaches from the wire rope.

11. The accessory of claim 1, further comprising a lid operable to couple to the main body.

12. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the lid includes a first recess operable to receive the first protrusion and a second recess operable to receive the second protrusion when the lid is coupled to the main body.

13. The accessory of claim 12, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion each include an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the first recess of the lid is operable to receive the upper portion of the first protrusion, and wherein the second recess of the lid is operable to receive the upper portion of the second protrusion when the lid is coupled to the main body.

14. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the lid is flexibly attached to the body via at least one hinge, wherein the lid is able to transition via the at least one hinge between an open position in which the lid is not coupled to the main body and a closed position in which the lid is coupled to the main body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A shows an elevated side view;

(2) FIG. 1B shows the gable system (front view);

(3) FIGS. 1C-1E are details zooming into the tying system;

(4) FIGS. 2A-2C depict the tying system proposed with its two components

(5) FIGS. 3A-3C depict the accessory bearing the quick attachment hook;

(6) FIGS. 4A-4B depict the accessory with the quick attachment hook and the variables that define it;

(7) FIGS. 5A-5F depict alternative versions of the accessory;

(8) FIGS. 6A-6C depict the accessory with the sets of grips and protrusions on its top part;

(9) FIGS. 7A-7I depict different geometries of the cross section of the grips; and

(10) FIGS. 8A-8D depict lips L1 and L2 that form a straight line between them, or either converging or diverging geometries.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) According to the principal embodiment of the invention the tying system comprises at least of two components namely a tying material and an accessory, produced preferably by injection moulding or 3D printing. The tying material can be a rope, an elastic cord, or a soft PVC tube. The accessory is a plastic part that can be made of Polypropylene, Polyamide, ABS or any other material that can accommodate high tensile and/or compression forces. The two components are produced in two separate phases as the tying material and the plastic part can be of different materials and different production processes such as extrusion and injection moulding. In case of the system comprising two components the tying material would form an imaginary loop (FIG. 2). One free end (E1) will be inserted manually in the first set of grips and protrusion in the accessory, then through the hole of the grommet on the plastic film and the second free end (E2) into the second set of grips and protrusion. This configuration distributes the forces applied on each grommet on the plastic film symmetrically onto two separate files (T1 and T2) of the same tying material, thus doubling the maximum force that the system can accommodate before failing. This configuration in comparison to a single file is more suitable for high wind areas being equally efficient for fields exposed to less strong winds. The accessory can be designed in such a fashion that it bears a lid that once the tying material is inserted it can be closed so that the grips and the protrusions constitute an internal part of the accessory adding additional protection from entanglement.

(12) According to the second embodiment of the invention the tying system comprises two components namely the tying material and the accessory two copies of which are used to complete the tying system. In this case the tying material is inserted into the accessory's grips and protrusion on one side of the accessory then the tying material is inserted through the hole of the grommet and then fixed again in the same accessory's second set of grips and protrusion. The first accessory is positioned at a distance of preferably 5 to 50 cm and preferably 10-30 cm and more preferably 10-15 cm from the grommet's outer boundaries towards the edge of the film. The tying material is selected to be of such a length that after inserting it into the first accessory there is still a free end that is inserted to the second accessory that is identical to the first, using one set of grips and protrusion only, while the second set remains empty. The second accessory's hook is then inserted into the wire rope to fix the plastic film on the supporting structure.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(13) A accessory C cap E1, E2 free end F1, F2 flaps FD1, FD2 distance FL1, FL2 distance G1 to G4 grips Gd1, Gd2 distance GS1, GS2 imaginary chamber L1, L2 lip(s) P1, P2 protrusions S1 to S6 accessory T tying material