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EP-4740726-A1 - PLANT TRELLIS ASSEMBLY

EP4740726A1EP 4740726 A1EP4740726 A1EP 4740726A1EP-4740726-A1

Abstract

The subject of the disclosure is a modular plant trellis assembly, the size and shape of which can be changed according to the needs. The trellis assembly comprises at least two modules (10) in the form of regular hexagons and at least one anchoring element (17) provided with means for inserting it into the ground. The module (10) has six sides (11), three of which are provided with male connecting parts (12) in the form of longitudinal projections, while the remaining three sides are provided with female connecting parts (13) in the form of longitudinal recesses formed by two edges (15), whereby the female connecting parts correspond in shape to the male connecting parts. The male connecting parts (12) and the female connecting parts (13) are arranged alternately on the sides of the module (10). Each male connecting part (12) has a through hole (14) extending longitudinally to the side of the module (10), while each female connecting part (13) is provided, on both of its edges (15), with longitudinal protrusions (16) arranged opposite each other, corresponding in shape to the through hole (14) and positioned such that, when the connecting parts are connected, the protrusions (16) of the female connecting part enter the through hole (14) of the male connecting part from both sides of this through hole, forming a snap-fit connection. The anchoring element (17) is provided with at least one connecting part.

Inventors

  • Rykowski, Jarogniew

Assignees

  • Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny W Poznaniu

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251112

Claims (9)

  1. A plant trellis assembly, comprising at least one module (10) in the shape of a regular hexagon and at least one anchoring element (17) including at least one post (18) for insertion into the substrate, characterised in that the module (10) has six sides (11), three sides (11) of which are provided with male connecting parts (12) in the form of longitudinal projections, and the remaining three sides (11) are provided with female connecting parts (13) in the form of longitudinal recesses formed by two edges (15), wherein the female connecting parts (13) correspond in shape to the male connecting parts (12), wherein the male connecting parts (12) and the female connecting parts (13) are arranged alternately on the sides (11) of the module (10), and wherein each male connecting part (12) has a through hole (14) arranged longitudinally to the side (11) of the module (10), and each female connecting part (13), on both edges (15), is provided with protrusions (16) arranged longitudinally to the side (11) and opposite each other, corresponding in shape to the through hole (14) and positioned such that, in the connected state of the connecting parts (12, 13), the protrusions (16) of the female connecting part (13) enter the through hole (14) of the male connecting part (12) from both sides of this through hole (14), forming a snap-fit connection, and in that the anchoring element (17) is provided with at least one connecting part (12, 13).
  2. The plant trellis assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that each male connecting part (12) extends along the entire length of the side (11) of the module (10) and each female connecting part (13) extends along the entire length of the side (11) of the module (10).
  3. The plant trellis assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the through hole (14) is located in the central area of the male connecting part (12), on the wall side of the side (11) of the module (10), and the longitudinal protrusions (16) are located in the central area of each of the edges (15) of the female connecting part (13), at its end parallel to the side (11).
  4. The plant trellis assembly according to claim 1, or 2, or 3, characterised in that the through hole (14) and the longitudinal protrusions (16) have a rectangular shape.
  5. The plant trellis assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the anchoring element (17) is provided with a male connecting part (12) and is detachably connectable to one module (10).
  6. The plant trellis assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the anchoring element (17) is provided with a female connecting part (13) and is detachably connectable to one module (10).
  7. The plant trellis assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the anchoring element (17) is provided with a male connecting part (12) and with a female connecting part (13), arranged at an angle of 120° to each other, and is detachably connectable to one module (10).
  8. The plant trellis assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the anchoring element (17) is provided with a male connecting part (12) and with a female connecting part (13), arranged at an angle of 240° to each other, and is detachably connectable to two modules (10).
  9. The plant trellis assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the anchoring element (17) is provided with two posts (18) for insertion into the substrate.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of plant trellises, and more specifically to plant trellises whose shape and size can be adjusted depending on needs and over time. Background Plant trellises, available in various shapes and sizes, allow for supporting and guiding plant stems, especially climbing plants. For climbing plants, the ability to climb up a trellis is an important factor influencing their growth and leaf size. Attaching stems to a trellis allows leaves to have easier access to light, which enables them to grow much larger. Moreover, trellises allow for more efficient use of space. Depending on the type of plants and cultivation environments, trellises vary in size, shape, and materials from which they are made. They usually take the form of stakes or intersecting or crisscrossing structures and are made of wood, bamboo, plastic, or metal. Some plants attach themselves to trellises by growing roots into them or winding their stems around them, while others require fastening or tying to the trellises using attachment elements. Each time a trellis must be replaced because it becomes too small for a given plant, the plant may be damaged, and significant costs may be incurred. For this reason, a suitable type of trellis for domestic use, where various species of plants of different forms and sizes are typically cultivated, is a modular trellis whose size and shape can be adjusted depending on needs. The modular nature of such trellises thus offers versatility in design and scalability of the structure. Modular trellises provide multiple support points for stems, which is particularly advantageous for plants with a spreading growth habit, and allow for the optimization of space usage by enabling plants to grow both vertically and horizontally, which is especially important in small areas where space is limited. A solution that allows for the creation of multiple configurations is particularly provided by modular trellises having modules in the shape of a hexagon. This shape also ensures maximum strength while utilizing a given amount of construction material. U.S. patent application US20240276928A1 discloses a modular trellis comprising a plurality of hexagonal ring modules, each having recesses on its front surface and corresponding projections on its rear surface. The modules are connected by inserting the projections of one module into the recesses of an adjacent module. Another U.S. patent application, US20220078979A1, discloses a modular trellis comprising a plurality of hexagonal ring modules having recesses on their lateral surfaces. Adjacent modules are connected by H-shaped fastening elements inserted into the recesses of the modules. The present invention provides an alternative modular trellis whose size and shape can be adjusted depending on the size and needs of the plant. The essence of the invention The subject of the invention is a plant trellis assembly comprising at least two modules in the shape of a regular hexagon and at least one anchoring element including at least one post for insertion into the ground, which characterises in that the module has six sides, three sides of which are provided with male connecting parts in the form of longitudinal projections, and the remaining three sides are provided with female connecting parts in the form of longitudinal recesses formed by two edges, wherein the female connecting parts are correspond in shape to the male connecting parts. The male connecting parts and the female connecting parts are arranged alternately on the sides of the module. Each male connecting part has a through hole extending longitudinally along the side of the module, and each female connecting part, on both of its edges, is provided with protrusions extending longitudinally along the side and opposite each other, corresponding in shape to the through hole and located such that, in the connected state of the connecting parts, the protrusions of the female connecting part enter the through hole of the male connecting part from both sides of said through hole, forming a snap-fit connection. The anchoring element is provided with at least one connecting part. Preferably, each male connecting part extends along the entire length of the side of the module, and each female connecting part extends along the entire length of the side of the module. Preferably, the through hole is located in the central area of the male connecting part, on the wall side of the side of the module, and the longitudinal protrusions are located in the central area of each edge of the female connecting part, at its end parallel, to the side. Preferably, the through hole and the longitudinal protrusions have a rectangular shape. Preferably, the anchoring element is provided with a male connecting part and is detachably connectable to one module. Alternatively, the anchoring element is provided with a female connecting part and is detachably connectable to one module. Alterna