Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Dual-Purpose Clip
Technical Field
The present invention pertains to trellising plants. More particularly, the
present
invention pertains to a dual-purpose clip enabling the simultaneous vertical
support of
a plant stem from a stick inserted in the ground and/or from upper support of
the plant
from an elevated wire of a trellising system.
Background
Intensive vegetable growing divides a plants life into several periods. In the
first
period, the seed is sown in dedicated nurseries until the plant reaches the
age of a
number of weeks. In the second period, the plant is transferred to a
greenhouse for
continued growing. At the nursery, the plants are supported with a stick for
vertical
growth, using a dedicated clip wrapping around their stem to provide them with
support for that period and prevent breakage of the plants when moved out of
the
nursery. When moved to a greenhouse, a trellis system is used, to which the
plants are
attached with a second special clip to enable them grow vertically up. This
second
special clip holds a wire that attaches to an elevated trellising wire at the
greenhouse.
The clip, which is used at nurseries, is a C shape clip with inwardly
deflected
projections at its edges for narrowing the ring opening and preventing it from
slipping
off of the plant or support stick. At the rear side of the clip, attached to
the ring are
two levers in opposing positions to the projections. The material of the C
shape clip,
projections and arms is semi-rigid, semi-elastic with about 2-3 mm thickness,
so that
pressing the levers one toward the other causes the projections to distance
from each
other and widen a path to the clip enclosed space between the projections. At
the
nursery, the plant stem is introduced into that space. A support stick is
positioned next
to the plant. The clip connects the plant to the stick so that the stick
supports the
seedling throughout the process of growth until it is moved to and planted in
the
greenhouse.
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After the seedling is planted in the greenhouse, the plant is attached to a
vertical trellis
wire using a designated clip designed to attach the plant stem to the trellis
wire. This
clip is specially designed for this purpose, and uses semi-rigid/semi-elastic
polymeric
material to provide the required functionality of the clip.
As described above, the support of the plants at the nursery and greenhouse
with a
stick or trellis system is done with two different devices or clips. This
renders plant
treatment cumbersome and relatively costly, risking plant stem erection and
surface
while attaching clips around it twice. The transfer of plant seedlings from
the nursery
to the greenhouse already requires gentle handling. Adding further attachment
of a
second clip to the plant stem requires extra careful handling when wrapping
that clip
around their stem without causing breakage, injuries or damage.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a single dual-
purpose clip
that accompanies the plant from the seedling stage at the nursery to full
growth at the
greenhouse.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a single dual-
purpose clip
that is used for attaching a seedling at the nursery throughout the plant
growth at the
greenhouse to supporting objects, e.g., stick, pole, elevated wire of a
trellising system
at the greenhouse, for continued vertical growth of the plant.
Summary of Invention
In one aspect, the present invention provides a single dual-purpose clip that
is
designed for two required functionalities of plant stem support and attachment
to a
trellising system. Accordingly, this clip integrates a support nursery used
clip for a
seedling with means for attachment to an elevated wire of a trellising system
at the
greenhouse. This way, support of the plant stem is continuous from the
seedling stage
at the nursery to the greenhouse.
Hence, while in the greenhouses, the worker connects the trellis wire that is
suspended
above directly to the dual-purpose clip without the need for an additional
clip.
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Application wise, this dual-purpose clip is configured for use for all types
of plants for
vertical growth throughout their lives, whether these are vegetable or any
other type
of plants. Accordingly, this clip is labor-saving with no potential damage to
the plant,
removing the need to apply another clip and reducing the manhandling of the
plant
itself in comparison to using the currently used clips.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a dual-purpose clip, which is
used to
support the plant by attaching the seedling to a support stick. When the plant
is
transferred to a greenhouse for continuation and completion of growth, the
dual-
purpose clip is used to attach the plant to a trellis twine system.
In one embodiment, the dual-purpose clip has an open C-shape ring structure
with
inwardly deflected projections at its open ends to narrow the ring opening and
prevent
the plant stem from falling outside the space enclosed by the ring.
In still another embodiment, the C-shape ring comprises a pair of levers or
arms
attached to the ring at the distal end opposing the ring opening for widening
the clip
opening to introduce the plant stem into the space enclosed by the ring.
In still another embodiment, the dual-purpose clip comprises one or more
anchors for
holding a wire and attaching it to an elevated wire of a trellising system.
In still another embodiment, the dual-purpose clip is made of a semi-elastic,
semi-
rigid material, which is configured to respond to applied pressure by
distortion of
shape. Particular such semi-elastic, semi-rigid materials comprise visco-
elastic
polymers, elastic metals and any composition thereof with such property. In
yet
another embodiment, the anchors are designed in any shape that is configured
for
holding a wire on one end, where this wire may be connected to an elevated
trellising
wire on its other end.
In still another embodiment, the anchor comprises a curved edge for holding
the wire.
In particular, such curve is selected from hook shape, groove edge and
protrusion
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along the edge to enable it to effectively hold a wire, which then may be
connected to
a trellising system.
The following describes particular exemplary non-limiting embodiments of the
present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and without
departing
from the broadest scope of the present invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figs. 1A-B illustrate side view of two optional designs for the dual-purpose
clip.
Figs. 2A-D show perspective top views of the dual-purpose clip anchored to a
plant
and trellising from an elevated wire.
Fig. 3 shows the dual-purpose clip in widened state.
Detailed Description of the Drawings
The dual-purpose clip used in nurseries is typically manufactured from semi-
rigid
material such as polymeric material of a thickness of 2-3 mm. The clip
normally has
an open ring shape like the letter "C" with projections at its ends deflected
inwards to
narrow the opening and prevent the clip from slipping off of the plant stem or
from its
support stick. Figs. 1A and B illustrate side views of two optional designs
for the
dual-purpose clip (100) which is used to attach a plant seedling to a support
stick. In
both designs, the clip (100) has an open C shape ring (1) with projections (2)
at its
ends deflected inwards to narrow its opening to a certain diameter and prevent
the clip
(100) from slipping off of the plant or support stick. The opening or closing
of the
dual-purpose clip (100) can be done manually with two special levers (3)
connected to
the bottom side of the ring (1). In one particular embodiment, the levers (3)
are
connected to the ring at locations opposing the edges of the ring opening. In
still
another particular embodiment, the distance between the levers (3) is
sufficient to
cause the ring opening to widen upon application of pressure on the levers (3)
and
enable the introduction of a plant stem or seedling into the space enclosed by
the ring.
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The levers (3) themselves may be ergonomically shaped for manual grip and
application of pressure. In one embodiment, the surface of the levers (3) is
textured,
wavy, serrated or indented for improved manual grip and application of
pressure.
5 Along its top side, the design of the dual-purpose clip (100) employs one
(Fig. 1B) or
two (Fig. 1A) lifting arms (4) with curve shaped edges (5) and (6),
respectively,
which are required to accommodate a wire introduced within the gap formed
within
the curve shaped edges, lift the plant seedling or stem and attach the clip
(100) to an
elevated wire of a trellising system. As shown in Fig. 1A, for effective
lifting and
holding of the dual-purpose clip (100) and plant to the trellising system, the
lifting
arm edges are designed to have a curved edge with a geometrical shape similar
to a
hook. The arms (4) also provide a path for leading the plant stem into the
space
enclosed by the C-shaped ring (1).
Figs. 2A and C show top perspective views of the dual-purpose clip (100) with
its two
functionalities in two possible applications. Figs. 2A and C show the clip
(100)
holding the plant stem (7) with the ring shape part (1) in its closed
position, attaching
it with a dedicated cable (8) to a support stick (not shown). Figs. 2B and D
show the
clip (100) holding the plant stem (7) and lifting it vertically by attaching
the dedicated
wire (8) to a trellising system (In both Figures the support stick and
trellising system
parts are not shown). Figs. 2C-D are zoom-in views of Figs. 2A-B,
respectively,
showing closer view of the dual-purpose clip arms (4), the anchor curved edges
(5)
that hold the wire (8) and the inwardly deflected projections (2) that close
the inner
space enclosed within the ring (1). In Fig. 2D, the curve shaped edges (5) are
brought
close to each other by inserting a wire (8) in their gaps and pulling it away
from them.
This also causes the projections (2) to be brought together and close the
inners space
enclosed within the ring (1).
Fig. 1B shows an alternative optional design of the clip (100) which employs a
single
lifting arm (4) attached to one edge of the ring (1) opening of the clip
(100). In this
case, to improve the hooking functionality of the single lifting arm (4), its
edge (6) is
designed to have a curved T-shape like edge (6) which is curved along both of
its
sides creating a double hooking functionality along the edge of the single
arm, This
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design enables a similar holding and lifting functionality as the design shown
in Fig.
1A, enabling the locking of a wire for attaching to an elevated wire of a
trellising
system. As a result, this optional design is employed to sustain the stability
of the clip
as that in Fig 1A by creating an efficient vertical lifting option for the
plant using only
a one lifting arm.
As is seen in the Figures, the design and shape of the clip is configured to
simultaneously connect the plant stem to both a support stick for holding the
plant
stem upright and an elevated wire of a trellising system through a wire held
by the
curve-shaped edges of the arms. As a result, the plant growth is kept vertical
throughout the different stages of its growth and transfer from the nursery to
its
planting in the greenhouse. It should be noted that the attachment to a
support stick
can begin from the early life of the plant as a seedling in the nursery and
continue in
the greenhouse.
Fig. 3 shows the dual-purpose clip (100) with the levers (3) pressed toward
each
other, widening the gap between the arms (4) and the gap between the
projections
(2)and enlarging the ring (1) opening. This enables introducing the seedling
or plant
stem into the space enclosed within the ring (1), attach a support stick to
it, and
further to an elevated wire of a trellising system.
