“PROTECTION DEVICE AND ACTIVATION METHOD”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a device to temporarily protect determinate areas, and the corresponding activation method. More precisely, the present invention concerns a device and its activation method to temporarily protect, in particular, but not only, rows of vines, fruit plants, flowers or particularly sensitive plants, for the correct evolution of the plants, their flowers and/or their fruit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of protection devices is known, to protect rows of vines, fruit plants, flowers or particularly sensitive plants.

The use of such protection devices serves to prevent meteorological events, in particular severe meteorological events, for example hail, excessively heavy rain, or excessive solar radiation, from ruining the flowering of the plants or the fruit and/or the plants themselves, thus preserving the integrity of the crop and preventing significant economic damage.

Known protection devices make use of nets, supported by appropriate scaffolding which, when unfolded, act as a barrier and prevent the possible consequences, as described above, of particularly severe meteorological events.

Given the long times required to manually unwind the nets, to remedy the unpredictability of meteorological events, known protection devices must be stably disposed over the plants to be protected.

One disadvantage of this type of protection device is that the nets have to be kept spread above the plants even when there is no need, thus reducing the exposure of the plants to sunlight, to the detriment, for example, of the ripening of the fruit.

According to the state of the art there are also protection devices in which the unwinding of the nets is motorized, but in any case they take too long to respond promptly to, for example, a sudden summer storm, and in this case too the plants have to be kept covered more than is necessary, in order to ensure that the plants are protected.

Moreover, devices equipped with motorization in any case require the intervention of a user to start the function of unwinding the networks.

The Applicant therefore set himself the purpose of expanding the function and functionality of this type of device, avoiding the disadvantages identified above, and others.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a protection device able to rapidly create a protection.

One purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive protection device.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a protection device that can be activated and deactivated in a simple way, so as not to interfere with the area to be protected when it is not necessary.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a protection device which can be activated remotely according to requirements, without needing manual interventions.

One purpose of the present invention is to provide a protection device which does not need to be stably positioned above the plants.

One purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide a protection device which can be activated only in the event of need.

One purpose of the present invention is to provide a device that does not need cumbersome dedicated support structures.

It is also a purpose of the present invention to provide a protection device which can be activated according to meteorological conditions.

Another purpose is to automate the activation of the protection device.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

The present invention concerns a protection device suitable to provide temporary protection for a determinate area. More precisely, the present invention concerns a protection device suitable to protect a determinate area only for the necessary time required by an event, such as hail, or excessively heavy rain or excessive solar radiation.

The present invention also concerns the activation and the deactivation of the device.

The present invention also concerns the activation and temporary storage means. Hereafter in the description, we will refer to a specific application of the protection device which, thanks to its characteristics, allows to appreciate every other application.

The invention can be applied, for example, on rows of vines, fruit plants, flower plants or particularly sensitive plants, all the time or in determinate seasons.

The invention can be applied both in a stable and continuous manner, and also only in periods during which certain atmospheric events, for example hail, can materialize.

According to other embodiments, the invention can also be applied as a temporary projecting roof to protect cars, motor vehicles, bicycles, storage spaces for plants, flower beds, doors and/or windows, etc.

The protection device according to the invention comprises at least one element which can extend axially between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, and elastic means associated with the extendable element and configured to keep and/or return the latter in/to the retracted configuration.

The protection device also comprises a protective element connected to the at least one extendable element.

According to some embodiments, the protective element can be a canvass, possibly at least partly waterproof, or a net made of plastic material or suchlike, suitable to intercept, or at least reduce the effect of, the atmospheric event for which the invention is applied.

According to some embodiments, at least two extendable elements are provided, positioned with their axes of extension parallel to each other and the protective element is connected between them.

The protection device according to the invention also comprises extending means, which can be selectively activated to axially extend the at least one extendable element, taking it into the extended configuration. According to some embodiments, the elastic means, since they have a shape memory, are able, when the extendable element is axially extended, to operate a return tension on the latter as soon as the function of the elastic means which stretch it axially is lacking.

In this way, when the extendable elements are retracted the protective element associated with them is packaged, allowing sun rays to reach the plants normally, on the contrary, when the extending means are activated and the extendable elements are extended, the protective element is unrolled, protecting the area below.

According to a variant of the invention, a plurality of extendable elements can be provided positioned parallel to each other, each provided with its own elastic means, and each connected to a protective element at least in correspondence with its own distal end, or along at least part of the axial development.

According to some embodiments, it can be provided that each extendable element is connected to its own extending means, or that the plurality of extendable elements, or at least some of them, share the same extending means.

According to some embodiments, the extending means comprise a pressurized fluid generator.

The fluid can be a liquid, for example water, or a gas, for example air.

In the embodiments in which the extension of the extendable element is actuated by pressurized fluid, a pipe is provided in which the pressurized fluid is made to flow so that it reaches the extendable elements fluidically connected to it.

This solution allows to rapidly and substantially simultaneously extend several protective elements, each associated with respective extendable elements and suitable to protect a determinate area, without needing any manual intervention whatsoever by an operator.

According to some embodiments, the extendable elements have a tubular body made of a light material but watertight and impermeable to fluids, such as plastic or plasticized canvas, which has an open proximal end and a closed distal end.

According to this embodiment, the extension of the extendable elements can occur in different ways, for example by blowing a pressurized fluid, advantageously air or water, or gas, inside the tubular body. According to these embodiments, the tubular bodies are in fluidic communication, through the proximal end, with collars made orthogonally with respect to the axis of direction of the fluid which flows in a pipe for carrying a pressurized fluid, while the distal end is free to extend.

The pipe can be advantageously provided above the existing support poles of the plants disposed in a row, thus preventing the installation of bulky scaffolding, frames or suchlike.

In this way, the axis of extension of the extendable elements is substantially orthogonal with respect to the axis of development of the row.

For example, if the invention is applied to a row of vines, the tubular body can extend until it affects the other row, or affect only about half of the space between one row and the other.

According to the invention, the tubular body can have a length, when extended, suitable to cover at least the transverse extension of the plants to be protected.

By way of example, the assembly of the extendable elements can vary between 30-40cm and 1.5m-2m. Advantageously, a length of around one meter, or one and a half meters is preferable.

It is obvious that the extension length conditions the extending means that determine the extension, their power, the degree of pressure if fluid means, and their capacity to support weights such as, for example, hail.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, guide cables can be provided, extended from one support pole to the contiguous one in a direction orthogonal to the row, configured to make the extending elements slide between the retracted conformation and the extended conformation, providing a support to the latter, so as to facilitate their maintenance in the extended conformation.

In some embodiments, there can be provided in the protection device itself means for advantageously supporting the weight of the extended extendable element.

In other embodiments in accordance with the present invention, the extending means can comprise winches, for example driven by a pressurized fluid, suitable to pull one or more extendable elements so as to unroll a net disposed rolled up in a drum so that its unrolling can occur simultaneously and in opposite directions. According to some embodiments, winches and drums are disposed alternately on the rows, so that the winch is located on an intermediate row and simultaneously acts on two drums.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the extending means comprise at least one pressurized fluid generator, to produce pressurized fluid which can be advantageously stored in storage means. The storage allows to have a reserve of pressurized fluid advantageously available to promptly extend the extendable elements if needed.

An electro valve, interposed between the storage means and the pipe, can be provided to regulate the flow of the pressurized fluid contained in the storage mean towards a pipe.

In some embodiments, the protection device can comprise a sensor, for example a weather station, for controlling the functioning of the pressurized fluid generator and the valve.

The sensor, that is, the weather station, can be configured to open the valve when the meteorological parameters indicate the occurrence of a potentially damaging meteorological event, causing the pressurized fluid to flow toward the extending devices.

At the same time, the sensor can activate the pressurized fluid generator to feed a storage mean.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the attached drawings, given as a non-restrictive example, we have:

- fig. 1, a lateral view of a protection device according to the invention applied on a row of plants, for example vines, in which the protection device is driven by means of pressurized air;

- fig. 2 is an example perspective view of a possible protection device according to the invention;

- figs. 3a, 3b and 3c show three possible variants of the extendable element in retracted (solid line) and extended (dashed line) configuration;

- figs. 4a, 4b and 4c show a lateral view of various examples of possible embodiments of the invention;

- fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a row of plants, on which a protection device according to other embodiments is applied;

- fig. 6 is an example of the application of the protection device according to the invention for the temporary protection of vehicles.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

We will now refer in detail to the various embodiments of the invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawings. Each example is supplied by way of illustration of the invention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. For example, the characteristics shown or described insomuch as they are part of one embodiment can be adopted on, or in association with, other embodiments to produce another embodiment. It is understood that the present invention shall include all such modifications and variants.

Embodiments described here with reference to the attached drawings concern a protection device 10 suitable to temporarily protect a determinate area.

According to some embodiments, the protection device 10 comprises at least one extendable element 11, which can be extended and lengthened along its axis of longitudinal development, between a retracted conformation and an extended conformation.

According to some embodiments, a protective element 12 is associated with the at least one extendable element 11, which is unrolled or unfolded during the activation of the extending means 13 and the consequent extension of the extendable element 11, configured to at least partly intercept hailstones or excessively heavy rain, or also excessive solar radiation.

By way of example, the protective element 12 can be a light canvas, for example made of plastic material, or a net, with meshes thin enough to intercept hailstones of at least medium/large size.

According to some embodiments, for example described with reference to fig. 1, the protection device 10 comprises a plurality of extendable elements 11 interspersed with each other, and between which the protective element 12 is disposed and connected. The protection device 10 also comprises extending means 13 that can be selectively activated and configured to extend the one or more extendable elements 11, and consequently determine the unfolding of the protective element 12 over the area to be protected, for example over the vine plants.

The extendable element 11 comprises a first proximal end 11a which can be connected and attached to a support, for example a wall of a building, a pole for supporting the vines, a tree or other, and a second distal end 11a which is free to move.

The extendable element 11 is associated with elastic means 14 suitable to keep and/or return the extendable element 11 from the extended conformation to the retracted conformation when not in use.

According to some embodiments, the elastic means 25 can have a shape memory, and be suitable to return the extendable element 11 to the retracted resting conformation when the extending means 13 are deactivated.

The protective element 12 can be advantageously connected with a first end 12a above the support poles 17 of the rows, and with a second end 12b, opposite the first, to the distal end 1 lb of one or more extendable elements.

According to some embodiments, for example described with reference to figs. 1-6, the extending means 13 are of the type suitable to extend the extendable element 11 by means of a pressurized fluid.

According to such embodiments, the extendable element 11 can have a tubular body 15, open in correspondence with the proximal end 11a and closed in correspondence with the distal end l ib, and made of watertight material impermeable to fluids.

According to some embodiments, for example described with reference to fig. 1, the protection device 10 comprises a series of extendable elements 11 interspersed with each other, which are associated by means of their open proximal ends 1 la with a pipe 16, which is supported by support poles 17.

According to some embodiments, the extending means 13 comprise a pressurized fluid generator 18, suitable to generate and feed a pressurized fluid toward the pipe 16.

The pressurized fluid can advantageously be compressed air, which is light and cost effective. The pressurized fluid generator 18 can be, for example, a compressor, powered by the mains power network, where available, or by batteries or other electrical energy storage means.

According to some embodiments, the extending means 13 also comprise a storage tank 19 connected between the pressurized fluid generator 18 and the pipe 16 and configured to store the fluid at a desired pressure.

The extending means 13 can also comprise an electro valve 20 disposed between the tank 19 and the pipe 16, which can be selectively activated and deactivated to allow or prevent the transit of the pressurized fluid toward the pipe 16.

According to embodiments described with reference to fig 2, sleeves 21 open from the pipe 16, which are substantially parallel to each other and to the ground, orthogonal with respect to the direction of the flow of fluid in the pipe 16, and each sized to receive and hermetically connect a proximal end 11a of an extendable element.

An interception net 12, of a length substantially equal to the length of the extendable element 11 , is associated with at least two of the extendable elements 1 1 along their entire length, or part of it, so that, when the extendable elements 1 1 are retracted, that is, in the absence of pressurized fluid, the net 12 is wrapped on itself while, during the passage of the pressurized fluid in the pipe 16, it is immediately unrolled thanks to the elongation of the extendable elements 11.

According to possible variants, the pipe 16 can be provided with sleeves 21 on two respectively opposite sides, each associated with its own extendable elements 1 1, so as to simultaneously feed and extend two protective elements 12, one for each side.

According to some embodiments, the extendable elements 11 can be positioned in correspondence with each row, or on alternating rows.

According to some embodiments, the extendable elements 11 can be configured to extend on a substantially horizontal plane.

According to other embodiments, the extendable elements 11 can be configured to extend on a plane inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, so as to facilitate the flow of hail or rain toward their distal end 1 lb, preventing possible accumulations thereof. According to other variants, it can be provided that the protective elements 11 can perform a horizontally pivoting movement with respect to a horizontal plane so as to facilitate the removal of possible hail or water accumulated on them.

By way of example, the length of the extendable elements 11 in the extended condition can vary between 30-40cm and 1.5m-2m, as a function of the applications, although longer lengths can also be provided. Advantageously, a length of around one meter, or one and a half meters is preferable.

According to other embodiments, the protection device 10 can comprise a plurality of pipes 16, each connected to the same or to their own pressurized fluid generator 18.

The power and size of the pressurized fluid generator 18 and the capacity of the tank 19 can be chosen as a function of the number and length of the extendable elements 1 1 which have to be fed on each occasion.

According to some embodiments, the protection device 10 also comprises a sensor 22, for example a weather station, configured to detect atmospheric conditions and identify with good precision, for example, the risk of hail or heavy rain.

According to some embodiments, the sensor 22 is configured to detect at least atmospheric pressure and humidity, and compare them with data or tables stored in its own memory unit to verify whether they are such as to determine potentially damaging meteorological events such as hail or heavy rain.

According to some embodiments, the sensor 22 is configured to condition at least the functioning of the pressurized fluid generator 15 and/or the electro valve 13 according to the detection performed.

According to some embodiments, the sensor 22 can be configured to carry out detections of atmospheric conditions substantially continuously, so as to identify both when a hailstorm or downpour is about to occur, and also to identify when they end, so as to allow a rapid deactivation of the extending means 13.

According to some embodiments, a control and command unit can be provided, not shown, configured to receive a signal from the sensor 16 and command the functioning of the extending means 13.

According to other variants, the weather station 22 can be configured to act both as a detection sensor, and also as a control and command unit. According to other embodiments, the weather station 22, or the possible control and command unit, can be provided with a wireless communication unit 23, suitable to receive a remote signal to command the activation of the extending means 13.

In the case of pressurized fluid, the extendable elements 11 can be of various types, of which, for simplicity, three have been deliberately reported in this description.

Figs. 3a to 3c are used to describe possible embodiments of an extendable element, indicated on each occasion with numbers 11, 111, 211, in which the solid line indicates the retracted conformation, while the dotted line is used to represent the device in its extended conformation. It should also be taken into account that the example drawings show a single extendable element 11 connected to the pipe 16 for the sole purpose of clarity, nevertheless embodiments can, but not necessarily, comprise a second extendable element 11 connected to the pipe 16 in a manner symmetrical to the first.

Fig. 3a shows in detail an extendable element 11 sealed onto the collar 21 of the pipe 16, which provides the tubular body 15 associated with an elastic means 14.

According to such embodiment, the elastic means 14 in this case can comprise a metal foil 25 connected to the tubular body 15, or positioned inside it, and wound into a spring or spiral, or similar or comparable element, the whole being rolled up together in a retracted conformation.

Fig. 3b shows in detail a variant 111 of the extendable element sealed by means of the collar 21 to the pipe 16 which provides the tubular body 15, in this case made as a containing and protection jacket. According to this embodiment, the elastic means 14 can be defined by the tubular body 15 itself, made of elastic material, which in the retracted conformation comprises a plurality of folds or corrugations 26, and is able to elongate and expand until these are substantially eliminated.

Fig. 3c shows in detail another variant 211 of the extendable element in fig. 3b, which is sealed by means of the collar 21 to the pipe 16 and provides that the extendable element is substantially made up of two parts, that is, the tubular body 15 provided with folds and corrugations 26 is separated from the elastic means 14. The latter can comprise in this specific case an elastic cable 27, attached with a first end to a fixed support element 28, for example disposed above the pipe 16, or connected to a wall or to a support pole 17, and with a second end, opposite the first, to the distal end 1 la of the extendable element 11.

The support cable 27 made of elastic material aids the repositioning of the extendable element 1 lb when the actuation pressure of the extending means 13 is lacking, thanks to its intrinsic traction properties.

According to some embodiments, the support cable 27 can be a rigid cable wound around a rotatable support 30, which unwinds during the extension of the extendable element 211, and once tensioned provides support to the extendable element 211 itself in the extended conformation. In this case, the elastic means 14 are defined by the rotatable support 30, which can be configured to quickly rewind the extendable element 211 when the extending means 13 do not act on it.

This solution allows the extendable element 211 to extend more than the embodiments 11 and 111, preventing its flexion, for example in the event of extendable elements 211 with a length of about 2 meters.

The entry of the pressurized fluid unrolls and lengthens the tubular element 15 which, due to the action of the pressure of the fluid, stiffens.

When the fluid is evacuated, the elastic means 14, or the foil 25, the corrugations 26 or the cable 27, return everything back to its initial condition, folding/re-rolling the protective element 12 so as to uncover the plants again, which can therefore properly receive the sun rays.

The extendable elements 1 1, 111, 211 according to the embodiments of the invention can be seen in the example of fig. 4a, 4b and 4c, connected to the pipe 16, which are applied on the support poles 17 which cooperate with the vine plants 19.

According to some embodiments, the protection device 10 can comprise a cover 24, mounted above the devices 10, provided to prevent the sun rays from affecting the useful life of the device itself.

According to some embodiments, it can be provided that the extendable element 11, 111, 211, at its maximum extension, can reach the contiguous row, or up to half the distance or a distance at will.

With reference to fig. 5, this shows another variant of the protection device 10 according to the invention, in which the protective element 12 is rolled on a drum 20 so that its unrolling can occur simultaneously and in opposite directions with respect to a row. The drum 20 is positioned above the pipes 16 so that the protective element 12 can be attached to the distal end l ib of the extendable elements 1 1.

According to some embodiments, winches 33 can be provided positioned on alternate rows with respect to the drum 20 on which cables 28 are wound/unwound suitable to pull the respective distal end 11a in a direction substantially orthogonal to the drum 20, so as to unroll the protective element 12 on an area in the middle of two adjacent rows.

According to possible embodiments, the winches 33 can be fluidly connected to an impeller, the rotation of which can be activated by the flow of pressurized fluid fed through the pipe 16, which in turn determines the rotation of the winches 21 themselves to unroll the protective element 12 rolled in the drum 20.

According to some embodiments, it can be provided to extend the extendable elements 1 1 both by injecting a pressurized fluid into them through the pipe 16 connected to their open proximal ends 11a, and also by pulling the cables 28 connected to the respective distal ends l ib by means of the winches 33, so as to further speed up the unfolding of the protective element 12.

According to other embodiments, which can be combined with all the embodiments described here, the protection device 10 can also comprise guide cables 29 attached by a support pole 17 to that of the contiguous row, configured to provide a guide and a support for the extension of extendable elements 1 1.

According to these variants, the distal ends l ib of the extendable elements 11 can be provided with hooks, eyelets, or similar elements, suitable to be slidably connected on the guide cables 29.

Fig. 6 shows an example of the use of a protection device 10 associated with the wall 30 of a building to protect, for example, a vehicle 31. in this specific case, there can be provided a telescopic element 32 made of rigid material, or a support cable 27, associated with one end to the wall 30 of the building, and with the other end to the distal end 1 lb of the extendable element 11, so as to facilitate its maintenance in the extended position.

This solution allows to use extendable elements 1 1 even longer than 2m, for example up to 3m in length.

The telescopic element 32 accompanies the extension of the extendable element 11 and of the protective element 12, preventing the flexion thereof and possibly allowing to keep the protection device 10 extended even without a continuous flow of pressurized fluid provided by the extending means 13.

Also according to this solution, a sensor 22 or a control unit can be provided to detect atmospheric conditions and automatically command the extension of the extendable elements 11 by activating the pressurized fluid generator 18.

The present invention also concerns a method to activate/deactivate the protection device 10 according to the invention, which provides to:

- dispose one or more extendable elements 11 with one of their proximal ends 11a aligned on a first side of an area to be protected;

- activate the extending means 13 in order to take the extendable element/elements 11 from the retracted condition to the extended condition so that the distal end 1 lb reaches a second side, opposite the first side, of the area to be protected, and unfolds the protective element 12 over this area;

- maintain the extending means 13 active for a period of time consistent with the duration of a meteorological event;

- deactivate the extending means 13 and automatically return the extendable elements 11 to the retracted conformation by means of the elastic means 14.

The method according to the invention provides to use extendable elements 11 provided with a tubular body 15 made of watertight or waterproof material and to inject pressurized fluid therein in order to take it into the extended condition, so as to extend the protective element 12 over the area to be protected.

According to other embodiments, the method provides to detect atmospheric conditions by means of a sensor 22 or a weather station and to command the extending means 13 to extend the extendable elements 11 when atmospheric conditions correlated to a possible meteorological event of hail, heavy rain or excessive solar radiation are identified, and to deactivate the extending means 13 when the end of the meteorological event is verified, returning the extendable elements 11 to the retracted configuration by means of the respective elastic means 14.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps may be made to the protection device 10 and to the activation/deactivation method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of protection device 10 and activation/deactivation method, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.