Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K1/00—Housing animals; Equipment therefor
  • A01K1/12—Milking stations
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CARE OF BIRDS, FISHES, INSECTS; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
  • A01K15/00—Devices for taming animals, e.g. nose-rings or hobbles; Devices for overturning animals in general; Training or exercising equipment; Covering boxes
  • A01K15/02—Training or exercising equipment, e.g. mazes or labyrinths for animals ; Electric shock devices ; Toys specially adapted for animals

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for housing an animal to be subjected to an animal-related action, comprising enclosure means defining an area and having at least one passage permitting the animal to enter said area, and equipment for the performance of said action regarding the animal being present in said area.
• Automatic milking of cows is known and disclosed in e.g. EP-A-91 892.
• the automatic milking takes place in one or more combined feeding and milking stalls provided in a barn in which the cows are allowed to walk about freely and find their way individually to the stalls for feeding, drinking and milking.
• the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for housing an animal to be treated, which is attractive to the animal and which has means occupying the animal such that it is still to facilitate the performance of the animal-related action.
• control means is provided to activate said distracting means during an initial phase of the performance of said action.
• the initial finding or localizing phase is critical. Consequently, it is advantageous that the animal does not move during this critical phase.
• said control means is adapted to activate said distracting means by moving said distracting means to a position in said area.
• said control means may be adapted to adjust said position of said distracting means such that a position of an individual animal is optimized for the performance of said action regarding said individual.
• said control means may be adapted to move said distracting means between said active position and an inactive position such that it is not accessible, and preferably not visible, to the animal. It is advantageous that the distracting means may be "inactivated when the occupation of the interest of the animal is no longer needed. This may for example be the case when it is desired that the animal leaves said area. It may also be the case after a certain time interval in order to maintain the curiosity of the animal and thus the attracting effect of the distracting means. Thereby, said inactive position may be outside the enclosure means.
• control means is adapted to activate said distracting means by moving a cover means such that the distracting means is accessible, and preferably visible, to the animal, and to disactivate said distracting means by moving said cover means such that the distracting means is not accessible, and preferably not visible, to the animal.
• said distracting means comprises means adapted to dispense a substance upon activation, said substance being attractive to the animal.
• a sensing device may be provided to sense if the animal is contacting said distracting means by its mouth and that the control means may be adapted to activate the distracting means in response to said sensing device.
• the activation of the distracting means is a sort of reward to the animal, which may be given after a certain time interval or when said action steps requiring an immovable animal have been performed.
• Said substance may be provided to emit a smell enticing the animal to sniff or smell thereat. Alternatively, said substance may have an attractive taste.
• said substance may comprise a hormone, such as oxytocin, to be assimilated by the animal upon activation.
• said distracting means may comprise a solid compound, such as a salt stone. It should be noted that such a solid compound may be provided as the only distracting member or in combination with said dispensing means.
• said area comprises a milking stall and the equipment comprises a milking machine having a set of teatcups to be attached to the teats of the animal being present in a milking stall by means of an automatic handling device and said animal- related action comprises said attachment of the teatcups.
• Fig 1 shows a side-view of a milking stall according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig 2 shows a view from above of a milking stall according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig 3 shows a side-view of a first embodiment of an distracting member according to the present invention.
• Fig 4 shows a side-view of a second embodiment of an distracting member according to the present invention.
• Fig 5 shows a view from above of a third embodiment of an distracting member according to the present invention.
• Fig 6 shows a side-view of a fourth embodiment of an distracting member according to the present invention.
• Fig 7 shows a side-view of a fifth embodiment of an distracting member according to the present invention.
• a milking stall 1 for housing a cow to be milked, which stall 1 may be provided in a barn (not disclosed) housing many cows walking about freely.
• the milking stall 1 comprises enclosure means in the form of a surrounding grid device 2 defining an area in the milking stall 1.
• the grid device 2 comprises an inlet gate 3 and an exit gate 4.
• a milking machine represented by a receptacle container 5, four milk conduits 6 and four teatcups 7 to be attached to a respective teat of the cow being present in the milking stall 1 (see Fig 2 ) .
• an automatic handling device 8 comprising an electronic control unit 9 and a robot arm 10 having gripping means 11 and a sensor 12, for example in the form of a video camera for determining the position of the teats of the animal being present in the milking stall 1.
• the robot arm 10 and the gripping means 11 may be controlled to grip successively a teatcup 7 and attach it to a teat of the cow.
• the automatic handling device 8 except for attaching the teatcups may be adapted to locate, inspect, pretreat, clean and/or posttreat the teats.
• an animal identifying means for the identification of an animal entering the milking stall 1, for example in the form of a transponder and a receiver.
• Such identifying means is connected to the control system of the milking stall 1 in which a lot of information about each individual cow may be stored.
• animal distracting means in the form of a distracting device 13 comprising a support structure 14 and a distracting member 15.
• the distracting member 15 is movably connected to the support structure 14 by means of an arm 16 which is extensible, e.g. telescopically, and movable in a vertical plane and a horizontal plane.
• the movability of the arm 16 and the distracting member 15 is obtained by drive means housed in the support structure 14 and schematically disclosed at 17.
• the distracting device 13 comprises a schematically disclosed container 18 for keeping different substances to be used together with the distracting member 15 and to be described more closely further down.
• the distracting device 13 also comprises an electronic control unit 19 for the control of the position of the distracting member 15 and for the control of the supply of the substances from the container 18.
• a connection 20 is provided between the control unit 19 and the control unit 9 for coordination of the operation of the automatic handling device 8 and the distracting device 13.
• Fig 1 the movability of the distracting member 15 in a vertical plane is illustrated.
• a cow of a relatively small size which is occupied by the distracting member 15, may be in such a position in the milking stall 1 that the robot arm 10 easily can reach the teats of the cow and thus attach the teatcups 7.
• the position p' represents a suitable position of the mouth of a cow being relatively big, said position facilitating the attachment of the teatcups 7.
• the position p' ' is provided outside the enclosure means 2 and thus the distracting member 15 is not accessible to a cow being present in the milking stall 1.
• the position p' ' may be such that the distracting member 15 is not visible to the animal, and moreover, it may be such that the animal may not perceive the smell of the distracting member 15. Consequently, the cow would not mind leaving the milking stall 1 after the milking operation has been finished.
• Fig 2 shows a modified milking stall 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• the second embodiment differs from the first one in that the distracting member 15 is provided outside the front grid in a box 21 having at least a front cover 22 facing the milking stall 1.
• the cover 22 is movable between an open position and a closed position by a drive means 23.
• the drive means 23 is connected to the control unit for the control of the position of the cover 22.
• the distracting member 15 When the cover 22 is in the open position, the distracting member 15 is accessible and visible to the animal, and when the cover 22 is in the closed position, the distracting member is hidden and thus not accessible and visible to the animal. Consequently, the distracting member 15 may be activated by opening the cover 22 and disactivated by closing the cover 22.
• Fig 3 discloses a distracting member 15 having a spherical shape and being provided with small perforations 21.
• the arm 16 may be hollow and permit a liquid or a gas from the container 18 to be transported through the arm 16 and out through the perforations 24. In this manner it is possible to emit a suitable smell through the perforations 24. It may be a smell of calves, bulls or any suitable smell attracting animals. The smell may be in the form of an etheric oil dissolved in a solvent such as alcohol.
• the spherical distracting member 15 may be of metal, a hard plastic material or a hard rubber material.
• a proximity sensor 25 for example an IR-sensor or a video camera, which is connected to the control unit 19 and adapted to sense if the animal is approaching or contacting the distracting member 15 by its mouth.
• the control unit 19 may initiate the emission of the smell a certain time interval after the cow has been in contact with the distracting member 15. This is believed to increase the distracting effect of the distracting member 15, since the cow is rewarded for its interest in the distracting member 15.
• the distracting member 15 disclosed in Fig 3 also may be provided to dispense substances to be assimilated through the nose, such as oxytocin being a hormone stimulating milk let down in the initial phase of the milking.
• Fig 4 discloses a second embodiment of the distracting member 15 having a semispherical shape with an essentially plane, horizontal upper surface 26 and an internal channel 27 having an orifice in the upper surface 26 and being connected to the container 18. Thereby, a liquid, such as water or a small amount of molasses, may be dispensed from the container 18 through the channel 27 and onto the upper surface 26.
• a proximity sensor 25 connected to the control unit 19 may be provided.
• the distracting members 15 disclosed in Fig 3 and 4 may be activated by being introduced into the milking stall 1, for example from the position p' ' to the position p as disclosed in Fig 1, or by opening the cover 22, and/or by the distribution of a substance in the form of a smell and/or a taste. Thereby, the distribution may be initiated by opening of a valve device (not shown) controlled by the control unit 19.
• Figs 5 and 6 disclose a distracting member 15 which is believed to attract animals. It should be noted that the shape of such a distracting member may be varied and the distracting members disclosed are merely examples thereof.
• Fig 5 shows a torus-shaped member 15 and Fig 6 a portion of a rubber hose.
• the distracting member 15 should be produced in a material which encourages the cow to chew or bite it. Such materials may for example be rubber material, plastic material or wood.
• Fig 7 discloses a distracting member 15 in the form of a mineral stone, for example a salt stone. It should be noted, however, that the substances of the stone 15 may also comprise for example sweet substances, such as molasses.
• the activation of the distracting device 13, by positioning or distribution of a smell and/or a taste may be initiated by the control unit 19 receiving a signal from the control unit 9 that a cow has entered the milking stall 1.
• the distracting member 15 may . be activated during the attachment of the teatcups, thus occupying the animal therewith.
• a confirming signal may be sent to the control unit 19 by which the distracting device 13 is inactivated.
• the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein but may be modified within the scope of the following claims.
• the present invention has been explained in connection with a milking stall it should be understood that the inventive idea also may be applied to other animal-related actions, such as cleaning, medical treatment etc.
• the present invention may be applied to other animals than cows, for example sheep, goats, horses, buffaloes.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20403167

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

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Family Cites Families (5)

• 1996
  • 1996-06-26 SE SE9602526A patent/SE9602526D0/xx unknown
• 1997
  • 1997-06-19 JP JP10502826A patent/JP2000512847A/ja active Pending
  • 1997-06-19 EP EP97929659A patent/EP0907313A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-06-19 AU AU33667/97A patent/AU3366797A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-06-19 IL IL12773497A patent/IL127734A0/xx unknown
  • 1997-06-19 WO PCT/SE1997/001107 patent/WO1997049278A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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