JP7198503B2 - Observation device for eggs during hatching - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for observing eggs during hatching.

Incubation eggs used for the production of chicks, vaccines, etc. are incubated in a predetermined environment of temperature, humidity, etc., and during incubation, the activity status of the embryo inside the egg, that is, the inspection to determine the life and death, etc. is done. As such an inspection device, a device for identifying viable eggs described in Patent Document 1 below is known. This device measures the eggs placed on the tray for a few seconds after taking them out of the incubator and placing them on the conveyor.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-532046 JP 2013-255431 A

The inside of the incubator is kept in an atmosphere suitable for incubation in terms of temperature, humidity, wind, etc., and it is not very preferable to expose the eggs outside the incubator for a long time during the above-mentioned inspection during hatching. For this reason, the present inventor considers observing the eggs during hatching without removing the eggs during hatching from the incubator.

In the incubator, an operation called egg turning is performed to prevent the embryo inside the egg from adhering to the eggshell (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Specifically, the tray in the incubator is swung from one tilted state to another tilted state at predetermined time intervals. Conventionally, no observation device capable of responding to such movements of eggs during hatching has been conceived.

The present invention provides a device for observing eggs during hatching that can be used in an incubator.

The apparatus for observing unhatched eggs of the present invention comprises an irradiation unit and a light receiving unit, and observes the internal state of the eggs on the tray based on changes in the light received by the light receiving unit. The irradiation unit irradiates the eggs with light during hatching. The light-receiving unit receives light emitted from the surface of the egg through the inside of the egg, among the light emitted by the irradiating unit. The apparatus for observing hatching eggs of the present invention further comprises an observation unit that is attached to the eggs outside the incubator and can be put into the incubator. The observation part connects each pad part to two or more pad parts, each of which is a light-shielding cap which is elastically deformable in contact with one hatching egg and whose tubular interior allows the light to pass through. and an urging portion that urges the pad portions to approach each other, wherein at least one of the irradiation portion and the light receiving portion is adapted to pass through the interior of at least one of the pad portions. located at the connection.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the observation apparatus of the egg in the middle of hatching which can be used also in an incubator can be provided.

The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

It is a figure which shows a mode that an observation part is mounted|worn with an egg in the middle of hatching. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state of observing an egg during hatching in which the air chamber is in a normal position; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state of observing an egg during hatching in which the air chamber is in an abnormal position. FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which an egg is being observed during hatching; It is a figure which shows the ONOFF control sequence of an irradiation part. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a casing of an incubator; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which hatching eggs on an inclined tray within a casing are being observed; FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 of the apparatus for observing eggs during hatching according to the first modification of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 of the apparatus for observing eggs during hatching according to a second modification of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 of the apparatus for observing eggs during hatching according to a third modification of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 of the apparatus for observing eggs during hatching according to a fourth modification of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 of the apparatus for observing eggs during hatching according to a fifth modification of the present invention;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. The apparatus 10 for observing hatching eggs according to the present embodiment observes the internal state of a hatching egg E (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "egg E") based on changes in light. The observation device 10 for the eggs during hatching individually observes the eggs E on the tray T arranged on the shelf Ia in the incubator I. At least part of the apparatus 10 for observing eggs during hatching (for example, the light receiving unit 22, the circuit board 6, the frame 8, etc.) is arranged above the eggs E to be observed, and is kept in a casing Ib in an atmosphere suitable for incubation. Observe the eggs E on the tray T arranged in multiple layers.

The tray T includes a plurality of egg seats T1 provided two-dimensionally. Each egg locus T1 has a frame T2 that conforms to the shape of the egg E and supports the hatching egg from the side, and a plurality of projections T3 for supporting the egg E from below. from above and below. Each egg E is packed into the egg seat T1 with its sharp end E1 facing downwards and its blunt end E2 facing upwards. Note that the shape of the tray T and the accommodation direction of the eggs E are not limited to those illustrated.

A hatching egg observation device 10 includes an observation section 2 and a control section 4 . The observation unit 2 observes the eggs E in the tray T at an "observation position" attached from above to determine whether the eggs E are alive or dead. A control unit 4 controls the observation unit 2 . Specifically, the control unit 4 irradiates the irradiation units 21a and 21b in a time division manner.

The observation unit 2 includes irradiation units 21a and 21b, a light receiving unit 22, and a pad unit 23 that is a light shielding cap. The irradiation sections 21 a and 21 b, the light receiving section 22 and the pad section 23 are provided in the connection section 24 . The connecting portion 24 connects the two pad portions 23 . The two pad portions 23 are urged inward by the urging portion 25 in a direction toward each other. In the drawing, the urging portion 25 is shown by the direction of the force applied to the pad portion 23 rather than by the member itself.

The observation unit 2 is attached to the egg E outside the incubator I at the start of incubation, for example, and then continuously or intermittently observes the state of the egg E in the state of being placed in the incubator I. The positional relationship between the irradiating units 21a and 21b and the light receiving unit 22 and the egg E is kept constant in the state of being attached to the egg E on the tray T that is rocked in the casing Ib that is kept in an atmosphere suitable for incubation. be

The irradiation units 21a and 21b irradiate light from the side surface E4 of the one egg E other than the sharp end E1 and the blunt end E2 toward the central axis connecting the sharp end E1 and the blunt end E2. The two irradiation units 21a and 21b irradiate the one egg E with light from different directions. The two irradiation units 21a and 21b are arranged to face each other. The irradiation units 21 a and 21 b are provided at the lower end of the connection portion 24 . A portion of the connecting portion 24 is configured by a cylindrical body (arm) laterally adjacent to the egg E at the observation position. The lower end of the connecting portion 24 is positioned near the equator of the egg E at the observation position. The irradiation units 21a and 21b are, for example, LEDs, but may be laser light emitting elements or the like, or light sources may be arranged at different locations using light guides.

The light receiving unit 22 receives the light emitted from the surface of the egg E to the outside through the inside of the egg E, among the light emitted by the irradiation units 21a and 21b. The light that has passed through the inside is the light that has been reflected and diffused by the embryo or the like inside the egg E from the light from the irradiation units 21a and 21b. The light received by the light receiving section 22 is converted into an electrical signal and sent to an identification section (not shown) wirelessly or by wire. The identification unit identifies the viable egg by analyzing the electric signal of the light received by the light receiving unit 22 .

The pad portion 23 is elastically deformable and comes into close contact with the side surface E4 of the egg E placed on the egg seat T1 at the observation position. The pad section 23 is arranged between the egg E and the two irradiation sections 21a and 21b. Each pad portion 23 has a cylindrical shape, and a first irradiation portion 21a and a second irradiation portion 21b are arranged in the inside thereof. The pad portion 23 is a light shielding cap that shields the space between the irradiation portions 21a and 21b and the egg E. As shown in FIG.

Next, an example of how to use the observation apparatus 10 for eggs during hatching will be described. First, the observation part 2 is attached from above to the egg E accommodated in the tray T in the vertical direction. Observation is performed in the incubator I while the egg E is sandwiched between the opposing pad portions 23 by the biasing force of the biasing portion 25 . The observation operation is divided into two stages, an "air chamber position confirmation step" and a "biological signal measurement step".

First, in the "air chamber position confirmation step", as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 4 irradiates the two irradiation units 21a and 21b in a time division manner. As shown in FIG. 2, in the case of an egg E whose air chamber E3 is in a normal position, the light that can be used for examination can be emitted from either the first irradiation unit 21a or the second irradiation unit 21b. Obtainable. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, in the case of the egg E whose air chamber E3 is in an abnormal position, the amount of light received when irradiated from the first irradiation unit 21a is greater than that when irradiated from the second irradiation unit 21b. becomes too large to accurately measure biosignals. This is because the light reflected by the air chamber E3 is received when the light is emitted from the first irradiation unit 21a.

After confirming which irradiation units 21a and 21b can be used for examination in the air chamber position confirmation step, the control unit 4 selects the irradiation units 21a and 21b to be used in the biological signal measurement step.

In the "biological signal measurement step", the irradiating unit 21b is irradiated, and among the light irradiated by the irradiating unit 21b, the light emitted from the egg surface to the outside through the inside of the egg E is received. Observe the internal state of the egg E. Since the "biological signal measurement step" can apply the same or similar method as the method conventionally performed in this field, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the apparatus 10 for observing eggs in the process of hatching according to the present embodiment includes the irradiation units 21a and 21b that irradiate light toward the eggs E in the process of hatching, and the light emitted by the irradiation units 21a and 21b. A light receiving part 22 for receiving light emitted from the surface of the egg E to the outside through the interior of the egg E, and the internal state of the egg E during hatching is observed based on changes in the light received by the light receiving part 22. - 特許庁In particular, two pad portions 23 each elastically deformable in contact with one hatching egg E, a connecting portion 24 connecting the pad portions 23, and a biasing force for biasing the pad portions 23 toward each other. a portion 25; Inside the pad section 23, irradiation sections 21a and 21b are arranged.

Because of this configuration, the observation unit 2 can be attached to the egg E as if an over-ear headphone is attached, with the blunt end of the egg E to be observed as the top of the head. The pad portion 23 can be brought into close contact with eggs E of various sizes, and attachment and detachment are easy. In a state in which the egg E is sandwiched between the opposing pad portions 23 by the biasing force of the biasing portion 25, the positional relationship between the irradiation portions 21a and 21b, the light receiving portion 22, and the hatching egg E is kept constant, and the egg turning operation is performed. Observation can be properly performed even in the incubator I where the

Since the pad portion 23 is a light shielding cap 26 for shielding light between the irradiation portions 21a and 21b and the hatching egg E, it is less susceptible to disturbance light and the S/N ratio is improved.

The apparatus 10 for observing eggs during hatching according to the present embodiment includes the control unit 4 that irradiates the irradiation units 21a and 21b in a time division manner. It can be performed.

In addition, the apparatus 10 for observing eggs during hatching according to the present embodiment is attached to the eggs E during hatching on a tray T that is shaken in a casing Ib that is maintained in an atmosphere suitable for incubation. The positional relationship between 21b and the light receiving part 22 and the egg E in the middle of hatching is kept constant. Therefore, observation can be performed without moving the egg E at a time when the survival rate of the egg E is likely to be affected by taking it in and out of the incubator I. Observations over multiple days are also facilitated. Only a part of the eggs E in the incubator I may be observed, or all the eggs may be observed. The irradiation units 21a and 21b, the light receiving unit 22, and the pad unit 23 are made of members that can withstand the temperature inside the incubator I.

In addition, this invention is not restricted to embodiment mentioned above.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, an elastically deformable light shielding cap 26 may be placed between the hatching egg E and the light receiving section 22 .

The number of pad portions 23 is not limited to two, and may be three or more. Various devices can be employed for the devices arranged inside the pad section 23 . 9 to 12, the relationship between the pad portion 23 and the half-hatched egg E is represented by schematic plan views. Note that the pad portion 23 may not have a light shielding function.

9 includes three pad portions 23, a connecting portion (not shown), and an urging portion 25. Inside the two pad portions 23, irradiating portions 21a and 21b are arranged, respectively. A temperature measuring section 27 is arranged inside the two pad sections 23 . The temperature measurement unit 27 is for measuring the eggshell temperature of the egg E during hatching, and is arranged in association with the observation device 10 . The three pad portions 23 are arranged at regular intervals.

The one shown in FIG. 10 includes two pad portions 23, a connection portion (not shown), and an urging portion 25. An irradiation portion 21b is arranged inside one pad portion 23, and the other pad portion A temperature measuring unit 27 is arranged inside 23 . 11 includes two pad portions 23, a connection portion (not shown), and an urging portion 25. An irradiation portion 21b is arranged inside one pad portion 23, and the other pad portion A light receiving portion 22 is arranged inside 23 . The one shown in FIG. 12 includes four pad portions 23, a connection portion (not shown), and an urging portion 25, and irradiation portions 21a and 21b are arranged inside the two pad portions 23, respectively. None of the irradiation sections 21a and 21b, the light receiving section 22, and the temperature measurement section 27 are arranged inside the other two pad sections 23, and the urging section 25 urges these pad sections 23 in a direction to approach each other. ing.

The embodiment disclosed this time is an example and is not limited to this. The present invention is defined by the scope of the claims rather than the scope described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an inspection apparatus for eggs during hatching.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Observation device 21a, 21b... Irradiation part 22... Light receiving part 23... Pad part 24... Connection part 25... Biasing part 26... Light shielding cap E... Half hatching egg Ib... Casing T... Tray

Claims (3)

An irradiating part that irradiates light toward the eggs on the tray during hatching, and a light receiving part that receives light emitted from the surface of the egg out of the light emitted by the irradiating part through the inside of the egg, A device for observing an egg during hatching for observing an internal state of the egg during hatching based on a change in light received by the light receiving unit,
an observation unit that can be inserted into the incubator while attached to the egg outside the incubator;
the observation unit includes two or more pad portions each of which is a light shielding cap that is elastically deformable in contact with one hatching egg and whose tubular interior allows the light to pass through ;
a connecting portion that connects the respective pad portions;
an urging portion that urges the pad portions in a direction toward each other;
At least one of the irradiation section and the light receiving section is arranged in the connection section so that the light passes through the inside of at least one of the pad sections. 2. The apparatus for observing eggs during hatching according to claim 1 , further comprising a control unit that irradiates each irradiation unit in a time division manner. The positional relationship between the irradiating part, the light receiving part, and the egg during hatching is kept constant in the state of being attached to the egg during hatching on the tray that is shaken in a casing that is kept in an atmosphere suitable for incubation. 3. A device for observing eggs during hatching according to claim 1 or 2 .

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