NZ228664A

NZ228664A - One-piece animal ear tag with central hinge

Info

Publication number: NZ228664A
Application number: NZ228664A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Alain Rene Porcher; Meliner Herve Le
Original assignee: Magri Holland
Priority date: 1988-04-07
Filing date: 1989-04-07
Publication date: 1991-02-26
Also published as: ATE70694T1; EP0336848B1; DK165589A; NO891460L; NO891460D0; DK165589D0; FR2629681B1; DE68900595D1; EP0336848A1; FR2629681A1

Abstract

This device comprises a male portion (10) carrying a shank (12) ending in a head (13), as well as a female portion (14) possessing an opening at the other end of the device and through which opening the end of the shank carrying the head (13) is able to be passed, after this end has passed through the ear of an animal, and in which opening it is held. The male (10) and female (14) portions are joined by a hinge (18) which is formed in one piece with them and is composed of a first link member (19) and of at least one second link member (22). The closed loop thus fits the profile of the edge of the ear and the danger of catching is reduced. <IMAGE>

Description

1 228664 Priority Date(5): . .73; Compete Specification Fiiedf?.

Publication Date: f.^P., P.O. Journal. No- . 1&4I 1991 No.: Date: NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 A t ,,y ; ~ 7 APR' Jojjo COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AN ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION TAG WE, MAGRI HOLLAND B.V. a Dutch company of 2 Eduard van Beinumstrad 1000 B.V., Amsterdam/ The Netherlands do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 2 228664 a This invention relates to an animal ear tag.

A well known means of attaching an ear tag to an animal is by way of passing a headed stem of a tag component 5 through the ear and into locking engagement with an opening in a female component of the tag. The male component can be made of a substantially rigid plastics material such that there is sufficient rigidity in the headed stem for it to be forced through the ear. The 10 female component can be of a similar material or can be of a more flexible plastics material. Generally the two components are quite separate, however, it is known to provide a tag which is formed in one piece. Such a tag is of elongate form with the stem at one end and the 15 opening at the other. In use the tag is looped around the peripheral edge of the ear so that the head and opening are positioned in substantial alignment on opposite sides of the ear whereby the head is then forced through the ear and into locking engagement with the 20 opening.

Such a tag has, however, been found to have certain disadvantages. One main disadvantage is that the tag when looped around the edge of the ear does not closely 25 follow the contour of the ear but rather bulges outwardly and is thus very proned to becoming snagged in an obstacle with the possibility of the tag thereby becoming. \ \ ''2 1 DEC!99Gv - • v' ■ - rs * 228664 3 ripped from the ear. The bulging effect also means that the panels on which identification indicia is marked can render the indicia not readily visible at a distance.

Another disadvantage when the tag is moved from its flat state and into the looped state is that there is no definite hinge action and thus difficulty can be experienced in manipulating the tag so the headed stem is assured of being aligned with the opening. Alternatively 10 the tag can be difficult to load into an applicator tool. To overcome this difficulty it has been known to provide one or a pair of transverse lines of reduced thickness in rigid plastics tags in the area in which the tag engages around the edge of the animal's ear. While such lines of 15 reduced thickness tend to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages the areas of reduced cross-sectional thickness are prone to becoming severed should the tag become snagged or other forces applied thereto with the result that the tag affectively becomes a two piece tag.

The aforementioned disadvantages are particularly noticeable if the tag is formed from a fully flexible and resilient plastics material. The object of the present invention is thus to provide an animal ear tag which is 25 preferably formed of a flexible and resilient plastics material and which overcomes one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. - —"-'-nnf- 4 228664 Broadly the invention consists of a one piece ear tag for an animal, the ear tag comprising a male portion having a headed stem projecting therefrom and a female portion having an opening through which the headed end of the stem can locate after having passed through the ear of an animal, said male and female portions being coupled together by an integral hinge portion said hinge portion being characterised by a pair of spaced apart hinge elements each said hinge element including a thin web and located therebetween a coupling element, said hinge elements and said coupling element extending between and joining said male and female portions such that the male and female portions can be moved about the hinge formed thereby to enable the headed end of the stem to be located with said opening.

Preferably the tag is formed from a flexible and resilient plastics material such as a polyurethane.

Preferably the coupling element is of significantly greater width than the or each of the hinge element(s).

In the following more detailed description of the invention according to a preferred embodiment reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- 22 8 6 64 rs Figure 1 is an elevation view of the tag in its non-use or static state Figure 2 is a plan view in the direction of arrow A, and Figure 3 is a elevation view of the tag in its assembled or in use state with an animal's ear being schematically shown in dotted detail.

The tag according to the present invention and in its preferred embodiment is formed in one piece from a plastics material such a polyurethane which is well known for being fully flexible and resilient but able to 15 withstand climatic and physical effects to which a tag is subjected during use. The tag is elongate in form and effectively comprises a male portion 10 having a panel 11, stem 12 with a conical head 13 at one end thereof and a female portion 14 having an opening 15 at one end of 20 panel 16. Preferably there is a boss or wall 17 surrounding opening 15 and in which the head 13 resides Q (either partially or in total) when the tag is assembled as shown in Figure 3. In the preferred form the headed stem is of a construction as disclosed in U.S. patent 25 specification No. 3731414 of Allflex International Limited. 6 22 8654 Panels 11 and 16 are coupled together by a integrally formed hinge portion 18. This hinge portion 18 consists of a primary coupling element 19 which is centrally located (relative to the longitudinal axis of the 5 elongate panel 11 and 16) and bows outwardly beyond the plane formed by the surfaces 20 and 21 of the panels these surfaces being outermost when the tag is in use. Flanking coupling element 19 are a pair of secondary coupling or hinge elements 22. Each of the hinge 10 elements 22 is formed by a pair of leg portions 23 which project toward each other and extend outwardly from panels 11 and 16 in a direction opposite to that in which the coupling element 19 bows. The free ends of legs 23 are joined together by a thin web 24. Thus in the static 15 or non-use state of the tag (see Figure 1) the coupling element 19 curves outwardly from the panels in one direction while the hinge legs 23 project in an opposite direction and extending therebetween is the web 24.

The invention is open to modification and in a non preferred form there can be more than one coupling element 19. It is believed that according to the preferred embodiment a more definite hinging arrangement is achieved by the use of the pair of hinge elements 25 flanking the coupling element, however, a single hinge element could, in a less preferred form of the invention 22 8 6 6 7 be employed in conjunction with say two coupling elements.

The tag construction can be complimented by strengthening 5 ribs 25 located in the panels 11 and 16 at their ends which are coupled by the hinge portion 18. These strengthening ribs can be provided to prevent any tendency to transverse curvature of the panels in the area of the hinge 18 when the tag is in its assembled 10 state.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the hinge portion 18 provides a definite hinging action which enables the panels to lie substantially flat against the respective opposite 15 surfaces of the animal's ear and at the same time extend closely around the peripheral edge of the ear. this positive hinging action results from the combined effects ^ of the coupling and hinge elements which, as shown, in the in-use state take up a position whereby they 20 effectively lie in substantially the same curved transition between the panels 11 and 16. w' As can be seen in Figure 3 the ends of the legs 23 overlap slightly and thus provide a degree of protection 25 for the webs 24, however, even if the thin webs do part because of snagging or other forces applied to the tag the primary coupling element will, except in extreme 8 22 86 64 cases, remain intact due to is greater width and thickness. Thus even if webs 24 do become severed the primary coupling element ensures that the ends of the panels remain coupled around the edge of the animal's 5 ear.

While the tag construction according to the present w invention is primarily intended for use with a flexible and resilient material the invention is not confined 10 thereto as it has application for tags formed from a rigid or slightly flexible material.

O

Claims

WHAT WE CLMM IS:-

1. A one piece ear tag for an animal, the ear tag comprising a male portion having a headed stem projecting therefrom and a female portion having an opening through which the headed end of the stem can locate after ^havig passed through the ear of an animal, said male and female portions being coupled together by an integral hinge portion said hinge portion being characterised by a pair of spaced apart hinge elements each said hinge element including a thin web and located therebetween a coupling element, said hinge elements and said coupling element extending between and joining said male and female portions such that the male and female portions can be moved about the hinge formed thereby to enable the headed end of the stem to be located with said opening.

2. An animal ear tag as claimed in claim l wherein the headed stem is formed adjacent one end of an elongate panel and the opening is formed adjacent the end of another elongate panel, said panels being coupled together at their other ends by the hinge portion.

3. An animal ear tag as claimed in claim 2 wherein the coupling element bows outwardly between the panels and each of the hinge elements is formed by a pair of legs which are joined together by a said web. \ 10 JANJ991 228664 10

4. An animal ear tag as claimed in claim 3 wherein the pair of legs project toward one another and outwardly in a direction opposite to that in which the coupling element bows.

5. An animal ear tag as claimed in claim 3 or 4 wherein the thickness of the coupling element is substantially greater than the webs joining the legs of the hinge elements.

6. An animal ear tag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the tag is formed from a flexible and resilient plastics material.

7. An animal ear tag as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plastics material is^polyurethane.

8. An animal ear tag as claimed in claim 2 wherein strengthening ribs are located in one or both panels adjacent said hinge portion. *

9. An animal ear tag substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. MAGRI HOLLAND 3.V. jr Don Hopkins Registered Patent Attorney