WO1999057969A1

WO1999057969A1 - Equidae excrement catcher/holder device

Info

Publication number: WO1999057969A1
Application number: PCT/AU1999/000349
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian William Paterson
Original assignee: Equinap Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1998-05-08
Filing date: 1999-05-07
Publication date: 1999-11-18

Abstract

An equidae excrement catcher/holder device (10) including an elongated pouch (14) substantially conformable to the animal's belly and extendible forwardly from the rear to or towards the rib area, fastening means (16) enabling the animal to carry the pouch (14), the pouch (14) being, in use, positioned below the animal's tail (30) and substantially between its rear legs, said pouch (14) including separate chambers/outlets (34, 36) for urine and anal excreta, the separate chamber/outlet (34) for urine having an inlet (40) inside pouch (14) on a wall (37) of pouch (14) remote from said animal, the urine inlet (40) including a funnel (46) positioned to catch a stream of urine issuing from the animal, the funnel (46) including a filter (44) to ensure that solids do not enter the urine inlet, the urine chamber (34) including a bag (48) coupled to inlet (40) via coupling (50), the bag (48) including a tap (42) for allowing release of collected urine, pouch (14) also including frame (38) to prevent closure of pouch (14).

Description

EQUIDAE EXCREMENT CATCHER / HOLDER DEVICE This invention relates to an equidae excrement catcher/holder device and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to a manure and urine catcher/holder device for horses.

Prior art devices are described in International Patent Application Nos. PCT/AU94/00709 and PCT/AU96/00799, the contents of which are incorporated into this specification. These devices have been very successful in the field. With the emergence of biotechnology the collection of animal hormones has now become popular. The urine of pregnant mares has hormones eg progesterone which can be harvested. The prior art devices do not separate the manure from the urine in mares. As the anal and reproductive canals of mares are very close it has been a problem to separate urine from manure. If the two can be separated without cross-contamination then substantial savings in collection and purification will result.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an equidae excrement catcher/holder device which allows separation of urine from anal excreta.

With this and other objects in view the present invention provides an equidae excrement catcher/holder device including an elongated pouch substantially conformable to the animal's belly and extendible forwardly from the rear to or towards the rib area, fastening means enabling the animal to carry said pouch, said pouch being, in use, positioned below the animal's tail and substantially between its rear legs, said pouch including separate chambers/outlets for urine and anal excreta.

Preferably said urine chamber has an inlet inside said pouch on a wall of said pouch remote from said animal. In a practical embodiment said urine inlet includes a funnel positioned to catch - 2 - the stream of urine which issues from the animal. Said funnel preferably includes a filter to ensure that solids do not enter the urine inlet.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of an equidae excrement catcher/holder device fitted to a mare;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of device shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 3-3 shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view to that of Fig. 3 showing the mare defecating into the device; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an equidae excrement catcher/holder device fitted to a mare;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 6-6 shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of an equidae excrement catcher/holder device fitted to a mare; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 8-8 shown in Fig. 7; In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings there is shown an excrement catcher/holder device 1 0 for a mare 1 2 which is in the form of a flexible elongated trough-shaped pouch 1 4 and is substantially conformable with the mare's belly extending forwardly from the rear or towards the rib area. Device 1 0 catches excrement that would otherwise foul the floor or the ground in stables, yards, paddocks or the like and allows the excrement to be conveniently disposed of as and when required. Pouch 1 4 may be made of any suitably strong, flexible and substantially waterproof material, such as a combination of plastics, hessian and rubber.

Pouch 1 4 can be fastened to mare 1 2 by supporting means, eg adjustable straps or harness 1 6. The support means as a whole is capable of distributing the total weight of the device and contents along a substantial portion of the mare's body. Harness 1 6 is preferably formed from expandable lightweight or webbing material whereby the mare's freedom of movement will not be restricted unduly. Clamps or quick release clips will allow easy fastening of device 1 0 to the mare 1 2. The supporting means may include a cover or rug 1 8 with neck and breast straps 20,22 respectively. The rear part of the supporting means includes an upward cowl-like extension 24, preferably of openwork or other lightweight material, adapted to fit over the rear part of mare's back and thereby form, in effect, part of the pouch support. The external construction of device 1 0 is very similar to that shown in International Patent Application Nos. PCT/AU94/00709 and PCT/AU96/00799. A rear part 26 of pouch 1 4 has an aperture 28 for the mare's tail 30. Usually the mare wiii lift its tail 30 at the onset of urination resulting in the top of pouch 14 being drawn together at the top as shown in Fig. 4.

An internal flexible wall 32 separates pouch 1 4 into a urine chamber 34 and solids chamber 36. Wall 32 can form with the outer wall 37 of pouch 14 a collapsible bladder or be tube like. The shape of chamber 34 can be varied to suit requirements. A frame 38 is affixed to the inside of chamber 36 to prevent closure of pouch 1 4. Frame 38 can be shaped to conform with the skeletal structure of the mare. - 4 -

Chamber 34 has an opening 40 at the anal end of the horse and an exit tap 42 at the other end to allow removal of collected urine. A mesh or filter 44 may be fitted across opening 40 to prevent solids or manure from entering chamber 34 and contaminating the urine. A funnel 46 may be provided to assist in collection and guidance of urine into chamber 34. To allow for increased storage of urine an optional urine collection bag 48 may be used. Bag 48 has a coupling 50 for attaching to urine chamber 34 and exit tap 42 is moulded into bag 48. Bag 48 may be recyclable or disposable. A partition 52 can be inserted inside pouch 1 4 to define a holding bay for bag 48.

In use, device 1 0 is fitted to mare 1 2 as shown in Fig. 1 . When defecating mare 1 2 will lift tail 30 which tightens outer wall 37 and mesh or filter 44. Urine will stream outwardly under pressure to pass through mesh or filter 44 into opening 40. Funnel

46 will collect and guide the urine into chamber 34. The urine can then be collected from tap 42 or in the optional bag 48 as required. Solids or manure will not pass through mesh or filter 44 and will slide into chamber 36 for collection. The urine will not be contaminated by the solids or manure to provide a purer liquid to be processed for hormones or other desired products.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings there is shown an excrement catcher/holder device 1 0 for a mare 1 2 which is in the form of a flexible elongated trough-shaped pouch 14 and is substantially conformable to the mare's belly and extends forwardly from the rear or towards the rib area. Pouch 14 may be made of any suitably strong, flexible and substantially waterproof material, such as a combination of plastics, hessian and rubber.

Pouch 14 can be fastened to mare 1 2 by supporting means, eg adjustable straps or harness 1 6. The support means as a whole is capable of distributing the total weight of the device and - 5 - contents along a substantial portion of the mare's body. Harness 1 6 is preferably formed from expandable lightweight or webbing material whereby the mare's freedom of movement will not be restricted unduly. Clamps or quick release clips will allow easy fastening of device 1 0 to the mare 1 2. The supporting means may include a cover or rug 1 8 with neck (not shown) and breast straps 22. The rear part of the supporting means includes an upward cowl-like extension 24, preferably of openwork or other lightweight material, adapted to fit over the rear part of mare's back and thereby form, in effect, part of the pouch support. The external construction of device 1 0 is again very similar to that shown in International Patent Application Nos. PCT/AU94/00709 and PCT/AU96/00799.

A rear part 26 of pouch 1 4 has an aperture 28 for the mare's tail 30. Usually the mare will lift its tail 30 at the onset of urination resulting in the top of pouch 1 4 being drawn together at the top. An internal flexible wall 1 32 in the form of a funnel separates pouch 1 4 into a urine chamber 34 and solids chamber 36. The shape of chambers 34,36 can be varied to suit requirements. A frame 38 is affixed to the inside of chamber 36 to prevent closure of pouch 14. Frame 38 can be shaped to conform with the skeletal structure of the mare. Wall 1 32 forms an opening 1 46 which allows solid excreta to fall through the pouch 14 as indicated by arrow 54. Chamber 34 has a funnel 140 at the anal end of the horse which is coupled to a tube 1 42. Tube 142 opens into a urine collection bag 48. Bag 48 has a coupling 50 for attaching to tube 1 42 and an exit tap 1 52 is moulded into bag 48. Bag 48 may be recyclable or disposable. A mesh or filter 44 may be fitted across funnel 140 to prevent solids or manure from entering chamber 34 and contaminating the urine. - 6 -

In use, device 1 0 is fitted to mare 1 2 as shown in Fig. 1 . When defecating, mare 1 2 will lift tail 30 which tightens outer wall 37 and mesh or filter 44. Urine will stream outwardly under pressure to pass through mesh or filter 44 into funnel 1 40. Funnel 140 will collect and guide the urine into chamber bag 48 via tube

1 42. The urine can then be collected from tap 1 52. Solids or manure will not pass through mesh or filter 44 and will slide into chamber 36 to exit through opening 146 to ground. The urine will not be contaminated by the solids or manure to provide a purer liquid to be processed for extraction of hormones or other desired products.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the same reference numerals have been used for similar integers to those of the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this embodiment funnel 1 40 has been omitted together with collection bag 48. A tap fitting 56 is fitted directly to the front of pouch 14 for drainage of urine as required. Urine will flow around the funnel formed by internal flexible wall 32 as indicated by arrows 58,60 in Fig. 7. If desired opening 146 can be omitted and an opening formed in direct contact with the anus. This will allow anal excreta to pass directly through outer wall 37.

Although the preferred embodiments have been described chiefly by reference to horses, it can evidently be adapted for use with other four legged animals, such as cattle, asses, mules, llamas and other domesticated for domesticable animals which defecate manure and urine. For the purposes of this specification "equidae" is deemed to include all such animals.

The invention will be understood to embrace many further modifications as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art and which will be deemed to reside within the broad scope and ambit of the invention, there having been set forth herein only the broad nature of the invention and certain specific embodiments by way of example.

Claims

- 8 -CLAIMS

1 . An equidae excrement catcher/holder device including an elongated pouch substantially conformable to the animal's belly and extendible forwardly from the rear to or towards the rib area, fastening means enabling the animal to carry said pouch, said pouch being, in use, positioned below the animal's tail and substantially between its rear legs, said pouch including separate chambers/outlets for urine and anal excreta.

2. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said separate chamber/outlet for urine is a urine chamber having an inlet inside said pouch on a wall of said pouch remote from said animal.

3. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said urine inlet includes a funnel positioned to catch the stream of urine which issues from the animal.

4. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said funnel includes a filter to ensure that solids do not enter the urine inlet.

5. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said urine chamber includes a bag coupled to said inlet through a tube.

6. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bag includes a tap for allowing release of collected urine.

7. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein said bag is disposable.

8. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said separate - 9 - chamber/outlet for anal excreta is an outlet allowing anal excreta to pass through said pouch to ground and is not collected.

9. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said separate chamber/outlet for anal excreta is an outlet allowing anal excreta to pass outside of said pouch to ground and is not collected.

1 0. The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said separate chamber/outlet for anal excreta is a chamber allowing anal excreta to be collected inside said pouch.

1 1 . The equidae excrement catcher/holder device as claimed in any one of preceding claims, wherein said pouch includes frame means to prevent closure of said pouch.