Animal weighing equipment and automatic weighing station

Abstract

The invention relates to an animal weighing device and an automatic weighing station, the animal weighing device comprises a bottom plate, two first guide plates and a second guide plate, a pedal provided with a weighing module is formed in the center of the bottom plate, the two first guide plates are arranged on the two sides of the bottom plate, during transportation, the two first guide plates are flatly laid on the bottom plate after being folded, and during weighing, the second guide plates are arranged on the bottom plate. The two first guide plates are vertically arranged on the two sides of the bottom plate, during transportation, the second guide plates are bent and then contained between the first guide plates and the bottom plate, and during weighing, the two second guide plates are obliquely arranged between the corresponding first guide plates and the pedal, so that a guide passage with a narrow lower part and a wide upper part is formed above the pedal. Transportation convenience is achieved through the folding structure, when equipment is transported, the first guide plate and the second guide plate can be folded, the occupied space is reduced by 50% or above, and spare and accessory parts can be prevented from being lost; during weighing, the guide plate is unfolded to form a guide passage, and the weighing requirements of animals with different body types can be met without adjusting equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of animal husbandry, and in particular to an animal weighing device and an automatic weighing station. Background Art

[0002] In modern animal husbandry and animal science experiments, animal weight is a crucial physiological indicator. Accurate and timely weight data not only reflects the animal's growth and health, but also serves as a key basis for feed formulation optimization, early disease warning, breeding selection, and production performance evaluation. Traditional animal weighing methods and equipment generally have shortcomings that make them difficult to meet the needs of large-scale, intelligent farming.

[0003] First, many existing animal weighing stations are large and bulky, often fixed or requiring auxiliary tools for mobility. This makes them inflexible for deployment within the farm, difficult to transport into pens, or difficult to quickly transfer and install between pens or areas. This is particularly limited in older farms with limited space or narrow aisles, significantly limiting their applicability. Transporting and handling them is also time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0004] Secondly, traditional weighing processes often require animals to be manually driven, coaxed, or even forcibly secured to the weighing equipment. This practice can easily induce stress responses in animals, such as anxiety and fear. Animal stress not only leads to deviations in weighing data and affects data accuracy, but more importantly, it negatively impacts the animal's physiological state and welfare. Prolonged or frequent stress can even reduce the animal's production performance and disease resistance.

[0005] Thirdly, some weighing equipment has a complex structure, making assembly cumbersome during initial installation or routine maintenance. If it is a multi-component assembly structure, the unpacking and disinfection process before entering the farm for the first time can easily cause parts to become confused or lost.

[0006] Finally, in terms of data collection and management, traditional weighing methods rely heavily on manual observation and recording of instrument readings. This is not only inefficient but also prone to errors or omissions due to human negligence. This raw data is often difficult to manage and analyze in a systematic and information-based manner, hindering its full potential in supporting aquaculture decision-making and hindering the refinement and intelligence of the aquaculture process.

[0007] Therefore, developing an animal weighing equipment that is lightweight, easy to deploy, can be used to a certain extent during the growth of animals, causes less stress to animals, is easy to maintain, and can realize automatic data collection and intelligent management is of great significance for improving animal husbandry efficiency, improving animal welfare, and promoting industrial upgrading. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to solve the technical problems of inconvenient transportation and handling of animal weighing devices in the prior art, and easy loss of spare parts during disassembly, assembly and installation, the present application proposes an animal weighing equipment and automatic weighing station. Through the folding structure, the space occupied by the equipment is reduced by 50% during transportation, and there is no need to disassemble spare parts, avoiding loss during transportation and epidemic prevention and disinfection. The guide aisle with a narrow bottom and a wide top formed after the guide plate is unfolded can adapt to the weighing needs of animals of different sizes without the need to replace the equipment. The folding structure reduces the complexity of the equipment, and does not require frequent disassembly during daily maintenance, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0010] The present invention provides an animal weighing device, comprising: a base plate, a pedal formed in the center of the base plate, and a weighing module configured on the pedal; two first guide plates, the two first guide plates are configured on both sides of the base plate, and the bottoms of the first guide plates are rotatably connected to the base plate. During transportation, the two first guide plates are stacked and laid flat on the base plate. During weighing, the two first guide plates stand upright on both sides of the base plate; two second guide plates, the tops of the two second guide plates are rotatably connected to the middle sections of the corresponding first guide plates, and the bottoms of the two second guide plates are rotatably connected to both sides of the pedal. The middle sections of the second guide plates have bending joints. During transportation, the second guide plates are bent and accommodated between the first guide plate and the base plate. During weighing, the two second guide plates are obliquely placed between the corresponding first guide plates and the pedal to form a guide aisle that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top above the pedal.

[0011] Furthermore, the bending joint of the second guide plate is an articulated bending joint, and a straightening spring is configured at the hinge.

[0012] Furthermore, the weighing module includes a weighing sensor arranged at the bottom of the pedal and a base arranged at the bottom of the weighing sensor and connected to the base plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the first guide plate includes at least two vertical rods connected to the bottom plate and a horizontal rod connected between the vertical rods to form an avoidance space on the plate surface of the first guide plate. At the same time, the pedal surface is provided with an anti-lying structure, and the anti-lying structure includes at least one protrusion, which is fixed and protrudes from the pedal surface. The protrusion extends vertically or obliquely upward to form a discontinuous support surface to limit the contact of the animal's torso, thereby preventing the animal from lying down.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes an Internet of Things instrument, which is connected to the vertical rod of one of the first guide plates through an insertion rod, and the insertion rod is inserted relatively tightly into the axial center hole of the vertical rod. The insertion rod is fixed by radial bolts and the length of the insertion rod extending out of the vertical rod can be adjusted. The part of the insertion rod extending out of the vertical rod is connected to the Internet of Things instrument, and the Internet of Things instrument receives the signal fed back by the weighing module and uploads it to the cloud server.

[0015] Furthermore, the system further includes an RFID ear tag reader configured on the first guide plate to identify the RFID ear tag worn on the animal.

[0016] The present invention also provides an automatic weighing station, comprising: a breeding space; at least one set of animal weighing equipment as described above, wherein the animal weighing equipment is arranged in the breeding space; and an luring device, wherein the luring device is arranged at a non-open end of the guide aisle, so that animals lured by the luring device must pass through the guide aisle and complete weighing before reaching the luring device. For example, if one end of the guide aisle is placed against a fence of the breeding space equipped with a drinking bowl to form a non-open end, the animal can only drink water after entering the automatic weighing station.

[0017] Furthermore, the animal weighing equipment is provided in two groups, and the extension directions of the two groups of animal weighing equipment are the same, and the guide passages of the two groups of animal weighing equipment after docking form a channel.

[0018] Furthermore, the attracting device is a feeder or a waterer.

[0019] Based on the above technical solution, the technical effects that can be achieved by the present invention are:

[0020] The animal weighing device of the present invention has the bottoms of the two first guide plates rotatably connected to the bottom plate, the tops of the two second guide plates rotatably connected to the middle sections of the corresponding first guide plates, the bottoms of the two second guide plates rotatably connected to both sides of the pedal, and the middle sections of the second guide plates have bending joints, that is, the two first guide plates and the two second guide plates can be folded and stored without any disassembly, thereby solving the technical problems of the inconvenience of transportation and handling of animal weighing devices in the prior art and the easy loss of spare parts during disassembly and installation. In addition, the bottom plate, the two first guide plates and the two second guide plates of the animal weighing device of the present invention are combined The enclosed guide passage for weighing is a passage that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and can be used throughout the entire growth cycle of animals (such as pigs). Specifically, if the passage is of equal width at the top and bottom, then if the passage is made larger, two piglets will enter the pedal side by side, and the weight of a single pig cannot be obtained; if the passage is made smaller, only one piglet can enter, and the piglet cannot enter the passage after it grows into a large pig. However, the guide passage of the present invention is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and the large pig can enter after putting its legs together. Therefore, the animal weighing device of the present invention can be used throughout the entire growth cycle of animals (such as pigs) or even longer periods, saving the tedious process of replacement or adjustment.

[0021] The automatic weighing station of the present invention includes at least one set of animal weighing equipment. An attracting device is provided at the non-open end of the guide aisle. This eliminates the need for animal handlers to specifically handle weighing matters. The animals are automatically attracted by the attracting device. When animals enter the guide aisle from the open end, they will inevitably walk along the guide aisle and complete their weighing at the weighing module on the pedal. Since there is no human intervention in the weighing process, the animals will not experience stress reactions such as tension and fear, which is more conducive to their growth.

[0022] The automatic weighing station of the present invention can be used in conjunction with two sets of animal weighing equipment. On the one hand, if the farm is only equipped with one set of animal weighing equipment in the piglet stage, and the animals grow up later, if the length of the animals is longer than the current weighing equipment, a set of animal weighing equipment can be directly installed on the original basis, eliminating the need for secondary renovation work. On the other hand, animal weighing equipment can be produced in a modular manner, which reduces the production cost of the production enterprise. During the later maintenance and disinfection process, the farm staff can carry two small animal weighing equipment more easily than one oversized weighing equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the invented animal weighing device;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the invented animal weighing device from another perspective;

[0025] Figure 3A schematic diagram of the invented animal weighing device when folded for transportation;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the invented animal weighing device during weighing;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a pedal of the invented animal weighing device;

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of a pedal of the invented animal weighing device.

[0029] Among them: 1-base plate, 11-pedal, 111-protrusion, 12-weighing sensor, 13-base; 2-first guide plate, 21-vertical rod, 22-cross rod; 3-second guide plate, 31-straightening spring; 4-IoT instrument, 41-insertion rod, 42-bolt; 5-RFID ear tag reader. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the prior art, the passages of animal weighing devices are mostly of equal width at the top and bottom, which cannot adapt to the weighing needs of animals of different sizes. In the case of equal width at the top and bottom, when the animals are small, multiple animals may be squeezed onto the weighing platform side by side, resulting in data errors. When the animals are large, the aisle may become narrow at the widest part of the shoulder and abdomen, hindering passage. Some animal weighing station equipment is designed with adjustable width splints, but the structure is complex and has the defect of requiring manual adjustment. Because the width of the shoulder and abdomen of most animals is larger than the width required for the left and right feet when walking or standing, the design of this application is a narrow bottom and wide top structure, which can adapt to a wide range of growing animals of different sizes. It can not only reduce the number of animals being weighed side by side, but also allow the animals to pass through unimpeded as they grow taller and wider. However, if it is designed as a fixed narrow bottom and wide top structure, it is difficult to lay flat and stack due to its shape, which increases the size of the equipment and the difficulty of transportation and handling.

[0032] like Figure 1-6As shown, the present invention provides an animal weighing device, comprising a base plate 1, two first guide plates 2 and two second guide plates 3. A pedal 11 is formed in the center of the base plate 1, and a weighing module is configured on the pedal 11. The two first guide plates 2 are configured on both sides of the base plate 1, and the bottoms of the first guide plates 2 are rotatably connected to the base plate 1, such as hinged. During transportation, the two first guide plates 2 are stacked and laid flat on the base plate 1. During weighing, the two first guide plates 2 are erected on both sides of the base plate 1, and the tops of the two second guide plates 3 are rotatable. The second guide plates 3 are rotatably hinged to the middle section of the corresponding first guide plate 2, and the bottoms of the two second guide plates 3 are rotatably hinged to both sides of the pedal 11. The middle section of the second guide plate 3 has a bending joint, such as a hinge point at the middle section. During transportation, the second guide plates 3 are bent and accommodated between the first guide plate 2 and the bottom plate 1. During weighing, the two second guide plates 3 are obliquely placed between the corresponding first guide plate 2 and the pedal 11 to form a guide aisle that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top above the pedal 11. The second guide plates 3 can also be used to support the first guide plate 2. The animal weighing equipment is convenient for transportation after being folded and stored, such as taking up less space and facilitating passage through narrow aisles. Specifically, Figure 3 As shown, during transportation, the space occupied by the animal weighing device of the present invention can be reduced by more than 50% after being folded; Figure 4 As shown, during weighing, the guide plates are unfolded to form a guide aisle that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bottom width of the guide aisle is 0.3-1.2 times the maximum shoulder width of the animal being weighed, and the top width is 1.2-2 times the maximum shoulder width of the animal being weighed.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bending joint of the second guide plate 3 is an articulated bending joint, and a straightening spring 31 is provided at the hinge to support the second guide plate 3, so that the second guide plate 3 is not easy to bend after being stretched and straightened, thereby ensuring the overall strength of the equipment during weighing.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the weighing module includes a weighing sensor 12 arranged at the bottom of the pedal 11 and a base 13 arranged at the bottom of the weighing sensor 12 and connected to the base plate 1. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the weighing sensor 12 is a single-point weighing sensor 12, so there is no need to consider the influence of thermal expansion and contraction of the floor scale frame.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first guide plate 2 includes at least two vertical rods 21 connected to the bottom plate 1 and a horizontal rod 22 connected between the vertical rods 21 to form an avoidance space on the plate surface of the first guide plate 2. At the same time, the surface of the pedal 11 is provided with an anti-lying structure, which includes at least one protrusion 111, specifically, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the anti-lying structure can be a vertical bar along the extending direction of the pedal 11, such as Figure 6 As shown, the anti-lying structure can also be a number of horizontal bars spaced apart and perpendicular to the extension direction of the pedal 11. The raised portion 111 can be an angle iron or a flat iron. The raised portion 111 is fixed and protrudes from the surface of the pedal 11. The raised portion 111 extends vertically or obliquely upward to form a discontinuous support surface to limit contact with the animal's torso, thereby preventing the animal from lying down.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an Internet of Things meter 4 is further included. The Internet of Things meter 4 is connected to a vertical rod 21 of one of the first guide plates 2 through an insertion rod 41. The insertion rod 41 is inserted into the axial center hole of the vertical rod 21. The insertion rod 41 is fixed by radial bolts and the length of the extension of the vertical rod 21 can be adjusted. The top part of the insertion rod 41 extending from the vertical rod 21 is connected to the Internet of Things meter 4. The Internet of Things meter 4 receives the signal feedback from the weighing module and uploads it to the cloud server.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an RFID ear tag reader 5 is further included on the first guide plate 2 to identify the RFID ear tag worn on the animal.

[0039] The Internet of Things meter 4 cooperates with the RFID ear tag reader 5 to make weighing and reading more automated and convenient.

[0040] Another aspect of the present invention provides an automatic weighing station including a feeding space, at least one set of the above-mentioned animal weighing equipment and an luring device. The animal weighing equipment is arranged in the feeding space, and the luring device is arranged at the non-open end of the guide aisle, so that the animals lured by the luring device must pass through the guide aisle and complete weighing before reaching the luring device.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the animal weighing equipment is provided in two groups, the two groups of animal weighing equipment extend in the same direction, and the guide passages of the two groups of animal weighing equipment after docking form a channel.

[0042] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the attracting device is a feeder or a waterer.

[0043] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Obvious changes or modifications derived from the spirit of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An animal weighing device, characterized in that: include: A base plate (1), a pedal (11) is formed at the center of the base plate (1), and a weighing module is configured at the pedal (11); Two first guide plates (2), the two first guide plates (2) are arranged on both sides of the base plate (1), and the bottoms of the first guide plates (2) are rotatably connected to the base plate (1); during transportation, the two first guide plates (2) are stacked and laid flat on the base plate (1); during weighing, the two first guide plates (2) are erected on both sides of the base plate (1); Two second guide plates (3), the tops of the two second guide plates (3) are rotatably connected to the middle sections of the corresponding first guide plates (2), the bottoms of the two second guide plates (3) are rotatably connected to both sides of the pedal (11), the middle sections of the second guide plates (3) are provided with bending joints, during transportation, the second guide plates (3) are bent and accommodated between the first guide plates (2) and the bottom plate (1), and during weighing, the two second guide plates (3) are obliquely placed between the corresponding first guide plates (2) and the pedal (11) to form a guide passage above the pedal (11) that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top.

2. The animal weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The bending joint of the second guide plate (3) is a hinged bending joint, and a straightening spring (31) is arranged at the hinge.

3. The animal weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The weighing module comprises a weighing sensor (12) arranged at the bottom of the pedal (11) and a base (13) arranged at the bottom of the weighing sensor (12) and connected to the base plate (1).

4. The animal weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The first guide plate (2) includes at least two vertical rods (21) connected to the bottom plate (1) and a horizontal rod (22) connected between the vertical rods (21). At the same time, the surface of the pedal (11) is provided with an anti-lying structure, and the anti-lying structure includes at least one protrusion (111). The protrusion (111) is fixed and protrudes from the surface of the pedal (11). The protrusion (111) extends vertically or obliquely upward to form a discontinuous support surface to limit contact with the animal's trunk, thereby preventing the animal from lying down.

5. The animal weighing device according to claim 4, characterized in that The invention also includes an Internet of Things meter (4), which is connected to a vertical rod (21) of one of the first guide plates (2) through an insertion rod (41), the insertion rod (41) is inserted into the axial center hole of the vertical rod (21), the insertion rod (41) is fixed by a radial bolt (42), and the length of the insertion rod (41) extending from the vertical rod (21) can be adjusted. The top end of the insertion rod (41) extending from the vertical rod (21) is connected to the Internet of Things meter (4), and the Internet of Things meter (4) receives the signal fed back by the weighing module and uploads it to the cloud server.

6. The animal weighing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The invention also includes an RFID ear tag reader (5) configured on the first guide plate (2) to identify the RFID ear tag worn on the animal.

7. An automatic weighing station, characterized in that: include: Feeding space; At least one set of animal weighing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the animal weighing equipment is arranged in the breeding space; The luring device is arranged at the non-open end of the guide passage, so that the animal lured by the luring device must pass through the guide passage and be weighed before reaching the luring device.

8. The automatic weighing station according to claim 7, characterized in that: There are two groups of animal weighing equipment, and the extension directions of the two groups of animal weighing equipment are the same. After docking, the guide aisles of the two groups of animal weighing equipment form a channel.

9. The automatic weighing station according to claim 7, characterized in that: The attracting device is a feeder or a waterer.

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