Intelligent collar for distributed monitoring of sheep activity range

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent collars, in particular to a distributed intelligent collar for monitoring the activity range of sheep herds. The intelligent collar comprises an intelligent terminal, a first fixing band and a second fixing band fixedly connected to the two sides of the intelligent terminal, an adjusting buckle fixedly connected to one end of the second fixing band, a collar band arranged in the adjusting buckle, and a buckling mechanism arranged between the collar band and the first fixing band. The buckling mechanism comprises a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting plate. The buckling mechanism can distinguish between the instantaneous impact caused by the daily activities of sheep and the continuous pulling force caused by the hooking of foreign objects on the collar. When the sheep is firmly hooked by foreign objects and struggles to break free, the buckling mechanism actively disassembles to separate the collar from the sheep's neck, thereby avoiding suffocation and death caused by the tightening of the collar and reducing the economic losses of the breeder. The separation of the buckling mechanism is a mechanical unlocking, which can reduce the damage of the collar during the pulling process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of smart collar technology, and more specifically, to a smart collar for distributed monitoring of the activity range of sheep flocks. Background Technology

[0002] In large-scale sheep herding, monitoring the activity range of sheep flocks is crucial to ensuring the safety of sheep farming. Traditional sheep management methods rely on manual patrols, which are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive with limited coverage, but also difficult to capture sheep migration trajectories in real time. In particular, in open or complex terrains such as grasslands and mountains, the timeliness and accuracy of manual monitoring are seriously insufficient.

[0003] To address the shortcomings of traditional manual monitoring, the smart sheep collar was developed. By integrating GPS, wireless communication, and other modules into a smart terminal worn around the neck of each sheep, it can collect the sheep's location information in real time and remotely transmit it back to the management platform, realizing intelligent and remote monitoring of sheep activities and significantly improving monitoring efficiency and management convenience.

[0004] However, in actual grazing environments, sheep often move through complex terrains such as bushes, wire fences, and tree branches. Existing smart collars mostly use fixed fastening or buckle methods to connect to the sheep's neck. When the collar is firmly hooked by a foreign object, the sheep's instinctive struggle will cause the collar to tighten around its neck, easily leading to suffocation and death, resulting in direct economic losses. At the same time, violent pulling may also damage the electronic monitoring equipment inside the collar. Therefore, this application proposes: a smart collar for distributed monitoring of the activity range of sheep flocks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides an intelligent collar for distributed monitoring of sheep activity range. It features a fastening mechanism between the first fixing strap and the collar strap that can distinguish between the instantaneous impact of sheep's daily activities and the continuous tension when the collar is caught on a foreign object. This mechanism actively disassembles when a sheep struggles to break free from the tight grip of the collar, separating it from the sheep's neck and preventing suffocation caused by the collar tightening. This solves the problem mentioned in the background art: when the collar is firmly caught on a foreign object, the sheep's instinctive struggle can cause the collar to continuously tighten around its neck, easily leading to suffocation.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, a smart collar for distributed monitoring of sheep flock activity range includes a smart terminal. A first fixing strap and a second fixing strap are fixedly connected to both sides of the smart terminal, respectively. An adjustment buckle is fixedly connected to one end of the second fixing strap, and a collar strap is disposed within the adjustment buckle. A fastening mechanism is provided between the collar strap and the first fixing strap. The fastening mechanism includes a first connecting plate, a second connecting plate rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting plate, and a flip plate rotatably connected between the two sides of the second connecting plate. Normally, the second connecting plate is fastened to the top of the first connecting plate, and the flip plate is fastened to the top of the second connecting plate. When the collar strap is pulled, the flip plate and the second connecting plate are pulled and rotated, causing the second connecting plate to separate from the first connecting plate.

[0007] In the above technical solution, when the collar is hooked by a foreign object and is continuously pulled, the flipping plate on the fastening mechanism rotates step by step. When the second connecting plate separates from the first connecting plate, the collar is separated from the sheep's neck, thereby avoiding the risk of suffocation caused by strangulation.

[0008] Based on the above, a fixed shaft is provided at the thick end of the first connecting plate, and an opening is provided at the thick end of the second connecting plate, with the fixed shaft inserted into the opening.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the insertion and engagement of the fixed shaft and the opening not only ensures the reliable connection between the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate under normal conditions, preventing accidental separation during daily activities, but also allows the opening to slide off along the fixed shaft after the second connecting plate is rotated to a specific angle, thereby achieving the separation of the fastening mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, the second connecting plate has symmetrically provided mounting grooves inside, and a torsion spring is installed inside the mounting groove. The end of the torsion spring is fixedly connected to a fixing plate, and the back of the flip plate is fixedly connected to the fixing plate.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the torsion spring can provide continuous preload and reset capability for the flip plate. The instantaneous impact caused by minor scratches and collisions in daily life will be buffered and offset by the elasticity of the torsion spring to avoid accidental locking. Only when the collar is subjected to continuous tension can the resistance of the torsion spring be overcome to drive the flip plate to rotate, ensuring the stability of the collar under normal use.

[0012] Based on the above, a clamping plate is fixedly connected to the top of the flipping plate, and an annular gap channel is formed between the clamping plate and the bottom wall of the flipping plate. The free end of the collar strap passes through the annular gap channel, and the collar strap and the flipping plate are fully connected through the annular gap channel to ensure that the tension force can be accurately and synchronously transmitted to the entire flipping plate, and to prevent the collar strap from slipping off and causing the flipping plate to be unable to rotate.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0014] 1. In this distributed intelligent collar for monitoring the activity range of sheep, a fastening mechanism is set between the first fixing strap and the collar strap. The fastening mechanism can distinguish between the instantaneous impact generated by the sheep's daily activities and the continuous tension when the collar is hooked by a foreign object. When the sheep struggles to break free from the foreign object, it actively disassembles the collar, separating it from the sheep's neck. This avoids suffocation caused by the collar tightening, reducing the economic losses of farmers. At the same time, the separation of the fastening mechanism is mechanical unlocking, which can reduce the damage to the collar during the pulling process and facilitate recycling.

[0015] 2. In this distributed intelligent collar for monitoring the activity range of sheep flocks, the buckling mechanism will only disengage when the collar strap is subjected to a continuous upward diagonal force through the cooperation of the flip plate and the torsion spring. This effectively filters out instantaneous impact separation and ensures the stability of the collar under normal conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the first fixing strap, the collar strap, and the fastening mechanism of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fastening mechanism of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the flip plate of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the fastening mechanism of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the flip plate of the present invention after it has been flipped.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second connecting plate after it has been flipped over according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the second connecting plate and the first connecting plate of the present invention.

[0024] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows:

[0025] 1. Smart terminal; 101. First fixing strap; 102. Second fixing strap; 103. Adjusting buckle; 104. Necklace strap; 2. Fastening mechanism; 201. First connecting plate; 2011. Fixing shaft; 2012. Positioning groove; 202. Second connecting plate; 2021. Opening; 2022. Mounting groove; 2023. Torsion spring; 2024. Fixing plate; 2025. Insertion protrusion; 2026. Embedded groove; 203. Flip plate; 2031. Fastening plate; 2032. Insertion post. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of this invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0027] In actual grazing environments, sheep often move in complex terrains such as bushes, wire fences, and tree branches. Existing smart collars mostly use fixed fastening or buckle methods to connect to the sheep's neck. When the collar is firmly hooked by a foreign object, the sheep's instinctive struggle will cause the collar to tighten around its neck, which can easily cause the sheep to suffocate and die, resulting in direct economic losses. At the same time, violent pulling may also damage the electronic monitoring equipment inside the collar.

[0028] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention discloses a smart collar for distributed monitoring of the activity range of sheep flocks, with reference to... Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a smart terminal 1. A first fixing strap 101 and a second fixing strap 102 are fixedly connected to both sides of the smart terminal 1. An adjustment buckle 103 is fixedly connected to one end of the second fixing strap 102. A collar strap 104 is provided inside the adjustment buckle 103. The free end of the collar strap 104 passes through the adjustment buckle 103. The length of the collar strap 104 can be adjusted by the adjustment buckle 103 so that the collar formed by the first fixing strap 101, the second fixing strap 102 and the collar strap 104 fits the sheep's neck, improving the stability of wearing. A fastening mechanism 2 is provided between the collar strap 104 and the first fixing strap 101. The inner surfaces of the smart terminal 1, the adjustment buckle 103 and the fastening mechanism 2 are all set as concave arc surfaces that fit the curve of the sheep's neck, so as to adapt to the curve of the sheep's neck, improve the wearing comfort, reduce local pressure and friction, and reduce the risk of skin damage.

[0029] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the fastening mechanism 2 includes a first connecting plate 201, one end of which is rotatably connected to a second connecting plate 202. A flip plate 203 is rotatably connected between the two sides of the second connecting plate 202. Normally, the second connecting plate 202 is fastened to the top of the first connecting plate 201, and the flip plate 203 is fastened to the top of the second connecting plate 202. When the collar strap 104 is pulled, the flip plate 203 and the second connecting plate 202 are pulled and rotated, causing the second connecting plate 202 to separate from the first connecting plate 201. When the collar strap 104 is caught and freed, the collar strap 104 pulls on the flip plate 203, at which point the flip plate 203 rotates on the top of the second connecting plate 202. Figure 6As shown, the direction of the pulling force changes at this time. When the pulling force continues to pull, the flipping plate 203 drives the second connecting plate 202 to rotate on the first connecting plate 201, as shown. Figure 7 As shown, at this time, the flip plate 203 and the second connecting plate 202 are fully unfolded, and further, as... Figure 8 As shown, under the action of tension, the second connecting plate 202 separates from the first connecting plate 201. At this time, the collar is separated from the sheep's neck, thereby preventing the risk of suffocation caused by prolonged pulling of the sheep. It can also protect the collar and reduce the risk of the collar being damaged by pulling. Moreover, after separation, the collar's component structure is intact, making it easy to find and reinstall for use.

[0030] The first connecting plate 201 and the second connecting plate 202 are both thicker at the end near the collar strap 104 and thinner at the distal end. A crossbar is provided at the thinner end of both the first connecting plate 201 and the second connecting plate 202. The first fixing strap 101 and the collar strap 104 are respectively fixedly connected to the corresponding crossbar. Figure 2 As shown, the fixed end of the collar strap 104 is located at the front end of the second connecting plate 202. With this design, the pulling force point of the second connecting plate 202 can be moved forward. The resistance of the flipping plate 203 must be overcome first to make it flip before the second connecting plate 202 can be further driven to rotate. This effectively avoids the accidental collisions, friction or vibrations in the daily activities of sheep from directly causing the second connecting plate 202 to rotate, thereby improving the stability of the fastening mechanism 2 during use.

[0031] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, a fixed shaft 2011 is provided at the thick end of the first connecting plate 201, and an opening 2021 is provided at the thick end of the second connecting plate 202, with the fixed shaft 2011 inserted into the opening 2021. A positioning groove 2012 with a top opening is provided inside the first connecting plate 201, and an insertion protrusion 2025 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the second connecting plate 202. When the second connecting plate 202 is fastened, the insertion protrusion 2025 is inserted into the positioning groove 2012. The opening direction of the opening 2021 is consistent with the rear end of the first connecting plate 201. This design... The design prevents the second connecting plate 202 from detaching from the first connecting plate 201 on its own. When the second connecting plate 202 rotates and flips along the fixed shaft 2011, the orientation of the opening 2021 is consistent with the thin end of the first connecting plate 201. At this time, the second connecting plate 202 can be separated from the first connecting plate 201 under the action of tension. By inserting the protrusion 2025 into the positioning groove 2012, the stability of the connection between the second connecting plate 202 and the first connecting plate 201 can be improved, so as to prevent the second connecting plate 202 from rotating on the first connecting plate 201 during the normal activity of sheep.

[0032] like Figures 4 to 6As shown, the second connecting plate 202 has symmetrically arranged mounting grooves 2022 inside, and a torsion spring 2023 is installed inside the mounting groove 2022. A fixing plate 2024 is fixedly connected to the end of the torsion spring 2023. The back of the flip plate 203 is fixedly connected to the fixing plate 2024. The fixing plate 2024 and the flip plate 203 are fixed together by bolts, which facilitates the installation and removal of the flip plate 203. The torsion spring 2023 can apply a restoring force to the flip plate 203. When the pulling force is small enough to only rotate the flip plate 203 and not enough to rotate the second connecting plate 202, the torsion spring 2023 can drive the flip plate 203 to automatically return to the latched state after the pulling force is removed. The depth of the mounting groove 2022 is greater than the height of the torsion spring 2023 in its pre-tightened state, so that the fixing plate 2024 has space to move into the groove when the torsion spring 2023 is compressed. When the flip plate 203 is rotated under force, the torsion spring 2023 will produce a small axial movement. The mounting groove 2022 can provide deformation space to ensure the smooth operation of the torsion spring 2023 and avoid jamming. The two sides of the inner wall of the mounting groove 2022 are symmetrically fixedly connected to the fixing posts. Both ends of the torsion spring 2023 are inserted into the outside of the fixing posts. The torsion spring 2023 has a V-shaped structure. When an external force is applied, the torsion spring 2023 deforms inward, which facilitates its installation and removal on the fixing posts.

[0033] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, a clamping plate 2031 is fixedly connected to the top of the flip plate 203. An annular gap channel is formed between the clamping plate 2031 and the bottom wall of the flip plate 203, and the free end of the collar strap 104 passes through the annular gap channel. This design ensures that when the collar strap 104 is pulled, it can drive the entire flip plate 203 to rotate, thereby driving the torsion spring 2023 to deform and store force for the reset of the flip plate 203. At the same time, the preload of the torsion spring 2023 provides initial rotation force for the flip plate 203. It provides a certain resistance and can play an auxiliary role in preventing accidental contact. The second connecting plate 202 has symmetrically opened embedded grooves 2026 inside. The two sides of the flip plate 203 are symmetrically fixedly connected with plug posts 2032. When the flip plate 203 is fastened, the plug posts 2032 are inserted into the embedded grooves 2026. With the cooperation of the plug posts 2032 and the embedded grooves 2026, the flip plate 203 can be positioned and maintained, preventing it from being misaligned or shaking under normal conditions, and ensuring the stability and accuracy of the fastening state.

[0034] Working principle of the invention:

[0035] The staff wraps the first fixing strap 101 and the collar strap 104 around the sheep's neck. By pulling the free end of the collar strap 104, it passes through the annular gap channel. The length of the collar strap 104 is adjusted with the adjusting buckle 103 to make it fit the tightness of the sheep's neck. At this time, the fastening mechanism 2 is in the locked state. The second connecting plate 202 is fastened in the positioning groove 2012 of the first connecting plate 201 through the insertion protrusion 2025. The flipping plate 203 is fastened in the inner groove 2026 of the second connecting plate 202 through the insertion post 2032 and is held in this position by the torsion spring 2023.

[0036] When sheep are moving around in bushes or sheep pens, their collar straps 104 may get caught on branches or wire mesh. Startled, the sheep will struggle forward and downward, generating a continuous upward pulling force on the collar straps 104. This pulling force acts directly on the flip plate 203, forcing the flip plate 203 to overcome the torsion spring 2023 and rotate around its hinge point with the second connecting plate 202.

[0037] When the hook is not secure, the pulling force on the collar strap 104 is small and short-lived. This pulling force can only cause the flip plate 203 to rotate at a certain angle, but it is not enough to break the main lock between the second connecting plate 202 and the first connecting plate 201. When this small pulling force disappears, the torsion spring 2023 releases its stored energy and drives the flip plate 203 to rotate in the opposite direction, so that its insertion post 2032 falls back into the inner groove 2026 of the second connecting plate 202. The mechanism returns to the initial fastening state. This process avoids accidental disengagement caused by minor daily scratches.

[0038] If the collar strap 104 is securely hooked and the sheep continues to struggle strongly, the upward pulling force will be large and last for a long time. After rotating a certain angle, the flip plate 203 will transfer the force to the second connecting plate 202. At this time, the second connecting plate 202 rotates on the first connecting plate 201. Simultaneously, the insertion protrusion 2025 slides out of the positioning groove 2012. As the second connecting plate 202 continues to rotate, the orientation of its opening 2021 changes from facing the thick end of the first connecting plate 201 to facing its thin end. When the axis of the opening 2021 is aligned with the disengagement path of the fixed shaft 2011, such as Figure 8 As shown, under continuous tension, the opening 2021 of the second connecting plate 202 slides off along the fixed shaft 2011, causing the second connecting plate 202 to completely separate from the first connecting plate 201.

[0039] After the fastening mechanism 2 separates, the collar ring breaks off and falls off the sheep's neck as a whole, freeing the sheep from the risk of suffocation. The fallen collar remains intact, and staff can retrieve it using the positioning signal from the smart terminal 1. The separated first connecting plate 201 and second connecting plate 202 are repositioned and pressed, and the fixed shaft 2011 is re-inserted into the opening 2021. Then, the second connecting plate 202 is pressed down so that the bottom insertion protrusion 2025 is inserted into the positioning groove 2012. At the same time, the flip plate 203 is pressed down so that the insertion post 2032 is inserted into the inner groove 2026. At this point, the fastening mechanism 2 returns to the locked state, and the collar can be worn and used again.

[0040] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A smart collar for distributed monitoring of sheep activity range, comprising a smart terminal (1), wherein a first fixing strap (101) and a second fixing strap (102) are fixedly connected to both sides of the smart terminal (1), and an adjusting buckle (103) is fixedly connected to one end of the second fixing strap (102), and a collar strap (104) is provided inside the adjusting buckle (103), characterized in that: A fastening mechanism (2) is provided between the collar strap (104) and the first fixing strap (101); The fastening mechanism (2) includes a first connecting plate (201), one end of which is rotatably connected to a second connecting plate (202). A flip plate (203) is rotatably connected between the two sides of the second connecting plate (202). Normally, the second connecting plate (202) is fastened to the top of the first connecting plate (201), and the flip plate (203) is fastened to the top of the second connecting plate (202). When the collar strap (104) is pulled, the flip plate (203) and the second connecting plate (202) are pulled and rotated, causing the second connecting plate (202) to engage with the first connecting plate (201). The connecting plate (201) separates; when the collar strap (104) is caught and breaks free, the collar strap (104) pulls on the flip plate (203), at which time the flip plate (203) rotates on top of the second connecting plate (202), and the direction of the pulling force changes. When the pulling force continues to pull, the flip plate (203) drives the second connecting plate (202) to rotate on the first connecting plate (201). At this time, the flip plate (203) and the second connecting plate (202) are fully unfolded, and under the action of the pulling force, the second connecting plate (202) separates from the first connecting plate (201); The first connecting plate (201) and the second connecting plate (202) are both thick at the end near the collar strap (104) and thin at the far end. A crossbar is provided at the thin end of the first connecting plate (201) and the second connecting plate (202). The first fixing strap (101) and the collar strap (104) are respectively fixedly connected to the corresponding crossbar. The first connecting plate (201) has a fixed shaft (2011) at its thick end, and the second connecting plate (202) has an opening (2021) at its thick end, and the fixed shaft (2011) is inserted into the opening (2021). The top of the flip plate (203) is fixedly connected to a snap-fit ​​plate (2031), and an annular gap channel is formed between the snap-fit ​​plate (2031) and the bottom wall of the flip plate (203), and the free end of the collar strap (104) passes through the annular gap channel.

2. The smart collar for distributed monitoring of the range of sheep activity according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connecting plate (201) has a positioning groove (2012) with a top opening inside. The bottom of the second connecting plate (202) is fixedly connected with a plug-in protrusion (2025). When the second connecting plate (202) is fastened, the plug-in protrusion (2025) is inserted into the positioning groove (2012).

3. The smart collar for distributed monitoring of the range of movement of a flock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second connecting plate (202) has symmetrically provided mounting grooves (2022) inside, and a torsion spring (2023) is installed inside the mounting groove (2022). The end of the torsion spring (2023) is fixedly connected to a fixing plate (2024), and the back of the flip plate (203) is fixedly connected to the fixing plate (2024).

4. The smart collar for distributed monitoring of the range of movement of a flock according to claim 3, characterized in that: The depth of the mounting groove (2022) is greater than the height of the torsion spring (2023) in its pre-tensioned state, so that the fixing plate (2024) has space to move into the groove when the torsion spring (2023) is compressed.

5. The smart collar for distributed monitoring of sheep flock activity range according to claim 3, characterized in that: The two sides of the inner wall of the mounting groove (2022) are symmetrically fixed with fixing columns, and both ends of the torsion spring (2023) are inserted into the outside of the fixing columns.

6. The smart collar for distributed monitoring of the range of movement of a flock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second connecting plate (202) has symmetrically provided inlaid grooves (2026) inside, and the two sides of the flip plate (203) are symmetrically fixedly connected with plug posts (2032). When the flip plate (203) is fastened, the plug posts (2032) are inserted into the inlaid grooves (2026).

7. The smart collar for distributed monitoring of sheep flock activity range according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner surfaces of the smart terminal (1), the adjusting buckle (103) and the fastening mechanism (2) are all set as concave arc surfaces that are adapted to the curve of the sheep's neck, so as to adapt to the curve of the sheep's neck.

Images