Animal weighing apparatus and automatic weighing station

Abstract

The utility model relates to an animal weighing equipment and automatic weighing station, animal weighing equipment includes bottom plate, two first guide plates and second guide plate, the central formation of bottom plate is equipped with the pedal of weighing module, two first guide plates are equipped with in bottom plate both sides, when transporting, two first guide plates are stacked and are laid on the bottom plate, when weighing, two first guide plates are erected in bottom plate both sides, when transporting, second guide plate is received between first guide plate and bottom plate after folding, when weighing, two second guide plates are inclined and are arranged between corresponding first guide plate and pedal, to form the guide passage of narrow below and wide above above the pedal. The utility model discloses folding structure realizes the convenience of transportation, and the first guide plate and second guide plate can be folded when equipment transportation, and the occupied space reduces more than 50%, and the spare parts loss can be avoided, when weighing, the guide passage is formed after the guide plate unfolding, and the weighing demand of different animals of different body shapes can be adapted without adjusting the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of animal husbandry technology, and in particular to an animal weighing device and an automatic weighing station. Background Technology

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

[0003] First, many existing animal weighing stations are bulky and cumbersome, mostly fixed installations or requiring auxiliary tools to move. This makes them inflexible in deployment within farms, difficult to transport into pens or quickly move and install between different pens or areas, especially in older farms with limited space or narrow passageways, where their application is severely restricted. The transportation and handling process is also time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0004] Secondly, traditional weighing processes often require manually driving, guiding, or even forcibly securing animals to the weighing equipment. This method easily causes stress responses such as tension and fear in animals. Animal stress can not only lead to deviations in weighing data and affect its accuracy, but more importantly, it can negatively impact the animal's physiological state and welfare. Long-term or frequent stress may even reduce the animal's production performance and disease resistance.

[0005] Secondly, some weighing equipment has a complex structure, making the assembly process cumbersome during initial installation or routine maintenance. If it is a multi-part assembly structure, the unpacking and disinfection process during the initial entry into the farm can easily lead to confusion or loss of parts.

[0006] Finally, in terms of data collection and management, traditional weighing methods rely heavily on manual observation of instrument readings and manual recording, which 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 systematically and information-based, failing to fully leverage its role in supporting aquaculture decision-making and hindering the realization of refined and intelligent aquaculture processes.

[0007] Therefore, developing an animal weighing device that is lightweight, easy to deploy, universally applicable to a certain extent during animal growth, causes minimal animal stress, is easy to maintain, and enables automatic data collection and intelligent management is of great significance for improving livestock breeding efficiency, enhancing animal welfare, and promoting industrial upgrading. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the technical problems of inconvenient transportation and handling of existing animal weighing devices, and the easy loss of parts during disassembly, assembly, and installation, this application proposes an animal weighing device and an automatic weighing station. Through a folding structure, the space occupied by the device during transportation is reduced by 50%, and there is no need to disassemble parts, avoiding loss during transportation and disinfection. The guide plate, when unfolded, forms a guide passage that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, which can adapt to the weighing needs of animals of different sizes without the need to replace the device. The folding structure reduces the complexity of the device, and daily maintenance does not require frequent disassembly, thus reducing maintenance costs.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is:

[0010] This utility model provides an animal weighing device, comprising: a base plate, a pedal formed in the center of the base plate, and a weighing module disposed at the pedal; two first guide plates, the two first guide plates being disposed on both sides of the base plate, and the bottom of the first guide plates being 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 are erected on both sides of the base plate; two second guide plates, the tops of the two second guide plates being rotatably connected to the middle section of the corresponding first guide plate, and the bottoms of the two second guide plates being rotatably connected to both sides of the pedal. The middle section of the second guide plate has a bending joint. During transportation, the second guide plate is bent and housed between the first guide plate and the base plate. During weighing, the two second guide plates are placed obliquely between the corresponding first guide plate and the pedal to form a guide passage that is narrower at the bottom and wider at the top above the pedal.

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

[0012] Furthermore, the weighing module includes a weighing sensor disposed at the bottom of the pedal and a base disposed 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 base plate and a horizontal rod connecting the vertical rods to form an avoidance space on the surface of the first guide plate. At the same time, the surface of the pedal is provided with an anti-lying structure, which includes at least one protrusion. The protrusion is fixed and protrudes from the surface of the pedal. 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 IoT instrument, which is connected to the vertical rod of one of the first guide plates via a plug rod. The plug rod is inserted tightly into the axial central hole of the vertical rod and is fixed by a radial bolt. The length of the plug rod extending out of the vertical rod is adjustable. The portion of the plug rod extending out of the vertical rod is connected to the IoT instrument. After receiving the signal fed back by the weighing module, the IoT instrument uploads it to the cloud server.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes an RFID ear tag reader configured on the first guide plate to identify RFID ear tags worn on animals.

[0016] This utility model also provides an automatic weighing station, including: a feeding space; at least one set of animal weighing equipment as described above, the animal weighing equipment being arranged in the feeding space; and an enticing device, the enticing device being arranged at the non-open end of the guide passage, so that animals lured by the enticing device must pass through the guide passage to complete the weighing before reaching the enticing device. For example, one end of the guide passage is abutted against the fence of the feeding space with a water bowl installed to form a non-open end, and animals can only complete the drinking behavior by walking into the automatic weighing station.

[0017] Furthermore, the animal weighing equipment consists of two sets, with both sets extending in the same direction. The guide passages of the two sets of animal weighing equipment after docking form a channel.

[0018] Furthermore, the attractant device is a feeder or a water feeder.

[0019] Based on the above technical solution, the technical effects that this utility model can achieve are as follows:

[0020] This utility model discloses an animal weighing device in which the bottom of two first guide plates are rotatably connected to a base plate, the top of two second guide plates are rotatably connected to the middle section of the corresponding first guide plates, and the bottom of the two second guide plates are rotatably connected to both sides of a pedal. The middle section of the second guide plates has a bending joint, meaning that both first and second guide plates can be folded and stored without any disassembly. This solves the technical problems of inconvenient transportation and handling, and easy loss of parts during disassembly and installation, in existing animal weighing devices. Furthermore, the base plate, two first guide plates, and two second guide plates of this utility model's animal weighing device... The enclosed guide passage for weighing is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, which can be used throughout the entire growth cycle of an animal (such as a pig). Specifically, if the passage is of equal width at the top and bottom, then if the passage is made too large, two piglets will enter the pedal side by side, making it impossible to determine the weight of a single piglet; if the passage is too small, only one piglet can enter, and the piglet cannot enter the passage when it grows into a large pig. However, the guide passage of this invention, which is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, allows only one piglet to enter at a time, while the wide top allows a large pig to enter by bringing its legs together. This allows the animal weighing device of this invention to be used throughout the entire growth cycle of an animal (such as a pig) or even longer, saving the tedious process of replacement or adjustment.

[0021] The automatic weighing station of this utility model includes at least one set of animal weighing equipment. The non-open end of the guide passage is equipped with an enticing device, so that the animal will be attracted by the enticing device on its own without the need for the animal keepers to handle the weighing. The animal will definitely walk through the guide passage when it enters from the open end of the guide passage and completes the weighing at the weighing module of the pedal. Since there is no human intervention in the weighing process, the animal will not experience stress reactions such as tension and fear, which is more conducive to the growth of the animal.

[0022] This utility model's automatic weighing station can use two sets of animal weighing equipment together. On the one hand, if a farm only has one set of animal weighing equipment during the piglet stage, and the animals grow larger than the weighing equipment, another set of animal weighing equipment can be added directly to the existing equipment, saving the work of secondary renovation. On the other hand, the animal weighing equipment can be modularly produced, reducing the production cost for manufacturers. In the later maintenance and disinfection process, the two small animal weighing equipment are also easier to move than one large weighing equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the animal weighing device of the utility model.

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

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the animal weighing device of the utility model when it is folded and transported.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the weighing process of the animal weighing device of the utility model.

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the pedal of the animal weighing device of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the pedal of the animal weighing device of the utility model.

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

[0030] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present utility model or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0031] In existing technologies, animal weighing devices typically have a uniform width at both the top and bottom, which cannot accommodate the weighing needs of animals of different sizes. With a uniform width, smaller animals may crowd onto the weighing platform side-by-side, leading to data errors. Larger animals may experience narrow passageways at their widest point (shoulder and abdomen), obstructing passage. Some animal weighing stations have adjustable-width clamps, but these are complex and require manual adjustment. Since the shoulder and abdomen width of most animals is greater than the width required for walking or standing, this application designs a narrower bottom and wider top structure. This accommodates a wider range of growing animals of different sizes, reducing the need for multiple animals to board the scale side-by-side and allowing unobstructed passage even as animals grow taller and wider. However, a fixed narrower bottom and wider top structure would be difficult to lay flat and stack due to its shape, increasing the size of the equipment and the difficulty of transportation and handling.

[0032] like Figure 1-6As shown, this utility model provides an animal weighing device, including 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 arranged at the pedal 11. The two first guide plates 2 are arranged on both sides of the base plate 1, and the bottom of the first guide plates 2 is rotatably connected to the base plate 1, such as by hinge. 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 first guide plate 2 is rotatably hinged to its middle section, 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; if there is a hinge point in the middle section, during transportation, the second guide plate 3 is bent and housed between the first guide plate 2 and the base plate 1. During weighing, the two second guide plates 3 are placed obliquely between the corresponding first guide plate 2 and the pedal 11 to form a guide passage that is narrower at the bottom and wider 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 easy to transport after folding and storage, and it occupies less space, facilitating passage through narrow aisles. Specifically, for example... Figure 3 As shown, during transportation, the space occupied by the animal weighing device of this utility model can be reduced by more than 50% when folded; for example... Figure 4 As shown, during weighing, the guide plate unfolds to form a guide passage that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the bottom width of the guide passage 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 this utility model, the bending joint of the second guide plate 3 is a hinged 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 easily bent after being opened and straightened, thus 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 disposed at the bottom of the pedal 11 and a base 13 disposed at the bottom of the weighing sensor 12 and connected to the base plate 1. In the 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 weighbridge frame.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the first guide plate 2 includes at least two vertical rods 21 connected to the base plate 1 and a horizontal rod 22 connecting the vertical rods 21 to form a clearance space on the surface of the first guide plate 2. Simultaneously, the surface of the pedal 11 is provided with an anti-lying structure, which includes at least one protrusion 111. Specifically, as shown... Figure 5As shown, the anti-lying structure can be a vertical strip extending along the direction of the pedal 11, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the anti-lying structure can also be a number of horizontal bars distributed at intervals perpendicular to the extension direction of the pedal 11. The protrusion 111 can be angle iron or flat iron. 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 the contact of the animal's torso, thereby preventing the animal from lying down.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, it also includes an IoT instrument 4. The IoT instrument 4 is connected to a vertical rod 21 of one of the first guide plates 2 via a plug 41. The plug 41 is inserted into the axial central hole of the vertical rod 21 and is fixed by a radial bolt. The length of the plug 41 extending out of the vertical rod 21 can be adjusted. The top part of the plug 41 extending out of the vertical rod 21 is connected to the IoT instrument 4. After receiving the signal fed back by the weighing module, the IoT instrument 4 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 RFID ear tags worn on animals.

[0039] The IoT meter 4, combined with the RFID ear tag reader 5, can make weighing and reading more automated and convenient.

[0040] Another aspect of this utility model provides an automatic weighing station including a feeding space, at least one set of the above-mentioned animal weighing equipment and an enticing device. The animal weighing equipment is arranged in the feeding space, and the enticing device is arranged at the non-open end of the guide passage, so that the animal lured by the enticing device must pass through the guide passage to complete the weighing before it can reach the enticing device.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, there are two sets of animal weighing devices, and the two sets of animal weighing devices extend in the same direction. The guide passage of the two sets of animal weighing devices after docking forms a channel.

[0042] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, the lure device is a feeder or a water feeder.

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

Claims

1. An animal weighing device, characterized in that, include: A base plate (1) has a pedal (11) formed in the center of the base plate (1), and a weighing module is arranged at the pedal (11); Two first guide plates (2) are arranged on both sides of the base plate (1), and the bottom of the first guide plate (2) is 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) are rotatably connected at the top to the middle section of the corresponding first guide plate (2) and rotatably connected at the bottom to both sides of the pedal (11). The middle section of the second guide plate (3) has a bending joint. During transportation, the second guide plate (3) is bent and housed between the first guide plate (2) and the bottom plate (1). During weighing, the two second guide plates (3) are placed obliquely between the corresponding first guide plate (2) and the pedal (11) to form a guide passage that is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top above the pedal (11).

2. The animal weighing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The bending joint of the second guide plate (3) is a hinged bending joint, and a straightening spring (31) is provided at the hinge.

3. The animal weighing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The weighing module includes a weighing sensor (12) disposed at the bottom of the pedal (11) and a base (13) disposed at the bottom of the weighing sensor (12) and connected to the base plate (1).

4. The animal weighing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The first guide plate (2) includes at least two vertical rods (21) connected to the base plate (1) and a horizontal rod (22) connected between the vertical rods (21). Meanwhile, the surface of the pedal (11) is provided with an anti-lying structure. 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 the contact of the animal's torso, thereby preventing the animal from lying down.

5. The animal weighing apparatus of claim 4, wherein, It also includes an IoT instrument (4), which is connected to a vertical rod (21) of one of the first guide plates (2) via a plug (41). The plug (41) is inserted into the axial central hole of the vertical rod (21). The plug (41) is fixed by a radial bolt (42) and its length extending out of the vertical rod (21) is adjustable. The top part of the plug (41) extending out of the vertical rod (21) is connected to the IoT instrument (4). The IoT instrument (4) receives the signal fed back by the weighing module and then uploads it to the cloud server.

6. The animal weighing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, It also includes an RFID ear tag reader (5) configured on the first guide plate (2) to identify RFID ear tags worn on animals.

7. An automatic weighing station, characterized in that, include: Rearing space; At least one set of animal weighing devices as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the animal weighing devices are disposed within the feeding space; An enticing device is disposed at the non-open end of the guide passage, such that an animal lured by the enticing device must pass through the guide passage to be weighed before reaching the enticing device.

8. The automatic weighing station according to claim 7, characterized in that, The animal weighing equipment consists of two sets, both sets extending in the same direction. The guide passages of the two sets of animal weighing equipment after docking form a channel.

9. The automatic weighing station according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lure device is a feeder or a water feeder.

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