A calf feeding device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of calf feeding devices, including vehicle body and the multiple calf islands of its direction side portion sequentially arranged, the milk storage tank is provided in the upper portion of the vehicle, the milk storage tank is communicated with milk adding pump import by milk pipe, milk adding pump outlet is communicated with milk delivery pipe, support frame with through hole is set on the vehicle, milk adding pipe is inserted in support frame through hole, support frame one side is provided with the top screw rod extending into through hole, milk adding pipe milk inlet is communicated with milk outlet of milk delivery pipe, fixedly connected with code scanner on the upper portion of milk adding pipe, range sensor is fixedly installed in the side portion of milk adding pipe outlet, instant heater, first control valve, flowmeter are sequentially arranged on milk delivery pipe, information label for code scanner identification is provided on the upper portion of corresponding calf island, the utility model is cooperated with range positioning by telescopic milk pipe, fundamentally avoid the deviation and labor intensity of artificial, improve feeding efficiency and accuracy, ensure that calf eats as needed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of calf feeding technology, specifically to a calf feeding device. Background Technology

[0002] In large-scale cattle farms, the feeding of newborn calves during the lactation period is a key factor that determines the survival rate and growth and development quality of calves. The digestive system of newborn calves is not yet fully developed, and there are strict requirements for the amount of milk fed, the milk temperature, and the feeding frequency. Currently, the common method of calf feeding in ranches is for feeders to drive a feeding vehicle carrying a milk storage tank to travel between the calf islands and manually fill the calf feed troughs with the milk tube. However, a ranch usually raises dozens or even hundreds of calves. During a single feeding operation, the feeder needs to repeatedly raise his hand, stretch his arm, aim, and pull the switch. The continuous heavy-duty operation results in extremely high labor intensity for the arms and shoulders, and long-term operation can easily lead to occupational muscle strain. Meanwhile, the control of feed amount relies entirely on the personal experience of the breeder. The amount of milk required by calves of different ages and weights varies, but in practice, breeders find it difficult to accurately remember the amount of formula milk for each calf and often control the milking time by feeling, resulting in some calves being overfed and others underfed. Overfeeding can easily cause indigestion and diarrhea in calves, while underfeeding will affect the calf's weight gain and physical development, and it is difficult to ensure the consistency of feeding between individuals; In addition, to ensure that the milk is at a suitable temperature for calves to drink, existing feeding vehicles typically use a method of continuously heating and keeping the entire tank of milk warm. Although this can maintain the milk temperature, keeping the milk warm for a long time will accelerate bacterial growth, especially during feeding intervals. The repeated warming of the entire tank of milk will significantly reduce the freshness of the milk and pose a potential risk to the gastrointestinal health of calves. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides a calf feeding device.

[0004] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: A calf feeding device includes a vehicle body and multiple calf islands arranged sequentially on its side in the direction of travel. A milk storage tank is installed on the upper part of the vehicle body. The milk storage tank is connected to the inlet of a milk pump via a milk supply pipe. The outlet of the milk pump is connected to a milk delivery pipe. A support frame with a through hole is installed on the vehicle body. The milk supply pipe is inserted into the through hole of the support frame. A set screw extending into the through hole is installed on one side of the support frame. The milk inlet of the milk supply pipe is connected to the milk outlet of the milk delivery pipe. A barcode scanner is fixedly connected to the upper part of the milk supply pipe. A distance sensor is fixedly installed on the side of the outlet of the milk supply pipe. An instant heater, a first control valve, and a flow meter are sequentially installed on the milk delivery pipe. An information label for the barcode scanner to identify is installed on the upper part of the corresponding calf island. A feed receiving basin is installed below the information label.

[0005] Alternatively, a handwheel may be provided on the upper part of the set screw.

[0006] Alternatively, the milk infusion tube and the milk feeding tube can be connected via a food-grade rubber hose.

[0007] Further optional features include an automatic control system, which includes a control backend that communicates with a PLC controller via the Internet of Things. The PLC controller is electrically connected to a barcode scanner, a distance sensor, a milk pump, an instant heater, a first control valve, and a flow meter.

[0008] Alternatively, the ranging sensor may be an infrared ranging sensor, with the sensor's detection head parallel to the axis of the milk feeding tube and pointing downwards.

[0009] Further optional, the instant heater includes a heater housing, a milk flow channel is provided inside the heater housing, an electric heating wire is spirally wound around the outside of the milk flow channel, and the heater housing is filled with an insulation layer.

[0010] Alternatively, the inlet end of the instantaneous heater is equipped with a milk inlet temperature sensor and the outlet end is equipped with a milk outlet temperature sensor, both of which are electrically connected to the PLC controller.

[0011] Alternatively, the milk storage tank can be a fresh milk storage tank with a refrigeration function, with refrigeration pipes inside and an insulation layer on the outer wall of the milk storage tank.

[0012] Alternatively, the driver's cab may be equipped with indicator lights, which are electrically connected to the PLC controller.

[0013] Alternatively, a second control valve can be installed on the milk delivery tube.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: By adding a movable milk feeding tube and a distance measuring and positioning system, this utility model fundamentally avoids the deviation and high labor intensity of manual hand alignment. At the same time, by adding an automatic control system and an instant heating and constant temperature system, it improves the efficiency and accuracy of feeding operations and the freshness of milk, ensuring that each calf can eat a fixed amount of milk as needed. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of the image; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top-down view; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram of part A; Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram of part B; Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Front view diagram: Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic control system: In the diagram: 1. Vehicle body; 2. Calf island; 3. Milk storage tank; 4. Milk supply pipe; 5. Milk pump; 6. Milk delivery pipe; 7. Milk supply pipe; 8. Barcode scanner; 9. Distance sensor; 10. Instant heater; 11. First control valve; 12. Flow meter; 13. Information sign; 14. Support frame; 15. Set screw; 16. Handwheel; 17. Rubber hose; 18. PLC controller; 19. Heater housing; 20. Milk flow channel; 21. Heating wire; 22. Insulation layer; 23. Milk inlet temperature sensor; 24. Milk outlet temperature sensor; 25. Cooling pipe; 26. Indicator light; 27. Second control valve; 28. Feeding basin. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, a calf feeding device includes a vehicle body 1 and multiple calf islands 2 arranged sequentially on its side in the direction of travel. A milk storage tank 3 is provided on the upper part of the vehicle body 1. The milk storage tank 3 is connected to the inlet of a milk pump 5 through a milk supply pipe 4. The outlet of the milk pump 5 is connected to a milk delivery pipe 6. A support frame 14 with a through hole is provided on the vehicle body 1. A milk supply pipe 7 is inserted into the through hole of the support frame 14. A set screw 15 extending into the through hole is provided on one side of the support frame 14. The milk inlet of the milk supply pipe 7 is connected to the milk outlet of the milk delivery pipe 6. A barcode scanner 8 is fixedly connected to the upper part of the milk supply pipe 7. A distance sensor 9 is fixedly installed on the side of the outlet of the milk supply pipe 7. An instant heater 10, a first control valve 11, and a flow meter 12 are arranged sequentially on the milk delivery pipe 6. An information label 13 for the barcode scanner 8 to identify is provided on the upper part of the calf island 2. A feed receiving basin 28 is provided below the information label 13.

[0017] like Figure 2 As shown, a handwheel 16 is provided on the upper part of the set screw 15.

[0018] like Figure 3 As shown, the milk delivery tube 6 and the milk supply tube 7 are connected by a food-grade rubber hose 17.

[0019] like Figure 7As shown, it also includes an automatic control system, which includes a control backend. The control backend is connected to the PLC controller 18 via the Internet of Things. The PLC controller 18 is electrically connected to the barcode scanner 8, the distance sensor 9, the milk pump 5, the instant heater 10, the first control valve 11, and the flow meter 12.

[0020] like Figure 3 , 5 As shown, the ranging sensor 9 is an infrared ranging sensor, and the detection head of the ranging sensor 9 is parallel to the axis of the milk supply tube 7 and faces downward.

[0021] like Figure 4 As shown, the instant heater 10 includes a heater housing 19, a milk flow channel 20 is provided inside the heater housing 19, an electric heating wire 21 is spirally wound on the outside of the milk flow channel 20, and the heater housing 19 is filled with an insulation layer 22.

[0022] like Figure 4 , 7 As shown, the inlet end of the instant heater 10 is equipped with a milk inlet temperature sensor 23 and the outlet end is equipped with a milk outlet temperature sensor 24. Both the milk inlet temperature sensor 23 and the milk outlet temperature sensor 24 are electrically connected to the PLC controller 18.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the milk storage tank 3 is a fresh milk storage tank with refrigeration function. The milk storage tank 3 is equipped with a refrigeration pipe 25 inside, and the outer wall of the milk storage tank 3 is provided with a heat insulation layer in a ring.

[0024] like Figure 1 , 7 As shown, the driver's cab of vehicle body 1 is equipped with indicator lights 26, which are electrically connected to PLC controller 18.

[0025] like Figure 3 , 4 As shown, a second control valve 27 is installed on the milk supply tube 4.

[0026] The implementation principle of a calf feeding device according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: After the feeding operation begins, the feeder drives the vehicle 1 to park next to each calf island 2 in sequence, pulls out the milk tube 7 inserted in the through hole of the support frame 14 towards the calf island 2, adjusts it to the area directly above the receiving basin 28, and then turns the handwheel 16 on the upper part of the set screw 15 to make the end of the set screw 15 press against the outer wall of the milk tube 7 and fix it in the current position; during the adjustment of the milk tube 7, the barcode scanner 8 fixedly installed on its upper part moves synchronously with the milk tube 7, and at the same time the barcode scanner 8 reads the calf identity information stored in the information tag 13 and transmits the reading result to the PLC controller 18; After receiving the barcode information, the PLC controller 18 communicates with the control backend via the Internet of Things to retrieve the target feeding parameters for the calf, including the target milk yield. At the same time, the distance sensor 9 installed on the side of the outlet of the milk pipe 7 detects the distance to the feed trough 28 below. When the detected distance value is within the preset effective range (set according to the site conditions), the distance sensor 9 sends an position signal to the PLC controller 18. After confirming successful barcode scanning and that the milk feeding pipe 7 is aligned with the receiving basin 28, the PLC controller 18 sequentially opens the first control valve 11 and the second control valve 27, and then starts the milk feeding pump 5. The milk feeding pump 5 draws the low-temperature milk liquid in the milk storage tank 3 through the milk feeding pipe 4 and delivers it to the milk conveying pipe 6. The milk liquid flows along the milk conveying pipe 6 and first passes through the instant heater 10. At this time, the heating wire 21 in the instant heater 10 is energized and works to quickly heat the milk liquid in the milk flow channel 20. The milk inlet temperature sensor 23 and the milk outlet temperature sensor 24 set at the inlet end of the instant heater 10 feed back the milk temperature data to the PLC controller 18 in real time. The PLC controller 18 dynamically adjusts the heating power of the heating wire 21 according to the initial inlet temperature, real-time flow rate and target milk outlet temperature to ensure that the milk liquid reaches the suitable drinking range of 37°C to 40°C when it flows out of the instant heater 10. The heated milk continues to be transported along the milk delivery pipe 6, enters the milk feeding pipe 7 through the food-grade rubber hose 17, and is finally injected into the receiving basin 28 from the outlet of the milk feeding pipe 7. During this process, the flow meter 12 measures the amount of milk passing through in real time and continuously sends the cumulative flow data to the PLC controller 18. When the cumulative flow reaches the target milk output for the calf, the PLC controller 18 immediately stops the milk feeding pump 5 and closes the first control valve 11 and the second control valve 27 to cut off the milk output. Meanwhile, the PLC controller 18 uploads data such as the actual milk output, milk temperature, and feeding time for each feeding to the control backend via the Internet of Things, forming a complete feeding traceability record; the indicator lights 26 in the cab of the vehicle 1 synchronously display the working status during the feeding process, with different light colors corresponding to different statuses (classified according to the site conditions). After feeding a single calf, the feeder drives vehicle 1 towards the next calf island 2. During the journey, when the distance value detected by the distance sensor 9 is within the preset effective range (set according to the site conditions), the distance sensor 9 sends a position signal to the PLC controller 18, and at the same time, the indicator light 26 issues a stop signal. The feeder stops driving vehicle 1 and repeats the above feeding process to complete the precise feeding of calves in each calf island 2 in sequence. After all calves have been fed, the handwheel 16 is reversed to move the set screw 15 away from the outer wall of the milk supply pipe 7, and at the same time, the milk supply pipe 7 is pushed inward to prevent it from exceeding the width of the vehicle body. Then, the handwheel 16 is turned again to make the end of the set screw 15 press against the outer wall of the milk supply pipe 7 to prevent it from moving freely.

[0027] Throughout the process, the milk in the milk storage tank 3 is kept at a low temperature and kept fresh. Only at the moment of milk discharge is the instantaneous heater 10 heated as needed. This ensures that the milk temperature meets the drinking requirements of calves and avoids the problems of decreased freshness and energy waste caused by keeping the whole tank of milk warm for a long time. The manual plug-in milk feeding tube has a simple and reliable structure and low maintenance cost. At the same time, it greatly reduces the continuous heavy-duty operation intensity of the feeder and significantly improves the efficiency and standardization of large-scale calf feeding.

[0028] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A calf feeding device, comprising a vehicle body (1) and a plurality of calf islands (2) arranged sequentially on its side in the direction of travel, wherein a milk storage tank (3) is provided on the upper part of the vehicle body (1), the milk storage tank (3) is connected to the inlet of a milk pump (5) via a milk supply pipe (4), and the outlet of the milk pump (5) is connected to a milk delivery pipe (6), characterized in that: The vehicle body (1) is provided with a support frame (14) with a through hole. A milk adding tube (7) is inserted into the through hole of the support frame (14). A set screw (15) extending into the through hole is provided on one side of the support frame (14). The milk inlet of the milk adding tube (7) is connected to the milk outlet of the milk conveying tube (6). A barcode scanner (8) is fixedly connected to the upper part of the milk adding tube (7). A distance measuring sensor (9) is fixedly installed on the side of the outlet of the milk adding tube (7). An instant heater (10), a first control valve (11), and a flow meter (12) are arranged in sequence on the milk conveying tube (6). An information label (13) for the barcode scanner (8) to identify is provided on the upper part of the calf island (2). A feed receiving basin (28) is provided at the lower part of the information label (13).

2. The calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A handwheel (16) is provided on the upper part of the set screw (15).

3. The calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The milk delivery tube (6) and the milk supply tube (7) are connected by a food-grade rubber hose (17).

4. A calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an automatic control system, which includes a control backend, which is connected to a PLC controller (18) via the Internet of Things. The PLC controller (18) is electrically connected to a barcode scanner (8), a distance sensor (9), a milk pump (5), an instant heater (10), a first control valve (11), and a flow meter (12).

5. A calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ranging sensor (9) is an infrared ranging sensor, and the detection head of the ranging sensor (9) is parallel to the axis of the milk adding tube (7) and faces downward.

6. A calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The instant heater (10) includes a heater housing (19), a milk flow channel (20) is provided inside the heater housing (19), an electric heating wire (21) is spirally wound on the outside of the milk flow channel (20), and the heater housing (19) is filled with a heat insulation layer (22).

7. A calf feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The instant heater (10) is equipped with a milk inlet temperature sensor (23) at the inlet end and a milk outlet temperature sensor (24) at the outlet end. Both the milk inlet temperature sensor (23) and the milk outlet temperature sensor (24) are electrically connected to the PLC controller (18).

8. A calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The milk storage tank (3) is a fresh milk storage tank with refrigeration function. The milk storage tank (3) is equipped with a refrigeration pipe (25) inside and an insulation layer (22) is arranged on the outer wall of the milk storage tank (3).

9. A calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cab of the vehicle body (1) is equipped with an indicator light (26), which is electrically connected to the PLC controller (18).

10. A calf feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second control valve (27) is installed on the milk delivery tube (4).

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