Water supply device for livestock

Abstract

To provide a water supply device for livestock that eliminates the need to attach or detach a protective cover, allows opening and closing of a plug of a water tank with a hygienic and simple operation without putting a hand into dirty water in the water tank.SOLUTION: A water supply device for livestock includes a pair of rail members 3, a float valve 4, an opening and closing plug mechanism 5, and a protective cover 6 having a lid portion 61 and a pair of partition plates 62. The opening and closing plug mechanism 5 is constituted by a parallel link mechanism including a lower frame 51, an upper frame 52 having a hanging rod 57 to which a plug 7 is fixed, a connecting frame 53, and a handle frame 54 having an operating handle 54a. When the plug is closed, the lower frame 51 is slid forward to lower the upper frame 52. When the plug is opened, the lower frame 51 is slid backward to raise the upper frame 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a livestock watering device for providing water for livestock to drink. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, livestock watering devices have been used in livestock sheds such as cow sheds to provide water for livestock. For example, Utility Model Registration No. 3201191 discloses a livestock watering device equipped with a horizontally long, rectangular water tank with an open top (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3201191 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the livestock waterer described in Patent Document 1, a rubber stopper for draining the water trough is provided directly below the second reinforcing member to prevent livestock from mischievously removing the rubber stopper and draining the water. Therefore, when cleaning the livestock waterer or draining water contaminated by livestock, the second reinforcing member must be removed and then the user must reach into the dirty water to remove the rubber stopper. Furthermore, when refilling the waterer with water, the user must manually replace the dirty rubber stopper and then attach the second reinforcing member, which is an unsanitary and undesirable task.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a livestock water supply device that does not require the attachment and detachment of a protective cover, does not require the user to put their hands into the dirty water in the tank, and allows the plug of the tank to be opened and closed with hygienic and simple operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The livestock watering device of the present invention is a livestock watering device for giving water to livestock, which solves the problem of opening and closing a water tank valve in a hygienic and simple manner without the need to attach and detach a protective cover or put one's hands into dirty water in the water tank, and which comprises a pair of rail members suspended in a substantially parallel direction at a predetermined interval on the inner wall surface of the water tank, a float valve provided between the rail members for maintaining a constant water level in the water tank, an opening and closing valve mechanism provided on the rail members for opening and closing the water tank valve, a protective cover comprising a lid portion formed in a substantially box-like shape and covering the upper surface side of the opening and closing valve mechanism, and a pair of partition plates covering the outside of each of the rail members from both ends of the lid portion to the bottom of the water tank, and the opening and closing valve mechanism is attached to a lower float member which is slidable along the rail members. The water tank is composed of a parallel link mechanism having a frame, an upper frame having a hanging rod that abuts against the inner surface of the lid to restrict relative horizontal movement relative to the lid and fixes the plug in a vertically downward position, a connecting frame that connects the rear ends of the lower frame and the upper frame, and a handle frame that connects the front ends of the lower frame and the upper frame and is equipped with an operating handle for operating the opening and closing plug mechanism, and when closing the water tank, the upper frame is lowered by sliding the lower frame towards the front using the operating handle, and when opening the water tank, the upper frame is raised by sliding the lower frame towards the rear using the operating handle.

[0007] In addition, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of stably sliding the lower frame relative to the rail members, the lower frame and the connecting frame, and the lower frame and the handle frame are connected by joint shafts, and tires that run on the upper surface of the rail members are rotatably mounted on both ends of each joint shaft, and the lower frame is provided on the inner surface of each of the rail members and is formed so that its lower edge is positioned lower than the upper edge of the rail members.

[0008] Furthermore, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of preventing the opening / closing valve mechanism from reversing from the dead center position, the rail member may be provided with an anti-reversal member that abuts against the upper surface of the tire when the opening / closing valve mechanism is in the closed state, preventing the handle frame from over-rotating and reversing.

[0009] Furthermore, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of smoothly and reliably attaching the protective cover, both ends of the upper frame may be provided with inclined guide portions that are inclined diagonally downward and abut against the lower end of the lid portion to guide the upper frame to the inner surface of the lid portion.

[0010] Furthermore, as one aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the problem of maintaining the open state even when the operating handle is released, the lower frame may be formed to a length that will abut against the inner wall surface of the tank when the handle frame is rotated 90 degrees or more from the closed state to the open state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the plug of the water tank can be opened and closed hygienically and easily without the need to attach and remove the protective cover and without having to put one's hands in dirty water inside the water tank. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a livestock water supply apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a livestock water supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a right side view showing the equipment for supplying water into the water trough in the livestock water supply apparatus of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the opening and closing valve mechanism of the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing the livestock water supply apparatus of the present embodiment in a closed state and an open state, respectively. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the operation of the opening and closing mechanism when changing from a closed state to an open state in this embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the cap when changing from a closed state to an open state in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a livestock water supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] 1 and 2, the livestock watering device 1 of this embodiment is for providing water for livestock to drink, and mainly comprises a water tank 2 for storing drinking water for livestock, a pair of rail members 3, 3 suspended across the inner wall surface of the water tank 2, a float valve 4 provided between the rail members 3, an opening / closing valve mechanism 5 for opening and closing a plug 7 of the water tank 2, and a protective cover 6 for covering the float valve 4 etc. to protect them from the livestock. Each component will be described below.

[0015] In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the livestock watering apparatus 1 is defined as the left-right direction, and the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction is defined as the front-rear direction, as shown in Fig. 1. For clarity, the inspection door on the front side is not shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, in the present invention, livestock is a concept that includes all animals, such as cows, horses, pigs, sheep, etc., for which it is preferable to automatically provide drinking water when raising them.

[0016] The water tank 2 stores drinking water for livestock. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, a flexible hose 21 that supplies tap water is piped inside the livestock water supply device 1, and its tip is introduced between the rail members 3. The tap water is then supplied via a float valve 4 attached to the tip. In this embodiment, tap water refers to all water supplied from water supply equipment, and includes not only tap water suitable for human drinking but also agricultural water such as well water.

[0017] In this embodiment, a drain outlet 22 is provided at the bottom of the water tank 2 at a position separated by the protective cover 6, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(c). Furthermore, in this embodiment, a heater 23 is provided in the water tank 2 to prevent water from freezing in cold regions, etc. Note that, for ease of viewing, the rail member 3, the opening / closing valve mechanism 5, and the protective cover 6 are not shown in Figure 3.

[0018] The rail members 3 reinforce the water tub 2 and are used to place the on-off valve mechanism 5 on. In this embodiment, a pair of rail members 3, 3 are installed in a substantially parallel direction at a predetermined distance on the inner wall surface of the water tub 2, as shown in FIG. 2. The upper surface of each rail member 3 is configured as a substantially horizontal plane, allowing the tires 56 of the on-off valve mechanism 5 to run on. The interval between each rail member 3 should be at least large enough to allow the float valve 4 to be positioned thereon. In this embodiment, the rail member 3 is provided in a substantially central position of the water tub 2, but this position is not limited and it should be provided above the drain outlet 22.

[0019] The float valve 4 is used to maintain a constant water level in the water tank 2. In this embodiment, the float valve 4 is provided between a pair of rail members 3, 3, and is connected to the tip of the flexible hose 21. The float valve 4 also has a float 41 that rises and falls depending on the water level, and a valve (not shown) that discharges or stops the flow of tap water depending on the height position of the float 41. The float 41 discharges tap water while it is at a position below a certain water level, and stops the flow of tap water when it is at a position above the certain water level.

[0020] The opening / closing valve mechanism 5 is used to open and close the valve 7 of the water tank 2, and as shown in Figures 2 and 4, is composed of a parallel link mechanism having a lower frame 51 and an upper frame 52 arranged one above the other in a substantially horizontal direction, a connecting frame 53 connecting the rear ends of the lower frame 51 and the upper frame 52, and a handle frame 54 connecting the front ends of the lower frame 51 and the upper frame 52.

[0021] 4, in this embodiment, the lower frame 51 and the connecting frame 53, and the lower frame 51 and the handle frame 54 are connected by joint shafts 55, and tires 56 that run on the upper surface of the rail member 3 are rotatably provided at both ends of each joint shaft 55. With this configuration, the lower frame 51 is able to slide forward and backward along the rail member 3. Similarly, the upper frame 52 and the connecting frame 53, and the upper frame 52 and the handle frame 54 are also connected by joint shafts 55.

[0022] In this embodiment, the lower frame 51 is provided on the inner surface of each rail member 3 and is bent downward so that its lower edge is positioned lower than the upper edge of the rail member 3, as shown in Fig. 4. With this configuration, the rail member 3 restricts the left-right movement of the lower frame 51, so that the tire 56 does not come off the rail member 3 and the lower frame 51 slides stably in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the rail member 3 is provided with an anti-reversal member 31 that abuts against the upper surface of the tire 56 when the opening / closing valve mechanism 5 is in the closed state, preventing the handle frame 54 from over-rotating and reversing.

[0023] The upper frame 52 is formed in a shape that abuts against the inner surface of the lid portion 61 of the protective cover 6, and its movement in approximately horizontal directions (left-right and front-rear directions) relative to the lid portion 61 is restricted. Also, as shown in Fig. 2, a hanging rod 57 that fixes the plug 7 in a vertically downward position is fixed to the upper frame 52 via a fixed beam 58. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, both ends of the upper frame 52 in the front-rear direction are provided with inclined guide portions 52a that are inclined obliquely downward and abut against the lower end of the lid portion 61 to guide the upper frame 52 against the inner surface of the lid portion 61.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, the handle frame 54 is equipped with an operating handle 54a for operating the opening / closing valve mechanism 5. Here, as described above, the upper frame 52 is restricted from moving in a substantially horizontal direction relative to the lid portion 61. For this reason, when the operating handle 54a is tilted from the front side to the back side (black arrow in Fig. 4), the parallel link mechanism works to cause the lower frame 51 to slide toward the front side, and the upper frame 52 to descend in the vertical direction. On the other hand, when the operating handle 54a is pulled up from the back side to the front side (white arrow in Fig. 4), the parallel link mechanism works to cause the lower frame 51 to slide toward the back side, and the upper frame 52 to rise in the vertical direction.

[0025] In this embodiment, the stopper 7 is opened and closed by vertically raising and lowering the upper frame 52 as described above. That is, when closing the water tub 2, the lower frame 51 is slid forward using the operating handle 54a, thereby lowering the upper frame 52. As a result, the stopper 7 is fitted into the drain outlet 22, resulting in a closed state, as shown in FIG. 5(a). On the other hand, when opening the water tub 2, the lower frame 51 is slid backward using the operating handle 54a, thereby raising the upper frame 52. As a result, the stopper 7 is removed from the drain outlet 22, resulting in an open state, as shown in FIG. 5(b). Note that the float valve 4, flexible hose 21, and other components are omitted from FIG. 5 for clarity.

[0026] 5(b), the lower frame 51 is formed to a length such that its rear end abuts the inner wall surface of the water tub 2 when the handle frame 54 is rotated 90 degrees or more from the closed state to the open state. With this configuration, the open state is maintained by the weight of the protective cover 6 and the upper frame 52, etc., so there is no need to continue holding the operating handle 54a until the water tub 2 is completely drained.

[0027] The protective cover 6 is intended to cover the float valve 4 and other components to protect them from livestock. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the protective cover 6 is provided with a cover portion 61 formed in a generally box-like shape and covering the top side of the opening / closing valve mechanism 5, and a pair of partition plates 62, 62 covering the outside of each rail member 3 from both left and right ends of the cover portion 61 to the bottom of the water tank 2.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lid 61 has an opening / closing door 63 that opens when the operating handle 54a is operated and closes when watering livestock. The lid 61 and each partition plate 62 are formed with a length in the front-to-rear direction that is approximately the same as the dimension between the opposing inner wall surfaces of the water tub 2. The inner wall surface of the water tub 2 is provided with guide plates 64 that are arranged at both ends of each partition plate 62 to allow them to slide up and down. Furthermore, each partition plate 62 has punched holes 65 formed therein to quickly supply tap water discharged from the float valve 4 to the entire water tub 2.

[0029] Next, the operation of the livestock water supply apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0030] When using the livestock watering device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the protective cover 6 is placed over the open / close valve mechanism 5 in the closed state. At this time, the inclined guide portions 52a provided at both ends of the upper frame 52 abut against the lower end of the lid portion 61, guiding the upper frame 52 to the inner surface of the lid portion 61. As a result, even if the open / close valve mechanism 5 is misaligned in the front-to-rear direction, it is guided to the correct position, so the lid portion 61 of the protective cover 6 will not rest on top of the open / close valve mechanism 5, and attachment can be made smoothly and reliably.

[0031] In this covered state, the protective cover 6 is restricted from moving in the front-to-rear direction by the lid portion 61 abutting against the inner wall surface of the water tub 2, and is restricted from moving in the left-to-right direction by the partition plates 62 abutting against the guide plates 64. Furthermore, because the upper frame 52 abuts against the inner wall surface of the lid portion 61 of the protective cover 6, the upper frame 52 is also restricted from moving relatively in the approximately horizontal direction with respect to the lid portion 61. Therefore, the protective cover 6 and the upper frame 52 are raised and lowered together in the vertical direction only by the opening / closing valve mechanism 5, and this raising and lowering action opens and closes the valve 7.

[0032] Next, when watering livestock using the livestock watering device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(a), the upper frame 52 is lowered to its lowest position and inserts the plug 7 into the drain outlet 22 via the hanging rod 57 to close the plug. This causes the float valve 4 connected to the water supply to supply tap water into the water trough 2 and maintain a constant water level. This allows the livestock to drink as much water as they want, whenever they want.

[0033] 1, a protective cover 6 covers the float valve 4, flexible hose 21, on-off valve mechanism 5, plug 7, and other equipment to protect them from livestock. This prevents livestock from damaging these pieces of equipment by mischievously pulling or biting them off, and also prevents livestock from mischievously removing the plug 7 and draining drinking water.

[0034] When the opening / closing valve mechanism 5 is in the closed state, it is at a dead center position as a parallel link mechanism, which may result in reversal. For this reason, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(a), the reversal prevention member 31 abuts against the upper surface of the tire 56, restricting the upward movement of the lower frame 51. This prevents the handle frame 54 from excessively rotating downward and reversing the parallel link mechanism.

[0035] Next, to drain the dirty water from the water tub 2, the user opens the door 63 as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 7(a), and then pulls up the operating handle 54a from the back to the front as shown in FIGS. 6(b), (c), and 7(b). This causes the lower frame 51 to slide toward the back due to the action of the parallel link mechanism, while the upper frame 52 rises vertically. As the upper frame 52 rises, the protective cover 6 is pushed upward, and the hanging rod 57 pulls the plug 7 out of the drain outlet 22, completely draining the water from the water tub 2. Therefore, the user does not need to remove the protective cover 6 or reach into the dirty water in the water tub 2 to remove the plug 7, allowing for hygienic and simple removal of the plug 7 from the water tub 2.

[0036] At this time, in this embodiment, the movement of the lower frame 51 in the left-right direction is restricted by the rail member 3, so the tire 56 does not come off the rail member 3, and the lower frame 51 slides stably in the front-to-rear direction.

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6(d) and 7(c), when the handle frame 54 is rotated 90 degrees or more from the closed state to the open state, the rear end of the lower frame 51 abuts against the inner wall surface of the water tub 2. This prevents the upper frame 52 from descending due to the weight of the protective cover 6, upper frame 52, etc., and maintains the open state. Therefore, there is no need to continue holding the operating handle 54a until the water tub 2 is completely drained.

[0038] To store drinking water in the water tank 2 after the dirty water has been drained, the operating handle 54a is tilted from the front to the back. This causes the lower frame 51 to slide forward due to the action of the parallel link mechanism, and the upper frame 52 to descend vertically. As the upper frame 52 descends, the protective cover 6 also descends under its own weight, and the hanging rod 57 fits the plug 7 into the drain outlet 22. Therefore, the user can fit the plug 7 into the water tank 2 and attach the protective cover 6 at the same time with a hygienic and simple operation, without having to touch the dirty plug 7.

[0039] The livestock water supply apparatus 1 according to the present invention as described above has the following advantages. 1. There is no need to attach or remove the protective cover 6, and there is no need to put your hands in the dirty water in the water tank 2, making it hygienic. The plug 7 of the water tank 2 can be opened and closed with a simple one-touch operation. 2. The lower frame 51 can be slid along the rail member 3 in a stable manner. 3. The opening and closing valve mechanism 5 can be prevented from reversing from the dead center position. 4. The protective cover 6 can be attached smoothly and reliably. 5. The open state can be maintained even if the operating handle 54a is released.

[0040] The livestock water supply apparatus 1 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate.

[0041] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the tires 56 are provided to facilitate sliding movement of the lower frame 51, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. If the lower frame 51 is configured to be able to slide along the rail member 3, cylindrical protrusions may be provided instead of the tires 56.

[0042] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, in order to increase the stability of the sliding movement of the lower frame 51, the lower edge of the lower frame 51 is bent downwardly relative to the upper edge of the rail member 3, but this configuration is not limited to this, and any shape is acceptable as long as the lower edge of the lower frame 51 abuts against the inner surface of the rail member 3.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the anti-reversal member 31 is provided on both the front side and the back side, but this configuration is not limited to this and it may be provided at least only on the back side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Livestock watering equipment 2. Aquarium 3 Rail components 4 Float Valve 5 Opening / closing mechanism 6 Protective cover 7 Stopper 21 Flexible hose 22 Drain 23 Heater 31 Anti-reverse member 41 Float 51 Lower frame 52 Upper Frame 52a Inclined guide part 53 Connecting Frame 54 Handle frame 54a Operating handle 55 joint axis 56 Tires 57 Hanging rod 58 Fixed beam 61 Lid 62 Partition 63 Opening and closing doors 64 Guide plate 65 punch holes

Claims

1. A livestock watering device for providing water to livestock, a pair of rail members that are suspended in a substantially parallel direction at a predetermined interval on the inner wall surface of the water tank; a float valve provided between the rail members for maintaining a constant water level in the water tank; an opening / closing valve mechanism provided on the rail member for opening and closing the valve of the water tank; a protective cover including a lid portion formed in a generally box-like shape and covering the upper surface of the opening / closing valve mechanism, and a pair of partition plates covering the outside of each of the rail members from both ends of the lid portion to the bottom of the water tank; and The opening and closing valve mechanism is a lower frame that is slidable along the rail member; an upper frame having a hanging rod that abuts against the inner surface of the lid portion to restrict relative movement in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the lid portion and fixes the stopper in a vertically downward position; a connecting frame that connects the rear ends of the lower frame and the upper frame to each other; a handle frame that connects the front ends of the lower frame and the upper frame together and that includes an operating handle for operating the opening and closing valve mechanism; The parallel link mechanism has: When closing the water tank, the lower frame is slid forward by the operating handle to lower the upper frame; When opening the water tank, the lower frame is slid toward the rear by the operating handle, thereby lifting the upper frame. Water supply equipment for livestock.

2. The lower frame and the connecting frame, and the lower frame and the handle frame are connected by joint shafts, and tires that run on the upper surface of the rail member are rotatably provided at both ends of each joint shaft, 2. The livestock watering device according to claim 1, wherein the lower frame is provided on an inner surface of each of the rail members and is formed so that its lower edge is positioned lower than the upper edge of each of the rail members.

3. A livestock water supply device as described in claim 1, wherein the rail member is provided with an anti-reversal member that abuts against the upper surface of the tire when the opening / closing valve mechanism is in a closed state, preventing the handle frame from over-rotating and reversing.

4. A livestock water supply device as described in claim 1, wherein both ends of the upper frame are provided with inclined guide portions that are inclined diagonally downward and abut against the lower end of the lid portion to guide the upper frame against the inner surface of the lid portion.

5. 2. The livestock water supply device of claim 1, wherein the lower frame is formed to a length that abuts against the inner wall surface of the water tank when the handle frame is rotated 90 degrees or more from the closed state to the open state.

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