Animal water intake management system

Abstract

We provide an animal water intake management system suitable for use in ordinary households. [Solution] The animal water intake management system 10 comprises a water drinking container 100, a water dispensing device 200, and a management device 300. The water drinking container 100 is dish-shaped and has a retaining frame 110 with a water outflow passage. The water dispensing device 200 is cylindrical and has a scale on its outer surface, or, if transparent, on its inner surface, on which the water level can be read. It is inserted into the retaining frame 110 of the water drinking container 100 and dispenses water into the water drinking container 100 so that a constant amount of water is maintained inside the water drinking container 100. The management device 300 receives the remaining water amount in the water dispensing device 200 as read by the owner, calculates the animal's daily water intake based on the entered remaining water amount, and determines whether the animal's daily water intake is appropriate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an animal drinking water management system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, drinking water containers that can maintain a certain water level to supply drinking water and the like to small animals such as dogs and cats have been known. For example, the drinking water container for animals in Patent Document 1 discloses a drinking water container provided with a water injection device that can constantly retain a certain amount of water in a part of the container body.

[0003] Further, the animal drinking water / urine volume automatic measurement device and the system using the same in Patent Document 2 disclose a system that measures changes in the weight of supplied water, the weight of zero water, and the weight of urine and automatically processes them with a computer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The animal drinking water container in Patent Document 1 replenishes water from the water injection device only by the amount that the animal drinks, and only prevents a shortage of drinking water. This animal drinking water container is not provided assuming the management of daily drinking water volume, so there is a risk that the animal will be given as much water as it wants and the symptoms of diseases due to overconsumption will not be noticed. For example, generally, the appropriate daily water intake for a dog is said to be 50 to 60 ml per 1 kg of body weight. When the intake exceeds 100 ml per 1 kg of body weight, there is a suspicion of chronic kidney disease or the like.

[0006] The apparatus described in Patent Document 2 measures not only the weight of the water supplied but also the weight of the water lost during drinking, making it possible to determine the net amount of water consumed by an animal. However, this apparatus is intended for pharmacological research in the urinary tract, and because the equipment is large and expensive, it is unsuitable for use with pets in ordinary households.

[0007] The objective of the present invention is to provide an animal water intake management system suitable for use in ordinary households. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The animal drinking water management system according to the present invention comprises a drinking water container, a water dispensing device, and a management device. The drinking water container is dish-shaped and has a holding frame with a water outlet channel. The water dispensing device is cylindrical, has a scale on its outer surface, or, if transparent, on its inner surface, that allows the water level to be read, is inserted into the holding frame of the drinking water container, and dispenses water into the drinking water container so that a constant amount of water is maintained inside the container. The management device receives the remaining water level from the water dispenser as read by the owner, calculates the animal's daily water intake based on the entered remaining water level, and determines whether the animal's daily water intake is appropriate.

[0009] Preferably, the control device receives the room temperature at a predetermined time each day and records the entered room temperature in the control data.

[0010] Preferably, the management device is provided as application software that can be installed on a personal computer or smartphone. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the configuration of an animal water intake management system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A flowchart illustrating the process of determining the appropriate amount of drinking water used by a management device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] An animal water intake management system according to one embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As a typical animal, we will assume a dog (especially a small breed) that is kept indoors and requires regular drinking water.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, one embodiment of the animal drinking water management system 10 comprises a drinking water container 100, a water dispensing device 200, and a management device 300.

[0014] The drinking water container 100 is dish-shaped and has a retaining frame 110 with a water outflow passage (not shown). Since water is always stored in the drinking water container 100, it is possible to avoid situations where a dog wants to drink but cannot. The material, size, and water capacity of the drinking water container 100 can be appropriately selected to suit the dog.

[0015] The water dispenser 200 is cylindrical and has a scale on its outer surface, or, if transparent, on its inner surface, that allows the water level to be read. The water dispenser 200 is inserted into the retaining frame 110 of the drinking water container 100, and the water in the water dispenser 200 flows through the outflow passage of the retaining frame 110 and is stored in the drinking water container 100. The water dispenser 200 is designed to maintain a constant amount of water in the drinking water container 100, and dispenses water into the drinking water container 100 in proportion to the amount the dog drinks. The water in the water dispenser 200 is replaced with fresh water by the owner every morning or at a time as appropriate. The capacity of the water dispenser 200 can be appropriately selected according to the size and age of the dog.

[0016] The management device 300 is provided as application software that can be installed on a personal computer or smartphone, and the remaining water level of the water dispenser 200, as read by the owner, is input. The remaining water level is read by the owner twice, immediately after the water is changed and immediately before the water is changed. The amount of water remaining immediately after the change is taken as the initial remaining water level, and the amount of water remaining immediately before the change is taken as the final remaining water level. The management device 300 records the input initial remaining water level and the final remaining water level in association, and calculates the decrease in the remaining water level as the dog's daily water intake (actual water intake).

[0017] In the management device 300, the numerical value of the daily water intake per 1 kg of the target animal is registered as an initial condition. When the owner inputs the "weight of the dog", the daily water intake corresponding to that weight is calculated and displayed. The daily water intake is displayed in three levels: "appropriate", "caution", and "danger". An example of the registration screen is shown in Table 1.

[0018]

Table 1

[0019] The management device 300 compares the calculated daily water intake of the dog with the appropriate range of the pre-registered water intake, determines whether the daily water intake of the dog is appropriate, and displays it as "level" on the management screen. The level is displayed as "appropriate" when the water intake is within the appropriate range, "caution" when the water intake is slightly more (or less) than the appropriate range, and "danger" when the water intake is even more (or less) than "caution". An example of the management screen is shown in Table 2.

[0020]

Table 2

[0021] In the management device 300, the room temperature at predetermined times every day, such as 6:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm, is input, and the input room temperature is recorded in the management data. Thereby, for example, although the daily water intake exceeds the upper limit of the appropriate range and the "level" is displayed as "caution", it can be considered that the room temperature has risen compared to the previous day, so the dog may be thirstier than usual. In this way, based on the level display, the owner comprehensively considers the relationship between the room temperature and water intake on that day, the change in water intake between the previous and next days, the condition of the dog, etc., and infers the health condition of the dog.

[0022] In Table 2, each management data item on the management screen is displayed in a table, but each item may also be displayed as a graph. Furthermore, the management device 300 may allow for the addition of additional items to be recorded. For example, items such as the number of walks per day, the distance walked during walks, and a free-text field for recording the dog's condition may be provided.

[0023] Next, referring to the flowchart in Figure 2, the process for determining the appropriate amount of drinking water in the management device 300 according to one embodiment will be explained. In the flowchart, the symbol "S" represents a step.

[0024] In S01, the amount of water remaining (initial amount) read by the owner immediately after changing the water in the water dispenser 200 is entered into the management device 300. After a certain period of time has elapsed since S01, the owner changes the dog's water. In S02, the amount of water remaining (final amount) read by the owner immediately before changing the dog's water is entered into the management device 300. In S03, the management device 300 records the initial amount of water remaining and the final amount of water remaining entered in S01 and S02 in association with each other. In S04, the management device 300 calculates the dog's daily water intake from the initial amount of water remaining and the final amount of water remaining. In S05, the management device 300 compares the calculated daily water intake of the dog with the appropriate range of daily water intake for the target animal that has been registered in advance. If the calculated daily water intake of the dog is determined to be within the appropriate range (S06: YES), the appropriateness determination process ends.

[0025] If the calculated daily water intake of the dog is determined to be outside the appropriate range (S06:NO), the management device 300 displays a warning on the owner's device in S07. For example, if the water intake level is "Caution," the warning will say, "The dog's water intake is slightly above (or below) the appropriate range. Carefully observe your pet's condition." If the water intake level is "Dangerous," the warning will say, "The dog's water intake is above (or below) the appropriate range. Carefully observe your pet's condition and consider visiting a veterinary hospital if necessary." After the warning is displayed, the appropriateness assessment process ends.

[0026] (Other embodiments) (a) The management device 300 of this disclosure is designed to be entered by the owner. However, the animal drinking water management system 10 may be equipped with a reading sensor capable of reading the remaining water amount of the water dispenser 200, and the management device 300 may include a receiving unit, and the receiving unit of the management device 300 may receive the remaining water amount read by the reading sensor as data and automatically record it in the management data.

[0027] (b) The management device 300 may be equipped with a learning function that learns the appropriate range of water intake for each individual dog based on the management data of the dog's daily water intake.

[0028] (c) The animal drinking water management system 10 may include a water temperature sensor and a heating / cooling device. The water temperature sensor detects the water temperature in the drinking water container 100 when the dog drinks water, and the detected water temperature data is input to the management device 300 and recorded in the management data. Based on the water temperature management data, the heating / cooling device maintains the water temperature in the drinking water container 100 at a temperature preferred by the dog. The water temperature management data, room temperature management data, and date (season) management data may be recorded in association, and the water temperature may be adjusted according to the season and room temperature.

[0029] The present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] 10 ···Animal drinking water management system, 100...Drinking water container, 110...Holding frame, 200...Water injection equipment, 300...Management device

Claims

1. A drinking water container having a dish-shaped retaining frame with a water outflow passage, A water dispensing device that is cylindrical, has a scale on its outer surface, or, if transparent, on its inner surface, on which the water level can be read, is inserted into the holding frame of the drinking water container, and dispenses water into the drinking water container so that a constant amount of water is maintained inside the drinking water container, A management device that receives the remaining water volume of the water dispenser read by the owner, calculates the animal's daily water intake based on the entered remaining water volume, and determines whether the animal's daily water intake is appropriate. A water intake management system for animals equipped with the following features.

2. The animal drinking water management system according to claim 1, wherein the management device receives the room temperature at a predetermined time each day, and the received room temperature is recorded in the management data.

3. The animal drinking water management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management device is provided as application software that can be installed on a personal computer or smartphone.

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