Animal urine dispersing apparatus

Abstract

Described is a urine dispersing apparatus. The urine dispersing apparatus comprises a case assembly, a pin configured to removably attach to the case assembly and to pass through a fold of skin of an animal, and a disperser that is attached to the case assembly and configured to disperse at least part of a urine stream of the animal. Also described is a method of attaching a urine dispersing apparatus to an animal and a method of determining when an animal is urinating.

Description

ANIMAL URINE DISPERSING APPARATUSTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispersing urine produced by an animal and a method of use thereof.BACKGROUND

[0002] Farmed animals excrete approximately 75-90% of the nitrogen that they ingest in their urine. The nitrogen contained in excreted urine is generally in the form of urea, which is readily broken down to provide ammonium by, for example, urease present in the soil. Nitrification of the ammonium initially produces nitrite, which undergoes further nitrification to produce nitrate. High nitrate can be problematic because it is not retained by soil particles and readily leaches into groundwater before it can be utilized for plant growth. In some cases, such as under anaerobic conditions, the nitrate can denitrify to produce nitrogen gas, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide and ammonia, which in gaseous forms can be released to the air.

[0003] Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient for pastures and any loss of nitrogen from the farm system must be accounted for primarily through the application of fertilizer or legume-Rhizobia fixation.

[0004] The soil structure can have a bearing on the amount of nitrate that leaches into the groundwater. In New Zealand, nitrate concentrations are typically highest in shallow well- oxygenated groundwater in unconfined aquifers. The issue of elevated nitrate levels has gained greater attention in recent years because of the intensification of agriculture, particularly dairying, in regions which have free-draining soils overlying a shallow water table.

[0005] Where the groundwater flows into surface water, a rise in nitrate levels can have a dramatic effect on wetland ecology.

[0006] Perhaps more significantly, where the groundwater serves as a source of drinking water, excessive nitrate levels have been linked with the infant disease commonly known as “blue baby syndrome” (methemoglobinemia) - particularly in bottle-fed babies younger than 4 months of age. Methemoglobinemia is believed to be caused by ingested nitrate causing the production of methemoglobin with the net effect of decreasing the oxygen carrying capacity of the infant’s blood. Reduced oxygenation of the infant’s tissues can leadto coma and death. There are also reports of high nitrate levels adversely impacting on the health of older individuals.

[0007] Another method to decrease groundwater pollution is to use stand-off pads which are areas that the animals are herded into to further digest the consumed herbage. These pads may comprise a hard (such as concrete) or soft (such as woodchip) surface and the animal excrement is contained and may be collected and further directed into storage ponds. The stored excrement can then be sprayed onto pasture in regulated amounts as a source of fertilizer, thereby supplying only what the plant matter requires for growth, thereby minimizing leaching. A significant problem associated with this widely-used approach is the cost of building the infrastructure needed to collect, store and distribute the excrement.

[0008] There is a need for a farm management practice which leads to a reduction in nutrient leaching (particularly nitrate leaching), provides a urine dispersing apparatus, provides a method of attaching a urine dispersing apparatus to an animal, addresses the foregoing problems, or at least provides the public with a useful choice.SUMMARY

[0009] In a first aspect there is described a urine dispersing apparatus having a pin attachable to a fold of skin of an animal, and having a disperser that disperses at least part of a urine stream of the animal.

[0010] In a further aspect there is described a urine dispersing apparatus, the apparatus including:• an animal attachment means for attaching the apparatus proximate the rear end of the animal,• a disperser attached to the animal attachment means and configured to deflect and disperse at least part of the urine stream of the animal to which the apparatus is attached when the animal is urinating, so that at least some of the urine stream is dispersed, and• a power supply for supplying power to the disperser.

[0011] In a further aspect there is described a urine dispersing apparatus comprising a case assembly, a pin configured to removably attach to the case assembly and to pass through a fold of skin of an animal, and a disperser that is attached to the case assembly and configured to disperse at least part of a urine stream of the animal.

[0012] In a further aspect there is described a method of attaching a urine dispersing apparatus to an animal, the method comprising inserting a piercing end of a pin through a fold of skin of the animal so that the piercing end of the pin and a hub end of the pin are exposed, attaching a piercing end cover to the piercing end of the pin, inserting a first end of the pin into a corresponding first pin receiver of a case assembly of the urine dispersing apparatus, and inserting a second end of the pin into a corresponding second pin receiver of the case assembly.

[0013] In a further aspect there is described a method of attaching a urine dispersing apparatus to an animal, the method comprising inserting a piercing end of a pin through a fold of skin of the animal so that the piercing end of the pin and a hub end of the pin are exposed, inserting a first end of the pin into a corresponding first pin receiver of a case assembly of the urine dispersing apparatus, and inserting a second end of the pin into a corresponding second pin receiver of the case assembly.

[0014] In a further aspect there is described a method of determining when an animal is urinating, the method comprising receiving, at a controller, acceleration data, indicative of acceleration, from one or more accelerometers attached to the animal, determining with the controller, that a urination event is occurring if, the acceleration in one or more directions was stable, in which acceleration in a direction is considered to be stable if the acceleration changes by less than a preset acceleration threshold over a number of accelerometer data point, the acceleration in the one or more directions then became unstable, in which acceleration in a direction is considered to be unstable if the acceleration changes by at least a preset acceleration threshold over a number of accelerometer data points, the acceleration in the one or more directions has become stable again, and a vertical acceleration value, prior to the acceleration in the one or more directions becoming unstable, or post the acceleration in the one or more directions becoming stable again, is within a corresponding predefined range.

[0015] The following configurations may apply to one or more of the aspects above.

[0016] In one configuration the disperser is a rotating apparatus.

[0017] In one configuration, the disperser is attached to a front portion of the case assembly, the front portion of the case assembly being the portion configured to be furthest from the head of the animal.

[0018] In one configuration, the disperser comprises a rotating blade configured to repeatedly rotate through at least a part of the urine stream to disperse the urine.

[0019] In one configuration, the urine dispersing apparatus comprises one or more accelerometers housed within the case assembly and configured to detect movement of the animal.

[0020] In one configuration, the urine dispersing apparatus comprises a controller housed within the case assembly and configured to receive data from one or more of the accelerometers.

[0021] In one configuration, the controller is configured to determine, as a function of the data, that the animal has moved in a way that indicates it is urinating.

[0022] In one configuration, the controller is configured to make the determination if the data indicates that the animal has dropped its hips.

[0023] In one configuration, if the controller determines that the animal has moved in a way that indicates it is urinating, the controller is configured to active the disperser so that at least part of the urine stream is dispersed.

[0024] In one configuration, the controller is configured to determine, as a function of the data, that the animal has stopped urinating and to deactivate the disperser in response.

[0025] In one configuration, the pin is configured to pass through a fold of skin below the vulva of the animal.

[0026] In one configuration, the pin comprises a piercing end configured to pass through the fold of skin and wherein the urine dispersing apparatus comprises a piercing end cover configured to removably attach to the piercing end.

[0027] In one configuration, the pin comprises a hub end opposite the piercing end and wherein the hub end comprises a hub stopper.

[0028] In one configuration, the case assembly comprises one or more pin receivers, each configured to receive an end of the pin so as to facilitate attachment of the pin to the case assembly.

[0029] In one configuration, each of the pin receivers is located towards a top portion of the case assembly, the top portion being the portion of the case assembly configured to be furthest from the ground when the animal is standing.

[0030] In one configuration, the case assembly comprises two pin receivers: a piercing end receiver, configured to receive the piercing end of the pin and the piercing end cover, and a hub end receiver, configured to receive the hub end of the pin.

[0031] In one configuration, one of the two pin receivers comprises a hole in a surface of a rear portion of the case assembly, the rear portion of the case assembly being the portion configured to be closest to the head of the animal, and the other of the two pin receivers comprises a recess defined in the rear portion of the case assembly.

[0032] In one configuration, the case assembly comprises a receiver screw hole into which a receiver screw can be inserted so that the receiver screw enters one of the pin receivers and passes into a hole the piercing end cover or the hub end of the pin to hold the pin in place relative to the case assembly.

[0033] In one configuration, one or more surfaces of a front portion of the case assembly are rounded, the front portion of the case assembly being the portion configured to be furthest from the head of the animal.

[0034] In one configuration, the method comprises inserting the piercing end of the pin through the fold of skin with a pin applicator tool.

[0035] In one configuration, the first end of the pin is a piercing end and the method comprises attaching a piercing end cover to the piercing end before inserting the piercing end and the piercing end cover into the first pin receiver of the case assembly.

[0036] In one configuration, the method comprises inserting a receiver screw into a receiver screw hole of the case assembly and into a recess in one end of the pin to hold the pin in place relative to the case assembly.

[0037] In one configuration, the method comprises inserting a receiver screw into a receiver screw hole of the case assembly and into a recess in the piercing end cover to hold the pin in place relative to the case assembly.

[0038] In one configuration, the controller is configured to only determine that a urination event is occurring if the acceleration in the one or more directions became stable again within a predefined maximum time.

[0039] Further aspects of the invention, which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading of the following description which provides at least one example of a practical application of the invention.

[0040] The term “comprising” as used in the specification and claims means “consisting at least in part of’. When interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term “comprising”, features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms “comprise” and “comprises” are to be interpreted in the same manner.

[0041] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

[0042] As used herein “(s)” following a noun means the plural and / or singular forms of the noun.

[0043] As used herein the term “and / or” means “and” or “or” or both.

[0044] It is intended that reference to a range of numbers disclosed herein (for example, 1 to 10) also incorporates reference to all rational numbers within that range (for example, 1 , 1.1 , 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and also any range of rational numbers within that range (for example, 2 to 8, 1 .5 to 5.5 and 3.1 to 4.7) and, therefore, all sub-ranges of all ranges expressly disclosed herein are hereby expressly disclosed. These are only examples of what is specifically intended and all possible combinations of numerical values between the lowest value and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to be expressly stated in this application in a similar manner.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] One or more embodiments of the invention will be described below by way of example only, and without intending to be limiting, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0046] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a urine dispersing apparatus in use when attached to a dairy cow.

[0047] Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0048] Figure 3 shows a front elevation view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0049] Figure 4 shows a rear elevation view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0050] Figure 5 shows a front perspective view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0051] Figure 6 shows a front view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0052] Figure 7 shows a rear view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0053] Figure 8 shows a rear view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0054] Figure 9 shows a right side view of a urine dispersing apparatus.

[0055] Figure 10 shows a section view along line A-A of Figure 9.

[0056] Figure 11 shows a top view of a pin.

[0057] Figure 12 shows a view of the rear of a cow with a pin of a urine dispersing apparatus passing through a fold of skin.

[0058] Figure 13 shows an example acceleration dataset.

[0059] Figure 14 shows an annotated example acceleration.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] It is recognised that in dairy farming operations, urine patches are the primary source of nitrate leaching. The high nutrient loading rate of the urine patch typically exceeds pasture nutrient demand, particularly for nitrogenous waste which is the primary reason why such urine patches are the source of significant nitrate leaching.

[0061] It has now been discovered that by increasing the area of the urine patch, the amount of nutrients lost to leaching is decreased. In particular, the inventors have devised an apparatus for dispersing the flow of urine from the animal over a greater surface area.

[0062] The present disclosure relates to a urine dispersing apparatus for an animal such as a cow. The present disclosure also relates to a methods for attaching the urine dispersing apparatus to an animal for determining, with the urine dispersing apparatus, that an animal is urinating.

[0063] Described is a urine dispersing apparatus comprising an animal attachment means for attaching the apparatus proximate the rear end of the animal. Preferably the animal attachment means is a skin tagging pin.

[0064] The apparatus comprises a disperser (such as a rotating apparatus) attached to the animal attachment means and configured to deflect and disperse at least part of the urine stream of the animal to which the apparatus is attached when the animal is urinating, so that at least some of the urine stream is dispersed. The apparatus also comprises a power supply for supplying power to the disperser.

[0065] The urine dispersing apparatus may further include a component for recording the spatial location of urine dispersing events. For instance, the component may include a global positioning system. The component for recording the spatial location of urine dispersing events may be used to control any one or more of:• the location of dispersal,• the direction of dispersal, of at least some of the urine stream.

[0066] One system for deflecting urine is reported in NZ 705824. This document reports a flow modifying apparatus that is configured such that a flow deflecting means is coupled to the tail of an animal. The flow deflecting means includes a reservoir that is configured to hold a quantity of compressed gas or gases. One or two flow conduits are used to direct a flow of compressed gas from the reservoir and toward the urine stream. The flow deflecting means also includes a valve coupled to the tail of the animal in such a manner that the lifting of the tail prior to urination is used to cause the valve to open (page 6). The present inventor realised that such a design has several shortcomings, including:• the need to refill the compressed gas reservoirs on a frequent basis,• the need for a mechanical valve that is sufficiently strong to withstand the pressure of the reservoir, yet able to be actuated by the movement of the animal’s tail. These mechanical elements are prone to failure,• the high likelihood that the at least one reservoir would be displaced by the animal rubbing, being mounted, etc. In order to reduce the frequency of refilling, the reservoir would need to be sufficiently strong and / or bulky which in turn would mean that it is more prone to being displaced.

[0067] It has now been found that these problems can be largely or completely overcome by the urine dispersing apparatus as described which avoids the use of apressurised reservoir and instead uses a disperser (such as a rotating apparatus) attached to the animal attachment means and configured to deflect and disperse at least part of urine stream. In particular, the disperser of the present apparatus is typically significantly more compact than any suitable reservoir that was contemplated in NZ 705824 and accordingly is far less likely to be displaced during the regular actions of the animal to which the apparatus is attached.

[0068] Furthermore, the use of a power supply to power the disperser (which may be a rotating apparatus for example), as opposed to the use of a reservoir of compressed gas, means that any human intervention is significantly reduced.

[0069] The urine dispersing apparatus as described is particularly suited to being attached to domesticated, four legged animals such as cattle (especially dairy cows) and sheep. The rear end of such animals is commonly considered to be the end furthest from the animal’s head. The urine dispersing apparatus as described is held in place with the attachment means which is configured to attach the apparatus proximate (near to) the rear end of the animal. Preferably the animal attachment means is a skin tagging pin(s) or ring(s), however the apparatus may be attached using other means alone or in combination (including in combination with straps), such as through the use of an adhesive. In some embodiments, the attachment means is provided in the form of straps (such as formed from webbing, such as 50 mm wide tubular webbing). Advantageously, the attachment means may use a tagging pin or ring to pierce through skin folds around but not limited to the rear end of such animals. The skin tagging piercing attachment may include a conical or angular piercing tip which may form part of a small shaft or ring which is connected to or may be part of the main body of the housing of the urine dispersing apparatus. The attachment means may be configured to have a range of materials in suitable locations. The attachment means may be made of any suitable material, and in some embodiments is made predominantly of chemically resistant, durable plastic but not limited to aluminium, brass or stainless steel.

[0070] The power supply may be provided as a battery. Such a battery may provide power to the disperser over a substantial period of time, and the battery may be replaced with another battery during a convenient time - such as during milking of dairy cattle. In some embodiments, the battery may be a lithium polymer or lithium ion battery. Where a solar power converter is used in combination with a battery, the battery may be provided with sufficient power to supply power overnight or through periods of the day in which sunlight levels are sub-optimal. For example, the battery may be provided with capacity that is approximately 1 .5 times the capacity of the disperser. Preferably, the battery will be located within the main body of the urine dispersing apparatus to avoid damage when other animalsattempt to ride the animal to which the apparatus is attached. In some embodiments a single battery is used, although this should not be seen as limiting and in some embodiments two or more batteries may be used which provides the advantage of minimising the profile of any single battery and / or providing a more balanced attachment to the animal. Preferably the shape of the battery pack(s) will follow the profile of the attachment means and have a low height profile.

[0071] The power may be supplied directly from a solar power converter for generating power from sunlight, such as a solar / photovoltaic cell. It will be understood that such embodiments may, in the absence of a battery (for example), only provide power while exposed to sufficient light. Nonetheless, such embodiments will still provide a meaningful environmental benefit during daylight hours.

[0072] Where power is supplied by solar power, the urine dispersing apparatus will include a solar power converter for generating power from sunlight (such as a solar / photovoltaic cell) coupled to a battery (and charger) so that the battery is (re)charged when the cell is exposed to light. Such embodiments advantageously allow for long periods of time between human intervention. The solar power converter design will typically have a low profile, such as following the long, narrow, low height profile of straps where they are used as the attachment means. In this way, the solar power converter does not protrude unnecessarily, thereby minimising the overall size of the apparatus on the animal. In some embodiments, the solar power convert may be provided in the form of a plurality of small photovoltaic panels or flexible printed type panels allowing the attachment means to flex and not impede the animal’s natural movements.

[0073] Where present, the solar / photovoltaic cell will typically be coupled to a controller which may be used to modulate the flow of electricity.

[0074] The urine dispersing apparatus as described is preferably driven by a small electric motor, which will typically have dimensions in the centimetre range, such as less than 10 cm in each dimension. One example of a commercially available electric motor suitable for use in the present invention is the Nidec Brushless DC Smart 17S. The disperser may be gear driven but is not limited to being directly driven or belt driven. Such motors may be ruggedised, such as by being waterproof which is preferred given the nature of the location to which they are attached. Where used, the housing for the electric motor may be an injection moulded plastic or aluminium extruded body or similar strong, lightweight, small sized casing. Such housing may directly attach to the attachment means (such as a skin tagging pin or ring), such as by providing the housing with at least one (preferably two)raised tabs connected to the housing, for example. Advantageously, such housing may contain not only the electric motor but also any other componentry, such as one or more sensors (such as image recognition camera), single board computer, blue tooth or LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) communications.

[0075] As used herein the terms “disperse”, “dispersing”, etc take their normal meaning, being to spread or distribute widely. At least some of the urine stream is dispersed so that at least a portion of the urine that is urinated by the animal is spread over a wider area on the ground that it falls on than it would in the absence of the urine dispersing apparatus as described. In so doing, the urine stream is dispersed and forms a urine patch which is larger than the urine patch formed without the action of the urine dispersing apparatus as described, and specifically the action of the disperser (which may be a rotating apparatus for example). The urine patch size may be readily determined by measuring the amount of ground (or groundcover) that is wet by the urine when the animal urinates. It will be understood that where the flow of urine is not dispersed, the ground (or groundcover) may become saturated within a relatively small area (annual average of 0.200.25 m2for dairy cows), whereas when the urine flow is dispersed in accordance with the urine dispersing apparatus as described the ground (or groundcover) will generally become less saturated and will be wet over a greater area.

[0076] The urine may be dispersed over an area which is at least twice the area of the urine patch of an undispersed flow, such as at least three times, or at least four times the area. For example the urine may be dispersed so as to produce a urine patch of at least 0.70 m2, or at least 1 .0 m2, such as at least 2.0 m2. In some embodiments, the action of the disperser will create droplets of at least a portion of the urine stream. Such droplets may advantageously be dispersed over a very substantial area.

[0077] Advantageously, creating a larger urine patch increases the likelihood that the nutrients (particularly nitrogenous nutrients) in the urine may be utilised by any plants (such as grass, clover, chicory, plantain) growing on the ground on which the urine falls. In turn, this leads to a reduction in the amount of nutrients that are lost from the farm system. This loss of nutrients is problematic for several reasons, including: the need to typically resupply nutrients to the farm system (such as in the form of fertilisers) and / or impacts on the surrounding environment including increases in nutrient loadings in surface and / or groundwater.

[0078] The power supplied from the power supply may be controlled by the presence of an actuator, such as a switch. In such embodiments, the disperser (or more specifically theelectric motor in some embodiments) will cease operation until such time as the actuator is actuated thereby allowing power to flow to the disperser (or more specifically the electric motor in some embodiments). It will be appreciated that, where present, there are a number of ways in which such an actuator may be actuated. One or more sensors may be employed which functionally sense the time at which the animal is urinating, and in turn actuate and permit the disperser (or more specifically the electric motor in some embodiments) to be supplied with power. Examples of such sensors, which may be used individually or in any combination to actuate the disperser and / or provide additional functionality, may include the following.• An image sensor optionally coupled with image recognition functionality, such as programmable logic and / or software. Such an image sensor may be provided in the form of a camera and a controller (such as a printed circuit board - PCB). Such an image sensor may sense the flow of urine and thereby actuate the disperser (or more specifically the electric motor in some embodiments), so as to disperse the flow of urine from the animal.• A geospatial sensor, such as a GPS sensor which can activate / deactivate the disperser (or more specifically the electric motor in some embodiments) when in proximity to certain locations. For example, the GPS sensor may deactivate the disperser when in proximity to a cowshed. A geospatial sensor may also be employed to locate and record the dispersion pattern. In some cases, the geospatial data may be used to inform decisions in relation to the droplet spread direction or ground location of subsequent dispersion patterns from apparatus worn by multiple animals in a herd situation, such as the GPS recording of a real-time map with these dispersion patterns. This real-time GPS map of dispersion patterns can be made available through a software application to a mobile phone or computer or electronic device to allow stock managers to view and inform decisions. In some cases, the geospatial data may be used to inform decisions in relation to fertiliser application.• A heat sensor, such as an IR sensor. Such a sensor may detect a change in the temperature (such as by measuring a change in the IR signature of the rear of the animal) which would be expected to increase when the animal is urinating. Measuring an increase in the temperature might lead to the actuation of the disperser (or more specifically the electric motor in some embodiments).

[0079] Where present, the or any sensor may be located within the housing used to house the disperser (or more specifically the electric motor in some embodiments) and / or together with any battery or solar power converter housing.

[0080] The urine dispersing apparatus as described may be used to monitor the biometrics of the subject animal and may provide a platform to include a range of sensors to sense such metrics as animal temperature, feed content, mastitis detection, rumination status, location, movement, and hydration state.

[0081] The urine dispersing apparatus as described may optionally also include a communication module so that, for example, information pertaining to the apparatus may be transmitted to a receiving module located remote from the apparatus. Such a receiving module may log the data and / or communicate the data with a user (such as a farmer) so that farm practice management decisions can be made on the basis of the data so communicated. In some embodiments the disperser can be configured to directionally disperse the urine in a controllable configuration. For example, the disperser can be configured to disperse the urine to the left or to the right side of the animal, such as to minimise overlap of dispersed urine patches based on data previously obtained relating to where in the paddock that the animal is located other urine has been dispersed to. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that optimised urine dispersion in this manner may allow a farmer to reduce the applied nitrogenous (such as urea) fertiliser by up to 40% to 100% (based on AgResearch studies). In turn, this leads to less environmental impact and / or reduced cost to the farmer.

[0082] In one configuration, the urine dispersing apparatus comprises a case assembly, a pin configured to removably attach to the case assembly and to pass through a fold of skin of an animal, and a disperser that is attached to the case assembly and configured to disperse at least part of a urine stream of the animal.

[0083] The urine dispersing apparatus may be attached to an animal by inserting a piercing end of a pin through a fold of skin of the animal so that the piercing end of the pin and a hub end of the pin are exposed, A first end of the pin may be inserted into a corresponding first pin receiver of a case assembly of the urine dispersing apparatus. A second end of the pin may be inserted into a corresponding second pin receiver of the case assembly.

[0084] As shown in Figure 1 , in use the urine dispersing apparatus 2 is attached to an animal (for example a cow) 4 proximate the rear end 6 of the animal. As shown in Figure 1 , the urine dispersing apparatus is attached to the animal using a skin tagging pin through the skin at location 8 which is on the rear rump of the animal in this embodiment, attaching through skin folds which are located at a lower vertical elevation (with respect to the force of gravity) than the vertical elevation of the vulva when the animal assumes a normal standinggait. Typically the disperser will be attached to the animal so that the urine stream impacts upon the disperser when the animal assumes a normal standing gait. The disperser may be positioned so as not to be disturbed by the upward movement of the tail during urination. It will be appreciated that a side to side swishing of the tail may impact on the urine dispersing apparatus, however advantageously the urine dispersing apparatus has a sufficiently small profile and is sufficiently robust that the swishing does not impact on the positioning of the urine dispersing apparatus.

[0085] Within the urine dispersing apparatus may be a power source. The power source may be conjured to be easily replaceable so as to reduce the required time taken between swapping batteries. The power source may be replaced without detaching the urine dispersing apparatus from the animal.

[0086] The disperser may be powered (at least partially) by one or more solar cells. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the inclusion of a plurality of solar cells, each having a different orientation, maximises the power that can be produced from sunlight since there is a greater likelihood that the solar aspect is optimised.

[0087] Figure 2 shows a side elevation view of the same apparatus 2 shown in Figure 1 , shown without the animal to aid in clarity. The skin tag 10 is shown. As shown, the urine dispersing apparatus may be substantially spherical in form, and when attached to the animal will typically sit away from the animal, hingedly attached through the skin tag. The rear portion 12 of the urine dispersing apparatus will typically contact the rump of the animal, whereas the forward portion 14 will typically be situated to intercept the urine stream.

[0088] Figure 3 shows a front elevation of the same apparatus 2 shown in Figure 1 and2 showing the position of the disperser including a rotating blade 16 and the skin tagging pin.

[0089] Figure 4 shows an end elevation of the same apparatus 2 shown in Figures 1 to3 showing the position of housing 18 for the power source (covered, not shown).

[0090] A further example of a urine dispersing apparatus 100 is shown in Figures 5 to 9. The urine dispersing apparatus 100 is configured to attach to an animal 4 and disperse the animal’s urine when the animal urinates.

[0091] As shown in Figures 5 to 9, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 comprises a case assembly 120 and a skin tag pin (i.e. pin) 10. The pin 10 is configured to removably attach to the case assembly 120 and to pass through a fold of skin 41 of an animal 4, forexample a cow, adjacent the animal’s vulva 42. In this way, the pin 10 is configured to attach the case assembly 120 to the animal 4.

[0092] Along with the case assembly 120 and the pin 10, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 comprises a disperser that is attached to the case assembly 120. The disperser is configured to deflect and disperse at least part of a urine stream of the animal to which the urine dispersing apparatus 100 is attached.

[0093] As an example, the disperser may comprise a rotating blade 16. The rotating blade 16 may be configured to repeatedly rotate through at least a part of the urine stream to disperse the urine. As mentioned above, the rotation may be driven by a small electric motor.

[0094] The disperser may also comprise a pivot that is attached to the case assembly 120. The rotating blade 16 may be attached to the pivot and may rotate around the pivot. The pivot may be attached to a front portion 121 of the case assembly 120 (i.e. a portion configured to be furthest from the head of the animal 4).

[0095] The urine dispersing apparatus 100 may also comprise one or more accelerometers 130 and / or one or more controllers 140. Each accelerometer 130 may be housed within the case assembly 120. Each controller 140 may be housed within the case assembly 120 and configured to receive data from one or more of the accelerometers 130. Each accelerometer 130 may be configured to detect movement of the animal’s body. Each of the one or more controllers 140 may be configured to receive data from one or more of the accelerometers 130 and determine, as a function of the data, whether the animal 4 has moved in a way that indicates it is urinating.

[0096] If the urine dispersing apparatus comprises a rotating blade 16 and an electric motor, one or more of the controllers 140 may be configured to control the electric motor to control the rotation.

[0097] Further details of the pin 10, case assembly 120, accelerometer(s) 130, and controller(s) 140 are provided below.

[0098] As mentioned above, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 comprises a pin 10. More detail will now be provided regarding the intended location of the pin 10 and the pin itself.

[0099] As shown in Figure 12, the pin 10 is configured to pierce, and pass through, a fold of skin 41 directly below the animal’s vulva 42. For example, the pin 10 may beconfigured to pierce, and pass through, a fold of skin 41 that is below the animal’s vulva 42. The pin may be placed such that it is within 100 mm of the vulva. In some embodiments the pin may be placed 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 mm of the vulva.

[0100] If the animal 4 is a cow, this piercing position will place at least a portion of the urine dispersing apparatus 100 forward (i.e. towards the head) relative to rearmost parts of the cow’s vulva 42 and anus. This is because, on a cow, these rearmost parts often extend further rearward than the area of skin directly below the vulva 42. This piercing position therefore helps to ensure that at least a portion of the urine dispersing apparatus 100 will be sheltered from faeces and, as a result, less likely to have its operation affected by faeces.

[0101] Furthermore, the inventors have found that, if the animal 4 is a cow, the piercing position described above allows the tail to brush over the urine dispersing apparatus 100 and remove at least some of any faeces that does adhere to the urine dispersing apparatus 100. At the same time, the inventors have also found that the piercing position described above substantially prevents the tail from striking the urine dispersing apparatus 100 with enough force to cause damage to the urine dispersing apparatus 100.

[0102] The pin 10 may have a length of at least 40 mm. A length of at least 40 mm may help to ensure that the pin 10 can pass through a large enough fold of skin 41 to remain securely in place on the animal 4. Secure attachment of the pin 10, and the urine dispersing apparatus 100 as a whole, to the animal 4 may help to ensure continued, effective urine dispersion and continued, accurate sensing.

[0103] As shown in Figure 11 , the pin 10 may have a circular cross-section. If the pin 10 has a circular cross-section, the diameter of the pin 10 may be less than or equal to3.5 mm. If the animal 4 is a cow, a diameter less than or equal to 3.5 mm may help to ensure that the pin 10 can pierce and pass through the fold of skin 41 without difficulty and without piercing two blood vessels which run substantially vertically below the cow’s vulva 42.

[0104] Alternatively, the pin 10 may have a rectangular cross-section. If the pin 10 has a rectangular cross-section, the larger cross-sectional (i.e. width) dimension of the pin 10 may be less than or equal to 3.5 mm. As above, if the animal 4 is a cow, this may help to ensure that the pin 10 can pierce and pass through the fold of skin 41 without difficulty and without piercing two blood vessels which run substantially vertically below the cow’s vulva 42.

[0105] In an alternative, the pin 10 may have some other cross-sectional shape, such as a triangular, hexagonal, or octagonal cross-section for example. If the pin 10 has such across-sectional shape, the largest cross-sectional dimension of the pin 10 may be less than or equal to 3.5 mm. As above, if the animal 4 is a cow, this may help to ensure that the pin10 can pierce and pass through the fold of skin 41 without difficulty and without piercing two blood vessels which run substantially vertically below the cow’s vulva 42.

[0106] As described above, the diameter and / or largest cross-sectional dimension of the pin 10 may be less than or equal to 3.5 mm. For example, the diameter and / or largest cross-sectional dimension of the pin 10 may be less than or equal to 3.4 mm, 3.3 mm,3.2 mm, 3.1 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.9 mm, 2.8 mm, 2.7 mm, 2.6 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.3 mm,2.2 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.0 mm, or may fall within a range defined by any two of these numbers. The diameter and / or largest cross-sectional dimension of the pin 10 may be 2.1 mm.

[0107] With regards to materials, the pin 10 may be made from a metal such as steel. For example, the pin 10 may be in the form of a steel needle. Alternatively, the pin 10 may be in the form of a flexible band. For example, the pin 10 may be a flexible band comprising a polymer, a textile, and / or a metal thread.

[0108] The pin 10 may have a piercing end 20. The piercing end 20 may have a sharp point. The pin may also have a hub end 21 opposite the piercing end 20. The hub end 21 may comprise a hub stopper 22 (i.e. a stopper). The hub stopper 22 may help to prevent the hub end 21 of the pin 10 from passing through the fold of skin 41 .

[0109] The urine dispersing apparatus 100 may further comprise a piercing end cover 23. The piercing end cover 23 is configured to removably attach to the piercing end 11 of the pin 10 so that the piercing end cover 23 covers the piercing end 20 of the pin 10. When attached, the piercing end cover 23 may help to prevent the piercing end 20 from passing through the fold of skin 41 .

[0110] The piercing end cover 23 may be configured to be secured to the piercing end11 with a grub screw. The piercing end cover 23 may comprise an internal ridge that is configured to be positioned within a circumferential grove in the piercing end 20 to locate the piercing end cover 23 on the pin 10.

[0111] The piercing end cover 23 may be made from a metal such as steel. Alternatively, the piercing end cover 23 may be made from a polymer.

[0112] As mentioned above, the pin 10 is configured to removably attach to the case assembly 120 in order to attach the case assembly 120 to the animal 4. The attachment ofthe pin 10 to the case assembly 120 is described below, along with the other details of the case assembly 120.

[0113] The case assembly 120 comprises a front portion 121 and a rear potion 122. The front portion 121 may be removably attached to the rear portion 122 with, for example, one or more screws, bolts, or clips. The front portion 121 is the portion of the case assembly 120 that is configured to be furthest from the head of the animal 4 in use (i.e. when the urine dispersing apparatus 120 is attached to the animal 4). The rear portion of the case assembly is the portion of the case assembly 120 that is configured to be closest to the head of the animal 4 in use.

[0114] As shown in Figure 9, one or more surfaces of the case assembly 120 may be rounded. For example, one or more surfaces of the front portion 121 of the case assembly 120 may be rounded. In one example, the case assembly 120 may be in the form of a cuboid with multiple rounded edges. In another example, the case assembly 120 may be substantially in the form of an ellipsoid. In another example, the case assembly 120 may be substantially cylindrical.

[0115] One or more rounded surfaces may help to prevent any dirt or faeces from collecting on the case assembly 120. Furthermore, one or more rounded surfaces may make it more likely that the tail of the animal 4 may be able to clear any dirt or faeces from the case assembly 120 if the tail sweeps over the case assembly 120.

[0116] The case assembly 120 may comprise one or more pin receivers, each configured to receive an end of the pin 10. In this way, the one or more pin receivers may facilitate attachment of the pin 10 to the case assembly 120. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the case assembly may comprise a piercing end receiver 30 and a hub end receiver 35. The piercing end receiver 30 is configured to receive the piercing end 20 of the pin 10 and the piercing end cover 23. The hub end receiver 35 is configured to receive the hub end 21 of the pin 10.

[0117] In the example configuration shown in Figure 7 and Figure 9, the piercing end receiver 30 and the hub end receiver 35 are both located at the rear portion of the case assembly 120. In this way, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 may be configured so that the pin 10 and disperser are located on opposing sides of the case assembly 120. Specifically, with the disperser located on the front portion 121 , furthest from the head of the animal 4, and the pin 10 located on the rear portion 122, closest to the head of the animal 4.

[0118] Furthermore, in the example configuration shown in Figure 7, the piercing end receiver 30 and the hub end receiver 35 are both located towards a top portion 123 of the case assembly 120 (the top portion 123 being the portion of the case assembly 120 configured to be furthest from the ground when the animal 4 is standing). This positioning helps to prevent the top portion 123 from protruding away from the fold of skin 41 which could result in faeces collecting on the top portion 123.

[0119] As shown in Figure 10, the piercing end receiver 30 may comprise a through hole that passes through one or more surfaces of the rear portion 122 of the case assembly 120. Alternatively, the piercing end receiver 30 may comprise a blind hole in one or more surfaces of the rear portion 122 of the case assembly 120. The piercing end receiver 30 may have a drafted internal diameter that facilitates easy insertion of the piercing end 20 of the pin 10 into the piercing end receiver 30.

[0120] The hub end receiver 35 may comprise a recess defined in the rear portion 122 of the case assembly 120. The rear portion 122 may also define a receiver screw hole 36 that passes from an outer surface of the rear portion 122 into the hub end receiver 35.

[0121] The relative positioning of the piercing end receiver 30, hub end receiver 35, and receiver screw hole 36 allow the urine dispersing apparatus 100 to be attached to an animal 4 in which• the piercing end 20 of the pin 10 is inserted through the fold of skin 41 so that both the piercing end 20 and hub end 21 are exposed,• the piercing end cover 23 is attached to the piercing end 20,• the piecing end cover 23, with the piercing end 20 inside, is inserted into the piercing end receiver 30,• the hub stopper 22 of the hub end 21 is positioned in the hub end receiver 35, and• a receiver screw 37 is inserted into the receiver screw hole 36 and screwed into a recess (e.g. a hole) in the hub stopper 22 to hold the pin 10 in place relative to the case assembly 120.

[0122] Alternatively, the hub end receiver 35 may comprise a through hole or blind hole in one or more surfaces of the rear portion 122 of the case assembly 120. Furthermore, the piercing end receiver 30 may comprise a recess defined in the rear portion 122 of the case assembly 120. The rear portion 122 may also define a receiver screw hole 36 that passes from an outer surface of the rear portion 122 into the piercing end receiver 30. In this alternative configuration, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 may be attached to an animal 4 in which• the piercing end 20 of the pin 10 is inserted through the fold of skin 41 so that both the piercing end 20 and hub end 21 are exposed,• the piercing end cover 23 is attached to the piercing end 20,• the hub stopper 22 of the hub end 21 is inserted into the hub end receiver 35,• the piercing end cover, with the piercing end 20 inside, is positioned in the piercing end receiver 30,• a receiver screw 37 is inserted into the receiver screw hole 36 and screwed into a recess (e.g. hole) in the piercing end cover 23 to hold the pin 10 in place relative to the case assembly 120.

[0123] In one example configuration, the piercing end 20 of the pin 10 may be configured to be inserted directly into the piercing end receiver 30 (so that no piercing end cover 23 is required). In this configuration, the receiver screw 37 may be configured to be inserted into the receiver screw hole 36 and screwed into a recess (e.g. hole) in the piercing end 20 of the pin 10.

[0124] The pin 10 may be inserted through the fold of skin 41 by hand. That is, a user may push the piercing end 20 of the pin 10 though the fold of skin 41 by hand. Alternatively, the pin 10 may be configured to be inserted through the fold of skin 41 with a pin applicator tool. For example, the pin 10 may by inserted through the fold of skin 41 with a modified ear tag applicator such as those produced by Allflex New Zealand. The applicator may also be configured to attach the piercing end cover 23 to the piercing end 20.

[0125] As mentioned, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 may comprise a receiver screw 37 that is configured to be inserted into a receiver screw hole 36 and screwed into a recess (e.g. hole) in the piercing end cover 23 and / or the pin 10 to hold the pin 10 in place relative to the case assembly 120. Alternatively or additionally, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 may comprise one or more alternative fixtures configured to interact with both the case assembly 120 and the piercing end cover 23 and / or the pin 10 hold to hold the pin 10 in place relative to the case assembly 120. The one or more alternative fixtures may comprise a spring-ball bearing connector, a deformable plastic clip, a deformable metal clip, or a lynch pin.

[0126] The configuration of the urine dispersing apparatus 100, and especially the one or more pin receivers, allows for easy application of the urine dispersing apparatus 100 to an animal 4. Furthermore, the configuration of the one or more pin receivers allows a user to remove the case assembly 120 from an animal 4 without removing the pin 10. Therefore, if,for example, maintenance is required, a user may quickly and easily replace one case assembly 120 with another case assembly 120.

[0127] Along with the one or more pin receivers, the case assembly may comprise a skin fold recess 40. An example skin fold recess 40 is shown in Figure 7. The skin fold recess 40 is a recess (i.e. cutout) defined by an outer surface of the rear portion 122 of the case assembly 120. The skin fold recess 40 may have a substantially rectangular shape. For example, the skin fold recess 40 may have a substantially square shape.

[0128] In the example shown in Figure 7, the skin fold recess 40 is located between the piercing end receiver 30 and the hub end receiver 35. The relative positioning of the skin fold recess 40, the piercing end receiver 30, and the hub end receiver 35 helps to prevent the pin 10 from excessively pulling on the fold of skin 41 and helps to prevent the case assembly 120 from excessively pressing on the fold of skin 41 .

[0129] As mentioned above, the urine dispersing apparatus 100 may also comprise one or more accelerometers 130. More detail on the one or more accelerometers 130 will now be provided.

[0130] Each accelerometer 130 may be housed within the case assembly and may be configured to detect movement of the animal’s body. This detection may be used to determine when an animal 4 is urinating and, therefore, when the disperser should be activated. One example of an appropriate accelerometer is the ADXL344 Ultralow Power Digital Accelerometer from Analog Devices.

[0131] If the animal 4 is, for example, a cow, the one or more accelerometers 130 may be configured to detect one or more movements that commonly occur prior to urination. For example, the rear legs of the animal 4 moving apart and / or a vertical drop in the hips of the animal 4. That is, the one or more accelerometers 130 may be configured to detect the animal 4 squatting.

[0132] The one or more accelerometers 130 may be configured to detect a sequence of two or more movements that indicate the animal 4 is squatting, as commonly occurs prior to urination.

[0133] In one example configuration, the one or more accelerometers 130 may be configured to detect when a cow performs one or more of the following sequence of movements that cows often perform prior to urination.• The cows walks forward and aligns its rear hooves.• The cow sways its hips and widens its hooves.• The cow lowers its hips.• The cow raises its back.• The cow holds its stance.

[0134] Each of the one or more controllers 140 may be configured to receive data from one or more of the accelerometers 130. Once this data is received, one or more of the controllers 140 may be configured to determine, as a function of the data, whether the animal 4 has moved in a way that indicates it is urinating.

[0135] Each of the one or more controllers 140 may be configured to receive data from one or more of the accelerometers 130 via a wired connection. Alternatively or additionally, each of the one or more controllers 140 may be configured to receive data from one or more of the accelerometers via a wireless connection such as, for example, Bluetooth.

[0136] Once a controller 140 has received data from one or more accelerometers 130, the controller 140 may be configured to• check if acceleration in one or more directions (e.g. x, y, and z cartesian directions) was stable (wherein acceleration in a direction is considered to be “stable” if the acceleration changes by less than a preset acceleration threshold over a number of accelerometer data points),• check if the acceleration in the one or more directions then became unstable (wherein acceleration in a direction is considered to be “unstable” if the acceleration changes by at least a preset acceleration threshold over a number of accelerometer data points),• check if the acceleration in the one or more directions has since become stable again,• check if the acceleration in the vertical direction was within in a predefined pre- unstable range prior to the acceleration in the one or more directions becoming unstable,• check if the acceleration in the vertical direction is within a predefined post- restabilisation range following the acceleration in the one or more directions becoming stable again, and• if all of the above conditions are positively satisfied, determine a urination event is occurring and return to the first checking step.

[0137] The controller 140 may additionally check if the acceleration in the one or more directions became stable again within a predefined maximum time. The controller may be configured to only determine that a urination event is occurring if acceleration in the one or more directions became stable again within the predefined maximum time.

[0138] The predefined maximum time be, for example, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1 , 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 or 5 seconds, or may fall within a range defined by any two of these values. The predefined maximum time may be between 0.9 and 3.5 seconds.

[0139] The preset acceleration threshold may for example be, for data stored as the I nt 16 value type, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, 2000, 2250, 2500, 2750 or 3000, or may fall within a range defined by any two of these numbers.

[0140] The pre-unstable range may be defined by any two of the following numbers, 10,000, 12,000, 14,000, 16,000, 18,000, 20,000, 22,000, 24,000, 26,000, 28,000, and 30,000, for data stored as the Inti 6 value type. The pre-unstable range may be between 16000 and 24000 for data stored as the Inti 6 value type.

[0141] The post-restabilisation range may be defined by any two of the following numbers, 16,000, 18,000, 20,000, 22,000, 24,000, 25,000, 26,000, 28,000, 30,000, 32,000, 34,000, 36,000, 38,000, 40,000, and 42,000, for data stored as the Inti 6 value type. The post-restabilisation range may be between 25,000 and 32,000 for data stored as the Inti 6 value type.

[0142] In one example configuration, the controller may be configured to check only one of• whether the acceleration in the vertical direction was within in a predefined pre- unstable range prior to the acceleration in the one or more directions becoming unstable, and• whether the acceleration in the vertical direction is within a predefined post- restabilisation range following the acceleration in the one or more directions becoming stable again.

[0143] The inventors have found that the above thresholds and ranges facilitate accurate detection of urination events with little false positives.

[0144] Each controller 140 may be configured to apply a moving average filter to the data it receives from the one or more accelerometers 130. The moving average filter may have a window size of, for example, two.

[0145] The one or more controllers 140 may be configured to activate the disperser when urination is detected. The one or more controllers 140 may be configured to deactivate the disperser when an end of urination is detected.

[0146] An example of acceleration data recorded by one or more of the accelerometers 130 is shown in Figure 13. This data comprises acceleration data in the three cartesian coordinates (x, y, and z) over a period. In this example, the x direction corresponds to the side-to-side direction of the animal 4, the y direction corresponds to the front-to-back (i.e. head-to-tail) direction of the animal 4, and the z direction corresponds to the vertical.

[0147] Figure 14 shows the same example data from Figure 13 but with an example pre-unstable range (Bpre) and an example post-restabilisation range (Bpost) superimposed.

[0148] The apparatus and methods of the present disclosure facilitate an increase in the area of a urine patch. Therefore, as mentioned above, the present disclosure can help to reduce the amount of nutrients lost to leaching. Furthermore, as the present disclosure facilitates an increase in the area of a urine patch, the present disclosure can also improve the effectiveness with which urine can act as a natural fertiliser in a contained field or paddock. This is because a herd of animals fitted with the apparatus of the present disclosure will spread urine more evenly and extensively over the field or paddock. The increase in the effectiveness with which urine can act as a natural fertiliser may decrease the amount of synthetic fertiliser that needs to be applied to a field or paddock to achieve a desired nutrient profile (even to the point of no synthetic fertiliser being required). This decrease in the amount of synthetic fertiliser required may represent a cost saving and a decrease in carbon footprint as synthetic fertilisers are expensive, often comprise fossil fuels, and require extensive transport from factory to farm.

[0149] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”.

[0150] Reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour in any country in the world.

[0151] The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features, andwhere specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A urine dispersing apparatus, the apparatus including: an animal attachment means for attaching the apparatus proximate the rear end of the animal, a disperser attached to the animal attachment means and configured to deflect and disperse at least part of the urine stream of the animal to which the apparatus is attached when the animal is urinating, so that at least some of the urine stream is dispersed, and a power supply for supplying power to the disperser.

2. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power supply includes a battery.

3. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 1 or 2 wherein the power supply includes a solar power converter for generating power from sunlight.

4. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 3 wherein the solar power converter is a solar / photovoltaic cell.

5. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the disperser includes a brushless DC motor configured to be supplied with power from the power supply.

6. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the disperser is a rotating apparatus.

7. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 6 wherein the rotating apparatus includes a blade configured to deflect and disperse at least part of the urine stream of the animal to which the apparatus is attached when the animal is urinating, so that at least some of the urine stream is dispersed.

8. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the animal attachment means includes a skin tag configured to pierce skin in the animal’s hindquarter.

9. A urine dispersing apparatus, comprising a case assembly, a pin configured to removably attach to the case assembly and to pass through a fold of skin of an animal, and a disperser that is attached to the case assembly and configured to disperse atleast part of a urine stream of the animal.

10. The urine disperser of claim 9, wherein the disperser is attached to a front portion of the case assembly, the front portion of the case assembly being the portion configured to be furthest from the head of the animal.

11. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the disperser comprises a rotating blade configured to repeatedly rotate through at least a part of the urine stream to disperse the urine.

12. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 11 , comprising one or more accelerometers housed within the case assembly and configured to detect movement of the animal.

13. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 12, comprising a controller housed within the case assembly and configured to receive data from one or more of the accelerometers.

14. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine, as a function of the data, that the animal has moved in a way that indicates it is urinating.

15. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to make the determination if the data indicates that the animal has dropped its hips.

16. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein, if the controller determines that the animal has moved in a way that indicates it is urinating, the controller is configured to active the disperser so that at least part of the urine stream is dispersed.

17. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the controller is configured to determine, as a function of the data, that the animal has stopped urinating and to deactivate the disperser in response.

18. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein the pin is configured to pass through a fold of skin below a vulva of the animal.

19. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 18, wherein the pin comprises a piercing end configured to pass through the fold of skin and wherein the urine dispersing apparatus comprises a piercing end cover configured to removably attach to the piercing end.

20. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the pin comprises a hub end opposite the piercing end and wherein the hub end comprises a hub stopper.

21. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the case assembly comprises one or more pin receivers, each configured to receive an end of the pin so as to facilitate attachment of the pin to the case assembly.

22. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the pin receivers is located towards a top portion of the case assembly, the top portion being the portion of the case assembly configured to be furthest from the ground when the animal is standing.

23. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 21 or claim 22, wherein the case assembly comprises two pin receivers: a piercing end receiver, configured to receive the piercing end of the pin and the piercing end cover, and a hub end receiver, configured to receive the hub end of the pin.

24. The urine dispersing apparatus of claim 23, wherein one of the two pin receivers comprises a hole in a surface of a rear portion of the case assembly, the rear portion of the case assembly being the portion configured to be closest to the head of the animal, and the other of the two pin receivers comprises a recess defined in the rear portion of the case assembly.

25. The urine dispersing apparatus of 24, wherein the case assembly comprises a receiver screw hole into which a receiver screw can be inserted so that the receiver screw enters one of the pin receivers and passes into a recess the piercing end cover or the hub end of the pin to hold the pin in place relative to the case assembly.

26. The urine dispersing apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 25, wherein one or more surfaces of a front portion of the case assembly are rounded, the front portion of the case assembly being the portion configured to be furthest from the head of the animal27. A method of attaching a urine dispersing apparatus to an animal, the method comprising inserting a piercing end of a pin through a fold of skin of the animal so that the piercing end of the pin and a hub end of the pin are exposed, inserting a first end of the pin into a corresponding first pin receiver of a case assembly of the urine dispersing apparatus, andinserting a second end of the pin into a corresponding second pin receiver of the case assembly.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising inserting the piercing end of the pin through the fold of skin with a pin applicator tool.

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