Calving Teat Sensor and Branch Line Pump for Automatic Suckle Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for automatically watering calves do not effectively train young calves to suckle without manual intervention, as they often require manual activation or interfere with natural sucking behavior.
Innovation Solution
A device with a mixing container, teat, connecting line, branch line, and pump, equipped with a sensor and controller that detects teat movement or deformation to automatically dispense liquid food, encouraging young calves to suckle by mimicking natural feeding behavior without manual intervention, and includes an animal identification system to ensure only young animals are trained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a pump is integrated in the connecting line to support calf sucking, then the calves can be fed automatically, but the natural sucking behavior is impeded and manual intervention is required
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting line is divided into two separate lines: a connecting line for natural sucking and a branch line with a pump for automated feeding. This segmentation allows both natural sucking and automated pumping to occur independently without interfering with each other, resolving the contradiction between automation and natural behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The branch line acts as an intermediary system that provides automated feeding through pump activation by sensors, while the main connecting line remains dedicated to natural sucking. The sensor-controlled pump in the branch line mediates between automation requirements and natural calf behavior by providing supplemental feeding only when needed.
2Extent of automation
If the pump conveys liquid food through the connecting line, then young calves can be trained to suckle, but the liquid food may be wasted or spilled
Solution Approach 1:
The pump delivers liquid food in controlled partial amounts rather than continuous flow. The sensor activates the pump to provide just enough liquid food to emerge from the teat and encourage sucking, avoiding excessive delivery that would cause waste or spillage while still achieving the training objective.
3Extent of automation
If a sensor and controller are added to detect teat movement and activate the pump, then automatic training is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor automatically detects when a calf approaches or sucks on the teat and triggers the pump without human intervention. The system serves itself by using the calf's natural movements as the activation signal, eliminating the need for manual operation while keeping the control logic simple and intuitive.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables automatic training of young calves to suckle by dispensing small amounts of liquid food when the teat is moved or deformed, promoting natural behavior without interfering with natural sucking and allowing for unattended operation at any time, while ensuring only young animals are trained.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor is arranged on the teat, which is connected to the controller and designed to detect a movement and/or deformation of the teat
Implementation Method 2
a peristaltic pump integrated in a connecting line between the teat and the mixing container is activated
Implementation Method 3
a peristaltic pump integrated in a connecting line between the teat and the mixing container is activated, which is intended to support the sucking of the calves
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Device for automatically feeding calves, comprising: • a mixing container (10) for mixing a liquid feed, • a teat (12), • a connecting line (14) connecting the mixing container (10) to the teat (12), • a branch line (16) branching off from the connecting line (14) at a branch point (18) and connecting the connecting line (14) to a pump (20), and • a control unit (22) for controlling the pump (20), characterized in that: • a sensor is arranged on the teat (12) which is connected to the control unit (22) and is configured to detect movement and/or deformation of the teat (12), and • the control unit (22) is configured, upon detecting movement and/or deformation of the teat (12), to control the pump (20) such that liquid feed flows from the branch line (16) towards the branch point (18). is promoted until liquid food emerges from the nipple (12).