Rotating Laying Nest Floor With Cable Drive for Jam-Resistant Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ejection systems for poultry laying nests are complex, bulky, prone to jams and malfunctions, and risk injury to hens due to their structure and operation, particularly when dealing with droppings and dirt.
Innovation Solution
A laying nest with a floor that rotates in two directions using a pair of pivot pins aligned along a rotation axis and secured by traction cables, allowing for efficient egg collection and hen ejection with a simple, compact, and reliable driving arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a turntable hinged above the laying nest is used to push hens out, then hens can be ejected from the nest, but the system becomes complex and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of hinging the floor at the coop side and rotating it forward, this patent hinges the floor at the collection area side and rotates it backward toward the coop. This inversion simplifies the mechanism by using the collection area side as the pivot point, eliminating the need for complex hinging structures at the coop end while achieving the same hen ejection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the hinge mechanism from the traditional location (coop side) and relocates it to the collection area side. This extraction allows the ejection function to be achieved with a simpler structure, as the hinge at the collection area side naturally facilitates the backward rotation needed for hen ejection without requiring additional complex components.
2Reliability
If the floor is rotated to a substantially vertical position to force hens away, then hens are ejected effectively, but the risk of plates injuring hens increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the floor forward to a vertical position, this patent rotates the floor backward toward the coop. This inversion changes the ejection direction from forward (away from coop) to backward (toward coop), thereby eliminating the risk of hens being injured by the floor or plates during the ejection process while maintaining effective hen removal from the nest.
3Ease of operation
If the floor is made substantially parallel to the ground or slightly inclined, then hens can stay in the nest during the day, but some laid eggs will not roll towards the collection area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic floor that can change its inclination angle on demand. During the day, the floor maintains a slight inclination or parallel position for hen comfort. When egg collection is needed, the floor is rotated backward to create a steeper inclination that ensures all eggs roll toward the collection area. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between hen comfort and egg collection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor inclination is adjusted periodically based on operational needs. The system alternates between a gentle inclination (or parallel position) during hen occupancy and a steeper backward inclination during collection phases. This periodic adjustment ensures both hen comfort during daytime and complete egg collection during designated collection periods.
4Ease of operation
If rack-and-pinion drive system is used to rotate the floor, then floor rotation is achieved, but the system is subject to jams and malfunctions from droppings and dirt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rack-and-pinion mechanical drive system with a more robust mechanism that is less susceptible to contamination. By substituting the complex meshing gears with a simpler drive mechanism (such as a direct drive or belt-driven system), the system becomes less prone to jams and malfunctions caused by droppings and dirt, thereby improving reliability while maintaining floor rotation capability.
5Volume of moving object
If the pushing mechanism is arranged below the laying nest, then space inside the nest is not occupied, but the mechanism has a considerable footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the pushing mechanism components within the existing structural elements of the laying nest, nesting them in a space-efficient manner. By placing the hinge and drive components within the floor structure itself rather than as separate external elements, the mechanism achieves a compact footprint that minimizes the space required below the nest while still allowing the floor to rotate effectively for hen ejection.
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
The system effectively collects eggs and ejects hens with minimal space usage, reduced component complexity, and resistance to operational malfunctions from dirt and droppings.
Implementation Method 1
a driving arrangement comprising a pair of traction cables arranged at opposite sides of the laying nest and secured, at one end, to the side of the laying nest floor adjacent to the collection area
Implementation Method 2
the floor of the laying nest is rotatable about a first pivot pin adjacent to the collection area and a second pivot pin adjacent to the coop
Implementation Method 3
the floor of the laying nest is rotatable about a first pivot pin adjacent to the collection area and a second pivot pin adjacent to the coop
Implementation Method 4
it can be rotated in a second direction to get inclined towards the coop and thus force hens out of the nest
Data Source
AI summary
A laying nest provided with an ejection system with a particularly simple structure and operation comprises a nest floor that can rotate in two opposite directions, to get more inclined towards a collection area or towards a coop arranged on the nest side opposite to the collection area. The floor is rotatable about a pair of pivot pins arranged aligned to each other and adjacent to the coop, and each of the pivot pins is mounted slidably in a respective slot. The rotation to incline the floor towards the collection area is thus obtained by translating the pivot pins along the respective slots. The driving arrangement of the ejection system comprises traction cables guided along return pulleys arranged above the floor, whereby the ejection system has a limited footprint and is not prone to jams and malfunctions due to droppings and dirt.