Passive Air Flow Final Hatching Holder for Egg Incubation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for incubating hatching eggs are animal-unfriendly, leading to variations in hatching times, stress, dehydration, and health risks due to inadequate air quality and handling, as well as being costly and labor-intensive.

Innovation Solution

A final hatching holder with passive air flow means, such as Venturi tubes, that maintains a natural air flow around eggs, allowing for convection-based temperature regulation and reducing the need for active conditioning systems, enabling eggs to be transported and hatched on-site in a poultry farm, thereby minimizing stress and improving animal welfare.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If active conditioning means are used to control temperature, air movements and humidity in the final hatching machine, then the hatching process can be precisely controlled, but the device becomes complex, expensive and labor-intensive to operate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehatching process controlVSAvoidconditioning system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs passive air flow means that automatically generate natural air flow and convection currents without requiring external power sources or active control systems. The air flow means self-regulate temperature and humidity through natural physical processes, eliminating the need for complex active conditioning equipment while maintaining reliable hatching process control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces active mechanical conditioning systems (fans, heaters, humidifiers) with passive physical phenomena. Natural convection and air flow replace mechanical air movement systems, and passive heat transfer replaces active heating/cooling mechanisms, thereby simplifying the overall system while preserving functional effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If fertilized eggs are transported to a poultry farm for final hatching, then animal welfare is improved by reducing stress and dehydration, but the hatching process becomes more difficult to control compared to centralized incubation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestress and dehydration of chicksVSAvoidhatching process management
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The passive air flow means automatically regulate the hatching environment through natural convection and air flow, requiring no manual intervention or complex control systems. This self-regulating mechanism maintains ease of operation while transporting eggs to poultry farms, as the system adapts to environmental conditions without requiring active management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The final hatching holder with integrated passive air flow means serves multiple functions: it protects eggs during transport, provides automatic temperature and humidity regulation during hatching, and requires minimal operational input. This multi-functionality maintains ease of operation across different locations and conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If passive air flow means are used instead of active conditioning systems, then the device complexity and cost are reduced, but the precision of temperature and humidity control may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconditioning system structureVSAvoidtemperature and humidity control precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The passive air flow means are designed with specific geometric parameters and configurations that optimize natural convection and air flow patterns. By carefully adjusting design parameters such as air flow path dimensions, opening sizes, and structural geometry, the system achieves precise temperature and humidity control through passive physical processes alone, without compromising control accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This solution reduces stress and health risks for chicks, improves animal welfare, and eliminates the need for expensive and complex incubator machines, making the hatching process more efficient and cost-effective by using passive air flow for temperature control and natural ventilation.

Implementation Method 1

The final hatching holder is provided with air flow means for creating a natural air flow along the plurality of hatching eggs, thus providing heating and/or cooling, depending on the phase in which the hatching egg finds itself

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3200581B1Final hatching holder for use in a method of incubating hatching eggs, and associated method
Publication Date: 2019.11.06 AGRI INVENT
  • EP3200581B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1d
  • EP3200581B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3200581B1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

The invention relates to a final hatching holder for use in a method of hatching eggs. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of hatching eggs and placing said eggs in an incubator in a pre-hatching step. In a transport step, a number of fertilized eggs out of the plurality of hatching eggs are transported to a poultry farm. The method further comprises a preparatory step in which the number of fertilized eggs are placed in a final hatching holder. The final hatching holder is provided with air flow means which are designed to achieve convection through a natural flow of air along the plurality of hatching eggs. In a final hatching step, the final hatching holder with the number of fertilized eggs therein is placed in a stable of the poultry farm so that the number of fertilized hatching eggs are finally hatched.