Pig Feeding Trough Control Using Time-Based Feed Credit

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Solution Overview

Problem

Farming apparatuses for pigs create a competitive climate among animals for access to feed troughs, leading to aggressive behaviors due to unmanaged feeding rushes.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus with a trough, sensor, distributing system, identifying system, database, and control unit that manages feed distribution by calculating a credit feed weight based on the time since the last feeding, ensuring animals do not rush to the trough until a minimum weight is reached, thereby regulating their feeding pattern.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If animals are allowed free access to troughs for self-feeding, then feeding autonomy is improved, but aggressive behaviors increase due to competition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeeding autonomyVSAvoidaggressive behaviors

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts feed distribution by computing credit feed weight MC that increases over time since last feeding, allowing animals to access feed when their individual credit exceeds minimum weight MM, thereby transforming static free access into dynamic regulated access that reduces competition while preserving autonomy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit continuously monitors the time elapsed since each animal's last feeding, computes their credit feed weight, and uses this feedback to determine whether to grant access to the trough, creating a self-regulating system that prevents aggressive competition while maintaining feeding independence

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If feed is distributed immediately when animals arrive at troughs, then feeding efficiency is improved, but competition and rushing increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeeding efficiencyVSAvoidcompetition and rushing

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary computation of credit feed weight MC for each animal based on time elapsed since last feeding before granting access to the trough, ensuring that only animals with sufficient credit can feed, which prevents rushing and competition while maintaining efficient feed distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of feed access by introducing a time-dependent credit feed weight MC that must exceed a minimum threshold MM, transforming immediate access into conditional access based on accumulated time, thereby reducing competition while preserving feeding efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11528886B2Apparatus for farming animals such as pigs

Publication Date: 2022.12.20 ASSERVA

AI summary

An apparatus for farming animals, with a trough, a distributing system, an identifying system, a database and a control unit that allows, once an animal has been identified, the time passed ‘t’ since the time T0 corresponding to the last feed of said animal to be measured, a new value of the credit feed weight MC to be computed with the formulaMC⁡(t)=M⁢PΔ⁢T*(t-T0)+M⁢C0and a succession of feed portions to be distributed to the trough until the animal is sated or until a zero or negative credit feed weight MC is obtained.