Slurry Scraper with Helical Brushes for Cattle Floor Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slurry scrapers in animal breeding facilities fail to effectively remove slurry from the roughness of the ground, leading to foot diseases in cattle, which reduces productivity and increases veterinary costs, while existing solutions either compromise productivity or are energy-intensive and costly.
Innovation Solution
A slurry scraper with a brushing device and return means, comprising helical brushes and deflectors, mechanically returns slurry upstream of the scrapers, combined with disinfection means to sanitize the floor, reducing the risk of hoof diseases without hindering animal movement or increasing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional scrapers are used to remove slurry from alleys, then slurry removal is achieved, but slurry remains trapped in the roughness of the ground causing foot diseases in cattle
Solution Approach 1:
The scraping function is divided into two distinct components: scrapers for removing surface slurry and brushes for dislodging slurry from the roughness of the ground. This segmentation allows each component to address specific cleaning needs, ensuring complete slurry removal without leaving harmful residues in the ground roughness that would cause foot diseases.
Solution Approach 2:
The brushes act as an intermediary mechanism between the scrapers and the ground roughness. They dislodge slurry trapped in the ground texture and redirect it toward the scrapers for removal, effectively bridging the gap between surface cleaning and deep cleaning functions.
2Reliability
If brushes are added to dislodge slurry from roughness, then cleaning is improved, but the device becomes more complex and energy-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The brushes are integrated directly onto the scraper body, merging the scraping and brushing functions into a single unified device. This combination eliminates the need for separate brush units and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining effective slurry removal from both surface and ground roughness.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraper device performs multiple functions simultaneously: the scrapers remove surface slurry while the brushes dislodge slurry from ground roughness. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate cleaning operations into one device, reducing complexity and energy consumption.
3Productivity
If scrapers operate at high speed to maintain productivity, then animal movement is not hindered, but slurry removal from roughness becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The brushes perform preliminary action by dislodging slurry from the roughness of the ground before the scrapers reach them. This pre-processing of slurry removal allows the scrapers to operate at higher speeds while still achieving complete cleaning, as the brushes have already prepared the ground surface for effective scraping.
Solution Approach 2:
The brushes continuously dislodge slurry from the ground roughness throughout the scraper's movement, maintaining constant cleaning action even at high speeds. This continuous dislodging ensures that slurry is constantly available for the scrapers to remove, maintaining effective cleaning regardless of operating speed.
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 solution effectively removes slurry from the ground, minimizing the risk of hoof diseases and maintaining productivity by ensuring a clean floor surface, while being compact and energy-efficient.
Implementation Method 1
a brushing device (330) for the floor (210), comprising a first brush (331) and a second brush (332), each positioned downstream of a scraper (320) in a forward direction of movement of the scraper (300), configured to dislodge the slurry lodged in the roughness of the ground (210) and direct it towards the body (310)
Implementation Method 2
return means (340) configured to return the slurry dislodged from the roughness of the ground (210) by the brushing device (330) upstream of the scrapers (320) in the forward direction of movement of the scraper (300)
Implementation Method 3
disinfection means (350) positioned downstream of the brushing means (330) according to the forward direction of movement of the scraper (300), configured to sanitize the floor (210)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an animal rearing installation (100) comprising at least one alley (200) intended to be crossed by the animals, the installation (100) also comprising at least one slurry scraper (300) comprising scrapers, characterized in that the scraper (300) also comprises means for returning the slurry scraped by a brushing device, designed to return the slurry upstream of the scrapers according to the direction of forward movement of the scraper (300).