Birthing sensor

Abstract

This invention relates to a birthing sensor (1) for mounting on the tail of a pregnant animal. The birthing sensor comprises a casing (3) and an adjustable strap (5) for securing the casing to the tail of the pregnant animal. The casing houses monitoring equipment, communication equipment and a power supply. There is provided a padding insert (7, 37, 47) for location between the casing, the strap and the animal's tail. The padding insert comprises a sheet of resiliently deformable material, such as rubber, having a plurality of ventilation passageways formed therein. The ventilation passageways allow passage of air over the cow's tail underneath the sensor and further allow escape of urine and faeces from under the sensor. The passageways may be formed by having a plurality of upstanding bosses (9) on the surface of the padding insert and the passageways are the spaces between these upstanding bosses (9).

Claims

1. A birthing sensor for mounting on a tail of a pregnant animal comprising a casing and an adjustable strap for securing the casing to the tail of the pregnant animal, the casing housing a PCB assembly having monitoring equipment, communication equipment and a power supply therein, and in which there is provided a padding insert mounted on the casing and the strap for location intermediate the casing, the strap and the animal's tail, the padding insert comprising a resiliently deformable material having a plurality of ventilation passageways formed therein for through passage of air when the birthing sensor is mounted on the tail of the pregnant animal, the padding insert further comprising a pair of inner wings and a pair of outer wings, the pair of outer wings being operable to engage the casing to maintain the padding insert in position on the birthing sensor, one of the pair of outer wings extending around a bottom surface of the casing and the other of the pair of outer wings extending around a top surface of the casing so that the padding insert is stretched across the casing and so that the elasticity of the resiliently deformable material will hold the padding insert in position on the casing, the pair of inner wings being operable to engage the strap.

2. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the padding insert comprises a plurality of ventilation apertures extending therethrough.

3. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the padding insert comprises a first sheet of the resiliently deformable material having a plurality of upstanding bosses formed on one surface thereof.

4. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 3 in which the plurality of upstanding bosses are frustoconical in shape.

5. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 3 in which there is provided a second sheet of the resiliently deformable material having a plurality of upstanding bosses formed on one surface thereof for placement overlapping the first sheet of the resiliently deformable material.

6. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 5 in which the plurality of upstanding bosses formed on the second sheet of the resiliently deformable material are conical in shape.

7. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the padding insert is releasably secured to at least one of the casing and the strap.

8. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 7 in which the casing is provided with at least one locating spigot and the padding insert is provided with at least one complementary spigot-receiving cutout.

9. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the padding insert is substantially T-shaped with the cross portion of the T-shaped padding insert aligned along the casing and the upright portion of the T-shaped padding insert aligned along the adjustable strap.

10. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the adjustable strap comprises a ratchet strap system including a toothed strap connected to the casing at one of its ends and a buckle mounted on the casing for releasably engaging the toothed strap intermediate its ends, the buckle being arranged so that as the buckle closes, the buckle tightens the strap by engaging one or more of the teeth on the strap and pulls the strap tighter.

11. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 10 in which the buckle is inset into the casing.

12. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 10 in which there is provided a removable protective cap mounted on the casing above the buckle.

13. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the adjustable strap is a two part strap including a first part formed integrally with the casing and extending outwardly therefrom and a second part connected to the first part, the second part being narrower than the first part and suitable for engagement in a buckle.

14. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the casing is turtle-shell shaped with a curved outer surface that tapers inwardly at each end.

15. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 14 in which the power supply comprises a rechargeable battery and there is provided a battery charging port located at the end of the casing that in use is directed towards the ground and in which there is provided a removable gasket mounted over the battery charging port.

16. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the casing is constructed from a flexible plastic material.

17. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 16 in which the casing is constructed from polypropylene.

18. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the padding insert is constructed from rubber silicone.

19. The birthing sensor as claimed in claim 1 in which the padding insert is constructed from latex rubber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of a birthing sensor according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the birthing sensor according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the birthing sensor;

(5) FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the birthing sensor;

(6) FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the birthing sensor with the strap open;

(7) FIG. 6 is a front view of the birthing sensor with the strap open;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a padding insert;

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second resiliently deformable sheet for use with the padding insert;

(10) FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the birthing sensor;

(11) FIG. 10 is a view of the birthing sensor mounted on a cow's tail;

(12) FIG. 11 is front view of an alternative padding insert according to the invention;

(13) FIG. 12 is a rear view of a further alternative padding insert according to the invention;

(14) FIG. 13 is a cross section of an alternative embodiment of a birthing sensor; and

(15) FIG. 14 is a front view of the alternative embodiment of the birthing sensor of FIG. 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(16) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, there is shown a birthing sensor, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, for mounting on the tail of a pregnant animal (not shown), the birthing sensor 1 comprising a casing 3 and a strap 5. The birthing sensor 1 further comprises a padding insert 7 provided by way of a sheet of resiliently deformable material having a plurality of upstanding bosses 9. The upstanding bosses 9 are substantially hollow frustoconically-shaped bosses that provide a secure, non-slip engagement between the tail of the animal and the birthing sensor.

(17) The strap 5 comprises a two part strap including a first part 11 that is formed integrally with the casing 3 and a second, narrower part 13 that extends from the first part 11. The second, narrower part 13 of the strap 5 is connected to the first part 11 of the strap adjacent one of its ends 15 and is dimensioned for insertion into a buckle 15 mounted on the casing. The second part 13 of the strap comprises a toothed strap having a plurality of teeth 17 formed along it length and the buckle 15 and second part of the strap 13 combine to form a ratchet-type securing arrangement in which as the strap 13 is fed through the buckle, the buckle will begin to engage the strap. As the buckle 15 is closed, the buckle will draw the strap 13 tighter around the animal's tail.

(18) Importantly, as the buckle is closed and the birthing sensor is mounted on the animal's tail, a plurality of air passageways are formed in the gaps intermediate the upstanding bosses 9 and this will allow circulation of air around the animal's tail even when the sensor is mounted on the animal's tail. The air passageways will also allow other material such as urine and faeces to pass though the passageways rather than becoming trapped under the strap, thereby avoiding irritation to the animal.

(19) Referring specifically to FIG. 9, there is shown an exploded view of the birthing sensor 1, illustrating some of the internal components of the birthing sensor. The birthing sensor has a PCB assembly 19 on which various measurement equipment and communication equipment is provided. The PCB assembly is also provided with a reset button 21 which is accessible from external the casing 3. The birthing sensor is also provided with a rechargeable battery 23 and there is provided a charging port 25 adjacent the base of the casing 3 for recharging the battery.

(20) The measurement equipment mounted on the PCB assembly includes, for example, a three axis accelerometer for detecting the orientation of the sensor and also the movements of the sensor. The communication equipment may comprise a universal SIM for communications over a wireless communications network such as a mobile telephony network, a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless personal area network (WPAN). This will allow the birthing sensor to communicate with one or more of a remote computing device such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, a phablet, a laptop or a personal computer. In this way, the birthing sensor can communicate sensing information to a device operated by the farmer such as a mobile phone and/or another remote computing device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the birthing sensor can receive communications from a remote computing device. For example, a remote computing device such as a mobile telephone could be used to poll the birthing sensor for a status update which in turn would be returned to the mobile telephone or a remote computing device can be used to provide a software update to the birthing sensor, for example.

(21) In addition to the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a second resiliently deformable sheet 8 that overlaps with the padding insert 7 to allow adjustment of the padding insert and to allow for animals with a narrower circumference tail to be accommodated. The second resiliently deformable sheet 8 does not have to be T-shaped like the first padding insert 7 and instead it can only overlap a portion of the padding insert 7. The second resiliently deformable sheet 8 may also have similar frustoconically shaped bosses on it's surface or indeed it may have conically shaped bosses thereon. It should be noted that the padding insert 7 and the resiliently deformable sheet 8 illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 are not shown to scale and the bosses on the surface of the sheet 8, if provided, will align with the bosses of the padding insert 7.

(22) Referring once again to FIGS. 1 to 8, it can be seen that there are various other advantageous features of the present invention. For example, the buckle 15 is provided with a cap 27. The cap 27 is hingedly mounted on the casing 3 and can pivot out of the way of the buckle or into a position effectively covering the buckle 15. When covering the buckle 15, the cap will prevent inadvertent release of the buckle 15 and the strap 5. Furthermore, the buckle 15 is inset into the casing to avoid the buckle being snagged on a gate or the like or injuring another animal. This will also protect the buckle from inadvertent release and damage. In the embodiment shown, there is provided a rechargeable battery charging port at the base of the casing 3 and a gasket 29 is provided over the port to prevent ingress of dirt and moisture into the casing 3. In addition to the foregoing, there is provided a reset button 21 on the front of the casing which will allow the farmer or other operative to quickly reset the device when placing the device on another animal. This will allow the device to be used on a plurality of different animals in the herd in quick succession.

(23) In the embodiments shown, the device is constructed from a flexible plastic material, in this case polypropylene. Alternatively, the device could be constructed from other flexible plastic material. This will allow the provision of a flexible integral strap portion 11 with the casing 3. The padded insert is constructed from a resiliently deformable material such as rubber. It is envisaged that the padded inserts 7, 8 may be constructed from one of rubber silicone and latex rubber. Alternatively, instead of latex rubber or silicone rubber, other resiliently deformable materials could be used. The rubber padded inserts in the embodiments shown are shore 30.

(24) Referring now to FIG. 10, there is shown a plurality of birthing sensors mounted on different cow's tails. A significant advantage of the present invention is that the birthing sensor according to the invention can be placed on a wide variety of cows of different shapes and sizes. This is due in part to the firm connection that is achieved with the padding insert and also to the tolerance and adjustability provided by the padded insert, the auxiliary or second padded insert and the strap.

(25) Referring now to FIG. 11, there is shown a front view of an alternative embodiment of a padding insert 37 having a honeycomb pattern of hexagonal ventilation apertures 38. The ventilation apertures allow air to pass therethrough towards the tail of the animal (not shown).

(26) The padding insert 37 may be provided with a plurality of ribs (not shown) on the rear surface thereof to space the main body of the padding insert apart from the birthing sensor. Alternatively, the body and/or the strap of the birthing sensor may be provided with appropriate ribs or spacers thereon to keep the main body of the padding insert apart from the remainder of the birthing sensor. In this way, air will be able to pass between the birthing sensor and the padding insert and thereafter travel through the ventilation apertures towards the animal's tail.

(27) Referring now to FIG. 12, there is shown a rear view of a further alternative embodiment of a padding insert 47 having a plurality of ventilation apertures 48 extending therethrough and a plurality of upstanding bosses 49 thereon. The padding insert further comprises a pair of inner wings 51, 53, a pair of outer wings 55, 57 and a pair of spigot-receiving apertures 59, 61. The inner wings 51, 53 are operable to engage a strap (not shown) and the outer wings 55, 57 are operable to engage the casing to maintain the padding insert 47 in position on the birthing sensor.

(28) If desired, the inner wings 51, 53 and the outer wings 55, 57 could be omitted and the padding insert may be held in position by other means, for example spigots (not shown) in the spigot-receiving apertures 59, 61. Similarly, the spigots and spigot receiving apertures 59, 61 could be omitted in favour of the inner wings 51, 53 and the outer wings 55, 57. Further still, the padding insert may be held in position by other alternative attachment means.

(29) The embodiment of padding insert 47 shown in FIG. 12 is seen as a particularly preferred embodiment of the padding insert according to the invention. The upstanding bosses 49 are directed towards the body of the casing and will keep the main body of the padding insert 47 spaced apart from the birthing sensor's casing and strap (not shown). Furthermore, the upstanding bosses 49 are spaced apart so that an air passageway will be provided between adjacent bosses. This will allow air to travel under the casing, through the air passageways between the bosses 49 and through the ventilation apertures 48 towards the animal's tail.

(30) Referring now to FIG. 13, there is shown a cross section of an alternative embodiment of the birthing sensor 41. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that the birthing sensor 41 is equipped with the padding insert 47 as illustrated in FIG. 12. It can be seen that the ventilation apertures 48 extend through the padding insert 47. Furthermore, the upstanding bosses 49 contact the casing 3 and strap 5 and create air passageways 63 for air circulation between the casing and the padding insert and between the strap and the padding insert. Air passing through the air passageways is then able to travel through the ventilation apertures to the animal's tail. This greatly increases the comfort of the animal and obviates the development of sores on the animal's tail.

(31) The outer wings 55, 57 engage the bottom and the top respectively of the casing 3. The outer wings 55, 57 extend around the bottom and top surfaces of the casing so that the padding insert is stretched across the casing 3. In this way, the elasticity of the resiliently deformable padding insert 47 will hold the padding insert in position on the casing 3.

(32) Furthermore, a pair of spigots 65 are provided to engage the spigot-receiving apertures 59, 61 to further secure the padding insert in position. If desired, the wings 55, 57 and/or the spigots 65 could be omitted and alternative attachment means could be provided to hold the padding insert in position.

(33) Referring now to FIG. 14, there is shown a front view of the birthing sensor shown in FIG. 13. It can be seen that the upstanding bosses 49 extend from the padding insert 47 towards the casing 3 and strap 5. It can also be seen that the holes 48 extend through the padding insert 47.

(34) In this specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” and the terms “include, includes, included and including” are all deemed interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

(35) The invention is in no way limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.