ANIMAL-DWELLING VEHICLE, AND METHOD

Abstract

An animal-pen vehicle, a method for moving an animal-pen vehicle on a floor surface with bedding, and the use of an animal-pen vehicle in a poultry pen for poultry animals and/or in a pig pen is disclosed for the purposes of influencing positions at which poultry animals and/or pigs are residing. The animal-pen vehicle includes a substantially emissions-free drive, at least one movement unit which is coupled to the drive, wherein the movement unit is adapted to permit a movement of the animal-pen vehicle on the bedding, a position-determining device for determining a position of the animal-pen vehicle relative to animal-pen fixtures, and a control device for controlling the drive and for providing a predetermined travel profile, wherein the predetermined travel profile comprises at least one movement pattern and at least one preferential area that is to be travelled to within the poultry pen and/or pig pen.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. An animal-pen vehicle adapted for movement on a floor surface or a bedding material on the floor surface of a poultry or pig pen for the purpose of influencing a position at which a poultry animal or pig is residing, comprising: a substantially emissions-free drive; at least one movement unit coupled to the drive, wherein the movement unit is adapted to permit a movement of the animal-pen vehicle on the floor surface or the bedding material on the floor surface; a position-determining device for determining a position of the animal-pen vehicle relative to one or more animal-pen fixtures; and a control device for controlling the drive and for providing a predetermined travel profile, wherein the predetermined travel profile comprises at least one movement pattern and at least one preferential area to which is to be travelled within the poultry or pig pen.

17. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 16, wherein a height of the animal-pen vehicle is smaller than a clear height of the at least one preferential area to which is to be travelled.

18. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 16, wherein a height of the animal-pen vehicle is smaller than a clear height of the at least one preferential area below one of the animal-pen fixtures to which is to be travelled.

19. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 16, wherein the predetermined travel profile has a travel profile distance to be travelled or a travel profile duration, and the control device is adapted to control a movement of the animal-pen vehicle such that the animal-pen vehicle moves within the at least one preferential area to which is to be travelled over more than 20% of the travel profile distance or duration.

20. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 16, further comprising an animating device with at least one animation; wherein the control device is adapted to activate the animation when the animal-pen vehicle is positioned within the at least one preferential area or in the region of a predefined animation area and the control device is adapted to activate, deactivate, or vary the animation in a time-dependent manner.

21. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 20, wherein the animating device is adapted to emit at least one optical signal, at least one acoustic signal, or a fluid as the at least one animation; and wherein the control device is adapted to provide a first travel profile and a second travel profile, wherein a first movement pattern of the first travel profile differs from a second movement pattern of the second travel profile, and the control device is adapted to provide the first travel profile and the second travel profile in a time-dependent manner.

22. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 21, wherein the poultry or pig pen comprises a plurality of animal-pen sections, a reference model of the poultry or pig pen is stored in the control device, and one or more of the first or second travel profiles is determined on the basis of the reference model; and wherein the reference model of the poultry or pig pen comprises animal-pen boundaries, fixtures, or passages between two or more of the plurality of animal-pen sections.

23. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 22, wherein the plurality of animal-pen sections comprise residence areas.

24. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 16, comprising: a housing enclosing a top side, averted from the floor surface or the bedding material on the floor surface, of the animal-pen vehicle and, at least in certain portions, a first side surface and a second side surface of the animal-pen vehicle, wherein the housing is mounted in floating fashion; and wherein the housing comprises at least one impact sensor adapted to detect contact of the housing with an obstruction, wherein the impact sensor comprises a mounting arrangement of the housing.

25. An animal-pen vehicle adapted for movement on a floor surface or a bedding material on the floor surface of a poultry or pig pen for the purpose of influencing a position at which a poultry animal or pig is residing, comprising: a substantially emissions-free drive; at least one movement unit coupled to the drive, wherein the movement unit is adapted to permit a movement of the animal-pen vehicle on the floor surface or the bedding material on a floor surface; a position-determining device for determining a position of the animal-pen vehicle relative to one or more animal-pen fixtures; a control device for controlling the drive; a housing enclosing a top side, averted from the floor surface or the bedding material on the floor surface, of the animal-pen vehicle, wherein the housing is mounted in floating fashion with respect to a main body or a chassis of the animal-pen vehicle; and at least one collision-detecting device adapted to detect contact with an obstruction, wherein the at least one collision-detecting device comprises at least one impact sensor.

26. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 25, wherein the housing further comprises, at least in certain portions, a first side surface and a second side surface of the animal-pen vehicle and the least one collision-detecting device is adapted to detect contact with an object or an animal.

27. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 25, wherein the at least one collision-detecting device comprises at least one impact element adapted to interact with the impact sensor or at least one reference object adapted to interact with the at least one impact sensor; and wherein the impact sensor is arranged on the housing and the at least one impact element or the at least one reference object is arranged on the main body or on the chassis of the animal-pen vehicle.

28. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 25, wherein the at least one impact sensor further comprises a mounting arrangement on the housing, the at least one impact sensor is arranged on the main body or the chassis of the animal-pen vehicle and the at least one impact element, or the at least one reference object is arranged on the housing.

29. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 27, wherein collision detection is performed by any of: contactless or contact-based detection of a relative displacement between the at least one impact sensor and the at least one impact element or a relative displacement between the at least one impact sensor and the at least one reference object; contact of the at least one impact sensor and the at least one impact element or contact of at least one impact sensor and the at least one reference object; mechanical, electromagnetic, optical, ultrasonic, magnetic, capacitive, inductive, electromechanical, or electrical detection; or at least two collision-detecting devices adapted to detect different collision directions.

30. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 25, wherein: the at least one impact sensor is adapted to detect an impact direction; the at least one impact sensor has a variable sensitivity variable in a manner dependent on a position of the animal-pen vehicle determined by the position-determining device or is adapted to be activated, deactivated, or varied in predetermined positions of the animal-pen vehicle; the control device is adapted to cause the animal-pen vehicle to travel to an obstruction position two or more times for the purposes of detecting a movable or static obstruction, travel around a detected static obstruction for a predetermined time, or travel to a detected static obstruction again after for a predetermined period of time; the position-determining device comprises a barcode reading unit, a QR code reading unit, or a data matrix code reading unit, or the position-determining device is adapted to determine a position of the animal-pen vehicle within a poultry or pig pen when contaminated with dust or dirt, wherein the position-determining device comprises an ultra-wideband unit, an RFID unit, a radio unit, an odometer, or an inertial sensor arrangement; or the floating housing is adapted for automatic resetting into an initial position by at least one spring element, wherein the spring element is arranged on the housing or the main body, is of disk-shaped form, or has recesses.

31. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 25, comprising a coupling device for the detachable fastening of a functional unit, wherein the functional unit is preferably selected from the group consisting of a bedding tiller, a bedding pusher, a dispensing device for manipulable material, or a chick paper dispensing device.

32. The animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 25, wherein the emissions-free drive comprises an electric drive or a fuel cell and the movement unit comprises one or more wheels and one or more crawler chains, wherein the one or more crawler chains is flexible.

33. The use of the animal-pen vehicle pursuant to claim 25 in a poultry or pig pen for poultry animals or pigs for the purposes of influencing positions at which poultry animals or pigs are residing.

34. A method for moving an animal-pen vehicle on a floor surface or a floor surface with bedding of a poultry or pig pen for the purposes of influencing positions at which poultry animals or pigs are residing, the method comprising the steps of: providing within a poultry or pig pen with at least one poultry residence facility or pig residence facility an animal-pen vehicle comprising a substantially emissions-free drive, at least one movement unit coupled to the drive, wherein the movement unit is adapted to permit a movement of the animal-pen vehicle on the floor surface or the bedding material on the floor surface, a position-determining device for determining a position of the animal-pen vehicle relative to one or more animal-pen fixtures, and a control device for controlling the drive and for providing a predetermined travel profile, wherein the predetermined travel profile comprises at least one movement pattern and at least one preferential area to which is to be travelled within the poultry or pig pen; moving the animal-pen vehicle with a predetermined travel profile, wherein the predetermined travel profile comprises at least one movement pattern and at least one preferential area to which is to be travelled within the poultry or pig pen.

35. The method pursuant to claim 34, further comprising the steps of: activating an animation of an animating device when the animal-pen vehicle is positioned within the at least one preferential area or in a region of a predefined animation area; or detecting a poultry animal or a pig and directing the animation at the poultry animal or the pig in targeted fashion; wherein the predetermined travel profile has a travel profile distance to be travelled or a travel profile duration such that the animal-pen vehicle moves within the at least one preferential area to be travelled to over more than 20% of the travel profile distance or duration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0077] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be discussed by way of example on the basis of the appended figures, in which:

[0078] FIG. 1 is schematic, three-dimensional view of an exemplary embodiment of an animal-pen vehicle;

[0079] FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the animal-pen vehicle from FIG. 1;

[0080] FIG. 3 is a schematic, three-dimensional, partially transparent view of the animal-pen vehicle from FIG. 1;

[0081] FIG. 4 is a schematic, two-dimensional side view of the animal-pen vehicle as per FIG. 1;

[0082] FIG. 5 is a schematic, three-dimensional view of the animal-pen vehicle from FIG. 1 with a functional unit;

[0083] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a further exemplary embodiment of an animal-pen vehicle;

[0084] FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the animal-pen vehicle from FIG. 6 with a different functional unit;

[0085] FIG. 8 is a schematic plan views of three exemplary embodiments of animal-pen vehicle housings;

[0086] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an animal pen with exemplary embodiments of a travel profile;

[0087] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of an animal pen with an exemplary embodiment of an animal-pen vehicle;

[0088] FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the principle of a magnetic collision detection;

[0089] FIG. 12 is a schematic, three-dimensional view of an exemplary embodiment of a spring element;

[0090] FIG. 13 is a schematic, three-dimensional, partially sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a housing with four spring elements; and

[0091] FIG. 14. is a schematic sectional illustration through a spring element fastened to a main body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0092] In the Figures, identical or substantially functionally identical or similar elements are denoted by the same reference designations.

[0093] FIGS. 1 to 5 show an animal-pen vehicle 100 which has a housing 110 and a first crawler device 130 and a second crawler device 140. The housing 110 encloses the upper part of the animal-pen vehicle 100 such that the respective upper half of the first and second crawler device 130, 140 is enclosed to the outside by the housing 110. The housing 110 comprises a housing upper part 112, which has an areal and, during operation, substantially horizontal extent. Furthermore, the housing 110 comprises a first housing end part 114 and a second housing end part 116, which is arranged so as to be curved around the front and/or rear part of the animal-pen vehicle. Furthermore, the housing 110 has two housing side parts 118.

[0094] The internal construction of the animal-pen vehicle 100 can be seen, in particular, from FIG. 2. The Figure shows inter alia the first crawler device 130 which, aside from the crawler chain 136, also has a first drive axle 131. The drive axle 131 has a motor 132 and a coupling unit 133. With this coupling unit 133, the motor 132 is coupled via a first crawler wheel 134 to the crawler chain 136, such that the drive axle 131 is coupled via the first crawler wheel 134 to the crawler chain 136. The second crawler device 140 is of analogous construction and comprises a second drive axle 141. The crawler chain 136 may have any suitable material. In particular, it is preferable for the crawler chain 136 to be composed of a plastic and/or a steel or to comprise a plastic and/or a steel. It is particularly preferable for the crawler chain 136 to be formed from an elastomer, in particular, a rubber, or for the crawler chain to comprise an elastomer, in particular, a rubber.

[0095] Furthermore, the animal-pen vehicle 100 has a main body 120, on which the crawler devices 130, 140 are arranged laterally, wherein the motors of the drive axles 131, 141 project into the interior space of the main body 120 through passage openings 121, 122. Furthermore, an integrated positioning device and control device 150 and a battery box 115 with a battery 113 are arranged on the main body 120. Furthermore, a stroke-imparting unit 152 for the positioning device and control device 150 is arranged within the main body 120, wherein the positioning device and control device 150 can be removed from the animal-pen vehicle preferably with the stroke-imparting unit 152. In particular, FIGS. 3 and 4 show the specific construction of the crawler device 130, 140, wherein the arrangement over a first crawler wheel 134 and a second crawler wheel 135 is shown. These two crawler wheels 134, 135 serve for tensioning the crawler chain 136. The first crawler wheel 134 has an axle stub 137.

[0096] FIG. 5 shows a charging station 160 with a front wall 162 and with a first side wall 164 and a second side wall 166 arranged orthogonally with respect to the front wall 162 and likewise with a horizontal extent. On the front wall 162, there is furthermore arranged, at the bottom edge, a horizontal wall 168. The charging station 160 may be connected to the animal-pen vehicle 100 via a station coupling device 161 of the charging station 160 and a vehicle coupling device 170 of the animal-pen vehicle 100, and the battery of the animal-pen vehicle 100 can thus be charged. The station coupling device 161 has a coupling pin 163, which is arranged and designed to be arranged in a coupling opening 171 of the vehicle coupling device 170.

[0097] FIG. 6 shows an animal-pen vehicle 200 which has a crawler drive with a first crawler device 210 which comprises a first crawler wheel 214 and a second crawler wheel 215, which are looped around by a crawler chain 216. The animal-pen vehicle 200 furthermore has a pecking material container 202, which is connected via a conveying device 204 to a pecking dish 206. The pecking dish 206 offers a mobile conveyance of pecking material, such that poultry animals can firstly be supplied with feed by means of the animal-pen vehicle 200, which can furthermore also serve as manipulable material. The animal-pen vehicle 200 furthermore has various functional units. The functional unit may for example have, or be designed as, a bedding teller 220, a pushing device 230, and a sweeping unit 240. Furthermore, the animal-pen vehicle 200 has a chick paper dispensing device 270 for chick paper 271. Feed for chicks can be scattered on the chick paper 271 in order that the chicks do not have to stand on the cold animal pen floor while feeding. The chick paper 271 furthermore facilitates the cleaning of the animal pen.

[0098] In FIG. 7, the animal-pen vehicle 200 is equipped with an egg-collecting device 250, which comprises an articulated-arm robot 252 with an egg gripper 254. The animal-pen vehicle 200 furthermore has an egg-detecting device 256, which is preferably coupled to a control device of the articulated-arm robot 252 and of the gripper 254 such that a detected egg 10 can be picked up by the egg gripper 254 in targeted fashion.

[0099] FIG. 8 shows plan views of housings of animal-pen vehicles, which each have different geometries. The housing 301 has a circular geometry. The housing 302 comprises a rectangular portion and a semicircular portion. The housing 303 has a rectangular portion and a first semi-circular portion, the diameter of which has the same extent as the side of the rectangular portion on which the semicircular portion is arranged. At the apex of the abovementioned semicircular portion, there is a further portion comprising a rectangular portion and a circular-segment-shaped portion. The different housings 301, 302, 303 may be utilized for different usage purposes. The housing shape 302 has, in particular, the advantage that it can move forward as far as into a corner. The advantage of the housing 301 lies, in particular, in the low risk of injuries to poultry animals.

[0100] FIG. 9 shows an animal pen 400 with an outer animal-pen boundary 402 and two inner animal-pen boundaries 404, 406. The first inner animal-pen boundary 404 and the second inner animal-pen boundary 406 are designed as walls through which the poultry animals cannot pass. The first inner animal-pen boundary 404 and the second inner animal-pen boundary 406, however, have passage facilities through which an animal-pen vehicle can also move. Also arranged in a corner of the animal pen is the charging station 410, which is to be regarded as the base station for the animal-pen vehicle. Here, the batteries of the animal-pen vehicle can be charged and the animal-pen vehicle can be cleaned. Furthermore, the charging station 410 serves as a rest station for the animal-pen vehicle when it is not presently in operation. The charging station 410 may for example be designed analogously to the charging station 160 shown in FIG. 5.

[0101] Furthermore, FIG. 9 shows a travel profile of an animal-pen vehicle, which is illustrated by arrows and circles. The travel profile firstly comprises the movement pattern 412, which is distinguished by travel through the various animal pen areas. Furthermore, the travel profile also comprises the six preferential areas 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, in which the animal-pen vehicle particularly preferentially moves. The preferential areas 420 to 425 are preferably selected on the basis of empirical values, in particular, on the basis of an accumulation of ground eggs and/or dwelling of poultry animals at nighttime having been detected here.

[0102] FIG. 10 shows an animal pen 500 with an animal-pen roof 502 and with a floor surface 504, wherein first animal-pen fixtures 506 and second animal-pen fixtures 508 are arranged on the floor surface 504. The animal-pen fixtures 506, 508 have a clear height 507 underneath them. The animal-pen vehicle 300 has an animal-pen vehicle height smaller than the clear height 507 of the animal-pen fixtures 506, 508.

[0103] By means of an animal-pen vehicle 100, 200, 300 described above, the positions at which poultry animals are residing, in particular, positions at which poultry animals are resting, can be influenced, in particular, for the purposes of reducing a ground egg quota and/or for the purposes of driving poultry animals. In particular, by travelling through a travel profile with a movement pattern 412 and at least one preferential area 420 to 425, the ground egg quota and instances of animals remaining on the floor surface overnight can be reduced.

[0104] FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the principle of a magnetic collision detection with a collision-detecting arrangement 600, which comprises a first collision-detecting device 601 and a second collision-detecting device 602. A non-optical detection in the form of a magnetic detection has the advantage of being particularly highly suitable for a dusty environment in the animal pen.

[0105] The two collision-detecting devices 601, 602 are of substantially identical form, but arranged so as to be offset with respect to one another by 90. In this way, different collision directions can be detected. Through the provision of two collision-detecting devices 601, 602, it is particularly preferably possible for an impact direction, in particular, a direction in which an object causing the collision or the impact is situated, for example in relation to a central and/or reference point of the animal-pen vehicle and/or in relation to an, in particular, instantaneous, direction of motion of the animal-pen vehicle, to be detected.

[0106] The first collision-detecting device 601 has a first magnetic impact sensor 611 and a first reference object 621. The second collision-detecting device 602 has a second magnetic impact sensor 612 and a second reference object 622.

[0107] The first impact sensor may preferably be arranged on the chassis of an animal-pen vehicle, and the first reference object arranged on a housing mounted in floating fashion on the chassis, in particular, on the housing bottom side. The first impact sensor may also be arranged on the housing, and the first reference object arranged on the chassis. The same arrangement principles also apply to the second collision-detecting device 602. It is also possible for different arrangements to be selected for the first and second collision-detecting device 601, 602.

[0108] The collision-detecting devices 601, 602 are arranged and designed to detect contact with an obstruction, in particular, with an object and/or an animal, preferably irrespective of the direction of motion of the animal-pen vehicle, that is to say, for example, also during reverse and/or sideward travel of the animal-pen vehicle.

[0109] The magnetic collision detection preferably takes the form of a continuous measurement, preferably with the possibility of storing multiple threshold values in the impact sensors 611, 612 and/or in a sensor controller. The reference objects 621, 622 are formed from magnetic material and comprise a magnetic pattern, in this case an alternating sequence of north and south poles in each case. A measurement of the relative movement of the first impact sensor and first reference object with respect to one another may be performed by counting the alternations in polarity. The profiles of the magnetic flux density B and of the electrical voltage U for the first collision-detecting device 601 that arise in the case of such a relative movement are plotted in the graphs 631 and 632. Correspondingly, a measurement of the relative movement of second impact sensor and second reference object with respect to one another may also be performed by counting the alternations in polarity, likewise resulting in corresponding profiles of the magnetic flux density B and of the electrical voltage U.

[0110] FIGS. 12 to 14 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a spring element 700 and of the use thereof for a floating mounting of the housing 110 on the main body 120. The spring element 700 is of not solid but structured form, and has multiple regular recesses 701 in the form of hexagonal honeycombs, which are open at their top and bottom sides. A central honeycomb has a receptacle 702 for a fastening element in the form of a fastening pin 720.

[0111] The spring element 700 furthermore has a holding device 710 which has a cover part 713 and edge boundaries 711 with fastening flanges 712. Fastening holes 714 are provided on the fastening flanges 712.

[0112] The spring element 700 is of substantially disk-shaped form and, in the installed state, has an extent in a substantially horizontal plane which amounts to several times the height, which in the installed state is substantially vertical, of the spring element.

[0113] It is preferably possible, as illustrated in FIG. 13, for four mounting points with in each case one spring element 700 to be provided. FIG. 14 shows a fastening of the spring element to the main body 120 in the case of which the fastening pin 720 is fastened to the main body 120 and projects upward in the direction of the housing 110 and, in so doing, engages into the receptacle 702 of a honeycomb of the spring element 700.

[0114] A structured embodiment of disk-shaped spring elements has the advantage of a small structural height, high resistance to dirt and ammonia, and simple installation.

[0115] Collisions of the animal-pen vehicle with poultry animals and/or objects can be detected by means of the collision-detecting arrangement 600. It is thereby possible, on the basis of a collision, to provide appropriate control, for example, to stop the animal-pen vehicle.