Drinking bucket

Abstract

A drinking bucket for feeding livestock a liquid food comprises a holding area configured to hold the liquid food, the holding area further configured to connect to at least one teat. An activity sensor for detecting sucking activity on the at least one teat is connected to an electronic control and configured to evaluate signals from the activity sensor and at least one of a remote data transmission apparatus and a display apparatus connected to the electronic control.

Claims

1. A drinking bucket for feeding livestock a liquid food, the drinking bucket comprising: a holding area configured to hold the liquid food and further configured to couple to at least one teat; an activity sensor configured to detect sucking activity on the at least one teat; an electronic control connected to the activity sensor and configured to evaluate signals from the activity sensor to obtain activity information; and at least one of a remote data transmission apparatus configured to transmit the activity information obtained from the electronic control and a display apparatus configured to display the activity information obtained from the electronic control, wherein the electronic control is connected to the at least one of a remote data transmission apparatus and the display apparatus.

2. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, further comprising a battery configured to supply power to the electronic control and the at least one of the remote data transmission apparatus and the display apparatus.

3. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, wherein the activity sensor is a fill level sensor configured to detect a fill level of the liquid food in the holding area.

4. The drinking bucket according to claim 3, wherein the fill level sensor comprises a distance meter.

5. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, wherein the activity sensor is an acceleration sensor.

6. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, wherein the activity sensor is a force transducer.

7. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket configured to elastically suspend the drinking bucket in a resting position, and wherein the activity sensor is configured to detect a deflection of the drinking bucket from the resting position.

8. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, further comprising an operating element that is connected to the electronic control, wherein the operating element is configured to actuate, and wherein the actuation of the operating element initiates at least one of a state change of the display apparatus and a transmission of information via the remote data transmission apparatus.

9. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control is configured to determine drinking speed using the activity information.

10. The drinking bucket according to claim 9, wherein the at least one of the display apparatus is configured to display the drinking speed and the remote data transmission apparatus is configured to transmit the drinking speed.

11. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, further comprising a lid, wherein the electronic control, the activity sensor, and the at least one of the remote data transmission apparatus and the display apparatus are integrated into the lid.

12. The drinking bucket according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control, the activity sensor, and the at least one of the remote data transmission apparatus and the display apparatus comprise a liquid-tight electronics module.

13. A drinking bucket system comprising: at least one drinking bucket comprising, a holding area configured to hold liquid food and further configured to attach to at least one teat, an activity sensor for detecting sucking activity on the at least one teat, an electronic control connected to the activity sensor and configured to evaluate signals from the activity sensor to obtain information, and a remote data transmission apparatus; and a truck configured to fill the at least one drinking bucket, the truck comprising, a supply tank for the liquid food, an electronic control unit, and a remote data transmission unit configured to communicate with the remote data transmission apparatus of the at least one drinking bucket.

14. The drinking bucket system according to claim 13, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to save information transferred from the at least one drinking bucket and forward it to a central feeding management system.

15. The drinking bucket system according to claim 13, wherein the truck further comprises a display unit configured to display information transmitted from the remote data transmission apparatus of the at least one drinking bucket.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to figures.

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a drinking bucket; and

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic representation of an embodiment of the drinking bucket with a mounting bracket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the drinking bucket comprises a bucket-shaped main body 10 that is closed by a lid 12. Within the main body 10, a holding area 14 is configured to hold a liquid food 16. In the example in FIG. 1, the holding area 14 is filled up to a liquid level 18 with the liquid food 16.

(5) At a bottom end of the main body 10, a teat 20 is arranged that is directly connected to the holding area 14 so that livestock can consume the liquid food 16 at any time by sucking the teat 20. At the top end of the main body 10 and opposite the teat 20, an attachment apparatus 22 is configured to attach the drinking bucket to a calf pen.

(6) Still referring to FIG. 1, the lid 12 is substantially disk-shaped and is encapsulated liquid-tight. It contains a fill level sensor 24 as an example of an activity sensor. In the example, it is an optical distance meter, the line of sight of which is oriented vertically downward toward the liquid level 18.

(7) The fill level sensor 24 is connected to an electronic control 26. The electronic control 26 is also connected to a remote data transmission apparatus 28. Furthermore, as another example of an activity sensor, an acceleration sensor 32 is connected to the electronic control 26. The remote data transmission apparatus 28 and the electronic control 26 are supplied with electrical energy from a battery 30.

(8) The electronic control 26 evaluates the signals from the fill level sensor 24 and the acceleration sensor 32 and transfers or transmits information on the fill level in the holding area 14, in particular a drinking speed, with the assistance of the remote data transmission apparatus 28 to a central feeding management system (not shown).

(9) Finally, the drinking bucket has a display apparatus 36 in the form of an LED that is arranged on a top side of the lid 12. The display apparatus 36 is connected to the electronic control 26 and serves as a display apparatus 36 for a warning signal. The switch which is also arranged on the top side of the lid 12 is an operating element 34 that is connected to the electronic control 26. In the example, it serves to reset a warning signal.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a drinking bucket that is elastically suspended by a mounting bracket 38 on a wall 40 of a calf pen. The mounting bracket 38 comprises a first part 42 to which the drinking bucket body 10 is attached and a second part 44 that is attached to the wall 40. The first part 42 can be displaced relative to the second part 44 in a vertical direction against the force of a spring 46. This occurs depending on the overall weight of the drinking bucket, i.e., depending in particular on the fill level.

(11) An activity sensor in the form of a magnetometer 48 serves to detect the deflection of the second part 44 relative to the first part 42 from a resting position. As shown in FIG. 2, the magnetometer 48 is attached to the second part 44 and interacts with a permanent magnet 50 attached to the first part 42. Referring to the embodiment in FIG. 1, the activity sensor is connected to an electronic control 26 that for its part is connected to a remote data transmission apparatus 28. As shown in FIG. 2, these elements are arranged in the mounting bracket 38 and do not differ in terms of their function from the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS USED

(12) 10 Main body 12 Lid 14 Holding area 16 Liquid food 18 Liquid level 20 Teat 22 Attachment apparatus 24 Fill level sensor 26 Electronic control 28 Remote data transmission apparatus 30 Battery 32 Acceleration sensor 34 Operating element 36 Display apparatus 38 Mounting bracket 40 Wall 42 First part 44 Second part 46 Spring 48 Magnetometer 50 Permanent magnet