Method and apparatus for delivering fluid droplets onto an open and stationary tray

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering droplets of fluids onto an open tray containing poultry, the tray being stationary. According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps: (a) a movable arm is moved over the tray in translation in a first direction, said arm supporting a first set of dispensing nozzles and a second set of dispensing nozzles, said nozzles of each set being arranged to cover the entire dimension of the tray in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; (b) initially, droplets of at least one first fluid are dispensed by spraying using the first set of dispensing nozzles; (c) and then at least one second fluid, distinct from said at least one first fluid to be sprayed, is dispensed by ejecting individual drops by means of the second set of dispensing nozzles.

Claims

1. A method for delivering droplets of fluid onto an open tray (15) containing birds, said tray (15) being fixed, characterized in that: a) a movable arm (16) is moved above the tray (15), in translation in a first direction, the movable arm carrying a first set of dispensing nozzles (18) and a second set of dispensing nozzles (19), said first and second sets of dispensing nozzles being arranged to cover an entirety of a dimension of the tray (15) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein, said moveable arm is progressively accelerated until said moveable arm reaches a constant or substantially constant movement speed and, after passage of said moveable arm above said tray, said movable arm is progressively decelerated to avoid fluid losses, and wherein the arm is only moved at a constant speed when directly over the tray; b) droplets of at least one first fluid are dispensed by spraying by means of the first set of dispensing nozzles (18), and c) after step (b), at least one second fluid is dispensed, distinct from said at least one first fluid, by ejection of individual drops by means of the second set of dispensing nozzles (19).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that steps b) and c) are accomplished in a single passage of the movable arm (16) above said tray (15), the first and second sets of dispensing nozzles being arranged on said movable arm so as to generate a temporal offset between steps b) and c).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), said movable arm moves from a first edge to a second edge of said tray (15), said second edge being opposite to the first edge, on an approach path extending along the first direction and in step c), said movable arm moves from the second edge toward the first edge over a return path along the first direction.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that said first fluid is a liquid to be sprayed and said second fluid is a gel, or a fluid having a viscosity between 50 and 200 cps at 20 C.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in each of steps b) and c) a plurality of droplets is formed having a uniform or substantially uniform size.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that in step b) a fog of droplets is formed, at least 80% of the droplets having a size between 145 microns and 230 microns.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that in step c) a plurality of droplets is formed, at least 80% of the droplets having a size between 900 microns and 1500 microns.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a flow rate of the first and second sets of dispensing nozzles and a movement speed of the movable arm (16) are adjusted to ensure a uniform or substantially uniform distribution of said droplets on the tray (15).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said movable arm is driven by a drive unit comprising an electric motor, and each of the at least one first fluid and at least one second fluid is extracted from a receptacle by a syringe, the syringe having a piston which is electrically actuated, and wherein the acceleration or deceleration of said movable arm is controlled synchronously with a flow rate of the at least one first fluid or the at least one second fluid, so as to ensure a uniform distribution of the at least one first fluid or the at least one second fluid on the open tray.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movable arm is moved at a constant or substantially constant movement speed of between 35 and 80 cm/second.

11. An apparatus for distributing droplets of fluids for the implementation of the method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: a working area intended to receive and support a tray (15), said tray (15) being received in a fixed manner, and a movable arm (16), movable in translation above said working area along a first direction, said movable arm (16) carrying a set of spray dispensing nozzles (18) and a set of tips (19), the set of spray dispensing nozzles and the set of tips being arranged so that an entirety of a dimension of the tray (15) in a second direction perpendicular to a first dimension is covered by the set of spray dispensing nozzles (18) and the set of tips (19), and wherein said apparatus is configured to ensure a temporal offset between a distribution of at least one first fluid by means of said set of spray dispensing nozzles (18) and at least one second fluid by means of said set of tips (19), and wherein said apparatus is configured to: a) progressively accelerate the movable arm until the movable arm reaches a constant or substantially constant movement speed, b) maintain said constant or substantially constant movement speed only when directly over the tray, and c) after passage of said movable arm above said tray, progressively decelerate said movable arm so as to avoid fluid losses.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the set of dispensing nozzles (18) and the set of tips (19) are spaced from one another on said movable arm (16) in the first direction.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that said working area includes areas for staging the movable arm (16) extending on either side of a reception area of the tray (15).

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that said set of dispensing nozzles (18) comprises at least two subassemblies of nozzles each for spraying a distinct fluid and/or said set of tips (19) comprises at least two subassemblies of tips each for ejecting a distinct fluid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other advantages, aims and particular features of the present invention will be revealed by the description that follows, given for the purpose of explanation and in no way limiting, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of an apparatus for mass treatment of chicks according to a particular embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view and a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, a basket containing chicks being placed in its working area and awaiting treatment;

(6) FIG. 5 is a transverse section view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, a basket containing chicks being placed in its working area and awaiting treatment;

DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT

(7) The drawings and the description hereafter contain essentially elements of a certain character. They can therefore not only serve to allow better understanding of the present invention, but also contribute to its definition if necessary.

(8) First of all, it is noted that the figures are not to scale.

(9) FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate schematically an apparatus for the mass treatment of chicks according to one particular embodiment of the present invention.

(10) This apparatus comprises a frame 10 provided with legs 11 including, at their free end, rollers 12 to provide movement of the latter. The apparatus can include from 2 to 4 rollers 12. Each of these rollers 12 can include a blocking member (not shown) to fix the apparatus in position.

(11) This frame 10 includes, in its upper portion, a closed space delimited by walls 13 at least partially transparent to visualize the interior of this space. One of these walls 13 includes a movable flap 14 in vertical translation to allow access to this closed space, particularly for the introduction and the withdrawal of a basket 15 loaded with chicks, also for the cleaning and the maintenance of the apparatus. In addition to this physical barrier consisting of the movable flap 14, and if it is desired that the apparatus be able to remain open, this apparatus can include one or more protection elements (not shown) to detect the presence of an object intruding into the treatment area such as the hand or the arm of an operator. This or these protection elements are able to send detection signals to a central processing unit, which can stop a treatment in progress or even stop the triggering of treatment. By way of an example, this or these protection elements are infrared detectors. Of course, it is still possible that the frame 10 is bereft of a movable flap 14 of this type or even of protection elements of this type.

(12) The interior of this closed space comprises a working area intended to receive and support an open basket 15, this basket 15 then being in a fixed position.

(13) A movable arm 16 mounted on a longitudinal rail 17, defining a first direction, can move in translation along this rail 17 above the working area. The longitudinal rail 17 is integral with the upper end, or hood, of the frame 10.

(14) This movable arm 16 carries a set of nozzles 18 and a set of dispensing tips 19, these nozzles and these tips being arranged on the movable arm 16 so that the entirety of the dimension of the basket 15, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction defined by the longitudinal rail 17, is integrally covered by the set of nozzles 18 and by the set of dispensing tips 19.

(15) These nozzles and tips can be individually movable along the movable arm 16 to allow an adjustment of the coverage of different baskets.

(16) Of course, this apparatus can include position sensors (not shown) to determine the exact positioning of the basket in the working area. It is then possible to automate the dispensing sequences of the fluids by automatic recognition of the type of basket 15 placed in the dispensing apparatus.

(17) The set of nozzles 18 comprises spray dispensing nozzles while the other set includes dispensing tips 19, each of these tips comprising an orifice, each tip being configured to eject an individual drop of fluid through its orifice for a given fluid pressure.

(18) While still being advantageously compact, this apparatus allows delivering in a short time interval, or quasi-simultaneously, two distinct fluids such as a spray and a gel for mass treating birds placed in an open basket 15.

(19) This apparatus thus includes two reservoirs 20 which are placed in a support 21 at the height of the user, these reservoirs 20 being advantageously transparent for verifying the available fluid level in each of them. In one embodiment, these reservoirs comprise non-therapeutic fluid.

(20) Each fluid feeding circuit connecting a reservoir 20 to its set of nozzles and corresponding dispensing tips comprises a pumping unit (not shown), the pumping unit of the two feeding circuits possibly having different pumping powers depending on the fluid to be pumped in each of these feeding circuits.

(21) The flow rates for feeding the nozzles and the tips as well as the speed of movement of the movable arm 16 are checked to guarantee a uniform and homogeneous distribution of the fluids dispensed on the open basket 15.

(22) The set of nozzles 18 and the set of dispensing tips 19 are also arranged on the movable arm 16 to ensure a temporal offset between the distribution of the first fluid (evaporable fluid) and of the second fluid (gel).

(23) The extended movable arm 16 comprising two lateral edges defining a front face and a rear face, considered in the translation movement direction of this arm in the first direction, the set of nozzles 18 is mounted on the front face of this movable arm 16 while the set of dispensing tips 19 is mounted on the rear face of this movable arm 16, thus being spaced from the set of nozzles 18 in the first direction.

(24) It is thus ensured that the distribution by spraying, or even by fragmentation of the droplets of the first fluid for the first set of nozzles 18, always precedes the distribution of the drops of the second fluid by the set of dispensing tips 19. There thus exists no risk that the fog of droplets formed by spraying of the first fluid can prevent the adhesion of the drops of the second fluid on the feathers of the chicks, which could lead to a non-homogeneous treatment of the latter.

(25) Preferably, the working area of the apparatus includes staging areas of the movable arm 16 extending on either side along the first direction of a reception area of the basket to allow a progressive acceleration and deceleration of the movable arm before and after passage of the movable arm above the basket 15.

(26) Advantageously, it is desired in fact to seek not only to maintain a constant movement speed of the movable arm 16 above the basket 15, but also to avoid jerks in the movement of the arm which would likely cause fluid losses.

(27) For this purpose, the apparatus includes means for checking the movement speed of the movable arm 16.

(28) According to one embodiment of the present apparatus, the minimum distance d spatially separating the set of nozzles 18 from the set of dispensing tips 19, in the first direction, is comprised between 5 and 9 cm. The movement speed of the arm is comprised between 35 and 80 cm/second, preferably 55 cm/second.