Manure-removal device

A self-propelled manure-removal vehicle for removing manure from a floor, comprising:

• at least two wheels, at least one motor and a control device, for displacing the vehicle in a desired direction of travel by driving at least one of the wheels,
• a tank for storing manure comprising an interior defined by a bottom wall having a lowest level, a side wall and an upper part, having an air discharge near the upper part,
• a vacuum pump which is connected to the control device and configured to apply a negative pressure to the tank via the air discharge, and
• a manure-collecting device having a floor-scraping part which, viewed in the direction opposite to the desired direction of travel, narrows to a closed end, defining a collecting area,
• wherein the tank comprises a manure supply/discharge opening which is arranged through the bottom wall of the tank and is at least partly surrounded by the floor-scraping part fluidly connecting the collecting area with the interior of the tank, wherein the manure supply/discharge opening is without a closure capable of separating the collecting area from the interior of the tank, and the manure supply/discharge opening is configured to supply manure from the floor into the tank and to discharge said manure from the tank,
• wherein the control device is configured to control the vacuum pump so as to apply negative pressure to the tank when the vehicle is displaced over the floor for supplying manure from the floor via the manure supply/discharge opening into the tank,
• and
• wherein the control device is configured to (i) switch off the vacuum pump or (ii) control the vacuum pump so as to keep applying negative pressure to the tank when the vehicle is situated with the supply/discharge opening in the bottom wall of the tank above an opening in the floor at a manure-discharging location to cause manure from the tank to be discharged through said opening in the floor on account of the force of gravity.