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US 2020/0315133 A1Published application
Device for directed animal traffic
AssigneeGEA Farm Technologies GmbH
InventorsMichael Schomaker, Heinz-Josef Beiwinkel, Marcelo Barba
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for directed animal traffic, having at least three sectors and a loop path, which is connected to each of the sectors, by a segment of the loop path that forms a transition region from the sector into the loop path, and the segment comprises a swinging gate, which allows an animal to enter the loop path from a sector and allows only one walking direction of the animal in the loop path, and a selection unit arranged after the swinging gate as viewed in the walking direction of the animal, to direct the animal into the sector or further along the loop path.
Claims13
A device for directed animal traffic comprising:
- a plurality of sectors and each sector is sized to permit movement of a plurality of dairy animals;
- an animal direction control device in communication with at least one sector, and the animal direction control device includes:
- a pair of animal passageways having:
- a first end adjacent to the sector and a second end spaced apart from the first end, and including:
- a first passageway extending between the first end and the second end;
- a second passageway extending between the first end and the second end;
- and
- a divider disposed between the first passageway and the second passageway, and having an end portion positioned at the second end of the pair of animal passageways;
- a deflector adjacent to the divider end portion, and moveable between a first position in which the first passageway is open and the second passageway is closed, and a second position in which the second passageway is open and the first passageway is closed;
- a loop passage in communication with the pair of animal passageways;
- a swinging gate spaced apart from the deflector and disposed between the deflector and the loop passage, and the swinging gate is moveable by an animal between a closed position and an open position to direct animal movement in a first direction in the loop passage and to block animal movement in a second and opposite direction of movement in the loop passage;
- and
- a selection unit spaced apart from the swinging gate and disposed in the first direction of the loop passage from the swinging gate to selectively direct an animal:
- in the first direction around the loop passage;
- into a milking area;
- or
- back toward the pair of animal passageways,
- wherein the pair of animal passageways, the deflector, the swinging gate, the loop passage, and the selection unit define a controlled and substantially crossing-free animal traffic pattern between the sectors and the milking area.
15 more elements
A device for directed animal traffic comprising:
- a plurality of sectors and each sector is sized to permit movement of a plurality of dairy animals;
- an animal direction control device in communication with at least one sector, and the animal direction control device includes:
- a pair of animal passageways having:
- a first end adjacent to the sector and a second end spaced apart from the first end, and including:
- a first passageway extending between the first end and the second end;
- a second passageway extending between the first end and the second end;
- and
- a divider disposed between the first passageway and the second passageway, and having an end portion at the second end of the pair of animal passageways;
- a loop passage in communication with the pair of animal passageways;
- a swinging gate spaced apart from the divider end portion and disposed between the divider end portion and the loop passage, and the swinging gate is moveable by an animal between a closed position and an open position to direct animal movement in a first direction in the loop passage and to block animal movement in a second and opposite direction of movement in the loop passage;
- and
- a selection unit spaced apart from the swinging gate and disposed in the first direction of the loop passage from the swinging gate to selectively direct an animal:
- in the first direction around the loop passage;
- into a milking area;
- or
- back toward the pair of animal passageways,
- wherein the pair of animal passageways, the swinging gate, the loop passage, and the selection unit define a controlled and substantially crossing-free animal traffic pattern between the sectors and the milking area.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.