JP7499447B2 - Watering unit and watering system for cowshed, and cowshed having the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a watering device for cows that is placed in a cowshed.

In dairy farming, hot summer months can cause a drop in the conception rate of female cows, and also cause cows to become heat stressed after giving birth, resulting in a decrease in milk production. To address this issue, measures have been taken such as increasing the amount of air blown into the barns and spraying the cows with fine mist at the same time. However, due to the effects of global warming in recent years, summers have become hotter than ever, and there are an increasing number of cases where the wind and evaporation of fine mist are not enough to relieve the stress of female cows.

In addition, the fine mist has problems in that the droplets are too fine and are blown away by the wind from the fan, meaning that it cannot be effectively directed at the cows to provide a cooling effect. In terms of cooling, it is more effective to spray water directly on the cows.

At ranches with wells, relatively cold water is easily available even in summer, so by directly pouring cold water on cows, the stress of the cows can be reduced. Patent Document 1 discloses a watering device that has a pipe attached to the top of a fence installed along the cow passage at the widthwise end of the passage in the cowshed, multiple outlets installed at a predetermined interval on the side of the pipe to spray water flowing through the pipe to water the cows, and a water supply pump that supplies water to the pipe.

JP 2014-008043 A

The method described in Patent Document 1 is expected to be effective because it sprays water directly on the cows. However, in Patent Document 1, the temperature and humidity index is used to determine whether or not to spray water on the entire zone in which the pipes are placed, so water is sprayed unnecessarily even in areas where there are no cows, increasing the burden on the wastewater treatment system.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention limits the length of the sprinkler pipe from which water is sprayed, making it possible to spray water from each sprinkler pipe.

More specifically, the watering unit for a cowshed according to the present invention comprises:
A water pipe;
A sprinkler device connected to the water supply pipe;
A water sprinkling unit comprising a support material for fixing the water supply pipe and the water sprinkling device,
The water sprinkler device is
A branch pipe connected to the water supply pipe;
a solenoid valve provided in the branch pipe;
The water supply system is characterized in that it has a water spray tube that is connected to the branch pipe and has water spray holes formed in one direction.

This watering unit for cowsheds can be connected to multiple watering units to form a watering system. A cowshed having this watering system is also included in the present invention.

The cowshed watering unit of the present invention is connected to a water supply pipe by a solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve can be turned on or off to select whether or not to sprinkle water, making it possible to sprinkle water only where the cows are, and thus providing effective watering. In addition, the cowshed watering unit of the present invention is assembled outside a factory or other facility, and installation can be completed at the livestock shed on site simply by connecting multiple watering units, making work at height easy and reducing construction work.

In addition, by attaching a human presence sensor to the watering unit and controlling the on/off of the solenoid valve, the watering location can be controlled based on whether or not cows are present.

In addition, by using a material with a high elasticity such as silicone or rubber for at least the nozzle portion of the sprinkler tube, it is possible to reduce water leakage from the sprinkler tube when the solenoid valve is turned OFF.

These effects allow cows' body temperatures to be effectively cooled even in the summer. In particular, by spraying water on cows while they are waiting to be milked, it is possible to reduce the decrease in milk production that is said to occur in the summer.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a watering unit for a cowshed according to the present invention. 1A and 1B are front, left and right side views and a cross-sectional view of a sprinkler device. 2 is a cross-sectional view and a front view of a watering tube. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a watering area when the watering system according to the present invention is installed in a cowshed. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a watering area when the watering system according to the present invention is installed in a passageway from a cowshed to a milking parlor. FIG. 2 is a main flow diagram showing the processing flow of the control device of the watering system according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram for performing automatic control. FIG. 11 is a flow chart for performing manual control.

The following describes the cowshed watering unit and watering system of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is of one embodiment of the cowshed watering unit and watering system of the present invention, and is not limited to this. The following embodiment can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a cowshed watering unit 1 according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows a front view, a left side view, a right side view, and a cross-sectional view of the watering device 14. The cowshed watering unit 1 is composed of a water supply pipe 10, a support material 12, and a watering device 14. The length of the watering unit 1 is preferably 2 to 4 m for transportation purposes, and it can be assembled outside a factory, etc., and then connected and extended to fit the livestock barn at the site.

The water supply pipe 10 is connected to the water source 20 via a pump 22. If the water source 20 is well water, cold water can be obtained even in summer. It is preferable to place a water pressure gauge 24 between the pump 22 and the watering unit 1. In addition, a control device 16 that controls the ON/OFF of watering and a human presence sensor 18 may be provided. It may also be directly connected to a water supply, and a pump is not required by stabilizing the supply pressure using a pressure reducing valve.

<Water pipe>
The end of the water supply pipe 10 opposite to the pump 22 may be left closed or may be returned to the water source 20. Fig. 1 shows the case where the water is returned to the water source 20. When returning the water to the water source 20, it is preferable to return the water to the water source 20 via a throttle valve 26. The throttle valve 26 throttles the water when the pressure in the water supply pipe 10 decreases, and is operated when the pressure in the water supply pipe 10 is increased.

<Support material>
The support material 12 is used to secure the sprinkler device 14, a human presence sensor 18 (described later), and the water supply pipe 10. The sprinkler tube 34 of the sprinkler device 14 is preferably made of a material that is lightweight and easy to form the sprinkler holes 34h in. Many such materials have no stiffness, and are difficult to secure to the water supply pipe 10 by themselves. For this reason, the sprinkler tube 34 is supported by the support material 12. The support material 12 has a U-shaped cross section, has high bending strength, and can house wiring inside. The support material 12 is preferably made of a light metal or resin.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is preferable to use an electric circuit support material with a U-shaped cross section and folded ends (a straight raceway from Negros Electric Works) as the support material 12. This is because the height can be easily adjusted using the attached hanging member (not shown), it can be installed at a low position where cows cannot reach it, and water can be sprayed without being affected by the wind.

<Water sprinkler system>
The sprinkler device 14 is composed of a branch pipe 30, an electromagnetic valve 32, and a sprinkler tube 34. The branch pipe 30 connects the water supply pipe 10 and the sprinkler tube 34, and is a pipe that draws the water flow from the water supply pipe 10 into the sprinkler tube 34. The branch pipe 30 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 32, which can stop the water flow through the branch pipe 30.

<Watering tube>
The watering tube 34 is a cylindrical member with watering holes 34h, one end of which is closed. The length can be determined as desired, but a length of about 2 to 4 m is preferable. The watering range is preferably set to about the length of the cow's body, since this limits the watering of unnecessary areas. The watering tube 34 is preferably made of resin, which is lightweight and easy to process.

The type of watering tube 34 may be changed depending on the location where watering is to be performed. For example, in a barn with feeding areas and bedding, a small amount of water is sprayed at a relatively low pressure so that water is not likely to splash on the feed or bedding. In such cases, a tube made of a soft material or with a thin thickness can be selected.

On the other hand, the passage from the cowshed to the milking parlor is free of anything that would prevent water from entering it, so water can be sprayed at relatively high pressure. In such a case, a tube that increases in diameter when water is flowing through it can be selected. Figure 2(c) shows a watering tube 34 with a flattened cross section, but when water flows through it, the cross section becomes circular, making it a watering tube 34 that can withstand relatively high pressure.

In addition, the part of the water spray tube 34 where the water spray holes 34h are formed is made of a material with a high elasticity such as silicone or rubber, and the water spray holes 34h are formed with cross cuts (cross-shaped cuts) or laser-machined micro holes, so that when water pressure is applied, water can spray through the water spray holes 34h, but when water pressure is no longer applied, the water spray holes 34h can close. In this way, the amount of water leaking out when water spraying is stopped can be reduced.

<Water sprinkler holes>
FIG. 3 shows a cross section (FIG. 3(a)) and a front view (FIG. 3(b)) of the watering tube 34. The watering holes 34h are formed in a range of ±θ with respect to the main watering direction (hereinafter referred to as the "watering axis direction 34ha"). Here, θ is preferably 10° to 45°. Referring to FIG. 3(b), the range of water sprayed from the watering holes 34h becomes the watering source area 34hr when viewed from the front. The watering holes 34h are through holes with a diameter of about 50 μm to 300 μm. They may be cross-cut so as to be open only when water is sprayed.

The sprinkler holes 34h are arranged at approximately equal density along the length of the sprinkler tube 34. The sprinkler tube 34 is also attached so that the sprinkler axis direction 34ha can rotate relative to the fixed support material 12. This is so that the angle of the sprinkler axis direction 34ha from the horizontal direction (called the "sprinkler angle") can be adjusted when the tube is actually placed in the cowshed 50 (see Figure 4). Basically, the sprinkler angle is set to be horizontal to downward in the range of 20° to 90°.

<Human Presence Sensor>
The human presence sensor 18 is a sensor that detects the presence of a person and outputs an ON/OFF signal. Generally, the human presence sensor 18 is of the type that detects people using infrared rays, but it may be of the type that detects people using a method other than infrared rays as long as it can detect cows in front of the watering tube 34. In the present invention, the object to be detected is cows, but it is generally called a "human presence sensor."

It is desirable to provide at least one human presence sensor 18 for each watering tube 34. This is to ensure that watering occurs when there are cows in front of the watering tube 34. Therefore, the human presence sensor 18 must be provided so that it can detect cows in the watering axis direction 34ha. Furthermore, when there is only one human presence sensor 18, it is preferable to install it in the center of the watering device 14. If it is installed at the end, there is a risk that water will be sprayed even when there are no cows in front of the watering device 14.

<Control device>
The control device 16 is connected to the solenoid valve 32 and the input/output device 16c (see FIG. 1). The control device 16 may also be connected to the input/output device 16c, the pump 22, the water pressure gauge 24, the human presence sensor 18, and the throttle valve 26. The control device 16 also has an internal timer 16t. Therefore, the control device 16 can open and close the solenoid valve 32 intermittently.

The input/output device 16c can also receive inputs of various settings and display information that the control device 16 can know. It can also control the on/off and rotation speed of the pump 22, receive signals from the water pressure gauge 24, receive signals from the human presence sensor 18, and control the opening of the throttle valve 26.

<Watering system>
A plurality of water sprinkle units 1 of the present invention are connected to form a water sprinkle system 2 (see FIG. 4 ). In the water sprinkle system 2, a control device 16 controls the plurality of water sprinkle units 1 individually.

<Installation>
The watering system 2 according to the present invention is preferably disposed near the feeding area 58 of the cowshed 50 and in the passage from the cowshed 50 to the milking room 80 (see FIG. 5). The milking room 80 and the passage to the milking room 80 may also be part of the cowshed 50. FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of a part of the cowshed 50, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view thereof. There are various types of cowsheds 50, but basically watering is not performed on the feed 58a or stall zone 52. This is because if water is sprayed on the feed 58a or bedding 52a, it will be difficult for them to dry, and there is a high possibility that various hygiene problems will occur.

Here, we will explain a cowshed 50 that has a stall zone 52, cow passage 54, feeding area 58, and feeding passage 60. In this arrangement, the watering unit 1 is attached along the beams of the fence 56 between the cow passage 54 and the feeding passage 60. In this case, the watering axis direction 34ha is oriented in a direction that does not splash water on the feeding area 58 (see Figure 4(b)). In the case of Figure 4(b), the watering axis direction 34ha of the watering unit 1 can be said to be set in the opposite direction to the feeding area 58 when viewed from the fence 56.

In FIG. 4, the water source 20 and other elements are omitted. The area to be watered (hereafter referred to as the "watering area 40") is limited to the cow passage 54, and the watering tube 34 is rotated to adjust the watering axis direction 34ha and the water pressure of the pump 22 so that the water does not reach the stall zone 52 where the bedding 52a is laid.

By arranging them in this way, when the human presence sensor 18 detects the presence of a cow, the cow in front of the detected watering tube 34 is sprayed with water. Water is not sprayed from watering tubes 34 in front of which there are no cows. In FIG. 4(a), cows in front of the watering device 14 are sprayed with water, as shown by the watering area 40. On the other hand, the area in front of the watering device 14 where there are no cows becomes a non-watering area 42, and water is not sprayed.

It is also possible to sprinkle water from a specified sprinkler tube 34 by direct command from the input/output device 16c. In this case, watering will be performed even if there are no cows in front of the sprinkler device 14.

Figure 5 shows the case where the device is installed in the passageway 70 leading to the milking room 80. Figure 5(a) is a plan view of the passageway 70, Figure 5(b) shows the case where the gate fence 78a is lowered, and Figure 5(c) shows the case where the gate fence 78a is raised. In the following description, the cow is assumed to be a dairy cow.

The cowshed 50 and milking room 80 are separate, and the cows move from the cowshed 50 to the milking room 80 several times a day to be milked. During this time, the cows need to be moved along the transfer path 70. The method of movement is a movable lift gate 78 installed between the girders of the side wall 72 (reference numerals 72a and 72b) of the transfer path 70.

The movable lift gate 78 is composed of a movable beam 74, a pair of movable parts 76 (indicated by the reference symbols 76a and 76b, respectively), a gate fence 78a, and a hanging cord 78b. Gears or wheels are arranged on the movable parts 76, and they can move in unison along the girder of the side wall 72. The movable beam 74 is supported by the pair of movable parts 76 and can move along the movable passage 70.

In addition, a lifting motor is provided inside the moving beam 74, and the gate fence 78a can be lifted by winding up the hanging cord 78b (see Figure 5 (c)).

First, the dairy cows are placed in the moving passage 70, and when a designated number of cows have passed from the front, the gate fence 78a is lowered from the moving beam 74. The moving beam 74 is then moved forward to allow the dairy cows to move forward. Once the cows in front of the moving beam 74 have advanced, the gate fence 78a is raised and moved backwards, and when the designated number of cows has been reached, the gate fence 78a is lowered again, separating the designated number of dairy cows.

The watering system 2 according to the present invention is arranged along the girders (omitted from the drawing) of the left and right side walls 72 on which the moving beam 74 is hung. When arranged in the moving passage 70, it is advisable to adjust the water pressure of the pump 22 and the watering axis direction 34ha so that the watering from one of the watering tubes 34 reaches near the center of the moving passage 70.

In the passageway 70, as in the case of the cowshed 50 in FIG. 4, if there are dairy cows in front of the watering device 14, the passageway 70 can be designated as a watering area 40. If there are no cows in front of the watering device 14, the passageway 70 can be designated as a non-watering area 42.

<Operation>
It is preferable that the watering system 2 perform intermittent watering. Continuous watering would result in excessive watering. In addition to automatic control using the human presence sensor 18, intermittent watering can also be performed from a specified watering device 14 in response to a command from the input/output device 16c. An example of the operation flow of the watering system 2 is shown below.

<Main flow>
Fig. 6 shows a main flow of the watering system 2 according to the present invention. Referring to Fig. 6, when the system starts (step S100), an end determination is first made (step S102), and if the end has been determined (Y branch of step S102), the system is terminated (step S104). If the system is to continue (N branch of step S102), the process proceeds to the next step.

Next, automatic or manual control is selected (step S106). For automatic control, a human presence sensor 18 is required. If automatic is selected (the "automatic" branch of step S106), the process proceeds to step S108. If manual is selected (the "manual" branch of step S106), the process proceeds to step S110. When the process returns from each subroutine, the process returns to step S102 again. Note that, of the multiple sprinkler devices 14, a specific sprinkler device 14 may be set to manual control and the others to automatic control.

In the watering system 2 according to the present invention, after watering for a certain period of time, a certain time interval is left. The former period is called the "watering time" and the latter period is called the "watering stop time." For example, the "watering time" is 1 minute and the "watering stop time" is 9 minutes. The "watering time" and "watering stop time" can be set freely. The amount of water sprayed is preferably the amount that evaporates during the watering stop time. This is because this makes it possible to avoid over-watering. However, it is also possible to spray more water than the amount that evaporates during the watering stop time.

<Automatic control>
7 shows a process flow for automatic control. Note that the following flow may be configured so that the same process runs for each sprinkler device 14. When automatic control starts (step S108), it is checked whether or not there is detection by the human presence sensor 18 (step S202). If there is no detection by the human presence sensor 18 (N branch of step S202), watering stops (step S204) and the watering history is reset (step S206).

The watering history here is information that indicates whether the watering device 14 being controlled is currently detecting the watering target (dairy cow) or is detecting it for the first time. When the watering history is ON, it means that watering has already started on the watering target, and water is either currently being sprayed (during "watering time") or is currently stopped (during "watering stop time"). If there is no detection by the human presence sensor 18, watering will stop and the watering history will be reset (turned OFF), regardless of whether the current state is "watering time" or "watering stop time".

If the human presence sensor 18 detects an object (Y branch of step S202), it is determined whether the current watering history is ON (step S208). If the watering history is not ON (N branch of step S208), this means that a watering object has been detected for the first time, and the watering history is turned ON (step S210) and watering begins (step S212). At this point, the timer 16t for the watering device 14 to be controlled begins measuring the watering time.

If the watering history is ON (Y branch of step S208), it is determined whether watering is currently in progress (step S214). If watering is not currently in progress (N branch of step S214), the "water stop time" is in progress, so it is determined whether the water stop time has ended (step S216). If the "water stop time" has ended (Y branch of step S216), watering begins (step S212). If the "water stop time" has not ended (N branch of step S216), the watering process (step 212) is skipped, and processing proceeds to the end determination of the subroutine (step S222).

If water is currently being sprayed (Y branch of step S214), it is determined whether the "watering time" has elapsed (step S218). If the "watering time" has elapsed (Y branch of step S218), watering is stopped (step S220) and processing proceeds to the end processing of the subroutine (step S222). At this time, measurement of the water stop time for the watering device 14 to be controlled is started.

If the "watering time" has not elapsed (N branch of step S218), step S220 is skipped and processing proceeds to the end of the subroutine (step S222).

In the subroutine end process (step S222), it is determined whether or not to end the automatic control. The criteria for this determination are not particularly limited, but may be determined based on an end command from the user or a system error such as the pump 22 stopping. If the automatic control is to be continued (N branch of step S222), the process returns to step S202. If the automatic control is to be ended (Y branch of step S222), the watering history is reset (step S224) and the process returns to the main routine (step S226).

<Manual control>
The flow of manual control is shown in Fig. 8. When the subroutine of manual control starts (step S110), it is determined whether the sprinkler device 14 to be controlled has been started by an ON/OFF command from the input/output device 16c (step S302). Note that in step 302 of Fig. 8, "SW: ON?" is written. If it has not been started (N branch of step S302), the process returns to step S302.

If activated (Y branch of step S302), watering begins (step S304). Then it is determined whether the "watering time" has elapsed (step S306). If the "watering time" has not elapsed (N branch of step S306), watering continues. Once the "watering time" has elapsed (Y branch of step S306), watering stops (step S308).

Then, it is determined whether or not to end the manual control subroutine (step S310). If it is to be ended (Y branch of step S310), the process returns to the main routine (step S312), and if it is to be continued (N branch of step S310), the process returns to step 302.

As described above, when the sprinkler device 14 that is the subject of control is started during manual control, it will sprinkle water for the "sprinkling time", and once the time has elapsed, it will stop sprinkling water and wait to be started again.

Although no specific flow is shown, in the watering system 2, the water pressure in the water supply pipe 10 needs to be kept constant. Therefore, when the signal from the water pressure gauge 24 indicates that the water pressure falls below a predetermined pressure, the control device 16 controls the pump 22 to increase the water pressure or throttle valve 26. Conversely, if the water supply pipe 10 becomes clogged and the water pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure, the control device 16 controls the pump 22 to stop and the throttle valve 26 to open.

The present invention can be ideally used in barns for raising dairy cows.

1 Sprinkler unit 2 Sprinkler system 10 Water supply pipe 12 Support material 14 Sprinkler device 16 Control device 16c Input/output device 16t Timer 18 Human sensor 20 Water source 22 Pump 24 Water pressure gauge 26 Throttle valve 30 Branch pipe 32 Solenoid valve 34 Sprinkler tube 34h Sprinkler hole 34hr Sprinkler source area 34ha Sprinkler axis direction 40 Sprinkler area 42 Non-sprinkler area 50 Cowshed 52 Stall zone 52a Bedding 54 Cow passage 56 Fence 58 Feeding area 58a Feed 60 Feeding passage 70 Movement passage 72 Side wall (72a and 72b)
74 Moving beam 76 Moving part (76a and 76b)
78b Suspension cord 78 Movable lift gate 78a Gate fence 80 Milking room

Claims (5)

A water pipe;
A sprinkler device connected to the water supply pipe;
A water sprinkling unit comprising a support material for fixing the water supply pipe and the water sprinkling device,
The water sprinkler device is
A branch pipe connected to the water supply pipe;
a solenoid valve provided in the branch pipe;
A watering unit for a cowshed, comprising a watering tube connected to the branch pipe and having watering holes formed in one direction. The watering unit for a cowshed described in claim 1, characterized in that the watering tube is 1 to 4 m long. At least one human presence sensor provided on the support material;
A control device is provided which receives an output from the human presence sensor and opens and closes the solenoid valve,
2. The water sprinkler unit for a cowshed according to claim 1, wherein the control device intermittently opens and closes the solenoid valve while there is an output from the human presence sensor. A watering system in which multiple watering units for cowsheds according to any one of claims 1 to 3 are connected. A cowshed having the watering system described in claim 4.