Systems and methods for promoting biological responses in incubated eggs

• US 10,201,152 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify North America Corporation (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Once Innovations Inc. (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Grajcar, Zdenko, Payne, Kevin, Licko, Karol, Simko, Peter, Hoffmann, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSON, JOSHUA DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US15/265,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20170071168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 41/00 Incubators for poultry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 41/02 Heating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 41/023 Devices for regulating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 41/06 Egg-turning appliances for incubators
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 45/007 Injecting or otherwise treating hatching eggs
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/003 Fastening of light source holders, e.g. of circuit boards or substrates holding light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/506 of globes, bowls or cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system and method to promote biological responses within incubated eggs using lighting devices within an incubation chamber. A light supporting device is installed within the incubation chamber in spaced relation to an incubation device housing a plurality of eggs. The light supporting device is positioned to direct light at pre-determined wavelengths into the interior cavity of the incubation device to irradiate the plurality of eggs to promote a biological response within the eggs.

Claims

1. A method of promoting a biological response within a plurality of eggs in a commercial hatchery, comprising:

providing a sealed chamber for incubating a plurality of eggs within a controlled environment;

providing an incubating device within the chamber having a body with an interior cavity that houses the plurality of eggs;

placing a lighting device within the chamber in spaced relation to the interior of the body;

emitting a predetermined wavelength of light on the plurality of eggs and at daily pre-determined periods during a 24 hour cycle to promote a biological response within the plurality of eggs;

wherein the daily pre-determined periods include daily pre-determined periods of light and dark during the 24 hour cycle that occur for a first incubation period of time, and daily pre-determined periods of light and dark during the 24 hour cycle that occur for a second incubation period of time after the first incubation period of time, the first incubation period of time being different than the second incubation period of time, and at least one of the first or second incubation periods of time is dependent on an egg type of the plurality of eggs.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of automatically dimming the lighting device to provide the daily pre-determined periods of light and dark.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the daily pre-determined period of light is 16 hours and the daily pre-determined period of dark is 8 hours.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first incubation period of time is 18 days.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first incubation period of time is 15 days.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the daily pre-determined periods of light and dark during the first incubation period is different than the daily pre-determined periods of light and dark during the second incubation period.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second incubation period is 5 days.