Device for removing manure from a floor, in particular a closed floor

• US 9,095,116 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lely Patent N.V. (Lely)
• Original Assignee: Lely Patent N.V. (Lely)
• Inventors: Van Meurs, Matthew, Stapel, Roelof, Van Kuilenburg, Jan Martinus, Van Den Berg, Karel, Pastoor, Jan Lambertus
• Primary Examiner(s): SCRUGGS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/211,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 15/931, 15/98, 15/491, 15/501
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0029 Crowding gates or barriers
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/01 Removal of dung or urine, e.g. from stablesA01K1/015 takes precedence; from poultry houses A01K31/04
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0128 by means of scrapers or the like moving continuously

Abstract

The present invention relates to an unmanned self-propelled and self-steering device for removing manure present on a floor, including a manure slide and a drive for moving the device over the floor, wherein the manure slide is substantially U-shaped or V-shaped with two legs in order to define autonomously a manure-accommodating-space which opens in a forward direction and is closed in a rearward direction, and wherein the legs have a length in the order of magnitude of the width of the manure slide.

Claims

1. An unmanned self-propelled and self-steering device for removing manure present on a floor, comprising a housing, a frame, a manure slide and a drive for moving the device over the floor,

wherein the drive comprises two individually drivable drive wheels arranged parallel on the frame and being located completely behind the manure slide with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and a control unit for controlling the drive,

wherein the device is provided with at least one load cell, which at least one load cell is functionally connected to the control unit and to at least a first, a second, and a third contact surfaces being provided on a bumper member that is fastened to the frame separately from the manure slide, the first and second contact surfaces at least partially oriented laterally in opposite directions and having portions ending on the load cell, and the third contact surface being at least partially oriented forwardly,

wherein the at least one load cell measures the force exerted on the at least first, second and third contact surfaces;

wherein the bumper member is mechanically connected to the frame via a longitudinal girder in or near a central longitudinal plane of the device;

wherein the longitudinal girder separates the housing from the manure slide, the longitudinal girder being rigidly connected to the housing, and the at least first and second contact surfaces being located on opposite sides of the longitudinal girder,

wherein the longitudinal girder is mechanically connected to the bumper member via a deformable connection,

wherein the at least one load cell is rigidly connected to the longitudinal girder,

and wherein the control unit is configured to control the drive so that, when one of the at least first and second contact surfaces is in contact with a wall, the contact surface which is in contact with the wall remains in contact with the wall when the measured value of the force exerted by the wall on the contact surface is within a preset range of a reference value.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the bumper member itself forms the contact surfaces.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the bumper member is movably connected to the frame at a distance from the at least one load cell.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the bumper member is connected rotatably to the frame.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the functional connection is located forwardly with respect to the first and second contact surfaces.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the manure slide defines a manure-accommodating-space that opens in the forward direction, wherein the bumper member extends at the open side of the manure-accommodating-space.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the bumper member is located in a trajectory in front of the manure-accommodating-space at a distance from the floor and is provided, at the lateral sides of the device, with depending bumper portions.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the depending bumper portions also form the first and second contact surfaces.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the bumper member forms a substantially circumferential body.