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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10039260-B2
Application number	US-201514751185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Feb 17, 2009
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned self-propelled and self-steering device for removing manure present on a floor, comprising:
a manure slide;
a drive for moving the device over the floor; and
a frame provided with the drive, wherein the manure slide is held by the frame by a connection structure, wherein the manure slide has an upper edge, wherein the connection structure comprises a first rotational connection with a first, substantially horizontal rotational centre line located below at least a portion of the upper edge of a manure-pushing wall portion of the manure slide,
wherein the manure slide defines autonomously a manure-accommodating-space, the manure-accommodating-space being open in a forward direction and closed in a rearward direction, wherein the manure slide is substantially U-shaped or V-shaped with two legs having a length substantially the same as a width of the manure slide, and wherein the legs of the manure slide are plate-shaped and the manure slide is provided with a mechanism configured to enable a mutual rotation of at least a portion of lower edges of the legs in a vertical plane in which said at least a portion of the lower edges of the legs is located, and
wherein the connection structure comprises a second rotational connection with a second, substantially horizontal rotational centre line at an angle to the first rotational centre line.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the legs of the manure slide have a length greater than half of the overall length of the device.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a largest dimension of the manure-accommodating-space in a longitudinal direction of the device amounts to the order of magnitude of the width of the manure slide.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein ends of the two legs of the manure slide extend to at least near a front of the device.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in projection on a vertical central longitudinal plane of the device, and on a vertical plane transverse thereto, the drive completely coincides in a horizontal direction with the manure-accommodating-space.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the manure-accommodating-space extends in a rearward direction to a rear side of the device.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises two drive members located at the lateral sides of the device, and wherein the manure-accommodating-space extends up to between the two drive members.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive is located completely behind the manure slide.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotational centre line is located below said at least a portion of the upper edge of the manure-pushing wall portion of the manure slide.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the first rotational centre line is substantially transverse to a vertical central longitudinal plane of the device, is located in front of a rear wall of the manure-accommodating-space, and coincides in a horizontal direction with the manure-accommodating-space when viewed in projection on a vertical central longitudinal plane of the device.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the angle amounts to approximately 90 degrees.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotational centre line is located in a vertical central longitudinal plane of the device.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the legs of the manure slide are deformable in their plane.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the legs of the manure slide are connected to the rest of the manure slide by an internal hinge.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the manure slide comprises a rear wall, the rear wall being deformable about a centre line transverse to a central longitudinal plane of the manure slide.

Assignees

• Lely Patent Nv

Inventors

• Van Meurs Matthew
• Stapel Roelof
• Van Kuilenburg Jan Martinus
• Van Den Berg Karel
• Pastoor Jan Lambertus

Classifications

• A01K1/01

  Removal of dung or urine {; Removal of manure from stables}(A01K1/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01K1/0029

  Crowding gates or barriers · CPC title

• A01K1/0128 Primary

  by means of scrapers or the like moving continuously · CPC title