Patent Application
20120285056
This disclosure relates to a system and method for maintaining animal ear tags.
Animal ear tags are objects used for identification of an animal, such as domestic livestock and other animals. In many cases, animal ear tags are a plastic or metallic object. An animal ear tag usually carries a printed identifier, such as an identification number or code for said animal, or for its herd and/or flock. This printed identifier may be assigned by some national organizations (usually in the form of Property Identification Code, or PIC), or may be handwritten for the convenience of the user. An ear tag can be applied with an ear tag applicator (also called pliers, or an applicator), however there are also specially designed tags that can be applied by hand. Very small ear tags are available for laboratory animals such as mice and rats.
Animal ear tags were developed as early as 1913 as a means to identify cattle when testing for tuberculosis. Today, ear tags in a variety of designs are used throughout the world on many species of animals to ensure traceability, to help prevent theft and to control disease outbreaks. For example, some animal ear tags for cattle contain control chemicals such as a pesticide, to control insects such as buffalo fly etc.
Despite their great benefits, current embodiments of animal ear tags leave room for improvement.
In a common embodiment, a one-piece animal ear tag comprises a printed identifier, a body portion and an ear attachment assembly. Said printed identifier can be transferred to an animal ear tag by a variety of methods. For example, one method requires manually writing said printed identifier on each animal ear tag. However, such an embodiment is slow and prone to human error. In another method, a transfer procedure can be used; wherein, said transfer procedure comprises heating a stamp, pressing said stamp against a transfer paper, pressing said transfer paper and said stamp against said animal ear tag, and leaving behind said printed identifier once said transfer paper and said stamp are removed. A limitation of current one-piece animal ear tags is the lack of a control chemical. This limitation is due in part to the lack of a means of safely adding said printed identifier to said embodiment and meanwhile not damaging said control chemical. For example, in current embodiments, adding a printed identifier may cause harm to said control chemical due to said transfer procedure (or similar) because said heating step in said transfer procedure can harm said control chemical. Likewise, where said one-piece animal ear tag has been dipped in a chemical, that chemical treatment will be harmed in said transfer procedure.
In another common embodiment, a multi-piece control chemical animal ear tag can comprise a body portion and an ear attachment assembly; wherein a portion of said multi-piece control chemical animal ear tag comprises a control chemical for medical or pest control purposes, and said ear attachment assembly comprises a plurality of separate elements. Said multi-piece control chemical animal ear tag can help protect said animal from pests or provide medication to said animal by releasing said chemicals into the hair, skin, and blood stream. However, said multi-piece control chemical animal ear tag lacks the convenience of other animal ear tags. For example, said multi-piece control chemical animal ear tag lacks the convenience of a one-piece animal ear tag. Generally, multi-piece tags present several limitations in practice. First, multi-piece tags are cumbersome requiring a user to keep up with multiple portions when attaching to an animal. Further, multi-piece tags are more prone to damage and detachment from an animal due to breakage between said first portion and said second portion. Further, multi-piece tags are difficult to remove from an animal because said ear attachment assembly can require a prying force to detach its portions and said prying force may be difficult to apply when in an animal's ear. Likewise, current embodiments of said multi-piece control chemical animal ear tags lack the simultaneous use of a control chemical and an identifier.
In another embodiment, a RFID animal ear tag was introduced comprising a body portion, an ear attachment assembly capable of attaching to an animal's ear, a printed identifier, and a RFID chip; wherein said RFID chip is capable of being wirelessly read by a RFID reader. Said RFID animal ear tag provides the convenience of machine tracking said animal. However, said RFID animal ear tags do not provide a control chemical in addition to their RFID features.
Current animal ear tag users are now faced with the difficult choice of choosing between said one-piece animal ear tags, said multi-piece control chemical animal ear tag, or said RFID animal ear tags. Accordingly, said animal ear tag user is required to purchase, apply, and maintain multiple animal ear tags to accomplish the full range of features an animal ear tag can provide. Accordingly, it would be useful to have an improved system and method for maintaining animal ear tags.
A system for maintaining animal ear tags is disclosed. Specifically, said system comprising an animal ear tag. Said animal ear tag comprises a body, a control chemical, one or more identifiers, and an ear attachment assembly. Said ear attachment assembly is capable of attaching to an ear of an animal. Said body and said ear attachment assembly are one-piece.
Described herein is a system and method for maintaining animal ear tags. The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention as claimed and is provided in the context of the particular examples discussed below, variations of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation (as in any development project), design decisions must be made to achieve the designers' specific goals (e.g., compliance with system- and business-related constraints), and that these goals will vary from one implementation to another. It will also be appreciated that such development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the field of the appropriate art having the benefit of this disclosure. Accordingly, the claims appended hereto are not intended to be limited by the disclosed embodiments, but are to be accorded their widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
In one embodiment, a portion of animal ear tag 100 can comprise a control chemical for protecting an animal. For example, in one embodiment, said control chemical can comprise a pesticide, a medication, a multivitamin, or a combination of these chemicals. In one embodiment, said pesticide can comprise any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. In one embodiment, said pesticide can comprise a migratory and volatile pesticide. In another embodiment, said pesticide can comprise at least one migratory and vaporizable (or exudable) pesticide. In one embodiment, said medication can comprise a pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine or medicament, loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease. In one embodiment, said multivitamin can comprise a chemical substance intended to supplement said animal's diet with vitamins, dietary minerals and other nutritional elements. In another embodiment, said multivitamin can comprise a chemical substance for assisting with the growth and development of an animal.
In one embodiment, said animal ear tag 100 can administer said control chemical to an animal by releasing said control chemical into the animal's hair and skin through contact. Further, in such an embodiment, said control chemical can enter said animal's blood stream and thereby deliver said control chemical to the rest of said animal's body.
In one embodiment, said control chemical can be added to animal ear tag 100 by a dipping procedure, as known in the art. In one embodiment, said dipping procedure can comprise heating a portion of animal ear tag 100, dipping said portion in said control chemical, removing said portion from said control chemical, and allowing said portion to cool. In another embodiment, animal ear tag 100 can be made by molding a compound of a plastic and said control chemical. In one embodiment, said plastic can comprise a material from any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products, as known in the art. In other embodiments, said plastic can comprise other plastic-like materials, such as vinyl, as would be obvious to those experienced in the art. In one embodiment, control chemical element 102 can comprise both body 101 and ear attachment assembly 103. In another embodiment, control chemical element 102 can be separate from but connected to body 101 and ear attachment assembly 103.
In such an embodiment, said control chemical can be administered by control chemical element 102. Further, in such an embodiment, control chemical element 102 can be manufactured separately from the rest of animal ear tag 100 and attached later. In such an embodiment, control chemical element 102 can also be replaced when said control chemical loses potency. Further, in such an embodiment, control chemical element 102 can avoid damage during the manufacture by being manufactured separately from the rest of animal ear tag 100. In one embodiment, control chemical element 102 can be attached to second side 107 and stretch around the edges of body 101.
In one embodiment, first side 106 can comprise a substantially flat space large enough to accommodate printed identifier 105. In one embodiment, printed identifier 105 can be large enough to be read by users of animal ear tag 100 at typical distances, as is common in the art. In one embodiment, printed identifier 105 can comprise an identifier associated with an animal, an animal's owner, an animal's feed or medication requirements, an animal's assigned location, or similar as is known in the art. Printed identifier 105 can further comprise a barcode or other printed identifier capable of being read by an electronic code reader, such as a barcode reader. In one embodiment, printed identifier 105 can be imprinted onto body 101. In another embodiment, printed identifier 105 can be stamped onto body 101. In another embodiment, printed identifier 105 can be molded into body 101 at the time body 101 is molded. In another embodiment, printed identifier 105 can be added to body 101 by transferring printed identifier 105 to body 101 using a transfer procedure; said transfer procedure can comprise heating a transfer paper (commonly known as “tagging tape”) along a select path defined by a stencil, stamp or a brand (commonly known as a “slug”), as will be discussed infra in the detailed description of
In one embodiment, electronic identifier 104 can be attached to first side 106. In another embodiment, electronic identifier 104 can be attached to second side 107, as in
In one embodiment, animal ear tag 100 can comprise a one-piece ear tag, as known in the art, but can further comprise said control chemical, electronic signaler 104, and/or printed identifier 105. For example, in one embodiment, animal ear tag 100 can comprise control chemical element 102 and printed identifier 105; wherein, animal ear tag 100 can replace the need for multiple ear tags in said animal (one tag with printed identifier 105 and one tag with said control chemical). In another embodiment, a plurality of components can be included in a single ear tag; wherein said plurality of components can comprise a selection from control chemical element 102, electronic signaler 104, printed identifier 105, and control chemical element 102.
In one embodiment, neck 201 can attach to body 101 as in
In one embodiment, shaft 202 can comprise a rectangular shape. In one embodiment, said rectangular shape can prevent animal ear tag 100 from rotating in an animal's ear. In another embodiment, shaft 202 can comprise a substantially cylindrical shape as show in
Back portion 203a can comprise a first end 205a and a second end 206a. In one embodiment, first end 205a can be attached to shaft 202. In one embodiment, slot 204 can comprise a hole in second end 206a, as shown in
In one embodiment, neck 201 can be proportionately short as compared with body 101 in order to minimize exposure to breakage and accidental tearing by animals. For example, in one embodiment, the width and height of neck 201 can be only 10% the width of body 101. In one embodiment, neck 201 can be as short as possible thereby minimizing the animal's ability to scratch against hard surfaces (such as trees, posts, cables, etc.) and pull out animal ear tag 100.
In one embodiment, stamping system 300 can be capable of transferring printed identifier 105 to animal ear tag 100 by said transfer procedure, introduced supra. In one embodiment, printed identifier mirror image 303 can comprise a mirror image of printed identifier 105. In one embodiment, printed identifier mirror image 303 can comprise a portion of said stamp 301, raised to form said mirror image of printed identifier 105. In one embodiment, said transfer procedure can comprise heating printed identifier mirror image 303 with heating source 304, inserting an unused portion of transfer paper 302 between printed identifier mirror image 303 and body 101, pressing transfer paper 302 against body 101 with printed identifier mirror image 303, releasing a portion of transfer paper 302 on body 101 wherein said portion of transfer paper 302 comprises printed identifier 105 to transfer to body 101, and removing printed identifier mirror image 303 and transfer paper 302 from body 101. In one embodiment, animal ear tag 100 can be configured to ensure stamp 301 will not come into contact with portions of animal ear tag 100 likely to sustain injury by contact with a heated element. For example, in one embodiment, control chemical element 102 and electronic signaler 104 can be attached to second side 107 of body 101 and printed identifier 105 can be transferred to first side 106 of body 101, as in
Handle 502 can comprise an index finger slot 505 and a handle grip 506. In one embodiment, applicator 500 can be capable of piercing an animal's ear by gripping handle grip 506, inserting an index finger into index finger slot 505, thrusting applicator 500 against an animal's ear, and piercing said animal's ear with blade tip 503.
In another embodiment, animal ear tag 100 can be used with any known or yet to be developed alternative applicator as will be apparent to any person competent in the art.
Various changes in the details of the illustrated operational methods are possible without departing from the scope of the following claims. Some embodiments may combine the activities described herein as being separate steps. Similarly, one or more of the described steps may be omitted, depending upon the specific operational environment the method is being implemented in. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments may be used in combination with each other. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.”
