Animal marking tag consisting of a shell comprising two coloured elements, namely a carbon black element and a brightly-coloured element

Translation of description of equivalent WO 2006067152 A2

marking button for animals comprising a shell composed of two elements tinted, at carbon black and the other bright color.

Technical field of the invention.

The invention is in the field of marking and identification of animals, especially in the field of ear tags for livestock equipped with an electronic identification device. It relates to an electronic button participant marking and identification of such an ear tag, designed to cooperate with a finger for its placement on the animal.

State of the art.

The ear tags for identification and marking of animals commonly associate a reception button of a finger by irreversible interlocking for the inviolable attachment of the tag on the animal. Among these buttons, we know those who house an electronic member for marking and identification of the animal, such as a transponder or similar body.

it was more particularly proposed by FR2845564 (ALLFLEX), atrial button composed of two shells, one upper and the other lower, between which is housed the electronic component. The two shells, obtained by molding a plastic material, are assembled together by laser beam welding. For warming of cockles in the welding area, the lower shell is translucent to freely pass the beam, while the upper shell is colored from an agent such as carbon black, to obstruct the beam path .

It is also desired to make the upper shell most contrasting relative to the markings it can receive by laser marking or any other process. Designers therefore endeavor to give the constituent material of the upper shell vivid coloring.

However, it appears that the dye to the carbon black of the upper shell makes it difficult to obtain its vivid coloring. It shows for designers to find a compromise between the right of the upper shell to impede the passage of the laser beam to the welding operation, and obtaining a color that sufficiently strong hull.

Another problem to solve is the design of a button facilitating the implementation of the finger that is intended to receive, without undermining the reliability of their irreversible binding.

The invention.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a button for marking and identification of animals, the type consisting of two hulls joined together by laser beam welding and housing them an electronic organ animal identification. It is more particularly targeted by the present invention to provide such a button that best reconciles the desired character contrasted this button and ability to enable welding of the two shells together by means of a laser beam. Alternatively, it is also covered by the present invention to provide such a button, the arrangement facilitates the better operation of its irreversible junction with a finger that is intended to receive.

The button of the present invention is a marking pad and an animal identification adapted to receive a finger by irreversible interlocking. This button is composed of two shells obtained by molding a plastic material, one upper and the other lower. These shells housed therebetween an electronic member for identifying the animal and are connected to one another by laser beam welding. The lower shell is translucent for the passage the bundle while the upper shell is tinted to obstruct the beam path when the hulls welding operation therebetween. According to the present invention, such a marking button is mainly recognizable in that the upper shell is composed of at least two elements assembled in axial extension of each other, including a base member of dark color to obstruct the passage of the laser beam and a brightly colored top element to make the contrast knob relative to the markings it can receive by laser marking or any other method.

It appears from these provisions that designers are exempt from the constraint of having to reconcile the dyeing of the upper shell with carbon black to obstruct the laser beam, and its dyeing bright color to make it contrast. More particularly, the tinted area in the upper shell of carbon black is limited to a small thickness at its base, while its major part materialized by the top member is likely to be a strong coloring will bring out the markings it can receive by laser marking or any other method.

The assembly between them of the basic elements and the top is preferably made by bi-injection of one of the elements on the other elements. however, that this assembly will be noted is likely to be achieved by another method, such as gluing or hot assembly, without derogation from the rules of the invention.

In the preferred case of an assembly of base elements and vertex therebetween by bi-injection, at least any one of the basic elements and the top preferably includes receiving recesses of the material of the other element for anchoring elements to each other.

According to a preferred embodiment, the top element comprises said recesses for receiving the material of the base member. Preferably, the base member is externally enveloped for the greater part by the top element, so as to mask its presence at best view of the outside of the button, and promote the contrasting nature compared to markings have can receive.

The base member has in particular at its periphery a shoulder leaving a receiving rebate with a collar that includes the lower shell around its circumference.

It should be noted that it is preferable to flush the outer faces of the base of the top element, the shoulder of the base member, and the flange of the lower shell. These arrangements are such that the button is assembled, the visible part of the base element is reduced to the shoulder it comprises.

The lower shell preferably includes a median circular flange of the electronic timing member, the latter being especially located between the flange and the circular wing.

In addition, the lower shell comprises in particular an axial barrel for receiving said finger. This axial gun is preferably of substantially constant thickness and is of conical shape flared towards the base. In addition, the barrel is advantageously subdivided into elastically deformable axial fins, between which is intended to circulate said finger. Such provisions serve to facilitate the introduction and axial guidance of the finger when introduced inside the button.

The gun preferably comprises at its base a cylindrical zone for receiving the end of a shaft that includes the base member. This cylindrical area is may be utilized to treat a welding zone between the lower shell and the base member of the upper shell.

The axial extension of the barrel is preferentially of the order of that of the drum.

The constituent material of the lower shell and the upper shell component elements is in particular polyamide.

More particularly, the constituent material of the lower shell is polyamide 12, that of the top member is 6.6 polyamide filled with glass fibers, and that of the base member polyamide 6.12.

Description of the Figures.

The present invention will be better understood, and details thereof will become apparent, on reading the description which will be given with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

The fig.1 and fig.2 are perspective views of a button according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, respectively viewed from below and seen from above.

Fig.3 is a side view of the button shown on Fig.1 and Fig.2.

Fig.4 is an axial sectional view of the button shown in the previous figures. The fig.5 and fig.6 are perspective views of an upper shell that contains the button depicted in the preceding figures, respectively bottom view and top view.

Fig.7 is a side view of the upper shell shown in fig.5 and fig.6. Fig.8 is an axial sectional view of the upper shell shown in Fig.5 to Fig.7. The fig.9 and fig.10 are representations view of a lower shell that includes the key depicted on Fig.1 to Fig.4, respectively bottom view and top view.

Fig.11 is a side view of the lower shell shown in Fig.9 and Fig.10.

Fig.12 is an axial sectional view of the lower shell shown in Fig.1 to Fig.9 1.

On Fig.1 to Fig.4, a marking button and identification of an animal is adapted to receive a finger by irreversible interlocking. This button is generally formed into a tray 1, which is enhanced with a chamber 2 receiving the fingertip for their irreversible binding to each other.

This button is composed of two shells 3 and 4 obtained by molding a plastic, in particular polyamide. These two shells, one bottom 3 and the other upper 4, are assembled together by welding beam

LASER. To enable such an assembly, the lower shell 3 is translucent, while the upper shell 4 comprises a tinted axial area carbon black. In addition to this area, the upper shell 4 is dyed a bright color, contrasting to make relative to the markings it can receive by laser marking or any other method.

To this end, and with reference also to Fig.5 to Fig.8, the upper shell 4 is itself composed of two elements connected to one another. A basic element 5 is tinted with carbon black, while a top member 6 is tinged with bright color. These two elements 5 and 6 are joined to each other by bi-injection of material, as they are formed by molding.

Referring more particularly in Fig.5, the top member 6 has recesses 7 for receiving the constituent material of the base member 5, to promote their anchorage to one another. Furthermore, in the shelf area 1 button, the top casing element 6 in its major part the outer face of the base member 5, so as to limit the appearance of the latter seen from the outside the button.

Referring also to Fig.9 to Fig.12, the base element 5 comprises at its periphery a shoulder 8 of axial abutment with a flange 9 that comprises the lower shell 3 at its periphery. In addition, the base member 5 comprises a shaft 10 supported for receiving the base of a barrel 11 that comprises the lower shell 3.

Bonding the two shells 3 and 4 together is formed in two joining zones, one located in the region of the peripheral shoulder 8 of base member 5 of the upper shell 4, which receives the flange 6 of the lower shell 3 and the other at the base of the drum 10, which receives the base of the barrel 11 of the lower shell 3.

Returning to Fig.1 to Fig.4, it appears that in the shelf area of ​​the button 1, the outer sides of the top member 6 of the base member 5 and the collar 9 are flush, in not revealing of the base member 5 that the outer face of the shoulder 8 it comprises for receiving the flange 9 of the lower shell 3.

On fig.4, the shells 3 and 4 of the button component housed therebetween a transponder 12, or similar electronic device for identifying animals. This transponder 12 is placed between the outer wall of the base member 5 of the upper shell 4, and a median circular flange 13 that has the lower shell 3.

Returning also to Fig.9 to Fig.12, the barrel 11 is of substantially constant thickness and is of conical shape flared towards the base. this gun

1 1 is subdivided into elastically deformable axial fins 14 to facilitate the introduction and guiding of the finger inside the button. These fins 14 are formed in particular from sawcuts axially in the conical wall of the barrel 11, below the cylindrical area that it comprises for receiving the base of the shaft 10 of the base member 5 of the upper shell 4. It will be noted that the axial extension of the barrel 11 is of the order of that of the barrel 10.