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

Description

Technical field of this invention

The invention relates to the field of tagging and identifying animals, and in particular to the field of ear tags for livestock provided with an electronic identification device. The object is an electronic button-type tagging and identification tag associated with such an ear tag and designed to cooperate with the mandrel to be positioned on the animal's body.

State of the art

[0002] Ear tags for the identification and tagging of animals currently connect to a button-shaped tag receiving the pin by a non-reversible connection to securely attach the tags to the animal's body. Among these button tags are those which contain an electronic device for tagging and identifying an animal, such as a transponder or the like.

[0003] In particular, FR 2845564 (ALLFLEX) has proposed a button-like ear tag consisting of two shells, one upper and one lower, between which an electronic device is placed. The two shells, obtained by molding the plastic, are joined together by welding with a laser beam. In order to heat the shells in the welding zone, the bottom shell is translucent to allow the free penetration of the beam, while the top shell is colored by some medium, such as soot, to prevent the beam from penetrating.

[0004] It is also desirable that the top shell be colored as much as possible in contrast to a marking applied by laser or any other method. Designers are therefore trying to give the construction material of the upper shell a bright color.

It turns out, however, that staining the upper shell with soot will make it difficult to obtain its bright color. Consequently, the constructors must find a compromise between the ability of the upper shell to create an obstacle to the penetration of the laser beam for the welding operation and to obtain a sufficiently glare color of this shell.

[0005] Another difficulty to be solved consists in the design of the earring facilitating the placement of the mandrel which it should receive without, however, reducing the reliability of their irreversible connection.

Object of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to propose a button tag for tagging and identifying animals of the type consisting of two shells connected to each other by laser beam welding and containing an electronic device for animal identification. It is in particular the object of the present invention to propose such a button tag which combines best the desired contrasting nature of the button tag and its ability to enable two shells to be welded together by means of a laser beam. In addition, it is also an object of the present invention to propose such a button tag the design of which facilitates the maximum operation of its connection to the pin to be received.

[0007] The button tag according to the invention is a button tag for tagging and identifying an animal, designed to receive a pin by means of an irreversible connection. This button-type earring consists of two molded shells, one upper and one lower. These shells house an electronic device for animal identification therebetween and are assembled together by laser beam welding. The lower shell is translucent to allow the beam to penetrate, while the upper shell is colored to act as an obstacle to beam penetration during the operation of welding the shells together. According to the present invention, such a button-like marking earring is generally recognizable by the fact that its upper shell consists of at least two elements assembled axially one after the other, including one dark-colored base element intended to prevent laser beam penetration, and one vertex element in bright color to make the button contrast with the marking, which can be marked thereon by laser marking or by any other method.

[0008] From the above assumptions, it is clear that designers are free from the constraint of reconciling the coloring of the upper shell with carbon black to create an obstacle to the laser beam and to stain it brightly to make it contrast.

More specifically, the soot-colored zone of the upper crust is limited to a zone of low thickness situated at its base, while the greater part of it in the form of a tip may be brightly colored which will accentuate the mark that may be applied thereon by laser marking or any other means. .

[0009] The assembly of the base and apex elements together is preferably performed by double injection of one of the elements onto the other element. It should be noted, however, that this assembly can be carried out by another method, such as e.g. gluing or hot-folding, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0010] In the preferred case of assembling the base and apex elements by double injection, at least one of either of the base and apex elements preferably has recesses for receiving the material forming the second element for interlocking the elements.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the tip element has recesses for receiving the material of the base element.

[0012] Preferably, the base element is surrounded on the outside for the most part by the tip element so as to mask its presence as best as possible when viewed from the outside of the button-like tag and favor a contrasting appearance with the indicia which may be applied thereon.

The base element preferably has an annular shoulder along its circumference, forming a groove for receiving the rim which the lower shell has on its circumference.

[0014] It should be noted that it is preferable to align the outer sides of the base of the tip element, the shoulder of the base element and the periphery of the lower shell. The arrangement is such that when the button-like earring is assembled, the visible part of the base element is limited to the shoulder that rests thereon.

[0015] The lower shell preferably has a circular central flange for receiving the electronic device, the latter in particular being located between the rim and the circular flange.

[0016] Moreover, the lower shell preferably has an axial ring to receive the pin. This axial ring preferably has a substantially constant thickness and has the shape of a cone widening towards its base. Moreover, the ring is preferably divided into axial elastically deformable wings between which the pin is to move. This arrangement facilitates the insertion and axial guidance of the pin while inserting it into the button earring.

[0017] The ring preferably has a cylindrical zone at its base for receiving the sleeve end of the base element. This cylindrical zone can be used to create a welding zone between the lower shell and the base member of the upper shell.

[0018] The height of the axial ring is preferably of the same order as the sleeve.

[0019] The material of construction of the lower shell and the components of the upper shell is preferably polyamide.

[0020] More specifically, the construction material of the lower shell is polyamide 12, the construction material of the vertex is glass fiber reinforced polyamide 6.6 and the construction material of the base member is polyamide 6.12.

[0021] The present invention will be better understood, and the details thereof, from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 show a perspective view of a button-like earring according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, respectively in a bottom view and in top view; Fig. 3 is a side view of the button earring of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view of the button-like earring shown in the previous drawings;

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of an upper shell which includes the button-like earring shown in the previous drawings in bottom view and top view, respectively;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the upper shell shown in Figs. 5 and 6;

Fig. 8 is an axial sectional view of the upper shell as shown in Figs. 5-7;

Figures 9 and 10 show a perspective view of a lower shell which is comprised of the button-like earring shown in Figures 1-4 in bottom view and top view, respectively;

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 Figs. 9-11.

[0022] In Figures 1 to 4, the button tag for tagging and identifying an animal is designed to receive the pin by means of an irreversible connection. This button-like earring is generally in the form of a disc 1 which has a raised chamber 2 for receiving the tip of a pin for the purpose of irreversibly connecting one element to another.

[0023] The button-type earring consists of two shells 3 and 4 obtained by molding a plastic, preferably a polyamide. The two shells, one lower 3 and the other top 4, are connected to each other by laser beam welding. To enable such an assembly method, the lower shell 3 is translucent, while the upper shell 4 has an axial zone colored with soot. Outside this zone, the upper shell 4 is colored with a bright color so as to contrast it with markings that may be applied to it by laser or in any other way.

[0024] To this end, and with reference to Figs. 5 to 8, the top shell 4 itself consists of two pieces assembled together. The base element 5 is soot-colored while the tip element 6 is brightly colored. The two elements 5 and 6 are connected to each other by double injection of the material during their molding by injection molding.

[0025] With particular reference to Figure 5, the tip element 6 has recesses 7 for receiving the material forming the base element 5 in order to facilitate the interlocking thereof. Moreover, in the region of the disk 1 of the button tag, the tip element 6 for the most part surrounds the outer side of the base element 5 in such a way as to limit the visibility of the latter when viewed from the outer side of the tag.

[0026] With further reference to Figures 9 to 12, the base element 5 has a shoulder 8 on its circumference serving as an axial stop for the rim 9 which is provided on the periphery of the lower shell 3. Moreover, the base element 5 has a bevelled sleeve 10 for receiving the base of the ring. 11.which forms part of the lower shell 3.

[0027] The welding of the two shells 3 and 4 to each other is carried out in two connection zones, in one located in the peripheral shoulder 8 of the base element 5 of the upper shell 4, which receives the periphery 6 of the lower shell 3, and in the other located at the base of the sleeve 10. which adopts the base of the ring 11 of the lower shell 3.

Referring again to Figs. 1-4, it appears that in the region of the button-ring disk 1, the outer surfaces of apex element 6, base element 5 and rim 9 are aligned, leaving only the outer side of the base element 5 in view of the entire base element 5. on it, the shoulder 8, intended to receive the periphery 9 of the lower shell 3.

[0029] In figure 4, the shells 3 and 4 making up the button-like earring house therebetween a transponder 12 or similar electronic device for identifying an animal.

This transponder 12 is placed between the outer wall of the base element 5 of the upper shell 4 and the central circular rib 13 forming part of the lower shell 3.

[0030] Referring again to Figures 9-12, the ring 11 has a substantially constant thickness and has a conical shape widening towards its base. This ring 11 is divided into axial elastically deformable wings 14 to facilitate insertion and guidance of the pin inside the button tag. These wings 14 are preferably formed by indentations made axially in the conical wall of the ring 11, beyond the cylindrical zone of the latter intended to receive the base of the sleeve 10 of the base element 5 of the upper shell 4. It should be noted that the axial height of the ring 11 is of the same order as the sleeve 10 .