FR2715798A1 - Movable cage for domestic animals e.g. rabbits - Google Patents

Abstract

The cage(1) is mounted on four wheels(12), with very little ground clearance. The wheels are driven slowly by a solar energy or battery-driven electric motor. The motor(2) has a timer circuit which times the motor so that the wheels move the cage a distance equal to the cages length. The base of the cage(1) is formed of planks or bars(17).

Description

 The present invention relates to a mobile enclosure device for herbivorous domestic animals.

 The object of the present invention is indeed to provide a device for mowing a lawn, or other grassy surface needing to be mowed or weeded, using herbivorous domestic animals such as for example rabbits, sheep, geese dwarfs, kangaroos or others.

 Grass surfaces can be, for example, lawns, fallows, power lines, forest firebreaks or plantations.

 The mobile enclosure device according to the invention is essentially characterized in that it comprises a cage mounted on wheels with very little ground clearance, said wheels being driven very slowly by an electric motor powered by solar energy or by a rechargeable battery.

 According to an additional characteristic of the device according to the invention, the bottom of the cage comprises regularly spaced longitudinal blades.

 According to another additional characteristic of the device according to the invention, the cage comprises a compartment accessible from inside the cage, and the bottom of which is formed of a retractable sheet.

 The use of such a device is very simple because it suffices to place it on a lawn, to introduce domestic animals of the rabbit type therein, and to put the wheel drive system into operation.

 The animals cut and eat the grass, the very slow movement of the assembly making it possible to continually renew the surface to be mowed.

 The compartment inside the cage serves as a shelter for the animals, allowing them in particular to drink there and to do their needs, the possibility of removing the bottom of this compartment allowing its cleaning.

 It should be emphasized that the movement of the assembly may not be continuous but temporary, thanks to a timing device, so that the device can remain in the same location for a predetermined period, depending on the height of the grass. and the number of animals, then, after this parking period, the wheel drive system is activated in order to move the cage the length of it.

 The longitudinal blades allow on the one hand to ensure a better movement of the enclosure, in particular when it encounters an obstacle of the molehill type, because they can slide on said obstacle, and on the other hand to prevent the animals from leaving of the cage for example when the latter is raised by an angle when one of the wheels rolls on an obstacle.

 In the case of an operation for the purpose of maintaining forest firebreaks, several mobile enclosures can be used in battery, and preferably with sheep, and it is moreover possible to equip said mobile enclosures with radio fire detectors.

 The advantages and characteristics of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and which refers to the appended drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment thereof.

 In the accompanying drawing, the single figure represents a perspective view of a mobile animal enclosure device according to the invention.

 In this drawing, it can be seen that an enclosure device according to the invention comprises a cage 1 comprising side walls 10 and a roof 11.

 The bottom of the cage 1 is essentially made up of regularly spaced blades or longitudinal bars 17, this spacing being such that an animal 3 cannot pass through it, these blades 17 allowing the enclosure to slide over possible obstacles.

 The blades 17 are placed in the longitudinal direction so as not to risk injuring the animals 3 during the movement of the cage 1, and they are narrow to allow access to all the grass.

 The side walls 10 and the roof 11 consist of grids or grids secured to a frame 12, for example of aluminum.

 The cage 1 also includes a transverse wall 13 creating a compartment 14 equipped with a floor 15, the access to this compartment 14 being made through an opening 16 made in the wall 13.

 The cage 1 is mounted on four notched wheels 20, of which only three are visible in the figure, and at least one of which can be driven in rotation by an electric motor 2 powered by a solar panel 21 placed above the compartment 14.

 The animals 3 are placed in the cage 1, by a door not shown, and can at their discretion enter or leave the compartment 14 in order to find shelter there and to make their needs there, the floor 15 of this compartment being removable, fixed by means known per se, not shown, in order to allow its cleaning.

 The dimensions of a mobile enclosure according to the invention are of course adapted to the size of the animals used.

 The movement device of the mobile enclosure can incorporate a mechanism of the type of those equipping, for example, pool vacuum cleaners to allow them to avoid obstacles, for this purpose ordering a temporary reverse gear associated or not with a pivoting of the wheels.

 It goes without saying that the present invention cannot be limited to the preceding description of one of its embodiments, capable of undergoing a certain number of modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (6)

1) Mobile enclosure device for herbivorous domestic animals such as rabbits, characterized in that it comprises a cage (1) mounted on wheels (12) with very little ground clearance, said wheels (12) being driven very slowly by an electric motor (2). 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the bottom of the cage (1) is closed longitudinally by blades, or bars (17) 3) Device according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that the electric motor (2) is powered by solar energy. 4) Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the electric motor (2) is powered by a rechargeable battery. 5) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motor (2) continuously rotates very slowly. 6) Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the motor (2) comprises a delay means allowing it to temporarily rotate the time to move the cage (1) the length thereof.