JP2019058077A - Flooring material for animal and production method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a flooring material for an animal capable of improving cushion property, and suppressing a used amount of the flooring material spread over a breeding space.SOLUTION: A flooring material 1 for an animal includes a strip-shaped slip 2 of paper formed from a water-absorptive paper into a strip shape, and a rectangular slip 3 of paper from the water-absorptive paper into a rectangular shape, and comprises a mixture of the strip-shaped slip 2 of paper and the rectangular slip 3 of paper.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a floor material for animals which is used for rearing animals such as rabbits and hamsters and animals such as domestic animals and which is laid on the floor of a breeding space, and a method for producing the same.

  Conventionally, a floor material is laid on the floor of a rearing space such as a small animal rearing case or rearing gauge to provide cushioning or absorb excrement such as urine to ensure hygiene. It is commonly done.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes a floor material in which a pulp is washed and bleached and then formed into a single layer pulp sheet by a roller compressor, and the single layer pulp sheet is cut into rectangular chips by a shredder. . This conventional chip-like flooring has excellent water absorbability and cushioning properties as compared to the case where a single-layer pulp sheet is used as a sheet.

JP 2005-237239 A

  However, since the above-mentioned conventional chip-like flooring is usually piled up with a plurality of pulp sheets and cut into a rectangular chip shape by a shredder, the plurality of chip-like floorings become clumps in a state of being piled up Often And since chip-like flooring is formed in the rectangular shape which has a short side and a long side, adjacent chip-like floorings are easy to face the same direction.

  Thus, the conventional chip-like floorings tend to be compacted and dissatisfied in terms of cushioning properties due to the chip-like flooring becoming lumped or facing in the same direction. Moreover, in the conventional chip-like floor material, since it is easy to be dense, relatively many chip-like floor materials are needed in order to spread in a breeding space, and there is a problem that it is uneconomical.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and by making it easy to disperse individual floorings, it is possible to improve cushioning properties and to suppress the amount of flooring used for laying in breeding space. It is an object of the present invention to provide an animal flooring that can be used and a method for producing the same.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has conducted intensive studies, and for each piece of paper making up an animal floor material, by mixing square-shaped pieces of paper into strip-like pieces of paper, each piece of paper can be efficiently made individually. It has been found that it can be dispersed in the present invention.

  That is, the floor material for animals according to the present invention is a floor material to be laid in the breeding space of animals, and is made of strip-like paper strips formed from water-absorbing paper into strips and square-shaped from water-absorbing paper. And a rectangular sheet of paper, and the strip of rectangular paper and the rectangular sheet of paper are mixed.

  In the floor material for animals according to the present invention, since the strip of paper and the rectangular piece of paper are mixed, the strip of paper is oriented in various directions along each side of the rectangular piece of paper, and these various The strip-like paper pieces facing in the direction come in contact at various angles. For this reason, when the floor material for animals according to the present invention has a higher void ratio in the same volume as the floor material consisting of only strip-shaped paper pieces, in other words, the material of the strip-shaped paper pieces and the square-shaped paper pieces are the same. The mass at the same volume is smaller. Moreover, as described above, since many gaps are easily formed between the strip-like pieces by the strip-like pieces being oriented in various directions, even if the strip-like pieces of paper are temporarily formed into one block, The paper block is hard to be dense and easy to be entangled. Therefore, the dispersibility of the strip of paper can be improved. That is, according to the present invention, the rectangular paper pieces are easily dispersed due to the presence of the square-shaped paper pieces, and the cushioning properties of the animal floor material can be improved, and the amount of the animal floor material used for laying in the breeding space This can be suppressed as compared to the case where the flooring is made of a single type of paper.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the strip of paper and the rectangular paper are both made of crepe paper made of unbleached virgin pulp.

  According to this structure, since unbleached virgin pulp is used for the strip-like and square-shaped pieces of paper, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of allergic symptoms of a person who is a breeder or a breeding target animal, and humans and animals. It can be a comfortable floor material. In addition, since the strip-like pieces of paper and the square-shaped pieces of paper are made of creped paper having wrinkles, even if the pieces of paper overlap one another, an air layer intervenes between them, making it difficult to form a lump. For this reason, each piece of paper can be dispersed further and cushioning can be improved. Moreover, since the heat insulation property can be improved by the air layer interposed between the respective pieces of paper, it is possible to configure an animal floor material which is warm in winter and cool in summer.

  In this case, it is preferable that the strip-like sheet and the square-shaped sheet are mixed at a mass ratio of 3: 1 to 5: 1.

  That is, when the mass ratio of the strip-like paper pieces to the rectangular paper pieces is too high, the strip-like paper pieces align in the same direction and become easy to be densely packed, and the narrow strip-like paper pieces are difficult to be entangled and unraveled. On the other hand, if the mass ratio of the strip is too low, the proportion of the square will become excessive and the appearance will deteriorate, and the squares will easily overlap and the volume will be difficult to come out, and the rearing animals are small animals such as hamsters This is not preferable because nesting is difficult to make. For this reason, as described above, it is preferable that the strip-like sheet and the square-shaped sheet are mixed at a mass ratio of 3: 1 to 5: 1.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the four sides of the rectangular sheet be longer than the short side of the strip and shorter than the long side of the strip.

  With this configuration, the strip of paper can be easily loosened to improve the dispersibility, and the floor material can have a volume so that the small animal can easily form a nest, and the appearance of the floor material is deteriorated. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously obtain the effect that it is possible to prevent the strip-like paper pieces and the square-shaped paper pieces from being mixed together. That is, when the four sides of the square-shaped sheet are shorter than the short sides of the strip, the square-shaped sheet is too small, and both the effect of making the strip easier to unravel and the effect of making the floor material volume It will be difficult. On the other hand, when the four sides of the rectangular sheet are longer than the long sides of the rectangular sheet, the rectangular sheet is too large and its appearance is deteriorated, and the rectangular sheet is less likely to be mixed in the aggregate of the rectangular sheets. For this reason, as described above, it is preferable that the four sides of the square-shaped paper piece be longer than the short side of the strip-shaped paper piece and shorter than the long side of the strip-shaped paper piece.

  In this case, it is preferable that the length of each side of the rectangular sheet is set to one half or more and three quarters or less of the length of the long side of the strip.

  With this configuration, the strip of paper can be easily loosened to improve the dispersibility, and the floor material can have a volume so that the small animal can easily form a nest, and the appearance of the floor material is deteriorated. The animal floor material can be appropriately balanced with the effect of being able to prevent the mixture of strip-like and square-shaped paper pieces from becoming difficult.

  Moreover, the method for producing a floor material for animals according to the present invention is a method for producing a floor material to be laid in a breeding space for animals, and a paper having water absorbency is shredded into strips to produce strip-like paper pieces Strip-shaped paper piece preparing step, square-shaped paper piece preparing step of preparing a square-shaped paper piece by cutting water absorbent paper into a square shape, and mixing step of mixing the prepared strip-shaped paper piece and the square-shaped paper piece And the like.

  In the method of manufacturing a floor material for animals according to the present invention, the strip-like sheet cut into strips in the strip-like sheet producing step and the square-shaped sheet cut into the square in the square-shaped sheet producing step are mixed in the mixing step. Therefore, the floor material for animals in which the strip-like piece of paper and the square-shaped piece of paper were mixed can be manufactured. For this reason, for the same reason as in the case of the floor material for animals according to the present invention described above, the strip of paper can be easily dispersed, and the cushioning properties of the floor material for animals can be improved. The amount of floor material used can be reduced as compared to when the floor material consists of a single type of paper.

  In the present invention, the method of manufacturing a floor material for animals comprises the fine powder removing step of removing the fine powder of the paper produced in the strip-like paper piece preparing step and the rectangular shaped paper piece preparing step from the strip-like paper piece and the rectangular shaped paper piece Preferably, it further comprises

  In this way, fine powder of paper, which causes allergic symptoms such as sneezing and rhinitis, to people who are the breeder and animals to be bred can be removed from the strip and square-shaped piece of paper. And provide an animal floor material that is comfortable for animals.

  In this case, in the fine powder removing step, the strip of rectangular paper and the rectangular paper are exposed to an air flow, and the fine powder mixed in the paper is blown away by the air flow to separate it from the paper. It is preferable to include a dividing step.

  In this way, the fine powder is removed from the strip and the square-shaped sheet by separating the fine powder of the paper mixed in the strip and the square-shaped sheet from the sheet in the air screening step. The strip and square shaped pieces are agitated by air flow so that the strip and square shaped pieces after removal of the fine powder are less likely to be lumped, and the cushioning and heat insulating properties have many voids. A good animal floor material can be provided.

  According to the present invention, the presence of the rectangular paper pieces facilitates dispersion of the strip-like paper pieces, and the cushioning properties of the animal floor material are improved, and the amount of the animal floor material used for laying in the breeding space is This can be suppressed as compared with the case where the material consists of a single type of paper.

It is a perspective view of the package with which the floor material for animals concerning one embodiment of the present invention was filled. It is a general view of a floor material for animals concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a general view of the flooring for animals by the comparative example of this invention. It is a top view of the strip-shaped paper piece which comprises the flooring for animals which concerns on this embodiment shown in FIG. It is a top view of the square-shaped paper piece which comprises the flooring for animals which concerns on this embodiment shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

  In the present embodiment, a floor material for animals used for breeding small animals such as hamsters, rats, mice and rabbits will be described. However, the floor material for animals according to the present invention is a pet, a pet, etc. It can be used for animals, livestock such as cows and horses, etc., and the breeding target is not particularly limited. However, the size and the like of a paper sheet to be described later may be changed depending on the target animal.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the floor material 1 for animals of the present embodiment is provided with a large number of strip-shaped paper pieces 2 formed in a strip shape and a large number of square-shaped paper pieces 3 formed in a rectangular shape. A strip of paper 2 and a piece of rectangular paper 3 are mixed. The animal floor material 1 is packed in a package 100 as shown in FIG. 1, for example, and shipped and sold as a product.

  The strip-shaped paper piece 2 is entirely crimped, and in the state where the crimp is extended, it forms an elongated strip shape. A large number of strip-shaped paper pieces 2 are gathered in a state of being directed in various directions, and a void (air layer) is interposed between the strip-shaped paper pieces 2. As a result, the assembly of strip-shaped paper pieces 2 has a fluffy feel and cushioning properties.

  The strip-like paper piece 2 has a shape shown in FIG. 4 in a plan view in a state where the crimp is extended, and a pair of short sides 11 facing each other and a pair extending perpendicularly to the short sides 11 and facing each other And the long side 12 of the The short side 11 has a length A in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm, and the long side 12 has a length B in the range of 20 mm to 70 mm. The lengths A of the pair of short sides 11 are set to be substantially the same. The length B of the pair of long sides 12 is set to be substantially the same. However, the length A of the pair of short sides 11 may be slightly different, and the length B of the pair of long sides 12 may be slightly different. Further, the angle formed by the short side 11 and the long side 12 adjacent thereto may be slightly deviated from 90 degrees.

  In addition, it is preferable that the length B of the long side 12 of the strip-shaped paper piece 2 is set to 15 times or less of the length A of the short side 11 from a viewpoint of preventing wrapping with the animal of breeding object. That is, conventionally, there is a paper-made floor material for animals, which is made of a tape-like or string-like paper piece whose length of the long side is remarkably large with respect to the short side. There is a risk that wrapping around the legs or neck may occur. On the other hand, in the strip-shaped paper piece 2 of the present embodiment, since the length B of the long side 12 is set as described above, wrapping around the leg or neck of the animal is prevented.

  Moreover, the strip-shaped paper piece 2 consists of paper which has water absorbency. Specifically, the paper used for the strip 2 has a water absorption that can sufficiently absorb the standard amount of urine excreted by animals to be bred from many types of paper having various water absorbency. The one having is selected. Specifically, the paper used for the strip-like paper piece 2 has a Klemm water absorption of about 40 mm or more as measured by the water absorption test by the Klemm method specified in JIS P 8141: 2004. The Klemm water absorption corresponds to the height from the lower end where the lower end of the test piece is vertically immersed in water, and the test piece is raised by capillary action in 10 minutes.

  The paper used for the strip 2 is a wrinkled crepe paper made of unbleached virgin pulp, and the fibers contained in this paper are all unbleached virgin pulp. Moreover, the crepe paper used for this strip-like paper piece 2 is a paper for food applications applied to, for example, a kitchen paper, a paper filter for coffee drips, and the like. Paper for food use contains no or very small amounts of chemical substances, contaminants, microorganisms, additives and the like, and it is safe and safe even if it enters the mouth of a person or animal.

  The rectangular paper sheet 3 has a slight corrugation in a state where it is mixed with the strip-like paper pieces 2 and filled in the package 100, but in a state in which the corrugation is stretched, it exhibits the shape shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the square-shaped paper piece 3 is a square having four sides 14 having substantially the same length. However, the length of each side 14 of the square-shaped paper piece 3 may be slightly different, and the angle formed by one side 14 and the other piece 14 adjacent thereto may be slightly deviated from 90 degrees.

  The four sides 14 of the square-shaped paper piece 3 are longer than the short side 11 of the strip-like paper piece 2 and shorter than the long side 12. Specifically, the length C of each side 14 of the rectangular paper sheet 3 is set to one half or more and three quarters or less of the length B of the long side 12 of the strip-like paper sheet 2, More specifically, the length is set in the range of 10 mm to 40 mm.

  The rectangular paper piece 3 is made of the same crepe paper as the paper used for the strip-like paper piece 2 described above. That is, the square-shaped paper piece 3 has the same water absorption as the strip-like paper piece 2.

  The rectangular sheet 3 is mixed with the strip 2 at a mass ratio of 3: 1 to 5: 1. The square-shaped paper pieces 3 are dispersed and mixed in the aggregate of the strip-like paper pieces 2 as a whole.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rectangular paper sheet 3 causes the strip 2 of the surrounding paper to face in various directions. That is, the rectangular paper strip 3 restricts the direction of the long side direction of the strip-like paper strip 2 in contact with each of the four sides 14 so that it approaches the extending direction of the abutted side 14. The strip pieces 2 in contact are directed in different directions. Due to the direction control action of the rectangular paper pieces 2 by the rectangular paper pieces 3, the rectangular paper pieces 2 facing various directions exist in the animal floor material 1.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the flooring 1 for animals by this embodiment is demonstrated.

  In the present embodiment, the strip 2 and the rectangular sheet 3 constituting the floor material 1 for animal are produced in different steps respectively, and the produced strip 2 and the rectangular sheet 3 are mixed at a predetermined ratio. The animal flooring 1 is manufactured by carrying out. This manufacturing method includes the following strip-shaped paper piece manufacturing step, square-shaped paper piece manufacturing step, mixing step and fine powder removing step. The details of each step will be described below.

(Strip-shaped paper strip manufacturing process)
In the manufacturing process, a large number of strip-like paper pieces 2 are manufactured by shredding crepe paper made of unbleached virgin pulp. In this embodiment, the strip of crepe paper produced in the process of manufacturing a paper filter for kitchen paper or coffee drip is used as a material, and the strip-like paper piece 2 is produced from the material.

  Specifically, a plurality of the above-mentioned materials are stacked and put into a shredder and shredded into a strip shape to produce the strip-like paper piece 2. The shredders used are those generally used in offices and waste disposal companies for shredding documents and the like. The shredding size of the shredder used determines the size of the strip 2 to be produced. For this reason, a shredder capable of shredding to a desired size satisfying the conditions of the short side 11 and the long side 12 of the strip-like paper piece 2 described above is selected and used. Although a plurality of pieces of paper shredded by the shredder are united together, the united strip-like paper pieces 2 are separated to some extent by loosening them.

  In addition to shredders, crushers and crushers can be considered as devices used for shredding, but these devices tend to generate fine powder of paper since they are crushed by applying an impact to paper. On the other hand, in the shredder, since the paper is cut between the rotating blades engaged with each other, generation of fine powder of paper is reduced.

(Rectangular paper strip production process)
In the manufacturing process, a large number of square-shaped paper pieces 3 are manufactured by cutting a crepe paper made of unbleached virgin pulp similar to the material of the strip-like paper pieces 2 into a rectangular shape by a cutter. In this process, unlike the strip-like paper sheet manufacturing process, a square-shaped paper sheet 3 is manufactured by cutting a large-size crepe paper instead of the above-described scraps. As the cutter, for example, a high-speed cutter used for bookbinding or the like is used.

(Mixing process)
In the mixing step, the strip-like paper pieces 2 and the square-shaped paper pieces 3 produced as described above are mixed at a predetermined ratio within the range of 3: 1 to 5: 1 by mass ratio. Under the present circumstances, although the square-shaped paper piece 3 is mixed with the assembly of the strip-like paper pieces 2, first, the total weight of the assembly of the strip-like paper pieces 2 is measured. Then, the mass of the square-shaped paper sheet 3 having the predetermined ratio with respect to the measured total weight is calculated, and the square-shaped paper sheet 3 for the calculated mass is weighed and mixed into the aggregate of strip-shaped paper sheets 2. At this time, the square-shaped paper pieces 3 are mixed into the aggregate of the strip-like paper pieces 2 while stirring the whole so that the square-shaped paper pieces 3 are dispersed. Specifically, the assembly of strip-shaped paper pieces 2 and the square-shaped paper piece 3 that has been weighed are put in a container such as a large bat, and the operator mixes the paper pieces 2 and 3 in the container well as a whole. Stir by hand. Various known devices for stirring and mixing may be used to mix the paper pieces 2 and 3.

(Fine powder removal process)
In the shredding by the shredder in the strip-like paper piece preparing step and the cutting by the cutting machine in the square-shaped paper piece preparing step, fine powder of paper of a small amount is generated, and the fine powder is the strip-like piece 2 and square shape. Since it mixes in the paper piece 3, the fine powder is removed in the said fine powder removal process. In the fine powder removing step, the strip 2 and the square shaped pieces 3 mixed in the mixing step are exposed to an air flow, and the fine powder mixed in the pieces 2 and 3 is blown away by the air flow to , Air separation step 3 is performed.

  In this process, an air sieving device is used. This air type sieving device is provided with a hollow case in which the strip 2 and the square 3 are put, and a blower for blowing an air flow into the case. The blower is disposed on one side of the housing and blows an air flow substantially horizontally into the housing. An insertion port is provided in the upper part close to the blower in the housing, and the mixture of the strip 2 and the rectangular sheet 3 is introduced into the housing through the insertion port. The side of the housing opposite to the blower is open, and a filter is installed to block the opening. The filter has a fineness of passing an air flow, but does not allow fine powder to pass, and captures fine powder flying on the air flow. At a position in front of the filter in the housing, a fine powder storage space is provided in which the fine powder captured by the filter is collected. In a region on the blower side of the bottom portion in the housing with respect to the fine powder storage space, a paper piece storage space is provided in which the strip-like paper pieces 2 and the square-shaped paper pieces 3 from which the fine powder is removed are accumulated.

  In the above-described air sieving apparatus, when a mixture of strip-like paper pieces 2 and square-shaped paper pieces 3 is introduced into the housing through the insertion port, the mixture is exposed to the air flow from the blower while falling in the housing. Ru. At this time, since the fine powder mixed in the mixture is lighter than the paper pieces 2 and 3, it is blown away by the air flow, while the paper pieces 2 and 3 are relatively quickly dropped although they are somewhat blown away by the air flow. . That is, the fine powder is blown off until it hits the filter, and is captured by the filter and accumulated in the fine powder storage space, and only the air flow passes through the filter and is released to the outside. On the other hand, the paper pieces 2 and 3 fall and accumulate in the paper piece storage space in front of the fine powder storage space. Thus, the fine powder is sieved and removed from the paper pieces 2 and 3, and a mixture of the paper pieces 2 and 3 after removal of the fine powder is obtained as the animal flooring 1.

  Further, a conveying device such as a conveyer or an air feeding device is attached to the air type sieving device, and the paper pieces 2 and 3 accumulated in the paper piece storage space are conveyed by the conveying device to a filling place for the package 100. , Package 100 is filled.

  As described above, in the floor material 1 for animals according to the present embodiment, since the strip 2 and the rectangular sheet 3 are mixed, the strip 2 around the rectangular sheet 3 is a square sheet Along each side 14 of 3, the strip-shaped paper pieces 2 facing in various directions are in contact with each other at various angles. On the other hand, as in the comparative example shown in FIG. 2, when the animal floor material 51 is formed of only strip-shaped paper pieces 52, the other strip-shaped paper pieces 52 adjacent thereto along each strip-shaped paper piece 52 are the same. It is easy to turn in the direction, and those strip-like paper pieces 52 tend to be dense. Therefore, in the floor material 1 for animals of this embodiment, compared with the floor material 51 for animals of the comparative example which consists only of strip-like paper pieces 52, many gaps are easy to be made between strip-like paper pieces 2 comrades. For this reason, the floor material 1 for animals of this embodiment has a high porosity in the same volume compared with the floor material which consists only of strip-like paper pieces.

  Moreover, in the floor material 1 for animals of the present embodiment, since many gaps are easily formed between the strip-like paper pieces 2 when the strip-like paper pieces 2 face various directions as described above, the strip-like paper pieces are temporarily Even when 2 is a single block of paper, it is difficult for the paper to become dense and easy to be loosened. Therefore, in the floor material 1 for animals of this embodiment, the dispersibility of the strip-like paper piece 2 can be improved.

  Therefore, in the floor material 1 for animals according to the present embodiment, the strip 2 is easily dispersed due to the presence of the square shaped paper pieces 3, and the cushioning property can be improved, and the use of the floor material 1 for animals for laying in breeding space The amount can be reduced compared to when the flooring consists of a single type of paper.

  In addition, when the floor material for animals is made of only a tape-like or string-like paper piece having an extremely large length, there is a risk that wrapping around the leg or neck of the animal to be bred may occur. In the floor material 1 for animals, since the length B of the long side 12 of the strip 2 is set within the range of 20 mm to 70 mm and not more than 15 times the length of the short side A, the strip 2 is Since it is difficult to wind around an animal and the square shaped paper pieces 3 that can not be rolled up are mixed in the first place, wrapping around an animal is prevented.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the strip 2 and the rectangular sheet 3 are made of creped paper having wrinkles, even if the strip 2 pieces or the strip 2 and the rectangular sheet 3 overlap with each other, The air layer intervenes, and it is difficult to become a lump. For this reason, the paper pieces 2 and 3 can be further dispersed, and the cushioning property can be improved. Moreover, since the heat insulation property can be improved by the air layer interposed between the paper pieces 2 and 3, the floor material 1 for animals which is warm in winter and cool in summer can be configured.

  In addition, in dry pasture and wood waste commonly used as floor materials for animal breeding in the past, it has been found that allergic symptoms such as sneezing and rhinitis are caused to people who are the breeder and animals to be bred. However, in the present embodiment, since unbleached virgin pulp which is less likely to cause allergic symptoms is used for strip 2 and square 3, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of allergic symptoms in humans and animals. And it can be a comfortable floor material for animals. Moreover, the paper material used for the strip 2 and the square paper piece 3 is the same as the paper material for food use applied to the paper filter for kitchen paper and coffee drip, so temporarily It is safe and secure even if you enter the mouth.

  In the floor material 1 for animals of the present embodiment, the strip-like paper pieces 2 and the square-shaped paper pieces 3 are mixed at a ratio in the range of 3: 1 to 5: 1 in mass ratio, so that the strip-like paper pieces It is possible to properly balance the improvement of the dispersibility of (2) with the apparent goodness of the floor material for animals 1 and the ease of nest formation by small animals such as hamsters.

  That is, when the mass ratio of the strip 2 to the rectangular sheet 3 is too high, the strip 2 is easily aligned in the same direction and densely packed, and the strips 2 are entangled and it is difficult to be unwound. The dispersibility of the paper 2 is degraded. On the other hand, when the mass ratio of the strip 2 is too low, the ratio of the square 3 becomes excessive and the appearance is deteriorated, and the square 3 is easily overlapped with each other, and the volume is difficult to be produced. It becomes difficult for small animals such as to make nests. For this reason, the dispersion of the strip-shaped paper piece 2 is improved by mixing the strip-shaped paper piece 2 and the square-shaped paper piece 3 at a ratio within a range of 3: 1 to 5: 1 in mass ratio as described above. The balance between the appearance and the ease of nest formation by small animals such as hamsters can be balanced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, all four sides 14 of the rectangular paper piece 3 are longer than the short side 11 of the strip-like paper piece 2 and shorter than the long side 12 of the strip-like paper piece 2. The length of each side 14 is set to one half or more and three quarters or less of the length of the long side 12 of the strip 2. For this reason, the strip-shaped paper pieces 2 can be easily loosened to improve the dispersibility and, at the same time, the volume of the floor material 1 can be taken out so that small animals can easily form nests, and the appearance of the floor material 1 for animals The animal floor material 1 can be configured to be appropriately balanced with the effect of preventing deterioration and preventing the strip 2 and the rectangular sheet 3 from being mixed together.

  In addition, since the method of manufacturing the floor material 1 for animals according to the present embodiment includes the fine powder removing step of removing the fine powder of the paper produced in the step of producing the strip 2 and the step of producing the rectangular sheet 3. The fine powder of paper which causes allergic symptoms such as sneezing and rhinitis to a person who is a human being and a breeding target animal can be removed from the strip 2 and the square 3. For this reason, it is possible to provide the animal floor material 1 that is more comfortable for humans and animals.

  Further, in the fine powder removing step, the strip 2 and the square-shaped paper piece 3 are exposed to an air flow, and the fine powder mixed in the paper pieces 2 and 3 is blown away by the air flow and separated from the paper pieces 2 and 3 Includes air sieving process. For this reason, the fine powder is removed from the strip 2 and the square shaped sheet 3 and the strip 2 and the square shaped sheet 3 are stirred by the air flow so that the strip is removed after the fine powder is removed. The 2 and square shaped paper pieces 3 are less likely to be lumped, and the animal floor material 1 can be provided that has a large amount of voids and that has excellent cushioning properties and heat insulating properties.

[Verification of the effect by the floor material for animals of this embodiment]
The effects obtained by the animal floor material of the present embodiment were verified by experiments. In this experiment, only the floor material for the animal in which the strip 2 of the present embodiment and the square 3 are mixed at a mass ratio of 4: 1 and the same strip as the strip 2 of the present embodiment are used. Prepare the animal floor material of Comparative Example 1 consisting of and the animal floor material of Comparative Example 2 consisting of only the same rectangular paper pieces as the rectangular paper piece 3 of the present embodiment, and for each of these animal floor materials The weight of a constant volume was measured, and the touch was examined. The contents and results of the experiment will be described.

(Weight measurement of a fixed volume)
In this measurement, the floor material for animals of the present embodiment, the floor material for animals of Comparative Example 1 and the floor material for animals of Comparative Example 2 are respectively weighed to fill a 500 ml container, and their weights Was measured. As a result, the weight of the floor material for animals of this embodiment was 15 g, the weight of the floor material for animals of Comparative Example 1 was 30 g, and the weight of the floor material for animals of Comparative Example 2 was 10 g.

  From this experiment result, when laying a certain volume of animal floor material in the breeding space, the animal floor material of the present embodiment has a smaller amount of use compared to the animal floor material of Comparative Example 1 consisting only of strip-like paper pieces I understand that it is enough to Moreover, in the flooring for animals of the comparative example 2 which consists only of a square-shaped paper piece, although it turned out that a usage amount may be smaller, it turns out that this flooring for animals is not suitable from the result in the following tactile inspection. The

(Touch test)
In this tactile sensation test, the tactile sensation is checked by manually touching or holding the animal floor material of the present embodiment, the animal floor material of Comparative Example 1, and the animal floor material of Comparative Example 2 The As a result, in the floor material for animals of the present embodiment, a more fluffy feeling was obtained as compared with the floor material for animals of Comparative Example 1 consisting of only strip-shaped paper pieces. Therefore, it was found that the floor material for animals of the present embodiment is superior in cushioning property to the floor material for animals of Comparative Example 1 consisting of only strip-shaped paper pieces. Moreover, the floor material for animals of Comparative Example 2 which consists only of square-shaped paper pieces has a rough feel, and it can not be said that it is suitable in terms of cushioning properties.

  From the above results, it was proved that the floor material for animals of the present embodiment is preferable from the viewpoint of achieving both suppression of the amount used for laying in the breeding space and improvement of cushioning properties.

  In addition, the floor material for animals demonstrated above is one Embodiment of the floor material for animals of this invention, About the concrete structure etc., it can change suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. Hereafter, the modification is demonstrated.

  (1) In the above embodiment, although the floor material for animals made of a mixture of two types of paper pieces of strip-shaped paper pieces and square-shaped paper pieces has been described, paper pieces of another shape other than the two types of paper pieces May be added. For example, a piece of paper having various shapes such as a round shape, a triangle, a pentagon or more polygon, and an outer edge having a corrugated or jagged shape may be mixed with the strip-like sheet and the square-shaped sheet to constitute the animal floor material.

  (2) Moreover, the strip-like paper pieces contained in the floor material for animals are not necessarily limited to those which form a crimped shape, and the strip-like shape shown in FIG. It may be included in the animal floor in a shape slightly curved from an extended shape.

  (3) Moreover, the square-shaped paper pieces contained in the floor material for animals are not necessarily limited to those having a wavy shape, and the square-shaped elongated shape shown in FIG. It may be included in the animal floor in a shape slightly curved from an extended shape.

  (4) In the embodiment described above, the strip-like paper pieces are produced by shredding the paper into strips using a shredder, but the strip-like paper pieces may be produced by other methods. For example, a strip of paper may be produced by shredding the paper into strips using a manual operation or a cutter, or crushing using a grinder.

  (5) In the said embodiment, although the square shaped paper piece was produced by cut | disconnecting paper to square shape with a cutting machine, you may produce a square shaped paper piece by the method other than that. For example, a square-shaped paper piece may be produced by manually cutting the paper into a square shape, or a square-shaped paper piece may be produced by punching out of the paper with a punching machine such as a so-called Thomson machine.

  (6) In the above embodiment, the same material is used as the material of the strip-shaped paper piece and the square-shaped paper piece, but the material of the strip-shaped paper piece and the square-shaped paper piece may be different.

  (7) Moreover, in the said embodiment, although unbleached virgin pulp was used as a raw material of a strip-like paper piece and a square-shaped paper piece, the raw material of a strip-like paper piece and a square-shaped paper piece is not necessarily limited to unbleached virgin pulp. That is, the material of at least one of the strip-like paper piece and the square-shaped paper piece may be a material other than the unbleached virgin pulp, for example, a bleached pulp or a regenerated pulp obtained from waste paper. Also, unbleached virgin pulp may be mixed with regenerated pulp or bleached pulp.

  (8) Further, in the above-described embodiment, crepe paper having wrinkles is used for the strip-like paper pieces and the square-shaped paper pieces, but the paper may not necessarily be crepe paper as long as it is a paper having water absorbency. In addition, paper for food use does not have to be used, and paper material of lower standards than those required for paper materials for food use with respect to chemical substances, contaminants, microorganisms, additives, etc. You may use.

  (9) In the above embodiment, although the end of a paper filter for kitchen paper or coffee drip is used as the material of the strip of strip, the strip of strip may be produced from a large sheet of paper instead of the scrap. Good.

  (10) Further, in the above embodiment, the mixing ratio of the strip of paper and the square of paper is set to a ratio in the range of 3: 1 to 5: 1 in mass ratio, but the ratio of the strip of paper and the square of paper is The mixing ratio is not necessarily limited to this ratio. For example, the mixing ratio of the strip of paper and the square of paper may be in the range of 20: 1 to 1: 1 in mass ratio.

  (11) Also, the length of each side of the rectangular paper strip is not necessarily limited to the range of 1/2 or more and 3/4 or less of the length of the long side of the strip of paper, for example, The length may be outside the range of not less than 1/2 and not more than 3/4 within a range larger than the short side and smaller than the long side of the strip-like sheet.

  (12) Moreover, the manufacturing method of the flooring for animals does not necessarily need to include the fine powder removal process. That is, the mixed strip of paper and square paper may be filled in the package without removing the fine powder.

  (13) Moreover, when performing a fine powder removal process, it is not necessarily limited to removing fine powder by an air sieving process. For example, the fine powder may be removed from the strip of paper strip and the rectangular piece of paper by a drum rotary sieving device, a vibrating sieving device, or another sieving device.

  The drum rotary sieving apparatus includes a cylindrical drum in which the object to be treated is placed, and the drum is disposed in a posture in which the axial center direction is substantially horizontal, and the circumferential wall of the drum is A large number of small holes are formed to communicate with the inside and the outside. The drum rotary sieving apparatus is an apparatus for discharging only an object having a size that can pass through the hole from the object to be processed to the outside of the drum by rotating the drum about its axis. When a drum rotary sieving apparatus is used in the fine powder removing step, a mixture of strip-shaped paper pieces and square-shaped paper pieces is placed in the drum, and the mixture is stirred while being rotated by rotating the drum. The contained fine powder is discharged and dropped through the holes to the outside of the drum. As a result, since a mixture of strip-shaped paper pieces from which fine powder has been removed and a square-shaped paper piece remains in the drum, it is possible to screen the strip-like paper pieces and the square-shaped paper pieces and the fine powder.

  In addition, the vibrating sieving apparatus is provided with a flat container such as a vat into which an object to be treated is placed, and the bottom wall of the container is provided with a large number of small through holes penetrating vertically through the bottom wall. It is done. The vibrating sieving apparatus is an apparatus for sieving only an object of a size capable of passing through the through hole from the object to be treated downward to the container by vibrating the container. When a vibrating sieving apparatus is used in the fine powder removing step, a mixture of strip-like and square-shaped paper pieces is placed in the container, and the fine powder contained in the mixture is penetrated by vibrating the container. Sift down the container through the hole. As a result, since a mixture of strip-like paper pieces and square-shaped paper pieces from which fine powder has been removed remains on the container, the strip-like paper pieces and square-shaped paper pieces and the fine powder can be sieved.

1 floor material for animals 2 strip-shaped paper piece 3 square-shaped paper piece 11 short side 12 long side 13 four side

Claims (8)

It is floor material to be laid in animal breeding space,
A strip of paper strip formed of water-absorbent paper into strips;
And a square-shaped piece of paper formed in a square shape from a water-absorptive paper;
An animal floor material characterized in that the strip-shaped paper pieces and the square-shaped paper pieces are mixed.   The animal floor material according to claim 1, wherein the strip of paper and the rectangular paper are both made of creped paper made of unbleached virgin pulp.   The animal flooring according to claim 2, wherein the strip of paper and the square-shaped paper are mixed at a mass ratio of 3: 1 to 5: 1.   The four sides of the rectangular sheet are each longer than the short side of the rectangular sheet and shorter than the long side of the rectangular sheet. Flooring for animals.   The length of each side of the rectangular sheet is set to be not less than 1/2 and not more than 3/4 of the length of the long side of the strip. Floor for animals. A method of producing a floor material to be laid in an animal breeding space, comprising
A strip-shaped paper piece producing step of producing a strip-shaped paper piece by shredding a water-absorbent paper into a strip-like shape;
A square-shaped sheet piece manufacturing step of manufacturing a square-shaped sheet by cutting a water-absorbing paper into a square shape;
And a mixing step of mixing the manufactured strip-shaped paper pieces and the square-shaped paper pieces with each other.   7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: a fine powder removing step of removing the fine powder of the paper produced in the strip-like sheet producing step and the rectangular sheet-fusing producing step from the strip-like sheet and the rectangular sheet. The manufacturing method of the floor material for animals as described.   The fine powder removing step includes an air sieving step of exposing the strip-shaped paper pieces and the square-shaped paper pieces to an air flow, blowing off the fine powders mixed in the paper pieces with the air flow, and separating them from the paper pieces. The manufacturing method of the flooring for animals of Claim 7 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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