JP3108266B2 - Animal breeding equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facility for breeding laboratory animals such as rats and mice, and more particularly, to a space where animal breeders and researchers work for breeding.
(Referred to as a breeding room) in which a rack equipped with a plurality of cages accommodating bred animals is installed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, air conditioning of animal breeding facilities maintains a breeding environment suitable for the purpose of breeding animals and provides a comfortable and sanitary environment for breeders and researchers. Is desired. However, at present, there are reports that about 20% of breeders and researchers are suffering from some animal allergic symptoms, and it cannot be said that work is always performed in a comfortable environment. The reason for this is that the conventional animal breeding equipment adopts a so-called open rack type breeding method in which a cage for housing the breeding animal is installed in the breeding room where the breeder works, It is considered that dust in the cage, bacteria and odors generated from the breeding animals diffuse into the room and adversely affect the human body.

In order to cope with such a problem, the air in the animal breeding equipment is directed from the breeding room to the rack so that the air in the rack does not flow into the breeding room. A breeding facility structure is being considered.

In this one-way flow breeding system, a pressure difference is generated between the inside of the rack and the inside of the breeding room by, for example, sucking air in the rack with a fan or the like, and the pressure difference causes air to flow from the breeding room side into the rack. It is made to flow, and by the suction type, a wall chamber method of constructing an exhaust chamber communicating with each cage behind the rack using interior materials, hanging down the wall that divides the breeding room from the ceiling, There are a sagging wall system in which a rack is arranged in one room partitioned by a wall to serve as an exhaust chamber, and a rack chamber system in which an exhaust duct is directly connected to a rack (or a rack having a chamber on the back side).

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned wall chamber system, in view of space efficiency, since the chamber is constructed with the interior material, a construction space is required in the chamber, and the inspection in the chamber is required. In addition, space for people to enter for cleaning and disinfection is required, resulting in poor space efficiency. From the viewpoint of maintainability, the cleaning, inspection, and disinfection of the exhaust chamber and the filter are performed by the operator in the chamber, which makes the operation difficult. In this case, if the disinfection or the like is insufficient, contamination from animal to animal, in which various bacteria of the animal infect other animals, becomes a problem.
Further, from the viewpoint of workability, since the chamber is constructed with the interior material, the hermetic seal of the chamber and the hermetic seal between the rack and the four-sided frame are difficult, and adjustment and coordination with the construction work are not easy. Furthermore, there is also an inconvenience that the rearing unit cannot be easily replaced by the wall chamber system.

[0006] In the sagging wall system, as in the case of the wall chamber system, a space for a worker to enter for inspection, cleaning, and disinfection of the chamber is required, and the space efficiency is poor. Also, there are difficulties and inconveniences in terms of workability and maintainability as in the case of the wall chamber method.

On the other hand, regarding the rack chamber method, the workability is improved as compared with the above method, but in the case of the structure in which the chamber is formed on the rear surface of the rack, the chamber may vary depending on the size of the chamber. There is the same inconvenience as the above-mentioned method in which an operator has to enter the inside for cleaning and disinfecting the inside. In the case where the exhaust duct is integrally provided on the rear surface of the rack, the maintainability is also improved.

However, in the conventional one-way flow breeding system using a pressure difference including the rack chamber system, an air supply port is provided in the breeding room, and the conditioned air supplied into the breeding room is bred through the opening of the rack. This is a configuration for introduction into each cage accommodating animals. Therefore, although contamination by odors and various germs from the animal side to the human side is suppressed, contamination from germs and the like from the human side to the animal side cannot be prevented. This can be a big problem in some cases.

In addition, in the conventional breeding method, it is necessary to overcome a large resistance in the rack unit to guide the whole rack to a negative pressure, to suck the air in the outside breeding room into the rack, and to exhaust the air. A huge burden is placed on the fans. In addition, when a booster fan or the like is installed in a rack to assist the suction operation by the fan, the noise level in the room increases with the operation, and the breeding environment may be damaged.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and it is intended to completely shut off the air flow between the human side and the breeding animal in the breeding room and completely eliminate the contamination between the human and the breeding animal. Animal breeding equipment that has been
Moreover, an object of the present invention is to provide an animal breeding facility capable of reducing exhaust power and the like, maintaining a good air-conditioning environment, and supplying and exhausting air more efficiently to save energy.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, an animal breeding facility according to the present invention is provided with a rack having a plurality of cages for accommodating bred animals in an animal breeding room,
An air supply means for supplying air to each of the animal breeding room and the rack, wherein air supply means for separately supplying air to each of the animal breeding room and the rack is provided, and from the animal breeding room in the animal breeding room, It is characterized in that the air flow to the rack and vice versa is shut off.

Preferably, in the above animal breeding facility,
The air supply means includes an air conditioner that supplies air-conditioned air to an animal breeding room and a rack, and a breeding room air supply duct and a rack air supply that guide air supply from the air conditioner to the animal breeding room and the rack, respectively. It has a duct, and is provided with an exhaust duct for breeding room that discharges air in the animal breeding room to the outside, and an exhaust duct for rack that discharges air in the rack to the outside.

Further preferably, the air supply means is provided in a breeding room filter means provided in an air supply duct to an animal breeding room to purify air, and a rack provided in the air supply duct to a rack to purify air. Filter means.

The breeding room filter means and the rack filter means are preferably constituted by HEPA filters.

Preferably, the air conditioners are separately provided corresponding to the animal breeding room and the rack, respectively.
It has a return air duct that guides a part of the air in the animal breeding room to the air conditioner for the breeding room.

[0016]

The air supply means supplies separately conditioned air to each of the animal breeding room and the rack, and discharges the air in the animal breeding room and the rack to the outside by the exhaust means. Thereby, one air flow of air supply means → animal breeding room → exhaust means (air circulation system on human side) and air flow of air supply means → rack (cage) → exhaust means (air circulation system on animal side) Thus, two independent air flows (separate and independent air circulation systems in the breeding room) are formed.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 each show a schematic configuration of an animal breeding facility as each embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings, the same reference numerals are given to components common to the embodiments.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a rack 3 for accommodating breeding animals (not shown) is installed inside an animal breeding room 2 constituting an animal breeding facility (the whole is denoted by reference numeral 1). ing. Animal breeding room 2 (hereinafter referred to as breeding room)
Is a place where a breeder or researcher of animals conducts animal breeding work and associated research, etc., like a general building, a building wall material 4, a floor material 5, a ceiling material. 6 and the like. Inside the rack 3 is a partition 7
(Partition material) is vertically airtightly separated into a plurality of stages in a vertical direction, and a cage storage space 8 is formed in each stage. A cage 9 for accommodating breeding animals is slidably moved in and out of the breeding room in each space 8. During normal breeding, the inside of the rack and the breeding room 2 are shut off by a door (not shown) provided on the front of the rack.

Inside the rack 3, there is provided a vertical duct 10 for supplying air to the cages 9 in the respective vertical stages. A plurality of cages 9 are also installed in the rack 3 illustrated in the horizontal direction (the direction perpendicular to the drawing). For this reason, a horizontal duct 11 for guiding air to a plurality of cages 9 of each stage arranged in the horizontal direction is provided in the rack 3. Each horizontal duct 11 is connected to the vertical duct 10 at its end. An air outlet from the horizontal duct 11 to the cage 9 at each stage has a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Ai) that traps dust and dirt in the air.
r Filter) 12 are provided.

According to the present embodiment, one air conditioner 13 is provided as a means for supplying air to the breeding room 2 and the rack 3. The air conditioner 13 is configured by a filter, a heat exchange coil, a fan, and the like, and operates to take in fresh outside air from the outside. Part of the taken-in air passes through the breeding room air supply duct 14. The rest is supplied to the breeding room 2 and the rest is supplied to the rack 3 through the rack air supply duct 15. Therefore, both ducts 1
4 and 15, one end is connected to the air conditioner 13, and the other end is provided through an air outlet (not shown) provided in the ceiling material 6 through the HEPA filter 16 in the case of the breeding room air supply duct 14. Open to

In the case of the rack air supply duct 15, the air supply duct 15 is connected to the vertical duct 10 of the rack 3, and the air is branched from the vertical duct 10 to the horizontal duct 11 and supplied to each cage 9 via the HEPA filter 12. . In the present embodiment, both the breeding room air supply duct 14 and the rack air supply duct 15 are provided with reheat heaters 17 and 18 in the middle of the air supply duct 14 and the rack air supply duct 15 for keeping the temperature of the air supply appropriate for work and breeding. Installed.
Further, although two ducts 14 and 15 are connected to the air conditioner 13 in the figure, one duct may be connected so that the air conditioner 13 branches off midway.

On the other hand, with respect to the exhaust path from the breeding room 2, a breeding room exhaust duct 19 for taking in and exhausting only the air in the breeding room 2 is connected to, for example, a suction grill installed on the ceiling material 6 or the like. Is done. In contrast, rack 3
One exhaust duct or exhaust chamber 20 is attached to the rear surface (wall side) of the rack 3 so as to communicate with each stage. The exhaust duct or exhaust chamber 20 is similarly connected to a rack exhaust duct 21 installed on a ceiling or the like, and exhaust from each of the exhaust ducts 19 and 21 merges on the way, and is exhausted to the outside by an exhaust fan 22. . Further, in the present embodiment, the hair removal filter 23 is used to trap the hair of the breeding animals in the cage 9 and to discharge the hair to the outside in the communicating portion between the exhaust duct or the exhaust chamber 20 and each cage 9 in each stage of the rack 3. Is attached. The hair removal filter 23 is configured so that only the filter portion (not shown) can be replaced with a decrease in the collection efficiency and an increase in static pressure loss due to clogging.

As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, air is fed into the animal breeding room 2 through the air supply means including the air conditioner 13 and the air supply duct 14 for the breeding room, and the exhaust air for the breeding room is exhausted. Air is exhausted from the breeding room 2 through an exhaust means including a duct 19 and an exhaust fan 22, while the air conditioner 1
Air is supplied to the rack 3 via an air supply means including the air supply duct 3 and the rack air supply duct 15, and air is supplied from the rack 3 via an exhaust means including an exhaust duct or exhaust chamber 20, a rack exhaust duct 21 and an exhaust fan 22. Has been discharged. As described above, in order to create two independent air flows for the human and the domestic animal in the animal breeding facility 1, the air in the breeding room and the air in the rack are mixed except for the downstream side of the exhaust ducts 19 and 21. Therefore, contamination (mutual contamination) between the breeding room 2 and the rack 3 is reliably prevented. Furthermore, since a reheating coil can be attached to each of the air supply system on the human side and the air supply system on the animal side, an optimal air conditioning environment can be adjusted for each of them and a favorable environment can be maintained. In the above embodiment, the air conditioner 13 is illustrated as an all-outside air type on the drawing, but may be of a type in which part of the air in the breeding room 2 is returned to the air conditioner 13.

Hereinafter, embodiments other than the first embodiment will be described. The basic concept underlying each embodiment is that the breeding room 2 and the rack 3 are placed in independent air flows.
Are arranged, and there is no difference from the basic concept of the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the rack side HEPA filters 12 in the first embodiment are combined into one and installed at the end of the rack air supply duct 15, and the HEPA filter is compared with the first embodiment.
Since the number of the filters 12 is small, the structure of the rack 3 can be simplified. Other configurations and operational effects are exactly the same as those of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In contrast to the previous embodiment in which the air supply from one air conditioner 13 is bifurcated, according to this embodiment, an air conditioner 13a dedicated to animal breeding rooms and an air conditioner 13b dedicated to racks are provided. In this embodiment, since the air supply system is completely independent, only the rack 3 can be operated. When the breeding room 2 is empty (for example, at midnight), the breeding room side air-conditioning is stopped and wasteful. It is possible to save power and save energy.
Further, in this embodiment, in connection with the air conditioning of the breeding room 2, a return air duct for guiding a part of the breeding room air to the breeding room air conditioner 13a.
25 are provided. In this method, the indoor air is not discharged as it is, but a part of the air is used as return air, whereby the exhaust heat is effectively used to save energy. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. The inside of the breeding room 2 is supplied with air through the HEPA filter 16, and each rack 9 is supplied with air through the HEPA filter 12.

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the rack-side HEPA filters 12 in the third embodiment are combined into one and installed at the end of the rack air supply duct 15. Other configurations are exactly the same as those of the third embodiment.

Although the embodiments of the animal breeding equipment according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but supplies air to each of the animal breeding room and the rack. Any type of air supply means or air exhaust means that constitutes one air flow of air means → animal breeding room → exhaust means and another air flow of air supply means → rack (cage) → exhaust means But it is good. Also, the structure of the rack is not limited to the illustrated structure, and for example, as shown in FIG.
1, the air may be blown downward through the outlets 24 formed in the ceiling surface of each step in the rack (fifth embodiment).

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In an animal breeding room to which air-conditioned air is supplied, a rack-specific air supply means is provided for an animal storage rack installed in the animal breeding room, and air is separately supplied to the rack as a separate system from the breeding room. Since this is discharged to the outside through an exhaust duct or an exhaust chamber integrally provided on the back of the rack, mutual contamination between humans and domestic animals is completely prevented.

By providing a reheat coil on each supply duct of another system, optimal air conditioning control can be performed for each system, and a good environment can be maintained.

Further, by providing an air conditioner for each of the separate systems, it is possible to operate one system and stop the operation of the other system, so that when a human is not in a room or an animal is not present. Energy can be saved when one system does not require air conditioning.

In this case, further energy saving can be achieved by using a configuration in which the air in the breeding room (work space on the human side) is recirculated to the air conditioner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an animal breeding facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an animal breeding facility according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of an animal breeding facility according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of an animal breeding facility according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of an animal breeding facility according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Animal breeding equipment 2 ... Animal breeding room 3 ... Rack 9 ... Cage 12, 16 ... HEPA filter 13, 13a, 13b ... Air conditioner 14 ... Breeding room air supply duct 15 ... Rack air supply duct 19 ... Breeding room Exhaust duct 20 Exhaust chamber 21 Exhaust duct for rack 22 Fan 23 Hair removal filter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kazuyoshi Yoshino 2-5-112 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Toyo Thermal Industry Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-66034 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A01K 1/00-1/035

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. An animal breeding facility in which a rack having a plurality of cages for housing breeding animals is installed in an animal breeding room where humans perform animal breeding work.
And the rack includes a door for shutting off the rearing room.
An animal breeding facility , wherein air supply means for separately supplying air to each of the animal breeding room and the rack is provided, and air circulation from the animal breeding room to the rack and vice versa is shut off. Facility. 2. The air supply means comprises: an air conditioner for supplying air-conditioned air to an animal breeding room and a rack; and a breeding room air supply duct for guiding air supply from the air conditioner to the animal breeding room and the rack, respectively. And an air supply duct for the rack, and an exhaust duct for the breeding room for discharging the air in the animal breeding room to the outside, and an exhaust duct for the rack for discharging the air in the rack to the outside. An animal breeding facility according to claim 1. 3. The breeding room filter means provided in the air supply duct to the animal breeding room for purifying air, and the rack filter means provided in the air supply duct to the rack for purifying the air. The animal breeding facility according to claim 2, comprising: 4. The animal breeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said breeding room filter means and rack filter means comprise HEPA filters. 5. The air conditioner has a return air duct that is provided separately for the animal breeding room and the rack, and guides a part of the air in the animal breeding room to the air conditioner for the breeding room. The animal breeding facility according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein