JP3720315B2 - Floor exchangeable small animal breeding cage - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a small animal breeding cage for breeding small animals such as rats and mice used in experiments.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Breeding cages for breeding small experimental animals are placed on each shelf of a frame-shaped rack having multiple shelves, and breeding is carried out by placing small animals in each breeding cage. Breeding cages that have been used for a long time are hexagonal cages made of wire mesh with a ceiling surface, four side surfaces, and a bottom surface. Was formed as. The solid filth falling on the bottom surface passes through the mesh and is received by the pull-out tray installed below the cell. If there is no such grid on the bottom, filth accumulates on the bottom and builds a pile of filth, so it is absolutely necessary to provide a grid for dropping filth on the bottom to avoid this. It became common sense in the industry. In addition, in the hexahedron cage of the wire mesh whose bottom is formed as a wired mesh, no bedding was placed. Here, the bedding is made of wood chips, sawdust, cannabis, pulp processing chips, or the like. Moreover, the mesh (wired mesh) is, for example, 6 mm to 10 mm square.
[0003]
On the other hand, recently, breeding cages in which the upper surface of a pentahedral plastic cage body having an open upper surface is covered with an upper surface lid made of a wire mesh or the like have been used. Unlike plastic cages, plastic breeding cages have a smooth bottom surface, and animals are raised by placing a floor covering such as sawdust on the bottom surface of the breeding cage. In this plastic breeding cage, only the upper surface of the cage body is open, so that air in the cage was forcibly cleaned using an air conditioner in order to ensure air permeability.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the hexagonal cage made of wire mesh mentioned above has a metal mesh on the bottom, so that the animal's feet frequently touch the meshes, and tumors and leg sticks on the soles of the feet, or arthritis in the joints of the feet Is likely to occur. Also, dirt is attached to the corners of the squares on the bottom, which is unsanitary. The dirt attached to the corners of the squares is not only unsanitary, but it does not fall easily even when brushing when cleaning the cage, and it can be removed by soaking in hot water after soaking for a whole day or night. It requires time-consuming cleaning work. Furthermore, the bottom grids give the animal a sense of incongruity and adversely affect the stability of the animal.
[0005]
Conventionally, when the bottom surface is formed of a metal grid, there is no idea that the floor is formed on the bottom and formed on the bottom surface because the floor spills even if the floor is disposed.
[0006]
On the other hand, the latter plastic breeding cage can be used by placing a flooring, and there is no problem with the above-described hexagonal breeding cage made of wire mesh. Although there is an advantage that the air in the cage can be cleaned using an air conditioner to reduce problems such as infection from human beings to humans, contamination inside the plastic breeding cage isolated from the outside In order to prevent ammonia, chemicals contained in feed, viruses from animals, etc. from drifting in the cage for a long time, air supply / exhaust that replaces air at least 200 times per hour must be performed. However, it consumes a lot of energy, and the wind pressure at the time of ventilation is high, so it is not suitable for animal breeding, it is difficult to correct when the animal easily catches a cold and pneumonia, and the consumption of feed is also low There is a problem of increasing. In addition, because the plastic cage has a plate-shaped peripheral wall and bottom, the flow of air in the cage is constant, and there are dead spots where the flow is stagnant. Since it circulates while moving along the wall, it takes more than an hour to completely replace the air in all cages.
[0007]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to cause tumors and foot pads on the soles of animals and to cause arthritis in the joints of the feet. It is easy to clean the floor, especially for the cage, because it does not give the animal a sense of incongruity, and it does not make it difficult to remove the dirt. The goal is to obtain a small animal cage that does not consume energy.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the present invention, the object is to form a hexahedron having a ceiling surface, four side surfaces, and a bottom surface, and to provide a space for breeding small animals therein, and on the bottom surface of the cage body, the small animals inside the cage. This is achieved by a floor surface exchangeable small animal breeding cage including a floor surface plate that is installed so as to be able to be drawn out so as to constitute a floor surface that directly contacts the surface.
[0009]
Typically, the bottom surface is constituted only by a rail as a cage strength member, and the floor board is placed on the rail so as to cover it.
[0010]
At least a part of the floor plate can be formed by a perforated portion or a mesh portion. Further, the floor plate can be formed by an upper and lower double plate, and a hole can be provided in the upper plate.
[0011]
In the above-mentioned invention, since the floor plate installed on the bottom surface of the cage main body so as to be able to be pulled out is provided, the floor portion of the cage can be easily cleaned. In addition, even when a flooring is placed on the floorboard, it is easy to replace the flooring, so both the installation of the flooring board and the use of the flooring are compatible, and the soles of animals are protected by the flooring. It becomes possible to do. In addition, dust (chemical substances contained in filth, feed and feed powder) generated by small animals can easily be discharged from the five sides except the ceiling.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2, the floor surface exchangeable small animal breeding cage C according to the present invention has a cage body 1, and this cage body 1 has a ceiling surface 2, four side surfaces 3a, 3b, It is configured to have a hexahedral shape with 3c, 3d and a bottom surface 5, and the inside of the cage body 1 is a space for raising small animals. In the illustrated embodiment, the four side surfaces 3 a, 3 b, 3 c, 3 d of the cage body 1 are formed by a net such as a wire net, for example, and ambient air circulates inside the cage body 1. . In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom surface 5 has a plurality of bars 5a as strength members that maintain the shape of the bottom surface 5. Although the crosspiece 5a is shown as a horizontal horizontal crosspiece in the left-right direction in the drawing, it may be configured as a horizontal vertical crosspiece heading from the near side to the back side. The ceiling surface 2 is an opening, and a cover 7 is detachably attached to the ceiling surface 2 to close the ceiling surface. In the illustrated embodiment, a part of the cover lid 7 is formed of a non-breathable plate 7a, and an indented feeding part 7b for placing food on the other part is formed. The recessed feeding part 7b has a large number of gaps 8, and the animals in the cage eat the food on the feeding part 7b through the gaps 8. The plate body 7a may be formed of a breathable net. In addition, the code | symbol 6 shows the water supply part to an animal.
[0013]
On the bottom surface 5 of the cage body 1, a floor plate 9 constituting a floor surface with which a small animal inside the cage is in direct contact is installed so that it can be pulled out. The floor plate 9 is typically composed of a flat plate having no holes, and a flat locking plate 10 is formed on the front side thereof. The floor plate 9 is placed on the crosspiece 5a constituting the bottom surface 5 of the cage body 1 so as to cover it. The lower portions of the frames 11, 11 constituting the left and right skeletons of the front side of the cage body 1 are connected in the left-right direction by a contact bar 12. The abutment bar 12 is connected to a position slightly above the foremost horizontal bar 5a on the bottom surface 5 of the cage body 1 so that the floor plate 9 is inserted between the abutment bar 12 and the foremost horizontal bar 5a. The gap 13 is formed. The floor plate 9 is pushed by sliding toward the back so as to cover the crosspiece 5a constituting the bottom surface 5 through the gap 13, and is installed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface 5. When the floor plate 9 is pushed into a predetermined position, the tip of the floor plate 9 hits the back of the cage body 1 and the floor plate 9 is prevented from being pushed further.
[0014]
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the locking plate 10 can be formed upright. In this case, when the floor plate 9 is pushed to a predetermined position, the locking plate 10 of the floor plate 9 hits the abutting rod 12, and the floor plate 9 is prevented from being pushed further. Further, the locking plate 10 is also useful for preventing the animal from escaping through the gap 13. In addition, the upright part serves as a handle, making it easy to put in and out.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 3, at least a part of the floor plate 9 can be formed by the perforated part 14, or at least a part thereof can be formed by the mesh part 15 as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, by providing the perforated part 14 or the mesh part 15 in at least a part of the floor board 9, the solid filth of animals living on the floor board 9 is left on the floor board 9, and liquid sewage (urine etc. ) Can flow down. When liquid waste is allowed to flow down, a waste receiving tray is placed under the cage.
[0016]
In the present embodiment, a flooring (bedding) is usually placed on the floor board 9 and animals are raised. Here, there are various types of floor coverings such as wood chips, sawdust, cannabis, and pulp processed pieces, which are composed of chemically synthesized chips with improved water absorption, water repellency, quick drying, and volatile in recent years. By using a bedding, the bedding can be mixed with filth to prevent filth contamination of the floor surface, and the breeding management can be performed hygienically. By having air-permeable side surfaces 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d formed of a net such as a wire mesh, the atmosphere in the cage is excellent in dryness and air permeability. As a result, the ammonia component, moisture, etc. of the filth can be quickly sent out of the cage, and good hygienic conditions inside the cage can be maintained.
[0017]
In addition, since a bedding is placed on the floor plate 9, it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of tumors and foot-saws on the soles of animals and arthritis in the joints of the feet. it can. What is necessary is just to select the magnitude | size of the chip | tip which comprises a flooring slightly larger than the magnitude | size of the opening of the perforated part 14 or the mesh part 15. FIG. In this way, by selecting the size of the chip constituting the floor, it becomes possible to place a bedding on the floor plate 9 and to ensure the air permeability of the floor plate 9; The use of a floor can be made compatible, and it is possible to physically protect the soles of animals' feet while ensuring the sanitary condition within the gauge.
[0018]
Moreover, as the floor surface board 9 which has the perforated part 14 or the mesh part 15 provided in at least one part, it can form with a punching metal board, for example.
[0019]
The floor plate 9 can be formed of a double plate. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the floor plate 9 is composed of two upper and lower plates 9a and 9b, and the lower plate 9b of the two upper and lower plates is formed as a tray for receiving liquid waste. You can also. In the double-plate floor plate 9 shown in FIG. 5, the example in which the locking plate 10 is formed upright is shown, but the locking plate 10 can be formed in a flat plate shape as shown in FIG. 3. is there.
[0020]
Next, the operation of the floor exchangeable small animal breeding cage C of the present invention described above will be described. This small animal breeding cage C is placed on each shelf of a frame-shaped rack having a multi-stage shelf as is well known, and small animals to be reared are placed therein. By opening the cover 7 of the breeding cage C, the small animals are taken in and out of the breeding cage C.
[0021]
In the breeding state, the floor plate 9 at the bottom of the breeding cage C is pushed into a predetermined position as shown in FIG. Therefore, the small animals in the breeding cage C live directly on the floor board 9. At that time, the four side surfaces 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are formed of a net, and the surrounding air is circulated inside the cage, so the atmosphere in the cage is excellent in drying and breathability. It becomes.
[0022]
In addition, since small animals live on the floor board 9 directly or through the flooring, solid and liquid filth accumulate on the flooring board 9. It can be mixed with the soil to prevent contamination of the floor surface and hygienically breeding can be managed. In particular, in the prior art, the atmosphere in the cage is excellent in dryness and air permeability by having the air-permeable side surfaces 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d formed by a net such as a wire mesh. In general, it is possible to extend the replacement of the flooring once every 3 to 4 days to once every 10 to 14 days.
[0023]
Then, when the floor is contaminated to some extent, the animal is taken out of the cage and the floor board 9 is pulled out and disinfected with an autoclave, or replaced with a new floor board, so that a hygienic breeding environment can be obtained again. The replacement of the floor plate 9 is simple because it only needs to be pulled out and pushed in by sliding. In addition, the main body can be sufficiently sanitized by washing only once a month, for example, by washing only the floor plate 9. Moreover, even if the animal is directly raised on the floor board 9 without using a flooring, in the case of short-term breeding, the hygienic breeding environment can be maintained by replacing the floor board 9 only once a week. be able to.
[0024]
In the embodiment of the present invention described above, the side surfaces 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d of the cage body 1 are formed of a mesh body excellent in air permeability. However, at least one of the side surfaces 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d is formed. It can also be formed by a plate body formed of a net body and having no other air permeability or low air permeability. In any case, if the side surfaces 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d of the cage body 1 are configured to ensure sufficient air permeability as compared with the plastic breeding cage described in the section of the prior art, the air permeability is sufficient. It can also be formed of a plate body with less. In this case, maintaining a good atmosphere in the cage is slightly inferior, but there is no problem in practical use.
[0025]
The bottom surface 5 can also be formed by a perforated plate or the like. Furthermore, if a floor plate 9 having air permeability as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is used, the floor can be replaced only once a week. Even when there are holes or gaps that give air permeability to the floor plate 9, the use of the floor can eliminate the adverse effects of the holes and gaps. Further, in the case where there are holes or gaps that give air permeability to the floor plate 9, liquid dirt is removed downward through the holes and gaps, so that the inside of the cage is kept clean.
[0026]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the floor plate 9 is composed of two upper and lower plates 9a and 9b, the upper plate 9a of the two upper and lower plates is formed in a mesh shape, and the lower plate 9b is liquid. When the tray is formed as a tray for receiving the filth, the liquid filth does not collect on the upper surface of the upper plate 9a, it is clean, and there is no need to provide a dedicated liquid filth receiving tray under the cage.
[0027]
In addition, if a cage main body etc. are formed with stainless steel, it can be used semipermanently and it will be excellent also in terms of hygiene. Further, if a slightly recessed portion is formed in a part of the floor plate 9, the animal's liquid filth tends to accumulate there, so that it is easy to maintain most of the other floor plate 9 in a dry state.
[0028]
In addition, the floor plate 9 is formed of a flat plate, or at least a part of the floor plate 9 is provided with a perforated portion 14 or a mesh portion 15 so that the size of the perforated portion 14 or the mesh portion 15 is appropriately selected. For example, by selecting the configuration of the floor plate 9 according to the purpose, for example, metabolism test, reproduction test, single-head breeding test, multi-head breeding test, ultra-dry breeding test, avian breeding test, quarantine test, etc. It becomes possible to conduct animal breeding tests for multiple purposes.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, since the floor plate installed on the bottom surface of the cage body so as to be able to be pulled out is provided, the floor portion of the cage can be easily cleaned, and the flooring is arranged on the floor plate. Even in such a case, since the replacement of the flooring is easy, both the installation of the floor plate and the use of the flooring are compatible, and it becomes possible to protect the soles of the animal's feet and the like by the flooring. And in small animal breeding cages, there are no tumors or foot bumps on the soles of the animals, arthritis in the joints of the feet, or any strangeness to the breeding animals. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an advantage that the removal is not difficult, the cleaning becomes easy, and a large amount of energy is not consumed for supply and exhaust.
[0030]
Even if the bottom surface of the cage is made of only a simple bar as a strength member, there is no problem with the breeding animal because the floor plate is provided so as to cover it. In addition, the bottom of the breeding cage can be easily formed by configuring the cross as a horizontal horizontal cross or a horizontal vertical cross.
[0031]
Further, by forming at least a part of the floor plate by the perforated portion or the mesh portion, the liquid filth can be discharged downward through the perforated portion or the mesh portion, and the surface of the floor surface plate can be maintained in a dry state. . Moreover, since it is formed by the mesh part, it is see-through, and it is not inferior in observation compared with a plastic breeding cage in which the peripheral wall and the bottom part form a plate shape.
[0032]
Also, the floor plate is formed by upper and lower double plates, and the upper plate is perforated so that liquid filth flows down from the hole onto the lower plate and is stored there. This is advantageous for hygiene management and metabolic testing.
[0033]
Further, by forming the locking plate upright, it is possible to prevent the animal from escaping through the gap.
[0034]
Since the main body is left as it is and only the bottom surface is taken out and washing high-pressure storage is possible, it is possible to breed for a long time only by replacing the bottom surface, and the labor of breeding can be greatly reduced. Plastic cages deteriorate every time they are stored at high pressure, so they can only be used for 2 to 3 years, and because they are discarded at the time of disposal, they also affect the environment. On the other hand, when the mesh part is made of stainless steel, it can be used semi-permanently, which is economically advantageous.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a floor exchangeable small animal breeding cage according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of an embodiment of the floor-exchangeable small animal breeding cage of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a different example of a floor plate used in the floor exchange type small animal breeding cage of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing still another example of a floor board used in the floor exchange type small animal breeding cage of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing still another example of a floor board used in the floor exchange type small animal breeding cage of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the floor exchangeable small animal breeding cage of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an assembled perspective view of another embodiment of the floor-exchangeable small animal breeding cage of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
C Floor surface exchangeable small animal breeding cage 1 Cage body 2 Ceiling surface 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d Side surface 5 Bottom surface 5a Crossing 6 Water supply portion 7 Cover lid 7a Plate body 7b Feeding portion 9 Floor surface plate 10 Locking plate 12 Contact rod 13 Gap

Claims (1)

A cage body having a hexahedron shape having a ceiling surface, four side surfaces and a bottom surface, and providing a space for breeding small experimental animals therein;
On the bottom surface of the cage body, a floor plate installed so as to be able to be drawn out so as to constitute a floor surface directly contacting the small laboratory animals inside the cage,
At least one of the four side surfaces is formed of a net;
The bottom surface consists only of a rail as a strength member of the cage, and the floor plate is placed on the rail so as to cover it,
The floor plate is formed by upper and lower double plates, and the upper plate in direct contact with the experimental small animal is formed in a stitch shape,
The size of the stitches is a size that the solid filth of small laboratory animals cannot pass and the liquid filth can pass through,
A bedding made of a chemically synthesized chip is disposed on the upper plate, and the experimental small animal is in contact with the upper plate through the bedding made of the chemically synthesized chip,
The lower plate constituting the floor plate is formed as a tray for receiving liquid waste,
The floor surface plate is a floor surface exchangeable small animal breeding cage having a locking plate formed upright only on the front side.

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