JP5601995B2 - Feeder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container (feeder) for feeding small experimental animals, and more particularly to a feeder capable of measuring an accurate feed amount.

Examples of small experimental animals include experimental mice, rodents such as rats, and rabbits. A conventional small animal feeder, as described in Patent Document 1, places solid food on a net-like cage lid 1 placed on a cage body 2, and feeds small laboratory animals such as mice in the cage upward. The type that eats was the mainstream.

  However, in a cage such as Patent Document 1, small animals have spilled food into the cage, and these foods are contaminated with feces and urine, and it has not been possible to accurately measure the amount of feeding of experimental small animals.

  On the other hand, the invention of a small animal feeder as disclosed in Patent Document 2 is also disclosed. The invention described in Patent Document 2 is a top-opening type feeder and a cylinder provided in contact with the opening. The cylinder is sealed at one end and opened at the other end. This is a feeding device that is provided as a feeding guide tube having a feeding port at a lower part, and is free from spillage, mess, and excrement.

JP 2002-253078 A JP-A-8-114

  However, in the feeder of Patent Document 2, the feeding guide tube 1 is supported by penetrating the integral cylindrical support 3 having an open bottom, and the feeding guide tube 1 may fall off. Furthermore, since the bottom portion is open, there is also a risk that a small animal lifts the feeding guide tube 1 protruding from the support 3 and eats and eats food directly from the open top feeder 2. In addition, since the feeding guide tube 1 penetrates and is supported by the support 3, the intake guide tube 1 and the support 3 must be prepared separately for small animals having different sizes.

  Therefore, the present invention is to accurately measure the amount of feeding of a small animal without causing the small animal to spill food out of the feeder, without being contaminated with manure, and without falling over the feeder. An object of the present invention is to provide a feeder capable of providing a feeding port and a feeder capable of adjusting the height of the feed even for small animals having different sizes and capable of being exchanged.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a feeder used for feeding and feeding small animals, and has a lower frame body and a feeding port on the upper part, and is detachably locked to the lower frame body An upper frame body, a cover that covers the feeding port, has a side opening and is fixed to the upper frame body, and a case that is formed by fitting the upper and lower frame bodies, and is disposed inside the case. And a container having a hole formed in the upper portion thereof, wherein the small animal puts its head in the cover and eats the food from the feeding port and the hole.

Further, the lower frame is a lower frame in which a front plate or a rear plate and left and right lower side plates stand from the bottom plate, and a guide protrudes from the left and right lower plates, and the upper frame is changed from the upper plate to the rear plate or A front plate and left and right upper side plates hang down, a groove is formed in the left and right upper side plates, and an upper frame body formed with a locking groove that is connected to the groove and houses the guide, and the groove After the guide is slid and inserted , the upper frame body is lowered, the guide is fitted into the locking groove, and the upper and lower frame bodies are detachably locked. .

Furthermore, the interior of the inner container, wherein the structure of the feeder according to any one characterized in that it comprises a dish mounting the bait also can adjust the height of the dish in the interior of the inner container It was set as the structure of the feeder of the said description characterized by having made it .

The feeding device according to any one of the above, further comprising a plate placed on the inner bottom portion of the cover and formed with a hole for adjusting an opening degree of the feeding port, and the width of the cover or / and it has a structure of a feeder according to the height to the one which is characterized in that a variable.

The feeding frame according to any one of the above, wherein the upper and lower frames and the cover are made of polycarbonate and can be autoclaved.

  Since the feeder according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, the small animal does not spill food outside the feeder, the food is not contaminated by manure, the feeder does not fall, and the small animal Feeding amount can be accurately measured, and exchange of food is easy.

  In addition, since the cover width, height, feeding opening size, and feeding height can be adjusted, it can be used with small animals of different sizes, so it is highly versatile. Furthermore, the present invention is economical because only a damaged part can be replaced by assembling each surface as a separate part with screws. It is particularly suitable for a feeder that performs autoclave sterilization.

It is a decomposition | disassembly partial perspective view of the feeder which is this invention. It is a decomposition | disassembly partial perspective front view of the feeder which is this invention. It is a decomposition | disassembly partial perspective top view of the feeder which is this invention. It is an exploded partial perspective left side view of a feeder which is the present invention. It is a decomposition | disassembly partial perspective rear view of the feeder which is this invention. It is a decomposition | disassembly partial perspective bottom view of the feeder which is this invention. It is sectional drawing of the feeder which is this invention.

  Hereinafter, a feeder according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a feeder 1 according to the present invention includes a lower frame body 2, an upper frame body 3 that is detachably locked to the lower frame body 2 and has a feeding port 3 g at an upper portion, and an upper frame body 3. A cover 4 serving as a guide path 4f for a small animal to the feeding port 3g fixed to the inside, and an inner container 5 for containing food inside. Furthermore, if necessary, a plate 6 placed inside the inner container 5 and a plate 7 for adjusting the opening degree of the feeding port 3g are provided.

  With the configuration of Example 1, the small animal puts its head in the cover 4 and feeds it from the holes 7a (8a, 9a), the feeding port 3g and the hole 5c without positioning the buttocks in the cover 4. Eating the food solves conventional problems such as food mess.

  The disassembled partial perspective front, plane, left side, back, and bottom of the feeder 1 of the present invention are shown in FIGS. In these drawings, (A) is the upper frame 3 and the cover 4, (B) is the inner container 5, and (C) is the lower frame 2. The dotted line indicates the fluoroscopic part. The broken lines indicate the positions of screws and screw holes. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, screws and screw holes are omitted. In Example 1, the right side surface is omitted because it is symmetrical.

  The lower frame body 2 becomes a case 10 that forms an internal space in combination with the upper frame body 3 and prevents small animals from entering the internal space. In the lower frame 2 which is an example of the embodiment, front plates 2b and 2b and left and right lower side plates 2c and 2d stand up from a bottom plate 2a. And the guide 2e protrudes on the outer side of the left and right lower side plates 2c, 2d.

  The bottom plate 2a is not limited to a plane quadrangle, and may be a circle or the like. The guide 2e protrudes from the ridge, but the shape thereof is not limited and may be divided. What is necessary is just to be able to latch in the below-mentioned latching groove 3f.

  The upper frame 3 opens the feeding port 3g in the upper part and locks the lower frame 2 in a detachable manner. In an example of the embodiment of the upper frame body 3 fitted to the lower frame body 2, the back plate 3 b and the left and right upper side plates 3 c and 3 d hang from the upper surface plate 3 a. A groove 3e is formed inwardly of the left and right upper side plates 3c and 3d, and a locking groove 3f is formed which is connected to the groove 3e so as to house the guide 2e and prevent horizontal sliding. .

  The upper and lower frame bodies 3 and 2 to be fitted in this way are formed by sliding the guide 2e into the groove 3e and then lowering the upper frame body 3 and fitting the guide 2e into the locking groove 3f. 2 can be detachably locked.

  In the first embodiment, the left and right lower side plates 2c and 2d of the lower frame body 2 and the left and right upper side plates 3c and 3d of the upper frame body 3 are the inside of the lower frame 2 and the outside of the upper frame 2 However, they may be fitted inside and outside. The guide 2e is formed on the left and right lower side plates 2c and 2d, and the groove 3e and the locking groove 3f are formed on the left and right upper side plates 3c and 3d. The locking groove 3f may be formed in the left and right lower side plates 2c and 2d. Similarly, the front plate 2b of the lower frame 2 and the back plate 3b of the upper frame 3 may also be provided with the front plate 2b on the back side of the lower frame 2 and the back plate 3b on the front side.

  The cover 4 includes left and right side walls 4b and 4c fixed to the upper surface plate 3a of the upper frame body 3, an upper wall 4a fixed to the upper part of the left and right side walls 4b and 4c, and the rear surfaces of the left and right side walls 4b and 4c and the upper wall 4a. It consists of a back wall 4d that prevents passage of small animals from the side, and the front side is opened 4e at one place, and covers the feeding port 3g. Any wall may be used as long as small animals cannot pass through it, and not only plates but also grid-like ones are included in these walls.

When the cover 4 is provided, the small animal always eats food inside the cover 4 and does not scatter the food outside the feeder 1, and can accurately measure the amount of food fed, and from the feeding port 3 g. There is no contamination of small animal excrement. Therefore, the width (internal distance between the left and right side walls 4b and 4c) and the height (distance from the upper surface plate 3a to the upper wall 4a) of the cover 4 are set to such a width and height that the target small animal cannot make a U-turn. Change accordingly.

  As long as the shape of the cover 4 is opened at one side, a rectangular parallelepiped, a front semicircular shape, or the like can be adopted, but the shape is not particularly limited. In addition, when making width variable, it is preferable that each wall is a rectangular parallelepiped and separate.

  Furthermore, the cover 4 may be variable in width. As means for making the width variable, the left and right side walls may be slid in the width direction, or only one of the left and right side walls may be slid. To fix the position, a plurality of screw holes are formed in the upper wall 4a of the cover 4 and the upper surface of the upper frame 3, and the left and right side walls 4b and 4c may be locked with screws according to the size of the target small animal. . Any other means for varying the width is acceptable.

  Further, the height of the cover 4 may be variable. As means for changing the height, a pair of grooves may be formed at the same position inside the left and right side walls 4b and 4c, and the upper wall 4a may be inserted into the groove and fixed. The fixing means is not limited, but examples thereof include screwing and fitting. When performing both variable width and variable height, it is necessary to provide a plurality of types of plates 7 (8, 9) so that the width of the cover 4 matches the width of the cover 4.

  As the material of the upper and lower frames 3 and 2 and the cover 4, a transparent and autoclavable material is preferably used. For example, polycarbonate can be exemplified.

As shown in FIG. 7, the inner container 5 is disposed in a case 10 formed by fitting the upper and lower frame bodies 3, 2, accommodates food 11 therein, and has a hole 5 c formed in the upper part. . FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-section at the center position of the left and right side surfaces of the upper and lower frame bodies 3 and 2 and is a view when viewed from the front.

Here, the inner container 5 is exemplified by the lower container 5a and the lid 5b in which the hole 5c covering the lower container 5a is formed. However, the inner container 5 may be conventionally used. The shape of the hole 5c is not particularly limited.

The material of the inner container 5 is preferably stainless steel, but is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can withstand the wounds of small animals. It is desirable to be sterilizable.

  The bait 11 to be stored is appropriately selected according to the purpose of the experiment and the target small animal, and corresponds to powders, granules, solids, pastes, and the like that are conventionally used, and the form is not limited.

  It is preferable that the tray 6 to be employed as necessary is stored in a shape equal to the internal shape of the inner container 5 without a gap. Here, since the inner container 5 has a cylindrical shape, the plate 6 has a flat circular shape, a screw is fixed at the center of the flat surface, and an edge 6b is formed on the outer periphery thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the screw serves as a handle 6 a and the edge 6 b functions to prevent food from spilling from the dish 6 into the inner container 5. By adopting the dish 6, it is possible to easily change the bait and to easily adjust the height of the bait. As a means for adjusting the height of the dish 6, a base such as a ring 6c may be used as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the tray 6 is stacked and stored in the inner container 5 so that the height of the tray 6, that is, the height of the bait 11 can be easily adjusted according to the target small animal. . In this case, the length of the handle 6a is preferably equal to or less than the height of the edge 6b. Even if the height of the edge 6b of the plurality of dishes 6 is the same, the edge 6b of one dish 6 may be the height of the edge 6b suitable for a specific small animal.

The material of the dish 6 is preferably stainless steel, but is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can withstand the wounds of small animals. It is desirable to be sterilizable.

  The plate 7 (8, 9) has holes 7a (8a, 9a) for adjusting the opening degree of the feeding port 3g according to the size of the head, face, and mouth of the target small animal, and is placed on the bottom of the cover 4. Placed. The opening degree of the holes increases stepwise in the order of the holes 7a and 8a9a. If the hole is large with respect to the target small animal, it causes spillage, and if the hole is small, unnecessary stress is given to the small animal during feeding. The material of the plate is preferably stainless steel or the like, but is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can withstand the wounds of small animals. It is desirable to be sterilizable.

In this way, by adjusting the height of the dish 6 or / and by providing the feeder 1 with a plurality of plates, one feeder 1 is used for small animals having different head sizes and mouth shapes. Will be able to.

According to the present invention, the width and height of the cylinder 4, the height of the dish 6 (food 11), and the opening degree of the feeding port 3 g can be changed to an optimal state in accordance with the growth (weeks) of the mouse. Are better.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Feeder 2 Lower frame 2a Bottom plate 2b Front plate 2c Lower left side plate 2d Lower right side plate 2e Guide 3 Upper frame 3a Upper surface plate 3b Rear plate 3c Left upper side plate 3d Upper right side plate 3e Groove 3f Locking groove 3g Feeding Port 4 Cover 4a Upper wall 4b Left side wall 4c Right side wall 4d Back wall 4e Opening 4f Guide path 5 Inner container 5a Lower container 5b Lid 5c Hole 6 Dish 6a Handle 6b Edge 6c Ring 7 Plate 7a Hole 8 Plate 8a Hole 9 Plate 9a Hole 10 Case 11 Bait 12 Screw

Claims (7)

A feeder that contains small animal food and is used for feeding,
A lower frame body, an upper frame body provided with a feeding port on the upper part and detachably locked to the lower frame body, a cover that covers the feeding port and has a side opening that is fixed to the upper frame body, An inner container which is disposed in a case formed by fitting the upper and lower frame bodies and accommodates the bait inside to form a hole in the upper part;
The feeder is characterized in that the small animal puts its head in the cover and eats the food from the feeding port and the hole. The lower frame body is a lower frame body in which a front plate or a back plate and left and right lower side plates stand from a bottom plate, and a guide protrudes from the left and right lower side plates,
The upper frame has a back plate or a front plate and left and right upper side plates depending from an upper surface plate, a groove is formed in the left and right upper side plates, and a locking groove that is continuously provided on the groove to store the guide. With the upper frame formed with
The feeding according to claim 1, wherein after the guide is slid and inserted into the groove, the upper frame body is lowered, the guide is fitted into the locking groove, and the upper and lower frame bodies are detachably locked. vessel. The feeder according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a dish on which the bait is placed inside the inner container. Feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that the adjustable height of the dish in the interior of the inner container. The feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a plate placed on an inner bottom portion of the cover and formed with a hole for adjusting an opening degree of the feeding port. Feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the width or / and the height of the cover is variable. The feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the upper and lower frames and the cover are made of polycarbonate and can be autoclaved.

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