JPH1159760A - Animal-container case - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a costless, light, and firm and durable container case for animals which can be recycled and prevented from damage resulted from contained animals biting the case and further, which regulates the moisture and ammonia concentration in the inside and transports them. SOLUTION: An air-conditioning chamber 74 charged with adsorbers is formed in the inside of a plastic container case for animals provided with a case body 22 and a cover 24 on which ventilation holes 28 are bored. Since the air- conditioning chamber 74 charged with adsorbers is formed, the moisture and the ammonia concentration within the case are regulated and further, dewdrops are prevented and hence animals can be kept healthy. Particularly, by using acid white clay as an adsorber, a high air-conditioning effect can be brought out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an animal storage box that can be used to transport small animals such as rats and cats.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and the like are used for research purposes in pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and food companies. Generally, these animals are procured from a specialized company that breeds and breeds animals (hereinafter referred to as an animal supply station). In this procurement,
An animal storage box for transporting a given animal by a certain number is indispensable. As the animal storage box, for example, the one shown in FIG. 17 is known. Animal storage box 10 shown
Is made of an integrated box made of corrugated cardboard, an opening / closing door 14 is formed on the flat top plate portion 12, and by opening the opening / closing door 14, an animal can be put in or taken out of the animal storage box 10. I have. In addition, the ventilation window 1
6 are formed. The ventilation window 16 has a rectangular cutout on the side surface of the animal storage box 10, and a filter made of non-woven fabric is attached to a resin plate having a number of small holes formed at the cutout. The plate is fixed with a metal fastener or the like. Further, in order to impart waterproofness, there is known an animal housing box 10 in which the entire inner surface is coated with resin (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-44695,
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-44696 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-44697. Further, at the time of transporting the animals, a plurality of animal storage boxes 10 are stacked on the loading platform, so that a strength capable of withstanding a load of 6 to 8 kg is required. For this reason, iron foil is provided on the inner surface of the animal storage box 10 to reinforce it. In such an animal storage box, a predetermined animal is stored at an animal supply site, and a plurality of the animal storage boxes storing the animal are stacked and transported in a truck or the like. After being removed, it has been disposed of.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned animal housing box has to be disposed of for one-time use, and new ones are used one after another, so that the cost is high. Therefore, it is conceivable to reuse it, but since it is composed of various kinds of materials such as cardboard, resin, metal, etc., it is necessary to separate them, and it is not preferable from a sanitary point of view. poor.
In addition, there is also a problem that when disposed of, it is easy to generate a bad smell when burned, and it is not easy to incinerate. In addition, when used, an animal such as a mouse may bite the inner surface of the animal housing box, particularly an iron foil for a reinforcing effect, and the animal housing box may be damaged or the animal may escape therefrom. Further, when a plurality of animal storage boxes are stacked, the top plate of the lower animal storage box and the bottom of the upper animal storage box may slide, and the stacked animal storage boxes may collapse. further,
While an animal is housed in the animal housing box, the humidity inside the animal housing box may increase due to the sweat or urine of the animal, resulting in dew condensation or an increase in the ammonia concentration. Such elevated humidity and ammonia concentrations can degrade the health of the housed animal. Therefore, conventionally, a countermeasure has been taken by spreading sawdust on the bottom of the animal housing box. However, in order to exert a sufficient effect, a large amount of sawdust is required to occupy about 60% of the volume in the box,
As a result, there are problems such as a substantial decrease in the internal volume of the animal box, an increase in cost due to the large consumption of sawdust, and disposal of a huge amount of used sawdust.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is rich in recyclability, low cost, and
The purpose of this animal storage box is to be lightweight and strong, to prevent damage from being bitten by the housed animal, to be durable, and to be able to control the internal humidity and ammonia concentration and to be used for transporting animals. Is what you do.

[0005]

The animal container of the present invention comprises:
An animal housing box made of a synthetic resin comprising a box body and a lid with a vent hole, wherein an air-conditioning room in which an adsorbent is provided is formed. is there.
Here, it is desirable that the adsorbent contains acid clay. In addition, when the box body is placed on the lid, the unevenness formed on the bottom of the box body and the unevenness formed on the lid are fitted, and a gap is formed between the box body and the lid. Is desirable.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The animal housing box of the present invention comprises a box body 22 and a lid 24 mounted on the box body 22, as shown in FIGS. In the present invention, the box body 22 and the lid 24 are made of synthetic resin. Among the synthetic resins, polypropylene is preferred, and in particular, inexpensive homopolypropylene is desirable. By using a single material configuration, reuse is facilitated. In other words, the animal storage box that is no longer needed after transportation of the animal is crushed, dissolved,
By reshaping, it becomes possible to recycle the material and produce the animal container again at low cost. In addition, by using polypropylene, cost reduction and weight reduction can be achieved, and sufficient strength as an animal container can be provided. In addition, the animal container may be subjected to a heat sterilization treatment (about 120 ° C. for about 20 minutes) before use, but has heat resistance enough to withstand this. Also, it can be translucent, without opening the lid,
It is also possible to externally observe the type and state of the animals in the animal housing box.

[0007] Polypropylene is mixed with various compounding agents such as a filler such as calcium carbonate and mica, a flame retardant, an antistatic agent, and a fungicide within a range that does not impair various properties such as recyclability and strength. And a coloring agent. In particular, those filled with a filler made of calcium carbonate are advantageous when the animal container is incinerated. It may be biodegradable. Furthermore, a sheet made of an animal repellent such as pepper is placed inside the box, or the repellent is applied as it is to the inside of the box, or molded using polypropylene in which the repellent has been mixed in advance. It is also desirable. By performing the treatment using such a repellent, it is possible to prevent the animal from breaking. The thickness of the box body or the lid is not particularly limited, and is set in consideration of the weight, cost, strength, durability against biting of the mouse, and the like as the animal storage box, and is preferably about 1.2 mm. is there.

As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of ventilation holes 28, 28,... Are formed in the lid 24, and the inside and outside of the box communicate with each other through the ventilation holes 28 to provide ventilation. This is for the purpose of ensuring the breathing of the animal during accommodation, as well as reducing the condensation in the box due to animal excrement and the like. The size, shape and number of the ventilation holes are not particularly limited, but are preferably circular with a diameter of about 2 mm. In addition to the ease of drilling work, if the size is 1 mm or less, the air permeability deteriorates, and if it is 3 mm or more, dust easily enters, or the teeth of a mouse or the like are caught, and the mouse or the like is bitten. This is because there is a danger that it will be lost. The distance between the ventilation holes is preferably 3 to 10 mm, more preferably about 5 mm. If it is closer than 3 mm, the strength is reduced, and if it is wider than 10 mm, the air permeability is insufficient. It is desirable that the drilling operation is performed from the inner surface side of the lid to the outer surface so that burrs that can be formed by the drilling operation do not protrude toward the inner surface side of the lid.

A filter 26 is provided on the outer surface of the ventilation hole 28 so as to cover the ventilation hole 28. The filter is provided with a large number of holes to prevent air and dust from entering from outside while maintaining air permeability, and is preferably made of polypropylene in order to maintain recyclability. A nonwoven fabric made of polypropylene fibers, particularly a long-fiber nonwoven fabric, is suitable for such a filter. In addition, 20-50g / c
Suitable is m ³ , especially 30-40 g / cm ³ . The filter is fixed to the lid with an adhesive around the filter so as not to block the ventilation holes.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to prevent an increase in humidity inside the box due to animal excrement and the like, to prevent dew condensation, and to prevent an increase in ammonia concentration in the atmosphere, an adsorbent may be provided in the box. desirable. In particular, unlike a conventional cardboard box made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene, it is important to dispose this adsorbent because it has high sealing properties and no hygroscopicity or moisture permeability. The adsorbent can be placed in the box by directly applying the adsorbent to the wall and bottom surface of the box, or by adhering a film formed of a resin containing the adsorbent or a resin containing the adsorbent. However, as shown in FIGS.
It is preferable to form the air-conditioning chamber 74 by disposing the air-conditioning chamber 74 and to dispose an adsorbent in the air-conditioning chamber 74 because a large amount of adsorbent can be arranged while preventing contact with animals. Partition plate 70
For example, the one shown in FIG. 16 can be applied.
In the illustrated example, many transmission holes 72 are formed,
Ventilation is allowed between the place for housing the animals in the box and the inside of the air conditioning room 74. The transmission hole 72 is not particularly limited as long as it can sufficiently ventilate and does not allow animal feet or the like to enter, and various shapes such as round, square, and groove can be adopted. If the size is, for example, a round shape, the diameter is preferably 1 to 10 mm.

The partition plate 70 may have any rigidity capable of supporting the housed animal, but is preferably made of the same material as the box body, for example, polypropylene. If it is made of polypropylene, 5 to 10 rats and mice with a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm can be collected.
Further, it is preferable that the partition plate 70 has a size and a shape that match with the inner wall of the box main body so that no gap is formed between the partition plate 70 and the inner wall. In the case of the illustrated example, the box body 22 has an inverted trapezoidal shape in a vertical cross-section in which the plane area decreases in the downward direction. Therefore, by adjusting the size of the partition plate 70, the partition plate 70 is moved from above to the box body. 22 only by pushing it into
0 is fixed at a predetermined height from the bottom of the box body 22. As the partition plate 70, for example, legs or the like may be provided in addition to the plate-shaped partition plate as shown in the illustrated example. Further, in this example, the partition plate 70 is placed in the box body 22.
The air-conditioning chamber 74 is provided at the bottom of the box body 22 so as to be horizontal. However, the invention is not limited to this. For example, a partition plate is provided along the side wall inside the box body 22 and the air conditioning is performed. The chamber may be provided along the side wall, or a partition plate may be formed inside the lid to provide the air-conditioning chamber on the lid. In any case, it is sufficient to secure the volume of the part where the animal is expropriated so that the animal can be expropriated without any trouble. However, in order to more efficiently adsorb and remove liquids such as urine excreted by animals, it is preferable to provide an air-conditioning room at the bottom of the box body 22. Further, by providing the partition plate, the strength of the box body against a force from the lateral direction can be improved.

The adsorbent provided in the air-conditioned room may be any adsorbent capable of adsorbing and removing water and ammonia in the box, and may be used alone or in combination of two or more depending on the capacity and the like. Examples of the adsorbent include activated carbon, activated alumina, silica gel, calcium chloride, acid clay, and water absorbent resin. As the water-absorbing resin, starch-based, cellulose-based, and synthetic polymer-based resins are applied. As a synthetic polymer-based water-absorbing resin, for example, polyacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol-based, polyacrylamide-based,
A polyoxyethylene type is exemplified. It is preferable that the adsorbent to be provided is selected so as to include at least acidic clay which is excellent in ammonia adsorption. For example, it is preferable to provide calcium chloride and acid clay in the air-conditioned room, respectively. The adsorbent may be placed directly in the air-conditioned room or in a bag or the like. Further, as shown in the drawing, when the bottom of the box body 22 is formed with irregularities 34 such as ribs, if the adsorbent is provided at a relatively low place, the position where the partition plate is provided can be lowered. Since the volume for accommodating animals can be increased, and liquid substances such as urine collect on the adsorbent, the adsorption removal effect is improved. The amount of the adsorbent is appropriately determined depending on the size of the box body, the type of the adsorbent, the type and number of animals to be housed, the time for housing, and the like, but is usually about 10 to 100 g.

In the animal storage box of the present invention, the box body and the lid are formed with projections and depressions, so that the strength can be further increased. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, by forming the ribs 30 and 32 formed of irregularities along the vertical direction on the side surface of the box body 22, the strength against a load is improved, and a load resistance of 10 kg or more can be realized. . Further, by forming the concave portion 34 as a rib at the bottom of the box main body 22 (see FIG. 4), it is possible to prevent the box main body from bending in the lateral direction, and to form the convex portion 36 as a rib on the lid 24 (FIG. 13).
By doing so, deformation of the lid 24 can be prevented. Further, the strength of the box body 22 can be further improved by making the ribs 30 and 32 formed on the side surface portions and the concave portions 34 which are ribs formed on the bottom portion continuous. By increasing the strength by forming various irregularities in this manner, the thickness can be reduced, and further reduction in production cost and weight reduction can be achieved. Such irregularities have a curvature radius of 10
A curved surface having a curved surface of not less than mm, preferably 10 to 80 mm, more preferably 10 to 30 mm, and still more preferably 15 to 20 mm is preferable. This is because if the irregularities or the sharp ribs are thinner than 10 mm, the mouse or the like tends to bite and may be damaged. Further, in the case where a relatively large animal is accommodated, in order to enhance the effect of preventing the animal from sticking, it is preferably 65 to 80 mm, but if it is wider than 80 mm, the reinforcing effect is reduced.

The irregularities formed on the lid 24 are
It is preferable that the shape is such that it fits into the unevenness formed on the bottom of the second. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the box main body 22 ′ of the animal storage box 20 ′ is placed on the lid 24 of the animal storage box 20 in the same animal storage box 20 and animal storage box 20 ′, It is preferable that the convex portion 36 protruding upwardly fits into the concave portion 34 concaved inward of the box body 22 '. The lid 24
When a concave portion is formed below the lid 24, a convex portion protruding downward so as to fit into the concave portion is formed on the bottom of the box body 22 '. In this manner, the unevenness that fits into the bottom and the lid of the box body is formed, so that the strength of each is increased, and in addition, the animal container box can be easily and stably transported. Also, a plurality of animal storage boxes can be stacked compactly.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the box bodies 22 'are stacked on the lid 24, they must not adhere to each other. A gap 38 must be formed between them. By forming the gap 38, the ventilation hole 28 formed in the lid 24 is not blocked by the bottom of the box body 22 'placed thereon, and the ventilation in the box can be maintained. The gap 38 is formed based on the difference between the height of the bottom of the box body 22 ′ and the height of the protrusion of the lid 24 fitted to the bottom of the box body 22 ′. It is sufficient that the gap is relatively longer than the depth of the concave portion, and the length of the gap can be adjusted by setting the difference. The length p of the gap is 5 to 20 mm, especially 7 to 10 mm.
mm is preferred. If it is smaller than 5 mm, the air permeability will be impaired and 2
If the width is larger than 0 mm, the stability at the time of stacking is reduced. These irregularities are preferably formed symmetrically with respect to the center of the lid or the bottom of the box body in order to maintain stability during stacking. Further, it is desirable that the above-mentioned ventilation hole is formed in a portion other than the uneven portion of the lid. When formed on the uneven part,
This is because it is closed by unevenness formed on the bottom of the box body during stacking and cannot contribute to air permeability.

As long as these requirements are satisfied, the shape of the unevenness formed on the lid is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a convex portion 37 having a shape as shown in FIG. Further, the unevenness of the lid and the unevenness of the bottom of the box main body fitted to the lid need not necessarily contribute to the strength of the lid or the like as a rib. For example, as shown in FIG.
The protrusions 42, 42,... Protruding upward in the vicinity of the four corners of the lid 40 are formed as projections and depressions formed at zero. Alternatively, only the function of forming a gap between them may be mainly performed. In this case,
A rib or the like that does not function to form a gap between the stacked animal storage boxes may be further formed. In the lid 40 shown in FIG. Are also formed. As shown in FIG. 10, a box body 41 or the like in which only a concave portion 43 corresponding to the convex portion 42 of the lid 40 is formed can be applied to the lid 40 illustrated in FIG. In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, in addition to the unevenness 34 corresponding to the unevenness formed on the lid, on the bottom of the box body 62, further, the unevenness formed on the lid was not corresponded, but was stacked on the lid. Occasionally, irregularities 64 may be formed which only exert a strength improving effect without contacting the lid.

In the animal container of the present invention, the lid is
Various aspects can be applied as long as the requirements described above are satisfied. For example, as shown in FIGS.
It is preferable that a fitting portion 47 is formed on the peripheral portion of the lid 24 so as to cover the flange portion 46 extending outward over the entire periphery of the second peripheral portion so as to cover the flange portion 46. By forming the flange portion 46 of the box main body 22 and the fitting portion 47 of the lid 24 in this manner, when the box main body 22 is closed with the lid 24, the lid 24 is firmly attached to the box main body 22. Since the lid 24 is integrated, the lid 24 does not come off the box main body 22 carelessly, and the strength as a whole increases. If a projection is formed on the mating portion 60 of the lid 24 and the box main body 22, the accommodated animal may bite the projection, but the fitting portion that covers the flange portion 46 extending outward. At 47, the lid 24 and the box body 22
By mounting the above, no protrusion is formed on the mating portion 60, and the housed animal does not bite.

As the lid 24, as shown in FIG. 12, the lid 24 is opened and closed by sliding the lid 24 on the box main body 22, so that the animal can be easily taken in and out easily and quickly. is there. At this time, it is preferable to form an upwardly projecting locking projection 48 on a flange 46 formed on the peripheral edge of the box body 22. When the lid 24 is slid, the end 53 of the lid 24 comes into contact with the locking projection 48 and the slide is regulated, so that the size of the opening can always be kept constant, which is suitable for quick access of animals. It can be easily opened to a certain size. Generally, it is considered that it is desirable to take in and out an animal in a state where it is opened by about 40% with respect to the opening area of the box body 22 in terms of workability and the like. The size of the opening can be adjusted by adjusting the position or length of the locking projection 48. In particular, by forming the locking projection 48 at the center in the sliding direction and adjusting its length, the lid can be opened to a certain size even when the lid is slid in either the left or right direction of the box body. Become like In addition, lid 2
When a track 54 for slidably holding the locking projection 48 when the lid 24 is slid in the horizontal direction is formed in the fitting portion 47 on the peripheral edge of the cover 4, the locking projection 48 It functions as a slide guide and slides the lid 24 more smoothly (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

Further, when the box body 22 is closed by the lid 24, it is preferable to form a stopper 50 on the lid 24 which fits tightly with the locking projection 48. By forming the locking projection 48 and the stopper 50 in advance,
The lid 24 and the box body 22 are more integrated, and the lid 2
4 can be further prevented from coming off the box body 22. In particular, when the weight of the contents in the box main body 22 is heavy or when a force is applied from the side of the storage box, the lid tends to come off easily. By doing so, the overall strength is improved, the deflection is reduced, and the falling off of the lid 24 can be further prevented. When the box body 22 is opened, the lid 24 is lifted upward, the locking projection 48 is removed from the stopper 50, and the locking projection 4
The lid 24 may be slid on the box body 22 such that the lid 8 moves relative to the orbit 54 of the lid 24. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, it is desirable that the locking projection 48 and the stopper 50 have an inverted tapered shape in which the distal end portion 51 is slightly wider than the root portion 52 and swells. By forming the locking projection 48 and the stopper 50 in a reverse taper shape, the lid 24 can be more securely attached to the box main body 22, and the lid 24 can be prevented from falling off. The angle of this reverse taper (FIG. 1)
In (4), α) is preferably 2 to 15 °. If it is smaller than 2 °, the effect of the inverse tapered shape is small, and if it is larger than 15 °, the opening and closing operation of the lid 24 becomes difficult. In addition, as shown in FIG.
Flexible gripping pieces 5 extending outward at the four corners
6, 58 are formed, the lid 55 is lifted by grasping them, and the stopper 50 is fitted to the box body 57 fitted thereto.
The lid 55 can be disengaged from the locking projection 48 and the lid 55 can be slid, so that the opening and closing work can be performed more easily.

Although the animal container of the present invention can be manufactured by various molding methods (for example, injection molding), it is preferable to use a vacuum molding method in terms of simplicity and cost.
Since the animal container of the present invention has a simple shape, it can be formed very easily.

[0021]

According to the animal storage box of the present invention, since it is made of synthetic resin, it can be easily reused and cost can be reduced. It is also desirable from the viewpoint of resource protection. Also, by using polypropylene, it is inexpensive,
Although it is lightweight, it can exhibit the necessary strength for the animal housing box. In addition, because it is made of synthetic resin, the air-conditioning room where the adsorbent is installed is formed, so that the humidity and ammonia concentration in the box are suppressed, dew condensation is prevented, and the expropriated animals are kept in good health. Can be. In particular, by using acidic clay as the adsorbent, a higher air conditioning effect can be exhibited. In addition, when the irregularities having a predetermined shape are formed, the strength of the box can be reinforced, and in addition, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the housed animal will bite and break the irregularities. Further, since the strength is increased, the thickness can be further reduced, and the weight and cost of the storage box can be reduced. Also, if the bottom and lid of the box are formed with irregularities that fit together,
A plurality of animal storage boxes can be easily stacked, and are not easily collapsed. In addition, since they are compactly stacked, transportation and collection costs during or after use can be reduced. Further, even if the animal storage boxes are stacked, the ventilation holes can be maintained without blocking the ventilation holes.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a front view.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing an example of a lid.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where two animal storage boxes are stacked.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state where two animal storage boxes are stacked.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of a lid.

FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating an example of a lid.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing one embodiment of the box body.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing one embodiment of the box body.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing a state where a lid slides.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of a lid.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
15A is a plan view, and FIG. 15B is a front view.

FIG. 16 is a plan view showing an example of a partition plate.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a conventional animal storage box.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Animal storage box 22 Box main body 24 Lid 26 Filter 28 Vent hole 30 Rib 32 Rib 34 Depression 36 Convex part 37 Convex part 38 Gap 40 Lid 42 Convex part 44 Rib 55 lid 57 Box body 70 Partition plate 74 Air-conditioning room

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An animal storage box made of a synthetic resin comprising a box body and a lid provided with a vent hole, wherein an air-conditioning room in which an adsorbent is provided is formed. Characteristic animal storage box. 2. The animal storage box according to claim 1, wherein the adsorbent contains acid clay. 3. When the box main body is placed on the lid, the unevenness formed on the bottom of the box main body and the unevenness formed on the lid are fitted, and a gap is formed between the box main body and the lid. The animal storage box according to claim 1, wherein the animal storage box is used.