WO2005048698A1

WO2005048698A1 - System for construction of wire cages, especially mink cages

Info

Publication number: WO2005048698A1
Application number: PCT/DK2004/000811
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jens SØE
Original assignee: Soee Jens
Priority date: 2003-11-24
Filing date: 2004-11-23
Publication date: 2005-06-02
Also published as: DK175673B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for the construction of wire cages, especially mink cages, of the type which is comprised of prefabricated modular elements which are assembleds and set up directly at the place of use, that is, the mink farm. The modular system includes various wire mesh and plastic sections which comprise the cage’s various wall elements (side pieces, end pieces, base, covering etc). A characteristic of the invention is that the plastic sections for attachment to the wire sections are equipped with a number of hook-shaped edge catches. These are along one or more of the side edges of the plastic section. Each edge catch is comprised of a short extension which protrudes at right angles from the relevant side edge, and a tongue which is at the free end of the extension and is at right angles to it, that is, the tongue is parallel to the side edge. All tongues belonging to one and the same side edge have the same direction. The hook-shaped edge catches are adapted to the wire spacing and the width of the wire in the wire sections to which they are to be attached, such that the edge catches can readily be pushed into the mesh opening of the wire sections for attachment to the cross wires of the wire mesh, thus effecting the intended attachment of plastic and wire sections. The system has a simple and robust construction, and setting up the cages requires a minimum of labour.

Description

System for construction of wire cages, especially mink cages.

This invention concerns a system for the construction of wire cages, especially mink cages, and more particularly the type noted in the introduction to claim 1.

There are two different types of mink cage: breeding cages and production cages. A common feature of the two types is that the actual cage box is made mainly of wire mesh. The breeding cage is hooked on the front board in the breeding cage with the aid of hook-shaped fittings. The rear end of the cage box is supported by wire straps which are suspended from the building construction, so that there is a free floor area under each cage for collection of droppings.

The r nk cages of this traditional type are usually joined in sections, and the building construction is adapted to the cages so that the length of an individual section exactly fits in between the vertical support columns in the building. The cage sections are arranged in rows in the building between the columns, and the columns are thus used as supports for the breeding boxes, which are, for example, bolted on to the columns.

The breeding box is a permanent complete unit which is usually made of chipboard with a mesh base and a mesh lid. The hd is designed so that it can be tilted up to provide access to the breeding space from the outside. There is a passage between the breeding box and the cage for the female. The passage is comprised of a cut-out hole at a suitable height in the breeding box's back panel. Mink cages which are equipped as described above are relatively expensive to make.

The cage has a large number of separate parts, and the assembly and installation of these parts is time-consuming. The cages are supplied to the breeder as finished cage sections which are ready to install in the barn as described.

The transport out to the users is relatively costly, as the finished cages are bulky and therefore occupy a lot of space during transport.

An attempt has been made to avoid these disadvantages by constructing the cages in a new modular system, such that the cages are supplied to the customer (the mink farm) stacked in disassembled form on pallets. The sections are assembled into finished cages on the site where they are to be used, that is, the mink farm. The transport is thus substantially cheaper. The modular system also means that the individual sections can be mass produced. With a rational production procedure and modern and rational production methods, the cost of manufacturing the finished mink cages can be kept low. The modular system means that the various wall and other elements which enter into a complete cage must be able to be assembled quickly and rationally, and to a large extent by unskilled labour. It would be useful for assembly of the sections to be possible without use of screws, bolts and similar traditional methods, which are too lengthy and time-consuming in this context. The object of this invention is to provide a new assembly principle which enables a fast and rational joining of the modular sections to each other, and which also meets the requirements of a simple and uncomplicated assembly procedure as described above. The assembly system must also be simple in construction and it may not increase the cost of manufacturing the modules. This invention achieves these and other advantageous properties by organising the plastic sections as specified in the characterisation part of claim 1.

A characteristic of the invention is that the plastic sections for attachment to the wire sections are equipped with a number of hook-shaped edge catches. These are along one or more of the side edges of the plastic section. Each edge catch is comprised of a short extension which protrudes at a right angle from the relevant side edge, and a tongue situated at the free end of the extension, and is at right angles to it, that is, the tongue is parallel to the side edge. All tongues belonging to one and the same side edge have the same direction.

The hook-shaped edge catches are adapted to the spacing and width of the wire sections to which they are to be coupled, so that the edge catches can be immediately slid into the openings in the wire mesh for coupling with the cross-wires in the mesh. The intended hooking together of plastic and wire sections is thus achieved. The system is simple and robust in construction, and setting up the cages requires minimal labour.

The hook-shaped edge catches in a preferred version are made as an integral part of the plastic panel, for example by punching out or water jet cutting of a suitable panel. This method of manufacture is distinguished by being fast and rational, and permitting the use of extruded plastic panelling. Extruded plastic, e.g. of recycled polypropylene, is an economical material which possesses exactly the qualities required for mink cages: a surface which is easy to clean and resistant to biting. The panel thickness is of the order of 3-4 mm. Alternatively, the plastic sections can be made by injection moulding of thermoplastic material (claim 6). This method of manufacture, which permits the integration of a number of construction details such as door fittings and hinges in the section, is used for the front panel in the breeding box, which has exactly these details in its construction. The wire section to which the plastic section is attached as described above is designed according to a basically known method with two sets of parallel wires in two directions at right angles to each other (lattice wire mesh). One (crosswise) set of wires serves as a grip for the hook-shaped edge catches, and the other set of wires runs parallel to the plane of the plastic section. The wire section is ready for assembly with the plastic section in having two wires in the latter wire set placed at a distance apart which corresponds to the plastic section's thickness or a little more. The plastic section is then inserted between the two close parallel wires, thus achieving an effective lateral support. This supporting effect helps to stabilise the entire cage construction when the cage is finally installed.

The sections are appropriately protected in the invention against unintentional separation of section joints by use of the usual clips as specified in claim 5.

The invention is explained in further detail below in connection with the diagram, where

Fig. 1 shows an entire plastic section (module side) according to the invention seen from the side, Fig. 2 is a section of the same showing an individual edge catch enlarged,

Fig. 3 is a section of the plastic section shown in Fig. 1 before attachment to an opposite wire mesh section, where the wire mesh section is shown in cross-section,

Fig. 4 is the same shown during attachment, where the hook-shaped edge catches on the plastic section are slid into the lattice openings in the wire section,

Fig. 5 is the plastic section and the wire section shown after attachment,

Fig. 6 is a complete cage box whose side walls are comprised of the plastic sections, and whose one end and top are comprised of the wire mesh sections seen in perspective at an angle from the side, and Fig. 7 is a wire section shown in a version in which the spacing of wires along the edges of three sides is adapted to the width corresponding to the thickness of the plastic sections.

In the version shown in Fig. 1, the plastic section 1 consists of a rectangular panel 2 of extruded recycled polypropylene which is punched out in the version shown, where three of the sides 3, 4 and 5 have hook-shaped edge catches 6. Each edge catch 6 is comprised of a short extension 7, which protrudes at right angles from the respective side edge, and a tongue 8, which is at the free end of the extension 7 and is at right angles to this, i.e., the tongue is parallel to the side edge. A small slit 9 is thus created between the tongue 8 and the respective side edges 3, 4, and 5, the width of which is greater than or equal to the diameter of the wire in the wire section 10.

All tongues 8 on one and the same side edge have the same direction, and the hook- shaped edge catches 6 are adapted to the wire spacing and width in the wire section 10, so that the edge catches 6 can be feely inserted into the wire lattice 11 : cf. Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The attachment between the plastic section 1 and the wire mesh 10 is immediately evident in the figure sequence in Figs. 3-5. The figures show that the hook-shaped edge catches 6 are pushed down over the transverse wires 12 in the mesh 10 once the edge catches are pushed into the mesh's lattice openings 11. This simple operation produces the intended attachment between the two sections 1 and 10. This assembly principle is generally used for the entire cage 13, whose side pieces 14 consist of appropriate plastic sections 1 as described above, and end pieces 15, top piece 16 etc. of mesh sections 10. An example of a modular cage of this type is shown in Fig. 6. An example of a wire section 10 is shown in Fig. 7, which indicates how the wire spacing 17 is adapted to the panel thickness along the three sides of the wire section, where the plastic sections 1 are inserted. This provides a lateral control of the plastic sides, and thus a favourable stabilisation of the entire cage construction when it is installed.

The extent of the protection is determined by the patent claims under Section 39 of the Danish Patents Act. Other combinations of materials, other detailed versions and other constructions for the plastic sections and their edge catches are conceivable within the framework of this invention, and the use of the assembly principle could also be extended to areas other than that specified. For example, use in connection with poultry cages and other forms of ariimal cage is also possible.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. System for construction of wire cages, especially mink cages, and more specifically of the type which is comprised of prefabricated modular elements which are assembled and set up directly at the place of use, i.e. at the mink farm, and where the cage comprises both wire mesh sections (10) and plastic sections (1), which sections comprise the cage's various wall elements (side pieces, roof pieces, base, covering etc.), characterised by

- the plastic sections (1) for attachment to the wire sections (10) along one or more side edges (3, 4, 5) being equipped with a number of hook-shaped edge catches (6), each of which is comprised of a short extension (7) which protrudes at right angles from the respective side edge (3, 4, 5), and a tongue (8) which is at the free end of the extension (7) and is at right angles to it, Le., the tongue is parallel to the side edge,

- the tongue (8) being at a distance from the side edge which is greater than or equal to the diameter of the wire on the wire section (10),

- all tongues (8) on one and the same side edge having the same direction, and

- the hook-shaped edge catches (6) being adapted to the wire spacing (11, 17) and the wire spacing in the wire sections (10) with which they are to be attached, so that the edge catches (6) can be freely pushed into the mesh openings in the wire sections (11, 17) to interlock with the cross wires in the wire mesh (12), effecting the intended attachment

2. System in accordance with claim 1, characterised by the hook-shaped edge catches (6) being in the same plane as the plastic section (1), and produced as an integral part of the plastic panel (2), for example by punching out or by water jet cutting of an appropriate plastic panel.

3. System in accordance with claims 1 and 2, characterised by the plastic section (1) being made of polypropylene or an appropriate similarly suitable plastic, possibly recycled plastic.

4. System in accordance with claim 1, characterised by the wire section (10) being designed according to a basically known method with two sets of parallel wires (12) in two directions at right angles to each other, where one (transverse) set of wires serves as a handle for the hook-shaped edge catches (6), and the other set of wires runs parallel to the plane of the plastic section (1), and the wire section is ready for assembly with the plastic section by having two wires (17) in the latter wire set placed at a distance which corresponds to the plastic section's thickness or a little more, so that the two wires control the plastic panel sideways when the plastic section is inserted between these two wires.

5. System in accordance with claim 1, characterised by the cage assembled from wire sections (10) and plastic sections (1), where the sections are attached as specified, being secured against unintentional separation by use of clips or similar fastening elements which are inserted in the corners of the cage, and where they might otherwise be required.

6. System in accordance with claim 1, characterised by some of the plastic sections (1) which enter into a mink cage, for example the front panel of the nest, being made by injection moulding.