ANIMAL HOUSING
First Claim
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1. A controlled environment animal housing system, comprising:
- an enclosure having an air passageway in a wall thereof, housing means permeable to vertical air flow carried within said enclosure and set back from said air passageway, blower means mounted in said enclosure to suck air downwardly through said housing means, said bloweer means having a blown air output directed within said enclosure to a space above said housing means for producing a vertical downward air flow through and past said housing means. exhaust means adapted to vent from said enclosure some of the blown air output of said blower means, and thereby establish an inward replenishing flow of air through said air passageway, said vertical downward air flow and said set back of said housing means cooperating to cause said inward replenishing flow of air to by-pass said housing means, and filter means positioned in the blown air output path of said blower means to filter the air introduced into said housing means and vented from said enclosure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A controlled environment animal housing system having means to establish a laminar air flow downward through a housing assembly, an air vent to establish an inward flow of air through a housing access opening, and a filter to treat substantially all the air passed through the housing area or vented from the system.
38 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A controlled environment animal housing system, comprising:
- an enclosure having an air passageway in a wall thereof, housing means permeable to vertical air flow carried within said enclosure and set back from said air passageway, blower means mounted in said enclosure to suck air downwardly through said housing means, said bloweer means having a blown air output directed within said enclosure to a space above said housing means for producing a vertical downward air flow through and past said housing means. exhaust means adapted to vent from said enclosure some of the blown air output of said blower means, and thereby establish an inward replenishing flow of air through said air passageway, said vertical downward air flow and said set back of said housing means cooperating to cause said inward replenishing flow of air to by-pass said housing means, and filter means positioned in the blown air output path of said blower means to filter the air introduced into said housing means and vented from said enclosure.
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2. The animal housing system of claim 1, said blower means being mounted within a chamber in said enclosure, an air passageway communicating between said chamber and the underside of said housing means, and further including a plenum bounded by said chamber, said blower output orifice, and said filter means, any unfiltered air escaping from said plenum being captured within said chamber by the intake suction of said blower means and returned to said plenum.
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3. The animal housing system of claim 1, said housing means comprising a multi-unit assembly and including adjustable unit mounting means adapted to present desired ones of said units in alignment with said access opening.
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4. The animal housing system of claim 3, including a generally open-bottomed turntable support assembly to carry said multi-unit housing means in generally horizontal alignment with said enclosure access opening, said housing units comprising generally wedge-shaped cages symmetrically distributable about said support assembly, the outer peripheral wall of each of said cages being provided with a door enabling access to the interior of said cages, the interior of each of said cages being accessible from said access opening by rotation of said turntable to an appropriate position.
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5. The animal housing system of claim 1, including air distribution means mounted above said housing means to distribute blown air from said blower means in a downward substantially laminar air flow that passes adjacent to said access opening the through said housing means.
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6. The animal housing system of claim 5, including a perforated mounting platform for said housing means disposed below said access opening and spanning the space between said housing means and said enclosure wall, said platform including an air opening in registry with said housing means, and housing means mounting structure set in said opening.
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7. A controlled environment animal housing system, comprising:
- an outer enclosure having an access opening in the front wall thereof, a housing assembly permeable to vertical air flow carried within said enclosure in alignment with said access opening, said housing assembly having a perforated lower wall, means for mounting said housing assembly, including a perforated support platform having an opening therein approximately at least as large in area as the lower housing assembly wall, and means cooperating with said platform to mount said housing assembly in registry with said opening, blower means having an output orifice and mounted in said enclosure to suck air downwardly through said housing assembly, exhaust means adapted to vent from said enclosure some of the blown air output of said blower means and thereby establish an inward replenishing flow of air through said access opening, said exhaust means adapted to vent air at a rate at least as great as the rate necessary to inhibit an outward flow of air through said access opening but less than the rate necessary for the inward flow of air established through said access opening to reach said housing assembly, air distribution means disposed above said housing assembly and communicating with said blower output orifice through an air duct, said air distribution means adapted to direct air received from said blower means in a downward substantially laminar flow encompassing said housing assembly and extending substantially to said access opening, and filter means in the blown air output path of said blower means to filter the air vented from said enclosure and the air delivered to said air distribution means, whereby said housing assembly is insulated from unfiltered gaseous communication with the outside atmosphere and animals housed therein may be handled by reaching in through said access opening.
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8. The animal housing system of claim 7, including an open-bottomed housing assembly support turntable having a centrally disposed hub, and hub receiver means carried in said support platform opening, said housing assembly comprising a plurality of cages carried on said turntable and rotatable thereby for alignment with said access opening.
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9. The animal housing system of claim 8, said hub comprising an elongated, close-bottomed tube, and including liquid dispensing means extending from said tube to each of said cages, said tube forming a reservoir for a supply for drinking liquid deliverable through said dispensing means to said cages.
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10. The animal housing system of claim 8, said support platform being carried in said enclosure on a set of slide rails, said housing assembly being at least partially withdrawable from said enclosure by sliding said platform out on said rails.
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11. The animal housing system of claim 7, adapted to produce a downward laminar air flow rate of from about 20 to about 40 feet per minute, and an inward air flow rate through said access opening of from about 50 to about 100 feet per minute.
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12. The animal housing system of claim 11, adapted to produce a downward laminar air flow rate of from about 25 to about 30 feet per minute, and an inward air flow rate through said access opening of about 75 feet per minute.
Specification