Small animal breeding apparatus

• US 6,138,610 A
• Filed: 07/28/1999
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atsushi Kidachi, Etuko Niki, Mieko Niki, Misako Kidachi, Motohiro Niki
• Original Assignee: Atsushi Kidachi, Etuko Niki, Mieko Niki, Misako Kidachi, Motohiro Niki
• Inventors: Niki, Motohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ELIZABETH ANNE
• Application Number:
  US09/363,346
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 119/418, 119/448, 119/455, 119/503
• US Class Current: 119/418
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals

Abstract

A small animal breeding apparatus has a frame structure in which a number of breeding spaces are defined. Each breeding space is provided with a pair of parallel guide rails fixed to the opposite inner sides of the breeding space and extending from the front side to the rear side. A breeding box provided in each breeding space has on opposite outer sides protrusions which are supported on the guide rails, respectively, for guided sliding movement. A breeding cage having an upper opening is placed on the bottom floor of the breeding box. An air supply pipe and an air exhaust pipe extend forward from the rear of the frame structure. When the breeding box is pushed rearward into the breeding space in guided movement along the guide rails, the air supply and exhaust pipes are caused to extend into the breeding box through insertion holes formed in a rear wall of the breeding box. In this state, the air supply and exhaust pipes are located immediately above the breeding cage, and fresh air supplied through the air supply pipe is caused to flow downward into the breeding cage. The fresh air is circulated in the breeding cage and sucked into the air exhaust pipe, so that air in the breeding cage is maintained clean.

Claims

1. A small animal breeding apparatus comprising:

a frame structure in a parallelepiped shape having a front side and a rear side;

breeding spaces provided in said frame structure;

guide means fixedly provided in each of said breeding spaces and extending from said front side to said rear side;

an air supply pipe fixed to and extending from said rear side of the frame structure toward said front side;

a breeding box placed in each of said breeding spaces for guided movement by said guide means between said front side and said rear side, said breeding box having a top wall, a bottom floor and a rear wall through which is formed an insertion hole which is so positioned as to allow said air supply pipe to pass therethrough into said breeding box when the breeding box is moved from the front side toward the rear side in said guided movement; and

a breeding cage put on the floor of the breeding box and having an upper opening, said air supply pipe extending in the breeding box at a height immediately above the upper opening of the breeding cage and having nozzle holes directed to the upper opening of the breeding cage.

2. The small animal breeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an elastic plug of conical frustum shape fitted on said air supply pipe and in said insertion hole to provide a seal between the air supply pipe and the insertion hole.

3. The small animal breeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an air exhaust pipe fixed to and extending from said rear side of the frame structure; and

said breeding box having through said rear wall a second insertion hole which is so positioned as to allow said air exhaust pipe to pass therethrough into said breeding box when the breeding box is moved from the front side toward the rear side in said guided movement.

4. The small animal breeding apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second elastic plug of conical frustum shape fitted on said air exhaust pipe and in said insertion hole to provide a seal between the air exhaust pipe and the second insertion hole.

5. The small animal breeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said guide means includes guide rails attached to two inner sides of each of said breeding spaces; and

said breeding box has on opposite sides thereof protrusions which are slidingly supported on said guide rails, respectively.

6. The small animal breeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

said air supply pipe is located adjacent a lateral side of said breeding cage and said air exhaust pipe is located adjacent another lateral side of said breeding cage, whereby a circulating flow of air is produced within the breeding cage.