Flooring in the form of a mat, suitable for covering a slatted floor in a livestock enclosure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a floor covering (10) in the form of a mat, made of at least one material capable of undergoing elastic deformation, adapted for covering a slatted floor (S) in a livestock enclosure (E). The floor covering (10) has grooves (13) separating bearing portions (12) and designed to receive liquids flowing onto said floor covering (10). Each groove (13) is delimited by a backing wall (131), which has through holes (15) consisting of longitudinal slots (15) regularly distributed along the length of said grooves (13). The longitudinal slots (15) have a longitudinal axis (15') oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis (13') of said grooves (13) and have a length ranging from 5 to 35 cm, preferably from 5 to 20 cm. Figure for the abstract: 3

Description

Title of the invention: Floor covering in the form of a mat, suitable for covering a slatted floor in a livestock enclosure Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of floor coverings in the form of a mat, suitable for covering a slatted floor in a livestock enclosure. Prior art

[0002] Animal comfort is a determining factor in the performance of a livestock operation, which notably influences the health, feed intake, fertility and longevity of the animals.

[0003] In a stable, this comfort notably implies a rapid and efficient removal of the excrement generated by the animals.

[0004] This management of excrement should in fact make it possible to reduce gas emissions and the proliferation of bacteria in the breeding facility, and consequently to improve environmental conditions and sanitary performance.

[0005] More generally, excessively wet flooring is likely to cause health problems in the feet of animals, including lameness, which constitutes a major health problem in livestock farming.

[0006] One solution is to equip the animal traffic areas (waiting areas, exercise corridors, etc.) with a slatted floor (generally made of prefabricated concrete slabs).

[0007] However, droppings can make this type of flooring slippery, with the resulting risk of falls and injuries. Slatted floors can also be too rough, potentially causing excessive wear on the hooves and leading to locomotion problems.

[0008] Consequently, there is a need for technical solutions to reduce soil moisture in livestock enclosures, particularly slatted floors, advantageously without requiring major construction work, while improving traction and animal health. Presentation of the invention

[0009] In order to remedy the aforementioned drawback of the prior art, the present invention proposes a floor covering in the form of a mat, made of at least one material capable of undergoing elastic deformation, suitable for covering a slatted floor in a livestock enclosure.

[0010] The floor covering comprises a base with an underside intended to rest on the grating floor, and bearing portions distributed on the base on which The animals are intended to take support, and grooves separating the support portions and intended to receive liquids flowing onto the floor covering, defining a longitudinal axis.

[0011] Each groove is delimited by a bottom wall corresponding to a strip of the base formed between two bearing portions. The bottom wall is delimited by an upper face forming the bottom of the groove and by a lower face forming part of the lower face of the base. The bottom wall has through holes that open through the upper and lower faces of the bottom wall.

[0012] According to the invention, the through holes consist of longitudinal slots regularly distributed along the length of the grooves. The longitudinal slots have a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the grooves and have a length ranging from 5 to 35 cm, preferably from 5 to 20 cm.

[0013] According to another aspect, the floor covering is characterized in that the longitudinal slots have a length ranging from 5 to 15 cm.

[0014] According to another aspect, the floor covering is characterized in that the distance between two successive longitudinal slots, provided within a groove, is 5 to 20 cm, preferably 5 to 15 cm.

[0015] According to another aspect, the floor covering is characterized in that the longitudinal slots and grooves define widths which are identical to each other.

[0016] According to another aspect, the floor covering is characterized in that the grooves are straight and extend parallel to each other, delimiting between them a plurality of bearing portions which each have the form of a straight strip.

[0017] According to another aspect, the floor covering is characterized in that the grooves each have a width ranging from 15 to 40 mm, and a depth ranging from 5 to 25 mm, and in that the bearing portions have a width ranging from 50 to 500 mm.

[0018] According to another aspect, the floor covering is characterized in that the base incorporates a reinforcing layer.

[0019] According to another aspect, the floor covering is characterized in that the back wall has a thickness ranging from 1 to 5 mm, for example from 1 to 3 mm.

[0020] According to another object of the invention, a breeding enclosure equipped with a floor covering comprises a circulation corridor having a longitudinal axis and a slatted floor covered by the floor covering.

[0021] The grooves of the floor covering are arranged parallel, or at least approximately parallel, with respect to the longitudinal axis.

[0022] The grating floor has slot-shaped conduits oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the traffic corridor and in fluidic communication with the longitudinal slots of the floor covering.

[0023] Of course, the various features, variants, and embodiments of the invention can be combined with one another in various ways, provided they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. Detailed description of the invention

[0024] In addition, various other features of the invention become apparent from the attached description made with reference to the drawings which illustrate non-limiting embodiments of the invention and where:

[0025] [Fig-1] is a partial and perspective view of a grating floor in an enclosure livestock farming, covered by the floor covering according to the invention;

[0026] [Fig.2] is a partial, top view illustrating the grating floor covered by the flooring;

[0027] [Fig.3] is a partial and enlarged view of [Fig.2];

[0028] [Fig.4] is a side and cross-sectional view, illustrating the fluidic communication between the conduits in the grating floor and the longitudinal slots in the floor covering.

[0029] It should be noted that, in these figures, the structural and / or functional elements common to the different variants may have the same references.

[0030] As schematically represented in [Fig.1], the present invention relates to a floor covering 10 adapted to cover a slatted floor S in an enclosure E for raising animals, for example cattle. Breeding pen

[0031] By "animals" we mean in particular cattle (especially dairy cows or beef cattle), pigs, or any other farm animal (sheep, poultry, rabbit, horse, etc.).

[0032] Such a livestock enclosure E (not shown) consists of a building delimited by a structure, adapted to the desired livestock farming (for example a stable in the case of cattle).

[0033] At least part of the floor of this breeding enclosure E is covered by the floor covering 10 according to the invention.

[0034] In particular, the floor covering 10 is advantageously located at the level of the circulation corridors which are used by the animals moving between the different functional spaces of the livestock enclosure E (for example cubicles, milking parlors, etc.).

[0035] The traffic corridor C has a longitudinal axis (not shown), the floor of which is covered by this floor covering 10.

[0036] Generally, the floor consists of a grating floor S comprising conduits SI which are here in the form of slots.

[0037] By “slatted floor S”, we mean in particular a floor having through slots SI, the dimensions of which present a compromise between the flow of liquids and the stability of the animals.

[0038] Such a slatted floor S then forms an openwork floor, covering a pit (not shown).

[0039] Generally, the slots SI are straight, preferably with a rectangular or oblong contour. Each slot SI advantageously comprises a longitudinal axis SI'.

[0040] As shown in particular in Figures 2 or 3, each slot SI is thus advantageously delimited by:

[0041] - two large sides SI 1, defining its width dimension and advantageously its axis longitudinal, and

[0042] - two small sides S12, defining its dimension in length.

[0043] The two large sides SI 1 extend advantageously parallel to each other.

[0044] The two large sides SI 1 extend advantageously perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis SI' of this traffic corridor C.

[0045] In other words and advantageously, the grating floor S has slots SI, oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis C' of the traffic corridor C.

[0046] For example, SI slots advantageously have the following dimensions:

[0047] - a width dimension of 25 to 42 mm and

[0048] - a dimension in length from 350 to 5,000 mm.

[0049] Preferably, the slots SI are regularly distributed across the grating floor S, forming a periodic pattern. In particular, the slots SI are arranged in lines in which the long sides SU are continuum. The grating floor 2 thus has slots SI arranged in regularly spaced and parallel lines. Within each line, the slots SI are, for example, regularly spaced from one another.

[0050] In this way, the longitudinal axes SI' of the different slots SI of the grating floor S are parallel to each other.

[0051] In practice, the grating floor S is advantageously made up of several grating plates, made for example of concrete.

[0052] These grating plates advantageously have a square or rectangular outline, for example:

[0053] - a width of 500 to 1200 mm, and

[0054] - a length of 2,000 to 5,000 mm.

[0055] These floor grating plates S are advantageously juxtaposed, in the width and / or length direction.

[0056] In [Fig. 1], the grating floor S advantageously constitutes the floor of a circulation corridor C which is delimited by two longitudinal edges, defining its width. Floor covering

[0057] The floor covering 10 is suitable for collecting liquids flowing on the floor and draining them away, so as to offer a relatively dry (or at least not excessively moist) support surface for the feet of animals, and therefore a healthier one.

[0058] By "liquids" we mean in particular the liquid excrement produced by the farm animals, in particular their urine.

[0059] Generally, preferably, the floor covering 10 has a continuous length ranging from 5 m to 200 mm.

[0060] Generally, as shown in particular in [Fig.4], the floor covering 10 comprises:

[0061] - a base 11, the lower face 111 of which is intended to rest on the ground S-shaped grating

[0062] - support portions 12, distributed on the base 11, on which the animals are intended to provide support, and

[0063] - grooves 13, separating the bearing portions 12 and intended to receive liquids flowing onto the floor covering 10.

[0064] The support portions 12 preferably have a horizontal flat surface or a convex curved surface.

[0065] For optimal grip, these support portions 12 are advantageously provided with anti-slip reliefs.

[0066] These support portions 12 may include transverse grooves 121, opening into the grooves 13, to participate in the flow of liquids ([Fig.2]).

[0067] Generally, the grooves 13 are advantageously above the slots SI made in the ground.

[0068] These grooves 13 can cross transversely the slots SI, in particular for the grating floor S.

[0069] The grooves 13 are each delimited by a bottom wall 131, corresponding to a strip of the base 11 provided between two support portions 12.

[0070] As shown in particular in [Fig.4], the bottom wall 131 is delimited by two faces:

[0071] - an upper face 1311, forming the bottom of the groove 13, and

[0072] - a lower face 1312, forming part of the lower face 111 of the base 11.

[0073] More specifically, the bottom wall 131 comprises:

[0074] - a thickness dimension, defined by the upper face 1311 and by the lower face 1312,

[0075] - a width dimension, defined between two support portions 12.

[0076] For example, the bottom wall 131 has a thickness ranging from 1 to 5 mm, of Preferably 1 to 3mm.

[0077] Preferably, the grooves 13 are straight and extend parallel to each other, delimiting between them a plurality of bearing portions 12 which each have the shape of a straight strip.

[0078] Each groove 13 advantageously comprises a longitudinal axis 13'; the longitudinal axes 13' of the different grooves 13 extend parallel to each other.

[0079] Preferably, the grooves 13 are distributed over the width of the floor covering 10: and these grooves 13 extend over the entire length of the floor covering 10.

[0080] Preferably, the grooves 13 each have:

[0081] - a width ranging from 15 to 40 mm, and

[0082] - a depth ranging from 5 to 25 mm.

[0083] The support portions 12 have a width ranging from 50 to 500 mm.

[0084] Preferably, in the presence of a traffic corridor C comprising a longitudinal axis C', the grooves 13 of the floor covering 10 are arranged parallel, or at least approximately parallel, with respect to said longitudinal axis C'.

[0085] And this bottom wall 131 has through openings 15 which open through the upper face 1311 and the lower face 1312 of this bottom wall 131.

[0086] In general (especially for a grating floor S), the through holes 15 are advantageously regularly distributed.

[0087] According to one embodiment, certain grooves 13 devoid of such through holes 15 contribute advantageously to the structural resistance of the floor covering 10.

[0088] In this case, according to the invention, the through holes 15 consist of longitudinal slots 15, regularly distributed along the length of the grooves 13.

[0089] As shown in particular in [Fig. 3], each longitudinal slot 15 is thus advantageously delimited by:

[0090] - two large sides 151, defining its width dimension and advantageously its axis longitudinal 15', and

[0091] - two small sides 152, defining its dimension in length.

[0092] The longitudinal slots 15 have a longitudinal axis 15' oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 13' of the grooves 13.

[0093] Each longitudinal slot 15 has a dimension in length ranging from 5 to 35 cm, preferably from 5 to 20 cm.

[0094] Preferably, the longitudinal slots 15 have a length ranging from 5 to 15 cm.

[0095] Preferably, the distance between two successive longitudinal slots 15 (corresponding again to the distance between the short sides 152 of two successive longitudinal slots 15), provided within a groove 13, is from 5 to 20 cm, preferably from 5 to 15 cm.

[0096] Preferably, the longitudinal slots 15 and the grooves 13 define widths that are identical to each other. In other words, the width dimension of a longitudinal slot 15 is identical to the width dimension of its associated groove 13. Put another way, each longitudinal slot 15 extends over the entire width of its associated groove 13.

[0097] In general, the floor covering 10 is advantageously made of at least one material capable of undergoing elastic deformation.

[0098] The support portions 12 are advantageously adapted to undergo a deformation in indentation, of at least 1 mm, and preferably between 1 and 5 mm, when the foot of the animal or a person is supported.

[0099] By "sinking", we mean in particular a reduction in thickness between the bearing portion and the lower face 111 of the base 11, by bringing the respective surfaces closer together.

[0100] For this purpose, the floor covering 10 is advantageously made of at least one material capable of undergoing elastic deformation, chosen from:

[0101] - elastomeric materials, namely for example natural rubber, the "Synthetic natural" rubber (or synthetic polyisoprene), polybutadiene or styrene-butadiene, or

[0102] - plastic materials or thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), namely by Examples include PVB (Polyvinyl butyral), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) / SBR (styrene butadiene), PP (polypropylene) / EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), TPU (polyurethane TPE).

[0103] This floor covering 10 can be made:

[0104] - single-material, or

[0105] - multi-material, for example a first material forming the base 11 and a second material forming the support portions 12.

[0106] According to a preferred embodiment, the base 11 incorporates a reinforcing layer 115.

[0107] The reinforcing layer 115 is advantageously chosen from products providing stability and / or resistance to elongation, for example textile or metal fibers.

[0108] This reinforcement layer 115 consists, for example, of a textile reinforcement framework, advantageously made of a material chosen from nylon, cotton, polyester, polyamide or any other reinforcing textile.

[0109] Such a floor covering 10 can be manufactured by assembling a set of superimposed parts to form a monobloc type assembly, for example:

[0110] - by vulcanizing an assembly of parts made of elastomeric material, [YES] - by gluing,

[0112] - by welding. Implementation

[0113] In practice, the grating floor S of the enclosure E, for example the circulation corridor C, is covered by the floor covering 10.

[0114] The grooves 13 of the floor covering 10 are advantageously arranged parallel, or at least approximately parallel, with respect to the longitudinal axis SI' of this grating floor S.

[0115] For example, the longitudinal axis 13' of the grooves 13 is advantageously arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis C' of the traffic corridor C.

[0116] These grooves 13, and the associated longitudinal slots 15, then extend perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis SI' of the slots SI which are made in the grating floor S.

[0117] And the slots SI of the traffic corridor C are in fluidic communication with the longitudinal slots 15 of the floor covering 10.

[0118] Indeed, at least some of the longitudinal slots 15 cut at least one conduit SI of the slatted floor S.

[0119] Generally, the slots SI in the grating floor S, including those covered by the flooring 10, are shown as solid lines in Figures 2 and 3 for clarity. However, these slots SI covered by the flooring 10 remain accessible only at the through-holes 15.

[0120] The liquids flowing in the grooves 13 thus pass through the longitudinal slots 15 and are then directed towards the slots SI of the floor gratings S.

[0121] This fluidic communication thus ensures a continuous and efficient evacuation of liquids, by gravity, thereby reducing the humidity on the surface of the floor covering and improving sanitary conditions for the animals.

[0122] Furthermore, the design of the longitudinal slots 15, with a length dimension greater than the width dimension, minimizes the risk of clogging by solid waste. The dimensions of the slots are chosen to offer an optimal compromise between the fluid flow capacity and the structural stability of the floor covering.

[0123] Of course, various other modifications can be made to the invention within the scope of the annexed claims.

Claims

Demands

1. A floor covering (10) in the form of a mat, made of at least one material capable of undergoing elastic deformation, adapted to cover a slatted floor (S) in a livestock enclosure (E), said floor covering (10) comprising: - a base (11) having an underside (111) intended to rest on said slatted floor (S), - support portions (12), distributed on said base (11), on which the animals are intended to stand, and - grooves (13), separating said support portions (12) and intended to receive liquids flowing onto said floor covering (10), defining a longitudinal axis (13'), each of which grooves (13) are delimited by a back wall (131), corresponding to a strip of said base (11) formed between two support portions (12), said back wall (131) being delimited by a face upper (1311), forming the bottom of said groove (13), and by a lower face (1312),forming a part of said lower face (111) of the base (11), which bottom wall (131) has through holes (15) which open through said upper face (1311) and said lower face (1312) of said bottom wall (131), characterized in that said through holes (15) consist of longitudinal slots (15), regularly distributed along the length of said grooves (13), which longitudinal slots (15) have a longitudinal axis (15') oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis (13') of said grooves (13) and have a length ranging from 5 to 35 cm, preferably from 5 to 20 cm.

2. Floor covering (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the longitudinal slots (15) have a length ranging from 5 to 15 P1T1

3. Cili. Floor covering (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the distance between two successive longitudinal slots (15), formed within a groove (13), is 5 to 20 cm, preferably 5 to 15 cm.

4. Floor covering (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the longitudinal slots (15) and grooves (13) define widths which are identical to each other.

5. Floor covering (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the grooves (13) are straight and extend parallel to each other, delimiting between them a plurality of bearing portions (12) which each have the form of a straight strip.

6. Floor covering (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the grooves (13) each have: - a width from 15 to 40 mm, and - a depth from 5 to 25 mm, and in that the bearing portions (12) have a width from 50 to 500 mm.

7. Floor covering (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said base (11) incorporates a reinforcing layer (115).

8. Floor covering (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bottom wall (131) has a thickness ranging from 1 to 5 mm, for example from 1 to 3 mm.

9. Livestock enclosure (E) equipped with a floor covering (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, said livestock enclosure (E) comprising a circulation corridor (C) having a longitudinal axis (C') and comprising a slatted floor (S) covered by said floor covering (10), and in that the grooves (13) of said floor covering (10) are arranged parallel, or at least approximately parallel, with respect to said longitudinal axis (C'), said slatted floor (S) having conduits (SI) in the form of slots, oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (C') of said circulation corridor (C) and in fluidic communication with the longitudinal slots (15) of said floor covering (10).

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