Apparatus and method for rearing insects in a high-rise rack warehouse

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to enable an automated, resource-saving and efficient insect farming in a high-rack warehouse. The present invention solves this object by arranging a feed gate (5) on at least one high-rack (3), to which a warehouse logistics device can transfer cases stored in a stackable manner in the at least one high-rack (3), and by which the state of the case contents inside the case transferred by the warehouse logistics device to the feed gate (5) can be determined, and by which the insects can be fed and / or removed if ripe for harvesting.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for rearing insects in a high-rack warehouse, comprising a warehouse area with at least one high-rise rack and warehouse logistics equipment, in which a plurality of cases can be stackably stored, the cases being transportable within the warehouse area by the warehouse logistics equipment, and in which insects are present. The present invention also relates to a method for rearing insects in a high-rack warehouse using the apparatus according to the invention.

[0002] An apparatus for rearing insects is previously known, for example from DE 102019121102. This apparatus allows automated insect rearing, in which stacks of cases are circulated according to the Paternoster principle via a gate and the insects present in the cases are fed by a feeding module.

[0003] Furthermore, WO 2016 / 153340 discloses an apparatus and a method for rearing insects, the apparatus comprising: - a laying area, comprising a number of egg-laying containers adapted to contain or have contained adult insects, including mother insects, and insect food, the number of egg-laying containers being stacked to form one or more egg-laying container stacks; - a number of egg-laying structures, at least one of which is provided or adapted to be provided in each egg-laying receptacle in the egg-laying area, in which the mother insects will lay their eggs, so that the egg-laying structure or a part of the egg-laying structure retains the eggs, and the egg-laying structure or a part of the egg-laying structure can be removed from the egg-laying receptacle, with the adult insects remaining in the egg-laying receptacle; a hatching area in which the eggs will hatch, the hatching area being adapted to accommodate the egg-laying structure or part of the egg-laying structure that holds the eggs and to be able to be removed from the egg-laying container, which allows the harvesting of the larvae; a feeding system for supplying food to the egg-laying vessel; an area for manipulating egg-laying structures, comprising a system for manipulating egg-laying structures adapted to remove egg-carrying structures or parts of egg-laying structures from the egg-laying receptacles and to transport the egg-laying structures or parts of egg-laying structures to the hatching area and to provide empty egg-laying structures or parts of egg-laying structures to each egg-laying receptacle, the area for manipulating egg-laying structures being preferably also adapted for cleaning the egg-laying structures or parts of egg-laying structures; a vessel handling system for transporting egg-laying vessels between the egg-laying area and the egg-laying structure handling area.

[0004] Furthermore, from WO 2016 / 166471 A1 a factory for rearing insects is previously known, the invention relates to an installation for rearing insects, which comprises a first area in which the insects to be reared are kept in containers during their development and a second area with at least one station configured to serve the insects in or on the containers. The containers are grouped in the first zone into sets of palletized containers, called base units. In this case, the first zone comprises a pallet track on which the base units are arranged. The first zone is further equipped with an automatic device configured to move the base units between the first zone and an interface with the second zone.

[0005] Furthermore, a method and a system for rearing insects using a number of individual cases are known from WO 2014 / 171829, in which each case is at least partially filled with a substrate containing food and immature insects. Furthermore, an air-conditioned room is provided in which the cases are housed and which has a ventilation system. The system includes a transport system for taking the cases from the air-conditioned room and returning them thereto. Along the transport system, an observation system is arranged for obtaining observation results including data and measurements, and downstream of the observation system, a supply station for raw materials is arranged.

[0006] Also known from WO 2017 / 223096 is an autonomous feeding platform configured to move through an installation and to feed insect food to a number of insect habitats present in the installation. In some cases, the feeding platform may be configured to feed the insect habitats substantially simultaneously.

[0007] Starting from this prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide an automated, resource-saving and efficient insect farming in a high-rack warehouse. This object is achieved by an apparatus according to independent claim 1. Furthermore, the object is achieved by a method according to parallel claim 38. On this basis there are likewise obtained an oil according to the features of product claim 51, a powder according to the features of product claim 52 and uses of the powder and the oil according to the features of use claims 53 and 54. Advantageous configurations of the invention can be seen from the dependent claims.

[0008] The invention relates in one aspect to an apparatus for rearing insects in a high-rack warehouse, comprising a warehouse area with at least one high-rack and a warehouse logistics device, in which a plurality of cases can be stored in a stackable manner in the at least one high-rack, the cases being transportable in the warehouse area by the warehouse logistics device, in which insects are present. In order to ensure that the cases to be transported have to travel, in particular, as short a distance as possible, the apparatus according to the invention envisages that a feed gate is arranged in the at least one high-rack, to which the warehouse logistics device can transport the cases stored in a stackable manner in the at least one high-rack, the feed gate being capable of determining the state of the case contents inside the cases transported to the feed gate by the warehouse logistics device, and the feed gate being capable of feeding the cases and / or removing the cases if the insects are mature for harvesting. In this case, the determination of the state of the case contents may take place, for example, by an identification marking of each case, which is read out by the feed gate and, based on the associated data, for example the length of storage time in a high-rack warehouse, the feed gate can decide in what form to feed and / or remove the case full of insects. Based on the short distance the case has to be advanced by the warehouse logistics device, an increased amount of feeding for the developing insects is possible. This can ultimately ensure an optimized rearing of the insects present in the case.

[0009] In this case, the warehouse logistics equipment may be a rack handling equipment, a shuttle or a traveling rack that transports cases from at least one high rise rack to the feed gate.

[0010] In addition, the case may contain not only the insects to be reared, but also insect skins, insect eggs, feces, food, substrate and other case contents, which ultimately affect the success and efficiency of the insect rearing. Furthermore, the case may be filled with different types of insects and different stages of insects. In this case, depending on the type of insect, especially in the case of grasshoppers, stacking storage in high racks is not performed, since the type of case to be used is not suitable for stacking.

[0011] In a first advantageous configuration, the feed gate has at least one buffer area in which the cases transported to the feed gate by the warehouse logistics device can be stored temporarily, which results in a further increase in efficiency.

[0012] In order to be able to detect whether an optimal climate or optimal conditions prevail in the cage, in particular for breeding, the device in one further advantageous configuration assumes that the feed gate has at least one detection device, by means of which the parameters required for insect breeding, in particular the humidity and temperature in the cage, can be detected. As a result, more efficient insect breeding can be ensured, since the qualitative, physiological and pathological state of the cage contents can be determined. In one further advantageous configuration, the detection device has at least one sensor and / or a recording and / or data transmission device, in particular a camera, by means of which the corresponding parameters or state of the cage contents, in particular the insects, in the cage can be ascertained. In particular by using a camera, it becomes possible to ascertain an overall picture of the state of the insects in the cage and the remaining cage contents.

[0013] In this case, in one advantageous configuration of the device, the parameters detected by the detection device, which ultimately reflect the state of the contents of one of the containers, in particular the insects, can be compared with a reference database, so that the current state of the contents of the container and / or the maturity of the insects can be ascertained. The data thus obtained by the detection device can further be used to build a reference database and can be used for machine learning of the detection device by comparing the data stored in the reference database with the respective currently determined parameter data. Finally, the data thus obtained can preferably be used for an automated optimization of the production parameters, in particular for improving the composition and dosage of the feed. As a result, a further optimization of the insect rearing can be achieved.

[0014] Furthermore, in one advantageous configuration of the device, the feeding gate has at least one feeding module, by means of which feeding material can be supplied to the insects in the cases transferred to the feeding gate by the rack handling device, in particular the feeding module adding food and substrate to the cases in order to promote the growth of the insects present therein.

[0015] In order to be able to remove undesirable by-products of insects, in particular insect skin, droppings, and food residues that may not be eaten and may rot and thus become a potential risk for insects to become ill, the device assumes in one further advantageous configuration that the feed gate has at least one cleaning module. This cleaning module allows the feed gate to remove other contents of the case, in particular insect skin, droppings, and food residues, from the case, which also contributes to increasing the growth rate of the insects. In one further advantageous configuration, the cleaning module has at least one suction device, which can remove the other contents of the case from the case by suction with the suction device or by air classification. The removal of the other contents of the case, in particular insect skin and insect droppings, can also be performed by at least one electric device provided in the cleaning module, which can be used to remove the corresponding other contents of the case from the case by electrostatic means.

[0016] Furthermore, in one advantageous configuration of the device, in order to optimize the automated insect farming in the high-rack warehouse, it is envisaged that the device according to the invention has at least one hatching area, in which the hatching process takes place, in particular insect eggs and / or insect pupae laid by the breeding insects can be hatched in this area. However, it is also possible for insect eggs or insect pupae procured in another way to be hatched in the hatching area. In this case, the insect eggs and / or insect pupae can be arranged in cases, flat cases and / or flat trays. As soon as the larvae and / or insects, in particular, hatch from the insect eggs and / or insect pupae, in one further advantageous configuration of the device, they can be further processed in a pupae processing area. That is to say, the insects envisaged for farming can be automatically bred and then transferred for further farming, for example by means of a suitable transport system and a logistics device provided in the warehouse area, into at least one high-rack in which a feeding gate is arranged.

[0017] In order to achieve optimal conditions for hatching the insect eggs and / or insect pupae and thus an increase in the number of larvae and / or insects that eventually hatch, the device in one alternative advantageous configuration envisages that the hatching area comprises an incubator for hatching the insect eggs and / or insect pupae, which can ensure that optimal conditions prevail for hatching the larvae and / or insects from the insect eggs and / or insect pupae, which can result in a significant increase in the efficiency of insect rearing.

[0018] The invention further envisages that in one advantageous configuration of the device, it has at least one sorting device by means of which the insect eggs and / or insect pupae, or the larvae and / or insects that have hatched in the hatching area, in particular in an incubator, and the insect pupae, larvae or insects that have been treated in the pupa treatment area can be sorted from the remaining case contents, whereby it is possible to separate possibly unhatched eggs and / or pupae from the larvae and / or insects that have already hatched from the insect eggs and / or insect pupae, to transfer the thus hatched larvae and / or insects from the hatching or pupa treatment area to at least one high-rise rack in the warehouse area for further rearing, and to return possibly unhatched eggs or pupae to the hatching or pupa treatment area for further processing. The sorting device can also remove any larvae and / or insect remains that have hatched from insect eggs and / or insect pupae already present in the hatching or pupal processing area, as well as any remaining egg shells or pupae.

[0019] In order to prepare the containers for filling with insect eggs or to be able to feed the larvae and / or insects hatched from the insect eggs and / or insect pupae in the incubator, and in this case, for example, to travel the shortest possible distances with the transport means or transport system, the device, in one further advantageous configuration, envisages that it has at least one feeding device, by means of which the containers filled with insect eggs and / or insect pupae can be filled with the corresponding feeding material. This has the advantage that all steps required for complete breeding, starting from the hatching of the insect eggs and / or insect pupae, up to the (initial) feeding of the hatched larvae and / or insects and their subsequent introduction into the case, can be carried out in one area.

[0020] When the insects present in the cases are mature for harvesting or have reached the maturity required for further processing, these cases, which are stored in a stackable manner in at least one high-rise rack, must be disassembled, their contents removed and the cases cleaned. To accomplish this task, in one advantageous configuration, the device envisages having at least one removal area in which the above-mentioned steps can be carried out.

[0021] In this case, the unloading area, in one further advantageous configuration, has at least one unloading device by means of which the unpacking of the cases and the removal of the case contents from the cases can be carried out, so that a quick and gentle emptying of the stackable cases filled with insects can be achieved.

[0022] In order to be able to reuse the cases that have been disassembled and emptied in the removal area, the device in one further advantageous configuration provides that the removal area has at least one cleaning device by means of which the emptied and disassembled cases can be cleaned.

[0023] In order to be able to sort the case contents removed from the cases in the removal area, the device in one advantageous configuration is provided with at least one sorting area, in which the case contents removed from the cases can be sorted into products, intermediate products and other case contents. In this case, the products can be insects that are mature for harvesting in a particularly desired size, the intermediate products can be insects that are not yet fully mature, and the other case contents can be, for example, feed residues, droppings and insect skins. In a further advantageous configuration, the case contents removed from the cases can be conveyed to the sorting area in the form of loose loads.

[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment, the device envisages that cases cleaned and emptied by the cleaning device in the removal area can be stored in at least one buffer area and stored for subsequent use.

[0025] Furthermore, the device provides that in one advantageous configuration, the device has at least one loading area, in which the cases can be loaded with food, insects, insect eggs, substrate or a combination thereof. The loading area is primarily used for the initial loading or reloading or reloading of the cases with materials important for rearing, in particular substrate, insect eggs, larvae and food. It is also possible to initially load the cases with insects, insect larvae or newly hatched insects intended for rearing via the loading area and to supply the corresponding materials for subsequent rearing. Preferably, the loading area has at least one feeding gate for the initial loading or reloading of the cases intended for rearing. Particularly preferably, the loading area has one feeding gate each for at least one existing stage of insects, in particular for pupae, newly hatched larvae or beetles.

[0026] Furthermore, the device provides in one advantageous configuration that the filling area has at least one filling lane through which the cases are filled, which may have various stations or modules for loading the cases to be filled with the required materials.

[0027] In order to be able to transport the cases, which are stored in a stackable manner in at least one high-tier rack in the warehouse area and which can be transported by the warehouse logistics device, into and out of the storage area, the device in one advantageous configuration assumes that it has at least one transport system by means of which the cases can be transported into and out of the warehouse area. In a further advantageous configuration, the device assumes that the transport system is a fully or partially automated guided vehicle. An automated guided vehicle is a floor-mounted transport means with a dedicated travel drive that is automatically controlled and guided in a contactless manner. These automated guided vehicles are generally used for material transport and are used to tow or carry transported objects by active or passive load support means, but not for personnel transport. Such a transport system essentially consists of one or more automated guided vehicles, a guidance and control device, a location measurement and position detection device, a data transmission device, as well as infrastructure and peripheral devices.

[0028] Furthermore, the device envisages that in a further advantageous configuration, the device has at least one delivery area, to which materials, in particular feed, feed ingredients, substrates or possibly further materials required for insect rearing, can be delivered.

[0029] Preferably, at least one feed ingredient silo may be arranged in the delivery area, in which, inter alia, raw materials for the feed production can be stored and stored for further use.

[0030] The device may also, in one further advantageous configuration, have at least one product silo in which products resulting from the farming, for example live insects for use as animal feed, can be stored.

[0031] In order to ensure optimal conditions for the growth of the insects in the cases stored in a stackable manner in at least one high-rise rack, the device in one further advantageous configuration provides that the storage area has at least one air conditioning device, by which the air quality in the storage area is adjusted, whereby the air quality means, inter alia, the temperature, the air humidity and the particle concentration in the air, i.e. the optimal conditions for the efficient growth of the insects can be adjusted by the air conditioning device.

[0032] It is also advantageous if an access to at least one feed gate arranged on a high-rise rack is provided in the warehouse area, and therefore the device in one advantageous configuration provides that a feed gate arranged on at least one high-rise rack in the warehouse area is provided with at least one platform for maintenance of the feed gate, for manual intervention and for manual loading.

[0033] Furthermore, the device provides that in a further advantageous configuration, the storage area is formed in the form of a silo structure, whereby at least one high-rise rack is used as a support for at least one external facade. This can result in material savings, which can ultimately ensure an efficient insect farming that also saves resources. In a further advantageous configuration, the device provides that the support and at least one high-rise rack used as an external facade have thermal insulation with a vapor barrier, whereby the storage area is shielded from the outside. This can ensure, in particular, that changes in climatic conditions in the external area have little or no effect on the conditions prevailing in the storage area.

[0034] In a second aspect, the present invention is a method for rearing insects using the device according to the present invention, comprising removing a stack of cases from at least one high-rise rack and transporting them to a feed gate, determining the state of the case contents of each case by the feed gate, removing or feeding the cases according to the determined state of the case contents, and returning each case to at least one high-rise rack after feeding. In this case, feeding may be performed according to the state of the case contents, in particular the age, total number, growth stage, loading amount and other factors of the insects. In this way, an automated and efficient insect rearing in a high-rise rack warehouse may be achieved.

[0035] In order to further increase the efficiency of the method for rearing insects in a high-rack warehouse, the method in one advantageous configuration provides for the storage of the stackable cases in the at least one high-rack not according to a fixed space system, but according to the chaotic principle or another optimized storage form, whereby the chaotic principle refers to so-called dynamic warehousing, in which the parts to be stored do not have a fixed storage space in the warehouse area, but are stored in any space that is not occupied at the time of storage, so that, inter alia, an averaged machine utilization of the feed gates, warehouse logistics equipment and an improved utilization of the warehouse area can be achieved, and new stackable cases can be easily stored and replaced.

[0036] In a further advantageous configuration, the method also provides for the cases conveyed to the feed gate to be conveyed from this feed gate to another feed gate. This can be done, for example, by the warehouse logistics device itself or by a conveying means suitable for this purpose. This is advantageous when the feed gate to which the cases are conveyed is full to capacity or the corresponding feed gate is broken or has to be serviced. In order to avoid dead time, these cases are therefore conveyed to another existing feed gate that is not completely full to capacity, so that they can be inspected there accordingly and possibly removed and / or fed. As a result, this ensures a faster processing of the cases and avoids dead time.

[0037] The method further provides for removing the substrate and / or feed in the case of cases mature for harvesting, thereby allowing the insects to empty their guts. This is particularly advantageous, since washing of the raw material obtained from the insects can be avoided, since this already almost completely removes the feces from the raw material, possibly still present in the insects. Preferably, this separation is carried out 1-8 days, particularly preferably 1-5 days, before the actual harvest, i.e. before the cases are removed from the warehouse area for further processing, for example by a feed gate or warehouse logistics equipment. This means that the amount of nutrients in the product, i.e. the insects, can be increased, and other components, such as water and feces, can be reduced.

[0038] Furthermore, the method in a further advantageous configuration provides for the loosening and emptying of the cases ripe for harvesting that have been removed by the feed gate or the warehouse logistics device. The emptied cases may also be cleaned in an advantageous configuration of the method. The cleaned cases can then be stored and stocked for further use, in particular for containing intermediate products or for new filling.

[0039] The method also provides for sorting the case contents leaving the emptied case into product, intermediate product and other case contents. In this case, the product may be insects of a corresponding weight or size, in which case relatively small or relatively light insects may be considered as intermediate products, which in one further advantageous configuration of the method may be packed back into the case again for further rearing. The other case contents, which may consist of, for example, dead insects, insect skins, substrate and / or feed residues, droppings and other components, may be led off separately as other case contents for further disposal or treatment.

[0040] In order to be able to further process the insects now considered as product, the method in one further advantageous configuration envisages that the product is obtained either as a live product or is deactivated and chopped. In this case, deactivation can be achieved by a particularly intense temperature change, this heating or cooling being carried out in particular by blanching or freeze-drying. After deactivation, the product is chopped and the chopped product thus obtained can be fed to a subsequent processing step.

[0041] In one further advantageous configuration, the method envisages defatting the shredded product and producing oil therefrom. The thus obtained defatted product can then be dried and ground in one further advantageous configuration of the method, thus finally obtaining a powder.

[0042] In one further aspect, the present invention envisages the use of the powder obtained according to this method for feed for insect and animal rearing and food products, especially in the form of protein powders.

[0043] Furthermore, in one alternative embodiment, the present invention envisages the use of the oil obtained on the basis of degreasing for food and beauty products and animal feed.For example, the oil can be used as a pure oil for preparing salad dressings or as a substitute for palm oil in food production.Furthermore, the oil can be used in beauty products, especially as a substitute for palm oil.Finally, the oil can be used as it is or can be used in animal feed production.

[0044] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to one embodiment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of an apparatus for rearing insects.

[0046] 1 shows a perspective view that shows a schematic diagram of an insect rearing device. A plurality of high-rise racks 3 are arranged in two rows in a warehouse area 2, and a rack operation device 4 is movable as a warehouse logistics device along the free space formed between the two rows, and the rack operation device 4 can transport cases from each high-rise rack 3 to each high-rise rack 3. Furthermore, the rack operation device 4 can move from the high-rise rack 3 to the feed gates 5 arranged on the high-rise racks 3 every other time, and thus can transport cases from the high-rise racks 3 into the feed gates 5 arranged on the high-rise racks 3 every other time.

[0047] The cases transported by the rack handling device 4 from the high-rise racks 3 into the feed gate 5 arranged in the second row can be inspected in the feed gate 5, where, depending on the state of the case contents, the feed gate 5 can either supply the case with feeding material, in particular feed and substrate, or, in the case of cases ripe for harvesting, remove the case from the storage area 2. Furthermore, cases ripe for harvesting can also be removed directly from the storage area 2 by the rack handling device 4. This can be done, for example, on the basis of the passage of time intervals based on empirical data. That is to say, it is possible for the rack handling device 4 to remove the case from the storage area 2 without the state of the case contents being inspected by the feed gate 5.

[0048] After the cases have been possibly fed by the feed gate 5, they can again be removed from the feed gate 5 by the rack handling device 4 and returned to the high rack 3 for further rearing, in which case the storage or storage of the cases fed by the feed gate 5 can take place, for example, according to the chaos principle or another optimized warehouse storage format. The fed cases can also first be intermediately stored in a buffer area provided at the feed gate 5 until the rack handling device 4 returns them to the high rack 3.

[0049] If the cases are stored in the form of stacks or double stacks, it is conceivable that the feed gate 5 has the devices necessary to appropriately separate these case stacks in order to carry out appropriate inspection and feeding of the cases.

[0050] In order to allow possible manual intervention during the automated feeding of the cases by the feed gate 5, a platform 19 is provided along the feed gate 5 arranged on the high-rise rack 3, so that, for example, an operator can manually remove samples from the cases or from the feeding material or carry out observations.

[0051] For the initial or fresh loading or refilling of the cases with insects and the corresponding materials required for rearing, the device 1 has a loading area 16, here preceded by a feed gate 17. The loading area is connected by a conveying system 18 to a delivery area 20, a feed material silo 22 adjacent to the delivery area 20, in which the delivered feed material is stored for further processing or use, a storage area 22 and the sorting area 14. For the delivery of possible materials, in particular feed material, the delivery area 20 has here a truck ramp 21, which ensures easy unloading of trucks full of the corresponding materials. Furthermore, optionally devices may be present in the delivery area, which can prepare or process the feed material before the delivered feed is stored in the feed material silo 22 for further processing or use.

[0052] Once the cases in the feed gate 5 have been identified as mature for harvesting, the feed gate 5 can either remove these cases or, based on the empirical assumption that these cases are now mature for harvesting, the rack handling device 4 can directly remove these cases from the storage area 2. That is, both the feed gate 5 and the rack handling device 4 can remove the cases mature for harvesting from the storage area 2 and transport them to the removal area 11 for further processing via a transport system 18, which is also connected to the removal area 11. On arrival at the removal area 11, the cases identified there as mature for harvesting can be disassembled and emptied by removal 12, and the emptied cases are cleaned by a cleaning device 13 arranged at the removal device 12. However, cleaning does not necessarily have to take place. It is also conceivable to reuse the emptied cases directly without prior cleaning. The cases cleaned by the cleaning device 13 can then be stored in the buffer area 15 for further use, in particular for replenishing or filling with insect eggs or insect pupae.

[0053] The case contents emptied by the unloading device 12 can then be transported by the transport system 18 from the unloading area 11 to the sorting area 14. Once there, the emptied case contents can be sorted into products, intermediate products and other case contents, where intermediate products, i.e. for example insects that are not fully mature, can be transported by the transport system 18 back to the filling area 16 for reloading. The insects separated as products, i.e. for example fully mature insects or insects with a certain degree of maturity, can then be stored as live products in the product silo 23 or can be kept for further processing. The live products can also be further processed, in particular to obtain oils or powders. Such final products obtained from the products can also be stored in the product silo 23, which are then transported, for example by truck or freight train, to another location for further processing or use. The intermediate products and other case contents separated from the products, in particular insect skins and insect droppings, can serve, for example, for use as fertilizer or for producing fertilizer.

[0054] Furthermore, the device 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a hatching area 7 and a pupa processing area 9 with a feeding device 8 and a sorting device 10, which can automatically and automatically carry out the processing steps to optimize the insects to be reared. In the hatching area 7, containers, in particular cases, filled with insect eggs and / or insect pupae can be stored, and the insect eggs and / or insect pupae can be hatched under optimal conditions in the hatching area 7 or in the pupa processing area 9. For this purpose, the hatching area 7 preferably has an incubator. It is also conceivable in this case to store the containers filled with insect eggs and / or insect pupae in the high-rise rack 3. In order to be able to feed the larvae and / or insects hatched from the eggs and / or pupae in the hatching area 7 and / or in the pupa processing area or in the high-rise rack 3, the device 1 has a feeding device 8, in which the hatched eggs and / or pupae can be supplied with food and substrates, in particular for optimal growth.

[0055] In order to be able to transport and feed the larvae hatched from the eggs in the hatching area 7, the device 1 may further comprise transport, feeding, metering and handling devices capable of supplying the newly hatched larvae and / or insects with the materials necessary for optimal development, in particular suitable food. The loading of a predetermined amount of food, substrate or larvae for further rearing in the storage area 2 may take place directly by the feeding device 8 or in the loading area 16.

[0056] When the hatched larvae and / or insects have reached the appropriate stage for further rearing, they can be sorted from possibly unhatched eggs or pupae, dead insects and possibly other case contents by a sorting device 10. The young larvae or young insects thus sorted from the possible other case contents can then either be processed in the pupa processing area 9 for further rearing first, or be transported by a transport system 18 to be filled into cases with material for further rearing via a preceding feed gate 17 in the filling area 16 and transported into the warehouse area 2 for further rearing.

[0057] As a result, the above disclosed apparatus for rearing insects in a high-rise rack warehouse enables automated, resource-saving and efficient insect rearing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 device 2 Warehouse area 3 High Rack 4 Rack operation device 5 Feeding Gate 7 Hatching area 8 Feeding Equipment 9. Pupa Processing Area 10 Sorting device 11 Extraction Area 12 Removal device 13 Cleaning equipment 14 Sorting Area 15 Buffer Space 16 filling area 17 Front-mounted feeding gate 18 Transport System 19 Platform 20 Delivery area 21 Truck Ramp 22 Feed ingredient silo 23 Product Silo

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for breeding insects in a high-rise rack warehouse, comprising a warehouse area (2) equipped with at least one high-rise rack (3) and a warehouse logistics apparatus, wherein a plurality of cases can be stacked and stored in the at least one high-rise rack (3), the cases can be transported and / or removed within the warehouse area (2) by the warehouse logistics apparatus, and insects are present in the cases. In the apparatus, a feeding gate (5) is arranged in the at least one high-rise rack (3), and the warehouse logistics apparatus can transport the cases that can be stacked and stored in the high-rise rack (3) from the at least one high-rise rack (3) to the feeding gate (5), the state of the case contents in the case can be identified by the feeding gate (5), and the feeding gate (5) can feed the insects in the case and / or remove the case. The apparatus is characterized by this.

2. The feeding gate (5) has at least one buffer area, and the case transported to the feeding gate (5) by the warehouse logistics apparatus can be stored temporarily in the buffer area. The apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The feeding gate (5) has at least one detection device, and the detection device can detect parameters necessary for insect breeding, particularly the humidity and temperature in the case. Preferably, the detection device has at least one sensor and / or a device for recording and / or transmitting data, particularly a camera. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Parameters reflecting the state of the contents of one of the cases detected by the detection device can be compared with a reference database, thereby enabling confirmation of, in particular, the then-current state of the case contents and / or the maturity of the insects in the case. Preferably, the data obtained by comparing the detected parameter with the reference database can be used for machine learning of the detection device. Particularly preferably, the obtained data can be used for automated optimization of manufacturing parameters, particularly for feed formulation and metering, for the device according to claim 3.

5. The feeding gate (5) has at least one feeding module, and the feeding module can supply feeding materials, particularly feed and base materials, to the insects in the case, for the device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The feeding gate (5) has at least one cleaning module, and the cleaning module can remove a part of the case content, particularly the skin, feces and feed residues of the insects, from the case. The cleaning module preferably has at least one suction device, and the suction device can remove a part of the case content to be removed from the case by suction or air classification, and / or has at least one electrical device, and the electrical device can remove a part of the case content to be removed from the case by static electricity, for the device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The device has at least one hatching area (7). Preferably, the hatching area (7) has an incubator for hatching insect eggs and / or insect larvae, for the device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The device has at least one larva processing area (9), for the device according to claim 7.

9. The device has at least one sorting device (10), by which eggs of insects and / or insect pupae, or larvae and / or insects hatched in the hatching area (7) and / or the pupa processing area (9) and / or in the high-rise rack can be sorted from other case contents, and / or, The device according to claim 8, having a feeding device (8), by which a feeding material can be supplied to the eggs of the insects, the insect pupae, the hatched larvae and / or the insects.

10. At least one extraction area (11) is provided, in which the case can be opened and the case contents can be removed from the case, Preferably, the extraction area (11) has an extraction device (12), by which the opening of the case and the removal of the case contents from the case can be carried out, Particularly preferably, the extraction area (11) has at least one cleaning device (13), by which the case that has been opened and emptied can be cleaned. The device according to claim 1 or 2.

11. At least one sorting area (14) is provided, in which the case contents taken out from the case can be sorted into products, intermediate products and other case contents, Preferably, the case contents taken out from the case can be transported in the form of loose load to the sorting area (14). The device according to claim 10.

12. At least one buffer area (15) is provided, in which empty and / or cleaned cases can be stored. The device according to claim 10.

13. The device has at least one filling area (16), in which the case can be filled with feed, insects, insect eggs or a combination thereof, The filling area (16) preferably has at least one feeding gate (17) which is arranged in front, in particular for filling the case, and particularly preferably, for each stage of the insects, one feeding gate (17) is arranged in front, and particularly preferably the filling area has at least one filling lane through which the case is filled, the device according to claim 1 or 2.

14. The device has at least one conveying system (18) by means of which, in particular, the case or a stack of stacked or palletized cases can be conveyed into and out of the warehouse area (2), preferably the conveying system (18) is an automated guided vehicle system in whole or in part, the device according to claim 1 or 2.

15. The device has at least one receiving area (20) in which materials, in particular feed for insect breeding, can be received, Preferably, at least one feedstock silo (22) is arranged in the receiving area (20), the device according to claim 1 or 2.

16. The device has at least one product silo (23) in which products obtained from insect breeding can be stored, and / or, The warehouse area (2) has at least one air-conditioning device by means of which the air characteristics in the warehouse area (2) can be adjusted, and / or, The warehouse area (2) has at least one platform for maintenance, manual intervention and manual loading at at least one of the feeding gates (5) arranged in the high-bay rack (3), and / or, The warehouse area (2) is formed in a silo structure format, whereby the at least one high-rise rack (3) is used as at least one support member for the external facade, and / or The at least one high-rise rack (3) used as at least one support member for the external facade has a heat-insulating material with a vapor barrier, whereby the warehouse area (2) is shielded from the outside. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

17. In a method for raising insects in a high-rise rack warehouse using the apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, Take out a stack of cases from at least one high-rise rack (3) and transport them to the feeding gate (5). At this time, for all the cases transported to the feeding gate (5), determine the state of the contents of each case by means of the feeding gate (5), and depending on the determined state, either remove the case or feed the case, and after feeding, return each case to the at least one high-rise rack (3). A method characterized by this.

18. Store the cases transported inside and outside the at least one high-rise rack (3) inside the at least one high-rise rack (3) based on the chaos principle or another optimized storage form. The method according to claim 17.

19. Transport the cases transported to the feeding gate (5) from the feeding gate (5) to another feeding gate. The method according to claim 17.

20. In the case of cases matured for harvesting, remove the substrate and / or feed, whereby the insects empty their intestines, Preferably, remove the substrate and / or feed 1 to 5 days before removing the cases matured for harvesting. The method according to claim 17.

21. Open and empty the removed cases matured for harvesting, Preferably, the emptied case is cleaned, and particularly preferably, the case is stored and stocked for subsequent use, according to the method of claim 17.

22. The removed case contents are sorted into products, intermediate products, and other case contents. Preferably, the intermediate products are filled into cases for subsequent breeding, and particularly preferably, the products are obtained as live products or inactivated and shredded. Preferably, the shredded products are defatted to produce oil, and particularly preferably, the defatted products are dried and pulverized to produce powder, according to the method of claim 21.

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