Small animal dressing

Abstract

To provide a small animal floor plate that can be installed in a cage or the like without using a water-permeable plate such as a punched plate as a deodorizing means for small animals made from fully ripened compost or the like. [Solution] The floor board 1 is a floor board that is placed in a cage or the like to absorb and deodorize the urine of small animals. It contains fully matured compost and diatomaceous earth and is formed into a plate shape. It is more preferable that the floor board contains humus soil in addition to the fully matured compost and diatomaceous earth. In particular, it is preferable that the humus soil contains fulvic acid and an iron complex.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a small animal floor mat that can be placed on a pet cage or floor to absorb and deodorize the urine of small animals such as dogs and cats. [Background technology]

[0002] The following patent document describes an absorbent that is placed inside a small animal cage to deodorize the urine of the animal. The absorbent is an amorphous powder made primarily from matured compost, and is spread across the bottom of the cage, with a perforated water-permeable plate, such as a punched plate, placed on top. When the small animal urinates, the urine passes through the holes in the water-permeable plate and reaches the absorbent, where it is absorbed. The absorbent is able to decompose odorous components in the urine and deodorize it through the action of microorganisms in the matured compost. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-174766 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The absorbent described in Patent Document 1 is amorphous, and therefore needs to be used with a water-permeable plate such as a punched plate placed on top of it, as described above. If no water-permeable plate is placed on top, the amorphous deodorant will adhere to the paws and body of small animals. However, when using a water-permeable plate, small animals may find it difficult to walk because their claws get caught in the holes. Also, some of the urine adheres to the water-permeable plate and does not reach the absorbent, so it is not broken down or deodorized, resulting in the generation of an odor after a certain period of use.

[0005] The present invention was made in consideration of such inconveniences, and aims to provide a small animal floor board that can be installed in a cage, etc., without using a water-permeable plate such as a perforated plate, as a deodorizing means for small animals, using fully matured compost or the like as a material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This device is a floor mat that absorbs and deodorizes small animal urine, and is characterized by being formed into a plate shape containing fully matured compost and diatomaceous earth, which is a powdered deposit (sedimentary rock) of fossilized shells of diatoms, a type of phytoplankton.

[0007] This floor board contains fully matured compost, which absorbs small animal urine and decomposes odor-causing components through the action of microorganisms, eliminating odors. Because it is molded into a plate, there is no need to install a perforated plate or other water-permeable plate to cover the top. In other words, it can be used as a floor board for pet cages or toilets without using a water-permeable plate. Even without a water-permeable plate, the fully matured compost in the floor board will not get tangled or stick to the paws of small animals. Since no water-permeable plate is used, small animals' claws will not get caught in the holes, and urine will not adhere to the water-permeable plate and cause odors. Even if the slab-shaped product were easily broken or crumbled when stepped on by small animals, the use of a water-permeable plate would soon become necessary. However, the slab of this invention is made by mixing fully matured compost with diatomaceous earth, so it will not break or crumble when stepped on by small animals such as dogs and cats. When mixed with fully matured compost, diatomaceous earth exhibits viscosity, improving moldability, thereby increasing the strength of the slab after molding and creating a slab that is less likely to break or crumble. Furthermore, because diatomaceous earth is highly absorbent, it can quickly absorb large amounts of urine, improving the properties of the slab.

[0008] The deodorizing floor board is particularly preferably one that contains humus in addition to fully matured compost and diatomaceous earth. Humus is made from neutral humus, which is formed by repeated decomposition and recombination of proteins from deciduous tree leaves, animals, and microorganisms in a warm climate. The humus is then biotechnologically decomposed into micellar colloids, which are then stabilized and powdered. Most of the odorous component in urine is ammonia, but nitrate bacteria in fully matured compost oxidize the ammonia to nitrite and nitrate, making it odorless. Because it is not an adsorption reaction like activated carbon, the deodorizing effect lasts for a long time. Furthermore, the water in urine evaporates odorlessly. Humus activates the microorganisms in compost that oxidize and deodorize odorous components as described above. Humus also has a strong oxidizing function, so it can oxidize and deodorize urine.

[0009] It is more preferable that the humus soil is a powder containing 10% or more each of fulvic acid and iron complex (of the total humus soil), having a pH of 2.8 or less, and an oxidation-reduction potential of 500 mV or more. Since pathogenic microorganisms and viruses cannot exist in such humus powder, the flooring board of the present invention can also exhibit bactericidal and virucidal effects.

[0010] The proposed flooring board is preferably a mixture of 60-80% fully matured compost, 20-40% diatomaceous earth, and 1-5% humus by weight, which is then molded into a board and dried. A mat containing fully matured compost, diatomaceous earth, and humus in this ratio exhibits sufficient deodorizing, sterilizing, and antiviral effects when used as a mat to absorb small animal urine. The diatomaceous earth allows it to absorb a sufficient amount of urine. Moreover, the viscosity of the diatomaceous earth allows it to maintain its strong plate shape and will not easily break under the weight of small animals.

[0011] It is particularly preferable that the floor plate is formed into a plate shape having a thickness of 10 to 30 mm. Considering that the weight of small animals such as dogs and cats acts on the top surface of the board and that the board needs to absorb the urine of such small animals, a thickness of about 10 to 30 mm is sufficient. For example, the thickness should be 10 to 20 mm for small dogs and cats, and 20 to 30 mm for larger dogs and cats, and the thickness should be selected according to the weight and amount of urine excreted by the small animal.

[0012] It is further advantageous that the above-mentioned sole plate has a groove or depression formed on at least one surface (the surface to be used as the upper side) that does not penetrate through in the thickness direction. When a large dog urinates in large quantities at once, if the surface of the mat is flat, the urine may run along the surface and reach the outer edges before being absorbed into the interior of the mat, resulting in spillage onto the cage floor or room floor. However, if the surface has grooves or depressions that do not penetrate the mat thickness, the urine will first collect in the grooves or depressions before being absorbed into the interior of the mat, preventing it from spilling onto the floor from the outer edges of the mat. This is preferable, as all of the urine will be absorbed into the interior of the mat, where it will be broken down and deodorized. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The small animal floor board of this invention has the following effects: Because it is formed in a plate shape, there is no need to install a perforated plate or other water-permeable plate to cover the top. If a water-permeable plate is not used, small animals' claws will not get caught in the holes. In addition, all of the urine is absorbed by the base plate, and some of it does not stick to the water-permeable plate and cause odor, so odor generation is particularly effectively suppressed. Since it is made by mixing fully matured compost with diatomaceous earth, it is resistant to deformation and rarely breaks or crumbles even when stepped on by small animals. In addition, the diatomaceous earth content makes it highly absorbent. When an appropriate amount of humus is included, the deodorizing effect is particularly strong, and the antibacterial and antiviral effects are also exhibited. Since the raw material is fully matured compost, used shiitake boards can be reused by crushing them and adding them to the soil as fertilizer. Because the shiitake boards contain fully matured compost, there is no need to fertilize the soil after crushing them. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1(a) and 1(b) are perspective views showing a floor plate 1 according to an embodiment of the invention and a molding die 10 for molding the same. [Figure 2] 2(a) and 2(b) are perspective views showing a floor plate 2 having grooves 2a formed on the surface thereof and a floor plate 3 having depressions 3a formed on the surface thereof, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of the invention, a floor plate 1 for small animals, is shown in Fig. 1(a). The method for manufacturing this floor plate 1 is as follows.

[0016] First, fully matured compost, diatomaceous earth, and humus soil are prepared as materials. Fully matured compost is made by mixing and stirring food waste, livestock manure, rice husks, sawdust, and return compost, and then aerobic fermentation. Fully matured compost is compost that, after adding 10 times its volume of water and allowing it to settle and separate, has an electrical conductivity of 0.6 to 1.2 Sm / cm. Electrical conductivity objectively indicates the degree of maturity of the compost. Fully matured compost will not emit an odor even if it absorbs small animal urine after being formed into a bedding board, and since fermentation does not occur even when it absorbs water, it does not generate fermentation heat. Furthermore, it is recommended to use fully matured compost with a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 60 to 80 meq / 100g.

[0017] Diatomaceous earth is a deposit (sedimentary rock) of fossilized shells of diatoms, a type of phytoplankton, and is made by powdering natural algae.

[0018] Humus soil is made from neutral humus, which is formed when proteins from deciduous tree leaves, animals, and microorganisms are decomposed and recombined repeatedly in a warm climate. It is then biotechnologically broken down into low-molecular-weight micellar colloids, stabilized, and powdered. This neutral humus has been sealed and buried underground for approximately 8,000 years. It contains a high content of fulvic acid and iron complexes (several tens of percent), and the humus powder should preferably have a pH of 2.8 or less and an oxidation-reduction potential of 500 mV or more.

[0019] The above ingredients are mixed together in a weight ratio of 70% (or 60-80%) of the fully matured compost, 30% (or 20-40%) of the diatomaceous earth, and 3% (or 1-5%) of the fully matured compost as humus. The mixture is then stirred in a bucket or similar filled with water. The mixed ingredients are then removed from the water and placed in the frame 12 of the mold 10 shown in Figure 1(b), for example.

[0020] As shown in the figure, the mold 10 is one in which a rectangular, closed, vertical side wall frame 12 is erected on the top surface of a bottom plate 11. The thickness of the bottom plate needs to be a maximum of around 30 mm, so the height of the frame 12 is also sufficient at around 30 mm. The quadrangle formed by the frame 12 is preferably a square or rectangle with each side measuring, for example, about 300 to 500 mm. The mold 10 can be made of wood, metal, plastic, or the like. It is desirable that the inside of the frame 12 is smooth and easy to release. The mixed material is poured into the frame 12 of the mold 10, and the shape is adjusted by applying light pressure while flattening the surface with a trowel or the like. The thickness of the material is appropriately selected between 10 and 30 mm. The material is then dried naturally or at a temperature of 50°C or less.

[0021] When the material in the mold 10 dries, the small animal floor plate 1 shown in FIG. 1(a) is completed. The base plate 1 maintains its shape strongly thanks to the action of diatomaceous earth, and the action of fully matured compost and humus effectively decomposes and eliminates odorous components in urine. Diatomaceous earth has high water absorption properties, which makes it advantageous for absorbing urine. The properties of humus also provide sterilizing and antiviral effects. This type of floor board 1 is used by laying it inside dog and cat cages, toilet areas, etc. Even if it is used to absorb the urine of small animals for more than a month, it does not produce any odor. This allows for a significant reduction in the use of regular pet sheets available on the market. If water is sprayed on the surface of the floor board 1 from time to time, the microorganisms in the fully matured compost will become active, allowing for even longer continuous use.

[0022] When the above mixed material is poured into the frame 12 of the mold 10, a cover plate with downward protrusions is pressed against the material from above (and the material is allowed to dry in this state), thereby producing the small animal mat 2 / 3 shown in Figure 2(a) or (b). The floor plate 2 shown in Fig. 1(a) has multiple grooves 2a, each about 1 / 3 the thickness of the plate, formed in parallel at roughly equal intervals on one surface (the surface used as the upper side).The floor plate 3 shown in Fig. 1(b) also has multiple depressions 3a, each about 1 / 3 the thickness of the plate, formed in roughly uniform distribution on one surface.

[0023] The floor boards 2 and 3 shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b) can be used in the same way as the floor board 1 in Figure 1 to absorb urine from small animals and deodorize them. Furthermore, the floor boards 2 and 3 can temporarily collect urine in the grooves 2a and depressions 3a, so that even if a large dog urinates a large amount at once, the urine will not flow from the surface of the floor board to the outer edges and spill onto the floor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 1.2.3 Small animal bed plate 2a groove 3a depression 10 mold

Claims

1. A floor board that absorbs and deodorizes the urine of small animals, The small animal bedding board is characterized by containing diatomaceous earth together with fully matured compost and being formed into a plate shape.

2. 2. The small animal bedding according to claim 1, further comprising humus soil in addition to fully matured compost and diatomaceous earth.

3. The small animal floor mat described in claim 2, characterized in that the humus soil contains fulvic acid and iron complex at a concentration of 10% or more each, and is in the form of a powder having a pH of 2.8 or less and an oxidation-reduction potential of 500 mV or more.

4. The small animal bedding described in claim 2 is characterized in that it is a mixture of 60 to 80% fully matured compost, 20 to 40% diatomaceous earth, and 1 to 5% humus soil by weight, which are molded into a plate and dried.

5. 5. The small animal floor mat according to claim 1, wherein the floor mat is formed into a plate shape having a thickness of 10 to 30 mm.

6. 6. The small animal floor board according to claim 5, wherein a groove or depression that does not penetrate through the thickness direction is formed on at least one surface of the floor board.

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