A cylindrical fish tank that can be folded along the axis.
The cylindrical fish cage with rigid weft and flexible warp threads, using a lifting rope system, addresses the complexity of assembly and folding issues, enhancing fish handling and transfer efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NB SEIREN CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
Conventional fish cages made of flexible fishing nets are cumbersome to assemble into cylindrical or polygonal shapes and complicate the process, making it difficult to fold and manage the volume efficiently.
A cylindrical fish cage with a side surface made of rigid weft threads and flexible warp threads, equipped with rings along the axis, allows folding by pulling a lifting rope through these rings to raise the bottom surface, reducing the cage's volume and facilitating tasks like fish sorting and transfer.
The design enables easy folding and volume reduction, minimizing fish stress during handling and improving harvesting and transfer processes by reducing the cage's volume without causing injury.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a cylindrical fish cage for aquaculture, and particularly to a cylindrical fish cage for aquaculture that can be folded in the axial direction.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, fish cages for aquaculture have been made using fishing nets. However, since fishing nets are flexible as a whole, when creating a cylindrical or polygonal cylindrical fish cage, it has to be fixed in a state of being pulled in the circumferential direction, and the work of creating a cylindrical or polygonal cylindrical fish cage can sometimes be complicated.
[0003] Therefore, the applicant of this application has developed a net fabric composed of rigid horizontal threads and flexible vertical threads (Patent Document 1). When creating a cylindrical or polygonal cylindrical fish cage using this net fabric such that the horizontal threads run in the circumferential direction of the cylinder, a cylindrical fish cage can be obtained without pulling in the circumferential direction. And since the flexible vertical threads run in the axial direction of the cylindrical fish cage, it can be folded in the axial direction. As a result, the volume of the cylindrical fish cage can be reduced, and the bottom surface of the fish cage can be raised to near the water surface.
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Disclosure of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] The problem of the present invention is to make the cylindrical fish cage easy to fold when using the cylindrical fish cage or the like.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by inserting a lifting rope through a plurality of rings provided on the side surface of a cylindrical fish tank. Specifically, the present invention relates to a cylindrical fish tank formed by a bottom surface and a side surface, wherein the side surface is made of a square mesh fabric consisting of rigid weft threads running in the circumferential direction and warp threads running in the axial direction, and a lifting rope connected to the bottom surface and running along the side surface to the upper end is engaged with the side surface and inserted through a plurality of rings arranged in a row in the axial direction, and by pulling the lifting rope upward, the side surface is folded at the engagement points of the rings arranged in a row in the axial direction and between adjacent rings.
[0007] The operation of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figures 1 and 2 are schematic side views of a cylindrical fish cage to explain its operation. Figure 1 is a schematic view of the cylindrical fish cage in use, and Figure 2 is a schematic view of the cylindrical fish cage when folded. In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 denotes the side surface of the cylindrical fish cage, and reference numeral 2 denotes the bottom surface. Multiple rings 4, arranged in a single row in the axial direction, are engaged with the side surface 1. Preferably, the rings 4 are engaged with rigid weft threads. A lifting rope 3 is inserted through these rings 4 and runs along the side surface 1 from the bottom surface 2 to the upper end of the cylindrical fish cage. The lifting rope 3 is connected to the bottom surface 2 at a predetermined location on the bottom surface 2 via a joint 5 such as a sewn seam. When the upper end of the lifting rope 3 of the cylindrical fish cage in Figure 1 is pulled upward, the bottom surface 2 is pulled up, adjacent rings 4, 4 come closer together, and the side surface 1 is folded between the engagement points of the rings 4 and the adjacent rings 4, 4. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] The cylindrical fish cage according to the present invention can be folded due to the above-described action, and the bottom surface of the cylindrical fish cage can be raised when in use, which has the effect of facilitating tasks such as sorting fish and vaccinating fish. Furthermore, since the cylindrical fish cage according to the present invention reduces the volume of the fish cage by raising the bottom surface, it also has the effect of reducing the burden on the fish during aquaculture and facilitating the harvesting of fish and the transfer of fish to other fish cages. In contrast, as with conventional methods, if the volume of the fish cage is reduced by pulling on the cage ropes to harvest fish or transfer them to other fish cages, the fish will thrash around and be injured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view of a cylindrical fish tank currently in use. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view of the cylindrical fish tank shown in Figure 1 when it is folded. [Figure 3] This is a schematic perspective view showing a cylindrical fish tank with a ring on its side through which a hoisting rope is inserted. The ring and hoisting rope are shown enlarged for emphasis. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view showing a rectangular cylindrical fish tank with a ring on its side through which a hoisting rope is inserted. The ring and hoisting rope are shown enlarged for emphasis. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a partial schematic diagram showing the state of one corner of a rectangular cylindrical fish tank when the lifting rope is pulled upwards. The ring and lifting rope are shown enlarged for emphasis. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] The cylindrical fish cage may be cylindrical or polygonal. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a cylindrical fish cage. In the case of Figure 3, five rings 4 arranged in a single row in the axial direction are engaged with the side surface 1 of the cylindrical fish cage. These five rings 4 arranged in a single row in the axial direction are also engaged in four rows in the circumferential direction. The number of rings 4 arranged in a single row in the axial direction and the number of rows of rings 4 arranged in a single row in the axial direction in the circumferential direction are not limited to those in Figure 3 and can be arbitrarily set to facilitate folding depending on the type of netting used. A lifting rope 3, which is attached to the bottom surface 2, is inserted through the rings 4 arranged in a single row in the axial direction. When the lifting rope 3 is pulled upward, the bottom surface 2 rises and the cylindrical fish cage folds at the engagement points of the rings 4 arranged in a single row in the axial direction and between adjacent rings 4, 4. It is preferable to bundle the upper ends of each lifting rope 3 together and pull them up. Since each lifting rope 3 is pulled upward in sync, the side 1 folds smoothly. Also, since the bottom 2 is pulled up in sync, the burden on the farmed fish can be further reduced, and damage to the fish can be more effectively prevented when harvesting or moving them to other cages. Conventional known strings or ropes can be used as the lifting ropes 3. The ring 4 can be made of plastic or metal tubing with an inner diameter of about 5-6 cm.
[0011] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a rectangular cylindrical fish cage. In the case of Figure 4, the side surface 1 of the rectangular cylindrical fish cage has four surfaces, consisting of sides 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d (1c and 1d are not shown). Five rings 4, arranged in a single row along the axial direction, are engaged with each side surface 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d in two rows. In the case of a rectangular cylindrical fish cage, the number of rings 4 arranged in a single row along the axial direction, and the number of rows of rings 4 on the side surfaces are not limited to those in Figure 4, but can be arbitrarily set to facilitate folding depending on the type of netting used. Polygonal cylindrical fish cages, such as the rectangular cylindrical fish cage, have corners 6. If these corners 6 are formed with sides 1a and 1b connected, it becomes difficult to fold them neatly at corner 6. Therefore, it is preferable to treat corner 6 as shown in Figure 5. In other words, side 1a and side 1b are separated, and a flexible mesh fabric 7 is sewn to predetermined locations on side edges 1ay and side edge 1by. This flexible mesh fabric 7 deforms in response to external forces. Therefore, when the lifting rope 3 is pulled upward and side 1a and 1b are folded, it becomes a rhombus shape as shown in Figure 5. Also, as shown in Figure 4, when side edges 1ay and side edge 1by are in contact to form a corner 6, the flexible mesh fabric 7 is loose at the corner 6. Such a flexible mesh fabric 7 can be obtained by braiding using a flexible yarn made of conventionally known synthetic fibers. For example, a flexible mesh fabric 7 can be obtained by braiding yarn made of polyethylene terephthalate long fibers. Although Figure 4 describes the case where the polygonal cylinder is a square cylinder, the polygonal cylinder may be a hexagonal cylinder, an octagonal cylinder, a hexagonal cylinder, or a 32-sided cylinder. Furthermore, it is preferable that the polygonal cylinder is a regular polygonal cylinder.
[0012] The mesh fabric constituting side surface 1 is a square-mesh mesh fabric. A square-mesh mesh fabric is a mesh fabric with approximately square-shaped holes, in which the weft and warp threads are approximately perpendicular to each other. The square-mesh mesh fabric may be a raschel mesh fabric, a knotless mesh fabric, or a knotted mesh fabric. In this invention, a knotless mesh fabric is preferred because it is easy to fold, and a braided knotless mesh fabric is particularly preferred.
[0013] The weft threads of the square mesh are rigid and arranged to run circumferentially along the sides. Examples of rigid weft threads include linear materials made of plastic or metal. However, in this invention, it is preferable to use a bundle of core-sheath type composite long fibers in which the core component is a high-melting-point polymer and the sheath component is a low-melting-point polymer with a lower melting point than the high-melting-point polymer, and which has a plastic-like appearance due to the melting and solidification of the sheath component. Although the surface of such a plastic-like thread is plastic-like due to the melting and solidification of the sheath component, the core component remains in the form of long fibers inside, resulting in excellent mechanical properties such as bending strength and tensile strength. Furthermore, because the surface is plastic-like, algae and shellfish are less likely to adhere to it, and even if they do adhere, they are easy to remove, thus streamlining cleaning work.
[0014] The following are specific examples of weft threads. (1) A bundle of core-sheath type composite long fibers, in which the core component is polyethylene terephthalate and the sheath component is copolymerized polyester, can be cited as a plastic-like material obtained by melting and solidifying the copolymerized polyester, which is the sheath component. The copolymerized polyester is obtained by copolymerizing terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol with a third component consisting of isophthalic acid, butylene glycol and ε-caprolactone. This yarn has high rigidity and is suitable as a weft yarn. The melting point of polyethylene terephthalate is approximately 255°C, and the melting point of copolymerized polyester is approximately 120-190°C.
[0015] (2) A bundle of core-sheath type composite long fibers, in which the core component is polyethylene terephthalate and the sheath component is polyolefin, can be cited as a plastic-like material obtained by melting and solidifying the polyolefin sheath component. It is preferable to use polyethylene as the polyolefin. This yarn is rigid, yet can be folded, and can also be used as a warp thread running in the axial direction. The melting point of polyethylene terephthalate is approximately 255°C, and the melting point of polyolefin is approximately 100-180°C.
[0016] (3) A bundle of core-sheath type composite long fibers, in which the core component is polyamide 6 and the sheath component is copolymerized polyester, can be cited as a plastic-like material obtained by melting and solidifying the copolymerized polyester, which is the sheath component. The copolymerized polyester used is the one described in (1) above. This yarn is rigid, yet can be folded, and can also be used as a warp thread running in the axial direction. The melting point of polyamide 6 is approximately 220-230°C, and the melting point of copolymerized polyester is approximately 120-190°C.
[0017] Any flexible yarn made of conventionally known synthetic fibers can be used as the warp threads running in the axial direction. For example, yarn made of polyethylene terephthalate filament can be used because such flexible yarns are easy to fold. However, although the yarns described in (2) and (3) above have a certain degree of rigidity, they can be folded according to the folding method of the present invention. Therefore, it is preferable to use (2) or (3) above as warp threads because algae and shellfish are less likely to adhere to them, and even if they do adhere, they are easy to remove, making cleaning work easy.
[0018] In the present invention, preferred combinations of the weft and warp include the combination of weft (1) and warp (3), the combination of weft (2) and warp (2), and the combination of weft (3) and warp (3). The most preferred combination is the combination of weft (3) and warp (3). For example, in the combination of weft (1) and warp (3), the method for obtaining a square-mesh fabric is as follows. As the precursor of weft (1), a bundle (1') of core-sheath type composite long fibers is prepared, in which the core component is polyethylene terephthalate and the sheath component is a copolymerized polyester. On the other hand, as the precursor of warp (3), a bundle (3') of core-sheath type composite long fibers is prepared, in which the core component is polyamide 6 and the sheath component is a copolymerized polyester. Then, the bundle (1') and the bundle (3') are fed into a braiding machine for producing a knotless fabric to obtain a knotless fabric. The bundle (1') in this knotless fabric is pulled to be the weft and the bundle (3') is pulled to be the warp, and heat treatment is performed at a temperature (for example, 190°C) at which the copolymerized polyester as the sheath component melts but the polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide 6 as the core components do not melt, and then it is cooled. Then, a square-mesh fabric composed of a plastic-like weft (1) and a plastic-like warp (3) can be obtained.
Explanation of Signs
[0019] 1 Side surface of a cylindrical raw basket 1a, 1b Each side surface of a polygonal cylindrical raw basket 1ay, 1by Side surface edges when each side surface of a polygonal cylindrical raw basket is separated 2 Bottom surface of a cylindrical raw basket 3 Hoisting rope 4 Ring 5 Connection part of the hoisting rope to the bottom surface 6 Corner of a polygonal cylindrical raw basket 7 Flexible fabric
Claims
1. In a cylindrical fish tank formed by the bottom and sides, The aforementioned side surface is composed of a square mesh fabric made of rigid weft threads running in the circumferential direction and warp threads running in the axial direction. A lifting rope, which is connected to the bottom surface and runs along the side surface to the upper end, is inserted through a plurality of rings that are engaged with the side surface and arranged in a row in the axial direction, A cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction, characterized in that by pulling up the lifting rope, the sides of the rings, which are arranged in a row in the axial direction, fold at the engagement points and between adjacent rings.
2. A cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical shape is cylindrical or polygonal cylindrical.
3. The cylindrical fish tank according to claim 2, which is foldable in the axial direction, wherein the cylindrical shape is polygonal, each side is made of individual mesh fabric with square mesh, and at the corners where the sides meet, a flexible mesh fabric is sewn between the adjacent side edges.
4. A cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction according to claim 1, wherein the rigid weft is a bundle of core-sheath type composite long fibers, the core component of which is a high-melting-point polymer and the sheath component of which is a low-melting-point polymer having a lower melting point than the high-melting-point polymer, and the sheath component is a plastic-like material formed by melting and solidifying.
5. The cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction according to claim 4, wherein the high-melting-point polymer is polyethylene terephthalate and the low-melting-point polymer is copolymerized polyester or polyolefin.
6. The cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction according to claim 4, wherein the high-melting-point polymer is polyamide 6 and the low-melting-point polymer is copolymerized polyester.
7. A cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction, according to claim 1, wherein the warp threads are a bundle of core-sheath type composite long fibers, the core component of which is a high-melting-point polymer and the sheath component of which is a low-melting-point polymer having a lower melting point than the high-melting-point polymer, and the sheath component is a plastic-like material formed by melting and solidifying.
8. The cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction according to claim 7, wherein the high-melting-point polymer is polyethylene terephthalate and the low-melting-point polymer is polyolefin.
9. The cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction according to claim 7, wherein the high-melting-point polymer is polyamide 6 and the low-melting-point polymer is copolymerized polyester.
10. A cylindrical fish tank that can be folded in the axial direction, according to claim 3, wherein the flexible mesh fabric is composed of polyethylene terephthalate long fibers.