Equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae

Abstract

The present invention relates to an installation for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae, comprising a collection of cages with at least one collector (560) of eggs laid by insects present in the cages, a line for transporting the newly hatched larvae from the hatched eggs from each of the collectors (560) to a conveyor, and a device for collecting the newly hatched larvae coming from the conveyor for transporting them to an insect rearing module or to a newly hatched larvae buffer storage container. It also groups together a number of egg collection systems (560), said modules (500, 501) being open at their bottom, said modules (500, 501) being movable between the collection systems removed from the cage and the newly hatched larvae transport line, said container system being configured to receive the modules (500, 501) at the top and having a width adapted to the cross section of the modules at the bottom and an opening (125, 175) at the bottom adapted to the dimensions of the conveyor (110, 160), said container system being configured to group together the newly hatched larvae under the influence of gravity from the collectors (560) on the top surface of the conveyor.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] (Technical Field to Which the Invention Belongs) The present invention relates to the field of arthropods, particularly to the industrial agriculture of insects for the purpose of food production.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of insect farming, particularly to the black soldier fly.

[0003] Insects have certain characteristics that are well-suited for use in animal feed. Insects actually have a high protein content and are rich in other beneficial nutrients such as fats, minerals, and vitamins. The level of protein concentration in insect meal for animal feed varies between 55% and 75%. Insects are characterized by a higher food conversion rate and can thus be a very valuable feed source for farm animals. Insects are a natural component of the feed for animals such as carnivorous fish and poultry (for example, insects can provide up to 70% of the food requirements of salmon).

[0004] Furthermore, these products also have a well-balanced nutritional profile to meet human food requirements.

[0005] These considerations have led to the development of large-scale series automatic production of arthropod breeding, more specifically food from insects, in industrial sites organized in complementary spaces specialized for the hatching, rearing, and harvesting of mature animals for extracting the target compounds and their processing.

[0006] These industrial sites must be optimized to enable the industrialization of large quantities of larvae. One crucial step concerns the collection of eggs laid by female insects and the concentration of larvae for breeding. This is because they are very small, fragile living organisms that are initially highly dispersed and must be grouped together as homogeneously as possible by batches of newly hatched larvae, all of which are at the same stage of maturation in a given batch. For the purposes of this patent, “newly hatched larvae” is understood to mean young larvae derived from newly hatched eggs. Generally, oviposition is carried out in a cage that confines the fly in a sealed space, on which a collector having an oviposition surface, such as a grooved plate, is placed, and the female lays her eggs thereon. These collectors are then collected to allow the eggs to hatch, producing newly hatched larvae, which are gathered in containers at the most homogeneous stage possible before being distributed onto an insect rearing medium in an insect rearing module. The process of the subject of this patent concerns the hatching of eggs and the grouping of newly hatched larvae.

[0007] The present invention relates to a system that enables the hatching of eggs pre-collected in a collector, and then enables the transport and analysis of newly hatched larvae obtained after hatching, before inoculating them into an insect rearing medium to allow for their growth.

[0008] (Conventional technology) Various solutions for the industrial collection and grouping of newly hatched larvae, particularly insects, in containers are known in the art.

[0009] International Publication No. 2019154563A1 describes a method for rearing and collecting larvae, particularly black flies, the method comprising the steps of: placing insects in a cage including an egg-depositing means; guiding larvae hatched from the deposited eggs by a guide device placed beneath the cage, under the influence of gravity, toward a conveyor belt located beneath a guide means; moving the larvae by the conveyor belt to a container placed at the end of the conveyor belt; counting the number of larvae on the conveyor belt before collecting them in the container; and collecting larvae from the conveyor belt in the container until a predetermined number of larvae is reached.

[0010] Reference FR2460617 describes a type of equipment for mass production of insect eggs, particularly of the mealmoth type, comprising an incubator containing cellular elements, a hatcher, and a nest box, wherein the incubator comprises a ventilated enclosure including a movable support for stacking cellular elements arranged along their horizontal planes, a hatcher intended to include a movable support for stacking the elements, parallel to an outlet hopper and having an inlet for carbon dioxide, and a nest box including an arrangement of sheets arranged parallel to and parallel to the outlet hopper and parallel to a collection member, the hatcher, nest box and collector being continuously connected by an air transport duct, and the incubator, hatcher and nest box further comprising components for temperature regulation and optionally ventilation.

[0011] (Solutions provided by the present invention) The present invention aims to overcome the shortcomings of known prior art solutions by proposing a novel solution suitable for large-scale industrial mass production while limiting production losses.

[0012] For this purpose, the present invention relates, in its most common acceptance, to an apparatus for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae, comprising: a cage collector equipped with a collector for at least one egg laid by insects present in the cage; a line for transferring newly hatched larvae from the hatched eggs from each of the collectors to a conveyor; and a device for collecting newly hatched larvae coming from the conveyor to be transported to an insect rearing module or a newly hatched larva buffer storage container. • An assembly of modules that group together multiple egg collectors, wherein the modules are open at their bottoms, and the assembly includes The module is movable between the point where the collector removed from the cage is loaded and the newly hatched larva transport line. The newly hatched larva transport line is open, and has no cover at the top end. The upper end has a guide system with a branch wall called a container, which has a width at the bottom that matches the width of the module and an opening at the bottom that matches the dimensions of the conveyor, and the container is configured to collect newly hatched larvae together from the collector under the influence of gravity on the upper surface of the conveyor.

[0013] Advantageously, the conveyor includes at least one moving strip positioned below the lower opening of the container having a branching wall.

[0014] According to one modified form, the conveyor includes a vibrating chute positioned below the lower opening of the container having a branching wall.

[0015] In one modified form, the container having a branched wall is composed of a slotted gutter having two side blanks, the lower edge of which is separated by longitudinal slots.

[0016] Advantageously, the container having branched walls includes, at the top, means for longitudinal movement of the module.

[0017] According to a particular embodiment, the transfer line includes means for moving the module parallel to the moving zone, located at the top of a container having a branch wall.

[0018] Advantageously, the moving band has a horizontal main section extending at its downstream end by a portion inclined toward the suction system, and vibrating means acting on the upper and / or lower portions.

[0019] Preferably, the moving band has a horizontal main section at its downstream end that is extended by a section inclined toward the suction system, and the lower band of this section receives an airflow directed opposite to the passage of the lower band.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment, the apparatus includes a suction-based pneumatic transport system for transporting newly hatched larvae from the conveyor to means for distributing the newly hatched larvae.

[0021] In a preferred modification, the apparatus includes a cyclone separator formed by a cylinder and / or a vertical cone, which generates an upward airflow, and whose bottom includes a mechanical and periodic discharge means.

[0022] Advantageously, the mechanical and periodic discharge means comprises a lock having rotating vanes.

[0023] Preferably, the apparatus also includes weighing means for weighing the amount of newly hatched larvae.

[0024] Preferably, the equipment includes a routing system for distributing the collected newly hatched larvae onto trays in a multi-tiered module.

[0025] The present invention also relates to a method for raising and collecting newly hatched arthropod larvae, comprising the following steps.

[0026] a) a step of having a collection of cages filled with insects and comprising at least one egg collector that enables female insects to deposit their eggs; b) a step of collecting newly hatched larvae under the influence of gravity towards a conveyor that ensures the movement of the newly hatched larvae towards the collecting means through the conveyor; a grouping step for grouping a plurality of collectors within the module, and a step of moving the module onto an open transfer line provided with a slotted groove having two converging walls that define slots for pouring the newly hatched larvae onto the conveyor towards the downstream end for harvesting the newly hatched larvae, characterized in that the steps are carried out.

[0027] Advantageously, by introducing a new module onto the transfer line, the modules already arranged within the device move forward in the downstream direction.

[0028] The present invention also relates to a module for attaching an egg collector, characterized in that it consists of an open armature formed by a rigid assembly, provided with lateral roller rails, between which a frame for supporting a plurality of collectors for eggs from the egg-laying cages can be inserted.

[0029] (Detailed description of non-limiting embodiments) The present invention will be better understood by reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show non-limiting embodiments.

[0030] [FIG. 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a facility for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to the present invention.

[0031] [FIG. 2] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a facility for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to the present invention.

[0032] [FIG. 3] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a module for receiving a laying collector.

[0033] [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a side view of the two modules and the transfer line.

[0034] [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the downstream end of the moving zone.

[0035] [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an enlarged perspective view of the downstream end of the moving zone.

[0036] [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the larval distribution hopper.

[0037] [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the route guidance system.

[0038] In the following description, several details are developed with reference to the equipment and in the passage. This does not preclude the presence of the same details in the equipment mentioned in another section, even in a section relating to a different alternative embodiment, simply because the details of the problem are not the subject of a new description.

[0039] In this patent, the term “equipped with” as used in the claims should not be construed as being limited to the elements or processes listed below, nor as excluding other elements or processes. It should be construed as identifying the presence of the mentioned features, processes, or components, but not as excluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, processes, or components, or groups thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the expression “apparatus comprising A and B” should not be limited to an apparatus consisting solely of components A and B, and with respect to the present invention, the only enumerated components of an apparatus are A and B, and furthermore, the claim should be construed as including equivalents of these components.

[0040] (general principle) Industrial production of food from arthropod farming, and in the non-limited embodiments described for insects, is carried out in large-scale automated facilities intended to create optimal conditions for mass-enabling the passage of the evolutionary stages of eggs, from egg pods or newly hatched larvae to adults, passing through larvae (or maggots or abuters) and nymphs or pupae.

[0041] Typically, these facilities are organized into several buildings, including shelves for storing insect rearing modules loaded with insect rearing media inoculated with larvae under favorable climatic conditions for rearing, and handling equipment for temporary treatment.

[0042] The present invention aims to improve the yield in the region from egg hatching to inoculation of newly hatched larvae into insect rearing media. To achieve this, the first problem is to obtain the best possible hatching rate, i.e., most eggs hatch and become newly hatched larvae.

[0043] Next, the second problem is to ensure that newly hatched larvae do not escape the system and that they are effectively transported to their growth containers.

[0044] Finally, the last issue is ensuring accurate quantification of newly hatched larvae of the same age in order to limit variability in the process. In fact, this step is essential for the rest of the insect rearing cycle. If there are too many newly hatched larvae relative to the amount of culture medium used to raise the insects, their growth will be suboptimal because they will not have enough food. Conversely, if there are not enough newly hatched larvae, the insect rearing medium will not be fully consumed, which will cause problems in the downstream steps of the cycle, particularly the step of separating the larvae from the insect rearing medium. Similarly, if the newly hatched larvae are of different ages, it will be difficult to properly control their growth.

[0045] Another cross-disciplinary challenge is to have reliable, robust, and inexpensive technology, while consuming as few consumables as possible, such as compressed air.

[0046] (Collection process) The collection process is carried out between the oviposition process, which is performed upstream of collection in the oviposition cage, and the rearing process, which is performed downstream of collection in a module filled with insect rearing medium.

[0047] The collection process is carried out in one area, for example, a building or hangar, where the equipment items shown in Figures 1 and 2 are located. In this area, a climate-controlled environment favorable for egg incubation exists, except for the inoculation portion which is carried out in a different area.

[0048] The equipment used for these processes is mainly, - Multiple modules, as shown in Figure 3, intended to receive the collector removed from the cage, -A newly hatched larval transport line (100, 150) comprising roller bearing rails (121, 122, 171, 172) intended for the longitudinal movement of the aforementioned modules (500, 501) and moving zones (110, 160), - A suction system (300) for transferring to a cyclone separator (400), -As shown in Figure 8, the system includes a distribution system for supplying newly hatched larvae to an insect rearing module.

[0049] The eggs arrive at a hatching area on a collector from another area, where the flies have pre-placed the eggs on the collector, generally in a cage. These collectors are, for example, in the form of grooved plates. They are arranged on modules with roller rails for receiving collectors specially designed to accommodate high densities of eggs (and thus newly hatched larvae), without causing interference during the gravity descent of the newly hatched larvae, while also being easy for standard handling machines to use.

[0050] The system for supporting and transporting these collector modules on the transport line (100, 150) leaves sufficient time for all eggs to hatch. To do this, the collector modules are moved using passive mechanical transport according to FIFO logic (the last arriving collector module pushes the oldest ones out of the area).

[0051] After hatching, the newly hatched larvae fall onto the moving zone (110, 160) by gravity. During these falls, the newly hatched larvae fall into grooved gutters and are guided by lateral blanks (123, 124, 173, 174) that form inclined surfaces opening onto longitudinal slits (125, 175) positioned along the moving zone (110, 160). Since the newly hatched larvae are sticky, it is important to select the material of the groove surface to limit the adhesion of the newly hatched larvae to this surface as much as possible. Typically, these slotted gutters are fabricated by forming mirror-polished stainless steel sheets, i.e., stainless steel sheets with a roughness of less than 0.2 microns.

[0052] Next, the newly hatched larvae are collected at the end of the migration zone (110, 160), but are not stored at this location. Since the newly hatched larvae are "sticky," a specific configuration is provided for separating them at the end of the migration zone (200, 250), which is described in more detail below.

[0053] To further increase production, transfer lines and related equipment can be duplicated multiple times as needed and operated in parallel.

[0054] At the end of the transport zone, the automation chain remains intact. The newly hatched larvae are then transported pneumatically to a cyclone separator (400). The latter can operate indiscriminately under excessive or depressurized conditions. A simple mechanical system allows for the periodic opening and closing of this cyclone separator (400) to transport the newly hatched larvae to the next stage.

[0055] A buffer zone is required behind the cyclone separator (400) and behind its periodic opening and closing system, for example, a lock having rotating vanes. This makes it possible to store the amount of newly hatched larvae necessary for continuous production and ensures a continuous supply of newly hatched larvae for the downstream phase of the process.

[0056] Various elements of the equipment are described below in more detail, as an example. These various elements can be combined together to form the equipment according to the present invention, or they can be combined with other elements that perform the same function.

[0057] (Details of the egg collector) The collector has a rectangular shape with dimensions of 850 mm x 230 mm. Two of its surfaces are grooved. In these grooves, female flies lay their eggs during the previous oviposition process. After the flies have laid their eggs, the collector is retrieved, for example, by a handling operator and grouped together on the collector modules (500, 501).

[0058] (Module details) The module consists of an open parallelepiped armature (510) formed by an assembly of rigid welded tubes, on which slides are provided, for example, formed by lateral roller rails (520-525, 530-535), between which frames (540-545) are inserted, each capable of supporting multiple egg collectors (560) for eggs from spawning cages.

[0059] These collector modules (500, 501) can support up to 240 collectors. The overall shape of the collector module is a parallelepiped with dimensions of 1200mm × 1000mm × 1800mm, and this structure is provided by an outer chassis, thus allowing all the necessary space in the center for newly hatched larvae to fall by gravity after the eggs hatch. Collectors are suspended from profiles that pass through the chassis of the collector rack by screws. Armatures are mounted on pads (570, 580).

[0060] The base of the module has a very specific shape to allow it to be easily handled by conventional transporters, but it can also be adapted for use with roller conveyors.

[0061] The collector (560) modules (500, 501) are stored in a climate-controlled environment on roller rails (121, 122, 171, 172).

[0062] The module is loaded with frames (540-545), and at the same time, a series of egg collectors (560) newly removed from the spawning cage are attached (within the handling time), so that all collectors contain eggs of the same maturity, and any difference in maturity depends on the collection speed of the collectors. This time generally does not exceed a few hours.

[0063] Once loaded, it is moved to the transport line (100, 150) and piled up on the roller bearing rails (121, 122, 171, 172). In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the introduction of a new module pushes the module (500) already positioned on the transport line downstream. It is possible to manually move the modules (500, 501) by using the last module (501) to push back the series of modules already positioned on the roller bearing rails (121, 122, 171, 172), thereby advancing the assembly, the oldest module being recovered at the downstream end of the transport line (100, 150) and then returned to the area where the spawning cages are located for reloading of the new egg collector (560).

[0064] The moving band (110) forms a loop having an upper segment (111) positioned below the slot opening between the two inclined blanks and a lower segment (112) for the return of the band as it passes through the upstream roller (113).

[0065] While modules remain on the transport line, newly hatched larvae naturally fall once the eggs hatch and are grouped together on the surface of the moving zone (110, 160) by grooved grooves, and the moving zone moves forward at a speed that allows the larvae placed on its surface to be collected and transported to a suction system located at the downstream end of the conveyor.

[0066] (Details of the upstream section of the conveyor line) The transfer line consists of rack-supported roller rails (121, 122, 171, 172) for moving modules (500, 501) above grooved grooves that return newly hatched larvae that fall from the collector (560) onto the surface of the transfer zone. The racks are equipped with an electric mechanism that ensures the zone is driven by drive rollers.

[0067] Newly hatched larvae should not adhere excessively to the transport zone, as this poses a risk of them being too difficult to detach. Conversely, they should only adhere in small quantities to prevent them from falling off the sides of the zone and to ensure good transport. A very suitable material is non-adhesive polyurethane.

[0068] The working length of the moving deck (110, 160) is 15m, corresponding to the length of the roller conveyor located above it, and this is determined by the dwell time and the number of modules to ensure intended production.

[0069] The width of the migration zone is 400 mm. A zone that is too narrow facilitates the escape of newly hatched larvae at the sides, while a zone that is too wide makes it more difficult to control their separation at the ends of the zone.

[0070] The band moves at a nominal speed of 0.1 m / s in the same direction as the module's movement. Most of the eggs hatch at the end of their stay in that area, and therefore, newly hatched larvae mainly fall to the end of the moving band.

[0071] The storage of these modules (500, 501) is carried out according to FIFO (First In First Out). The last collector module (500, 501) to arrive on the roller conveyor pushes what was inside the area outwards the longest. Thus, the movement of the modules is passive mechanical motion.

[0072] On average, the module is used for four days within the area. This time is determined to allow all the eggs to hatch, and the newly hatched larvae to fall by gravity onto a moving track located beneath the roller conveyor.

[0073] The roller conveyor has 15 module positions.

[0074] A surface tilted at a 55° angle was installed to guide the newly hatched larvae to fall.

[0075] (Details of the downstream section of the transfer line) The moving section (110, 160) of the transfer line ends with a segment having a 260 mm long upper section (113) with a 45° incline and an inclined return section (114), which are protected from air currents by a sheet forming a canopy (180).

[0076] This gradient has two advantages.

[0077] - Increases the residence time of newly hatched larvae in the area where they must be separated, thus significantly increasing the separation rate.

[0078] - Newly hatched larvae that have already separated slide along the band, capturing other newly hatched larvae downstream, and in some cases, larvae that have not yet separated.

[0079] This change in the direction of the moving zone is carried out by the system of rollers (181, 182, 183).

[0080] A first striker (115) is placed at the end of the moving band in its inclined section to vibrate the upper segment (113) of the band and help separate newly hatched larvae. This is, for example, an electromagnetic vibrator that vibrates with an amplitude of several millimeters at a frequency of several tens of hertz.

[0081] For better efficiency, a second striker is added immediately after the section (181) between the first striker and the inverting roller. In this section, the surface tension of the band is highest, which allows for more effective vibration to promote separation.

[0082] The air-lauric system generates a counter-flow jet of air relative to the direction of movement of the return section (114) of the inclined zone to detach newly hatched larvae that may remain stuck. The stronger the blowing, the more effective the separation function. Conversely, the blowing must be kept limited so as not to create excessive airflow over the front of the moving zone, which would cause fly-offs over the front of the moving zone and thus risk the loss of newly hatched larvae. A scraper or brush system may also be added to separate newly hatched larvae.

[0083] At the downstream end of the moving zone, the assembly is inverted as close as possible. Since newly hatched larvae are very light, even slight parasitic airflow can disrupt the system; therefore, it is important to invert the assembly to promote preferential airflow and avoid turbulent airflow.

[0084] Finally, at the end of the moving zone, the junction (190) ensures the inversion of the system to allow newly hatched larvae to pass through by air transport to the cyclone separator (400) at an air velocity of 5-10 m / s. This junction has a funnel shape to avoid retention.

[0085] In an embodiment of the present invention, this assembly consists of a roller conveyor, a gutter, an inclined surface, and a moving zone, and is installed in parallel twice, doubling the production rate. However, newly hatched larvae from these two parallel assemblies are transported pneumatically to the same cyclone separator (400).

[0086] (Suction system) The cyclone separator (400) is formed by a vertical double-walled cylinder with a diameter of 950 mm. This cyclone separator (400) allows for a limited ascent speed of 0.25 m / s. This speed must be low to prevent newly hatched larvae from standing upright.

[0087] This cyclone separator terminates with a lock having rotating vanes. The latter rotates continuously, with alternating phases into which newly hatched larvae are poured and blocked within the cyclone separator. The specific design of the lock is such that this mechanical separation does not damage or crush the newly hatched larvae. The lock is made of stainless steel to prevent adhesion. To avoid crushing the newly hatched larvae, the lock has six vanes, which is the minimum number that allows for a good seal. It rotates at a reduced speed of 6 rpm.

[0088] (Weighing system and vibrating chute (weight indicator)) Following this cyclone separator, a weighing step is required to obtain the desired amount of newly hatched larvae so that the downstream portion of the process is optimally carried out. Here, unlike the conventional technique which uses optical counting, the selection was made by weighing the amount of newly hatched larvae. Weighing has two advantages: it is easy to perform and is sufficiently accurate compared to the requirement. Furthermore, considering the amount of newly hatched larvae targeted by the present invention, optical counting may prove to be limited either due to image processing time or if the flow of newly hatched larvae is not interrupted on the scroll band.

[0089] The weighing unit shown in Figure 7 features a hopper (700) at the top of a funnel-shaped structure for collecting newly hatched larvae coming from a cyclone separator (400). These newly hatched larvae fall into a vibrating chute (701). Vibration causes this chute (701) to gradually pour the newly hatched larvae into a turner bucket (702) until the larvae reach a desired mass in this bucket.

[0090] The volume of this funnel-shaped hopper (700), which acts as a buffer zone, is specified to ensure good production flow. The vibrating chute (701) is operated by a vibration system to avoid clogging and help newly hatched larvae flow through.

[0091] As soon as one of the trays in the multi-stage module is ready for inoculation, the bucket (702) is tilted into the funnel, and the newly hatched larvae are pneumatically transported towards this tray via the route guidance system.

[0092] The advantage of this rotating bucket (702) is that the weighing of the next dose can be started directly while the inoculation is in progress. Therefore, this allows for parallelization of operations and thus enables better timing of production.

[0093] (Route guidance system) The pathway guidance system shown in Figure 8 allows larvae to be inoculated into a collection of six trays in a multi-tiered module without requiring them to move. This inoculation is performed sequentially, with each tray being inoculated sequentially.

[0094] The distribution device comprises six inclined sections (601-606) regularly spaced at a pitch corresponding to the spacing of the trays in the multi-tiered insect rearing module. The lengths of these inclined sections are determined based on the dimensions of the trays to allow for the distribution of newly hatched larvae on the surface of the insect rearing medium lining the trays.

[0095] The operation of this 6-way pathway guidance system is based on the movement of a movable chute (610) located immediately downstream of the funnel. This movable chute (610) successively changes its position of connection to one of the inclined sections (601-606) that make up the feeder chute of each tray. Dosage can be performed every 26 seconds, and only 156 seconds are required to fully inoculate the multi-stage module.

[0096] ("Intermittent" action) The aforementioned combination of elements operates according to an intermittent sequence. In fact, since newly hatched larvae gradually fall along the moving track, continuous rotation is not necessary. However, it is also not possible to keep it stopped for extended periods to prevent newly hatched larvae from escaping laterally. The optimal intermittent sequence was empirically defined by an 8-minute operating period followed by a 5-minute pause, for example.

[0097] The main advantage of this intermittent operation is that it achieves energy savings and reduces consumption (especially of compressed air) without significantly impacting production, particularly due to buffer memory. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0098] [Figure 1] A schematic top view of the equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic perspective view of equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] A perspective view of the module for receiving the laid-out collection device is shown. [Figure 4] The image shows a side view of the two modules and the transfer line. [Figure 5] A perspective view of the downstream end of the moving zone is shown. [Figure 6] An enlarged perspective view of the downstream end of the moving zone is shown. [Figure 7] A perspective view of the larval distribution hopper is shown. [Figure 8] A perspective view of the route guidance system is shown.

Claims

1. Rearing equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae, An assembly consisting of multiple cages, each equipped with at least one collection device (560) for eggs laid by insects, A newly hatched larva transfer line for transferring larvae newly hatched from the eggs from each of the collectors (560) to a conveyor, A device for collecting the newly hatched larvae coming from the conveyor in order to transport them to an insect rearing module or a newly hatched larva buffer storage container, The collection unit (560) is grouped together by an assembly consisting of multiple modules (500, 501) with open bottoms, The modules (500, 501) are movable between the point on which the collector removed from the cage is placed and the newly hatched larva transport line. Introducing a new module (501) onto the newly hatched larval transport line is configured to advance the modules already placed on the newly hatched larval transport line in the downstream direction. The newly hatched larval transport line is equipped with a guide system having branch walls (123, 124, 173, 174) referred to as containers, which have an opening at the top to receive the modules (500, 501), a width matching the cross-section of the modules, and a lower opening (125, 175) at the bottom that matches the dimensions of the conveyor. The container is a rearing facility configured to group together the newly hatched larvae that fall from the collector (560) to the upper surface of the conveyor under gravity.

2. Rearing equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor includes at least one moving zone (110, 160) located below the lower opening of the container having branching walls (123, 124, 173, 174).

3. The rearing equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor includes at least a vibrating chute located below the lower opening of the container having branching walls (123, 124, 173, 174).

4. Rearing equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container having branched walls (123, 124, 173, 174) consists of a slotted groove having two side blanks (123, 124, 173, 174), and the lower edges of the side blanks are separated by longitudinal slots (125, 175).

5. Rearing apparatus for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 4, characterized in that the container having branched walls (123, 124, 173, 174) includes means for longitudinal movement of the modules (500, 501) at its upper part.

6. The aforementioned breeding facility further includes a suction system, The moving strip (110, 160) has a horizontal main section extending at its downstream end by an upper section (113) and a lower section (114) that are inclined toward the suction system. Rearing apparatus for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 2, characterized in that the vibrating means (115) acts on the upper section (113) and / or the lower section (114).

7. The moving strip has a horizontal main section extending at its downstream end by a section inclined toward the suction system, The rearing apparatus for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 6, characterized in that the lower band (114) of this section receives an airflow directed in the opposite direction to the passage of the lower band (114).

8. Rearing equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 1, characterized by comprising an air transport system (300) for transporting newly hatched larvae from the conveyor to means for distributing the newly hatched larvae.

9. Rearing apparatus for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 1, comprising a cyclone separator (400) formed by a cylinder and / or a vertical cone, wherein an upward airflow is generated and the bottom thereof includes a mechanical and periodic discharge means.

10. The rearing apparatus for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 9, characterized in that the mechanical and periodic discharge means consists of a lock equipped with rotating blades.

11. The rearing facility for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to claim 1, characterized by comprising means for weighing the amount of newly hatched larvae by weighing.

12. The rearing equipment for producing and collecting newly hatched larvae according to Claim 1, characterized in that the insect rearing module is a multi-stage module having a plurality of trays, and the rearing equipment includes a path guidance system for distributing the collected newly hatched larvae onto the plurality of trays.

13. a) A step comprising providing at least one collector that allows female insects to deposit their eggs, and comprising a collection of cages filled with insects, b) A process of collecting newly hatched larvae towards a conveyor, under the influence of gravity, to ensure that newly hatched larvae are moved to a collection means via a conveyor, A grouping process for grouping multiple collectors within a module (500, 501), The process involves moving the module (500, 501) onto an open transfer line that includes a slotted groove having two convergent walls (123, 124, 173, 174) defining slots (125, 175) for pouring newly hatched larvae onto a conveyor toward the downstream end in order to harvest the newly hatched larvae, A method for raising and collecting newly hatched arthropod larvae, characterized in that introducing a new module (501) onto the open transfer line advances modules already placed on the open transfer line in the downstream direction.

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