The present invention relates to an animal accommodation, comprising a space, which may or may not be enclosed by one or more walls, with a floor and a faecal matter receptacle lying under the floor, wherein the floor between the space and the faecal matter receptacle is provided with at least one primary evacuation opening which extends therethrough and which provides a passage from the space to the faecal matter receptacle.

Such an animal accommodation is also referred to as livestock accommodation and is used to house a number of animals therein. In agricultural use this is livestock, such as cows, pigs, goats and the like. The floor of such an accommodation is usually provided with a series of evacuation openings in the form of gaps for providing a passage to a faecal matter receptacle lying under the floor. This is excrement in the form of manure and urine which can then escape via the gaps, so that animals become less soiled.

Keeping the accommodation clean and collecting and discharging manure (slurry) can thereby take place more easily.

The more evacuation openings and the larger their dimensions, the more effectively this discharge and storage of faecal matter will take place. A limitation is however the hoof size of the livestock to be housed. This must be taken into consideration when designing and constructing the animal accommodation. Goats and sheep for instance require a smaller maximum gap width than pigs, who in turn require a smaller gap width than cattle. All this requires a made-to-measure formwork if the floor is poured from concrete, which is usually the case. This increases the costs of constructing and building the accommodation. This moreover reduces flexibility for the cattle farmer in the event that they wish to switch to a different type of livestock, often encouraged in doing so by the government.

The present invention therefore has for its object, among others, to provide an animal accommodation with a floor system which obviates these drawbacks. In order to achieve the stated object an animal accommodation of the type described in the preamble has the feature according to the invention that the floor comprises a monolithic floor part with therein a first primary evacuation opening and at least one second primary evacuation opening lying at a distance therefrom, that on a side directed toward the space the floor part is provided at the position of the first primary evacuation opening with a first plate body which extends wholly or partially over the first primary evacuation opening, that on a side directed toward the space the floor part is provided at the position of the second primary evacuation opening with a second plate body which extends wholly or partially over the second primary evacuation opening, that each of the first and second plate body comprises at least one continuous secondary evacuation opening which provides a narrowing relative to the primary evacuation opening in the floor part which is at least partially covered thereby, and that an intermediate space between the first plate body and the second plate body is at least partially filled.

In the underlying floor use can thus be made of a floor part of standard size for the one or more primary evacuation openings to be provided therein, which can be adapted here for an optimal discharge of faecal matter. This is because, with the secondary evacuation opening(s) provided therein, the plate bodies ultimately determine the actual dimensions the livestock will be confronted with. These secondary openings are adapted to the nature and size of the livestock, while the floor or floor part thereunder can be a standard product. Each of the primary evacuation openings can be covered here by a number of plate bodies, but a number of adjacent primary evacuation openings can also be covered by a shared plate body. An individual plate body can also be provided for each primary evacuation opening. When switching to a different type of livestock and/or in the event of renovation, only the covering of these plate bodies need now be exchanged or repaired, while a standard sub-floor can be used during construction.

With a view to a stable top layer a preferred embodiment of the animal accommodation has the feature according to the invention that the first and second plate body extend at least in at least one lateral dimension wholly over and outside the relevant primary evacuation opening. Each plate body is thus supported on either side by an edge of the primary evacuation opening. In a particular embodiment the animal accommodation according to the invention is characterized here in that the primary evacuation opening comprises a gap with a primary gap width, and that the secondary evacuation opening comprises a gap with a secondary gap width which is smaller than the primary gap width.

In order to avoid manure and/or other dirt from accumulating between a plate body and an adjacent plate body a further preferred embodiment of the animal accommodation has the feature according to the invention that the first plate body shares at least in said lateral dimension a join with the second plate body at the position of the second primary evacuation opening in the floor part, which join is filled at least substantially wholly with grout. In a particular embodiment the animal accommodation according to the invention is characterized here in that the grout comprises a cured multi-component resin, particularly an epoxy resin. The grout not only fills the join so that a level whole is obtained, but moreover seals the system in leak-tight manner. The floor can thereby be kept clean well, and penetration of for instance urine under the covering of plate bodies is thus prevented.

An alternative embodiment of the animal accommodation has the feature according to the invention that the primary evacuation opening is bounded by an edge part of the floor and that the edge part lies recessed relative to an adjacent part of the floor surface by a depth which is at least equal to a thickness of the plate body. The plate body thus lies countersunk relative to an adjacent part of the (sub-)floor so that a level whole can now also be obtained, wherein an exposed surface of the plate body lies at least substantially flush with an adjacent surface of the floor and fills the intermediate space between the first and second plate body at least substantially seamlessly.

Although the narrower dimensions of the secondary evacuation openings relative to the primary evacuation openings lying thereunder increase the flow resistance of the whole, this influence is very limited when the thickness of the plate body is relatively small relative to the floor lying thereunder. A further particular embodiment of the animal accommodation nevertheless has the feature according to the invention that the primary evacuation opening widens toward an outlet thereof remote from the plate body. The widening thus arranged in the secondary evacuation openings provides for a reduction of the flow resistance of the evacuation opening as a whole, whereby the minor influence of the plate body thereon can be more than compensated for.

A further particular embodiment of the animal accommodation is characterized according to the invention in that the floor part is formed at least substantially from concrete and the plate body comprises a metal strip, particularly an aluminium strip, which is adhered to the floor surface. For the base floor use is made here of concrete, which has proven itself in practice. For the covering top layer use is made of one or more metal strips which already provide strength and wear-resistance at a small thickness. Aluminium is preferred here owing to its low density, relatively favourable cost price, good processability and chemical resistance. With a view to a good adhesion of the metal strip to the floor surface a further preferred embodiment of the animal accommodation has the feature according to the invention that the metal strip comprises an extrusion profile with a surface profiling on at least a side thereof facing toward the floor part. Such a surface profiling provides an increase of the adhesion surface and an adequate anchoring of an adhesive therein. For the adhesive use is preferably made of a multi-component resin, for instance an epoxy resin, as is optionally also applied for sealing of joins.

In a further preferred embodiment the animal accommodation is characterized according to the invention in that the metal strip has on a visible side a surface profiling. Such a profiling on the visible side provides a coarser and thereby a rougher surface for the livestock to walk over, thereby making the livestock less likely to slip thereon.

A further particular embodiment of the animal accommodation has the feature according to the invention that the floor part comprises a regular pattern of primary evacuation openings which is wholly covered by a regular pattern of plate bodies, each with at least one secondary evacuation opening.

The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment and an accompanying drawing. In the drawing: Figure 1 is a top view of a conventional floor of an animal accommodation;

Figure 2 is a top view of a floor of a first exemplary embodiment of an animal accommodation according to the invention;

Figures 3 and 3A are a cross-section of the floor of the animal accommodation of figure 2.

Figure 4 is a rear view of a metal strip as applied in the animal accommodation of figure 2;

Figure 5 is a front view of the metal strip as applied in the animal accommodation of figure 2;

Figure 6 is a cross-section of the metal strip as applied in the animal accommodation of figure 2; and

Figures 7 and 7A are a cross-section of a floor of a second exemplary embodiment of an animal accommodation according to the invention.

It is otherwise noted here that the figures are purely schematic and not always drawn to (the same) scale. Some dimensions in particular may be exaggerated to greater or lesser extent for the sake of clarity. Corresponding parts are designated in the figures with the same reference numeral.

Figure 1 shows a top view of a floor part of a customary floor of an animal accommodation such as an accommodation for cattle or pigs. At the work site the floor can be poured integrally from concrete or be constructed from prefab concrete elements, which need then only be placed on site. In both cases the floor part will ultimately comprise a monolithic concrete body 10 in which a steel reinforcement (not further shown here) is usually applied for the purpose of a sufficient bending strength. A thickness of the floor part is adapted to a desired load-bearing capacity and a free span to be achieved therewith, and usually lies in the order of ten centimetres to several tens of centimetres.

Situated under floor 10 is a manure receptacle 20, see also figures 3 and 4, for instance in the form of a manure pit or slurry pit or in the form of a conveyor belt which carries the faecal matter from below floor 20 to such a pit. A system of primary evacuation openings 15 in floor part 10 in the form of continuous, elongate gaps 15 provides a passage from the floor surface to this faecal matter receptacle.

Figure 2 and figure 3 show respectively a top view and cross-section of a similar accommodation floor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The primary evacuation openings 15 are here concealed beneath plate bodies 30 arranged thereover and each having therein a number of narrower secondary evacuation openings 35. For the plate bodies 30 use is in this embodiment made of metal strips of aluminium, typically with a length in the order of 800 to 120 millimetres by a width of typically in the order of 85 millimetres. The strips 30 are typically one to several millimetres thick, and situated therein are in each case number of, such as here four, secondary evacuation openings 35 per strip. The primary evacuation openings 15 here measure 60 millimetres by 170 millimetres. In this embodiment two strips 30 of 900 millimetres thus together completely cover a primary evacuation opening 15. The secondary openings 35 therein in each case measure only 18 by 160 millimetres. The secondary evacuation openings 35 are thus sufficiently narrow to avoid posing a risk of injury even to small hoofed animals, such as goats and pigs.

As can be seen particularly in figure 3, the secondary evacuation openings 35 in the strips 30 open into the primary evacuation openings 15 in floor part 10. These latter 15 widen in downward direction so as to enhance free discharge under the influence of the force of gravity to the underlying manure receptacle 20. A join 33 between adjacent aluminium strips 30 is levelled off with a suitable grout, for which use is in this embodiment made of an epoxy resin. A completely level, seamless main surface which can receive the cattle can hereby be obtained, as shown in more detail in the enlargement of figure 3A.

This same epoxy resin is also used for the adhesion of strips 30 to the underlying concrete floor 10. To improve the mutual adhesion a surface profile in the form of a set of longitudinal ribs or ridges is for this purpose arranged on the back side 30A of the strips 30, see also figure 4. The strips 30 are advantageously formed by extrusion, wherein this profiling is simultaneously provided. On the visible side 30B, see figure 5, a profiling is likewise arranged over the whole surface of the strips 30 in order to thereby provide an increased roughness and thereby grip to the cattle. Figure 6 shows a crosssection of the strips with an enlargement of this detailing in the circle pictured therein. An alternative embodiment of the accommodation floor of figures 2 and 3 is shown in the cross-section of figure 7. The accommodation floor is substantially equal to that of figure 3, with the difference that a step is provided in the main surface of the concrete floor part 10 both laterally and at the end surfaces of the primary evacuation openings 15. This step provides a recess 11 in which the edges and outer ends of the aluminium strips 30 are received. A completely level main surface is thus likewise obtained, wherein the material of concrete floor 10 reaches up to the surface between the strips, as is shown further in the enlargement of figure 7A. The intermediate space between adjacent strips is here thus also filled to be wholly level. For adhesion of strips 30 to concrete floor 10 use is here also made of an epoxy resin or similar multi-component adhesive. This additionally provides for an adequate barrier to water ending up under strips 30.

Although the invention has been further elucidated above with reference to only a single exemplary embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto. On the contrary, many variations and embodiments are still possible within the scope of the invention for a person with ordinary skill in the art.