DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to the processes and devices for the preparation and provision of food products for animals and particularly it concerns a new process for the preparation and provision of food products for farmed rabbits or domestic rabbits, system actuating this process and obtained food product.

There are well-known processes for the realization of food products for animals, comprising the stage of grinding and mixing in suitable machinery, in which raw material suitable for animal feeding are introduced, and where the composition of the food mixture thus obtained, is a function of the type of animal to feed.

One knows, for instance, known mixing trucks, agricultural machinery equipped with metering screw or mixing blades and/or, possibly also cutting, designed to grind and mix forages and concentrated products or silages or other types.

These machineries are widely used for the preparation and distribution of meals for livestock as cattle, equine and sheep.

Among livestock or pets are known rabbits, that are preferably fed with grass, hay, vegetables and cereals.

Well-known are food products for farmed or domestic rabbits, currently marketed in the form of pellets, namely granular conglomerates of small size, mainly composed of flours derived from grass, hay, grain or other derivatives.

This type of food, normally considered sufficiently appropriated to feed farmed and domestic rabbits, is on the contrary totally unsuitable as we know it is, at the long term, the absence in the diet of elongated fibres causes to the animal several pathologies of intestinal type that may also lead to early death of the animal itself.

In addition, small-sized animals have at their disposal small cages where small feed boxes are placed that are fed automatically or manually by the farmer or by caregivers also of domestic animals.

The object of the present patent is a new type of process for the preparation and provision of food products for farmed and domestic rabbits, its actuating system and the obtained food product.

The main task of the present invention is the realization of an appropriated food product, in content, form and texture for the feeding of farmed and domestic rabbits, in the most possible natural form for the animal.

One more scope of the present patent is to automate and speed up the process of preparation and provision of the product to the animals.

Another scope of the present invention is the possibility of changing the composition of the food product according to the season of production, in order to follow the life cycle and improve the quality of the product.

Another purpose of the present invention is to realize a food product in a compact form in a unique block or body or loaf, provided to animals in an apparatus or distributor designed on purpose. In this way, the procedures of provision are speeded and furthermore, given the compactness of the food in the form of loaf, the dispersion of the food in the form of loaf is limited both during provision and consumption phase.

The new process for the preparation and provision of food products for farmed and domestic rabbits, its actuating system and the obtained food product are able to reach all the above-listed scopes and other, direct and complementary. The new process comprises, in its main parts, the following phases:

• Selection of plant products to be used that comprises long fibres, such as hay, grass, and so on;

• Injection of such products into at least one mixer, with metering screw and/or mixing blades and eventual cutting;

• Extrusion of food mixture to form a compact cylindrical, parallelepiped or prismatic shaped extruded;

• Cutting of the extruded in segments of given length, in order to form compact bodies, loaves or bricks generally prismatic shaped, preferably cylindrical shaped.

The food mixture comprising long fibres, obtained in the mixer, is then given through the hopper into a screw extruder to realize the product.

It can be expected that, after the mixing step, the mixture is stored in the form of grains before the subsequent phases of extrusion.

The product obtained by this process is a compact body, or loaf, generally cylindrical, parallelepiped or prismatic-shaped, depending on the form of the extruder, compound of food mixture comprising long fibres.

The new process for the preparation and provision of food products also comprises the step of inserting in a suitable distributor of food to the rabbits.

Said distributor comprises a rigid wall and a subsurface in the preferred solution, individuating a substantially tubular space suitable to accommodate vertically, top loading, at least one of said prismatic bodies, keeping it in a vertical position.

For this purpose, said surface is in general substantially tubular, cylindrical or prismatic-shaped, preferably corresponding to the form of said loaf, and of such dimensions as to be substantially close to the loaf itself.

Said surface comprises one or more openings or holes through which the rabbits can easily reach the food contained within the inner side of the tube, that is said compact loaf.

Said surface is for instance formed by a rigid network, preferably metallic and suitably treated, where one or more links are of increased size adapted to allow the animals to reach the food.

It is expected that this bottom has containing edges, in order to contain the fragments of food and to limit their dispersion, without preventing the easy access of the rabbits.

The distributor allows a fast provision of the food products, as loaf is simply inserted vertically from above, and can possibly be stacked vertically with other breads provided to the animal, as soon as those located lower down are consumed.

The characteristics of the new process, its actuating system and the obtained product will be better clarified in the description below with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are attached by way of a non-restrictive example.

Figure 1 summarizes the process of preparation and provision of food products for rabbits.

In Figure 2 is represented a body or compact loaf (P) obtained by the process of preparation of the food product.

Figure 3 illustrates a device (S) of provision of the food product.

It is about a process for the preparation and provision of food products for farmed and domestic rabbits, system actuating this process and the obtained food product.

The new process, as illustrated in Figure 1, comprises a first step of selection of one or more material or plant products (Al, A2) to be used, where said plant products (Al, A2) comprise long fibres, such as hay, grass, etc.. These plant products (Al, A2) are presented in a blender (B), for example in a mixer wagon, with augers and/or blades, where the eventual cutting of material and the mixing take place, in order to form a food mixture (Bl) and may be supplied with food supplements.

This food mixture (Bl), coming out form the blender (B), in the form of clusters in general, could be eventually accumulated or stored (C), pending further operations.

This food mixture (Bl) is inserted in a special extruder (D), comprising for example a loading hopper (Dl), where said food mixture (Bl) is introduced. This food mixture (Bl) is then extruded to form cylindrical, parallelepiped or prismatic-shaped extrudes in general, which are then cut into segments of predetermined length in order to form bodies or compact loaves (P) substantially cylindrical or parallelepiped or prismatic-shaped in general. The product obtained by this method, illustrated in Figure 2, is therefore a compact loaf (P), cylindrical or parallelepiped or prismatic-shaped in general, according to the shape of said extruder (D), composed by said food mixture (Bl) comprising long fibres.

After the forming of the loaves (P), the process involves the step (E) of provision of food product to animals, that occurs by simple insertion of one or more of said loaves (P) in a special distributor (S), by means of loading preferably from above.

This distributor (S), illustrated in detail in Figure 3, in the favourite solution comprises at least one rigid surface (SI) with bottom of support (S3) and where this rigid surface (SI) identifies a substantially tubular space with a superior opening (S2) suitable to the insertion, for example with top loading, of at least one of said loaves (P), that is preferably held in vertical position, resting on said bottom (S3). This surface (SI) has for example a tubular form substantially cylindrical or prismatic-shaped, preferably corresponding to the form of said loaf (P) and of such dimensions as to be substantially close to the loaf (P) inserted in it. In the solution of Figure 3, said surface (SI) has a substantially semi- cylindrical form, individuating, with a rear wall (S4), said substantially tubular space for the insertion of the loaf (P).

This surface (SI) is bound to said rear wall (S4) through fasteners or hooks (S41).

This surface (SI) also comprises one ore more openings or holes (S5), through which the rabbits can easily reach the food contained within said surface (SI), that is the above-mentioned loaf (P).

These openings or access holes (S5) are preferably located in the lower part of the wall (SI) next to the bottom (S3), that is in the most easily accessible part for the animals.

Said surface (SI) is formed by a rigid net, preferably metallic and suitably treated, where the links (S61) are sufficiently narrow in order to prevent the access by animals, while said access openings (S5) are of increased size designed to enable the animal to reach the food product.

It is expected that said bottom (S3) comprises lateral edges (S31) of containment, in order to limit the dispersion of fragments of food, without preventing the easy access of rabbits.

Said distributor (S) is placed in front of the cage in case of farmed animals, or it is leaned on a plane in general, as the floor, or fixed to the wall, in case of domestic animals.

Said bottom (S3) also comprises one or more holes (S23).

These are the basic outlines sufficient to the skilled person to carry out the invention, accordingly, in practical application may be some variations without prejudice to the substance of the innovative concept.

As a consequence, with reference to the previous description and to the attached drawings, the following claims are expressed.