DE20021109U1 - Agricultural building - Google Patents

Description

Agricultural building

The invention relates to an agricultural building for accommodating and housing animals, in particular horses.

In agriculture, special requirements must be met when keeping animals in terms of the cleanliness of the stables and the air quality, as well as the lighting conditions and room temperature. In conventional stables, especially for horses, boxes with a rectangular cross-section are arranged along a stable corridor, which also has a rectangular cross-section and extends lengthways. This stable corridor is used to transport bedding materials such as straw and hay for lining the boxes, as well as feed, into the boxes and the animals, as well as the animals' faeces, out of the boxes. In order to allow access to all the boxes arranged next to each other, the stable corridor is long, especially when there are a large number of boxes. Since this area has to be cleaned regularly, the amount of work involved in this type of stable arrangement is very high. In addition, sweeping the stable corridor stirs up dust, which is very harmful to the animals if there is too much dust.

DE 296 23 764 Ul describes a round agricultural building for large livestock, especially cows, in which concentrically arranged functional areas for lying, walking, eating and milking the animals are provided in the building. In this building, the entire area of the building arranged around the central milking area is therefore used by the

Applicant: Wiebke Lajighoffj ,··. .'

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Animals and therefore must be cleaned regularly. The amount of work required to clean this building is therefore very high. This problem is counteracted in the utility model specification of the state of the art by means of cleaning devices such as a scraper 12, which can be automated. However, this means a considerable amount of construction work.

In the case of conventional, longitudinally constructed stables and the agricultural buildings described in the utility model specification, it is also necessary to store feed and bedding elsewhere. This is only brought into the stables or agricultural building when required. This creates additional work and requires more frequent cleaning due to dust being stirred up when the feed and bedding is transported. Furthermore, setting the correct desired room temperature in a stable or building using state-of-the-art technology is a problem. Heat is absorbed and released via the side walls in particular, which can lead to increased temperatures in the building in summer and to the interior being overcooled in winter.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an agricultural building for receiving and housing animals, in particular horses, in which the space in the building can be used optimally, the amount of work required to clean the building can be kept to a minimum and the room temperature in the building can be kept ideal without additional aids.

The invention is based on the finding that this task can be solved by a building in which the storage of food and bedding takes place in the same building in which the animals are kept, the access to the area where the animals are kept is separated from the area for the storage of food and bedding

Applicant: Wiebke Lajighoff· .··. .**.·' ·

and the food and bedding serve as insulation material.

The object is achieved according to the invention by an agricultural building for receiving and housing animals, in particular horses, which has a round or polygonal (triangular, square, pentagonal, etc.) floor plan, wherein this floor plan is divided into at least three concentrically or adjacently arranged areas, wherein the outer area represents a storage area, the middle area at least one box for the animals to stay in and the central or innermost area represents an access area to the at least one box.

For the purposes of this invention, concentric areas mean that, in the case of a round floor plan of the building, the areas have a common center. In the case of buildings with a polygonal floor plan, the common center is determined by the intersection of the connecting lines of opposite corners. In addition, elongated, parallel areas without a common center are also within the scope of the invention. In addition, the areas are designed in such a way that they each have a continuous width, so that in the case of a polygonal floor plan, the boundary line of one area is parallel to the boundary line of the next area.

If several boxes are planned in the building, the central or innermost area represents a connecting area between the boxes, from which access to the individual boxes is possible.

With this layout of the building, the storage area where food or bedding materials such as hay, straw, bedding or fodder can be stored is separated from the area of access to the boxes

Applicant: Wiebke Lajighoff; .··,
126-1 *; *.· . : .·

spatially separated. In particular, the storage and access areas are separated by the animals' living area, i.e. by the boxes. Since cleaning the storage area for food or bedding can be kept to a minimum, e.g. one-time cleaning when filling, the work required to clean the building is limited to cleaning the central area and the boxes themselves. Storing the food or bedding in the outer area of the building also has the advantage that these materials serve as thermal insulation. In winter in particular, this provides frost protection for which no other aids have to be used. Furthermore, the normally required transport of feed and bedding from a main storage area to one or more intermediate storage areas is not necessary. The feed or bedding can instead be brought directly from the storage area to the boxes. Hay and straw can be arranged alternately in front of each box so that the distances are short.

Preferably, the building has an entrance area extending radially from the outside of the building to the central or innermost area of the building. This can be designed as a straight corridor or as an area tapering towards the central area. The animals can be led to and from their boxes via this entrance area. Furthermore, this entrance area can have connections to the outer area, the storage area, through which the staff can access the storage area.

In order to simplify the filling and emptying of the warehouse, a corridor extending concentrically around or next to the box area can be left between the box area and the storage area 5.

Applicant: Wiebke Langhoff· .··. .·*.."·

The boxes are preferably designed in such a way that they each have at least one entrance to the central area or innermost area and at least one access opening to the storage area or the corridor provided between the storage area and the boxes. The access opening is preferably designed in terms of height and width so that the animals cannot pass through it. The access opening, which can be a conventional door or sliding door, is intended to be used for providing feed or filling the box with bedding. If the box walls are relatively low, for example if they end at the animals' shoulder height, the area above the box wall can also serve as an access opening within the meaning of this invention.

In a further embodiment, at least one feeding trough is provided on the outside of each box. The access opening provided in the box can then be limited to an opening that allows the animals to put their heads through the opening in order to eat from the feeding trough. The access opening can be represented by a grid of appropriate grid width.

The building is preferably covered by a roof common to all areas, which rises from the perimeter of the building to the center of the building. This roof construction creates a large volume of space in the building and thus improves the air quality, especially in the case of forced ventilation.
30

Preferably, windows are arranged in the roof in the area of the boxes. These can be set into the sloping roof or arranged in dormer windows. These windows allow daylight to enter, which optimises the lighting conditions in the building.

The external shape of the building according to the invention can be different. In one embodiment,

Applicant: Wiebke ^anghoff· ··,

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suggest that the building has a centrally symmetrical floor plan. The floor plan can therefore be round or have the shape of a regular polygon, e.g. square, hexagon, octagon, etc.
5

Alternatively, the building according to the invention can also have an elongated, mirror-symmetrical floor plan. Examples of both alternatives are explained in more detail below.

If the building according to the invention has an elongated floor plan, it can also be advantageous if another building (riding hall, etc.) is directly connected to the access area. This design is particularly economical, since the common wall of the building according to the invention and the other adjoining building reduces the construction costs.

In the following, several embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with reference to drawings.

Figure 1 is an exterior view of a building according to a

Embodiment of the invention;
25

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a building according to

Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a floor plan of a building according to Figure 1

0 (hexagon) ;

Figure 4 shows a floor plan of a second embodiment of the building according to the invention (dodecagon);

Figure 5 shows a floor plan of a third embodiment of the building according to the invention (circular shape);

Applicant: Wiebke L.aaghoff; .··. ·**;;**;

Figure 6 shows a floor plan of a fourth embodiment of the building according to the invention (elongated hexagon);

Figure 7 shows a floor plan of a fifth embodiment of the building according to the invention (two hexagons);

Figure 8 shows a floor plan of a sixth embodiment of the building according to the invention (octagon);

Figure 9 shows a partially illustrated floor plan of a seventh embodiment of the building according to the invention (elongated building with areas arranged next to each other) and

Figure 10 shows a schematic floor plan of an eighth embodiment of the building according to the invention (combination of riding hall with horse stable).

In all drawings, the same reference symbols have the same meaning and are therefore explained only once if necessary.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a building 1 according to an embodiment of the invention will now be described.

The building 1 of this embodiment is divided into four concentric areas 2, 3, 4 and 5. In the center of the building 1 is the central area 5. Boxes 14 are arranged around this in an area 4. In the area 4, the boxes 14 are directly adjacent to one another and are only interrupted by the entrance area 11 to be described later. On the side of the boxes 14 opposite the central area 5, there is a corridor 3 which is bordered on the outside by the storage area 2 for hay and straw. The storage area 2 extends

Applicant: Wiebke

in the embodiment shown up to the outer wall . 15 of the building 1.

The central area 5 is accessible via an entrance area II. In the embodiment shown, this represents a straight corridor that extends from the outer wall 15 to the central area 5. As can be seen from Figure 3, doors 16 are provided on the outer wall 15 for the entrance area 11. In the embodiment shown, these doors 16 allow staff access both to the central area 5 and to the corridor 3 extending around the boxes 14. From the central area 5, the individual boxes 14 arranged around this area can be reached via entrances 6. These can be designed as sliding doors like conventional box doors. On the opposite side, the boxes 14 have access openings 12 that allow staff to transport feed or bedding from the storage area 2 via the corridor 3 into the boxes 14. In the embodiment shown, a trough in which the feedstuffs can be stored is provided on the inside of the wall of each box 14 facing the central area 5. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide a trough on the outside of the box wall facing the aisle 3 for each box 14. In this embodiment, the access opening 12 would then also serve to allow the animals to stick their heads through and thus reach the trough located outside. The access opening 12 can be designed as a door or as a window hatch or an opening provided with a grille.

The walls of the boxes 14 preferably end at the shoulder height of the animals, as shown here with the horses. However, they can also be designed higher.

In the embodiment shown, windows 13 are provided in the side walls 15 of the building.

Applicant: Wiebke ^apghof&xgr;; .**. 126-1 ·*···■!· ·

In this variant, the goods to be stored are only stacked up to window height, e.g. to a height of 1.50 m. The side windows 13 are provided on all side walls 15. The light that enters through them floods the entire building, particularly if the box walls are limited to a maximum necessary height, e.g. to the animals' shoulder height, to prevent the animals from leaving the boxes. This allows the horses to have a 360-degree view of the inside and outside, and thus social contact between the horses. The side windows 13 can also be replaced by wind protection nets.

The corridor 3 is preferably designed in such a way that it extends continuously, i.e. without interruption by partition walls, for example, around the area 4 and is only separated from the entrance area by doors if necessary. This means that on the one hand the light coming in from the side windows 13 is not prevented from flooding the entire building and on the other hand the temperature can be evenly distributed throughout the entire building.

Furthermore, roof windows 8 in the form of a "light strip" are provided in the roof 7, which rises from the side walls 15 to the center of the building 1 at an incline of about 10°, in the area 4 of the boxes 14. These improve the lighting conditions in the building 1 and, thanks to the light, also improve the heat in breeding mares. In the upper area of the roof, a light and ventilation dome 9 with forced ventilation is also provided, whereby the ventilation gap 10 can be protected from the ingress of insects, for example by nets.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, five boxes 14 are provided in the building 1. If the dimensions of the storage area 2, in particular its width, are chosen accordingly,

Applicant: Wiebke^Lapghoff; 126-1

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In this storage area 2, sufficient straw and hay can be stored to feed five horses for a year, for example. The storage area then only needs to be cleaned and filled once, which means that dust can be reduced to a minimum. In this building, only the entrance area 11 and the central area 5 need to be swept or cleaned regularly. The building according to the invention therefore significantly reduces the area that requires regular cleaning other than the boxes 14 compared to conventional buildings. Furthermore, the straw or hay stored in area 2 can insulate the building and thus reliably prevent frost in the building.

Due to the hexagonal shape of the building chosen in the embodiment shown, the individual boxes 14 are given a trapezoidal shape, which allows the individual animals a large amount of freedom of movement without the stable aisle having to be extended, as in conventional stables.

The space created in the embodiment shown next to the entrance area 11, i.e. between the straight entrance area 11 and the adjacent boxes 14, can be used for storing tools, saddle materials, concentrated feed and/or for grooming, washing or as a solarium.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show further embodiments of the building 1 according to the invention.

In Figure 4, the building has a twelve-sided floor plan. Preferably, the individual boxes provided in area 4 are delimited on their sides by walls that lie on a connecting line between the center of building 1 and one of the corners. With a twelve-sided floor plan, eleven trapezoidal boxes could therefore be provided for the animals.

Applicant.· Wiebke Lajighoff; ♦*'.;'*&udigr;&iacgr;

However, it is also possible to choose a circular floor plan, as shown in Figure 5. The number of boxes to be provided in area 4 is then determined by the size of the desired boxes 14. Five boxes 14 are indicated in Figure 5.

Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of the present invention which can be extended as desired, e.g. laterally, in order to form a closed or partially closed courtyard. Eleven boxes 14 are provided in area 4. In this case, the floor plan represents a hexagon with two opposite extended sides. The shape of the boxes is determined laterally by construction lines created by parallelograms that are placed in the floor plan. The parallelograms are chosen so that they are all the same size and the shape is determined by two adjacent sides of the hexagon and their mirror image. In Figure 6, three parallelograms are indicated in the floor plan. However, depending on the side lengths of the floor plan, in particular the opposite longer sides, it is also possible to place several such parallelograms in the floor plan and thus define a higher number of side walls for boxes 14 in area 4 and thus a higher number of boxes. In Figure 6, eleven boxes of approximately the same size are provided. Furthermore, in a floor plan of an elongated hexagon as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to provide rectangular boxes along the longer sides of the central area. However, this would give the boxes different sizes.

Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the invention. Here, two buildings 1 with the hexagonal floor plan shown in Figure 3 are connected to each other. On one side of the central area 5, which is opposite the entrance area 11 of the building 1, a passage area 17 is provided through which one can enter a

Applicant: Wiebke ^ajighoffi» ·* · j &iacgr;&iacgr; *

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Passage area 17' of a second building 1' and via this into the central area 5' of the second building 1'. The passage areas 17, 17' can have the same shape as the entrance area 11. It is also possible to provide the passage area 17 on another side of the building 1, i.e. not opposite the entrance area.

If required, the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 7 or other embodiments of the invention can be extended by adding further buildings according to the construction in Figure 7.

The building according to the invention thus reduces the central area, which apart from the boxes must be constantly cleaned, compared to conventional stable arrangements and at the same time creates a storage room of considerable size on the side wall 15 of the building 1. The storage of the feed and bedding material in this storage area also has a positive effect on the air quality in the building. The feed and bedding material only has to be stored once, which keeps the development of dust in the building to a minimum. Furthermore, storage in the building has a positive effect on the temperature conditions, as the stored goods serve as insulation material.

Further embodiments of the invention are shown in Figures 8 to 10. The building according to the floor plan in Figure 8 corresponds to the building already explained above according to Figures 1 to 3, but here an octagonal floor plan takes the place of a hexagonal floor plan.

In an alternative embodiment according to the floor plan in Figure 9, an elongated building is provided. Here, the central area 5 forms the stable lane. In this case, the functional areas of the building are

Applicant: wilhelm .^ajighoffi **
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i.e. not concentrically, but arranged next to each other. However, the same advantages are achieved as with the embodiments according to the previous figures.

In addition to the mirror-symmetrical arrangement according to Figure 9, the invention also includes buildings according to Figure 10. In this floor plan, the right-hand part corresponds to the halved building according to Figure 9, with the left-hand part representing an attached riding hall 18.

In summary, the invention offers significant advantages over conventional stables, especially horse stables. According to the invention, living with horses means significantly less work and optimal conditions for the horses. Feed and bedding only need to be transported once to where it will be used for a year. Other advantages include the short distances, the lack of need to constantly sweep the floor, the low level of dust, the improvement in air quality, the better light flow, the improvement in the indoor climate and thermal insulation, and the possibility of providing large boxes. The social contacts between the horses are increased, which also improves their well-being and their participation in the environment.

The horses have a better view. The whole concept does not cause too high costs and it is possible to build such a building yourself.

Applicant: Wiebke^ataghoff! 126-1

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List of reference symbols

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8th
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Building

storage area

corridor

Boxing area

Central area (stable alley)

Access to boxes

Roof

Window in the box area

Light and ventilation dome

Ventilation gap

Entrance area

Access opening

Window in side wall

box

Exterior wall

door

Passage area

Riding hall

Claims (10)

1. Agricultural building ( 1 ) for receiving and housing animals, in particular horses, characterized in that the building ( 1 ) has a round or polygonal (triangular, square, pentagonal, etc.) floor plan and this floor plan is divided into at least three concentrically or adjacently arranged areas ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ), the outer area representing a storage area ( 2 ), the middle area ( 4 ) at least one box ( 14 ) for the animals to stay in and the central or innermost area representing an access area ( 5 ) to the at least one box ( 14 ). 2. Building according to claim 1, characterized by an entrance area ( 11 ) extending radially from the outside ( 15 ) of the building ( 1 ) to the central or innermost area ( 5 ) of the building ( 1 ). 3. Building according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that between the area ( 4 ) of the boxes and the storage area ( 2 ) a corridor ( 3 ) extending concentrically around or next to the area ( 4 ) of the boxes is left free. 4. Building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the boxes ( 14 ) each have at least one access ( 6 ) to the central area ( 5 ) or innermost area and at least one access opening ( 12 ) to the storage area ( 2 ) or the corridor ( 3 ). 5. Building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one feeding trough is provided on the outside of each box ( 14 ). 6. Building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the building ( 1 ) is covered by a roof ( 7 ) common to all areas, which rises from the periphery of the building ( 1 ) to the center of the building ( 1 ). 7. Building according to claim 6, characterized in that windows ( 8 ) are arranged in the roof ( 7 ), in the area ( 4 ) of the boxes ( 14 ). 8. Building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a centrally symmetrical floor plan. 9. Building according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it has an elongated mirror-symmetrical floor plan. 10. Building according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it has an elongated floor plan and that another building ( 18 ) (riding hall, etc.) is directly adjacent to the access area.