# US 2019/0166812 A1 · Apparatus and method for rearing or breeding of insects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0166812 A1 - Document ID: US20190166812A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/324,325 - Filed: 2017-08-07 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-09 - Assignees: Hipromine S.A. - Applicants: Hipromine S.A. - Inventors: Jakub Urbanski; Damian Józefiak; Jan Mazurkiewicz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190166812A1 ## CPC - A01K 67/362: Containers or crates - A01K 67/36: Industrial rearing of insects, e.g. insect farms - A01K 67/366: Insect counting or dosing systems - A01K 67/368: Feeding; Watering - A01K 67/364: Heating, ventilating or air conditioning - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract A technological line for rearing and/or breeding of flightless insects and/or larval forms of insects includes at least one level, being an autonomous conveyor belt with lateral sidewalls on both sides. The sidewalls have upper edges curved inwardly at least once, with a bending angle not less than 30°. Transverse brackets extend generally perpendicularly to and connect the sidewalls, and support the belt. The sidewalls are structural elements supporting edges of the belt, so that both the conveyor belt and the lateral sidewalls form a trough profile, and the pressure of the mass of the insects, which are on the surface of the belt and potentially additionally of the feed and/or excrement of insects press down on the edges of the belt against the sidewalls. The brackets and the sidewalls are made of a material with efficient heat conducting properties. A modular system and a method utilize the technological line. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A technological line for rearing and/or breeding of flightless insects and/or larval forms of insects having at least one level, the technological line comprising: an autonomous conveyor belt defining a level of the at least one levels, the conveyor belt comprising: lateral sidewalls placed on both sides along a direction of movement of the conveyor belt upper edges curved inwardly at least once such that the lateral sidewalls are profiled lateral sidewalls, a bending angle (α) of the upper edge of each sidewall being not less than 30°; transverse brackets extending generally perpendicularly to the lateral profiled sidewalls, supporting a belt of the conveyor (11), and connecting the lateral profiled sidewalls; the profiled lateral sidewalls being oppositely profiled to each other and structural elements supporting longitudinal edges of the belt of the conveyor, so that both the conveyor belt and the lateral sidewalls form a trough profile, and a pressure of a mass of the insects, which are on a surface of the conveyor belt and potentially additionally of a feed and/or excrements of insects press down on the longitudinal edges of the conveyor belt (11) against the profiled lateral sidewalls; wherein both the transverse brackets and the profiled lateral sidewalls are made of a material with efficient heat conducting properties. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein each of the lateral sidewalls has an additional longitudinal bending line with the respective upper edge bent inwardly to the trough profile at least two times and with a second bending angle (β) of the edge of each sidewall being at least 90°. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein a height of the profiled lateral sidewalls is not less than twice a maximum length of the insects. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt further comprises brackets connecting opposite legs the brackets having at least one opening, allowing installation of automatic feeders. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The technological line according to claim 4, further comprising an automatic feed supplying system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The technological line according to claim 5, wherein the automatic feed supplying system enables using wet or semi-liquid feed with water content of 15-45%, subjected to natural or directional pre-fermentation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the conveyor belts, each of the conveyor belts being from 2 to 110 m long and from 0.5 to 3 m wide. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein the transverse brackets and/or the profiled lateral sidewalls (6a, 6b) are made of metal or steel or stainless or galvanized steel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt is made of plastic, of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein the technological line comprises a plurality of levels, spaces between the levels being maintained with a height being equal or greater than a height h of the profiled lateral sidewalls. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein the technological line comprises a mobile structure, adapted to move on rails or wheels. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A modular system of technological lines for rearing and/or breeding of flightless insects and/or larval forms of insects, comprising: unified middle modules including technological lines according to claim 1; and a rear module and a front module both equipped with transverse sidewalls, a rear end sidewall and a front end sidewall respectively. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The modular system according to claim 12, wherein the transverse sidewalls are movable. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The modular system according to claim 12, wherein the transverse sidewalls are equipped with a clamping mechanism. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The modular system according to claim 14, wherein the clamping mechanism is a compression spring. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The modular system according to claim 12, wherein the rear and front modules are equipped with tension systems, and drive shafts and pressure rollers respectively, allowing movement of the belt of the conveyor using a mechanical or a manual drive. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method of rearing and/or breeding of flightless insects and/or larval forms of insects, comprising a step of rearing and/or breeding of flightless insects and/or larval forms of insects using the technological line according to claim 1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the insects are the larval form of insects and are the larvae of mealworm beetles and/or the larvae of hymenoptera hermetia. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the larvae are fed with fruit and vegetable pulp and grain mill products. ### Claim at position 20 -21. (canceled) ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The technological line according to claim 1, wherein the bending angle (a) of the upper edge of each sidewall is from 30° to 90°.