METHOD FOR PACKAGING, STORING AND TRANSPORTING EGGS TO BE INCUBATED AND DEVICE FOR REALISING THE SAME

摘要

The present invention pertains to the field of packaging, storing and transporting materials and loads and more precisely to containers for packaging, storing and transporting materials and loads such as eggs to be incubated including ostrich eggs. The present invention relates to a method for packaging, storing and transporting eggs to be incubated as well as to a device for implementing said method. This method comprises previously locating the air chamber using a through-light, recycling the defective eggs and resiliently attaching the remaining eggs in a vertical position with the air chamber at the top. The air surrounding the eggs and used by the embryo therein to breathe is either circulated or renewed. The eggs are then re-oriented from a vertical to a horizontal position at an angle of 90° relative to the central symmetry axis and stored at a temperature of between 10 and 20 °C. During the storage period, the eggs are turned over or tilted at an angle of 90° relative to the central symmetry axis at regular time intervals ranging from four to six hours until they are transported. When the transport starts, the eggs recover their vertical position from the horizontal one with the air chamber located at the top and without shaking them or generating vibrations or shocks. Meanwhile, the air surrounding the eggs and used by the embryo therein to breathe is continuously circulated or renewed. After transportation and storage, the eggs are placed into an incubator until hatching thereof. The present method uses a container comprising membranes stretched between frames, wherein said membranes comprise circular openings having a size or diameter smaller than the diameter of an egg. The frames supporting the membranes are parallel to each other and coaxial at the centres of the circular openings between which the eggs are placed vertically with the air chamber at the top. The lower and upper membranes comprise openings submitted to the action of elastic strainers or ropes having hooks or loops at both ends. Using said hooks or loops, the elastic ropes are stretched and attached together or to buckles mounted on the corresponding sides of the frames. The system provides fixation of the eggs using the tensile deformation strength of the membranes.