Patent Publication Number: US-2023157256-A1

Title: Animal house

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/327,401, filed Feb. 22, 2019, which is a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT International Application Serial No. PCT/GB2017/000156, which has an international filing date of Oct. 24, 2017, designates the United States of America, and claims the benefit of GB Application No. 1614451.1, which was filed on Aug. 24, 2016, the disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an animal house comprising an impermeable hollow-molded structure and waterproof features therefor. 
     BACKGROUND 
     One example of an animal house is a hen house, which is used to keep chickens and other types of poultry. These hen houses serve to shelter chickens at night. They provide protection for both the chickens and their eggs from predators such as foxes, as well as shelter from any inclement weather. 
     It is known to use plastic panels to make up such animal houses. These panels may be made by hollow-moulding processes, such as blow-moulding, injection blow-moulding, injection stretch blow-moulding, and rotational-moulding. The panels of the structure are fitted together by various fastening means to form the walls and a roof of the animal house. 
     There are various limitations and problems with using hollow-moulded panels for the walls and roof of an animal house. 
     One main limitation is related to the shapes that can be produced. For example, when blow-moulding a large component, the radius of curvature achievable on the edges has a minimum limit in relation to the distance of those edges as a function of the tool geometry. In some cases, this prevents the formation of sharp edges. This is due to the minimum wall thickness required in order to ensure the blow-moulded component has sufficient structural integrity. It is also desirable to maintain a consistent thickness of plastic throughout the part to help maintain its strength, ensure the part is moulded reliably and to keep material usage to a minimum. The tooling is therefore designed to allow the plastic to stretch in a consistent manner over the whole part. 
     During the blow-molding process, a malleable/fluid plastic body is inserted into a mould. A pressurized gas is applied at the inlet of the body and the body is stretched and forced against the inside walls of the mould by the gas. The mould is cooled and then removed. The resulting plastic body has an outer shape which mimics the inner shape of the mould, and an inner shape defining a hollow cavity. The wall thickness of the plastic body varies depending on local topography of the mould. For example, at sharp edges or corners, the walls of the plastic body are thinner. The walls of the plastic body may also be thinner the further they are from the gas inlet or centreline. Sharp edges and corners of the plastic body that are distal to the gas inlet may be particularly thin. Thin walls are often undesirable as they can easily be broken and reduce the quality and reliability of the final product. 
     In order to avoid thin regions of the plastic body, moulds without sharp corners or edges can be used. Alternatively, moulds with sharp edges can be used, but the gas pressure can be adjusted so that the plastic body is not forced completely into any corners or edges. Both of these solutions provide hollow-moulded plastic bodies with rounded edges and corners having a larger radius of curvature than that achievable by other plastic forming methods, such as injection-molding. 
     Hen houses which comprise hollow-moulded plastic boards can have problems with remaining water-tight. The panels may be assembled to leave small gaps between adjacent panels to allow for manufacturing tolerances, and to allow for ease of assembly. These small gaps may allow water ingress, either through capillary action, or by wind action. One problem that results from the lack of sharp edges of hollow-moulded panels is that water can track along rounded convex edges and into the animal house through the small gaps. In particularly heavy rainfall, a large amount of water may end up flowing down the outside of the hen house. This may then stay attached to the outside surface even at the rounded edge due to the Coandă effect. The water may then track around the rounded edge and inside the hen house. This problem is not prevalent with wooden structures which can absorb water to a certain extent, or plastic structures with sharp edges. 
     The present invention has been devised with the foregoing in mind. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an animal house comprising: an impermeable structure having at least one convex surface, a first flat surface extending in a first direction and a second flat surface extending in a second direction, the convex surface connecting the first flat surface to the second flat surface; and a rib defining a sharp edge, wherein the rib is configured to be releasably attached adjacent to the convex surface such that the rib diverts a liquid flowing over the convex surface away from the structure. 
     In use, the rib is able to divert water away from the convex surface so as to prevent the water flowing along the first flat surface towards the inside of the animal house. The sharp edge of the rib ensures that the water separates from the structure and does not flow onto the first flat surface towards the inside of the animal house. The rib thus provides a way of making a hollow-molded animal house waterproof 
     The convex surface may have a radius of curvature of between 1 mm and 100 mm. 
     The rib may have a planar portion, and the rib may be attached to the structure first flat surface at the rib planar portion. The planar portion enables easier alignment and assembly of the rib to the structure. 
     The sharp edge may be offset from the first flat surface, defining a gap therebetween. In use, this allows water already separated from the first and second surfaces, but having a component of velocity in a direction opposite to the first direction, to be intercepted by the rib. 
     The rib planar portion may be configured to form a seal with the first flat surface of the structure. The seal prevents any tracked water reaching the inside of the animal house. 
     The rib may have a portion extending in the first direction. 
     The first direction and the second direction may be substantially orthogonal. The first direction may be substantially vertical. The second direction may be substantially horizontal. 
     The second flat surface may define a plane, and the rib may be arranged such that it terminates within or proximate to the plane of the second surface. This arrangement avoids use of any parts which protrude substantially away from the animal house, which could provide obstacles to a person accessing the animal house, could be easily broken or snapped off, or may reduce the aesthetic quality of the animal house. 
     The convex surface of the structure may comprise a material having a surface tension value substantially between 20 and 50 mN/m. The convex surface of the structure may comprise a polymeric material. 
     The structure may be a blow-moulded structure. The structure may be a rotational-molded structure. 
     The rib may be a single unitary piece. The rib may thus be manufactured at low cost. 
     The rib may comprise two or more attachable unitary pieces. The rib may thus be easily stored and transported. 
     The rib may have a cross-section, the cross section being one of: an L-shape; a Z-shape; an arc shape; a top-hat shape; or rectangular. Each cross section has various advantages. The most suitable cross-section for the rib will depend on the relative dimensions of the structure, the location of the rib and the particular component to which the rib is attached. 
     The structure first flat surface may define a flat-bottomed channel, and the rib may be configured to be partially received within the channel. This arrangement provides an improved seal, by providing a further barrier to water ingress, as the seal is provided at a higher level than the curved surface of the structure. The flat-bottomed channel also acts as a guide to facilitate assembly. 
     The impermeable hollow-molded structure may be a wall panel or a roof panel of the animal house. 
     According to a presently preferred second embodiment of the invention, there is provided an impermeable hollow-moulded panel for an animal house having a recessed first end portion adjacent a first edge, the first end portion having a series of protruding ridges connected by a protruding spine, the spine extending substantially in parallel with the first edge and the series of ridges extending at an angle of between 5° and 80° to the first edge. This aspect of the invention provides an alternative solution to the problem of water ingress into a hollow-moulded animal house. The protruding ridge acts as a guide, to guide water which may have tracked along a curved surface away from the inside of the animal house. 
     The ridges in the series of protruding ridges may be parallel to each other. This arrangement may provide the best cover to prevent water tracking towards the inside of the animal house. 
     Another aspect of the invention relates to an animal house comprising: an impermeable hollow-moulded structure having at least one convex surface, a first flat surface extending in a first direction and a second flat surface extending in a second direction, the convex surface connecting the first flat surface to the second flat surface; and a rib defining a sharp edge, wherein the rib is configured to be releasably attached proximate to or on the convex surface such that the rib diverts a liquid flowing over the convex surface away from the structure. The convex surface may have a radius of curvature of between 1 mm and 100 mm. The rib may have a planar portion, and the rib may be attached to the structure first flat surface at the rib planar portion. In one implementation, the sharp edge is offset from the first flat surface, defining a gap therebetween. 
     Preferably the rib planar portion is configured to form a seal with the first flat surface of the structure. The rib may comprise a portion extending in the first direction. The first direction and the second direction may be substantially orthogonal, for example wherein the first direction is substantially vertical and the second direction is substantially horizontal. The second flat surface may define a plane, and the rib may be arranged such that it terminates within or proximate the plane of the second surface. The convex surface of the structure may comprise a material having a surface tension value substantially between 20 mN/m and 50 mN/m. The convex surface of the structure may comprise a polymeric material. The structure may be a blow-moulded structure. The rib may be either a single unitary piece or comprise two or more attachable unitary pieces. In one implementation the rib has a cross-section, the cross section being one of: an L-shape; a Z-shape; an arc shape; a top-hat shape; or rectangular. Preferably the structure first flat surface defines a flat-bottomed channel, and the rib is configured to be partially received within the channel. The impermeable hollow-moulded structure may be a wall panel or a roof panel of the animal house. 
     Another aspect of the invention relates to an impermeable hollow-moulded panel for an animal house having a recessed first end portion adjacent a first edge, the first end portion having a series of protruding ridges connected by a protruding spine, the spine extending substantially in parallel with the first edge and the series of ridges extending at an angle of between 5° and 80° to the first edge. In one arrangement, the ridges in the series of protruding ridges are parallel to one another. A further aspect of the invention relates to an animal house comprising one or more of these impermeable hollow-moulded panels. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides an animal house comprising: impermeable structure means, said structure means having at least one convex surface, a first flat surface extending in a first direction and a second flat surface extending in a second direction, the convex surface connecting the first flat surface to the second flat surface; and liquid diverting means defining a sharp edge, wherein the liquid diverting means is configured to be releasably attached proximate to or on the convex surface such that the liquid diverting means diverts a liquid flowing over the convex surface away from the structure means. 
     A further aspect of the invention provides: impermeable hollow-moulded panel means for an animal house, the panel means having a recessed first end portion adjacent a first edge, the first end portion having a series of protruding fluid guiding means connected by a protruding spine, the spine extending substantially in parallel with the first edge and the series of fluid guiding means extending at an angle of between 5° and 80° to the first edge. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of the teachings of the present invention, and arrangements embodying those teachings, will hereafter be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a cross-section of a portion of a prior art animal house comprising a roof and a wall; 
         FIG.  2    is a cross-section of an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, with a portion of an animal house comprising a wall and a door; 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-section of an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, with a portion of an animal house comprising an upper wall, a lower wall and a tray; 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-section of an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, with a portion of an animal house comprising a roof panel; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG.  4   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in  FIG.  5   ; 
         FIG.  7    is an enlarged cross-section view of a roof panel according to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG.  8    is an enlarged cross-section view of a roof panel according to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG.  9    is an enlarged cross-section view of a roof panel according to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG.  10    is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG.  9   ; 
         FIG.  11    is a side elevation of a portion of an animal house comprising an end panel with a series of ridges, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention; 
         FIG.  12    is a simplified cross-sectional view taken at line A-A of  FIG.  11    and an enlarged perspective view of a ridge at detail B of  FIG.  11   ; 
         FIG.  13    is a perspective view of an animal house comprising the side panel of  FIG.  11   ; and 
         FIG.  14    is a further perspective view of the animal house of  FIG.  13   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , a prior art partial solution to the water ingress problem described above is provided.  FIG.  1    shows a portion of an animal house  100  defining an interior region  102  and external region  104 . The external region  104  is exposed to the atmosphere. 
     The animal house  100  has a roof panel  110  and a side panel  120 . The roof panel  110  has a roof protruding part  112 , and the side panel  120  has a side protruding part  122 . A seal is provided by overlap of the roof protruding part  112  and the side protruding part  122 . Any water that tracks around the convex surface of the roof protruding part  112  is prevented from entering the internal region of the animal house by the side protruding part  122 . Instead, the water falls along the external region side of the side panel  120 . 
     This prior art solution to the water ingress problem has various limitations. One limitation is that the side panel  120  cannot be moved in the direction of the arrow x without vertical or horizontal displacement, so as to avoid clashing with the overlap of the roof panel. This means that for removable parts such as trays or doors which are restrained for such displacements, this prior art solution cannot be used. 
       FIG.  2    shows a first embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention. A portion of an animal house  200  defines an interior region  202  and an exterior region  204 . The animal house  200  has an upper wall panel  210 , a lower wall panel  220 , a rib  230  and a screw  240 . 
     The upper wall panel  210  has a hollow main body  211  and a protruding part  215 . The hollow main body  211  is defined by an inner wall  212 , an outer wall  213  and a rear wall  214 . The outer wall  213  and the rear wall  214  are joined by a convex surface  219 . The protruding part  215  shares the inner wall  212  with the main body  211 , and has an outer wall  216  and a rear wall  217 . 
     The lower wall panel  220  has a hollow main body  221  defined in part by an outer wall  223 , an inner wall  222  and a top wall  224 . The lower wall panel  220  may be a door providing access to interior region  202  of animal house  200 . 
     The rib  230  is elongate, Z-shaped in cross section, and has a ledge  231 . The rib  230  terminates in a sharp edge  232 . The rib  230  is a single unitary piece of plastic, preferably high-density poly(ethylene) (HDPE). 
     Used herein, the term “sharp” should be interpreted as “sharper than” the convex surface of the impermeable hollow-moulded structure. The specific form and arrangement of the “sharp” component is arbitrary save as to be sharp enough so as to prevent wicking of water droplets around the edge  232 , but instead to cause separation of water droplets from the rib  230 . For example, a sharp edge may taper to a point, or be provided as an edge which in cross-section defines three orthogonal sides, such as the outermost part of the rib  230  shown in  FIG.  2   . The term “sharp” may also refer to a rounded edge with a smaller radius of curvature than the convex surface of the impermeable hollow-moulded structure, as long as such an edge causes separation of water droplets and prevents wicking of the water droplets. 
     The term “outermost” used herein to describe part of a component refers to the furthest part of a component away from the inside of an animal house. The term “innermost” used herein to describe part of a component refers to the furthest part of a component towards the centre of an animal house. 
     The upper wall panel  210  and the lower wall panel  220  are aligned such that there is a gap  250  between the rear wall  214  of the upper wall panel  210  and the top wall  224  of the lower wall panel  220 . The upper wall panel  210  and the lower wall panel  220  are aligned such that the protruding part  215  of the upper wall panel  210  overlaps the lower wall panel  220 . The outer wall  216  of the protruding part is proximate the inner wall  222  of the lower wall panel  220 . 
     The rib  230  is attached to the rear wall  214  of the upper wall panel  210  by a fastener. The fastener is a screw  240 . The rib  230  is attached to the rear wall  214  such that the rib  230  is disposed in the gap  250 , and such that the contact between the upper surface of the rib  230  and the lower surface of the rear wall  214  provides a water tight seal. The rib  230  extends beyond a plane defined by the outer wall  213  of the main body  211  of the upper wall panel  210 . 
     In the event that water runs along the surface  213  in the direction of arrow R, water can track along the convex surface  219  and gain momentum with a component in a direction perpendicular to the arrow R, in particular in a direction of ingress to the animal house. Water is then prevented from entering the internal region  202  of the animal house  200  by the ledge  231  of the rib  230 . As the rib  230  and the rear wall  217  have a water-tight seal, no water can pass between the rib  230  and the rear wall  217 . Water is forced to travel along the rib  230  in the direction of arrow R 2 , away from the upper wall panel  210  and the lower wall panel  220 . Particularly, water is forced away from the gap  250 . As water reaches the outermost part of the rib  230 , it continues in the direction of arrow R 2  before returning to the direction of arrow R due to gravity. In contrast to tracking along the convex surface  219 , water does not track along the outermost part of the rib  230 . This is because the rib  230  has the sharp edge  232 . 
     In contrast to the prior art solution described with reference to  FIG.  1   , the rear wall panel  220  of the first embodiment of the present invention can be moved in the direction of arrow x. Thus, in this case, the rear wall panel  220  can be removed from upper wall panel  210  in order to gain access to the interior region  202  of animal house  200  without vertical and/or horizontal displacement of the rear wall pane  220 . 
       FIG.  3    shows a second embodiment of the present invention,  300 ,  302 ,  304 , in which there is an upper wall panel  310 , a lower wall panel  340 , a removable tray  320 , and a rib  330 . 
     The upper wall panel  310  has an inner wall  312 , an outer wall  313 , and a rear wall  214 . 
     The outer wall  313  and the rear wall  314  are joined by a convex surface  319 . 
     The removable tray  320  has an inner wall  322 , an outer wall  323 , a top wall  324  and a rear wall  327 . 
     The lower wall panel  340  has a top wall  344 . 
     The rib  330  has a first leg  331 , a second leg  332  and a third leg  333 . The first leg  331  is straight and elongate in cross-section. The second leg  332  is substantially straight and elongate. The third leg  333  is elongate and has two z-shaped parts in cross-section. The outermost z-shapes part defines a ledge  335 . The third leg  333  is substantially orthogonal to the first leg  331 . 
     The upper wall panel  310  and the lower wall panel  340  are connected (which can be seen in  FIG.  13   ) and define a cavity which receives the removable tray  320 . Part of the rear wall  327  of the removable tray  320  contacts and rests on the top wall  344  of the lower wall panel  340 . 
     A gap  325  is defined between the upper wall panel  310  and the removable tray  320 . 
     The rib  330  is disposed in the gap  325 . The rib  330  is attached to the upper wall panel  310 . The first leg  331  of the rib  330  is aligned with and in contact with the inner wall  312  of the upper wall panel  310 . The second leg  332  of the rib  330  extends away from the upper wall panel  310  towards the inside  302  of the animal house. The outermost part of the third leg  333  extends away from the rear wall  314  of the upper wall panel  310 . The third leg  333  of the rib  330  has a contact part which is aligned with and in contact with the rear wall  314  of the upper wall panel  310 , such that it provides a water-tight seal along the contact part. The third leg  333  extends up to a plane defined by the outer wall  313  of the upper wall panel  310 . 
     The third leg  333  of the rib  330  has the same function as the rib  230  of the first embodiment. In the event that water runs along the surface  313  in the direction of the arrow R, water can track along the convex surface  319  and gain momentum with a component in a direction perpendicular to the arrow R, in particular in a direction of ingress to the animal house. Water is then stopped by the ledge  335  of the third leg  333  of the rib  330 . As the third leg  333  and the rear wall  314  have a water-tight seal, no water can pass between the third leg  333  and the rear wall  314 . Water is forced to travel along the third leg  333  in the direction of arrow R 2 , away from the upper wall panel  310 , lower wall panel  340  and removable tray  320 . 
     Particularly, water is forced away from the gap  325 . As water reaches the outermost part of the third leg  333 , it continues in the direction of arrow R 2  before returning to the direction of arrow R due to gravity. As described before in relation to the first embodiment, in contrast to tracking along the convex surface  319 , water does not track along the outermost part of the rib  330 . This is because the rib  330  has a sharp edge. 
     In contrast to the prior art solution described with reference to  FIG.  1   , removable tray  320  can be moved in the direction of arrow x. 
       FIGS.  4 ,  5  and  6    show a cross section, a perspective view and a back view respectively of a third embodiment of the invention. The rib  430  is the same as the rib  230  of the first embodiment, hence features of the rib  230 ,  430  described previously will not be repeated. 
     In this embodiment, the animal house comprises a flat roof panel  410 . The flat roof panel  410  has an outer wall  412 , a back wall  414  and a convex surface  419 . The outer wall  412  and the back wall  414  are joined by the convex surface  419 . The rib  430  is attached to the back wall  414  by a screw  440 , such that a water-tight seal is provided between the back wall  414  and the rib  430 . 
     The rib  430  extends along the outer wall  412 , as shown by  FIGS.  5  and  6   . 
     The ribs  230 ,  330  of the first and second embodiments (described previously in relation to  FIGS.  2  and  3   ) extend along the outer walls  213 ,  313  respectively, in the same manner as that shown by the perspective and back views of the third embodiment ( FIGS.  5  and  6   ). 
       FIGS.  7  and  8    respectively show third and fourth embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention. The panels  510 ,  610  may be the same as any of the components  210 ,  310  or  410  described respectively in any of the first, second or third embodiments. 
     The third embodiment, shown in  FIG.  7   , comprises a rib  530  with an L-shaped cross section. The fourth embodiment, shown in  FIG.  8   , comprises a rib  630  with an arc-shaped cross section. 
       FIGS.  9  and  10    show a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
     The fifth embodiment, shown in  FIGS.  9  and  10   , comprises a hollow-moulded structure  710  and a rib  730  with a top-hat shaped cross-section. The rib  730  has a flat top part  781 , two flat side parts  782 ,  783  and two flat rim parts  784 ,  785 . 
     The hollow-molded structure  710  has a convex surface  719  and a rear surface  714 . The hollow-moulded structure  710  may be substantially the same as the component  410  described previously. However, the hollow-moulded structure  710  differs from the embodiments described previously in that it has a channel  780 . 
     The channel  780  is configured to receive the top part  781  and the two side parts  782 ,  783  of the rib  730 . The top part  781  is connected to the hollow-moulded structure by a screw  740 , such that a water tight seal is provided between the hollow-moulded structure and the top part  781  of the rib  730 . The two rim parts  784 ,  785 , extend parallel to a plane defined by the rear wall  714  of the hollow-molded structure  710 . 
     The rib  730  has the same function as the ribs  230 ,  330 ,  430 ,  530 ,  630  described previously. 
       FIGS.  11  and  12    show a second aspect of the invention. An alternative solution to the problem of water ingress in the gap between adjacent panels of a hollow-moulded animal house is provided by the second aspect of the invention. There are certain situations where using the rib  230 ,  330 ,  430 ,  530 ,  630 ,  730 , described above may not be appropriate. One other example where a rib may be difficult to employ is along vertical edge joins between panels. For example, along an edge join, such as a vertical edge join, between a front panel and a side panel of an animal house. 
       FIG.  11    shows an impermeable hollow-moulded side panel  810  of an animal house having an inward-facing surface  811 , a first series of ridges  800  and a second series of ridges  801 .  FIG.  12   , section A-A shows the hollow nature of the side panel  810 . 
     The side panel  810  has a first edge  802 , a second edge  803 . Adjacent the first edge  802  there is defined a recessed first end portion  806  of the side panel  810 . Adjacent the second edge  803  there is defined a recessed second end portion  807  of the side panel  810 . The first end portion  806  and the second end portion  807  each define a plane. The planes are substantially aligned with each other, with slight misalignment possible due to manufacturing tolerances. The first series of ridges  800  are arranged along the first end portion  806 , and the second series of ridges  801  are arranged along the second end portion  807 . 
     Each series of ridges  800 ,  801  is substantially the same, so only features of the first series of ridges  800  will be described here in detail.  FIG.  12    shows a simplified cross-section through the first end portion  806 . 
     The first series of ridges  800  and the side panel  810  are together a single unitary piece of hollow-moulded plastic. The first series of ridges  800  comprises nine individual ridges  808  connected by a spine  805 . The ridges  808  and the spine  805  protrude away from the plane defined by the recessed first end portion  806 , to the same extent. As best seen in  FIG.  12    the ridges  808  and spine  805  protrude level with the inward-facing surface  811  of the panel  810 . 
     The spine  805  extends along the first end portion  806  of the side panel  810 , in parallel to the first edge  802 . The ridges  808  of the first series  800  are equally spaced apart from each other and extend away from the spine  805 , along the plane defined by the first end portion  806 . The ridges  808  may be oriented away from the spine  805  at an angle between 5° and 80°. The ridges  808  of the first series  800  are parallel to each other. 
       FIG.  12    shows an enlarged perspective view of a ridge of  FIG.  11   . As shown by  FIG.  12   , the ridge  808  has substantially curved edges. This may be a result of the hollow-moulding process and limitations, as described previously. In  FIG.  12   , the ridge  808  has an upper curved edge  888  and a lower curved edge  889  (partially seen in  FIG.  12   ). 
     In use, the side panel  810  is arranged such that the ridges  808  extend diagonally down and away from the spine  805 . The ridges  808  extend at an angle of  30 ° to the substantially vertical first edge  802 . In an alternate embodiment, the ridges  808  may extend from between 5° and 80° to the first edge  802 . A back panel  910  is aligned with and fitted against the second end portion  807  of the side panel  810 , such that the ridges  808  are opposed to the back panel  910  and a gap is defined therebetween. The side panel  810  and back panel  910  together define a corner of the animal house  900 . 
     In the example shown in  FIGS.  13  and  14   , the side panel  810  and the back panel  910  are arranged vertically, or substantially vertically. In this example, water may track around the edges  802 ,  803  of the side panel  810 , such that the water has a horizontal component to its trajectory. In the absence of the series of ridges  800 ,  801 , water may track around the edges  802 ,  803  and into inside of the animal house. In the absence of the series of ridges  800 ,  801 , water may also or alternatively track around edges of the back panel  910  in a similar manner. 
     The series of ridges  800 ,  801  reduce the likelihood of any tracking water from reaching the inside of the animal house. 
     Water tracking around an edge  802  is represented in  FIG.  12   , Detail B. Arrow  8  represents a water droplet moving between the side panel  810  and the back panel  910  either under capillary action, or by wind action. Arrow  9  represents the vertical component of the water trajectory due to gravity. The ridge  808  acts as a guide to direct water away from the inside of the animal house. For example, when water reaches the upper curved edge  888 , it may be guided along the upper curved edge  888 , downwards and away from the inside of the animal house. Alternatively, water may run over the ridge  808 , and then be at least partly guided away from the inside of the animal house by the lower curved edge  889 . This guiding away from the inside of the animal house is made possible by the angle of the ridges, and due to the curved edges of the ridges. 
     The ridges each terminate in a relatively sharp end  809 . These sharp ends  809  of the ridges  808  cause water to be discouraged from tracking along the hollow-moulded structure towards the inside of the animal house  900 . In this respect, this aspect of the invention embodies the same inventive concept as the first aspect of the invention. This aspect of the invention provides an alternative solution to the problem solved by the first aspect of the invention. 
     The ridges  800 ,  801  may be suitable for any corner between panels. For example, as shown in  FIG.  14   , the side panel  810  may be arranged such that the ridges  800 ,  801  are in contact with a front panel  1010  of the animal house  900 . 
     It will be appreciated that whilst various aspects and embodiments of the present invention have heretofore been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular arrangements set out herein and instead extends to encompass all arrangements, equivalents, and modifications and alterations thereto, which fall within the scope of the appended claims. 
     It should also be noted that whilst the accompanying claims set out particular combinations of features described herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular combinations hereafter claimed, but instead extends to encompass any combination of features herein disclosed. 
     Finally, it should be noted that any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “steps for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, par. 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims appended hereto is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, par. 6.