Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Vermin destroying – Insect
Reexamination Certificate
1996-09-17
2001-09-11
Rowan, Kurt (Department: 3643)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Vermin destroying
Insect
C043S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286249
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to method and device for attracting and trapping or otherwise disabling insects, and, in particular, to a counterflow device that uses an insect attractant in an outflow from the trap.
Suction traps have been used in a variety of configurations to trap or kill insects. It is known to use screened material to trap the insects thus drawn into the trap, and to use mechanical, electrical or poison means to disable, injure or kill the insects. It is also known to use fan mechanisms to generate the suction flow, and to use lights or air-borne attractants to lure the insects to the vicinity of the suction flow. In some configurations, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,196,577 (Plunkett) and 5,157,090 (Cody), a small flow of an insect attractant is exhausted from the device to the outside of a much larger suction stream.
For devices using air-borne attractants, the trapping efficiency is related to the type of attractant used, the direction of the attractant, the direction of the suction stream, and the direction of the suction stream relative to the attractant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a device for attracting and capturing or otherwise disabling insects. The device includes a flow mechanism structured and arranged to provide an outflow of air out of the device to atmosphere, and to draw an inflow directed counter the outflow from atmosphere into the device, the outflow being substantially within the inflow outside of the device. The inflow, therefore, substantially encircles the outflow outside the device. The flow mechanism is also structured and arranged to provide an insect attractant in the outflow. The device can advantageously include mounting structure being adapted to position the device with the outflow directed in a substantially downward direction from an elevation of at least about a foot above ground level. An insect disabling structure is arranged with the flow mechanism to capture or otherwise disable insects being urged into the device by the inflow.
The flow mechanism can include an outflow channel having an opening, a fan mechanism being arranged with the outflow channel to exhaust the outflow to atmosphere, and an inflow channel having at least one opening substantially surrounding the outflow channel opening and through which the inflow is drawn from atmosphere. The outflow channel can include a central space provided within an inner tubular member, the opening of the outflow channel being provided at an open end of the inner tubular member. An outer tubular member having an open end located near the open end of the inner tubular member can be arranged with the inner tubular member to provide a substantially annular-shaped inflow opening therebetween through which the inflow is drawn. The inflow channel can be provided in a substantially annular-shaped region between the inner tubular member and the outer tubular member. A portion of the inner tubular member including the open end can extend beyond the open end of the outer tubular member.
The insect disabling structure can be arranged to communicate with the substantially annular-shaped opening of the inflow channel. The insect disabling structure can include a trap structure arranged to allow ingress and inhibit egress of insects. The insect disabling structure may alternatively or additionally include means for causing injury to insects, such as, for example, an electronic insect killer, a poison delivery system, a mechanical system arranged to cause bodily injury to insects and the like.
A variety of different devices and structures can be used to provide the attractant to the central space for the outflow. For example, a conduit connected to a source of attractant can be arranged to communicate with the central space from outside the inner tubular member. The attractant can include at least one of a pheromone, a kairomone, octenol, carbon dioxide, or any other insect attractant, now known or developed in the future, that can be carried by an air flow. According to one aspect of the invention, at least about 200 ml/min carbon dioxide is provided to the central space. Preferably, at least about 500 ml/min of carbon dioxide is provided to the central space.
According to one aspect of the invention, the inflow channel is connected to the outflow channel, the fan mechanism being arranged to also draw the inflow into the inflow channel. In this arrangement, a second end of the outer tubular member is closed. An annular space provided by the inflow channel communicates with a central space provided by the outflow channel through a distal opening of the inner tubular member distal the open end. A screen material or the like structured to trap insects, which can be a net or mesh bag, is positioned in the central space between the distal opening and the open end. To protect the fan from being fouled by insects drawn into the trap and by insect debris, the fan can be positioned in the central space downstream of the screen material or the like.
According to a different aspect of the invention, a second fan mechanism is arranged with the inflow channel to draw the inflow into the inflow channel. In this arrangement, air can be drawn from atmosphere outside the outer tubular member for mixing with the insect attractant in the outflow. Alternatively, air for mixing with the insect attractant can be drawn from a plenum within the outer tubular member, the outflow fan being positioned to use air from the plenum to generate the outflow. The fan mechanism may also include a screen arranged to inhibit insects in the plenum from entering the central space. In these embodiments, the outer tubular member may include a second end having an opening, the device further having a closed net, screen or the like arranged outside the outer tubular member with a single opening communicating with the opening of the second end of the outer tubular member. The closed net, screen or the like can include, for example, a net bag supported by a frame. The second fan may be positioned upstream and adjacent the single opening of the closed net, screen or the like. Alternatively, instead of a net bag being positioned downstream the second fan, a screen that is structured to inhibit passage of insects can be positioned upstream the second fan. In this arrangement, an annular-shaped cup structure can be positioned to collect dead and dying insects.
The invention also provides a method of urging insects into a device, including emitting a gaseous first flow to atmosphere from an opening of an outflow channel of the device positioned at least about one foot above ground level, directing the first flow towards ground in a substantially downward direction, the first flow including an insect attractant that can be mixed with air. The method further includes drawing a second flow of air into the device, and directing the second flow substantially counter to the first flow and substantially encircling the first flow outside the device, such that insects attracted to the device by the first flow are urged into the device with the second flow. The second flow is advantageously drawn through a channel within the device with a flow velocity that exceeds a maximum flight velocity of a selected variety of insect, such as a variety of mosquito. The method may further include at least one of trapping and causing injury to the insects urged into the device.
The second flow can be drawn into a substantially annular-shaped opening of the device provided between an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member. The first flow can be emitted through an open end of the inner tubular member.
Emitting the gaseous first flow can include emitting at least about 200 ml/min of carbon dioxide, or emitting at least about 500 ml/min of carbon dioxide. The insect attractant may additionally or alternatively include another insect attractant, such as octenol, a kairomone, a pheromone, and the like.
The invention also provides an insect capturing device for use with a suction-type insect trap, including a mes
Lonngren Kenneth
Miller Mark H.
Wigton Bruce E.
American Biophysics Corp.
Rowan Kurt
Taylor Russell & Russell P.C.
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