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  Insect trapUSPTO Application #: 20070039236Title: Insect trap Abstract: The invention relates to an insect trap which is especially intended for catching and/or rendering harmless flying insects and/or harmful insects. The insect trap (10), in a first embodiment, has a planar or curved, light surface (12) and at least one dark contrast spot (16) disposed inside said surface. The insect trap (10), in a second embodiment, has a diffuser surface (14) for producing a weak air current (22) that emanates from said surface. Both embodiments can be combined as required to increase the effectiveness of the trap. The insect trap (10) is further provided with devices for keeping, catching and/or eliminating trapped insects (42) on a surface of the trap and/or in a cavity (20) arranged therein. Insect traps of the above mentioned type are used in pest control indoors and outdoors and for detecting an insect density (monitoring). (end of abstract)
Agent: The Firm Of Karl F Ross - Riverdale (bronx), NY, US Inventors: Martin Geier, Andreas Rose, Alvaro E. Eiras USPTO Applicaton #: 20070039236 - Class: 043139000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Fishing, Trapping, And Vermin Destroying, Vermin Destroying, Insect, Catchers, Machines, Suction The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070039236. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The invention relates to an insect trap, in particular for flying and/or harmful insects, with the characteristics of independent claims 1 and 2. [0002] Blood-sucking insects constitute one of the most significant health issues worldwide, as they spread numerous diseases (for example malaria, yellow fever, dengue, etc.) to both humans and animals and are generally burdensome. Insecticides are used for wide-scale destruction of these pests. A further possibility for controlling and fighting pest insects is the use of traps that are principally intended for small areas, in particular for closed spaces. [0003] Insect traps are known in many types and styles. Simplest is the use of flypaper that is coated with glue so that the insects that contact with it get stuck. Other variants emit ultraviolet light or ultrasound and in this manner draw in insect pests. There are also device that use aromatic attractants, for example along with an air stream, so that the attracted insects are sucked by the air stream into a space and held there. [0004] Such traps are described in US 2001/0045051 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,249. With this type of trap an attractant is distributed by a blower inside a cylindrical tube so as to draw in insects. Once they get close to the trap, the air stream sucks them into the trap. To this end a further tube is provided around the cylindrical tube. The insects are sucked into a space between the two coaxial tubes. [0005] With the known types of traps carbon dioxide is used, since this gas is recognized by insects as what is exhaled by humans and animals and therefore attracts them. [0006] The effectiveness and efficiency of the hitherto known traps is however mainly limited because they cannot be fully effective to neutralize all the insects in a given room or space. In addition the traps that emit carbon dioxide are relatively expensive to make and operate. [0007] It is an object of the invention to provided an insect trap that is simple to make and also inexpensive to run and efficient. [0008] This object of the invention is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Features of preferred embodiments of the invention are seen in the dependent claims. [0009] A first variant of the insect trap according to the invention, that is in particular for flying and/or pest insects, has a planar or curved light surface region surrounding at least one dark contrast surface region. The insect further has means for holding, trapping and/or killing attracted insects on a surface of the insect trap and/or in its interior. This first variant of an insect trap is based on the recognition that dark objects attract many insects. Tests with this system have shown that a light surface region with a dark spot in it, for example in its center, is very attractive for certain insects and draws them. Hitherto it has only been recognized that dark objects are capable of attracting certain types of insects. The invention improves on this by providing a dark contrast region on a light background. [0010] A variant of the insect trap according to the invention has an output surface for producing a weak air stream passing out through the surface and means for holding, trapping and/or killing attracted insects on a surface of the insect trap and/or in its interior. Tests have shown the surprising effect that a weak and uniform air stream spread over a large surface is attractive for many insects and draws them. This can be explained in that the weak air stream over a large surface area is like the warm air flow of a human or animal body that is in particular recognized by gnats (aedes aegypti) and blood-sucking insects and that draws them. [0011] The two described variants of the invention can be combined with each other in that a light surface region with a dark contrast region is provided with an output surface or formed as one. This increases the effectiveness of the trap. [0012] According to an embodiment of the invention at least the light surface region or parts of it are covered with glue and/or an insecticide. In addition at least the dark contrast surface region can be covered with glue and/or an insecticide, so that the upper surface of the trap functions to hold the attracted insects. Alternatively the insects can be killed by contact with the trap surface. This can be done by energizing the surface with electricity, for example with a screen or the like that is energized. [0013] The weak air stream coming from the output surface preferably has an average flow speed of about 2 to 100 cm/sec, better between 3 and 50 cm/sec, and preferably from 5 to 20 cm/sec so that the weak air stream accurately imitates the convection air stream rising off a human or animal body. [0014] A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized by an attractant that is emitted by the trap. This is based on the recognition that the smell of a human or animal body is particularly attractive for insects when it is carried by a weak uniformly spread-out air stream. There are situations in which carbon dioxide is used. This is an attractive that is contained in breathed air. Such an addition of carbon dioxide is thus particularly attractive for insects when the air flow is discontinuous and in exhalations streams. On the other hand an attractant imitating body odors is particularly attractive for insects when it is carried in a weak air or convective stream as provided for by the instant invention. [0015] Preferably the attractant is emitted by the entire light surface region. The attractant can for example be in a coating of the upper surface in a predetermined concentration. To this end a binder is applied to the light and/or dark surface regions in which the attractant is dissolved and that is in a predetermined concentration. Such a binder an in particular be a glue to which the attracted insects stick. So that the attractant is uniformly emitted and carried off in a convective stream, the trap surface can be heated, for example by heating wires or the like. [0016] A particularly preferred variant uses a combination of olfactory and visual attractants for the insects. Such a preferred embodiment of the invention has an output surface that is a light surface region surrounding at least one dark contrast surface region. The light surface region has an area of at least 30 cm.sup.2, preferably an area of at least 100 cm.sup.2 in order to be effective at a distance. Such a combined optical and olfactory effect of the insect trap according to the invention imitates particularly well the human or animal body so that such a trap is highly attractive and is therefore very effective for many insects, in particular the blood-sucking types. [0017] A further embodiment of the invention provides that at least one intake opening for drawing in attracted insects is provided near the trap. Alternatively a plurality of intake openings are provided around the light surface region or around the output surface. In particular an annular intake opening surrounds the light surface region or the output surface. In this manner the attracted insects can be sucked into the interior or into a container in which they are collected and from which they cannot fly out. If desired this space can hold an insecticide so that the insects are killed right there. [0018] A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the dark contrast surface region is a dark intake passage. Thus an inner surface of the tubular intake passage is preferably provided with a dark coating so that the intake passage itself forms the contrast surface region on the light surface region. A flow speed at or in the intake passage or at or in the intake opening is at least 1 m/sec, and can in a preferred embodiment be about 2 m/sec. [0019] This ensures that insects that get near the intake passage or the intake opening are sucked in and cannot fly out. At the same time this ensures that the insects cannot fly against the air stream and escape after being caught from the interior. [0020] A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides a blower in the trap for providing the intake flow in the intake passage or in the intake opening and/or the weak air stream from the output surface. The fan can in particular form an annular flow, drawing the air in centrally at the intake opening or through the intake passage and expelling the sucked-in air through the large output surface as a uniform weak air stream. The ratio of areas of the intake passage hd the output surface are such that the desired air speeds are obtained. [0021] Preferably a device inside the trap uniformly supplies the attractant to the weak air stream. Such a device can be several vessels with the individual components of the attractant or different tubes with the components of the attractant, since the attractant is typically not supplied as a mixture but as individual components and is only combined with put into the air. Such an attractant can in particular be a mixture of milk acids, capron acids, and ammonia, as for example described in provisional U.S. application 60/386,582 of 07 Jun. 2002. The components and attractant mixture described in this application are incorporated by reference in this application. [0022] The output surface can be a mesh with a light weave whose mesh size is smaller than the insects to be caught in the trap. In this manner the light surface region is formed and at the same time the trap is closed to the outside so that insects caught in it cannot fly out through the mesh. [0023] The intake passage has preferably a minimum length that ensure s a relatively uniform flow in the passage and near the passage. A typical intake-passage length can for example be between 5 and 10 cm. The typical diameter of the intake passage can for example be between 3 and 15 cm. The dimensions of the output surface and the intake passage depend in particular on the overall size of the trap and on the desired relationship between the flow speeds in the passage and from the emitting device. Even the typical sizes of the preferred insect being trapped influence the actual dimensions of the intake passage and of the trap. [0024] An embodiment of the invention has an additional screen upstream of the fan in the intake passage so that the sucked-in insects do not get into the interior of the trap, but are collected at the lower end of the intake passage. According to a preferred embodiment the intake passage upstream of the fan holds an insert that can if necessary be provided with glue or an insecticide and that is periodically taken out of the trap and emptied. In order to prevent that drawn-in insects fly out again, the fan can be set to run permanently. If the fan does not run all the time, it can be advantageous to provide a flared catchment from which the insects cannot fly out. With such a variant the fan is set to operate periodically. Continue reading... Full patent description for Insect trap Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Insect trap patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Insect trap or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Hardenable termite-controlling composition Next Patent Application: Triacylglycerol based wax composition Industry Class: Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Insect trap patent info. 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