Flying insect trap

Abstract

A flying inspect trap includes large, multi-directional, oppositely facing ingress openings to elongated chambers housing UV lamps emitting insect attractant light. A disposable cartridge has two sections which mate together to form a container for a roll of adhesive trapping medium. The cartridge sections are opened and spread apart to fit beneath the UV lamps. A motor indexes the adhesive medium so that some unused portion is always available for trapping insects until the roll is exhausted. The spent roll is then rolled into one cartridge section externally; and the two cartridge sections are coupled together to encase the spent roll for disposal.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION [0001] Applicants claim the benefit of the filing dates of the following applications. This is a divisional application of copending U.S. nonprovisional application Ser. No. 10 / 392,232 filed Mar. 18, 2003 which is a continuation application of nonprovisional U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 841,200 filed Apr. 24, 2001 which is based on provisional Application No. 60 / 200,448 filed Apr. 28, 2000.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to insect traps, and more particularly to traps for flying insects which use ultraviolet (UV) light to draw the insects into the trap where they are immobilized on adhesive-coated boards, paper or other medium. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The use of ultraviolet light to attract insects in a localized area and then to immobilize the insects on an adhesive medium or “glue board” is known. Further, it is known to provide food scents and pheromones to attract flies and other insects into the interior of the trap and...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a heavy-duty commercial or industrial UV insect trapping unit designed for use in production areas of commercial kitchens, bakeries, food processing plants, and storage areas in supermarkets, warehouses, hospitals, poultry and egg ranches, and all food preparation areas where the decorative appeal of the trap is not as important as trapping effectiveness. The unit has two separate UV lamps mounted in an elongated housing with open grills, providing access to the lamps from various angles. The housing is curved to increase access for insects, and the UV lamps are placed in a way that allows the image of the lamps to be perceived from both sides. The unit also has a cartridge for housing the trapping medium, which can be easily replaced without the need for tools. The trapping medium is stored in a flat table and passes over a light sensor to indicate when it is out. The motor speed can be adjusted to control the speed at which the trapping medium is metered out. The technical effects of this invention include improved trapping efficiency, increased access for insects, and improved safety in food processing and storage areas."

Problems solved by technology

Of course, the insects cannot directly perceive the light source unless the insect is at a sufficiently high altitude.

This is believed to have a negative effect on the overall catch effectiveness of the trap since insects are believed to be attracted to the UV light source by sensing light emanating from the source, just as insects are attracted to windows because they sense the incoming light radiated from the sun.

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