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

[0005] Thus, the present invention provides two separate UV lamps arranged generally in the same horizontal plane and spaced slightly laterally from one another. The lamps are mounted in an elongated housing which has upright sidewalls and a base, but which is provided with open grills adjacent the horizontal plane in which the UV lamps are mounted so that the lamps can be viewed directly in a range of elevations extending from slightly below the horizontal plane of the lamps to a region well above the lamps. Moreover, the shape of the housing in side profile is such that it curves upwardly and inwardly of the UV lamps, as one proceeds from the level of the UV lamps upward. This increases the access of the insects to the UV lamps, not only by sight, but by ingress, from an angle slightly below the horizontal to approximately 80° above the UV lamps. Access is provided on both sides of the housing to increase the effectiveness even more. In addition, curved reflective surfaces are placed at an incline to the center of the unit and above the UV lamps to project an image of the UV lamps outwardly and downwardly so that it can be perceived from most regions in a room and extends the viewing angles well below the horizontal. Thus, an insect in front of the unit sees not only the UV lamp directly, but the image of the lamp, and this occurs on both sides of the unit.

[0006] Furthermore, the insect trapping medium, which is commercially available, has a sticky or tacky surface impregnated with the attractants described above. The medium is stored in a cartridge until use. The trapped insects become encapsulated in a take-up section, while simultaneously a fresh adhesive surface is automatically advanced from a source spool. U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,211 teaches the use of a cartridge for housing the trapping medium in a roll and dispensing it for usage under timed motor power. The present invention improves such a cartridge design by housing a roll of trapping medium in a cartridge made of two mating sections which are preferably identical and interchangeable to reduce parts and inventory. The two housing sections couple together to form a substantially closed container encompassing the trapping medium either for storage when the medium has not been used, or for disposal when the trapping medium is filled with insects.

[0008] The intermediate section of the trapping medium between the two housing sections slides along a flat table spaced immediately below the two UV lamps. After the trapping medium is fully spent and it is desired to dispose of the trapping medium and replace it with a new cartridge, the two housing sections of the cartridge are removed from their respective receptacles (the one driven by the motor is disconnected from the motor), and the two housing sections of the cartridge are then manually assembled together and secured, encompassing the spent medium and insects for disposal without having to touch the spent medium or insects. The trailing edge of the trapping medium may be manually wound into the driven cartridge section, without touching the trapping medium.

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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