Pest repellent device

Abstract

To demonstrate a sustainable repellent effect covering a 360-degree range of a monitoring area without causing a harmful animal to learn a learning effect in spite of a compact configuration.SOLUTION: A harmful animal repellent device includes: a light emitting unit 100 having a light emission source and an optical lens system including an axicon lens for converting the light emitted from the light emission source to 360-degree annular light; and a light reflection unit 200 having a light reflection part combined with the light emitting unit 100 for reflecting the annular light in all directions while changing the reflection angles. A laser beam emitted from the light emission source, for example, is made into the annular light with the axicon lens, and the annular light is radiated in all directions of a monitoring area with a paraboloid convex mirror, for example, provided in the light reflection unit 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0007] , , ,

[0006]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pest repellent device for driving away pests such as pigs, monkeys, bears, deer, and birds that damage crops and the like.

Background Art

[0002] The methods for driving away pests are roughly classified into a method of outputting a loud sound using gunpowder, a speaker, etc. to stimulate the hearing of pests, a method of stretching an electrified wire around the perimeter of a monitoring area such as a field to strongly stimulate the tactile sensation of pests by an electric shock, and a method of irradiating light (e.g., laser light) to stimulate the vision of pests.

[0003] The method of stimulating the hearing by a loud sound may cause trouble to residents and may also damage the growth of livestock when there are houses or livestock breeding facilities in the neighborhood. Therefore, the method using sound is limited in the places where it can be used. In the case of the method of strongly stimulating the tactile sensation of pests by an electric shock, not only does the work of stretching the wire cost a great deal, but there is also a risk of electric shock to people. In addition, there is a risk that pests may slip through the gap.

[0004] On the other hand, the method of stimulating the vision of pests by light does not generate sound and does not cause an electric shock accident. Therefore, the repellent method using light takes environmental considerations for people and the neighborhood into account and can be used safely. Thus, many proposals have been made in recent years.

[0005] <00000​​​​​​​ Furthermore, Patent Document 3 proposes a system comprising a light source shaft containing a laser oscillator and a turntable that rotates around the light source shaft, wherein a lens system that converts the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator into a line laser and a reflector that reflects the line laser in a predetermined direction are placed on the turntable, and the entire monitoring area is scanned with the line laser by rotating the turntable.

[0008] However, point irradiation using a laser beam as described in Patent Document 1 has a low hit rate in the eyes of pests. Furthermore, in order to irradiate (scan) the entire monitoring area with laser light, a mechanism to rotate the light-emitting unit 360° is required, as described in Patent Documents 2 and 3. This makes the device bulky. Also, if a rotating device is not used, multiple units would be needed to cover the entire monitoring area to avoid blind spots, but this becomes a cost issue.

[0009] Furthermore, if the irradiation is, for example, regular or monotonous, there is a problem that the pests will learn the direction of the irradiation, and the repellent effect will not last. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3197542 Gazette [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3199518 Gazette [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3212816 Gazette [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a pest repellent device that has a compact configuration, can cover a 360° range of the monitoring area, and can exert a sustained pest repellent effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention provides a pest repellent device that comprises a light-emitting unit having a light source and an optical lens system that converts the light emitted from the light source into a 360° annular light, and a light-reflecting unit that is combined with the light-emitting unit and has a light-reflecting part that reflects the annular light in all directions while changing the reflection angle.

[0013] A laser light source may be used as the light source mentioned above.

[0014] Axicon lenses may be used in the above optical lens system.

[0015] A parabolic convex mirror may be used for the light-reflecting part described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pest repellent device that can cover a 360° range while having a compact configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] (a) A front view and (b) A front side perspective view showing one embodiment of the pest repellent device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Disassembled perspective view of the above pest repellent device. [Figure 3] (a) an exploded front view and (b) an exploded perspective view showing the light-emitting unit included in the above-mentioned pest repellent device. [Figure 4] (a) A front exploded view and (b) A perspective view of the light-reflecting unit included in the above-mentioned pest repellent device, viewed from the bottom. [Figure 5] A perspective view of several cams that drive the light-reflecting part within the above-mentioned light-reflecting unit. [Figure 6] (a) A front view and (b) a perspective view thereof showing the parabolic convex mirror used in the above-mentioned light reflecting section. [Figure 7](a) Front view and (b) perspective view showing the parabolic concave mirror used in the light reflection part. [Figure 8] (a) Front view and (b) perspective view showing the cone having an irregular reflecting surface used in the light reflection part. [Figure 9] (a) High position, (b) middle position, and (c) low position of the parabolic convex mirror, showing the operation explanatory diagram of the present invention of the light reflection state. [Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0018] Next, referring to the drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0019] First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pest repellent device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The pest repellent device 1 includes a cylindrical housing 10. Inside the housing 10, a light emitting unit 100 and a light reflection unit 200 are housed as a pair.

[0020] The housing 10 includes a main case 11, a top case 12, and a bottom case 13. The main case 11 is cylindrical and made of a material through which light can pass. The top case 12 is fitted to the upper end of the main case 11, and the bottom case 13 is fitted to the lower end of the main case 11.

[0021] Inside the top case 12, the light emitting unit 100 and the battery case 101 are arranged in a state of being attached to a support substrate (not shown). Further, a disk-shaped case cover 15 is screwed to the upper end of the top case 12 via an O-ring 14.

[0022] Inside the bottom case 13, the light reflection unit 200 is housed together with a drive unit so as to face the light emitting unit 100. The drive unit of the light reflection unit 200 will be described later. A moving body detection sensor 16 for detecting a moving object is provided on the bottom case 13.

[0023] For example, a pyroelectric infrared sensor is used as the motion detection sensor 16. In this embodiment, three motion detection sensors 16 are arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the bottom case 13 at 120° intervals.

[0024] The light-emitting unit 100 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The light-emitting unit 100 comprises a laser light source 110, a laser holder 120, a collimating lens holder 130, a collimating lens 140, a holder housing 150, and an axicon lens 160.

[0025] The laser holder 120 consists of a cylindrical body with a lid cover 121 on its upper surface and an open lower surface. A laser light source 110 is fitted into the center of the lid cover 121. A high-brightness LED (light-emitting diode) may be used instead of the laser light source 110.

[0026] The collimating lens 140 is installed within the laser holder 120, supported by the collimating lens holder 130, so as to be coaxial with the optical axis of the laser light source 110. The laser light emitted from the laser light source 110 becomes parallel light due to the collimating lens 140. Alternatively, the position of either the collimating lens 140 or the laser light source 110 may be variably adjusted coaxially. The thickness of the emitted laser light changes depending on the distance between the collimating lens 140 and the laser light source 110. That is, a configuration that allows for variable spacing between the collimating lens 140 and the laser light source 110 changes the thickness of the emitted laser light.

[0027] The holder housing 150 comprises a large-diameter cylinder section 151 and a small-diameter lens holder section 152. The cylinder section 151 is located at the top of the holder housing 150, and the lens holder section 152 is located at the bottom of the holder housing 150. The laser holder 120 is housed in the cylinder section 151. An axicon lens 160 is mounted in the lens holder section 152 so as to be coaxial with the optical axis of the laser light source 110.

[0028] The laser light (laser beam) emitted from the laser light source 110 passes through the collimating lens 140 and the axicon lens 160 before being emitted. That is, the laser light is made into parallel light by the collimating lens 140 and emitted from the axicon lens 160 as a ring-shaped line laser beam (360° annular light) toward the light reflection unit 200.

[0029] Referring to Figure 4, the light reflection unit 200 will be described. The light reflection unit 200 comprises a light reflection mirror (light reflection part) 210, a mirror holder 220, a holder casing 230, a support substrate 240, and a cam 250. The mirror holder 220 and the holder casing 230 are cylindrical. The cam 250 is driven by a motor 260 which functions as a first drive unit.

[0030] In this embodiment, a parabolic convex mirror 211 is used as the light-reflecting mirror 210. The parabolic convex mirror 211 is supported by a mirror holder 220. The mirror holder 220 is positioned within the holder casing 230 so as to be able to move up and down while supporting the parabolic convex mirror 211.

[0031] A pair of left and right engaging claws 221, 221 are formed on the lower end of the mirror holder 220. On the holder casing 230 side, engaging holes 231, 231 (only one of which is shown in Figure 4(b)) are formed to be mating to the engaging claws 221, 221.

[0032] The engagement holes 231, 231 are elongated holes in the holder casing 230 along the axial direction, allowing the mirror holder 220 to move up and down within their length range. The engagement claws 221, 221 are for preventing the mirror holder 220 from coming off. The mirror holder 220 also has a cam follower 222 at its lower part, which acts as a driven link for the cam 250.

[0033] The holder casing 230 is placed on the upper side of the support base plate 240. The support base plate 240 is equipped with locking claws 241 for engaging with the bottom case 13. Multiple locking claws 241 are provided on the side of the support base plate 240. The support base plate 240 is fixed inside the bottom case 13 by the locking claws 241.

[0034] The cam 250 is positioned on the lower side of the support substrate 240. The support substrate 240 has an opening 242 formed therein to allow the cam 250 to contact the cam follower 222 of the mirror holder 220.

[0035] The cam 250 will be described with reference to Figures 5(a) and 9. The cam 250 used here is an unconventional cam having multiple (four in this example) working projections 250a to 250d. The height of each working projection 250a to 250d differs in the radial direction from the rotational axis X per rotation of the cam 250. In this example, the heights increase in the order of 250d → 250c → 250b → 250a.

[0036] The ring-shaped line laser beam (annular light) emitted from the axicon lens 160 is simultaneously reflected 360° horizontally (laterally) by the parabolic convex mirror 211. However, the cam 250 causes the parabolic convex mirror 211 to move up and down, which makes the distance (spacing) between the parabolic convex mirror 211 and the axicon lens 160 variable. As a result of this movement, the reflection angle at the parabolic convex mirror 211 changes, and the ring-shaped line laser beam also changes vertically.

[0037] An example is illustrated in Figure 9. Before use, the pest repellent device 1 is placed on a monitoring stand or the like (not shown) such that the optical axis of the laser light source 110 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane H. The pest repellent device 1 is activated when the motion detection sensor 16 detects a moving object (for example, a pest).

[0038] Figure 9(a) shows the case where the parabolic convex mirror 211 is pushed to a high position by the cam 250, minimizing the distance between it and the axicon lens 160. The ring-shaped line laser beam is reflected simultaneously 360° upward from the horizontal plane H and projected outwards.

[0039] Figure 9(b) shows the case where the parabolic convex mirror 211 is lowered from the high position in Figure 9(a) to the middle position (normal position) by the cam 250. The ring-shaped line laser beam is reflected simultaneously in 360°, almost parallel to the horizontal plane H, and irradiated to the outside.

[0040] Figure 9(c) shows the case where the parabolic convex mirror 211 is lowered further from the middle position in Figure 9(b) by the cam 250. The ring-shaped line laser beam is reflected simultaneously 360° downwards from the horizontal plane H and irradiated outwards.

[0041] For reference, the lower section of each of Figures 9(a) to (c) shows the change in the illumination angle when the parabolic convex mirror 211 is moved up and down in an optical simulation.

[0042] Thus, according to the present invention, by moving the parabolic convex mirror 211 up and down with the irregular cam 250, the reflection angle of the ring-shaped line laser light emitted from the axicon lens 160 can be randomly changed.

[0043] Furthermore, in the pest repellent device 1 of the present invention, a ring-shaped line laser beam is emitted simultaneously in 360 degrees. Therefore, guide rails or the like that rotate the light-emitting part 360 degrees, as in conventional repellent devices, are unnecessary. In other words, the pest repellent device 1 of the present invention can cover the entire direction of the monitoring area with a small number of units.

[0044] Furthermore, because the reflection angle (irradiation angle) by the parabolic convex mirror 211 changes in a complex manner in the vertical direction, the pest repellent device 1 of the present invention can deal with pests at different eye levels and also has the effect of hindering the pests' learning. In other words, the pest repellent device 1 of the present invention can exert a sustained repellent effect.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the parabolic convex mirror 211 is moved up and down, but the axicon lens 160 side may also be moved up and down by a second drive unit (not shown), and such embodiments are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, as shown collectively in Figure 5(b) as an irregular cam 250, the pest repellent device 1 of the present invention can also use a triangular cam or a star-shaped cam having three working protrusions of different heights.

[0046] Furthermore, the pest repellent device 1 of the present invention may be equipped with a cam, for example, a teardrop shape with a single working projection (top), and may be configured to move the parabolic convex mirror 211 up and down by, preferably, repeatedly rotating in a complex manner forward and in reverse, in order to avoid monotonous irradiation.

[0047] Furthermore, in the pest repellent device 1 of the present invention, instead of the parabolic convex mirror 211, a parabolic concave mirror 212 may be used, as shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), in which the surface from the top to the base is a concave cone.

[0048] Alternatively, instead of the parabolic convex mirror 211, a cone 213 having an irregularly shaped reflective surface 213a, as shown in Figures 8(a) and (b), may be used. In this case, the cone 213 may rotate around the optical axis of the laser beam while moving up and down by a third drive unit (not shown), or it may rotate without moving up and down.

[0049] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Modifications or improvements made to the embodiments described above by those skilled in the art are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1. Pest repellent device 10 Housing 11 Main Case 12 Top Case 13 Bottom Case 16 Motion detection sensor 100 light-emitting units 110 Light source 140 Collimating Lens 160 Axicon Lens 200 Light Reflection Units 210 Light-reflecting mirror (light-reflecting part) 211 Parabolic convex mirror 212 Parabolic concave mirror 222 Cam Followers 250 Cam 260 motor

Claims

1. A light-emitting unit having a light source and an optical lens system that converts the light emitted from the light source into a 360° annular light, A light-reflecting unit having a light-reflecting section that is combined with the above-mentioned light-emitting unit and reflects the above-mentioned annular light in all directions while changing the reflection angle, A pest repellent device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The pest repellent device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light reflection unit is equipped with a first drive unit that moves the light reflection part to vary the distance between the light reflection part and the light emission unit.

3. The pest repellent device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-emitting unit is equipped with a second drive unit that moves the optical lens system to vary the distance between the optical lens system and the light-reflecting unit.

4. The pest repellent device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first drive unit has a cam with the light reflecting unit as a follower and has a plurality of working protrusions that are at different heights from the center of rotation per rotation.

5. The pest repellent device according to claim 1, characterized in that a laser light source is used as the light source.

6. The pest repellent device according to claim 1, characterized in that a parabolic convex mirror is used in the light reflecting part.

7. The pest repellent device according to claim 1, characterized in that a parabolic concave mirror, whose surface from the top to the bottom is a concave cone, is used in the light-reflecting part.

8. The above-mentioned light-reflecting part is formed as a cone having a complex reflective surface, as described in claim 1, for the pest repellent device.

9. The pest repellent device according to claim 8, further comprising a third drive unit that rotates the cone and / or moves it forward and backward toward the light-emitting unit.

10. The pest repellent device according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical lens system includes an axicon lens.

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