Insect trap

Abstract

The invention relates to an insect trap comprising: an interior which is closed in such a way that an insect located therein cannot leave the interior by itself; and a narrowing gap, an inner face of which is formed by a lip; wherein an insect can enter the interior by itself from the outside by moving into the gap and thereby deflecting the lip out of a basic position, wherein the lip automatically returns to its basic position as soon as the insect is no longer in contact with the lip.

Description

[0001] Insect trap

[0002] The invention relates to an insect trap, in particular a trap for bed bugs.

[0003] Insects often pose a nuisance or even a threat to humans. This is especially true indoors, such as in bedrooms. Bed bugs are a particularly troublesome insect species, often found in hotel rooms, where they not only annoy hotel guests but also represent a significant financial burden for the hotel operator.

[0004] Bed bugs spend most of their time hidden in narrow cracks and crevices. At night, they are attracted to sleeping people to feed on their blood. Bed bugs can climb up or along the bed frame to reach their host. After feeding, they retreat back into cracks and crevices.

[0005] From EP 3 706 561 B1, a trap for bed bugs is known in which a tapered space is accessible to bed bugs crawling on the outer surface of an inner element, with an adhesive provided on the inner surface of an outer element to adhere to the bed bug. However, a general difficulty with bed bug traps that hold the bed bug with adhesive is that, when disturbed, bed bugs produce an alarm pheromone that causes other bed bugs to avoid the trap.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide an insect trap that is advantageous compared to known insect traps.

[0007] The problem is solved by an insect trap according to claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims or are described below. The insect trap according to the invention makes it possible to capture the insect alive, i.e., without killing it. Experiments have shown that numerous bed bugs enter the same trap. Evidently, the bed bug is not disturbed upon entering or remaining in the trap in a way that would cause it to warn other bed bugs of the trap. The bed bugs thus appear to feel "comfortable" both upon entering and while in the trap. They can crawl along the walls of the interior, presumably without even registering that they are simply "walking in circles".The fact that the insect must deflect its lip from its resting position, i.e., move it relative to the opposite inner surface of the gap and thus widen the gap in order to move into it, does not deter the insect. The force required for this deflection is therefore chosen so that it does not prevent the insect from doing so.

[0008] Preferably, the lip, in its resting position, is in contact with the opposite inner surface of the gap. This makes it even easier for the trapped insect to crawl along the walls of the interior, especially to walk "in circles," without realizing that it is trapped.

[0009] Preferably, the lip, in its resting position, presses under preload against the opposing inner surface of the gap. This reduces the risk of the gap not closing completely after the lip has been deflected.

[0010] Preferably, an inner surface of the gap is formed by plastic, particularly preferably by the coated side of single-sided cast-coated paper, preferably SINARLUX. This material has the advantage of increasing the likelihood that, for example, a bed bug will not feel contact with the inner surface of the gap when moving into it – and will therefore not be disturbed.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the inner surface of the gap opposite the lip is formed by paper or cardboard. Paper or cardboard have the advantage that, due to their surface properties, they are particularly suitable as a substrate for crawling. Furthermore, paper and cardboard have the advantage of containing cellulose, a substance that bed bugs in particular find attractive.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the lip is formed by paper coated on one side, preferably cast-coated paper on one side, preferably SINARLUX or equivalent, particularly preferably with a basis weight in the range of 80 to 120 g / m². 2 , particularly preferably with a basis weight of 100 g / m² 2 The coated side of the paper forms an inner surface of the gap. Coated paper offers several advantages. Because the coating creates an inner surface of the gap, it increases the likelihood that, for example, a bed bug will not feel contact with the coated inner surface when moving into the gap – and therefore will not be disturbed. This was demonstrated in tests using a lip made of SINARLUX with a basis weight of 100 g / m². 2It has been shown that bed bugs can deflect the lip from its resting position and thus enter the interior on their own. Because the other side of the coated paper is made of paper, the part of the interior wall formed by the lip is also made of paper, a material on which bed bugs in particular like to move around without being disturbed.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the insect trap has a base wall and a top wall opposite the base wall, with the interior space located between the base wall and the top wall, a section of the base wall forming the inner surface of the gap. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the base wall and the top wall are connected to each other via two side walls.

[0014] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the interior is bounded by an end wall that includes the lip. In a preferred embodiment, the base wall is made of paper or cardboard.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the outer surfaces of the end walls and the top wall are formed by a plastic coating. This has the advantage that bed bugs, in particular, are less likely to crawl along these surfaces, but rather more likely to crawl into the gap.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the end walls enclosing the lips and the outer surface of the cover wall are formed by SINARLUX or an equivalent material; particularly preferably by a single piece of SINARLUX. This allows for a particularly simple and cost-effective construction of the insect trap.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the insect trap can be manufactured from a single sheet of paper or cardboard and a piece of SINARLUX or equivalent coated paper by folding and gluing, with an additional element being inserted inside for stabilization. In this way, the manufacture and assembly of the insect trap is particularly cost-effective, simple, and resource-efficient.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, a side wall has a tab at one end facing the end wall, a portion of which can be folded around a crease towards the end wall, thus preventing movement of the end wall in a direction away from the interior. In this way, the position of the end wall, and therefore also of the lip, is secured.

[0019] Preferably, the base wall has at least one connecting element on its outer surface, allowing the insect trap to be attached to and removed from another object. Preferably, the connecting element is an adhesive strip. This allows the insect trap to be easily attached to and removed from, for example, a bedpost.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the base wall can be opened by a user by removing a portion of the base wall from the rest of the base wall, allowing the user to see inside. This makes it particularly easy for the user to see if and how many bed bugs are in the trap.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the part of the base wall is connected to the rest of the base wall via a perforation line. This allows for particularly easy removal of the part of the base wall for opening.

[0022] The insect is most likely a bed bug.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, an attractant is applied to the outside of the insect trap. It is particularly advantageous if the insect is a bed bug and the attractant contains iron(II) oxide and / or Fe²⁺ ions. It has been shown that this attractant attracts bed bugs with a surprisingly high probability, which then enter the interior of the insect trap through the gap. Preferably, the attractant is not present inside the trap because, although it attracts the bed bugs, the bed bugs do not want to approach the attractant closely enough to come into contact with it. In a preferred embodiment, the attractant is contained in a felt pad attached to the outside of the insect trap.

[0024] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to Figure 1, which shows an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Figure 1 shows an insect trap according to the invention, the embodiment being a bed bug trap. The insect trap has a base wall 1 and a top wall 2 opposite the base wall 1. The base wall 1 and the top wall 2 are connected to each other by two side walls 3. The base wall 1, top wall 2, and side walls 3 are made of cardboard, with the outer surface of the top wall 2 being formed by SINARLUX, and are connected to each other by folded edges. The interior space 4 between the base wall 1 and the top wall 2 is bounded by two end walls 5, each comprising a lip 6. The insect trap has two narrowing slits 7. The inner surfaces of the slits 7 are each formed by the lip 6 and a section of the base wall 1. The two end walls 5, including the two lips 6, are made of SINARLUX, the same piece of SINARLUX that also forms the outer surface of the top wall 1.The coated side of the SINARLUX forms an inner surface of the gap 7. In their initial position, the lips 6 press against the opposite inner surface of the gap 7, i.e., the section of the base wall 1, due to the tension of the SINARLUX.

[0026] A bed bug can enter the interior space 4 from the outside on its own by climbing along the base wall 1 into the gap 7, thereby deflecting the lip 6 from its resting position. The lip 6 automatically returns to its resting position as soon as the bed bug loses contact with it. The interior space 4 is then closed again in such a way that a bed bug inside cannot leave it on its own.

[0027] Neither the surface of the SINARLUX nor the force required to deflect it, i.e., the force acting on the bed bug when it moves into the gap 7, disturbs the bed bug in a way that would prevent it from moving further towards interior 4 or cause it to release a warning substance. To stabilize the cuboid structure formed by base wall 1, top wall 2, and side walls 3, a U-shaped folded cardboard strip is inserted into interior 4 as an additional element 8.

[0028] The insect trap can be made from a single piece of paper or cardboard and a piece of SINARLUX by folding and gluing, with the additional element 8 being inserted into the interior 4 for stabilization.

[0029] The side walls each have a tab 9 at the end facing the front wall 5, a part of which is folded around a crease towards the front wall 5, so that this part blocks movement of the front wall 5 in one direction away from the interior 4.

[0030] Base wall 1 can be opened by a user by removing a section 10 of base wall 1 from the rest of base wall 1, allowing the user to look into interior space 4. This section of base wall 1 is connected to the rest of base wall 1 via a perforation line 11.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Insect trap comprising an interior space which is closed in such a way that an insect located therein cannot leave the interior space on its own, and a narrowing slit, an inner surface of which is formed by a lip, wherein an insect can enter the interior space from the outside on its own by moving into the slit and thereby deflecting the lip from a basic position, wherein the lip automatically returns to its basic position as soon as the insect no longer has contact with the lip.

2. Insect trap according to claim 1, characterized in that the lip in its basic position has contact with the opposite inner surface of the gap.

3. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lip in its basic position is pre-tensioned and presses against the inner surface of the gap opposite it.

4. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an inner surface of the gap is formed by plastic.

5. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an inner surface of the gap is formed by the coated side of SINARLUX or equivalent single-sided cast-coated paper.

6. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner surface of the gap opposite the lip is formed by paper or cardboard.

7. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lip is formed from paper coated on one side, wherein the coated side of the paper forms an inner surface of the gap.

8. Insect trap according to claim 7, characterized in that the paper coated on one side is cast-coated paper SINARLUX or equivalent.

9. Insect trap according to one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the basis weight of the coated paper is in the range of 80 to 120 g / m² 2 lies, especially 100 g / m² 2 amounts.

10. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insect trap has a base wall and a top wall opposite the base wall, wherein the interior space is located between the base wall and the top wall, wherein a section of the base wall forms the inner surface of the gap.

11. Insect trap according to claim 10, characterized in that the base wall and the top wall are connected to each other via two side walls.

12. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interior is bounded by an end wall which includes the lip.

13. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base wall is made of paper or cardboard.

14. Insect trap according to one of claims 12 to 13, characterized in that the outer surfaces of the end walls and the top wall are formed by a plastic coating.

15. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lips and the outer surface of the cover wall are formed by SINARLUX or equivalent material.

16. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insect trap can be manufactured from a single blank of paper or cardboard and a piece of SINARLUX or equivalent coated paper by folding and gluing, wherein an additional element can be inserted into the interior for stabilization.

17. Insect trap according to one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that a side wall has a tab at one end facing the front wall, a part of which can be folded about a hinge edge towards the front wall, so that this part blocks movement of the front wall in a direction away from the interior.

18. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base wall has at least one connecting means on its outer side with which the insect trap can be attached to and removed from another object.

19. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting element is an adhesive strip.

20. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base wall can be opened by a user by removing a part of the base wall from the remaining part of the base wall, so that the user can look into the interior.

21. Insect trap according to claim 20, characterized in that the part of the base wall is connected to the remaining part of the base wall via a perforation line.

22. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insect is a bed bug.

23. Insect trap according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an attractant is applied to the outside of the insect trap.

24. Insect trap according to claim 23, characterized in that the attractant contains iron oxide and / or Fe2+ ions.

25. Insect trap according to one of claims 23 to 24, characterized in that the attractant is contained in a felt pad attached to the outside of the insect trap.

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