Bug-Removal Vacuum Structure for Guided Airflow Insect Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum-operated machines for removing insects from plants are inefficient in capturing and killing insects due to turbulent air flow and inadequate guidance of air through the machine, leading to significant insect escape and incomplete removal.
Innovation Solution
The vacuum machine incorporates a flat deck with baffles and side walls to guide air flow upward, a fan assembly with adjustable blades, and a grasshopper shroud to capture insects, along with electrified panels or vinegar solution to kill insects, and a recirculating air system to enhance insect capture and disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If vacuum machines use turbulent air flow to remove insects, then the machine can operate with simpler structure, but insect capture efficiency decreases and insects escape more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The machine divides the air flow path into multiple controlled sections using baffles and channels, segmenting the turbulent flow into directed streams that systematically move insects into the vacuum intake area, improving capture efficiency without requiring overly complex overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
Baffles and air channels are introduced as intermediary elements between the air intake and the vacuum source, mediating the air flow to reduce turbulence while maintaining insect capture effectiveness, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and operational efficiency
2Device complexity
If the vacuum machine lacks adequate air flow guidance, then the device can be simpler in design, but insect capture completeness decreases due to escape
Solution Approach 1:
The machine implements localized air flow guidance structures (baffles, channels, and directional surfaces) at specific critical areas where insects are most likely to escape, rather than requiring comprehensive guidance throughout the entire device, thus achieving reliable capture with minimal added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The air flow guidance structures are positioned to preemptively direct insects toward the vacuum intake before they can escape, creating a controlled air current that proactively captures insects rather than passively collecting them, thereby improving capture completeness without significant structural added complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The machine significantly improves insect removal efficiency by guiding air flow effectively, capturing and killing insects, and minimizing escape, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of insect removal from plants.
Implementation Method 1
a fan assembly joined to the plenum, the fan assembly having a flange at an upper extremity, and a fan driven by a motor, the fan adapted to draw air upward from the opening through the deck, and through the plenum
Implementation Method 2
one or more perforated panels in a hood structure joined to the fan housing at the flange at the upper extremity, the one or more perforated panels having openings of a size and geometry to destroy insects drawn through the openings
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum machine has a flat deck, a first side wall extending downward from a first side edge and a second side wall extending downward from a second side edge, an opening through the deck with a length and a width, a plenum affixed to an upper surface of the deck enclosing the opening through the deck, a fan assembly joined to the plenum, a fan driven by a motor, a perforated panel in a hood structure joined to the fan housing at an upper flange, and a grasshopper shroud having first and second side panels, a top panel and a vertical back panel, and a carrying frame adapted to be attached to a front region of a the vacuum machine, such that the grasshopper shroud attached to the carrier frame precedes the vacuum machine as the vacuum machine progresses.