Curved UV LED Insect Trap for Dual-Gender Beetle Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insect traps baited with pheromones only effectively attract male cigarette beetles, leaving a gap in capturing female cigarette beetles, which are not addressed by existing commercial methods.
Innovation Solution
An insect trap design featuring a curved front wall with horizontally arranged light emitting diodes emitting UV light at specific wavelengths to attract both male and female cigarette beetles, combined with a glue board or container for trapping, without the use of pesticides, allowing for effective capture of both genders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pheromone lures are used to attract cigarette beetles, then male cigarette beetles are effectively trapped, but female cigarette beetles are not attracted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines UV light emitting diodes with pheromone lures in a single trap unit. The UV LEDs emit ultraviolet light that attracts both male and female cigarette beetles, while the pheromone lures continue to attract males. This merging of two different attraction mechanisms (UV light and chemical pheromones) creates a versatile trap that effectively captures both genders of beetles simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The trap is designed to perform multiple functions: it emits UV light to attract both male and female beetles, and simultaneously releases pheromones to specifically attract males. The housing structure supports both the LED light source and the pheromone lure components, creating a multi-functional device that addresses the limitation of single-mechanism traps.
2Productivity
If UV light emitting diodes are arranged in a horizontal row on a curved front wall, then light is projected outwardly at different angles to attract insects from multiple directions, but the structural complexity of the housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The front wall of the trap housing is designed with a curved surface rather than a flat plane. The UV light emitting diodes are mounted on this curved surface, allowing light to be projected outwardly at different angles. This curvature enables the light to reach insects approaching from various directions, effectively expanding the attraction coverage area without requiring multiple separate light sources or complex positioning mechanisms.
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 described insect trap effectively captures male and female cigarette beetles using UV light and a sticky trapping mechanism, providing a solution for tobacco storage facilities where pesticide use is prohibited, and can be adapted for other insect species.
Implementation Method 1
an upper housing including at least one horizontal row of light emitting diodes extending across an outer surface of a curved front wall
Implementation Method 2
light from each of the light emitting diodes is projected outwardly from the upper housing
Data Source
AI summary
An insect trap useful for trapping flying insects, the insect trap comprising an upper housing including at least one horizontal row of light emitting diodes extending across an outer surface of a curved front wall such that light from each of the light emitting diodes is projected outwardly from the upper housing at a different angle than adjacent light emitting diodes in the horizontal row of light emitting diodes, a base housing including an opening through which insects can enter an interior of the base housing, and an insect trapping element facing the opening in the base housing.