Fly Egg Laying Device with External Nest and Aperture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing egg laying devices for flies in entomoculture installations face challenges in ensuring simultaneous egg laying by flies from the same batch, leading to reduced productivity and increased risk of flies escaping during egg retrieval, which disrupts their development and complicates efficient egg collection.

Innovation Solution

An egg laying device with a fly cage featuring a container with a horizontal base surface and vertical lateral walls, including a laying nest outside the cage with strategically positioned egg laying apertures and re-entrant edges to attract flies and facilitate egg deposition outside the cage, minimizing disturbance to the flies and preventing escape during egg retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If eggs are retrieved by entering the cage, then eggs can be collected, but flies are disturbed and may escape

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveegg retrievalVSAvoidfly containment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The laying nest is extracted from the cage interior and positioned outside the cage. The egg laying aperture allows flies to deposit eggs externally without entering the nest, enabling egg collection without disturbing or releasing flies from the cage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The egg laying aperture acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the flies inside the cage and the laying nest outside. It allows the egg-laying function to occur externally while maintaining fly containment within the cage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If flies are disturbed during egg retrieval, then eggs can be collected, but fly development is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveegg collectionVSAvoidfly development

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The laying nest is removed from the cage interior and placed outside. This extraction allows egg collection without entering the cage or disturbing the flies, thereby maintaining uninterrupted fly development while enabling efficient egg retrieval.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the laying nest is inside the cage, then flies can access it easily, but eggs cannot be retrieved without disturbing flies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveegg accessVSAvoidinstallation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of placing the laying nest inside the cage for easy fly access, the design inverts the arrangement by positioning the nest outside the cage. Flies access the nest through the egg laying aperture from the interior, allowing external egg retrieval without cage entry or fly disturbance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4061126B1Egg laying device for flies

Publication Date: 2023.10.11 LA CO DES INSECTES IND

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AI summary

Egg laying device for flies, the device comprising: - a fly cage (20) and - a laying nest (50) which is intended to receive the eggs laid by flies which are enclosed in the cage (20), in which device the cage (20) is passed through by at least one egg laying aperture (54) which opens towards the exterior of the cage via an external opening (56), and wherein the laying nest (50) is arranged outside the cage and defines an egg laying zone (52) which extends opposite the external opening (56).