Insect Repellent Bands with Exothermic Heating and Thermal Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for insect control, such as direct application of chemicals to skin or clothing, or portable devices, are either inconvenient, costly, or provide limited protection for moving individuals.
Innovation Solution
A wearable insect controlling band with a substrate and a heat-generating mechanism that expedites the dispensing of volatile insect control chemicals, such as transfluthrin, without direct skin contact, using a band structure with a heater that can be initiated by exothermic chemical reactions, ensuring efficient and radial/sideward dispensing of repellants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a volatile insect control chemical is placed directly on human skin or clothing, then insect protection is provided, but consumers are reluctant to place chemicals directly on their skin or clothing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wearable band as an intermediary device that holds the volatile insect control chemical and heater, allowing the chemical to be dispensed near the skin without direct contact. The band structure with cavity houses the substrate and heater, creating a buffer between the chemical and skin while still providing effective protection through controlled dispensing.
2Ease of operation
If a passive evaporation method is used with highly volatile repellants, then low cost and portability are achieved, but only limited protection is provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter by introducing a heater that can be initiated through exothermic chemical reactions. This active heating accelerates the evaporation rate of the volatile insect control chemical from the substrate, significantly enhancing protection effectiveness while maintaining portability and low cost through the use of chemical heating elements.
3Reliability
If a heater is used to accelerate dispensing of the volatile chemical, then protection effectiveness is improved, but heat may be generated that could discomfort the user's skin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning ribs on the inner surface of the band structure at specific locations where heat generation is most likely to occur. These ribs create localized insulation zones between the heater/substrate assembly and the skin, allowing heat to be directed outward for effective chemical dispensing while preventing excessive heat transfer to the user's skin.
4Weight of moving object
If the band structure is made lightweight and simple, then portability and ease of use are improved, but effective heat insulation from the skin becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible band structure with an upper cover and lower support that form a lightweight housing. The ribs are integrated into this flexible structure, creating thin film-like insulation barriers that effectively block heat transfer to the skin without adding significant weight or complexity to the overall device.
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
Provides effective, lightweight, and cost-efficient insect protection for moving individuals without direct skin contact, ensuring the skin is not exposed to uncomfortable heat levels and offering prolonged protection.
Implementation Method 1
a heater positioned to be suitable to, when initiated, heat the substrate to expedite dispensing of the volatile insect control chemical
Implementation Method 2
the heater is of a type that can be initiated by exposing chemicals in the heater to air, so as to thereby cause an exothermic reaction
Implementation Method 3
there are ribs on or under the lower support that help insulate the wrist or ankle where the device is worn from being exposed to heat generated by the device
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are insect repellant wrist and ankle bands. The bands contain a space within which a substrate (10) that has been impregnated with an insect control repellant (13) can be heated by a heater such as a pouch (25) providing an exothermic chemical reaction. Thus, the bands can efficiently act as repellant dispensers without the need for the use to apply the repellant directly to the user's skin or clothing.