Insect Trap Lid With Loose Annular Groove
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insect trap lids for larger containers, such as buckets, face challenges in achieving an effective seal due to non-uniform rim dimensions across different manufacturers, leading to reduced trap effectiveness and limited versatility, and often require complex or costly molds for production.
Innovation Solution
A lid design featuring a top disk with an annular groove and funnels that securely attach to the bucket rim without creating a watertight seal, allowing insects to enter while preventing escape through the smaller bottom opening, and includes tabs and insets for secure attachment without rigid structural supports, enabling ventilation and compatibility with various bucket sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lid seals tightly with the bucket rim to prevent insect escape, then trap effectiveness is improved, but versatility across different bucket manufacturers is reduced due to non-uniform rim dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The lid design incorporates an annular groove with a diameter that is intentionally larger than standard bucket rim dimensions, creating a loose-fitting configuration. This parameter change allows the lid to accommodate variations in rim dimensions across different manufacturers while maintaining trap effectiveness through the funnel structure that guides insects into the bucket.
2Reliability
If a lid is designed to fit tightly on a specific bucket rim, then seal effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases due to rigid structural supports required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes rigid structural supports and tight sealing mechanisms from the lid design. Instead, it uses a simple annular groove that loosely receives the bucket rim, eliminating the need for complex sealing structures while maintaining effectiveness through the funnel geometry that passively guides insects into the trap.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than designing the lid to tightly conform to the bucket rim, the invention inverts the approach by making the groove larger than the rim, creating a loose fit. This inversion eliminates the need for rigid structural supports while maintaining trap effectiveness through the funnel structure.
3Reliability
If a lid creates an air tight seal to prevent insect escape, then trap effectiveness is improved, but ventilation is reduced limiting scent escape
Solution Approach 1:
The lid design implements partial sealing through the annular groove configuration that is intentionally loose-fitting. This partial action allows sufficient ventilation for scent to escape and attract insects, while the funnel structure provides the necessary guidance to prevent escape, achieving effectiveness without complete sealing.
Data Source
AI summary
A lid that loosely connects to the rim of a bucket and converts the bucket into an effective insect trap. To allow the lid to move atop the bucket but remain attached thereto without creating an airtight seal, insets and tabs are provided along the outer and inner sidewalls of the groove in the rim and respectively engage the bucket rim. In operation, ventilation is provided between the rim of the bucket and groove of the lid which draws insects trapped therein towards the rim of the bucket and away from funnels in the top of the lid through which they insects may enter the container. However, the groove is sized such that the space between the sidewalls and land of the groove and the rim of the bucket is too small for an insect to escape.