Insect Trap Using Variable Infrared Radiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mosquito traps face challenges in effectively attracting and trapping mosquitoes due to limitations in simulating natural attractants, such as heat and light, and often require complex and noisy fan systems to capture insects within an effective zone for retention or killing.
Innovation Solution
An insect trap utilizing variable infra-red radiation emission, combined with ultraviolet light sources and a fan to create an attractive environment, where infra-red radiation and light are directed to attract mosquitoes into a retention area, with a porous bag or electrified grid for capture, allowing for sequential or random operation of these components to simulate natural attractants effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a fan is used to suck mosquitoes inside the trap, then mosquitoes can be captured within the effective zone, but the trap becomes noisy and may create strong exhaust streams that deter mosquitoes from approaching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fan component from the trap system entirely, replacing it with passive retention means such as porous bags or electrified grids. This eliminates the noise and exhaust stream problems while maintaining capture functionality through alternative mechanisms that do not require active airflow generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical fan system with non-mechanical or passive retention mechanisms. The active mechanical suction is substituted with passive physical barriers (porous bags) or electrical fields (electrified grids), eliminating the need for moving parts and associated noise while maintaining insect retention capability.
2Productivity
If steady or flashing lights and chemical emissions are used to attract insects, then insects can be attracted to the trap, but the trap becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes complex attractant systems including steady/flashing lights and chemical emission systems from the trap design. By eliminating these complicated components, the trap achieves insect attraction and retention through simpler, more cost-effective passive retention mechanisms while maintaining operational effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs passive retention means that automatically capture and retain insects without requiring complex active control systems. The porous bags or electrified grids self-regulate insect retention through their inherent physical or electrical properties, eliminating the need for complicated electronic control circuits and multiple attractant systems.
3Productivity
If heated air is emitted to simulate animal exhaling, then mosquitoes can be attracted to the trap, but mosquitoes will not fly against the air current into the aperture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heated air emission system that creates opposing airflow. By eliminating this active heating and air blowing mechanism, the trap avoids creating air currents that would prevent mosquito entry, while still achieving retention through passive porous bags or electrified grids that do not generate conflicting airflow.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of actively pushing mosquitoes in with heated air currents, the patent inverts the approach by using passive retention structures that capture mosquitoes as they naturally approach. The system works with rather than against mosquito flight patterns, allowing them to enter freely and then retaining them through porous filtration or electrical fields.
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 trap effectively attracts and retains mosquitoes within an effective zone, improving capture efficiency while reducing noise and complexity, by using variable infra-red radiation and light sources to simulate natural attractants, enhancing the trapping mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
insect attractant means include at least one variable infra-red radiation emission means adapted to emit variable infra-red radiation
Implementation Method 2
said heating means varies in temperature
Implementation Method 3
said at least one light source includes at least one source of substantially ultraviolet light
Data Source
AI summary
An insect trap (100) is disclosed which has insect retention means (300) for preventing escape of insects which enter an effective zone of said insect retention means (300) and insect attractant means (200) for attracting insects from a selected group of insects to within said effective zone of said insect retention means (300). The attractant means include at least one variable infra-red radiation emission means (2, 4) adapted to emit variable infra-red radiation. The arrangement is such that insects from the selected group which are outside the trap (100) can detect the variable infra-red radiation and are attracted to an area within the effective zone of the insect retention means (300). A method of attracting insects from a selected group of insects to a predetermined location is also disclosed.