Crawling Insect Pitfall Trap With Fibrous Surface

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Solution Overview

Problem

Bed bugs are difficult to eradicate due to their ability to hide, survive without food for long periods, and their nocturnal nature, making traditional pitfall traps ineffective as they sense sticky surfaces and avoid getting stuck.

Innovation Solution

A pitfall trap with a fibrous layer applied to its surface, which attracts bed bugs to climb, while the smooth surfaces of the trap dissuade them from climbing off, guiding them into a pitfall cavity where they become trapped.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional pitfall trap with sticky surfaces is used, then it can trap crawling insects, but bed bugs sense the sticky surfaces and avoid getting stuck

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrap effectivenessVSAvoidbed bug avoidance behavior

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The trap employs different surface qualities in different locations: the outer surface has a smooth, non-sticky coating to prevent bed bugs from sensing and avoiding the trap, while the inner surface has a sticky coating to capture them once they cross the threshold. This local differentiation of surface properties resolves the contradiction between attracting bed bugs and trapping them effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If bed bugs are targeted for eradication, then infestation can be reduced, but their ability to hide and survive without food makes eradication difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeradication efficiencyVSAvoiddetection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The trap leverages the bed bugs' own climbing behavior and tendency to seek shelter in crevices against them. The overhanging ledge and inward-sloping inner surface create a geometry that exploits their natural movements, causing them to walk directly into the sticky trap area without requiring external detection or active pursuit by humans.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the trap walls are made smooth to prevent climbing out, then captured bed bugs cannot escape, but this may also prevent bed bugs from entering the trap

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapture retentionVSAvoidinsect entry

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the entire trap surface smooth to prevent escape, the invention inverts the approach by making the entry threshold smooth and non-sticky to facilitate entry, while the inner surface becomes sticky to ensure capture. The overhanging ledge further inverts the expected geometry, using gravity and angle to prevent escape while maintaining easy entry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS20250098658A1Crawling insect pitfall trap and methods of using

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 ECOLAB USA INC

AI summary

A crawling insect pitfall trap configured be placed on a surface can include a plurality of connected walls and a fibrous layer. The plurality of connected walls can be configured to rest on the surface and can each be sloped to form a pitfall cavity and to form a top edge at an opening of the pitfall cavity. The plurality of connected walls can each include an outer surface that is smooth. The sloped and smooth surfaces can be configured to dissuade climbing by a crawling insect. The fibrous layer can be applied to at least a portion of an outer surface of at least one wall of the plurality of connected walls, and can extend from about where the at least one wall rests on the surface to the top edge of the at least one wall. The fibrous layer can promote climbing by the crawling insect.