Bee Pollen Trap with Segmented Passages and Protective Covering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pollen traps for bees are inefficient in collecting pollen quickly and effectively, as they cause interruptions in bee movement, difficulty in finding the inlet, and contamination from weather conditions, leading to low quality and quantity of collected pollen.
Innovation Solution
A pollen trap with a housing featuring two separate passages, a vertical perforated wall with rounded cantilevered protrusions, a grid for pollen filtration, and a rotatable flight board, allowing bees to pass through comfortably while preventing impurities and moisture, with a water-resistant design to maintain pollen quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If bees pass through passages in both directions in the pollen trap, then pollen can be collected from bees, but the movement of bees is interrupted and the efficiency of pollen collection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pollen trap is divided into separate inlet and outlet passages, allowing bees to move through the device independently in each direction without interference from opposite-flowing bees. This segmentation eliminates movement interruptions and improves both pollen collection efficiency and bee flow continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The perforated wall with rounded cantilevered protrusions acts as an intermediary structure that enables pollen removal while facilitating smooth bee passage. The protrusions guide bees through the passages without causing interruptions, serving as a mediator between pollen collection needs and bee movement requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the pollen trap is open to allow bee passage, then bees can enter and leave the hive, but impurities and moisture from weather conditions can contaminate the collected pollen
Solution Approach 1:
The covering plate made of flexible or semi-rigid material provides protection against moisture and impurities while still allowing the structure to accommodate bee passage. This thin film-like covering maintains pollen quality without completely blocking access, resolving the contradiction between protection and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The pollen trap structure is segmented into protected collection areas and open passage areas. The covering plate segments the space to protect collected pollen from weather elements while leaving the passages open for bee movement, allowing simultaneous achievement of protection and accessibility.
3Productivity
If the inlet opening is made small to control bee entry, then fewer bees can enter the trap causing congestion, but if made large, then more impurities can enter with the bees
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the pollen trap have different opening characteristics - the inlet and outlet passages have optimized aperture sizes that allow high bee throughput, while the covering plate provides selective protection. This local differentiation of opening qualities enables high productivity without compromising protection against impurities.
Solution Approach 2:
The perforated wall with specifically designed protrusions acts as an intermediary that filters and guides bee passage. It allows high throughput of bees while the structure itself prevents excessive impurity entry, mediating between the need for open passage and protection from contaminants.
4Productivity
If the pollen trap is mounted on the hive immediately, then pollen collection can begin, but bees require several days to adapt to the presence of the trap reducing initial collection efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The pollen trap is designed with pre-optimized passage configurations and familiarization features that reduce the adaptation period. The inlet and outlet passages are positioned and sized in advance to match natural bee flight patterns, allowing bees to adapt more quickly and begin efficient pollen collection sooner.
Solution Approach 2:
The pollen trap structure itself facilitates bee acclimation through its design - the smooth passages and appropriate opening sizes allow bees to quickly understand and utilize the new pathway. The device serves its own acclimation function by being inherently bee-friendly from installation, reducing the need for extended adaptation periods.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The purpose of the invention is to provide a bee pollen trap suitable for collecting of pollen in a comb hive, by which the efficiency of collecting as well as the quality of such collected pollen could be essentially improved. The proposed pollen trap comprises two mutually separated passages (7, 8), which each per se allow the bees to move separately through the inlet opening (70) of the inlet passage (7) throughout the pollen collecting passages (50) arranged above the pollen collecting container (3) towards the comb hive, as well as in the opposite direction throughout the outlet passage (8) bypassing said pollen collecting passages (50) in order to leave the comb hive throughout outlet opening (80).