Tick Trap Belt With Awning Gap And Adhesive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices fail to effectively immobilize and kill ticks that are actively crawling on the clothing of outdoorsmen, and there is a need for a tick trap belt that is easy to wear and attach, especially in tick-infested areas, with an adhesive strip in a gap area to trap ticks before they reach the skin.
Innovation Solution
A tick trap belt with a flexible awning and adhesive strip positioned in a V-shaped gap area that extends from the belt's upper edge, allowing ticks to enter from the top or bottom and becoming stuck on the adhesive member, while being crush-resistant and easy to open for tick removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pesticides and repellants are used to discourage ticks, then ticks are discouraged from crawling onto a person, but these devices do not effectively immobilize and kill ticks that are actively crawling on clothing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the tick's natural crawling behavior (which is harmful as it leads to skin contact) into a benefit by guiding ticks onto an adhesive surface. The tick's upward crawling motion along the pant leg is exploited to lead it directly into the adhesive trap positioned on the belt, transforming the harmful crawling action into the mechanism for its own capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive strip serves as an intermediary between the tick and the skin. Instead of allowing direct contact between the tick and the person's body, the adhesive strip intercepts the tick during its upward crawl and immobilizes it, preventing further progression to the skin while avoiding the need for chemical substances.
2Reliability
If a tick trap belt with awning is designed to trap ticks, then ticks are trapped on the adhesive strip, but the device becomes more complex to manufacture and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The belt system is segmented into distinct functional components: the main belt body, the awning structure, and the adhesive strip. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies manufacturing. The awning is further divided into panels that can be separately assembled, and the adhesive strip is a separate replaceable element, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining trapping effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The awning is designed with flexible panels that can dynamically adjust to the wearer's body movements and the tick's crawling path. The panels are connected in a way that allows them to flex and move, creating a dynamic structure that adapts to various positions and movements, thereby simplifying the overall design compared to a rigid structure while maintaining effective tick interception.
3Reliability
If the awning is designed to extend away from the belt to create a gap area, then ticks can be trapped more effectively, but the awning becomes more susceptible to damage from crush forces
Solution Approach 1:
The awning panels are constructed using flexible materials that can bend and flex without breaking. This flexible shell structure allows the awning to extend away from the belt to create the necessary gap area for tick entry while simultaneously providing resistance to crush forces through the material's inherent flexibility and resilience, preventing permanent deformation or damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The awning is designed as a dynamic structure with panels that can flex and move in response to applied forces. When crush forces are applied, the panels can deform elastically and return to their original position, providing crush resistance. This dynamic behavior allows the awning to maintain its gap area configuration for tick trapping while withstanding environmental and handling stresses.
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 tick trap belt effectively traps and kills ticks as they move upward on the user's clothing, preventing them from reaching the skin and being easy to use and manufacture, with a design that resists damage and allows for tick removal.
Implementation Method 1
An adhesive member is positioned in the gap area for stopping movement of ticks who step thereon
Data Source
AI summary
A tick trap belt for wear by an outdoorsman for stopping upward movement of ticks includes a belt having opposed ends, each end having a fastener such that the opposed ends of the belt are selectively secured about a user's body. The belt includes upper and lower edges and has opposed inner and outer surfaces extending between the upper and lower edges, respectively. The tick trap belt includes an awning or cover coupled to the upper edge of the belt and extends along the upper edge between the fasteners at the opposed ends thereof, respectively. The awning extends outwardly and downwardly away from the upper edge, the awning having a bottom surface that, in cooperation with the outer surface of the belt, defines a gap area. An adhesive member is positioned in the gap area for stopping movement of ticks who step thereon.