AU2016101380A4 - Termite Management System - Google Patents

Abstract

A termite management system for use in a building, the system comprising: a sheet having a 5 insecticide distributed through the sheet; and a flap attached to a surface of the sheet. 7RO'R9O 1 (CHMattr) P10316' Al J Figure IB --------------- -------------- --------- ------------- ------------ --------- ------------- Figure IA Figure 2A ------------------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------- -------------------- Figure 2B

Description

TERMITE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Technical Field

The present invention relates to termite management systems that are used to mitigate the risks of undetected and/or concealed access by subterranean termites to buildings.

Background

During the construction of a building a termite management system is installed to provide protection to the building against undetected and/or concealed entry of subterranean termites. In Australia, a termite management system is required under the Building Code of Australia in compliance with AS 3660.1: 2014.

The termite management system may comprise a sheet such as the sheet containing insecticide as described in the Applicant’s patent AU2006222540 or a sheet-like product such as the Kordon® laminate product which has a layer impregnated with insecticide.

Building elements (and their occupants) must also be protected from deterioration caused by from moisture from the ground. Moisture can cause problems such as rot, rising damp, rust, and so on. This requires that the materials and components from which the building elements are formed must either be fit for this purpose or made fit by protection. A damp-proof course (“DPC”) is a continuous layer of impervious material placed in a masonry wall or pier, or between a wall or pier and a floor, to prevent the upward or downward migration of water within the building. In Australia, a DPC must be installed in a building in compliance with building regulations and the relevant standards; AS 3700, AS 4773.1, AS 4773.2 and AS/NZS 2904 1995 - Damp-proof courses and flashings.

Summary of Disclosure

In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a termite management system for use in a building, the system comprising: a sheet having a insecticide distributed through the sheet; and a flap attached to a surface of the sheet.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of installing a termite management system in a building using the system described above, the method comprising: positioning the sheet at a perimeter of the building; and positioning the flap so that it extends away from the surface of the sheet to which the flap is attached.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:

Figure 1A is a left perspective view of a termite management system according to an embodiment in roll form and showing part of a flap of the system in a laid flat configuration;

Figure 1B is a left perspective view of the termite management system of Figure 1A with the flap in a raised configuration;

Figures 2A and 2B are right perspective views of the termite management system of Figure 1A with the flap in laid flat and raised configurations respectively;

Figures 3A and 3B are top views of the termite management system of Figure 1A with the flap in laid flat and raised configurations respectively;

Figures 4A and 4B are end views of the termite management system of Figure 1A with the flap in laid flat and raised configurations respectively;

Figures 5A and 5B are left perspective views of a section cut from the roll of Figure 1A with the flap in laid flat and raised configurations respectively;

Figure 6 is a right perspective view of the section of Figures 5A and 5B with the flap in the raised configuration;

Figure 7 is a cutaway side view of a building with the termite management system of Figure 1A installed;

Figure 8 is a cutaway end view in detail of the termite management system of Figure 1A installed in the building; and

Figure 9 is a cut-away perspective view of the termite management system of Figure 1A installed in the building.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilised, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.

Disclosed in some embodiments is a termite management system for use in a building, the system comprising: a sheet having a insecticide distributed through the sheet; and a flap attached to a surface of the sheet.

In some embodiments, the flap is attached to the surface of the sheet by welding using heat.

In some embodiments, the insecticide is bifenthrin.

In some embodiments, the sheet and the flap are formed from the same plastic material.

Disclosed in some embodiments is method of installing a termite management system in a building using the system of any one of the above embodiments, the method comprising: positioning the sheet at a perimeter of the building; and positioning the flap so that it extends away from the surface of the sheet to which the flap is attached.

Referring to Figures 1 - 6, a termite management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. The system 10 comprises a sheet 11 having a insecticide distributed through the sheet and a flap 12 attached to a surface of the sheet. In Figures 1 - 4, the system 10 is illustrated in the form of a roll for storage and transport. The system 10, in particular the sheet 11, is rolled out and cut to length for use. The flap 12 extends along the length of the sheet 11 and it is to be appreciated that only part of the flap 12 is shown in Figures 1 - 4 for the purposes of illustration. The sheet 11 and flap 12 are shown in different colours for ease of identification by operators, but may be coloured similarly in other embodiments. In Figures 5 and 6, the system 10 is shown as a section cut from the roll. The section is cut to length for installation in a building.

The sheet 11 is adapted to provide a barrier against the ingress of termites to a building. The flap 12 is impervious to water and hence is adapted to provide a moisture barrier. The flap 12 is capable of being used as a damp proof course. The system 10, by thus providing an integrated termite and moisture barrier, advantageously reduces the number of steps required by builders to install both a termite management system and a damp proof course; reducing the time and cost of building construction. Furthermore, the system only requires a single sheet of material to extend between courses of bricks. Advantageously, this reduces the probability of bond breakage occurring between bricks and the resulting structural damage to the outer wall as compared to conventional construction techniques in which separate sheets of material for the damp proof course and the termite management system are installed.

The sheet 11 comprises a sheet of material as described in the Applicants earlier patent AU2006222540, which is incorporated herein by reference. The sheet 11 has at least one insecticide distributed through a plastics material and the insecticide is substantially retained in the plastics material.

The plastics material may comprise any synthetic or semi-synthetic compound formed by organic condensational polymerisation and which can be moulded or extruded into objects or films or fibres. Such compounds may include, but are not limited to, polyamide (nylon), polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, synthetic rubber (eg. neoprene), polymethylmethacrylate (acrylic), polypropylene and polyurethane. The plastics material may be formed from a combination of two or more of these compounds. The preferred compound used for the plastics material is low density polyethylene.

The plastics material may contain a UV stabiliser to prevent break down of the plastics material when exposed to sunlight. This is important in maintaining the longevity of the sheet 11 which may be in use for up to 50 or more years.

The sheet 11 is substantially impact resistant, which guards against rips or tears being formed in the sheet 11 during or after installation. The impact resistance of the sheet 11 is determined using the falling dart impact test outlined in Australian Standard AS/NZS 4347.0:1995. This test involves firstly, dropping a load of 310grams from a drop height of 660 mm, on the fold of the sheet 11. And secondly, dropping a load of 340 grams and a drop height of 660 mm, the load is dropped twice per metre width of sheet 11 across the full width of the sheet 11 with the sheet passing if 75% of these tests do not fail. In addition, the sheet 11 has a vapour permeance of less than 0.02 mg/Ns and therefore according to Australian Standards is substantially impermeable to water.

The insecticides which are retained in the plastics material may be any compound that exhibits control or repellent affects against insect species, particularly termites. These compounds include, but are not limited to, pyrethrum, synthetic pyrethroids, organo-chlorines, organo-sulfurs, carbamates, organo-phosphates, formamidines, nicotinoids, spinosyns, phenylpyrazoles, pyrroles, pyrazoles, dinitrophenols, pyridazinones, quinazolines, and benzoylureas. Preferably, a noted termiticide is used such as bifenthrin, permethrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, alpha- cypermethrin, zeta-cypermethrin, tetramethrin, and cyfluthrin. Some of the aforementioned insecticide compounds may also provide a repellent effect, thereby creating a repellent barrier against termites.

In a preferred embodiment, the insecticide is bifenthrin. Bifenthrin has a non-alpha-cyano molecular structure which renders it a dermal non-sensitiser, ie. does not react substantially with a person's skin. Thus, a person handling the sheet 11 is unlikely to experience any reaction on their skin as a result of the bifenthrin in the plastics material. Typically, the concentration of insecticide in the plastic is less than 5 weight % and greater than 0.01 weight %.The concentration of insecticide is dependent upon the actual compound used. If the insecticide is bifenthrin, as in the preferred embodiment discussed above, then the concentration of the insecticide (bifenthrin) in the plastics material is 0.05 to 1.0 weight %, preferably 0.05 to 0.1 weight % and more preferably approximately 0.1 weight %.

Notably, bifenthrin provides a repellent barrier as well as a chemical barrier to the penetration of insects.

Manufacture of the sheet 11 involves mixing the insecticide with polymer resin to form a "master batch". The master batch has a higher concentration of insecticide than the end sheet 11 product. The concentration of insecticide in the master batch may be as high as is stably supported in the polymer matric (ie. does not react and/or leach from the plastic). For the sheet 11 of the preferred embodiment where the insecticide is bifenthrin, mixing the insecticide with polymer resin to form the master batch, in one embodiment involdes melting solid bifenthrin (>99 % purity), melting the polymer resin separately (preferably low density polyethylene) and mixing the polymer resin and bifenthrin melts. Alternatively, powdered bifenthrin (mixed with talcum powder) or a solution of bifenthrin may be mixed with molten polymer resin to form the master batch. In a preferred embodiment, the concentration of bifenthrin in the master batch is approximately 2 weight%. However, the concentration of bifenthrin in the master batch may be substantially higher.

The master batch is solidified and formed into pellets, awaiting later dilution to achieve the desired concentration of insecticide for the end sheet 11 product. Dilution of the master batch occurs by mixing the solid master batch pellets with solid polymer pellets to form a homogenous solid mixture. The homogenous solid mixture is melted and then formed into the sheet 11 by any suitable means.

The width of the sheet 11 is 100mm - 1m and is sized according to the building construction method used. The thickness of the sheet 11 is 500pm - 5000pm, preferably 500pm - 1000pm.

The flap 12 comprises a piece of material, which is preferably separately formed and welded to a surface of the sheet 11. Although in other embodiments the flap may be attached to the sheet by other mechanisms such as an adhesive, chemical bonding or integral forming by for example extruding the sheet and flap together. The flap 12 is formed from the same plastic material as the sheet 11, ie. preferably low density polyethylene so as to facilitate effective attachment of the flap to the sheet 12. In some embodiments, the flap may also have an insecticide distributed through the plastic material, preferably bifenthrin at the same concentration in the sheet 11. However, in other embodiments, the flap has no insecticide. An advantage of using bifenthrin as the insecticide in the sheet 11 and/or the flap 12 is that bifenthrin is stable at the welding temperature of approximately 150°C.

Welding of the flap to the sheet is also enabled by the sheet 11 having the insecticide distributed through and substantially retained in the plastic material because the insecticide will not leave the sheet 11 as a result of the welding process.

The flap 12 comprises an anchor portion 20 that is attached to the surface of the sheet 11. The anchor portion 20 is an edge strip of the flap that extends the length of the flap. The anchor portion 20 is 10 - 30mm, preferably about 20mm in width. The anchor portion 20 is attached to the sheet 50 - 70mm, preferably about 60mm from one of an inner side edge 21 of the sheet 11. The inner side edge 21 is the innermost side edge of the sheet 11 when installed in the building. The flap 12 is attached at a position relative to the inner side edge 21 of the sheet 11 so that a sufficient width of the sheet can extend under an inner frame of the building whilst maintaining a sufficient portion of the flap 12 on the outer side of the inner frame. The sheet 11 also has to be of sufficient width so that an outer side portion 22 of the sheet, on the opposite side of the flap anchor portion 20 to the inner side edge 21, can project through and beyond an outer wall of the building.

The flap 12 also comprises a projecting portion 23 that extends from the anchor portion 20. The projecting portion 23 extends the length of the flap 12 and provides the section of the flap that can be raised to form a projection extending away from the sheet 11. Where the projecting portion 23 joins to the anchor portion 20, a hinge is formed, that enables pivoting of the projecting portion 23. The projecting portion 23 is 60 - 300mm, preferably at least 90mm in width. The width of the projecting portion 23 should be great enough so that the projecting portion 23 can extend up an inner frame of a building in compliance with the requirements for a damp proof course in accordance with building codes. In Australia, this distance is 75mm (AS 2904-1995).

Referring now to Figures 7-9, the installation of the termite management system 10 in a building 30 will now be described.

The building 30 has footings extending below the ground and a concrete slab 32 which forms the base of the building 30. The concrete slab 32 is integrally formed with the footings. The footings support the entire building 30.

Extending upwardly from the concrete slab 32 is an inner frame 33, which is connected to the concrete slab 32 via a bottom plate. Extending upwardly from the footings 31, approximately parallel to the inner frame 33 is an outer wall 35. The outer wall 35 is spaced apart from the inner frame 33, such that a cavity 36 exists between them. As the cavity 36 extends all the way around the building 30, should any termites gain access to the cavity 36 from the ground, then they may be able to attack a substantial portion of the building 30.

Thus, the sheet 11 is positioned so that it extends between the outer wall 35 and the inner frame 33 so as to block off access to the cavity 36 above the level of the concrete slab 32, creating a physical and chemical barrier against the penetration of insects. Lengths of the system 10 comprising the sheet and the flap are cut to size and positioned around the perimeter of the building 30 to create a perimeter barrier.

The sheet 11 is positioned with the surface to which the flap 12 is attached facing upwards. The sheet 11 is positioned so that the section of the flap that is welded to the sheet, ie. the anchor portion 20 of the flap 12 as well as an inner side portion 24 of the sheet 11, are located under the bottom plate 34 of the building 30. This results in the joining region between the flap and the sheet being clamped between the inner frame 33 and the concrete slab 32. Advantageously, this helps with the security of the attachment of the flap to the sheet and increases the robustness of the system 10 in use.

The projecting portion 23 of the flap 12 is then positioned so that extends away from the sheet 11 by pivoting the projecting portion 23 from a laid flat configuration to a raised configuration. This is so that the projecting portion 23 extends up and lies against the inner frame 33 of the building as illustrated in Figure 5. The flap 12 is fixed to the inner frame 33 by any suitable fixing mechanism such as nails, staples or adhesive. In this raised configuration the projection portion 23 together with the outer side portion 22 of the sheet 11 provides the necessary moisture barrier for a damp proof course.

The outer side portion 22 of the sheet 11 extends across the cavity 36 in the building 30 and is laid over and projects beyond a course of bricks forming part of the outer wall 35. During further construction of the building, the next course of bricks is laid over the outer side portion 22 of the sheet. The outer side portion 22 may be trimmed back if required. It is to be appreciated that the termite management system 10 can be applied in non-brick buildings, such as timber buildings, in which the outer side portion 22 of the sheet 11 extends underneath the outer frame of the building.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding disclosure, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Claims (5)

1. A termite management system for use in a building, the system comprising: a sheet having a insecticide distributed through the sheet; and a flap attached to a surface of the sheet.

2. A termite management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flap is attached to the surface of the sheet by welding.

3. A termite management system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the insecticide is bifenthrin.

4. A termite management system as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the sheet and the flap are formed from the same plastic material.

5. A method of installing a termite management system in a building using the system of any one of claims 1 - 4, the method comprising: positioning the sheet at a perimeter of the building; and positioning the flap so that it extends away from the surface of the sheet to which the flap is attached.