DE102023000869A1 - Bait station with integrated membrane principle in a guided bait tray and open feeding area - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bait station comprising a housing (2), a bait shell (6) inside the housing comprising a buoyancy element, preferably a buoyancy disk, on an underside of the bait shell, and a bait shell counterpart (11) inside the housing, thereby characterized in that the bait shell (6) is guided by at least one guide element (7), preferably at least one guide rod or at least one guide rail, and the bait shell floats through the buoyancy disk as the water level rises in order to form an airtight seal with the bait shell counterpart, so that the When the bait shell floats, compressed air inside the housing can escape via at least one ventilation hole (4) in an upper part of the housing.

Description

[Technical field of application]

The innovation concerns a bait station that offers large quantities of bait attractively at the rodents' eye level and at the same time protects the bait from rising water levels, surges of water and rainwater. The innovation is also very user-friendly.

[State of the art]

Such bait stations are typically used in sewers against rats. The use of known bait stations is presented below using the example of sewer rat control, although the bait station can also be used in other locations.

A bait station called Tox Protect from ball-b GmbH & Co. KG is known from the prior art, which is permanently mounted on the edge of the sewer shaft. There is an opening at the bottom of the bait station through which the rat can access the housing. The bait is mounted in the upper part of the bait station housing. Below this opening hangs a floating spherical closure, which closes the opening at the bottom of the bait station when the water level rises and thus protects the bait from water.

A bait station called the rat ball from Unitechnics KG is also known from the prior art, which has a spherical appearance and is placed freely on the berm of the sewer shaft. The bait is fixed in the upper part of the bait station. The spherical bait station has two openings with steps at the bottom edge through which the rat can climb up into the bait station. The bait station is sealed watertight all around. There is an air bubble inside the bait station that provides buoyancy. When the water level rises, the entire bait station floats in the canal.

A bait station called a rat buoy from Unitechnics KG is also known from the prior art, which has a buoy-shaped appearance and is freely set up on the berm of the sewer shaft. The bait is fixed in the upper part of the bait station. The buoy-shaped bait station has an opening below the bait station through which the rat can climb into the bait station. The opening below the bait station is kept clear of the ground by spacers. The bait station is sealed watertight all around. There is an air bubble inside the bait station that provides buoyancy. When the water level rises, the entire bait station floats in the canal.

A bait station called FZV30 from FZV30 GmbH is also known from the prior art, which is permanently mounted on the edge of the sewer shaft. The bait station is designed as a tubular body. The bait station is open at the bottom and closed at the top. The rat climbs into the bait station via the opening at the bottom of the pipe body. The bait is arranged at the top of the tube body. Since the top of the bait station is sealed watertight and airtight, an air bubble forms in the bait station. As the water level rises, water enters through the bottom opening of the bait station and compresses the air within the bait station. Since the bait is in the upper part of the bait station, the bait is protected from water.

A bait station called Funke bait station from Funke Kunststoffe GmbH is known from the prior art, which is permanently mounted on the berm of the sewer shaft or is parked on the berm of the sewer shaft. The latter has a base with a weight so that the bait station in the shaft does not get washed away. Both bait stations are identical apart from the way they are fixed in the shaft.
Inside the bait station there is a bait tray in which the bait is located. The rat can access the bait via two round openings in the bottom of the bait station.
As the water level rises, the water flows into the bait station through several small openings at the bottom of the bait station. The top of the bait station is sealed watertight and airtight. The incoming water therefore compresses the air within the bait station and an air bubble forms in the upper part of the bait station. The bait tray floats within the bait station as the water rises. This protects the bait from water.

[Challenge] The challenge of the present invention is to create a bait station that can offer a large amount of bait as attractively as possible for rodents to eat and at the same time reliably protects the large amount of bait from contact with water in the canal in order to prevent water contamination avoid and keep the bait attractive for as long as possible.
A large amount of bait is necessary to combat rats in the canal, as rats consume approximately 20-25g of food per day. Sewer rat control is predominantly carried out using anticoagulants as the active ingredient, which usually lead to the death of the animal 3-7 days after ingestion. That is, in In the worst case scenario, a single standard bait (100g) can be consumed by a rat before consumption leads to the animal's death.
An additional challenge when fighting rats is the animals' neophobia. This can be counteracted by offering the bait to the rat as openly as possible via easy access.
In addition, the bait station should be user-friendly: storage and transport of several bait stations should be easy for the user to manage, and the bait station in the canal should be able to be set up and dismantled as quickly as possible. This is intended to ensure that the user needs as little time as possible to place the bait station in the canal and that the bait station can be used flexibly depending on the amount of infestation.

This task is achieved by a bait station with the features according to claim 1.

[Challenge Solution]

The innovation is that the bait station has a bait tray, which is guided over a rod inside the bait station and a disc is mounted on the underside that provides additional buoyancy. In addition to the guide rod, which penetrates the middle of the bait shell, a cylindrical sleeve, which surrounds the guide rod and is fixed to the bait shell, ensures additional stabilization of the bait shell. It is no longer possible to tilt the bait bowl to the side.

In addition, the cylindrical sleeve prevents water from entering through the bottom opening in the bait bowl. As the water level rises, the bait bowl floats and moves along the guide into the matching bait bowl counterpart, which is located in the upper part of the bait station. The air bubble inside the bait station that forms when the water level rises can escape through the side openings in the upper part of the housing. Water therefore continues to flow into the bait station and pushes the guided bait bowl into the bait bowl counterpart. With the help of a seal on the bait shell and in the housing cover on the guide rod, on which the guide sleeve presses when the bait station is full of water, the bait shell and the bait shell counterpart seal the bait so that the bait is protected from water. If the water level decreases again, the bait bowl sinks down its guide and the bait is available for the rat to eat again.

If the water level rises rapidly, which the bait station can detect in a surge, there is a possibility that water will end up in the bait bowl. In order to drain this water that has seeped in like a surge, the bait bowl has a membrane principle. The water is drained to the outside using openings in the bottom of the bait bowl. To ensure that no water can penetrate from bottom to top through the openings in the bait bowl when the water level rises, the buoyancy material underneath and on which there are sealing plugs rises upwards and closes the openings in the bottom of the bait bowl.

The bait station also has a very low base, which is heavy and protects the bait station from floating away and up. The lower housing of the bait station, which sits on the base, has large openings. The low base and the large openings ensure that the bait is perceived visually and olfactorily by the rat.

The bait station has a storage option in the upper part of the housing for the rope, which is needed to lower the bait station into the canal. Thanks to a circular groove on the underside of the base, the bait station can be stacked without additional aids. Transport, storage and assembly and dismantling are made easier for the user. The user's intervention in ongoing road traffic is thus reduced.

• Erstens, durch die Führung der Köderschale mit Hilfe des Führungselements ist ein Umkippen dieser innerhalb der Köderstation nicht mehr möglich. Ein Umkippen der Köderschale ist selbst dann nicht möglich, wenn durch Abfraß und Bewegungen der Ratte das gesamte Ködermaterial vollständig auf einer Seite der Köderschale liegen sollte.
• Zweitens, die zusätzliche Stabilität der Köderschale, welche durch das Führungselement gewährleistet wird, ermöglicht neue Freiheitsgrade bei der Rattenbekämpfung. Große Ködermengen können problemlos in der Köderstation platziert werden. Selbst bei starkem Rattenbefall sind vom Anwender keine kürzeren Wartungsintervalle zum Nachfüllen der Köderstation erforderlich. Die Ködermenge kann somit dem Befallsaufkommen entsprechend angepasst werden.
• Drittens, während andere Köderstationen eine Luftblase zum Schutz des Köders oder zum Auftrieb der gesamten Station benötigen, funktioniert die vorliegende Köderstation mit Wasserdruck. Die Köderschale wird bei steigendem Wasserpegel durch Wasserdruck in das Köderschalen-Gegenstück gedrückt und mit Hilfe von Dichtungen luftdicht abgeschlossen, während die Luft im Gehäuse durch Luftöffnungen am oberen Teil der Köderstation entweichen kann. Dieses Funktionsprinzip ermöglicht große konstruktive Vorteile. Die Köderstation kann viel offener gestaltet werden, da kein Mindestmaß an eingeschlossener Luft zum Schutz des Köders oder zum Auftrieb der Station notwendig ist. Viertens, die großen seitlichen Öffnungen im unteren Teil der Köderstation (mit einer kumulierten Breite von zumindest 30%, vorzugsweise 50%, eher bevorzugt 70%, am meisten bevorzugt 80% des Umfangs des Gehäuses der Köderstation) sorgen für eine attraktive Präsentation des Köders und wirken der Neophobie der Tiere entgegen. Der Einstieg in die Köderstation ist für die Ratte aufgrund der großen seitlichen Einstiegsöffnungen problemlos und von allen Seiten möglich. Damit wird sichergestellt, dass der Köder für die Ratte immer optisch wie auch olfaktorisch wahrnehmbar ist. Bei bekannten Köderstationen ist der Zugang zur Köderstation teils durch die Konstruktion bedingt verdeckt, teils kann je nach Aufstellen der Köderstation im Kanal der Zugang zu dieser verdeckt sein. Fünftens, die Köderschale besitzt ein Membranprinzip. Dieses führt über Öffnungen im Boden der Köderschale Wasser von oben nach unten ab. Wasser kann von unten nach oben nicht eindringen, da Verschlussstopfen, die über die Auftriebsscheibe nach oben in die Öffnungen im Boden der Köderschale geführt werden, den Köder vor Auflösen im Wasser schützen und somit für eine lange Attraktivität des Köders sorgen.
• Sechstens, der niedrige Sockel der Köderstation mit einer Höhe von bis zu 30mm sorgt dafür, dass die Ratte fast ebenerdig Zugang zum Köder erhält, während sie bei bekannten Köderstationen gezwungen ist zu klettern. Somit wird der Köder in der Köderschale auf Augenhöhe der Tiere präsentiert. Dieser Umstand wirkt ebenfalls der Neophobie der Tiere entgegen.
• Siebtens, die Köderstation ist äußerst anwender-freundlich. Die Köderstation wird an einem Seil in den Kanal abgelassen. Somit ist Auf- / Abbau der Köderstation ohne Absteigen in den Kanal möglich. Das Seil der Köderstation ist im oberen Teil des Gehäuses der Köderstation verstaubar. Dies ist für den Anwender äußerst vorteilhaft, da in der Praxis eine Kanalrattenbekämpfung mit einer großen Anzahl an Köderstationen stattfindet. Ohne diese Verstaumöglichkeit ist es sehr wahrscheinlich, dass beim Transport sich die Seile mehrerer Köderstationen verknoten und somit der Eingriff des Anwenders in den laufenden Straßenverkehr unnötig in die Länge gezogen wird.
• Achtens, die Köderstation besitzt eine kreisrunde Nut auf der Sockelunterseite, die den gleichen Durchmesser wie der Gehäusedeckel aufweist. Somit passt der Gehäusedeckel in den Sockel und die Köderstationen können ohne zusätzliche Hilfsmittel gestapelt werden. Lagerung und Transport sind durch die Stapelbarkeit schnell, effizient und materialschonend. In der Praxis ist dies für den Anwender entscheidend, da eine Kanalrattenbekämpfung mit einer Großzahl an Köderstationen stattfindet und nur ein begrenzter Raum zum Transport zur Verfügung steht.

The innovations result in the following advantages:

• Firstly, by guiding the bait tray with the help of the guide element, it is no longer possible for it to tip over within the bait station. It is not possible for the bait bowl to tip over even if the entire bait material lies completely on one side of the bait bowl due to the rat's eating and movements.
• Secondly, the additional stability of the bait bowl, which is guaranteed by the guide element, enables new degrees of freedom in rat control. Large amounts of bait can be easily placed in the bait station. Even if there is a heavy rat infestation, the user does not need to have shorter maintenance intervals to refill the bait station. The amount of bait can therefore be adjusted according to the level of infestation.
• Third, while other bait stations require an air bladder to protect the bait or to buoy the entire station, this bait station works with water pressure. When the water level rises, the bait bowl is pressed into the bait bowl counterpart by water pressure and with the help of Seals are sealed airtight, while the air in the housing can escape through air openings at the top of the bait station. This functional principle enables great design advantages. The bait station can be designed to be much more open as no minimum amount of trapped air is required to protect the bait or to buoy the station. Fourth, the large side openings in the lower part of the bait station (with a cumulative width of at least 30%, preferably 50%, more preferably 70%, most preferably 80% of the circumference of the bait station housing) provide an attractive presentation of the bait and counteract the animals' neophobia. The rat can easily get into the bait station from all sides thanks to the large side entry openings. This ensures that the bait is always visually and olfactorily perceptible to the rat. In known bait stations, access to the bait station is partly hidden due to the construction, and depending on how the bait station is set up in the canal, access to it can be partly hidden. Fifth, the bait bowl has a membrane principle. This drains water from top to bottom via openings in the bottom of the bait bowl. Water cannot penetrate from bottom to top because sealing plugs, which are guided upwards via the buoyancy disc into the openings in the bottom of the bait bowl, protect the bait from dissolving in the water and thus ensure that the bait remains attractive for a long time.
• Sixth, the low base of the bait station with a height of up to 30mm ensures that the rat has access to the bait almost at ground level, whereas with known bait stations it is forced to climb. This means that the bait is presented in the bait bowl at the animals' eye level. This circumstance also counteracts the animals' neophobia.
• Seventh, the bait station is extremely user-friendly. The bait station is lowered into the canal on a rope. This means that the bait station can be set up/dismantled without having to get down into the canal. The bait station rope can be stored in the upper part of the bait station housing. This is extremely advantageous for the user, as in practice sewer rat control takes place with a large number of bait stations. Without this storage option, it is very likely that the ropes of several bait stations will become knotted during transport, thus unnecessarily prolonging the user's intervention in ongoing traffic.
• Eighth, the bait station has a circular groove on the bottom of the base that has the same diameter as the housing cover. This means that the housing cover fits into the base and the bait stations can be stacked without additional aids. Storage and transport are quick, efficient and material-friendly thanks to their stackability. In practice, this is crucial for the user, as sewer rat control involves a large number of bait stations and there is only a limited space available for transport.

[Example]

• Hier sei anzumerken, dass individuelle Ausführungsformen der Erfindung im größeren Detail zwar unten beschrieben werden, es jedoch für den Durchschnittsfachmann klar ist, dass Designmöglichkeiten und optionale Merkmale, welchen in Bezug zu diesen spezifischen Ausführungsformen beschrieben werden, weiter verändert werden können und mit einem anderen in einer unterschiedlichen Art innerhalb des Schutzbereiches der vorliegenden Erfindung kombiniert werden können und, dass individuelle Merkmale auch weggelassen werden können.

An exemplary embodiment of the innovation is explained in more detail below using the figures:

• It should be noted that while individual embodiments of the invention are described in greater detail below, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that design options and optional features described with respect to these specific embodiments may be further varied and changed in detail of a different type can be combined within the scope of the present invention and that individual features can also be omitted.

• • 1 zeigt eine Frontalansicht auf die Köderstation. Der Sockel (1) misst lediglich eine Höhe von bis zu 30mm und ist somit nahezu ebenerdig. Zudem fällt die zumindest eine große Einstiegsöffnung (5), vorliegend zwei große Einstiegsöffnungen (5), sowie die Entlüftungslöcher (4) im Gehäuse (2) der Köderstation auf, über welche die Luftblase im Gehäuseinneren entweichen kann. Die kumulierte Breite der zumindest einen großen Einstiegsöffnung (5) im unteren Teil der Köderstation beträgt zumindest 30%, vorzugsweise 50%, eher bevorzugt 70%, am meisten bevorzugt 80% des Umfangs des Gehäuses (2) der Köderstation. Vorliegend besitzen die zwei Einstiegmöglichkeiten (5) eine kumulierte Breite von zumindest 50% des Umfangs des Gehäuses (2) der Köderstation. „Kumulierte Breite“ wird vorliegend Streckenabschnitte der einzelnen Einstiegsöffnungen (5) entlang des Umfangs des Gehäuses der Köderstation verstanden.
• • 2 zeigt die Köderstation ohne Gehäuse. Die Köderschale (6) wird zentral an einer Führungsstange (9). im Gehäuseinneren geführt. Alternativ ist auch eine seitliche Führung mit Führungsschienen denkbar. Die Köderschale (6) wird von einer Köderschalen-Dichtung (12) umringt. Alternativ kann die Dichtung auch im Köderschalen-Gegenstück (11), welche im Gehäusedeckel (3) fixiert ist, sitzen. Die Köderschalendichtung (12) dichtet Köderschale (3) und das Köderschalen-Gegenstück (11) gegen Wasser ab, wenn die Köderschale mit zunehmendem Wassereindrang in sein Köderschalen-Gegenstück gedrückt wird. An der Unterseite der Köderschale (6) ist die Auftriebsscheibe (13) montiert, die für zusätzlichen Auftrieb der Köderschale bei Wassereindrang sorgt.
  • Eine hohle zylindrische Hülse (9) ist mittig in der Köderschale (6) fixiert. Die Führungshülse (9) umgibt die Führungsstange (7). Die Führungshülse (9) verhindert den Eindrang des Wassers durch die Bodenöffnung in der Köderschale und verhindert die Seitenneigung der Köderschale.
  • Das Köderschalen-Gegenstück (11) ist im Gehäusedeckel (3) fixiert. Die Dichtungsmutter (8) dichtet die Führungshülse gegen Wasser ab, indem die Dichtungsmutter auf eine Dichtung im Gehäusedeckel (3) drückt, sobald die Köderschale (6) durch den Wassereindrang in sein Köderschalen-Gegenstück (11) gedrückt wird.
  • Über die Öffnungen (17) im Boden der Köderschale (6) kann Wasser aus der Köderschale nach unten ablaufen. Auf der Auftriebsscheibe (13) sitzen die Verschlussstopfen (16). Bei ansteigendem Wasserpegel drückt die Auftriebsscheibe (13) die Verschlussstopfen (16) in die Öffnungen (17) im Boden der Köderschale. Somit kann kein Wasser von unten in die Köderschale (13) eindringen.
• • 3 zeigt die Köderstation von unten. Dabei wird die kreisrunde Nut (14) an der Sockelunterseite deutlich. Das passende Gegenstück zur Nut an der Sockelunterseite bildet der Gehäusedeckel (3).
• • 4 zeigt den Gehäusedeckel von oben. Im Gehäusedeckel (3) ist eine Mulde. Diese Mulde dient der Aufbewahrung des Seils (10), welches zum Herunterlassen der Köderstation in den Kanal benötigt wird. An der Halterung (15) ist das Seil zum Herablassen der Köderstation fixiert.

This shows...

• • 1 shows a frontal view of the bait station. The base (1) only measures a height of up to 30mm and is therefore almost at ground level. In addition, there is at least one large entry opening (5), in this case two large entry openings (5), as well as the ventilation holes (4) in the housing (2) of the bait station, through which the air bubble inside the housing can escape. The cumulative width of the at least one large entry opening (5) in the lower part of the bait station is at least 30%, preferably 50%, more preferably 70%, most preferably 80% of the circumference of the housing (2) of the bait station. In the present case, the two entry options (5) have a cumulative width of at least 50% of the circumference of the housing (2) of the bait station. “Cumulative width” in this case means sections of the individual entry openings (5) along the circumference of the housing of the bait station.
• • 2 shows the bait station without housing. The bait bowl (6) is centrally attached to a guide rod (9). guided inside the housing. Alternatively, lateral guidance with guide rails is also conceivable. The bait bowl (6) is surrounded by a bait bowl seal (12). Alternatively, the seal can also be located in the bait shell counterpart (11), which is fixed in the housing cover (3). The bait shell seal (12) seals the bait shell (3) and the bait shell counterpart (11) against water when the bait shell is pressed into its bait shell counterpart with increasing water penetration. The buoyancy disk (13) is mounted on the underside of the bait bowl (6), which provides additional buoyancy for the bait bowl when water gets in.
  • A hollow cylindrical sleeve (9) is fixed in the middle of the bait bowl (6). The guide sleeve (9) surrounds the guide rod (7). The guide sleeve (9) prevents water from penetrating through the bottom opening in the bait bowl and prevents the bait bowl from tilting to the side.
  • The bait bowl counterpart (11) is fixed in the housing cover (3). The sealing nut (8) seals the guide sleeve against water by the sealing nut pressing on a seal in the housing cover (3) as soon as the bait bowl (6) is pressed into its bait bowl counterpart (11) by the ingress of water.
  • Water can drain downwards from the bait bowl via the openings (17) in the bottom of the bait bowl (6). The sealing plugs (16) are located on the buoyancy disk (13). As the water level rises, the buoyancy disk (13) presses the sealing plugs (16) into the openings (17) in the bottom of the bait bowl. This means that no water can penetrate into the bait bowl (13) from below.
• • 3 shows the bait station from below. The circular groove (14) on the underside of the base becomes clear. The housing cover (3) forms the matching counterpart to the groove on the underside of the base.
• • 4 shows the housing cover from above. There is a depression in the housing cover (3). This trough is used to store the rope (10), which is needed to lower the bait station into the canal. The rope for lowering the bait station is fixed to the holder (15).

Reference symbol list

1

base

2

Housing

3

Housing cover

4

vent holes

5

Entry openings

6

Bait bowl

7

Guide rod

8th

seal nut

9

Guide sleeve

10

Rope

11

Bait cup counterpart

12

Bait shell seal

13

buoyancy disk

14

Nut

15

bracket

16

Closing plug

17

Openings in the bottom of the bait bowl

Claims (7)

A bait station, comprising: a housing (2), a bait shell (6) inside the housing comprising a buoyancy element, preferably a buoyancy disk, on an underside of the bait shell, and a bait shell counterpart (11) inside the housing, characterized in that that the bait shell (6) is guided by at least one guide element (7), preferably at least one guide rod or at least one guide rail, and the bait shell floats through the buoyancy disk as the water level rises in order to form an airtight seal with the bait shell counterpart, so that when the water level rises, the bait shell floats Bait shell compressed air inside the housing can escape via at least one ventilation hole (4) in an upper part of the housing. The bait station after Claim 1 characterized in that a lower part of the bait station has at least one entry opening (5), so that the cumulative width of the entry openings in the lower part of the bait station is at least 30%, preferably 50%, more preferably 70%, most preferably 80% of the circumference of the Housing of the bait station is. The bait station after Claim 1 is characterized in that water that has penetrated in a surge and can end up in the bait shell (6) is drained away by a membrane principle, so that water inside the bait shell (6) flows through one or more openings (17) in the bottom of the bait shell from top to bottom can flow away and water, which wants to penetrate from bottom to top through the openings (17) into the bait shell, with the help of sealing plugs (16), which, when the water level rises, flows through the buoyancy disk (13) into the openings (17). The bottom of the bait bowl is prevented from being guided upwards. The bait station after Claim 1 characterized in that almost ground-level entry options (5), which have a height of up to 30mm, are available without the bait station having to be fixed in a sewer shaft. The bait station after Claim 1 , further comprising a base (1), which is preferably a metal plate. The bait station according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bait station has an integrated storage space for a rope (10) in a housing cover (3) for lowering the bait station into a sewer shaft. The bait station according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bait station can be stacked onto the housing cover of another bait station without further aids through a circular groove on an underside of the bait station.

Images