GB2294858A - Insect or spider transport container - Google Patents

Abstract

A spider transporting container 10 comprises cover 12 and a plate 14, being slidable relative to the cover and being adapted to provide a closure wall for the container. The cover has a lip 26 and the plate includes a channel portion 32, 34 slidable upon the lip to close the container. There is also disclosed a method of trapping a spider in the container. <IMAGE>

Description

ANIMAL CONTAINER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an animal container, and in particular to an insect and spider container, for use in capturing, storing or transporting insects and spiders.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Often it is desired to entrap animals in a container, without the need to touch the animal i.e. the animal may be harmful, or unpleasant, to touch, or may perhaps be too small to handle without it being injured. For example, some individuals do not like touching insects or spiders, nor do they wish to kill them unnecessarily. A relatively large animal such as a pet rabbit may need to be removed without harm to a cage, even though it is known to bite everyone except its owner; smaller animals such as ladybirds may be of more use in the garden than trapped by a non-opening window inside a house. Thus, a container by which the individual simply and reliability can entrap the insect or animal without harming it, and then safely remove it from one place to another or to outside the dwelling, is required.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART One known container, particularly for the entrapment of insects, has an elongated handle, to one end of which is attached a transparent cover. The cover is open at its base, and has channels formed in its side walls within which a plate is slidably located. To use this container for the entrapment of an insect, the user waits until the insect has alighted upon a substantially flat surface; the cover is then placed over the insect, entrapping the insect beneath the cover. The plate may then be slid along the channels to effect closure of the container, with the insect retained in the container between the cover and the plate. The insect can subsequently be released by removal of the plate.

This known container has several disadvantages. Because the plate is spaced from the surface upon which the animal has alighted (by the depth of the channel sections), enclosure movement of the plate will catch, and perhaps sever, the animal's legs, whilst for smaller insects such as ladybirds and ants the plate may pass above them, leaving the insect on the surface below the plate. The elongated handle makes the container awkward to manipulate; conversely a user is tempted to use the handle so as to seek to entrap the animal from afar (with the greater chance of injuring the animal), and there is especial concern if the plate has been pre-positioned in the channels when the animal is entrapped upon a vertical surface, that if then the handle is turned the plate will fall towards the closure condition under its own weight, impacting any animal in its path.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION This inventions seeks to provide a container which avoids or reduces the disadvantages of the known container described above.

Thus, we provide a container for an animal comprising a cover and a plate, the cover defining an enclosure volume, the plate being slidable relative to the cover and being adapted to provide a closure wall for the container, characterised in that the cover has a lip, and in that the plate includes a channel portion slidable relative to and upon the lip between a container closed condition and a container open condition.

Thus, in our container the plate carries the channel, so that in use the plate can engage slidably with the surface e.g. upon which the animal has alighted. Steady movement of the plate will not impact the animal, in particular will not impact the upper legs of butterflies and like-sized flying animals; smaller animals will climb up onto the plate if necessary i.e they will not be left below the plate, perhaps then to be killed by the individual in irritation.

Preferably at least one of the cover and plate is transparent, though in certain embodiments both are opaque.

Thus it is less likely that an entrapped insect will be forgotten, even if the individual is temporarily distracted.

If however the cover and/or plate is opaque, it may usefully be coloured to attract the animal. With this embodiment, the cover and/or plate may be of a certain colour believed to attract a particular animal desired to be contained; alternatively, the cover and/or plate can be of a colour believed to calm a particular animal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.l is a perspective view of a container according to the invention, with the cover removed from the base; Fig.2 is a plan view of the container of Fig.l, with the cover fitted to the base; and Fig.3 is a front view of the container, with the cover fitted to the base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in Fig.l, the exemplary container 10 comprises a cover 12 and a plate or base 14. The cover has a flat top wall 20, sloping side walls 22, and sloping end walls 24 (only one of side walls 22 and end walls 24 can be seen in Fig.l). The top, side and end walls together define an enclosure volume within which an animal, such as an insect, may be contained.

Connected to the end walls 22 and side walls 24, remote from the top wall 20, is a lip or flange 26. The cover does not have a bottom wall; thus the cover may be placed over an animal resting or walking on a surface (not shown) whereby to prevent the escape of that animal.

The base 14 comprises a flat wall 30, and upstanding side ledges 32,34 and end ledge 36; the ledges 32,34,36 are inwardly directed to overlie the wall 30. The ledges are inwardly directed at an angle A (Fig.3) in this embodiment of 300 relative to the wall 30; in other embodiments the angle A may be smaller or greater than 300. The wall 30 is sized to be slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the lip 26, so that the lip 26 is slidably locatable between the outer periphery of the wall 30 and the adjacent ledge 32,34,36. In this way, the cover 12 and fitted base 14 comprise a one-piece container, which does not require the use of two hands to be moved.

To use the container as shown, firstly the cover 12 is placed over an animal such as an insect. The insect may be on a substantially horizontal surface such as a table-top, upon a substantially vertical surface such as a window pane, or upon any other suitable surface which is substantially planar in the region to be enclosed beneath the cover 12. Thus, the cover 12 and lip 26 are sufficiently flexible to make all round contact with a surface which may be slightly uneven, the flexibility limiting or preventing potential gaps between the lip 26 and the surface through which smaller animals may escape.

However, in an alternative, though less desirable embodiment, the cover and lip are inflexible, and thus better suited for use on surfaces which are sufficiently planar to avoid the presence of such gaps.

When the insect is trapped beneath the cover 12, one end of the cover can be lifted slightly from the surface, permitting the base 14 to be slid thereunder with parts of the lip 26 entering the channels formed by the ledges 32,34. The base continues to be slid under the cover until the insect is enclosed within the container 10.

In an alternative embodiment, Usually, if the animal is a walking insect or a spider, it will probably withdraw from the advancing leading edge 40 of the base as it is slid under the cover, but as this edge approaches the remote end of the cover 12, the animal will be forced to step onto the wall 30, whereupon the base 14 can be fully slid under the cover. If the animal is a flying insect, the advancing leading edge 40 will usually cause the insect to fly around within the enclosing volume defined by the cover 12.

In the embodiment shown, when the base 14 is fully fitted to the cover 12, the leading edge 40 lies adjacent the edge of the lip 26. Thus, the animal is prevented from escaping from the container by the lip 26 engaging the wall 30 throughout its length.

Also in this embodiment, the lip 26 completely surrounds the cover 12, so that the cover 12 can be fitted to the base 14 from either of two opposite ends. In another, though less preferred embodiment, the portion of the lip adjacent one of the end walls is removed. In an alternative embodiment, the lip 26 adjacent the side walls is discontinuous, to provide a series of spaced flanges.

In another alternative embodiment, parts of the ledges are removed, so that the lip is retained by a series of spaced fingers, and in yet another alternative embodiment a continuous ledge overies the three edges of the base, the ledge being mitred at the corners.

The cover 20 may be provided with finger ridges or friction material upon the side walls 22, to permit the container to be picked up by one hand. Alternatively, the base 14, and in particular the wall 30 (and perhaps ledges 32,34) may be extended (to the left as viewed in Fig.2), to provide a projecting portion which may be grasped. This latter embodiment may be preferred by those individuals who wish to capture or contain animals, but who might be fearful if their fingers were separated from the contained animal only by a side wall or end wall, particularly if that wall is transparent.

As seen in Fig.3, the lip 26 of cover 12 is a sliding fit within the channels formed by overlying ledges 32,34. In other embodiments a small tolerance is provided, so that the cover can move (upwards, and to the left and right in the orientation of Fig.3) relative to the base, allowing a small gap to be present between the lip and the base wall adjacent the leading edge. However, whilst a small amount of relative movement, and thus a small gap, is acceptable, and will likely result from manufacturing tolerances, the gap should not be so great as to allow the animal to pass therethrough, or even for a spider, for example, to pass one of its legs through this gap, as this might disturb or alarm the person carrying the container, or result in animal injury.

We foresee that an embodiment of container could be provided, with the base permanently connected to the cover, as by a lip or other suitable means carried by the plate.

Alternatively, the lip may interfere with the cover, so that it may not be removed accidentally, but can be removed if desired.

In one embodiment of container, particularly suited to the entrapment and containing of most household flying insects and spiders, the cover is rectangular in plan, and measures approximately 9cm by 6cm by 3cm deep, and with a lip of 0.5cm therearound. However, the container may suitably be other sizes (for the capture or containment of different sized animals), and shapes. In this latter regards, we foresee embodiments wherein the cover may be cubic, hemispherical or pyramidal.

In an alternative embodiment to that shown, the cover is collapsible, for ease of storage. Such an embodiment may have hinged concertina side walls, with sufficient rigidity in the un-collapsed or expanded condition to permit the entrapment and transportation of an animal. Alternatively, the side walls and top wall may be replaced by flexible sheets joined to substantially inflexible end walls, the end walls being pivotable upon the lip between a collapsed condition and an expanded condition, the flexible sheets being held taut by the end walls in the expanded condition.

Usefully, the cover and base are manufactured from plastics materials such as p.v.c., acrylic polypropylene, a.b.s., or polystyrene, though other (plastic and non-plastic) materials may be used for the cover and/or base, as desired.

Whilst we expect the greatest utility of our container to be the entrapment and removal of insects and spiders from domestic dwellings, we also foresee their use to safely transport and display animals, perhaps for use in educational instruction or study.

Claims (16)

1. An animal container comprising a cover and a plate, the cover defining an enclosure volume, the plate being slidable relative to the cover and being adapted to provide a closure wall for the container, characterised in that the cover has a lip, and in that the plate includes a channel portion slidable relative to and upon the lip between a container closed condition and a container open condition.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows '~ 1. An animal container comprising a cover and a plate, the cover defining an enclosure volume; the plate being slidable relative to the cover and being adapted to provide a closure wall for the container, characterised in that the cover has a lip, and in that the plate includes a channel portion slidable relative to and upon the lip between a container closed condition and a container open condition.

2. A container according to claim 1 in which the plate has a flat wall and two upstanding side ledges, the ledges being inwardly directed to overlie a part of the said wall to form the channel portion.

3. A container according to claim 2 in which the ledges are inwardly directed at an angle of 300.

4. A container according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which the ledges are discontinuous.

5. A container according to any of claims 1-4 in which the lip is discontinuous.

6. A container according to any of claims 1-5 in which the cover and plate are manufactured from plastics materials.

7. A container according to any of claims 1-6 in which at least one of the cover and plate is transparent.

8. A container according to any of claims 1-6 in which at least one of the cover and plate is of a colour selected for the animal to be contained.

9. A container according to any of claims 1-8 in which the lip is sufficiently flexible to make all round contact with a slightly uneven surface.

10. A container according to any of claims 1-9 in which the cover is provided with finger ridges or friction material to permit the container to be picked up by one hand.

11. A container according to any of claims 1-10 in which the plate is extended to provide a projecting portion which may be grasped.

12. A container according to any of claims 1-11 in which the plate is permanently or semi-permanently connected to the cover.

13. A container according to any of claims 1-12 in which the cover is either rectangular, cubic, hemispherical, or pyramidal.

14. A container according to any of claims 1-13 in which the cover is collapsible.

15. A method of trapping an animal in a container according to any of claims 1-14 including the steps of (i) placing the cover over the animal whilst the animal is on a substantially planar surface, (ii) lifting one end of the cover to permit the plate to be slid thereunder; (iii) sliding the plate along the said surface and under the cover.

16. An animal container constructed and arranged substantially as described in relation to Figs. 1-3 of the accompanying drawings.