GB2533786A

GB2533786A - A fruit fly trap with attachment means to place said trap near garbage or waste

Info

Publication number: GB2533786A
Application number: GB1423323.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Johannes Aart Van Der Neut Ferdinand
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-12-29
Filing date: 2014-12-29
Publication date: 2016-07-06
Also published as: WO2016108088A1; GB201423323D0

Abstract

An insect trapping unit 2 specifically aimed at trapping fruit flies, which has a means for attaching the unit to a location. The attachment means 4 is at least one adhesive, hook, or magnet. The trapping device is intended for use near the opening of a waste container or garbage bag, to be mounted either on the inside or outside. The trap could be less than 30mm in depth. The trap could be made of biodegradable and compostable material. The attractant used in the trap can be varied to target other insect types. Alternatively there is a fruit fly repelling device with attachment means of at least one adhesive, hook or magnet, intended for use on the inside or outside of a waste container or garbage bag.

Description

Introduction of the Invention

a) Field of invention.

[0001] This invention relates to a novel apparatus for reducing and eliminating the hindrance from insects in general and fruit flies in particular.

b) Discussion of the prior art.

[0002] Fruit flies (Drosophila spec. in particular) are well known to bother people in their homes, restaurants, gardens, businesses and so forth. For many decades inventors are trying to come op with solutions, so far with limited success in satisfying the market needs.

[0003] One of the problems is the effectivity of the state of the art fruit fly traps. Many traps are aimed to be placed as close as possible to areas where fruit flies are seen the most, such as near the fruits in one's fruit bowl, or even in the bowl as patented by US 20080196296 Al. The problem however with this approach is that the source of the fruit flies is not eliminated. Only a fraction of the fruit fly population in one particular location is attracted towards the fruits in a bowl, whereas other fruit flies populate other areas of the location such as gardens, garbage cans, empty wine or beer bottles and so on. These flies are outside of the attracting range of the trap in the fruit bowl. Placing a trap not near the source but near the designation of fruit flies, such as the fruit bowl, is therefore only partially successful and will only catch flies which fly by coincidence into the attracting range. Also, the source of the problem is not removed by current traps, only (a part of) the symptoms, resulting in an ongoing supply of new fruit flies.

[0004] A second problem is the aesthetics of the state of the art fruit fly traps. Many people pay attention to (and money for) the design of their kitchens, living rooms, offices, and so forth. A fruit fly trap is typically not a desired feature in people's design wishes. This limits the acceptance of current traps further. The invention patented in said US 20080196296 Al aims to solve this by disguising the trap as a piece of fruit, but the trap is yet still intrusive and in sight.

[0005] A third problem is the sub-optimal cost structure. State of the art fruit fly traps are relatively big, for instance the ones patented in USD716907 (S1) and CN201167528 (Y). Next to the obvious higher cost of more and larger parts, also shipment is more expensive, in particular when using eCommerce. Package shipment costs can be as much as 40-60% of the final cost for purchasing a typical single trap. Retail channels typically double the price to create their own margins.

[0006] A fourth problem is the hassle of purchasing, unpacking and installing a fruit fly trap. Purchasing a trap via internet is unnecessary complex. Traps are commonly sold per piece, and shipped in a box that's not fitting a standard mailbox. Hence someone has to stay home to collect the shipment. Unpacking the purchased box with the trap, and having to fill the trap manually with some liquid or bait trows up yet another barrier for consumers. It takes time and attention. This further limits the acceptance of solutions to counter fruit fly hindrance.

[0007] This invention relates partially to the location of the source of new fruit flies. Rotting or fermenting fruits are well acknowledged to be the breeding place for fruit flies to lay their eggs. This makes a typical garbage can, or any other place where fruit lays decaying, a typical source of new fruit flies. This is the main source of front flies in one's home or office by far, given fruit flies' fast breeding cycles and short life span of 40-50 days. New fruit flies are able to breed within 1-2 weeks. This solution is needed to take away the source of the problem, not only the symptoms.

[0008] To overcome the said problems with the state of the art solutions, the invention presented in this patent is a novel fruit fly trap. The invention is more effective, non-intrusive and more simple.

[0009] The invention yields a relatively small fruit fly trap with attachment means to ideally mount said trap inside a garbage can in the top, or anywhere near a source of fruit flies. The garbage can is ideal for two reasons. The first reason is that, on their way to the rotting fruit in the garbage, present fruit flies will have to pass the invented trap well within attracting range of the trap. This makes it the single most effective spot to attract, trap and eliminate fruit flies in their quest to breed. The second reason is that because all new offspring fruit flies will have to pass the invented trap on their way out of the garbage can. Again, well within attracting range of the trap. This again makes the top-inside of the garbage can the single most effective spot to sweep away the last remaining fruit flies. Fig. 12 shows the working principles of trapping fruit flies with this invention.

Statement of Invention

[0010] The invention relates to a fruit fly trap 2 with attachment means 4 for easy placement in a garbage can 6 or near a source of fruit flies 8. In the mosaics, the attachment means 4 consists of a double sided adhesive.

[0011] Thanks to this invention, the trap 2 can be placed as close as possible to a source of fruit flies 8. As described in section 0009, the fruit fly trap 2 has two occasions on which it can attract, trap and eliminate fruit flies. All fruit flies will pass either one of these two occasions. The first occasion is when fruit flies 10 seeking a place to breed and to lay eggs. They aim for rotting or fermenting fruits, which typically lay in a garbage can 6. The flies 10 have to pass the opening of the garbage can, making this opening the bottleneck all flies will have to pass. Placing a fruit fly trap in this bottleneck ensures that all fruit flies come within attracting range of typically 0.5 -1.0 meter of the trap 2 sooner or later. The second occasion is when new fruit flies 12, as off-spring from the few fruit flies that got through the first occasion, want to fly out of the garbage can. Again they have to pass the bottleneck of the garbage can where the trap 2 is located.

Both occasions harvest significant amounts of fruit flies away from the location's population, reducing the total present fruit flies and thereby reducing the hindrance to humans. Eventually the fruit fly population from the location will be eliminated or reduced to an absolute minimum because of the constant active operation of the trap 2, avoiding fruit flies to breed and avoiding off-spring to spread out. This solves the first problem as described in section 0003.

[0012] The invented trap comprises attachment means 4 which enable placement of the trap out of sight in general, and inside the garbage can or bag in particular. This eliminates disturbed interior designs and is non-intrusive for the locations harmed by fruit fly or insect hindrance. This solves the second problem as described in section 0004.

[0013] Because the fruit fly trap 2 has attachment means 4 (see Fig. 4 -9) the said trap can be relatively small. There is no need for a substantial footprint to prevent falling over, as is the case with state of the art traps. The present invention can be made so small (less than 30 mm thick) that it fits a standard mailbox. This enables shipment via standard post services which is relatively very low cost and fast. This solves the third problem as described in section 0005.

[0014] The dimensions of the invented fruit fly trap enables a subscription based postal distribution channel, due to its slim design fitting standard mailboxes. This is comparable to newspaper or magazine subscriptions. A subscription model removes the hassle of ordering every new trap. Furthermore, due to the low cost per trap 2 the user can choose to throw away the trap 2 together with the garbage when needed. A typical shipment of the present invention traps will consist out of multiple traps, or new traps will be delivered via subscription. This ensures the user to have sufficient trap supply throughout the fruit fly season. This reduces hassle further. The invented traps come pre-filled and can be installed and activated straight out of the shipment box. There will be no unnecessary unpacking and no filling or assembling by the user. The threshold for market acceptance is further lowered due to overcoming the 4th problem as described in section 0006.

[0015] The invented trap can be made of bio-degradable and compostable material to reduce environmental impact.

[0016] The invention is not limited to adhesives as attachment means. A hook can also be used for areas where adhesives don't work well enough or when it's more cost-effective. A magnet can be used as attachment means for extreme flexibility in relocation and reusing the trap on metal surfaces.

[0017] The invention is not limited to fruit flies. Any insect can be targeted with the present invention, varying the attractant in the trap, varying dimensions and varying the advised locations where the trap should be placed.

[0018] The invention is not limited to garbage cans as location to mount the trap. Any location where fruit fly or insect hindrance occurs can be targeted, such as waste containers, wine or beer cases or storage rooms.

[0019] The second part of this invention is to repel insects in general or fruit flies in particular. Instead of attracting, trapping and eliminating them as described above, there can be situations where repelling fruit flies is more effective. This could be in kitchens without for instance open fruit bowls, empty alcoholic beverage holder with only some residue left behind, or coffee dregs. Fruit flies in a situation like this often have only one resort to populate, which is the garbage can or waste container where fermenting fruits lay. To repel fruit flies can be more effective than eliminating them in this case, because the only alternative left for the repelled fruit flies is to leave the house. This makes an effective solution for fruit fly hindrance. Fig. 13 shows the working principles of repelling fruit flies with this invention.

[0020] In order to reach this repelling action the same physical construction can be used as the one described before to attract, trap en eliminate fruit flies. Smells 14 from for instance eucalyptus or lavender are well known to repel fruit flies. Placing a repelling unit 16 in the top of the inside of a garbage can or bag will shield off the attracting smells of the fermenting fruits 8 inside the garbage can or bag. Fruit flies cannot smell the fermenting fruits inside the garbage due to the shield of smells 14 and will seek further for places to breed. When they can't find breeding places inside the house they will leave to the outsides via window grooves and ventilation channels. By using the same physical construction as described earlier in this patent application, the other three problems as described in sections 0004, 0005 and 0006 are also solved. The reasons for this are the same as with the attracting, trapping and eliminating trap, as described in sections 0012, 0013 and 0014.

Description of figures

Fig. 1 -Dimetric view of the front side of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar in case of a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 2 -Trimetric view of the front side of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar in case of a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 3 -Isometric view of the front side of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar in case of a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 4 -Dimetric view of the back side of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar in case of a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 5 -Trimetric view of the back side of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar in case of a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 6 -Isometric view of the back side of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar in case of a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 7 -Back side view of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar to a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 8 -Side view of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar to a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 9 -Top side view of a fruit fly trap 2. This is similar to a repelling unit 16.

Fig. 10 -Dimetric view of an open garbage can 6 with a fruit fly trap 2. Trap 2 can be replaced with repelling unit 16.

Fig. 11 -Isometric view of an open garbage can 6 with a fruit fly trap 2. Trap 2 can be replaced with repelling unit 16.

Fig. 12 -Cross-section of an open garbage can 6 with a fruit fly trap 2 in action. Fruit flies are attracted by fermenting fruits 8 and come within attracting range of the trap 2. Also new offspring fruit flies 12 are attracted towards trap 2.

Fig. 13 -Cross-section of an open garbage can 6 with a fruit fly repelling unit 16 in action.

Fruit flies 10 are repelled by smells 14 of the repelling unit 16.

Claims

Claims 1. An insect trapping unit comprising attachment means for attaching the unit to any location.
2. A fruit fly trapping unit comprising attachment means for attaching the unit to any location.
3. A fruit fly repelling unit comprising attachment means for attaching the unit to any location.
4. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive.
5. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive.
6. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive.
7. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook
8. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook
9. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook
10. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet.
11. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet.
12. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet.
13. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
14. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
15. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
16. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
17. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
18. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
19. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
20. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
21. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
22. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
23. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
24. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container
25. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
26. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
27. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
28. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
29. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
30. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
31. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container
32. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container
33. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container
34. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
35. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
36. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one adhesive and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
37. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
38. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
39. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
40. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
41. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
42. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
43. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
44. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
45. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
46. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
47. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
48. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one hook and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
49. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
50. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
51. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a garbage can or the inside of a garbage bag.
52. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
53. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
54. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a garbage can near the opening of said can.
55. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
56. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container.
57. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the inside of a waste container
58. The unit as in claim 1 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
59. The unit as in claim 2 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.
60. The unit as in claim 3 wherein the attachment means consist of at least one magnet and the location to mount said trap is the outside of a waste container near the opening of said container.