GB2585830A

GB2585830A - Humane flying insect room extractor

Info

Publication number: GB2585830A
Application number: GB1910132.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Foster Peter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-07-15
Filing date: 2019-07-15
Publication date: 2021-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2039-07-15
Also published as: GB2585830B; GB201910132D0

Abstract

An apparatus for extracting flying insects comprising a housing (10, fig 2) defining an air amplifier having an entrance 7, an exit 8 and a main passage disposed therebetween. Insect attracting means 6, in the form of UV LED’s, are disposed proximate the entrance. The housing further comprises a set of chambers 4 connected to the main passage. A fan or compressed air source may be used to create an air flow path through the housing. The apparatus may be provided through a wall of window. The exit may be covered by resiliently biased louvred doors (11, fig 3).

Description

Humane Flying Insect Room Extractor The present invention relates to a device for extracting insects from an indoor area.

Background

There are many billions of insects in the world, and too many of them are in buildings used by humans, at least from the perspective of said humans. This is especially true in buildings used inter aria for the preparation and/or consumption by humans of food, because insects, especially flying insects, are wont to land on human food, either to steal a small amount of it or to use it as a nursery. This is unhygenic, again from the perspective of the humans.

Much human ingenuity has been directed at this problem, and a vast array of nefarious traps have been devised to lure flying insects away from human food, ultimately to their doom. Among the common means of execution are incineration, shredding, poisoning, electrocution, drowning or simply adhesive-ensured starvation.

While satisfying in principle, these methods of dispatch are often unsightly, and not always hygienic. Fragments of exploded insect carcass are almost as undesirable a garnish as whole and healthy insect offspring. Insecticides can be damaging to the wider environment and do not taste very nice. Consequently, many of the conventional solutions to the insect problem are not suitable for use in commercial dining establishments.

One of the most unpleasant aspects of the prior art traps is the cleaning of them. Insect traps require regular evacuation of the mortal remains of their victims, which is not only time consuming but disgusting.

Furthermore, an increasing number of humans are having second thoughts about this approach to keeping insects away from their food. In some cultures, taking any form of animal life is viewed with distaste, or forbidden altogether.

A new approach is needed, one which keeps our indoor spaces as free from flying insects as is reasonably practicable without replacing them with cadavers, and without any moral unease. The present invention seeks to mitigate some or all of the problems associated with the prior art.

Prior art

The inventor is aware that devices already exist which attract flying insects using fast flowing air or suction, and using ultraviolet light as a means of drawing them to the air-flow. These prior art devices, however, are directed to trapping or killing the insects, rather than simply extracting them, and therefore lack the advantages of the present invention in terms of both hygiene and humanity.

Furthermore, while the Venturi effect is used in some of the prior art devices, an air amplifier is not used in the prior art to provide a portal from the interior to the exterior of a building, which has the advantage of providing a passage uninhibited by the blades of a fan to insects caught in the flow.

Still furthermore, the prior art does not provide for louvred barriers on the exterior of the room or building to prevent the ingress of flying insects through their means of egress, since the prior art does not consider the problem in the context of an insect extractor.

Statement of invention

In accordance with the invention there is provided: an extractor for extracting flying insects comprising: a housing defining an air amplifier having an entrance, an exit and a main passage disposed between the entrance and the exit; and insect attracting means disposed proximate the entrance.

The housing may further comprise at least one chamber with an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air outlet connects the chamber with the main passage; and an air flow creating means, wherein in use the air flow creating means causes a flow of air to pass into the chamber through the air inlet.

The attracting means may be a light source, which may be configured to emit light in the ultraviolet range, and may be a light emitting diode (LED).

The air flow creating means may be a fan. Alternatively it may be a compressed air storing and releasing device.

The air outlet may be wider at the end connected to the main passage than it is at the end connected to the chamber. The width of the main passage may be narrower in a central region disposed between the air inlet and the exit.

The exit may be covered by louvred doors, which may be biased in a closed position. The bias may be a resilient bias which can be overcome by the flow of air through the air amplifier.

Brief description of drawings

The invention will be made clear through the description of non-limiting embodiments, which will enable a person skilled in the art to carry out the invention. This will be accomplished with the help of the following drawings, which are not to scale: Figure 1 shows a sideways cross-section of an embodiment of the invention, situated in a window; Figure 2 shows a front view of an embodiment of the invention, from the interior of a room or building; Figure 3 shows a rear view of an embodiment of the invention, from the exterior of a room or building.

Detailed description of drawings

The basic principle of the invention is elegantly simple. An extractor-fan type device is provided through a wall or window, flying insects are attracted to the entrance of the device, and said flying insects are removed from the room by the airflow of the extractor-fan type device, and left unscathed on the outside.

The invention differs from a conventional extractor fan in at least the following ways: 1) It comprises means to attract flying insects to the entrance of the device; 2) The main passageway of the device is not obstructed, for example by fan blades.

The drawings show an example of a device according to the present invention. The device is installed in a window 3, although it could equally be installed in a wall, or any other partition between rooms or buildings, such as a roof or a door. A hole must be cut or otherwise formed in said partition, in any conventional manner. The device, when inserted through the hole in the window 3 projects into the interior 1 of the room or building, and into the exterior 2 of the room or building.

The device comprises a housing 10, defining a main passage with an entrance 7 and an exit 8. The housing further defines a chamber or set of chambers 4, connected to the main passage by a connecting passage(s). In the embodiment depicted, the connecting passage(s) between the chamber(s) 4 and the main passage is narrower at the chamber side and wider at the main passage side, and is narrower than both the chamber(s) 4 and the main passage.

Disposed on or proximate the housing 10 close to the entrance 7 is an attraction means 6. In the present embodiment, this comprises a ring of ultraviolet LEDs, since ultraviolet light is known to attract many common flying insects. These may be powered in any conventional way. For example, they may be powered by means of a circuit connected to the mains power (not shown). They may be powered by means of a circuit connected to a battery (not shown) which may be housed within or close to the housing 10. They may be powered by a circuit connected to (or by the battery charged by) renewable means such as solar panels fixed on or close to the exterior 2 side of the housing 10. Other embodiments may comprise other attraction means, such as ultraviolet fluorescent lamps, or other light sources at frequencies known to be attractive to flying insects, such as infra-red frequencies. The entrance may be painted in dark colours, which is thought to attract some species of flying insects. Many conventional attraction means are known to persons skilled in the art, and many of them could be applied to the present invention without difficulty.

The chamber(s) 4 may be an annular chamber disposed around the main passage, with radius substantially perpendicular to the axis of the main passage from entrance 7 to exit 8. Alternatively, one or more chambers 4 may be disposed within the housing. For example, two chambers 4 may be provided, radially opposed to one another around the main passage. In other embodiments, three or optionally four, five, six, seven or eight chambers 4 may be provided. Other numbers of chambers may also be provided. The chambers 4 may each be provided with their own fast air flow providing means, such as will be described below, or may alternatively be linked and provided with fast air flow by a common fast air flow providing means.

The chamber(s) 4 receives a fast flow of air 5. By 'fast' in this context, we mean that the speed of the flow of air should be faster than the unaided flow of air through the main passage. The flow of air can be provided by a number of conventional sources. A fan or fans (not shown), each comprising for example an impeller, may be disposed within the chamber(s) or disposed in some way so as to direct the fast air flow 5 into the chamber(s), for example below the housing 10. Alternatively, a conventional compressed air storage and release mechanism may be provided to release fast air flow 5 into the chamber(s) 4. Various other means of providing a fast air flow 5 are known to the person skilled in the art, and many could be used with the present invention without difficulty.

The fast air flow providing means can be powered in one of the ways described in relation to the attraction means 6, or by other conventional power supplying means. It may optionally receive an input of air from the atmosphere through an air intake system 12 connected to the chamber(s) 4 and/or fast air flow providing means, optionally disposed on the exterior side 2, and powered, if required, in any suitable way.

The device so arranged forms an air amplifier, which produces a fast stream of air 9 through the main passage. This provides a suction effect at or close to the entrance 7 which draws air and any flying insects contained therein from the entrance 7 to the exit 8.

The device my optionally be arranged to make use of the Venturi effect to increase the effectiveness of the air amplifier. If the main passage is narrower in the middle, the acceleration of the air through this section of the main passage will be improved, and so therefore will its effectiveness as an insect remover.

Louvred doors 11 may be provided at the exit 8. These may be biased in a closed position, for example by resilient means such as springs. The resilience of the bias should be such that, when a fast stream of air 9 flows through the main passage, the fast stream of air 9 is sufficient to open the louvred doors 11 against the bias. The louvred doors prevent flying insects entering the exit 8 of the main passage and thereby gaining entrance to the room or building in which the extractor is installed, but they do not prevent flying insects from being extracted because they open when the fast stream of air 9 flows through the main passage.

The louvred doors 11 may alternatively be opened and closed manually or by mechanical means. They may be opened or closed electronically by an electronic actuator as will be clear to a person skilled in the art. For example, the louvred doors 11 may be electronically actuated into a closed position whenever the device is switched off, and into an open position whenever the device is switched on.

Furthermore, this actuation my be automatic whenever the device is switched on or off.

The device may be switched on and off, that is, the attraction means 6 and/or fast air flow providing means and/or louvred doors 11 may be activated, by a manual switch or by a timer. It is envisaged that the device will be kept on during business hours if used in a commercial establishment such as a dining establishment.

Claims

Claims 1. An extractor for extracting flying insects comprising: a housing defining an air amplifier having an entrance, an exit and a main passage disposed between the entrance and the exit; and insect attracting means disposed proximate the entrance.
2. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 1 wherein the housing comprises: at least one chamber with an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air outlet connects the chamber with the main passage; and an air flow creating means, wherein in use the air flow creating means causes a flow of air to pass into the chamber through the air inlet.
3. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the attracting means is a light source.
4. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 3, wherein the light source is configured to emit light in the ultraviolet range.
5. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any one of claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode (LED).
6. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the air flow creating means is a fan.
7. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air flow creating means is a compressed air storing and releasing device.
8. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the air outlet is wider at the end connected to the main passage than it is at the end connected to the chamber.
9. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the width of the main passage is narrower in a central region disposed between the air inlet and the exit.
10. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the exit is covered by louvred doors.
11. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 10 wherein the louvred doors are biased in a closed position.
12. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 11, wherein the bias is a resilient bias which can be overcome by the flow of air through the air amplifier.Amended claims have been filed as follows: Claims 1. An extractor for extracting flying insects comprising: a housing defining an air amplifier having an entrance, an exit and a main passage disposed between the entrance and the exit; and insect attracting means disposed proximate the entrance; wherein the housing comprises: at least one chamber with an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air outlet connects the chamber with the main passage; and an air flow creating means, wherein in use the air flow creating means causes a flow of air to pass into the chamber through the air inlet 2. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 1, wherein the attracting means is a light source.OC\i 3. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 2, wherein theCOCD light source is configured to emit light in the ultraviolet range. C\I4. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any one of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode (LED) 5. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the air flow creating means is a fan.6. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the air flow creating means is a compressed air storing and releasing device.7. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the air outlet is wider at the end connected to the main passage than it is at the end connected to the chamber.8. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the width of the main passage is narrower in a central region disposed between the air inlet and the exit.9. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to any preceding claim, wherein the exit is covered by louvred doors.CD 10. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 9 wherein the C\i CO louvred doors are biased in a closed position.O OC\J 15 11. An extractor for extracting flying insects according to claim 10, wherein the bias is a resilient bias which can be overcome by the flow of air through the air amplifier.