HK1069074B - A collecting-container for insecticide apparatus and an apparatus for capturing insects and the like provided with such a container - Google Patents

Description

Collecting container for an insecticidal device and device for catching insects and the like provided with such a collecting container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a collecting container suitable for use in an insecticidal apparatus of the type comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The invention also relates to a device for catching insects and the like, which device comprises the features of the preamble of claim 9.

Background

The present invention proposes a device and/or apparatus for capturing and possibly destroying flying insects. More specifically, the invention can be used in devices for catching insects and the like, which are described in document EP 0746977, which is named the same as the present application. The apparatus includes a support housing in which is formed at least one main suction channel having an inlet opening coinciding with an opening formed in a front portion of the support housing and an outlet opening in a series of openings through a rear wall of the support housing. A fan is also provided in the main suction channel and is driven in rotation to generate a continuous flow of air between the inlet and the outlet. One or more light emitting elements are positioned adjacent the inlet to attract insects such that the insects are attracted through the main suction channel. Between the fan and the outlet is a filter element for retaining the insects sucked in, which pass through a suitable vertical connecting channel to a receiving zone formed in the lower part of the filter element. Removably arranged in the receiving area is a removable collecting container which has an access opening facing the connecting channel, through which the insects are transported to the collecting container.

In the support housing, in the upper part of the connection channel, there is also provided a closing means for closing and/or opening the connection channel. The closing means are designed to open the connecting channel due to the thrust exerted by the air flow from the fan and to close said channel when the device is closed and the air flow is stopped. In detail, the closing means consist of a pair of balancing or rocking elements, which are arranged opposite each other. Each rocking member is hinged internally to the supporting shell and has, on the connecting channel, a movable blocking portion which can close and/or open said channel and a counterweight arranged on the opposite side of the blocking portion to allow the rocking member to move to the original position when the air flow is stopped.

A similar insecticidal device is described in document US1,807,550, which comprises a receiving area in which a collecting container is formed for catching insects sucked in by a fan. In particular, the collecting container is formed by a bottom wall, a cylindrical side wall, joined on opposite sides of the bottom wall by extended cylindrical side walls. Such closure means are opened by the air flow generated by the fan and closed by the action of the return force of the counterweight.

The applicant has found that a device of the above-mentioned type can be improved in several respects, mainly with regard to the capture of insects, the retention of the insects in the collection container, and the safety of the personnel who remove the insects and wash the collection container.

In fact, in the known apparatus, the insects present in the collecting container rise to the entry opening into which they enter and occupy the space between the collecting container and the supporting arm, below the receiving zone and the connecting channel. When the collecting container is removed, insects present in the receiving area are free to fly out of the support shell, so that the operator may be pricked.

The applicant has also found that the insects sucked in occupy the space between the connecting channel and the weight of the rocking element, which impairs the mobility of the weight. In this case, the rocking element may stop in the open position, even during periods of rest of the device, so that the captured insects may fly out. It will also be appreciated that the rocking element is necessarily damaged if the collecting container is removed from the supporting shell when it is in the open position.

The applicant has also found that these devices can also be improved in terms of structural bulk and manufacturing and marketing costs.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems found in the prior art by proposing a collecting container suitable for an insecticidal device, and a device for trapping insects, which ensures trapping of insects and avoids escape of insects.

Another object of the invention is to make these devices cheaper and more compact.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, which will become more apparent in the following description, are substantially achieved by a collecting container suitable for use in an insecticidal apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided a collecting container suitable for use in an insecticidal apparatus comprising: a bottom wall; a plurality of side walls extending from the bottom wall; at least one upper wall joined to said side walls on opposite sides of said bottom wall and forming with said bottom wall and side walls an insect-receiving space; at least one access opening through said upper wall of said collection container to allow said insects to enter said receiving space; a closure means operatively associated with said access opening for closing and/or opening the access opening, said closure means including at least one counterbalancing or rocking element rotatably engaged with said upper wall and movable between a first position in which said access opening is closed and a second position in which said access opening is open, characterised in that said closure means is operatively disposed in at least a portion of a surface recess formed in said upper wall, said access opening being formed in said surface recess.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for capturing insects, comprising: a support housing defining at least one main suction channel having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; suction means operating in said main suction channel and serving to create an air flow between said inlet and outlet to draw insects into the apparatus; a receiving zone, arranged between said inlet and outlet and intended to receive said sucked insects, characterized in that it further comprises at least one collecting container, as defined in one or more of the preceding claims, removably engaged in said supporting shell at said receiving zone thereof.

Brief Description of Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be best understood from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a collecting container suitable for use in an insecticidal device according to the invention, and a device for catching insects and the like provided with such a collecting container. Non-limiting examples are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an insect catching apparatus of the present invention provided with a collecting container;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the collection container of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the collection container shown in the previous figures;

figure 4 is another perspective view of the collection container of the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments

With reference to the accompanying drawings, a collecting container for insecticidal apparatus according to the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 1.

As shown in fig. 1, an apparatus for catching insects and the like comprises a supporting casing 3 in which at least one main suction channel 4 is provided, having at least one inlet 4a passing through a front wall 3a of the supporting casing and at least one outlet 4b formed by a succession of openings, for example passing through a rear wall 3b of the supporting casing 3. Active in the main suction channel 4 is a suction device 5 for generating an air flow between the inlet 4a and the outlet 4 b. In detail, the suction means 5 preferably consist of an axial fan 5, which is suitable to be driven in rotation.

Also provided on the front wall 3a of the supporting housing 3 are one or more light-emitting elements 6 for attracting insects near the periphery of the inlet 4a of the main suction channel 4 and also for attracting insects into the supporting housing 3.

A mesh filter 5a is also provided between the suction fan 5 and the outlet 4b and is arranged to retain the insects sucked in through the inlet 4a and to convey them to a receiving zone 7, formed by a recess 7a in the support casing 3, at the lower part of the filter. Furthermore, the main suction channel 4 and the receiving area 7 are in fluid communication with each other via a connecting channel 8, so that at least part of the circulating air in the main suction channel 4 can be diverted to the receiving area and can be returned to the surrounding air via a slot 1a, which is provided in the collecting container 1.

Still referring to fig. 1, the collection container 1 may be inserted into the recess 7a of the receiving area 7 and may be engaged with the support shell 3 via suitable mechanical connection means (not shown) so that the collection container 1 itself may form at least a portion of the receiving area.

In detail, the collecting container 1 comprises a bottom wall 9 from which a peripheral side wall 10 stands, said side wall terminating at the top against an upper wall 11, opposite the bottom wall 9. The side wall 10 forms with the bottom wall 9 a part formed by, for example, moulding, but advantageously the upper wall 11 is removably engaged with the side wall 10, whereby the collection container 1 can be cleaned more easily and quickly, since the collection container itself is adapted to be removed. It is to be noted that the collecting container 1, in particular the bottom wall 9 and/or the side walls 10 of the collecting container, can be formed as a basket perforated on all sides or as a bag in a net-like structure.

When the upper wall 11 is connected to the side wall 10, said side wall 10 and the bottom wall 9 form a receiving space 12; the insects caught by the suction of the axial fan 5 are collected in said receiving space 12. These insects are conveyed by the air flow to the collecting container 1 through an access opening 13 formed in the upper wall 11 of the collecting container itself.

As can be seen in the figures, the access opening 13 is formed in an offset position with respect to the longitudinal axis "X" of the collection container 1 and is preferably at least partially limited by a side wall 10 of the collection container itself. When the collecting container 1 is mounted on the supporting casing 3 of the device 2, the access opening 13, as shown in figure 1, faces the passage 8 which connects the receiving zone 7 to the main suction channel 4.

Referring to fig. 2, the access opening 13 is provided in a surface recess 14 formed in the upper wall 11 of the collection container 1. The surface recess 14 has an irregular shape, wherein it can be seen that the areas 14a, 14b have different lengths. A first zone 14a, which is arranged close to the above-mentioned side wall 10 and contains the access opening 13, serves as a passage for air and captured insects. Instead, as will be described below, the second region 14b is separated from the air passage by a component of the collecting container 1 in order to ensure that the collecting container is working correctly.

As shown in the drawings, the closure device 15 is at least partially operatively disposed in the surface recess 14 and, preferably, is disposed entirely therein. The closing means 15 comprise at least one balancing or rocking element 16 which is rotatably engaged with a respective hinge seat 14c formed in a surface recess 14 of the upper wall 11, via a pair of hinge pins 16a projecting from opposite sides of the rocking element. More specifically, the hinge pin 16a of the rocking element 16 interacts with the corresponding hinge seat 14c of the surface recess 14, so that the rocking element can rotate about a rotation axis "Y" coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the hinge pin 16 a. The rocking element is thus free to rotate between a first position, in which the access opening 13 is closed, and a second position, in which the access opening 13 is at least partially open.

The opening and/or closing of the access opening 13 is achieved by means of a rocking element 16, by means of at least one blocking portion 16b carried by the rocking element. Preferably, the obstruction portion 16b of the rocking element 16 is substantially flat and conforms in shape to the access opening 13, so that when the rocking element 16 is in the first position, the peripheral edge 16d of the obstruction portion 16b extends close to the corresponding peripheral edge 13a of the access opening. In other words, in the closed state of the rocking element 16, the peripheral edge 16d of the blocking portion 16b of said element slightly contacts the peripheral edge 13a of the access hole 13.

Advantageously, the planar configuration of the obstruction portion 16b, and in particular its extended shape, is particularly effective in generating the force exerted by the air reaching the first region 14a of the surface recess 14; this force pushes the obstruction portion 16b towards the receiving space 12 of the collection container 1, thereby causing the rocking element 16 to rotate about the axis "Y". The rocking element 16 is thus moved from its original position, i.e. the first position, to a second position releasing the access opening 13, thereby opening the access opening.

In order to ensure that the housing of the collecting container 1 is closed during rest of the device 2 and retains the captured insects therein, the rocking element 16 further comprises at least one counterweight, which is arranged on the opposite side of the blocking portion 16 b; the function of the weight 16c is to prevent the rocking element 16 from moving from the first position to the second position. However, the strength of the moment generated by the weight 16c with respect to the rotation axis "Y" is smaller than the moment generated by the urging force of the air current circulating in the connection passage 8. Thus, the effect of the counterweight is only effective when the airflow ceases. In this case, the counterweight 16c positions the rocking element 16 in the first position, so that it closes the access opening 13 of the collecting container 1 by its blocking portion 16 b.

As shown in fig. 2-4, the blocking portion 16b and the counterweight 16c extend substantially in the same horizontal plane from the first region 14a to the second region 14b of the surface recess 14 of the upper wall 11.

Advantageously, it is possible to insert a spacer 17 in the surface recess 14, also at a higher level with respect to the rocking element 16; it is clear that the spacer separates the first region 14a from the second region 14b of the recess 14. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the spacer 17 is engaged by its end 17a with a corresponding engagement seat 18 formed on the opposite surface 14d of the surface recess, and is engaged by its bottom edge 17b with the rocking element 16 along the rotation axis "Y" between the blocking portion 16b and the counterweight. In this way, the presence of the partition 17 prevents insects from moving from the second area to the first area. In fact, the partition 17 prevents insects from occupying the counterweight zone 14b, since this zone is separated from the first zone 14a of the surface recess. Air coming from below the main suction channel is therefore exclusively conveyed to the access opening 13 of the collecting container 1, thereby ensuring the correct functioning of the rocking element 16, which can therefore move from the first position to the second position and vice versa, according to the action of the air flow and of the counterweight 16.

As shown in the figures, a plurality of slots 1a pass through the collection container 1 so that air entering the inlet opening 13 can leave the collection container and the supporting shell 3 of the device 2. These slots 1a are of suitable dimensions to allow the evacuation of air while retaining the insects caught; and these slots pass through the side wall 10.

In order to increase the thrust exerted on the rocking element 16, the rear wall 3b of the supporting shell 3 can be completely closed so that the air flow generated by the fan 5 is completely conveyed to the receiving region 7 of the supporting shell 3, which can strongly hit the rocking element 16 and then leave the collection container 1 through the through hole 1 a. In this case, since the entire air flow is directed against the obstruction portion 16b of the rocking element 16, it is possible to provide the obstruction portion with a larger and more effective counterweight to return the rocking element from the second position to the first position, but these counterweights should not inhibit the air flow effect.

Furthermore, an electrical connection 2a can be provided on the compact device 2, integral with the support shell 3 and allowing the device to be connected directly to a common electrical socket without the aid of external cables.

The operation of the collecting container 1 and the device 2 described above mainly in terms of structure is as follows.

When the device 2 is switched on, the fan 5 is driven in rotation, while the light emitting elements 6 are switched on. The fan 5 creates an airflow between the inlet 4a and the outlet 4b, and insects attracted to the inlet are drawn into the main suction channel 4. Part of the air flow is discharged from the outlet 4b, but another part of the air flow flows towards the connecting channel 8, carrying the sucked insects to the receiving area 7 and hitting the rocking element 16. In more detail, the air coming from the main suction channel 4 acts directly on the obstruction portion 16b of the rocking element 16, pushing it towards the receiving space 12. The rocking element 16 thus rotates about the axis "Y" opening the access opening 13 of the collection container 1. The sucked-in insects are then transported to the receiving space 12 of the collecting container 1, where they die due to the dehydrating effect of the circulating air.

Once the device 2 is closed and the air flow between the inlet 4a and the outlet 4b is stopped, the rocking element 16 returns to the first position under the action of the counterweight 16c, which is not at all obstructed by one or more insects, since the partition ensures a good separation of said counterweight from the insect passage area, making said insects irreparably enter the receiving space.

At this point, the collecting container 1 can be safely removed from the supporting shell 3, so that, after detaching the upper wall 11 from the rocking element 16 and the partition 17, the insects can be taken out of the receiving space 12 and the collecting container cleaned.

The present invention solves some of the problems found in the prior art and achieves the intended objects.

Firstly, the invention allows any kind of flying insects to be effectively captured, keeping these trapped insects in the collection container 1 even during periods when the device 2 is stationary. More specifically, due to the structure of the collecting container 1 and the closing means 11 and the presence of the partition, when the device 2 is in a rest condition, it is generally possible to ensure the closing of the access opening 13, in order to prevent insects from leaving the collecting container through the access opening 13. Furthermore, the partition 17 separates the area 14b, in which the counterweight 16c of the rocking element 16 runs, from the area 14a, which area 14a serves as a passage for gases and insects, which in the prior art, however, in order to protect themselves from the air flow, enter the area between the rocking element counterweight and the supporting shell, thus impairing the correct functioning of the rocking element itself, which is kept in the open position.

In contrast, according to the invention, the counterweight 16c of the rocking element 16 is not at all subject to intervention by the insects caught and can therefore operate in a correct manner.

It will be appreciated that the receiving area 7 of the device 2 of the invention is formed by the collecting container 1, which ensures that insects are captured as described above. Thus, during the removal of the collecting container 1 from the supporting shell 3, the user can no longer be pricked by insects which may be present between the receiving area 7 and the collecting container 1, as in the prior art.

Furthermore, the collection container designed according to the invention allows the device 2 to be manufactured in a very compact form, and even in a miniaturized form, for direct connection to a common electrical outlet or socket. The reduction and simplification of the structural dimensions of the device 2 also greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing the device.

Claims (12)

1. A collection container suitable for use in an insecticidal apparatus comprising:

a bottom wall (9);

-a plurality of side walls (10) extending from said bottom wall (9);

-at least one upper wall (11) joined to said side wall (10) on the opposite side to said bottom wall (9) and forming, with said bottom wall (9) and side wall (10), a receiving space (12) for insects;

-at least one access opening (13) through said upper wall (11) of said collecting container (1) to allow said insects to enter said receiving space (12);

a closing device (15) operatively associated with said access opening (13) to close and/or open the access opening, said closing device (15) comprising at least one balancing or rocking element (16) rotatably engaged with said upper wall (11) and movable between a first position, in which said access opening (13) is closed, and a second position, in which said access opening (13) is open,

characterized in that said closing means (15) are operatively arranged in at least a portion of a surface recess (14) formed in said upper wall (11), said access opening (13) being formed in said surface recess (14).

2. Collecting container according to claim 1, wherein the rocking element (16) has:

at least one blocking portion (16b) rotatable over said access opening (13) to open and/or close the access opening;

at least one counterweight (16c), arranged on the opposite side of the blocking portion (16b), makes it possible to move the rocking element (16) into the first position.

3. Collecting container according to claim 1, wherein the closing means (15) is completely arranged in the surface groove (14).

4. A collecting container according to claim 2, wherein the blocking portion (16b) and the counterweight (16c) extend substantially on the same horizontal plane.

5. A collecting container according to claim 2, wherein the blocking portion (16b) coincides in shape with the access opening (13) so that, when the rocking element (16) is in the first position, a peripheral edge (16d) of the blocking portion (16b) extends close to a peripheral edge (13a) of the access opening (13).

6. A collecting container according to claim 2, further comprising at least one partition (17) arranged in said surface recess (14) to form a first region (14a) terminating in the access opening (13) and available for the passage of insects and a second region (14b) in which said weight (16c) runs, said partition (17) having a shape and positioning such as to prevent insects from entering the first region.

7. Collecting container according to claim 1, wherein through holes (1a) are formed through at least one wall (9, 10) of the collecting container (1), which holes serve as air passages.

8. An apparatus for capturing insects, comprising:

-a supporting shell (3) forming at least one main suction channel (4) having at least one inlet (4a) and at least one outlet (4 b);

-suction means (5) operating in said main suction channel (4) and intended to create an air flow between said inlet (4a) and outlet (4b) to attract insects into the apparatus;

a receiving area (7) arranged between said inlet (4a) and outlet (4b) and intended to receive said sucked insects,

characterized in that it further comprises at least one collecting container (1), as defined in one or more of the preceding claims, removably engaged in said supporting shell (3) in said receiving zone thereof.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein, on the opposite side to said inlet (4a), said supporting shell (3) has a closed rear wall (3b), said rear wall (3b) forming in part said main suction channel (4) so as to distribute the air flow generated by said suction means (5) to said receiving area (7) by said rear wall (3 b).

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the rocking element (16) is movable from a first position to a second position under the influence of the airflow, and the counterweight (16) is arranged to move the rocking element (16) from the second position to the first position in the absence of the airflow.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein an electrical socket is rigidly coupled to said supporting shell (3), said socket being used to connect the device (2) to a power supply line.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said partition (17) extends from the surface recess (14) of said upper wall to the upper wall of said receiving zone (7) to isolate the second zone (14b) of the surface recess (14) and the counterweight (16c) of the rocking element (16) from the air flow generated by the suction device (5) and to convey this air flow to the access opening (13).