WO2001001773A1

WO2001001773A1 - An electrical deratizator and an electrified barrier therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2001001773A1
Application number: PCT/RU2000/000241
Authority: WO
Inventors: Evgeny Yakovlevich Roschupkin; Grigory Andreevich Scherban; Sergei Alexandrovich Krupsky; Viktor Iliich Tobis
Original assignee: Evgeny Yakovlevich Roschupkin; Grigory Andreevich Scherban; Sergei Alexandrovich Krupsky; Viktor Iliich Tobis
Priority date: 1999-07-01
Filing date: 2000-06-21
Publication date: 2001-01-11
Also published as: DE20022833U1; AU5581400A; RU2165698C2

Abstract

An electrical deratizator and an electrified barrier relate to devices for combating rodents. The deratizator comprises a barrier - a body (22) from a dielectric material with a contact linear electrode (21) secured thereon - and an electric power supply system comprising connected in series: a diode (1), a charging resistor (2), a power capacitor (3) and a time-setting device (4) coupled to a power supply source (6) through a two-pole contactor (5). Coupled parallel to the capacitor (3) is a circuit consisting of series-connected primary winding (7) of a power transformer and a controlled electronic key (8), the secondary winding (9) of this transformer being connected by one tap to the winding (7) and by a free tap (10) to electrodes (21) and (n - 1) of additional identical circuits. The system is provided with a shaper (11) of packets of control pulses, whose input (12) is connected to output (13) of the device (4), and the outputs of the shaper (11) are coupled to outputs of the keys (8). The electric power supply system is provided with source of stabilized power supply (14) of the shaper (11) and with a device for lowering heat losses. The body (22) is made in the form of a profiled extended flexible body of a constant cross-section, provided with longitudinal grooves.

Description

AN ELECTRICAL DERATIZATOR AND AN ELECTRIFIED BARRIER THEREFOR

Technical Field

The present invention relates to devices for ridding of rodents, predominantly of rats and mice, and is intended for protecting objects from rodents both by way of active obstructing the attempts of rodents to get access to places of their traditional habitat: basements of apartment and administrative buildings; structures erected for different purposes (warehouses, eating houses, restaurants, etc.); collectors of underground service lines, technical underground premises, and by driving rodents out of their habitat.

According to expert opinion, the number of rodents living in megalopolis alone reaches ten individuals per human resident.

In combating rodents, first of all, rats, man has been resorting to most diverse methods and means: toxic chemicals, different catchers and traps, and even adhesive substances; nevertheless, the efficiency of such means is obviously inadequate.

The most common practice of using poisonous baits not only involves appreciable expenses in large-scale applications of this method and in developing novel toxic chemicals, but also has some negative consequences. Firstly, rodents, especially rats, develop resistance to the toxic chemicals employed, this resistance being then inherited by their numerous progeny. Secondly, the perished infected rodents, which have not been found (usually in secluded places), represent dangerous sources of different epidemic diseases. Thirdly, the poisoned bait may be eaten by domestic animals, and then poison may enter human organism via the food chain. Known in the art are devices which provide protection of premises from rodents (deratization) by means of electrical action, by destroying rodents or scaring them away. The method of scaring rodents away from the objects to be protected appears more promising, because it eliminates the problem of clearing the premises from captured or perished animals and annihilating the latter. Known in the art are devices which ensure this scaring effect by setting up an ultrasonic "shield" with the help of a generator producing acoustic signals having a definite amplitude and frequency (see, e.g., WO 85/02319, A01M 29/02, 1984; SU N1754039, A01M 19/00, 1990) . As a result of the ultrasonic action, rodents have to leave the objects thus protected.

The devices of the type described are not free from the following disadvantages: complexities in manufacturing and operating the equipment; limitations on the shape and dimensions of the zone of action; high consumption of electric power; possible negative effect on the human organism.

We are aware of cases when populations of rats habituated to the ultrasonic action.

The device most relevant to the one of the present invention is a device for ridding of rodents — an electrical deratizator, whose principle of operation is based on the action with pulsed high-voltage current, which brings about a stable reflex reaction of rodents: the animals refuse to resume attempts to penetrate into the protected object. The device comprises a body made as a pallet manufactured from a dielectric material with high-voltage contact linear electrodes arranged in grooves therein, connected by a power supply system to a primary power supply source, the electric power supply system comprising connected in series: a diode, a charging resistor, a power capacitor and a time-setting device coupled to the primary power supply source through a two-pole contactor; coupled parallel to the power capacitor is a circuit comprising connected in series: a high-voltage transformer primary and a controlled electronic key, said high-voltage transformer secondary being connected with one tap to the primary and with a free tap to the high-voltage linear electrodes (RU 2087098, A01M 29/00, 19/00, 1995) . The body with the linear electrodes (electrified by high- voltage pulses) constitutes an electrified barrier which cannot be overcome by rodents owing to a complex effect they are subjected to: pain, convulsion, light, sound. As a result, rodents leave the object being protected (RU 2087098, A01M 29/00, 19/00, 1995, WO 97101262, H05C 1/04, A01M 23/38, B65D 19/00, 1995 (43) 09.01.97) .

The disadvantages of this device which we have chosen as the most relevant prior art are as follows: the area protected by one device is not sufficiently large, this being economically inexpedient when using 1—2 high-voltage transformers operating in a continuous mode; heat losses in some elements (current limiter in the power supply circuit of the time-setting device and the charging resistor) are too large, this involving fire hazards; electrified barriers are not sufficiently universal in the form of packaging means (bodies made as pallets) which, though adequately protecting storage premises with products found therein, do not provide adequate deratization of areas in buildings and structures serving other purposes. Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention is directed to solving the problem of broadening the range of technical means for combating rodents with the help of an electrical effect which drives the animal away from the object being protected.

The technical result of the claimed invention is in accomplishing this purpose.

When the authors of the invention used the known electrical deratizator in technical basements of buildings and structures serving different purposes, as well as in spaces defined by raised ceilings, false panels and false floors, it became necessary to provide electrified barriers of a special design. Their shape and size must ensure inevitable contact of rodents with the electrified linear electrode and not interfere essentially with the operation and technical maintenance of protected objects. Most often it was necessary to install special linear electrified barriers on the migration routes of rodents. The length of such barriers seldom exceeds 15—25 m.

The proposed group of inventions relates to two subjects and represents two self-contained technical solutions: an electric power supply system which may be used with different electrified barriers, including packaging means, and an electrified barrier which may be used either in the composition of the claimed device or with other electric power supply systems. The technical result is attained by that in a device for combating rodents, i.e., in an electrical deratizator which comprises electrified barriers comprising a body from a dielectric material with high-voltage contact linear electrodes arranged in grooves therein, connected by a power supply system to a primary power supply source, the power supply system comprising connected in series: a diode, a charging resistor, a power capacitor and a time-setting device coupled to the primary power supply source through a two-pole contactor; coupled parallel to the power capacitor is a circuit comprising connected in series: a high-voltage transformer primary and a controlled electronic key, said high-voltage transformer secondary being connected with one tap to the primary and with a free tap to the high-voltage linear electrodes, the electric power supply system being provided with additional circuits consisting of connected in series: a high-voltage transformer primary and a controlled electronic key coupled parallel to a power transformer, and with a shaper of packets of control pulses, whose input is connected to the control output of the time-setting device, and the outputs of the shaper are coupled to the control outputs of the corresponding electronic keys. The number n of the shaper outputs when introducing (n - 1) additional circuits into the electric power supply system is defined by the expression:

T

= 1 + ae ~T r where T_ae s is the permissible time of absence of the linear contact electrode electrification in accordance with the condition that the protective barrier is not overcome by the rodent;

T_r, s is the mean time of rodent's response to the electrical effect. Furthermore, the electric power supply system is provided with a source of stabilized power supply for the shaper of packets of control pulses and with a device for lowering heat losses, which comprises a second charging resistor, a relay controlling the latter, a step-down transformer whose primary is inserted in series into the power supply circuit of the time-setting device, an input of the of stabilized power supply for the shaper and the winding of the second charging resistor controlling relay being coupled to the outputs of said step-down transformer secondary, the make contact of said controlling relay and the second charging resistor series- connected thereto being coupled in parallel to the first charging resistor.

The technical result with the provision of an electrified barrier for the deratization device is attained by that in a barrier comprising a body from a dielectric material with a linear contact electrode arranged in grooves therein, the body is made in the form of a profiled extended flexible body of a constant cross-section, provided with longitudinal grooves, the groove for accommodating the linear contact electrode being made from the side opposite to the bearing surface. The linear contact electrode is provided with a resilient grip for fixing on the bearing surface, formed by a shaped groove on the bottom side of the body. In addition, it is made with a longitudinal through hole for flexible fittings to provide a possibility for fixing on a convex closed surface. The body is made stable to a high-voltage breakdown by creating a developed surface with at least two longitudinal grooves on both sides of the groove for the linear contact electrode.

Thermoplastics are preferably used as the dielectric material. The body is manufactured either by extrusion or by stamping or casting.

The linear electrode is made from metal or from current- conducting foil, or from metallized film, or from carbon- filled plastics.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The essence of the invention is explained by the following graphic materials: Fig. 1 is a block-diagram of the device for combating rodents, an electrical deratizator; Fig. 2 is a block-diagram of a shaper of packets of control pulses; Fig. 3 shows diagrams of operation of the shaper of packets of control pulses; Fig. 4 shows particular embodiments of an electrified barrier for specific conditions of using thereof; Fig. 5 illustrates a possible concept of the device lock-on with respect to the technical basement of a multiple-entrance dwelling house.

Best Mode of Embodying the Invention

The device for combating rodents comprises an electric power supply system consisting of a diode 1, a charging resistor 2, a power capacitor 3 and a time-setting device (TSD) 4, connected in series, the time-setting device 4 being coupled through a two-pole contactor 5 to a primary power supply source 6; coupled parallel to the power capacitor 3 is a circuit (channel) consisting of series-connected primary 7 of a high-voltage transformer (Tr-1) having a steeply drooping external characteristic and a controlled electronic key (CEK- 1) 8; secondary winding 9 of this transformer is electrically connected by its one tap to the primary winding 7 and by free tap 10 to the linear contact electrode of the electrified barrier (EB) . The electric power supply system is provided with additional identical circuits (channels), each of which comprises connected in series: a primary winding of a high- voltage transformer and of a controlled electronic key: Tr-2 and CEK-2, ..., Tr-n-1 and CEK-n-1, Tr-n and CEK-n coupled parallel to the power transformer 3. The system is provided with a shaper 11 of packets of control pulses (SPCP) whose input 12 is connected to output 13 of the TSD 4, and n outputs of the shaper 11 are coupled to controlled outputs of the corresponding CEKs .

The electric power supply system is provided with a source of stabilized power supply (SSPS) 14 of the shaper 11 and with a device for lowering heat losses, which comprises a second charging resistor 15, a relay 16 that controls the latter, a step-down transformer 17, whose primary winding is inserted in series into the power supply circuit of the TSD 4; coupled to the taps of the secondary winding are input of the SSPS 14 of the shaper 11 and the winding of the control relay 16, whose make contact 18 and the second charging resistor 15 series-connected to it are coupled parallel to the first charging resistor 2.

The shaper 11 comprises (Fig. 2) a counter 19 of control pulses, similar to those used in electronic clocks, and a communicator 20 (a channel controller similar to those used in measuring and computing systems) of controlled outputs of the corresponding CEKs. The counter 19 and the communicator 20 are powered from the SSPS 14. The electrified barrier (Fig. 3) for the deratization device comprises a linear contact electrode 21 to which free tap 10 of the high-voltage transformer (Tr-1... Tr-n) is coupled and a housing 22 from a dielectric material, made in the form of a profiled extended flexible body of a constant cross-section. On the upper side of the housing 22 a groove is provided for accommodating the linear contact electrode 21. Such an embodiment makes it possible both to improve the performance characteristics: owing to the flexibility of the product its mounting on the surface is facilitated, its stability to external mechanical effects (stepping upon or running over) and simplicity of adjusting the EB length to the site of mounting (the electrified barrier can be cut like an electric conductor) are ensured and to simplify the manufacturing technology: the electrified barrier can be manufactured by conventional processes of making plastic products (extrusion, casting or stamping) . On the lower side of the body a groove 24 is provided, which allows to effect different attachments to the support, for instance, to the available or specially made protrusions or fasteners. A through hole 25 is made along the longitudinal axis of the body to pass flexible accessories (a cord or conductor) or a hardening shaper, which makes it possible to secure the barrier on a curvilinear surface, for instance, on a pipe (Fig. 5 c, e, f) . The body is provided with elements for increasing its stability to a high-voltage breakdown along the surface, which are defined by at least two longitudinal grooves 26 and 27 on the opposite lateral surfaces. The smaller the distance between the electrode 21 and the current- conducting bearing surface, the greater number of the grooves it will be expedient to provide in the body 22 (Fig. 4) .

The linear electrode 21 can be made from any current- conducting material: metal, current-conducting foil, metallized film, carbon-filled plastics or combinations thereof. The EB is arranged in premises to be protected, for instance, in the technical basement (Fig. 5) of a multiple- entrance dwelling house on possible migration routes of rodents: entrances 28, openings in panels defining the zone of the staircase-and-lift unit 29 and constituting intersection headers 30, in cable trays 31, etc. Examples of arranging EBs in technological and door apertures of wall panels are shown in Fig. 5 a—d.

The electrical deratizator operates in the following manner. After arranging the EB, the contactor 5 which controls coupling to the primary supply source 6 of the electric power supply system is brought to the "on" position. As a result, the deratizator is brought to the working state (is coupled to the 220 V, 50 Hz power supply mains. The amplitude of the charge current of the fully discharged power (energy-storing) capacitor is limited by the first charging resistor 2. At the same time, limiting the voltage (lowering the heat losses) in the power supply circuit of the TSD 4, the transformer 17 brings the SSPS 14 into the working mode, causing the relay 16 to operate, whose make contact 18 couples the second charging resistor 15 in parallel to the resistor 2, thereby lowering the resulting resistance (heat losses in it) by at least an order of magnitude. At the output of the TSD 4 a sequence of control pulses, 50 pulse/s, is formed (Fig. 4, Diagram 1) . The power from the SSPS 14 comes to the counter of pulses 19 which, counting off 10 pulses, shapes a command of a total duration of the pack: (1 s/50 pulses) '10 pulses = 0.2 s (Fig. 4, Diagrams 2, 4, 6) . This command is used by the communicator 20 for a metered (10 pulses) passage of control pulses (Fig. 4, Diagrams 3, 5, 7) to the sequentially coupled by the communicator 20 controlled outputs of the CEK-1, CEK-2,..., CEK-n. The keys opening in the corresponding regime pass the oscillatory discharge pulses of the capacitor 3 through the primary windings of the corresponding transformers (Tr-l...Tr- n) . High-voltage pulses from the outputs of these transformers electrify the linear contact electrodes 21 of the corresponding EBs. The duration of the pack (T_p) of control pulses, 0.2 s, determines the electrification time of the linear contact electrodes 21 of the corresponding EBs, whereas the pause between the packs in each diagram determines the time of absence of the electrification (T_ae) of these electrodes. If, say, n = 6, then T_ae = T_p' (n - 1) = 1.0 s. Approaching the EB, the rodent (rat, mouse, etc.) scents thoroughly the route. The authors have established experimentally that rodents almost always touch the linear electrodes on the EB with their nose, where the most sensitive receptors are located. At a distance from 10 to 25 mm from the electrodes, depending on the amplitude of voltage pulses, an arc discharge takes place, accompanied by an arc glow and characteristic crackling. A series of (not over 10) alternating-sign current pulses passes from the electrode through point-like punctures on the nose of the rodent and then through the rodent's body, recharging the capacity of this body and causing convulsive contractions of the muscles. Such a complex effect brings about a reaction of abrupt jumping back. Rats which have experienced such effect feel at a distance of 5—10 cm from the electrode the danger of high- voltage pulses and do not approach the object. Tests of the device with such a number of channels

(n = 6) "loaded" to an EB of up to 30 m long showed that the mean power consumed from 220 V 50 Hz mains does not exceed 4.0 W. This is half the value adopted by the fire-prevention inspectorate organs as a safe level for electrical appliances (not subject to special checking) . A further increase in the number of channels almost will not change this characteristic, whereas the deratization costs will increase smoothly and inessentially.

In the development of the source of stabilized power supply 14 standard schematic design solutions were used (see, e.g., R. Traister and J. Mayo, "44 Electric Power Sources for Amateur Electronic Devices", Moscow, Energoatomizdat, 1990, p. 142 (Russian translation) ) .

The CEK and TSD may be the same as in the most relevant prior art.

The method of producing electrical effect on living organisms used in the claimed device is patented by the authors (RU No. 2084959, G08B 13/22, 15/00, 1994) in another field of application. The essence of this method is in an electrical action on the living organism with a pulse current of recharging its capacity in accordance with a single-wire circuit. High- voltage current pulses contain at least two opposite-polarity half-waves which provide an effective action even in the absence of direct contact with the "earth" or return wire. An attempt to touch an electrified object brings about a complex

(audio-visual, painful and convulsive) repulsive effect.

Medico-biological investigations established that this effect is not dangerous to life of animals; habituation to it is absent.

The present invention offers the following indisputable advantages: simplicity and reliability of the electric power supply system in combination with a very low electric power consumption: in the limit of 0.002 W per square meter of the technical basement area of multiple-entrance dwelling houses, reliably protected against rodents; the ensured repulsive effect is non-lethal to rodents and safe to the health of the service personnel; the application of the device does not interfere with the organization of jobs in the protected premises and does not reduce their useful areas.

The electrified barriers feature: the possibility of being mounted on horizontal and vertical smooth, convex or concave surfaces of objects manufactured from dielectric or current-conducting materials; a high stability of the structure to adverse external mechanical effects (stepping upon or running over with a hand truck wheel, etc.); a high stability to a high-voltage (to 25 kV) breakdown of the surface at increased humidity and dust content, this being very important under the conditions of technical basements, tunnels, etc.; a simple and cheap manufacturing technology, which enables their continuous production by serially adopted processes on conventional equipment. The absence of continuous electrification of the linear electrodes of the EB provides an n-fold reduction of the energy acting on the service personnel in the case of casual contact, increasing the electrical safety respectively, without lowering the effectiveness of action on rodents. Investigations carried out by the authors of the invention have established that even the response time even to an expected effect in mammals is at least 0.18 s. A pause (1—2 s) between packs (0.2 s) of the electrical-action pulses is not sufficient for the rodent to casually race past the EB, but it is sufficient for the rodent to retire to a safe distance.

Hence, the proposal offers two novel more perfect solutions in the range of technical devices for combating rodents. The electrical deratizator has a sufficiently simple design, it is economically expedient as regards electric power requirements, safe to human health in operation, irreproachable as regards ecological and fire safety, and, being highly efficient, it does not require additional expenditures for health servicing the protected objects.

In accordance with the invention, the proposed deratization device with electrified barriers possesses a set of the following properties: an essential increase in the object area protected by one device — to 2000 square meters with a reduction in the electric power consumption (units of watts) ; a high fire safety owing to a reduction of heat losses; universality when mounting EBs on surfaces of different orientation and configuration: on vertical and horizontal smooth, convex or concave surfaces of objects manufactured from both dielectric and current-conducting materials; high manufacturability in making and mounting EBs, which enables their serial production on conventional equipment; minimized size of the EB body, with the provision of a high stability to high-voltage breakdown of its surface at increased humidity and dust content, this being very important under the conditions of technical basements, tunnels, etc.; a high stability of the EB structure to mechanical loads (stepping upon or running over with a hand truck wheel, etc.).

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. An electrical deratizator comprising a body from a dielectric material with high-voltage contact linear electrodes secured thereon, connected by an electric power supply system to a primary power supply source, the electric power supply system comprising connected in series: a diode, a charging resistor, a power capacitor and a time-setting device coupled to the primary power supply source through a two-pole contactor; coupled parallel to the power capacitor is a circuit comprising connected in series: a high-voltage transformer primary and a controlled electronic key, said high-voltage transformer secondary being connected with one tap to the primary and with a free tap to the high-voltage linear electrodes, CHARACTERIZED in that the electric power supply system is provided with additional circuits consisting of connected in series: a high-voltage transformer primary and a controlled electronic key coupled parallel to a power transformer, and with a shaper of packets of control pulses, whose input is connected to the control output of the time- setting device, and the outputs of the shaper are coupled to the control outputs of the corresponding electronic keys.

2. A device according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the number (n) of the shaper outputs when introducing (n - 1) additional circuits into the electric power supply system is defined by the expression:

T n = 1 + ^ae

T r where T_ae ,s is the permissible time of absence of the linear contact electrode electrification in accordance with the condition that the protective barrier is not overcome by the rodent; T_p ,s is the mean time of rodent's response to the electrical effect.

3. A device according to claims 1, 2, CHARACTERIZED in that the electric power supply system is provided with a source of stabilized power supply for the shaper of packets of control pulses and with a device for lowering heat losses, which comprises a second charging resistor, a relay controlling the latter, a step-down transformer whose primary is inserted in series into the power supply circuit of the time-setting device, an input of the of stabilized power supply for the shaper and the winding of the second charging resistor controlling relay being coupled to the outputs of said step-down transformer secondary, the make contact of said controlling relay and the second charging resistor series- connected thereto being coupled in parallel to the first charging resistor.

4. An electrified barrier for the deratization device, comprising a body from dielectric material and a linear contact electrode disposed in grooves provided therein, CHARACTERIZED in that the body is made in the form of a profiled extended flexible body of a constant cross-section, provided with longitudinal grooves, the groove for accommodating the linear contact electrode being made from the side opposite to the bearing surface.

5. An electrified barrier according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that it is provided with a resilient grip for fixing on the bearing surface, formed by a shaped groove on the bottom side of the body.

6. An electrified barrier according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that it is provided with a with a longitudinal through hole for flexible fittings to provide a possibility for fixing on a convex closed surface.

7. An electrified barrier according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that the body is made stable to a high- voltage breakdown by creating a developed surface with at least two longitudinal grooves on both sides of the groove for the linear contact electrode.

8. An electrified barrier according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that elastic thermoplastics are preferably used as the dielectric material.

9. An electrified barrier according to claims 4, 8, CHARACTERIZED in that the body is made by extrusion, casting or stamping.

10. An electrified barrier according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that the linear contact electrode is made from metal or from current-conducting foil, or from metallized film, or from carbon-filled plastics.