WO2015156694A2 - Ergonomic beehive - Google Patents

Abstract

The "Ergonomic beehive" invention, part of "means and product" field solves time, effort and efficiency problems in apiary activities. The invention refers to the construction and operation of a vertical beehive, executed entirely of softwood with some hardwood elements, and which consists of multiple parts: cover (I), storeroom (II) nest (III) and reversible bottom (IV), joined together with conjugated profiles, that have blocking elements, flexible clamps system, hinge system elements for folding down in working position at 45-90 degrees angles, between the functional parts cover- storeroom, cover and storeroom-nest or cover-nest, when is not working with storeroom, nest folding down system with storeroom and cover in relation to folding bottom, brindle joint system, all parts blocking at different angles with adjustable size grip chain;the beehive has a folding flying board hooked to the reversible bottom with a hinge system having wood dowels inside for blocking the nest and storeroom's frames at the bottom.. The "Ergonomic beehive" invention solves the following issues: - minimizes intervention time at beehive - diminishes stress among bee family and offers transport safety - increased productivity with lesser effort per beehive unit - possibility of intervention in all apiary in short time, minimizing and even eliminating losses due to bee swarming, diseases, pests, the queen bee's death, lack of food, etc.

Description

Ergonomic beehive

This invention is referring to a vertical beehive made of wood with construction and operation implementation.

Currently there are various types ofknown and used apiaries with wooden parts, combination wood - plastic elements, or polyurethane.

In case of the apiaries known as vertical apiaries, the structural subassemblies are: cover (I), storeroom (II) nest (III) and bottom (IV), which include a series of accessories, usually metallic, installed on the outside of the beehive. The currently known and used beekeeping hives have the following disadvantages:

- it is known that the intervention time in aa family of bees, in order to make routine checks, but especially to preventbee swarming, is at least 20 to 30 minutes. The intervention consists in removing the cover and the storeroom, removingthe frames one by onefor inspection, because the space between frames does not allow visualization without removing the frames, and queen bee cellsfor swarmingare usually built at the bottom of the frame. In the case of an apiary with 200 bee colonies, the last hive gets to be checkedfor itscondition after 8-10 days.time in which the swarming has occurred, or the family hasn't been working as it prepares to swarm. Thus, not interrupting this phenomenon in time, leads to weakening of the hive, decreased production, and therefore to quite significant losses per unit of hive. In general, checking the health condition, queen's condition, brood, honey, and the available food quantity, under the current operating conditions and exploitation of theexisting hive models, is a time consuming process, interventions, where necessary, should be late most times.

- it is known that the activity of cleaning and disinfecting the bottom of the hive is performed in the early spring and requires about 20-30 minutes, given that the outside temperature is low, affecting the bee family, as well as the use of chemical disinfection and pest control, thus harming the bees. This action is done by scrubbing with a stiff brush, use of chemicals for pest control and disinfection, washing with water and drying, with a long period of time required.

- it is known thatat harvest.you must transport the hive, which should be well prepared and bound between its elements (cover, storerooms, nest), to assure transport safety.This preparation in terms of beehive used, requires more time and effort. During transportation, considering the roads, frames can oscillate, since they are just placed on a side of the wall and the weight of those filled with honey leads to uncontrolled movements, hitting each other and ultimately to killing a significant number of bees.

The purpose of our invention is to minimize the intervention period of time in a family of bees in common work, to be effective and operative with minimal effort, to eliminate the shortcomings found in current models of hives, to create conditions that could ease preparation and to assure safe transportation to the hive.

Problems that are solved by the invention:

- To be able to quickly check on timethe condition of the hive (power of the hive, the status of juveniles, the quantities of honey and wax, any diseases or pests, queen condition, additional food needs of certain periods of the year, etc. ).

- Can transport bee hive and family safe with minimal time and effort preparing the hive.using the hive locks assemblies (lid, storerooms, nest, bottom), blocking frames in the hive, using dowels mounted on the bottom of the frame, reducing losses of bees killed by moving and hitting the frame during transport and eliminating bees' stress during transport, by creating a way out space in front of the bee entrance with natural lighting.

- To eliminate any accidental loss by overthrowing the hive as locking fasteners and creates a single block.

- Minimum effort

- Increased efficiency

- Minimum intervention time

- Minimum disturbance on bee family

- Increased production

- Transport safety.

The invention applies only to beehives.

FIG. 1 shows the fully assembled hive, front view, having visible the folding elements - hinges, element "a", mounted on the cover (I), storeroom (II) and nest (lll)subassemblies; FIG. 2 shows the fully assembled hive, right lateral view, with flight plank presentation, having visible the locking elements - clips, , element "c" and locking chain, , element "b" .folding element "e";

Figure 3, shows the fully assembled hive, left lateral view, having visible the elements of restraint, elements "c" and flight plank;

FIG. 4 shows the fully assembled hive, rear view, , with visible safety elements, elements "c" and folding element "e";

FIG. 5 shows the fully assembled hive, side view, , with folded flight board (V) during transportation, with visible items "b" and "c";

FIG. 6 presents how the invention works on the cover, by folding, side view, showing parts "b" and "c";

FIG. 7 is shown how the invention works on storeroomof the hive together with the beehive cover.by folding, side view, components "b" and "c";

FIG. 8 shows how the invention works on the hive's nest, by folding together with the storeroom and cover, side view, items "b" and "c";

FIG. 9 presents the blocking elements of the frames from the store room and nest, inside view elements "d".

All these being optimized and made more efficient by the hive's design and use of hinge systems, hook-and-eye

hinge, chains and blocking systems, that allow the folding of the hive's subassemblies(cover, nest). The vertical bee hive according to the present invention is the one used in beekeeping activities, and whichconsists of bodies (cover, storeroom, bees nest , bottom), made of wood, with securing and clamping elements, joined together by perimeter profiles of the male-femaletype. The bodies are made of various wooden elements, assembled using specific methods, to which a series of accessoriesis added, usually metallic, such as: hinges, handles, quoins , locks, packaging rods, flight board, accessories that are mounted on the outer surfaces of the hive.

Our invention uses some of these items, but brings new methods of folding the assemblies (cover, storeroom) using hook-and-eye

hinges(items "a") and folded position safety chains (items "b"), at angles of 45 to 90 degrees, of folding of the nest, along with storeroom

andcover based on a brindle joint system(element "e"), use of a

reversible bottom, as well as a folding and removable flight board. All fastening and safety elements are attached to the hive in

therecessedposition, in order not to create difficulties in case of transport. The hinges used for the folding of the cover, storeroom subassemblies,arehook-and-eye

hinges, to enable to detach and replace the subassembly, or for its disposal , as a in the case of the repository, whenduring winter is detached from the hive. Blocking the folded subssemblies with chains is necessary in order to perform various works such as: supplementary feeding before the harvesting begins (in spring), or during harvest, when the food for bees the area is scarce; or the intervention shall be made on the frame from the nest, at the bottom of which are located the queen cells that have to be removed in order to stop the activity of a possible swarming. For the folding of the nest, together with the lid, or together with the storeroom and cover, a brindle joint systemis

used,which are executed on hardwood elements, in order to withstand the folding process with rounded edges at the shoulder of the nest, and the blocking at folding is done with the same chain system. The folding systems hook-and-eyehinges-brindle joint are mounted-performed at the front of the hive, because the folding of the subassemblies is done towards the front, and the necessary activities to be performed are executed from behind the hive, which allowsthe bees' activity not to be disturbedto much, and the beekeeper will not be bothered by the bees, which are able to continue their entry-exit activity in the hive, without problems caused bythe beekeeper interposing between them and the bee entrance. The bottom is designed such as to allow it to be turned (reersible) and used on both sides, without the need to clean it, cleaning that is naturally done with minimal beekeeper intervention, especially when this is done during spring, when temperatures are low. Bottom side items are made in mirror ,as compared to their longitudinal axis, having a ditch in the front side of the lateral elements, on which the nest is folding, and perimetrally thefemale profile, which combines with the male profile of the nest, with securing of the nest at thebottom with side attachments. The flight plank is attachedin front of the bottom board through a hinge system type hook-and-eye

hingeswhich becomes foldable, during transport and detachable when the pollen collector is attached to the hive. The flight board is so constructed that by folding it creates a space in front of the bee entrance where light penetrates, but bees may not leave the hive. This is done using slits, for light and ventilation and wooden elements, placed at the edges of the flight board, which create an enclosed space for the bees. In this way during transportation bees can leave and return to the hive, which leads to elimination of the stress caused by a long drive when moving from one melliferous base to another. The present invention also provides frame securing elements (elements "e") in the nest and storeroom, made of wood as dowels, incorporated into the nest or storeroom on front and rear wall, towards the base of the frames, which leads to their blocking and eliminates oscillation during transportation, hitting each other and killing the bees.

Claims

- Folding system components of the hive, folding cover - hive, folding repository with hive cover, through the hinge system type hook-and-eye hinges.with the possibility of detaching each element of the beehive (cover, storeroom , nest, reversible bottom) and nest folding system, along with storeroom and cover, throughbrindle joint system, with the reversible bottom as support and operation of all elements of the nest at angles of 45-90 degrees by locking with safety chains;

- Reversible bottom with side locking elements, brindle joint system for folding the whole hive, flying plank fasteners and folding through a hinge system;

- Detachable flight board, for replacing it with pollen collector, and foldable through the hinge system to create an outside space of nest, illuminated by light slits cut in the boards, in the case of transporting the hive;

- Wooden dowels spacers, incorporated in storerooms and nest, for blocking the frames, especially during transportation.