Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FLY TRAP WITH TWO OR MORE DIRECTIONAL LIGHT PATTERNS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an illuminated trap that
can attract flying insects and immobilize the insects
within a trap housing. The trap uses a housing to
enclose an insect attractant light. The housing and
cooperative internal reflecting surfaces form a
multidirectional pattern of light on a flat mounting
surface such as a wall or ceiling. The pattern can
contain one, or two, three or more, overlapping or non-
overlapping, light displays positioned generally in
arbitrary directions. In a bidirectional trap, the
direction of the light from the displays on the flat
mounting surface are positioned at 180° apart. Such a
configuration can increase capture rates. In other
traps with three or more light displays the light
patterns can be positioned at regular intervals or
positioned arbitrarily. The invention also relates to a
flying insect trap using illumination in a pattern
substantially surrounding the trap to attract flying
insects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of flying insect traps using attractant
- light sources have been proposed in the prior art. The
Insect-0-Cutor fly traps made by I-0-C use an exposed
bulb with a high voltage electrocuting systems. Pickens
and Thimijan disclose exposed UV-emitting light sources
and electrified grids for trapping and electrocuting
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flying insects. Another trap system generally uses
frontally or horizontally exposed ultraviolet black
lights for attracting insects to the trap. In the trap
the insect lands on an electric grid in the rear of the
cabinet. The grid provides a low voltage pulse that
causes the insect to fly down onto a nontoxic adhesive
trapping board. The captured insect can then be
disposed with the removable adhesive sheet. Similarly,
Grothaus et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,126, discloses an
exposed bulb adhesive trap. Lazeroni, Sr. et al., U.S.
Pat. No. Des. 325,954, discloses a generally front
facing exposed bulb trap. Aiello et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,959,923, is related to Lazzeroni, Sr. et al., U.S.
Pat. No. Des. 325,954, using ultraviolet light source
pulsed electricity to stun insects and an adhesive trap.
Similarly, Gilbert insect light traps use exposed bulbs
and generally front facing entry spaces for fly trapping
purposes. Such traps attract pests to the front of the
trap using light directed into a room away from the
trap. Hollingsworth and Hartstack, Jr. disclose data
relating to the efficiency of a variety of components of
exposed bulb fly traps.
Larkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,501, and the ARP Venus
FlyliteTM system disclose an attractant light source.
The light source and its housing are hinged on a wall
attachment means such that the unit can be used in
either a vertical mode wherein the light source is
parallel to the vertical surface and is placed at an
angle of 90° to the horizontal surface perpendicular to a
vertical surface. In this so called invisible mode,
used during business hours, the trap is designed to
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..
.. ..
maintain the operational components of the fly trap away from the detection.
The tly
trap can be placed in a "turbo" mode wherein the light source and housing are
perpendicular to the vertical surface and horizontal to the floor (or at an
angle greater
than 90° to the vertical surface) thus exposing the light directly to
view at the
installation site which is asserted to increase insect attraction.
White, U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,822, discloses flying insect unit comprising a
rectangular housing enclosing a light source and an adhesive trapping surface.
The
housing components are either parallel to or perpendicular to the vertical
mounting
surface. Nelson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690, show a housing forming a
pattern of
insect attractant light on a mounting surface.
Morisset, U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,610 discloses an insect-killing device which
projects ultraviolet light onto a diatoma-faced panel. No particular light
pattern is
formed. Parks, U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,629 discloses an insect trap consisting
essentially of a light source suspended over a layer of a petroleum liquid
floating on
water.
BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE INVENTION
We have developed an improved Vying insect trap that utilizes an improved
and surprisingly effective display of radiated and reflected light directed in
at least
two overlapping or non-overlapping directions. The display can project two
attractive light patterns on a planar mounting surface such as a wall or a
ceiling
which are directed in opposite directions from the trap. Further, the
invention can
involve forming a display of three light patterns on the planar surface. Each
pattern
directed to form non-overlapping patterns at a 120° spacing. Further,
the light trap
of the invention can contain four distinct patterns formed on the planar
surface at
approximately 90° intervals around the
AMENDED SHEET
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housing. Further, such a trap can project five, six,
seven or more distinct patterns from a central housing
to form an attractive light pattern on a planar surface.
A further embodiment of the flying insect trap of this
invention is a trap that forms a continuous pattern of
light around and surrounding a central housing. The
shape of any light pattern from any of the embodiments
discussed can vary depending on the source of the insect
attracting light, the position of the trap and light
source, the size of the trap, the shape and reflectivity
of the internal components of the housing and the
geometry of the substantially planar mounting surface.
Based on the design attributes of the housing and any
reflecting surface within the housing, the shape of the
insect attracting light pattern on the wall can be
configured to any arbitrarily selected pattern such as a
roughly rectangular pattern, a roughly "fan-shaped"
pattern, roughly oval or elliptical patterns, or in a
substantially circular pattern. When using a housing
that forms a continuous pattern of light around the
housing, the housing can be circular, oval, triangular,
square, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc., the continuous
pattern of light can be formed using a substantially
circular light source such as a circular fluorescent
tube or can be formed by multiple light sources that
form the substantially continuous display using
overlapping light patterns.
We have found that the light, to be attractive in
most areas and installation sites, must have an
illumination level that is at least about five
footcandles within the attractive pattern formed on the
w. .
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wall. We have found that the illumination obtained by
the fly traps of this invention involve a housing that
is configured to ensure that the bulk of the radiant
energy emitted by the source of attracting light falls
5 on the substantially planar mounting surface (generally
a ceiling or wall surface) associated with the trap.
Close to the trap, the illumination can be quite high
from about 20 to about 50 footcandles of radiant light
energy or more with typical fluorescent tube sources.
As the distance between a measuring point and the fly
trap increases, the illumination decreases such that at
some point from the trap the illumination is less than
about 5 footcandles. Generally, the patterns of
attractive light can be a regular shape such as a
circular pattern, a square pattern or can be an
arbitrary or roughly triangular, rectangular, oval,
ellipsoidal, fan-shaped or circular, etc. in their
geometry. We have also found it important that the
insect immobilization surface be installed within the
housing and associated with the insect attractant light.
The insect pests tend to alight upon the vertical
mounting surface or fly directly into the trap. As the
insects either walk or fly into the trap, they tend to
fly to the insect attractant light and once in the trap,
by random flying or walking, movement will more than
likely be immobilized on the insect immobilization
surface. The internal reflecting surfaces of the
housing, freestanding or mounted, reflecting surfaces,
and other aspects of the trap add reflected light to
radiated light to form the attractive light patterns cn
the substantially planar mounting surface. We have
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found that the open entryway for the core access to the
insect immobilization means within the trap adjacent to
the pattern of light improves catching rates. The
flying insect traps of the invention are typically
mounted on a vertical planar such as a wall surface or a
substantially planar ceiling surface. The flying insect
trap should be mounted such that the entirety or a
substantial portion of the reflected and radiated light
can fall on the mounting surface to form an attractive
light pattern.
For the purpose of this application, the term
"multidirectional" flying insect trap can include both
insect traps that have two, three, four or more discrete
non-overlapping flying insect trapping patterns. The
term "multidirectional" can also include flying insect
traps that have two, three, four or more discrete but
overlapping patterns. As the number of patterns
increase, the patterns tend to fuse into overlapping
patterns and when the insect trap has a large number of
patterns, the patterns fuse into a substantially
continuous pattern that substantially surrounds the
trap. For the purposes of this application, the term
"continuous" indicates that the light from the trap is
directed in a pattern that illuminates the planar
mounting surface (such as a ceiling or a wall) in a
pattern that substantially surrounds the trap. Such a
substantially continuous pattern can include small
shadows arising from mounting brackets, light fixture,
wire or other electrical or mechanical aspects of the
housing, the mounting means, the lighting support
brackets or any other aspect of the invention. Further
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for the purpose of this application, the term
"substantially planar" indicates that the flying insect
trap of the invention can be successfully mounted on a
surface. Such surfaces can have some curvature such as
' 5 a circular or ellipsoidal post or column. However, as
long as the trap can be successfully mounted on such a
surface and can form the multidirectional light pattern,
such a surface can be considered substantially planar.
For the purpose of this application, when installed in
certain preferred orientations, the light inside the
trap cannot be viewed at a position normal to the trap.
The term "normal" indicates that the position of the
viewer is at a 90° angle with respect to the intersection
of two lines drawn on the mounting surface intersecting
at the trap at a 90° angle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figs. 1-7 are each an embodiment of the fly trap of
the invention. In each figure, the geometry of the trap
forms two or more patterns of light or a continuous
pattern of light surrounding the trap for insect
attraction. The figures further show the installation
of a source of insect attractant light and various
placements of the insect immobilization surface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The improved fly traps of the invention include a
housing, a source of insect attractant light and at
least one fly immobilization means. The housing can
contain two, three, four or more reflecting surfaces
that ensure the majority of the radiant light from the
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source of insect attractant light is radiated and
reflected to form the attractive light pattern on the
substantially planar mounting surface. The display of
light in an attractive pattern draws flies to the fly
trap. Flies tend to alight on the illuminated pattern,
the housing or other surfaces of the trap. The insect
immobilization surface is positioned to ensure that the
flying insect pest is likely immobilized within the trap
after it is attracted to the trap.
We have found that a part of the light that
radiates from the light source reflects from the
internal surface of the housing and any other reflecting
surfaces placed within the housing and appears on the
planar mounting surface with directly radiated light.
The reflected and radiated light form an attractive
pattern of light on the associated planar surface. The
housing either directs two or more distinct patterns of
light onto the reflecting surface or directs a pattern
of light that substantially surrounds the trap housing.
In a first mode of the trap of the invention, the
housing can contain one source of insect attractant
light and two reflecting surfaces that form opposed
(separated by 180° on the planar surface) reflected and
radiated patterns of insect attractant light. When
using one light source, the easiest trap to configure is
a trap having the directions of the attracting pattern
of light positioned in opposite directions, however, the
direction of the light in the pattern can be at any
arbitrary angle and can overlap or form separate
patterns. The angle can be as small as 10 or 15° or up to
180° in direction between the individual light path. The
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selection of housing including internal reflecting
surfaces and a source of insect attracting light must be
selected to ensure that the attractive light patterns
formed have at least five footcandles of energy in a
pattern. This surface light intensity or illumination
is important to maintain effective fly catch rates. In
an alternative embodiment, the bidirectional light trap
having two attractive light patterns can utilize two or
more sources of insect attracting light to ensure that
the illumination in or surface intensity of the
attractive light patterns is sufficient for effective
catch rates.
The second embodiment of the invention can include
one or more sources of insect attractant light and a
housing that cooperates with the light to form three
distinct patterns of insect attracting light on the
planar mounting surface. The housing can be triangular
and can be configured with respect to the insect
attractant light source such that the light patterns are
formed on the wall in patterns that are separated around
the housing by an angle of about 120°. The angles
between patterns can be less than 120°. Further, the
regular positioning of the light patterns around the
trap increases the surface area of the attractive light
patterns and also appears to increase or optimize
catching rates.
In a further embodiment of the invention, one or
more sources of insect attractant light, preferably four
sources, are positioned within a housing such that four
patterns of insect attractant light formed from radiated
and reflected light are positioned around the housing.
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The patterns of light are positioned at a 90° separation
of the direction of the patterns around the housing that
can take the form of a square or rectangle. The
geometry of this preferred housing embodiment of the
5 invention can provide two, three, four, five or more
distinct patterns of light arranged around a central
housing separated by a regular angle to create displays
of insect attractant light having an optimized area with
illumination greater than 5 footcandles of power.
10 As the number of areas of light increase, the
patterns in the display can fuse into a display of
insect attractant light arranged substantially
continuously around the housing. As a result, one
important embodiment of this invention is a flying
insect trap held within a housing that comprises a
circular, oval, ellipsoidal or other such housing that
cooperates with a source of insect attractant light that
forms an attractive pattern that surrounds the housing
with a pattern of insect attractant light. Depending on
the housing geometry, the shape of the light pattern can
be arbitrarily selected by the ordinary skilled artisan.
However, we have found that the preferred shape of the
light pattern is circular, oval, ellipsoidal, etc. in a
regular geometric shape in which the light pattern has
an illumination greater than 5 footcandles.
The housing can be mounted on a vertical planar
surface such as a wall or on a horizontal planar surface
such as a ceiling. The trap can be mounted such that a
portion of the insect attracting light falls on both a
wall and a ceiling surface or any other surface common
in the trapping environment. The light source useful in
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the insect attractant trap of the invention comprises at
least one source of ultraviolet light. Such sources are
engineered to provide a substantial quantity of
ultraviolet light but also can have some portion of the
reflected and radiated light that falls within other
portions of the electromagnetic spectrum other than
within the ultraviolet portion. Such light sources are
commonly incandescent or fluorescent electrically
energized light sources that can emit a broad spectrum
of wavelengths but are primarily optimized to emit
ultraviolet light. For the purposes of the invention,
ultraviolet light comprises electromagnetic radiation
having wavelengths between about 400 nm and 4 nm that
have been found attractive to flying insect pests. The
light sources commonly provide from about 0.5 to about
100 watts of light output preferably the light provide
from about 0.5 to about 75 watts or more. Preferred
light sources are fluorescent light sources having
sufficient wattage to form an attractive light pattern
having an illumination of greater than about 5
footcandles. The trap can use a single source or two or
more sources horizontally vertically or diagonally
arranged in the housing. The light source can be linear
or curvilinear (e.g.,circular or oval or ellipsoidal) in
shape or configuration and can also be the newer
fluorescent tubes that are screwed into a screw type
incandescent bulb type socket known as screw-in compact
fluorescent bulbs. Such tubes can be used with housings
adapted for their particular bulb geometry.
The light source or sources are substantially
enclosed within a housing having an internal reflective
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surface. In the preferred housings, when the housing is
installed in a fly catching environment, the occupants
of the environment are typically not exposed to the
direct radiation of the light. Accordingly, the housing
substantially surrounds the source of insect attractant
light preventing view from individuals in the
environment while optimizing the size of the attractive
light pattern on the planar mounting surface. Further,
the housing while enclosing the source of insect
attractant light acts as a entryway for flying insect
pests. Accordingly, the opening should have a
substantial area and not act as a barrier to the entry
of the insect pests or to keep such pests from becoming
immobilized on the insect immobilization surfaces within
the trap. The housing can be configured with the light
pattern of the trap positioned at any arbitrary angle to
the vertical. The housing can be positioned such that
the direction of a light pattern from a source onto a
planar surface has a vertical orientation, or any other
angle arbitrary selected during trap installation.
The light traps of this invention form two or more
insect attracting light patterns on the vertical
mounting surface. While the patterns may be displayed
on the planar surface at regular intervals around the
trap, the patterns can be formed on the mounting surface
at virtually any relative angle.
The light source is substantially enclosed within a
housing having an internal reflective surface.
The housing can take virtually any arbitrary shape
consistent with using the housing or reflecting surfaces
to reflect and radiate light onto the mounting surface
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to attract flying insects. The housing can be regular
shape including a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a
parallelogram, a circle, an oval, an ellipse, a teardrop
shape, a star shape, or can be an irregular or amorphous
w 5 shape.
The housing is commonly made from commonly
available structural materials including a filled or
unfilled thermoplastic such as polystyrene,
polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate
(PET polyester), poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene),
etc.; metallic materials such as aluminum, magnesium or
related alloys, steel, stainless steel or other related
ferrous alloys; wood or wood products; reinforced
thermoplastics or thermosetting materials; paperboard,
pressed paperboard, corrugated paperboard and virtually
any other material that can form a housing with
sufficient structural integrity such that the housing
can withstand installation, bulb maintenance,
installation and removal of the insect immobilization
surfaces, cleaning and other maintenance or attention.
The interior of the housing can be highly or at
least partially reflective. The housing can be made
from a brilliant white, white or off-white material that
can reflect the incident radiation to form a pattern.
Such materials can be formed with internal pigments such
as titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate or other white
mineral that tends to reflect a major proportion of the
incident radiation. Further, the housing can be painted
or coated with reflective materials. A number of highly
reflective white paints can be used that reflect
substantially all the ultraviolet incident radiation.
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Further, metallic surfaces can be introduced made from
thin sections of metal, metallized polyester, or any
other shiny metallic surface. Specific examples of such
reflective layers are aluminum foil, metallized
polyester, bright-white reflective panels containing a
substantial proportion of titanium dioxide white
pigment, silvered glass mirrors or other related highly
reflective surfaces.
A housing can also contain at least one insect
immobilization means. For the purpose of this invention
the term "insect immobilization means" includes any
device or surface that can prevent flies from exiting
the fly trap after entry. Such immobilization means can
include pesticides in the form of a pesticidal surface,
layer or trap, active and passive mechanical traps,
liquid traps into which the flies become immersed,
adhesive layers to which the flies become adhered,
pressure sensitive adhesive layers, high or low voltage
electric grids or other such means that can trap
immobilized, kill or dismember the insect pests. The
immobilization means can be installed on the housing,
the mounting surface or in any location adjacent to the
attractive light or light pattern.
A preferred insect immobilization means for purpose
of this invention comprises a pressure sensitive
adhesive surface. The most preferred surface comprises
a highly tacky pressure sensitive adhesive surface that
immobilizes the fly substantially if the fly comes into
contact with any portion of the surface. The pressure
sensitive adhesive surface can be made from a variety of
known pressure sensitive adhesive materials that are
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highly tacky to the touch. One such known adhesive is
the tangle trap adhesive made by The Tanglefoot Company.
The positioning of the insect immobilization means
within the housing is a design choice. The means can be
5 positioned at virtually any location within the trap
available to the flying insect pest. The pest can
either fly into the trap or alight on the vertical
mounting surface or on the housing and can then walk or
be carried into the insect immobilization means by the
10 operation of the trap. The preferred pressure sensitive
adhesive trapping surface can be positioned within the
trap on the vertical mounting surface, on the housing,
on a trapping surface mounted directly adjacent to the
source of insect attracting light or at any other
15 position within the trap that is frequented by flying
insect pests attracted to the pattern formed on the
adjacent planar surface. The traps of the invention can
include an insect attractant chemical. Such chemicals
are typically organic materials that are at least
somewhat volatile and are products arising from typical
insect food sources or comprise a pheromone mixture
directed to specific insect pests known to populate the
trap environment.
The insect trap generally or the insect
immobilization surface specifically can also contain an
effective amount of an insecticide. A variety of non-
volatile insecticides in formulated compositions are
known to be effective against flying insects and most
can be used. The preferred insecticide for use in the
invention is a non-volatile formulated insect
composition that is adapted to kill insect pests on
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contact. Such non-volatile insect pest compositions are
not released into the trap environment. Such materials
can include pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticide
compositions. Such materials can be blended or
formulated into the pressure sensitive adhesive on the
insect immobilization surface or can be separately
installed in a location within the trap.
The preferred mode of construction of the insect
trap of the invention involves a geometry of the
reflecting surface or surfaces in the trap that forms
two, three, four, five or more discrete areas of
attractant light, up to a housing that displays a
continuous light pattern around the housing. The
majority of the references in the prior art, however,
are designed to direct their attractant light into the
environment surrounding the light and not by radiating
and reflecting the light onto a planar mounting surface
adjacent to the trap. Nelson et al., U.S. Patent No.
5,365,690 shows a trap that forms a single insect
attracting pattern on an adjacent wall surface.
We have proposed an improved geometry of a housing
over the prior art traps such that the attractancy of
the light pattern produces greater than expected catch
rates. By positioning two, three, four, five or more
insect attractive light patterns around a housing up to
an insect attractive pattern that surrounds the housing
in its entirety, substantially improved catch rates can
be achieved. The internal geometry of the housing, and
any internal reflective surface within the housing
either mounted on the housing surface or installed
adjacent to a source of light can be positioned with
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respect to the mounting surface at an angle normal to
the surface to ensure that the pattern of light formed
by the housing contains a substantial amount of light.
The insect traps of the invention can include a
protective covering or grille over the opening to the
housing. Such grilles are configured from wire or
plastic meshes such that the flying insect pests can
enter the trap but the grille or mesh does not
substantially reduce the amount of light formed into the
attractive pattern on the wall. For the purpose of this
invention, grids or screens having a dimension
sufficiently large to permit entry of insects, but can
exclude larger objects while providing no substantial
barrier to the reflection or radiation of light from the
trap can be used. Such screens or grids can be made
from a variety of materials including transparent,
translucent or opaque materials. Such materials include
metallic wires, synthetic or naturally occurring fiber
threads, thermoplastic grids, grilles, expanded metal,
wire screens, etc.
The insect trap of the invention can be placed on a
horizontal substantially planar surface. Such surface
can be adjacent to a second wall surface, adjacent to a
ceiling surface or any other internal surface of the fly
trap environment. Placement of the fly trap such that
the trap can display a maximum area of light having
greater than 5 footcandles illumination can ensure
optimal catching rates. Such light can be reflected and
radiated onto adjacent wall or ceiling surfaces without
substantial reduction in trapping rates.
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We have also found in our research and development
that a contrasting color or apparent edge effect where
the illumination abruptly terminates or falls on a dark
color can be attractive to flying insect pests. Very
often the contrast from a bright to a relatively darker
portion at a distinctive edge can be recognized by
flying insect pests and can be an attractive feature.
Such contrast or edge effects can be produced by using
sharply contrasting colors or textures in formation of
the trap and for regions of trap installation.
When the flying insect trap of the invention is
installed in a use environment, the trap includes
mounting means that can be used to fix the flying insect
trap of the invention onto a planar surface such as a
wall or ceiling. Such mounting means includes a
mechanical system that can support the weight of the
trap and can maintain the orientation of the trap and
ensure that the light forms useful attractive patterns
on the surface. Such traps can be fixed in place using
a variety of mounting hardware such as screws, bolts,
nails, clips, flanges, etc. or can be temporarily placed
in the use environment using velcro fasteners, pressure
sensitive adhesive pads, epoxy or urethane construction
adhesives, etc. An important characteristic of the
mounting means of the fly trap of the invention is a
selection of mounting means such that the trap is
securely mounted on the wall or ceiling surface to
receive the light from the trap to form an attractive
light pattern. Further, the wall can act to define the
opening of the fly trap.
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The illumination or source of attractant light can
be mounted directly in the housing or can be mounted to
the vertical walls or ceiling surface surrounded by the
housing. Preferably, the light trap is a unitary device
having the light, the reflecting surfaces and the insect
immobilization means fixed within the housing. However,
any portion of the attractant system can be mounted on
the vertical surface separate from the trap but
preferably within the housing. If assembled in a single
unit, the source of insect attracting light can be
placed in an optimal position with respect to the
housing and any optional additional reflecting surfaces
to maximize the area and illumination of the attractive
pattern. Similarly, the immobilization surface can be
fixed in any location within the housing. The
immobilization surface is preferably placed in location
within the housing where the immobilized insect pests
are hidden from view when viewed from the location of
individuals within the typical environment. Preferably,
the immobilization surfaces placed directly opposite the
opening of the trap through which light travels to form
the attractive surface pattern. Walking or flying
insect pests when entering the trap from any arbitrary
direction can then alight on the illuminated pattern, on
the housing or any other internal or external surface.
The insect immobilization surface is placed within the
trap in such a fashion that the typical fly attracted by
the light pattern will at some point enter the trap and
become fixed on the immobilization surface. The insect
trap housing comprises at least one reflecting surface
which can be associated with the internal surface of the
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housing. The reflecting surface can have a variety of
configurations with respect to the source of insect
attracting light. The lights can be positioned
vertically with respect to the reflecting surface such
5 that the light is effectively radiated and reflected
from the trap onto the mounting surface. The housing
designed for placement on a vertical or horizontal
surface can take a variety of shapes when viewed from
the exterior of the trap. The shape of the housing can
10 be arbitrarily selected while maintaining the internal
reflecting surfaces of the trap such that a
bidirectional, tridirectional, etc. light pattern can be
formed on the adjacent wall surface while maintaining an
arbitrary housing appearance that is generally circular,
15 oval, ellipsoidal, square, rectangular, triangular,
hexagonal, etc. The external surface or the internal
reflecting surfaces can be planar, curved, angled or can
be formed into any shape that does not prevent efficient
reflection of light onto the attractive pattern. The
20 location of the trap on the vertical (wall) surface or
on the ceiling is arbitrarily selected. The placement
can be in an area to which flies seem to be attracted in
the environmental area. Accordingly, the trap can be
mounted adjacent to windows, doors or ceiling fixtures
having attractive light. Further, the traps can be
placed adjacent to organic materials, or heat sources
that also are known insect attracting materials.
Typically, the insect traps of the invention are placed
at or above eye level in the environmental space. Such
placement is aesthetically appealing and does not
detract from capture rates.
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Experimental Section
Multiple Ultraviolet Light Pattern Experiment
Background and Objective
Ultraviolet light reflected and radiated onto a
wall, forming a single "light pattern", above the top
opening of an insect trap containing the source of
ultraviolet light, is attractive to flying insects (U. S.
Patents 5,365,690 and 5,505,017). This experiment
determines the effect multiple "light patterns" formed
through top, side and bottom openings has on attraction
of flying insects to an insect trap.
Method
1) Four Stealth Decora Tm fly traps are arranged
in two arrays in a test "Flight Room" on a vertical
mounting surface (white painted wall). A first array
has four traps, jointed in a square arrangement, with
the light patterns at right angles to an adjacent trap.
The traps are placed with the light patterns directed
away from the center of the arrangement. A second array
at a similar right angle placement has all trap's light
patterns directed to the center of the array.
2) Ultraviolet light source is one 9 watt lamp
(Osram Dulux S, 9W/78) in each Stealth Decora, giving a
total of 32 watts for the trap arrangements used.
3) A single control trap include a single Stealth
Decora with four 9 watt lamps (32 watts total).
4) House flies are released in the "Flight Room"
to provide a density of 0.1 fly per cubic foot and
allowed to acclimate for two hours, food provided.
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5) The above test arrangement and control settings
are run in a randomized complete block design, one
setting on the wall at a time.
6) Fly catch per half-hour is measured for each
setting,then the setting is changed to the next one as
called out in the randomized complete block design, and
fly catch per half-hour is measured for that setting,
etc.
7) At least four blocks are run to obtain at least
four replicates for each setting.
8) Mean and median fly catch per half-hour are
determined to evaluate setting performance.
Results
The first array is surprisingly effective in fly
catch when compared to the control.
DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a view of a bidirectional flying insect
trap of the invention as viewed when installed on a
substantially planar vertical wall surface. Figure 1
shows a bidirectional trap 100. The bidirectional trap
contains a housing portion 101 which encloses a lamp and
an immobilization strip. The housing 101 and lOla
cooperates with the lamp to form two attractive non-
overlapping light patterns 102 and 102a on walls 105 and
105a.
Figure 2 is an internal view of the housing 101 and
lOla of Figure 1 in a horizontal installation. In the
drawing is shown a trap generally at 200. In the inside
of the trap is shown a source of ultraviolet insect
attractant light shown as a fluorescent tube 102 held
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within a housing 101. An insect immobilization adhesive
strip 103 is shown inside the housing 101. The lamp and
the housing and the reflective surface 104 on the inside
of the housing provide a display of reflected and
radiated light 106 on the adjacent wall surface 105.
Figure 3 shows a wall mounted trap having four
overlapping patterns of flying insect attractant light.
In Figure 3, the trap 300 is generally shown. The trap
incorporates four fluorescent UV sources of insect
attractant light 301a, 301b, 301c, 301d. The lamps
cooperate with the housing 304 to produce the attractive
light patterns 302a, 302b, 302c, 302d.
Figure 4 is a side view of the flying insect trap
shown in Figure 3. The trap 300 comprises a housing 304
which encloses lamps 301. The lamp and the housing
cooperate to form the light pattern 302. The light
pattern is formed by light rays emitted by the
fluorescent bulb and concentrated on the substantially
planar mounting surface. The housing also conceals an
adhesive flying insect immobilization strip 303.
Figure 5 is a view of a triangular flying insect
pest trap 400 mounted on a planar vertical surface
(wall). The trap housing 404 conceals the fluorescent
insect attractant light emitting lamp 404 that
cooperates with the trap housing 404 to form the
attractive light patterns 402a, 402b, 402c. The trap
housing 404 also conceals an adhesive insect
immobilization surface 403 that uses a pressure
sensitive adhesive material to trap flying insect pests.
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Figure 6 is a view of a circular flying insect trap
installed on a ceiling 606. The trap 600 comprises a
curved housing 603. The curvature of the housing 603 is
generally away from the wall but can also be directed to
the wall. On the reverse side of the curved housing 603
is an insect immobilization adhesive sheet 601. The
housing 603 and electrical box 604 is attached to the
vertical mounting surface using a post not shown. The
box 604 also supports fluorescent electrical apparatus
and the fluorescent tubes 602 which emit the insect
attractant light that forms a pattern on ceiling 606.
Figure 7 is a side view of the flying insect trap
of Figure 6. The flying insect trap is mounted on the
ceiling surface 606 using electrical box 604 to fix the
housing 603 in place. On the reverse side of the
housing is the insect immobilization pressure sensitive
adhesive surface 601. Attached to the central
electrical box 604 are electrical fluorescent tube
driver equipment not shown and the fluorescent tubes
providing the insect attractant light 602. The light
from the lamps are directed onto the horizontal mounting
surface (wall) to form the attractive light pattern 605.
The above specification, drawings and experiment
provide a complete description of the manufacture and
use of the apparatus of the invention. Since many
embodiments of the invention can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,
the invention resides in the claims hereinafter
appended.
