Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INSECT CONTAINER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[001] In the pet industry, insects, such as crickets, are a common source of
food for snakes,
lizards, tarantulas, and other pets. Typically, the insects are supplied to
pet stores in large
numbers. Once in the pet store, the insects are stored in bins provided with
food, water, and
typically some sort of material on which to crawl and climb, such as egg
carton flats. In this
arrangement, it is common for insects, particularly jumping insects such as
crickets, to escape
from the bin. Also, it is difficult to assess the health of the insects once
they are placed in the
bins. Some insects, such as crickets, will tend to cannibalize their weaker
counterparts, and
the storage method tends to have a high die-off rate.
[002] Removal of the insects in the pet store is also inefficient. The pet
owner wanting to
buy a dozen insects must find a clerk to remove the insects from the bin.
Because the insects
jump and crawl about randomly, it is difficult to provide the pet owner with
an accurate
number of insects. Clerks tend to scoop into the bin, remove far more than the
required
number, and place them in a paper bag or similar container to give to the pet
owner. For the
pet store, the cost of giving the pet owner twice what he wants, or possibly
more, can become
expensive. At roughly 10 cents an insect, the equivalent of dollars a day can
easily be given
away due to inattention, inexperience, or indifference on the part of the
clerk.
[003] The pet owner, left holding the bag, must now return home to feed his
pet. Some
insects, such as crickets, are voracious eaters and will chew on anything that
lends itself to
being eaten. Paper and cardboard are easily chewed on and through by crickets,
for example.
Therefore, the pet owner must either dump all the insects into the terrarium
or other enclosure
holding his pet, or fmd some other container in which to store them. Dumping
all the insects
into the terrarium can be problematic because the pet may not require all the
insects to be fed
fully, leaving the rest of the insects to hop and crawl about, with the
potential that the insects
will escape from the enclosure and get into the house. If the pet owner
decides to dump only
some in, he must find a container in whichto store the remainder.
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[004] Many pet owners have neither the time nor the inclination to fashion a
container
suitable for the purpose of storing insects until such time as they are needed
for feeding to the
pet. Likewise, the same problems present in storing the insects in bins can
arise in placing the
insects into a container fashioned at home. If the pet owner has been sold a
great excess of
insects to the number actually required, the problems could be aggravated,
with the insects
tending to get sick and to devour weaker counterparts on a greater scale, due
to the lack of
space in the container.
[005] Because of these difficulties, many pet owners find themselves driving
to the pet store
several times a week to purchase a minimal number of insects, thus expending
time, using
gas, and putting wear and tear on their vehicle, all for the sake of feeding
their pet a few
insects on a regular basis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[006] There is therefore provided an insect container that simplifies the
purchase of insects
from a pet store, that permits storage of the insects for an extended period
of time, that allows
assessment of the health and vitality of the insects in a quick and easy
fashion, and that
prevents the insects from escaping prior to being fed to a pet.
[007] The insect container comprises a bottom, a top, and side walls
connecting between the
bottom and the top, the bottom of the container being impervious to insects,
internal dividing
walls separating the container into three or more sections, the internal
dividing walls
extending between the top and the bottom of the container, each internal
dividing wall
separating a pair of adjacent sections, and the top incorporating a closable
opening that is
locatable over any one of the sections.
[008] These and other aspects of the invention are set out in the claims,
which are
incorporated here by reference.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[009] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with
reference to the
figures, in which like reference characters denote like elements, by way of
example, and in
which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the insect container;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the insect container of Fig. 1 with a
removable lid;
Fig. 3 is a top view of the insect container;
Fig. 4 is a top view of the insect container of Fig. 3 with insects and
nutritional
components also shown;
Fig. 5 is a side view of the insect container;
Fig. 6A is a side view of the top divider of interlocking dividers;
Fig. 6B is a side view of the bottom divider of interlocking dividers; and
Figs. 7A to 7D are top views of the insect container showing the insect
removal
opening of the container aligned over different sections of the insect
container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[010] In the claims, the word "comprising" is used in its inclusive sense and
does not
exclude other elements being present. The indefinite article "a" before a
claim feature does
not exclude more than one of the feature being present. The phrase
"nutritional components"
refers to any substance suitable for providing an insect with nourishment for
sustaining the
insect, such as food and water, and is not limited to any particular kind of
food.
[011 J Fig. 1 shows an insect container 10 with a bottom 12, side walls 14,
and a top 16. As
shown in Fig. 2, the top 16 may be a lid that is removable. The container 10
also has an
internal divider 18 that extends between the side walls 14 upwardly from the
bottom 12 to
form sections 20, as shown in Fig. 3.. The internal divider 18 forms a plane
along the internal
divider 18 from the bottom 12 to the top 14 and has one or more gaps 22 that
allow insects 24
to move from one section 20 to another section 20.
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[012] A closable insect removal opening 26 with a cover 28 is located on the
top 16 of the
insect container 10. The insect removal opening 26 has a diameter greater than
the girth of
the insect 24 to permit the insect 24 to exit the insect container 10 through
the insect removal
opening 26 of the insect container 10. To prevent any unwanted escape from the
insect
container 10, the insect removal opening 26 is closable and may have a cover
28 that remains
in place over the insect removal opening when the pet owner does not want
insects 24 to exit
the insect container 10. The cover 28 is preferably made from a transparent
material having
an adhesive on one side, such as adhesive tape, to allow for repetitive
removal and
replacement over the insect removal opening 26. It should be understood that
the insect
removal opening 26 may be closable by other means than a cover 28 as
described, provided
the insect removal opening 26 remains locatable over any section 20 of the
container 10.
[013] As shown in the figures, the insect container 10 preferably has
perforations 30 that
permit the flow of air into the insect container 10. The perforations 30 also
provide traction
for crawling insects 24, thus providing a greater surface area on which the
crickets 24 may
crawl. The perforations 30 allow more insects 24 to be stored in a smaller
container than
would otherwise be possible if the side walls 14 of the insect container 10
were completely
smooth, as would be the case if the insect container 10 were made out of
plastic or metal. The
perforations 30 also help to reduce the stress on the insects 24, which would
otherwise
scrabble at the side walls 14 if the side walls 14 Were smooth. The
perforations 30 are
preferably punched into the insect container 10 such that the perforations 30
protrude slightly
into the inside of the insect container 10 to make it easier for the insects
24 to climb on the
side walls 14. The perforations 30 should be spaced so that the insects 24 can
crawl and
climb on the side walls 14 without difficulty. If the perforations 30 are
spaced too far apart,
the insects 24 will not be able to crawl and climb on the side walls 14, in
which case, the
insects 24 will become crowded on the bottom 12 of the insect container 10 and
become more
stressed, reducing the longevity and health of the insects 24 within the
insect container 10.
[014] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the internal divider 18 forms four
sections 20, or
quadrants. It should be understood that the internal divider 18 could be any
shape capable of
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dividing the container 10 into at least two sections 20. Dividing the insect
container 10 into
sections 20 keeps the nutritional components such as food 32 and water gel 34
separated,
which helps to reduce odor in the insect container 10, formation of mold, and
spoilage of the
food 32. The diameter of the insect removal opening 26 is also preferably wide
enough to
permit the addition of nutritional components such as food 32 and water gel
34. The water
gel 34 may be of the type of crystal readily available in pet stores that,
once hydrated,
contains adequate moisture for the insects 24. Water gel is also preferred
because water gel
will not spread throughout the bottom of the container 10 or be absorbed as
easily by the
internal dividers 18, which otherwise could lead to mold and odor problems.
Also, water gel
will not drown insects. The food 32 could be any sort of grain, vegetable
matter, fruit, or
other food suitable for the insects 24. Preferably, the food 32 is dry to
prevent the
development of mold and to reduce odor coming from the container 10.
[015] The internal divider 18 does not need to extend between the side walls
14 of the
container 10 from the bottom 12 of the container 10 to the top 16 of the
container 10, though
this is preferred. For example, if the internal divider extended upwardly
roughly half way up
the side walls of the container, the remaining space above the internal
divider would form a
gap permitting insects to move between sections in the container. However, as
shown in a
preferred embodiment in Fig. I, the internal divider 18 divides the container
IO into sections
substantially from the bottom 12 to the top 16 of the container 10. This is
preferred because
the internal divider 18 then provides stability to the container 10 and is
less likely to shift
inside the container 10. If the internal divider 18 is substantially the full
height of the
container 10, the internal divider 18 also provides more surface area for
insects 24 to crawl
on, and also makes it easier for the insects 24 to exit out of the insect
removal opening 26 in
the top 16 of the insect container 10.
[016] As shown in Fig. 5, the internal divider I8 is preferably a modified X-
shape as viewed
from the side with triangular-shaped gaps 22 cut from the edges of the
internal divider 18.
The edges of the internal divider 18 substantially conform to the bottom 12,
side walls 14, and
top 16 of the internal container I0. As shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, the internal
divider may be
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formed of two interlocking internal dividers 18A and 18B, in which case slots
36A and 36B
may be cut into the internal dividers 18A and 18B, with internal divider 18A
fitting on top of
internal divider 18B, the internal dividers 18A and 18B being perpendicular to
each other
once fitted together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
[017] The internal dividers are preferably made of cardboard because the
cardboard provides
a slightly textured surface that permits insects 24 to crawl on the side walls
of the internal
dividers 18, as shown in Fig. 1. Cardboard can also be chewed on by the
insects 24, which is
preferred, since the cardboard provides the insects 24 with something on which
to chew,
reducing stress and the likelihood the insects 24 will chew on each other.
[018] As shown in Figs. 7A to 7D, the insect removal opening 26 is locatable
over any
section 20 of the insect container 10. The ability to locate the insect
removal opening 26 over
any section 20 enables the pet owner to add food 32, as in Fig. 7A or water
gel 34, as in Fig.
7B, or to align the insect removal opening 26 above a section 20 containing
the desired
amount of insects. For example, if only a few insects 24 need to be let out of
the insect
container 10, the insect removal opening 26 can be aligned over a section with
few insects 24,
as in Fig. 7C. If a number of insects 24 need to be let out of the container,
the insect removal
opening 26 can be aligned over a section with numerous insects 24, as in Fig.
7D. It should
be understood that the cover 28 needs to be removed from the insect removal
opening 26 to
add nutritional components or allow insects 24 to exit from the insect
container 10.
[019] The insect container 10 is preferably made out of plastic and is
transparent. Plastic
cannot be chewed through by the insects 24, and if the container 10 is made
out of a
transparent material, the pet store operator or the pet owner can easily
assess the health and
vitality of the insects 24. Some insects, such as crickets, prefer conditions
with reduced light.
Therefore, if a completely transparent plastic is used, it is preferable to
keep the insect
container 10 out of direct sunlight. It would be possible to make the insect
container 10 out of
an opaque or translucent plastic material for the bottom 12 and side walls 14,
and a top 16 or
lid made out of transparent plastic, for example, if some light reduction were
deemed more
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desirable. However, the more opaque the material becomes, the more difficult
it is for the pet
store operator or pet owner to assess the health and vitality of the insects,
as well as the
location of the insects within the container.
[020] The insect container may be any size suitable for the purpose. If the
insect container
is intended to house crickets, for example, a 500 mL, or 16 oz., container has
been found
suitable for 25 to 50 crickets, and a 1 L, or 32 oz., container has been found
suitable for 75 to
100 crickets. It should also be understood that the insect container may be
any shape, but a
generally cylindrical shape is preferred. Also, the insect container may be
made out of any
suitable material, but plastic is preferred.
[021 ] The insect container provides a housing for insects from the time the
insects leave the
supplier to the time they are fed to a household pet. The insect container
makes it easier and
more economical for the pet store operator to stock and sell insects. The pet
store operator no
longer has to provide a bin for storing the insects, or otherwise be much
concerned with
maintaining the insects prior to purchase. The insect container permits the
supplier to ship the
insects in the container as a prepackaged, self contained, and self sustaining
source of pet
food. The pet store operator also does not need to worry about having insects
escape into the
pet store. Also, a clerk is no longer required to remove insects for the pet
owner buying
insects, thus reducing a possible economic loss to the pet store operator and
helping him to
better regulate his inventory of insects, since a simple count of insect
containers will give a
fairly accurate total of insects still in stock.
[022] The insect container also makes it easier and more convenient for the
pet owner to
keep the insects from the point of purchase to the time when the insects are
fed to his pet. The
pet owner can simply take an insect container from the pet store shelf to
purchase and take the
insect container with insects home. Insects in the insect container can be
kept alive easily for
up to a week, and if it is necessary to keep the insects alive longer, food
and water gel or other
nourishment can be added as required to the insect container to keep the
insects alive until
required fox pet food.
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[023] Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments of the invention
described
here without departing from the invention.
