Insect trap
First Claim
1. A trap for insects having a location for an attractant and insect entrapping means, comprising in combination a plurality of conductive elements arranged such that an insect can encounter said conductive elements en route to said attractant location, an electric sensing circuit including low voltage energizing means and detecting means coupled to said conductive elements with said low voltage means and said detecting means related such that the presence of an insect which encounters said conductive elements is detected before said insect can retreat in response to the level of electric current passing through its body exceeding its threshold of sensitivity thereto, and means coupled responsively to said detecting means for actuating said entrapping means.
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Abstract
An electrical detecting circuit using an S.C.R. or an integrated circuit and low voltage detects when an insect bridges a pair of electrodes whereupon entrapping means are activated. The entrapping means can be a trapdoor in the top of a container or an arrangement for applying higher voltage to said electrodes and/or additional electrodes to shock the insect dislodging it into a trap receptacle from which it cannot exit. One series of embodiments are adapted to trap crawling insects while another embodiment is adapted to trap flying insects. The trap works efficiently on cockroaches as well as other insects.
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Citations
29 Claims
- 1. A trap for insects having a location for an attractant and insect entrapping means, comprising in combination a plurality of conductive elements arranged such that an insect can encounter said conductive elements en route to said attractant location, an electric sensing circuit including low voltage energizing means and detecting means coupled to said conductive elements with said low voltage means and said detecting means related such that the presence of an insect which encounters said conductive elements is detected before said insect can retreat in response to the level of electric current passing through its body exceeding its threshold of sensitivity thereto, and means coupled responsively to said detecting means for actuating said entrapping means.
- 2. A trap for crawling insects having a location for bait, a pathway leading toward said bait location, and insect entrapping means, comprising in combination a plurality of conductive elements arranged in said pathway such that an insect must cross said conductive elements en route to said bait location, an electric sensing circuit including low voltage energizing means and detecting means coupled to said conductive elements with said low voltage means and said detecting means related such that the presence of an insect which encounters said conductive elements is detected before said insect can retreat in response to the level of electric passing through its body exceeding its threshold of sensitivity thereto, and means coupled responsively to said detecting means for activating said entrapping means.
- 27. A trap for flying insects having a location for an attractant and insect entrapping means, comprising in combination a plurality of conductive elements arranged in the vicinity of said attractant location such that a flying insect can encounter said conductive elements, an electric sensing circuit including low voltage energizing means and detecting means coupled to said conductive elements with said low voltage means and said detecting means related such that the presence of an insect which encounters said conductive elements is detected before said insect can retreat in response to the level of electric current passing through its body exceeding its threshold of sensitivity thereto, and means coupled responsively to said detecting means for activating said entrapping means.
Specification