High reliability pest detection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- installing a plurality of pest detection devices at least partially in the ground, the pest detection devices each including;
one or more bait members structured to be consumed or displaced by one or more pests and a detection device positioned proximate to the one or more bait members, the detection device including a substrate with a first end portion opposite a second end portion and an electrically conductive ink trace carried on the substrate, the trace defining two contacts spaced apart from one another on the first end portion, the trace extending from a first one of the contacts along the substrate to the second end portion and reversing direction on the second end portion to return to a second one of the contacts on the first end portion, the electrically conductive ink trace defining an chisel-shaped tip along the second end portion;
performing an interrogation of each of the pest detection devices with a signal to determine an electrical conductivity state of the trace; and
determining if pests are present based on the interrogation;
wherein the substrate includes a polymer-coated paper material with a predefined grain oriented generally along a longitudinal axis of the substrate.
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Abstract
A pest detection device includes a housing with a sensor and one or more bait members. The sensor includes one or more of a chisel-shaped electrically conductive trace carried on a substrate, a low resistance electrically conductive ink defining an electrical pathway on a substrate with a pointed profile, and/or a substrate including a directional grain structure oriented in a predefined manner relative to an electrically conductive pathway.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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installing a plurality of pest detection devices at least partially in the ground, the pest detection devices each including;
one or more bait members structured to be consumed or displaced by one or more pests and a detection device positioned proximate to the one or more bait members, the detection device including a substrate with a first end portion opposite a second end portion and an electrically conductive ink trace carried on the substrate, the trace defining two contacts spaced apart from one another on the first end portion, the trace extending from a first one of the contacts along the substrate to the second end portion and reversing direction on the second end portion to return to a second one of the contacts on the first end portion, the electrically conductive ink trace defining an chisel-shaped tip along the second end portion;performing an interrogation of each of the pest detection devices with a signal to determine an electrical conductivity state of the trace; and determining if pests are present based on the interrogation; wherein the substrate includes a polymer-coated paper material with a predefined grain oriented generally along a longitudinal axis of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A pest control system, comprising a pest detection device including:
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a housing structured for installation at least partially below ground, the housing defining one or more openings in communication with material under the ground surface when the housing is installed in the ground; one or more bait members positioned in the housing and being structured for consumption or displacement by one or more pests; and a sensor positioned in the housing in close proximity to the one or more bait members, the sensor including a substrate and an electrically conductive ink trace extending from two contacts at a first end portion of the substrate to a second end portion of the substrate, the ink trace following a pathway defining a turn that reverses direction on the second end portion to connect the contacts together, the turn defining a corner subtending an acute angle between respective adjoined line segments of the ink trace; wherein the substrate includes a polymer coated paper material with a directional grain structure oriented approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the substrate; and wherein the paper material is responsive to moisture to increase dimension along the longitudinal axis less than along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus, comprising a plurality of pest detection devices each including:
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a housing structured for installation at least partially below ground surface, the housing defining one or more openings in communication with material under the ground surface when the housing is installed in the ground; and one or more bait members positioned in the housing and being structured for consumption or displacement by one or more pests; and a sensor positioned in the housing in close proximity to the one or more bait members, the sensor including a substrate comprised of a paper material with a directional grain structure responsive to moisture to anisotropically change substrate dimension, a polymeric material at least partially coating the substrate, and an electrically conductive pathway defined along the substrate to extend from each of two electrical contacts at a first end portion of the substrate to a second end portion of the substrate, the pathway defining a turn that reverses direction on the second end portion to connect the contacts together. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification