Mobile insect killing system

• US 10,021,871 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Paul Cogley
• Original Assignee: Thomas Paul Cogley
• Inventors: Cogley, Thomas Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ark, Darren W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barlow, Morgan T
• Application Number:
  US14/731,884
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 43139, 43140, 43113, 43114, 43107, 431321, 43138
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/023 Attracting insects by the simulation of a living being, i.e. emission of carbon dioxide, heat, sound waves or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/04 Attracting insects by using illumination or colours A01M1/08 and A01M1/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/06 Catching insects by using a suction effect A01M3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/08 Attracting and catching insects by using combined illumination or colours and suction effects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/145 Attracting and catching insects using combined illumination or colours and adhesive surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/20 Poisoning, narcotising, or burning insects fumigation apparatus A01M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 5/02 Portable appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 5/04 Wheeled machines, with means for stripping-off or brushing-off insects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 5/08 with fans

Abstract

A base assembly has an upward plate, a downward plate, a side wall, a front, a back, and laterally spaced sides. A drive assembly has drive wheels which extend downwardly from the downward plate and has a caster wheel. The drive assembly also has proximity sensors. A vacuum assembly has a vacuum slit formed in the downward plate between the laterally spaced sides. A source of vacuum pulls a vacuum through the vacuum slit. A tower assembly attracts and kills insects while the base assembly and tower assembly are driven by the drive assembly and the vacuum assembly vacuums up insects.

Claims

1. A mobile insect killing system comprising:

a base assembly comprising;

an upward plate and a downward plate and a side wall, and

a front and a back and laterally spaced sides;

a drive assembly comprising;

drive wheels extending downwardly from the downward plate,

a caster wheel, proximity sensors;

a vacuum assembly comprising;

a vacuum slit in the downward plate between the lateral sides, and

a vacuum-generating source capable of pulling a vacuum through the vacuum slit;

a tower assembly adapted to attract and kill insects while the base assembly and the tower assembly are being driven by the drive assembly and the vacuum assembly is vacuuming up insects, the tower assembly comprising;

a lower section comprising;

a plurality of lower panels with small apertures in rows and columns to allow passage of insects into the tower assembly,

vertically oriented recesses,

a card with an adhesive section and a non-adhesive section to facilitate removal and replacement of the card after receipt, entrapment, and death of insects passing through the small apertures; and

an intermediate section comprising;

a fan rotatable about a vertical axis and a plurality of rectangular passageways,

a heater strip encompassing the intermediate section adapted to attract insects whereby the attracted insects will be entrapped by the card, and

a button and associated controller comprising a voice card to generate a verbal greeting upon pressing the button to start the fan and the system, the verbal greeting being variable at the discretion of a user, the controller further being programmable to initiate activation and termination at appropriate days and times; and

an upper section comprising;

a circumferential opaque surface with spaced openings,

a plurality of fingers coated with titanium dioxide,

a motor to rotate the fingers,

a flexible strip of transparent adhesive covering the spaced openings to entrap insects,

a plurality of upper light emitting diodes,

a plurality of rotating light emitting diodes,

batteries for energizing the upper motor to rotate the plurality of fingers,

rotating light emitting diodes adapted to produce carbon dioxide when shining light upon the titanium dioxide of the plurality of fingers, and

supplemental openings adapted to allow the produced carbon dioxide to enter the intermediate and lower sections of the tower assembly;

the plurality of fingers, adapted to block light from the light emitting diodes alternately as the plurality of fingers, move there past causing an alternating function.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the vacuum assembly further comprises:

a brushing slot in the downward plate between the laterally spaced sides,

a brush in a cylindrical configuration with outwardly extending spiral bristles adapted to extend beneath the downward plate,

a secondary vacuum-generating source capable of pulling a vacuum through the brushing slot,

a debris-removal door in the upper plate to facilitate removal of debris received from the vacuum slit and the brushing slot,

a plurality of peripheral light emitting diodes positioned on the side wall of the base assembly for attracting insects, and wherein;

the base assembly comprises two inspection doors.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising:

a shroud fabricated of a flexible material covering the base assembly and the tower assembly when not in use, the shroud comprising;

an open bottom for removable positioning on the base assembly and the tower assembly; and

a nameplate with alpha-numeric indicia to effectively introduce the system to a user.