Bed bug detector system

• US 10,091,980 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• 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:
  US14/996,857
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 43139, 43140, 43107, 43112, 43113, 43114, 43123, 431321, 43138, 15319, 15339
• 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 1/08 Attracting and catching insects by using combined illumination or colours and suction effects
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/14 Catching by adhesive surfaces
• 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 1/223 by using electrocution
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

An attracting assembly is positioned at an upper location to attract bed bugs. A killing assembly is positioned at an intermediate location beneath the attracting assembly to kill the attracted bed bugs. A base assembly is positioned at a lower location beneath the killing assembly for maximizing the number of bed bugs attracted and killed. A control assembly has a user visible digital UPC code, a battery power percentage indicator with an ON/OFF button and a sound activated switch, a cell phone with a macro-lens for wide angle photography with enlargements, and two light emitting diodes positioned adjacent to the macro-lens to illuminate bed bugs to be photographed.

Claims

1. A bed bug detector system comprising:

an attracting assembly at an upper location adapted to attract bed bugs;

a killing assembly at an intermediate location beneath the attracting assembly structurally and operatively secured to the attracting assembly and adapted to kill the attracted bed bugs, the killing assembly (100) comprising;

an upper dish (102), and

a lower dish (104);

the upper dish comprising;

parallel electrically charged wires (106) adapted to kill bed bugs coming into contact therewith,

a grid (108) of un-charged wires spaced above the electrically charged wires to abate human contact with the electrically charged wires;

the lower dish comprising;

a plurality of adhesive sheets (110) supported in two stacks (112) and (114) laterally spaced in the lower dish to receive and retain bed bugs killed by the electrically charged wires, the two stacks each comprising the adhesive sheets with adhesive sheets (116) between the adhesive sheets;

a plurality of heating elements (118) in the lower dish adapted to attract bed bugs;

a tube (124) in a circular configuration secured within the killing assembly having apertures along the length thereof with a free end operatively coupled to a fluid canister (32) for creating a cloud of carbon dioxide;

a base assembly at a lower location beneath the killing assembly structurally and operatively secured to the killing assembly and adapted to numerically maximize bed bugs attracted and killed, the base assembly (14) comprising;

a base (16) comprising;

a circular floor (18),

a cylindrical side wall (20), and

an open top, the circular floor, cylindrical side wall and open top forming a lower chamber,

a forward region (22),

a rearward region (24),

a left side region (26),

a right side region (28),

the fluid canister (32) containing water (34) and a yeast pill (36) and a sugar pill (38) functioning to create carbon dioxide and to attract bed bugs,

a motor (42) with a fluid fan (44) functioning to evacuate carbon dioxide from the fluid canister to attract bed bugs,

a sugar jar (46) retaining a supply of sugar pills,

a yeast jar (48) retaining a supply of yeast tablets,

three stacks of adhesive pads (52) recessed on the floor of the base for receiving and retaining bed bugs, each stack comprising alternating adhesive and adhesive sheets, a smoke/fire detector (54),

two battery packs (56) within the lower chamber, each battery pack adjacent to the forward and rearward regions respectively for powering components of the system;

charging ports (58) functioning to recharge the two battery packs; and

a cell phone (314) structurally and operatively secured to the attracting assembly comprising;

a macro-lens (316) for wide angle photography with enlargements,

a cable (328) for cell phone support and repositioning purposes, and

at least one light emitting diode (332) positioned adjacent to the macro-lens for illuminating the bed bug to be photographed.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the attracting assembly (200) further comprises:

a frusto-conical side wall (202) with an open top (204) and an open bottom (206);

peripheral components on the exterior surface of the attracting assembly comprising;

heating elements (118),

synthetic fur (216),

adhesive patches (218),

indicia in the form of eye balls (220) providing an appearance of a creature to the system;

a tube (124) in a circular configuration secured within the attracting assembly, the tube having apertures along the length thereof, the tube having a free end operatively coupled to the fluid canister for creating a cloud of carbon dioxide;

square holes (226) located peripherally through the attracting assembly acting to create a cloud around the system and in proximity thereto for attracting bed bugs to be killed; and

wherein the system further comprises;

lower clips (230) on the base assembly coupling the killing assembly to the base assembly;

upper clips (232) on the killing assembly to couple the attracting assembly to the killing assembly; and

a plurality of olfactory patches (128) positioned within the base assembly, the olfactory patches soaked in pheromones to attract bed bugs to be killed.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the attracting assembly (200) comprises:

a frusto-conical side wall (202) with an open top (204) and an open bottom (206),

peripheral components on the exterior surface of the attracting assembly comprising;

heating elements (118),

synthetic fur (216),

adhesive patches (218),

indicia in the form of eye balls (220) providing an appearance of a creature to the system,

a tube (124) in a circular configuration structurally and operatively secured within the attracting assembly, the tube having apertures along the length thereof, the tube having a free end operatively coupled to the fluid canister for creating a cloud of carbon dioxide; and

square holes (226) located peripherally through the attracting assembly acting to create a cloud around the system and in proximity thereto for attracting bed bugs to be killed, killed; and

wherein the system further comprises;

magnets on the base assembly coupling the killing assembly to the base assembly;

upper clips (232) on the killing assembly to couple the attracting assembly to the killing assembly; and

a plurality of olfactory patches (128) positioned within the base assembly, the olfactory patches soaked in pheromones to attract bed bugs to be killed.

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

a control assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the attracting assembly, the killing assembly, the base assembly and the cell phone, the control assembly comprising;

a user visible digital Universal Product Code (304);

a battery power percentage indicator,

an ON/OFF button (310) for the system; and

a hands free switch (308) for the battery power percentage indicator.

5. A bed bug detector system (10) configured for attracting bed bugs, for killing attracted bed bugs, and for maximizing bed bugs attracted and killed, the attracting and killing being done in a safe, ecological, convenient, and economical manner, the system comprising, in combination:

a base assembly (14) comprising;

a base (16) comprising;

a circular floor (18),

a cylindrical side wall (20),

an open top,

the circular floor, cylindrical side wall and open top comprising a lower chamber,

a forward region (22),

a rearward region (24),

a left side region (26), and

a right side region (28);

a fluid canister (32) containing water (34) and a yeast pill (36) and a sugar pill (38) functioning to create carbon dioxide and attract bed bugs;

a motor (42) with a fluid fan (44) adapted to evacuate carbon dioxide from the fluid canister to attract bed bugs;

a sugar jar (46) retaining a supply of sugar tablets;

a yeast jar (48) retaining a supply of yeast;

three stacks of adhesive pads (52) recessed on the circular floor of the base for receiving and retaining bed bugs, each stack including alternating adhesive and adhesive sheets;

a smoke/fire detector (54);

two battery packs (56) within the lower chamber, each battery pack being adjacent to the forward and rearward regions respectively for powering the components of the base assembly;

charging ports adapted to recharge the battery pack;

a killing assembly (100) structurally and operatively coupled to the base assembly comprising;

an upper dish (102); and

a lower dish (104),

the upper dish comprising;

parallel electrically charged wires (106) adapted to kill bed bugs coming into contact there with;

a grid (108) of un-charged wires spaced above the electrically charged wires to abate human contact with the electrically charged wires;

the lower dish comprising;

a plurality of adhesive sheets (110) supported in two stacks (112), (114) laterally spaced in the lower dish to receive and retain bed bugs killed by the electrically charged wires, the two stacks each comprising the adhesive sheets with adhesive sheets (116) between the adhesive sheets,

a plurality of heating elements (118) in the lower dish adapted to attract bed bugs,

a tube (124) in a circular configuration secured within the killing assembly, the tube having apertures along the length the tube having a free end operatively coupled to the fluid canister for creating a cloud of carbon dioxide;

olfactory patches (128) positioned within the base assembly soaked in pheromones to attract bed bugs to be killed;

an attracting assembly (200) structurally and operatively coupled to the killing assembly and adapted to attract bed bugs to be killed comprising;

a frusto-conical side wall (202) with an open top (204) and an open bottom (206);

peripheral components on the exterior surface of the attracting assembly comprising;

heating elements (118),

synthetic fur (216),

adhesive patches (218),

indicia in the form of eye balls (220) providing an appearance of a creature to the system;

square holes (226) located peripherally through the attracting assembly to create a cloud around the system and in proximity thereto for attracting bed bugs to be killed;

lower clips (230) on the base assembly coupling the killing assembly to the base assembly;

upper clips (232) on the killing assembly to couple the attracting assembly to the killing assembly;

a plurality of olfactory patches (128) positioned within the base assembly and soaked in pheromones to attract bed bugs to be killed; and

a control assembly (300) structurally and operatively coupled to the attracting assembly, the killing assembly, the base assembly, and a cell phone (314) comprising;

a user visible digital UPC code (304); and

a battery power percentage indicator (306), the battery power percentage indicator comprising an ON/OFF button (310) and a hands free switch (308);

the cell phone (314) structurally and operatively coupled to the attracting assembly, the cell phone having a macro-lens (316) for wide angle photography with enlargements, the cell phone comprising;

a cable (328) for cell phone support and repositioning purposes; and

two light emitting diodes (332) positioned adjacent to the macro-lens for illuminating the bed bug to be photographed.