Flea destructor system

• US 10,091,981 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• 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:
  US14/988,597
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 43139, 43140, 43113, 43114
• 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 1/06 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 1/103 for crawling insects
• 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 5/06 with adhesive surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 5/08 with fans

Abstract

An attracting assembly is positioned at an upper location to attract fleas. A killing assembly is positioned at an intermediate location beneath the attracting assembly to kill the attracted fleas. A moving assembly is positioned at a lower location beneath the killing assembly for maximizing the number of fleas attracted and killed.

Claims

1. A flea destructor system comprising:

a flea attracting assembly to attract fleas;

a killing assembly at a location entirely beneath the flea attracting assembly, the killing assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the flea attracting assembly and adapted to kill the fleas attracted by the flea attracting assembly; and

an entirely self-propelled moving assembly at a location entirely beneath the killing assembly, the moving assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the killing assembly and the flea attracting assembly, the moving assembly (14) comprising;

a base (16) with a circular floor (18), and a cylindrical side wall (20) comprising a lower chamber, the base comprising;

a forward region (22),

a rearward region (24),

a left side region

a right side region (28),

two drive wheels (30) depending from the floor adjacent to the rearward region,

two drive motors (32) powering the two drive wheels respectively,

a caster wheel (34) depending from the floor adjacent to the forward region, the caster wheel being pivotable about a vertical axis,

a slot (36) extending transversely through the floor,

a central fan (38) with a central fan motor (40) mounted centrally on the floor rearwardly of the slot,

a container (42) adapted to collect fleas and debris passing upwardly through the slot, the container comprising;

a filter (44) impregnated with an insecticide,

the central fan functioning to create a vacuum drawing up the fleas and debris into the container for disposal,

a semi-circular bumper (46) recessed in the forward region and extending to the left and right side regions respectively, the semi-circular bumper being moved upon contact with a wall to reverse the rotation of the wheels and change the direction of motion of the system,

a plurality of sensors (48) mounted to the floor to reverse the rotation of the wheels and abate tumbling down steps,

a fluid canister (50) for creating a cloud of carbon dioxide to attract fleas,

a fluid motor (55) with a first fan (56) function to evacuate the carbon dioxide from the fluid canister to attract fleas,

a particulate canister (58) with diatomaceous earth functioning to dispense the diatomaceous earth and kill flea eggs, larvae, and pupae,

a battery pack (60) within the chamber with nodes (62) adjacent to the rearward region,

a charger (64) functioning to receive the nodes and recharge the battery pack,

a speaker (66) in the side wall of the base to provide verbal messages, and

a button (68) for powering the speaker and initiating a verbal message.

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

a control assembly (300) comprising a remote device (302) providing user control to the system.

3. A flea destructor system comprising:

a flea attracting assembly adapted to attract fleas;

a killing assembly (100) at a location entirely beneath the flea attracting assembly, the killing assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the flea attracting assembly and adapted to kill the fleas attracted by the flea attracting assembly, the killing assembly comprising;

an upper dish (102),

a lower dish (104),

a plurality of adhesive sheets (110) supported in two stacks (112), (114) laterally spaced in the lower dish to receive and retain fleas, the two stacks each comprising;

the adhesive sheets with adhesive sheets (116) between the adhesive sheets, and

a plurality of heating elements (118) in the lower dish functioning to attract fleas; and

an entirely self-propelled moving assembly at a location entirely beneath the killing assembly, the moving assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the killing assembly and the flea attracting assembly.

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

parallel electrically charged wires (106) in the upper dish functioning to kill fleas coming into contact therewith, and

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

5. A flea destructor system comprising:

a flea attracting assembly (200);

a killing assembly at a location entirely beneath the flea attracting assembly, the killing assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the flea attracting assembly and adapted to kill the fleas attracted by the flea attracting assembly; and

an entirely self-propelled moving assembly at a location entirely beneath the killing assembly, the moving assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the killing assembly and the flea attracting assembly,

the flea attracting assembly comprising;

a circumferential side wall (202) with an open top (204) and a closed bottom (206),

a string of light emitting diodes (208) comprising;

an exterior end coupled to a battery pack;

an interior end with a user-operated control pad (212), and

a plurality of supports (210) with clips retaining the string of light emitting diodes in a spiral configuration,

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

heating elements (118),

synthetic fur (216),

adhesive patches (218), and

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

a tube (224) in a circular configuration secured within the flea attracting assembly, the tube having apertures (226) along the length thereof with a free end,

a fluid canister operatively coupled to the free end adapted to create a cloud of carbon dioxide, the apertures (226) located peripherally through the flea attracting assembly act adapted to create a cloud around the system and in proximity thereto for attracting fleas to be killed, and

three upper components (230),

three associated lower components (231) removably receiving the three upper components,

upper clips (232) on the killing assembly coupling the flea attracting assembly to the killing assembly.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the three upward components are three downwardly extending legs (105) with downwardly facing hook and loop surfaces;

and

the three associated downward components are three associated recesses with upwardly facing hook and loop fasteners removably receiving the three downwardly extending legs.

8. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the three upper components are three upper magnets (230);

and the three associated lower components (231) are three lower magnets for coupling the killing assembly to the moving assembly.

7. A flea destructor system (10) configured for attracting fleas, for killing fleas, and for moving to maximize fleas attracted and killed, the attracting and killing and moving being done in a safe, ecological, convenient, and economical manner, the system comprising, in combination:

a moving assembly (14) comprising;

a base (16) with a circular floor (18); and

a cylindrical side wall (20) comprising a lower chamber, the base comprising;

a forward region (22),

a rearward region (24),

a left side region

a right side region (28),

two drive wheels (30) depending from the floor adjacent to the rearward region,

two drive motors (32) powering the two drive wheels respectively,

a caster wheel (34) depending from the floor adjacent to the forward region, the caster wheel being pivotable about a vertical axis to change a direction of movement of the base and the system,

a slot (36) extending transversely through the floor,

a central fan (38) with a central fan motor (40) mounted centrally on the floor rearwardly of the slot,

a container (42) adapted to collect fleas and debris passing upwardly through the slot, the container comprising;

a filter (44) impregnated with an insecticide,

the central fan functioning to create a vacuum drawing up the fleas and debris into the container for disposal,

a semi-circular bumper (46) recessed in the forward region and extending to the left and right side regions respectively, the semi-circular bumper being moved upon contact with a wall to reverse the rotation of the wheels and change the direction of motion of the system,

a plurality of sensors (48) mounted to the floor to reverse the rotation of the wheels and abate tumbling down steps,

a first motor (55) to power a first fan (56) which functions to evacuate the carbon dioxide from the fluid canister to attract fleas,

a particulate canister (58) with a natural flea killer (59) functioning to dispense the natural flea killer to kill flea eggs, larvae, and pupae,

a battery pack (60) within the chamber with nodes (62) adjacent to the rearward region,

a charger (64) functioning to receive the nodes and recharge the battery pack,

a speaker (66) in the side wall of the base to provide verbal messages, and

a button (68) for powering the speaker and initiating a verbal message;

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

upper dish (102), comprising;

parallel electrically charged wires (106) functioning to kill fleas 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, and

a lower dish (104);

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

a plurality of heating elements (118) in the lower dish functioning to attract fleas;

a flea attracting assembly (200) for attracting fleas to be killed, the flea attracting assembly structurally and operatively coupled to the moving assembly and the killing assembly, the flea attracting assembly comprising;

a circumferential side wall (202) with an open top (204) and a closed bottom (206),

a string of light emitting diodes (208) comprising;

an exterior end coupled to a battery pack;

an interior end with a user-operated control pad (212), and

a plurality of supports (210) with clips retaining the string of light emitting diodes in a spiral configuration,

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

heating elements (118),

synthetic fur (216),

adhesive patches (218), and

indicia in the form of eye balls (220) providing an appearance of a creature to the system, the eye balls being made from a fluorescent material to attract fleas,

a tube (224) in a circular configuration structurally and operatively secured within the flea attracting assembly, the tube having apertures (226) along the length thereof with a free end;

a fluid canister operatively coupled to the free end for creating a cloud of carbon dioxide, the apertures (226) located peripherally through the flea attracting assembly adapted to create a cloud around the system and in proximity thereto for attracting fleas to be killed,

three downwardly extending legs (105) with downwardly facing hook and loop surfaces,

three associated recesses with upwardly facing hook and loop fasteners removably receiving the three downwardly extending legs (105),

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

a control assembly (300) structurally and operatively, coupled to the flea attracting assembly and the moving assembly and the killing assembly, the control assembly comprising;

a remote device (302) providing user control to the system, the control assembly also functioning to reverse the rotation of the drive wheels and to dispense the natural flea killer independent of the bumper and the sensors,

a user visible digital UPC code (304); and

a battery power percentage indicator (306) comprising;

an ON/OFF button (308) and,

a sound actuated switch; and

a shroud (400) for covering the system when the system is not in use, the shroud being impregnated with an insecticide.