PEST ENTRAPMENT DEVICE AND METHOD
The invention is directed at to a pest entrapment device for attracting and trapping flying pests around the head of a person. The apparatus includes an attachable device having at least one member, which member contains at least one cavity to hold a pest attractant. The attachable device is affixed to a head covering on the underside of a bill, brim, visor or the like. The pest attractant can be of a combination of grease, carbon dioxide, sweetener, and a sticky, viscid matter. The pest attractant also acts as a trapping substance to capture the flying insects. The pest entrapment device can be removed for cleaning and reapplication of the pest attractant.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/263,112 filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 20, 2009 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention generally relates to a pest entrapment device and method for controlling and entrapping flying pests. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus affixed to the underside of a person's head covering, such as a bill, brim, visor, or the like that attracts and captures flying insects.
BACKGROUNDTypically, persons spending time outside will apply chemical repellants to their skin and clothing in an attempt to keep flying insects away. Flying insects that come near the face can bite the skin and be annoying. Many of the repellants available today are prohibited from use in certain outdoor activities, like golfing, for example, because of their chemical destructiveness to grass. Most insect repellants contain chemicals such as DEET, which has secondary harmful effects to humans and the environment. A majority of these repellents come in the form of sprays that are difficult to control and localize to prevent harming the environment. In addition, some people do not want to spray chemicals onto their bodies and clothing. Thus, these people will often end up making use of appendages such as hands to ward off the flying insects. However, this constant warding-off of pests makes enjoying the outdoors very difficult.
Therefore, there is a need for a pest entrapment device that is easy to use, consists of a non-toxic pest attractant, does not need to be sprayed onto a person's body or clothing, can be reapplied, and entraps flying pests that would otherwise be in a person's face.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect of the invention, a pest entrapment device may include an artificial pest attractant in combination with heat, sweat, and carbon dioxide, which are natural pest attractants, that are emitted from a person's face. The pest entrapment device can capture flying insects near the source of these natural pest attractants by attaching to the underside of an individual's head covering, for instance the bill, brim, visor, or the like of a baseball cap, hunting/fishing cap, helmet, visor, etc. Another aspect of the pest entrapment device is the removability and transferability of the device from one head covering to another head covering.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a pest entrapment device may include at least one clip consisting of at least three members: a top member, a middle member and a bottom member. The clip can be made out of metal, for example, iron, steel, or the like or any combination thereof, or plastic or composite. The top, middle and bottom members may all be fastened together by soldering, adhesive, fusion, or the like, or the members can be one piece, or any combination thereof. The middle member can be a flexible U-shaped piece that is releasable and engageable for expansion and retention over the various sizes of head covering bills, brims, visors, or the like in which the pest entrapment device may be attached to. The bottom member can have at least one cavity wherein a person can apply the pest attractant for pest capture. The top member of the pest entrapment device can be a solid metal piece in various sizes and shapes. The top member can contain a logo or similar type of advertisement, or it can be engraved or otherwise marked. The top member can be made out of a ferrous metal on which other objects can be magnetically attached to the top member, for example a ball marker.
Another embodiment of the invention can consist of one continuous piece of U-shaped flexible material such as metal or plastic or composite having a top base member and a bottom retaining member. The embodiment can be releasable and engagable with a head covering's bill, brim, visor, or the like. The top base member can be a solid piece in different shapes or sizes. The top base member can contain a logo, advertisement or other design, or can otherwise be engraved or marked. The top base member can also be made out of a ferrous metal in which other objects can be magnetized thereto, for example a ball marker. The bottom retaining member can contain at least one cavity on the outer surface wherein a person can apply the pest attractant for pest capture.
Another embodiment of the invention can include at least one member containing an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface can contain at least one cavity to support an insect attractant. The member can be releasably engaged with the underside of a bill, brim, visor or the like of a head covering, for example a baseball cap. The upper surface can include a type of attaching device, for example, adhesive, Velcro™, clip, alligator clip, double-sided tape, snaps, or other fastening device and the like.
Another embodiment of the invention can include at least one attachable attractant visor that can be attached to the underside of a head covering's bill, brim, visor, or the like of a head covering. The attractant visor can be made of plastic or other durable material that is lightweight and flexible to the contours of the underside of head covering's bill, brim, visor or the like. The attractant visor material can be clear or come in different colors. The attractant visor can be one size or it can have at least one perforation in which a person can cut or otherwise resize the attractant visor to size to fit a specific purpose head covering's brim, bill, visor, or the like. The attractant visor can have an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface can contain a substance or other adhesive means whereby the attractant visor can be attached to the underside of a head covering's bill, brim, visor, or the like. The upper surface can be attached by using an adhesive, double-sided tape, clips, alligator clips, snaps, Velcro™, and the like. The lower surface can provide a surface for a pest attractant to be applied to and entrap pests. One embodiment of the attractant visor can be that it is reusable wherein the attractant visor can be disengaged from the underside of a head covering's bill, brim, visor or the like, cleaned of entrapped pests, re-applied with pest attractant, and reengaged with the underside of the head covering's bill, brim, visor, or the like.
In another embodiment of the attractant visor, the attractant visor can be disposable, providing for a one-time use application wherein the attractant visor can be temporarily attached to the underside of a head covering's bill, brim, visor, or the like for a period of time and the user would like to remove the attractant visor and throw it away. For example, a disposable attractant visor can be used on a daily basis wherein the disposable attractant visor can be discarded after being used for the day. A new disposable attractant visor can then be attached to the underside of the head covering's bill, brim, visor, or the like. A further embodiment of the attractant visor can consist of layers of material, for example plastic sheets or the like. The attractant visor can have an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface can attach to the underside of a head covering's bill, brim, visor or the like by an adhesive, double-sided tape, snaps, Velcro™, clips, alligator clips, and the like. The lower surface can be a thin, hard plastic base wherein sheets of plastic can be attached thereto. The insect attractant can be applied to the outer surface of the top most plastic sheet wherein pests can be entrapped. After entrapment, the top sheet of plastic may be torn from the rest and disposed of, and the pest attractant can be applied to the outer surface of the next plastic sheet. Another embodiment can have the pest attractant already applied to the sheets of plastic so that after one is pulled off and disposed of, pest attractant will already be on the outer surface of the next plastic sheet. This type of disposable plastic sheet can be made out of other suitable material.
A further embodiment of the invention can include a pest entrapment kit. One embodiment of the pest entrapment kit can include at least one pest entrapment device, a pest entrapment device cleaning cloth, and a pest attractant. In one embodiment of the kit, the pest entrapment device is an attractant clip. In another embodiment of the kit, the pest entrapment device can be an attractant visor that can be reusable, disposable, or any combination thereof. The pest attractant can be in a solid or liquid state wherein the pest attractant is dispensed from a pest application device.
The above summary of the various aspects of the invention is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of the invention. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. The figures in the detailed description that follows more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
These as well as other objects and advantages of this invention will be more completely understood and appreciated by referring to the following more detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSThe several embodiments as shown in the figures may allow the user of the pest entrapment device to have multiple choices to certain features and subcombinations of each embodiment, as there are several choices relating to the several embodiments available. Advantages and embodiments of this invention are further illustrated by the following examples, but the particular materials and amounts thereof recited in these examples, as well as other conditions and details, should not be construed to unduly limit this invention.
The pest attractant 26 can be comprised of a grease makeup base, impregnated with carbon dioxide, sweetener and a sticky, viscid matter. The formulation for pest attractant 26 can allow it to be of a moldable solid form, in which it can be applied by pressure and rubbing on the cavity 38 of the bottom surface 30 of an attractant clip 24. The pest attractant can stay moist for at least five hours after dispensing and applying to the cavity 38 of the attractant clip 24.
The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe exemplary embodiments of invention. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose could be substituted for the specific examples shown. This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be defined by the attached claims and their legal equivalents.
Claims
1. An apparatus for controlling flying insects around the head of a person when attached to a head covering with a shade producing feature having an underside and a topside, the apparatus comprising:
- a pest entrapment device configured for releasably engaging the shade producing feature, the pest entrapment device having a member with an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the upper surface is configured for engagement with the underside of the shade producing feature and the lower surface has a cavity, the cavity configured for application of an attractant and having an exposed region on the lower surface such that pests may enter the device and be trapped in the attractant.
2-3. (canceled)
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pest attractant comprises one of grease, carbon dioxide, sweetener, and a sticky, viscid matter.
5. (canceled)
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said member is releasably engaged with said shade producing feature by an attachment device comprising of at least one of the following: double-sided tape, basting, adhesive, two-piece snap fastener, Velcro™, pin fastener, clip, or alligator clip.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pest entrapment device is an attractant clip, wherein the member is a lower member and said clip further comprises an upper member and a connecting member, wherein said connecting member is U-shaped and is configured to releasably engaged said shade producing feature, wherein said upper member is configured for contact with said topside of said shade producing feature.
8. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said upper member, lower member, and connecting member are all one piece, or all separate pieces, or any combination thereof.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said clip comprises a material selected from the group consisting of iron, steel, ferrous metal, aluminum, tin, any combination thereof, plastic, and composite.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said connecting member of said clip is at least one of the following: spring clip, tension clip, or alligator clip.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said upper member of said clip includes a stop and a magnet to affix an object to said upper member of said clip.
12-20. (canceled)
21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an attractant visor.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the pest entrapment device comprises a clip and the attractant visor is configured for securing to the shad producing feature with the clip.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 15, 2014
Publication Date: Nov 27, 2014
Inventor: Kenneth Christopher Noble (Plymouth, MN)
Application Number: 14/460,525
International Classification: A01M 1/10 (20060101); A01M 1/14 (20060101); A45F 3/00 (20060101); A01M 1/02 (20060101);