Abstract:
An insect attractant and elimination device comprising a base, reservoir and shield, each of which cooperates to house, protect and provide a liquid bait which is dispensed from the reservoir to the base in a selected quantity for the consumption by targeted insect groups. The reservoir is made cooperable with the base by an adapter which may be easily removed from each thereof so as to facilitate replenishment of the bait supply and otherwise servicing the device, and to permit use of third party containers, with or without bait included, and containers of varying capacity and shields and bases of different configurations accommodating differing insect control applications.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/620,002 filed Oct. 19, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to the field of pest control, and moreover, to an insect attractant and elimination device that is constructed to accept containers of various sizes of insect bait to be fed to such insects, and to facilitate the servicing of the device. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Applicants of the instant application have previously spoken to a form of the device mentioned above and, in doing so, have noted the prior art and bait formulation either used therewith or separately, such discussion being detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,216 B2, issued Oct. 22, 2002, the entire content of which is now incorporated herein by reference. 
   It is desirable, however, particularly in agriculture, to provide a device that permits and facilitates its user to mount and un-mount the bait container and weather shield from the base stabilizing platform by a push and twist to mount and thereby open the bait communication between the bait reservoir and the middle ring of the base where the insects feed, and a twist and pull to un-mount the bait container and weather shield from the stabilizing base thus interrupting the above described bait communications, and permitting the internal cleaning of the device. 
   In addition, it is desirable to provide a device that permits its user to utilize the containers of the bait in the form of bottles or the like to provide a supply of the bait for the device to be used to attract and eliminate insects such as ants. By being able to use the container it is then not necessary to provide a housing for containing the bait as a part of the device and it eliminates the step of pouring the contents of the purchased bait from the original container to the container of the device, and permits use of containers of different size and bait capacity for varying insect control applications. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   As demonstrated by the aforementioned patent, Applicants have invented a Liquid Gravity Feed Elimination System (hereinafter “LGFAES”) in an effort to assist users in the task of attracting and then eliminating insects such as ants. With this instant application, however, Applicants address the desirability of providing a LGFAES device that increases the effectiveness and reduces the time to replenish the bait supply and to clean the LGFAES, particularly in agriculture applications. 
   In addition, with this instant application, Applicants have also addressed the desirability of providing a LGFAES device which is reduced in cost and which increases the flexibility in use because one of the elements of the previous construction has been eliminated and which permits delivery of bait in different sized containers supplied by different bait manufacturers. 
   The LGFAES device of the present invention comprises means for accommodating a reservoir for containing a liquid bait, a shield for protecting bait dispensed from the reservoir, a base and a stabilizing device, all of which function in substantially the same manner as in Applicants&#39; predecessor design. Unlike that design, however, it is intended that the reservoir to be used as part of the LGFAES device be a commercially available bottle purchased with or without the bait rather than a housing provided as part of the device. 
   To permit the user to position the container in place on the LGFAES device, an adapter is provided which is separable from the base and from the reservoir to provide a support for mounting the bait container to the base. In a preferred construction, at the first of its ends, the adapter enables a mating with the base by means of multiple plastic o-rings attached to the outer wall of the adapter that cooperate with the inner wall of the center ring of the base to provide a seal to prevent air or liquid migration. The outer wall of the adapter above the o-rings cooperates with the inner wall of the center ring of the base to form a bayonet-type joint to permit the adapter-shield-reservoir assembly to firmly lock into the base. 
   A spring-loaded check valve in the adapter cooperates with the center ring of the base to open the valve and permit communication of the bait between the reservoir and the middle ring of the base and the feeding insects when the adapter is inserted into the center ring of the base and the bayonet-type connection is in a locked position. Such communication of bait is conversely interrupted when the adapter-shield-reservoir assembly is unlocked and raised off of the center ring of the base. 
   At the second of its other ends the adapter enables a mating and threaded connection with the bait container and the adapter cooperating with the shield which flares outwardly and downwardly from the remainder thereof, and additionally, provides an engagement surface against which the opening of the bait container abuts. Thus, the adapter cooperating with the shield accomplishes weather sheltering over the base and the insect feeding area and a structural support upon which the container is seated. Second, once assembled as described, the adapter provides a conduit through which liquid bait is communicated from the container to the base. 
   The provision of the adapter noted above provides a LGFAES device that facilitates replenishment of the bait supply and otherwise servicing the LGFAES, particularly, in agriculture applications, and permits use of third party containers, with or without bait included, and of varying capacity accommodating differing insect control applications. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A clearer understanding of the present invention can be had upon reference to the following drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of an assembled liquid gravity feed ant elimination system according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a an exploded and cross sectional view of the invention according to  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an enlarged view of the adapter shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating a preferred modification of the connection between the adapter and the shield of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Looking to  FIG. 1 , there is provided a Liquid Gravity Feed Ant Elimination System (LGFAES)  10  for the attraction and elimination of insect pests, such as ants. As its name comprehends, the LGFAES device uses a liquid low-toxicity bait to lure targeted ants which, it is intended, will return to their colonies to distribute such bait there among to destroy the colony. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates the LGFAES device  10  in its assembled form in which a liquid bait containing reservoir  12  with cooperating shield  14  is provided above base  16 . The base  16  is available for engagement with the ground or other surface. When intended for use on the ground, the base  16  may be fitted with a stabilizing device, preferably in the form of a stake  18 , which is to be inserted in the ground so as to assure proper positioning of the LGFAES device  10 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the assembly of the LGFAES device  10  is shown with more particularity whereby the relationship of the reservoir  12  to the base  16  may be more easily understood. As may be seen therein, the reservoir  12  is in the form of a bottle or the like which could be the original container for the liquid bait that is being used in the LGFAES device  10 . 
   As can best be seen in  FIG. 3  an adapter  20  which is integral with the shield  14  but which is independent of the reservoir  12  and the base  16 , and which is preferably is in the form of a hollowed stem  22  receives a neck  19  of the reservoir  12 . The stem  22  comprises first and second open ends  24  and  26 , respectively, and a mid-portion  28 . Multiple o-rings  30  are formed on the exterior surface  32  of the mid-portion  28  and an integral part of stem  22  to matingly engage, and therefore mount and form a seal with an interior  50  of a sleeve  46  of the center ring  42  of the base  16 . 
   Still referring to  FIG. 3  above the o-rings  30  on an exterior surface  32 , a bayonet type connection is provided between the stem  22  and the sleeve  46 . The connection is formed by providing a pin  34  formed as an integral part of the stem  22  to matingly engage, and therefore lock with a cooperating L shaped slot  35  ( FIG. 2 ) formed on the interior  50  of the sleeve  46  of the center ring  42  of the base  16 . 
   A spring check valve  36  inserted into above the open end  26  of the stem  22  is normally closed and operates to open when the stem  22  is inserted into position within the sleeve  46  and an actuator  37  for the valve  36  engages the center ring  42  of the base  16 , thusly permitting the flow of bait from reservoir  12  to the middle ring  40  of the base  16 . When the stem  22  is disengaged from the base  16 , the bait communication is interrupted. 
   While the shield  14  and the stem  22  have been shown as integrally formed in  FIGS. 2 and 3  it should be understood that if preferred they could be separately formed as shown in  FIG. 4  with exterior threads  60  formed on the upper end  24  of the stem  22  and interior threads  62  formed on the shield  14  such that the shield  14  would be threadingly engaged and supported by the stem  22 . 
   Referring again to  FIG. 3  interior threads  39  in the upper end  24  of the stem  22  are provided to mate with the exterior threaded neck  19  of the reservoir  12  such that the reservoir  12  is threadingly engaged with and supported by the stem  22  and the shield  14 . The shield  14  cooperating with the adapter  20  provides a means of accommodating bottles of a varying sizes and configurations. 
   As can best be seen in  FIG. 2  the base  16  comprises an outer ring  38 , a middle ring  40  and the center ring  42 , each of which is successively adjacent to another thereof to provide a platform upon which the liquid bait is placed for consumption by the insects. The middle ring  40  provides a trough  44  for receipt and retention of bait which is fed by gravity from the reservoir  12 . The center ring  42  includes the sleeve  46  with the interior  50  to receive the o-rings  30  and the bayonet type joint pin  34  for matingly engaging with and supporting the assembled form of the adapter  20 , the shield  14  and the reservoir  12 . The center ring  42  further comprises at least one aperture, e.g., a horizontal slit  52 , for the dispensation of the liquid bait from the reservoir  12  to the trough  44  of middle ring  40  of base  16 . 
     FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the adapter  20  described in  FIG. 2  and shown as being integral with the shield  14  but independent of the reservoir  12  and the base  16 . As indicated above the adapter could be independent of the shield  14  as well. Shown are the stem  22  with its first and second open ends  24  and  26 , respectively, and the mid-portion  28 ; the multiple o-rings  30  formed on the exterior surface  32  of the mid-portion  28  as an integral part of the stem; and the spring check valve  36  inserted above the open end  36  of the stem  22 . 
   It should be clear that a device has been disclosed which will accommodate bottles of different configurations to be used as the reservoir of the device. It is not necessary then to pour the bait to be used with the device from a bottle that has been purchased containing the bait to a reservoir for the device. The bottle can simply be opened and with the bottle upright the neck of the bottle can be screwed into the adapter of the device. The valve will be urged by the spring to the closed position so that the bottle can be replaced without spilling the bait. 
   Further if desired the entire shield, adapter and reservoir can be removed from the base of the device by utilizing the bayonet connection between the adapter and the base  16 . This is especially useful in agricultural applications by permitting empty reservoirs in the field to be replaced by filled reservoirs on a regular basis. The empty reservoirs can be easily separated from the base and taken back to a common filling facility. Filled reservoirs can replace the empty reservoirs quickly and easily with a simple push and turn motion. 
   It should also be understood that although a preferred construction of the adapter of the present invention has been disclosed, changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is only necessary that an adapter be provided that will accommodate containers such as bottles, shields and bases of various sizes and configurations, and with varying means mounting. 
   The adapter is intended to accommodate standard size bottles, but it should also be understood that to increase the versatility of the LGFAES device of the present invention several adapters of different sizes could be provided with each device so that the device could accommodate a wider range of bottle and shield sizes and configurations. 
   Although the device has been described with reference to the elimination of ants, the device could be used for the elimination of other insects that can be attracted to the LGFAES device to consume a low toxicity chemical, insect growth regulator, mating disruption pheromone, BT protein, virus or any other such biorational concoction. 
   While the foregoing example describes a certain preferred embodiment, it is to be recognized that one of ordinary skill in the art could adopt other forms; accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.