Abstract:
An insect trap ( 100 ) includes an entrapment chamber ( 110 ) with an entry structure ( 140 ) over one open end. The entry structure includes (i) a lid ( 142 ) with a central aperture ( 144 ) and one or more peripheral apertures ( 146 ); (ii) a tapered guide ( 150 ) on one side of the lid, and (iii) a port fixture ( 160 ) that extends through the central aperture and engages the tapered guide. The port fixture includes one or more tubular ports ( 168 ) that extend through the peripheral apertures, and one or more cartridges ( 170 ) that are removably inserted into the tubular ports. The cartridges contain attractant that is exposed to the interior of the attractant chamber when the trap is assembled. The cartridges may be replaced to replenish or replace attractant without removing the entry structure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/446,933, filed Feb. 25, 2011, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/959,272, filed Dec. 2, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/350,911, filed Jan. 8, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,282, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/200,820, filed Aug. 28, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,600, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/013,936, filed Dec. 14, 2007. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/959,272 further claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/286,318, filed Dec. 14, 2009. The entire disclosures of the aforementioned applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Flying insects, for example, various social wasps, including paper wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, can be a significant nuisance and a potential hazard to animals and people engaged in outdoor activities. Such flying insects can be prevalent in rural settings and even in very well-developed residential areas. Various species of insects, flying and otherwise, are also common in agricultural settings and in other commercial processing venues, including, for example, meat-packing factories, food-processing facilities, and livestock ranches. 
     Traps for flying insects are known in the art and often have been quite successful at trapping target insects. For example, an inventor of the insect trap disclosed herein pioneered conical element hanging traps, such as the wasp traps described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,941, which issued on Nov. 12, 1985, to Schneidmiller, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Schneidmiller discloses a transparent, cylindrical insect trap that is selective to entrapping wasps. A “wasp” is a generic name applied to insects of the order Hymenoptera, which includes particularly paper wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. The present inventor also discloses certain improvements to the insect trap in U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,880, also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     Previously patented trap structures include a transparent, generally cylindrical entrapment chamber that is open at the bottom, and a base that attaches to the bottom of the entrapment chamber, and defines one or more entryways for the target insect. In the prior art device, the entrapment chamber also includes ventilation openings at the top end of the cylindrical entrapment chamber. The entryways in the base are apertures that permit and encourage entry into the entrapment chamber by wasps. An entry cone shaped as a truncated cone or tapered guide is disposed in the entrapment chamber. The tapered guide is open at the bottom, which is directly adjacent to the perimeter at the bottom of the entrapment chamber, and includes a smaller open aperture at the top end of the tapered guide. Wasps or other target insects enter the trap through the entryways and fly or climb into the cone, passing through the smaller aperture in its truncated upper end. The target insect thereby becomes entrapped in the cylindrical chamber. Once the target insect is inside the chamber, exiting is highly improbable. 
     Semiochemical is a generic term to describe chemicals or chemical mixtures that carry messages within or between species of organisms, including, for example, insects. It is believed that most, if not all, insects use semiochemicals to communicate with other individuals of the same species or other species. Examples of semiochemicals include pheromones, allomones, kairomones, synomones, attractants, and repellants. The present application discusses the use of attractants in insect traps, for ease in understanding the disclosure. “Attractant” is herein specifically defined to encompass any semiochemical, and is not intended to be restricted to attractants per se. 
     Insect traps may utilize one or more attractants to lure target insects into the trap. The attractant may be as simple as water, or may be a chemical attractant that is targeted to a particular species. For example, the attractant may be an olfactory attractant for the target insect. In one embodiment, the attractant is a volatile attractant formed into a solid with a polyurethane matrix such that the attractant will evaporate and escape from the matrix over a period of time. The attractant may combine water with a volatile olfactory attractant, wherein the volatile olfactory attractant mixes with vapors from a chemical attractant and/or water in a separate container, the mixed vapors exiting the trap in a plume. An effective attractant plume will attract the target insects toward the trap, and in particular toward the trap entryway. Various attractants or combination of attractants may be used, including both solid and liquid attractants, providing great flexibility in selecting from a range and combination of attractants. 
     Attractants for luring target insects to the trap are consumable product that must be periodically replenished. Generally, the attractant is formulated to diffuse or evaporate over time such that an attractant plume is generated from the trap for a relatively long period of time. The attractant will, however, eventually be depleted. In prior art traps, replenishing the attractant can be inconvenient. Typically the user must at least partially disassemble the trap, opening the entrapment chamber. This may be inconvenient in the field, particularly if weather conditions are cold and/or rainy. Moreover, when opening the entrapment chamber there is a possibility of releasing one or more target insects that may have only recently become entrapped. The target insect may sting, bite, or otherwise attack the user. The inconvenience associated with changing or replenishing the attractant may cause users to delay replacement of the attractant, and thereby reduce the effectiveness of the trap. 
     It will also be appreciated that there may be reasons to change or replenish an attractant for reasons other than depletion of the existing attractant. For example, the user may desire to use an alternative attractant, for example, to target a different insect, or an alternative attractant may be desirable due to insect behavioral characteristics. For example, different attractants may be desirable in different temperatures, weather conditions, or the like. It may also be beneficial to combine different attractants in a single trap, and to be able to conveniently change the particular combination of semiochemicals in the trap. For example, if a trap is found to be entrapping an unintended species of insect, in addition to the target species, it may be desirable to add a repellant for the unintended species, while continuing use of the attractant for the target species. Therefore, there is a need for a more convenient mechanism for changing or replacing insect attractant in a trap. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     An insect trap in accordance with the present invention includes an entrapment chamber having an open end with an entry structure removably attached thereto. The entry structure includes a lid defining a central entry aperture and a peripheral aperture. For example, the lid may have a plurality of peripheral apertures. A tapered guide, for example a perforated cone, is provided to guide target insects into the trap and to hinder trapped insects from escaping. The entry structure further includes an attractant port fixture that is configured to receive removable cartridges containing attractant or some type of semiochemical. The fixture includes one or more tubular ports that extend through the peripheral apertures, and a panel structure that extends through the entry aperture and engage the tapered guide. Cartridges removably inserted into the ports expose attractant in the cartridges to the interior of the entrapment chamber. 
     In an embodiment, the fixture includes three tubular ports, and the tubular ports have a distal end defined by a cage-like structure to prevent or inhibit insects from leaving the trap through the tubular ports when the cartridge is removed. 
     In an embodiment, the fixture includes a cap portion and is movable between a closed position wherein the cap portion overlies the entry aperture, and an open position wherein the cap portion is disposed away from the entry aperture. 
     In an embodiment, the cartridges include an oversized proximal end cap that fits in a corresponding recess defined in the cap portion, such that the user can readily determine when the cartridge is fully inserted. 
     In an embodiment, the panel structure divides the entry aperture into a plurality of smaller entryways, and provides a visual shield between the smaller entryways. 
     In an embodiment, a second entry structure is provided on an opposite open end of the entrapment chamber. The second entry structure may be similar to the first entry structure with removable cartridges, or may be different, for example, defining a plurality of entry apertures with panels disposed between the apertures. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a flying insect trap in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the flying insect trap shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary detail view showing the upper structure of the flying insect trap shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view upper portion of the flying insect trap shown in  FIG. 1 , showing the cap structure moved to the closed position; and 
         FIG. 5  shows a front view of another embodiment of a flying insect trap in accordance with the present invention, having an entrapment chamber with a single compartment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Particular embodiments of a trap in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the FIGURES, wherein like numbers indicate like parts. The flying insect trap  100  includes many aspects disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0151227, to Schneidmiller, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,282, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a flying insect trap  100  in accordance with the present invention.  FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the trap  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     In this embodiment, the flying insect trap  100  includes an entrapment chamber  110  that defines an upper compartment  102  and a lower compartment  104 . The upper and lower compartments  102 ,  104  are separated by an intermediate internal transverse wall  106 . The entrapment chamber  110  is at least partially transparent or translucent and formed from an injection molded polymeric material, although other known manufacturing methods may be used that are well known in the art. The separated compartments  102 ,  104 , although not critical to the present invention, provide greater flexibility in deploying and using the trap  100 . In one method of use, the trap  100  is used to attract and trap multiple species of flying insects. With multiple separated compartments  102 ,  104 , fewer traps may be required in applications wherein more than one insect is to be targeted. It is contemplated that the trap may alternatively be provided with more than two separated compartments, for example, by providing a Y-shaped or cruciform entrapment chamber with barriers or other separation means provided between the legs of these alternative entrapment chambers, such as certain traps disclosed in the related U.S. Pat. No. 8,051,600, which is incorporated by reference above. 
     A lower entry structure  120  is removably attached to a bottom end  114  of the entrapment chamber  110 , and an upper entry structure  140  is removably attached to an upper end  112  of the entrapment chamber  110 . A large tapered guide  130  extends from the bottom end  114  of the entrapment chamber  110  into the lower compartment  104 . The large tapered guide  130  in this embodiment is frustoconical with a larger open end  134  near or adjacent the lower entry structure  120 , and a smaller open end  132  extending into the entrapment chamber  110 . A plurality of apertures  136  in the tapered guide  130  improve light transmission through the tapered guide  130  and provide a perch for insects to further encourage insects to climb through the tapered guide  130 . 
     The lower entry structure  120  comprises a lid that includes entry apertures  123  that provide insect access into the lower compartment  104  of the entrapment chamber  110 . Preferably, a mechanism for retaining an attractant on or near the lower entry structure  120  is also provided. In this embodiment, the retaining mechanism is a recess  121  disposed near the center of the lower entry structure  120 . 
     The upper entry structure  140  comprises a lid  142  that engages the top end  112  of the entrapment chamber  110 , for example, by threadable engagement. The lid  142  in this embodiment includes a central aperture  144  and a plurality of peripheral apertures  146  (three shown). A smaller tapered guide  150  is disposed directly below the central aperture  144 . The smaller tapered guide  150  in this embodiment is frustoconical with a larger open end  154  disposed near or adjacent the lid  142 , and a smaller open end  152  that extends into the upper compartment  102 . Attachment portions  156  are defined near the larger open end  154 . 
     Refer now also to  FIG. 3  which shows a detail, cutaway view of the upper entry structure  140 . An attractant port fixture  160  is configured to extend through the lid  142  central aperture  144  and engage the attachment portions  156  of the smaller tapered guide  150 . The port fixture  160  includes a panel structure  162  having a distal end that extends through the central aperture  144  and that slidably engages slots  148  in the lid  142 . A cap portion  164  is attached to the proximal end of the panel structure  162  and may include a hanging nib  166 . 
     The upper entry structure  140  also defines a plurality of cylindrical ports  168  (three shown). In the present embodiment, the ports  168  are fixedly attached to, or formed integrally with, the cap portion  164  and the panel structure  162 . The ports  168  are open at the top, and are sized and positioned to slidably engage the peripheral apertures  146  in the lid  142 . 
     The ports  168  are sized and configured to slidably receive an attractant cartridge  170 . The attractant cartridges  170  have a cylindrical body  172  that is configured to receive an insect attractant and is open at the bottom  173 . The attractant may be a solid attractant, or otherwise stabilized, for example, by mixing the attractant with a matrix material such as an open-celled polymeric foam, a gel or paste, or the like. The attractant cartridge  170  includes an oversized end cap  174  at an upper end that may be contoured to fit in corresponding recesses  165  in the cap portion  164 . 
     Although not critical to the present invention, in a current embodiment the end cap  174  is removable from the cylindrical body  172 , for example with a friction fit, and is further configured to removably snap onto the distal end of the cylindrical body  172  (as indicated in phantom in  FIG. 3 ). The end cap  174  may therefore be used to seal the attractant inside the cylindrical body  172  prior to use. 
     The oversized end cap  174  may conveniently be contoured to provide an aesthetic benefit, and also provides a lip that extends outwardly to facilitate removal of the cartridge  170 . The end caps  174  may also provide a visual indicator to the user to identify when the cartridge  170  is fully inserted (e.g., if the end cap  174  is substantially coplanar with the cap portion  164 ). 
     As seen most clearly in  FIG. 3 , the attractant ports  168  include a cage structure  176  at the distal end. The cage structure  176  prevents insects from entering the ports  168 . In particular, when a user removes an attractant cartridge  170  from a corresponding port  168 , for example, to insert a new attractant cartridge, any active target insects in the entrapment chamber  110  are prevented by the cage structure  176  from escaping through the temporarily empty port  168 . The cage structure  176  can also be used to control the release rates of the attractant contained in the port  168 , especially where the attractant comprises one or more highly volatile compounds, by varying the size of the opening slots defined by the cage structure  176  to optimize performance. For example, a screen or semi-porous panel may be disposed at the distal end of the port  168 . 
     In the current embodiments, the cylindrical ports  168  and the panel structure  162  are substantially parallel and slidably engage the lid  142 , such that the attractant port fixture  160  may be slidably moved between an open position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3  wherein the smaller tapered guide  150  is substantially adjacent the lid  142 , and a closed position shown in  FIG. 4  wherein the cap portion  164  of the attractant port fixture  160  is substantially adjacent the lid  142 . In the open position, the central aperture  144  and the panel structure  162  cooperatively define a plurality of smaller entryways for target insects into the upper compartment  102  of the entrapment chamber  110  through the smaller tapered guide  150 . It will be appreciated that the smaller entryways are visually blocked or shielded from each other by the panel structure  162 . Therefore, a target insect at an entryway on one side of the panel structure  162  will not be deterred from approaching and entering the trap by a target insect positioned near a different one of the smaller entryways. 
     The attractant in the attractant cartridges  170  will typically diffuse or evaporate gradually into the upper compartment  102  through the cage structure  176  of the attractant ports  168 . The outlet of the attractant ports  168  is located radially outwardly from the smaller tapered guide  150 . The target insects will therefore be further attracted to continue through the smaller tapered guide  150  and through the smaller open end  152 . It is unlikely that the insect will reenter the smaller tapered guide  150  because of the small size of the smaller open end  152 . 
     To use the trap  100 , a user may position the trap  100  in any desired location. For example, a line such as a string, wire, or the like may be attached to the hanging nib  166  to hang the trap  100  from a tree limb, roof eave, hanging fixture, etc. Attractant cartridges  170  in the trap  100  may be periodically replaced. Moreover, it is contemplated that different attractants may be available. For example, one attractant may be particularly effective early in the season for attracting a target insect, and a second attractant may be more effective later in the season either due to seasonal behavioral changes in the target insect or to attract a different species of insect. 
     In particular, the attractant may be replenished while insects are active within the trap  100 , without the trapped insects escaping the trap  100 , so that there is little likelihood of the user being stung or otherwise threatened by trapped insects. 
     The current embodiment is disclosed with an entrapment chamber  110  that defines two separate compartments  102 ,  104 . This provides certain advantages, for example, to optimize the efficiency of the trap  100  and to allow for targeting of multiple species of insects. For example, it has been found effective in some applications to partially fill the upper compartment  102  with water and/or a water-based attractant while providing a solid attractant (or a liquid attractant on a solid substrate) in the lower compartment  104 . However, the teachings of the present invention may be readily applied to insect traps wherein the entrapment chamber is not divided into separate compartments. Conversely, it is contemplated that the entrapment chamber may be divided into more than one compartment. It is also readily applicable to such traps having only a single entryway into the entrapment chamber. 
     Also, although the current embodiment shows the attractant port fixture  160  on only the top end of the trap  100 , it is contemplated that the attractant port fixture  160  may be placed on either end of the entrapment chamber  110 , and it will be readily appreciated by persons of skill in the art that suitable attractant port fixtures  160  may be provided at both the top and the bottom end of the entrapment chamber  110 . 
     For example,  FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment of an insect trap  200  in accordance with the present invention. The trap  200  is similar to the trap  100  described above. However, in this embodiment the entrapment chamber  210  defines a single compartment. In this example, the lower entry structure  220  and the upper entry structure  240  are both similar to the upper entry structure  140  described above. 
     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.