Abstract:
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.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/460,525 filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 15, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/951,707 filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 22, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,806,665), which 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, all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The 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&#39;s head covering, such as a bill, brim, visor, or the like that attracts and captures flying insects. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Typically, 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. 
         [0004]    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&#39;s body or clothing, can be reapplied, and entraps flying pests that would otherwise be in a person&#39;s face. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In 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&#39;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&#39;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. 
         [0006]    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. 
         [0007]    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&#39;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. 
         [0008]    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. 
         [0009]    Another embodiment of the invention can include at least one attachable attractant visor that can be attached to the underside of a head covering&#39;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&#39;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&#39;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&#39;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&#39;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&#39;s bill, brim, visor, or the like. 
         [0010]    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&#39;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&#39;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&#39;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. 
         [0011]    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. 
         [0012]    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. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    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: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a person outside encountering a pest problem; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a person outside using a pest entrapment device; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a pest entrapment kit; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of an attractant clip; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is side view of one embodiment of an attractant clip; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is an illustration of a method of applying an attractant  26  to one embodiment of an attractant clip  24 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a pest attractant applicator; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of a method of cleaning an attractant clip; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view an attractant visor; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is an illustration of a method of applying pest attractant to an attractant visor; and, 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is an illustration of a method of cleaning an attractant visor. 
       
    
    
       [0025]    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 EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    The 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. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a person  12  outside  18 , for example, playing golf and experiencing the environmental problem of pests  14 , including biting and flying insects, mites, and ticks. These pests  14  are attracted to the face of a person by a number of chemical and physical factors, including carbon dioxide and water vapor from the person&#39;s breath  22 , body heat, and chemicals from a person&#39;s sweat that sits on the surface of the skin. Additionally, pests  14  are also attracted to certain colors and textures of clothing, as well as to the odor from soaps, perfumes, lotions and hair-care products. While that person may spray or otherwise put on pest repellent to ward off these pests, sometimes these repellents contain toxic chemicals that keep people from applying these repellents to their face. Additionally, sometimes these repellents, because they contain certain chemicals, are not allowed in certain outdoor activities as they may harm the environment, like grass on a golf course. Therefore, a person is left with swatting at these pests  14  as they fly around a person&#39;s face with their own hand and putting up with the pests  14 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a person  12  outside  18 , for example, playing golf and using the pest entrapment device  24 . Once a person decides to go outside, that person may be subjected to pests  14 , such as flying and biting flies, etc. These pests  14  are attracted to the person&#39;s face because this is where a person&#39;s natural attractants for pests are released, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor from the breath  22 , body heat, and chemicals in the sweat found on the surface of the skin of the face. A person may use these natural attractants to their benefit by the addition of the pest entrapment device. The entrapment device can consist of an attractant clip  24 , which contains an artificial pest attractant  26 , that can be releasable and engageable to a person&#39;s head covering  16 , such as the bill, brim, visor, and the like. The entrapment device&#39;s location puts it in the vicinity of where pests  14  are already drawn because of a person&#39;s natural attractants, such as their breath  22  and sweat. The entrapment device redirects the pests  14  from the face toward the artificial pest attractant  26 , wherein the pests  14  are then trapped and no longer in the person&#39;s face. The pest entrapment device can come in a kit  20  that can be easily taken with a person and used, as described more fully in  FIG. 3  below. 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a pest entrapment kit  20 . The entrapment kit  20  can easily be carried on or with a person, for example in a purse, golf bag, or the like. The pest entrapment kit  20  can contain an attractant clip  24 , an attractant  26 , an attractant visor  42  and a cleaning cloth  44 . Another embodiment of the pest entrapment kit  20  may include at least one or more of an attractant clip  24 , a pest attractant  26 , an attractant visor  42 , and a cleaning cloth, or any combination thereof. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the attractant clip  24 . The attractant clip  24  can be constructed of metal or any other suitable material. The attractant clip can have a top surface  28  and a bottom surface  30 . The top surface  28  and bottom surface  30  can be joined by connecting member  32 , as further described in  FIG. 5 . The top surface  28  can be imprinted with an image or logo or otherwise engraved or marked, which such marking can encourage the use of the attractant clip  24 . The bottom surface  30  can have at least one cavity  38  wherein the pest attractant  26  can be applied to entrap pests  14 . The top surface  28 , bottom surface  30 , and the connecting member  32  can all be one piece, separate pieces, or any combination thereof. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is side view of one embodiment of the attractant clip  24 . The attractant clip  24  can have a tension spring  34  used to secure the attractant clip  24  to a head covering  16 . The tension spring  34  can be part of the connecting member  32  or it can be fastened by solder, adhesive, fusion or the like, to the connecting member  32 . The attractant clip  24  can also have a stop  60 . The stop  60  can be used in conjunction with an accessory marker  40 . The accessory marker  40  can be made of metal, as well, can be imprinted with an image or logo or otherwise marked. One or more accessory markers  40  can be stacked on the top surface  28  adjacent to the stop  60  and can be held in place by a magnet  36 . Accessory markers  40  can be used by a person  12 , for example, a golfer to mark a ball location, a hiker to mark a trail location, or the like to leave a mark in an environment  18 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is an illustration of a method of applying an attractant  26  to one embodiment of an attractant clip  24 . A person can after engaging an attractant clip  24  with a head covering&#39;s  16  bill, brim, visor and the like, invert the head covering  16 , wherein the bottom surface  30  will be upright exposing a cavity  38 . A person can then open a pest attractant applicator  48  by removing a lid  52  and holding the body  50  of the applicator  48  with one hand  46 , then using the other hand  46  to advance the pest attractant  26  from within the body  50  of the applicator  48  by turning a knob  54  that is located at the bottom of the applicator  48 . After an amount of pest attractant  26  is advanced beyond the opening of the body  50  of the applicator  48 , a person can then apply the pest attractant  26  to the cavity  38  on the bottom surface  30  of an attractant clip  24 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a pest attractant applicator  48 . The attractant applicator  48  can come in different sizes and shapes, such as an applicator, a cartridge, a tube and the like. The attractant applicator  48  can have a lid  52  that comes off completely through the use of a detent or the like, or the lid  52  and the top of the body  50  are threaded and the lid  52  can be twisted off and on. The applicator  48  can have a lid that is fastened to the body  50  of the applicator  48  by means of a hinge, detent, or the like. Extraction of the attractant  26  from the applicator  48  can be a linear actuator application when the knob  54  is rotated. There can be a base piece or carriage  58  that is housed within the body  50  of the applicator  48  and engaged by a linear actuator, which can also be housed within the body  50  of the applicator  48 . The pest attractant  26  can be situated within the body  50  of the applicator  48  and on top of the base piece. As the knob  54  is rotated, the base piece is moved up the threaded rod and the pest attractant is expelled from the body  50  of the applicator  48 . Other applicators that can apply a viscid material are contemplated, for example, a squeeze tube. 
         [0034]    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 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of a method of cleaning an attractant clip  24 . A person can hold an attractant clip  24  in one hand  46  wherein the bottom surface  30  is upright and the cavity  38  is exposed. A person can use a cleaning cloth  44  with the other hand  46  to wipe out the pest attractant  26  and entrapped pests  14  that are in the cavity  38  of the attractant clip  24 . The cleaning cloth  44  can be made of microfiber cloth, paper, or any other type of cloth or paper or the like. The cleaning cloth  44  can be washed and reused or it can be a disposable cloth that is thrown out after each use, or any combination thereof. The attractant clip  24  is then ready to be used again, as described above in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an attractant visor  42 . The attractant visor  42  can have an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface can be releasable and engageable with the underside of a head covering&#39;s bill, brim, visor, or the like. The upper surface can be engaged with the use of an adhesive, double-sided tape, Velcro™, clips, alligator clips, snaps, or the like. The attractant visor  42  can be made out of a sturdy and flexible plastic with at least a 0.06 to 0.12 inch thickness. The lower surface of the attractant visor  42  would be used to apply the pest attractant  26  to, as described more fully in  FIG. 10 . The attractant visor  42  can come in one size, or it may come in different sizes, or it can be of a larger size with the ability to be cut to a specific size depending on the head covering&#39;s  16  specific bill, brim, visor, or the like, size constraints, or any combination thereof.  FIG. 10  is an illustration of a method of applying pest attractant  26  to an attractant visor  42 . A person can attach the upper surface of an attractant visor  42  to the underside of a head covering&#39;s  16  bill, brim, visor, and the like and invert the head covering such that the lower surface of the attractant visor  42  is exposed. A person can then open a pest attractant applicator  48  by removing a lid and holding the body  50  of the applicator  48  with one hand  46 , then use the other hand  46  to advance the pest attractant  26  from within the body  50  of the applicator  48  by turning a knob  54  that is located at the bottom of the applicator  48 . After an amount of pest attractant  26  is advanced beyond the opening of the body  50  of the applicator  48 , a person can apply the pest attractant  26  to the bottom surface of an attractant visor  42 . The use of an attractant visor  42  provides for a greater area in which to apply attractant  26  and entrap pests  14 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 11  is an illustration of a method of cleaning an attractant visor  42 . A person can hold a head covering  16  inverted in one hand  46  wherein the bottom surface of an attractant visor  42  is exposed. A person can use a cleaning cloth  44  with the other hand  46  to wipe the bottom surface of the attractant visor  42  removing the pest attractant  26  and entrapped pests  14  that are entrapped in the attractant  26  on the attractant visor  42 . The cleaning cloth  44  can be made of microfiber cloth, or any other type of cloth or paper or the like. The cleaning cloth  44  can be washed and reused or it can be a disposable cloth that is thrown out after each use, or any combination thereof. The attractant visor  42  is then ready to be used again, as described above in  FIG. 10 . The attractant visor  42  can be reusable or it can be disposable or any combination thereof. 
         [0038]    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.