Abstract:
An apparatus to project toward a tree to disburse a pheromone, comprising: a releaser removably adjacent to a capsule via an extension; whereby said releaser and said capsule are disposed adjacent to each other in a deployable state, then the releaser separates from the capsule but is still connected via said extension whereby inertia causes said releaser to move away from said capsule into an attachment state, and related methods of applying a pheromone onto a tree branch.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/146,436, filed Jun. 25, 2008, titled “PEST CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS,” now U.S. Pat. No. 8,024,889, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     GOVERNMENT RIGHTS 
       [0002]    This invention was not made with Government support under. The Government does not have any rights in this invention. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Pheromones are released in agricultural environments, such as orchards and farms, to control insect reproduction and insect population so that plants and vegetation growth can be enhanced. In some cases, the pheromones are disposed in the upper ⅓ of trees to decrease invading insects in fruit crops, such as apples. 
         [0004]    A pheromone is a chemical substance that is usually produced by an animal and serves especially as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses. Pheromones can be used to disrupt mating of invading insects by dispensing the pheromones or the pheromone scent in the air, so the males&#39; cannot locate the females, which disrupts the mating process. Pheromones can be produced by the living organism, or artificially produced. This pest control method does not employ insecticides, so the use of pheromones is safer for the environment, and for living organisms. 
         [0005]    Currently, the relevant art includes tying pheromones onto branches by use of the pheromones being imbedded within “twisty-tie” like products. Pacific Biocontrol Corporation, of Litchfield Park, Ariz. (pacificbiocontrol.com), makes and sells these types of pheromone products. These products require the user to manually, or by means of a rod-like extension, twist each product onto a branch, like one would apply the twisty-tie to close a trash bag. This is a labor intensive practice, especially for large orchards. 
         [0006]    As can be seen, there is a need for faster way to apply such pheromone systems 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    One aspect is an apparatus to project toward a tree to disburse a pheromone, comprising: a releaser ( 20 ) removably adjacent to a capsule ( 25 ) via an extension ( 120 ); whereby said releaser ( 20 ) and said capsule ( 25 ) are disposed adjacent to each other in a deployable state ( 180 ), then the releaser ( 20 ) separates from the capsule ( 25 ) but is still connected via said extension ( 120 ) whereby inertia causes said releaser ( 20 ) to move away from said capsule ( 25 ) into an attachment state ( 200 ). 
         [0008]    Another aspect is a method of applying a pheromone onto a tree branch, comprising: positioning a releaser ( 20 ) to a first end ( 122 ) of an extension ( 120 ); 
         [0009]    positioning a capsule ( 110 ) to a second end ( 124 ) of an extension ( 120 ); positioning the releaser ( 20 ) adjacent to the capsule ( 110 ) so that the member ( 10 ) is in a deployable state ( 180 ); projecting the member ( 10 ) in its deployable state ( 180 ) whereby inertia causes said releaser ( 20 ) to separate from said capsule ( 110 ) and form an attachment state ( 200 ). 
         [0010]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of one embodiment of a member of the present invention in a open position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial view of the first embodiment of the member of the present invention in a closed position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial view of a second embodiment of a member of the present invention in a open position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4A  is a pictorial view of the second embodiment of the member of the present invention in a closed position with the member within the capsule; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4B  is a pictorial view of the second embodiment of the member of the present invention in a closed position with the member on the outside of the capsule; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a pictorial view of a gun that may be used to deploy a member of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial view of a member being displaced toward a tree branch while in an attachment state; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a pictorial view of a member being applied to a tree branch; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a pictorial of a schematic of a method of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a pictorial of a third embodiment of the present invention with the releaser extended from the capsule; 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a pictorial of the third embodiment in a closed position, with the releaser disposed adjacent to the capsule; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a pictorial of a schematic of a method of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
       REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0024]      10  member 
         [0025]      20  releaser 
         [0026]      25  capsule 
         [0027]      30  capsule type I 
         [0028]      40  first capsule I portion 
         [0029]      50  second capsule I portion 
         [0030]      60  capsule type II 
         [0031]      70  first capsule II portion 
         [0032]      72  first groove 
         [0033]      80  second capsule II portion 
         [0034]      82  second groove 
         [0035]      90  first capsule II hollow interior 
         [0036]      100  second capsule II hollow interior 
         [0037]      110  capsule III 
         [0038]      120  extension 
         [0039]      130  gun 
         [0040]      180  deployable state 
         [0041]      200  attachment state 
         [0042]      300  positioning a releaser to a first end of an extension 
         [0043]      310  positioning a capsule to a second end of an extension 
         [0044]      320  positioning the releaser adjacent to the capsule 
         [0045]      330  projecting the member in its deployable state 
         [0046]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment on the present invention. The member  10  may include components including a releaser  20  connected to a first end  122 , and a capsule  25  connected to a second end  124  of an extension  120  as illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
         [0047]    In another embodiment, the releaser  20  may be disposed between two extensions  120 , and each extension  120  may extend outwardly and connect to a capsule  25 . 
         [0048]    The capsule  25  may be of any shape and it may be hollow if the releaser  20  or if the releaser  20  and the extension  120  are to be disposed within the capsule. As an example, the capsule  25  may be of a type referred to herein as capsule type I, capsule type II, or capsule type III; which are substantially interchangeable. 
         [0049]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a hollow spherical shaped capsule type I. The capsule type I  30  may have a first capsule type I portion  40  and a second capsule type I portion  50 . 
         [0050]      FIG. 2  illustrates a member  10  as a capsule type I  30  in its closed position. From the closed position, or deployable state  180 , as illustrated at  FIGS. 2 ,  4 A,  4 B, and  11 , the member  10  can be propelled toward a tree; then due to inertia, the member  10  will separate from at least one of either capsule type I  30 , capsule type II,  60 , or capsule type III  110  to an attachment state  200 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , from which the extension  120  may wrap around a branch, holding the releaser  20  in the air to release the desired pheromones. Then when member  10  contacts a tree branch, the member  10  may wrap around the branch, where it remains to deploy a pheromone into the air to disrupt the mating process of invading insects. 
         [0051]      FIG. 3  illustrates another type of member  10 . This member  10  may be referred to as the capsule type II  60 . The capsule type II  60  may have a first capsule II portion  70 , and a second capsule II portion  80 . The first capsule II portion  70  may have a first capsule II hollow interior  90 . The second capsule II portion  80  may have a second capsule II hollow interior  100 . 
         [0052]    The capsule type II  60  can be closed as illustrated in  FIG. 4A  and  4 B.  FIG. 4A  illustrates the capsule type II  60  with the releaser  20  stowed inside the capsule type II displaced at least one of the first capsule II hollow interior  90  and the second capsule II hollow interior  100 . The member  10  may be in this closed position for deployment when in the closed position, referred to herein as the deployment state  180 , then after the member is deployed, it may separate to be in the attachment state  200 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , then it may wrap around a branch as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 4B  illustrates the capsule type II  60  with the releaser  20  disposed just outside of the capsule type II  60 . The application may be the same as described as above, when the releaser  20  is stowed within the capsule type II. 
         [0054]      FIG. 5  illustrates what the capsule  25 ; here the example used is capsule type II  60  may look like after deployment, and before wrapping around a branch. The releaser  20  may be disposed between two extensions  120 , which may terminate at a first capsule II portion  70 , and at the opposed end, a second capsule II portion  80 . The first capsule II portion  70  may have a first groove  72  that extends linearly so that the extension  120  may be placed through the first groove  72 , and tied at a distal end  74 . Similarly, the second capsule portion II  80  may have a second groove  82  that extends linearly so that the extension  120  may be placed through the second groove  82 , and tied secured at a distal end  84 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 6  illustrates a gun  130  that may be used to deploy the member  10 . For example, a user may point the gun  130  at a tree, and pull a trigger to project the member  10  from the gun toward a branch initially in the deployment state  180 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , and then the member  10  may wrap around a tree branch as illustrated in  FIG. 8  when in the attachment state  200 . 
         [0056]    Alternatively, a gun  130  need not be used. Any means of projecting or displacing the member  10  toward a branch will work. For example, one could even throw the member  10  toward the branch.
     FIG. 9  is a schematic of the method of practicing the present invention. This illustrates the steps of a method of applying a pheromone onto a tree branch, comprising:   positioning ( 300 ) a releaser ( 20 ) to a first end ( 122 ) of an extension ( 120 );   positioning ( 310 ) a capsule ( 110 ) to a second end ( 124 ) of an extension ( 120 );   positioning ( 320 ) the releaser ( 20 ) adjacent to the capsule ( 110 ) so that the member ( 10 ) is in a deployable state ( 180 ); and   projecting ( 330 ) the member ( 10 ) in its deployable state ( 180 ) whereby inertia causes said releaser ( 20 ) to separate from said capsule ( 110 ) and form an attachment state ( 200 ).   
 
         [0062]      FIG. 10  illustrates another embodiment that uses a releaser  20  connected to a capsule III  110  via an extension  120 . This may use less parts, and may be cheaper to produce. 
         [0063]      FIG. 11  illustrates the embodiment while the releaser  20  is disposed within the hollow capsule II  110 , ready for deployment. Although  FIG. 11  illustrates the releaser  20  disposed within the capsule III, it  20  may be disposed on the outside of the capsule III, as is illustrated in  FIG. 4B . 
         [0064]    It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.