Patent Publication Number: US-2022220763-A1

Title: Animal repellent products, repellent compositions and methods of manufacturing the same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/136,446 titled “ANIMAL REPELLENT PRODUCTS, REPELLENT COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME”, filed on Jan. 12, 2021, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to animal repellent products, compositions and methods of manufacturing the same. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The animal repellent products found in a prior search discloses either a repellent composition being topically applied on the ground or on different objects&#39; external surfaces, or being encapsulated within plastic bubbles (e.g., US 208235160A1) to be released when pierced by animals. In addition, repellent composition may be applied in a form of oil which may be washed off by rain water, thus requiring repeated applications to maintain its repelling efficacy. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present application discloses animal repellent products that may deter and repel deer or other animals from trespassing or eating foliage in a vegetable or floral garden, fruit farms or crops grown in a fenced boundary. In an example, an animal repellent product may include a substrate having a physical form being one of: a ribbon, a string, a rope, a wire, individual sheets and tiles. An entire or a portion of an exposed surface of the substrate may be coated with a first layer of non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive, wherein the non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive may retain its adhesive characteristics without fully drying for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to sunlight and water in an outdoor environment. A second layer of granular repellent substance may be coated over the first layer of non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive, wherein the granular repellent substance retains its chemical and physical characteristics for the indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to the sunlight and water in the outdoor environment, by giving off a repulsive scent to approaching animals and is water insoluble. 
     In another example, a method for manufacturing an animal repellent product may include carrying out at least the steps including: (1) providing a substrate having a physical form being one of: a ribbon, a string, a rope, a wire, individual sheets, tiles or any other appropriate material; (2) coating a first layer of non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive over the surface of the substrate, wherein the non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive retains its adhesive characteristics without fully drying for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to sunlight and water in an outdoor environment; and (3) depositing a second layer of granular repellent substance over the first layer of non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive, wherein the granular repellent substance retains its chemical and physical characteristics for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to the sunlight and water in the outdoor environment, by giving off a repulsive scent to approaching animals and is water insoluble. 
     In another example, a repellent product to keep out animals may include: a substrate having an entire or partial exposed surface coated with a non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive blended with granular repellent substance, wherein the substrate itself having a physical form being one of: a ribbon, a string, a rope, a wire, individual sheets, and tiles, wherein the non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive retains its adhesive characteristics without fully drying for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to sunlight and water in an outdoor environment; and the granular repellent substance retains its chemical and physical characteristics for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to the sunlight and water in the outdoor environment, by giving off a repulsive scent to approaching animals and is water insoluble. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure is better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The elements in the figures may not necessarily be to scale, emphasis are instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the figures, like-referenced numerals may designate to corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates various embodiments of animal repellent products. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates granular repellent substance pre-coated on various embodiments of animal repellent products. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates a cross section view of an exemplary pre-coating for an animal repellent product. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an example of a method for manufacturing an animal repellent product. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure relates to animal repellent products, compositions and methods of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the animal repellent products may be used to repel vegetation eating animals, such as deer, rabbits, goats, sheep, possums, hogs and rodents from approaching a scent guard formed by the animal repellent products. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates various embodiments of animal repellent products. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the two products  110 ,  112  may come in a cord or a ribbon form to be placed on plants shrubs or hung from trees. Both may come in an easy-to-use dispenser  110 A,  112 A. A third product may include cards (sheets or tiles)  114  that are inserted into wire holders and then stuck in the ground, pots or hung from trees and shrubs, or any man-made structures, such as a guard fence, a rail, a ranch fold, a cage, a mesh, a barrier, a pole, a stick  118 , and a tool, or in combination with any objects in the natural environment. 
       FIG. 2A  illustrates granular repellent substance pre-coated on various embodiments of animal repellent products  210 ,  212 ,  214 . Each of the animal repellent products  210 ,  212 ,  214  may each be constructed with a starting substrate  202  having a physical form being one of: a ribbon  212 , a string  210 , a rope, a wire, individual sheets  202  and tiles, etc. The substrate  202  surfaces (i.e., exposed surfaces from all sides) may be entirely or partially coated with a granular repellent substance  206 . 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates a cross section view A-A of an exemplary pre-coating for an animal repellent product as shown in  FIG. 2B . The cross section view A-A also illustrates a pre-coating method of the granular repellent substance over a sheet or a tile form substrate  202 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , a first layer of non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive  204  may be first coated over an exposed surface of the substrate  202 . In implementation, the exposed area may be an entire or partial surface area. The non-drying adhesive  204  may retain its adhesive characteristics without fully drying for an indefinite period after prolonged exposure to sunlight and water in an outdoor environment. A second layer of granular repellent substance  206  may be afterwards pre-coated over the first layer of non-drying adhesive  204 . The second layer of granular repellent substance  206  may have been experimentally tested to show that its chemical and physical characteristics may be retained for an exceedingly long period of time (i.e., &gt;10 years) to be considered a relative indefinite time period after deployment, in an outdoor environment under prolonged exposure to the sunlight and rain water or not easily dissolved after prolonged immersion in water. 
     In implementation, the repelling efficacy is derived from the repulsive scent given off by the granular repellent substance  206  to approaching animals. Its effectiveness is due to the large surface areas of the granular repellent substance  206  that gives off the repulsive scent. 
     In addition, the granular repellent substance  206  has been experimentally tested to maintain its insolubility to water and without losing its efficacy to repel animals after a prolonged exposure to sunlight and rainwater in an outdoor ambient environment. 
     In an example, the first layer of non-drying adhesive  204  may include a mixture of ultra violet (UV) light stable polymers and oils, formed by at least two or more of: Isobutene polymer, Butene-homopolymer, Isobutylene resin, Polybutene, Polymerized 2-Methylpropene, 2 Methyl 1-1-Propene homopolymer, hydrogenated Caster oil, wax and mineral spirits. In implementation, the mixture of UV light stable polymers and oils may be heated to between 120 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and coated on to the substrate. In an example, the mixture of ultra violet (UV) light stable polymers and oils that forms the non-drying adhesive and may retain its adhesive physical characteristics without fully drying. 
     In an example, the granular repellent substance  206  that are coated over the first layer  204  of non-drying adhesive may include at least one or more of: feather meal, by products from slaughtered animals, decomposed eggs, urine, fertilizer, blood feed, and animal pheromones, wherein the granular repellent substance may be directly deposited over the first layer  204  of non-drying adhesive at an ambient temperature between 50 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , the repellent product  210 ,  212  may be wound as a spool into a roll, when supplied in a physical form of the ribbon, the string, the rope or the wire. The roll of repellent product  210 ,  212  may be dispensed through an opening of a packaging box as shown in  FIG. 1 , which the repellent product  210 ,  212  may be used to wrap or wind over a man-made structure or natural environmental objects to form a scent guard fence or a boundary to repel the approaching animals from trespassing. The substrate  202  in the ribbon or string form may be fabricated from one or a combination of: polystyrene, polypropylene, nylon, woven fabrics, stranded jute, stranded wires or any other appropriate substrate. 
     In an example, if the substrate is supplied in the physical form of the ribbon, the substrate may be fabricated in dimensions no wider than 1″ and no thicker than 1/16″. The ribbon form of the repellent product  210 ,  212  is not limited in its physical dimensions for practical applications. In an example, if the substrate is supplied in the physical form of the string, the rope or the wire, the substrate may have a diameter under ¼″. 
     The pre-coated repellent product  210 ,  212  in the physical form of the individual sheets or tiles may be configured to be individually hung, affixed to a man-made structure or a natural environmental object, or directly staked into the earth to form a scent guard fence to repel the trespassing animals from destroying or eating the plants, wherein the structure of objects may include a man-made structure or natural landscape, wherein the man-made structure includes anyone of: a guard fence, a ranch fold, a cage, a mesh, a barrier, a pole, a stick  118 , and a tool, wherein the natural landscape comprising trees, shrubs, soil and rock. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A  the substrate  202  in the physical form of the individual sheets or tiles  214  may be fabricated from one or a combination of: polystyrene, polypropylene, nylon, plastic, composites, metal, wood, cellulose, laminates recycled materials or any other appropriate material. The individual sheets or tiles  214  form of substrate  202  may be fabricated in shapes including: squares, rectangles, polygons, oval, circles and any irregular shapes. 
     In another embodiment, the individual sheets or tiles  214  form of substrate  202  may be fabricated from one or a combination of: organic polymers, metals, wood, or biodegradable materials, such as recycled laminates or papers, or cellulose based materials that may break down when deployed outdoor after certain number of months or years. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the repellent products  110 ,  112  may come in a ribbon form to be placed on plants shrubs or hung from trees. Both may come in an easy-to-use dispenser  110 A,  112 A. Other repellent product may include several plastic cards  114  that may be inserted into holders and then stuck in the ground, pots or hung from trees and shrubs. 
     A method for manufacturing an animal repellent product  210 ,  212 ,  214  may include: in step  302 , providing a substrate  202  having a physical form being one of: a ribbon, a string, a rope, a wire, individual sheets and tiles. The substrate  202  may go through the pre-coating steps including step  304 : coating a first layer of non-drying thermally sensitive adhesive  204  over an entire or partial exposed surface of the substrate  202 ; wherein the non-drying thermally sensitive adhesive retains its adhesive characteristics without drying for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to sunlight and water in an outdoor environment. In step  306 , depositing a second layer of granular repellent substance  206  over the first layer of non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive  204 . The granular repellent substance  206  may retain its chemical and physical characteristics for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to the sunlight and water in the outdoor environment, by giving off a repulsive scent to approaching animals and the second layer of granular repellent substance  206  is water insoluble or not easily dissolved after prolonged immersion in water. 
     In another embodiment, a repellent product to keep out animals includes: a substrate  202  having an entire or partial exposed surface coated with a non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive  204  coated with granular repellent substance  206 , wherein the substrate  202  itself having a physical form being one of: a ribbon  210 , a string, a rope, a wire  212 , individual sheets, and tiles  214 . The non-drying temperature sensitive adhesive  204  may retain its adhesive characteristics without fully drying for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to sunlight and water in an outdoor environment; and the granular repellent substance  206  may retain its chemical and physical characteristics for an indefinite time period after prolonged exposure to the sunlight and water in the outdoor environment, by giving off a repulsive scent to approaching animals and is water insoluble or not easily dissolved after prolonged immersion in water. 
     It will be appreciated that the terminology used in the present application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the application. The singular forms “a”, “the”, and “the” may be intended to comprise a plurality of elements. The terms “including” and “comprising” are intended to include a non-exclusive inclusion. Although the present application is described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be appreciated that those foregoing embodiments may be modified, and such modifications do not deviate from the scope of the present application. 
     Details of the disclosure may be found in the recited claims below.