Abstract:
Taught herein are solar-panel powered apparatuses for attracting and eliminating insects comprising a frame; means for attracting insects, said means for attracting insects being mechanically connected to said frame; a battery; and one or more solar panels. The apparatuses provide the advantages of efficient attracting and eliminating insects, low or no environmental pollution, and low cost.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 200520067384.5 filed Nov. 14, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates to an apparatus for attracting and eliminating insects, and more particularly to a solar-panel powered apparatus for attracting and eliminating insects.  
         [0004]     2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention  
         [0005]     It is desirable to eliminate insects causing damage to crops from areas where high-priced crops (e.g., certain types of vegetables, fruits, flowers, tobacco and medicinal plants) are cultivated. In general, insecticides are used for this task. However, when sprayed onto crops insecticides pollute the environment, are expensive to use, and are not always effective. In addition, insecticides are toxic to humans.  
         [0006]     Alternative methods of eliminating insects are known, including attracting insects with light and trapping or electrocuting. However, the use of light in eliminating insects from cropland has heretofore been limited because of the high expense for providing the electricity needed to operate insect light traps to vast crop growing areas.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In certain aspects the invention provides a solar apparatus for attracting and eliminating insects which resolves the limitations of existing technologies, prevents pollution and other problems associated with the use of pesticides, and avoids the shortcomings associated with conventional insect light attraction methods.  
         [0008]     In certain embodiments of the present invention provided is a solar panel-powered apparatus for attracting and eliminating insects comprising a frame; means for attracting insects, said means for attracting insects being mechanically connected to said frame; a battery; and one or more solar panels.  
         [0009]     In certain embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a control circuit.  
         [0010]     In certain embodiments, the control circuit comprises a microprocessor; a comparison circuit; a timing circuit; a luminescence detection circuit; an electric switch; and battery protection means.  
         [0011]     In certain embodiments, the control circuit is disposed within a storage compartment.  
         [0012]     In certain embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a container for trapping insects wherein the container is located below the means for attracting insects.  
         [0013]     In certain embodiments, the apparatus further comprises an insecticide holder wherein the holder is located below the means for attracting insects.  
         [0014]     In certain embodiments, the apparatus further comprising means for orienting the solar panels.  
         [0015]     In certain embodiments, the control circuit comprises further one or more diodes, the diodes been electrically connected between the solar panels and the battery.  
         [0016]     In certain embodiments, the comparison circuit comprises an operational amplifier and the microprocessor; and an output signal of the operational amplifier is electrically transmitted to the microprocessor.  
         [0017]     In certain embodiments, the battery is a lead-acid battery.  
         [0018]     In certain embodiments, the means for trapping insects comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation.  
         [0019]     In certain embodiments, the source of electromagnetic radiation emits radiation of single, multiple, or continuous wavelengths.  
         [0020]     In certain embodiments, the source of electromagnetic radiation emits visible light radiation.  
         [0021]     In certain embodiments, the source of electromagnetic radiation emits radiation having a wavelength of 365 nm or 480 nm.  
         [0022]     In certain embodiments, the source of electromagnetic radiation is a cold cathode lamp.  
         [0023]     In certain embodiments, the luminescence detection circuit comprises a photo sensor, the photo sensor being connected to the microprocessor; and the microprocessor controls the electric switch.  
         [0024]     In certain embodiments, the timing circuit comprises a crystal oscillator, the crystal oscillator being able to output a clock signal to the microprocessor. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]     Many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent and better understood as the following detailed description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional diagram of a solar-panel powered apparatus for attracting and eliminating insects according to invention described herein;  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows a component and process flow chart illustrating interactions between solar panels, battery, means for attracting insects and the microprocessor; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows an electrical circuit diagram of a solar-panel powered apparatus for attracting and eliminating insects according to invention described herein. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]     With reference to  FIG. 1 , one or more solar panels  23  are mechanically attached to a scaffold  22 . The scaffold  22  is attached to a solar panel support board  24  by bolt  21 . The solar panel support board  24  is connected to a first lip  26  of mounting bracket  18  via a support plate  25  by means of bolt  27 . The adjustable mounting bracket  18  has an axis of rotation  19  coinciding with the bolt  20 . In addition, an arcuate slot in the adjustable mounting bracket  18  cooperates with a bolt  16 . Bolt  16  is employed with a nut  17 , which when tightened can secure the bolt in place at any position within the arcuate slot and in doing so fix the corresponding elevation angle of the solar panel support board  24  and the solar panels  23  so as to maximize the amount of light received by the solar panels. This is to say that the mounting bracket  18  with a first lip  26 , the vertical board  15  which has a second lip  30  and the bolts  16  and  20 , form a means for orienting the solar panels  23 .  
         [0030]     Bolt  16  is mechanically connected to a vertical board  15  which has a second lip  30 . A third lip  31  of an upper pipe  9  is bolted to the second lip  30  via bolt  28 . The upper pipe  9  is inserted into a lower pipe  6  and fits snuggly therein by virtue of having a slightly smaller diameter. The upper pipe  9  is vertically movable within the lower pipe  6  and is fixed at a certain position within pipe  9  by means of bolt  37 , nut  35 , and a locknut  36 . The upper pipe  9  is mechanically connected to lamp bracket  14  by bolts  33  and  34 . The lower pipe  6  is connected to a base plate  2  by means of guard bolts  3  and reinforced nuts  5 . The base plate  2  is connected also to a concrete slab which has been poured into the ground.  
         [0031]     This type of design allows for a firm affixture of the apparatus to the ground. However, in alternative embodiments, the lower pipe  6  is directly inserted into the ground to a height suitable to provide stability. The pipe-in-pipe construction also allows for an easy adjustment of height of the trapping lamps  8 ,  11  with respect to the ground and with respect to a container  4 . Preferably, the distance between insect attracting lamps  8 ,  11  and container  4  is about 300 mm. Container  4  is filled with an insecticide and/or is an insect trap of a mechanical or a chemical type.  
         [0032]     Referring further to  FIG. 1 , a lamp holder  13  is mechanically connected to the lamp pole  14 . A circuit bracket  12  is attached to the lamp holder  13 . One or more light bulbs  8 ,  11  are connected to the circuit bracket  12 . In certain embodiments, when more than one light bulb is employed, the bulbs are arranged symmetrically with respect to the circuit bracket and/or are arranged circularly.  
         [0033]     Light bulbs used to attract insects are near-UV light bulbs with  365  nm wavelength and/or blue-light bulbs with  480  nm wavelength; and/or cold-cathode bulbs, and/or any other sources of electromagnetic radiation suitable for this purpose. Specifically, different brightness and/or color of light may be utilized to attract insects.  
         [0034]     For enhancing illumination, a reflector shade  10  is set between the lamp holder  13  and the lamp for trapping insects  8 . In certain embodiments, the reflector shade  10  is attached directly to the lamp holder  13 .  
         [0035]     As further shown in  FIG. 1 , a storage battery  40  is disposed within storage compartment  38 . The battery  40  is electrically connected to solar panels  23  which charge the battery  40  whenever the battery voltage drops below a certain level and whenever a sufficient amount of light shines onto the solar panels (i.e., during daytime rather than at night). Preferably the battery  40  is a sealed maintenance-free lead acid storage battery.  
         [0036]     The control circuit is situated on a circuit board  39 . The control circuit comprised a microprocessor, a comparison circuit, a timing circuit, a battery protection circuit, an electric switch, and a luminescence-detection circuit. Circuit board  39  is disposed at any suitable location without limitation to the location shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0037]     The basic principle of operation of one embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 2 . Solar panels convert received solar radiation into electric energy. After the output voltage of the solar panels is ascertained and is suitable for charging, the storage battery is charged with electric energy supplied by the solar panels. The storage battery supplies electric energy to light bulbs  8 ,  11  via an electric switch which is turned on by means of a microprocessor after the microprocessor detects a suitable operating voltage of the storage battery  40 .  
         [0038]     With reference to  FIG. 3 , solar panels  23  convert solar energy into electric energy. The battery  40  is charged by the solar panels  23  via a diode D 1  which allows current to pass only in one direction. A potential between resistors R 1 , R 2  and capacitor C 5  is sent to a comparison circuit. The comparison circuit comprises an operational amplifier IC 1 A and a microprocessor IC 2 .  
         [0039]     A luminescence detection circuit is used for controlling the electric switch for turning on and off the light bulbs for attracting insects via a photo sensor. When the amount of incident light is lower than a preset value (e.g., at night), the photo sensor transmits voltage to microprocessor IC 2 , which in turn transmits low voltage to connected transistors Q 1  and Q 2 , and as a result light bulbs for attracting insects are turned on. Whereas, when amount of incident light is higher than a preset value (e.g., during daytime), the microprocessor IC 2  outputs a high electric potential to connected transistors Q 1  and Q 2 , and as a result light bulbs for attracting insects are turned off. This is to say that the photo sensor together with the microprocessor and the transistors Q 1 , Q 2  comprise a timing circuit.  
         [0040]     The storage battery  40  supplies electric energy to the control circuit and the light bulbs for attracting insects through a constant voltage circuit. The electric potential between resistors R 5  and R 8  is transmitted to an operational amplifier IC 1 B for comparison with the standard voltage at the output of the resistor R 6  and the diode D 2 . The result of the comparison is transmitted to microprocessor IC 2  for analysis. When the voltage of the battery  40  is lower than a preset value, microprocessor IC 2  outputs a high electric potential to connected transistors Q 1  and Q 2  resulting in a switch off of the light bulbs for attracting insects so as to prevent overdischarge of the battery  40 . This is also to say that transistors Q 1  and Q 2  act as an electric switch for the light bulbs for attracting insects and equally as a battery protection means.  
         [0041]     The capacitors C 8 , C 9  and a crystal oscillator form a timing oscillatory circuit, which supplies a clock signal to microprocessor IC 2 . Furthermore, resistors R 7  and R 11  limit voltage; resistors R 9  and R 10  limit current; and capacitors C 1 , C 2 , C 3 , C 4  and C 6  are filter capacitors used to filter out line disturbances from the control circuit.  
         [0042]     Commercially available circuit components are readily used in embodiments of the present invention. For example, (1) 5 W or 10 W, amorphous silicon, monocrystaline or polycrystalline solar panels; (2) sealed maintenance-free lead acid SW640 batteries rated for 6V and  4 A, and (3) light bulbs for attracting insects of the type CCFL-12V or CCFL-6V, are employed.  
         [0043]     The solar panel-powered apparatus according to the present invention was tested in China&#39;s Henan province, where insect elimination rates were superior to conventional methods. In addition, the apparatus attracted and eliminated a wide variety of insects which could not be otherwise attracted and eliminated with any single conventional means. Not only a large variety but also a high number of beetles are attracted and eliminated at a ratio of 90% of all attracted insects being killed. Moreover, with a long life span and low maintenance, this invention can reduce the cost of killing insects in agricultural settings. Specifically, a better insect elimination rate per area of cropland can be attained with embodiments of this invention at a tenth of the expense as compared to methods using pesticides.  
         [0044]     This invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and modifications for various applications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. While this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims.  
         [0045]     All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application mentioned in this specification was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.