Patent Description:
Insect light traps, including for instance electronic fly killers, are typically manufactured to either monitor or control an infestation. Usually, an infestation, or other area that may need control, is first monitored by placing a first "monitoring" insect light trap in a space for a period of time, and the number of insects caught is monitored. If, at the end of the time period, or indeed the end of any subsequent period of monitoring, there appears to be an infestation, then a second, separate "control" insect light trap is fitted to replace the first insect light trap. As the monitoring and control insect light traps are generally separate devices differing in terms of capacity to kill insects, it is costly to manufacture and store such a set of differing devices and to replace one with another on site.

<FIG> and <FIG> are respectively views of known insect light traps 100a and 100b. These have a light source, for example an ultra-violet discharge tube or tubes <NUM>, to attract insects and a glueboard 104a and 104b to trap them. Insect light trap 104b is shown only with its cover removed.

Typically, the infestation monitoring insect light trap 104a is located by a technician into position at a site for a period of time, for example six weeks. As can be seen in <FIG> the glueboard has a fold separating a portion 105a which, in use, lies on the floor of the trap 100a, from the other portion which rests against the back wall of the trap. At the end of the given period of time, the glueboard is removed from the infestation monitoring device and inspected, for example by counting the number of insects caught on the glueboard, to determine whether the site has an insect infestation. If it is determined that the site has an insect infestation (for example if the number of insects caught is above a predetermined threshold) then the infestation monitoring device is replaced by the infestation control insect light trap 100b, which has a greater capacity to attract and kill insects, having is this example, it has an advancing glueboard 104b, which is advanced at intervals (for example every <NUM> days) to ensure a fresh section of glueboard is exposed to allow continued capture of the insects during operation. In infestation control light trap 100b the advancing glueboard 104b is an adhesive tape wound around a supply roller 106b and a take-up roller 107b, with an exposed portion of the adhesive tape stretching between them. The supply and take-up rollers and are mounted in an open top cartridge box 110b, the open top exposing the exposed section of the adhesive tape when the cartridge is mounted in the bottom of the trap 100b. The take-up roller has a gear 108b at one end, whose teeth are exposed though a hole (not shown) in the lower side of the box and which engage with a drive gear 109b mounted in the main part of the light trap. The drive gear is driven by a motor (not shown) also located in the main part of the light trap 100b. The motor therefore can, and is used, to drive the take-up roller, which draws the adhesive tape forward on to it from the supply roller. When the adhesive tape has run out the cartridge is replaced with a fresh one.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved insect light trap.

<CIT>) discloses an insect trap comprising a housing, a cover, one or a plurality of insect attracting lights and an insect catching means, and further comprises a UVC lamp which emits radiation (or other means) which is capable of destroying air-borne pathogens.

<CIT>) discloses pest detecting and trapping devices, including insect-trapping sheets defining adhesive surfaces, light sources supported proximate the adhesive surfaces, and power sources configured to deliver power to the light sources.

<CIT>) discloses a flying insect trap used in conjunction with a window. The trap includes a panel and an adhesive substrate, with the panel positioned substantially at right angles to the window. The panel and substrate are arranged such that insects falling through the panel adhere to said substrate, and the substrate is advanced so that a fresh portion of adhesive substrate is available to trap said insects.

<CIT>) discloses a flying insect trap including large, multidirectional, oppositely facing ingress openings to elongated chambers housing UV lamps emitting insect which mate together to form a container for a roll of adhesive trapping medium. The cartridge sections are opened and spread apart to fit beneath the UV lamps.

<CIT>) discloses a wall mounted trap for flies and other flying insects, including an open topped cover shell concealing within a light source and a replaceable cartridge of trapping material. The replaceable cartridge includes a strip of trapping material arranged in a dispensing roll and adapted to be advanced therefrom to a take-up roller for presenting an upwardly facing exposed length of trapping material therebetween.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an insect light trap for trapping insects according to claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments are provided in the dependent claims.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:.

<FIG> shows a view of an insect light trap 200a according to a first embodiment of the invention, which comprises a light source 202a which, in operation, attracts insects to the monitoring device 200a. The light source may be, for example, an ultra-violet (UV) LED lamp. The monitoring trap 200a further comprises a vertical adhesive surface 204a located behind the light source 202a, and so is configured as an infestation monitoring device,. In the present embodiment, the adhesive surface is a standard glueboard as known in the art, and preferably has a horizontal portion at the bottom of the device as well as a vertical portion at the back. The monitoring trap further comprises a cover with louvres <NUM> (not shown in <FIG> but visible in <FIG> to house the adhesive surface 204a and the light source 202a. In operation, insects are attracted to the light source 202a, which shines through the louvres in the cover <NUM>, some of which insects land on the adhesive surface 204a becoming stuck to the adhesive surface 204a. The infestation monitoring trap 200a may be used in the same way that known infestation monitoring devices are used - i.e. to determine whether a space has an insect infestation.

<FIG> shows a view of an insect light trap also configured as an infestation monitoring device 200b with a glueboard, according to a second embodiment of the invention. Features that correspond to similar features of the first embodiment have the same reference numerals but with different suffixes. The monitoring trap 200b also comprises a cover <NUM> similar to the one of the first embodiment of the invention. The monitoring trap 200b differs from the monitoring trap 200a in that the height of the device is greater and that it comprises three separate light sources 202b, the greater height being to accommodate those.

Where different such monitoring traps <NUM> exist, a technician may choose which kind to use one depending on the site that is being monitored.

Advantageously, the monitoring trap <NUM>, or each kind thereof 200a, 200b, is arranged to receive a modular insect trap such as those embodiments described below. Where more than one kind of monitoring trap is available is of further advantage to have those arranged to receive the same modular insect trap.

The kind of infestation monitoring device to be used at a site depends on the level of suspected infestation; for example a site with a suspected high level of infestation would benefit from a larger monitoring device such as the monitoring device 200b.

In yet other embodiments, the monitoring trap may have, for example two or more separate light sources and be of various heights. Advantageously, if it is determined that the space monitored has an insect infestation, then a modular insect trap, for example as described below, can be added to the infestation monitoring trap (rather than removing and replacing the monitoring trap with a new, complete infestation control trap). Also once the modular trap has become full it may be easily replaced with a fresh modular trap.

<FIG> show a front view and rear view, respectively, of a modular insect trap <NUM> according to an embodiment of the invention. The modular insect trap <NUM> comprises a first roller <NUM> and a second, drivable roller <NUM>. The rotation of the second roller <NUM> is driven by a motor 314via a gear assembly <NUM>, both the motor and the gear assembly being comprised in the module. In use, a roll of adhesive tape is mounted on the first roller <NUM> (not yet in place in <FIG>). The gear assembly comprises a drive gear driven directly by the motor and a roller gear connected to axis of the second roller. The motor is an expensive part of the module, but allows the insect light trap to be easily converted from a monitoring device to an infestation controlling device, and further the basic insect light trap does not then need to be provided with a motor wastefully when it may be used many times as a monitoring device and during which period the motor could become unreliable.

<FIG> shows a front view of the modular insect trap <NUM>, with the roll of adhesive tape <NUM> mounted on the first roller <NUM>. The roll of adhesive tape <NUM> is partially unwound, passed over two guide rollers 306a and 306b, and attached to the second roller <NUM> (for example by insertion of the end into a slot in the roller or by winding one or more loops of adhesive tape around the second roller <NUM> such that the adhesive tape sticks to itself). The rollers 306a and 306b are at the upper corners of the module <NUM>. As the rollers 306a and 306b are at extreme ends of the module <NUM>, this advantageously allows an exposed area of adhesive tape <NUM> (indicated by the dashed line) to extend along the entire top side of the module <NUM>. This maximises the exposed area of adhesive tape <NUM> for catching insects when the modular insect trap <NUM> is inserted into an infestation monitoring trap <NUM>.

The modular insect trap <NUM> further comprises a crushing roller <NUM>, connected to a pivot <NUM> via an arm. A spring <NUM> under tension connects to the arm on the other side of the pivot <NUM>, so that the crushing roller <NUM> is biased towards contact with the second roller <NUM> (the biased position being indicated by the dotted outline of the crushing roller <NUM> in <FIG>). In operation, the motor <NUM> drives rotation of the second roller <NUM> to wind in adhesive tape, from the area <NUM> via roller 306a, which is taken up around the second roller <NUM>. During the winding of the adhesive tape around the second roller <NUM>, the crushing roller <NUM> is biased towards contact with a part of the surface of the adhesive tape. It is also provided with a crushing guide <NUM>, which is mounted on the arm to move with the crushing roller <NUM>. This has an arcuate surface facing the second, take up roller <NUM> which ends near the roller close to a tangent of the roller. This helps the tape to remain fairly straight as it approaches the roller, even if a large insect has been caught, reducing the chance of the tape tearing.

In use, when the modular insect trap <NUM> is installed in the insect light trap <NUM> as described below, the light source(s) <NUM> attract insects to the insect light trap, some of which land on the exposed area of adhesive tape <NUM> of the modular insect trap <NUM>, and are caught. The motor <NUM> rotates from time to time to ensure that the exposed area of adhesive tape <NUM> is replenished with fresh adhesive tape. Adhesive tape which holds caught insects is wound onto the second roller <NUM>, passing under the crushing roller <NUM>. The crushing roller <NUM> compresses the caught insects, with the result that the adhesive tape winds tightly onto the second roller <NUM>, (rather than the layer of tape being spaced apart from the layer below by uncrushed insects).

The insect light trap is provided with a controller (not shown) which provides control signals to the module to advance, exposing fresh adhesive surface. In the present embodiment an example is that it does that every <NUM> days. In other embodiments the signals are generated to advance the adhesive tape continuously but very slowly.

While some users may prefer to fit the insect light trap <NUM> in infestation control mode with a glueboard on the back plane as well as the module on the bottom, this is not needed in may situations the module having sufficient capacity to collect the insects by itself. With no glueboard on the rear all killed insects are at the bottom of the unit and none are on the backplane where they are unsightly and unhygienic.

In the present embodiment the motor <NUM> is electrically connected to the power supply of the monitoring trap <NUM> via the connector <NUM> when installed.

<FIG> shows a flowchart of the process of monitoring an insect infestation and fitting an infestation monitoring trap <NUM> with a modular insect trap <NUM>, according to an embodiment of the invention. Firstly, a monitoring trap <NUM>, without the module, is placed in a space <NUM> for a predetermined time period (for example, six weeks). Once the time period has elapsed, the number of insects present on the adhesive surface <NUM> is monitored <NUM>, for example by a technician counting the number of insects on the adhesive surface <NUM>. If the number of insects does not indicate an infestation <NUM>, for example if the number of insects is below a predetermined threshold, then the monitoring trap is removed <NUM> and no further action is taken. If the number of insects does indicate an infestation (i.e. the number of insects is above the predetermined threshold) then the modular insect trap <NUM> is fitted to the monitoring trap <NUM> (step <NUM>). Alternatively, the monitoring trap may be left in place for a further period of monitoring.

<FIG> illustrate the fitting of the modular insect trap <NUM> to the monitoring trap <NUM> according to an embodiment of the invention. The cover is removed, by being hinged open as shown. The technician removes the adhesive surface <NUM> (e.g. a glueboard) and counts the insects. Where it is decided to fit the modular insect trap <NUM> (step <NUM>), a modular insect trap <NUM>, prepared by fitting with adhesive tape as described previously, is offered up to the monitoring insect trap <NUM> and grooves 503a on the modular insect trap <NUM> are lined up with supporting rails 503b on the monitoring device <NUM>, and the modular insect trap is slid into position as shown in <FIG>. Once in position, the connector <NUM> of the modular insect trap <NUM> connects with a connector of the monitoring device (not shown). This supplies power and data connection to the product interface. The cover <NUM> may then be closed.

For example, while in some embodiments the monitoring device 200a comprises a cover <NUM>, in other embodiments there is no cover or the cover only partially houses the adhesive surface 204a and the light source 202a. Further, while in the particular embodiments illustrated the adhesive surface for example a standard glueboard as known in the art, in other embodiments any other adhesive surface or other device for catching insects maybe used.

Further, whilst in the described embodiment the crushing roller <NUM> is biased towards contact with the second roller <NUM> using a spring in tension on the opposite side of a pivot, in other embodiments the spring is on the same side of the pivot to the crushing roller <NUM>. In yet further embodiments the crushing roller <NUM> is biased using other biasing means, for example an arm made of flexible material which is under bending such that the crushing roller <NUM> is biased towards the second roller <NUM>.

Claim 1:
An insect light trap (<NUM>) for trapping insects, comprising:
a housing,
a lamp (<NUM>) for attracting insects mounted in the housing,
a first space for receiving a first, monitoring, insect trap, and
a second space contained in the housing, characterised by the second space having received therein, in response to a determination that the number of insects caught by the first insect trap over a period of time is above a threshold, a module (<NUM>) having:
a second insect trap comprising an advancable adhesive surface (<NUM>) for trapping the insects, and
a motor (<NUM>) to advance the adhesive surface.