Patent ID: 7281351

Claim:
A flying insect trapping device configured to be used with a fuel supply containing a combustible fuel, the trapping device comprising: a supporting frame; an insect inlet configured to receive flying insects; an insect trap chamber communicated to the insect inlet, and configured to receive the flying insects from the insect inlet; a combustion device comprising: an inlet port for receiving the combustible fuel; a turbulence reducing structure for substantially laminating flow of a mixture of the combustible fuel and air; a catalyst element disposed downstream of the turbulence reducing structure; a heat zone having a hollow interior space in between the turbulence reducing structure and the catalyst element to enable the combustible fuel to flow into the heat zone for continuous combustion therein to create an exhaust gas comprising carbon dioxide; and a plurality of heat exchanger fins extending inwardly into the hollow interior space of the heat zone for conducting heat generated by the continuous combustion; an exhaust outlet configured to receive the exhaust gas and allow the exhaust gas to flow outwardly therethrough so that insects attracted to the carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas will fly towards the trapping device; an electrically powered vacuum device communicated to the insect inlet and constructed to draw the insects attracted to the trapping device into the insect trap chamber via the insect inlet; a heat sink configured to dissipate heat; and a thermoelectric device for generating electric current as heat transfers from a first side thereof to a second side thereof, the thermoelectric device having the first side disposed in contact with the combustion device and the second side disposed in contact with the heat sink to enable heat generated by the continuous combustion, including heat conducted by the fins, to be transferred to the heat sink via the thermoelectric device to generate the electric current, the thermoelectric device being electrically coupled to at least the vacuum device to power the vacuum device.