GB2439779A

GB2439779A - Pest trap made from polymeric material containing metal flakes.

Info

Publication number: GB2439779A
Application number: GB0613071A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Binns
Original assignee: Rentokil Initial PLC
Current assignee: Rentokil Initial PLC
Priority date: 2006-07-03
Filing date: 2006-07-03
Publication date: 2008-01-09
Also published as: GB0613071D0

Abstract

The present invention provides for a pest trap 10 for use in a sensitive environment. The trap comprises a housing 12 having at least one opening 20 providing access to a chamber located within the housing. The housing comprises a polymer material having metal particles dispersed throughout. The metal particles make the trap or parts of the trap easier to detect. The housing may comprise a lid 14 and base 16 portion hinged together 18. The polymer may comprise a blend of polypropylene copolymers and the metal particles may be steel flakes. The trap can be designed to catch rodents or flies.

Description

PEST TRAP

The present invention relates to a pest trap and particularly, but not exclusively, to a pest trap constructed to enable detection of elements thereof, for example, the entire trap or splinters/fragments of the trap, in an environment where products such as pharmaceutical products or products for human/animal consumption are produced.

The use of plastic enclosures as pest traps such as for rodents and insects, is commonplace across the public health pest control market.

Such enclosures are usually made from a range of plastic types, such as, for example, polypropylene. The enclosures can comprise a one or two-part construction. A one-part construction commonly employs a "live-hinge", i.e. a thin strip of moulded plastic formed between a base portion and a lid portion of the enclosure which flexes sufficiently to allow the lid portion to swing open whilst remaining attached to the base portion. Two-part enclosures tend to use clipped hinges between the base portion and lid portion, or the base and lid portion are arranged to be pressed together using a friction fit. However, one-part boxes with the "live-hinge" are more widely used as they minimise the risk of the lid portion or the base portion being mislaid, improve the tamper-resistance of the enclosure, and can comprise a simpler and more economically viable construction.

The use of pest traps is particularly important in sensitive environments, in particular where products for human consumption are produced/processed, such as food or pharmaceutical processing/production plants and facilities. However, should elements of a pest trap (e.g. the entire trap or splinters/fragments thereof) enter the production processing line in such an environment (either accidentally or maliciously), it is currently difficult to detect those elements of the pest trap that have entered the production/processing line in such an environment, apart from by a visual inspection, which may not be possible or at best may be impractical.

The present invention seeks to provide for a pest trap having advantages over known such pest traps.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pest S trap for use in a sensitive environment, comprising a housing having at least one opening providing access to a chamber provided within said housing, wherein said housing comprises a polymer material in which metal partic'es are dispersed throughout the polymer material.

An advantage of such a pest trap is that polymer material from which the pest trap is constructed can be detected by the detection systems already in place in the sensitive environments mentioned above, namely metal detectors. These systems are arranged to detect for the presence of (amongst other things) foreign metallic objects in the product being Processed/produced. However, should an element of the pest trap enter the Production/processing line in such an environment, this will also be detected Since the metal detectors will detect the metal particles in the polymer material which forms the housing of the pest trap.

Preferably, the housing comprises a base portion and a lid portion.

Further, the base portion and lid portion are connected by means of a hinge.

Advantageously, said hinge is an integral part of said housing and is formed from the same material as said housing Such a feature is advantageous in that the entire pest trap. i.e. the housing (comprising the base portion and the upper portion) and the hinge, can be formed by way of a single moulding process.

Conveniently, said pest trap is formed as a unitar/ moulded unit.

Also, said hinge comprises a live-hinge.

In particular, said polymer material comprises a blend of polypropylene copolyrners and said metal particles comprise steel flake.

The combination of blended polypropylene copolymers and steel flake is advantageous in that it allows the overall material forming the housing to flow correctly arid completely across the hinge. Thus, a further problem such as where, due to the dimensions of the hinge, the metal-filled polymer is prevented from flowing correctly in the mould to form the hinge (resulting in an incomplete mould) is overcome by the above features. In addition, problems arising in cases where a moulded live-hinge" is attained but is inherently weak and subject to stress fractures upon repeated use (either due to the dimensions of the hinge itself, or through the presence of the metal particles in the hinge preventing adequate flexing) are also overcome by the above features.

If required, the housing of the pest trap is coloured blue, and preferably, the polymer material has a blue Colouring, whether by means of an added colourant or otherwise The provision of a trap having a blue housing is advantageous in that in the environments mentioned above, any element of the pest trap entering the product processing/producj0 line should be easily noticeable visually because the colour blue is recognised as a warning colour in the food/pharmaceutical processing/proucj industries Preferably. the pest trap is a rodent trap Further, the pest trap is an insect trap.

The present invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 illustrates a perspective view of a pest trap in a first embodiment of the present invention and Fia. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a pest trap in a second embodiment of the present invention.

As mentioned Fig. 1 illustrates a pest trap which, in the first embodiment, S comprises a rodent trap 10. The rodent trap 10 comprises a generally elongate housing 12 which is formed from an upper housing portion 14 and a lower housing portion 16. Upper and lower housing portions 14, 16 are connected by means of a hinge arrangement 18 provided in the region of adjacent longitudinal edges of the housing portions 14, 16. With such a configuration the upper housing portion 14 and lower housing portion 16 combine to resemble a clam-shell" which is elongate in the direction of the hinge. The provision of said hinge 16 allows said housing 12 to be opened to gain access to the interior thereof.

At an end face of the housing 12, there is located an opening 20 which is in communication with and provides access to a chamber (not shown) located within said housing 12. The opening 20 allows a rodent to access the chamber of the rodent trap 10.

In an alternative embodiment, an opening may be provided on both end faces of the housing, each in communication with and providing access to the chamber located within the housing.

The housing 12 is formed from a polymer having metal particles dispersed throughout the polymer, and by way of a single moulding process such that the hinge 18 forms a continuous seam which is integral with both the upper and lower portions 14, 16 such that the housing 12 is a single unit.

In a preferable embodiment, the polymer comprises a blend of polypropylene copolymers and the metal particles comprise steel flake The intended use of the rodent trap lOis in environments where it is undesirable that elements of the rodent trap 10 (e.g. the entire trap or splinters/fragments thereof) enter certain areas of those environments, In particular, rodent trap 10 is particularly suitable for use in the food/pharmaceuticaj processing/production industries where there are already in place Systems/methods to detect foreign metallic objects in the processing/production lines. These systems/methods incorporate metal detectors along a processing/product ior.i line to detect for the presence of foreign metallic objects. Thus, should an element of the rodent trap 10 enter a processing/production line in such an environment, the presence of the element of the rodent trap 10 can be detected by such metal detectors.

In a preferable arrangement of this embodiment, a colourant may be added to a polymer/metal particle mixture during the rodent trap forming process such that the rodent trap is highly visible. This aids visual detection of elements of the rodent trap when those elements are foreign bodies in a food/pharmaceutical processing/production line. In particular.

the housing of the rodent trap may be coloured blue.

Fig. 2 illustrates a pest trap which, in the second embodiment, comprises an insect trap 30. The insect trap 30 comprises a generally flat housing 32 which is formed from an upper housing portion 34 (comprising a substantially rectangular element having truncated corners at either end of one longitudinal edge of the element) and a lower housing portion 36 (comprising a substantially rectangular element having truncated corners at either end of one longitudinal edge of the element). Upper and lower housing portions 34, 36 are located such that the upper housing portion 34 is located above, and spaced from the lower housing portion 36 such that the truncated corners of the element forming the upper housing portion 34 lie above the truncated corners of the element forming the lower housing portion 36. A flange 37 is provided along the longitudinal edge of the lower housing portion 36 opposite the longitudinal edge having the truncated corners. The flange 37 extends from the lower housing portion 36 substantially perpendicular to the plane of the element forming the lower housing portion 36.

The upper housing portion 34 is connected to the lower housing portion 36 by means of a hinge arrangement 38 provided in the region of adjacent longitudinal edges of the hong pcrt"ns 36, 3 oppocit those longitudinal edges with truncated corners and which is attached to the upper housing portion 34 and the flange 37 of the lower housing portion 36. \Nith such a configuration the upper housing portion 34 and lower housing portion 36 combine to resemble a clam-shell". The provision of said hinge 36 allows said housing 32 to be opened to gain access to the interior thereof.

Flange 37, in conjunction with spacing means (not shown) provided around a periphery of said lower housing portion 36 and extending therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the element forming the lower housing portion 36, and which are arranged to abut the upper housing portion 34, maintain a substantially constant gap between said upper and lower housing portions 34, 36 and so provide elongate openings 40 between said adjacent spacing means which communicate with and provide access to a chamber (not shown) located within said housing 32. The openings 40 allow insects to access the chamber of the insect trap 30.

The housing 32 is formed from a polymer having metal particles dispersed throughout the polymer, and by way of a single moulding process such that the hinge 38 forms a Continuous seam which is integral with the upper housing portion 34 and the flange 37 of the lower housing portion 36 such that the housing 32 is a single unit. In a preferable embodiment, the polymer comprises a blend of polypropylene copolymers and the metal particles comprise steel flake.

The intended use of the insect trap 30 is in environments where it is undesirable that elements of the insect trap 30 (e.g. the entire trap or splinters/fragments thereof) enter certain areas of those environments. In particular, insect trap 30 is particularly suitable for use in the food/pharmaceutical processing/production industries where there are already in place Systems/methods to detect foreign metallic objects in the process n/productiori lines. These systems/metos incorporate metal detectors e!onq a processina/product ion line to detect for the presence of foreign metallic objects. Thus, should an element of the insect trap 30 enter a processing/production line in such an environment, the presence of the element of the insect trap 30 can he detected by such metal detectors.

In a preferable arrangement of this embodiment, a colourant may be added to a polymer/metal particle mixture during the rodent trap forming process such that the insect trap is highly visible. This aids visual detection of elements of the insect trap when those elements are foreign bodies in a food/pharmaceutical processing/production line. In particular. the housing of the insect trap may be coloured blue.

The term "live-hinge" is well known in the art of moulding techniques and defines a thin section of material which is flexible and which can act as a hinge. In the present invention, the live-hinge is a thin section of polymer/metal material between, connecting, and integral with the upper and lower housing portions of the pest trap, and serving to allow pivoting movement between these portions to allow an operator to open and close the pest trap. The live-hinge is formed during the same moulding process by which the upper and lower housing portions of the pest trap are formed, i.e. the pest trap is formed as a unitary moulded unit.

It should be understood that the pest trap described above and as illustrated in the Figures is merely exemplary in nature, and other types or configurations of pest trap can be used as well.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A pest trap for use in a sensitive environment, comprising a housing having at least one opening providing access to a chamber 7 provided within said housing, wherein said housing comprises a polymer material in which metal particles are dispersed throughout the polymer material.

2. A pest trap according to Claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a Jo base portion and a lid portion.

3. A pest trap according to Claim 2, wherein the base portion and lid portion are connected by means of a hinge.

4. A pest trap according to Claim 3. wherein said hinge is an integral part of said housing and is formed from the same material as said housing.

5. A pest trap according to Claim 4. wherein said pest trap is formed as a unitary moulded unit.

6. A pest trap according to Claim 5, wherein said hinge comprises a Jive-hinge.

7. A pest trap according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said polymer material comprises a blend of polypropylene copolymers and said metal particles comprise steel flake.

8. A pest trap according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said housing of the pest trap is coloured blue.

9. A pest trap according to Claim 6, wherein said polymer material has a blue colouring.

1O.A pest trap accordina to any one or more of flue precedinci c1ms wherein said pest trap is a rodent trap.

11 A pest trap according to any one or more of Claims 1 to 7. wherein S said pest trap is an insect trap.

12.A pest trap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, Figures 1 or 2 of the accompanying drawings. 1)