WO2016097993A1

WO2016097993A1 - An electro-mechanical ecological device, for continuous, even multiple, capture of harmful rodents

Info

Publication number: WO2016097993A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/059626
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrea CASALANGUIDA
Original assignee: Apice Srl
Priority date: 2014-12-16
Filing date: 2015-12-15
Publication date: 2016-06-23

Abstract

A capture device having two separable sections: a top section for access and capture of the harmful rodents; and a bottom section for containing the trapped exemplars, the bottom section being partially filled with a deodorising and/or hygienising liquid, the two sections being hermetically sealed off from one another and being set in communication with one another through an electromechanically operated capture device with rotating trapdoor, which can be activated by a sensor for detecting the presence of one or more harmful rodents in the top section, comprising means for dispensing an eco-compatible gaseous biocidal, preferably CO2, which are connected to the electromechanical capture device for dispensing, immediately after each capture, an amount of gas sufficient for saturating the volume of the bottom section left free of the liquid.

Description

AN ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ECOLOGICAL DEVICE, FOR CONTINUOUS, EVEN MULTIPLE, CAPTURE OF HARMFUL RODENTS

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Sector of the invention

The present invention relates to the sector of devices for management of harmful rodents in all the environments in which they are present. The serious harm caused by mice and rats in many parts of the world both in the economic sector and in the health and hygiene sector is universally known, and there is a continuous need to eliminate this world-wide scourge.

The present invention is the fruit of decades of study, research, and testing as regards the various exceptional kinds of behaviour, in particular of harmful rodents in their environment, to enable continuous capture in fast succession of these infesting pests that are altogether incompatible with the presence of vulnerable groups of the population, such as pregnant women and babies or pets, or again in the presence of foodstuff products, in working environments, and in healthcare facilities.

State of the art

Currently, for monitoring and eliminating harmful rodents traps of various kinds are used, of the jaw- mousetrap type, of the labyrinth type, and also poisoned baits, and other solutions still. These methods present the drawback of not enabling continuous capture of harmful rodents one after another, in addition to constituting frequently a danger also for other animals and persons. Moreover, in the case of use of poison, there is posed the problem of the impact on the surrounding environment and, in particular in foodstuff production plants and warehouses, there is posed a problem of safety for humans.

A first solution to these problems has already been provided by the present applicant thanks to the device described in the Italian patent No. 01274955, which is incorporated in the present disclosure and is substantially based on the idea of inhibiting any possibility of emission of olfactory signals of danger by the harmful rodents that have been captured, for example biological alarm secretions, which might be sniffed by animals of the same species, with the result that they escape being trapped. The consequence of this is to enable indefinitely repeated capture. This device comprises a structure articulated substantially in a top part that is provided with an inlet and a unit for luring and capturing the pests, and a bottom part for collection of the harmful rodents that have been captured .

The two parts may be separate from one another and connected via a fluid-tight union in such a way as to communicate via a discharge hatch that opens downwards into the bottom part, which is also hermetically closed. According to this solution, the harmful rodents captured reach said discharge hatch through a dropping compartment immediately underlying the capturing mechanism, which is constituted by four continuously operating rotating trapdoor surfaces, which are set at 90° with respect to one another and are made to turn about a common load-bearing shaft by an electromechanical device, which is in turn activated by pressure or optical sensors. Movement of the discharge hatch is synchronized with rotation of the trapdoor surfaces .

The solution described above has revealed a good efficiency in all the applications tested, in particular as regards indefinite repeatability of capture. Notwithstanding this, there have been noted a number of drawbacks such as to limit exploitation of this practical embodiment.

In particular, it has proven not altogether satisfactory in regard to fast suppression of the harmful rodents captured, in compliance with the standards of safeguarding of the environment and of the animals themselves.

Purpose of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks and to propose a capture device that will enable both killing of the harmful rodents and their transfer into an enclosure or containment cage and that will be at the same time efficient and eco-compatible .

Summary of the invention

The above purposes are achieved according to the invention by providing a capture device having a top section for access and capture of harmful rodents and a bottom section for containing the exemplars captured, the sections being hermetically joined together and separated by an electromechanical capture device with rotating trapdoor that can be activated by a sensor for detecting the presence of one or more harmful rodents in the top section, comprising means for dispensing an eco-compatible gaseous biocidal, preferably CO2 , which are connected to the electromechanical capture device for dispensing an amount of gas after each capture, immediately after closing of the trapdoors.

Use of CO2 as biocidal is not new. Reference may be made, for example, to the patents Nos. US 4,741,121 and US 6,088,948. CO2 is in fact a gas that fully meets the standards as regards "animal welfare" and painless and fast suppression of the rodent, and is an alternative to the liquids for killing harmful rodents that have been used for some time in traps of this sort .

In the more recent application No. WO 2013/173866, a device for capturing and eliminating rodents has been described comprising a top section and a bottom section, an opening for entry of the animals, means for delivering a gas such as CO2 into the bottom section, and means for guaranteeing constancy of the level of gas after each activation of the device, which obviously reduces said level considerably.

In practice, it has, however, been noted that the autonomy of such a device is very limited in so far as the necessarily reduced dimensions of the CO2 cylinders contained in the device do not enable more than three or four operations of recharging for topping up the level of gas in the capture section.

There is hence markedly felt the need to provide a capture device that, albeit using CO2 , will present a longer autonomy.

According to the present invention, the above purpose is achieved by sending the CO2 gas into the section for containing the rodents already partially filled with a deodorising and hygienising liquid. This arrangement enables a considerable reduction in the amount of gas necessary for saturating the chamber for containing the rodents and a consequent increase in the number of suppressions and in the autonomy of the device .

According to another peculiar characteristic of the invention, the roof and the band underlying the roof, which surrounds the feed area containing the bait, is made of transparent material having opposed through holes for enabling passage of light and eliminating any dissuasive elements in the environment that the rodent is accessing. In fact, it has been found experimentally that the rodent activates its echolocation system and emits ultrasounds that enable it to perceive the presence of two potential ways of escape represented precisely by said holes present on the walls at the sides of the corridor that leads to the feed area.

According to a third characteristic of the invention, the device can be used also for simple capture of a rodent and its transfer into an enclosure or containment cage. For this purpose, on a vertical wall of its bottom section a tube is provided equipped with a non-return valve, which, in the absence of the deodorising liquid, may be connected to a survival cage or the like.

A first advantage achieved by the present invention consists in a more effective capacity for capture of the animals and their fast and painless suppression .

A second advantage lies in the fact that the use in low doses and the natural composition of the biocidal used (CO₂ is employed also in the foodstuff industry for an extremely wide range of uses including the production of effervescent beverages) render the system completely eco-compatible and safe and fully compliant with the standards currently in force.

A third advantage lies in the fact that the reduced consumption of gas leads to an increase in the autonomy of the device and enables repeated capture of animals .

The above and further advantages will be better understood by any person skilled of the branch with the aid of the attached drawings and of the ensuing description .

List of the drawings

In the drawings:

- Figure la shows in lateral section a device according to the invention;

- Figure lb shows a top plan view of the device of Figure la, highlighted in which are the position of a presence sensor and the duct for communication with an enclosure ;

- Figure 2a shows in front section the device of Figure 1;

- Figure 2b shows in rear section the device of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the connection of the main components of the device of the invention; and - Figure 4 shows a preferred diagram of the components of the device for detecting the presence of the harmful rodent and for its capture.

Detailed description

With reference to the annexed drawings, where some parts may have been removed for a clearer representation, there now follows a description of an electromechanical ecological device for continuous capture of harmful rodents according to the invention, comprising a top section 1 for access and capture of the harmful rodents and a bottom section 2 for containing the exemplars captured.

The top and bottom sections 1, 2 are separable but are sealed off from one another by means of hermetic- seal gaskets 7 and communicate through a device with one or more rotating trapdoors 3, which can be operated by an electromechanical tipping device 6, 16 set between said top section and said bottom section and equipped with hermetic-seal gaskets 4 that, in the condition where the trapdoor is closed, guarantee hermetic separation of the two sections.

To enable capture of the harmful rodents, at least one sensor 5 is provided, which is able to detect the presence of one or more exemplars in the top section and is connected to electromechanical means 6, which in turn are able to activate the trapdoor device in response to detection of the presence of at least one harmful rodent .

Represented with reference to Figure 4 is a possible diagram of the detection and capture section, which is in itself already known from the Italian patent No. IT1241472.

According to the diagram of figure 4, the electromechanical means 6 comprise a contact sensor 5, which, if it is pressed by an animal present in the corridor 12, activates the capturing mechanism.

The mechanism comprises, in particular, four rotating trapdoor surfaces 3 set at 90° with respect to one another, which can turn in steps of 90° about a common horizontal load-bearing shaft 17 under the action of a leaf spring 18. Step-by-step rotation of these trapdoor surfaces 3 is controlled by a blocking mechanism 19 that is pushed in the direction of the path of rotation and moved away from it under an electronic command 20.

In operation, when a harmful rodent just brushes against the sensor 5, it comes into contact with a switch that activates a circuit, which in turn releases the mechanism 19 for blocking the trapdoor surfaces 3, in such a way as to cause rotation thereof and hence capture of the harmful rodent.

Preferably, the top section 1 comprises a ladder 11, arranged so as to orientate access of the harmful rodents, in order to enable access into a corridor 12 that leads to a feed area 13 containing the bait.

With reference to Figures la, 2a, and 2b, in the top section 1, the roof and the part underlying the roof are made of transparent plastic material with two inner walls 21 that delimit laterally the corridor 12 that leads to the feed area 13. Present on these walls are through holes 22 that are perceived as potential ways of escape by the pests. Advantageously, the light that passes through the transparent walls and the presence of the through holes 22 contribute to preventing the innate diffidence of the animals that pass along the corridor 12.

Advantageously, the sensor 5 is set in the proximity of the feed area 13 so as to be operated by the harmful rodent as this is intent on eating the bait and preferably comprises a reed sensor, which, once touched, activates the electromechanical means 6 and hence rotation of the trapdoor 3 on which the harmful rodent is located, thus catapulting the latter into the bottom section 2.

According to the invention, the device comprises means 8 for dispensing an eco-compatible gaseous biocidal, preferably CO₂, provided with a gas- dispensing duct 15 that communicates with said bottom section 2 and is operatively connected to the electromechanical means 6 for dispensing into the bottom section 2 an amount of gas immediately after each activation of the trapdoor device.

In a preferred example of embodiment, the dispensing means 8 comprise a CO₂ cylinder 14 provided with an electromechanical actuator 9 and electronic control means 10 connected both to the electromechanical means 6 for receiving a signal indicating that the rotating trapdoor has been activated and to said actuator 9 for imparting, in response, a command for dispensing an amount of CO₂.

Advantageously, the electronic control means 10 may comprise a timer for measuring the dispensing time in such a way as to guarantee that in the bottom section 2 a concentration of CO₂ is reached that will be able to suppress the harmful rodent captured in a few seconds, preferably a concentration higher than 60%.

According to the invention, supply of CO₂ occurs in the bottom section after it has been partially filled with a deodorising and/or hygienising or liquid. Once the bottom section is partially filled with said liquid, the amount of gas necessary for saturating the environment will be obviously reduced, as likewise the time during which the concentration of CO₂ that is able to suppress the harmful rodent is reached.

The operator may then manage each time the autonomy of operation of the device, as likewise the times of capture and suppression of the harmful rodent, by varying appropriately the amount of liquid present in the bottom section.

The details of implementation may in any case vary as regards shape, size, and arrangement of the elements and nature of the materials, without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive idea adopted and without departing from the sphere of protection granted to the present patent for industrial invention.

Claims

1. An electromechanical ecological device for continuous capture of harmful rodents of the type comprising:

a top section (1) for access and capture of the harmful rodents;

a bottom section (2) for containing the harmful rodents ;

a device with rotating trapdoor (3), set between said top section and said bottom section and equipped with first hermetic-seal gaskets (4);

at least one sensor (5) for detecting the presence of one or more harmful rodents in the top section; and electromechanical means (6, 16), operatively connected to said presence sensor (5) and to said rotat ing-trapdoor device, for activating said rotating trapdoor, in response to detection of the presence of at least one harmful rodent,

wherein said top section and said bottom section are separate and sealed off from one another by means of second hermetic-seal gaskets (7),

said device being characterized in that:

said bottom section is partially filled with a deodorising and/or hygienising liquid; and

means (8) are provided for dispensing an eco- compatible gaseous biocidal, preferably CO₂, which are equipped with a gas-dispensing duct (15), communicating with said bottom section (2), and are operatively connected to said electromechanical means (6) for dispensing into the bottom section (2), immediately after each activation of said trapdoor device, an amount of gas sufficient to saturate the volume of the bottom section left free of said liquid.

2. The device according to Claim 1, wherein said dispensing means (8) comprise a cylinder (14) containing biocidal gas, for example CO₂, provided with an electromechanical actuator (9), and electronic control means (10) connected to said electromechanical means (6) for receiving a signal indicating the fact that the rotating trapdoor has been activated and to said actuator (9) for imparting in response a command for dispensing an amount of CO₂.

3. The device according to Claim 2, wherein said electronic control means (10) comprise a dispensing timer for guaranteeing in the bottom section (2) a concentration of CO₂ capable of suppressing the harmful rodent captured in a few seconds, preferably a concentration higher than 60%.

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said top section comprises a ladder (11) for access of the animals and a corridor

(12) that leads to a feed area (13) containing a bait.

5. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the roof and the part underlying the roof are made of transparent plastic material with two inner walls (21) that laterally delimit the corridor (12) that leads to the feed area

(13) , there being present on said walls through holes (22) that are perceived as potential ways of escape by the pests.

6. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sensor (5) for detecting the presence of harmful rodents comprises a contact- sensor reed switch that activates said electromechanical means (6) and rotation of the rotating trapdoor (3) on which the rodent is set, which enables the latter to drop into the bottom section (2) .

7. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bottom section is equipped with a tube or duct (23) provided with a non^¬ return valve and externally connected to a survival cage or to an enclosure (24) .

8. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cylinder (14) is a rechargeable cylinder.

9. The device according to any one of the preceding Claims 1-7, wherein said cylinder (14) is a removable and disposable cylinder.

10. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cylinder (14) is a cylinder set inside the device.

11. The device according to any one of the preceding Claims 1-9, wherein said cylinder (14) is a cylinder set outside the device.