Apparatus for and method of repelling pests such as fleas and ticks
OwnerFrank J. Bianco, Oscar Jimenezinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Pests, such as fleas and ticks, are repelled from domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, by attaching an ultrasonic compressional wave energy source to the animal in such a position that a beam of the compressional wave energy is directed downwardly toward a surface on which the animal is located. Energy in the beam is reflected from the surface back to the animal. The energy has sufficient intensity, as reflected back to and incident on the animal, to repel the pests. The energy is pulsed on and off at a relatively low duty cycle at a rate above a predetermined minimum, such that during each pulse the envelope amplitude varies.
Claims32
A method of repelling pests, such as fleas, ticks and other similar creatures, from a four-legged domestic animal, such as a dog or cat, comprising the step of attaching an ultrasonic compressional wave energy source to the animal in such a position that a beam of the energy derived from the source is directed downwardly toward a surface on which the animal is located and energy in the beam is relfected from the surface back to the animal, the energy having wave characteristics and sufficient intensity as reflected back to and incident on the animal to repel the pests.
A method of repelling fleas from a region comprising the step of continuously irradiating the region with pulses of ultrasonic compressional wave energy having (a) a duty cycle between 7% and 30%, (b) a pulse on and off rate of between 20 and 300 times per second that enhances repelling of the fleas and (c) an intensity and ultrasonic carrier frequency such that fleas are repelled from the region.
In combination, a collar strap for the neck of a four-legged domestic animal, such as a dog or cat, a device on the collar strap for repelling objectionable pests such as fleas, ticks and/or other similar creatures from the animal, the device including a source of ultrasonic compressional wave energy positioned on the collar so the wave energy is directed as a beam toward a surface beneath the animal so that wave energy in the beam is reflected from the surface back toward the animal, the energy derived from the source having wave characteristics and sufficient energy when incident on the animal after having been reflected to repel the pests.
Apparatus for repelling pests such as fleas, ticks and other similar creatures, comprising an electric wave to compressional wave energy transducer source designed to resonate at a frequency in the ultrasonic spectrum that repels the pests, the transducer being connected in a circuit with a shaping network for controlling the voltage applied to the transducer and selectively opened and closed switching means, the circuit including sufficient positive feedback, while the switching means is closed, to cause the transducer to oscillate at the resonant frequency thereof, and means for closing the switching means with a duty cycle no greater than 30% and an acoustic resonant cavity having a resonant frequency approximately equal to the resonant frequency of the transducer, the cavity being acoustically coupled to the transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.