US 5,392,560 AGranted

Insect trap

AssigneeJ. Paul Donahue DBA Donahue International

InventorsJ. Paul Donahue, John Zolkos

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Abstract

A simple three-piece insect trap for attracting and capturing flying insects consists of a hollow, opaque bait container having a neck with openings for admitting flies and a body for holding insect bait, a cone section mounted on the bait container neck for directing insects upward, and a transparent top cover mounted around the cone section for trapping the insects. The upper wall of the bait container body extends inwardly toward the neck of the bait container to form a shelf on which flying insects can land when attracted by volatile constituents which emanate from bait within the body. Moreover, an outwardly opening annular cavity is formed between the shelf on the bait container and the lower wall of the cone section, each of which are opaque to encourage flies to enter the neck through the apertures. When insects enter the aperture, they are discouraged by darkness from flying toward the bait in the opaque bait container. Conversely, the cone section is open at its top to admit light and to permit insects to pass from the cone to the cover, where they remain trapped.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An insect trap comprising a bait container and an entrapment chamber, the bait container comprising a hollow body for holding bait, the body including a bottom wall, an upright side wall with an upper edge and a lower edge, the lower edge of the side wall being secured to the bottom wall around the periphery of the bottom wall, a shelf having an outer periphery secured to the upper edge of the sidewall and extending-inwardly to terminate at an inner periphery which defines an opening into the body, and an upright neck having an upper periphery and a lower periphery secured to the inner periphery of the shelf, the neck having at least one aperture extending through it;

the entrapment chamber comprising a rim which makes a close fit with the neck, an upwardly and inwardly extending hollow truncated cone having an open apex and a base secured to the rim, an outwardly extending annular flange secured at its inner periphery to the rim, an annular sidewall having lower and upper edges, the lower edge of the sidewall being secured to the outer periphery of the flange, and a top wall secured to the upper edge of the sidewall, the flange being spaced above the shelf to form with the shelf an outwardly opening channel around the exterior of the neck.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.