Insect catcher
View Patent ↗An insect catcher for trapping insects. The insect catcher includes a handle assembly to receive and manipulate a trap for trapping insects. The insect catcher includes a trap to capture and dispose of an insect without an operator of the handle assembly contacting the insect, the trap removably attached to the handle assembly The insect catcher includes an inflatable material as part of the trap which expands and is adapted to have direct contact with the insect to be trapped.
1. An insect catcher for trapping insects, comprising:
a handle assembly to receive and manipulate a trap for trapping insects, said handle assembly of such structure for allowing said handle assembly to be used to apply pressure to said trap against the insects;
a disposable trap to capture and dispose of an insect without an operator of said handle assembly contacting the insect, said trap removably attached to said handle assembly so said trap can be removed and disposed of;
an inflatable material as part of said trap which expands and is adapted to have direct contact with the insect to be trapped and retained in said trap to be disposed of when said trap is removed from said handle assembly and disposed; and
wherein said handle assembly includes a support to support said inflatable material while said inflatable material is expanded.
2. The insect catcher of claim 1 , wherein said handle assembly is reusable and said trap is disposable.
3. The insect catcher of claim 1 , wherein said inflatable material is a balloon.
4. The insect catcher of claim 1 , further including a sticky substance layer on said inflatable material, said sticky substance layer adapted for pressing against the insect so that the insect adheres to said inflatable material.
5. The insect catcher of claim 1 , further including an insecticide on said inflatable material.
6. The insect catcher of claim 1 , wherein said trap comprises:
a container, said container being a tube having a first end for connection to said handle assembly and a second end for said inflatable material to expand from; and
said inflatable material attached to said container such that said inflatable material can be inflated while attached to said container.
7. The insect catcher of claim 6 , wherein said inflatable material is a balloon that inflates beyond said container and further including a sticky substance layer on said inflatable material.
8. The insect catcher of claim 7 , further including a sticky substance layer on said inflatable material, said sticky substance layer adapted for pressing against the insect so that the insect adheres to said inflatable material.
9. The insect catcher of claim 1 , wherein said trap includes a clamp assembly to clamp said trap to said handle assembly.
10. The insect catcher of claim 1 , further including an inflation device to provide a fluid to said trap to inflate said inflatable material.
11. The insect catcher of claim 10 , wherein said inflation device is an air pump installed in said handle assembly.
12. The insect catcher of claim 1 , wherein said handle assembly includes a clamp assembly to clamp said trap to said handle assembly.
13. The insect catcher of claim 3 , wherein said handle assembly includes a balloon support to support said balloon during use.
14. The insect catcher of claim 1 , wherein said handle assembly includes a pressure release device to deflate said inflatable material.
15. The insect catcher of claim 1 , further includes a suction device to pull said inflatable material with the caught insect into said trap for disposal.
16. The insect catcher of claim 6 , wherein said container is a tube and wherein said handle assembly includes a clamp assembly on a trap end of said handle assembly to receive said container of said trap comprising:
a collet fitted on said trap end of said handle assembly, said collet including flexible collet fingers, and where there is a clamp space between said trap end and said flexible collet fingers to receive a wall of said container between said trap end and said flexible collet fingers; and
a clamping tube, said clamping tube configured to move over said collet fingers and pressure said collet fingers against said container to clamp said trap in place.
17. The insect catcher of claim 16 , wherein said handle assembly includes an air pump to force air into said inflatable material to inflate said inflatable material during use.
18. The insect catcher of claim 17 , wherein said handle assembly includes an air pressure release device to deflate said inflatable material during use.
19. The insect catcher of claim 16 , wherein said handle assembly includes a suction device to pull said inflatable material into said container.