Insect trap and method for attracting and/or capturing flying insects
An insect trap ( 10 ) and a method for attracting and/or trapping insects ( 12 ) are disclosed. The trap ( 10 ) has an intake ( 14 ) leading into an interior space ( 20 ) of the insect trap ( 10 ), which intake ( 14 ) continues into a suction duct ( 16 ) where an air flow ( 18 ) provides a negative pressure at the intake ( 14 ). Furthermore, the trap ( 10 ) has a portion surrounding the suction duct ( 16 ) in the vicinity of the intake ( 14 ) and enveloping the suction duct ( 16 ) such that the suction duct extends into the interior space ( 20 ) of the trap ( 10 ). The portion is at least partially permeable to outflowing air ( 24 ) and forms at least part of an outer wall ( 22 ). In addition, a front side ( 28 ), adjoining the outer wall ( 22 ), is largely impermeable to air and is at least slightly spaced from an outlet ( 30 ) of the suction duct ( 16 ).
1. A device to act as an insect trap ( 10 ) comprising:
an outer wall ( 22 ), including an at least partially air-permeable portion that is permeable to a first air flow ( 24 ), and a front side ( 28 ), with a collar ( 32 ), that is largely impermeable to air flow, wherein the outer wall ( 22 ) adjoins the front side ( 28 ) at the collar ( 32 ); and
a suction duct ( 16 ) with an intake ( 14 ), an outlet ( 30 ), and a fan located inside the suction duct for generating a second air flow ( 18 ) from the intake ( 14 ) to the outlet ( 30 ),
wherein the outer wall ( 22 ) attaches to, and surrounds, the suction duct ( 16 ) in a vicinity of the intake ( 14 ),
wherein a radial distance from the suction duct ( 16 ) to the outer wall ( 22 ) increases as the outer wall ( 22 ) approaches the front side ( 28 ) in a direction of the second air flow ( 18 ),
wherein the suction duct ( 16 ) extends from the intake ( 14 ) to the outlet ( 30 ) into an interior space ( 20 ) enclosed by the outer wall ( 22 ) and the front side ( 28 ), and the outlet ( 30 ) is radially spaced apart from an inner surface of the outer wall ( 22 ), and
wherein the front side ( 28 ) and the collar ( 32 ) upwardly deflects the second air flow ( 18 ) to create the first air flow ( 24 ) through the at least partially air-permeable portion of the outer wall.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least partially air-permeable portion has a net-like structure ( 26 ).
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the outer wall ( 22 ) forms an acute angle with a central axis of the suction duct ( 16 ).
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the acute angle between the outer wall ( 22 ) and the central axis of the suction duct ( 16 ) is between about ten degrees and about sixty degrees.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the acute angle between the outer wall ( 22 ) and the central axis of the suction duct ( 16 ) is between about twenty degrees and about forty-five degrees.
6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the outer wall ( 22 ) has a cone shape between a region of the outer wall ( 22 ) that is attached to the suction duct ( 16 ) in the vicinity of the intake ( 14 ) and another region of the outer wall ( 22 ) that adjoins the front side ( 28 ).
7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the outer wall ( 22 ) has a curved contour between a region of the outer wall ( 22 ) that is attached to the suction duct ( 16 ) in the vicinity of the intake ( 14 ) and another region of the outer wall ( 22 ) that adjoins the front side ( 28 ).
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the outlet ( 30 ) is spaced from the front side ( 28 ) by approximately a height of the collar ( 28 ).
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the height of the collar ( 32 ) corresponds to between five percent and ten percent of a height of the outer wall ( 22 ).
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the height of the collar ( 32 ) is between approximately two centimeters and twenty centimeters.
11. The device claim 10 , wherein the suction duct ( 16 ) may have a diameter of about three centimeters to about fifteen centimeters, and wherein the front side ( 28 ) may have a diameter of about ten centimeters to about one hundred centimeters.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second air flow ( 18 ) from the intake ( 14 ) to the outlet ( 30 ) has a velocity in a range of about one meter per second to about ten meters per second.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the second air flow ( 18 ) from the intake ( 14 ) to the outlet ( 30 ) has a velocity in a range of about two meters per second to about six meters per second.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first air flow ( 24 ) has a velocity between about 0.02 meters per second and 1.0 meters per second.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the velocity of the first air flow ( 24 ) is between about 0.05 meters per second and 0.6 meters per second.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein a distance between the outlet and the front side ( 28 ) corresponds approximately to a height of the collar ( 32 ).
17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the suction duct ( 16 ) is approximately vertical relative to the ground when in use, and wherein the front side ( 28 ) is approximately horizontal relative to the ground when in use.
18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least partially air-permeable portion of the outer wall ( 22 ) comprises an air-permeable structure.
19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the air-permeable structure comprises a net-like or a mesh-like structure.
20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the radial distance from the suction duct ( 16 ) to the outer wall ( 22 ) increases as the outer wall ( 22 ) approaches the outlet ( 30 ) of the suction duct ( 16 ) in a direction of the second air flow ( 18 ).
21. The device of claim 20 , wherein a radial distance between the suction duct ( 16 ) in a vicinity of the intake ( 14 ) and the outer wall ( 22 ) is smaller than a radial distance between the suction duct ( 16 ) at the outlet ( 30 ) and the outer wall ( 22 ).