Rodent intrusion barrier for foundation mounted electrical signaling and lighting fixtures
View Patent ↗A formed rodent intrusion barrier for foundation mounted electrical signaling and lighting pole fixtures having a bottom opening of defined peripheral shape into an electrical wiring cavity. The intrusion barrier includes a formed, radially thin, radially perforated, axially split, pliable, elastic, electrically insulating, encircling band, and a means for connecting the first and second ends of the formed band after installation within the electrical wiring cavity to form a peripherally continuous barrier.
1 . A formed rodent intrusion barrier for foundation mounted electrical signaling and lighting pole fixtures having a bottom opening of defined peripheral shape into an electrical wiring cavity, comprising:
(a) a formed, radially thin, radially perforated, axially split, pliable, elastic, electrically insulating, encircling band having inner and outer radially spaced major surfaces, first and second axially spaced edges, and first and second peripherally adjacent ends, the band shaped to conform to the peripheral shape of the bottom opening and the perforations sized to allow passage of water and water vapor therethrough while preventing transit of rodents, and
(b) a means for connecting the first and second ends of the formed band with the first and second ends facing one another to form a peripherally continuous non-overlapping barrier, the means for connecting selected from the group consisting of an electrically insulating push-on friction fit H-shaped connector, an electrically insulating push-on barbed friction fit H-shaped connector, and an electrically insulating slide-on H-shaped connector.
2 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is formed as a circle.
3 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is formed as an oval.
4 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 herein the band is formed as a polygon.
5 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is formed as a stadium.
6 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is formed as a regular polygon.
7 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is formed as a quadrilateral.
8 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is formed as a rectangle.
9 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is formed as a square.
10 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is free-standing.
11 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is extra thin.
12 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the band is ultra thin.
13 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the perforations are each less than about 1 cm 2 in area.
14 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the perforations are each between 0.2 cm 2 and 1 cm 2 in area.
15 . The formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 wherein the means for connecting is an electrically insulating snap fit connector.
16 . A method of protecting a foundation mounted electrical signaling and lighting pole fixture having a bottom opening of defined peripheral shape into an electrical wiring cavity against rodent intrusion, comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining a formed rodent intrusion barrier of claim 1 having a form matching the peripheral shape of the bottom opening into the electrical wiring cavity,
(b) installing the formed rodent intrusion barrier into the electrical wiring cavity with one of the axially spaced edges abutting the foundation, and
(c) connecting the first and second ends of the formed band to form a peripherally continuous barrier.