Mosquito trapping apparatus utilizing cooled carbon dioxide

Abstract

An insect trap that utilizes a combustion chamber to produce carbon dioxide for an attractant. Combustion gasses from the combustion chamber are cooled in a conduit for the trap inlet. Thus, a single fan may be used for both drawing insects into the insect trap and for cooling the combustion chamber. Combustion gasses, after being cooled by the flow of air through the conduit connected to the trap inlet, may be further cooled by a cooling system, such as a thermoelectric device. As such, the insect trap of the present invention may be used to produce carbon dioxide, via combustion, at temperatures at or below ambient temperature.

1 . An insect trap comprising: 
 a trap for insects;    a device for producing carbon dioxide for attracting insects to the trap, the device for producing carbon dioxide being in fluid communication with an attractant outlet; and    a cooling device between the device for producing carbon dioxide and the attractant outlet, the cooling device including at least a portion below ambient temperature.    
   
   
       2 . The insect trap of  claim 1 , wherein the device for producing carbon dioxide comprises a combustion chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The insect trap of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling device comprises a thermoelectric device.  
   
   
       4 . The insect trap of  claim 3 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a hot sink and a cold sink, and wherein the cold sink is arranged to contact gasses flowing through to the attractant outlet.  
   
   
       5 . The insect trap of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling device is configured to cool gasses flowing through to the attractant outlet to ambient temperature or below.  
   
   
       6 . The insect trap of  claim 5 , wherein the cooling device is configured to cool gasses flowing through to the attractant outlet to below ambient temperature.  
   
   
       7 . An insect trap comprising: 
 a trap for insects;    a device for producing carbon dioxide for attracting insects to the trap, the device for producing carbon dioxide being in fluid communication with an attractant outlet; and    a thermoelectric device between the outlet of the device for producing carbon dioxide and the attractant outlet, the thermoelectric device being configured to cool gasses flowing to the attractant outlet.    
   
   
       8 . The insect trap of  claim 7 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a hot sink and a cold sink, and wherein the cold sink is arranged to contact the gases.  
   
   
       9 . The insect trap of  claim 7 , wherein the device for producing carbon dioxide comprises a combustion chamber.  
   
   
       10 . The insect trap of  claim 7 , wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to cool gasses flowing through to the attractant outlet to ambient temperature or below.  
   
   
       11 . The insect trap of  claim 10 , wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to cool gasses flowing through to the attractant outlet to below ambient temperature.  
   
   
       12 . An insect trap comprising: 
 a device for producing carbon dioxide and having an outlet in fluid communication with an attractant outlet; and    a cooling device mounted between the outlet of the device for producing carbon dioxide and the attractant outlet, the cooling device being configured to cool gasses from the device for producing carbon dioxide to below ambient temperature.    
   
   
       13 . An insect trap comprising: 
 a device for producing carbon dioxide and having an outlet in fluid communication with an attractant outlet; and    a thermoelectric device mounted between the outlet of the device for producing carbon dioxide and the attractant outlet, the thermoelectric device being configured to cool gasses flowing to the attractant outlet.    
   
   
       14 . The insect trap of  claim 13 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a hot sink and a cold sink, and wherein the cold sink is arranged to contact the gasses.  
   
   
       15 . The insect trap of  claim 13 , wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to cool gasses flowing to the attractant outlet to ambient temperature or below.  
   
   
       16 . The insect trap of  claim 15 , wherein the cooling device is configured to cool gasses flowing to the attractant outlet to below ambient temperature.