RU2831274C1 - Multifunctional device for heat treatment in beekeeping - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: device relates to agriculture, namely to beekeeping, and is intended for performance of works related to thermal treatment. Multifunctional device for thermal treatment in beekeeping comprises a removable bottom used for keeping bees, with a lower insert replaceable for the period of treatment, comprising a heating element and a temperature sensor; housing used for keeping bees, or replaced during heat treatment. Device includes a housing to accommodate part of the frames, containing components for installation and connection of frame heaters, maintaining temperature, as well as wicks for increasing humidity or treatment with vapours of medicinal substances. Device comprises frame heaters with side guides of air flow management, between which processed frames or vessels are located. Device also includes an upper housing with a unit for controlling the operation of fans, heaters, monitoring and maintaining temperature and humidity, signalling parameters out of ranges, performing processing in the time interval, as well as with installed in it fans and heaters for arrangement of directed air flow and additional heating, which on lower side has a separating grid to prevent ingress of bees into it. Walls of the housings, apart from the lower housing used for keeping bees, have heat insulation on the inner side.

EFFECT: expansion of the arsenal of technical means for works in beekeeping due to the universal complex for thermal treatment.

1 cl, 8 dwg

Description

Field of technology

The device relates to agriculture, namely to beekeeping, and is intended for carrying out works related to heat treatment for the following purposes: combating varroatosis of honey bees caused by mites, other infections and invasions; decrystallization of honey both in the combs and pumped out; heating of frames before placing them in the hive for disinfection, disinfection and elimination of temperature differences; treatment with vapors of medicinal substances; heating of frames before placing them in a honey extractor to increase honey fluidity and obtain a higher yield from the combs; disinfection of frames and honeycombs by heat treatment; operations in the apiary to unite bee colonies, move in a queen, etc.; removal of products of chemical treatment of hives for substances that are subject to decomposition with increasing temperature; removal of excess moisture from honey/nectar during prolonged wet weather and in other situations; maintaining the required temperature when breeding queens during unfavorable weather; drying pollen, dead bees; winter (spring) heating of hives of the same type of design.

The technical result of the claimed invention is the expansion of the arsenal of technical means for work in beekeeping due to a universal complex for thermal treatment.

State of the art

A device for treating bees against varroatosis is known from the state of the art (author's certificate No. 985982). The operating principle of the device is based on short-term (about 15 min) exposure of bees placed in a mesh cassette to high temperature (43-46°C) and a low-frequency high-intensity electric field. High temperature encourages mites to leave the bees' bodies, and the effect of the electric field increases the locomotor activity of the bees, preventing their aggregation (cluster). The disadvantage of the method implemented in this device is that the bees must be removed from the hive and reloaded into the cassette. This is associated with large labor and time costs. Moving adult bees from the hive to the cassette and back is also associated with the loss of some of the bees. Removing bees from the hive (shaking them off the honeycombs) is associated with their irritation, which increases the risk of stings from the operator, and large doses of stings are dangerous to human life. When bees are removed from the hive, the queen may be lost, which leads to a disruption of the homeostasis of the bee colony and a suspension of the reproduction of worker bees.

A hive safe from various pests of bees is known from the prior art (RU 2395197, 2010), in which heat treatment of bees occurs by heating the air inside the hive, characterized in that the air inside the hive is heated using a thermoelectric battery installed on the bottom of the hive, connected by electric wires through a thermostat to the power supply unit, above the thermopile there is a metal plate, above which at some distance there is a metal grid with sections measuring 3x3 mm, between the grid and the plate there is a mop for cleaning varroa mites that have fallen on the plate, and the hive itself is placed on racks 30 cm above the ground surface, between the racks and the bottom of the hive there are dielectric cups in the shape of a truncated cone, directed with their apexes upwards towards the bottom of the hive, on the racks in one layer there are wound electric wires with a distance between them of 1.5-3 mm, which are connected to the unit power supply. The disadvantage of this method of combating varroatosis of honey bees is that it cannot be applied to bees in a regular hive. To combat varroatosis, it is necessary to replace standard hives with a safe hive, which is impractical for existing apiaries.

A device is known according to a patent (RU 2702678, 2019), consisting of a magazine extension body, in which two zones are made by means of a partition: a suction zone, in which an electric motor with a fan is placed, and a discharge zone, in which heaters and a temperature sensor are installed, while a grid is installed above the frames, framed according to the size of the hive, characterized in that the partition is installed parallel to the planes of the frames, while an air flow distributor is made on the grid in the discharge zone and in the suction zone, each in the form of a package of grids, having the greatest thickness at the point of greatest air pressure and a decreasing thickness of the package as the air pressure decreases for the discharge zone, as well as the greatest thickness of the package at the point of greatest vacuum and a decreasing thickness as the vacuum decreases for the suction zone, in addition, in the lower part of the hive under the frames, a free blown space is made connecting the zones pumping and suction. The disadvantage of this device is that dead mites fall to the bottom of the hive, cleaning which is a labor-intensive process. In addition, the heating and distribution zone of heated air is located on top, and, as is known, warm air rises from the bottom up and to ensure uniform heating, this device additionally uses an air flow distributor in the form of a package of nets with different thicknesses, which complicates the design.

The BienenSauna® (Bee sauna) device is known, described on the website at HTTPS://WWW.BIENENSAUNA.DE, which is a case with a bee colony, installed on a device containing a heater, fans and a software control unit, as well as a plug-in device for increasing humidity during treatment. Bees in this design are not transferred, but remain on the frames. The treatment temperature for varroatosis is 42 ° C, and the treatment duration is 2.5 hours. The efficiency of tick removal with a single treatment is 75-85%, with a double treatment - up to 95%. The disadvantage of this design is the uneven heating in different parts, as well as due to the accumulation of bees forming a cluster and avoiding high temperatures, since the heating element is only in one place - below, and the bees have the ability to create low temperature zones due to their accumulation and obstruction of the circulation of heated air.

Also known is a thermal module for treating honey bees from varroatosis (RU 216215, 2022), which consists of a housing in which a honeycomb grid, a fan, a controller, temperature control sensors with the ability to automatically control and regulate the temperature taking into account the temperatures in the upper and lower parts of the hive are placed, and the housing is a removable bottom of the hive with a pull-out tray, and the heat source contains a radiator and an expansion tank with a working fluid equipped with a heating element. This device, like the above ones using direct treatment of bees in the housing without transferring them to the cassette, has the above disadvantages, namely, the impossibility of uniform heating, since only the convection component of the heat flow is used, and the heating element is located in one place.

A thermal module for treating honey bees from varroatosis can serve as a prototype of the present invention.

Disclosure of invention

The technical problem solved by the creation of the claimed invention is uniform, smooth heating and the possibility of smooth cooling of bees, frames and honey throughout the entire volume of the device, no need to transfer bees from frames to a mesh cassette, prevention of accumulation and unification of bees into a cluster during heating, minimal labor intensity, the possibility of use for many other tasks in beekeeping - decrystallization (dissolution) of honey, heating of frames, maintaining the required temperature during incubation of queens, evaporation of moisture, treatment with vapors of medicinal preparations, winter (spring) heating of hives - practically year-round use for various tasks.

Implementation of the invention

The technical result is achieved due to: placing a removable bottom with a replaceable insert containing a heating element and a temperature sensor under the body intended for keeping bees; placing a body for placing a portion of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature above the body for keeping bees; to perform the processing of bees and frames, every second frame is transferred to the upper body and placed above the frame in the lower body; for incubation or seasonal temperature maintenance, the frames are not transferred to the upper body; for heat treatment of beekeeping products, they are placed in the body for bees and in the body for placing a portion of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature; frame heaters containing lateral air flow guides are installed in the wells formed between the frames or containers; in the case of incubation or seasonal heating, frame heaters between the frames are not used; Above this body is the upper body containing the control unit, signaling, air circulation flow and additional heating, and also having a dividing mesh on the bottom to prevent bees from getting into it.

Let's move on to the description of the "Multifunctional device for thermal treatment in beekeeping". The device contains:

- A removable bottom used for keeping bees, with a lower insert that can be replaced for the period of treatment, containing a heating element and a temperature sensor. The lower insert with a heating element and a temperature sensor replaces the blind or mesh insert used for keeping bees. The removable bottom can also be replaced if its dimensions do not match the replaceable insert or the lower part of the hive body. The replaceable insert with a heating element and a temperature sensor can additionally contain a mesh element for ventilation by partially extending the heating element and preventing bees from leaving the device during treatment, and is also used to evaporate excess moisture from honey/nectar in the combs.

- A housing used to contain bees or substituted for the duration of heat treatment. This housing must be compatible with the remaining structural elements of the described device and can be used to contain bees without transferring them to a housing of compatible size for treatment.

- A housing for placing a part of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining temperature, as well as wicks for maintaining humidity and processing with medicinal substance vapors. Inside, in the upper part, on both sides, there are contact current leads for placing and connecting frame heaters, and at the ends - connector elements for connection to contacts located in the upper housing containing the control unit. In the lower part, with a step equal to 2 interaxial distances between the frames in the hive, i.e. 37.5 * 2 = 75 mm, there are dividers containing soft damping insulation, as well as temperature sensors for the control and monitoring controller. This divider prevents the accumulation of bees between the frames and the evasion of some individuals from the effects of elevated temperatures during processing. The step of 75 mm is also adopted based on the need to space the frames in the device and place heaters between them and on the sides of them. Thus, every second frame from the body used for keeping bees rises into the body being described, and the frames themselves are located directly above and below the dividers, forming so-called wells.

To accommodate the frames in this housing and position the contact current leads of the frame heaters, bars with support pads for the frames and holes for laying the current leads are installed.

Between them, on the inner side of the insulation of this body, there are wicks, the ends of which are located on the outer side and, if necessary, can be lowered into containers from the outer side containing the evaporated liquid for medicinal treatment with vapors, or to increase humidity. Wetting of the wicks can also be carried out using a syringe through the holes of the body with a diameter of about 1 mm, located opposite the wicks. For this, the length of the syringe needle is reduced to the thickness of the body, taking into account the thickness of the insulation, which allows wetting the wick directly through the holes, inserting the shortened needle to the full depth into the hole. The wicks can be easily changed if they become contaminated with vapors of medicinal substances and cleaned by rinsing them in warm water with subsequent drying before inserting them into the body.

In addition, in the lower part of the housing for placing part of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature on both sides, there are horizontal valves that allow this housing to be positioned above the housing used for keeping bees.

- Frame heaters are heating elements and contain lateral air flow guides, and in the upper part along the ends - contact pins, on which they are held under the action of their own weight on contact current leads located in the housing on both sides. Frame heaters are installed in so-called wells between frames or containers and on their sides.

- An additional body is required to use the device with other frame sizes. For example, an apiary can use frames of different systems, such as the Dadan-Blatt system with a frame height of 300 mm or the Langstroth-Root system with a frame height of 230 mm. If the total height of 2 Dadan-Blatt frames without taking into account the height of the temperature control elements and frame dividers with a damping layer is 600 mm, then the height of the frame heater will be slightly more than 600 mm, which allows it to be successfully used for a 3-tier arrangement of frames of a smaller height by slightly raising the frame heaters. Since the thermal air flow in the central part is directed downwards with the help of fans, and is also supplemented by radiation from the lower insert with a heating element, this option allows three tiers of frames of a smaller height to be placed in the device without significantly changing the thermal regime in the device. This allows you to place in the device frames of 2 bodies used for keeping bees, since usually when keeping

on low-height frames, more than one body is used - a colony of bees usually forms a nest of greater height than the height of one low-profile frame. This body also contains support bars, elements for the placement and connection of frame heaters - contact current leads and connectors.

- The upper body contains a control unit, signaling, air circulation flow and additional heating, and also has a dividing mesh on the bottom to prevent bees from getting into it.

The control device contains elements that allow you to control the operation of fans, monitor temperature and humidity, signal when the controlled parameters go beyond the specified range, and perform processing in a time interval according to a timer.

The inner walls of the housings, except for the lower housing used for keeping bees, have thermal insulation on the inside. The housing for keeping bees is used unchanged.

The heaters can be used both together and separately, depending on the need. For example, you can remove the lower insert with the heating element and insert an insert with a grid instead in case of honey evaporation. Or vice versa - leave only the lower insert with the heating element in case of incubation of queen cells.

When using the device for winter (spring) heating, only the removable bottom with a heating element and temperature sensor, and the upper body with temperature control elements are used. Other parameters and functions of this module are not used in this case. The body for placing part of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature is installed, since positioning above the body with bees is necessary, but the frames are not transferred to it. Several heating elements of the same type of hives with the same design and electrical parameters can be connected to the device at the same time. Since the conditions and design will be similar to the main hive containing the temperature sensor, it is sufficient to limit yourself to one temperature sensor located in the control hive. The heating elements of the remaining hives are connected in parallel, taking into account the maximum switching load of the thermostat.

When using the device for breeding queens, only the removable bottom with a heating element and temperature sensor, and the upper body with temperature control elements are also directly used. The body for placing part of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature is installed, since positioning above the body with bees is necessary, but the frames are not transferred to it.

When using the device for treatment, heating of frames, decrystallization (dissolution) of honey in combs, treatment of infections and invasions, treatment with vapors of medicinal preparations, a complete set of the device is used with the arrangement of frames in two (three) tiers and placement of frame heaters with lateral air flow guides in the resulting wells.

When using a device for decrystallization (dissolution) of pumped honey, the containers are arranged in two tiers - in an empty body for keeping bees, and in a body for placing part of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining temperature. The containers are arranged strictly one under the other. The required number of frame heaters are installed between the containers and on their sides. If it is necessary to organize a circulation flow, between the frame heaters and along the edges, in the location of the flow guides, it is necessary to install air flow separators in the form of thin-walled partitions. Otherwise, the circulation efficiency may not be achieved.

Description of drawings

The essence of the proposed invention is explained by drawings, where:

Fig. 1 shows a replaceable bottom with replaceable inserts;

in Fig. 2 - a removable bottom with a body installed on it for keeping bees and the placement of frames corresponding to keeping bees;

in Fig. 3 - a housing for accommodating part of the frames and containing components for accommodating and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature;

in Fig. 4 - additional body;

Fig. 5 - frame heater with side air flow guides and contact pins;

in Fig. 6 - control unit;

Fig. 7 - the control unit from the bottom side without the installed grid;

in Fig. 8 - the entire device assembled with a raised control unit for clarity, and a front wall and part of the wicks of the housing not shown for placing part of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature when placing frames of the Dadan-Blatt system in two tiers, without connecting cables (in the version for treating bees, when every second frame is raised to the second tier).

Below are the accepted designations in the figures:

1. Replaceable bottom;

2. A retractable frame with a net used for keeping bees;

3. Replaceable mesh insert to prevent bees from escaping during heat treatment if ventilation or cooling is required;

4. Heating element;

5. Temperature sensor;

6. Heating element power cable;

7. Cable for connecting the temperature sensor to the control device;

8. Housing for keeping bees;

9. Frames for placing honeycombs;

10. Marks on the body for orientation when placing frames at the required interval;

11. Replaceable insert - either a retractable frame with a mesh used when keeping bees 2, or a replaceable mesh insert 3 and a heating element 4 with a temperature sensor 5;

12. Upper entrance of the hive with an entrance barrier;

13. The lower entrance of the hive with an entrance barrier;

14. A housing for accommodating part of the frames and containing components for accommodating and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature;

15. A horizontal valve that allows the housing to be positioned to accommodate part of the frames and contains components for accommodating and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature above the housing used to keep the bees;

16. Wick;

17. Support platform for placing frames of the second tier of the Dadan-Blatt system;

18. Support platform for placing frames of the second tier of the Langstroth-Root system;

19. Support bar for placing frames;

20. Current-carrying busbar for connecting frame heaters;

21. A separator containing soft damping insulation, and on which a temperature sensor of the control and monitoring controller can be installed;

22. Contact connector for connecting the current-carrying bus to the control unit;

23. Temperature sensor;

24. Holes for wetting the wicks;

25. Openings for laying wires and connectors for connecting temperature control sensors;

26. Cable for connecting the temperature sensor to the control device;

27. An additional body for placing the third tier of Langstroth-Root system frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters;

28. Frame heater;

29. Contact pin;

30. Lower bar of frame heater;

31. Lateral air flow guide;

32. Processing timer;

33. Hygrometer and thermometer for signaling critical processing modes;

34. Thermostat of the heating element of the replaceable insert of the replaceable bottom and thermostat of the frame heaters;

35. Control of switching on the device, air circulation fans and heating modes;

36. Control unit;

37. Cable for connecting the case temperature sensor for placing part of the frames and containing components for placing and connecting frame heaters and maintaining the temperature;

38. Control of upper heating activation;

39. Sound signaling device for critical processing modes;

40. Socket for connecting the heating element of the replaceable insert of the replaceable bottom;

41. Cable for connecting the temperature sensor of the heating element of the replaceable insert of the replaceable bottom;

42. Network cable for connecting the device;

43. Connector for connecting the contact connector of the housing for accommodating part of the frames and containing components for accommodating and connecting frame heaters and maintaining temperature or an additional housing for accommodating the third tier of Langstroth-Root system frames for connecting the current-carrying busbar to the control unit;

44. Fans of the air circulation system;

45. Upper heaters;

46. Casing for organizing air flow and fastening fans and upper heaters;

47. Air pockets for lifting air and directing it through fans located directly above the side guides for organizing the air flow of frame heaters;

48. Replaceable insert in a replaceable bottom consisting of a mesh insert and a heating element with a temperature sensor (the cables for connecting the temperature sensor and the electric heater are shown);

Claims (1)

A multifunctional device for heat treatment in beekeeping is a device characterized in that it contains a removable bottom used for keeping bees, with a lower insert that can be replaced for the period of treatment, containing a heating element and a temperature sensor; a housing used for keeping bees, or replaced for the period of heat treatment; a housing for placing part of the frames, containing components for installing and connecting frame heaters, maintaining temperature, as well as wicks for increasing humidity, or treating with vapors of medicinal substances; frame heaters with side guides for organizing the air flow, between which the frames or containers being treated are located; an upper housing with a unit for controlling the operation of fans, heaters, monitoring and maintaining temperature and humidity, signaling when parameters are outside the ranges, performing treatment in a time interval, as well as with fans and heaters installed in it for organizing a directed air flow and additional heating from the bottom side has a dividing mesh to prevent bees from getting into it; the walls of the housings, except for the lower housing used for keeping bees, have thermal insulation on the inside.