US20130064679A1

US20130064679A1 - Fan grill for a mosquito trap

Info

Publication number: US20130064679A1
Application number: US13/232,734
Authority: US
Inventors: Yi-Yi Tsai
Original assignee: Invictus International Co Ltd
Current assignee: Invictus International Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-09-14
Filing date: 2011-09-14
Publication date: 2013-03-14

Abstract

A fan grill for a mosquito trap is a board and has a center, a funnel-shaped shell, multiple air holes and a through hole. The shell is formed downward in the center and is tapered off to a bottom. The air holes are respectively formed through the shell and are arranged radially and spirally. The through hole is formed on the bottom of the shell. The radial and spiral air holes are designed according to direction of airflow created by a fan so allow the airflow to pass smoothly therethrough and to generate steady suction forces. Besides, hole diameters of the air holes are less than sizes of mosquitoes so trapped mosquitoes are prevented from escaping from between fan blades of the fan. Therefore, trapping efficiency is enhanced.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mosquito trap, and more particularly to a fan grill for a mosquito trap that can prevent trapped mosquitoes from escaping and allow airflow to pass smoothly therethrough.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Mosquito traps are used to attract, trap and kill mosquitoes. With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, a conventional mosquito trap comprises a mosquito collection box 40, a mounting bracket 50 and a cover 52. The mosquito collection box 40 includes an annular sidewall and filter screens 41 mounted on the annular sidewall. The mounting bracket 50 is mounted over the mosquito collection box 40 and includes a fan 51 therein. The cover 52 is mounted over the mounting bracket 50 and includes a bottom surface and a photocatalytic lamp tube 53 mounted on the bottom surface.
When the mosquito trap is actuated, the photocatalytic lamp tube 53 is lighted and the fan 51 generates negative-pressure suction forces between the mounting bracket 50 and the cover 52. The photocatalytic lamp tube 53 produces carbon dioxide, UV light and heats up close to human body temperature to lure mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are then drawn into the mosquito collection box 40 by suction of the fan 51 and are dried out and die. Therefore, a quiet and safe trapping effect is achieved.
With further reference to FIG. 12, a fan grill 60 is securely mounted under the fan 51 to prevent trapped mosquitoes from escaping from between fan blades of the fan 51 when the fan 51 is turned off. The fan grill 60 is a board and comprises a center, a funnel-shaped shell 61, multiple circular air holes 611 and a through hole 62. The shell 61 is formed downward in the center and is tapered off to a bottom. The air holes 611 are respectively formed through the shell 61 and hole diameters of the air holes 611 are less than sizes of mosquitoes. The through hole 62 is formed on the bottom of the shell 61. Airflow created by the fan 51 passes through the air holes 611 to generate suction forces and to draw the mosquitoes into the mosquito collection box 40 via the through hole 62. However, the fan grill 60 with multiple circular air holes 611 has a greater resistance to airflow so that the airflow created by the fan 51 cannot pass smoothly therethrough and thereby the suction forces are weaker and trapping efficiency is reduced.
With reference to FIG. 13, the air holes 611A of another fan grill 60A are elongated. The elongated air holes 611A allow the airflow created by the fan 51 to pass smoothly therethrough and to generate steady suction forces. However, the trapped mosquitoes easily escape from the elongated air holes 611A because the elongated air holes 611A are larger than the mosquitoes.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a fan grill for a mosquito trap to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide a fan grill for a mosquito trap that allows airflow to pass smoothly therethrough and prevents trapped mosquitoes from escaping.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the fan grill for a mosquito trap in accordance with the present invention is a board and comprises a center, a funnel-shaped shell, multiple air holes and a through hole. The shell is formed downward in the center and is tapered off to a bottom. The air holes are respectively formed through the shell and are arranged radially and spirally. The through hole is formed on the bottom of the shell. The radial and spiral air holes are designed according to direction of airflow created by a fan so allow the airflow to pass smoothly therethrough and to generate steady suction forces. Besides, hole diameters of the air holes are less than sizes of mosquitoes so trapped mosquitoes are prevented from escaping from between fan blades of the fan. Therefore, trapping efficiency is enhanced.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fan grill in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the fan grill in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the fan grill in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a mosquito trap with the fan grill in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a fan grill in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the fan grill in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the fan grill in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of another mosquito trap with the fan grill in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an exploded side view of another mosquito trap with the fan grill in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional mosquito trap in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 11 is a side view in partial section of the conventional mosquito trap in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a fan grill of the conventional mosquito trap in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another fan grill in accordance with the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a fan grill in accordance with the present invention is a rectangular board 10 and comprises a center, a funnel-shaped shell 11, multiple air holes 111 and a tube 12. The shell 11 is formed downward in the center and is tapered off to a bottom. The air holes 111 are respectively formed through the shell 11 and are arranged radially and spirally. Hole diameters of the air holes 111 are less than sizes of mosquitoes. The tube 12 is formed on and protrudes from the bottom of the shell 11 and includes a through hole 121 communicating with an interior of the shell 11. In a preferred embodiment, the air holes 111 extend radially and spirally outward from the through hole 121 serving as a center, the air holes 111 are curved and elongated and widths of the elongated air holes 111 are less than sizes of mosquitoes. Further, the fan grill may comprise four fastening holes 13 respectively formed through four corners of the board 10.
With reference to FIG. 4, the fan grill in accordance with the present invention is mounted inside a mosquito trap. The mosquito trap comprises a mosquito collection box 20, a mounting bracket 30 and a cover 32. The mosquito collection box 20 includes filter screens 21. The mounting bracket 30 is mounted over the mosquito collection box 20 and includes a fan 31 therein. The cover 32 is mounted over the mounting bracket 30 and includes a photocatalytic lamp tube 33. Fasteners 14 are respectively mounted through the fastening holes 13 and corresponding fastening holes 311 of the fan 31 to fasten the fan grill under the fan 31.
When the mosquito trap is actuated, the photocatalytic lamp tube 33 is lighted and the fan 31 generates negative-pressure suction forces between the mounting bracket 30 and the cover 32. The photocatalytic lamp tube 33 produces carbon dioxide, UV light and heats up close to human body temperature to lure mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are then drawn into the mosquito collection box 20 by suction of the fan 31 and are dried out and die. The radial and spiral air holes 111 are designed according to direction of airflow created by the fan 31 so allow the airflow to pass smoothly therethrough and to generate steady suction forces. Besides, hole diameters of the air holes 111 are less than sizes of mosquitoes so trapped mosquitoes are prevented from escaping from between fan blades of the fan 31. Therefore, trapping efficiency is enhanced.
With reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, in another embodiment of the invention, the board 10A further comprises a curved side, three flat sides, two positioning wings 13A and a locking segment 14A. The positioning wings 13A are respectively formed on and protrude from the opposite flat sides. The locking segment 14A is formed to protrude downward from the other flat side and has a locking hole 141A. With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the fan grill with the positioning wings 13A and the locking segment 14A is mounted on another type of mosquito trap. The mosquito trap comprises a mosquito collection box 20A and a mosquito trap body 30A. The mosquito collection box 20A includes two receiving notches 21A and a protrusion 22A. The fan grill covers the mosquito collection box 20A to make the positioning wings 13A engaged the receiving notches 21A and the locking hole 141A of the locking segment 14A engaged the protrusion 22A. The mosquito collection box 20A with the fan grill is then put into the mosquito trap body 30A.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A fan grill being a board and comprising:

a center;

a funnel-shaped shell formed downward in the center and tapered off to a bottom;

multiple air holes respectively formed through the shell and arranged radially and spirally; and

a through hole formed on the bottom of the shell.

2. The fan grill as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a tube formed on and protruding from the bottom of the shell and including the through hole.

3. The fan grill as claimed in claim 1 being a rectangular board and further comprising four fastening holes respectively formed through four corners of the board.

4. The fan grill as claimed in claim 2 being a rectangular board and further comprising four fastening holes respectively formed through four corners of the board.

5. The fan grill as claimed in claim 1 further comprising

a curved side;

three flat sides;

two positioning wings respectively formed on and protruding from the opposite flat sides; and

a locking segment formed to protrude downward from the other flat side and having a locking hole.

6. The fan grill as claimed in claim 2 further comprising

a curved side;

three flat sides;