Compact Water Agitator for Pest Control

Abstract

Mosquitoes are vectors for many dangerous diseases such as Malaria, Dengue, Yellow Fever, West Nile, and those from Zika virus etc. Mosquito transmitted diseases occur mostly in tropical, developing countries and create public health crises due to lack of adequate resources and rapid transmission. Malaria took 429,000 lives in 2015 and the impending Zika crisis shows the need for effective mosquito control. Nearly half of the world's population is at risk of malaria. Current mosquito control efforts focus on reducing the population of mosquitoes. The many mosquito control strategies such as using tarps to suffocate larvae, insecticides, genetic engineering, biocontrol using fish etc. have substantial drawbacks. These methods are environmentally hazardous, expensive, inefficient, hard to maintain, bulky, or energy intensive. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. They cannot breed in agitated water or running water. Thus, this patent describes water agitators that are environmentally safe, efficient, and cost-effective. In this patent, three water agitators prototypes are presented. They are self-sustaining, lightweight, mobile, and have minimal potential for misuse. The agitators consume solar energy. They are self propelling and do not require maintenance, such as changing parts. They are designed to be inexpensive, reusable, and mass-producible. These agitators can cover a much larger area of water compared to their size. They target small to large water areas. Agitators are versatile and can be used in flower vases, open rain jars, tire tracks, mining pits, small ponds etc.

Claims

1. A portable, compact water agitator for use indoors and outdoors in all systems of water such as a. Freshwater and saltwater water bodies b. Water tanks c. Water containers, such as bowls, tire tracks, vases etc. d. Lakes and ponds e. Traditional rain jars and open pools of water using solar panels and/or backup batteries

2. Portable and compact surface water agitator using vibration techniques .

3. Portable and compact surface water agitator using paddling motion

4. Portable and compact surface water agitator using bubbles from a pump

5. Compact water agitator targeting mosquito populations

6. Compact water agitator with solar panels and/or backup batteries.

7. Compact water agitator with timers.

8. Compact water agitator with sensors, such as dawn to dusk sensors.

9. Water agitators containing solar panels, clear plastic casing, vibration motors, and external appendages to agitate surface.

10. Water agitators containing solar panels, clear plastic casing, motor and gearbox with external appendages to agitate surface.

11. Water agitators containing solar panels, clear plastic casing, pumping motor with aerator stone and back valve to agitate surface.

12. Water agitators with an additional chemical dispenser element to: a. purify water. b. Supplement mosquito control

13. Water agitators with remote control

14. Water agitator that target mosquito breeding

15. Portable water agitators targeted at pest and water control including a. Mosquitoes b. Flies c. Bacteria

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIGS. 1-3 are circuit diagrams of the 3 agitators

[0008] FIG. 4-6 are pictures of the agitators prototypes

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS

[0009] Three agitator prototypes for mosquito control are designed to cover small to large, freshwater and saltwater systems. Prototypes consume solar energy. In the first prototype, solar panels are soldered to small vibration motors (FIG. 1). The solar panels are attached inside a small, clear plastic box. Holes are drilled in the sides of the box and zip ties are wrapped around the motors. The box is then waterproofed. A wide piece of plastic is placed at the end of each zip tie to increase the water surface agitation. The vibration motors and zip ties create ripples on the water surface. In the second prototype, a crank is attached to a motor, which pushes a compressor up and down, pumping air into an aerator stone. This then creates fine bubbles in the water through the aerator stone (FIG. 2). The second prototype was built by soldering solar panels to a pumping motor that is used with an aerator stone. There is then a back valve to prevent water from coming back into the box. This assembly was placed in a plastic box with a hole drilled on the bottom to let out the bubbles. The box was then waterproofed. The final embodiment, or the third prototype, is a solar powered boat built for slow, steady water agitation in large water areas (FIG. 3). It uses gear system and operates using solar power. Two holes are drilled into a long, thin, clear plastic box, and paddles are attached to axles from the gearbox. Paddle are used to propel the box to cover large water area. Small, wide pieces of plastic are water welded to the end of the paddles to increase water surface agitation. The box is then waterproofed. All the plastic boxes are chosen so that the devices will float and are weighted to be centered (so they don't tilt). Additionally, backup batteries, timers, and sensors, such as dawn to dusk sensor, can be and are added to each prototype.