Mosquito breeding prevention device and system

Abstract

A device for insertion into an open end of a length of pipe to prevent mosquitoes from entering the pipe is provided. The device includes a piece of flexible foam material having a front face, a rear face and one or more edges joining the front face to the rear face. A plurality of indentions, preferably three, are formed in the front face of the piece of flexible foam material to allow a user to quickly and easily grip the device to insert or remove it from the pipe. The piece of flexible foam material preferably comprises open cell foam sized to permit water to flow through while preventing insects from passing through. The device may be used in connection with a system to prevent mosquitoes from entering into a rain gutter drain extension or a rain barrel system.

Claims

1. A system for preventing insects from entering into a drain extension pipe, said system comprising: a drain inlet opening in a first end of the drain extension pipe; a drain outlet opening in a second end of the drain extension pipe; a first piece of flexible foam material having a front face, a rear face and one or more edges joining said front face to said rear face, said first piece of flexible foam material being removably positioned in said inlet opening, wherein the entire length of said one or more edges of said first piece of flexible foam material engage an inner surface of said inlet opening; a second piece of flexible foam material having a front face, a rear face and one or more edges joining said front face to said rear face, said second piece of flexible foam material being removably positioned in said outlet opening, wherein the entire length of said one or more edges of said second piece of flexible foam material engage an inner surface of said outlet opening.

2. A system for preventing insects from entering into a system for transferring liquid from one location to another, said system comprising: a rain gutter having a drain outlet connected to a drain inlet of a downspout pipe; a drain extension pipe having an inlet opening connected to an outlet of the downspout, and an outlet opening; a first piece of flexible foam material having a front face, a rear face and one or more edges joining said front face to said rear face, said first piece of flexible foam material being removably positioned in the drain outlet of the rain gutter, wherein the piece of flexible foam material further includes a plurality of indentions in the front face thereof for a user to readily grip the front face of said first piece of flexible foam material to insert or remove the first piece of flexible foam material from said drain outlet of the rain gutter; and a second piece of flexible foam material having a front face, a rear face and one or more edges joining said front face to said rear face, said second piece of flexible foam material being removably positioned in the outlet opening of said drain extension pipe, wherein the second piece of flexible foam material further includes a plurality of indentions in the front face thereof for a user to readily grip the front face of said second piece of flexible foam material to insert or remove the second piece of flexible foam material from said outlet opening of said drain extension pipe.

3. A system for preventing insects from entering into a rain gutter and rain barrel assembly, said system comprising: a rain gutter having a drain outlet connected to a drain inlet of a downspout pipe; a rain barrel having an inlet opening connected to an outlet of the downspout pipe, and an overflow outlet opening; an overflow tube having an inlet opening connected to the overflow outlet opening of the rain barrel; a first piece of flexible foam material having a front face, a rear face and one or more edges joining said front face to said rear face, said piece of flexible foam material being removably positioned in the drain outlet of the rain gutter, wherein the entire length of said one or more edges of said piece of flexible foam material engage an inner surface of said drain outlet of the rain gutter; and a second piece of flexible foam material having a front face, a rear face and one or more edges joining said front face to said rear face, said piece of flexible foam material being removably positioned in an outlet opening of said overflow tube, wherein the entire length of said one or more edges of said piece of flexible foam material engage an inner surface of said outlet opening of said overflow tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a bottom prospective view of a device for insertion into an open end of a length of pipe to prevent insects from entering the pipe according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a system for preventing insects from entering into a system for transferring liquid from one location to another using the device shown in FIGS. 1-3 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the inlet part of a system for preventing insects from entering into a system for transferring liquid from one location to another using the device shown in FIGS. 1-3 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the outlet part of a system for preventing insects from entering into a system for transferring liquid from one location to another using the device shown in FIGS. 1-3 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) For purposes of promoting and understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. The invention includes any alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices and described methods and further applications of the principles of the invention that would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

(9) As best shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, one presently preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a rain gutter drain extension and rain barrel foam element 10 generally comprised of a circular piece of flexible, open pore foam material having a front face 12, and a rear face 14 connected by a continuous edge or sidewall 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the front face 12 of the foam element 10 includes a plurality of indentations 18 to provide a method to grip the foam element 10 for installation and removal.

(10) The diameter of the foam element 10 should be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe into which it is to be inserted in order to provide an effective barrier. For typical residential rain gutter applications, a foam element 10 having a diameter of about 5 inches and a thickness of around 2.5 inches is preferred. Although other materials are contemplated and within the spirit and scope of the invention, the open cell foam material of the foam element 10 accordingly to one presently preferred embodiment is polyether plastic. The open cells of the foam element 10 may be of any size that permits an adequate flow of liquid and small materials to pass therethrough while being small enough to prevent insects such as mosquitoes from passing through and gaining access to the standing water to breed. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the cells range in size from 10 cells per square inch to 20 cells per square inch. The foam element 10 is flexible, easily cut and can be easily removed from or inserted into a drain inlet or drain outlet to be cleaned and replaced if the need occurs.

(11) In a typical installation, as shown in FIG. 4, foam elements 10, 10 are removably installed in the inlet 22 and outlet 24 of a drain extension pipe 20, respectively. Where there is no easy access to the inlet 22 of the drain extension pipe 20, the inlet-side foam element 10 may be installed in the drain outlet 32 of a rain gutter 30, which connects to a downspout pipe 40, as shown in FIG. 5. The inlet 42 of the downspout pipe 40 is connected to the drain outlet 32 of the rain gutter 30 while the outlet 44 of the downspout pipe is connected to the inlet 22 of the drain extension pipe 20 (FIG. 4).

(12) The system may also be used in conjunction with a rain barrel 50 for rainwater retention as shown in FIG. 6. The rain barrel 50 has an inlet 52 connected to the outlet 44 of the downspout pipe 40, and an overflow drain outlet 54 located in a sidewall thereof near the top of the barrel 50. The overflow drain outlet 54 may be connected to the inlet 22 of a drain extension pipe 20 to divert overflow rainwater away from the barrel 50 and the structure. To prevent mosquitoes from entering the rain barrel 50 and having access to the water therein for breeding, a first foam element 10 may be installed in the drain outlet 32 of a rain gutter 30, which connects to a downspout pipe 40, as shown in FIG. 5. A second foam element 10 may be inserted into the outlet 64 of an overflow tube 60 to prevent mosquitoes from entering the rain barrel 50 through the open outlet 64.

(13) A foam element 10 inserted on the upstream side of the system for transferring liquid, as shown in FIG. 4 has the additional benefit of preventing larger debris from entering into the system.

(14) This detailed description, and particularly the specific details of the exemplary embodiment disclosed, is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modifications will become evident to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention.