ANTI-PEST DEVICE FOR FRUIT TREES AND THE LIKE

Abstract

An anti-pest device for fruit trees and the like that prevents trees from being affected by crawling insect pests includes a rectangular sheet of electrical insulating material, which can adopt the shape of an inverted truncated cone or a cylindrical configuration around the trunk of the tree; a band of low-density foam under the sheet that adapts to the physiognomy of the bark, and deforms with the growth of the trunk, whereas the sheet includes a sector that is superimposed thereon and slides on it to adapt to said growth; a pair of parallel conducting wires, separated a distance according to the size of the body of the insect to be exterminated, subjected to a high difference in electrical potential by means of a power supply circuit, such that when an insect tries to get past them, it is automatically electrocuted.

Claims

1-10. (canceled).

11. A device against pests in fruit trees and the like, characterised in that it comprises an elongated rectangular sheet of electrical insulating material, which is complemented by a band of low-density foam for adapting to the contour of the bark of a tree on which the sheet is to be arranged, the sheet exhibiting a greater length than the circumference of the assembly formed by the band of foam and the tree trunk to which it is applied, a section of the same corresponding to the free distal end thereof being superimposed on the sheet itself, such that said free distal end is linked to the area of superposition with the sheet by means of elastically deformable elements, a pair of parallel conducting wires, separated from each other a distance according to the size of the body of the insect to be exterminated, being established on the external face of the sheet, conducting wires arranged in an open circuit and subjected to a high difference in electrical potential by means of a small, properly isolated power supply circuit.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the power supply circuit comprises an internal battery, which can be recharged through a photovoltaic solar panel.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the sheet is made of acetate.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the power supply circuit comprises electrical pulses emitted with a frequency of 1.5 seconds, and a power of at least 13.5 millijoules/s.

15. The device of claim 11, further comprising a radio communication system to remotely monitor the operating parameters thereof.

16. The device of claim 11, which shares the power supply circuit thereof with other devices of the same type by a wired connection through watertight connectors.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] As a complement to the description that will be provided herein, and for the purpose of helping to make the features of the invention more readily understandable, according to a preferred practical exemplary embodiment thereof, said description is accompanied by a set of drawings constituting an integral part thereof in which, by way of illustration and not limitation, the following is represented:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the development of the sheet that participates in an anti-pest device for fruit trees and the like embodied in accordance with the object of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the device of the invention properly implemented on the corresponding fruit tree.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a simpler variant embodiment provided for the device of the invention, applied to the corresponding tree trunk.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 3.

[0042] Finally, FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the variant embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 applied to a multi-tree orchard.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0043] In view of FIGS. 1 to 5, it can be seen how the device of the invention comprises a rectangular sheet (1) of electrical insulating material, such as, for example, a transparent acetate sheet.

[0044] Said acetate sheet (1) comprises on, what will be its upper, internal edge of application on a tree trunk (2) to which it is applied, a band (3) of foam or equivalent deformable material, which enables it to adapt to the contour of the bark of the tree trunk (2), sealing the same and thereby preventing the passage of insects therethrough.

[0045] The sheet will be wound around the tree trunk (2) as shown in FIG. 2, superimposing the side ends thereof at an angle to form a kind of deformable cone, able to be adapted to the tree trunk during its growth, and which is fixed to said trunk by means of an elastic rubber band (4) that will be fixed to one of the upper vertices of the sheet (1) that is externally wound around the upper edge of said sheet and is tied on itself.

[0046] Returning again to FIG. 1, in an arrangement diagonal to the sheet (1), and on the internal face thereof, pairs of parallel conducting wires (5-5′) will be arranged with a small separation between them, according to the size of the body of the insect to be exterminated, in this case two pairs, based on copper sheets, electrically connected in parallel, and which are connected to a voltage supply circuit (6) by means of cables or conductors, establishing between each pair of conducting wires (5-5′) a potential difference of 100 volts.

[0047] Thus, the conducting wires (5-5′) will be in an open circuit under normal conditions, until an insect tries to cross them, at which time the very insect will close the circuit causing its electrocution. FIG. 2 shows how the pairs of conducting wires (5-5′) adopt an arrangement on the sheet (1) that prevent insects from accessing the lower edge of the sheet to hypothetically go over it and come up the upper face thereof. As such, said FIG. 2 shows how said conducting wires (5-5′) intersect forming closed rings around the conical surface, which do not close the circuit electrically because the very sheet (1) of electrical insulating material is interposed between them.

[0048] The power supply circuit (6) will be properly integrated into a watertight casing, having an internal battery that enables the device to operate both day and night, battery that can be recharged through a photovoltaic solar panel (7), which can be fixed to a tree branch by means of a telescopic arm (8) with the corresponding clamp (9) or fixing means thereof.

[0049] The power supply circuit of the system enables up to 300 devices to be connected in respective trees or branches, by means of a wired connection system therebetween through watertight connectors.

[0050] Likewise, the device may have radio communication means to remotely monitor the operating parameters thereof.

[0051] According to the variant embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 5, it has been envisaged that the sheet (1′), for example obtained in acetate, optionally exhibits an elongated rectangular configuration, under which a band (3) of low-density foam is established, arranged around the tree trunk, a band of foam that due to the low density thereof can be inserted and faithfully adapted to the reliefs of the bark, as well as be elastically deformed during the growth of the trunk itself, a band on which the sheet (1′) is arranged adopting a cylindrical arrangement, and which exhibits a length greater than the circumference of the trunk/band (3) of foam assembly of the tree to which it is applied. A section of the same corresponds to the free distal end (14) thereof being superimposed on the sheet itself, such that said free distal end (14) is linked to the area of superposition with the sheet through elastically deformable elements (12), which in the practical exemplary embodiment take the form of springs, which are linked at the ends thereof to orifices (13) made on the sheet, but which could also take the form of elastic rubbers or any other elastically deformable element that enables said free distal end (14) to slide on the main body of the sheet, thus adapting to the progressive growth of the tree trunk.

[0052] On the external face of the sheet (1′), a circuit is arranged based on pairs of parallel conducting wires (5-5′), for example, copper wires, arranged with a small separation between them, according to the size of the body of the insect to be exterminated, and which extend longitudinally to the sheet (1′) from end to end thereof.

[0053] Like in the case of the variant embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, these conducting wires are arranged in an open circuit and are connected to a voltage supply circuit (6) by means of respective cables or conductors (10-10′).

[0054] These electrical pulses will be programmed to be emitted with a frequency of 1.5 seconds, with a power of 13.5 millijoules/s.

[0055] This power supply circuit (6) will be properly integrated into a watertight casing, having an internal battery that enables the device to operate both day and night, battery that can be recharged through a photovoltaic solar panel (7).

[0056] As can be seen in FIG. 5, the circuit (6) will be able to supply power to multiple devices connected in parallel through the corresponding wiring (11-11′), by means of watertight connectors.

[0057] As in the previous case, the installation may include radio communication means to remotely monitor the operating parameters thereof.

[0058] From this structuring, and as previously mentioned, the conducting wires will draw respective circles parallel to each other and concentric to the tree trunk, the length (circumference) of which will fully and automatically adapt to the increasing diameter of the tree trunk, defining the only possible passage for insects, which will be electrocuted by the electrical arc generated by the very insect when it is in the space comprised between said conductors. As such, it is not even necessary for the insect to simultaneously touch both conducting wires.

[0059] In this way, a means is achieved that prevents the access of any insect approaching the tree from the ground, whether they are ants, spiders, aphids, etc.