"AUTOMATIC MANHOLE SPRAYING SYSTEM"

FIELD OF ART

The invention relates to the field of art of fixed means for trapping insects and animal pests, and more particularly to an automatic manhole spraying system for destroying insects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The automatic manhole spraying system disclosed in the present invention has not been disclosed in the prior art.

Cockroaches and insects are a major problem in all areas with temperate climates. In nature, cockroaches live in a warm, humid, cool and dark environment, mainly found in tropical and subtropical areas. However, some species of cockroach are known as domestic pests, choosing to live in a home rather than in their natural environment. Cockroaches survive by eating a combination of food consisting of plant, and animal substances such as papers, clothes, food waste, wood, books, house mites and other small insects. Although it has been observed that their resistance to lack of food can last for months, their need for water is daily. This is also the main reason that domestic cockroaches are always growing in places where water is available, and they prefer to invade the sewers of the houses. The cockroach deposits its eggs per 15-20 in ovaries, which can be left inactive for months until the proper conditions are created to hatch.

Because of the difficulty of dealing with it, and because it is known to be responsible for the transmission of allergies, bacteria and diseases such as asthma, cockroach is one of the odious parasitic forms of life for modern human. Numerous efforts are being made to address their spread, either in natural ways, such as the use of soda and powdered sugar or laurel leaves, or modern repellent sprays. As it is evident, these solutions are sometimes dangerous even for humans, such as the use of boric acid, which the cockroaches swallow and are poisoned. Boric acid, however, is equally dangerous for humans and their pets. Other solutions that have been proposed include the use of glue traps that cause cockroaches to stick to them as they circulate, and which, while having good results in areas where they are inaccessible, are clearly impossible to be used in an entire house.

For more serious cases, the killing proposals include sprays in cracks and slits in the wall, mist aerosol and powdered repellents. However, it is not uncommon for them to fail and not to produce the desired results, forcing home and apartment occupants to turn to professional solutions that have stronger, often without antidote, chemical insecticides. The use of such solutions, although usually producing transient results, has obvious disadvantages, such as endangering the health of the occupants, especially children, while the long-term effects of their action on the human body are not fully established.

As it becomes obvious, the most important issue that arises is the inability to deal with the problem where it is presented and where it develops. This is none other than sewer pipes, cesspools and manholes. Therein, conditions are such that they allow for the uncontrolled reproduction of these insects without being effectively exterminated, except at local level when they are found in or around the houses.

Yet another disadvantage of the solutions proposed so far is that, to produce results, spraying and disinsectisation is required at regular intervals, implying planning by the citizens, costs for them and, of course, the burden of their space due to the use of insecticides, and in general the environment as a whole.

It is - thus an object of the present invention to advantageously overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art by proposing an automatic manhole spraying system.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic manhole spraying system which is waterproof and can be used within sewerage manholes. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic manhole spraying system which is absolutely safe for the people as it sprays the active substance into the manhole without dissipating it in the environment and being inhaled by the user.

A further object of the invention with a view to making the herein disclosed automatic spraying system useful is the minimal maintenance it requires as it can operate even for a calendar year without requiring human intervention.

A further advantage of the invention is the ability to place it in an easy way, everywhere, since it has small dimensions and no specialized personnel or special tools for its installation are required.

Another advantage of the invention is that it offers health and cleanliness conditions by solving a major problem in areas that favour the growth of insects, pests and parasites by addressing the problem where it is generated rather than locally in each house individually.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an automatic manhole spraying system which does not require the presence of the user to function since it is set and operates independently.

Further advantages of the present invention lie with the fact that it is more economical as an option than sprays, more efficient and safer, providing a definitive solution to the problem. Yet another feature of the device is that it has a polyester fibre diaphragm and a treated filter to allow free flow of impurities, oils and fats, but not insects, ensuring proper flow in the drainage.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is illustrated in an exemplary but non-limiting manner.

Figure 1 illustrates a plan view sketch of the automatic manhole spraying system, with all the elements and components thereof.

Figure 2 shows the rear view of the automatic manhole spraying system where it is evident how it is mounted within the manhole at the time.

Figure 3 shows a wastewater pipe in which the diaphragm has been applied with the treated filter, which allows the passage of the insects to one direction, trapping them.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED APPLICATION

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, we will illustrate exemplary applications of the automatic manhole spraying system so as to make its mode of operation apparent. The automatic manhole spraying system of the present invention consists of a rectangular box (1), Fig. 1 , within which the system operating components are located. The box (1) is closed by a door, while on the rear side thereof, Fig. 2, has a configuration (2) so that it fits into the manhole and is held in an upright position. The placement of the box (1) is carried out within the sewerage manhole, whether it is a central manhole serving a residential complex or the individual manhole of a single building, house or block of flats. During installation, the box (1) fits magnetically into the manhole and is activated after a predetermined period of time. This ensures that the automatic manhole spraying system will only work within the manhole and after some time, allowing the installer to come out of the manhole without running the risk of being sprayed with the insecticide.

Within the box (1) there is a bottle (3) with the insecticide in liquid form, the flow of which is regulated by a valve (4) at the top thereof. When the valve (4) opens, the insecticide is led through a tubing (5) into an injector (6), from where it is sprayed inside the manhole. The operation of the valve (4) is regulated by a piston (7), which performs reciprocating movement, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The movement is performed thanks to a mobile fulcrum (8) controlled by a rotary motor (9). In fact, the motor (9) causes pendulum movement on the fulcrum (8), which is converted into reciprocating motion of the piston (7) to open and close the valve (4). The power supply of the system is ensured by the presence of a battery (10) which provides the power required for both the motor (9) and the other electronic components of the automatic spraying system, such as the electronic circuit (11).

The electronic circuit (1 1) assists in the proper operation and control of the automatic manhole spraying system. The electronic circuit (11) has a central processing unit, memory and all the necessary components to enable the appropriate operating program to be installed to activate the rotating motor when required for the spraying time or duration. The system further includes a siren (12) on the electronic circuit board (1 1) to reproduce the appropriate sound signal, informing the user accordingly.

Furthermore, the user can control the spraying frequency of the automatic manhole spraying system to determine when spraying will occur, for example, once a day or week. The system has an additional diaphragm (13), Fig. 3, made of polyester fibres and a filter suitably treated to prevent impurities, oils, fats or other materials passing through the pipe (14) from sticking to it. The diaphragm (13) is intended to be installed at the entrance of the house, from the manhole, substantially preventing the passage of the insects and trapping them in the manhole, where they are sprayed by the automatic inventive system. The diaphragm (13) can be placed inside the pipe (14) in the event of a new sewerage installation, but it can also be installed externally in an easy way even by non-qualified personnel.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the system may be potentially controlled by an application on a mobile communication device so that the user or installer can know the state of the system. In this way, it can replace the bottle (3), the battery (10) or even activate the system independently of the program set.

In yet another alternative embodiment of the invention, chlorine tablets can be thrown into the pipes (14), which act in parallel with the automatic manhole spraying system, substantially clearing the pipes from insects and bugs. This will increase the efficiency of the system and extend duration of its action.

It should be noted here that the description of the invention has been made by reference to illustrative examples of embodiments, not being limited to them. Consequently, any modification or change in shape, dimensions, form, construction materials and fittings used, if they do not constitute a new inventive step and do not contribute to the technical development of the already known one, are considered to be included in the objectives and aspects of the present invention.