The present invention relates to a method of chasing rats and mice from de- fined areas as well as gates and/or doorways in a buildings wall.

The invention further relates to a device for use in the practice of the method according to the invention

For a number of years it has been a problem to keep rats and mice away from rooms where food and the like are attracted to said rodents. The problem is in particular pronounced when gates and doors to said rooms are open for periods during loading and unloading of goods, and especially during those times of day when natural daylight is dim, or does not occur (at night). However, the entry of rats and mice through said open gates and doors also occurs during periods of full daylight.

Said rats and mice are typically combated with chemicals and poison laid by trained personnel in locked boxes, to which rats and mice can access the poison through openings, but where birds of prey and other animals cannot access. How- ever, the use of poisons and chemicals in the control of rats and mice has been found to have an adverse effect on the surrounding environment, as has also been shown to build up some resistance in rats and mice against said toxins and chemi- cals, which has resulted in development of new toxins that are more powerful and possibly therefore also more harmful to the surrounding environment.

For the control of rats and mice, ultrasonic devices comprising an electric to- ne generator which generates high frequency sounds which rats and mice do not like are used, be it also in the frequency range which comprises the rodents' anxie- ty or warning cries. Such scare units are known to scare away stone marten, ro- dents and birds.

From JP 2011223926 A (SHIMITZU CONSTRUCTION CO LTD) is known a device and method for hunting insects and mosquitoes from defined areas. The device comprise a fan unit which generates an air flow which is passed through pipes to a dispenser with an opening and distributor. The fan is placed under the floor in a passage with an entrance, a door and walls. When using the device, the fan unit may be connected to a controller so that the fan is activated when the door is opened. Thereafter, an air flow will spread in the outer area away from the door opening as well as along the walls.

The increasing demands on food hygiene have meant that the presence of mice and rats in relation to storage rooms in general, and in particular storage rooms belonging to stores and sub-markets, in particular shops and supermarkets selling food, may cause a temporary closure of the supermarket / warehouse con- cerned until authorities have verified that the rodents are displaced. The closing of said supermarket/ warehouse of course results in financial losses for the owners, and inconvenience to customers, who must find alternative points of purchase dur- ing the closing period, with the risk of customers moving their trade permanently to the alternative point of purchase.

From JP 2011223926 A (SHIMITZU CONSTRUCTION CO LTD), a device and method for hunting crawling insects from defined areas are known. The device comprises a fan unit which generates an air flow which is passed through pipes to a dispenser with an opening and distributor. The fan is placed under floor in a pas- sage with an entrance, e.g. a door-like doorway with parallel walls on each side, oriented perpendicular to the doorway. When using the device, the fan unit may be connected to a controller so that the fan is activated when the door is opened. Thereafter, an air flow will spread in the outer area away from the door opening as well as along the parallel extending walls perpendicular to the door opening.

Despite the intensive use of the above-mentioned known methods of comba- ting the spread of rats and mice, as well as chasing rodents, it cannot be avoided, in particular, in rats and mice, to enter the said storage room. Rats and mice are shy, and most often operate in shelters of darkness or at night, where their beha- vior is not noticed by humans.

The problem is, however, that said storage spaces are usually provided with gates which are opened so that the goods to be delivered to the warehouse can be unloaded on pallets or pallet trucks etc. from a truck or semi-trailer. Since the goods are also usually delivered in the evening and at night, in order to keep them as fresh as possible and to be ready on the shelves the next day, open gate- to said warehouses will often occur for shorter or longer periods. This often means that in shelters of darkness, rats and mice can sneak unnoticed along the outer walls of said warehouses, and through open doorways and doorways, enter and stay in the warehouse, which is partly warmer than outside, and where feed often is available in copious quantities.

It is thus the object of the invention to provide a method of chasing rats and mice from defined areas, as well as gate- and / or doorways, preferably to rooms where food and the like attracting rats and mice are stored, without the use of chemicals or toxins, and a device for carrying out the method.

By the invention it is realized that this object can be achieved by a method of chasing rats and mice from defined areas, as well as gate- and / or door openings in a building wall, which is characterized in, that air flow at a unit is generated when and gate- and / or doorways are opened, said flow of air via piping is lead to nozzles in dispensers arranged at or near terrain level, which spread the airflow away from the areas, or away from the gate- and / or doorways, along the wall near said openings, and the area in front said openings in the direction away from the openings. The invention thus exploits the phenomenon that rats and mice do not like to be blown in the head with an air stream. The same goes for dogs or cats. An example of this is, if you breathe a dog or cat in the head, then the animal in question will seek to escape the airflow. In connection with the invention, a power- ful air flow is generated at the unit, which is supplied via piping with a dispenser whose nozzles / openings disperse the supplied air flow at the level where the ro- dents are (at the terrain surface), and away from the surface or the gate- and / or doorway from which rats and mice are wanted to be chased away.

The difference between the method and apparatus disclosed in JP

2011223926 A (SHIMITZU CONSTRUCTION CO LTD) to hunt crawling insects and mosquitoes away from defined areas is that the fan unit located below the floor level is connected to an air intake connected with a first slot located across a sluice-like opening to the target area of the insects, and a vent opening connected to a second transverse slot located across the outside of said opening, where the exhaust air will blow creeping insects away from the opening, the parallel-running walls oriented transversely to the second transverse slot at each side of the aper- ture so that insects that pass the blown out airflow, for example by crawling over the second transverse slot by crawling on the wall of the sluice, will be sucked down into the first column. This solution requires the establishment of a really slui- ce-like opening between the outside and the target area of the insects. Further, a relatively powerful fan arrangement is required to be able to suck crawling insects that may have overcome the blown air through the second transverse gap and found further towards the target area of the insects. Furthermore, this solution has the weakness that the creeping insects can crawl on the walls of the sluice and thereby pass respectively the second slot-shaped opening and the first slot- shaped opening, thus penetrating the target area.

Flowever, rats and mice do not have the ability to crawl past the nozzles by crawling on a vertical wall, which is why the method of the invention is extremely effective in chasing rats and mice from door and door openings, and further does not require the establishment of an actual sluice-shaped opening between the ex- terior and interior side of the door or door opening, as is the case in the method disclosed in JP 2011223926 A.

By the invention, an air stream is emitted near terrain, or in terrain, at the sides of a door- or gateway, or across such an opening in terrain where rats and mice move, which is sufficient to reverse them and make them disappear. This means, that the fan unit does not need to be as powerful as to generate an air pressure sufficient to cover an entire gateway with sufficient fan air to blow away crawling insects and suck in the same if they have passed the gap with blowing air. Further the method according to the invention does not require the presence of an actual sluice-like passage as provided in JP 2011223926 A

There is no mention in JP 2011223926 A (SHIMITZU CONSTRUCTION CO LTD) that the method and device are intended to be used to chase rats or mice. That is, there is a clearly defined difference between the purpose of the method and apparatus of JP 2011223926 A (SHIMITZU CON-STRUCTION CO LTD) and the present invention.

Furthermore, the method can be further improved by the tubes and / or dis- pensers being arranged such that ultrasound, located in the frequency range 20- 30 kHz is generated at the passing air flow.

Since an ultrasound the frequency of which is located in the frequency range of 20-30 KHz is precisely located within the rat and mouse anxiety warning screams, then rats and mice will seek away from, for example, an area or a gate and / or a doorway where the air flow occurs which in advance is bothersome to the rodent.

A device for carrying out the method according to the invention comprises a blower unit for generating an air flow, pipes arranged to receive the air flow, at least one dispenser with a dispenser openings, where the dispenser is connected to the piping, characterized in, that the dispensers are arranged at the sides of a gate- and / or door opening, which dispensers are arranged to distribute and dis- perse the supplied air flow in a flat fan at least 180° in front and parallel to the wall of the gate- and / or door opening, as well as the area in front of the gate- and / or doorway.

Hereby is achieved a strong airflow oriented away from an area or a gate- and / or doorway along the terrain level, and along with the wall adjacent to the gate and / or doorway, causing rats and mice trying to penetrate into the building through said openings, instinctively and per. reflex reverses and abandons the attempt to penetrate the area or room located behind the gate and / or the door.

By placing at least one dispenser unit at each side of a gate- and / or door- way, a strong air flow is generated in parallel with the terrain surface that chases rats and mice away.

The dispensers may be arranged at or approximately at terrain level around a given area, for example, at the sides of a gate- and / or door opening, where the dispensers orient the supplied airflow away from the area or gate- and / or door opening.

The blower unit may be in operation constant or time-controlled so that it is in operation for certain periods of time during which the areas, gate- and / or door openings are experientially open, but this will partly be inappropriate from an envi- ronmental and energy point of view and also with the risk of rats and mice getting used to the unpleasant airflow.

With the intent optimize the operation of the device according to the inven- tion, the blower unit may be connected to a control unit connected to at least one detection unit, where the blower unit is activated / deactivated by the control unit according to the nature of the received signal from the detection unit (s). Hereby it is obtained that the operation of the device is controlled by prese- lected appropriate parameters. This could be, for example, a door- / gate detection unit that sends a signal to the control unit to start the fan when a relevant gate / door to a room is opened, and which control unit is arranged to stop the operation of the fan, after the a period after received signal from the detection unit that the relevant gate / door is closed.

It should be noted that, the device for carrying out the method according to the invention, in a particular embodiment may comprise that the air nozzles / dis- pensers at the sides of the gate- and / or door opening are provided with a sepa- rate fan unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, this may comprise an ultrasonic flute which generates tones within the frequency range 20- 30 KHz by means of the air flow generated from the blower unit.

Hereby is achieved that an ultrasound being generated within the frequency range in which the rodent's anxiety and warning screams are located. This will en- hance the effect of the device, since the sound can be perceived by the rodents even before they may be affected by the strong air flow from the dispensers. Thus, a double effect is obtained, the first action to remove the rodents is the ultrasound, and if the rodents become accustomed to it, the emitted strong air flow through the dispensers which will cause the rodents to turn around and escape.

In a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, it may corn- prise a fragrance dispensing unit which dispenses fragrances in the generated air stream which disables the rodents.

Since odors of predators and other natural enemies of the rodents will make them escape the dispensing for example, the scent of predators such as marts, mink, cat and other predators in whose food the rodents are included will have an enhancing effect of the device, as a rodent usually does not seek out its enemies.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, wherein; FIG. 1 shows a gate opening comprising a first embodiment of a device for carrying out the method according to the invention, wherein the dispenser units are arranged at the sides of the gate opening,

FIG. 2 is a detail side view of a dispenser unit belonging to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the device according to the invention,

FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the inside of the dispenser unit.

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a gate opening 2 comprising a first embodiment of a device 4 for practicing the method of chasing rats and mice ac- cording to the invention.

The device 4 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a fan unit 12 which is connected via the pipes 14, 16, 18 to the dispenser units 6 which are arranged near the sides of the gate opening 28, 30.

As can be seen, the device in this embodiment comprises a fan unit 12 con- nected via pipes 14, 16, 18 to dispensers 6 at the free ends of the pipes 16, 18. Dispensers 6 are provided with dispenser openings 22 (see Fig. 2) for discharging a plurality of air streams 24 illustrated with arrows 24 in the direction away from and parallel to the wall 26 in which the port opening 2 is located, and out into the area 32 in front of the gate opening 2.

The device shown in FIG. 1 is suitable for establishment in connection with new construction of warehouses and premises but of course also apply to existing buildings.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of a dispenser unit 6 of the second embodiment of the device 4 according to the invention. The dispensing unit 6 is connected to the pipe 16, 18 for supplying air from the fan unit 12, via the pipe 14. The dispensing unit 6 comprises a housing 34 in which there is an upwardly direc- ted curved surface 36 directed against the pipe 16, 18 which serves to guide the supplied air flow from the blower unit 12 in the direction of slit-shaped dispenser openings 22 between a bottom plate 38 of the dispenser 6 and the housing 34. The curved surface 36 serves to counteract pressure loss and turbulence in the dispenser 6. The bottom plate 38 is typically disposed on the terrain surface 10 outside the port opening 2, but may also be located approximately at terrain level. As indicated in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the dispenser unit 6 comprises a flute unit 40 which generates tones within the 20-30 KHz frequency range, the fre- quency range of the rodent's anxiety and warning screams. The tone is generated immediately after some air flow through the dispenser is generated by the fan unit 12. It should be noted that the flute unit 40 does not occur in all embodiments of the dispenser unit 6 of the invention.

FIG. 3 which is a top view of the dispenser unit 6 shown in FIG. 3 show how the dispenser 6 is arranged with the curved surface 36 extending substantially over half of the base area of the housing 34, and spaced triangular distributing bodies 42, whose tip ends 44 are oriented towards the center of the dispenser 6. The distributing bodies 42 ensures an approximately uniform distribution through the dispenser openings 22 of the air supplied from the blower unit 12.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the inner portion of the dispenser 6 shown in FIG. 3, wherein the housing 34 is not shown. As it appears, the distributor bodies 42 corn- prise recesses 46 intended for supporting the housing 34.

Without waiving the right to other possible modes of operation of the device 4 of the invention to chase away rats and mice from defined areas, for example, gate- and / or door openings 2 in a building wall 26, the following way of operation may be referred to, referring to an example wherein includes a gateway. But the opening may also consist of a doorway or other opening, or an area that is desired to be held free of passage of rats and mice.

The gate (not shown) in the gate opening 2 is opened by activating a push button (assuming actuator driven gate opening systems) the gate controller sends signal to the controller for the fan unit 12 which initiates the fan unit, thereby gen- erating a strong air flow via the pipe system 14, 16, 18 via the dispensers 6, via dispensing openings 22, is distributed in partial air streams 24 in a direction away from the gate opening 2 and also parallel to the wall 26 in which the gate opening 2 is located. Depending on the embodiment of the dispenser 6, the sub-air streams 24 are distributed in flat fan-shaped flow profiles of at least 180°, which fan-shaped flow profiles extend at least 180° away from and parallel to the wall 26 and the gate opening 2, and out in front of the gate opening, as shown in FIG. 1. Supplying the airflow from the fan unit 12, the flute unit 40 (cf. Fig. 2) is also acti- vated, thereby also emitting an ultrasound within the frequency range 20-30 KHz, which is the frequency range of the rodent's anxiety and warning screams. In particular cases, the device 4 according to the invention may be equipped with a not shown odor dispenser, which emits odors of predators and natural ene- mies of rats and mice that are desired to be chased away.

The inventors have recognized that the device can take many other embodi- ments than those shown in the drawing and described above, for example, the air flow could be generated by a compressor, and the device of the dispensers could take other designs adapted to current operating conditions, but this does not change the inventive aspect of exploiting rats and mice instinctive fear of blowing air, by emitting a strong airflow in and around an area, or a gate- and / or doorway, and also utilizing the airflow to generate a scary sound, to prevent rats and mice from passing, as rats and mice will instinctively reverse as they sense the air streams emitted through the dispenser openings of the device of the invention. In this way it is also achieved that rats and mice are chased away without the use of poisons which are detrimental to the surrounding environment.