Insect bait stakes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10342227-B2
Application number	US-201514873542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2015
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

An ant bait stake is provided having two components including an outer housing and an inner bait pack or reservoir that is separate from the outer housing. The outer housing includes a bait pack compartment for receiving the bait pack, and a ground engaging member such as a stake. A break-away tab including a neck portion with a bait access channel therein extends outwardly of the housing, the tab being removable by the consumer without any tools or other devices to open the bait access channel when the ant bait stake is ready for use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insect bait stake comprising a housing and a sealed inner bait pack that is separate from the housing, said housing including a bait pack compartment for receiving the bait pack which contains a quantity of liquid bait, and a ground engaging member that is integral with and extends below the bait pack compartment, said ground engaging member being configured to be pushed into the ground, said bait pack including at least one neck portion having a break-away tab that extends outwardly of the housing, the tab sealing an access channel therein that is opened when the tab is broken away to allow insects to enter the bait pack through the opened access channel and move toward the liquid bait, the tab being located above a level of the quantity of liquid bait contained in the bait pack and being removable by the consumer without any tools or other devices when the insect bait stake is ready for use and, when the bait stake is in use, the quantity of liquid bait remaining in the bait pack, where said quantity of liquid bait is accessed by insects that have entered the bait pack through the opened access channel.

2. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the housing and bait pack have a generally horizontal orientation generally parallel with ground surface when the ground engaging member has been pushed into the ground and said housing, bait pack and access channel being adjacent the ground surface.

3. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a base member and a cover member that is removable and reattachable to the base member with a snap fit, the bait pack being positioned between the cover member and the base member when the bait stake is assembled for use.

4. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bait pack includes a dome-shaped protrusion on an outer surface thereof, said protrusion forming a recess inside the bait pack to increase a bait holding capacity of the bait pack.

5. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said bait pack is slideably inserted into the bait pack compartment through an open side or an open top of said housing.

6. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the housing includes a back wall, a bottom wall, two side walls and a partial front wall to define the bait pack compartment, said housing having an open top through which the bait pack is inserted into the bait pack compartment, said bait pack being secured within the housing with a friction fit.

7. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said partial front wall is formed by a flange extending inwardly from each of said side walls, said flanges being generally parallel with said back wall.

8. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said partial front wall is generally parallel with said back wall and has a cutout therein to display a side view of the bait pack.

9. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said housing includes four pieces forming a frame with an open center, said frame creating a recess in a rear side thereof, said bait pack being slideably inserted into said recess and held in the frame by a friction fit between outer edges of the bait pack and adjacent inner surfaces of the frame recess.

10. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 9 , wherein said bait pack is removable and replaceable with the housing being reused.

11. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said bait pack is removable and replaceable with the housing being reused.

12. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said bait pack has two break-away tabs with access channels on opposing sides of the bait pack and adjacent an upper edge thereof.

13. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a generally convex upper surface and a generally concave lower surface to form a shell-like housing, said bait pack being coupled to said concave lower surface, said ground engaging member including at least one ground engaging side wall that extends downwardly from an edge of said shell-like housing, said bait pack with said access channel and said housing lower surface being adjacent to ground surface when the side wall is pushed into the ground.

14. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the shell-like housing has two ground engaging side walls on opposing sides of said housing.

15. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 13 , wherein at least one of the ground engaging side walls has a plurality of downwardly directed prongs.

16. An insect bait stake comprising a housing and a sealed inner bait pack that is separate from the housing, said housing including a bait pack compartment for receiving the bait pack and a ground engaging member that extends below the bait pack compartment, said housing being configured as a substantially hollow capsule having a generally cylindrical upper portion with an open top and a conical lower portion with a pointed tip forming the ground engaging member, said bait pack being received within said housing through said open top, said bait pack including at least one break-away tab that seals an access channel therein that is opened when the tab is broken away to allow insects to enter the bait pack through the opened access channel, the tab being removable by the consumer without any tools or other devices when the insect bait stake is ready for use, said conical lower portion of the housing having opposing slits formed therein, lower corners of a lower end of said bait pack projecting through said slits when the bait pack is mounted in the housing.

17. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 16 , wherein said slits extend in a generally vertical orientation from an upper end near the cylindrical upper portion of the housing to a lower end that is spaced above the pointed tip.

18. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 17 , wherein said conical portion along with the bait pack lower end fitted therein is underground when the ground engaging lower conical portion is pushed into the ground.

19. The insect bait stake as set forth in claim 16 , wherein said bait pack is removable and replaceable with the housing being reused.

Assignees

• Woodstream Corp

Inventors

• King Andrew
• Fiore Joseph Frank

Classifications

• A01M1/103

  for crawling insects · CPC title

• A01M1/00

  Stationary means for catching or killing insects · CPC title

• A01M1/2011 Primary

  for crawling insects · CPC title

• A01M1/02

  with devices {or substances, e.g. food, pheronones} attracting the insects · CPC title