Patent Application
20150143612
The invention relates generally to devices for repelling insects which can be worn.
Flying insects such as mosquitoes and black flies often make outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, hunting, gardening, surveying or fishing difficult to bear. The constant buzzing and biting of these flying insects is both annoying and distracting and, where there is the threat of west nile virus, it can also be a health hazard. In order to lessen the problem posed by mosquitoes and black flies, various products have been introduced. One such product is DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) which is an oily liquid which can be applied directly to the skin. The deet, when applied evenly to the user's skin, is actually quite effective in preventing mosquitoes and black flies from biting; however, any patch of skin which is not covered by deet will be exposed and prone to being bitten. Unfortunately, deet can be very irritating for some people, particularly if it gets in the eyes. Furthermore, deet feels slippery and oily when applied to the skin and has an unpleasant odor. As a result, people are reluctant to use deet, particularly on the face and head.
Wearable mosquito repelling devices have been introduced into the market. Fabric screen netting has been used for decades to separate individuals from biting flying insects. In order to protect the face and neck, special hats have been made which incorporate fabric screens. However, hats with fabric screen insect guards are often uncomfortable to wear and also interfere with the wearer's vision. Recently, clip on chemical insect repellent devices have been introduced. These devices generally consist of a wearable container which releases an aerosol product (such as citronella) which helps to repel mosquitoes and black flies. These insect repelling devices are very convenient to use, requiring only that the device be activated and then attached to an article of clothing. While these devices can be partially effective for a short period of time under ideal conditions, in real world applications the aerosol repellents tend to drift away and the device loses its effectiveness. Furthermore, the insect repellent in these clip on devices has to be replenished every four hours, making them expensive to operate. Also, clip on chemical based insect repellents are generally not suitable for use by small children. Therefore, what is required is a device which is both convenient to use, but yet effective against flying insects.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for repelling flying insects when worn on a user's head. The device consists of a hat having a crown and a brim, the brim having a front portion a back portion, and opposite left and right side portions, the brim having a circumscribing peripheral edge. Left and right electric fans are positioned on the left and right portions of the brim adjacent the peripheral edge. Front and back electric fans are positioned on the front and back portions of the brim adjacent the peripheral edge. The left, right, front and back electric fans are each configured to blow air downwardly away from the crown at a rate of at least 10 cfm. The left, right, front and back electric fans are positioned 90° from each other on the brim. The device further includes a control unit mounted in the hat and operatively coupled to the left, right, front and back electric fans for driving the fans, the control unit having at least one storage battery. Finally, the device includes a switch coupled to the control unit for turning the fans on and off.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
Referring to
Referring now to
Electric fans 30, 32, 34 and 36 comprise high powered electric fans capable of blowing air in a downward orientation towards the wearer. The electric fans used for CPU cooling in desktop computers are quite suitable for use in the present application. The fans must be capable of blowing air at a rate of at least 10 cfm, which has been discovered to be the minimum required for repelling insects. Fans 32 and 34 positioned above the user's ears, and when the fans are activated, air is forced down over the side's of the user's head and ears. If the air is blowing from fans 32 and 34 at a rate of 10 cfm, then mosquitoes and black flies will literally be blown away from the left and right sides of the wearer's head. Likewise, when fans 30 and 36 are activated, the air blowing over the face and neck regions of the head prevent mosquitoes and black flies from biting the wearer on the face and neck.
It has been discovered that fans configured to blow at a rate of at least 10 cfm provide very effective protection against biting insects such as mosquitoes and black flies. At a continuous rate of 10 cfm, the fans produce a constant downward stream of air protecting the wearer's entire head. However, rates of greater than 15 cfm do not provide any additional protection. While it is true that the constant downward stream of air can be maintained with higher flow rates, it has been discovered that there is no greater protection offered when the fans blow at a rate exceeding 15 cfm. The disruption of the downward air stream from the fans can result from cross winds or rapid forward movement (as in jogging or running); however, it has been discovered that the effects of wind (either natural or induced from rapid forward movement) also acts to drive mosquitoes and black flies away. As a result, there is little practical benefit in driving the fans at greater than about 15 cfm. Therefore, motor controller 42 is preferably configured to keep the fans spinning at a rate sufficient to keep the airflow from each fan in the range of between 10 to 15 cfm. This ensure adequate protection while preserving battery life.
Crown 14 and brim 12 are preferably treated to be water proof or at least water resistant. Brim 12 is preferably made of a relatively stiff yet pliable material such as reinforced canvas or nylon. Preferably, the brim is made sufficiently pliable and stiff so that it can be bent into a desired angle and hold that angle indefinitely until forced into another angle. This allows the user to bend the brim of the hat into a configuration which best suits the wearer and positions the fans as required. This allows the hat to be worn so that the orientation of the fans can be finely tuned to direct their respective air flows for maximum protection of the head. A canvas covered plastic foam core material is particularly well suited.
The invention has several advantages over the prior art. Firstly, the device provides effective insect protection without the need for deet or other chemicals. Since deet is no longer required, the device is ideal for use by children or other people who are sensitive to deet. Since the device does not use nets or veils, the device is more comfortable to wear and does not interfere with the wearer's vision. Since the device is worn as a hat, the wearer can still easily access the face and neck without the need for removing a veil or net, making it easier to eat and drink while wearing the device.
A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however, several variations of the disclosed embodiment could be envisioned as within the scope of this invention. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims
