Patent Application
20230066214
The present general inventive concept relates to adapter plates, and more particularly to hive-mounted adapter plates configured to protect hives from hot vapor treatments.
Beekeeping devices such as artificial beehives, bee boxes, and the like required treatment to kill varroa mites. The treatment is typically accomplished by using an external vaporizer to heat oxalic acid to a vapor and directing the acid vapor into the beekeeping device. The acid vapors kill the varroa mites.
Such beekeeping devices are typically made of wood or plastic. The wooden beekeeping devices are not adversely affected by the hot stem of the vaporizer output. However, plastic beekeeping devices will melt or singe.
Therefore, there is a need for enabling use of an oxalic acid vaporizer with plastic beekeeping devices.
Certain of the foregoing and related aspects are readily attained according to the present general inventive concept by providing a hive-mounted adapter plate configured to protect hives from hot vapor treatments.
In example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the invention provides a vaporizer adapter device for a beekeeping device. The adapter device includes an adapter body (e.g., a flat plate) having at least one hive engagement feature (e.g., side edges of the plate); at least one manipulation feature (e.g., a lip for gripping a front of the plate); and a recess for providing a reservoir (e.g., a space for the hot acid vapor to gather) below the hive, the reservoir being open to an interior of the hive, the recess including a port (e.g., a through hole) configured to accommodate a vaporizer output (e.g., a tube) of a vaporizer.
In example embodiments, the hive has lateral protrusions (e.g., ledges), and the hive engagement feature includes lateral edges that slidably engage with the protrusions. The protrusions extend inwardly (e.g., ledges extending inwardly from interior walls of the hive bottom), and the edges slide on the protrusions (e.g., the plate edges slide along the ledges to support the plate when installed). Further, the adapter body is planar, the edges extend non-parallel to the adapter body (e.g., bend downward relative to the body of the plate), and ends of the edges (e.g., downwardly extending ends of the edges) slide on the protrusions.
In example embodiments, the manipulation feature includes a lip that extends outwardly from the hive (e.g., is outside the hive) when the device is installed in the hive. The adapter body is planar and the lip extends non-parallel to the body (e.g., bends upwards and away from the body of the plate).
In example embodiments, the reservoir has a pyramid shape with a base of the pyramid shape being open to the interior of the hive. The pyramid shape is a triangular pyramid shape. The base of the triangular pyramid shape is an isosceles triangle. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto.
In example embodiments, the port includes a hole (e.g., a through hole) leading from an exterior surface of the recess to an interior surface of the recess.
In operation, the vaporizer adapter device is installed by engaging the hive engagement feature of the adapter body with the hive using the hive manipulating feature to install the vaporizer adapter device in the hive such that the reservoir is open to an interior of the hive. Then, a vaporizer output of a vaporizer is passed through the port and the vaporizer is operated to apply the treatment such that the hot acid vapors gather in the reservoir and pass into the interior of the hive, killing any varroa mites.
As an example operation, the vaporizer adapter device is installed by sliding the lateral edges of the adapter plate onto the lateral protrusions of the hive using the lip of the adapter plate to install the vaporizer adapter device in the hive at the hive bottom such that the reservoir is open from above to an interior of the hive. Then, a vaporizer output of a vaporizer is passed through the port and the vaporizer is operated to apply the treatment such that the hot acid vapors gather in the reservoir and then pass upwardly into the interior of the hive, killing any varroa mites.
In other example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the invention provides a beekeeping device that includes a hive body and a vaporizer adapter device of a type discussed above.
It should be understood that the vaporizer adapter device can be a separate device that is installed in the beekeeping device or otherwise cooperates with the hive, but can alternatively be in whole or in part integrated into the beekeeping device.
These and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
The present inventive concept will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept are illustrated. The inventive concept may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
In example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the invention provides a vaporizer adapter device for a beekeeping device. While the present general inventive concept can be used with any beekeeping device, typically beekeeping devices are artificial beehives, bee boxes, and the like.
Referring now to
Referring now also to
In example embodiments, the hive 100 has lateral protrusions 110A,110B (e.g., (e.g., ledges 110A,110B, best seen in
The protrusions 110A,110B extend inwardly (e.g., ledges 110A,110B extending inwardly from interior walls of the hive bottom), and the edges 220A,220B slide on the protrusions 110A,110B.
Further, the adapter body 210 is planar, the edges 220A,220B extend non-parallel to the adapter body 210 (e.g., bend downward relative to the body of the plate 210), and ends of the edges 220A,220B (e.g., downwardly extending ends of the edges 220A,220B) slide on the protrusions 110A,110B.
In example embodiments, the manipulation feature 230 includes a lip 230 that extends outwardly from the hive 100 (e.g., is outside the hive 100) when the device 200 is installed in the hive 100.
The adapter body 210 is planar and the lip 230 extends non-parallel to the body 210 (e.g., bends upwards and away from the body of the plate 210).
In example embodiments, the reservoir 250 has a pyramid shape with a base 252 of the pyramid shape being open to the interior of the hive 100.
The pyramid shape has a height of between 3 inches and 3.5 inches. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto.
The pyramid shape is a triangular pyramid shape.
Further, a base 252 of the triangular pyramid shape is an isosceles triangle.
Still further, the isosceles triangle has a height of 5 inches and a width of about 5.0625 inches. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto.
In example embodiments, the port 260 includes a hole 260 (e.g., a through hole 260) leading from an exterior surface of the recess 240 to an interior surface of the recess 240.
The hole has a diameter of between 0.15 inches and 0.45 inches. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto.
In other example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the invention provides a beekeeping device that includes a hive body and a vaporizer adapter device.
Referring again to
Referring again now to
In example embodiments, the hive body 100 has lateral protrusions 110A,110B (e.g., (e.g., ledges 110A,110B, best seen in
The protrusions 110A,110B extend inwardly (e.g., ledges 110A,110B extending inwardly from interior walls of the hive bottom), and the edges 220A,220B (e.g., downwardly extending ends of the edges 220A,220B) slide on the protrusions 110A,110B.
Further, the adapter body 210 is planar, the edges 220A,220B extend non-parallel to the adapter body 210 (e.g., bend downward relative to the body of the plate 210), and ends of the edges 220A,220B slide on the protrusions 110A,110B.
In example embodiments, the manipulation feature 230 includes a lip 230 that extends outwardly from the hive body 100 (e.g., is outside the hive 100) when the adapter device 200 is installed in the hive body 100.
The adapter body 210 is planar and the lip 230 extends non-parallel to the adapter body 210 (e.g., bends upwards and away from the body of the plate 210).
In example embodiments, the reservoir 250 has a pyramid shape with a base 252 of the pyramid shape being open to the interior of the hive body 100.
The pyramid shape has a height of between 3 inches and 3.5 inches.
The pyramid shape is a triangular pyramid shape.
Further, a base 252 of the triangular pyramid shape is an isosceles triangle.
Still further, the isosceles triangle has a height of 5 inches and a width of 5.0625.
In example embodiments, the port 260 includes a hole 260 (e.g., a through hole 260) leading from an exterior surface of the recess 240 to an interior surface of the recess 240.
The hole has a diameter of between 0.15 inches and 0.45 inches.
Example dimensions of certain aspects of the vaporizer adapter device 200 are illustrated and indicated on
In operation, the vaporizer adapter device is installed by engaging the hive engagement feature of the adapter body with the hive using the hive manipulating feature to install the vaporizer adapter device in the hive such that the reservoir is open to an interior of the hive. Then, a vaporizer output of a vaporizer is passed through the port and the vaporizer is operated to apply the treatment such that the hot acid vapors gather in the reservoir and pass into the interior of the hive, killing any varroa mites.
As an example operation, and referring now also to
While the present general inventive concept has been illustrated by description of several example embodiments, and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the general inventive concept to such descriptions and illustrations. Instead, the descriptions, drawings, and claims herein are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive, and additional embodiments will readily appear to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description and drawings. Additional modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.
