Patent Application
20230284599
The present general inventive concept relates to oxalic acid vaporizers for treating beehives, and more particularly to oxalic acid vaporizers having efficient delivery outputs for use with hive-mounted vaporizer adapter plates configured to protect beehives from hot vapor treatments.
Beekeeping devices such as artificial beehives, bee boxes, and the like require 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.
In addition, a more uniform distribution of oxalic vapor within such beekeeping devices provides a more effective and thorough treatment to eradicate varroa mites. Therefore, there is also a need for enabling an oxalic acid vaporizer to efficiently direct hot vapor into an interior of a beekeeping device.
Certain of the foregoing and related aspects are readily attained according to the present general inventive concept by providing an oxalic acid vaporizer having an efficient delivery output for use with a hive-mounted vaporizer adapter device configured to protect beehives from hot vapor treatments.
In example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the invention provides an efficient delivery output, for an oxalic acid vaporizer, for use with a hive-mounted vaporizer adapter device to more uniformly distribute hot vapor into an interior of a beekeeping device. An example of a vaporizer adapter device for a beekeeping device with which the present inventive efficient delivery output can be used 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. Embodiments of the present inventive efficient delivery output that are accommodated by the example vaporizer adapter device will be described in detail below.
In the example vaporizer adapter device, a hive with which the vaporizer adapter device can be used 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., the ledges extend 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 the example vaporizer adapter device, 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 the example vaporizer adapter device, 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 reservoir can be any suitable shape.
In the example vaporizer adapter device, 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. It is with this port that preferred embodiments of the present inventive efficient delivery output preferably engage when accommodated by the example vaporizer adapter device, as will be described in detail below.
In operation, the example 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. With regard to the present inventive efficient delivery output, preferred embodiments of the output can be passed through the port and accordingly when the vaporizer is operated as described, the hot acid vapors are more uniformly distributed, as will be described in detail below.
In an example operation, the example 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. With regard to the present inventive efficient delivery output, preferred embodiments of the output can be passed through the port and accordingly when the vaporizer is operated as described, the hot acid vapors are more uniformly distributed, as will be described in detail below.
In other example embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the invention provides an oxalic acid vaporizer that includes an efficient delivery output of a type discussed above, for use with such an example hive-mounted vaporizer adapter device, to more uniformly distribute hot vapor into an interior of a beekeeping device.
It should be understood that the efficient delivery output of the present invention can be a separate device that is attached to or otherwise cooperates with an oxalic acid vaporizer, but can alternatively be in whole or in part integrated into an oxalic acid vaporizer or other vaporizers.
It should be understood that the example vaporizer adapter device can be a separate device that is installed in a beekeeping device or otherwise cooperates with a beekeeping hive, but can alternatively be in whole or in part integrated into a beekeeping device or beekeeping hive.
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 an efficient delivery output, for an oxalic acid vaporizer, for use with a hive-mounted vaporizer adapter device to more uniformly distribute hot vapor into an interior of a beekeeping device.
While the present general inventive concept can be used with the example hive-mounted vaporizer adapter device described herein, it should be understood that the present general inventive concept can be used with any hive-mounted vaporizer adapter device having a suitably configured vaporizer output port, or any beekeeping device having an integrated suitably configured vaporizer output port.
While the present general inventive concept can be used with any beekeeping device having a cooperating vaporizer output port (whether directly integrated with the beekeeping device or by way of a separately mounted hive-mounted vaporizer adapter device for the beekeeping device), typically beekeeping devices are artificial beehives, bee boxes, and the like.
Preferred embodiments of the efficient delivery output of the present invention will now be described with reference to the aforementioned example vaporizer adapter device.
Referring now to
Referring now also to
Referring now also to
The vaporizer 300 further includes, extending from the oxalic acid reservoir 340, an efficient delivery output of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
In preferred embodiments, the efficient delivery output includes an output body with a proximal end and a distal end and an oxalic acid vapor passageway extending therebetween. Preferably, the proximal end is configured to direct and concentrate oxalic acid vapors received from an oxalic acid reservoir. Preferably, the distal end is configured to deliver the concentrated oxalic acid vapors to a central area of a beekeeping device, such as, for example, a central area of a reservoir of an adapter body of a vaporizer adapter plate.
An example of a preferred embodiment of the efficient delivery output of the present invention is illustrated in
The proximal end 354 has a conical shape with a large diameter, at an opening that receives oxalic acid vapors from the oxalic acid reservoir 340, that tapers to a small diameter. The large diameter is preferably approximately 1 inch wide. The small diameter is preferably smaller than a diameter of the port 260 of the vaporizer adapter device 200. Accordingly, the proximal end 354 is configured to direct and concentrate oxalic acid vapors received from the oxalic acid reservoir 340.
The distal end 356 has a tubular shape with a preferably consistent diameter that is preferably equal to the small diameter, and has a length that is dimensioned to extend through the port 260 of the vaporizer adapter device 200 and into a central area of the reservoir 250 of the vaporizer adapter device 200.
Accordingly, the distal end 356 is configured to deliver the concentrated oxalic acid vapors to a central area of the beekeeping device 100, such as, for example, a central area of the reservoir 250 of the adapter body 210 of the vaporizer adapter device 200.
The illustrated 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.
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).
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.
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.
It should be understood that the efficient delivery output of the present invention can be used with reservoirs of other shapes and dimensions.
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.
It should be understood that the efficient delivery output of the present invention can be used with ports of other shapes and dimensions.
In other example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, the invention provides an oxalic acid vaporizer that includes an efficient delivery output.
Referring again to
The vaporizer 300 includes a vaporizer body 310 including circuitry (not visible, inside the body 310), controls 320, a heating element 330, and an oxalic acid reservoir 340.
The vaporizer 300 further includes, extending from the oxalic acid reservoir 340, an efficient delivery output.
In preferred embodiments of the vaporizer, the efficient delivery output includes an output body with a proximal end and a distal end and an oxalic acid vapor passageway extending therebetween. Preferably, the proximal end is configured to direct and concentrate oxalic acid vapors received from an oxalic acid reservoir. Preferably, the distal end is configured to deliver the concentrated oxalic acid vapors to a central area of a beekeeping device, such as, for example, a central area of a reservoir of an adapter body of a vaporizer adapter plate.
In the illustrated vaporizer, the efficient delivery output (e.g., nozzle 350) has an output body (e.g., nozzle body 352) with a proximal end (e.g., proximal end 354) and a distal end (e.g., distal end 356) and an oxalic acid vapor passageway (e.g., conduit 358) extending therebetween.
The proximal end 354 has a conical shape with a large diameter, at an opening that receives oxalic acid vapors from the oxalic acid reservoir 340, that tapers to a small diameter. The large diameter is preferably approximately 1 inch wide. The small diameter is preferably smaller than a diameter of the port 260 of the vaporizer adapter device 200. Accordingly, the proximal end 354 is configured to direct and concentrate oxalic acid vapors received from the oxalic acid reservoir 340.
The distal end 356 has a tubular shape with a preferably consistent diameter that is preferably equal to the small diameter, and has a length that is dimensioned to extend through the port 260 of the vaporizer adapter device 200 and into a central area of the reservoir 250 of the vaporizer adapter device 200.
Accordingly, the distal end 356 is configured to deliver the concentrated oxalic acid vapors to a central area of the beekeeping device 100, such as, for example, a central area of the reservoir 250 of the adapter body 210 of the vaporizer adapter device 200.
Operation of the vaporizer with the efficient delivery output in use with a beekeeping device having a vaporizer adapter plate will now be described.
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, the efficient delivery output of the vaporizer is passed through the port and the vaporizer is operated to apply the treatment such that the hot acid vapors are, due to the configuration of the efficient delivery output, concentrated and delivered to a central area of the reservoir and accordingly 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.
