Patent Application
20250221398
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The disclosure relates to pest deterrent devices and more particularly pertains to a new pest deterrent device for deterring or preventing pests from entering a recreational vehicle or camper. Recreational vehicles, often referred to as RVs, and campers are popular mechanisms for people to enjoy traveling and the outdoors. At this time it should be noted that any reference to a “recreational vehicle,” “camper,” or “RV” in this application should be understood as referring to all such vehicles or mechanisms or structures. RVs and campers are mobile either by themselves or towed by a vehicle. Such towable RVs and campers usually only have wheels on one end while the other end has a connecting structure to connect to a vehicles, such as a pickup truck. When towable RVs and campers are moved to a desired location, they are usually disconnected from the towing vehicle. The connecting end unsupported by the wheels is usually supported by a jack or stand, which is generally in the form of an elongated rod or pole connected to a foot. RVs and campers that can be driven by themselves usually are parked on their wheels. However, when such RVs are stored for longer periods of time when not in use, multiple jacks or stands can be used to lift the RV off of the wheels in order to maintain the wheels in good condition and minimize wear and tear due to the weight of the RV.
Unfortunately, since the RVs are often stored in areas without human activity or contact for substantial periods of time, or are temporarily situated in outdoor areas, such as wooded or forested areas, with larger populations of animals, the risk of pest infestation is increased. Animals such as mice, rats, squirrels, and similar creatures can enter the RV and settle in. Obviously, such infestations are not only unpleasant to the owner, but also could lead to substantial damage, which can be quite expensive, especially for high value vehicles like RVs.
One point of entry is at the above-mentioned jacks, which can be used by pests, such as mice, rats, squirrels, or similar creatures as an access route into the RV. Such animals can climb up the jack and eventually find their way into the RV or camper through rough small cracks and crevices. It therefore would be beneficial to the RV owner to have a way to prevent or deter such creatures from climbing up the jack, especially when the RV is unsupervised for long periods of time or located in areas with larger animal populations.
The prior art relates to pest deterrent devices for different settings and uses, like ship moorings, bird feeders, and airplanes, but not for recreational vehicles or campers.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a collar structure designed to clamp around a jack shaft of a recreational vehicle or camper. The pest deterrent device is in the shape of a disk or plate with a passage therein designed to accommodate the jack shaft therein. The pest deterrent device could comprise plastic or metal or other hard material. The pest deterrent device could have a generally cylindrical shape and measure about three to five inches in diameter, though larger or smaller sizes are contemplated by this disclosure. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the pest deterrent device could have a cylindrical base portion and a tapered or conical upper portion or an upper portion with one or more shoulders, such that the diameter of the pest deterrent device decreases from about three to five inches at the base portion to about two inches at the peak of the upper portion. The passage for the jack shaft is shaped to match the outer shape and contour of the jack shaft to promote a close fit. The passage may be rectangular, square, or circular, depending on the shape of the jack shaft to be protected. The pest deterrent device, in accordance with at least one embodiment, comprises at least two sections, such as two halves, that are either completely separate from one another or connected at a pivot or hinge section to permit the sections to be moved apart from one another. When installing the pest deterrent device on a jack, the sections are moved or pivoted apart from one another to allow the user to place the pest deterrent device around the jack shaft. Once placed in the desired position on the jack shaft, the user closes the pest deterrent device by moving the sections together about the jack shaft with the jack shaft inside the passage. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the pest deterrent device comprises a locking arrangement to lock the sections of the pest deterrent device together and onto the jack shaft. When the user wishes to remove the pest deterrent device, the user can undo the locking arrangement and remove the pest deterrent device.
The user can leave the pest deterrent device in place for as long as desired to deter pests from climbing the jack shaft. The diameter of the pest deterrent device is sufficient that animals, as they climb up the jack shaft, will be prevented or deterred from climbing further as they will not be able to bypass or get around the pest deterrent device. In addition, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the pest deterrent device can be substantially hollow or open-ended in the form of a cup or bowl or cylinder. When installed, the open end faces toward the ground. With this design, pests can climb up the jack shaft into the interior of the pest deterrent device, but ultimately they run into a closed surface with no means of getting around the barrier. This design further minimizes the possibility of the animal climbing around the pest deterrent device. In addition, this hollow design allows the pest deterrent device to accommodate a pin or similar structure projecting out of the jack shaft. Such pins are used to lock the jack shaft, which is adjustable, at a desired height. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the base portion of the pest deterrent device is hollow but the upper portion is solid, such that the upper portion can rest or be supported on the pin. Alternatively, the passage could be shaped such that the friction fit between the inner walls of the passage and the jack shaft is sufficient to hold the pest deterrent device in place regardless of whether or not a pin is present.
In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the pest deterrent device can have smooth and/or rounded surfaces to further prevent animals from gripping and climbing on the pest deterrent device.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
As can be seen in
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With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
