Heat System For Killing Pests

What is this patent about?

’445 is related to the field of pest elimination , specifically targeting all life stages of bed bugs. Traditional pest control methods often involve discarding infested items, using potentially harmful pesticides, or employing energy-inefficient whole-room heat treatments that can damage property and create cold spots where pests can survive.

The underlying idea behind ’445 is to use a controlled heat treatment within a sealed, insulated enclosure to eradicate pests from infested articles without damaging the articles themselves. This involves gradually increasing the temperature inside the enclosure to a lethal level for pests, maintaining that temperature for a specific duration, and then slowly decreasing it.

The claims of ’445 focus on a pest treatment system comprising a flexible, insulated enclosure with a volume of at least 50 cubic feet, a heating system with at least two heaters and two temperature sensors, an internal fan, and an internal support structure. The claims also cover a method of treating an article by placing it inside this system, closing the enclosure, heating the interior to at least 115°F, and maintaining that temperature for a period of time.

In practice, the system works by placing the infested article inside the flexible enclosure, which is then sealed. The heating system, controlled by a programmable logic controller, gradually increases the temperature inside the enclosure at a controlled rate, such as 1°F every six minutes, until a target temperature of at least 115°F is reached. The temperature sensors monitor the air temperature inside the enclosure, and the controller adjusts the heaters to maintain the target temperature for a predetermined period, ensuring that all pests, including eggs, are eliminated.

This approach differs from prior methods by providing a more targeted and controlled heat treatment. The insulated enclosure minimizes heat loss and ensures uniform heating, while the gradual temperature increase and decrease prevent damage to sensitive articles like furniture. The internal support structure and fan further contribute to eliminating cold spots, ensuring that the entire article reaches the lethal temperature for pests, unlike whole-room treatments that may leave pockets of survivable temperatures.