IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0040386
(2005-01-19)
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등록번호 |
US-7549391
(2009-07-01)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
- The Bug Company of Minnesota
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
3 인용 특허 :
39 |
초록
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A live insect habitat that also serves as a retail receptacle for point of sale display of the insects. In particular, the invention comprises a cricket habitat and point of sale display receptacle for the sale of live crickets primarily for fishing bait and pet food purposes. The habitat/receptacle
A live insect habitat that also serves as a retail receptacle for point of sale display of the insects. In particular, the invention comprises a cricket habitat and point of sale display receptacle for the sale of live crickets primarily for fishing bait and pet food purposes. The habitat/receptacle includes a housing having side walls with a sight window formed therein for purposes of permitting viewing of the inside of the housing and insect habitat from the outside. A habitat insert is located inside the housing and includes a multiple-sided member that partitions the interior space of the housing into discrete subspaces connected by passages giving the crickets ample room in which to crawl about. The housing and the habitat insert can be made of a moisture absorbent material in order to reduce the moisture content of the cricket environment. An item of cricket food is located in the housing whereby the retail habitat/receptacle has a prolonged shelf life while maintaining healthy live crickets.
대표청구항
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The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1. An insect habitat and point of sale package comprising: a rectangular housing made of paperboard material and having side walls that define an interior habitat space for insects; a sep
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1. An insect habitat and point of sale package comprising: a rectangular housing made of paperboard material and having side walls that define an interior habitat space for insects; a separate habitat insert disposed inside the habitat space of the housing; said insert comprised as a multisided structure formed in an egg carton shape having convoluted surfaces partitioning the habitat space into discrete subspaces to accommodate insects residing in the habitat space; said housing including a top wall and a front wall adjacent the top wall; a window in the housing, said window comprised of an opening cut out of the top wall and the front wall of the housing and a transparent material covering the opening; and an item of insect food located in the habitat space. 2. The insect habitat of claim 1 wherein: said habitat insert is formed of a moisture absorbent material. 3. The insect habitat of claim 1 wherein: said box has a top wall, bottom wall, and front and back walls, and at least one closeable open end; closure means for closing the open end of the box including opposable end flaps, each of a size to cover the end opening, and top and bottom flaps foldable over the end flaps in covering relationship to the end opening, and means to secure the top and bottom flaps in place folded over the end flap. 4. The insect habitat of claim 1 wherein: said habitat insert fits loosely in the housing permitting insects to move from one surface to another. 5. An insect habitat and point of sale package comprising: a rectangular box-like housing having connected top and bottom walls and front and back walls and end closures defining an interior space for a habitat space for live crickets; a habitat insert located in the interior space of the housing and formed of a two sided sheet material having moisture absorbing characteristics; said sheet material having a convoluted surface forming a plurality of peaks and valleys partitioning the habitat space into discrete subspaces accessib1e to crickets in the housing; a sight opening in at least one wall of the housing; a transparent material covering the sight opening so that crickets inside of the housing can be seen from outside of the housing; a piece of insect food located inside the housing; closure means for end openings comprised as end flaps foldable over the end openings, and top and bottom flaps foldable over the end flaps. 6. The insect habitat of claim 5 wherein: said window in housing comprises a sight opening located in the top wall of the housing and a sight opening located in the front wall of the housing joining the sight opening in the top wall of the housing, and said transparent material covering the sight opening in the top wall of the housing and the sight opening in the front wall of the housing. 7. The insect habitat of claim 6 wherein: said habitat insert formed of an egg carton type structure. 8. The insect habitat of claim 5 wherein: said box is made of cardboard. 9. The insect habitat of claim 8 wherein the interior habitat space is configured to house a plurality of insects. 10. An insect habitat and point of sale package comprising: a housing having opaque walls that define an interior habitat space for insects; a window in a wall of the housing, said window comprised of an opening cut out of a wall of the housing and a transparent material covering the opening; a habitat disposably inserted in the habitat space of the housing, said insert comprised as a multisided structure partitioning the habitat space into subspaces with passages between subspaces, with at least one subspace shielded from direct light from said window to allow insects to hide from other insects and from view through the window; said habitat insert made of a moisture absorbent material; and an item of food located in the habitat space. 11. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: said housing is a rectangular box formed of a paperboard material including a top wall, a front wall and end walls, said window formed in the top wall and front wall. 12. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: the habitat insert is made of a nutritious material edible by the insects. 13. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: the habitat insert is made of a paperboard material. 14. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: the food item is partially wrapped. 15. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: said habitat insert is formed in an egg carton shape. 16. The insect habitat of claim 15 wherein: the habitat insert is made of a nutritious material edible by the insects. 17. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: said housing is a generally rectangular box formed of a paperboard material; said box having a top wall, bottom wall, and front and back walls, and, at least one open end closed by an end wall that includes panels movable between open and closed positions; said end wall including opposable end panels, each of a size to cover the end opening, and top and bottom panels foldable over the end panels in covering relationship to the end opening, and means to secure the top and bottom panels in place folded over the end panels. 18. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: said transparent material covering the window opening is a clear plastic material. 19. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: said habitat insert has a convoluted shape. 20. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein: said habitat insert has at least one flat partition panel. 21. The insect habitat of claim 10 wherein the interior habitat space is-configured to house a plurality of insects. 22. An insect habitat and point of sale package comprising: a housing having walls and end openings closed by end walls that define an interior habitat space for insects and made of a material fabricated to permit the escape of moisture from the interior habitat space; a separable habitat insert disposably located in the interior space and comprised as a multisided structure partitioning the interior habitat space into subspaces with passages between subspaces; a piece of high moisture insect food located in the interior habitat space; wherein the interior habitat space is configured to house a plurality of insects. 23. A habitat and point-of-sale package for confinement of a plurality of live insects, shipping the confined live insects to a point-of sale, displaying the live insects at the point-of-sale, nourishing the live insects during confinement, and releasing the live insects from confinement to allow them to be eaten by other animals, comprising: (a) a rectangular housing made of two sided sheet material having a thickness greater than normal paper and fabricated to permit the escape of moisture from the interior space, the material selected from the group consisting of paperboard, cardboard, fiberboard, cellulose fiberboard, perforated plastic, and other materials fabricated to permit the escape of moisture; (b) the housing defining an interior habitat space for live insects and having (i) opaque top, bottom, front, and back walls, (ii) two end walls, at least one of which has an open end, (iii) the open end having panels movable between open and closed positions comprising a first opposable end panel of a size to cover the open end and a second opposable end panel of a size to cover the open end, the first opposable end panel foldable over the open end and the second opposable end panel foldable over the first opposable end panel, a bottom panel foldable over the second opposable end panel, an outer lip on the bottom panel for insertion between a top wall and the top ends of the first and second opposable end panels, a slot in the bottom panel adjacent to the bottom wall, a top panel foldable over the bottom panel, and a tongue on the top panel for insertion into the slot to seal and thereby tamper proof the housing, (iv) a corner window in the housing, the corner window comprised of a first cutout opening in the top wall and an adjoining second cutout opening in the front wall, (v) a transparent material covering the opening, the transparent material selected from the group consisting of clear transparent paper, clear transparent plastic, plastic-like micro-pore material having micro-perforations, tightly woven screen mesh, and other material that allows the escape of condensation from the housing and prevents insects from leaving or entering the housing, and (vi) a perforated pattern in a wall of the habitat and point-of-sale package to punch-out for release of the confined living insects from the housing for consumption by another animal; (c) a habitat insert configured to allow live insects to climb and have multiple nesting compartments, the habitat insert located and loosely fit in the habitat space of the housing, the habitat insert comprised of a structure (i) having multiple rough surfaced thin side walls that substantially extend to all interior surfaces of the housing, (ii) formed of a moisture absorbent, nutritious, edible material selected from the group consisting of heavy gauge rice paper, wafer paper, soft paper, or a combination thereof, (iii) having flat, curved, convoluted top and bottom surfaces or combinations thereof that form a plurality of ridges, peaks, and valleys which partition the habitat space into discrete compartment subspaces to accommodate insects residing in the habitat space and to provide rigidity to the housing, (iv) having passages between the discrete compartment subspaces that are formed between the habitat insert and the housing due to the loose fit of the habitat insert in the housing and/or by openings between the rough surfaced sides of the discrete compartment subspaces, thereby permitting live insects to move from one compartment subspace to another, and (v) having at least one compartment subspace shielded from direct light coming through the window in the housing so live insects may hide from other live insects and avoid being viewed through the window; and (d) sufficient high moisture live insect food located in the habitat space selected from the group consisting of (i) commercially available insect food, (ii) carrots, (iii) insect food partially wrapped with an impermeable membrane such as a thin plastic material, a spray coating, a dipped coating, or a painted coating, and (iv) the nutritious, edible habitat insert material, whereby live insects in the habitat and point-of-sale package have continuous access to the food and water during confinement. 24. An insect habitat and point of sale package comprising: (a) a rectangular housing made of paperboard material and having top and bottom walls, front and back walls, and side walls that define an interior habitat space for insects; (b) the housing having at least one closure means for closing an open end wall; (c) of the box including opposable end flaps, each of a size, to cover the end opening, and top and bottom flaps foldable over the end flaps in covering relationship to the end opening, and means to secure the top and bottom flaps in place folded over the end flap; (d) a habitat insert located in the habitat space of the housing; (e) the insert comprised as a multisided structure in an egg carton shape having convoluted surfaces partitioning the habitat space into discrete subspaces to accommodate insects residing in the habitat space; (f) the habitat insert configured to fit loosely in the housing permitting insects to move from one surface to another; (g) the habitat insert formed of a moisture absorbent material; (h) the top wall and the front wall of the housing adjacent to one another; (i) a window in the housing, the window comprised of an opening cut out of the top wall and the front wall of the housing; (j) a transparent material covering the window opening; and (k) an item of insect food located in the habitat space available to the insects during their confinement in the habitat and point of sale package. 25. An insect habitat and point of sale package comprising: (a) a rectangular cardboard box-like housing made of cardboard having connected top and bottom walls and front and back walls and end closures defining an interior space for a habitat space configured to house a plurality of live crickets; (b) a habitat insert located in the interior space of the housing and formed of a two sided sheet material having moisture absorbing characteristics; (c) the sheet material of the habitat insert comprised of a multisided structure of a plurality of peaks and valleys having convoluted surfaces partitioning the habitat space into discrete subspaces accessible to crickets in the habitat space; (d) a window in the housing comprising a sight opening in at least one wall of the housing; (v) a transparent material covering the sight opening so that crickets inside of the housing can be seen from outside of the housing; (vi) a piece of insect food located inside the housing; (vii) the habitat insert made of a nutritious material edible by insects; and (viii) closure means for end openings comprised as end flaps foldable over the end openings, and top and bottom flaps foldable over the end flaps, wherein the housing is configured to house a plurality of insects. 26. The insect habitat and point of sale package of claim 25, wherein the sight opening in the at least one wall of the housing comprises: (a) a sight opening located in the top wall of the housing and a sight opening located in the front wall of the housing joining the sight opening in the top wall of the housing and the transparent material covering the sight opening in the top wall of the housing and the sight opening in the front wall of the housing.
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