Patent No: US 10,839,983 B2

Date of Patent: November 17, 2020

Abstract:

A rodent repellent cable has an outer protective jacket for housing the cable’s internal components. The internal components include at least a means for facilitating transmission of electrical current or data, and a repellent bonded to at least one component of the cable. The means for facilitating transmission of electrical current or data include, but are not limited to, wires and optical fibers. The cable may include additional internal components, such as one or more separators and a sheath. The repellent is configured to repel rodents, based on a negative olfactory stimulus when the rodents are subjected to the repellent. This will deter rodents from chewing on wire or cable containing the repellent, which will significantly reduce the incidence of fires of undetermined origin and rodent-inflicted damage to wiring systems universally.

Background Summary

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)(1) This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/753,287 filed Oct. 31, 2018, entitled, “RAT REPELLENT SYSTEM”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of Invention(1) The present invention relates to the field of electrical and other wiring infrastructure systems and animal repelling devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to wiring systems for repelling rodents, and methods of manufacturing same.2. Description of Related Art(2) Rodents and similar small mammals are often found inhabiting areas also populated by people. Homes, vehicles, and other man-made structures provide opportunity for rodents to live and flourish, eventually progressing to the level of infestation. Even a single rodent can create catastrophic issues, such as spreading disease and inflicting or causing damage to structures, vehicles, and other items.(3) One specific example of such damage relates to electrical systems. Electrical wiring and electrical conduit generate heat, resulting from the flow of electricity therethrough. While rodents are warm blooded, they are sensitive to decreases in temperature. As a result, rodents are instinctually drawn to heat-producing wires, e.g., electrical wires, as a means to augment their body temperature with heat from the wires. Oftentimes, rodents will chew wires, causing power outages or fires, and/or presenting a dangerous potential for contact with exposed live wires. It has been postulated that a trend of transitioning from petroleum-based cable components, e.g., jacketing and primary insulation applied directly onto conductors, to more plant-based biodegradable materials, in an effort to reduce waste, has resulted in an increased incidence of rodent-inflicted wire damage, as rodents are supplementing their diets with the plant-based components as a food source.(4) Twenty percent (20%) of fires of undetermined origin are attributed to short circuits caused by rats chewing on the insulation of electrical wiring. Additionally, rodent-inflicted damage to car wiring systems is becoming increasingly prevalent, which, as discussed above, is attributable to automakers switching to more plant-based biodegradable materials in an effort to reduce waste. While efforts, such as jacketing wire with metal conduit, or the like, have been made to shield wire from rodents, the current materials of electrical wiring and electrical wiring insulation are not designed to repel rats.(5) Pest control currently involves measures taken after an infestation or problem is discovered. Companies currently offer services to remove rodents from an area through use of chemical or mechanical devices. For example, traps are commonly used to curtail rodent infestation. Typically, traps are set only after a rodent is discovered. However, one noticeable issue with traps is that they are limited in the quantity of rodents they can address. Additionally, they must be reset once triggered. And, yet further, traps are typically designed to kill rodents, which many view as inhumane. While these types of treatment may be effective to address smaller-scale, existing rodent issues, they do not proactively prevent inhabitation or reoccurrence of infestation.(6) Poisons are also commonly used to kill rodents. Rat poison is a common and generic term for an anti-coagulant composition designed to cause fatal internal bleeding in the rodent after consumption. Just as with other treatments, such as snap-style traps that are designed to kill rodents, poisons are viewed by many to be inhumane. Further, the effect of poison compositions is indiscriminate, i.e., they have a similar detrimental (and potentially lethal) effect on humans—especially young children—or domesticated animals, if consumed.(7) Visual acuity of rodents is very poor. To compensate, they use their olfactory system as a means for navigation. Rodents’ olfactory systems are adversely affected by certain substances. For example, a rat’s olfactory system is acutely and negatively affected by menthol. Rat’s olfactory cells act as receptors to atomic or molecular interaction with menthol. Exposure to menthol causes rats to experience the “freezing” sensation humans can similarly experience when exposed to concentrated menthol. This is a devastating effect for a rat, since it relies so heavily on its sense of smell for navigation.(8) Research studies have shown that menthol is naturally attracted, and binds, to copper to form a coating on its surface. Among other things, the menthol coating acts as a protective barrier to protect copper in acidic environments.(9) Based on the foregoing, clear deficiencies exist in prior art pest control systems’ ability to proactively prevent inhabitation or reoccurrence of infestation or address a large number of rodents. Further, current treatments may be viewed as inhumane and present potential adverse side effects and health concerns to humans and domesticated animals. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a wiring system that contains a non-toxic repellent for repelling rodents from homes, vehicles, and other structures, items, or areas containing wire or cable.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION(10) A rodent repellent cable includes, but is not limited to, an outer jacket, a transmission means for facilitating transmission of electrical current or data, and a repellent bonded to at least one component of the cable. The transmission means extend longitudinally through a hollow interior of the cable, the hollow interior being defined by an interior wall of the jacket.(11) In an embodiment, the transmission means includes at least one or more conductive wires. In a further embodiment, the one or more conductive wires include at least a copper wire. In yet a further embodiment, the repellent includes at least menthol.(12) In an embodiment, the cable includes a separator disposed around at least one of the one or more conductive wires. In a further embodiment, the separator is constructed of paper.(13) In an embodiment, the transmission means includes at least one or more fibers. In a further embodiment, the one or more fibers are non-conductive. In yet a further embodiment, the one or more fibers are optical fibers.(14) In an embodiment, the cable includes a separator disposed between the jacket and at least one of the one or more fibers. In a further embodiment, the separator is constructed of aramid yarn.(15) In an embodiment, the repellent is configured to repel rodents, based on a negative olfactory stimulus when the rodents are subjected to the repellent. In an embodiment, the repellent includes at least menthol.(16) In an embodiment, the cable includes a sheath disposed between the jacket and the transmission means. In a further embodiment, the sheath is constructed of paper.(17) In an embodiment, a method of manufacturing the rat repellent cable includes the steps of introducing a repellent to one or more components of the cable and adding a jacket around one or more internal components of the cable, such that the one or more internal components are disposed within a hollow interior of the cable defined by an interior wall of the jacket. In an embodiment, the repellent is menthol.(18) In an embodiment, prior to adding the jacket around one or more internal components of the cable, the method also includes the step of wrapping at least one transmission means in a separator treated with the repellent.(19) In an embodiment, prior to adding the jacket around one or more internal components of the cable, the method also includes the step of wrapping an assembly of internal cable components in a sheath treated with the repellent.(20) In an embodiment, prior to adding the jacket around one or more internal components of the cable, the method also includes the step of passing an assembly of internal cable components through a cooling apparatus to cool the assembly to a pre-determined temperature.(21) The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.

Patent No: US 10,910,129 B1

Date of Patent: February 2, 2021

Abstract:

A rodent repellent cable includes a jacket, a transmission means for facilitating transmission of electrical current or data, and a repellent bonded to at least one component of the cable. A method of manufacturing the rodent repellent cable includes electrostatically bonding a repellent to one or more components of the cable and adding the jacket around the internal components of the cable. The repellent is preferably an olfactory stimulant configured to repel rodents. Prior to adding the jacket around the internal components, the method may also include wrapping, enclosing, or otherwise surrounding one or more of the transmission means with a separator and/or wrapping, enclosing, or otherwise surrounding an assembly of internal components with a sheath. Additionally, prior to adding the jacket around the internal components, an assembly of internal components may be passed through a cooling apparatus to cool the assembly to a pre-determined temperature.

Background Summary

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)(1) This application is a divisional of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 16/669,341 filed Oct. 30, 2019, entitled, “RODENT REPELLENT CABLE”, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/753,287 filed Oct. 31, 2018, entitled, “RAT REPELLENT SYSTEM”, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of Invention(1) The present invention relates to the field of electrical and other wiring infrastructure systems, fiber optic cable systems, and animal repellent systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to electrical cables and fiber optic cables for repelling rodents and methods of manufacturing same.2. Description of Related Art(2) Rodents and similar small mammals are often found inhabiting areas also populated by people. Homes, vehicles, and other man-made structures provide opportunity for rodents to live and flourish, eventually progressing to the level of infestation. Even a single rodent can create catastrophic issues, such as spreading disease and inflicting or causing damage to structures, vehicles, and other items.(3) One specific example of such damage relates to electrical systems. Electrical wiring and electrical conduit generate heat, resulting from the flow of electricity therethrough. While rodents are warm blooded, they are sensitive to decreases in temperature. As a result, rodents are instinctually drawn to heat-producing wires, e.g., electrical wires, as a means to augment their body temperature with heat from the wires. Oftentimes, rodents will chew wires, causing power outages or fires, and/or presenting a dangerous potential for contact with exposed live wires. It has been postulated that a trend of transitioning from petroleum-based cable components, e.g., jacketing and primary insulation applied directly onto conductors, to more plant-based biodegradable materials, in an effort to reduce waste, has resulted in an increased incidence of rodent-inflicted wire damage, as rodents are supplementing their diets with the plant-based components as a food source.(4) Twenty percent (20%) of fires of undetermined origin are attributed to short circuits caused by rats chewing on the insulation of electrical wiring. Additionally, rodent-inflicted damage to car wiring systems is becoming increasingly prevalent, which, as discussed above, is attributable to automakers switching to more plant-based biodegradable materials in an effort to reduce waste. While efforts, such as jacketing wire with metal conduit, or the like, have been made to shield wire from rodents, the current materials of electrical wiring and electrical wiring insulation are not designed to repel rats.(5) Pest control currently involves measures taken after an infestation or problem is discovered. Companies currently offer services to remove rodents from an area through use of chemical or mechanical devices. For example, traps are commonly used to curtail rodent infestation. Typically, traps are set only after a rodent is discovered. However, one noticeable issue with traps is that they are limited in the quantity of rodents they can address. Additionally, they must be reset once triggered. And, yet further, traps are typically designed to kill rodents, which many view as inhumane. While these types of treatment may be effective to address smaller-scale, existing rodent issues, they do not proactively prevent inhabitation or reoccurrence of infestation.(6) Poisons are also commonly used to kill rodents. Rat poison is a common and generic term for an anti-coagulant composition designed to cause fatal internal bleeding in the rodent after consumption. Just as with other treatments, such as snap-style traps that are designed to kill rodents, poisons are viewed by many to be inhumane. Further, the effect of poison compositions is indiscriminate, i.e., they have a similar detrimental (and potentially lethal) effect on humans—especially young children—or domesticated animals, if consumed.(7) Visual acuity of rodents is very poor. To compensate, they use their olfactory system as a means for navigation. Rodents’ olfactory systems are adversely affected by certain substances. For example, a rat’s olfactory system is acutely and negatively affected by menthol. Rat’s olfactory cells act as receptors to atomic or molecular interaction with menthol. Exposure to menthol causes rats to experience the “freezing” sensation humans can similarly experience when exposed to concentrated menthol. This is a devastating effect for a rat, since it relies so heavily on its sense of smell for navigation.(8) Research studies have shown that menthol is naturally attracted, and binds, to copper to form a coating on its surface. Among other things, the menthol coating acts as a protective barrier to protect copper in acidic environments.(9) Based on the foregoing, clear deficiencies exist in prior art pest control systems’ ability to proactively prevent inhabitation or reoccurrence of infestation or address a large number of rodents. Further, current treatments may be viewed as inhumane and present potential adverse side effects and health concerns to humans and domesticated animals. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a cable and method of manufacturing same that contains a non-toxic repellent for repelling rodents from homes, vehicles, and other structures, items, or areas containing wire or cable.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION(10) A rodent repellent cable includes, but is not limited to, an outer jacket, a transmission means for facilitating transmission of electrical current or data, and a repellent bonded to at least one component of the cable. The transmission means extends longitudinally through an interior of the cable, the interior being defined by an interior wall of the jacket.(11) In an embodiment, a method of manufacturing the rodent repellent cable, includes electrostatically bonding a repellent to one or more components of the cable and adding the jacket around one or more internal components of the cable, such that the one or more internal components are disposed within the interior of the cable. The repellent is preferably an olfactory stimulant, such as menthol, configured to repel rodents.(12) In some embodiments, prior to adding the jacket around the one or more internal components of the cable, the method includes wrapping, enclosing, or otherwise surrounding one or more of the transmission means with a separator. In various embodiments, the separator is constructed of a non-conductive material, such as paper or aramid fiber/yarn.(13) In some embodiments, prior to adding the jacket around one or more internal components of the cable, the method includes wrapping, enclosing, or otherwise surrounding an assembly of internal cable components with a sheath. In various embodiments, the sheath is preferably, but not necessarily, constructed of a non-conductive material, such as paper or aramid fiber/yarn.(14) In some embodiments, prior to adding the jacket around one or more internal components of the cable, the method includes passing an assembly of internal cable components through a cooling apparatus to cool the assembly to a pre-determined temperature.(15) The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.

Patent No: US 10,910,128 B1

Date of Patent: February 2, 2021

Abstract:

A rodent repellent fiber optic cable includes an outer jacket, one or more optical fibers, and a repellent electrostatically bonded to at least one component of the cable. The one or more optical fibers extend longitudinally through an interior of the cable. The repellent is preferably an olfactory stimulant, such as menthol, configured to repel rodents. In various embodiments, the cable also includes one or more separators and/or a sheath. In embodiments that employ separators, at least one optical fiber is wrapped in, or otherwise surrounded by a separator. In embodiments that employ a sheath, the sheath surrounds an assembly of the cable’s internal components.

Background Summary

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)(1) This application is a divisional of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 16/669,341 filed Oct. 30, 2019, entitled, “RODENT REPELLENT CABLE”, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/753,287 filed Oct. 31, 2018, entitled, “RAT REPELLENT SYSTEM”, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of Invention(1) The present invention relates to the field of fiber optic cables and animal repelling devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to fiber optic cables coupled with a repellent for repelling rodents.2. Description of Related Art(2) Rodents and similar small mammals are often found inhabiting areas also populated by people. Homes and other man-made structures provide opportunity for rodents to live and flourish, eventually progressing to the level of infestation. Even a single rodent can create catastrophic issues, such as spreading disease and inflicting or causing damage to structures and other items.(3) Damage to fiber optic cables, inflicted by rodents, is a common issue that is well-documented. Rodents chew on cable for a number of reasons. When rodents chew on a fiber optic cable, the integrity of the fibers within the cable can be compromised. Even if the chewing does not compromise the integrity of the fibers, damage to the cable’s outer jacket may create an ingress path for water, resulting in corrosion and other cable damage.(4) Pest control currently involves measures taken after an infestation or problem is discovered. Companies currently offer services to remove rodents from an area through use of chemical or mechanical devices. For example, traps are commonly used to curtail rodent infestation. Typically, traps are set only after a rodent is discovered. However, one noticeable issue with traps is that they are limited in the quantity of rodents they can address. Additionally, they must be reset once triggered. And, yet further, traps are typically designed to kill rodents, which many view as inhumane. While these types of treatment may be effective to address smaller-scale, existing rodent issues, they do not proactively prevent inhabitation or reoccurrence of infestation.(5) Poisons are also commonly used to kill rodents. Rat poison is a common and generic term for an anti-coagulant composition designed to cause fatal internal bleeding in the rodent after consumption. Just as with other treatments, such as snap-style traps that are designed to kill rodents, poisons are viewed by many to be inhumane. Further, the effect of poison compositions is indiscriminate, i.e., they have a similar detrimental (and potentially lethal) effect on humans—especially young children—or domesticated animals, if consumed.(6) Visual acuity of rodents is very poor. To compensate, they use their olfactory system as a means for navigation. Rodents’ olfactory systems are adversely affected by certain substances. For example, a rat’s olfactory system is acutely and negatively affected by menthol. Rat’s olfactory cells act as receptors to atomic or molecular interaction with menthol. Exposure to menthol causes rats to experience the “freezing” sensation humans can similarly experience when exposed to concentrated menthol. This is a devastating effect for a rat, since it relies so heavily on its sense of smell for navigation.(7) Based on the foregoing, clear deficiencies exist in prior art pest control systems’ ability to proactively prevent inhabitation or reoccurrence of infestation or address a large number of rodents. Further, current treatments may be viewed as inhumane and present potential adverse side effects and health concerns to humans and domesticated animals. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a fiber optic cable that contains a non-toxic repellent for repelling rodents from homes and other structures or areas containing the cable.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION(8) A rodent repellent fiber optic cable includes, but is not limited to, an outer jacket, one or more optical fibers for facilitating transmission of data, and a repellent electrostatically bonded to at least one component of the cable. The one or more optical fibers extend longitudinally through an interior of the cable, the interior being defined by an interior wall of the jacket. The repellent is preferably an olfactory stimulant, such as menthol, configured to repel rodents.(9) In various embodiments, the cable also includes one or more separators and/or a sheath. In embodiments that employ separators, at least one optical fiber is wrapped in, or otherwise surrounded by a separator. In embodiments that employ a sheath, the sheath surrounds an assembly of the cable’s internal components.(10) The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.

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