Hanging Insect Egg Control UV Plant Lamp with Automated Height Adjustment

The problem

In commercial greenhouses, controlling insect eggs is critical for crop health. Traditional fixed-position UV lamps struggle to reach eggs hidden under dense canopy layers or high branches. If the lamp is too low, it wastes energy irradiating empty space; if too high, it may not deliver sufficient intensity to upper leaves. Furthermore, manual adjustment of hanging lights is labor-intensive and dangerous if workers must climb ladders near electrical equipment. There is also a significant safety risk: standard UV lamps do not always detect human presence, potentially exposing workers to harmful short-wave ultraviolet radiation during maintenance or harvesting hours.

The solution

The patent describes a hanging type insect egg plant lamp that solves these issues through automation and sensing.

1. A truss provides the overhead mounting structure.
2. An electric appliance box hangs from the truss via a roller crawling device, allowing horizontal movement along the rail.
3. Below the box, a rotary driving device connects to a rope collector. This mechanism winds or unwinds a composite rope to adjust the vertical height of the lamp.
4. The combined lamp body is suspended by this rope. The rope contains internal wires wrapped in a protective sheath, carrying both power and communication signals.
5. The lamp body consists of an electric appliance barrel connected to a mounting barrel.
6. A connecting assembly links the mounting barrel to the lamp holder. This assembly includes a first and second connecting arm.
7. Inside the first arm, a driving motor and angle sensor control the tilt (pitch) of the lamp holder, directing the UV light precisely.
8. A short-wave ultraviolet lamp board sits in a recess on the top face of the holder, covered by a light-transmitting plate.

Who it is for

• Commercial Greenhouse Operators: Large-scale growers who need to manage pest populations without increasing labor costs for manual light adjustments.
• Agri-Tech Integrators: Companies building smart farming systems that require automated hardware components capable of responding to environmental sensors.
• Research Institutions: Facilities studying the effects of specific UV wavelengths and intensities on plant growth and pest mortality, requiring precise control over light direction and distance.
• Equipment Manufacturers: OEMs looking to differentiate their lighting products by adding automated positioning and safety features that standard static lamps lack.

How it works

The main parts

Operating steps

1. Positioning: The system uses the rope collector to set the lamp at a specific height corresponding to the crop layer being treated.
2. Aiming: The driving motor rotates the lamp holder to a preset angle. The angle sensor confirms the position.
3. Irradiation: The short-wave UV lamp board emits light. The control system can cycle through “pitching modes,” rotating the light across different angles to cover wider areas.
4. Safety Monitoring: The human body sensor continuously scans the area below. If a person enters the zone, the system immediately cuts power to the UV lamp and logs the event.
5. Resumption: Once the person leaves or a manual resume signal is received, the system restarts the irradiation cycle.

Applications

Dense Canopy Management

In crops with thick foliage, such as tomatoes or cucumbers, insects often lay eggs on upper leaves. The ability to raise the lamp and tilt the beam allows the UV light to penetrate deeper into the canopy, targeting eggs that fixed low-hanging lights would miss.

Labor-Saving Maintenance

Instead of workers climbing ladders to adjust hanging lights, the operator sets parameters via a remote terminal. The lamp moves itself to new heights for different growth stages, reducing physical labor and improving worker safety by minimizing time spent at height.

Precision Research Trials

Agronomists testing UV efficacy need consistent distances and angles. This system’s automated height and pitch controls allow for repeatable experiments where variables like distance-to-crop and incident angle are strictly managed by software.

Nighttime Pest Control

Since UV lamps can be harmful to humans, they are typically run at night. The integrated sensors provide an extra layer of security, ensuring that if a worker enters the greenhouse unexpectedly during an operation window, the light shuts off instantly to prevent eye or skin damage.

Where it is less suitable

• Open Field Agriculture: This design relies on a truss and hanging structure, making it unsuitable for outdoor open fields where wind loads and lack of overhead support make suspension impractical.
• Low-Ceiling Grow Rooms: The vertical travel range requires sufficient headroom between the truss and the crop canopy; very short plants in low rooms may not benefit from the height adjustment feature.
• Non-UV Sensitive Pests: The patent specifically addresses insect eggs using short-wave UV. It is not described as effective against adult flying insects or soil-borne larvae that require different control methods.