Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to rodent traps and more particularly to disposable mouse traps.
Mice within human habitations, particularly residences, present a perennial hazard to health and enjoyment of dwelling spaces. Many devices are known to capture and kill rodents. The conventional spring and bail kill trap can be very effective, but the exposed spring-loaded bail can be a hazard to pets and children. Moreover, consumers often prefer to avoid contact with the rodent once it has been killed, and for this purpose fully enclosed kill traps have been developed which freely admit rodents in a set configuration, but once triggered block off the trap entrance so that the dead rodent is not exposed, nor are the remains of the rodent able to extend from the trap. These traps provide a visual cue to their successful use, signaling the user to remove and dispose of the trap and its contents.
There is always a need for a rodent trap of this sort that, while effective, is also capable of being produced at low cost, and using automated procedures.
The rodent trap of this invention has a molded plastic base with a cover which defines an enclosed interior. The interior is accessible through a sliding plastic tunnel which offers a passageway with two entryways for rodents. The molded plastic tunnel has a projecting strike member, and is biased by an underlying spring to a retracted position. A trigger engaging member extends from the tunnel to be retained by the catch on a side-mounted trigger to hold the tunnel in an extended set configuration where a rodent may readily enter. When a rodent passes through the tunnel into the interior of the base, it is directed by barriers into a trigger compartment which presents a rodent attracting bait. To reach the bait, the rodent must press against a pivotably mounted trigger, thereby dislodging the trigger from the trigger engaging member which releases the tunnel to be driven by the spring to retract along parallel tracks to bring the strike plate forcibly against the rodent within the trap, usually killing it, and closing the trap, which is then presented for convenient disposal without exposing the dead rodent.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mouse trap which effectively kills mice and thereafter screens the trap contents from view.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rodent trap which is economically manufactured.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring more particularly to
A trigger 42 is mounted within the base interior 40, and a slidable strike member 44 provides access to the base interior. As shown in
As shown in
The lid 36 has a short stub wall 76 which extends downwardly close to the base stub wall 48, as well as an upper barrier wall 78 which extends near the base lower barrier wall 50. The lid and base stub walls 76, 48 and the lid and base barrier walls 78, 50, serve to define an entrance compartment 80 of the interior through which the tunnel element 60 extends, and a trigger compartment 82 within which is mounted the trigger 42.
A shallow tunnel stop 84 extends downward from the lid in a position rearward of the tunnel element 60. The tunnel stop 84 serves to limit the rearward travel of the strike member 44 by engaging the top wall 62 of the tunnel element as it moves rearwardly. As shown in
The trigger 42 is a molded plastic piece having two brackets 90 (only the top one being shown in
As shown in
A catch 128 protrudes from the trigger lower wall 96 near the free end 130 of the trigger 42. The free end 132 of the vertical wall 118 of the trigger engaging member 114 abuts against the trigger catch 128, thereby holding the strike member 44 in its set position, with the tunnel element 60 extending from the trap interior 40 as shown in
As best shown in
The strike member 44 has a vertical wall which acts as a strike plate 138 which extends in the direction of the strike member motion towards the rear of base 28. The strike plate 138 extends the full height of the barrier wall 120. As shown in
The operation of the trap 20 is illustrated in
One of the sidewardly projecting flanges 144 may have a protruding pointer 145, as shown in
In the set position, the only access to the bait for a mouse 146 is through the entryways 66 and thence through a passageway 148 defined by the tunnel element 60, the lower barrier wall 50, the upper barrier wall 78, the lid 36 and the interior wall 46 on the entrance compartment 80 side of the base 28. When the mouse 146 enters the passageway 148, it must progress through the tunnel and then make a turn into the trigger compartment 82. As shown in
As shown in
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.
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