Patent Application
20050178047
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to animal traps and, more particularly, to a rodent trap for safely and effectively eradicating rodents.
2. Prior Art
Although there are numerous examples in the prior art of inventors attempting to “build a better mousetrap,” many disclosed rodent trap patents, while effective, have problems that render them less than desirable to many users. As an example, some rodent traps use poison as bait that a rodent eats. This type of trap requires the poison to be placed in a position where a rodent can easily access it in order to consume it. If a rodent can access the poison, then it is quite possible that a naturally curious infant, small child or pet crawling on a floor might also access the poison and consume it, with potentially harmful consequences.
Other common rodent traps use a powerful spring loaded lever that clamps about a rodent's neck when triggered, thereby suffocating the rodent. Again, these traps allow easy access by a rodent, and thus, an infant or pet could also get a hand or paw entrapped under the spring loaded lever, causing pain and anxiety.
Other common rodent traps use a sticky adhesive for de-mobilizing a rodent until a user comes along and picks up the trap and disposes of it. Again, a small infant or pet could also get an appendage or other body part stuck on such trap potentially causing injury.
Because many rodents carry infectious diseases, it is preferable to use a trap where the user has no physical contact with the captured rodent. This scenario does not always occur with the traps noted above. In order to avoid such contact, a preferred rodent trap would surround a rodent with a cage or other containment apparatus in order to separate the rodent from a user.
Accordingly, a need remains for an apparatus that confines an entrapped rodent in a cage without using poison as bait or spring loaded levers for eradication.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for attracting and holding rodents within a confined area. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a trap including a cage formed from durable material and having a cavity sufficient for holding a plurality of rodents therein. The cage is formed from wire mesh material and includes oppositely spaced end portions having a plurality of apertures formed therein for defining an entrance path into the cage respectively.
The cage further includes a top surface having an aperture formed therein for defining a path through which bait may be deposited into the cage. The bait path defined by the top surface aperture is disposed in a substantially vertical direction medially of the opposed end portions of the cage so that bait can be positioned between the entrance paths. The cavity is disposed below the entrance paths so that rodents cannot escape from the cavity after entering therein.
The cage further includes a bottom surface including a door pivotally attached to the cage for allowing a user to access rodents trapped within the cage. The cage further includes a plurality of trap doors pivotally connected to the cage and adjacent the opposed end portions for causing rodents to enter the cavity and become trapped therein as the rodents move towards the bait. A plurality of handles are secured to the cage for assisting a user to transport same between remote locations.
The plurality of trap doors includes a plurality of outer end portions and a plurality of spring members for connecting the plurality of outer end portions to the cage so that as rodents enter the apparatus through the entrance paths and move inwardly towards the bait, the plurality of trap doors will pivot downwardly about the plurality of outer end portions thereof. The plurality of trap doors thereafter pivot upwardly to a resting position after rodents enter the cavity. A plurality of stop members are connected to the cage adjacent the plurality of trap doors for preventing same from pivoting upwardly beyond a resting position.
The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, this embodiment is provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the true scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the figures.
The apparatus of this invention is referred to generally in
Initially referring to
The bait path defined by the top surface aperture 26 is disposed in a substantially vertical direction medially of the opposed end portions 22, 23 of the cage 20 so that bait 30 can be positioned between the entrance paths, as perhaps best shown in
Now referring to
Now referring to
As the rodents move towards the bait 30, their own weight causes the plurality of trap doors 40 to pivot downwardly so that a rodent slides downwardly into the cavity 21. The plurality of trap doors 40 thereafter pivot upwardly to a resting position after rodents enter the cavity 21, thereby preventing trapped rodents from exiting the cavity 21. A plurality of stop members 44 are connected to the cage 20 adjacent the plurality of trap doors 40 for preventing same from pivoting upwardly beyond a resting position.
The trap 10 eliminates the need for poison or spring loaded levers to eradicate rodents making it safe to use around small children and household pets. Its lightweight, durable structure provides a fast, reliable and cost effective way of capturing rodents. The wire mesh increases visibility and enables a user to quickly ascertain the number of rodents, if any, trapped therein.
While the invention has been described with respect to a certain specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
In particular, with respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the present invention may include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation. The assembly and use of the present invention are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art.
