Rodent Trap

Abstract

An improved rodent trap is provided for enticing and entrapping rodents in a humane fashion, and that permits the entrapped rodents to survive within the trap until they can be released into a suitable environment. The improved rodent trap is preferably comprised of a transparent or translucent enclosure having a removable lid, a one way, spring biased door, an air supply, and a food and water source contained therein to sustain the rodents during their period of captivity. The removable lid is preferably attached to the enclosure via a F shaped channel that is positioned on each of a front panel and opposing side panels.

Claims

1. A rodent trap comprising: an enclosure; a lid removably attached to the enclosure; a tunnel; and a trap door mechanism positioned within said tunnel.

2. The rodent trap of claim 1 further comprising a food tray and a water basin, wherein the water basin is fixedly attached to the enclosure.

3. The rodent trap of claim 1, wherein at least one of the enclosure and the lid are comprised of a transparent material.

4. The rodent trap of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is formed by a bottom panel, opposing side panels, a front panel and a back panel.

5. The rodent trap of claim 4, wherein the opposing side panels further comprise a F shaped channel for receipt of the lid.

6. The rodent trap of claim 4, wherein at least one of the lid, the opposing side panels, the front panel and the back panel further comprise at least one continuous opening therein to permit air to enter into the enclosure.

7. The rodent trap of claim 1, wherein the trap door mechanism further comprises a repositionable door and a spring.

8. The rodent trap of claim 1, wherein at least one of the enclosure and the lid are comprised of a translucent material.

9. A rodent trap comprising: an enclosure having a pair of opposing F shaped channels; a lid removably positioned in the pair of opposing F shaped channels; a tunnel; and a trap door mechanism.

10. The rodent trap of claim 9 further comprising a food tray and a water basin, wherein the water basin is fixedly attached to the enclosure.

11. The rodent trap of claim 9, wherein at least one of the enclosure and the lid are comprised of a transparent material.

12. The rodent trap of claim 9, wherein the enclosure is formed by a bottom panel, opposing side panels, a front panel and a back panel.

13. The rodent trap of claim 12, wherein the each of the opposing F shaped channels are positioned on one of said opposing side panels.

14. The rodent trap of claim 12, wherein at least one of the lid, the opposing side panels, the front panel and the back panel further comprise at least one continuous opening therein to permit air to enter into the enclosure.

15. The rodent trap of claim 9, wherein the trap door mechanism further comprises a repositionable door and a spring.

16. The rodent trap of claim 9, wherein at least one of the enclosure and the lid are comprised of a translucent material.

17. The rodent trap of claim 9, wherein the lid further comprises a handle.

18. A rodent trap comprising: an enclosure formed by a front panel, a back panel, a bottom and a pair of opposing side panels; a lid removably attached to the enclosure; a tunnel; a trap door mechanism; and a water basin.

19. The rodent trap of claim 18, wherein the each of the pair of opposing side panels and the front panel further comprise a F shaped channel, and further wherein each of the F shaped channels are in fluid communication with one another.

20. The rodent trap of claim 18, wherein the front panel has continuous opening formed therein for receipt of the tunnel, and further wherein at least one of the enclosure and the lid are comprised of a transparent or translucent material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of the improved rodent trap of the present invention with the lid portion removed, and in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a top perspective view of the improved rodent trap of FIG. 1 with the lid portion removed in spaced apart fashion and in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevational view of the improved rodent trap of FIG. 1 at cut line 3-3 and with the lid portion removed in spaced apart fashion in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view of the improved rodent trap of FIG. 1 at cut-line 4-4 and with the lid portion removably secured thereto in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a front partial view of the F channel positioned near the top of a sidewall of the improved rodent trap of FIG. 1 with a portion of the removable lid positioned therein in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof.

[0022] As noted above, there exists in the art a long felt need for an improved rodent trap that overcomes the above referenced limitations of existing rodent traps, and that enables a captured rodent to survive within the improved rodent trap for a prolonged period of time and until it can be released by the user to an appropriate location. There is also a long felt need in the art for an improved rodent trap that minimizes the possibility that the rodent will be able to escape the trap after being caught, and that enables the user to efficiently determine if a rodent is present in the trap without having to open the same. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved rodent trap that is resistant to being chewed through, that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and that is safe and easy to use and does not present an unwanted danger to small children and/or pets.

[0023] Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of the improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention and having an enclosure portion 110, a trap door mechanism 120, a tunnel portion 130, a removable lid portion 140, a food tray 150 and a water basin 160. Unless otherwise stated herein, each of the components of improved rodent trap 100 are preferably comprised of a transparent or translucent materials, such as plastic, acrylic, or the like, to enable a user (not shown) to peer into the improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention to determine if a rodent 200 is present without opening the same and risking the premature release of the rodent 200.

[0024] As best shown in FIG. 1, enclosure portion 110 is preferably generally rectangular in shape and is comprised of a bottom 112, a front panel 114, a back panel 116, opposing side panels 118 that, along with removable lid portion 140 when properly attached to enclosure portion 110, form an interior space 119. More specifically, each of opposing side portions 118 are spaced apart from each other in generally parallel fashion, and extend from front panel 114 to back panel 116 and from bottom 112 to removable lid portion 140 when the same is properly attached to enclosure portion 110. Bottom 112, front panel 114, back panel 116, and opposing side panels 118 are preferably fixedly attached to one another, though it is also contemplated that they may also be removably attached to one another, for example, by fasteners (not shown). Additionally, front panel 114 further comprises an opening 1140 formed therein that corresponds to the size and shape of tunnel 130, as described more fully below.

[0025] The overall dimensions of improved rodent trap 100 are approximately six inches wide (as measured between opposing side panels 118) by approximately eleven inches long (as measured between front panel 114 and back panel 116) by three inches high (as measured from base or bottom 112 to the top of removable lid portion 140), and the various components are sized accordingly. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention can by any suitable size, shape, and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the shape and size of the rodent trap 100 and its various components, as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other shapes and sizes of the rodent trap 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although dimensions of the rodent trap 100 and its components (i.e., length, width, and height) are important design parameters for good performance, the rodent trap 100 and its various components may be any shape or size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits user need and/or preference.

[0026] The inboard side of each of opposing side panels 118 further comprise a generally F-shaped channel 1180 positioned near the top end (the top end being opposite of the portion of side panel 118 attached to bottom 112 and adjacent to removable lid portion 140) of side panel 118, and that preferably extends the entire length of the opposing side panel 118, as measured from the front panel 114 to the back panel 116. Similarly, the inboard side of front panel 114 further comprises a corresponding generally F-shaped channel 1180 positioned near the top end (the top end being opposite of the portion of front panel 114 attached to bottom 112 and adjacent to removable lid portion 140) of front panel 114, and that preferably extends the entire length of the front panel 114, as measured between opposing side panels 118. As used herein, the term inboard refers to the portion of the panel 118, 114 that faces the interior space 119 of the enclosure 110, and the term outboard refers to the opposite side of the respective panel (and that faces away from the interior space 119 of the enclosure 110).

[0027] As best shown in FIG. 5, F shaped channel 1180 is further comprised of a pair of spaced apart legs 1182 with an opening or slot 1184 formed therebetween, wherein said pair of spaced apart legs 1182 extend outwardly from the inboard face of each of front panel 114 and opposing side panels 118 in the direction of the interior space 119 of the enclosure 110. As explained more fully below, opening or slot 1184 is useful for slidably receiving removable lid portion 140 and retaining the same therein. Accordingly, the thickness of slot 1184 is sized slightly bigger than the overall thickness of the removable lid portion 140 which is preferably approximately .sup.th of an inch.

[0028] As best shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, tunnel 130 is in fluid communication with opening 1140 in front panel 114 and is preferably comprised of a pair of opposing side panels 132 and a top panel 136 fixedly attached to each of the side panels 132. More specifically, each of side panels 132 extend upwardly from bottom 112 in a generally spaced apart and parallel fashion and are connected to one another by top panel 136. The overall size and shape of tunnel 130 is designed to permit a rodent to pass therethrough, and is preferably approximately two inches in length as measured from front panel 114 in the direction of the interior space 119, approximately 1.25 inches in width, as measured between opposing side panels 132, and approximately 1.25 inches in height as measured from bottom 112 to top panel 136. Nonetheless, it is contemplated that other dimensions, shaped and configuration could also be used.

[0029] As explained more fully below, trap door mechanism 120 is positioned partway along the length of tunnel 130 and, more specifically, approximately from the front panel 114. The presence of trap door mechanism 120 serves to bifurcate tunnel 130 into an exterior portion 137 and an interior portion 138, wherein the exterior portion 137 is the portion closest to front panel 114. As best shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, trap door mechanism 120 is preferably comprised of a movable door 122 and a spring hinge 124, and is positioned partway along the length of tunnel 130, as described above. More specifically, spring hinge 124 is fixedly attached to the underside of top panel 136, and movable door 122 is attached to spring hinge 124. Further, movable door 122 is sized just slightly smaller than the interior dimensions of tunnel 130 to permit it to rotate about spring hinge 124. Spring hinge 124 of trap door mechanism 120 is positioned and tensioned such that in its natural, resting position, movable door 122 substantially blocks tunnel 130. Further, from said resting position, movable door 122 is only rotatable inwardly in the direction of interior space 119 to permit a rodent 200 to enter the improved rodent trap 100. However, once a rodent 200 passes through the trap door mechanism 120, and the door 122 returns to its natural resting position (i.e., substantially blocking tunnel 130), the rodent 200 is not able to pass back through the movable door 122 in the direction of exterior portion 137.

[0030] As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, removable lid 140 is generally rectangular in shape and sized to be slidably and matingly engaged with the F shaped channel 1180 of opposing sides 118 and front panel 114 from the rear of the device (i.e., near the back panel 116). More specifically, the side edges 146 of removable lid 140 are positioned within the slot 1184 of F channel 1180 of opposing sides 118 and slid in the direction of front panel 114. Accordingly, the overall height of back panel 116 is slightly smaller than the height of front panels 114 and opposing side panels 118, but still tall enough to meet the underside of removable lid 140 so as to eliminate any gap or space therebetween through which a rodent 200 may escape. Removable lid portion 140 may further comprise one or more handles 142 for convenient handling of the improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention.

[0031] As noted above, the improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention may further comprise a food tray 150 for storing food that can sustain the rodent 200 during its period of captivity. Bottom 114 may serve as food tray 150, or it may be a separate standalone device (not shown) that is removably or fixedly attached to bottom 114 or one or both of opposing side walls 118.

[0032] Similarly, improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention may further comprise a water basin 160 for storing and providing water to a captured rodent 200, thereby sustaining it during its period of captivity. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, water basin 160 is preferably located near the rear or back portion of the enclosure 110 so as to not impede a rodent's pathway into the interior space 119 of the enclosure 110 via tunnel 130 and trap door mechanism. More specifically, water basin 160 is formed by bottom 112, opposing side panels 118, back panel 116 and a water basin panel 162 that extends between opposing side panels 118 in a generally spaced apart and parallel relationship to back panel 116. Initial experimental data has shown that a height of water basin panel 162 of approximately will provide enough volume of water to sustain a captured rodent 200 for a period of several days. Nonetheless, it is contemplated that other heights and configurations could also be used, as long as they provide adequate access to water for the captured rodent.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more of each of front panel 114, back panel 116, opposing side panels 118 and removable lid portion 140 further comprise one or more continuous openings 170 therein that act as air holes and that permit fresh air to flow into and out of interior space 119 of enclosure 112 for the benefit of rodents 200 contained therein. Openings 170 are preferably .sup.th of an inch in diameter to permit adequate air flow, but that are small enough to prevent the captured rodents 200 from escaping from the improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention.

[0034] Additionally, the generally transparent or translucent nature of the improved rodent trap 100 of the present invention and its various components allow a user to easily see if a rodent in present in the rodent trap 100 upon returning to collect the same and without having to remove the removable lid portion and risk the captured rodent escaping into the various space in which it was captured. Likewise, if a rodent 200 is present in the rodent trap 100, the user (not shown) may use handle 140 to easily transport the improved rodent trap 100 to an appropriate location to release the rodent into the wild and may do so by slidably removing the removable lid 140 from the F channel 1180 to access the interior space 119.

[0035] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term includes is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term comprising as comprising is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.