Harmful animal capturing tool

Abstract

To provide a harmful animal capturing tool constituted to reduce the diameter of a capturing wire in the shortest distance and the shortest time in spite of a simple structure.SOLUTION: A harmful animal capturing tool includes: a base having side walls erected around its periphery, and a step housed within a space surrounded by the side walls of the base; left and right semicircular arc-shaped wire holders whose base ends are pivotally supported in the left and right central portions of the step and which are urged to stand up by the step being used as a trigger; a coil spring interposed between the left and right wire guides; a capture wire surrounding the outer circumferential surfaces of the left and right wire guides when the wire holder is in a collapsed state; and a wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism that pulls the free end of the loop portion of the capture wire outward to bias the loop portion to reduce its diameter; wherein the coil spring has a coil-shaped spring body and locking portions provided on both sides of the spring body, and the coil spring is interposed between the left and right wire guides with the locking portions locked to the left and right wire guides.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pest trap.

[0002] Conventionally, pest traps are configured such that when a pest steps on a tread, the loop-shaped capture wire engaged with the tread detaches from the tread and then contracts in diameter, tightening the legs of the pest and capturing the pest. That is, the basic configuration of the pest trap consists of a tread and a mechanism that tightens the loop-shaped capture wire by operating the tread, and more specifically, the tread sinks into a base installed on the ground due to the weight of the legs of the pest standing on the tread, and as this sinking action occurs, the loop part of the capture wire rises, tightening and capturing the pest. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-023270 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when the leg of a pest steps on the footboard, the jumping up motion of the capture wire often causes the diameter of the loop to shrink and come into contact with the hoof of the pest's leg, and the pest senses something is wrong and instantly retracts its leg. This causes the loop to only capture the ankle of the leg, or not even to capture the whole leg, resulting in the so-called miss phenomenon. The reason for this is that the step is positioned high, and the moment the pest's leg steps on it, the high step starts to shorten the wire diameter, and the loop part of the wire shortens before it can jump up, so the pest's leg can only be captured as low as possible. In this state, there is a risk that the pest will retract its leg before the loop's catching action is complete, making it impossible to capture it reliably.

[0005] In this invention, as the footboard moves, the loop portion of the wire is not only urged to shrink but also springs upward due to the spring force of the shrinking spring, thereby reducing the diameter and capturing the upper part of the pest's leg as much as possible, thereby preventing the pest from sensing something unusual and instantly pulling up its leg, thereby improving the capturing efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention is characterized in that it is composed of a base with side walls erected around its periphery, a step stored in a space surrounded by the side walls of the base, left and right semicircular wire holders whose base ends are pivotally supported at the left and right centers of the step and which are forced to stand up when the step is used as a trigger, a capture wire that surrounds the outer semicircular surfaces of the left and right semicircular wire holders when they are in a laid-down position, and a wire contraction biasing mechanism that pulls outward the free ends of the loop portions of the wire surrounding the left and right wire holders and also forces the loop to contract in diameter.Furthermore, the coil spring that constitutes the wire contraction biasing mechanism is not compressed and stored in a cylindrical wire insertion pipe but is exposed to the atmosphere, and when the coil spring expands from compression when the wire contracts in conjunction with the step, the wire contraction position jumps to a high position due to the reaction of the spring stress when the spring expands, and the wire loop portion captures the highest possible position on the pest's leg.

[0007] A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that coil springs are installed between the arc-shaped wire holders on the left and right sides. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the trapping device is composed of a base with side walls erected around its periphery, a step stored in a space surrounded by the side walls of the base, left and right semicircular wire holders whose base ends are pivotally connected to the left and right central parts of the step and urged upright, loop portions of a capture wire surrounding the semicircular outer surfaces of the left and right semicircular wire holders when the left and right semicircular wire holders are in a laid-down state, and a wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism that pulls the base of the loop portion of the wire surrounding the left and right wire holders outward from the base and urges the loop to reduce in diameter.Therefore, the operation of the step triggers the wire loop portion to be pulled by the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism, thereby capturing the legs of a pest that has stepped on the step. In particular, in this invention, the coil spring that constitutes the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism is not compressed and stored inside the cylindrical wire insertion pipe, but is exposed to the atmosphere, so the wire that operates in conjunction with the footboard changes diameter. At this time, the coil spring naturally moves from compressed to expanded. As a result, the wire diameter reduction position jumps freely to a high position outside the wire insertion pipe due to the reaction of the spring stress when the spring expands, allowing the loop portion of the wire to capture the pest leg at the highest possible position. In this way, because the coil spring that constitutes the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism is not compressed and stored inside the cylindrical wire insertion pipe, but is exposed to the atmosphere, it can reliably capture the pest leg at the highest possible position, thereby improving the pest capture efficiency.

[0009] If the coil spring that constitutes the wire reduction mechanism were stored compressed inside a cylindrical wire insertion pipe as in the conventional case, the coil spring would naturally expand from compression when the wire that operates in conjunction with the pedal changes diameter and contracts, but the recoil of the spring stress when the spring expands would be restricted by the wire insertion pipe, and the spring recoil could not be freely expressed outside the wire insertion pipe.As a result, it would not be possible to expect the unexpected phenomenon of the wire reduction position freely jumping to a high position outside the wire insertion pipe due to the recoil of the spring stress when the spring expands.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the present invention, coil springs are attached to the left and right wire holders, so that when the pest leg steps on the tread from above and the pest trapping device begins its capturing action, the left and right wire holders move closer together due to the compressive stress of the coil springs, causing the loop portion of the wire to bounce up and capture as high a part of the pest leg as possible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a pest trap according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a base plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a wire holder according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the state before operation of the pest trapping unit in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a front view showing the state at the start of operation of the pest trapping unit in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a wire guide member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the internal structure of a wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism before activation in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism after activation in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a stopper function member before it is activated according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the stopper function member after it is activated according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a configuration in which coil springs of left and right wire holders are provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the wire holders in an embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a perspective view and FIG. 1B is a front view. [Figure 12]1A and 1B are diagrams showing a configuration in which coil springs of left and right wire holders are provided above the wire holders in an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 13] These are schematic side views showing the shape of a pest trapping device in an embodiment of the present invention before and after activation, where (a) is a view showing the state of the pest trapping device before activation, (b) is a view showing the state of the pest trapping device after activation has begun, and (c) is a view showing the state in which the pest's leg body has been captured. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The gist of this invention is that it comprises a base with side walls erected around its periphery, a step stored in the space surrounded by the side walls of the base, left and right semicircular wire holders whose base ends are pivotally supported at the left and right centers of the step and which are forced to stand up when the step is used as a trigger, a capture wire that surrounds the outer semicircular surfaces of the left and right semicircular wire holders when they are in a laid-down position, and a wire contraction biasing mechanism that pulls outward the free ends of the loop portions of the wire surrounding the left and right wire holders and also forces the loop portions to contract in diameter.Furthermore, the coil spring that constitutes the wire contraction biasing mechanism is not compressed and stored in a cylindrical spring case but is exposed to the atmosphere, and when the wire contracts in conjunction with the step and the coil spring expands from compression, the wire contraction position jumps to a high position due to the reaction of the spring stress when the spring expands, so that the loop portion of the wire captures the highest possible position on the pest's leg. Another feature is that coil springs are installed between the left and right wire holders.

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 12 are diagrams illustrating the components of a pest trap A of the present invention. Figure 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the pest trap A of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the pest trapping device A is composed of a capture wire 1 for tightening the pest leg body V, a pest trapping section 2 for raising the capture wire 1 to capture the pest leg body V, and a diameter reduction operating section 3 for reducing the diameter of the capture wire 1 of the pest trapping section 2.

[0015] The capture wire 1 is formed by twisting together multiple metal wires into a single wire, and has a ring-shaped loop portion 1a provided in the pest capture portion 2 and a wire free end portion 1b provided in the diameter reduction operating portion 3. By pulling the wire free end portion 1b in a direction away from the pest capture portion 2, the capture wire 1 can reduce the diameter of the ring-shaped loop portion 1a provided in the pest capture portion 2 and capture the pest leg body V.

[0016] The pest trapping unit 2 has a base 20 and a wire holder 21 placed on the base 20.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the base 20 is a hollow cylindrical body with a generally circular shape in a plan view, open at the top and bottom, and has a sidewall 200. The sidewall 200 is configured to have a height at least equal to or greater than the length from the tip of the hoof (the hoof point) to the base of the hoof (the corona) of the vermin leg V, or the length from the bottom of the leg to the ankle. For example, when capturing an even-toed ungulate such as a wild boar, the height of the sidewall 200 is configured to be equal to or greater than the length from the tip of the hoof (the hoof point) to the base of the hoof (the corona) of the vermin leg V. When capturing an animal without hooves such as a raccoon, the height of the sidewall 200 is configured to be equal to or greater than the height from the bottom of the pest's foot to the ankle. A wire holder 21 is placed on the top of the sidewall 200 configured in this manner.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, the wire holder 21 comprises a step 210 stored in a hollow space inside the side wall 200, brackets 211, 211 erected facing each other at the front and rear on the upper peripheral edge of the step 210, left and right wire guides 212, 212 which are semicircular arc-shaped wire holders whose base ends are pivotally supported on the front and rear brackets 211, 211, and coil springs 213, 213 mounted on the left and right wire guides 212, 212.

[0019] The step board 210 has a generally circular shape in plan view, a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall 200, and a thickness that is approximately 1 / 15 of the height of the side wall 200. This allows the step board 210 to descend along the inner peripheral surface 201 of the side wall 200.

[0020] The bracket 211 has a horizontal surface portion 211a placed and fixed on the step board 210, and a vertical surface portion 211b that bends and extends upward from either the front or rear end of the horizontal surface portion 211a, the end farthest from the center of the step board 210. Both the horizontal surface portion 211a and the vertical surface portion 211b are formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. The horizontal surface portion 211a and the vertical surface portion 211b form the bracket 211 in a generally L-shape when viewed from the side.

[0021] The horizontal surface portion 211a has fixing holes 211c, 211c near the corners toward the center of the tread 210. The horizontal surface portion 211a is fixed by inserting fixing means such as screws or bolts into the fixing holes 211c and screwing the tip end of the fixing means into the tread 210.

[0022] The vertical surface portion 211b has pivot portions 211d, 211d provided near the approximate center and bounce-prevention holes 211e, 211e provided near the left and right upper ends. The pivot portions 211d and the bounce-prevention holes 211e are both small circular holes that penetrate the vertical surface portion 211b from front to back.

[0023] A rotating shaft 211f made up of a bolt and nut is inserted into the pivot portion 211d. The pivot portion 211d rotatably supports the front and rear base ends of a wire guide 212 formed in a substantially U-shape via the rotating shaft 211f. When the trap is installed, a cylindrical anti-jump pin with approximately the same diameter as the anti-jump hole 211e is inserted into the anti-jump hole 211e. This allows the wire guide 212 to engage with the anti-jump pin during trap installation, thereby restricting inadvertent jumping. After the trap is installed, the anti-jump pin is removed from the anti-jump hole 211e to release the restriction on the rotation of the wire guide 212.

[0024] The wire guide 212 has front and rear base end pivot portions 212a, 212a rotatably connected to the pivot portion 211d, and a semicircular arc-shaped wire holding portion 212b connected to the other end of the base end pivot portion 212a. The wire guide 212 is formed into a roughly U-shape by the base end pivot portion 212a and the wire holding portion 212b. The left and right wire guides 212 are laid down on the left and right sides with their U-shaped openings facing each other. The wire guide 212 has a wire guide groove 212b1 drilled along an arc shape in the approximate center of the outer surface of the wire holding portion 212b. The capture wire 1 is loosely fitted into the wire guide groove 212b1. By loosely fitting the capture wire 1 into the wire guide groove 212b1 of the laid-down left and right wire guides 212, the capture wire 1 forms a loop portion 1a for capturing the pest leg V in the pest capture portion 2 when the trap is set.

[0025] Furthermore, a coil spring 213 is interposed between the opposing left and right wire guides 212, 212. The coil spring 213 is fixed in a stretched state to the inner circumferential surface of the wire guide 212 near the connection between the base end pivot portion 212a and the wire holding portion 212b by a fixing means such as a bolt. This allows the left and right wire guides 212, 212 to rotate upward about the pivot portion 211d due to the elastic force of the contraction of the coil spring 213 when the pest trap A is activated. In other words, the pest trap A can quickly lift the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 to near the upper part of the pest leg V by rotating the left and right wire guides 212, 212 upward due to the elastic force of the coil spring 213.

[0026] In addition, the tensile stress for reducing the diameter of the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 is generated by the elastic action of a coil spring 313 provided in the diameter reduction operating unit 3 described below. When the trap is set, the capture wire 1 is constantly biased by the coil spring 313 in a direction away from the pest capture unit 2. Therefore, the loop portion 1a is constantly in a tensioned state, trying to reduce its diameter due to the action of the coil spring 313.

[0027] As described above, the wire holder 21 raises or lowers the wire guide 212 by the elastic force of the coil spring 213 interposed between the left and right wire guides 212, 212 trying to contract, and the elastic force of the coil spring 313 of the diameter reduction operating unit 3, which will be described later, trying to expand. By bringing the left and right wire guides 212, 212 into a substantially horizontal position against the bias of the capture wire 1, the pest capture device A is ready for its trapping function.

[0028] The rotation direction of the wire guide 212 is determined by whether the wire holding portion 212b is located above or below the horizontal position of the rotating shaft 211f. That is, when the wire holding portion 212b is located below the horizontal position of the rotating shaft 211f, the radial contraction stress of the loop portion 1a and the elastic force of the coil spring 213 attempting to contract act to rotate the wire guide 212 downward. On the other hand, when the wire holding portion 212b is located above the horizontal position of the rotating shaft 211f, the radial contraction stress of the loop portion 1a and the elastic force of the coil spring 213 attempting to contract act to rotate the wire guide 212 upward.

[0029] The vertical displacement of the wire holding portion 212b changes in conjunction with the vertical displacement of the tread 210. The vertical displacement of the wire holding portion 212b relative to the rotating shaft body 211f will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0030] The step 210 and wire guide 212 are connected via a bracket 211, and when the step 210 sinks, the base end of the base end pivot portion 212a of the wire guide 212 sinks via the bracket 211. At this time, the wire holding portion 212b does not change its vertical position because its lower surface is in contact with the upper surface of the side wall 200. This allows the wire holding portion 212b to be displaced vertically relative to the horizontal position of the rotating shaft 211f.

[0031] As described above, when the tread 210 is lowered by the pest leg V, the left and right wire guides 212, 212 change shape from a generally V-shaped state in a front view, in which the base end pivot portion 212a is inclined downward from the wire holding portion 212b, to a generally inverted V-shaped state in a front view, in which the base end pivot portion 212a is inclined upward from the wire holding portion 212b, and the wire holding portion 212b is brought closer by the elastic force of the coil spring 213 as it tries to contract, thereby allowing the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 to bounce up to a position above the pest leg V. At this time, the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 is displaced upward while being contracted by the diameter contraction operating portion 3. Before pest trap A is activated, upward rotation of wire guide 212 is restricted by a jump-up prevention pin inserted into jump-up prevention hole 211e. Downward rotation of wire guide 212 is restricted by downward rotation restriction pin 211g provided on vertical surface portion 211b. As a result, the left and right wire guides 212 are maintained in a substantially horizontal position when the trap is set, preventing accidental activation of pest trap A.

[0032] As described above, in this embodiment, the coil spring 213 is disposed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the left and right wire guides 212, 212, but the fixing location of the coil spring 213 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the coil spring 213 may be disposed on the outer peripheral surfaces or upper portions of the left and right wire guides 212, 212.

[0033] When the coil spring 213 is mounted on the outer peripheral surfaces of the left and right wire guides 212, 212, as shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), the wire guide 212 has an engagement pin 214 that protrudes outward from the wire guide 212 near the connection between the base-end pivot portion 212a and the wire holding portion 212b. The left and right wire guides 212, 212 have the coil spring 213 mounted between the engagement pins 214, 214. When the pest trap A is in an installed state, the coil spring 213 is provided below the front cap body 310 of the diameter-reducing operating unit 3, which will be described later. With the wire holding body 21 configured in this manner, when the pest leg body V presses the tread 210 so as to displace it downward, the coil spring 213 mounted on the engagement pins 214, 214 of the left and right wire guides 212, 212 rises relative to the pivot shaft 211f of the wire guide 212 as the tread 210 sinks. As a result, the coil spring 213 presses the lower surface of the front cap body 310 upward. Therefore, by installing a coil spring 213 on the outer peripheral surfaces of the left and right wire guides 212, 212, when the pest trapping device A is activated, the coil spring 213 can press the front cap body 310 in the direction of raising the loop portion 1a, thereby assisting the raising operation of the wire guide 212 and increasing the rotational speed of the wire holding portion 212b.

[0034] 12(a) and 12(b), when the coil spring 213 is installed above the left and right wire guides 212, 212, the wire guide 212 has an engagement pin 215 that protrudes upward near the connection between the base end pivot portion 212a and the wire holding portion 212b. The left and right ends of the coil spring 213 are locked to the engagement pins 215 that protrude from the left and right wire guides 212, respectively.

[0035] Therefore, by engaging the left and right ends of the coil spring 213 with the engagement pins 215 provided on the left and right wire guides 212, 212, respectively, and transforming the left and right wire guides 212, 212 into a "V" shape, a spring force is generated in the left and right wire guides 212 by the coil spring 213 that tends to rotate the wire holding portion 212b of the wire guide 212 upward around the rotating shaft 211f.

[0036] When the coil spring 213 is installed on top of the left and right wire guides 212, 212 in this manner, when the trap of the pest capture device A is set up, a biasing force is generated in the wire guide 212 by the coil spring 213 to rotate the wire holding portion 212b upward, and a biasing force is generated in the wire guide 212 to rotate the wire holding portion 212b downward due to the diameter reduction action of the loop portion 1a by the coil spring 313 of the diameter reduction operating portion 3 described later.

[0037] At this time, the wire guide 212 is fixed in an approximately horizontal position because the force of the coil spring 313 that tries to rotate the wire holding portion 212b downward is greater than the force of the coil spring 213 that tries to rotate the wire holding portion 212b upward. In this way, by attaching the coil spring 213 to the upper part of the wire guide 212, a biasing force is generated that always tends to rotate the wire guide 212 upward, making it easier for the wire guide 212 to rotate after the trap is activated when the trap of the pest trapping device A is activated.

[0038] In this way, the coil spring 213 may be configured in any way as long as the contraction action of the coil spring 213 stretched between the left and right wire guides 212, 212 assists in the upward rotation of the wire holding portions 212b of the left and right wire guides 212, 212.

[0039] The diameter reduction operating unit 3 has a wire guide member 30 that determines the pulling direction of the capture wire 1 when the loop portion 1a is reduced in diameter, a wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31 provided at the rear of the wire guide member 30, and a stopper function member 32 connected to the rear end of the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31.

[0040] 6, the wire guide member 30 has a wire fixing portion 300 that fixes the tip of the capture wire 1, and a wire insertion portion 301 that determines the pulling direction of the capture wire 1. The wire fixing portion 300 and the wire insertion portion 301 are formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular plate. The wire guide member 30 is formed in a substantially V-shape when viewed from above by the wire fixing portion 300 and the wire insertion portion 301. The wire-fixing part 300 has a fixing hole drilled in its approximate center, the fixing hole having approximately the same diameter as the capture wire 1. The tip of the capture wire 1 is inserted into the fixing hole of the wire-fixing part 300, and then a fixing member having a larger diameter than the hole diameter of the fixing hole is crimped onto the tip after insertion, thereby fixing the capture wire 1 to the wire-fixing part 300. The wire insertion section 301 has a guide hole 302 penetrating from front to back at the approximate center. The other end of the capture wire 1 is inserted through the guide hole 302 into the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31.

[0041] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31 has a front cap body 310 connected to the rear surface of the wire guide member 30, a wire insertion pipe 311 provided at a certain distance behind the front cap body 310, a rear cap body 312 provided at the rear end of the wire insertion pipe 311, a coil spring 313 partially housed in the wire insertion pipe 311 and sandwiched in a compressed state between the front and rear cap bodies 310, 312, and a stopper function member 32 connected to the rear surface of the rear cap body 312.

[0042] The front cap body 310 has a front surface portion 310a and a side wall surface portion 310b that bends and extends rearward from the peripheral edge of the front surface portion 310a. The front cap body 310 is formed into a generally cap-like shape by the front surface portion 310a and the side wall surface portion 310b. The front surface portion 310a has an insertion hole portion 310c in the center for inserting the capture wire 1. The front cap body 310 houses the front portion of a coil spring 313 (described later), and the front end of the coil spring 313 abuts against the back surface of the front surface portion 310a.

[0043] The wire insertion pipe 311 is a hollow cylindrical body that is open at the front and rear. The rear end of the wire insertion pipe 311 is surrounded by a rear cap body 312, and the rear opening 311a is closed by the rear cap body 312.

[0044] The rear cap body 312 has a rear surface portion 312a and a side wall surface portion 312b that is bent and extends forward from the peripheral edge of the rear surface portion 312a. The rear cap body 312 is formed into a substantially cap-like shape by the rear surface portion 312a and the side wall surface portion 312b. The rear surface portion 312a has a wire insertion hole portion 312c in the center, through which the capture wire 1 is inserted. The side wall surface portion 312b has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the wire insertion pipe 311. As a result, the rear end portion of the wire insertion pipe 311 is surrounded by the rear cap body 312, and the rear opening portion 311a is closed by the rear surface portion 312a of the rear cap body 312. The wire insertion pipe 311 configured in this manner houses the rear portion of the coil spring 313.

[0045] 7, before pest trap A is activated, coil spring 313 is pressed by front surface 310a of front cap body 310 and rear surface 312a of rear cap body 312 and is installed in a compressed state. Coil spring 313 has front storage portion 313a stored in front cap body 310, rear storage portion 313c stored in wire insertion pipe 311 and rear cap body 312, and exposed portion 313b exposed to the atmosphere.

[0046] The coil spring 313 has a front storage portion 313a, a rear storage portion 313c, and an exposed portion 313b, all of which are configured to have the same outer diameter. The outer diameter of the coil spring 313 is smaller than the inner diameter of the front cap body 310, the inner diameter of the wire insertion pipe 311, and the rear cap body 312. This allows the coil spring 313 to expand without interfering with the inner wall surface of the wire insertion pipe 311 when the pest trap A is activated. In other words, the coil spring 313 can expand without the risk of its elastic force being hindered by the inner wall surface of the wire insertion pipe 311, and the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 can be reduced in diameter as quickly as possible.

[0047] Furthermore, when the pest trapping device A is in the trap installation state, the coil spring 313 has an exposed portion 313b between the front cap body 310 and the wire insertion pipe 311. As a result, when the tread 210 is pressed downward by the pest leg body V and sinks within the side wall 200, and the wire guide 212 begins to bounce up, the exposed portion 313b exposed from the front end of the wire insertion pipe 311 begins to rise in response to the rising movement of the loop portion 1a of the trapping wire 1. In this way, by separating the front end of the wire insertion pipe 311 from the rear end of the front cap body 310 and forming an exposed portion 313b on the coil spring 313, the front portion of the coil spring 313 can move upward in conjunction with the bouncing action of the wire guide 212, and the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 can be easily bounced up to the upper position of the pest leg body V.

[0048] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the stopper function member 32 is composed of an outer tube 320 having a tapered inner peripheral wall surface 320a connected to the rear surface of the rear cap body 312, an inner tube 321 housed in the outer tube 320, and a spring 322 housed in the outer tube 320 and biasing the inner tube 321 forward.

[0049] The outer cylinder 320 is a hollow cylinder with closed front and rear ends. The front and rear surfaces of the outer cylinder 320 are provided with insertion holes 320b, 320c having approximately the same diameter as the capture wire 1. The outer cylinder 320 also has a tapered portion 320d on the front side of the inner peripheral wall surface 320a, the diameter of which gradually narrows towards the front end. An inner cylinder 321 is provided near the tapered portion 320d.

[0050] The inner tube 321 is a hollow cylinder with open front and rear ends, and has a ball insertion hole 321a on its circumferential surface. A ball 321b is loosely fitted into the ball insertion hole 321a. A spring 322 is disposed at the rear of the inner tube 321. The inner tube 321 is biased forward by the spring 322 inside the outer tube 320. That is, the inner tube 321 is constantly biased toward the tapered portion 320d of the outer tube 320 by the spring 322.

[0051] The operation of the one-way flow restriction by the stopper function member 32 configured as above will now be described. When the capture wire 1 is pulled toward the tapered diameter-reducing side (upper side in Figure 9), the stopper function member 32 causes the ball 321b loosely fitted in the ball insertion hole 321a to come into contact with the tapered portion 320d of the outer tube 320 and displace toward the center of the inner tube 321, pressing and fixing the wire free end 1b, and forming a state in which the wire free end 1b and the stopper function member 32 are integrally immobile.

[0052] In this way, in the pest trapping device A, by providing the stopper function member 32, the wire diameter reduction driving mechanism 31 can reduce the diameter of the loop portion 1a and prevent the reduced diameter loop portion 1a from loosening, thereby enabling the pest leg body V to be securely captured.

[0053] When the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 is surrounded by the wire guide groove 212b1 and capture preparation is complete, the coil spring 313 is compressed to its maximum extent and stores its tension biasing force, with a portion of it (rear storage portion 313c) stored in the wire insertion pipe 311 of the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31, as shown in Figure 7. The compressed coil spring 313 is maintained in a fixed state with the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1. That is, the capture wire 1 is fixed in an immobile state by a portion of the free wire end 1b being fixed by the stopper function member 32, and the loop portion 1a at the other end being engaged with the wire guide groove 212b1. Therefore, the compressed coil spring 313 cannot release its tension biasing force and remains stored in its compressed state.

[0054] In this state, when the tread 210 is stepped on and sinks inside the side wall 200, causing the wire guide 212 to stand up, the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 disengages from the wire guide 212, and the loop state is no longer maintained. The coil spring 313, which had been compressed and stored inside the wire insertion pipe 311, is released from compression and stretches in the elastic direction. At this time, the coil spring 313 presses the front cap body 310 and the rear cap body 312, displacing them in the front and rear directions, causing the loop portion 1a to contract in diameter. In this way, the expanding biasing action of the coil spring 313 causes the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 to contract in diameter, thereby achieving the function of binding the pest leg V.

[0055] The coil spring 313 constituting the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31 is partially exposed from inside the cylindrical wire insertion pipe 311, and when the restriction on the compressed state is released, the coil spring 313 naturally expands from the compressed state. As a result, the wire diameter reduction position jumps freely to a high position in the atmosphere due to the reaction of the spring stress when the spring expands, and the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 can capture the pest leg V at the highest possible position. In this way, because the coil spring 313 constituting the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31 is exposed to the atmosphere without being partially retracted from the cylindrical wire insertion pipe 311, the pest leg V can be reliably captured at the highest possible position, which has the effect of improving the capture efficiency of the pest leg V.

[0056] If the coil spring 313 constituting the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31 were compressed and stored inside the cylindrical wire insertion pipe 311 as in the conventional case, the coil spring 313 would naturally expand from compressed when the capture wire 1, which operates in conjunction with the footboard 210, changes diameter and shrinks, but the recoil of the spring stress when the spring expands would be restricted by the wire insertion pipe 311 and the recoil of the coil spring 313 would not be able to freely manifest in the atmosphere, and as a result, it would not be possible to expect the unexpected phenomenon of the wire diameter reduction position freely jumping to a high position in the atmosphere due to the recoil of the spring stress when the spring expands.

[0057] Furthermore, the height of the side walls 200 of the base 20 is set to at least the length from the tip of the hoof (toe) to the base of the hoof (coronary crown) of the pest leg V, or the height from the sole of the pest's foot to the ankle of the pest leg. By setting the height of the side walls 200 of the base 20 to a fixed, specified height, the pest leg V can be reliably captured. In other words, by increasing the sinking allowance (height of the side walls 200) for the tread 210 to sink into the base 20 when the pest leg V steps on it, the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 is configured to have a reduced diameter as high as possible above the pest leg V.

[0058] [Function of pest trap A] The pest trap A configured in this manner functions as follows: When a pest leg V steps on the tread 210 of the pest trapping section 2, the loop restriction of the loop portion 1a of the trapping wire 1 is released, the trapping wire 1 is pulled by the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31, and the loop portion 1a reduces in diameter, thereby capturing the pest leg V. The action and function will be explained below in chronological order with reference to Figure 13. The chronological order is made up of six stages (i) to (vi), which will be explained chronologically. Figure 13(a) shows the state before the pest trap A is activated, Figure 13(b) shows the operating state of the pest trap A immediately after it is activated, and Figure 13(c) shows the state after the pest leg V has been captured by the pest trap A.

[0059] (i) The step 210 that engages with the side wall 200 of the base 20 is displaced downward along the inner peripheral surface 201 of the side wall 200 when the pest leg V steps on the step 210 from above.

[0060] (ii) As the tread 210 moves downward, the semicircular arc-shaped wire holding portion 212b of the wire guide 212 moves upward from the horizontal position of the pivot portion 211d.

[0061] (iii) The wire guide 212 is displaced into an upright position by the radial contraction stress of the loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 and the elastic force of the coil spring 213 stretched across the wire guide 212 as it tries to contract.

[0062] (iv) The loop portion 1a of the capture wire 1 is guided to a position above the pest leg V as the wire guide 212 moves to an upright position, and is released from the wire guide groove 212b1, thereby releasing the restriction on the diameter reduction. At this time, the coil spring 313 is displaced upward from the exposed portion 313b near the front end of the wire insertion pipe 311, and the elastic force of the exposed portion 313b and the front storage portion 313a acts diagonally upward and forward. As a result, the front cap body 310 moves diagonally upward and forward, reducing the diameter of the loop portion 1a.

[0063] (v) In the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31, the compressed coil spring 313 stored in the wire insertion pipe 311 expands, moving the wire guide member 30 and the front cap body 310 toward the loop portion 1a, and also reducing the diameter of the loop portion 1a by moving the free wire end 1b of the capture wire 1 in a direction away from the loop portion 1a via the stopper function member 32.

[0064] (vi) The loop portion 1a, from which the diameter reduction restriction has been released, is contracted by the wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism 31. In other words, the loop portion 1a contracts in diameter while moving toward the upper position of the pest leg body V due to the jumping up action of the wire guide 212, thereby capturing the pest leg body V.

[0065] By adopting the above-described configuration, the pest capture device A can reliably capture the pest by jumping up the capture wire 1 to the upper position of the pest's leg body V in the shortest distance and in the shortest time, thereby performing a diameter reduction operation.

[0066] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but also includes configurations in which the components disclosed in the above-described embodiments are substituted with each other or the combinations are changed, known inventions, and configurations in which the components disclosed in the above-described embodiments are substituted with each other or the combinations are changed, etc. Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but extends to the matters set forth in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 Capture wire 1a Loop section 1b Free end of wire 2. Pest Capture Department 20 PCB 200 side wall 201 Inner surface 21 Wire holder 210 Treadboard 211 Bracket 211a Horizontal part 211b Vertical surface 211c Fixing hole 211d Cardinal Branch 211e Anti-jump hole 211f Rotating shaft 212 Wire Guide 212a Proximal pivot 212b Wire holding part 212b1 wire guide groove 213 Coil Spring 214,215 Engagement pin 3. Reducing diameter operating part 30 Wire guide member 300 Wire fixing part 301 Wire insertion part 302 Guide hole 31 Wire reduction biasing mechanism 310 Front cap body 310a front part 310b Side wall section 310c Insertion hole 311 Wire insertion pipe 311a Rear opening 312 Rear cap body 312a Rear section 312b Side wall section 312c Wire insertion hole 313 Coil Spring 313a Front storage area 313b Exposed part 313c Rear storage area 32 Stopper function member 320 outer cylinder 320a Inner wall surface 320b Insertion hole portion 320c Insertion hole 320d tapered section 321 Inner cylinder 321a Ball insertion hole 321b Ball 322 Spring A. Pest trapping equipment V Vermin Legs

Claims

[Claim 1] A foundation with side walls erected around the perimeter, a step board housed in a space surrounded by the side wall of the base; a wire holder having left and right wire guides whose base ends are pivotally supported at the left and right central portions of the step and which are urged to rise using the step as a trigger; a coil spring interposed between the left and right wire guides; a capture wire surrounding the outer peripheral surfaces of the left and right wire guides when the wire holder is in a laid-down state; a wire diameter reduction biasing mechanism that pulls the free end of the loop portion of the capture wire outward to bias the loop portion to reduce its diameter; The coil spring This pest trapping device has a coil-shaped spring main body and locking parts provided on both sides of the spring main body, and is interposed between the left and right wire guides with each locking part locked to the left and right wire guides.

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