Animal Trap with Segmented Trigger and Intermediary Setting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal traps with spring-loaded triggers are difficult to set due to the large biasing force required to effectively hold an animal's paw or lower leg, making them challenging to activate and use effectively.
Innovation Solution
An animal trap design featuring an enclosure body with a set dog, trigger, setting member, and biasing member that allows for easy setting and activation, using a cylindrical enclosure with offset bars and a semi-circular offset bar to retain the animal's paw, and a mechanism where the setting member engages with the latch to disengage the trigger, allowing the restraint to move and hold the animal's leg in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring-loaded trigger is used to hold the animal's paw or lower leg, then the animal is effectively restrained, but the trap becomes very difficult to set due to the large biasing force required
Solution Approach 1:
The trap mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a biasing member (spring) that provides restraining force, a trigger assembly that controls activation, and a setting member that facilitates easy arming. This segmentation allows the spring to be pre-loaded with high force while the trigger and setting mechanisms reduce the effort needed to set and activate the trap.
Solution Approach 2:
A setting member acts as an intermediary between the user and the trigger mechanism. This setting member can be used to manually move the trigger to the set position without requiring the user to directly overcome the full biasing force of the spring, thereby mediating the interaction and reducing the effort required to set the trap.
2Strength
If a large biasing force is applied by the spring to hold the animal, then the animal cannot release itself, but the trap requires significant effort to set
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger assembly is designed to be dynamic and movable, allowing it to be easily positioned in the set state by the setting member. The trigger can pivot or move along a path that allows it to engage with the latch at different positions, enabling the trap to be set with minimal force while maintaining strong holding capability when activated.
Solution Approach 2:
The setting member enables preliminary action by manually positioning the trigger in the set position before activation. This preliminary positioning allows the user to prepare the trap without overcoming the full spring force, as the setting member does the work of moving the trigger against the spring bias during the setting phase.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The trap is easier to set and activate, allowing for effective trapping of animals with reduced effort, as the user can use hands or the ground for leverage, and the trap can be triggered in either upward or downward motion, increasing its effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
A spring biases the retainer against the paw or lower leg with enough force to retain the animal until the trapper releases the animal
Implementation Method 2
a biasing member which biases a portion of the setting member away from the enclosure body and biases the restraint toward the first side of the enclosure body
Data Source
AI summary
An animal trap having an enclosure body, a restraint, and a latching and triggering mechanism is provided. A method of using this animal trap is also provided.