Body Gripping Animal Trap With Stabilizing Post And Selective Gates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current body gripping kill-traps are unstable and prone to accidental triggering, and they fail to discriminate between target and non-target species, often resulting in ineffective or inhumane kills, with non-target animals potentially springing the trap and causing injury.
Innovation Solution
A tubular housing with a trapping mechanism that includes a single-spring or dual-spring system with a post for stability, a bait tray for easy baiting without resetting, and gates to prevent non-target access, ensuring the trap remains secure and humane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a body gripping kill-trap is designed to be compact and lightweight, then portability is improved, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is divided into separate functional components: a stable housing structure, removable jaws, and independent spring mechanism. This segmentation allows the housing to provide stability while the jaws remain lightweight and removable for cleaning or replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
A housing structure serves as an intermediary between the trap mechanism and the environment. The housing provides a stable platform that prevents accidental triggering while allowing the lightweight trap mechanism to operate effectively within the confined space.
2Device complexity
If the trap is designed to be self-supporting without exterior structure, then device complexity is reduced, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is segmented into a stable housing component and a movable trap mechanism. The housing provides structural support and stability, while the trap mechanism itself remains relatively simple and self-supporting within the housing confines.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing acts as an intermediary structure that provides stability without significantly increasing the overall complexity of the trap. It mediates between the need for stability and the desire for a simple, self-supporting trap mechanism.
3Reliability
If the trap is sized for small rodents, then effectiveness for target species is improved, but harm to non-target species increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trap mechanism is designed with specific local characteristics suitable for small rodents, while the housing can be configured to prevent access by larger non-target animals. The jaws, trigger mechanism, and housing dimensions are optimized for the target species while creating a barrier against unintended animals.
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 improved trap design enhances stability and discrimination, ensuring quick and humane kills by maintaining the trap's position and preventing non-target animals from triggering it, thus improving the reliability and effectiveness of the trapping mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring with arms that connect to the jaws and bias them into the sprung position
Implementation Method 2
a post that allows the jaws to rotate as intended but maintains them in place within the housing with a fastener
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is an improved body gripping style animal trap and corresponding housing. The trapping mechanism operates in the same fashion as a single-spring body gripping style trap with a pair of corresponding jaws, trigger mechanism made from a trigger and dog and a peripheral spring that biases the set jaws into the sprung position, thereby gripping and killing the animal within the housing. Opposite from the spring the improved trap incorporates a post that allows the jaws to rotate as intended but maintains them in place within the housing with a fastener.