Guillotine Mouse Trap Housing for Sanitary Rodent Disposal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for capturing and killing rodents, such as mice, are unsightly, unsanitary, and pose risks to humans and pets due to exposure to dead rodents and potential injury or poisoning, with existing traps being complex, costly, and not easily disposable.
Innovation Solution
A mouse trap with a housing, guillotine mechanism, and spring element that conceals the rodent's body and allows for easy disposal, made of durable plastic with a simple construction and no electrical parts, ensuring safety and reusability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a spring operated mechanism is used to kill the rodent instantly, then the killing efficiency is improved, but the trap becomes dangerous and may injure children or family pets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guillotine mechanism as an intermediary between the trigger and the rodent. Instead of direct spring-operated snapping closure that exposes users to dead rodents and injury risks, the guillotine acts as a mediator that delivers the killing action from within the enclosed housing, separating the user from the harmful elements while maintaining killing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable housing that contains the rodent and guillotine mechanism. After use, the entire housing is discarded, eliminating the need to clean or dispose of dead rodents manually. This disposable approach reduces injury risks and sanitary issues while maintaining effective rodent control.
2Ease of manufacture
If the trap is made reusable and durable, then the cost-effectiveness is improved, but the construction becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the trap into distinct functional segments: a reusable housing, a removable guillotine mechanism, and a trigger assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the housing for durability and reuse, while maintaining relatively simple construction through modular design that reduces overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it protects the guillotine mechanism, contains the rodent after capture, provides structural support, and facilitates easy disposal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying the overall construction while maintaining reusability and cost-effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If the housing is made small in size, then the ease of disposal is improved, but the enclosure space for the rodent is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guillotine mechanism acts as an intermediary that quickly kills the rodent upon contact, reducing the time the rodent occupies the enclosure space. This allows the housing to be compact while still providing adequate space for the rodent before death, as the killing action occurs rapidly upon entry or movement within the confined space.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable housing design prioritizes ease of disposal over maximum enclosure space. The compact size facilitates easy removal and disposal of the entire unit after use, while the enclosed space is sufficient for the rodent's brief presence before the guillotine mechanism activates, balancing convenience with functional requirements.
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 efficiently kills rodents without exposing users to risk, is easy to set and use, and can be reused in both indoor and outdoor environments, providing a cost-effective and sanitary solution for rodent control.
Implementation Method 1
The spring is operatively coupled between the housing and the guillotine member and biases the guillotine member to move rapidly to a lowered position adjacent the floor when the guillotine member becomes disengaged from the catch through movement of the lever by a rodent inside the housing enclosure
Data Source
AI summary
A mouse trap having a guillotine killing mechanism is provided. The trap includes a housing with a door, a guillotine positioned to extend at least partly into an interior of said housing, a trigger mechanism including a lever and catch to hold the guillotine in a raised position to set the trap, and a spring for biasing the guillotine to a lowered killing position when the trigger mechanism is activated to release the guillotine from the raised position.