Low-friction trap mat prevents animal escape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current animal traps often fail to capture quick-moving animals like mice and rats because they cannot close fast enough, resulting in the animals escaping before being caught.
Innovation Solution
An animal trap mat with a thin sheet of material having an opening that closely circumscribes the trigger mechanism of a pre-existing animal trap, featuring a low-friction surface that causes the animal to slide and slip when trying to flee, preventing escape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pre-existing animal trap is used without modification, then the trap structure is simple, but the animal can escape because the trap closes slower than the animal's reflex speed
Solution Approach 1:
A thin membrane with a circular opening is introduced as an intermediary component between the animal and the trigger mechanism. The membrane covers the trap base and has an opening that exposes only the trigger mechanism, allowing the animal to access the trigger while preventing escape after the trap activates.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible thin membrane is used to cover the trap base. The membrane is dimensioned to substantially cover the trap base while having a circular opening that exposes the trigger mechanism, creating a barrier that prevents animal escape while allowing trigger access.
2Reliability
If the trap mat covers the entire base, then animal escape is prevented, but the trigger mechanism becomes inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane has a localized opening (circular aperture) that exposes only the specific area where the trigger mechanism is located. This allows the trigger to remain accessible while the rest of the base is covered by the membrane to prevent escape.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is designed with a segmented structure - a continuous covering surface with a distinct circular opening portion. This segmentation allows different regions of the membrane to serve different functions: the covered areas prevent escape while the opening area allows trigger access.
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
Enhances the reliability of animal traps by preventing animals from escaping, ensuring they are caught by the trap, and allowing for easy disposal of the caught animal.
Implementation Method 1
the thin sheet of material is dimensioned to at least substantially cover the base... featuring a low-friction surface that causes the animal to slide and slip when trying to flee
Data Source
AI summary
An animal trap system that improves the reliability of a pre-existing animal trap is provided. The animal trap system may include a thin membrane forming an opening, wherein the opening is dimensioned to at least partially circumscribe a trigger mechanism of the pre-existing animal trap, while a remaining portion of the trap mat overlays a substantial portion of a supporting surface and/or base of the pre-existing animal trap where the animal may be dispose when setting off the trigger mechanism. The underlying surface of the trap mat may have a relatively low friction coefficient so as to cause a fleeing animal to slide and or slip along the supporting surface and/or base.