Rear Bait Access Cover for Live Cage Traps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cage traps face difficulty in baiting due to the need to reach through the entry door to place bait at the rearward end, which is cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A multi-use bait apparatus with a base plate and hinged cover system that allows baiting from the rear end of the trap, featuring a cutout in the rear wall aligned with the wire mesh opening, enabling easy access and secure closure, and optionally includes a removable receptacle with apertured walls for odor dispersal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the trap is made long to accommodate target animals, then the animal can be fully contained within the trap, but the user cannot easily reach through the entry door to place bait at the rearward end
Solution Approach 1:
The rear wall is segmented to include a cutout opening that provides a separate access path for bait placement, independent of the entry door. This allows the trap to maintain its full length for animal containment while providing a dedicated access point for the user to place bait without reaching through the entry door.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutout in the rear wall serves as an intermediary access point between the user and the bait placement area. Instead of reaching through the entry door from the front, the user can access the rearward end through the cutout, eliminating the need for long arm extension through the trap interior.
2Ease of operation
If a bait door is added to the rearward end to facilitate baiting, then access for placing bait is improved, but the structural complexity of the trap increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bait access function is merged with the existing rear wall structure through the cutout opening. Rather than adding a separate complex bait door mechanism, the solution integrates the access point directly into the rear wall, combining structural support and bait access functions into a single simple element.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex bait door mechanism is extracted and replaced with a simple cutout opening in the rear wall. This removes unnecessary structural complexity while retaining the essential function of providing access for bait placement. The cutout is a minimalistic solution that achieves the goal without adding significant structural elements.
3Reliability
If the entry door is kept closed to secure the animal, then the animal cannot escape, but the user cannot access the interior to place bait
Solution Approach 1:
The access system is segmented into two independent paths: the entry door for animal access and the rear wall cutout for bait placement. This allows the entry door to remain closed for secure animal containment while the cutout provides a separate access channel for bait placement without compromising the containment function.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear wall cutout acts as an intermediary access mechanism that does not interfere with the entry door's containment function. It provides a dedicated pathway for bait placement that operates independently of the entry door system, allowing both functions to coexist without conflict.
Data Source
AI summary
A live catch animal cage trap having a multi-use bait apparatus in a rear end of the trap is provided. The bait apparatus includes a base plate secured to the rear end of the trap and a cover. The base plate has a cutout that is operative with an opening in the wire mesh of the trap rear end to enable the user to reach into the trap interior through the aligned cutout and opening, while the cover closes the cutout and opening for use. The bait apparatus preferably also includes a removable receptacle having a side wall, an apertured front wall, and an open back. With the side wall and front wall being inserted through the cutout and opening, bait is placed into the receptacle through the open back which is then blocked by closing the cover to enclose the bait while allowing the scent thereof to escape through the apertured front wall to attract a target animal to be trapped. The cover may be further provided with apertures to increase bait odor dissemination.