Rebaitable Rodent Bait Station With Combination Lock Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rodent bait stations fail to effectively prevent access by non-targeted species, pets, and children while allowing for re-baiting in high infestation situations.
Innovation Solution
A re-baitable bait station constructed from three injection molded parts, including a base, cover, and removable bait receptacle, with a combination lock mechanism that requires simultaneous actions to remove the receptacle, ensuring resistance to children, pets, and non-target wildlife while allowing adult access for re-baiting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a disposable bait station with locked components is used, then protection from non-targeted species and children is improved, but re-baiting capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The bait station is divided into separate functional components: a stationary base with protective features and a removable receptacle for the bait. This segmentation allows the protective structure to remain intact while enabling easy replacement of the bait through the removable receptacle, resolving the contradiction between protection and re-baiting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable receptacle serves as an intermediary component between the protective base and the bait. This mediator allows adults to access and replace bait without compromising the protective barriers, while still preventing access by children and non-targeted species through the locked base structure.
2Reliability
If a combination lock mechanism is added to prevent unauthorized removal, then protection from children and pets is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism uses resilient (flexible) fingers that can dynamically change state between locked and unlocked positions. These fingers automatically engage to prevent removal and can be deliberately actuated to release, providing secure protection without requiring complex mechanical locks or keys.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient locking fingers automatically engage and disengage based on the insertion and removal of the receptacle, without requiring external keys or complex actuation mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the receptacle's presence or absence to control the locking state, simplifying the overall mechanism while maintaining security.
3Strength
If the bait receptacle is made resistant to chewing and gnawing, then protection from pets is improved, but ease of removal for re-baiting may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle is segmented into a rigid body for resistance to chewing and flexible resilient fingers for easy removal. This segmentation allows different parts of the same component to have different mechanical properties, simultaneously achieving both protection and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient fingers change their mechanical state from engaged (locked) to disengaged (unlocked) when actuated, allowing the receptacle to transition from a secure, chew-resistant state to an easily removable state. This parameter change enables the same structure to provide both protection and ease of operation under different conditions.
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 solution effectively retains the bait, prevents unauthorized access, and allows for visual inspection while enabling easy re-baiting, enhancing the station's resistance to tampering by children and pets while maintaining rodent attraction.
Implementation Method 1
The bait receptacle has resilient latch fingers on either side of the receptacle peripheral wall which engage corresponding surfaces within the bait station to lock the bait receptacle within the bait station. Removal of the bait receptacle is effected by squeezing extensions of the fingers which extend up along the sides of the receptacle
Implementation Method 2
The bait station incorporates a key or combination lock consisting of a locking resilient finger which extends downwardly from the center of the cover to engage a flange which extends from one of the resilient fingers on the side of the bait receptacle. The locking finger locks to one of the latching fingers when the latch finger is deflected to release the bait receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
A rodent bait station has a plastic base with a bottom opening which receives a removable bait receptacle which is engaged by two resilient fingers to the base, and secured by a downward projection from the lid, which offers a child-resistant latch, such that the bait receptacle can only be removed for rebaiting by simultaneously deflecting the downward projection and the two fingers while extracting the receptacle.