Spring-Loaded Rodent Trap With Conductive Leak Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring-loaded strike traps for small animals are cumbersome to handle, require complex assembly, and are prone to faulty triggering, especially when catching small rodents, and lack functionality for monitoring and notifying fluid leaks.
Innovation Solution
A spring-loaded strike trap with modular components and indicators made of flexible conductive materials, allowing for reliable detection and notification of fluid presence, and preventing faulty triggering by ensuring contact with indicators only when a predetermined size rodent is caught.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the trap uses a complex structure with many cooperating parts to achieve reliable rodent detection, then the trapping functionality is improved, but the device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is divided into separate functional modules: a trigger module with trigger plate and trigger, a striking module with striker bar and spring, and an indicator module with ready indicator and firing indicator. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while simplifying assembly and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The indicators serve multiple functions: they indicate trap status (ready/fired), detect rodent presence through contact, and trigger the striking mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sensors and control components.
2Reliability
If the trap uses a complex structure with many cooperating parts to achieve reliable rodent detection, then the trapping functionality is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is divided into separate functional modules: a trigger module with trigger plate and trigger, a striking module with striker bar and spring, and an indicator module with ready indicator and firing indicator. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while simplifying assembly and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The trap automatically resets after triggering: the spring returns the striker bar to its initial position, and the indicators automatically revert to their ready states. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual resetting operations.
3Measurement precision
If the trap is designed to detect small rodents accurately, then the measurement precision is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to unwanted triggering
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger plate and firing indicator are positioned and dimensioned to create a specific contact geometry that matches the size and shape of target rodents. This local quality optimization ensures that only rodents of appropriate size can simultaneously engage the trigger and reach the firing indicator, preventing false triggers from smaller animals.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger plate acts as an intermediary element between the rodent and the firing mechanism. It translates the rodent's interaction into a controlled trigger activation, ensuring that only proper engagement results in firing while filtering out incidental contacts from smaller animals.
4Adaptability or versatility
If additional sensors are added to monitor fluid leaks, then the monitoring capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing indicator components (ready indicator and firing indicator) are made conductive and used for dual purposes: indicating trap status and detecting fluid presence through conductivity changes. This eliminates the need for separate fluid sensors while adding monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The trap's existing electrical components serve the additional function of fluid detection, allowing the system to monitor for leaks without requiring external sensors or additional power sources. The conductive indicators automatically detect fluid presence through their inherent electrical properties.
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 provides a user-friendly, reliable, and efficient mechanism for catching rodents while monitoring fluid leaks without additional sensors, ensuring accurate triggering and reducing false positives.
Implementation Method 1
including at least one spring, a housing, at least one striker bar, at least one arming bar
Implementation Method 2
indicators made of flexible conductive materials, allowing for reliable detection and notification of fluid presence
Data Source
AI summary
A rodent trap and a system or network of such traps. The trap is a spring-loaded strike rat trap including at least one spring, a housing, at least one striker bar, at least one arming bar, at least one trigger plate and at least one trigger. The spring is configured for biasing the bars moving them from one position, where the arming bar and trigger plate is releasably held by the trigger and in contact with a ready indicator to indicate that the spring-loaded strike trap is armed, into at least one other position where the movement of each bar is stopped, after the spring-loaded strike trap has been triggered releasing the bars.