Rodent Trap Setter With Safety Catch for Kill Bar Arming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rodent traps are difficult to set, transport, and position safely, with a risk of the kill bar snapping onto the user's hand during setup due to sensitivity to small movements.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held rodent trap-setting device with a base, handle, clamping arm, and actuator that securely mounts and sets the trap, featuring a spring-loaded kill bar safety catch to prevent accidental discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the arm bar placement is made sensitive to small movements to prevent rodents from getting bait without triggering the trap, then the trap effectiveness is improved, but the risk of the kill bar snapping onto the user's hand while setting the trap increases
Solution Approach 1:
A safety arm is introduced as an intermediary component between the user's hand and the kill bar mechanism. The safety arm includes a safety lever that can be positioned in a blocking position to physically prevent the kill bar from snapping down accidentally during trap setting, while still allowing the trap to function effectively when properly triggered by a rodent.
2Ease of operation
If the trap mechanism is designed to be easily set and transported, then the ease of operation is improved, but the safety and stability during transport may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The safety arm is pre-configured with a blocking position that automatically engages during trap setting and transport. This preliminary safety measure is built into the mechanism structure, allowing the trap to be easily handled and transported without requiring additional safety actions from the user, while still maintaining reliability during these operations.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a hand-held rodent trap setting device, or rat trap gun, includes a base supporting a rodent trap, a handle, a clamping arm that clamps down the rodent trap to the platform when engaged, and an actuator coupled to clamping arm and configured to clamp down and release the clamping arm. The clamping arm may be part of a toggle clamp that presses down directly on the trap platform. A pulling arm may be used to pull a kill bar of the rodent trap into an armed/set position. A safety catch, which moves jointly with the clamping arm, engages the kill bar to prevent the kill bar from snapping. A cocking actuator operated by a thumb and/or a trigger actuator operated by fingers may be used to clamp/release the clamping arm. A device sized for rat traps may be used to set mouse traps via an appropriately-sized adapter.