Rotating Mouse Trap Chamber for Automatic Carcass Disposal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic mouse traps require frequent manual resetting and maintenance due to the inability to automatically empty and reset the killing chamber, leading to inefficiencies in multiple mouse kills and potential chamber fouling.
Innovation Solution
An electronic mouse trap with a rotating killing chamber that inverts to automatically empty electrocuted mice into a collection bin, allowing for multiple kills before servicing, reducing the risk of chamber fouling and minimizing user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the trap uses manual reset mechanism, then the structure is simple, but the productivity is low because only one mouse can be dispatched before trap servicing is required
Solution Approach 1:
The killing chamber is made rotatable to enable automatic inversion and emptying. The chamber rotates between an operational position (for killing) and an inverted position (for emptying carcasses into the collection bin), allowing the trap to handle multiple mice automatically without manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The trap performs self-service through automatic rearming and chamber emptying mechanisms. After a mouse is dispatched, the system automatically rearms the electrocuting mechanism and inverts the chamber to empty the carcass, enabling continuous operation without user intervention
2Reliability
If the trap remains in standby mode for extended periods, then manufacturing cost is low, but the reliability decreases due to chamber fouling that might discourage subsequent mice from entering
Solution Approach 1:
The killing chamber undergoes periodic inversion cycles automatically after each dispatch. This periodic action empties the chamber of carcasses and prevents fouling, maintaining cleanliness and reliability without requiring continuous energy input or manual intervention
3Ease of operation
If the chamber is inverted to empty mice, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the rotating assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The killing chamber is inverted after use to empty carcasses into the collection bin. This inversion mechanism uses gravity to automatically remove dead mice from the chamber, improving ease of operation while the rotation mechanism handles the complexity
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 efficiently accumulates multiple dead mice without user intervention, reduces energy consumption, and ensures reliable operation by automatically clearing the killing chamber, minimizing fouling and extending the time between servicing needs.
Implementation Method 1
The chamber rotates approximately 180 degrees so as to be inverted, allowing the dead mouse to fall downwardly by gravity into the collection bin
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic mouse trap is provided having multiple kill and automatic killing chamber clearing capabilities. The trap includes an elevated killing chamber rotatably mounted on a base that houses a collection bin positioned under the chamber and which has an entrance pathway that provides mice with access to the chamber. Upon completion of a killing cycle and the killing of a mouse, the chamber is automatically rotated by a gear motor about a longitudinal axis that is slightly below the floor of the chamber. The chamber rotates approximately 180 degrees so as to be inverted, allowing the dead mouse to fall downwardly into the collection bin. Once the chamber has been inverted and the mouse removed by gravity, the gear motor reverses the rotation direction and returns the chamber to its upright position where it is ready to reinitiate the killing cycle for another mouse.