Body Grip Trap Stabilizing Plate for Upright Arming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trap orientation stabilizers fail to maintain a body grip trap in an upright position effectively after it is armed, leading to instability and reduced effectiveness in capturing animals.
Innovation Solution
A plate with specific edges and features, including a torsion spring engagement mechanism, is designed to stabilize the trap by bending around the spring's loops and arms, ensuring the trap remains upright and securely positioned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a body grip trap is armed, then it is ready for capture, but it becomes unstable and cannot maintain upright position
Solution Approach 1:
A stabilizing plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the ground and the trap. The plate has a third edge that contacts the ground surface and features (opening with flange, tab) that connect to the torsion spring, mediating the stabilizing force from the ground to the trap mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing features (opening with flange, tab) are pre-configured on the plate to engage with the torsion spring arms before the trap is activated. This preliminary configuration ensures that when the trap is armed, the stabilizing mechanism is already in place to prevent tipping.
2Ease of manufacture
If the trap is designed to be simple, then it is easy to manufacture, but it lacks effective stabilization mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing function is segmented into distinct features on the plate: an opening with a flange for one type of engagement, and a separate tab for another type of engagement with the torsion spring. This segmentation allows each feature to be optimized for its specific stabilizing role while keeping the overall plate design simple and manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate's geometric parameters (positioning of opening, flange configuration, tab dimensions and location) are optimized to provide effective stabilization. By carefully selecting these parameters, the plate achieves reliable stabilization without requiring complex structures or additional components.
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 maintains the trap in a vertically oriented state, enhancing its operational stability and capture efficiency by inhibiting movement of the torsion spring relative to the plate, thus ensuring consistent trap functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The flange is configured to be bendable around a loop of the torsion spring
Implementation Method 2
The free section is configured to be bendable around an arm of the torsion spring to inhibit movement of the torsion spring relative to the plate
Data Source
AI summary
An animal trap stabilizing system includes a body trap having a pair of jaws, a trigger engaging the jaws, and a torsion spring being attached to the jaws. The torsion spring is engaged with a plate. The plate has a top side, a bottom side, a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge. The torsion spring includes a plurality of loops. The loops are attached to the plate such that arms of the torsion spring extend away from the fourth edge. The third edge is positioned on a ground surface such that an animal receiving orifice of the body trap is vertically orientated.