MULTIPLE RODENT TRAP WITH SLIDING COVER

[0001] Not applicable.

[0002] Not applicable.

[0003] The invention relates to rodent traps in general and to mousetraps which can sequentially capture alive a plurality of mice in particular.

[0004] Problems with rodents are at least as old as the discovery of agriculture. Rodents carry disease, consume and spoil grain and foodstuffs, and can damage buildings and their contents. Various poisons are known to be effective in controlling pests, particularly rats and mice, however in many situations it is desirable to be sure that the rodents do not die in inaccessible portions of the building or dwelling, where decomposition can cause other unwanted problems.

[0005] Typically rodent poisons cause the animals to leave the building or dwelling in search of water, but in those situations where water is available within the building it is particularly desirable to use rodent control systems which capture rather than poison the undesirable vermin. Capturing the rodents allows the type and number of rodents present in the building or dwelling to be monitored, and so a number of traps may be used even in a situation where a majority of pest control is accomplished with poisoned bait.

[0006] Capturing vermin alive has advantages both in the simplicity of the trap and in avoiding the resultant mess which may result from the destruction of rodents during their capture. Live capture is also desired by those who do not wish to kill but only remove undesirable vermin from their premises or dwelling. The basic design for live traps for various types of vermin is that of a box with a folding lid which can be accessed through a one-way door or mechanism that allows mice to enter the box but not to leave. One of the simplest and most reliable mechanisms for creating a one-way door, employs a centrally pivoted lever. A narrow tunnel is provided along one side of the box which forms the trap. As rodents are known to move along the walls of a room, and to be attracted to small opening or tunnels, the mice enter the tunnel formed along the side of the box and pass over the pivoting lever, crossing the axis and being discharged into an internal compartment.

[0007] After the mouse crosses the lever into the central volume of the box, the lever returns to its original position. A pivoting barrier is mounted to overlie the lever, such that any attempt by a rodent to remount the lever causes the pivoting barrier to be raised, blocking exit from the trap. Usually, a barrier is fixed above the pivoting barrier, to prevent the rodent from being able to get a grip on the pivoting barrier.

[0008] A typical rodent trap of the type designed to catch live mice may be able to trap as many as 30 mice which are held within the interior of the trap box. If the box is of the conventional type, opening the pivoting lid to dispose of the mice exposes the person who opens the box to a large number of rodents which may leave the box in a disorganized manner. Plastic traps which have a sliding lid are known, but such a trap has only a single entrance to the trap. What is needed is a trap for catching a number of mice which has multiple entrances and which incorporates a lid or opening mechanism for the release of the mice which facilitates controlled release of the contents spaced from the operator who is opening the trap.

[0009] The rodent trap of this invention has a plastic base with a rodent runway which extends from two inlet openings to a single rodent containment compartment. Pivotable ramps are positioned in the rodent runway adjacent each inlet opening. A plastic lid is slidingly engaged with the base, and is movable along the axis of the rodent runway. The lid has downwardly extending tabs which have inclined inside and outside surfaces, and barriers extending between each pair of tabs. The inclined surfaces of the tabs engage inclined protrusions which project upwardly from the ramps when the lid is slid open and closed, the engagement between the inclined surfaces causes the ramps to pivot out of the way of the barriers, facilitating smooth and uninterrupted opening and closing of the lid on the base.

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a rodent trap having multiple inlet openings and a lid which is slidable with respect to a base.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a rodent trap with a lid having barriers thereon which is easily removed without interference with pivotable ramps.

[0012] Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of the multi-catch rodent trap of this invention.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the trap of FIG. 1 taken through the rodent runway, showing the lid being removed.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the trap of FIG. 2, showing the lid being closed on the base.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the trap of FIG. 3, showing the lid filly closed on the base, with a mouse entering.

[0017] Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-4, wherein like numbers refer to similar parts, a rodent trap 20 is shown. The trap 20 has an injection molded base 22 having an injection molded plastic lid 24 which is slidingly engaged with the base. The lid 24 may be transparent or translucent to permit inspection of the trap contents. The base 22 has a rodent runway 26 defined between a rear exterior wall 28 and two interior walls 30. A gap 32 between the two interior walls 30 provides access from the rodent runway 26 to an interior rodent compartment 34. Rodent inlet openings 36 are defined in two opposed side walls 38 of the base 22. The trap 20 is provided with structure mounted to the base 22 and the lid 24 which permits the ready entrance of rodents into the rodent compartment 34 and which restricts their escape. The lid preferably can be withdrawn only in a single direction, and is slidable in the direction of the axis defined by the rodent runway. The lid has a rear flange and a front flange which engage with parallel portions of the base to constrain the lid 24 to move axially.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a molded plastic entrance ramp 40 is pivotably mounted to the base in the runway 26 adjacent each inlet opening 36. The entrance ramp 40 has parallel side members 42 from which pivot pins 44 extend. The pivot pins 44 are received within mounting holes 46 formed in the exterior wall 28 and one of the interior walls 30. The pivot pins are positioned more closely to the outward end 48 of the ramp 40 than to the inward end 50. A counterweight 52, shown in FIG. 2, is mounted near the outward end 48 of the ramp 40 which serves to retain the inward end 50 of the ramp elevated when no weight is placed on the ramp at a position inward of the pivot pins 44.

[0019] A molded plastic pivot barrier 54, as shown in FIG. 1, is shorter than the ramp 40, and is also mounted by sidewardly extending pivot pins 56 to holes molded into the rear exterior wall 28 and one of the interior walls 30. The pivot barrier 54 extends from the inlet opening 36 to about the position of the pivot axis of the ramp 40. A metal strip 58 which serves as a chew guard is mounted to the pivot barrier 54, which serves to bias the pivot barrier to lie adjacent to the ramp 40.

[0020] As a rodent approaches the trap 20, the pivot barrier 54 and the ramp 40 appear to form a nearly continuous pathway along the runway 26. As the rodent enters the runway 26 and treads upon the pivot barrier 54, the pivot barrier 54 is pressed down upon the ramp 40. As shown in FIG. 4, as the rodent moves past the ramp pivot axis defined between the opposed pivot pins 44, the ramp will begin to pivot downward. Proceeding along the ramp 40, the weight of the rodent will overcome the counterweight on the ramp 40, and the rodent will then pass over the ramp 40 and be discharged from the ramp at a position adjacent the gap 32 between the interior walls 30, providing entrance to the interior compartment 34. Once the rodent has stepped off the ramp 40, the ramp inward end 50 will return to an elevated position. The rodent is now trapped within the trap 20.

[0021] To prevent escape of the rodent from the trap 20, structure is provided adjacent each of the two ramps 40 which restricts the access of the rodent from the inside to the inward end 50 of the ramp and to the inlet opening 36. As shown in FIG. 1, four metal barriers are affixed to the plastic lid 24 to extend downwardly into the runway 26. Each barrier is a metal strip 70, similar to the strips 58, having downwardly angled serrations or teeth 72 on the sides which allow the metal strip to be securely assembled within downwardly opening slots 74 formed in plastic tabs which extend downwardly from the lid 24.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, two central tabs 76 are parallel to one another and are positioned alongside the exterior wall 28 and the two interior walls 30. The central tabs 76 extend between the inward ends 50 of the ramps 40. Two parallel metal strips 70 extend between the two central tabs 76 and define, when the lid 24 is in a closed configuration, a first inner barrier 78, and a second inner barrier 80. The first inner barrier 78 extends downwardly below the level of the inward end 50 of the first ramp 82, while the second inner barrier does the same with respect to the second ramp 84. These downwardly extending barriers 78, 80 block access by the rodent to the inward ends 50 of the ramps 82, 84. Nevertheless, in the event that a rodent is able to engage the inward end of a ramp, and pivot it downwardly to climb thereon, outer barriers are provided.

[0023] A pair of first outer tabs 86 are provided extending downwardly from the lid 24 at a position spaced above the outward end 48 of the first ramp 82, and a similar pair of second outer tabs 88 extends downwardly from the lid at a position spaced above the outward end 48 of the second ramp 84. A single metal strip 70 is fastened between each pair of outer tabs to define a first outer barrier 90 and a second outer barrier 92. If a rodent is able to move back onto the ramp 40, the downward pivoting of the inward end of the ramp will cause the pivot barrier 54 to rotate outwardly and block the lower part of the inlet opening 36. The downwardly extending outer barrier blocks the upper part of the inlet opening 36 and prevents escape of the rodent. To prevent the pivot barriers from being pivoted outwardly too much, a limit protrusion 106 extends upwardly from each pivot barrier 54. The limit protrusion 106 will engage against portions of the side wall 38 surrounding the inlet opening 36 and will set a limit to the amount of outward pivoting which the pivot barrier 54 can perform.

[0024] The rodent trap 20 will typically be placed along a building wall with the rodent runway 26 positioned adjacent the wall. By providing rodent inlet openings 36 onto both ends of the runway 26 mice approaching the trap from either side may enter.

[0025] Over a period of time the rodent trap 20 may capture a number of rodents. When the user services the trap, it will typically be lifted from its service position and taken to a place of rodent disposal. Because one or more of the captured rodents may still be alive, it is helpful for the user to retain control over the discharge of rodents from the interior compartment 34. The rear hinge of conventional multiple catch traps has a disadvantage that in order to discharge a single rodent, the trap must be nearly fully uncovered. The present trap 20, on the other hand, has a sliding lid which can be advanced toward the second ramp 84 incrementally to produce an opening between the lid and the base large enough only for one rodent to be discharged at a time. Hence, the successful operation of the trap 20 will involve repeated opening and closing of the sliding lid on the base 22. It will be noted, however, that the barriers 78, 80, 90, 92 extend down below the uppermost level of the ramps 40. To provide for smooth unimpeded opening and closing of the lid 24 on the base 22, cam structure is provided on the barrier tabs and the ramps 40.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, each ramp 40 has two triangular protrusions 94 which project upwardly from the inward end 50. The protrusions 94 have an inwardly facing inclined surface 96 and an outwardly facing inclined surface 98. The protrusions extend on opposite sides of the ramp 40 and are positioned in line with the tabs 76, 86, 88. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, each of the plastic tabs 76, 86, 88 has an inclined opening surface 102 which faces a finger grip 100 molded into the lid, and an inclined closing surface 104 facing the opposite direction.

[0027] The inclined opening and closing surfaces 102,104 of the barrier tabs 76, 86, 88, and the inclined inwardly and outwardly facing surfaces 96, 98 of the ramp protrusions 94 cooperate to pivot the ramps 40 out of the way of the barriers as the lid is opened and closed on the base 22.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, as the lid 24 is slid off of the base 22, first the opening surfaces 102 of the central tabs 76 engage the inwardly facing inclined surfaces 96 of the protrusions 94 of the second ramp 84. Further advancement of the lid 24 causes the barrier tabs to depress the ramp protrusions 94 and cause the second ramp 84 to pivot and clear the metal first inner barrier 78 and second inner barrier 80. Next, the first outer tabs 86 will in a like manner encounter the outwardly facing inclined surfaces 98 of the first ramp 82, also causing the first ramp to pivot and provide clearance between the first ramp and the first outer barrier 90. As the lid is retracted further, the inwardly facing inclined surfaces 96 of the first outer tabs 86 engage against the inwardly facing inclined surfaces 96 of the protrusions 94 of the second ramp 84, causing the second ramp to also pivot downwardly providing clearance for the first outer barrier 90.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, when the lid 24 is slid back onto the base 22, the opposite surfaces of the tabs will engage the opposite surfaces of the ramp protrusions 94, but will serve the same purpose of pivoting the ramps out of the way temporarily as the barriers pass overhead. The cam action of the protrusions 94 and the inclined surfaces of the tabs permits smooth operation of the sliding of the lid with respect to the base 22. This advantageously permits speedy emptying of the contents of the trap 20.

[0030] It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.