Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates generally to animal
traps and more particularly to such traps being inexpensive
and simple to manufacture and use.
Many animal traps have been developed in the past for
trapping and disposing of mice, rats, and the like. For
example, U.S. Patent No. 3,591,972 discloses a dëvice which
is expensive and complex. In addition, most such traps do
10 not have the attributes of being simple to use and
manufacture, inexpensive, and easy to clean.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention
to provide an improved animal trap which is simple to use,
easy to manufacture, inexpensive, and easy to clean, and
lS generally overcomes the drawbacks of prior art devices.
In accordance with the present invention, there is
provided an animal trap having an outer housing, an inner
housing mounted within and movable relative to the outer
housing to define a trapping area, at least one trap
opening in the inner housing for an animal to enter the
trapping area, a device for moving the inner housing into
the outer housing to close off the trap opening to trap an
animal in the trapping area and a bait device for holding
the trap openinq in an open position, so that when an
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animal in the trapping area eats the bait device, the inner
housing is moved into the outer housing to close off the
trap opening to trap the animal in the trapping area.
In the preferred embodiment, the inner and outer
5 housings are cylindrical in shape and are formed of plastic
material, but they can also be formed of mesh material,
depending on what type of animal is being trapped.
In ~he accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the inner and outer
housings separated from each other and with the inner
housing ready to slide into the outer housing;
Figure 2 shows in cross section the bait device
holding thè inner housing in a position to maintain the
trap opening in its open position, and just prior to an
animal eating the bait;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the trap
after the bait has been eaten and the inner housing has
moved completely into the outer housing to close off the
trap opening;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional vie~ of an alternative
embodiment wherein the inner and outer housings are formed
of a mesh or screen material;
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Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternate
embodiment of the inner and outer housings separated from
each other and with the inner housing ready to slide into
the outer housing;
~igure 6 is an elevational view with the inner
housing moved partially into the outer ho~sing; and
Figure 7 shows in cross section the bait holding the
inner housing in a position to maintain the trap opening in
its open position, and just prior to an animal eating the
10 bait.
In Figure 1 there is shown the animal trap 10 which
includes an outer housing 12 having a closed end 14 and an
15 open end 16, with the housing having a
generally-cylindrical configuration. In addition, slits
12a are formed in the outer housing 12 to receive an
elastic band 18, for a purpose to be described. `
In addition, animal trap 10 includes an inner housing
20 20 ha~ing a closed end 22 and an open end 24. The inner
housing 20 includes slits 20a for receiving elastic band
18, for a purpose to be described. The inner housing 20
includes a trap opening 26 on one side of the housing and a
similar opening 28 on the opposite side of the housing.
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The inner housing is positioned and sized to be
mounted within and slideable relative to the outer housing
20 to define a trapping area 30, as shown in Pigure 2,
within the inner and outer housings 12, 20.
A device is provided for moving the inner housing 20
into the outer housing 12 to clos~e off the trap op~nings 26
and 28 to thereby trap an animal in the trapping area 30.
The moving device can be made of any suitable
material, and in the preferred embodiment herein, the
10 moving device is shown to be an elastic band 18, which
applies pressure to push the inner housing into the out.er
housing against a bait device 40. More particularly, bait
device 40 is placed in the animal trap when it is set and
is placed between end wall 14 and the open end 24 of inner
15 housing 20. In setting the animal trap, the bait device 40
is set between these two members to hold the inner housing
in an open position so that trap openings 26 and 28 are
opened and uncovered by the outer housing 12. In this
manner, an animal can enter through the trap openings 26
20 and 28 and enter into the trapping area 32 and be led to
the bait device 40, which is holding the trap openings 26
and 28 in their open positions.
In this manner, when an animal in the trapping area
eats the bait 40, it no longer operates to hold the
25 inner housing in its open position. As a result, the
moving device or elastic band 18 moves the inner housing 20
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into the outer housing 12 to close off the trap openings
26, 28 and thereby trap animal 32 in the trapping area 30,
as shwon most clearly in Figure 3.
As shown in Figure 4, outer housing 12a may be formed
5 of a screen or mesh material, and inner housing 20a may
also be formed of a screen or mesh material to define a
trapping area 30a. In addition, the embodiment in Figure 4
includes trap openings 26a and 28a, in a manner similar to
the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3. In addition, in Figure
lO 4, an elastic band 18a is provided in a similar manner to
elastic band 18 to close inner housing 20a relative to
outer housing 12a. Generally, the embodiment of Figure 4
operates in the same manner as that of the embodiment in
Figures 1 to 3, except that the inner and outer housings
15 are formed of a screen or mesh material. In addition, an
annular flange 24a is provided so that bait 40a may be
mounted between members 14a and 24a. Annular flange 24a is
provided in those cases wherein the open end 24a of the
inner housing has an insufficient thickness to hold the
20 bait 40a between itself and wall 14a.
It should be understood that in accordance with the
present invention, the inner and outer housings may be
formed of any other suitable shape in addition to
cylindrical, and materials other than plastic and mesh may
25 also be used.
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In Figure 5 there is shown the animal trap lOa which
includes an outer housing 12a having a closed end 14a and
S an open end 16a, with the housing having a
generally-cylindrical configuration.
In addition, animal trap lOa includes an inner
housing 20a having a closed end 22a and an open end 24a.
The inner housing 20a includes a trap opening 26a on one
10 side of the housing and a similar opening 28a on the
opposite side of the housing.
The inner housing 20a is positioned and sized to be
mounted within and slideable relative to the outer housing
12a to define a trapping area 30a, as shown in Figure 7,
15 within the inner and outer housings 12a, 20a.
A resilient spring device 40 is provided for moving
the inner housing 20a into the outer housing 12a to close
off the trap openings 26a and 28a, to thereby trap an
animal in the trapping area 30a.
The resilient spring device 40 can be made of any
suitable materialr and in the preferred embodiment herein,
it is an expar.dable coil spring 40 which applies pressure
to push the inner housing 20a into the outer housing 12a
against the bait 50. More particularly, coil spring 40 is
compressed by pulling housing 20a outwardly, and the bait
is placed between end wall 14a and the partial circular
wall 22a of housing 20a to keep the spring 40 compressed.
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In setting the animal trap 10, the bait 50 is set between
housings 12a and 20a to hold the inner housing 20a in an
open position, so that trap openings 26a and 28a are opened
and uncovered by the outer housing 12a. In this manner, an
5 animal can enter through the trap openings 26a and 28a and
enter into the trapping area 30a and be led to the bait 50,
which is holding the trap openings 26a and 28a in their
open positions.
In this manner, when an animal in the trapping area
10 30a eats the bait 50, it no longer operates to hold the
inner housing 20a in its open position. As a result, coil
spring 40 can expand and move the inner housing 20a into
the outer housing 12a to close off the trap openings 26a,
28a and thereby trap animal 32 in the trapping area 30a, as
15 shown most clearly in Figure 7. As will be noted, coil
spring 40 is held between circular wall sections 16a and
22a to define a spring housing.
In accordance with the present invention, there has
been provided a new and advantageous animal trap which is
20 simple to use, easy to manufacture, and easy to clean.
Once an animal is caught in the trapping area 30, it can
safely be carried therein to a disposal location where
inner housing 20 (or 20a) is slid outwardly from outer
housing 12 (or 12a), so that ~he animal can be dropped out
25 of the open end 16 of outer housing 12 and disposed of in a
suitable manner.
