Patent ID: 9717229
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: A01M

Claim:
1. An animal trap comprising: an animal enclosure defined by an upper portion including a roof and a lower portion including a floor, said enclosure having an animal access opening into a vacant interior enclosed by said upper and lower portions that is sized to receive an animal to be trapped; a door mounted at the access opening and movable between a set position in which the door is open to reveal the animal access opening and a closed position in which the door blocks the animal access opening; a latch mechanism having a hold position and a release position, said latch mechanism being operatively coupled to said door to secure said door in the opened position when the latch mechanism is in said hold position and to allow the door to move to said closed position when the latch mechanism moves to said release position; a trip mechanism movably mounted in the interior of the animal enclosure; a trigger mechanism between the trip mechanism and the latch mechanism so that when an animal enters the interior of the animal enclosure and moves the trip mechanism from a first position to a second position, the trigger mechanism causes the latch mechanism to move to the release position and allow the door to move from the set position to the closed position thereby trapping the animal in the animal enclosure; and a locking yoke operatively engaged between the door and the upper portion of the enclosure when the door moves to the closed position to prevent the door from being opened by a trapped animal, said locking yoke being disengaged when a user moves the door to the set position.