Abstract:
An injection molded plastic body has a lid joined by a living hinge. A rodent passageway extends within the body between two aligned holes. The hinge is perpendicular to the passageway, allowing the lid to be opened when the body is fixed adjacent a building wall. The interior of the body is divided by a raised wall which is broken into two segments by an opening to a blind passageway extending perpendicular to the passageway. Two rodent feeding areas are positioned adjacent the blind passageway. Bait blocks are positioned within each feeding area on protrusions which are received within axially extending central holes. The blocks are clamped between underlying rings and cooperating structure depending downwardly from the lid. Instead of bait, a mechanical trap maybe positioned on two of three protrusions aligned along the blind passageway. The mechanical trap inter-fits with the protrusions to positively position the mechanical trap.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to rodent bait stations and rodent traps. 
     Rodents are persistent pests, presenting a continual threat to health and goods wherever humans dwell or carry on business. Rodents continue to be a source of disease and economic damage through spoilage of food and non-food items alike. Although ancient scourges such as bubonic plague are rare, rodents are linked to such modem diseases as spirochetal and tick-borne diseases and hantavirus disease. 
     Rodents are generally controlled through poison or traps. Poison and traps have been placed within specialized containers, called bait stations, to prevent children, non-targeted animals, and unauthorized individuals from coming into contact with the poison or the trap. Bait stations are designed to isolate the poison or trap from ready access to all but the targeted rodents. A typical bait station has a plastic or metal box within which is placed a trap or poison bait. Typically, bait stations are placed along walls and other places where rodents are likely to frequent. To prevent animals or children from gaining access to the contents of bait stations by tipping or shaking, a bait station is often screwed or nailed to the floor or other structure. To maintain the effectiveness of the bait station, the bait must be replaced periodically or traps within the bait station must be emptied and reset. Bait is often in the form of grain mixed with paraffin and rodenticide which is cast or extruded into blocks, Such blocks are resistant to spoilage due to moisture and serve to prevent the targeted rodents from scattering the bait. 
     What is needed is a bait station which can easily be opened while affixed to the floor and which can accommodate bait or a trap and positively position the bait or trap within the bait station. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The bait station of this invention incorporates an injection molded body with an openable lid joined to the body by an integrally formed living hinge. The body defines a rectangular box having a passageway defined by two aligned holes. The passageway is positioned adjacent and parallel to a first side of the box. The hinge is formed along a second side of the box perpendicular to the first side. In use, the first side and the passageway are positioned along a wall so that the hinge is perpendicular to the wall and the lid can readily be opened without interference from the wall even if the body is fixedly mounted to the floor adjacent the wall. The side of the lid opposite the hinge is lockable to the body along a third side by twin prongs, which prevent opening without a key. The interior of the body is divided by a raised wall which runs parallel to the side adjacent the passageway. The raised wall is broken into two equal parts by an opening leading away from and perpendicular to the passageway. The opening leads into a blind passageway terminating at a fourth wall of the body opposite the first wall. The passageway and the co-joined blind passageway form a T-shaped interior arrangement to the bait station interior. Partial walls on either side of the blind passageway which extend from the raised wall to the fourth body wall form feeding areas between the partial walls and the second and third sides. Within each feeding area on each side of the blind passageway two raised protrusions are surrounded by raised rings. Bait blocks having axially extending central holes fit over the raised protrusion, and are clamped between the raised rings and cooperating structure depending downwardly from the lid. A mechanical trap is positioned on two of three raised bosses aligned along the blind passageway. The mechanical trap has portions which inter-fit with the bosses to positively position the mechanical trap within the blind passageway. The bait station will normally be used with either bait blocks or a mechanical trap. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a bait station suitable for use with rodenticide bait or a mechanical trap. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bait station which facilitates access when affixed against a wall. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a bait station which positively holds bait blocks. 
     Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view, partially broken away in section, of the bait station and rodent trap assembly of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the opened bait station of FIG. 1 with a rodent trap positioned therein. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 2 in a closed configuration, taken along section line  3 — 3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, wherein like numbers refer to similar parts, a bait station  20  is shown in FIG.  1 . The bait station  20  is configured to receive a rodent destructive element positioned within a portion of the box accessible from the passageway, for example rodent bait blocks  68  or mechanical rodent traps  78 . The bait station  20  has a body  22  having the shape of a rectangular box  24  with a lid  26 . 
     The body  22  is joined to the lid  26  by an integrally formed living hinge  28 . The body  22 , lid  26 , and hinge  28  may be formed as a single injection molded part. The rectangular box  24  has four walls which extend upwardly from a bottom wall  44 : a first wall  34  which will typically be placed along the building wall  35 ; a second wall  38  extending approximately perpendicular to the first wall, and from which the hinge  28  extends; a third wall  40  which extends from the first wall parallel to the second wall; and a fourth wall  58  which extends between the second wall and the third wall. The second wall  38  and the opposed third wall  40  have portions which define two aligned rodent openings  30  which define a passageway  32  through the bait station  20 . The openings  30  are positioned on the second and third walls adjacent to the first wall  34  of the box  24 . The passageway  32  extends along the interior  36  of the box  24  parallel to a first side wall  34 . 
     Mice and rats generally move along walls and are most willing to enter a bait station when a path through the bait station can be seen. Therefore the bait station  20  in use is positioned with the first wall  34  and the passageway  32  parallel to a building wall  35 . The lid  26  has two downwardly protruding prongs  42 , as shown in FIG. 1, which are releasably enagable with two mating ledges  43  which are positioned outwardly from the third wall  40 , as shown in FIG.  3 . The resilient prongs  42  permit the lid to be locked to the third wall  40 , thereby preventing opening without a key, in a fashion similar to the locking structures disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,327, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     To prevent lifting and shaking of the bait station  20 , or other displacement of the station from its intended position, it may be nailed or screwed to the floor  41  adjacent the building wall  35  by driving a fastener such as a nail or screw  45  through the bottom wall  44  of the box  24 . An area of thinner material  46  is provided for this purpose as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Because the hinge  28  is perpendicular to the building wall  35 , the lid  26  can be freely opened while the first wall  34  is fixed against the wall  35 . Because of the position of the hinge  28  relative to the passageway  32 , access to the lock formed by the resilient prongs  42  and the ledges  43  is not impeded by the presence of the building wall  35 . 
     Within the body  22  of the bait station  20 , the passageway  32  is defined between the interior surface  48  of the first wall  34  and a raised interior wall  50  which extends parallel to and spaced from the first wall  34 . The raised interior wall  50 , as shown in FIG. 1, has an opening  52  which divides the raised interior wall  50  into two segments  54 . The opening  52  leads into a blind passageway  56  which extends from the fourth wall  58  of the box  24  to intersect perpendicularly with the passageway  32 . The passageway  32  and the blind passageway  56  form a T-shaped pattern of pathways within the body  22  of the bait station  20 . 
     Partial walls  60  extend upwardly from the bottom wall  80  on either side of the blind passageway  56 . Each partial wall  60  extends between a segment  54  of the raised interior wall  50  and the fourth wall  58 , defining a feeding area  62  with either the second wall  38  or the third wall  40 . Two cross-shaped protrusions  64  extend upwardly within each feeding area  62 . Each protrusion is encircled by a raised ring  66 . The station  20  is baited by positioning rodent bait blocks  68  comprised of rodent meal mixed with paraffin and rodenticide within the feeding areas  62 . Each bait block  68  is provided with an axially extending hole  70 , which receives a cross-shaped protrusion  64  therein. The upright orientation of bait blocks  68  presents them for gnawing by rodents, while the raised rings  66  elevate the blocks above condensation or other fluid which may accumulate within the station  20 . The lower surfaces  72  of the bait blocks  68  rest on the raised rings  66 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 3, protruding structures  74  on the lid  26  of the bait station  20  are positioned above the raised rings  66  and capture or engage the bait blocks  68 . The protrusions  64  extend less than the full height of the supported bait blocks  68 , and are thus easier to form in the molding process, furthermore, they are not so long as to become flexible or prone to being broken off. By engaging the blocks between portions of the base and the lid, the bait is held against being shaken out and removed through the openings  30 , and is presented for optimal feeding by rodents. The access and arrangement of the feeding areas  62  is such as to discourage fouling of the bait by the action of the targeted rodents. As shown in FIG. 1, the lid has two sloping segments  96  which extend downwardly from a top segment  98 . The protruding lid structures  74 , as shown in FIG. 2, may be formed as a double cross extending downwardly from a sloping segment  96 . Each structure  74  has a long member  100  and two short members  102 . The intersections between the long member  100  and the short members are centered over the protrusions  64 . 
     Typically when bait is used, the rodenticide causes the targeted rodents to become thirsty and thus leave the building before dying. In some circumstances, however, the size of the building or the availability of water means some targeted rodents may die within inaccessible portions of a building, creating an unpleasant odor. Where such problems arise the use of mechanical traps is effective. To prevent the traps from being misplaced or endangering children and non-targeted animals, the traps may be placed within the bait station  20 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-3, a mechanical trap  78  may be positioned in one of two positions, entirely or partially within the blind passageway  56 . The mechanical trap may be of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/113,430, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. The mechanical trap  78  has a striker  88  which is pivotally connected to a base  90 , with a spring  92  which serves to close the trap when a trigger  94  is actuated. The underside  80  of the trap base  90  is positioned against the bottom wall  44  of the box  24 . Two cylindrical recesses or indentations  82  are formed in the base  90  of the trap  78 , as indicated in FIG.  2 . Three cylindrical nubbins or protrusions  84  extend upwardly from the station bottom wall  44  and are regularly spaced along the center of the blind passageway  56 . The mechanical trap  78  may thus be placed within the bait station in two defined locations, to engage either the first and second of the protrusions  84 , or the second and third protrusions. 
     In either event, the protrusions restrict rotation and translation of the trap  78  within the bait station  20 . The closure of the lid  26  on the base limits vertical movement of the trap  78 . The mechanical trap  78  is sized to fit between the partial walls  60 , the bottom  44 , and the lid  26 . Furthermore, the trap  78 , at its widest, is received in the opening  52  between the two interior wall segments  54 . The protrusions  84  on the bottom  44  are spaced so that the mechanical trap  78  may be positioned protruding slightly into the passageway  32  or alternatively using the rearmost protrusion  86 , the mechanical trap  78  may be recessed into the blind passageway  56 . In the first position, the trap  78  is positioned to be actuated by the sideways entry of a rodent, in the second position the trap is positioned to be actuated by the frontward entry of a rodent. 
     The inter-fitting indentations  82  on the mechanical trap  78  and the protrusions  84 ,  86  on the bottom  44  of the body  22  of the bait station  20  allow for adjustable, positive positioning of the mechanical trap  78 . Repeatable placement of the mechanical trap  78  facilitates duplicating a successful trapping strategy, removing trap placement as an uncontrolled variable in achieving rodent suppression within a facility. Adjustability provides controlled variability of trap placement which can result in better overall trapping success if trap position is varied from time to time. Furthermore, although positioning of the mechanical traps  78  is restricted when the lid is closed, once the lid is opened the traps are readily removed from the interior and emptied and reset. In addition, because the traps  78  are restricted from movement once they are engaged within the bait station  20 , the user may refrain from setting the traps until they are positioned, at which time it is only necessary to depress the rear of the striker  88  with one hand, avoiding the possibility of accidentally setting off the trap by moving it while set, or of setting off the trap on a portion of the user. 
     It should be understood that the structure  74  protruding from the lid may be in the form of a cone or portions of a cone which extend downwardly to engage the holes  70  in the bait blocks  68 . Moreover, the trap  78  and the bait station  20  may be scaled for mice or for rats or other targeted species. 
     It should be understood the bait blocks  68  are held between the bottom  80  and lid  26 , and are thus substantially rigidly positioned with respect to the body  20  to the bait station  20 . 
     It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.