Abstract:
An embodiment of a bait station comprises a rotatable lid and air-tight bait compartments. An additional compartment also contains bait and is accessible to rodents as they enter the station. The rotatable lid is configured to hold the bait within the compartments and can be rotated in order to replace the previously accessible bait with fresh bait from a different compartment. A key can be attached to an extension pole in order to unlock and rotate the rotatable lid without requiring a person to kneel down or bend over. A base having two entrances provides an inviting environment for rodents.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/976,384, filed Sep. 28, 2007, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if set forth fully herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to the field of rodent baiting devices and procedures. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Bait stations containing poisoned bait are commonly used to kill rodents. When a bait station is to be placed in an area people can access, it is important that the bait station be secure and tamper-resistant so that children and others cannot access the bait. Many rodent bait stations have double locking mechanisms or special keys which are complicated and difficult to operate. A service specialist who replaces the bait must squat or kneel down to perform service on a typical bait station. This can be very time consuming and physically taxing when a service specialist must service hundreds of bait stations. 
         [0006]    Other bait stations are also limited to a single compartment so that a person must replace the bait with new bait each time the bait has been eaten or has expired. In addition, most service contracts require that the bait be replaced with new bait during every service. This requires additional effort because bulk supplies of bait must be carried to each station for replacement. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a bait station that can be easily serviced without kneeling or squatting, and one that doesn&#39;t require carrying bulk bait supplies to the station each time the bait needs to be replaced. An embodiment of a bait station includes separate compartments for storing bait and at least one compartment that is accessible to rodents. The bait is attached to a rotatable member which is configured to hold the bait portions within the separate compartments. As the rotatable member is rotated, the portions of bait can be moved into different compartments, and bait which was previously being stored can be made accessible to rodents. An expired portion of bait can be replaced with a fresh portion of bait by simply rotating the rotatable member. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the bait station comprises a lock integrated into the rotatable member which is configured to prevent tampering with the bait. A key is configured to unlock and rotate the rotatable member. The key is also configured with an attachment portion and threads so that it can be attached to an extension pole or standard broom stick. With the key on an extension pole, the person servicing the bait station is not required to kneel down or squat in order to replace the bait. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, the storage compartments are configured to be air-tight and each compartment is separated from the others by inner walls. In yet another embodiment, the bait station comprises three storage compartments and one compartment accessible to rodents. The upper member is a rotatable lid which fits over the compartments and comprises bait assemblies which correspond to the compartments. The rotatable lid can be removed and rotated using a key and extension pole. 
         [0010]    All of the embodiments summarized above and below are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. However, despite the foregoing and ensuing discussion of certain embodiments, only the appended claims (and not the present summary) are intended to define the invention. The summarized embodiments, and other embodiments of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular embodiment(s) disclosed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bait station. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the bait station in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the bait station in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the bait station of  FIG. 1  with the hinge lid opened. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a rotatable lid. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5B  is a perspective view from below of an embodiment of a rotatable lid. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a rotatable lid with exploded bait and bait rod. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bait station key. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a bait station key. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of a bait station  8  comprising a base  10 , 0  a hinge lid, a rotatable lid  14 , and a key  16 . The base  10  includes an entry portion  18 , a bait compartment  20  portion, and foot platforms  22 . The foot platforms can be stepped on to secure the bait station during servicing. The rotatable lid covers  14  the compartment portion  20  of the base, and there is a lock  24  on the top of the rotatable lid which corresponds to a unique key. The hinge lid  12  is positioned over the entry portion  18  of the base  10 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows the different portions of the base  10  in an embodiment of the bait station. The entry portion  18  includes two holes  26  through which rodents can enter and exit the bait station  18 . A passageway  28  exists connecting the entry portion  18  to the compartment portion  20 . The compartment portion  20  comprises three air-tight compartments  30  and one compartment  32  that is open to the passageway  28  and accessible to rodents. The compartments  30 ,  32  may be separated by removable wall inserts  34  which are configured to assure an air-tight environment within the compartments  30  when the rotatable lid  14  is locked onto the base  10 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the bait station  8  showing how the different parts are assembled. The rotatable lid  14  fits over the compartment portion  20  of the base  10 , positioning the bait holders  36  in corresponding compartments  30 ,  32 . When removed, the lid  14  can be rotated ninety degrees and repositioned on the base so that a different bait holder corresponds to the rodent-accessible compartment. In this manner, fresh bait can be made accessible to rodents by simply rotating the rotatable lid  14 , instead of replacing the bait each time the accessible bait expires. A key is configured to release the lock  24  on the rotatable lid  14  so that it can be removed from the base  10  and rotated. The outer lip of the rotatable lid interlocks with a corresponding lip  40  on the hinge lid  12  to secure the hinge lid  12  in the closed position. When the rotatable lid  14  is locked in place, the hinge lid  12  cannot be opened so that unauthorized persons can not access any bait by opening the hinge lid  12 . 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the hinge lid  12  is connected to the base by hinges  42  as shown in  FIG. 4 . When the rotatable lid  14  is removed, the hinge lid  12  can be opened and the entry portion  18  can be accessed and serviced if necessary. 
         [0024]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  show an embodiment of a rotatable lid  14 . There is a lock hole  24  in the center of the rotatable lid  14  and a lip  38  exists along the entire outer edge. Slots  46  are built into the rotatable lid  14 , which correspond to the wall inserts  34  separating the compartments  30 ,  32  in the base  10 . Several wall guides  48  extend vertically from the rotatable lid  14  near the slots  46 . Bait rod holders  36  are positioned on the lid so that bait assemblies can be attached to the lid and suspended into the compartments  30 ,  32  of the base  10 . Bait rod clips  52  also extend vertically from the lid  14  as a means of securing the wire bait assemblies  50  in a proper position within the base compartments. 
         [0025]    In other embodiments, the compartment walls can be fixed to the rotatable lid so that, as the lid is rotated, the compartments rotate and a different compartment is exposed to the rodent-accessible area. In such an embodiment, the base may have slots that correspond to the compartment walls or the compartment walls may be configured to create a seal with the base portion. 
         [0026]    In still other embodiments, the rotatable lid  14  and compartment walls can be rotated without removing the lid from the base. A key can be used to unlock the lid and rotate the compartments without lifting the lid from the bait station. A circular configuration allows the compartments to be rotated within the bait station exposing a different compartment. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of a rotatable lid  14  and a bait assembly  50  that can be attached to the lid  14 . A bait rod  52  fits through the portions of bait  54  and comprises a clip portion  58  and two holder ends  56 . The clip portion  58  is inserted into the bait rod clip  60  and the holder  56  ends fit within the bait rod holders  36 . To replace the bait  54 , the holder ends  56  can be pressed together and released from the bait rod holder  36 . The bait rod  52  can then be rotated about the clip portion within the bait rod clip so that the bait pieces can be removed from the rod  52 . New bait pieces can easily be placed on the rod and the holder ends  56  secured again in the bait rod holders  36 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  show an embodiment of the key  16  used to unlock the rotatable lid  14  in a bait station  8 . The key  16  comprises a lower portion  62  which engages the lock  16  and an upper portion  64  which can be attached to a pole or other extension device (not shown). The upper portion  64  includes a threaded area  66  which can correspond for example, to standard broom handle threads. The key  16  unlocks the rotatable lid  14  from the base  10  and the lower portion  62  also engages the lid  14  so that the lid  14  can be lifted off of the base  10  using the key  16  and extension pole (not shown). Thus, the person servicing the bait station  8  does not need to squat or kneel down when servicing the bait station  8 . 
         [0029]    A method of using the above and other embodiments comprises providing a bait station as in such embodiments described above, situating the bait station in a location that may be a locus for rodents, and providing the bait station with bait. 
         [0030]    In another method, situating the bait station further comprises aligning the station with a surface and securing the station to the surface if desired. 
         [0031]    In one method, providing bait comprises a user approaching the station and placing at least one body, such as a foot, wheel, peg, or weight on top of or through a foot platform, into contact with the foot platform so as to secure the bait station in place. 
         [0032]    Yet another method comprises employing the bait station to poison rodents. This method further comprises providing the bait station with poisoned bait. One method further comprises providing more than one type of bait to the station. 
         [0033]    Another method comprises adjusting the size of the hole to selectively exclude or trap rodents meeting certain size requirements. 
         [0034]    Still another method comprises forming an assembly comprising a key secured to the end of an extension pole or device. in another embodiment, a method further comprises determining whether to rotate the rotating lid to make a particular piece of bait accessible from an entry portion. In another embodiment, a method further comprises inserting the key into a key hole, and rotating the compartments by turning the key. 
         [0035]    Another method further comprises rotating the compartments in a timed sequence, either with or without a motor that rotates at least a portion of, or an attachment to, a rotatable lid corresponding, for example, to freshness of the bait or type of rodent or any other animal likely present during a given season or time of day. 
         [0036]    Another method further comprises removing or adding bait to the compartments selectively as, for example, automatically or manually in a timed sequence corresponding to user preference.