Abstract:
A rodent trap includes a pivotally mounted jaw which snaps to a closed position to enclose a rodent when activated by a rodent attempting to free itself from an adhesive coated removable trigger member. The trigger member and the rodent can be easily removed from the trap. The trigger member can be replaced with a new trigger member and the trap can be reset and reused.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/150,892, filed on Feb. 9, 2009, entitled “Rodent Trap With Removable Trigger Plate.” 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of rodent traps and more particularly, to a rodent trap with a removable trigger plate. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The prior art related to rodent control includes various examples in which bait is placed on a trigger plate to attract a rodent. Movement of the trigger plate by a rodent causes a spring loaded member to trap the rodent. In prior art traps, after the trap has been activated, the user disposes of the trap along with the rodent. The need to dispose of the trap after a one-time use is both costly and inconvenient for professional sanitarians who typically utilize a large number of traps in order to clear rodents from a large industrial facility. 
         [0004]    Another problem found in prior art rodent traps is related to the situation in which the bait which has been placed on the trigger plate is often removed from the trap by a rodent without activation of the trap. This renders the trap useless for rodent removal. 
         [0005]    The above problems are clearly evidenced in a typical prior art rodent trap such as the trap shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,544 to Leyerle, et al, for “Rodent Trap With Entrapping Teeth.” In this trap, the entire trap is disposed of along with the entrapped rodent. 
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a rodent trap with a removable trigger plate in which the possibility of removing the bait without activating the trap is significantly reduced. 
         [0007]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a rodent trap with a removable trigger plate in which the removable trigger plate facilitates continued reuse of the trap. 
         [0008]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a rodent trap with a removable trigger plate which includes an adhesive layer which ensures that motion of the rodent attempting to escape from the trap is transferred to the trap and ensures activation of the trap. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a rodent trap with a removable trigger plate which includes an early removable and replaceable member having an adhesive layer. 
         [0010]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rodent trap with a removable trigger plate which includes a relatively small number of component parts which can be manufactured economically in volume resulting in a relatively low unit cost. 
         [0011]    Other objects and a more complete understanding of the present invention will be made clear hereinafter. 
         [0012]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a rodent trap with a removable trigger plate which includes a pivotally mounted jaw which snaps to a closed position to enclose a rodent when activated by the rodent attempting to free itself from an adhesive coated removable trigger. The trigger plate and the rodent can be easily removed from the trap. The trigger plate can be easily replaced with a like trigger plate and the trap can be reset and reused. 
         [0013]    In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the trigger includes a removable member which has an adhesive layer. The removable member and the rodent can be easily replaced with a like member and the trap can be reset and reused. 
         [0014]    Additional 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 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an overall perspective view of a rodent trap with a removable trigger; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the rodent trap of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an elevation view similar to  FIG. 2  with the jaw removed; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a schematic elevation view showing the trigger being inserted to the catch mechanism; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary plan view taken along the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the trigger taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is an elevation view taken along the line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a fragmentary plan view of a second alternate embodiment of the trigger and the catch mechanism showing a snap connection to the catch mechanism; 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is an elevation view of the trigger taken along the line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a fragmentary elevation view taken along the line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a fragmentary plan view of a third alternative embodiment of the trigger and the catch mechanism. 
           [0027]      FIG. 13  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 14  is a fragmentary elevation view taken along the line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 12 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 15  is a side elevation view of the trigger plate of  FIG. 12  shown removed from the trap; 
           [0030]      FIG. 16  is a fragmentary plan view of a fourth alternative embodiment of the trigger and catch mechanism incorporating a removable glue board member; 
           [0031]      FIG. 17  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line  17 - 17  of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 18  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line  18 - 18  of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 19  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 17  showing the removal of the removable glue board member; and 
           [0034]      FIG. 20  is a fragmentary plan view similar to  FIG. 16  of a fifth alternative embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0035]      FIGS. 1-8  show a first embodiment of a rodent trap with a removable trigger  10 . The trap  10  includes a base  12 , a hollow jaw  14  pivotally mounted on the base  12 , a catch mechanism  16 , a pair of load springs  18 , a trigger support  20  and a removable trigger  22 . The catch mechanism  16  engages the trigger support  20  and maintains the trap  10  in the open or set position as shown in  FIG. 1 . When the removable trigger  22  is moved by a rodent, the trigger support  20  becomes disengaged from the catch mechanism  16  and the catch mechanism  16  releases the jaw  14  allowing the spring  18  to quickly pivot the jaw  16  in the direction shown by the arrow  24  in  FIG. 1  toward a closed position in which the edge  26  of the jaw  14  contacts the base  12 . 
         [0036]    A support spring  28  is mounted on the base  12  and supports the trigger  22  in the open position shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The trigger  22  support  20  is pivotally mounted on the base  12 . 
         [0037]    The removable trigger  22  includes a flat portion  30  which has peripheral flanges  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  and a central aperture  40  which has a circular flange  42 . The flanges  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  42  and the flat portion  30  form a trough  44  which may be filled with a non-drying adhesive  46 . A sheet of release paper  48  covers the non-drying adhesive  46 . The central aperture  40  is in general alignment with a bait cup  50  which is formed on the base  12 . 
         [0038]    The removable trigger  22  includes a projecting plate  52 . The projecting plate  52  is in general alignment with the flat portion  30 . The projecting plate  52  has an end  54  with a pair of tapered portions  56 ,  58 . The projecting plate  52  includes a pair of notched portions  60 ,  62  disposed near the end  54 . 
         [0039]    When the removable trigger  22  is pushed in the direction shown by the arrow  66  in  FIG. 4  toward the catch mechanism  16 , the notched portions  60 ,  62  engage the projecting portions  68 ,  70  of the latch members  72 ,  74  which are disposed on the trigger support  20 . The latch members  72 ,  74  are integrally formed on the trigger support  20  and include lever portions  76 ,  78 , the ends  80 ,  82  of which can be pressed together to release the removable trigger  22  from the trigger support  20 . 
         [0040]    The details of construction of the base  12 , jaw  14 , catch mechanism  16  and the load spring  18  are well known in the prior art and therefore have not been described in detail. 
         [0041]    The trigger support  20  is connected to the base  12  pivot  84 . The flange  86  engages the end portion  88 . 
         [0042]    When a rodent attempts to escape from the removable trigger  22 , the motion of the rodent is transmitted to the trigger support  20  and catch mechanism  16 , which has been shown schematically in  FIG. 3  and the catch mechanism releases rear  96  of the jaw  14 . 
         [0043]    A second embodiment of the invention  200  is shown in  FIGS. 9-11 . The second embodiment  200  includes a removable trigger  202  which has a trough portion  204  which is generally similar to the trough portion  44  of the first embodiment  10  previously described and a projecting portion  206  which has an aperture  208  which accepts a snap post  210 . The snap post  210  projects from an alternative trigger support  220  which has integrally formed guide flanges  214 ,  216 ,  218  and an integrally formed flange portion  220  which engages the end  222  of the projecting portion  206 . 
         [0044]    A third embodiment of the invention  300  includes a removable trigger  302  which is shown in  FIGS. 12-15 . The removable trigger  302  has a trough portion  304  which is generally similar to the trough portion  44  of the first embodiment. The removable trigger  302  includes a projecting portion  346  which includes a pair of notched portions  306 ,  308 . A trigger support plate  310  includes a pair of snap members  312 ,  314  which have projecting portions  316 ,  318  which snap into the notched portions  306 ,  308 . 
         [0045]    The trigger support plate  310  is connected to the base  12  as previously described. When the removable trigger  302  is pulled in the direction shown by the arrow  320  in  FIG. 12  by a user, the snap members  312 ,  314  which are flexible are forced to spread apart in the directions shown by the arrows  322 ,  324  in  FIG. 16  thereby releasing the removable trigger  302  from the trigger support plate  310 . 
         [0046]    The trigger support plate  310  includes a flange  326  which projects over and engages end  328  of the projecting portion  346  of the removable trigger  302 . 
         [0047]    The removable trigger  302  includes flange portions  330 ,  332 ,  334 ,  3346 , a base portion  338 , and a circular flange portion  340  which define the trough portion  304 . The circular flange portion  340  defines an aperture  342 . The trough portion  304  is filled with a layer of non-drying adhesive  342 . 
         [0048]    A fourth embodiment of the invention  400  is shown in  FIGS. 16-19 . In the fourth embodiment of the present invention  400 , the base plate  402  is generally flat and includes a projecting portion  404 . The projecting portion  404  is generally similar to the projecting portion  346  previously described and includes notched portions  406 ,  408  which engage projecting portions  410 ,  412  on the flexible members  414 ,  416  which are part of the support member  418  as previously described. The support member  418  includes a flange  420  which engages the end  422  of the projecting portion  404 . The support member  418  is pivotally connected to the base  12  and actuates the catch mechanism  16  to release the jaw  14  as previously described. 
         [0049]    The base plate  402  includes flanges  424 ,  426 ,  428 ,  430  which engage and hold a removable glue board  432 . The glue board  432  has a flexible cardboard member  434  and a non-drying adhesive layer  436 . The edges  438 ,  440 ,  442 ,  444  of the non-drying adhesive layer  436  are spaced away from the edges  446 ,  448 ,  450 ,  452  of the cardboard member  434  leaving a border  454  which engages the flanges  424 ,  426 ,  428 ,  430  and which is free of adhesive. 
         [0050]    The border  454  on the glue board  432  ensures that the glue board  432  will not adhere to the flanges  424 ,  426 ,  428 ,  430 . 
         [0051]    The base plate  402  includes an aperture  456 . To remove the glue board  432 , the bottom  458  of the glue board  432  is pressed in an upward direction by the user in the direction shown by the arrow  460  in  FIG. 19 . The glue board  432  flexes past the flange  428  and can be easily removed in the direction shown by the arrow  462  along with an entrapped rodent. The glue board  432  is proportioned to flex past the flange  428  as shown in  FIG. 19 . However, if a rodent attempts to escape by pulling the glue board  432 , the glue board slides under the flange  428  and is retained on the base plate  402 . 
         [0052]    A fifth embodiment of the invention  500  is shown in  FIG. 20 . The fifth embodiment of the invention  500  is generally similar to the fourth embodiment  400  of the invention previously described with the exception that the base plate  502  is pivotally connected to the base  12  and the flexible members  414 ,  416  have been eliminated. The flanges  504 ,  506 ,  508 ,  510  are as previously described and the glue board  512  is removable as previously described. 
         [0053]    The foregoing specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth in the specification herein are for illustrative purposes only. Various deviations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention, without departing from a main theme thereof.