Abstract:
The present invention provides a crustacean trap having a top cover and a plurality of substantially planar side panels extending downward from the cover. The top cover and the side panels define an interior space therebetween. At least one side panel may include an aperture adapted to receive a degradable element such that the degradable element substantially obstructs the aperture. The crustacean trap may also include at least one side panel having a one-way pivotable gate opening away from the interior space, with the gate having one or more protrusions spaced apart by a predetermined width.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/563,875, filed Apr. 20, 2004, entitled CRUSTACEAN TRAP, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     n/a  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to sea-animal traps and more specifically to a sturdy crustacean trap that includes apertures to allow crustaceans to enter the trap and one or more strategically located escape hatches positioned in such a manner that crustaceans that remain in the trap for an extended period of time have a means of egress.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Traps used at sea to trap crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters and the like are well known in the art. Common wire traps are often submerged in the ocean and crustaceans enter the trap via an aperture that is large enough to allow entrance into the inner area of the trap. Once the crustacean enters the trap through the aperture it has difficulty escaping since the location of the aperture, typically in the top frame of the trap, prohibits egress. This is because the arrangement of the trap prohibits the crustacean from climbing the interior walls of the trap and out of the aperture through which it entered. Further, wire traps are often flimsy and get snagged on sea plants thereby preventing easy extraction of the trap, and creating potential environmental hazards.  
         [0005]     While it is the purpose of crustacean traps to trap sea-animals, environmental regulations have strict requirements regarding the size and type of crustacean that can be trapped and the length of time a crustacean can be confined in a trap. Sea-animals that have been caught in a trap must be extracted after a certain period of time. If not, they must be given the chance to escape. Therefore, traps must include an escape hatch to provide the sea-animals that are still alive after a certain length of time with a means of egress. However, the escape hatch in these traps is typically positioned too high for the crustacean to escape. As noted above, crustaceans generally cannot climb the walls of a trap and force their way out of an escape hatch positioned on the upper portion of the wall of the trap. Further, most traps inadvertently trap small or baby crustaceans. These young crustaceans are not meant to be trapped since environmental regulations prohibit the trapping of baby crustaceans. These young crustaceans cannot climb their way out of the trap through the escape hatch and are too large to exit through the narrow slits that are in the trap&#39;s side walls.  
         [0006]     While there exists plastic, crate-like crustacean traps, many are poorly designed and lack easy opening covers. These traps fail to provide conveniently located escape hatches and do not provide egress for small crustaceans. Further, many traps that are stacked while in storage are damaged due to the lack of any protective device that serves to protect the frame of the trap from the weight of other stacked traps.  
         [0007]     It is therefore desirable to provide a crustacean trap apparatus that can be submerged in water to capture sea-animals and that provides convenient escape means for sea-animals that are trapped for an extended amount of time in order to comply with environmental regulations. It is also desirable to provide an apparatus that is sturdy, and that can withstand the weight of other traps that may be stacked upon it during storage.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like designations refer to like elements, and wherein:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the crustacean trap of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of adjacent side walls of the crustacean trap illustrating the interlocking tabs and channel;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the crustacean trap illustrating the interlocking mechanism between adjacent walls;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a left, side view of the crustacean trap of the present invention with the top cover swung open;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a right, side view of the crustacean trap of the present invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the crustacean trap of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference designators refer to like elements, there is shown in  FIG. 1 a  crustacean trap constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally as  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , trap  10  is a generally cube-like structure having four adjacent side, i.e. front side  14 , left side  12 , right side  18  and rear side  16 , and a top cover  20 , all of which enclose a defined interior space. Typically, the bottom of trap  10  is open but is adapted to include a slab of cement, which can be formed in place to comprise the floor of the trap. The cement provides weight to the trap allowing it to sink below the water surface.  
         [0016]     The crustacean trap  10  of the present invention is formed by four molded polymer sides ( 12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18 ) and a hinged top cover  20 . Once the four sides are assembled, the bottom of trap  10  is formed by placing the assembled sides on a surface and filling the bottom of the trap with a substance that can be poured to set as a solid mass such as a resin, concrete or the like. The formed bottom is held in place by protrusions on the lower inner portions of the sides.  
         [0017]     Top cover  20  is hingedly coupled to rear side  16  by two hinges  28  and  30  such that each hinge is screwed to the top of rear side  16 . Cover  20  includes two cylindrical molded elements which axially rotate within each hinge (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Cover  20  includes planar areas  21  and  23  on its left and right sides, respectively, which allow cover  20  to rest against the left side  12  and the right side  18  of trap  10  to prevent cover  20  from rotating into the inner volume of trap  10  formed by the sides of the trap.  
         [0018]     The mechanism for keeping cover  20  closed is two pivotable latches  40  mounted to the top of front side  14  of trap  10 . Each of the two latches  40  pivots about a screw fixing the latch to front side  14 . To lock cover  20 , latches  40  are rotated so that they extend over the top of cover  20 , preventing the cover from opening.  
         [0019]     Entrance and egress to and from the inner volume of trap  10  when cover  20  is in a closed position is formed by an ellipse-like opening  26  in cover  20  having a wall  27  orthogonal to the plane of cover  20  extending part way into the trap&#39;s inner volume thereby providing a uniform cross-section (seen in  FIG. 4 ). The cross-section area of the aperture at cover  20  is the same as the cross-section area at the opposite end of the wall inside trap  10 .  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , it can be seen that trap  10  is formed by slidably engaging adjacent walls, for example, right side  12  with rear side  16 , and left side  12  with rear side  16 . The side edges of the left and right sides include a set of tabs  52  facing toward the center of the sides and a set of opposite facing tabs  53 , i.e. tabs that face the outer edge of the sides. Substantially horizontal apertures  22  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) in the sides make the tabs visible from the outside when the sides are not coupled together and allow for visual inspection of the adjacent side during the process of coupling together adjacent sides. The edges of the left and right sides  12  and  18  are molded such that the inward facing tabs  52  are positioned over a rectangular channel  54  formed in the edge. The outward facing tabs  53  are positioned over the planar portion of the sides extending to the peripheral edge of channel  54 .  
         [0021]     The front and rear sides  14  and  18  include lengthwise edge margins  56 , which interlock with channel  54  and tabs  52  and  53  formed in the left and right sides  12  and  18 . An inward-facing margin  58  faces toward the inner volume of trap  10  and slidably engages the outward-facing pair of tabs  53  on the adjacent side panel. The outer edge of the front and rear side panels forms a margin  56  which faces outside of the trap and slidably engages into channel  54  formed in the adjacent left or right side panel, being held in place by the three inward-facing tabs  52 . The engagement of left side  12  and rear side  16  can be seen in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0022]     Of note, the depth of the channel  54  formed in the side panel is less than the thickness of margin  58  formed on the front and rear panel so that when engaged, margin  58  is held in place in channel  54  by the inward facing tabs  52  as well as by the engagement of the outward facing tabs  53  and their pressure on the inward facing margin  58 .  
         [0023]     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , trap  10  is preferably constructed of rigid plastic and includes a series of substantially horizontal apertures  22  disposed within each wall as well as the top cover  20 . Between apertures  22  are a series of substantially horizontal panels  24 . The distance between panels  24  is sufficiently small such that crustaceans that enter the trap  10  cannot easily escape. Crustaceans typically enter trap  10  via an entrance orifice  26  located in the substantial center of top cover  20 . Entrance orifice  26  is preferably oval in shape and is sized to allow crustaceans to enter the trap. Because orifice  26  is located in top cover  20  and in the substantial center, away from walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18 , it is difficult for a crustacean, once it has entered trap  10 , to climb up any of the interior of the walls and escape through entrance orifice  26 .  
         [0024]     Top cover  20  is rotatably connected to side wall  16  via hinges  28  and  30 . Hinges  28  and  30  are affixed at one end to panel  32  via screws or other similar affixing device. The portion of hinges  28  and  30  that are not affixed to panel  32  form a loop and enclose a rod  34  extending underneath panel  36  (shown in  FIG. 6 ). Rod  34  can freely rotate within the loop portion of hinges  28  and  30  thereby allowing top cover  20  to swing open and any sea-animals that are contained within trap  10  to be easily removed.  
         [0025]     Trap  10  also includes four support blocks  38  located at each top corner of trap  10  and two additional support blocks  38  located at the substantial midpoint between two corner blocks as shown in  FIG. 1 . Blocks  38  may be affixed to the top of trap  10  or be formed as an integral part of the trap. Each block  38  projects upward from the corner of trap  10  and provides a “cushion” that prevents damage to cover  20  if multiple traps  10  are stacked on top of each other during storage. Each raised block  38  receives the direct weight of an upper, stacked trap and prevents damage by maintaining a space between the lower corners of the uppermost trap and the cover or top corners of the walls of the lower trap. Using the crustacean trap of the present invention, multiple traps can be stacked on top of each other during storage without any damage to the framework of the traps themselves.  
         [0026]      FIG. 1  also illustrates a pair of securing latches  40 . Latches  40  are secured to an upper panel surrounding top cover  20  via a screw or similar attachment device. Latches  40  rotate about the attachment device and may be rotated to cover a portion of top cover  20  when it is desired to secure the top cover  20  and prevent it from swinging open. To open top cover  20 , latches  40  are rotated to a substantially horizontal position with respect to a top panel  42  of trap  10  and cover  20  is swung open. The interior walls of orifice  26  may be used as a handle that the user can grasp to swing open cover  20 . Lateral ridges along the underside of top cover  20  allow it to rest on front wall  12  and side walls  14  and  16  to prevent cover  20  from swinging into the defined inner volume of trap  10 .  
         [0027]     In  FIG. 1 , escape hatch  44  can be seen. Escape hatch  44  is an aperture situated near the bottom of side  12  of trap  10 . Alternately, escape hatch can be situated on any other side ( 14 ,  16  or  18 ) of trap  10 . Environmental regulations require that all submerged sea traps include an escape hatch to allow captured sea-animals that have not been extracted from the trap a means of escape. Apertures  22  are too narrow to allow captured sea-animals to escape. The trap of the present invention includes an escape hatch  44  lower than other traps to provide sea animals that have not been extracted from the trap a means of egress. Other prior art traps include an escape hatch high on one side of the trap, making it extremely difficult if not impossible for a crab or other sea animal to climb up the interior side walls of the trap and attempt to escape through the escape hatch.  
         [0028]     Escape hatch divider  46  is positioned at the substantial midpoint of escape hatch  44  and secured to the side of the escape hatch  44  via an attachment device such as one or more screws. Divider  46  is preferably a sliver of biodegradable material such as wood, which, after extended exposure to water, will become soft and degrade. Divider  46  bisects the opening in the escape hatch, making it more difficult for average-sized sea animals to escape. However, after trap  10  has been submerged in water for several days, the wood degrades, making it relatively easy for the captured sea-animal to chew through the wood and escape. Divider  46  serves to prevent immediate escape of the sea-animals, which is the desired effect, yet sufficiently degrades after extended submersion in order to give the trapped sea-animals a means of escape. The location of escape hatch  44 , i.e., proximate the trap floor, eliminates the need for the captured sea-animal to climb the interior walls of the trap first, and then chew or claw its way out of the escape hatch.  
         [0029]     Trap  10  typically includes as its floor, a slab of cement (not shown) secured to the interior walls and cast in place. The slab rests on four or more protrusions or other similar supporting members that project inward from the interior walls of trap  10 . The slab of concrete serves as a floor for the trap and further provides the necessary weight to allow trap  10  to sink below the surface of the water to a location where sea-animals may congregate.  
         [0030]     Hinges  28  and  30  described above allow top cover  20  of trap  10  to be swung open, resulting in the configuration shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  is a left, side view of the crustacean trap  10  of the present invention. In  FIG. 4 , top cover  20  is in the open position. An open-ended cylinder  27  extends from underneath cover  20 . Cylinder  27  is open and both ends to allow sea-animals to enter trap  10  via orifice  26  (the cylinder&#39;s upper end) when cover  20  is in the closed position. Escape hatch  44  can be seen in the lower right-hand corner of front side  12  of trap  10 . Escape hatch divider  46  bisects escape hatch  44  and initially prevents egress of trapped sea-animal. After several days of submersion, sea-animals that have not been removed from the trap may eat or claw their way through divider  46  and escape via hatch  44 .  
         [0031]     When swung open, cover  20  pivots about hinges  28  and  30  (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) and remains in a substantially vertical position as shown in  FIG. 4 . Panels  24  and apertures  22  therebetween can be seen on front face  12 . Raised blocks  38  are shown to project slightly above the horizontal plane of the trap&#39;s frame in order to prevent damage from stacked traps.  
         [0032]      FIGS. 1 and 2  also shows swing gate  48 . In  FIG. 1 , gate  48  is located adjacent escape hatch  44  on side  12  but may just as easily be located on any side of trap  10 . For example, in  FIG. 2 , gate  48  is located, along with hatch  44 , on side  18  of trap  10 . Further, more than one hatch  44  and gate  48  may be included in trap  10 . Gate  48  is pivotally connected to one of the lower panels  24 . Gate  48  acts as a one-way flap that allows trapped sea-animals to exit the trap. Gate  48  includes one or more fingers  49  that are of a specified width that prevents small crustaceans from exiting through the gate. Only when gate  48  is pushed outward can the crustaceans escape. Gate  48  is configured in such a way that it cannot open when pressure is applied from outside trap  10  thereby preventing sea-animals from entering the trap through gate  48 . However, when pressure is applied to the gate from within the trap, the gate  48  swings outward. Gate  48  is adapted to provide smaller crustaceans that are inadvertently trapped with a means of egress. In an alternate embodiment, gate  48  is replaced by a groove cut into lower panel  24 . This increases the area between panel  24  and an adjacent aperture  22  thus allowing smaller sea-animals to escape from within trap  10 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of the crustacean trap  10  of the present invention. In this configuration, side  14  is shown without an escape hatch or a gate. Hatch  44  may be included in one or more of the side walls  12 ,  14 ,  16  or  18 . Similarly, gate  48  may be included in one or more of the side walls.  
         [0034]     Because environmental regulations prohibit the trapping of young or undersized crustaceans, gate  48  provides a way for inadvertently trapped crustaceans to easily make their way out of the trap interior. When the gate  48  is pushed open from within the trap, a space between panel  24  and aperture  22  is created that is larger than the space between other panels and apertures of the trap. This added space near the lower end of trap  10  allows young sea-animals to escape without the need to climb up the interior walls of the trap. The placement of gate  48  may vary. For example, gate  48  may be placed on any side of trap  10  and may be affixed to any panel  24 . However, the placement of gate  48  is preferably near the bottom of trap  10  to eliminate the need for small sea-animals to have to climb the interior of the trap in order to escape.  
         [0035]      FIG. 6  illustrates a top view the trap  10  of the present invention. Orifice  26  is positioned in the substantial center of cover  20 . Hinges  28  and  30  are pivotally connected to cover  20  allowing the cover to be freely swung open and the contents of the trap to be removed. For illustrative purposes, latches  40  are shown in two different positions. The upper latch is in a position that allows cover  20  to be opened. Both latches must be in this position to open cover  20 . The lower latch is in a “locked” position and covers cover  20  to prevent unwanted opening. Grooves  50  are disposed along top cover  20  to allow water seepage.  
         [0036]     The crustacean trap  10  of the present invention is a light-weight yet sturdy trap that traps crustaceans while providing easy escape for crustaceans remaining in the trap after an extended period of time via one or more escape hatches and/or an outward-opening gate. The escape hatches are located proximate the bottom of the trap. This provides an easy escape route for trapped crustaceans that have not been removed from the trap. A degradable divider, preferably a thin piece of wood, is secured to each side of the escape hatch walls and prevents immediate escape. After a period of time, perhaps several days of submersion, the wood degrades and may be eaten or clawed through to allow the crustaceans to escape. This is in accord with environmental requirements that prohibit sea-animals to be trapped for an extended period of time without being removed.  
         [0037]     Further, the present invention provides an outward-opening gate  48  allows smaller, inadvertently trapped crustaceans an easy way to escape the trap. Support blocks  38  disposed along the upper edges of the trap protect the trap frame by supporting the weight of stacked traps. Latches  40  provide a quick and easy means to open or secure the trap cover  20 . A cement slab serves as the bottom floor of the trap and is preferably supported by a series of nails or inwardly protruding members extending from the interior walls of the trap.  
         [0038]     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.