Patent ID: 8418396

Claim:
An animal trap comprising: an elongated conduit having a proximal open end, a closed distal end, an inner wall, an outer wall, and a slot receiving a door therethrough; the door dimensioned to substantially encompass a cross sectional area of the inner wall of the elongated conduit when urged into the slot; a tension member coupled to the door for urging the door into the slot independent of gravity or geometric alignment of the animal trap; the tension member having a incurvate shape which conforms to the outer wall of the elongated conduit; an actuator having an electrically retractable rod in slidable communication with a linkage; the retractable rod having a normally extended position and a electrically retracted position; the linkage dimensioned to longitudinally couple the retractable rod with the door when in the normally extended position such that the linkage maintains the door in an armed position proximate to the slot; a sensor for signaling a presence of an animal within an interior volume of the elongated conduit; a trigger circuit operatively coupled with the sensor and the actuator for causing the retractable rod to reposition from the normally extended position to the electrically retracted position upon receipt of an animal presence signal from the sensor; wherein the electrically retracted position releases the linkage from the retractable rod allowing the tension member to pull the door into the slot thereby trapping the animal within the interior volume; wherein the linkage comprises: a generally L-shaped member having a long leg and a short leg; the long leg of the L-shaped member dimensioned to at least span between the retractable rod and the door when the retractable rod is in the normally extended position; the short leg of the L-shaped member dimensioned to at least span between the outer wall of the elongated conduit and a substantial long dimension of the door; wherein the long leg of the L-shaped member is disposed in general longitudinal alignment with the elongated conduit when the linkage maintains the door in the armed position and in general perpendicular alignment with the elongated conduit when the linkage is released from the retractable rod.