Patent ID: 7506471

Claim:
A mousetrap comprising: an enclosure comprising a base having an upwardly extending spindle, a top rotatable about said spindle, and an aperture located on each of the top and the base, wherein the enclosure is in an open position upon substantial alignment of the apertures; and a trigger mechanism comprising a lever arrangement and a biasing means, the top comprising a strike plate connected thereto and extending downwardly therefrom within an interior of the enclosure and substantially at a right angle to the top, the base comprising a catch plate connected to the base and extending upwardly therefrom within an interior of the enclosure and substantially at a right angle to the base, wherein the enclosure, when in the open position, is able to admit a mouse into the enclosure and when in the closed position, the apertures are not in substantial alignment, the mousetrap being set to incapacitate or kill the mouse by manual rotation of the top relative to the base to open the enclosure by substantial alignment of the apertures, the enclosure being held open against a force of the biasing means by engagement of the lever arrangement with a stop means; the mousetrap being activated to trap the mouse by disengaging the lever arrangement from the stop means and causing the top to contra-rotate about said spindle and relative to the base under the force of the biasing means so as to close the enclosure, and cause the strike plate connected to the top to move in a direction of the catch plate and thereby incapacitating or killing the mouse by striking the mouse with the strike plate and incapacitating or killing the mouse between the strike plate and the catch plate.