Cage trap with easy set and release mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10455827-B2
Application number	US-201715661411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2005
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A cage type animal trap having an enclosure with an animal access opening into a vacant interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped. The access opening is closed by a door that is movable from a closed to an opened position by an actuating mechanism having a flexible actuating member with one end secured to the door and the other end releasably held by a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism is configured to move the door to the opened position by tensioning the actuating member and, in response to a trigger mechanism, to release the second end of the actuating member and allow the door to move from the opened position to the closed position thereby trapping the animal in the animal enclosure. A door lock in abutment with the outer surface of the door prevents the door from being opened by a trapped animal. A part of the actuating mechanism is in engagement with the door lock when the door is closed such that the door lock is automatically disengaged when the actuating member is tensioned.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An animal trap comprising:
an animal enclosure having an animal access opening into a vacant interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped;
a door movably mounted at the access opening, the door operative in an opened orientation to reveal the animal access opening and in a closed orientation to block the animal access opening;
a set mechanism mounted to an upper side of said animal enclosure and operatively coupled to said door, said set mechanism including a movable member that is displaceable between at least two positions while remaining adjacent the upper side of the enclosure for securing the door in the opened orientation when the movable member of the set mechanism is in a set position and for allowing the door to move to said closed orientation when the trap is tripped and the movable member is displaced to a tripped position;
a trip element responsive to movement of an animal in the interior of the animal enclosure; and
a tripping assembly responsive to activation of the trip element for causing said set mechanism movable member to be displaced from its set position to allow the door to move from the opened orientation to the closed orientation.

2. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein movement of said door from the opened orientation to the closed orientation is downward movement.

3. The animal trap of claim 1 , wherein the set mechanism movable member is displaced longitudinally when moved from the set position to the tripped position.

4. The animal trap of claim 1 , further comprising a locking yoke operatively engaged between the door and an upper portion of the enclosure when the door moves to the closed orientation to prevent the door from being opened by a trapped animal.

5. The animal trap of claim 4 , wherein said locking yoke is spring tensioned to hold the door in the closed orientation.

6. The animal trap of claim 1 , further comprising a locking wire yoke that is generally rectangular and is operatively engaged at a first end with a lower end of said door and at a second end with an upper portion of said enclosure when the door is in the closed orientation to prevent the door from being opened by a trapped animal.

7. The animal trap of claim 6 , wherein said locking wire yoke is held in said operative engagement by a spring element.

8. An animal trap comprising:
an animal enclosure defined by an upper portion including a roof and a lower portion including a floor, said enclosure having an animal access opening into a vacant interior enclosed by said upper and lower portions that is sized to receive an animal to be trapped;
a door mounted at the access opening and movable between an opened orientation in which the animal access opening is revealed and a closed orientation in which the door blocks the animal access opening;
a latch mechanism operatively coupled to said door and having a hold function to secure said door in the opened orientation and a release function to allow the door to move to said closed orientation;
a trip element responsive to contact with an animal in the interior of the animal enclosure;
a trigger assembly operatively coupled between the trip element and the latch mechanism so that when an animal enters the interior of the animal enclosure and contacts the trip mechanism the trigger assembly causes the latch mechanism to perform the release function and allow the door to move from the opened orientation to the closed orientation to trap the animal in the animal enclosure; and
a locking yoke operatively engaged between the door and the enclosure when the door moves to the closed orientation to prevent the door from being opened by a trapped animal, said locking yoke being disengaged when a user moves the door to the opened orientation.

9. The animal trap of claim 8 , wherein said locking yoke is generally rectangular and is operatively engaged at a first end with a lower end of said door and at a second end with the upper portion of said enclosure when the door is in the closed orientation.

10. The animal trap of claim 9 , wherein said locking yoke prevents the lower end of said door from moving upwardly when said yoke is in said operative engagement.

11. The animal trap of claim 10 , wherein said yoke is held in said operative engagement by a spring element.

12. The animal trap of claim 8 , wherein said latch mechanism is secured to the roof of the trap.

13. The animal trap of claim 8 , wherein said latch mechanism includes a movable member having a first position when the latch mechanism is performing said hold function and a second position when the latch mechanism is performing said release function.

14. The animal trap of claim 13 , wherein the movable member is displaced longitudinally when moved between said first and second positions.

15. The animal trap of claim 13 , wherein said latch mechanism movable member is displaced rearwardly when in the first position and forwardly in said second position.

16. The animal trap of claim 8 , wherein said latch mechanism includes a mounting element secured to the roof of the trap in a fixed position and a movable member that is displaced relative to said mounting element when the latch mechanism is adjusted between said hold function and said release function.

17. An animal trap comprising:
an animal enclosure having an animal access opening into a vacant interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped;
a door movably mounted at the access opening, the door operative in an opened position to reveal the animal access opening and in a closed position to block the animal access opening, said door being in said opened position when said trap is in a set condition;
a latch mechanism including a movable element having a hold position and a release position, said latch mechanism securing said door in the opened position when the movable element is in said hold position and allowing the door to move to said closed position when the movable element is in said release position;
a trigger mechanism configured to initiate displacement of the movable element from the hold position to the release position and allow the door to move from the opened position to the closed position to trap an animal, in the animal enclosure; and
a door lock that is automatically engaged when the door moves to the closed position to prevent the door from being opened by a trapped animal.

18. The animal trap of claim 17 , wherein the door lock is operatively engaged between the door and an upper portion of the enclosure when the door is in the closed position.

19. The animal trap of claim 18 , wherein said door lock is held in said operative engagement by a spring element.

20. The animal trap of claim 17 , wherein said latch mechanism is secured to the roof of the trap and said movable member is displaced longitudinally when moved between said hold position and said release position.

Assignees

• Woodstream Corp

Inventors

• Rich Christopher T
• Cruz Robert Theodore
• Holliday Edward J
• Lubic Marko Konstantin

Classifications

• A01M23/18 Primary

  with pivoted closure flaps · CPC title

• A01M23/24

  {Spring traps, e.g.} jaw or like spring traps · CPC title