Electronic rodent trap with remote monitoring capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12219949-B2
Application number	US-202117551739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2021
Priority date	Feb 12, 2018
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

An electronic rodent trap and monitoring method is provided. Each trap has at least one entrance, and preferably two entrances in opposed relationship to create a longitudinal tunnel, with a pair of lower plates extending longitudinally and oriented in spaced substantially parallel relationship, and a triggering element, such as a third plate, positioned above the lower plates, and preferably adjacent the ceiling of the trap on a center baffle that also shields a bait cup. The trap is activated when the rodent, with its left and right feet on the parallel lower plates, which are preferably raised above the floor, contacts the triggering element on the center baffle. The trap is preferably modular in design with an electronics module and a tunnel module removably secured within and protected by an outer housing. The trap also has improved features for more accurate remote monitoring of rodent dispatch and kill verification.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic rodent trap, comprising:
a trap body having at least one trap entrance and extending longitudinally from the trap entrance to an opposite end; and
a high voltage killing circuit operative within the trap body, the killing circuit including:
a plurality of plates that includes two oppositely charged lower killing plates having at least portions thereof extending longitudinally within the trap body, the oppositely charged lower killing plates being spaced from one another by a longitudinally extending gap between the lower plates, and a triggering plate positioned above the two lower plates and spaced inwardly from the entrance; and
a plurality of electrical contacts formed through the trap body and electrically connecting the plurality of plates to a remainder of the high voltage killing circuit, wherein the two oppositely charged lower killing plates include:
a first plate having a first side that extends longitudinally through the trap body and a stem extending transverse to the first side, the stem being electrically coupled through a sidewall of the trap body to one of the electrical contacts on an exterior of the sidewall; and
a second plate having two parts separated from one another within the trap body in a longitudinal direction by the stem of the first plate, each second plate being electrically coupled through the sidewall of the trap body to a respective one of the electrical contacts on the exterior of the sidewall.

2. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising locking features defined on an exterior surface of the trap body and adapted to secure the trap body to an electronics housing containing the remainder of the high voltage killing circuit.

3. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the locking features are positioned adjacent the plurality of electrical contacts.

4. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the locking features comprise flanges formed on an outer sidewall of the trap body.

5. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the triggering plate is formed integrally with a center baffle that extends downwardly into the trap body.

6. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the center baffle defines a hollow interior for receiving bait, the center baffle including a plurality of scent openings formed therethrough.

7. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the two oppositely charged lower killing plates are elevated above the floor of the trap body on raised tracks, the raised tracks being separated by a channel that forms the longitudinally extending gap separating the lower plates, the lower killing plates include a planar part lying substantially flat on the raised tracks and an upwardly directed bent part that is substantially perpendicular to the planar part, the bent part being adjacent the central channel and running substantially parallel therewith.

8. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 1 , further wherein the trigger plate defines a toothing facing downwardly toward the two oppositely charged lower killing plates.

9. An electronic rodent trap comprising:
a trap body having a floor, a pair of sidewalls and a ceiling defining a killing chamber;
a high voltage killing circuit including a plurality of plates that includes a pair of oppositely charged killing plates each having at least portions thereof extending from a trap entrance into the killing chamber;
a center baffle extending downwardly from the ceiling and into the killing chamber, the center baffle positioned directly above each of the pair of killing plates; and
a trigger sensor to sense the presence of a rodent positioned across the pair of killing plates to trigger the high voltage killing circuit to activate the pair of killing plates.

10. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the ceiling defines a cover panel removably attached to the sidewalls, the center baffle extending downwardly from the removable cover panel and into the killing chamber with the cover installed onto a remainder of the trap body.

11. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising a pair of entry baffles attached to either end of the removable cover panel, with the cover panel installed onto the remainder of the trap body, the entry baffles arranged at opposite ends of the killing chamber and extending downwardly into the killing chamber to create a height restriction.

12. The electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the ceiling is fixedly attached to the sidewalls, the center baffle extending downwardly into the killing chamber from the ceiling and defining an open end arranged opposite the killing chamber for receiving bait within the center baffle.

13. The electronic rodent trap of claim 12 , further comprising a lid removably attached to the trap body and selectively covering the ceiling including the open end of the center baffle.

14. The electronic rodent trap of claim 12 , further comprising a pair of entry baffles attached to either end of the ceiling, each entry baffle extending downwardly from the ceiling toward the floor and having a generally semi-circular cutout that forms an arch-shaped lower edge.

15. A modular electronic rodent trap comprising:
an outer housing;
a removable tunnel module received within the outer housing, the tunnel module including a trap base and a cover panel, the trap base and cover panel defining a killing chamber having outer walls, a ceiling and a floor with at least one trap entrance, a longitudinal length of the killing chamber extending from the trap entrance to an opposite end; and
a removable electronics module received within the outer housing and positioned adjacent to the removable tunnel module, the electronics module selectively mechanically fixed and electrically connected to the removable tunnel module and containing high voltage circuitry operative with a plurality of killing plates positioned in the killing chamber, the plates are electrically coupled with tunnel module contacts on an outer surface of one of the killing chamber outer walls, the removable electronics module having an electronics housing with outer contacts configured for engagement with the tunnel module contacts to electrically couple the plates in the killing chamber with the high voltage circuitry in the electronics module.

16. The modular electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 15 , wherein in an installed position, the at least one entrance of the removable tunnel module is aligned in a longitudinal direction with a corresponding entrance opening defined by the trap body.

17. The modular electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the electronics module is slidable within the outer housing between an installed position wherein the electronics module is laterally offset from the entrance opening of the trap body, and an installation and removal position wherein the electronics module is aligned in the longitudinal direction with the entrance opening of the trap body and removable from the trap body in a vertical direction.

18. The modular electronic rodent trap as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the electronics module includes a microprocessor coupled to both a mouse circuit and a rat circuit, the outer housing having a lid equipped with a safety switch to prevent activation of the high voltage circuitry until the lid is closed, the safety switch including first and second closure engagements each having a re

Assignees

• Woodstream Corp

Inventors

• Kletzli Paul
• Ebner Mark
• Blair Cory
• Koziar Jr Peter

Classifications

• A01M31/002

  Detecting animals in a given area · CPC title

• A01M2200/00

  Kind of animal · CPC title

• A01M23/38 Primary

  Electric traps · CPC title