Uni-directional entrance tube for rodent trap

A rodent trap comprising:

• a box enclosing a trap compartment and having a mouse opening providing access into the trap compartment, the box having a floor;
• an elongated tube within the trap compartment, the tube having first and second opposite side walls and a bottom wall, an open entrance end corresponding with the mouse opening and an open exit end in communication with the trap compartment;
• an elongated tilt ramp within the tube having an entrance end adjacent the mouse opening of the box and having an exit end adjacent the open exit opening of the tube;
• a ramp hinge pivotally mounting the tilt ramp within the tube for tilting movement about a hinge axis from a first position wherein the entrance end is adjacent the bottom wall of the elongated tube adjacent the mouse opening and the exit end is elevated above the entrance end such that access to the elongated tube is restricted from the trap compartment, to a second position wherein the exit end is lowered from the first position such that access to the trap compartment is allowed from the tilt ramp;
• a counter weight connected to an underside of the entrance end of the tilt ramp and biasing the tilt ramp to the first position, the counter weight held in place by a tab extending downwardly from the entrance end of the ramp;
• the ramp hinge comprising a ramp hinge pin having a first pin end pivotally mounted within the receptacle of the first boss and having a second pin end pivotally mounted within the receptacle of the second boss, whereby the pivotal movement of the first and second pin ends within the receptacles of the first and second bosses reduces the frictional force resisting tilting movement of the tilt ramp in response to the weight of the mouse;
• wherein the bottom wall of the elongated tube further comprises an impact bump extending upwardly toward the entrance end of the ramp, the impact bump configured to shorten the throw of the ramp without reducing the overall height of the rodent trap.

A method for using a tilt ramp trap comprising a box enclosing a trap compartment;

• a first mouse opening in the box;
• an entrance tube within the trap compartment, the entrance tube having opposite side walls and a bottom wall, a first open end in communication with the first mouse opening and a second open end in communication with the trap compartment;
• an elongated tilt ramp within the tube having first and second opposite side walls, an entrance end adjacent the mouse opening of the box and an exit end adjacent the exit opening of the tube;
• a ramp hinge pivotally mounting the tilt ramp within the tube for tilting movement about a hinge axis from a first position wherein the entrance end is adjacent the bottom wall of the entrance tube adjacent the mouse opening and the exit end is elevated above the entrance end, to a second position wherein the exit end is lowered from the first position;
• a counter weight connected to the tilt ramp and held in place with a plurality of tabs extending downwardly from the ramp and biasing the tilt ramp to the first position, the method comprising:
• rotating the first and second opposite ends of a hinge pin comprising part of the ramp hinge within spaced apart receptacles of first and second bosses, respectively, the first and second bosses being mounted to the opposite sidewalls of the tube so as to reduce the frictional forces required to tilt the tilt ramp from the first to the second position in response to the weight of the mouse;
• engaging the entrance end of the tilt ramp with a pivotally mounted flap and pivoting the flap about a flap axis from an open position to a closed position in response to movement of the tilt ramp from the first position to the second position;
• and
• reducing the throw of the ramp by integrating impact bumps into the bottom wall of the entrance tube such that the ramp does not rotate fully when the counter weight biases the ramp from the second position back to the first position.