US 6,202,340 B1Granted

Electronically actuated animal trap

OwnerJoniel Nievesinventor

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Abstract

An electronically actuated animal trap for humanely capturing animals within an enclosure having an animal access opening through which an animal is drawn by bait. A swingably hinged vertically oriented trigger panel is disposed between the animal access opening and the bait area. As the animal attempts to enter the bait area, the vertically oriented trigger panel swings towards the bait closing an electric circuit powering a solenoid. The solenoid retracts at least one pin received through apertures formed in a vertically sliding door panel mounted to the animal access opening thereby causing the sliding door panel to vertically drop from a first raised configuration to a second lowered configuration. Consequently, the animal access opening is closed off by the sliding door panel effectively trapping the animal within the enclosure.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An electronically actuated animal trap comprising

(a) an enclosure having a base, side walls, a roof, a rear wall, and a front end provided with an animal access opening;
(b) a vertically sliding door panel mounted to said animal access opening having at least one door aperture dimensioned to receive at least one retention pin oriented in a substantially perpendicular fashion to said sliding door panel said sliding door panel having a first raised configuration and a second lower configuration;
(c) a biasing means adapted to urge said at least one retention pin through said at least one door aperture while said sliding door panel is in said first raised configuration;
(d) a solenoid adapted to retract said at least one retention pin from said at least one door aperture when a voltage is applied to said solenoid;
(e) a voltage source adapted to power said solenoid through a circuit;
(f) an animal trigger switch disposed within said enclosure, said animal trigger switch adapted to close upon movement by an animal within said enclosure;
(g) a means for connecting said animal trigger switch to said circuit whereby said sliding door panel being vertically positioned in said first raised configuration when said at least one retention pin is received through said at least one door aperture thereby securing said sliding door panel in said first raised configuration and providing access to said enclosure via said animal access opening;
(h) whereby movement within said enclosure triggers said animal trigger switch thereby closing said circuit so that said solenoid receives power from said voltage source causing said at least one retention pin to retract from said at least one door aperture thereby causing said sliding door panel to vertically drop from said first raised configuration to said second lowered configuration wherein said animal access opening is closed off by said sliding door panel.

5 more elements

An electronically actuated animal trap comprising

(a) an enclosure having a base, side walls, an exterior roof, an interior roof, a rear wall, and a front end provided with an animal access opening;
(b) a vertically sliding door panel mounted to said animal access opening having at least one door aperture dimensioned to receive at least one retention pin oriented in a substantially perpendicular fashion to said sliding door panel said sliding door panel having a first raised configuration and a second lower configuration;
(c) a biasing means adapted to urge said at least one retention pin through said at least one door aperture while said sliding door panel is in said first raised configuration;
(d) a solenoid adapted to retract said at least one retention pin from said at least one door aperture when a voltage is applied to said solenoid;
(e) a voltage source adapted to power said solenoid through a circuit;
(f) a bait area located within said enclosure distal to said animal access opening;
(g) a vertically oriented trigger panel swingably hinged to said roof and disposed between said bait area and said animal access opening;
(h) an animal trigger switch adapted to close said circuit when said vertically oriented trigger panel is swung towards said bait area;
(i) a means for connecting said animal trigger switch to said circuit;
(j) whereby said sliding door panel is vertically positioned to said first raised configuration when said at least one retention pin is received through said at least one door aperture thereby securing said sliding door panel in said first raised configuration and providing access to said enclosure via said animal access opening, movement within said enclosure triggers said animal trigger switch thereby closing said circuit so that said solenoid receives power from said voltage source causing said at least one retention pin to retract from said at least one door aperture thereby causing said sliding door panel to vertically drop from said first raised configuration to said second lowered configuration wherein said animal access opening is closed off by said sliding door panel.

7 more elements

An electronically actuated animal trap comprising

(a) an enclosure having a base, side walls, a transparent exterior roof, a transparent interior roof, a rear wall, and a front end provided with an animal access opening;
(b) a handle from which said electronically actuated animal trap depends;
(c) at least one air hole formed in said enclosure dimensioned to permit breathing by a captured animal while keeping said captured animal within said enclosure;
(d) a vertically sliding door panel mounted to said animal access opening having a plurality of door apertures dimensioned to receive at least one retention pin oriented in a substantially perpendicular fashion to said sliding door panel said sliding door panel having a first raised configuration and a second lower configuration;
(e) a least one locking door aperture formed in said sliding door panel and arranged to receive said at least one retention pin when said slide door panel is in said second lower configuration;
(f) a biasing means adapted to urge said at least one retention pin through said at least one door aperture while said sliding door panel is in said first raised configuration;
(g) a solenoid disposed adapted to retract said at least one retention pin from said at least one door aperture when a voltage is applied to said solenoid;
(h) a voltage source adapted to power said solenoid through a circuit;
(i) a bait area located within said enclosure distal to said animal access opening;
(j) a vertically oriented trigger panel swingably hinged to said roof and disposed between said bait area and said animal access opening;
(k) an animal trigger switch adapted to close said circuit when said vertically oriented trigger panel is swung towards said bait area;
(l) a means for connecting said animal trigger switch to said circuit whereby said sliding door panel being vertically positioned to said first raised configuration when said at least one retention pin is received through said at least one door aperture thereby securing said sliding door panel in said first raised configuration and providing access to said enclosure via said animal access opening;
(m) a manual switch connected to said circuit adapted to power said solenoid upon closure;
(n) an open door detector switch maintaining said circuit when said sliding door panel is in said first raised configuration and breaking said circuit when said sliding door panel is in said second lower configuration;
(o) whereby movement within said enclosure triggers said animal trigger switch thereby closing said circuit so that said solenoid receives power from said voltage source causing said at least one retention pin to retract from said at least one door aperture thereby causing said sliding door panel to vertically drop from said first raised configuration to said second lowered configuration wherein said animal access opening is closed off by said sliding door panel thereby securing said enclosure, closing said manual switch permits said at least one retention pin to retract from said at least one locking door aperture thereby permitting said sliding door panel to be returned from said second lower configuration to said first raised configuration.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.