Remote-controlled cage trap door-opening mechanism

An animal trap comprising:

• an animal enclosure having a roof and a front end with an animal access opening into an interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped;
• an entry 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;
• an actuating mechanism operative with said door and including a set lever movable from a first position in which the door is in the closed position, to a second position in which the door is in the opened position;
• a trip mechanism for actuating the set lever to cause the set lever to move from the second position to the first position, closing the door to trap the animal in the animal enclosure;
• a remote control unit capable of communicating with said trap at a distance away from said trap by transmitting wireless signals;
• a receiver associated with the trap and configured to receive said wireless signals from said remote control unit;
• and
• a door-opening mechanism mounted to said trap and remotely activated when said receiver receives one of said wireless signals from the remote control unit, said door-opening mechanism having energy stored therein that is released upon remote activation to move the set lever from the first position to the second position to remotely open the door and release the animal.

A trap with a remotely controlled door-opening mechanism comprising:

• an animal trap having a trap body defining an enclosure with a front end and a rear end, an entry door at said front end, a set mechanism movable toward the rear end of the trap body for placing said trap in a set condition in which said entry door is open, and a trip mechanism for releasing said set mechanism to allow said entry door to close with a trapped animal inside the enclosure;
• a door-opening mechanism operative to open said door while a human operator remains out of arms reach of the trap, the door-opening mechanism including a remote controller configured to transmit a wireless signal;
• a housing with a control unit associated with the trap body, said control unit including a receiver configured to receive said wireless signal;
• a fastening element coupled to said housing by a retractable mechanism and operatively associated with said control unit, said fastening element being removably secured to the set mechanism and movable between a first position proximal said housing to a second position distal from said housing;
• and
• an activating mechanism responsive to said control unit for initiating movement of said fastening element from said second position to said first position to move the set mechanism toward the rear end of the trap body which opens the door to release the trapped animal, said control unit activating said activating mechanism to initiate said movement of the fastening element and the set mechanism after said operator having said remote controller has moved a safe distance away so as to be remotely located from said trap and said trapped animal, said user activating said remote controller to transmit said wireless signal to the receiver and control unit at the trap.