AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Invention Title: A Trap with Improved Attractant Means Applicant: Dean William Jones The invention is described in the following statement: 2 A Trap with Improved Attractant Means Field of the Invention. The present invention relates to traps and particularly crustacean traps. Background Art. 5 Traps known as "crab pots" are known in the art. Such traps are typically manufactured of a wire mesh or similar in order to be light to allow the water to be shed from the trap during placement and retrieval of the trap. The traps are normally located underwater in an appropriate position and oriented according to the tidal flows to allow the attractant to be dispersed with 10 the flow of water. The attractant is normally a piece of a carcass of a fish or similar that will attract the crustacean to feed thereon. The crustacean finds the entry port to the trap in order to access the attractant and once the crustacean has entered the trap, the crustacean can no longer exit due to the configuration and/or location of the entry 15 port. The attractant is typically located within the trap itself, usually utilizing wire or plastic mesh wrapped around the attractant or bait and secured with zip-ties. This configuration results in an attractant that is time consuming to remove and replace and one which is also messy to deal with. 20 It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country. Summary of the Invention. The present invention is directed to a trap with improved attractant 25 means, which may at least partially overcome at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice. With the foregoing in view, the present invention in one form, resides broadly in a trap with improved attractant means, the trap having an enclosure to trap a crustacean therein, an entry port and an attractant means including a substantially 30 rigid container with a removable lid, the container and/or lid having a plurality of openings therein.
3 The crustacean trap of the present invention will typically be manufactured from a mesh or similar material. Typically the mesh will be dimensionally stable and able to hold the shape into which the mesh is formed. The trap may be of any shape although it will typically be either a 5 three-dimensional rectangular shape or cylindrical. The trap will typically include an entry port. The entry port may be any shape and/or location in order to allow ingress of crustaceans into the trap but to limit the egress of the trapped crustaceans. The entry port is typically tapered from the entry to the exit of the entry port. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the entry 10 port will be frustoconical with an entry at an outer end and an exit inside the trap. Preferably, the entry is a larger opening than the exit. The entry to the entry port is typically'formed in the sidewall of the trap and more preferably in an end wall. It is also preferred that the entry is located at the downstream end of the trap when the trap is placed. 15 The attractant means will normally include a container or similar in order to hold bait or burley or similar in order to attract crustaceans into the trap. The preferred form of container will typically be substantially rigid. The container will normally be formed from a solid material with openings formed therein and plastic is a particularly preferred material. Metal may be used but it has been found that 20 crustaceans can object to the "taste" that metal can impart into the bait, or alternatively, that the metal can decrease the attractiveness of the bait or burley. The preferred container will typically be substantially cylindrical in shape. The container will have a removable lid in order to opening close the container to locate bait or burley within as well as to empty unused bait or burley from the 25 container. " It is preferred that the lid be tight fitting but it need not necessarily seal with the container. Any engagement mechanism may be used between the lid and the container. A threaded engagement is preferred but the iriventor recognises that clips or clasps may also be used and the same functionality achieved. 30 The lid may be provided with one or more gripping portions in order to allow a user to grasp the lid to facilitate removal and replacement, particularly when the lid is wet. The particular configuration of the gripping portions depends upon the engagement mechanism between lid and the container.
4 Openings will be provided in the lid and/or one or more sidewalls or base wall of the container, preferably to allow flow of water through the attractant container. Typically, the openings are sized to allow only minimal amounts of the attractant or bait to escape in order to prolong the integrity of the attractant or bait. 5 The openings may be configured in a regular array or in an irregular pattern. The attractant container may be loctied at any position and orientation within the trap. Normally, the attractant container is located adjacent the sidewall of the trap. Any method of attachment or mounting may be used to attach or mount the 10 container, preferably removably, within the trap. The attractant container may have attachment means provided in order to facilitate attachment of the container relative to the trap. One preferred means for mounting the container relative to the mesh of the trap is to use zip ties or similar around the container and also about a portion of 15 the mesh of the trap. Again, clips or clasps can be used as alternatives. Any mechanism can be used, whether permanent or temporary, but the container should be easily accessible and/or removable from the trap order to replace the bait or burley within the container. Typically, simple mechanisms which engage the mesh of the trap to 20 locate the container adjacent side wall of the trap will be used. Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combination with any one or more of the other features described herein within the scope of the invention. Brief Description of the Drawings. 25 Various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 a schematic view of a crustacean trap according to a preferred embodiment with the improved attractant container located therein. Figure 2 is a schematic view from the side of an improved attractant 30 container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, a crustacean trap with improved attractant means is provided.
5 As illustrated in Figure 1, the trap 10 is an enclosure to trap a crustacean therein and has an entry port 11 thereinto. An attractant container 12 with a removable lid 13, is provided within the trap 10 to house bait or burley. The container 12 and/or lid 13 have a plurality of openings 14 therein. 5 The crustacean trap 10 of the preferred embodiment is manufactured from a mesh or similar material. The mesh is dimensionally stable and able to hold the shape into which the mesh is formed. The trap 10 illustrated in Figure 1 is a three-dimensional rectangular shape. 10 The trap includes an entry port 11. The entry port 11 tapers from the entry 15 to the exit 16 of the entry port 11. In the particularly preferred embodiment illustrated, the entry port 11 is frustoconical with an entry 15 at an outer end and an exit 16 inside the trap, the entry 15 being a larger opening than the exit 16. The entry 15 to the entry port 11 is formed in an end wall of the trap. It 15 is also preferred that the entry 15 is located at the downstream end of the trap 10 when the trap 10 is set. The attractant means includes a container 12 or similar in order to hold bait or burley or similar in order to attract crustaceans into the trap 10. The preferred form of container is substantially rigid with the container formed from a solid material 20 with openings 14 formed therein. The container 12 illustrated in Figure 2 is substantially cylindrical in shape. The container has a cylindrical body 17 and a removable lid 13 in order to open and close the container 12 to locate bait or burley within as well as to empty unused bait or burley from the container. The lid illustrate-d has a partially spherical or domed 25 configuration. A threaded engagement is used between the lid 13 and the container 12 in the illustrated embodiment. The lid 13 is provided with one or more gripping portions in order to allow a user to grasp the lid to facilitate removal and replacement, particularly when 30 the lid is wet. The particular configuration of the gripping portions depends upon the engagement mechanism between lid 13 and the container 12 and in the illustrated embodiment, includes a series of raised ribs 18 spaced about the periphery of the lid 13.
6 Openings are provided in the lid 13 and in the sidewalls or base wall of the container 12 to allow flow of water through the Attractant container. Typically, the openings are sized to allow only minimal amounts of the attractant or bait to escape in order to prolong the integrity of the attractant or bait. 5 The attractant container 12 may be located at any position within the trap. Two such alternative positions are illustrated in Figure 1. Normally, the attractant container 12 is located adjacent the sidewall of the trap. Any method of attachment or mounting may be used to attach or mount the container, preferably removably, within the trap. The attracting container may have attachment means provided in order to 10 facilitate attachment of the container relative to the trap. One preferred means for mounting the container relative to the mesh of the trap is to use zip ties or similar around the container and also about a portion of the mesh of the trap to hold the container against the wall of the trap. In the present specification and claims (if any), the word "comprising" 15 and its derivatives including "comprises" and "cohiprise" include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present 20 invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations. In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in 25 language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed iii any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims (if any) appropriately interpreted by 30 those skilled in the art.