GB2612140A - Rat trap with housing - Google Patents

Abstract

An elongated housing configured to contain one or more rat traps is disclosed. The housing comprises: an elongated tube (10), with opening running along the length of the tube on opposite sides of the tube (10), so that it may split in to two halves (11,12); one or more hinges (13) coupled to the opening on one side of the tube to actuate the opening and closing of the tube (10); wherein the tube (10) is sufficiently wide enough for a rat trap (40) can be disposed flat onto the base of the tube, without room to rotate; and wherein the ends of the tube are open, and have sufficient width that the rat trap (40) may be placed within the tube (10) through the ends, wherein it may slide down the base of the tube to reach a desired location along the length of the tube. Also disclosed is a rat-trap which is housed in an elongate housing, when the rat-trap (40) is capable of functioning as a stand-alone rattrap in the absence of the housing.

Description

RAT TRAP WITH HOUSING

Background to the Invention

In many urban and rural areas places, be they homes, farms or businesses, may suffer from vermin infestations. In more recent times there has been an increase in the number of cases of infestation of larger vermin, in particular rats. in some cases, people try to combat the problem with poisons, but these can be hazard to other wildlife, especially in a farm, where it may affect the life stock. In other cases, there may be runoffs caused by rain which would introduce the poison into natural water sources like river, and stream, thereby effecting the local wildlife. In a more urban environment, there may still be a risk of the wrong creatures ingesting the poison, such as small bird, and in some cases, there may be a risk of small children ingesting the poison instead. Poisons also have the problem of immunity, as vermin may become more resistant over time, or may learn to identify the poison and therefore avoid it. As a result, an approach that uses traps to catch or kill one or more rats would be preferable.

The problem with some traps is that the mechanism of the trap is exposed or open, leading to situations wherein the trap may be triggered unintentionally by other creatures, such as birds or livestock, or by debris, such as falling leaves. Therefore, there is a need to have a trap that includes an external housing to prevent such unintentional triggering. Further it is noted that some vermin may be able to trigger such a trap without getting caught if they have sufficient space to run over the trap and escape, therefore it is preferable that the housing be designed to restrict the vermin's movements and direct them towards the trap within the housing, thereby increasing the chance of it being caught.

Additionally, there are also problems relating to the handling and disposing of vermin traps.

In particular if a user handles the trap directly, they may leave behind traces, such as oils or sweat, that can produce a scent that can scare vermin away from the trap. The same traces may also be left on the trap from the housing, when the housing has been handled when disposing of the trap, or the body within. Therefore, there is a need for a trap that can be moved and disposed of without the need to directly handle the trap.

It is also noted that in some spaces, in particular larger spaces such as a farm or warehouse, many traps would need to be set to effectively cover the area and address any vermin problems, also in the case of a warehouse or office spaces, such traps must be places in specific locations, such as in a loft or around the edge of the building/rooms, which may be hard to reach, or may require specific housing shapes or other requirements, as to not disturb operations in the area. Therefore, the is a need for a vermin trap that is portable, and easy to set, and may preferably be modular, so that several modules can be combined in different configurations to cover the larger area and fit the area specific dimensions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1: depicts an opened elongated housing tube.

Figure 2: depicts an example linking bracelet.

Figure 3: depicts an example stopping rod, with an enlarged end portion.

Figure 4: depicts an example rat trap, and said rat trap set within the elongated housing.

Figure 5: depicts a closed housing, with handle, and with ends blocked with stopping rods.

Figure 6: depicts two housing tubes connected by a corner linking bracelet.

Specific Description

The claimed invention provides an elongated housing configured to contain one or more rat traps. The housing comprises: an elongated tube (10), with two openings running along the length of the tube, each on an opposite side of the tube (10), so that it may split in to two halves (11,12), thereby giving the user access to the inside of the tube, this may be used to add/remove traps from the housing, to check the traps, or to allow the user to clean the inside of the housing after use. The tube may further include one or more hinges (13), coupled to the opening on one side of the tube (10) to actuate the opening and closing of the tube (10), ensuring that the two haves (11,12) remained attached even when the housing is opened. Wherein the tube (10) is sufficiently wide for a rat trap (40) to be disposed flat onto the base of the tube, without room to rotate, this ensures that the trap stays in place within the housing, and does not rotate and become lodged, or stuck, within the housing itself. This position also ensures that the bait of the trap is facing towards one of the open ends of the tube (10) through which the vermin will enter the housing, increasing the chances that the vermin is lured towards the rat trap (40). Also, it is preferable that the ends of the tube are open, and have sufficient width that the rat trap (40) may be placed within the tube (10) through either of the ends. wherein the rat trap may be placed into the tube by being placed within the end of the tube and then sliding down the base of the tube to reach a desired location along the length of the tube (10), as depicted in figures 1 and 5. Note that the trap (40) may also be placed by open the tube (10) via the hinges (30) and then placing the tap (40) in the desired position, the position can then by adjusted by sliding the trap (40) as described above. However, as noted it is preferable that the user has as little contact with the trap (40) as possible, therefore the method of sliding the trap through the open end of the housing would be preferable as this could be achieved using a member of other object to slide the set trap into the tube (10), and then adjusting the position by tilting the housing. In either case, as mentioned, once one or more traps are in the housing, the tube (10) may be tilted so that the trap(s) (40) slides towards the downward facing end, this can be used to move the traps to a preferable position or to remove the trap from the housing as they fall out the open end, thus allowing the trap to be repositioned or removed without the need to touch the trap (40) directly. It is also note that the due to the tube (10) not being wide enough for the trap the rotate, there is a reduce risk of the trap becoming stuck within the housing when it slides along the base of the tube (10).

Also disclosed is a rat trap (40) which is housed in an elongate housing, wherein the rat trap (40) is capable of functioning as a stand-alone rat trap in the absence of the housing, as a conventional rat trap, such as the trap depicted in figure 4, though any suitable type of rat trap could be used. It should be noted that in the case of the invention the term, rat trap refers to any conventional trap for catching, or killing vermin, in particular rodents.

The claimed housing comprises a tube (10) of any elongated shape, such as a cylinder, or any elongated polygon. In the preferred embodiment the tube is in the form of a hexagonal tube, as such the tube provides sufficient width for traps, and vermin, to enter the ends of the tube, while also providing a sufficiently wide and flat base for the rat trap (40) to sit upon, with the sides adjacent to be base helping to prevent the trap from rotating as it slides along the base of the tube (10). It is also noted that in some embodiment the tube (10) may be deformable, so that when the tube is place on a flat surface, the side of the tube (10) place against said surface will deform to be flat, or to widen the base of the tube, thereby providing a sufficient base to place the trap (40) upon, this may be necessary especially when the tube is cylindrical, or another rounded shape. The deformable tube may also allow the housing to fit within narrower spaces, by reducing the tubes overall width.

As previously mentioned, the housing is specifically designed to be opened, thus allowing the user to see within the housing, likely to check is any of the trap within have been triggered and to check their position within the housing, without risk of coming into contact with the trap or setting off said trap. This can also make it easier for the user to set, or reset, the rat trap within the housing, after they have been triggered or after placing the trap in the desired position. The preferred embodiment of the housing is opened via the hinges (13), which allows the tube to divide into two halves (11,12), joined together via said hinges (13). The preferred embodiment of the housing will comprise a tube (10) that will be positioned so that the two halves (11,12) comprise an upper half and a lower half, with the upper half positioned above the lower half, so that the trap (40) will be positioned in the lower half, and the upper half may be actuated using the hinge (30) to open the tube without moving, or otherwise making contact, with the lower half. This configuration ensures that the housing can be opened without moving, or otherwise disturbing the traps (40) housed within.

The combination of the opening and sliding mechanisms described above can help improve the effectiveness of the rat trap (40), by removing, or at least reducing, the need for the user to physically touch the trap (40). This is because the odours left behind by sweat or oils left behind after making skin contact may be detected by the vermin, which will then repel then from the trap. The sliding mechanism also assist in disposing of the trap after use, as the housing tube may be tilted to slide the trap and the creature caught within, out of one of the open ends of the tube (10) and into suitable waste receptacle, without the need for the user to touch the trap or body therein. Allowing the user to dispose of the trap more hygienically.

As the housing is openable, it is preferable that the user has a means of locking the housing to stop others from opening the housing, and also stop the housing from coming open accidentally. To achieve this, one or more latches (15) may be attached to the openings of the tube (10), in particular the opening that is not coupled to the hinges (13). Said latches (15) may be self-locking, or alternatively may be locked using an additional member, wherein said additional member is threaded through one or more of the latches (15) as the means of locking the latches closed. It is noted that the latches (15) may be configured to be locked using other conventional means, such as a pad lock. The benefits of this feature are that, as mentioned, the housing cannot be opened unintentionally, this will stop people other than the user from accessing the traps (40) within the housing, such as small children, as well as other creatures, such as life stock, who may hurt themselves with the traps (40). Additionally, it stops vermin within the tube (10) from opening the housing, after which they may escape the housing without triggering the trap within. As previously state one problem with conventional rat traps is that, with sufficient room, vermin may be able to quickly move over the trap, taking the bait without being caught, the housing ensures that the vermin do not have such sufficient room to do this, thus why it is important that the creatures within the housing cannot open it.

It is noted that in the preferred embodiment the housing tubes (10) are modular, allowing several tubes (10) to be interlinked in a range of configurations to cover different shaped or sized areas. This is achieved by having one or more slots (16) within the ends of each tube (10). These slots may be linked via a clip or other suitable means, such as one or more notches on the end of the connecting tube, that are inserted into the slots (16) of the connecting tubes. In the preferred embodiment these connections are achieved using a linking bracelet (20). Wherein the linking bracelet (20) comprises a length of rigid material configured to be shaped in a manner that will fit around the ends of the tubes (10), or at least the end of one half (11,12) of the tube (10), with the linking bracelet (20) comprising two sets of one or more notches (21) that fit into the one or more slots (16) in the ends of each of the tubes to secure them together, some versions of the linking bracelet may use a thread to screw onto the ends of the tubes instead. These linking bracelets may have different shapes to provide different shaped configurations. The bracelet (20) in figure 2 is a straight link for extending the length of the housing, in a straight line along the tube's elongated axis. While the linking bracelet (60) in figure 6 is a corner link allowing the housing to turn a corner between tubes (10). Another possibility would be a junction link, which may be a T-shaped junction, or a cross junction, that could couple multiple housings together, and cover a larger area, not that such links would have a set of notches (21) at each connecting end of the link, one for each of the tubes (10) it connects to. For example, a T-shaped link can connect to three tubes and therefore would have 3 sets of notches, one at each end of the T-shape. It is noted that each of the linking bracelets (20) can be of various lengths. These different types of links may be used in combination, in order to shape the housing to a specific shape, or to meet specific requirements of the area it will be deployed in. for example if the trap was being used for an office space, the user may want the housing to follow the edges of specific rooms, whereas in a barn, or warehouse, the user may want the housing to cover as large an area as possible, while housing as many traps as possible. In the latter case the differ linking bracelets (20) may be used to form a grid structure using a plurality of housings. Note also that the link bracelets (20) would allow individual tubes (10) within the housing configuration to be removed from the configuration, for example to be emptied, without disrupting/moving the other surrounding housings.

The housing may also comprise one or more stopping rods (30), or cap portion, to block one of the open ends of the housing (10). The stopping rod is configured to partially block one end of the housing, preferably leaving some of the end open for vermin to enter end of the tube (10), while being sufficient blocked as to stop the rat trap (40) from sliding out. Wherein the stopping rod comprises an elongated member, with sufficient width to be inserted into one of the slots (16) in the ends of the tube, in practice the stopping rod would be inserted through one slot (16) and then the end of the rod either rests on the inside of the tube, or more preferably is inserted into a slot (16) on the opposite side of the tube. Once inserted the stopping rod may be secured by attaching a cap to one or both ends of the rod, or some stopping rods (30) may include an enlarged end portion (31), which may secure the rod in place after the narrower end portion is inserted into the slot (16). It is noted that in embodiments wherein the ends of the tubes have a plurality of slots (16), multiple stopping rods (30) may be inserted so as to provide different configurations at the end of the tube to allow for different opening sizes, each configuration would be configured by inserting the stopping rod (30) through one slots (16), one of to various angles, so as to then pass the end of the stopping rod through another of the slots (16) in the end of the tube, other than the slot on the opposite side.

Alternatively, the user may use a cap portion to secure the ends of the tube. Wherein the cap portion is configured to completely cover one of the ends of the tube (10), thereby sealing the end of the tube (10). This end portion may be secure with one or is more notches on the edge of the cap, that insert into the slots (16) at the end of the tube (10). Some embodiment may include a thread on the inside of the cap portion, which may be screwed onto the ends of the housing, in such cases the housing may also include a thread along the edge of the tube to couple with the thread of the cap. These caps are used to completely seal one end of the housing, thereby preventing the trap, and any vermin within the trap from exiting that end. These cap portions can also be when the multiple housings are connected to block loose within the arrangements, that the user does not want vermin to enter or exit through, and may also help to direct the path of vermin within the configuration, by creating dead ends within the structure.

As mentioned, the housing would be designed to allow the rat trap (40) to slide along the base of the tube (10), which would allow multiple traps to be set with a single housing by sliding more traps down the tube (10), note that some traps (40) may be directional, like the example trap in figure 4, in these cases at least two traps will be necessary to cover both directions the vermin may enter the housing. In some embodiments the tube (10) may include means of securing one or more traps in place within the tube, these may include, clips or additional slots or notches within the tube, which the rat trap (40) would be designed to connect to, securing the one or more traps in place. In some embodiments the traps (40) may slide down the base of the tube, until they reach the position where they are to be secured, at which point an element on the edge of the tube, an element on the sides of the trap (40), or an additional element, such as clip or member, may be positioned along the tube (10), or inserted into the tube (10), so as to secure the trap in place. In other embodiments the housing may need to be opened, after which the trap can be place directly onto the area of the tube to which it may be secured as described above. By doing this the user can ensure that the trap within the housing remains in the desired position, and can be used to ensure the trap has a desired facing, and cannot be moved by vermin within the trap, as such movements could accidentally trigger the trap. Note that in either method additional traps may still be placed within the house, by sliding them from one of the ends of the tube, or by opening the housing and placing them in the desired positions. Such embodiments may also include a means of decoupling the secured trap, without the need to touch the trap, or opening the housing. In the case where the trap is secured by an additional member, such as a clip or rod, the additional member is simply removed. In the cases wherein the tube and/or trap includes features, such as notches that secures the trap in place, the outside of the housing may further include a feature, such as a leaver, latch, tab or button which may be pressed to release the secured trap, alternatively the trap may be released automatically by rotating the tube (10), before tilting to slide the trap out of the tube.

Note that the later method would only work when disposing of the trap, as otherwise this method would trigger the trap once it was tube (10) was upside-down, as the trap fall to the opposite side. As a result, the preferred method of securing the trap would be the use of an external member, as it is does not risk triggering the trap, is more reliable and secure than using features such as notches, and can be inserted and removed without the need to open the housing or touch the trap directly.

In some embodiments one, or both ends of the tube, may include a spring-loaded flap, or panel. Wherein the flap may be opened from the outside of the tube, by pushing against the flap, after which a spring secures the flop closed preventing the flap from being opened from inside the tube. This can help guide the movements of the vermin within the housing by preventing them from leaving via the same end they have entered, and therefore must travel into the direction of the trap (40). This may be particularly useful in larger housing configuration, such as a grid configuration, as it will force the vermin within the configuration to move in the direction of the traps, and may limit the paths the vermin can traverse the configuration to ensure they pass over all, or at least most of the traps within the configuration. Alternatively, these flaps may be used to form a humane rat trap, by using the flaps to trap the vermin within the housing, without using a rat-trap (40) design to kill or harm the s vermin, as mentioned before if such humane housings are part of a configuration, individual housings can be removed from the configurations and emptied, once a creature is trapped inside, before returning the emptied housing to the configuration. In the cases wherein there is a spring-loaded flap at each end, the user may use an external member, such as the stopping rod (30), to secure one of the flaps open as the housing is emptied, without needing to fully open the housing. Alternatively, it may be preferable to have an embodiment of the housing with the spring-loaded flap at one end, and an end sealing cap over the opposite end. With this arrangement, the flap and sealing cap direct the vermin within the housing as it may only enter by end with the flap, and cannot exit from either end once inside, and if necessary, ensures the vermin enters from the side the trap within is face. This arrangement also making the processes of emptying the housing easier, as the user simply removes the end cap, and can then tilt the housing to empty out the trap (40), without the need to touch the trap or spring-loaded flap directly because, as mentioned, direct contact may result in odours or traces that may scare the vermin zo away.

To improve the practicality of the discloses housing and trap (40), it is preferable that the housing be made of a light material, such as PVC or aluminium. This way the housing is easier to carry, and may be easily lifted to reach high areas such as lofts, or barns, wherein the housing can simply be slid into place. Additionally, both of these materials can be easily shaped to the desired dimensions, and both can be easily washed to remove any traces that may deter vermin from the trap. Of these options PVC, may be more preferable as it can be painted to better camouflage the housing with the area it is being used for, for example, if the housing is being used in an office it may be painted to match the colour of the walls of the office space, if used outdoors the housing may be painted in a suitable camouflage pattern to blend in with the natural surroundings, for example the case may be painted in a green camouflage pattern when used in hedge rows or woodland areas.

Additionally, to further assist with moving and installing the housing, the exterior of the housing may include one or more handles (50). Preferably these handles would be attached to the side of the housing opposite the base of the tube, this way the handle can be used to lift the housing without disturbing the trap(s) (40) on the base of the tube (10). The handle (50) may also be used to tilt the housing more easily, allowing the user to adjust the position of the traps (40) within the tube (10) more easily, and also empty out the traps (40) from the end of the tube (10) without the need to touch the housing itself Also in the preferable position, the handle (50) can be used as a means to open the housing again without the need to handle the housing itself. It is also preferable that the handle (50) be made of a material that is light weight, to reduce the overall weight of the housing, and can also be easily cleaned to wipe away traces on the handle (50) after use. As these criteria for the material of the handle are the same as the criteria for the material of the housing, many embodiments may use the same material for both. In some embodiments the handle (50) may be removeable, this way the handle can be removed and washed to remove traces that may deter vermin from the housing, and may ensure the handle does not obstruct the placing of the housing, for example, the handle (40) may prevent the housing from fitting into tight spaces. In some embodiments, wherein the tube (10) of the housing is rounded, the one or more handles (50) may be used as feet, to stabilise the housing and prevent it from rolling, as such rolling would likely trigger the traps inside the tube, or may cause them to fall out of the housing.

Utilising these features, the claimed invention provides an improved rat trap design, that is modular, easy to carry and install, and helps prevent the trap being acceptingly triggered by the user, other animals, or debris, and can be easily cleared by tilting the housing an letting the trap slide out of the end into a waste container without the user needed to be in direct contact with the trap.

Claims (25)

1. Claims 1. an elongated housing configured to contain one or more rat traps, wherein the housing comprises; an elongated tube (10), with opening running along the length of the tube on opposite sides of the tube (10), so that it may split in to two halves (11,12); one or more hinges (13) coupled to one of the openings on the side of the tube to actuate the opening and closing of the tube (10); wherein the tube (10) is sufficiently wide enough for a rat trap (40) to be disposed flat onto the base of the tube, without room to rotate; and wherein the ends of the tube are open, and have sufficient width that the rat trap (40) may be placed within the tube (10) through the ends, wherein it may slide down the base of the tube to reach a desired location along the length of the tube; and the rat trap (40) may be removed from the tube (10), by tilting the housing, allowing the trap (40) to continue sliding along the base of the tube, until it exits the end of the tube.
2. 2. The housing of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a handle (50) couples to the side of the tube, opposite the base of the tube.
3. 3. The housing of claim 2, wherein the handle (50) is removeable.
4. 4. The housing of any preceding claim, wherein the tube includes one or more latches (15) coupled to one of the openings of the tube, wherein the latches (15) can be used to lock the housing close.
5. 5. The housing of claim 4, wherein the latch (15) is configured to be locked using a suitable member.
6. 6. the housing of claim 5, wherein the suitable member comprises a lock.
7. 7. The housing of any preceding claim, wherein the ends of the tube (10) comprise one or more slots (16), wherein the slots (16) at the end of the tube (10) may be linked to an adjacent tube.
8. 8. the housing of any preceding claim, wherein the housing comprises one or more linking bracelets, configured to link adjacent housings together.
9. 9. The housing of claim 8, wherein the linking bracelet includes one or more notches (21), wherein the notches (21) of the linking bracelet (20) can be inserted into the slots (16) of adjacent tube (10) to link the adjacent tubes together.
10. 10. The housing of claims 8 or 9, wherein the linking bracelet (20) may be angled to create a corner (60) between the adjacent tubes (10)
11. 11. The housing of claim 8 to 10, wherein the linking bracelet (20) may be in the form of a junction, with a plurality of notches (21), or threads, to link more than two adjacent housings together.
12. 12. The housing of claims 7 to 11, wherein the housing further comprises a stopping rod (30), for blocking one end of the tube (10); Wherein the stopping rod comprises an elongated member, with sufficient width to be inserted into the slot (16).
13. 13. the housing of claim 12, further including a cap, which may be attached to the end of the stopping rod (30) to secure the rod within the tube (10).
14. 14. The housing of claim 12, wherein the stopping rod (30) comprises two end portions; wherein one end (31) portion is enlarged relative to the other end portion, so that the enlarged end portion (31), is wider than the slot (16); Wherein the enlarged end portion (31) secures the stopping rod (30), when the narrow end portion is inserted into the slot (16).
15. 15. The housing of any preceding claim, wherein the housing further comprises a cap end portion that may be secured to one end of the tube (10), to seal the end of the tube.
16. 16. The housing of claim 15, wherein the cap end portion comprises one or more notches, and is secured by inserting the notches into the slot (16) on the end of the tube (10).
17. 17. The housing of cany preceding claim, wherein the base of the tube includes a clip, wherein the clip is configured to secure the rat trap (40) in place within the tube (10).
18. 18. the housing of any preceding claim, wherein the base of the tube includes a slot for receiving the rat trap (40), or a notch or clip, to secure the rat trap (40) in place.
19. 19. the housing of any preceding claim, wherein one, or both ends of the tube, includes a spring-loaded flap, or panel, wherein the flap may be opened from the outside of the housing, and Wherein a spring secures the flap closed preventing the flap from being opened from inside the housing.
20. 20. the housing of any preceding claim, wherein the sides of the housing may be painted in a manner that will camouflage the housing.
21. 21. the housing of any preceding claims, wherein the housing is made is made of a light-weight material, such as PVC or aluminium.
22. 22. A system comprising the elongated housing of any preceding claim, and one or more rat traps to be housed within the housing.
23. 23 The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more rat-traps (40) which are housed in an elongate housing, are capable of functioning as a stand-alone rat-trap in the absence of the housing.
24. 24. The system of claims 22 and 23, wherein the system further comprises a plurality of elongated housings, and a plurality of housings and linking bracelets (20), wherein the tube (10) of the plurality of housings is linked to one or more other housings using one or more linking bracelets (20).
25. 25. A rat-trap which is housed in an elongate housing, when the rat-trap (40) is capable of functioning as a stand-alone rat-trap in the absence of the housing.