Granted Patent B2

US 12,628,813 · App. 18/014,501 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Dirk Ernest Rosalia Wenmakers (Dilsen-Stokkem, BE); Dries Verdonck (Geel, BE); Philippe Caers (Geel, BE)

Assignee: STRYGOO BV

A01M23/06

Abstract

Claims (65)

1 . A trap for catching rodents comprising an actuator, a sensor, a receptacle, a cover, a feeder, an elastic element, and a connecting mechanism between the actuator and the cover;

wherein the receptacle comprises an opening;

wherein the cover is rotatably arranged on an edge of the opening of the receptacle, wherein the cover is rotatable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the cover closes the opening in the receptacle in the closed position and wherein the opening in the receptacle is not covered by the cover when the cover is in the open position; wherein the actuator is controlled by a signal from the sensor; wherein the actuator is operatively connected to the cover via the connecting mechanism;

wherein the actuator comprises a motor configured to drive a crank, the crank being connected to the connecting mechanism, and a motor coupler configured to releasably couple the motor to the crank;

wherein the actuator is configured to move the cover from the open position to the closed position;

wherein, in the open position, the elastic element is in a relaxed state, and the trap is in a stable equilibrium;

wherein, in the closed position, the elastic element is in a strained state, and the trap is in an unstable equilibrium; wherein, in the unstable equilibrium, the crank is held in a dead-center position by the motor coupler against a force exerted by the elastic element in the strained state;

wherein the elastic element is configured to move the cover from the closed position to the open position once the trap is taken out of the unstable equilibrium by a push from the actuator; and

wherein the motor coupler comprises a motor coupler projection that projects from the motor coupler in a direction toward the crank; wherein the motor coupler projection holds the crank in the unstable equilibrium at or near the dead-center position against the force exerted by the elastic element in the strained state.

2 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connecting mechanism comprises a cable and/or a connecting rod.

3 . The trap as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the connecting mechanism comprises a connecting rod, and wherein the connecting rod comprises a slot through which a shaft that is connected to the crank slides.

4 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following:

wherein the actuator is removable,

and/or

wherein the receptacle comprises a fluid,

and/or

wherein the cover is rotatably connected to the receptacle by means of hinges,

and/or

wherein the cover is rotatably connected to the receptacle by means of a flexible strip, the flexible strip acting as the elastic element,

and/or

wherein the cover is in a substantially horizontal position when the cover is in the closed position, and wherein the cover is swung into the receptacle ( 200 ) when the cover is in the open position,

and/or

wherein the trap comprises a seal, and wherein the seal is situated between the cover and the receptacle when the cover is in the closed position.

5 . The trap as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the seal is made of foam rubber,

and/or

wherein the seal is made of EPDM foam rubber,

and/or

wherein the seal is a bellows seal.

6 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cover is connected to a perpendicular plate that is at right angles to the cover, wherein the perpendicular plate has a shape and a size that substantially correspond to the size and the shape of the cover, and wherein the perpendicular plate is positioned such that, when the cover moves from the closed position to the open position, the perpendicular plate moves from an upright position to another position that substantially corresponds to the position of the cover in the closed position,

and wherein the cover rotates on an axis of rotation, and wherein the cover is connected to the perpendicular plate at the axis of rotation on which the cover rotates.

7 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following:

wherein the motor is a 12-volt motor or a stepper motor,

and/or

wherein the motor is configured to operate at one and only one torque,

and/or

wherein the actuator comprises a handle for manually setting the trap,

and/or

wherein the trap further comprises a fluid level sensor that is configured to measure the level of the fluid in the receptacle,

and/or

wherein the trap further comprises a camera and an image recognition module configured to detect what type of animal is on the cover of the trap,

and/or

wherein the trap further comprises a self-test module for performing diagnostic self-testing to determine if the trap is operational,

and/or

wherein the trap further comprises a control module that is configured to hold the cover open for a predetermined time after a rat has been detected on the cover, after which the control module controls the motor so as to move the cover back to the closed position.

8 . The trap as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the control module is operatively connected to a communication module that is configured to communicate with an external server, and/or wherein the control module is configured to estimate the weight of a captured rat on the basis of the difference in fluid level in the receptacle before and after capture.

9 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the trap is further equipped with a weighing system for weighing the feeder,

and/or

wherein the connecting mechanism is operatively connected to the perpendicular plate and to the crank,

and/or

wherein the elastic element comprises a spring, wherein the spring is preferably positioned between the cover and a support block that is mechanically connected to the receptacle; wherein the spring is compressed when the cover is in the closed state, and wherein the spring is less compressed or relaxed when the cover is in the open state.

10 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the trap is further equipped with a limit marker that defines a fixed zero position for the motor and functions to detect the stop position of the crank.

11 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the motor coupler is configured to rotate such that that the motor coupler projection rotates eccentrically about a crank rotational axis; and wherein the motor coupler projection is configured to, in the closed position, abut against the crank so as to hold the crank in the unstable equilibrium at or near the dead-center position.

12 . The trap as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the crank is rotatably arranged for eccentric rotation about the crank rotational axis as determined by a bearing housed in a crank housing mounted to a frame of the trap; and wherein the motor coupler is configured to releasably couple the motor against the crank at a side of the crank housing facing the motor.

13 . The trap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the unstable equilibrium at or near the dead center position, a torque generated on the crank by the force exerted by the elastic element in the strained state is substantially zero.

14 . A method for catching a rat, comprising the following steps:

a) providing a trap as claimed in claim 1 ;

b) attracting a rat;

c) detecting the rat on the cover with the sensor;

d) when a rat is detected on the cover, relaxing the elastic element, thereby moving the cover from the closed position to an open position, and switching the trap from the unstable equilibrium to a stable equilibrium, thus opening the opening in the receptacle so that the rat falls into the receptacle;

e) once the rat has fallen into the receptacle, moving the cover from the open position to the closed position by actuating the actuator, thereby straining the elastic element and positioning the trap in the unstable equilibrium.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein, in step d), the motor, with a push, takes the trap out of the unstable equilibrium, and wherein the elastic element moves the cover to the open position once the trap has been taken out of the unstable equilibrium by the motor.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein vibrations caused by a rat on the cover takes the trap out of the unstable equilibrium, and wherein the elastic element moves the cover to the open position once the trap has been taken out of the unstable equilibrium.

17 . The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the receptacle comprises a fluid and the trap comprises a rat volume detection system, preferably, the rat volume detection system comprises a fluid level sensor, and wherein the method comprises the further step of based on the volume of an average rat, making an estimate of the number of rats caught via the rat volume detection system.

18 . The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the trap further comprises a communication module, and wherein the communication module transmits a total catch signal once the trap has caught a predetermined volume or number of rats, and wherein optionally, the communication module transmits an incremental catch signal when a specified change in volume is detected, e.g. a change in volume that is between 25% and 200% of the average volume of a full-grown rat.

19 . The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the trap is further equipped with a weighing system for weighing the feeder, wherein this weighing system is calibrated when the trap is set up and/or periodically, wherein calibration is performed by lifting the feeder off a weight sensor located under the feeder, and measuring the signal from this sensor, thereby obtaining a zero measurement for calibration.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (15)