Anti-false tripping escape-proof single-catch animal trap

Abstract

A single use, reusable or disposable, animal trap suitable for trapping rodents, having a stable enclosure, an unstable internal floor that tilts to dose the trap, a locking mechanism to keep trap closed, and a release for said locking mechanism, where both the locking mechanism and release mechanism are unaffected by gravity once the trap has tripped, regardless of the orientation of the trap relative to gravity. The floor of the trap tilts back and forth allowing the animal to enter and leave the trap (each time leaving the trap in the open position), until the animal enters the trap far enough such that the floor tilts to one end closing the opening in the trap where the floor is then locked into the closed (or trapped) position with the animal inside. The trap's unstable floor is internal to the trap such that the animal is unable to trip the trap from outside the trap, and the unstable floor tilts when the animal is not present such that the trap remains set due to gravity, thus the trap is anti-false tripping since the trap can not be tripped by the animal without the animal being inside the trap. The release mechanism is provided to initially set the trap or to release the animal if the trap is to be reused and the release mechanism is also provided to ensure the locking mechanism does not release if the trap is disposed of. To reduce manufacturing cost, the trap may be constructed with as few as two component parts.