Background of the Invention The trapping of pest animals and in particular, rodents being mice and rats is of particular concern domestically and commercially and a wide range of mouse traps and other trap products have been developed in an endeavour to assist with this problem. However, amongst all the known prior art, various disadvantages occur, particularly where such prior art traps actively injure or poison an animal thereby not only causing pain and suffering to the animal being trapped but also providing a problem of disposing of the trapped animals and the potential for the user to also be injured in such traps. A further problem with prior art devices is the erosion of deterrent potential as the animals become used to the trapping rational and react to the presence of injured or fallen animals. An object of this invention is to provide an improved animal trap.

Object and Statement of the Invention In one aspect, the invention provides an animal trap including an enclosure adapted for containing said animal and a restricted thoroughfare positioned above said enclosure wherein said thoroughfare traverses at least a part of said enclosure and has at least one trap door associated therewith said trap door being movable from a first closed position preventing access to said enclosure and a second open position providing access to said enclosure. The trap door is preferably pivotally mounted about a central longitudinal axis. The trap door may be held in said first position by the action of a magnet which co¬ operates with the insulated iron core of an inactivated electric coil. The trap door may be moved by rotation about the pivot by the electrical activation of said coil to cause said coil and said iron core to be magnetised in reverse polarity to said magnet thereby actively repelling and causing said trap door to rotate and move to said second position. The coil may be activated by the provision of an electrical pulse by means of a computer chip and appropriate circuitry which is activated by an infrared or heat sensing signal traversing said thoroughfare or other remote sensing means. The axis may be aligned to correspond with the boundary of said thoroughfare wherein said trap door has a first face forming a floor to said thoroughfare when the trap door is in said first position. Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will not be described in greater detail by reference to the accompanying figures and Legend. Figure 1 which shows a cross-section end elevation of the animal trap with the trap doors in the closed position. Figure 2 shows a cross-section end elevation of the animal trap with the trap doors in open position and an animal caught within the trap. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the animal trap.

Legend 1. Animal enclosure 2. Thoroughfare 3. Trap door 4. Pivot mount 5. Permanent magnet 6. Electric coil 7. Remote sensing means 8. Iron core 9. Ramp 10. Permanent magnet 11. Computer Chip Referring firstly to Figure 1, the animal trap can be seen to comprise a general enclosure 1 comprising a generally hollow container. The enclosure has provided across the top region, a restricted thoroughfare 2 through which an animal must pass in order to traverse the enclosure. The enclosed thoroughfare has positioned immediately underneath two pivoted trap doors 3 which are movable from a first closed position as shown in Figure 1, effectively forming a floor to the enclosed thoroughfare and preventing access to the enclosure, to a second open position shown in Figure 2 where the floor of the thoroughfare is opened up allowing the animal to fall into the enclosure 1. The trap doors 3 are positioned for pivotable mounting at 4 with the pivot provided to the exterior of the enclosed thoroughfare and substantially align with the longitudinal boundaries of the thoroughfare. In this manner, the trap doors can freely move from a first position to a second position with the first position providing to all intents and purposes, a safe thoroughfare for traversal of the enclosure by an animal, the second position instantly dropping the animal into the enclosure such that the immediate return of the pivotable trap doors to the first position via the action of an appropriately positioned magnet 10 arranged in a reverse polarity configuration to the trapdoor magnet effectively traps the animal in the enclosure 1. The action of the trap doors is such that the trap door is substantially balanced to normally adopt the first position and being provided with a magnet 5 on the second face which is adapted to magnetically co- operate with the inactivated insulated iron core of a coil 6. In this manner, the passive state of affairs of the trap provides for the magnet 5 to actively hold the trap door in the first position thereby allowing an animal to begin traversing thoroughfare. The trap is provided with an infrared or other sensing means 7 which is positioned to traverse the centre of the thoroughfare and once tripped, will by computerised 11 Fig 2 electrical co- operation with the coil, activate said coil to magnetise said coil and iron core 8. The trip mechanism may include a heat sensing device as an alternative, or for use in conjunction with the infrared signal. The heat sensing device can be designed to distinguish between warm blooded animals including rodents which may be desired for trapping and cold blooded animals including reptiles and lizards, which are not intended to be caught and would traverse the trap without being caught. The polarity of the magnetised coil 6 and iron core 8 is the reverse of that of the magnet 5 such that immediately following activation of the iron core, the magnetic repulsion of the magnet 5 actively rotates the trap door from said first position to said second position thereby allowing an animal that has partially traversed the thoroughfare and activated the infrared source to instantly fall into the enclosure 1. Once the animal has fallen into the enclosure, the infrared beam is restored and the trap door reverts to its first position, thereby trapping the animal in the enclosure. The enclosure incorporates a ramp 9 which can be seen in Figure 3 which is adapted to allow an animal to reach the enclosed thoroughfare and move along said thoroughfare into the path of the detection source. In use, the animal trap would be placed against a wall or other defined pathway of an animal such that an animal walking along said pathway would encounter the enclosure 1 and given the nature of the desired target would avoid traversing the enclosure and instinctively climb the ramp 9 and begin traversing the enclosed thoroughfare. The said trapdoor being held in said first closed position by said magnet such that said trapdoor will be able to support a weight in excess of said desired target animal and will have the appearance of a safe and reliable passage and only when the animal had reached the middle of said trapdoor would the means of detection 7 be activated and accordingly be processed by said computer chip 11 Figure 2 thereby electrically energising said coil 6 and said insulated iron core 8 such that a magnetic reverse polarity repulsive effect actively repels the counter balancing permanent magnet 5 of the trapdoor to instantly open said trapdoor 3 causing the animal to fall into the enclosure 1. The trap door would then immediately revert to its first position allowing further animals to be trapped. Once the animals have been trapped, it would then be possible to dispose of them in any manner deemed suitable, either by movement to a more suitable location or other disposal means. The invention is suitable for use in trapping a wide range of animals, and whilst primarily designed for trapping rodents including rats and mice, could also be adapted for trapping birds and animals by the ready adjustment of the styles and configuration of the invention's components. The invention provides for the first time, a highly automated yet simplified mechanism requiring minimal electrical power or mechanical moving parts. The action of the invention does not hurt the trapped animal and therefore does not discourage subsequent animals from entering and being caught by the trap. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.