The present invention relates to animal feeders. More particularly, the invention relates to bird feeders.
The invention provides, in one aspect, an animal feeder. The animal feeder includes a base and a sidewall extending upward from the base. The sidewall and base at least partially define an inner cavity operable to hold an animal feed. A roof, operable to transition between an open position and a closed position, is located above the sidewall. In the open position, the roof is magnetically attached to a first magnetic feature such that a user can access the inner cavity. In the closed position, the roof is magnetically attached to a second magnetic feature such that the user cannot access the inner cavity.
The invention provides, in another aspect, an animal feeder. The animal feeder includes a base including a magnetic feature and a sidewall extending upward from the base and including a magnetic feature. The sidewall and base at least partially define an inner cavity operable to hold an animal feed. The magnetic feature is selectively, magnetically attached to the second magnetic feature.
The invention provides, in yet another aspect, an animal feeder. The animal feeder includes a base, a first sidewall including a first magnetic feature and extending upward from the base, and a second sidewall including a second magnetic feature and extending upward from the base. The sidewall and base at least partially define an inner cavity operable to hold animal feed. The first magnetic feature is magnetically attached to the second magnetic feature.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
When assembled, the side panels 14 have a square cross-section, with the side panels 14 extending upward vertically from the base 18 when the feeder 10 is hanging in a position of use. It should be appreciated, however, that in other embodiments, the side panels 14 may have circular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal and other cross-sections with corresponding numbers of vertical faces. Collectively, the assembled side panels 14 form a sidewall. The sidewall extends upward from the base 18, and in combination with the base 18, defines an inner cavity operable to hold the animal feed.
The panels 14 include various alignment features 34, 38 where one panel 14 interacts with another panel 14. This interaction is shown in
In addition to the alignment features 34, 38, the panels 14 include a plurality of flanges 42, 46 extending from the panels 14 in various locations. First flanges 42, as shown in
Second flanges 46, located away from the base of the panel 14, as shown, are located on the panels 14 which include alignment tongues 34. Each second flange 46 includes a magnet or magnetic surface 58 which aligns with a magnet or magnetic surface 62 on the interior surface 26 of the panels 14 which include alignment grooves 38. The alignment grooves 38 prevent the panels 14 with alignment tongues 34 from falling outward when the feeder 10 is assembled. The magnets 58 associated with the second flanges 46 prevent the panels 14 with alignment grooves 38 from falling outward when the feeder 10 is assembled. Collectively, the tongues 34, grooves 38, and magnetic surfaces 58, 62 hold and fix each panel 14 relative to each adjacent panel 14. Alternatively, if each panel included one tongue 34 to mate with a groove 38 of an adjacent panel 14 and one groove to mate with a tongue of an adjacent panel 14, the second flanges 46 may be omitted.
The flanges 42, 46 may be integral with the sidewalls, or may be attached by a known attachment means (e.g., adhesive, rivets, fastener, etc.). Further, the various magnets 50, 54, 58, 62 may be attached (e.g., adhesively bonded, etc.) to the corresponding surfaces, or may be integral with the surfaces (i.e., the corresponding surfaces may be magnetic themselves).
With respect to
The central panel 118A is the base of the inner cavity which is operable to hold the animal feed. As shown, extending around the periphery of the central panel 118A is an L-shaped flange 170. The L-shaped flange 170 supports a magnet 166 (or multiple magnets). The central plate 118A may be made of a magnetic material (e.g., steel, iron, nickel, etc.) or may include magnets to align with the magnet 166. The magnet 166 may be fixed (i.e., adhered) to the central panel 118A, may be fixed (i.e., adhered) to the perch 118B, or if both the central panel 118A and the perch 118B are made of magnetic materials, the magnet 166 may not be fixed to either of the base components 118A, 118B. The central panel 118A includes a pull handle 174 which allows a user to magnetically remove the central panel 118A from the animal feeder 110 and easily clean the inside of the animal feeder 110.
The perch 118B may be made out of a magnetic material or a non-magnetic material. It includes a tubular lip 178 which supports the cylindrical sidewall 116 and fixes the sidewall 116 to the base 118. A second lip 180 acts a stopper to prevent the sidewall 116 from contacting the central panel 118A. This prohibits the assembly of the sidewall 116 and the perch 118B from magnetically disconnecting the central panel 118A from the perch 118B. The perch 118B further includes an L-shaped flange 182 which mates with the magnet 166 in a similar manner to the L-shaped flange 166. The portion of the perch 118B upon which a small animal rests extends outward from the animal feeder sidewall 116. This portion may be continuous and wrap about the entirety of the sidewall, or a plurality of individual perches may be located at each of the feed ports 130.
Although shown with reference to a second embodiment of an animal feeder 110, the magnetic base assembly 118, 166 may be used in combination with the magnetically mated side panels 14 of
With respect to
The roof assembly 311 further includes a roof panel 315 which, when in a closed position (
The hanging cord 335 includes a proximal end that, when assembled, is below the roof panel 315 and a distal end which extends above and outward from the roof panel 315. At the distal end (not shown) of the hanging cord 335 is an attachment feature (e.g., hook, loop, etc.) for hanging the bird feeder from an outside feature (e.g., tree branch, post, etc.). When the animal feeder 310 is hung from an outside feature, the hanging cord 335 is taut, and the bird feeder is supported by the hanging cord 335. The hanging cord 335 includes a stopper 339 located at the distal end of the cord 335. The stopper 339 has a diameter which is greater than a diameter of the hole of the rivet 305 such that, when the hanging cord 335 extends through the rivet 305, the stopper 339 does not. Therefore, when the cord 335 is taut, the stopper abuts the rivet 305, thereby supporting the entirety of the animal feeder 310.
The hanging cord 335 further includes a magnetic feature or upper stopper 343 fixed (e.g., crimped) to the hanging cord 335. The upper stopper 343 is made of a magnetic material, or at least includes a magnetic surface in facing relation to the magnet 327. The upper stopper 343 is fixed to the hanging cord 335 a distance 347 away from the stopper 339. When the stopper 339 abuts the rivet 305 and the magnet 327 abuts the upper stopper 343, the distance 347 is great enough to allow a user to access feed inside of the animal feeder 310 and provide feed to the animal feeder 310 via the opening atop the sidewall 316.
The roof assembly 311 is operable to transition between an open position (
With respect to
A bracket 455 is fixed to one of the sidewalls 414 (as shown in
The post 459 is cylindrical and marks a center of rotation for an arm 463 which includes an orifice operable (i.e., appropriately sized) to mate with the post 459. The arm 463 is fixed to the roof panel 415 via a fastener (not shown) or an alternative fixing means (e.g., adhesive, set screw, etc.). Opposite the end of the arm 463 fixed to the roof panel 415 is a housing 467 with an orifice which supports a magnet 427. As shown, the magnet 427 extends through the housing 467 of the arm 463 such that the magnet 427 protrudes from both sides of the housing 467. Alternative to the single magnet 427 extending through the housing 467, the housing 467 may include two recesses opposite one another and two magnets may be fitted into and protrude outward from the recesses.
The roof panel 415 is operable to transition between an open position (
In the closed position, the roof panel 415 is in a position in which a user cannot access the inside of the animal feeder 410. When in the closed position, the magnet 427 in the housing 467 of the arm 463 is magnetically attached to a magnetic surface of the second flange 461B. In this position, the roof is parallel to the first flange 461B. The magnetic attraction between the second flange 461B and the magnet 427 holds the roof in the closed position such that an animal, such as a squirrel cannot access the inside of the animal feeder 410.
It should be appreciated that the various features associated with the embodiments of
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US16/22914 | 3/17/2016 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62134356 | Mar 2015 | US |