The present invention relates to a device for deterring birds from nesting on a downspout of a home, building or other structure. The device includes a top edge configured to discourage birds from nesting and preferably perching thereon and a bottom edge adapted to be positioned on a downspout.
Downspouts on structures such as homes and buildings have long been a preferred location for nesting birds. Oftentimes, downspouts exit a gutter outlet and are constructed to angle downwards and mount against the structure. Prefabricated downspout components that are widely available and used in the building industry include standard formed corner fittings made to fit end to end with straight downspout conduit consisting of a generally rectangular shape and cross section. The junction formed by a downspout abutting against a structure provides the ideal foundation for a firm anchor point with avian nesting materials. Property owners are continuously challenged to protect the beauty and integrity of structures from nests of all types. Droppings from nesting areas contaminate and ruin building materials, and time is continuously invested in the sanitation of living environments to protect from known diseases in bird droppings and maintaining aesthetic beauty. As most birds and bird nests with eggs are protected by law, property owners are also challenged to take pro-active, human approaches in protecting their structure as well.
Various approaches have been proposed in the art for deterring avian nesting and perching, see for example:
U.S. Publication 2004/0194423 relates to a method for controlling or discouraging the roosting and nesting of birds such as pigeons on structures. Roosting zones and nesting zones on the structure are identified and covered by a slide with a slick outer surface attached to produce a sloped face. The slide may be a polyhedron that caps a horizontal surface or a sheet that follows a natural slope in the structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,359 relates to a decorative bird perching deterrent for spaces between building eaves and downspouts that is a substantially right-triangle structure of a preselected material with at least 50 percent of the area bounded by the sides of the right triangle structure filled with the preselected material in a decorative fashion. Various ways of attaching to the downspout or the building are provided near at least one edge of the right-triangle structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,394,683 relates to a device that is mounted to the downspout of a home or building to obstruct birds and other pests from nesting and building in and around downspouts to eliminate the mess and potential damage these nests can cause, preserving the exterior of the home, and reportedly eliminating the need for additional maintenance and costly repairs due to debris, blockage and water damage.
Additional approaches are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,359,844; 5,181,338; 5,303,523; 5,487,199; 6,941,706; 8,607,827; 8,627,613; and 8,925,256.
In view of the above, the art still needs a nesting deterrent for birds that is easy to install, aesthetically pleasing, durable, and effective against nesting and preferably perching.
According to the present invention, the problems noted above and others are solved by a bird nest deterrent that prevents birds from nesting on downspouts that comprises two sloped planar sides that fit atop the downspout components where they meet the structure. The term “planar” when used herein with respect to the sides encompasses not only completely flat surfaces, but also surfaces that are curved such as concave or convex surfaces. The two planar sides meet at an uppermost top edge and form an angular cross section. Both sides are profiled at their bottom edge to abut with a gutter outlet made from standard industry components. A single common back edge for both sides is profiled to abut with the structure the downspout is mounted to. In one embodiment, the bottom edges of each plane are secured to the segment of downspout spanning from the gutter outlet to the structure with a fastener, such as pull ties, effectively eliminating the junction where the downspout meets the structure.
According to the preferred embodiment, the apex at which the first and second side meet to form an angular cross section features a point or curve such as a radius that deters birds from nesting and perching. The bottom edge of both sides is formed with each of a) a straight portion disposed at an angle with respect to horizontal and b) a curved portion such as a radius that mate with the top side of a standard gutter outlet downspout assembly where it meets the structure. The single common back edge of both sides is formed with an angle to match that created by the standard downspout fitting assembly mounted to the structure.
Further features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and review of the accompanying figures.
This description of preferred embodiments is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, corresponding reference numbers are used throughout to identify the same or functionally similar elements. Relative terms such as “first end”, “second end”, “front”, “back”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “up”, “upper”, “down”, “lower”, “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and are not intended to require a particular orientation unless specifically stated as such. Terms including “inwardly” versus “outwardly”, “longitudinal” versus “lateral” and the like are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected”, refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. The term “operatively connected” is such an attachment, coupling or connection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intended by virtue of that relationship.
The nesting deterrent 10 comprises of a first angled planar side 12 and an opposing angled planar side 14 that join together at an apex 16. Each of planar side 12 and planar side 14, individually, may be formed having one or more of straight segments, curved segments, bent segments, that can be arranged in any order. That said, the nesting deterrent has a wider base formed by planes 12 and 14 as compared to a top of the device where the planes 12 and 14 are joined at apex 16. the embodiment of
In an important aspect of the present invention, the base of deterrent 10 includes first bottom edge 20 and second bottom edge 22 which are adapted to contact a portion of the downspout with each bottom edge 20, 22 including a straight portion disposed at an angle with respect to horizontal and a curved portion that are adapted to mate with the contour of the downspout. In one embodiment, a first bottom edge 20 of the first angled planar side 12 and a second bottom edge 22 of the second angled planar side 14 are identically contoured with a curved portion 24, preferably a radius that transitions to a straight portion 26. The curved portion 24 and straight portion 26 of the first bottom edge 20 and the second bottom edge 22 are profiled at an angle Y as shown in
The curved portion 24 and straight portion 26 of the first bottom edge 20 and the second bottom edge 22 are designed to fit over a standard downspout corner fitting 30 when it is connected to a standard downspout straight section 32, leading upwards in most cases to an additional standard corner fitting 30 and up into the gutter 34. A vertically oriented standard straight downspout section 36 in most cases connects to the lowermost standard downspout corner fitting 30 and is mounted against the structure 38, creating a junction 39.
As shown in
Apertures such as first hole set 40 and second hole set 42 pass through the first angled planar side 12 and second angled planar side 14 in close proximity to the first bottom edge 20 and second bottom edge 22. One or more fasteners are utilized to operatively connect avian nesting deterrent 10 to one or more of a portion of the downspout and structure, such as a home or building. In one embodiment, the fastener is a first pull tie 44 that passes through the first hole set 40 in the first angled side 12 and second angled side 14. The first pull tie 44 encircles the standard downspout corner fitting 30 near the structure 38 and is joined at the tie connection 45, securing the bird nest deterrent 10 to the standard downspout corner fitting 30. A second pull tie 46 passes through the second hole set 42 in the first angled planar 12 and second angled planar side 14. The second pull tie 46 encircles the standard downspout straight section 32 then is joined at the tie connection 45, securing the bird nest deterrent 10 to the standard downspout straight section 32. When secured in position, the back edge 50 of the bird nest deterrent 10 preferably remains in a vertical position flush with the structure 38.
As shown in
The present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments. It is apparent that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is to be understood that the nesting deterrent of the present invention can include one or more of each of the embodiments described herein. In some cases, it is desirable to provide a nesting deterrent with each of the embodiments presented herein and some other nesting deterrent comprise less than all of the embodiments described.
It is further noted that the term ‘comprising’ does not exclude the presence of other elements. However, it is also to be understood that a description of a product comprising certain components also discloses a product consisting of these components. Similarly, it is also to be understood that a description on a process comprising certain steps also discloses a process consisting of these steps.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2193994 | Weaver | Mar 1940 | A |
4052830 | Smith | Oct 1977 | A |
4233786 | Hildreth | Nov 1980 | A |
4359844 | Hoggard | Nov 1982 | A |
4965976 | Riddle | Oct 1990 | A |
5097641 | Hand | Mar 1992 | A |
5181338 | Chatten | Jan 1993 | A |
5303523 | Hand | Apr 1994 | A |
5487199 | Nelson | Jan 1996 | A |
5584147 | Agee | Dec 1996 | A |
5913780 | Goergen | Jun 1999 | A |
6006698 | Negre | Dec 1999 | A |
6115982 | Lindenberg | Sep 2000 | A |
6125602 | Freiborg | Oct 2000 | A |
6182400 | Freiborg | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6360504 | Webb | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6546676 | Wiesener | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6591575 | Benedettini | Jul 2003 | B2 |
6625925 | Foster | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6941706 | Austin | Sep 2005 | B2 |
D545423 | Delallo | Jun 2007 | S |
7581359 | Bukeavich | Sep 2009 | B2 |
7712263 | Lippie | May 2010 | B1 |
8607827 | Bell | Dec 2013 | B2 |
8627613 | Parker | Jan 2014 | B2 |
8640397 | Donoho | Feb 2014 | B2 |
8925256 | Donoho | Jan 2015 | B2 |
9394683 | Hammons | Jul 2016 | B1 |
9631368 | Heo | Apr 2017 | B1 |
10036166 | Heo | Jul 2018 | B1 |
D872900 | Heo | Jan 2020 | S |
20020073633 | Schlichting | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20040194423 | Payne | Oct 2004 | A1 |
20060000166 | Rossetti | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060207195 | Donoho | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20080110106 | Holly | May 2008 | A1 |
20090019792 | Bukeavich | Jan 2009 | A1 |
20130055657 | Parker | Mar 2013 | A1 |
20130174496 | Lanza | Jul 2013 | A1 |
20180251983 | Heo | Sep 2018 | A1 |