Patent Application
20070039554
This invention relates generally to animal feeders and, in particular, bird feeders. More specifically, the present invention relates to bird feeders of the nectar feed type, such as hummingbird, oriole and butterfly bird feeders and methods of stabilizing and filling such feeders.
Nectar bird feeders are available in three basic designs. The basin or saucer-type feeder is exemplified in the Kilham U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,527, the basin bottle is exemplified by the Williams U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,589, and the tube bottle feeder is exemplified by the Fowler U.S. Pat. Number 3,125,069. The tube bottle has certain disadvantages as it is hard to clean, tends to drip in warm weather and is messy to refill, particularly if it is not completely empty. The basin bottle holds more liquid than a straight basin feeder but it too drips due to the downward pressure of the nectar and if jarred by the wind or larger birds. Also, basin bottle feeders are also very messy to refill.
The basin feeder is a vast improvement and as it holds the nectar out of reach of most insects and larger birds, is much easier to clean than other types of nectar feeders and does not leak. It is sometimes thought that its small capacity is a disadvantage because of its typical capacity in the range of 8-16 ounces. However, less nectar in the feeder can be an advantage because the possibility of dangerous nectar fermentation and mold formation after a couple of days is reduced thereby preventing harm to butterflies, hummingbirds and orioles.
In view of the foregoing, the basin type feeder has many advantages over other types of feeders. However, the saucer shape has a larger surface area than other nectar feeders because it must also hold the nectar therein. As a result, the basin feeder is more likely to move about from the effects of weather, particularly, wind. This can cause the nectar to spill and splash out of the feed ports causing undesirable results. This instability is also possible when the feeder is being filled outside in certain weather conditions.
Further details of a prior art basin type feeder is shown and described below in connection with
The cover 22 includes a number of feed ports 28 about the periphery thereof to permit a bird, such as a hummingbird, to access the nectar feed 30 therethrough. The feed ports 28 are commonly configured to appear as flowers and the cover 22 is typically of different colors depending on which type of birds are to be attracted to the feeder 10. Such configuration can be modified to attract different types of birds, as desired.
As can be understood, when the nectar 30 within the feeder 10 has been consumed, it must be re-filled so that more birds can feed. In accordance with the prior art feeder 10 of
Once the nectar feed trough 16 is exposed, nectar feed 30 can be poured therein in the amount desired, all while the base 12 of the feeder is lying flat on a support surface 32. When the feed trough 16 is preferably filled, the cover 22 is attached back onto the base 12. The cover 22 is routed over the hanger 18 if the hanger 18 was left connected to the base 12 or attached directly to the base 12 after which the hanger 18 can be re-attached. The entire feeder 10 can now be hung from a tree or post (not shown) via the hook 18a.
Prior art basin type nectar bird feeders 10 can be easily filled because the bottom surface 14 of the base 12 is substantially flat which enables it to be placed level on a support surface 32. However, as stated above, the flat saucer shape of the feeder of
Also, the feeder 10 can be filled while it is hanging from a support. The cover 22 can be removed and then the nectar can be poured into the base 102. However, wind and other environmental conditions can de-stabilize the feeder 10 during the filling process.
Therefore, the prior art basin type nectar feeders, while they are highly desirable for their cleanliness compared to other types of feeders and are attractive in appearance, they suffer from the disadvantages of being unstable in certain conditions. Therefore, there is a need for a basin type nectar bird feeder that is extremely stable, even during adverse weather conditions. There is further need for a basin type nectar bird feeder that is stable during filling with little or no mess. There is yet a further need for a basin type nectar bird feeder that the stabilizing member can also be ornamental to improve the overall performance, appearance and enjoyment of the feeder.
The present invention preserves the advantages of prior art bird feeders and structures and configurations used to stabilize them. In addition, it provides new advantages not found in currently available feeders and stabilization structures and overcomes many disadvantages of such currently available feeders and stabilization configurations.
The invention is generally directed to a novel and unique basin nectar bird feeder that has improved stabilization over prior art basin feeders.
The basin nectar bird feeder, which has improved stabilization, includes a base with a bottom surface, a central portion, and a trough-shaped reservoir positioned about the central portion for containing nectar therein. A hanger is connected to the central portion of the base and extends upwardly therefrom. An extension stabilizing member is connected to the base and downwardly depends therefrom, such as from the bottom surface of the base. An annular-shaped cover, having a top surface and lower edges, is releasably attached to the base and co-extensive with the trough of the base with an aperture therein. The center of gravity of the feeder, with the stabilizing member, is located below the bottom surface of the base for improved stabilization thereof during filling and use of the feeder.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a basin nectar bird feeder that is more stable than prior art basin nectar bird feeders.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a basin nectar bird feeder that is stable during filling.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a basin nectar bird feeder that is stable during feeding.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a basin nectar bird feeder that is less susceptible to spilling in adverse weather conditions than prior art basin nectar bird feeders.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a basin nectar bird feeder that is more stabile during filling to reduce mess and cleanup and to facilitate such filling.
The novel features which are characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, the invention's preferred embodiments, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
In
A cover 114 is releasably secured to the base 102 at its top open end 108 to cover the trough 110 and protect the nectar feed 112 contained therein. A number of feed ports 116 are provided through the cover 114 to permit access to the nectar feed by the appropriate birds, such as hummingbird, orioles and butterflies, for example. The feed ports 116 are preferably configured to appear as flowers, or other structures, to further attract birds to the feeder 100. Further, the cover 114 can be of different colors, such as red, to attract the desired type of bird. As can be understood, the feed ports 116 are positioned over the nectar trough 110 so that feeding birds are aligned thereover for optimum access to the nectar 112 therein.
The feeder 100 of
As best seen in
More specifically, the stabilizing member 120 provides a downward force as represented by arrow referenced as D, as seen in
The lower center of gravity of the feeder 100 helps to prevent the liquid nectar from undesirably splashing around inside the feeder 100. The member 120 can serve a dual purpose and be aesthetically appealing as well. Furthermore, the bottom surface 118 of the base can be contoured, with sloped side walls 118, to add further aesthetic appeal to the feeder 100. In general, this unique feeder 100 of the present invention includes a base 102 that is equipped with a stabilizing weight member 120.
The stabilizing member 120, in
Referring now to
Still further,
Referring now to
The stabilization members 120, 220, 320, 420 and 520 of the respective embodiments can also help stabilize the feeder during filling thereof. As shown in
After the cover 114 is removed from the base 102, the feeder 100 may be left hanging from support 105 with the cover 114 routed upwardly over the support 105. The empty base 102 with nectar trough 110 is now exposed so that nectar can be poured therein. During the pouring process, the respective stabilization member 120, 220, 320, 420 or 520 assists in keeping the base stable during the filling process as it keeps the entire feeder more stable during use and feeding.
The feeder 100 of the present invention can have many different types of configurations with different types of stabilizing members 120. The feeder 100 itself is typically made of plastic but can be made of virtually any type of material. Further, the annular-shaped feeder 100 discussed herein is just one example of many configurations of feeders that can be accommodated by the method of filling of the present invention. For example, the center aperture 124 through the cover may be square instead of round. Also, the downwardly depending member 120 may be integrated into the molding of the base 102 or attached as a separate member.
In general, the feeder 100 of the present invention includes an additional weighting member that acts as a stabilization member 120, 220, 320, 420 and 520 during filling and use of the feeder. As a result, the feeder 100 is more stable than prior art basin nectar feeders.
It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such modifications and changes are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
