Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompany drawing, wherein:
The most common bats and birds that the device is intended to exclude in the northeast of the United States of America are the little brown bat, big brown bat, house sparrow, starling and blackbird. The inventions described herein are for the purpose of removing and excluding bats and/or birds from a structure.
Referring now to
The structural opening could be an attic vent, fascia boards, the corner of a dormer and the like.
The first end of the cone 12 at the flange 14 that is in communication with the interior of the structure has a wide opening, typically two inches in diameter, and a narrow opening at the opposite end that is in communication with the outside atmosphere, and is, typically one and a half inches in diameter. The size of the openings can be varied dependent upon predominant bat size in the area where the cone is to be used. The tapered design of the cone 14 also allows the cones to be stacked one on top of the other for shipping purposes and compact packaging.
Typically the flange 12 is six to seven inches square while the cone 14 is six to seven inches high.
The flange 12 is placed against the structure over the structural opening. One can use staples, duct tape, screws or silicone caulk, to position the cone 14 over the structural opening. It can be custom fit to whatever opening there is in the structure. The flange 12, being of somewhat hard plastic or, alternatively a soft vinyl, can be trimmed to size and can be manipulated into differing shapes and, if rigid, with some effort on the part of the user.
The device 10 allows a bat to fly out of the interior of the structure and prevents its return. The surface of the material for the cone 14 is slippery so that the bird or bat cannot easily grab onto the device 10. The material is clear so as to be non-obtrusive. A second embodiment, for both bats and birds, is shown in
The flange 22 has a central opening 22a and is of a soft vinyl material. The cone 24, of a rigid plastic material, is provided with an annular portion around its base at 24a. The annular portion 24a allows the flange 22 to seat properly and prevents the flange 22 from sliding off the cone. In normal applications, the cone 24 is pressure fit to the flange 22. The flange 22 is cut undersized to slide over the cone 24. However, the cone 24 can be used alone and in this sense the annular portion 24a functions as a flange.
Use of a soft, vinyl material for the flange 22, allows use of the device 20 on multiple surfaces and makes the device more adaptable to cover a wide range of areas where bats or birds are exiting the structure. The flange 22 will basically mold itself around the surface to which it is applied. Thickening the material will add durability.
A more rigid material can be used but takes more work to manipulate the flange to fit a specific location.
A typical material used for the cone 24 is, for example, P.E.T.G. It is weather resistant, durable and doesn't break down.
A third embodiment of the invention is shown in
In the embodiment depicted in
A fifth embodiment of the invention is shown in
Once all bats and/or birds have exited a house or structure, the cone may be removed and the entry point for the bats and/or birds is sealed with a sealant foam, silicone or wire mesh to prevent re-entry.
The present invention is superior to prior art devices in that it is simple to install, lightweight, weatherproof, recyclable and, where low profile clear plastic is used, is not visible from a distance.
It should be obvious that changes, additions and omissions may be made in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.