Patent Application
20220125024
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to barrier devices and more particularly pertains to a new barrier device for inhibiting foreign bees from entering a beehive and an entry feeder of the beehive
The prior art relates to barrier devices including a beehive feeder that includes a tunnel extension that engages a beehive. The prior art also discloses a barrier device that is positionable between a beehive and a feeder which includes a mesh screen for inhibiting foreign bees from entering the beehive.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a barrier that is positionable between a beehive and an entry feeder that is integrated to the beehive. In this way the barrier can inhibit bees that do not occupy the beehive from accessing the entry feeder. The barrier forms a tunnel between the beehive and the entry-feeder when the barrier is positioned therebetween. In this way the barrier facilitates bees living in the beehive to travel back and forth between the entry feeder and the beehive. A pair of bumpers is provided and each of the bumpers is coupled to the barrier. Each of the bumpers engages the entry feeder when the barrier is positioned between the entry feeder and the beehive such that the bumpers inhibit the barrier from being displaced.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The barrier 12 forms a tunnel between the beehive 14 and the entry feeder 16 when the barrier 12 is positioned therebetween. In this way the barrier 12 facilitated bees living in the beehive 14 to travel back and forth between the entry feeder 16 and the beehive 14. The barrier 12 has a top wall 18, a first lateral wall 20 and a second lateral wall 22, and the top wall 18 has a front edge 24, a back edge 26 a first lateral edge 28 and second lateral edge 30. Each of the first lateral wall 20 and the second lateral wall 22 extends downwardly from the top wall 18. Each of the first lateral wall 20 and the second lateral wall 22 has a distal edge 32 with respect to the top wall 18.
Each of the first lateral wall 20 and the second lateral wall 22 is aligned with a respective one of the first lateral edge 28 and the second lateral edge 30 of the top wall 18. Each of the first lateral wall 20 and the second lateral wall 22 extends between the front edge 24 and the back edge 26. The front edge 24 has a curved portion 34 that is concavely arcuate with respect to the back edge 26. The curved portion 34 conforms to curvature of a cylinder 36 of the entry feeder 16 when the barrier 12 is positioned between the entry feeder 16 and the beehive 14. Additionally, the curved portion 34 is centrally positioned between the first lateral edge 28 and the second lateral edge 30 of the top wall 18. The back edge 26 abuts the beehive 14 when the barrier 12 is positioned between the entry feeder 16 and the beehive 14. Each of the first lateral wall 20 and the second lateral wall 22 extends downwardly alongside a feeder tray 38 of the entry feeder 16 when the barrier 12 is positioned between the entry feeder 16 and the beehive 14.
A pair of bumpers 40 is provided and each of the barrier 12s is coupled to the barrier 12. Each of the bumpers 40 engages the entry feeder 16 when the barrier 12 is positioned between the entry feeder 16 and the beehive 14. In this way the bumpers 40 inhibit the barrier 12 from being displaced. Each of the bumpers 40 is positioned on an inside surface 42 of a respective one of the first lateral wall 20 and the second lateral wall 22 of the barrier 12. Additionally, each of the bumpers 40 is positioned closer to the distal edge 32 of the respective first lateral wall 20 or second lateral wall 22 than the top wall 18. Each of the bumpers 40 is elongated to extend substantially between the front edge 24 and the back edge 26 of the top wall 18. Additionally, each of the bumpers 40 is comprised of a resiliently compressible material thereby facilitating each of the bumpers 40 to compress against a respective side 44 of the feeder tray 38 of the entry feeder 16.
In use, the barrier 12 is positioned between the beehive 14 and the entry feeder 16 such that the barrier 12 forms the tunnel extending between the beehive 14 and the entry feeder 16. In this way the barrier 12 inhibits bees that do not live in the beehive 14 from accessing either the entry feeder 16 or the beehive 14. Thus, the barrier 12 enhances the health and safety of the bees the live in the beehive 14. Additionally, the barrier 12 facilitates the bees that live in the beehive 14 to travel between the entry feeder 16 and the beehive 14.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
