Abstract:
A bird feeder having a rechargeable electrical power source and a solar energy system that collects solar energy, converts it into electrical energy, and uses the electrical energy to recharge the rechargeable electrical power source is disclosed. The rechargeable electrical power source can be used to power an LED lighting system which illuminates at least a portion of said bird feeder so that said bird feeder is visible in low light conditions.

Description:
This application is a continuation of Ser. No 10/411,565 filed Apr. 10, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,009 and, claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/372,267, filed 11 Apr. 2003, titled “Solar Powered Bird Feeder.” 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to bird feeders. In particular, the present invention relates to bird feeders having electrical power sources. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Solar energy systems that collect solar energy and convert it into electrical energy have been around for many years. However, only recently have these solar energy systems been developed to the point where they are small enough, efficient enough, and economical enough, to allow their widespread use in small electrical devices. One use of these small solar energy systems is to recharge rechargeable batteries in small household devices. 
   One example of a small household electrical device with rechargeable batteries that can be recharged by one of these small solar energy systems is an outdoor landscaping lighting system. The rechargeable batteries provide power to illuminate the lighting elements during darkness, and the solar energy system collects and converts solar energy and recharges the rechargeable batteries during daylight. 
   Although the use of small solar energy systems in outdoor landscaping lighting systems represents great strides in the development and use of solar energy systems, there is a need for these miniaturized solar energy systems in other small electrical household devices. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   There is a need for solar powered bird feeder. 
   Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solar powered bird feeder. 
   This object is achieved by providing a bird feeder having a rechargeable electrical power source and a solar energy system that collects solar energy, converts it into electrical energy, and uses the electrical energy to recharge the rechargeable electrical power source. The rechargeable electrical power source can be used to power lights, radios, cameras, and a wide variety of other electrical devices operably associated with the bird feeder. 
   The solar powered bird feeder according to the present invention provides significant advantages, including: (1) the rechargeable electrical power source can be recharged by the solar energy system; (2) the rechargeable electrical power source can provide power to a wide variety of electrical devices operably associated with the bird feeder; and (3) the lighting elements allow the bird feeder to be viewed and enjoyed at night. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a is a perspective view of the solar powered bird feeder according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the solar powered bird feeder of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a right side view of the solar powered bird feeder of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a rear view of the solar powered bird feeder of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a left side view of the solar powered bird feeder of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the solar powered bird feeder of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the solar powered bird feeder of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded longitudinal cross-sectional view of the solar powered bird feeder of FIG.  1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Although the present invention will be described herein with reference to a bird feeder having a particular configuration, it should be understood that the methods and apparatuses of the present invention can be used on bird feeders and bird houses of almost any shape or design, as well as on other small animal feeders and houses. Thus, it will be appreciated that the rechargeable electrical power source and solar recharging system of the present invention is well suited for use on any decorative outdoor accessory. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-8  in the drawings, the preferred embodiment of a solar powered bird feeder  11  according to the present invention is illustrated. Bird feeder  11  is adapted to be hung on a stand  13 , in a tree, on a hanging bracket, from a rope or cable, or by any of a wide variety of conventional hanging means. Stand  13  is shown in dashed lines to indicated that stand  13  may be of any suitable design. 
   In the preferred embodiment, bird feeder  11  has a hanging means  15 , an upper cap member  17 , an upper canopy  19 , a main canopy  21 , a food reservoir  23 , a perch  25 , a lower portion  27 , and a lower finial  29 . Hanging means  15 , upper cap member  17 , upper canopy  19 , main canopy  21 , food reservoir  23 , perch  25 , lower portion  27 , and lower finial  29  are coupled together by a rod  31  (see  FIG. 8 ) that passes along a central longitudinal axis  33  of bird feeder  11  and that is releasably connected to lower finial  29  and upper cap member  17 . It should be understood that rod  31  may also be a chain, wire, cable, or any other type of connecting means which aids in holding the components of bird feeder  11  together. 
   Upper cap member  17 , upper canopy  19 , main canopy  21 , perch  25 , lower portion  27 , and lower finial  29  are preferably made of a suitable material that is treated, finished, and/or coated to prevent rust, wear, and exposure to the environment. It should be understood that hanging means  15 , upper cap member  17 , upper canopy  19 , and main canopy  21  may be integrally combined into one or more component parts, depending on their shape, the application in which they are used, or the ornamental design that they are intended to represent. For example, these components may include embossed figurines or cut-out shapes that enhance the appearance or motif of bird feeder  11 . 
   Food reservoir  23  includes at least one outlet port  32  through which birds may gather the bird food. Outlet ports  32  may be located on food reservoir  23  at various locations and heights, such as at low locations near perch  25  or high locations near main canopy  21 . Outlet ports  32  may also include flanges (not shown) that extend into or out of food reservoir  23  to prevent the bird food from spilling out of outlet ports  32  unnecessarily. Bird feeder  11  may also include additional perches that extend outwardly from food reservoir  23  for birds to use while gathering the bird food. Such additional perches are particularly useful for outlet ports  32  that are located well above perch  25 . 
   Food reservoir  23  may include a liner portion  23   a , preferably made of transparent glass or plastic, and a decorative lattice portion  23   b , preferably made of a suitable material that is treated, finished, and/or coated to prevent rust, wear, and exposure to the bird food or the environment. Liner portion  23   a  may be beveled, etched, colored, tinted, or otherwise treated, depending upon the effect desired. For example, food reservoir  23  may be formed from leaded glass or stained glass having a decorative appearance or motif. Furthermore, it should be understood that the liner portion  23   a  and lattice portion  23   b  may be integrally combined to form a single component. For instances in which liner portion  23   a  and lattice portion  23   b  are separate components, it will be appreciated that lattice portion  23   b  may be disposed on either the inside or the outside of liner portion  23   a.    
   A food access port  28  is disposed in main canopy  21  to allow a user to fill food reservoir  23  with bird food without disassembling bird feeder  11 . Food access port  28  is preferably covered by a cap  30  (see  FIGS. 4 and 8 ) to protect the bird food in food reservoir  23  from the weather. Cap  30  may be attached to bird feeder  11  by a wide variety of attachment means. It should be understood that food access port  28  may be located in several locations on bird feeder  11 , depending upon the application in which bird feeder  11  is used, and the effect that is desired. 
   A rechargeable electrical power source  41  is operably associated with bird feeder  11  to provide electrical power to bird feeder  11 . In the preferred embodiment, rechargeable electrical power source  41  is disposed within upper canopy  19 . It will be appreciated that rechargeable electrical power source  41  may also be disposed in other components of bird feeder  11 , such as perch  25  or lower portion  27 , and may be disposed in multiple components of bird feeder  11 . Rechargeable electrical power source  41  is preferably two 1.2 Volt rechargeable AA NiCd batteries providing about 600 milliamps of current, but may be any of a wide variety of rechargeable batteries. An electrical charging system  43  (see  FIG. 8 ) is conductively coupled to rechargeable electrical power source  41 . Electrical charging system  43  may include an electrical access port (not shown) to receive an adapter or transformer (not shown) that allows rechargeable electrical power source  41  to be recharged by a conventional AC power source, such as an AC wall outlet. It will be understood that rechargeable electrical power source  41  may be used to power a wide variety of electrical devices, such as microphones, radio receivers or transmitters, cameras, audio recording and playback devices, video recording and playback devices, loud speakers, lighting elements, timing devices, remote controls, motors, etc. 
   At least one conventional solar collector  45  is operably associated with bird feeder  11  to collect solar energy. In the preferred embodiment, at least one solar collector  45  is disposed on the upper surface of upper canopy  19 . Solar collectors  45  either include or are conductively coupled to a conventional solar energy conversion system  47  that converts the solar energy to electrical energy. Electrical charging system  43  uses the electrical energy from the solar energy conversion system  47  or the AC power outlet to recharge rechargeable electrical power source  41 . An optional photoresistor  49  disposed on the upper surface of upper canopy  19  is conductively coupled to rechargeable electrical power source  41  to detect the amount of light hitting bird feeder  11  and to provide a corresponding electrical signal that can be used to determine whether power is supplied to certain electrical components. 
   In the preferred embodiment, the electrical power from rechargeable electrical power source  41  is used to illuminate at least one lighting element  51 . It is preferred that lighting element  51  be positioned to cast light on and/or through food reservoir  23 , perch  25 , and as many other components of bird feeder  11  as possible. In the preferred embodiment, lighting elements  51  are disposed beneath main canopy  19 . Lighting elements  51  preferably illuminate food reservoir  23  and perch  25  in a decorative fashion. Thus, it will be appreciated that the configuration and choice of materials for food reservoir  23  may produce a distinctive effect on the appearance of bird feeder  11  while being illuminated by lighting elements  51 . In the preferred embodiment, lighting elements  51  comprise one or more LED&#39;s. It should be understood that lighting elements may also be fluorescent lighting elements, cold cathode ray tube lighting elements, and/or any other suitable lighting elements. 
   In the preferred embodiment, lighting elements  51  are carried by an alignment disk  53 . Alignment disk  53  is disposed between main canopy  21  and food reservoir  23 . It should be understood that alignment disk  53  may be integral with either main canopy  21  or food reservoir  23 , or both main canopy  21  and food reservoir  23 . Alignment disk  53  includes a plurality of tabs  55  which provide spacing and a means of attaching alignment disk  53  to main canopy  21 . Alignment disk  53  may include an annular flange  56  that extends downward from a central aperture  58 . Flange  56  preferably has an outside diameter that is slightly smaller that the inside diameter of food reservoir  23 , such that flange  56  may protrude slightly into the interior of food reservoir  23 . This aligns and centers food reservoir  23  about axis  33 . It should be understood that the functions of alignment disk  53  may be achieved by other means, such as tabs, spacers, posts, or clips coupled to main canopy  19 . Alignment disk  53 , or its functional equivalent, may include conduits or clips for aligning and/or holding and protecting any electrical wiring that is necessary for any electrical components that are operable on bird feeder  11 . 
   An optional on/off switch  61  may be disposed on bird feeder  11  and conductively coupled to rechargeable electrical power source  41  to provide a means to manually activate and deactivate the power from rechargeable electrical power source  41 , the power to lighting elements  51 , and/or any other electrical components that may be operably associated with bird feeder  11 . On/Off switch  61  is preferably disposed beneath main canopy  21  on alignment disk  53 . In the preferred embodiment, on/off switch  61  overrides the switching functions of photoresistor  49 . It should be understood that one or more on/off switches  61  and their corresponding control circuitry may be utilized to control the various electrical components on bird feeder  11 . 
   It will be appreciated that an invention with significant advantages has been described. Although the present invention is shown in a limited number of forms, it is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.