Pest resistant birdfeeder

The present technology provides systems and methods for resisting intrusion of a pest into a supply of bird seed held in a birdfeeder. In one implementation, a base has a surface extending to a base edge. A perch has a body extending from a perch first end to a perch second end. The perch body is disposed relative to a slot. A collapsible member is mounted to the base at a first attachment point. The first attachment point is disposed inward relative to the base edge. The collapsible member is mounted to the perch at a second attachment point. The collapsible member has a pivot point defined between the first attachment point and the second attachment point. The collapsible member moves the perch from a feeding position to a non-feeding position by pivoting at the pivot point upon an application of a force above a threshold on the perch body.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to resistance to intrusion by pests, such as squirrels or large birds, into a supply of bird food in a bird feeder.

BACKGROUND

Attracting wild birds, particularly song birds, using bird feeders is an increasingly popular hobby. The ability to attract desired birds may be limited, however, where the area in which the bird feeder is stationed is frequented by pests, such as squirrels and larger birds including magpies. Many conventional bird feeders are susceptible to such pests accessing and consuming bird food in the bird feeder, thereby discouraging wild birds from visiting the bird feeder and greatly increasing the costs associated with the hobby by having to replace the consumed bird food in shorter intervals. These challenges are exacerbated in attempting to distinguish between wild birds and pests, such as squirrels, to ensure that the bird food is not denied to the wild birds. It is with these observations in mind, among others, that various aspects of the present disclosure were conceived and developed.

SUMMARY

Implementations described and claimed herein address the foregoing problems by providing systems and methods for resisting intrusion of a pest into a supply of bird seed held in a birdfeeder. In one implementation, a base has a base surface extending to a base edge. A slot is defined in the base. A perch has a perch body extending from a perch first end to a perch second end, and the perch body is disposed relative to the slot. A collapsible member is mounted to the base at a first attachment point. The first attachment point is disposed inward relative to the base edge. The collapsible member is mounted to the perch at a second attachment point, and the collapsible member has a pivot point defined between the first attachment point and the second attachment point. The collapsible member moves the perch from a feeding position to a non-feeding position by pivoting at the pivot point upon an application of a force above a threshold on the perch body of the perch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the presently disclosed technology relate to systems and methods for resisting intrusion by a pest, such as a squirrel, scavenger bird, and/or the like. In one aspect, a birdfeeder includes a housing with a base attached at one end and a cap attached at another end. The housing includes one or more feeder openings to provide access to feed stored in an interior of the housing. The one or more openings may include a seed port to prevent seed from falling out. A perch may be disposed below the openings and the seed ports to provide a landing surface for a bird to perch and access the feed. The perch may collapse when the perch experiences a force from a pest that is greater than a threshold force, thereby preventing the pest from accessing the feed. More specifically, the perch may be fixed at a fixed point to a portion of the base or to a point inside the birdfeeder and collapse at a pivot point spaced away from the fixed point. Thus, a birdfeeder with a collapsible perch for selective feeding of birds is provided.

Referring toFIG.1, a birdfeeder100with a pair of perches having a first perch102and a second perch104is illustrated. The birdfeeder100includes a housing having a reservoir101, a base112, and a cap114. In one implementation, the reservoir101has a side wall106extending from a first end108to a second end110. The side wall106defines an interior reservoir116, which receives and stores feed. The interior reservoir116is occluded by the base112that is coupled to the first end108and the cap114that is coupled to the second end110. The side wall106also includes a first surface118facing the interior reservoir116and a second surface120facing away from the interior reservoir116. At least one feeder opening122is disposed on the side wall106to provide access to the feed stored in the interior reservoir116. A seed port124may be disposed at the feeder opening122. The seed port124may have a hood126to control and/or prevent feed from falling out of the interior reservoir116. The pair of perches102,104may be disposed under each seed port124at a pair of perch openings128,130and provide a surface for a bird to perch while accessing the feed stored in the interior reservoir116.

FIGS.2-3illustrate a top view and a perspective view of the base112and the pair of perches102,104coupled to a collapsible member220. Each of the pair of perches102,104includes a perch surface201and a perch first end203and a perch second end205opposite the perch first end203. The base112is generally circular with a base surface200extending to a perimeter202. The base includes a wall204extending from the base surface200at the perimeter202. A pair of slots having a first slot206and a second slot208extend from opposing sides of the base112from the perimeter202towards a center210of the base112. The pair of slots206,208provides an opening in the base112for the collapsible member220to collapse through such that a collapsing path of each end of the collapsing member220passes through each of the pair of slots206,208. The pair of slots206,208extends to a pair of stops having a first stop212and a second stop214. Each of the pair of stops212,214includes a tab216extending from the base surface200in the same direction as the wall204. The tab216includes a surface stop218, which engages the collapsible member220when the collapsible member220is collapsed and prevents the collapsible member220from further collapse.

The collapsible member220is fastened to a center attachment point222located at the center210of the base112. The collapsible member220extends in opposing directions to a member first end224and a member second end226. The first perch102first end203is coupled to the member first end224and the second perch104first end203is coupled to the member second end226. The pair of perches102,104may be coupled to the member first end224at a first attachment point225and the member second end226at a second attachment point227, respectively, by fasteners such as screws, rivets, or the like, or by adhesion. In an example implementation, the pair of perches102,104and the collapsible member220is one piece. The collapsible member220may be manufactured from a material that is biased to an initial position with a biasing force generated by the material and is also bendable such that when the material receives a force greater than the biasing force, the material will bend, and when the force is lifted, the material will return to its biased initial position. Such material may be a thin strip of stainless steel, among other examples.

In the illustrated example, the collapsible member220is slightly curved at a pair of edges228parallel to the pair of perches102,104to bias the collapsible member220in an initial position, which is generally parallel with the base surface200. When one of the first perch102or the second perch104, or both, receive a force greater than a threshold force of the collapsible member220, the collapsible member220bends at a first pivot point230or at a second pivot point232, or both, respectively, thereby moving the first perch102, the second perch104, or both, from a feeding position400to a non-feeding position402, shown inFIG.4. The feeding position400is generally parallel with the base surface200and the non-feeding position402is angled from the base surface200. Further, the collapsible member220will continue to collapse through the first slot206, the second slot208, or both, until the collapsible member220engages the surface stop218of the base first stop212and/or the base second stop214. In other words, the base first stop212and/or the base second stop214arrest the further collapse of the collapsible member220, thereby preventing the collapsible member220from bending to fatigue, where the collapsible member220will no longer be able to return to the initial position. When the force is released, the collapsible member220returns to the initial position, thereby moving the first perch102and/or the second perch104from the non-feeding position402to the feeding position400. The first pivot point230and the second pivot point232are positioned between the center attachment point222and the first attachment point225and the second attachment point227, respectively. In the illustrated example, the first pivot point230and the second pivot point232are disposed at the base first stop212and the base second stop214, respectively.

Turning toFIGS.5A-8, a base cap500is shown. The base cap500generally covers the collapsible member220and the pair of perches102,104to prevent feed from interfering with the use of the pair of perches102,104and/or to prevent feed from falling through the pair of slots206,208. The base cap500has a generally circular roof502with a cap wall504extending from the roof502at a perimeter506. Each of a pair of perch openings508,510is disposed on opposing sides of the roof502and each opening508,510align with the reservoir101perch openings128,130. The base cap500also includes a plurality of fastener receivers disposed on the roof502. The plurality of fastener receivers includes a center fastener receiver512and a pair of opposing receivers514,516. Each of the plurality of receivers512,514,516includes supporting walls518. When the base cap500is disposed on the base112, the plurality of receivers512,514,516receive a center fastener520, visible inFIG.7, which couples the collapsible member220to the base112, and a pair of opposing fasteners522,524, which couple the base112to the base cap500.

Turning toFIGS.8-11, another implementation of a base800and a collapsible perch802are shown, which can be mounted to the reservoir101shown inFIG.1. The base800is generally circular shaped with a base surface804extending to a perimeter806. The base800also includes a wall808extending from the base surface804at the perimeter806and a center column810extending from a center812of the base800in the same direction as the wall808.

The collapsible perch802includes an outer perch814in communication with an elongated member816. The outer perch814includes a perch body815extending from a perch first end818to a perch second end820. The perch body815also includes a perch surface822, providing a surface for a bird to perch on while accessing feed from the interior reservoir116of the reservoir101. The elongated member816similarly includes an elongated body824extending from an elongated first end826to an elongated second end828. The elongated member816may also include a slit830in the elongated body824. The elongated first end826is attached to the center column810at a center attachment point832, thereby providing a rigid support for the outer perch814. The collapsible perch802can also include a cap834disposed on the perch second end820.

Referring toFIGS.9A-9B, a side, cross-sectional view of the collapsible perch802and the base800and a top, detailed view of the collapsible perch802are illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, the perch first end818is a male protrusion900received by a female receiver1002of the elongated second end828. The female receiver902includes a receiver slot904, which provides an opening so that the male protrusion900can pivot, thereby pivoting the outer perch814. The outer perch814is held in tension with the elongated member816by a collapsible member906fastened at a member first end912to the elongated member816, extending through a perch bore908of the outer perch814and an elongated bore910of the elongated member816, and fastened at a member second end914to the cap834. In another example, the collapsible member906can be fastened at the member second end914to the perch body814. More specifically, the member first end912is affixed to a first attachment point916disposed between the center attachment point832and the wall808and the member second end914is affixed to a second attachment point918disposed at the cap834. The member first end912and the member second end914may be coupled to a bar affixed in the elongated member816and the cap834, respectively, as illustrated, however, the member first end912and the member second end914may be coupled to the elongated member816and the cap834in other ways, such as by adhesion, rivets, or the like.

The collapsible member906exerts an elastic force on the outer perch814to bias the outer perch814in a feeding position. In the illustrated example, the collapsible member906is an elastic cord. The collapsible member906is bendable such that when the outer perch814receives a force greater than a threshold force of the collapsible member906, the collapsible member906will bend, thereby pivoting the outer perch814at a pivot point920from the feeding position to a non-feeding position. In the illustrated example, the feeding position is parallel to the elongated member816whereas the non-feeding position is generally perpendicular to the elongated member816. In the illustrated example, the pivot point920is disposed outside of the base800and between the first attachment point916and the second attachment point918.

Turning toFIGS.12-14, another example base1200and a plurality of collapsible perches102,104are illustrated. The base1200is generally circular shaped with a base surface1204extending to a perimeter1206. The base1200also includes a wall1208extending from the base surface1204at the perimeter1206and a center column1210extending from a center1212of the base1200in the same direction as the wall1208. The center column1210includes a plurality of indentations1214, each of the indentations1214sized and shaped to receive five collapsible members220as described previously and shown inFIGS.1-4. The five collapsible members220are arranged in a star pattern when viewed from above, as shown inFIG.13. Each of the collapsible members220include a pair of perches102,104disposed on each end. Each of the collapsible members220are also fastened to the center column1210at the center1212. Each collapsible member220further includes a pivot point1220disposed at a perimeter1222of the center column1210, the pivot point1220being the point where the collapsible member bends220. The wall1208includes slots1216extending from the perimeter1206and towards the center1212in a first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and through the wall1208to a mid-way portion1218of the wall1208. Each of the pair of perches102,104extend through each slot1214. Similarly to the slots206,208previously described and shown inFIGS.1-4, the slots1216provide an opening in the base1200for each perch102,104and collapsible member220to pivot through when a perch102,104receives a force greater than a threshold force of the respective collapsible member220.

Turning toFIGS.15-17, the base1200is shown with an example plurality of collapsible perches1500. The base1200is generally similar to the base1200as described above with respect toFIGS.12-14, except the indentations1214are shape and sized to receive a spring1504of the collapsible perches1500. The plurality of collapsible perches1500each include an outer perch1502coupled to the spring1504. Each outer perch1502extends away from the center column1210and through each slot1214. Each spring1504is fixed to the center column1210along a second perimeter1501surrounding the center1212of the base1200. Each spring1504also includes a pivot point1506disposed at the perimeter1222of the center column1210, the pivot point1506being the point where the spring1504bends. The spring1504exerts a spring bias on the outer perch1502to keep the outer perch1502in an initial feeding position. When the outer perch1502receives a force to overcome the spring bias, the spring1504bends, thereby moving the outer perch1502from the feeding position to a non-feeding position. When the force is removed, the spring bias moves the outer perch1502from the non-feeding position to the feeding position.

Turning toFIGS.18-20, the base1200is shown with an example plurality of collapsible perches1800. The base1200is generally similar to the base1200as described above with respect toFIGS.12-14, except the indentations1214are shape and sized to receive an inner rod1802of the collapsible perches1500. The plurality of collapsible perches1800each include a bendable member1804coupled to an outer perch1806at one end and to the inner rod1802at the other end. Each inner rod1802is fixed to the center column1210along a second perimeter1801. Each outer perch1806extends away from the center column1210and through each slot1214. Each bendable member1804includes a pivot point1808spaced away from the perimeter1222of the center column1210, the pivot point1808being the point where the bendable member1804bends. The bendable member1804exerts a bias on the outer perch1806to keep the outer perch1806in an initial feeding position. When the outer perch1806receives a force to overcome the bias, the bendable member1804bends, thereby moving the outer perch1806from the feeding position to a non-feeding position. When the force is removed, the bias moves the outer perch1806from the non-feeding position to the feeding position.