Abstract:
A liquid hummingbird feeder is provided with a liquid container having a sealable top opening and a bottom opening, a liquid tray adapted to immerse the bottom opening in liquid, and a valve mechanism adapted to close the bottom opening to enable the liquid container to be filled through the sealable top opening.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 14/268,740 filed May 2, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No, 13/354,692 filed Jan. 20, 2012, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,720,374 on May 13, 2014, which was a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/929,777, filed Feb. 15, 2011, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,100,085 on Jan. 24, 2012, which was a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/588,262 filed Oct. 8, 2009, which issued, as U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,319 on Feb. 22, 2011, which was a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/434,020 filed May 15, 2006, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,487 on Oct. 13, 2009, which claimed priority from U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 60/681,376 filed May 16, 2005, the priority of which is hereby claimed. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention is generally related to liquid bird feeders and, in particular, to such bird feeders which may foe filled without inversion. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Liquid nectar bird feeders are used for specifically attracting hummingbirds in the same manner as seed feeders are used to attract other birds. Some may consider liquid nectar feeders to be less convenient however, because of the liquid auto-feed structure. Filling liquid feeders commonly requires inversion of the feeder and certain liquid spillage from this action. 
         [0006]    It is therefore desirable to have a liquid nectar feeder which minimizes liquid spillage during filling and which even avoids inversion during filling. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a liquid bird feeder, comprises a liquid container having a scalable top opening and a bottom opening, a liquid tray adapted to immerse the bottom opening in liquid, and a valve mechanism adapted to close the bottom opening to enable the liquid container to be filled through the sealable top opening. 
         [0008]    The liquid container may include a vertically oriented cylindrical extension forming the bottom opening. The liquid tray may include a vertically oriented cylindrical collar adapted to connect to the cylindrical extension of the liquid container. The cylindrical collar may include a cylindrical side wall having a liquid port located therein. The valve mechanism may include a rotatable cylindrical member having an opening adapted to selectively align and misalign with the port in the cylindrical collar to respectively open or close the port with rotation of the rotatable cylindrical member. The cylindrical collar may include a plurality of ports and the rotatable cylindrical member may include a corresponding plurality of openings adapted to simultaneously align or misalign with the plurality of ports for respectively opening and closing all of the plurality of ports simultaneously with rotation of the rotatable cylindrical member. 
         [0009]    The rotatable cylindrical member may be adapted to be at least partially immersed in liquid within the liquid tray and may include an actuator which extends above the port in the cylindrical collar, and thus above a normal liquid level in the liquid tray. The liquid tray may include a tray cover having one or more feeding ports passing there through and a slot adapted to allow the actuator to be operable from outside of the tray cover to rotate the rotatable cylindrical member. 
         [0010]    The liquid container may include a top cover adapted to seal the top opening. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention is illustratively shown and described in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a sectional side view of a bird feeder constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged, partial sectional, side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , showing greater detail and having a component is located in a different operative position from the view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the bird feeder of  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing approximate cross sectional cut lines used for  FIGS. 1  and.  2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of two components used in the bird feeder of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a different perspective view of the bird feeder components of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  generally shows a sectional side view of a bird feeder  10 , which generally includes a reservoir or liquid container  12  and a liquid tray  14 . Liquid container  12  includes a scalable top opening  16  having a cover  18  adapted to seal top opening  16 . Cover  18  includes peripheral threads  20  adapted to engage liquid container  12  and an O-ring seal  22  located to create an air tight seal. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged sectional side view of the lower portion of bird feeder  10 . Liquid container  12  also includes a bottom opening  24  formed by a cylindrical extension  26  of the lower end  12   a  of liquid container  12 . Bottom opening  24  and liquid tray  14  are oriented to immerse bottom opening  24  in liquid from liquid container  12 . This arrangement allows a vacuum created in the upper end  12   b  of the liquid container  12  to retain liquid therein and automatically feed liquid into liquid tray  14  to the level of bottom opening  24 . 
         [0020]    Liquid tray  14  includes a vertically oriented, cylindrical collar  30 , which extends upwardly and is adapted to engage cylindrical extension  26  of liquid container  12 . Cylindrical collar  30  is axially closed at its lower end by formation with liquid tray  14 , but includes one or more ports  32  formed in the cylindrical side wall  34 . 
         [0021]    Bird feeder  10  further includes a valve mechanism  38  including a rotatable cylindrical member  40 . Cylindrical member  40  includes one or more openings  42  adapted to either align with a port  32  or misalign in response to the rotation of valve mechanism.  38  and rotatable cylindrical member  40 .  FIG. 2  shows opening  42  in alignment with a port  32  covered by a portion of rotatable cylindrical member  40 , thus effecting closure of ports  32 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows the approximate cross section used for  FIGS. 1 and 2 . However, the angled leg of the cross section line C-C is slightly different between  FIGS. 1 and 2 , because the cross section passes through actuator handle  48 , which is in different positions in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show respective upper and lower perspective views of the liquid tray  14  and valve mechanism  38 .  FIG. 4  shows cylindrical collar  30  to have a plurality of ports  32 , and  FIG. 5  shows rotatable cylindrical member  40  to have a plurality of openings  42 . Ports  32  and openings  42  are located at the same angular positions around the their respective cylindrical axes to cause simultaneous misalignment or alignment between all ports  32  and openings  42 , thus allowing bottom opening  24  to be selectively closed or opened. Valve mechanism  38  further includes a circular disk  46  and an actuator handle  48 , which are shown to extend above the level of port  32  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . This enables activation of valve mechanism  38  even while there is liquid present in liquid tray. 
         [0024]    Now returning to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , liquid tray  14  further includes a cover  50  adapted to substantially close liquid tray  14  and limit access to any liquid contents thereof. Cover  50  includes a plurality of bird feeder ports  52  adapted to allow access by long-beaked hummingbirds while simultaneously preventing access by bees. Cover  50  further includes a slot  54  to allow the actuator handle  48  to extend outside of liquid tray  14 . 
         [0025]    The unique construction of bird feeder  10  thus allows filling thereof without necessitating inversion and undesired dripping or spillage of liquid nectar. 
         [0026]    It is now apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, improvements, details, and uses can be made consistent with the letter and spirit of the foregoing disclosure and within the scope of this patent, which is limited only by the following claims, construed in accordance with the patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.