Patent Publication Number: US-2019166806-A1

Title: Beehive Wind Shield

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/594,392, filed Dec. 4, 2017 and hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a wind shield for beehives allowing passage of bees and ventilation of the beehive while reducing the effects of frigid temperatures and precipitation. 
     Honey bee keeping as a backyard hobby or as a commercial enterprise has been popular since the middle of the 18th century although early cave drawings in Spain show Spaniards harvesting wild honey thousands of years BC. 
     One of the many rewards for those harvesters and beekeepers was the golden honey extracted from the beehives. There are times, however, when beekeepers may face harsh winter weather especially in the north climates that can result in a substantial loss of bees to the frigid temperatures. Under those conditions, honeybees cannot maintain adequate heat within the beehive, become chilled and die. 
     The beehive must be generally kept open both to allow entrance and exit of bees and provide adequate air circulation so that the bees may maintain proper air temperature and humidity. Accordingly, solutions have addressed insulating the beehive cover or beehive walls, for example, with roofing felt, or surrounding the beehives with fencing or shrubbery to shield the beehives from weather and cold temperatures. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present inventors have recognized that improved resistance against frigid temperatures can be provided by a wind shield that prevents directly impinging wind from creating high-pressure differences across the beehive such as to promote excessive ventilation. The wind shield provides an entry path that opens upward and follows a twisted path allowing proper ventilation and access to the beehive by the bees. 
     In one embodiment, the wind shield may fit around and optionally be supported by a standard beehive bottom board allowing the wind shield to be quickly installed on a variety of beehive designs and easily removed when desired. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the wind shield attaches to the front of the beehive and is supported by a standard beehive bottom board allowing the wind shield to be quickly installed on a variety of beehive designs and easily removed when desired. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to allow the wind shield to fit any 10 deep or 8 deep standard super frame with the dimensions of the wind shield pre-sized for these standard lengths. 
     Specifically then, the invention provides a cowling positionable to abut at an upper edge a front vertical wall of a rectangular brood super housing resting upon a top edge of a bottom board having a horizontal floor supporting on three sides an upstanding frame providing an open front side, the upstanding frame blocking airflow between the upstanding frame and the contacting brood super housing so that the bottom board extends horizontally forward beyond the front vertical wall of the brood super to provide a cantilevered ledge at the open front side, the open front side providing a vertical gap provided between a lower edge of the brood super and an upper surface of the horizontal floor spaced by the upstanding frame and allowing ventilation air to pass from outside the beehive to inside the beehive. The cowling is further positionable above the open front side and to extend forward therefrom downwardly over the bottom board to provide a gap between a forwardmost edge of the bottom board and then extending rearwardly under the bottom board to provide a concave enclosure enclosing at least an upper and the forwardmost edge of the cantilevered ledge and to provide a gap under the bottom board allowing for an upward path of air into the concave enclosure and an exit and entrance for the bees. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to insulate the entrance of a bee hive to impinging wind while still allowing bees and necessary air circulation to enter and exit the bee hive in one general direction (upward flowing air). 
     The cowling may provide vertically extending sidewalls covering opposite sides of the concave enclosure. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to shield rearward and side directional wind gusts from entering the bee hive. 
     The sidewalls may abut the front surface of the brood super to block air flow. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to correlate the dimensions of the cowling and the beehive in order to seal the interface between the wind shield and brood super. 
     The sidewalls may fit inside the upstanding frame to be aligned thereby. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide for alignment of the cowling and beehive through the sidewalls and upstanding frame elements. 
     The sidewalls may provide horizontal edges which rest on an upper surface of the bottom board. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to allow the windshield to be supported by the weight of the windshield against the cantilevered ledge of the bottom board. 
     The sidewalls may abut the outer left and right sides of the brood super. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to enclose the entire cantilevered ledge within the windshield to minimize ingress or egress of horizontal winds through gaps. 
     An inner surface of the sidewalls may support inwardly extending supports which rest on the upstanding frame of the bottom board. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to allow the windshield to be supported by the cantilevered ledge without additional securing elements. 
     The cowling may attach to a front surface of the front vertical wall with fasteners, the cowling thus separable and connectable without tools. The fasteners may be spring clips, Velcro, or other means known by those in the art. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to install the windshield on preexisting bee hives with minimal tools or attachment accessories. 
     The cowling may slope downwardly forward from the front wall beyond the frontmost edge of the cantilevered ledge. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to allow rain and snow to fall off the windshield through gravity forces. 
     The downward slope of the cowling may increase as the cowling moves farther away from the front wall. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide easy manufacture of the cowling using PVC pipe or another readily available material such as plastic, waterproof paper, wood products, or extruded foam. 
     The windshield assembly may further add a wind block extending downwardly and abutting a lower surface of the bottom board to block airflow. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to prevent wind from passing horizontally in a rearward direction underneath the bee hive without entering the hive. 
     The downward sloping edge of the cowling may be textured to provide a landing surface for the bees. 
     The cowling may be a semi-cylindrical shell. The semi-cylindrical shell may have a circumference of less than 180 degrees. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to construct the cowling out of a durable PVC material, or another readily available material such as plastic, waterproofed paper, wood products, insulating foam, or extruded foam. 
     The present invention may further provide a rectangular brood super housing and a bottom board having a horizontal floor supporting on three sides an upstanding frame providing an open front side, the upstanding frame sized to support thereabove the rectangular brood super housing resting upon a top edge of the upstanding frame to block airflow between the upstanding frame and the contacting brood super housing so that the bottom board extends horizontally forward beyond a front vertical wall of the brood super to provide a cantilevered ledge at the open front side, the open front side providing a vertical gap provided between a lower edge of the brood super and an upper surface of the horizontal floor spaced by the upstanding frame and allowing ventilation air to pass from outside the beehive to inside the beehive. 
     It is thus a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a bottom board customized for the wind shield of the present invention. It is also a feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide a circuitous path of air from outside the beehive to inside the beehive reducing the velocity of the incoming airflow. 
     The present invention may further provide a rectangular queen super housing separated by the brood super by a queen excluder filter preventing a queen bee from passing from the queen super to the brood super; and an inner cover having a ventilation hole allowing for the upward path of air between the vertical gap and the ventilation hole. 
     The present invention may further provide an entrance reducer positioned within the vertical gap to reduce the size of the gap. 
     These particular objects and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an example beehive for use with the present invention showing a cantilevered bottom board and the wind shield that may fit over the bottom board; 
         FIG. 2  is a side cross-sectional view along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  showing the entrance path for air and bees in the beehive of  FIG. 1  without the wind shield; 
         FIG. 3  is a figure similar to that of  FIG. 1  with the wind shield installed; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view from within the beehive showing side cleats on the wind shield allowing the wind shield to be placed on existing beehives to be fully or partially supported on the bottom board; 
         FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 3  of a second embodiment of the present invention with the wind shield being a semi-cylindrical shell; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the second embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  with the wind shield attached to existing beehives by quick release fasteners. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a beehive  10  may provide a stacked arrangement providing rectangular boxes forming: a honey super  12  (holding honey for extraction), positioned above and supported by one or more brood supers  14  (holding honey and the brood). The honey super  12  and brood supers  14  are open at the top and bottom for ventilation and access but may be separated by a shallow queen excluder  16 , the latter preventing the queen from passing from the brood super  14  to the honey super  12  by means of a set of calibrated openings sized to allow bees other than the queen, only, to pass therethrough. The shallow queen excluder  16  is optionally included. 
     Each of the honey super  12  and brood super  14  may support multiple parallel, vertically extending frames  18  holding wax on a supporting material such as wire or plastic. The frames  18  provide a substrate for honey comb and are removable, for example, by upward sliding, for inspection of the honeycomb or honey extraction. 
     The upper end of the honey super  12  is covered by an inner cover  20  having vent passageways  22  through which ventilation air  23  may pass from the honey super  12 . The inner cover  20  may be covered by an oversized outer cover  24  to provide protection of the hive  10  from rain or the like while still permitting free passage of the ventilation air  23 . 
     Referring now also to  FIG. 2 , a lower edge of the brood super  14  may rest on a bottom board  26  and specifically on the top edge of a three-sided upstanding frame  28  that serves to space the bottom edge of the brood super  14  from a stand  30 , for example, the latter resting on the ground  32  and spacing the hive  10  from the ground. Within the bottom board  26 , a bottom panel  40  may extend horizontally within the frame  28 . This bottom panel  40  may be solid, or may have a screen positioned above a removable insert such as a sticky board for the capture of debris and mites. 
     A front side of the frame  28  is open to allow ventilation air  23  to pass in from a front side of the beehive  10  through a gap  38  between a lower edge of the front wall  36  of the brood super  14  and the upper surface of the bottom panel  40 . This ventilation air  23  may move upward through the brood super  14 , the queen excluder  16  (optionally included), and the honey super  12  to exit the beehive  10  through the inner cover  20  by natural convective ventilation. The gap  38  may optionally be filled with an entrance reducer  41  intended to reduce the opening of the gap  38  to protect the beehive  10  from mice or the like. 
     The frame  28  and bottom panel  40  extend by a cantilevered distance  34  horizontally beyond a front wall  36  of the brood super  14 , for example, to provide a ledge offering a landing position for bees. 
     First Embodiment 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , a wind shield  44  of the present invention may provide for a horizontally extending cowling  46  providing a concave enclosure partially fitting over the bottom board  26  to enclose the gap  38 . An upper edge of the wind shield  44  horizontally abuts a full width of the front surface of the front wall  36  of the brood super  14  above the bottom board  26  at one edge and slopes downwardly forward from that front wall  36  forward beyond the cantilevered end of the bottom board  26 . The slope helps direct rain and other precipitation away from the beehive  10 . The distal edge of the windshield  44  then joins with a vertical section dropping below the height of the bottom board  26  beyond the front end  27  of the bottom board  26  sufficient in distance to pass bees. This vertical section then joints with a second sloping section which then slopes backward underneath that bottom board  26  to a horizontally extending opening  50 . The opening  50  is formed between the downwardly sloping edge of the cowling  46  beneath the bottom board  26  and any support structure  30  having a maximum cross-section along the horizontal plane. 
     A wind block  47  may extend downward supported by the bottom board  26 , positioned to abut a lower surface of the bottom panel  40  of the bottom board  26  preventing a bypassing of the opening  50  by wind passing horizontally (forward or rearward counter flowing wind) underneath the hive  10 . 
     In this regard, the opening  50  is above the ground  32  and provides an upward path of passive air  23  into the cowling  46  directed against the underside of the cantilevered portion  34  of the bottom board  26 . This airflow  23  may then flow forward around the front edge of the bottom board  26  and then horizontally into the beehive  10  through the gap  38 . 
     Vertically extending side walls  52  close the left and right side of the cowling  46  and closely abut left and right sides  53   a  and  53   b  of the brood super  14  and bottom board so that the cowling  46  provides essentially no ingress of wind or bees except through the lower opening  50 . Notably the cowling  46  prevents horizontally directed air currents from directly entering the gap  38  such as could create high-pressure differences between the gap  38  and the vent passageways  22  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) to cause excessive air circulation. Similarly, the cowling  46  blocks airflow and ingress in any direction except upward through opening  50 , the air impingement through opening  50  is greatly minimized because of its horizontal orientation and its proximity to the ground  50 . In addition, the resistive, twisted path of the air  23  through the cowling  46  limits high velocity airflow. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cowling  46  may be supported on left and right upper edges of the frame  28  in the cantilevered portion  34  by means of a small cleat block  56  attached to the inner surface of both side walls  52  of the cowling  46  allowing the cowling  46  to be installed simply by positioning it over the bottom board  26  where it is retained by the force of gravity and friction between the cleat block  56  and the frame  28 . In this regard, the center of mass  58  of the cowling maybe positioned to be inward from the front edge of the cleat block with respect to the beehive  10 . Additional security of the wind shield  44  may be provided by fasteners, pins, adhesive, or other methods. 
     Second Embodiment 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a windshield  60  of the present invention may provide a cowling that is a horizontally extending semi-cylindrical shell  62  providing an inwardly concave enclosure with vertically extending side walls  64  covering the opposite ends of the semi-cylindrical shell  62 . The windshield  60  receives the bottom board  26  to fit over the bottom board  26  to cover the gap  38  while still allowing ventilation air  23  discussed above. 
     The semi-cylindrical shell  62  may be formed from four to nine-inch diameter polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe having a ¼ inch wall thickness and cut lengthwise to form a semi-cylindrical shell  62  and PVC flat stock cut to form the vertically extending side walls  64 . In this regard the semi-cylindrical shell  62  provides a functional replacement for the cowling  46  discussed above albeit simply constructed of a durable PVC material. The semi-cylindrical shell  62  may also be injection molded thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer with the semi-cylindrical shell  62  and vertically extending side walls  64  formed of a unitary piece of plastic. 
     It is understood that the windshield  60  may be made of any readily available material such as plastic, waterproof paper, wood products, or extruded foam. The material may also be an ultraviolet (UV) resistant material to prevent wear from UV rays. 
     An upper lengthwise edge  61  of the semi-cylindrical shell  62  horizontally abuts the front surface of the front wall  36  of the brood super  14  above the bottom board  26  and an upper curved portion  66  curves downwardly forward from that front wall  36  forward beyond the cantilevered end of the bottom board  26 . The curved slope helps direct rain and other precipitation away from the beehive  10 . The forward most point of the curved windshield  44  passes beyond the front end  27  of the bottom board  26  to join a lower curved portion  68  beginning to slope downwardly rearward. 
     A horizontal gap  70  between the semi-cylindrical shell  62  and the front end  27  of the bottom board  26  is sufficient in distance to pass bees around the bottom board  26 . The lower opening  50  is formed between a distal end  71  of the lower curved portion  68  of the semi-cylindrical shell  62  beneath the bottom board  26  and any support structure  30  having a maximum cross-section along the horizontal plane. The semi-cylindrical shell  62  may form a semi-cylinder having a circumference of less than 180 degrees or approximately 140-170 degrees, leaving the lower opening  50  having a width  73  defined by the distance between the distal end  71  and the support structure  30  and extending across the length of the semi-cylindrical shell  62 . 
     In this regard, the opening  50  is above the ground  32  and provides an upward path of air  23  into the semi cylindrical shell  62  directed against the underside of the cantilevered portion  34  of the bottom board  26 . This airflow  23  may then flow forward around the front edge  27  of the bottom board  26  and then horizontally into the beehive  10  through the gap  38 . A wind block as discussed above may be used to abut a lower surface of the bottom panel  40  of the bottom board  26  preventing a bypassing of the opening  50  by wind passing horizontally forward to rearward underneath the hive  10 . 
     The left and right vertically extending sidewalls  64  enclose the left and right side of the semi cylindrical shell  62  and may provide openings to receive the bottom panel  40  of the bottom board  26  so that the semi cylindrical shell  62  provides essentially no ingress of wind or bees except through the lower opening  50 . The left and right vertically extending sidewalls  64  may provide semi-circular walls having a straight edge  72  abutting the front surface of the front wall  36  of the brood super  14  and a curved edge  74  extending along the curved semi cylindrical shell  62 . A lower portion of the straight edge  72  includes a rectangular cutout  76  with a horizontal upper edge  78  resting on an upper edge of the bottom panel  40  of the bottom board  26  inward of or inside the upstanding frame  28 , and a vertical side edge  79  abutting the front end  27  of the bottom board  26 . In this respect, the rectangular cutout  76  allows the left and right vertically extending sidewalls  64  to rest upon and be supported by the bottom panel  40  of the bottom board  26 . The alignment of the left and right vertically extending sidewalls  64  inside the upstanding frame  28  provides automatic alignment of the semi cylindrical shell  62  with the gap  38 . The ingress of air between the interface of the vertically extending sidewalls  64  and the bottom board  26  is therefore partially shielded by the upstanding frame  28 . 
     The semi-cylindrical shell  62  may be supported on the front surface of the front wall  36  by vertical upwardly extending tabs  80  attached to the upper lengthwise edge  61  of the semi cylindrical shell  62  at outer left and right sides. The vertically extending tabs  80  may then be secured to the front wall  36  by quick release fasteners  82  attached to the front wall  36  and retaining the tabs  80  against the front wall  36  by the force of friction between the fasteners  82  and the front wall  36 . The fasteners  82  may be spring clips or other attachment means. The windshield  60  may be easily removed from the brood super  14  and replaced as desired without the use of tools. 
     The semi cylindrical shell  62  is shown being supported by the bottom board  26  and therefore not extending over the outer edges of the bottom board  26  or abutting the left and right sides  53   a  and  53   b  of the brood super  14 . However, as described with respect to the first embodiment, the upper edge of the semi cylindrical shell  62  may alternatively extend a full width of the front surface of the front wall  36  of the brood super  14  such that left and right vertically extending sidewalls  64  closely abut the outer left and right sides  53   a  and  53   b  of the brood super  14  in a similar manner as described above. 
     Using an initial prototype, preliminary laboratory tests have shown reduced wind infiltration, preventing 90% of entry of 20 mile per hour winds without inhibiting passive ventilation. Bees adapted to the device on the hive and were able to freely enter and leave the hive. 
     Furthermore, six of eight Wisconsin beehives fitted with prototypes survived a winter season. The 25% hive loss rate suggested a marked improvement over the local average 50% loss for the previous winter seasons as estimated by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. 
     Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. 
     When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted. It is further to be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed. 
     It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. All of the publications described herein, including patents and non-patent publications, are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.