Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent document is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/658,946, filed on Oct. 24, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/069,142, filed on Mar. 22, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/102,638, filed on Apr. 14, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,249, granted on May 24, 2011, which is a non-provisional of U.S. Ser. No. 60/911,941, filed on Apr. 16, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present patent document relates to bottle type bird feeders, namely nectar feeders for birds. The nectar feeder of the present invention contains a float and a valve which together regulates the flow of nectar feed from a container and into a base tray. The float and valve either prevent or allow the flow of nectar feed depending upon the volume of nectar feed contained in the base tray. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     In the prior art, typical hummingbird feeders include an enclosed base tray for housing the liquid feed nectar therein. A number of feed ports are provided through the top base cover of the base tray so a bird may gain access to the liquid feed therethrough. Typically, the feed ports are small in diameter to simulate an actual flower in the field. 
     There is a periodic need to re-fill the base tray of the feeder with the liquid feed when the supply is low or completely out. In the prior art, an inverted vacuum-type bottle is commonly employed to supply the liquid into the main chamber of the base tray of the feeder to provide a continuous supply of feed for consumption by the hummingbirds. In the prior art, a bottle, in similar configuration and size to a baby bottle is typically used. However, larger or smaller bottles may be used. The bottle has a bottom closed end and a top open end which has male threading thereon. A complementary female threaded aperture is provided in the top base cover of the base tray of the feeder to receive the open threaded end of the reservoir. The reservoir, with liquid feed therein, supplies liquid into the base tray of the feed for access by the hummingbirds. Since the bottle has a closed top end, a vacuum is created thus controlling the downward flow of liquid as the hummingbird feeds from the feeder. As liquid is drained from the reservoir, bubbles will rise in similar fashion to a common drinking water bubbler. 
     Due to presence of high sugar content in hummingbird nectar, which results in accumulation of solids and growth of mold inside the bottle and base tray, cleaning of the prior art feeder must be frequent to maintain a desirable level of performance. Such frequent cleaning is considered by many users to be difficult for several reasons. For example, the users must use a variety of brushes that can fit into the small mouth of the bottle to clean the interior. Cleaning the prior art bottle feeders using a rag or sponge is generally impractical. 
     In this prior art construction, the base tray of the feeder must be inverted, when threadably receiving the bottle that contains the new supply of liquid feed, to avoid spilling of the liquid. If the base tray of the feeder is not inverted, the liquid will spill until the bottle was threadably secured to the top base cover of the base tray of the feeder. Inverting the base tray portion of feeder is undesirable because any remaining liquid feed still in the base tray will leak out making the installation of the bottle messy. This is particularly messy if a substantial amount of liquid feed remains in the base tray of the feeder. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a nectar feeder that provides a mechanism for providing nectar feed without inverting a bottle or the base tray of the feeder. There also remains a need for a nectar feeder that provides access for easy refilling of the nectar feeder without spilling the nectar. Also, there remains a need for a nectar feeder that is easy to clean. There is a further need to better control the flow and delivery of nectar. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the present invention preserves the advantages of prior art bottle type nectar feeders. In addition, it provides new advantages not found in currently bottle type nectar feeders and overcomes many disadvantages of such currently available type nectar feeders. 
     The embodiment is generally directed to a novel and unique nectar feeder. The nectar feeder of the present invention contains a float and a stopper having a substantially flush top, which together regulates the flow of nectar feed from a spout of a container and into a base tray. The float and stopper either prevent or allow the flow of nectar feed from the spout on the container depending upon the volume of nectar feed contained in the base tray. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features which are characteristic of the nectar feeder are set forth in the appended claims. However, the nectar feeder, together with further embodiments and attendant advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the bird feeder in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the bird feeder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bird feeder of  FIG. 1  with the lid in an open position; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the bird feeder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the bird feeder of  FIG. 1  cut along line  3 - 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial front view of a bird feeder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial side view of the bird feeder of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the bird feeder of  FIG. 1  with the float raised to prevent the flow of liquid feed into the base tray; and 
         FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the bird feeder of  FIG. 1  with the float lowered to allow the flow of liquid feed into the base tray. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is a nectar feeder  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1-9 . The nectar feeder  10  contains a float  120  and a stopper  130  which together regulate the flow of nectar feed  160  a container  20  and into a base tray  30 . The float  120  and stopper  130  either prevent or allow the flow of nectar feed  160  depending upon the volume of nectar feed  160  contained in the base tray  30 . Moreover, the nectar feeder  10  allows the nectar feed  160  to be poured directly into the container  20  of the feeder  10  which obviates the need to detach the container  20  each time the feeder  10  needs to be refilled. This avoids the mess associated with refilling nectar feeders of the prior art. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the nectar feeder  10  of the present invention is shown. An exploded view of the present invention of  FIG. 1  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The nectar feeder  10  includes a container  20  for storing nectar feed  160 , the base tray  30  and the float  120  containing the stopper  130 . The container  20  is attached to the base tray  30  and is in fluid communication with the base tray  30 . The float  120  containing the stopper  130  is positioned between the  20  and the base tray  30 . When the nectar feed  160  flows through the container  20  and into the base tray  30 , the float  120  rises until the stopper  130  prevents nectar feed  160  from flowing through the container  20  and into the base tray  30 . By having the float  120  and stopper  130  regulate the flow of nectar feed  160 , the nectar feeder  10  requires less maintenance, reduced spillage of nectar feed  160 , and self-regulation of the nectar feed  160 . Details of the stopper  130  construction are discussed in detail below. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the container  20  has a top end  22  and a bottom end  24  in which both ends of the container  20  have at least one thread ( 21 ,  20 A,  20 B) positioned thereupon in different locations. The container  20  has a volume sufficient to hold enough nectar feed  160  to fill the base tray  30  and, as a result, allow the float  120  to rise. In one embodiment, the container  20  defines a shape of a bottle. However, it should be noted that the container  20  may define shapes other than a bottle type shape. It should also be noted that a design or shape other than a bottle may be used for the present invention. 
     The bottom end  24  of the container  20  is partially closed off and it defines a spout  149  with at least one exit port  150  ( FIG. 7 ), which may be tapered, for nectar feed  160  to exit the container  20  into the base tray  30 . In a preferred embodiment, there is one exit port  150  but alternative embodiments may contain two or more exit ports  150 . It should be noted that the size of the exit port  150  may be adjusted according to the viscosity of the liquid and the desired flow rate of the nectar feed  160  from the container  20  to the base tray  30 . 
     The container  20  is removably attached to the base tray  30 . In a preferred embodiment, the container is threadably attached to the base tray  30 . More importantly, the container  20  is attached without first inverting the container  20  or the base tray  30 . The benefit is that the container  20  maintains an upright or vertical position during refilling which is easier and prevents spillage of nectar feed  160 . It should be noted that alternative methods known in the art for attaching the container  20  to the base tray  30  are also suitable. For example, the container  20  may be fixedly attached to the base tray  30  without the use of threads. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the top end  22  of the container  20  has a cap  50  which is attached to the top end  22  of the container  20 . In one embodiment, the cap  50  is threadably attached to the top end  22  of the container  20 . The top end  22  of the container  20  is open and has at least one thread  21  positioned on an inner surface of the top end  22 . The cap  50  is easily removed to allow full access to the interior of the container  20  for cleaning It should be noted that other methods for attaching caps to containers may be used other than threads. For example, the cap  50  may be fixedly attached to the container  20  using adhesives or other fasteners. 
     A lid  60  is, for example, hingedly connected to the cap  50 . The hinge  70  allows the lid  60  to be opened and closed for easier refilling of the container  20 . The lid  60 , when in an open position ( FIG. 3 ), allows a user to refill the container  20  with nectar feed  160  without having to invert the container  20  or base tray  30 . The lid  60 , when in a closed position ( FIG. 1 ), prevents unwanted insects and debris from gaining access to the nectar feed  160  in a reservoir  170  of the container  20 . In addition, the lid  60  has a finger tab  80  to facilitate manipulation of the lid  60  from an open position ( FIG. 3 ) to a closed position ( FIG. 1 ). It should be noted that the lid may be removably attached to the top of the container  20  in ways other than a hinged connection. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the base cover  40  has a support  100  or perch extending from an upper surface of the base cover  40 . The raised support  100 , in one embodiment, is a raised peripheral support  100  attached by six support arms ( 100 A- 100 F) to the base cover  40 . It should be noted that the raised support  100  may extend from various portions of the base cover  40  besides the periphery. The support  100  allows birds to rest while feeding on nectar feed  160  through a feed port ( 90 A- 90 F). 
     The base cover  40 , as mentioned above, also contains at least one feed port  90 A- 90 F which are defined through the base cover  40 . The feed ports  90 A- 90 F are respectively positioned over the nectar  160  so that feeding birds are aligned thereover for optimum access to the nectar  160  therein. It is contemplated that the feed ports  90 A- 90 F may be positioned anywhere on the base cover  40  so long as the float  120  does not prevent access to the nectar feed  160  within base tray  30 . The feed ports  90 A- 90 F are preferably configured to appear as flowers, or other structures, to further attract birds to the feeder  10 . The feed ports  90 A- 90 F are respectively positioned above the base tray  30  so that feeding birds are aligned thereover for optimum access to the nectar feed  160  therein. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a base cover  40  is attached to the container  20 . The base cover  40  defines a base cover hole  44  for receiving the lower periphery  25  of the container  20 . An inner periphery of the base cover hole  44  forms at least one thread  40 A, preferably partial thread, for threadably engaging at least one thread  20 A, preferably partial thread, on the lower periphery  26  of the container  20 . It should be noted that other methods for attaching the base cover  40  to the container  20  may be used other than threads. For example, the base cover  40  may be fixedly attached to the container  20  using adhesives or other fasteners known in the art. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a base tray  30  has a top surface  30 A and a bottom surface  30 B. The top surface  30 A has a wall  31  raised along a periphery of the top surface  30 A of the base tray  30 . The wall  31  has sufficient height to contain the nectar feed  160  therein. In a preferred embodiment, the width of the base tray  30  is greater than the height of the base tray  30 . 
     The base tray  30  contains at least one vertical member  32 ,  34  extending from the top surface  30 A of the base tray  30 . In a preferred embodiment, the base tray  30  contains two vertical members  32 ,  34  which are mirror images of one another and arc-shaped. However, more than two vertical members may be used. It is contemplated that the vertical members  32 ,  34  may be integrally formed within the base tray  30  or may be attached by means known in the art. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  6  and  7 , the container  20  has an upper periphery  25  and a lower periphery  26  with at least one thread ( 20 A) on an outside surface of the lower periphery  26 . In a preferred embodiment, the lower periphery  26  has one thread  20 A on the outside surface of the container  20  for threadably engaging with at least one thread ( 34 A,  32 A) on the vertical members  32 ,  34  of the base tray  30  and at least one thread  40 A on an inner periphery of the base cover  40  respectively. In addition, the threads ( 34 A,  32 A) on the base tray  30  and the thread  40 A on the base cover  40  allows for easy removability and makes it easier cleaning or replacement of worn components of the nectar feeder  10 . Cleaning the components of the nectar feeder  10  is essential to preventing any contamination of the nectar feed  160  which may become harmful to birds if not maintained properly. 
     The vertical members  32 ,  34  may be configured to receive less than the total surface area of the bottom end  24 . For example, a first vertical member  32  may provide a seat for less than  180  degrees of the circumference of the bottom end  24  of the container  20 . A second vertical member  34 , which is a mirror image of the first vertical member  32 , may also provide a seat for less than  180  degrees of the circumference of the bottom end  24  of the container  20 . When the bottom end  24  of the container  20  rests within the middle portions  32 B,  34 B of the vertical members  32 ,  34 , it provides sufficient support to hold the container  20  in a vertical position. The benefit of holding the container  20  in a vertical position is that it prevents the spillage of nectar feed. 
     The vertical members  32 ,  34  also have a top portion  32 A,  34 A for threadably engaging the thread  20 B located on the lower periphery  25  of the container  20 . In a preferred embodiment, two vertical members  32 ,  34  have a partial thread located on an inner surface of the top portion  32 A,  34 A to cooperate together to provide a female threading. The two vertical members  32 ,  34  threadably attaching to at least one thread  20 B located on the lower periphery  25  of the container  20 . It should be noted that the container  20  may be attached to the vertical members  32 ,  34  by structures or mechanisms other than threads. For example, the container  20  may be fixedly attached to the vertical members  32 ,  34  using adhesives or fasteners although this is not preferred. 
     A float  120  is positioned between the bottom end  25  of container  20  and the base tray  30 . The float  120  defines a circular shape with an outer circumference suitable for resting within the base tray  30 . The float  120  is constructed and made of material that provides buoyancy in the presence of nectar feed  160 . The float  120  is preferably made of plastic material which is easy to clean. It can be a sealed hollow member with air trapped therein. 
     Most importantly, the float  120  is sized to permit a bird to retrieve nectar feed  160  through the feed ports  90 A- 90 F without interference from the float  120 . The float  120  is respectively positioned below the base cover  40  which has feed ports  90 A- 90 F defined therethrough. When the bird retrieves nectar feed  160  through the feed ports  90 A- 90 F, there must not be any obstruction from blocking access to the nectar feed  160 . If the feeder ports  90 A- 90 F are positioned proximal the peripheral raised support  100 , the float  120  should have at least have a diameter less than the base tray  30 . The diameter of the float  120  should also accommodate the feed ports  90 A- 90 F to prevent any interference by the float  120  with the bird feeding on the nectar  160  through the feed ports  90 A- 90 F. Alternative configurations of feed ports  90 A- 90 F may necessitate additional shapes or changes in the float  120  to accommodate the direct access of the nectar feed  160  to the birds. 
     The float  120  defines at least one float hole  120 A,  120 B through the float  120  for slidably engaging the vertical member  32 ,  34 . In a preferred embodiment, there are two float holes  120 A,  120 B. The float holes  120 A,  120 B are keyed to an outer profile or shape of the vertical members  32 ,  34  to prevent independent rotation of the float  120  in any direction. Of course, the float holes  120 A,  120 B may be adjusted to define a shape similar to the overall shape and design of the vertical members  32 ,  34 . To facilitate the slidably engagement of the float  120  with the vertical members  32 ,  34 , the float  120  has a thickness less than the depth of the base tray  30 . Also, the height of the float  120  is less than the height of the vertical members  32 ,  34 . 
     The float  120  contains a stopper  130  with a flat to surface, which may be incorporated together in a single structure. However, it should be noted that valves other than stoppers or sealing-type plugs may be used for the present invention. The stopper  130  is seated in a stopper seat  140  on a central portion of the float  120 . The stopper seat  140  is either integrally formed or attached to the central portion of the float  120 . The stopper  130  rests within the stopper seat  140 . When the float  120  rises due to the filling of an interior of the base tray  30  with nectar feed  160 , the stopper  130  engages the spout  149  and closes off the exit port  150  to prevent the flow of nectar feed  160  through the exit port  150  and into the base tray  30 . As shown along vertical axis B, the stopper  130  is respectively positioned below the exit port  150  on the bottom end  25  of the container  20 . Because the top surface of the stopper  130  is flat and relatively larger compared to the preferably tapered spout  149  and exit port  150 , a sealing engagement between the stopper  130  and spout  149  is improved if the nectar feeder  10  is canted, tipped or the float  120  is otherwise not aligned squarely on the spout  149 . The stopper  130  and the exit port  150  can be adjusted according to the dimensions and quantity of each. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , in operation, a user opens the lid  60  ( FIG. 3 ) and fills (or refills) the container  20  with nectar feed  160 . There is no need to invert the container  20  to refill which is a substantial advantage over the prior art. When the container  20  is sufficiently filled with nectar feed  160 , nectar feed  160  begins to accumulate inside the container  20 . When the volume of the nectar feed  160  is sufficient, the nectar feed  160  gradually begins to flow through the exit port  150  of the spout  149  and into the base tray  30 . As the base tray  30  fills with nectar feed  160 , the float  120  begins to rise in correlation to the volume of nectar feed  160  occupying the interior of the base tray  30 . When the base tray  30  fills with nectar feed  160 , the float  120  gradually rises thus forcing the stopper  130  to sealingly engage the exit port  150  on the spout  149  located on the bottom end  25  of the container  20 . When the base tray  30  is substantially full, the float  120  will further rise to sealingly engage the stopper  130  within the exit port  150  of the spout  149 , which prevents the further flow of nectar feed  160  through the exit port  150  of the spout  149 . 
     When the exit port  150  is completely blocked by the stopper  130 , the nectar feed  160  is prevented from moving through the exit port  150  and into the base tray  30 . As a result, leakage or overflow of the nectar feed  160 , such as through the feed ports  90 A- 90 F, is prevented. In addition, the nectar feed  160  is preserved inside the container  20  and used when necessary to refill the base tray  30 . If any contamination occurs inside the base tray  30 , it does not contaminate the nectar feed inside the reservoir  170  of the container  20 . A user can clean the base tray  30 , when it has contaminated nectar feed  160 , without impacting the entire supply of nectar feed  160  inside the container  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , during the normal course of use of the nectar feeder  10 , the nectar feed  160  is consumed by the birds through the feeding ports  90 A- 90 F. When the birds consume the nectar feed  160 , the nectar feed level in the base tray  30  drops. As the nectar feed  160  is depleted from the base tray  30 , the float  120  will eventually drop or lower thus taking upward pressure off the stopper  130  to permit the entry of additional nectar feed or other liquids into the base tray  30 . As a result, the float  120  disengages the stopper  130  from the exit port  150  to once again allow the flow of nectar feed  160  to flow into the base tray  30 . The feeder  10  permits the easy and convenient refilling of the feeder  10  even if the container  20  is not completely empty. By allowing nectar feed  160  to be flow directly from the container  20  and into the base tray  30 , there is no disassembly required for eventual refilling of the base tray  30  by the container  20 . This is a continual and gradual process until the nectar feed  160  is completely depleted from the container  20 . 
     Furthermore, as seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , a hanger  110  is also attached to the cap  50  for securing the nectar feeder  10  to a stationary object. The hanger is an example but there are other structures or mechanisms for securing the nectar feeder  10  to another object may also be used. For example, suction cup mounts, wall mounts, and post mounts may also be used and attached to the cap  50  or other components of the nectar feeder  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the nectar feeder  10  is made of materials known in the art. Preferably, the nectar feeder  10  is made of plastics. Various colors of the plastics may be used to attract birds to the present invention. Structures or mechanisms other than threads may be used to attach the components of the nectar feeder  10 . 
     In view of the foregoing, a new and novel improved nectar feeder  10  is provided for easy and efficient refilling. The present invention contains a float  120  and stopper  130  which regulates the flow of nectar feed  160  through the container  20  and into the base tray  30 . More specifically, a container  20  is attached to the base tray  30  and in fluid communication with the base tray  30 . The float  120  contains the stopper  130  which is positioned between the container  20  and the base tray  30 . When the nectar feed  160  flows through the container  20  and into the base tray  30 , the float  120  rises until the stopper  130  prevents nectar feed  160  from flowing through the container  20  and into the base tray  30 . The nectar feeder  10  of the present invention can also be filled without inverting the base tray  30  or container  20  which conserves the nectar feed. In addition, the nectar feeder  10  is easier to clean than prior art nectar feeders due to the removability of various parts. 
     Therefore, while there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

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