Bird feeder with spill catcher and feed recycler

Abstract

A bird feeder 101 comprises a body section 102 having at least one feeding port 103, a spill catcher 104 positioned below the at least one feeding port comprising a feed reservoir 105 and an actuable

Description

The present invention relates to a bird feeder with a spill catcher and a feed recycler that prevents feed from falling to the ground and attracting unwanted pests or germinating in undesirable places, and that allows the feed to be reused by the birds. Bird feeders are devices that provide food for wild birds, usually in the form of seeds, nuts, or suet. Bird feeders are often hung, or otherwise supported, above ground level from trees, poles, or other structures, and may have various shapes and sizes. Bird feeders can attract a variety of bird species and provide enjoyment and education for bird watchers. However, bird feeders also have some drawbacks. One of the main problems is that birds often drop or spill feed from the feeder onto the ground. This can attract rodents, insects, or other pests that may damage the garden or pose a health risk. Moreover, the spilled feed may germinate and grow in unwanted places, such as paths, driveways, or flower beds. This can create a nuisance and require additional maintenance. Another problem is that the spilled feed is wasted and cannot be consumed bythe birds. This can increase the cost of feeding the birds and reduce the efficiency of the bird feeder. Therefore, there is a need for a bird feeder that can reduce or eliminate the spillage of feed and the associated problems, and that can recycle the feed for further use by the birds. US2022046901A1 describes a debris collector that can be used on a bird feeder and that includes an upper piece, a lower piece, and a receptacle for collecting bird feed debris. However, the device still requires additional maintenance to empty the receptacle as the receptacle collecting bird feed needs to be manually removed. Moreover, the device does not provide a way to return the feed to the feeder for reuse by the birds. The present invention provides a bird feeder which has a feeding port that can be accessed by feeding birds. The bird feeder also has a spill catcher that catches feed that can accidentally fall from the feeder, especially when the birds are accessing feed, and prevents it from reaching the ground. The feeder also has a feed recycler that allows the caught feed to be moved back to the feeding port for re-use by the birds. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a bird feeder comprising: a body section having at least one feeding port; a spill catcher, positioned below the at least one feeding port, comprising a feed reservoir; and an actuable means for moving feed from the feed reservoir to the at least one feeding port. Preferably, the spill catcher comprises an upper collection section having one or more sloping surfaces configured to catch feed that falls from the at least one feed port and direct it into the feed reservoir. The feeding port allows birds to access the feed. Optionally the bird feeder has one or more perch sections. Preferably, the spill catcher has one or more side walls which define an open top. Preferably, the outer circumference of the spill catcher extends outwardly beyond the circumference of the feed body. Advantageously this allows the spill catcher to catch feed that drops from the feed body, or from feeding birds, which may otherwise fall outside the feeder body. Preferably the spill catcher has inwardly sloping sides (the circumference of the base of the spill catcher being smaller than the circumference of the top of the spill catcher). Most preferably the upper collection section of the spill catcher has inwardly sloping sides. Advantageously, the inwardly sloping surfaces of the upper collection section are configured to guide any feed that falls into the inside surface of the spill catcher into the feed reservoir of the spill catcher where the inlet of the actuable means is located. Preferably the sloping surface is relatively smooth so that pieces of feed slide easily under gravity. Preferably the upper collection section of the spill catcher is substantially bowl or funnel shaped, which facilitates the sliding of the feed to the feed reservoir. In some embodiments the entire spill catcher is substantially bowl or funnel shaped. Preferably the feed reservoir is configured as an open topped pot comprising a base and one or more side walls that define an upper rim. Preferably the upper collection section extends outwards from the upper rim of the feed reservoir. The upper section may be in the form of an inverted frusto-cone. It will be understood that, although it is preferred that the feed reservoir is a separate open topped receptacle section, the feed reservoir and the upper collection section do not necessarily require a distinct edge between them and the base may segue into a wall as part of a continuous curve. In this case the base is the lower section of the spill catcher. Optionally, the spill catcher has perforations or apertures. Preferably the perforations or apertures are formed in the feed reservoir section. The perforated bottom of the spill catcher allows water, dust, or other debris to pass through and prevents the feed from becoming mouldy or rotten. The perforated bottom is preferred but not essential. The spill catcher may also have a solid bottom with drainage channels. Preferably the spill catcher has a lid section which has apertures or an open grid for feed to fa ll th rough. Preferably the lid section can provide a perching surface for birds to land and access the one or more feeding ports. Most preferably, the actuable means is an Archimedes screw (also referred as a screw conveyor or auger conveyor), in the form of a rotating helical screw blade that can move granular material. Preferably the Archimedes screw is located at least between the feed reservoir and the one or more peed ports. Preferably the Archimedes screw has a central shaft surrounded by at least one helical blade. Preferably the helical blade has a continuous helical surface. As the central shaft turns, it collects feed from the feed reservoir and said feed, that is on the upper surface of the helical blade, is pushed upward along the shaft (i.e. the feed is effectively moved upwards parallel to the axis of the central shaft). Advantageously this means that feed that is scooped up by the bottom of the helical blade can be transported upwards. The Archimedes screw moves the feed from the feed reservoir to the one or more feed ports. Preferably the majority of the central shaft and helical blade is surrounded by a casing. Typically, the casing is a tubular casing for example a hollow pipe. Alternatively, and particularly if the central shaft is not substantially vertical in use, the casing is a ‘U’ shaped or trough casing. Preferably the casing has an inlet at one end. Either the casing does not extend all the way down to the base of the spill catcher which thus provides an inlet, or there are entry apertures at the bottom of the casing to allow feed to be scooped by the helical blade. Optionally the outer surface of the helical blade is fused to the inner surface of the casing. Alternatively, there is a gap between the outer surface of the helical blade and the inner surface of the casing. Preferably the gap is less than the average feed size. Preferably the gap is less than 2.0 mm, more preferably the gap is less than 1.0mm. There may be a gap between the outer surface of the helical blade and the inner surface of the casing as any feed that drops off the edge of one section will typically be caught by a blade section below. Optionally, the Archimedes screw is manually actuated by a handle or a crank. The handle of crank is typically mechanically linked to the central shaft or in some cases to the casing. Optionally the handle or crank is mechanically linked to the central shaft or to the casing at the lower end of the bird feeder. Optionally the handle or crank is mechanically linked to the central shaft or to the casing at the upper end of the bird feeder. Alternatively, the Archimedes screw is provided with an electrical means of actuation, such as a battery-operated motor, a solar-powered motor, or a generator. Optionally, the Archimedes screw is provided with an on-board power source for the electrical means of actuation. Optionally the on-board power source is a battery. Optionally the battery is provided in a casing located at the upper end of the Archimedes screw. Preferably the bird feeder also has a roof element. Advantageously the roof section is positioned above the feed reservoir and reduces prevents rain ingress into the feed reservoir. Optionally the roof element extends out further than the circumference of the feed body. Preferably the roof element extends out as far as or further than the circumference of the spill catcher. Preferably the vertical distance between the roof element and spill catcher is 10cm or less. Advantageously this reduces the space available to access the feed port of the feed reservoir and makes it more difficult for larger birds to access the one or more feed ports. Optionally the distance between the roof element and spill catcher can be varied to allow for different sized birds. Advantageously the roof section reduces prevents rain ingress into the spill catcher. Optionally the base of the spill catcher comprises a removeable section. Preferably the spill catcher is removable. This assists with cleaning. The present invention has several advantages over the conventional bird feeders. The spill catcher reduces the waste of feed and the attraction of pests. The spill catcher also prevents the feed from germinating and growing in unwanted places. The feed recycler allows the feed to be reused by the birds, thereby saving money and resources. The bird feeder is easy to install, use, and maintain. The bird feeder does not interfere with the feeding or viewing of the birds. Various further features and aspects of the invention are defined in the claims. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the meaning commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. Throughout this document references to Archimedes screw(s) refers to screw conveyors or auger conveyors that utilise a rotating helical screw blade to move granular materials. of tho Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where like parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals and in which: Figure 1a is a cross-section view of a bird feeder with a spill catcher and a feed recycler according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 1 b is a perspective view of the bird feeder shown in Figure 1 a; and Figure 2 is a depiction of another embodiment of a bird feeder with a spill catcher and a feed recycler according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a depiction of another embodiment of a bird feeder with a spill catcher and a feed recycler according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 4 is a depiction of another embodiment of a bird feeder with a spill catcher and a feed recycler according to an embodiment of the present invention. A bird feeder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is generally depicted in Figure 1 a and 1 b (with 1 a being a cross-section of 1 b down the A-A axis). The bird feeder 101 has a feed body 102 which is generally cylindrical in shape. The feed body 102 has feeding port 103 which is shaped to allow birds to retrieve feed. The bird feeder 101 also has a spill catcher 104 positioned below the feeding port 103. In this embodiment the spill catcher 104 is attached to the feed body 102 but it could be integral with the feed body 102. The spill catcher 104 has a feed reservoir 105 which is in the form of an open-topped pot with a base 106 and side wall(s) 107. In this embodiment, the base 106 is circular and, as such, the open topped pot is substantially tubular in shape with a single wall 107 extending substantially vertically from the base 106. It would however be understood that the base 106 could be another shape e.g. square, with the commensurate number of walls 107 extending upwards to form the open topped pot. The spill catcher 104 also has a collection section 108. The collection section 108 of this embodiment is in the form of an open bottomed cone, the lower rim of which extends to and forms the upper rim of the feed reservoir 105. The spill catcher 104 also has an upper rim, the outer circumference of which extends beyond the circumference of the feed body 102 such that feed dropped by birds, or dropped by some other manner, from the feeding port 103 will land on the spill catcher 104. In this embodiment the inner surface of the collection section 108 has substantially straight inwardly sloping walls. The angle of the slope is selected to encourage any feed that lands on it to slide into the feed reservoir 105. One skilled in the art would understand that that the surface could be curved providing that it still acts to encourage any feed that lands on it to slide into the feed reservoir 105. The bird feeder 101 also has an Archimedes screw 109 which acts to move feed from the feed reservoir 105 to at least one feeding port 103. The archimedes screw 109 has a helical blade 110 mounted on a central shaft 111. The archimedes screw 109 extends between the feed reservoir 105 and the feeding port 103. In this embodiment, the lower end of the archimedes screw 109 is disposed in the feed reservoir 105 and the upper end is disposed in the vicinity of the topmost feeding port 103. In this embodiment, the archimedes screw 109 is encased in a portion of the feed body 102. The lower end of the archimedes screw 109 is in a hollow casing 112 which surrounds much of the helical blade 110, however the casing has an inlet 113 at the lower end such that the feed reservoir 105 is in open communication with the archimedes screw 109 such that feed can move from the feed reservoir 105 onto the helical blade 110 of the archimedes screw 109. In use, feed will be scooped by the section of helical blade 110 close to the inlet 113 and moved up the central shaft 111 to the feeding port 103. The archimedes screw 109 is electrically connected to a battery-operated motor 116 which powers the rotation of the Archimedes screw. In this embodiment the battery-operated motor 116 is located at the top of the archimedes screw 109 within the feed body 102. The roof 114 can be removed to allow easy access to the battery-operated motor 116 for battery replacement. It will be understood that an electric motor could be attached to any appropriate power source and used to power the rotation of the archimedes screw 109. In this embodiment a key fob (not shown) could be used to start and stop the rotation of the screw, however it would be understood that the rotation could be operated remotely using standard technology such as an Infra-red sensor operatively linked to the power source and Archimedes screw and an associated remote infra-red emitter. The helix angle of the helical blade 110 is selected such that pieces of feed are disposed to stay on the surface. The helix angle of the helical blade 110 is therefore less than the slope angle of the collection section 108 of the spill catcher 104. The bird feeder 101 also has a roof 114 and a hanging hook 115. In this embodiment the top of the collection section 108 (which is the top of the spill catcher 104) has a lid 117 covering it. The lid 117 is in the form of a mesh or grid with large holes. The struts of the grid are then enough that any feed would not be retained on the lid, but instead would fall through the holes, but the struts do function as perches for birds to perch on or grip when accessing feed. It would be understood that the lid 117 is not necessary in any embodiment but does provide some benefits. Another embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Figure 2. This bird feeder 201 has many features in common with the first embodiment, but the archimedes screw 109 extends beyond the feeding port 103. Birds can access feed from the helical blade 110. To improve access the helix pitch of the helical blade 110 is selected to be the same height or larger than the height of the feeding port 103. Also, the battery-operated motor 116 is provided in an outer casing on the bottom of the archimedes screw 109 and can be accessed at the bottom of the bird feeder 101. Another embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Figure 3. This bird feeder 301 has many features in common with the first and second embodiments, but the archimedes screw 109 extends to just below the feeding port 103. Birds can access feed from the top of the archimedes screw 109. Also, in this embodiment the rotation of the archimedes screw 109 is hand operated and there is a handle 118 that is mechanically connected to the central shaft 111 of the archimedes screw 109 (in this case at the lower end of the central shaft 111 extending through the base 106). A user can rotate the handle to move feed from the feed reservoir 105 to the top of the archimedes screw 109 for access via the feeding port 103. It would be understood that the handle could also have ben used with the screw formats shown in figures 1A and 2. Another embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Figure 4. This bird feeder 401 has many features in common with the previous embodiments. In this case the feeding port 103 has a gridded wire to form openings for birds to access and the archimedes screw 109 extends beyond feeding port 103. In this embodiment the rotation of the archimedes screw 109 is hand operated and there is a handle 118 that is mechanically connected to the central shaft 111 of the archimedes screw 109 (in this case at the lower end of the central shaft 111 extendingthrough the base 106). A user can rotate the handle to move feed from the feed reservoir 105 to the top of the archimedes screw 109 for access via the feeding port 103. In this embodiment the spill catcher 104 is formed as a curved bowl. There is no edge delineation between a collection section 108 and a feed reservoir 105 with the bowl forming both functions. There is also no lid 117 but the bird feeder 401 has perches 119 extending out from the feed body 102 near the feeding port 103. All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. This is particularly the case when looking at features such as the manual handle or motor which can clearly be used in combination with any embodiment. Similarly, the length of the Archimedes screw can is shown to change in different embodiments but variations in spill catch shape can be used with any of the Archimedes screw variants. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the pluraltothe singular and / orfrom the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. The various singular / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” or “comprising” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" 5 limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., “a” and / or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, 10 even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been 15 described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A bird feeder comprising:a body section having at least one feeding port;a spill catcher, positioned below the at least one feeding port, comprising a feed reservoir; andan actuable means for moving feed from the feed reservoir to the at least one feeding port.

2. A bird feeder as in Claim 1, wherein the spill catcher comprises an upper collection section having one or more sloping surfaces configured to catch feed that falls from the at least one feeding port and direct it into the feed reservoir.

3. A bird feeder as in Claims 1 or 2, wherein the spill catcher has one or more side walls which define an open top defining a circumference.

4. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the outer circumference of the spill catcher extends outwardly beyond the outer circumference of the body section.

5. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the spill catcher has inwardly sloping sides.

6. A bird feeder as in any of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the upper collection section of the spill catcher has inwardly sloping sides.

7. A bird feeder as in any of Claims 2 to 6, wherein at least the upper collection section is substantially bowl or funnel shaped.

8. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the feed reservoir is configured as an open topped pot comprising a base and one or more side walls that define an upper rim.

9. A bird feeder as in any of Claim 8, wherein the upper collection section extends outwards from the upper rim of the feed reservoir.

10. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the spill catcher has perforations or apertures.

11. A bird feeder as in Claim 10 wherein the perforations or apertures are formed in the feed reservoir.

12. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the spill catcher has a lid section which has apertures or an open grid for feed to fall through.

13. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the actuable means is an Archimedes screw.

14. A bird feeder as in Claim 13, wherein the Archimedes screw is located at least between the feed reservoir and the one or more feeding ports.

15. A bird feeder as in any of Claims 13 or 14, wherein Archimedes screw has a central shaft surrounded by at least one helical blade.

16. A bird feeder as in Claim 15, wherein the helical blade has a continuous helical surface.

17. A bird feeder as in any of Claims 13 to 16, wherein a portion of the central shaft and helical blade is surrounded by a casing.

18. A bird feeder as in Claim 17, wherein the casing has an inlet at one end.

19. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the actuable means for moving feed is manually actuated by a handle ora crank.

20. A bird feeder as in Claim 19, wherein the handle or crank is mechanically linked to the central shaft or to the casing.

21. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the actuable means is provided with an electrical means of actuation.

22. A bird feeder as in Claim 21, wherein the Archimedes screw is provided with an on-board power source for the electrical means of actuation.

23. A bird feeder as in any of the previous Claims, wherein the bird feeder also has a roof element positioned above the feed reservoir.

24. A bird feeder as in Claim 23, wherein the roof element extends out as far as or further than the circumference of the spill catcher.

25. A bird feeder as in any of Claims 23 or 24, wherein the distance between the roof element and spill catcher can be varied to allow for different sized birds.A

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