Bee Feeder Assembly with Segmented Cap and Ridge Barrier

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bee feeders often place syrup far from bees, are prone to spills, and allow bees to escape, especially in cold weather, and are difficult to handle and maintain.

Innovation Solution

A bee feeder assembly with a tank and cap design that includes feeding holes, removable feet for adjustable height, and centering pins for secure placement within the beehive, ensuring easy access to syrup while preventing escape and spillage, and accommodating various hive sizes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If syrup is placed far from bees in traditional feeders, then bees can access food, but bees are prone to drowning and loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebee safetyVSAvoidbee drowning

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cap is segmented into multiple functional components: a center component with feeding holes positioned close to bees, and a collar with ridges that create a physical barrier. This segmentation allows the feeding function to be separated from the containment function, enabling bees to access food safely without drowning risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The center component acts as an intermediary structure between the syrup reservoir and the bees. It provides feeding holes that deliver syrup directly to bees while maintaining a safe distance, and the collar with ridges serves as a mediator that prevents bees from accessing large open areas of syrup where they could drown.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If open troughs of syrup are used, then bees can access food, but syrup spills and mess increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood accessibilityVSAvoidsyrup spillage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cap functions as a flexible containment structure that holds syrup in a controlled manner. The collar and center component form a sealed system that prevents syrup from spilling outside the designated feeding area, while still allowing bees to access the food through the feeding holes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Quantity of substance

If traditional feeder designs are used, then syrup storage is provided, but handling and maintenance difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesyrup storage capacityVSAvoidhandling ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The feeder is divided into separable components: a tank for syrup storage and a cap with feeding mechanisms. This segmentation allows the tank to be easily removed and refilled without disturbing the cap structure, significantly improving handling and maintenance ease while maintaining adequate syrup storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Adaptability or versatility

If feeders create gaps in the hive, then bees can move freely, but bees can escape the hive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebee movement freedomVSAvoidhive containment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The collar features asymmetric ridge structures that create one-way barriers. The ridges are positioned and shaped to allow bees to pass through feeding holes while preventing them from escaping through the collar area. This asymmetric design provides directional control, permitting necessary bee movement for feeding while maintaining hive containment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS11234417B2Bee feeder assembly

Publication Date: 2022.02.01 STRUHL CLIFFORD

AI summary

A bee feeder assembly including a tank having a bottom portion with an opening, and a cap removably attached to the opening of the tank. The cap includes a center component with a feeder having a plurality of feeding holes extending therethrough, and a rim extending outward from the center component, the rim having an upper surface and a lower surface. The rim may have a plurality of ridges on the lower surface. The feeder may extend below the lower surface of the rim.