Bird Feeder Removable Base with Rotating Latch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bird feeders have a base firmly attached to the seed container, making it difficult to clean the bottom end, and are not designed to prevent removal by animals like squirrels.
Innovation Solution
A bird feeder with a removable base that is securely locked in place using a rotatable latch system, allowing easy access for cleaning while preventing removal by animals, featuring a housing with ports and inserts that can be secured with a snap-fit mechanism and resilient fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the base is firmly attached to the housing, then the base remains stable and secure, but cleaning the bottom end of the container becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The base assembly is divided into separable components: the base body and the housing, connected through a removable latch mechanism. This segmentation allows the base to be detached for cleaning while maintaining stability during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism transitions between fixed and movable states. When latched, the base is firmly secured; when unlatched, the base can be easily removed for cleaning. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between stability and accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the base is easily removable by users, then cleaning becomes simple, but animals like squirrels can also remove the base
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is designed with a specific engagement geometry where the latch finger must be deliberately rotated to disengage from the protrusion. This preliminary mechanical action required for removal deters animals while allowing intentional user operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the latch system have different properties: the latch finger and protrusion are designed for strong mechanical engagement to prevent animal removal, while the manual operation point is designed for easy human manipulation. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction.
3Reliability
If the latch is strongly engaged with the housing, then the base remains secure, but the latch becomes difficult to operate manually
Solution Approach 1:
The latch engagement operates in a rotational dimension rather than a linear pull dimension. The latch finger rotates about an axis perpendicular to the engagement direction, allowing strong engagement force to be maintained while requiring only small manual forces for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch finger acts as an intermediary between the user's manual operation and the base-housing connection. It translates small rotational movements at the operation point into strong engagement/disengagement forces at the connection point, resolving the force magnitude contradiction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates easy cleaning of the bird feeder and prevents animals from removing the base, ensuring the bird feed remains accessible while maintaining a secure and stable feeding environment.
Implementation Method 1
an interconnecting member for interconnecting the hood portions of the inserts to one another with a snap fit to secure the inserts within the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A bird feeder that includes a bird feed holder having open top and bottom ends, a plurality of feeding ports disposed in a sidewall defining the holder, a plurality of perches each associated with an inlet of an associated feeding port and a removable base for engaging with the bottom end of the holder, the removable base having a closed position for sealing the bottom end of the holder so as to retain the bird feed therein and an open position in which the base is removed from the holder to enable access to the bottom end of the holder. One embodiment has a manually operated latch member supported by the base and supported for radial engagement so as to enable releasable securing of the removable base to the holder. In another embodiment a manually operated latch couples to a main body portion, the latch being supported for rotation with respect to the main body portion to releasably secure the base assembly to the housing. Also disclosed is a feeder support apparatus.