Bird Feeder with Nested Lower Seed Catching Tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bird feeders often result in seed waste due to dropped seeds not being effectively collected and reused, leading to inefficiency in seed distribution.
Innovation Solution
A bird feeder design featuring an upper feeder with a seed tube and feeding stations, where dropped seeds are collected in a saucer-shaped bowl and funneled into a lower feeder for secondary dispensing, minimizing waste through a coupled system of upper and lower seed tubes and feeding stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a single feeder design is used, then the device complexity is low, but seed waste increases due to dropped seeds not being collected
Solution Approach 1:
The lower feeder is nested directly beneath the upper feeder, with the upper bowl positioned to receive dropped seeds from the upper feeding stations. The lower feeder captures and stores these dropped seeds, allowing for their subsequent use and redistribution, thereby reducing overall seed waste while maintaining a compact integrated structure
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding dropped seeds as waste, the system recovers them through the upper bowl collection mechanism and lower feeder storage. The lower feeder acts as a recovery reservoir that captures seeds that would otherwise be lost, enabling their reuse and significantly reducing substance loss
2Productivity
If dropped seeds are collected and re-dispensed through a coupled system, then seed distribution efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper and lower feeders are merged into a single coupled system where the upper feeder dispenses seeds to birds and the lower feeder collects and re-dispenses dropped seeds. This combination creates a continuous seed distribution cycle that improves productivity by ensuring seeds are utilized twice rather than lost after a single dispensing attempt
Solution Approach 2:
The coupled feeder system establishes continuity of useful action by creating an ongoing cycle: seeds are dispensed from the upper feeder, dropped seeds are collected in the upper bowl, stored in the lower feeder, and then re-dispensed. This continuous loop maximizes seed utilization and maintains productive seed distribution over extended periods
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
The design significantly reduces seed waste by allowing dropped seeds to be collected and re-dispensed, providing birds with a continuous seed supply while minimizing waste.
Implementation Method 1
The bird seed dropped by the one or more birds feeding at the upper feeder may be collected by an upper bowl of the upper feeder and may be funneled into the lower feeder
Data Source
AI summary
The bird feeder with a lower seed catching tray comprises an upper feeder and a lower feeder. The top of the lower feeder may be coupled to the bottom of the upper feeder. The upper feeder may be stocked with bird seed. The upper feeder may be adapted to dispense the bird seed to one or more birds from a plurality of upper feeding stations located on an upper seed tube. The bird seed dropped by the one or more birds feeding at the upper feeder may be collected by an upper bowl of the upper feeder and may be funneled into the lower feeder where the bird seed may be dispensed a second time.