Two-in-one finch bird feeder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9265236-B2
Application number	US-201514749283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2015
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A bird feeder is provided having a seed reservoir with a side wall that has at least one seed access opening and an adjustable feed port assembly. The feed port assembly includes a base mounted to the side wall in a fixed relationship thereto and having a central opening in communication with the seed in the reservoir. Fitted to the base is a rotatable insert having a perch coupled thereto in fixed relationship so that the perch and insert rotate as a unit. The insert is rotatable between two positions, an upright position in which the perch is below the base central opening enabling birds to feed while standing on the perch, and an upside down position in which the perch is above the base central opening, requiring birds to hang upside down from the perch to feed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bird feeder comprising:
a seed reservoir having a side wall with at least one opening therein through which birds can access seed held within the reservoir; and
an adjustable feed port assembly including a base and a rotatable insert fitted to said base, said base mounted to the side wall in a fixed position and having a central opening in communication with the opening in the reservoir side wall to form a bird accessible seed access opening through which birds can access seed;
said insert including a body and a perch in fixed relationship to one another, said body having an inner side and an outer side, said inner side including a connecting part coupled to said base when the feeder is assembled for use, said outer side including a face plate having a central part with a plurality of uniformly sized seed accessing holes therein through which birds access seed, said plurality of uniformly sized seed accessing holes substantially aligned with, and being dispersed over an area substantially equal to, said bird accessible seed access opening;
said insert being rotatable within the base between two positions, an upright position in which the perch is below the seed access opening enabling birds to feed while standing on the perch and an upside down position in which the perch is above the seed access opening requiring that the birds hang upside down from the perch to feed, said bird accessible seed access opening remaining open and in the same size in both of said two positions.

2. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein rotation of said insert does not change a size of said on sized seed accessing holes.

3. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 wherein reorienting the insert between said upright and upside down positions requires that the insert be rotated about 180 degrees.

4. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the base includes a mounting body fitted within the reservoir sidewall opening and an outwardly projecting collar configured to receive and be coupled to said insert body.

5. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said connecting part of said insert body is at least partially received within said base collar and coupled thereto when the feeder is assembled for use, said face plate positioned on an outer end of said connecting part.

6. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the base collar has a generally cylindrical sidewall, an inner surface of said sidewall having two grooves on opposing sides of said sidewall, said grooves extending generally perpendicular to the mounting body, said connecting part also having a generally cylindrical sidewall, an outer surface of said connecting part sidewall having two detents on opposing sides of the connecting part to engage within said pair of grooves in the base collar and restrain rotation of said insert when the feeder is in use.

7. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said pair of grooves include a first groove and an opposing groove, and said pair of detente include a first detent and an opposing detent, said insert being in the upright position when said first detent is aligned with said first groove and said opposing detent is aligned with said opposing groove, and said insert being in said upside down position when said first detent is aligned with said opposing groove and said opposing detent is aligned with said first groove.

8. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said connecting part has a radial channel adjacent a rear edge of said connecting part, the inner surface of the sidewall of said base collar having a plurality of lugs that are received and ride within said radial channel to rotatably secure the insert to the base.

9. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 6 , further comprising a connecting member engaged between said insert and said base, said connecting member being configure to be coupled to and rotate with said insert within said base.

10. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 9 , wherein said connecting member has a body with two locking tabs positioned on opposing sides of said body and projecting from a front side of said body, said locking tabs being received within two slots formed on opposing sides of the cylindrical sidewall of the connecting part.

11. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said connecting member body further includes two insert positioning tabs on a second set of opposing sides of said body and projecting from said front side, said insert positioning tabs being offset from said locking tabs by about 90 degrees, said insert positioning tabs engaging with said grooves on said collar sidewall to secure the insert in one of the right side up or upside down positions within the base.

12. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said face plate has a perimeter part encircling and extending outwardly from said central part and generally parallel therewith, said perch extending outwardly from one side of said perimeter part in a first direction and then curving back in a second direction generally opposite said first direction, a free end of said perch being substantially parallel with said seed reservoir side wall.

13. A bird feeder comprising:
a seed reservoir having aside wall with at least one opening therein that forms a side wail opening through which birds can access se ad held within the reservoir, said side wall opening being surrounded by a collar;
an adjustable feed port assembly fitted within said side wall opening and including a perch, said feed port assembly having an insert body that defines a bird accessible seed access opening in alignment with the side wall opening through which birds may pick an seeds when the feeder is in use, said insert body being coupled to said perch and rotatable therewith relative to the seed reservoir collar between a first orientation in which the perch is below the bird accessible seed access opening enabling birds to feed while standing on the perch and a second orientation in which the perch is above the bird accessible seed access opening requiring that the birds hang upside down from the perch to feed, said bird accessible seed access opening remaining open and in the same size in both said first and said second orientations; and
said insert body having an inner side contactable by seed in the reservoir, and an outer side opposite said inner side and outside of said reservoir, said outer side having a perimeter that is larger than the bird accessible seed access opening, said perch extending outwardly from one outer edge of said perimeter in a first direction and then curving back in a second direction generally opposite said first direction, a free end of said perch being substantially parallel with said see reservoir wall;
wherein said insert body has an inner side and an outer side, said inner side including a connecting part coupled to said collar when the feeder is assembled for use, said outer side including a face plate having a plurality of uniformly sized seed accessing holes therein through which birds access seed, said plurality of uniformly sized seed accessing holes together defining said bird accessible seed access opening;
wherein said seed accessing holes are dispersed over an area substantially equal to said side wall opening.

14. The bird feeder as set forth in claim 13 , wherein said adjustable feed port assembly includes a mounting body fitted within the reservoir side wall opening in a fixed position, said collar fixed to said mounting body, said collar configured to receive and be coupled to said insert body, said collar having a central opening in communication with t

Assignees

• Woodstream Corp

Inventors

• Vaughn Jr William Ray
• Hoysak Judith Kim

Classifications

• A01K31/12

  Perches {for poultry or birds, e.g. roosts} · CPC title

• A01K39/012 Primary

  filling automatically {, e.g. by gravity from a reserve} · CPC title

• A01K39/01 Primary

  Feeding devices (A01K39/04 takes precedence) · CPC title