Hummingbird liquid feeder
View Patent ↗The hummingbird liquid feeder includes a base, a liquid tray attached to the base, a flange that fits inside the liquid tray, and a liquid container that rotatingly engages the liquid tray in a fill mode to permit filling without removing or inverting the liquid container while preventing spillage and alternately in a feed mode to permit the flow of the nectar into a moat for access thereto through feeding ports in the base and featuring a vertically-oriented stabilization member centrally disposed on the liquid tray that receives a support post pole disposed on a plate to stabilize and support the device during windy and inclement weather conditions.
1. A hummingbird liquid feeder comprising:
a base comprising:
a centrally-disposed annular upper collar having an exterior side, an interior side, a top edge, and a bottom edge;
an annular receiver body having a top surface;
a plurality of spaced apart feeding ports therein;
a notch disposed between the top surface bottom edge and the receiver body outer wall;
an L-shaped protrusion disposed within the receiver body outer wall on a lower end of each notch;
an annular perch lip attached to the receiver body top surface, wherein the perch lip and the receiver body are concentrically disposed;
a liquid tray comprising:
an annular central collar having a plurality of slots therein;
a plurality of vertically disposed spaced-apart indentations disposed within the central collar;
an elongated vertically-oriented cylindrical stabilization member centrally disposed within the central collar;
a vertically-oriented first channel continuously disposed within the stabilization member;
a second channel continuously disposed between the central collar and the stabilization member;
a moat concentrically disposed in relation to the central collar;
a raised outer rim having a plurality of spaced-apart extending from a perimeter thereof, wherein the outer rim and the moat are concentric;
wherein each of the liquid tray outer rim tabs lockingly engages and alternately disengages one of the respective base receiver body notches;
a flange disposed within the liquid tray second channel, the flange comprising:
a substantially annular body having an interior wall and an exterior wall;
a plurality of spaced-apart protuberances vertically disposed on the exterior wall;
an aperture disposed within each of the protuberances, wherein each aperture aligns with a respective one of the indentations in the liquid tray central collar;
a sealing member disposed between each of the protuberances;
a liquid container configured to contain a volume of liquid nectar, the liquid container comprising:
a sealable top end;
a bottom end having a plurality of spaced-apart holes therein and a locking protrusion horizontally disposed between each of the holes;
wherein the liquid container top end has a diameter at least equal to a diameter of the bottom end;
wherein each locking protrusion lockingly engages and alternately disengages a respective one of the liquid tray slots;
wherein upon the engagement of the locking protrusions and liquid tray slots, the liquid container and the liquid tray operationally engage each other in a feed mode;
wherein upon the engagement of the liquid container and the liquid tray in a clean mode, the liquid container and the liquid tray are separable from each other;
wherein upon the operational engagement of the liquid container and the liquid tray in a fill mode, the receiver body openings and the liquid container holes are disposed in an unaligned closed position, whereby the volume of liquid nectar is captured within the liquid container;
wherein upon the operational engagement of the liquid container and the liquid tray in the feed mode, the receiver body openings and the liquid container holes are disposed in an aligned open position, whereby the liquid nectar flows from the liquid container, through the liquid tray second channel, through the apertures disposed in each of the flange protuberances, and into the moat.
2. The hummingbird liquid feeder of claim 1 further comprising:
a mode indicator protuberance vertically disposed on the upper collar;
a clean marker disposed proximal to the liquid container bottom end;
wherein upon the alignment of the mode indicator protuberance with the clean marker, the base, the liquid tray, and the liquid container are engaged in the clean mode;
a fill marker disposed proximal to the liquid container bottom end;
wherein upon the alignment of the mode indicator protuberance with the fill marker, the base, the liquid tray, and the liquid container are engaged in the fill mode;
a feed marker disposed proximal to the liquid container bottom end; and
wherein upon the alignment of the mode indicator protuberance with the feed marker, the base, the liquid tray, and the liquid container are engaged in the feed mode.
3. The hummingbird liquid feeder of claim 2 further comprising:
a support post comprising:
a pole;
at least one horizontally oriented arm attached to the pole;
a plate disposed on an outer end of the arm;
a vertically oriented cylindrical dowel centrally disposed atop the plate;
wherein the dowel has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the stabilization member;
wherein the dowel engages the stabilization member first channel.
4. The hummingbird liquid feeder of claim 3 further comprising a lid threadingly attached to the liquid container top end; and
a gasket disposed between the top end and the lid.
5. A hummingbird liquid feeder comprising:
a base comprising:
a centrally-disposed annular upper collar having an exterior side, an interior side, a top edge, and a bottom edge;
an annular receiver body having an outer wall, the receiver body comprising:
a quoit-shaped top surface having a lower edge and an upper edge continuously attached to the bottom edge
a plurality of spaced apart feeding ports disposed in the top surface in a position between the lower edge and the upper edge;
a notch disposed between the top surface bottom edge and the receiver body outer wall;
an L-shaped protrusion disposed within the receiver body outer wall on a lower end of each notch;
an opening disposed between a first side of each notch and the respective protrusion;
an annular perch lip having a plurality of first extensions radially disposed therefrom, each first extension disposed between the perch lip and the receiver body outer wall in a central position between a pair of the notches, wherein the perch lip and the upper collar are concentrically disposed;
wherein the perch lip is configured to be gripped by a hummingbird;
wherein the outer wall has a height greater than a height of the perch lip;
a liquid tray comprising:
an annular central collar having a plurality of slots therein;
a plurality of vertically disposed spaced-apart indentations disposed within the central collar;
an elongated vertically-oriented cylindrical stabilization member centrally disposed within the central collar;
a vertically-oriented first channel continuously disposed within the stabilization member;
a second channel continuously disposed between the central collar and the stabilization member;
a moat concentrically disposed in relation to the central collar;
a raised outer rim having a plurality of spaced-apart tabs extending from a perimeter thereof, wherein the outer rim and the moat are concentric;
a flange disposed within the liquid tray second channel, the flange comprising:
a substantially annular body having an interior wall and an exterior wall;
a plurality of spaced-apart protuberances vertically disposed on the exterior wall;
an aperture disposed within each of the protuberances, wherein each aperture aligns with a respective one of the indentations in the liquid tray central collar;
a sealing member disposed between each of the protuberances;
wherein each of the liquid tray outer rim tabs lockingly engages and alternately disengages one of the respective base receiver body notches, whereby the liquid tray is removably attached to the base;
a liquid container configured to contain a volume of liquid nectar, the liquid container comprising:
a sealable top end;
a bottom end having a plurality of spaced-apart holes therein and a locking protrusion horizontally disposed between each of the holes;
the liquid container top end has a diameter at least equal to a diameter of the bottom end;
wherein each locking protrusion lockingly engages and alternately disengages a respective one of the liquid tray slots;
wherein upon the engagement of the locking protrusions and liquid tray slots, the liquid container and the liquid tray operationally engage each other in a feed mode;
wherein upon the engagement of the liquid container and the liquid tray in a clean mode, the liquid container and the liquid tray are separable from each other;
wherein upon the operational engagement of the liquid container and the liquid tray in a fill mode, the receiver body openings and the liquid container holes are disposed in an unaligned closed position, whereby the volume of liquid nectar is captured within the liquid container;
wherein upon the operational engagement of the liquid container and the liquid tray in the feed mode, the receiver body openings and the liquid container holes are disposed in an aligned open position, whereby the liquid nectar flows from the liquid container, through the liquid tray second channel, through the apertures disposed in each of the flange protuberances, and into the moat.
6. The hummingbird liquid feeder of claim 5 further comprising:
a mode indicator protuberance vertically disposed on the upper collar;
a clean marker disposed proximal to the liquid container bottom end;
wherein upon the alignment of the mode indicator protuberance with the clean marker, the base, the liquid tray, and the liquid container are engaged in the clean mode;
a fill marker disposed proximal to the liquid container bottom end;
wherein upon the alignment of the mode indicator protuberance with the fill marker, the base, the liquid tray, and the liquid container are engaged in the fill mode;
a feed marker disposed proximal to the liquid container bottom end; and
wherein upon the alignment of the mode indicator protuberance with the feed marker, the base, the liquid tray, and the liquid container are engaged in the feed mode.
7. The hummingbird liquid feeder of claim 6 further comprising:
a support post comprising:
a pole;
at least one horizontally oriented arm attached to the pole;
a plate disposed on an outer end of the arm;
a vertically oriented cylindrical dowel centrally disposed atop the plate;
wherein the dowel has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the stabilization member;
wherein the dowel engages the stabilization member first channel.
8. The hummingbird liquid feeder of claim 7 further comprising a lid threadingly attached to the liquid container top end;
a gasket disposed between the top end and the lid; and
an attachment member centrally disposed on the lid.
9. The hummingbird liquid feeder of claim 8 further comprising an interchangeable embellishing attachment removably attached to the stabilization member, wherein the embellishing attachment is configured to decorate the hummingbird feeder and to attract hummingbirds.