Solar powered bird feeder

• US 7,017,521 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LakeSouth Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: World Factory Incorporated
• Inventors: Kuelbs, Gregory G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, TIMOTHY D
• Application Number:
  US11/063,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20050257749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 119/452, 119/52.2, 119/57.8, 119/428, 119/429, 119/52.3, 119/57.9, 119/53
• US Class Current: 119/452
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 39/00 Feeding or drinking appliances for poultry or other birds A01K31/005, A01K31/06, A01K31/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 39/012 filling automatically , e.g. by gravity from a reserve
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 39/014 Feed troughs; Feed throwers

Abstract

A bird feeder having a rechargeable electrical power source and a solar energy system that collects solar energy, converts it into electrical energy, and uses the electrical energy to recharge the rechargeable electrical power source is disclosed. The rechargeable electrical power source can be used to power a wide variety of electrical devices, such as microphones, radio receivers or transmitters, cameras, audio recording and playback devices, video recording and playback devices, loud speakers, lighting elements, timing devices, remote controls, motors, etc.

Claims

1. A bird feeder, comprising:

a canopy portion;

a perch portion positioned below the canopy portion when the bird feeder is in an upright position;

a rechargeable electrical power source;

a solar energy system conductively coupled to an electrical charging system for collecting solar energy, converting the solar energy into electrical energy, and transferring the electrical energy to the electrical charging system; and

an LED lighting subsystem carried by said bird feeder and electrically coupled to said rechargeable electrical power source for receiving electrical energy therefrom and for illuminating said perch portion from a position above said perch portion while the bird feeder is in an upright position so that said perch portion is visible in low light conditions.

2. A bird feeder according to claim 1, wherein said solar energy system is carried by said canopy portion.

3. A bird feeder according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanical subsystem for releasably connecting together the canopy portion and the perch portion.

4. A bird feeder according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electrical charging system conductively couple to the rechargeable electrical power source for recharging the rechargeable electrical power source.

5. The bird feeder according to claim 1, further comprising:

a photoresistor conductively coupled to the rechargeable electrical power source for activating and deactivating the rechargeable electrical power source depending upon the amount of light hitting the photoresistor.