Bird deterrent

Abstract

A bird deterrent with a reel of reflective ribbon, a reel housing, a reel housing to railing retaining member, a plurality of reflective ribbon to railing retaining members and ribbon retaining cap members. The reel housing to railing retaining member is attached to the reel housing. The railing retaining members include front and rear hinged clamping members. Each clamping member includes a railing retaining tubular aperture. The ribbon to railing retaining members each include a ribbon retaining member. The front and rear clamping members are tightened onto the rail of a cabin cruiser or sail boat by of a threaded thumbscrew. The reel housing and ribbon retaining members are attached to the railing so that the ribbon can be unwound from the reel housing and placed in a zig zag orientation within each ribbon retaining member and held in place by the ribbon retaining caps.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of boating accessories and more specifically to bird deterrent device for cabin cruisers or sailboats. Cabin cruiser type boats and sailboats have been purchased and used by many people along the waterways of the United States and the rest of the world. One problem that boat owners regularly face is the need to clean the boat deck and railings of bird excrement that is deposited by birds flying over and, or landing on the boat. One known way of frightening birds away from designated locations is to string reflective ribbon over the area needing protection. The reflective patterns of sunlight coming from the ribbon seem to prevent birds from landing in the area. Such a technique has been used in farm fields to keep the fields free of offending birds.

However, no mechanism to date has been to attach to the railing of a boat so that the reflective ribbon can be stretched over the deck of a boat in a zig zag fashion, and can also be easily removed and stored until needed again.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device that can be added to the railing of a standard cabin cruiser or sail boat that can scare away birds that otherwise may land on or fly over portions of the boat and drop bird excrement onto the surface of the boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bird deterrent device that can be deployed or stored easily and quickly.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a bird deterrent comprising: a reel of reflective ribbon, a reel housing, a reel housing to railing retaining member, a plurality of reflective ribbon to railing retaining members, a plurality of ribbon retaining cap members, said reel of reflective ribbon housed within said reel housing, said reel housing to railing retaining member rotatably attached to the underside of said reel housing, said reel housing to railing retaining member and said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members each including front and rear hinged clamping members, each said clamping member including a half cylindrical cutaway portion, said half cylindrical cutaway portions facing each other to form a railing retaining tubular aperture, said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members each including a rotatably attached ribbon retaining member fixed within a vertically disposed tubular aperture located within the top most surface of said front and rear clamping members, said front and rear clamping members tightened onto the rail of a cabin cruiser or sail boat by means of a threaded thumbscrew horizontally and slidebly engaged in the top portion of said front clamping member and engaging a threaded aperture in the top portion of said rear clamping member, said tubular aperture including a resilient insert that can accommodate various diameters of boat railing , said reel housing attached to said boat railing and said reflective ribbon retaining members attached to said railing in a zig zag pattern as seen in plan view, and said reflective ribbon unwound from said reel housing and placed in said zig zag orientation within each said ribbon retaining member and held in place by said ribbon retaining cap members, said caps removably attachable to said ribbon retaining members by standard fastening means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the reel housing portion of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ribbon holding portion of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of the bird deterrent device of the present invention. A reel housing and rail clamping assembly 6 is clamped onto the railing 64 of a cabin cruiser or sailboat 2. A reflective reel of ribbon 10 exits from the reel housing and extends to the first ribbon holding assembly 8. The ribbon 10 then is attached to additional ribbon holding assemblies 8 creating a zig zag pattern 4. The reflective ribbon, such as the type made by Dalen Products Inc is called “Holographic Scare Tape” and has been proven to scare away birds as it shimmers in the sun and reflects sunlight up into the bird's eyes. The tape is approximately three quarters of an inch wide and two thousandths of an inch thick. The preferred length when unrolled from the reel is one hundred feet.

Referring now to FIG. 2 we see an exploded view of the reel housing and reel housing and reel housing assembly 70 and reel housing clamping assembly 80. The reel housing is comprised of a front half 34 and a rear half 28 which, when placed together can house a reflective reel of ribbon 10. A ring 32 fixed to the end of ribbon 10 helps to hold the end of the ribbon onto the last ribbon holding assembly 8. It also prevents the ribbon end from accidentally entering housing 28, 34 when the ribbon 10 is fully reeled in by standard crank arm 26. Vertical post member 24 rotatably joins the reel housing assembly 70 to the housing clamping assembly 80. To do this, the top portion of the vertical post member 24 engages the cutout portions 30 of the housing halves 28, 34 as shown be dotted line 31. The bottom half of vertical post member 24 is rotatably attached to the cutout portions 20, 22 and retained by radial shoulder 21 as it enters a mating cutout area 23. The clamping members 82, 84 are hinged 12 at the bottom. Half cylinder cutout portions 14, 16 retain a rubber compression tube 18. The compression tube is slit so that it can be spread and put around a boat railing. The half cylinder cutouts 14, 16 then clamp around the rubber compression tube 18 and the boat rail 64. Clamping knob 86 penetrates an aperture in clamping member 82 and then enters a threaded aperture 88, in a similar way as described in the clamping assembly 8 shown in FIG. 3, so that when the user turns clamping knob 86 clockwise, the clamping assembly 80 is fixed onto the boat rail 64.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the ribbon to rail clamping assembly 8. Vertical post member 50 is held in cutout portions 53, 55 in a similar way as described in the reel clamping assembly 80 in FIG. 2. The rail retaining portion 44, 46 and rubber compression tube 42 also function in the same manner as the clamping assembly 80 shown in FIG. 2. The claming members 60, 62 are pinned together by hinge member 48. Threaded 38 clamping knob 36 slips through aperture 40 and then engages a threaded aperture in clamp member 62 in a similar way as described in the clamping assembly 80 shown in FIG. 2. The vertical post member 50 terminates in a central inner shaft 52 which enables the ribbon 10 to wrap around it and continue to the next ribbon clamping assembly 8 as shown in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment, a hinged cap 54 can rotate down and over the end of vertical post 50 and snap in place via snap member 57 and detent 59. Two cutout areas 56, 58 in cap cover 54 allow the ribbon 10 to enter and exit the cap 54 without becoming crimped or restrained. The ribbon 10 is thereby forced to be in a horizontal orientation so that maximum reflectivity can be obtained when the sun strikes the ribbon and reflects sunlight up to where birds are flying.

The resulting total assembly, when mounted on a standard boat rail, acts as an effective bird deterrent. When not in use, the user can easily wind up the ribbon 10 into reel housing 28, 34 to be stored for future use. All components of the total assembly are made of rigid injection molded plastic such as ABS and additives are included in the plastic formulation to help resist UV damage and damage by salt water.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. bird deterrent comprising:

a reel of reflective ribbon;

a reel housing;

a reel housing to railing retaining member;

a plurality of reflective ribbon to railing retaining members;

a plurality of ribbon retaining cap members;

said reel of reflective ribbon housed within said reel housing;

said reel housing to railing retaining member rotatably attached to the underside of said reel housing;

said reel housing to railing retaining member and said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members each including front and rear hinged clamping members;

each said clamping member including a half cylindrical cutaway portion;

said half cylindrical cutaway portions facing each other to form a railing retaining tubular aperture;

said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members each including a rotatably attached ribbon retaining member fixed within a vertically disposed tubular aperture located within the top most surface of said front and rear clamping members;

said front and rear clamping members tightened onto the rail of a cabin cruiser or sail boat by means of a threaded thumbscrew slidebly engaged in the top portion of said front clamping member and engaging a threaded aperture in the top portion of said rear clamping member;

said tubular aperture including a resilient insert that can accommodate various diameters of boat railing;

said reel housing attached to said boat railing and said reflective ribbon retaining members attached to said railing in a zig zag pattern; and

said reflective ribbon unwound from said reel housing and placed in said zig zag orientation within each said ribbon retaining member and held in place by said ribbon retaining cap members;

said caps removably attachable to said ribbon retaining members by standard fastening means.

2. A bird deterrent as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reel housing, said reel housing retaining member and said reflective ribbon to railing retaining members are injection molded from rigid, saltwater resistant plastic.

3. A bird deterrent as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reflective ribbon is approximately one half of an inch wide and approximately two thousandths of an inch thick and two hundred feet long.

4. A bird deterrent as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reflective ribbon is held in a horizontal orientation by being trapped between the top of said ribbon retaining member and the underside of said ribbon retaining cap member.