Animal husbandry – Aquatic animal culturing – Fish culturing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-08
2001-07-10
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Aquatic animal culturing
Fish culturing
C119S245000, C119S456000, C119S458000, C119S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257170
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for housing animals and, in particular, to an aquatic housing system for aquatic animals, such as fish, frogs and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aquatic housing systems are useful for breeding, feeding and maintaining aquatic animals. Aquatic housing systems have found particular use in the fields of developmental biology, pharmacology and medical research.
Aquatic housing systems generally have a rack construction that allows for several rows or levels of individual housing tanks to be stacked vertically. A water supply provides water to the tanks and a drainage assembly captures overflow water that exits an aperture near the top of the tank. An example of a known aquatic housing system is shown in U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/204,040, filed on Dec. 1, 1998 for Aquatic Housing System and assigned to the Assignee of this application.
A system for housing fish is currently available from Marine Biotech, Inc. of Beverly, Mass. This system has a rack construction that allows for several levels or rows of fish tanks to be stacked vertically. Each level has a tank shelf that serves a twofold purpose. First, it serves as a shelf to hold a row of fish tanks. Second it serves as drainage for water that empties, spills, splashes or overflows from the tanks. The shelf slopes downward to the back of the rack where a vertical waste column is formed along the entire width of the rack. A water manifold provides water to the tanks.
A system for housing frogs is also available from Marine Biotech, Inc. of Beverly, Mass. This system provides for overflow drainage via overflow apertures near the tops of the tanks. Only one species of frogs can be housed in this system at one time.
The aforementioned aquatic systems provide for drainage of water that overflows the tank. The tank must be removed for rinsing or flushing.
When frogs inhabit aquatic tanks, unconsumed food and other waste accumulate rapidly. Thus, there is a need for frequent cleaning by rinsing or flushing of tanks inhabited by frogs. The aforementioned aquatic housing systems utilize a circulating water system whereby overflow water is filtered and reused. When there is a lot of waste, filters tend to clog and need frequent replacement. Delay in replacing filters can result in harmful disease organisms remaining in the tanks that seriously affect the health of aquatic animals, such as frogs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an aquatic housing system that allows in situ flushing of the tanks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an aquatic housing system that provides for both overflow and drainage from an aquatic tank.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an aquatic housing system with gravity assisted drainage and waste removal.
An aquatic housing system according to the present invention includes one or more aquatic tanks disposed on a tank frame. A water distributor provides continuous flow of water to the tanks. A drainage plumbing assembly is coupled with the tank and positioned to capture water overflow from the tank and is selectively operable to drain water from the tank.
The tank has an overflow orifice near its top and a drain orifice near its bottom that are coupled with the drainage plumbing assembly. The tank and/or frame are dimensioned so that the tank bottom slopes downwardly at a small angle to the horizontal to provide gravity assisted removal of waste from the tank via the drainage plumbing assembly.
The tanks are substantially opaque so that the vision of a frog housed within one of the tanks is limited to the tank.
In another embodiment of the invention, a drainage plumbing assembly is coupled with the tank and is selectively operable to drain water from the tank. The frame and/or tank is dimensioned so that the tank bottom slopes downwardly at a small angle to the horizontal to provide gravity assisted removal of waste from the tank via the drainage plumbing assembly.
In a further embodiment, an aquatic tank has a top, a bottom and at least one side wall. An overflow orifice located in the side wall near the top and a drainage orifice is located in the side wall near the bottom. A drainage plumbing assembly is connected to the overflow orifice and to the drainage orifice for receiving water overflow via the overflow orifice and drainage water via the drainage orifice.
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Product Brochure for Marine Biotech X-MOD for Frogs of Marine Biotech, Inc., Aug. 11, 1999, 2 pages.
Pharmacal Research Labs, Inc. Aquatic Housing Systems brochure, undated, 6 pages.
Pharmacal Research Labs, Inc. Aquatic Housing System flyer, undated, 1 page.
Abbott Yvonne R.
Jordan Charles T.
Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle LLP
Pharmacal Research Laboratories, Inc.
Raushfass, Jr. George W.
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