Animal husbandry – Aquatic animal culturing – Fish culturing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-10
2001-11-20
Swiatek, Robert P. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Aquatic animal culturing
Fish culturing
C119S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318292
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a clean water system for purifying water of ponds, water tanks, streams and the like and to a structure of the system.
BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY
Artificial ponds inhabited by fishes and other aquatic life are a frequent feature of parks, golf courses and other public facilities, while some private homes also have ornamental ponds with carp, goldfish or the like. The matter excreted and secreted by the fishes and the uneaten portion of the fish food supplied to the pond deplete the oxygen content of the water and promote proliferation of various pathogenic fungi and bacteria, producing an unhealthy environment for the fishes. Various systems have been developed for purifying such pond water using physical (mechanical) means such as filters, chemical processes, or both.
JP-A-62-204814, for instance, discloses a purifier using only physical means, i.e., a filter, while JP-B-49-29517 discloses a pond system that combines physical and chemical means.
All such conventional pond water purification technologies are, however, deficient in the point of not adequately utilizing the purification system of the natural environment described in the following.
The system of JP-A-62-204814 constantly operates a suction pump so as to deposit foreign matter in the water in a filter layer consisting of gravel or the like. The water is further passed through a water passage chamber, a deep region and a suction chamber installed at the bottom of the pond to remove foreign matter with a filter and is then passed through the suction pump and returned to the pond from an outlet. Since the system is not configured to utilize the natural purification system, however, the pond structure is complex and a high-horsepower suction pump must be used.
The system of JP-B-49-29517 effects physical filtering in a tank filter to remove solid particles (impurities), thereafter effects biochemical purification in a sedimentation tank, and then returns the purified water to the pond. This system also has to be large and complex because it does not utilize the purification system of the natural environment.
These pond water purification systems are further liable to allow alga cells and the like to stick to the bottom of the pond where they may rapidly proliferate when the environmental conditions become right. When this happens, the color of the pond water changes and algae may make the pond environment unsuitable for animal life.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a clean water system and a clean water system structure that overcome the foregoing problems.
Another object of the invention is to provide a clean water system and structure that positively utilize the natural water purification system present in rivers, the ocean and other natural water bodies, i.e., the remarkable natural mechanism capable of creating and maintaining a biological environment suitable for the development and sustenance of diverse life forms.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a system and a system structure capable of preventing water fouling and stench over the long term and enabling low-cost maintenance of ponds and the like.
For achieving these objects, a first aspect of the invention provides a clean water system for maintaining water in a water body such as a pond in a desired biological condition by causing water current producing means to produce a substantially horizontal water current of the water in the water body to enable a sand layer provided at the bottom of the water body to regulate the development of biological groups and produce a food-chain effect among the biological groups living in main region of the water body and near the bottom and surface of the water body.
The water current producing means, which is based on knowledge obtained by the applicant regarding the water purification system present in the natural environment of the ocean, rivers and the like, is for preventing water fouling by keeping the water in constant motion, because the supply of oxygen falls and water fouling occurs when the water becomes stagnant.
When the invention system is applied to a fouled river that has lost its water purification system, the “current” of the river can be utilized as the water current producing means and be incorporated as the water current producing means.
The sand layer serves as a culture medium for bacteria, algae and other living organisms. As it is readily agitated by the swimming activity of the fishes that are part of the food chain, the adherence of algae can be prevented to regulate growth of biological groups.
The food chain is peculiar to the particular set of biological groups gathering and living at each specific location or habitat. The links of the food chain established in a pond in a particular locality may, for example, consist of bacteria and the like as producers that consume fish excretions and secretions, aquatic insects etc. that feed on these organisms as primary consumers, and fishes and other swimmers that feed on the bugs etc. as secondary consumers.
By utilizing the natural power of nature's own purification system, the first aspect of the invention enables provision of a low-maintenance-cost clean water system that can prevent fouling and occurrence of stench over long periods not only of pond water but also of the water of pools, water storage tanks, streams, rivers and the like.
A second aspect of the invention provides a clean water system according to the first aspect characterized in that the water current producing means is supplied with purified water.
The purified water can, for example, be water passed through a tank filter or water exposed to ultraviolet rays. The supply of such purified water further enhances the water purification.
A third aspect of the invention provides a clean water system according to the first or second aspect characterized in that the food chain is a chain established in a pond.
Since this aspect of the invention utilizes the natural power of nature's own purification system, it enables provision of a low-maintenance-cost clean water system that can prevent fouling and occurrence of stench over long periods of garden ponds, ornamental ponds, and park and golf course ponds.
A fourth aspect of the invention achieves the foregoing objects by providing a clean water structure comprising water current producing means for producing a substantially horizontal water current in a body of water, a sand layer provided at the bottom of the water body, and biological groups that form a food chain in the main region of the water body and near the bottom and surface of the water body.
Like the first aspect of the invention, this aspect of the invention also utilizes the natural power of the natural environment's purification system to provide a clean water system structure that enables low-maintenance-cost prevention of fouling and occurrence of stench over long periods in the water of ponds, pools, water storage tanks, streams, rivers and the like.
A fifth aspect of the invention provides a clean water structure according to the fourth aspect characterized in being provided with water purification means.
The purification means can, for example, be a tank filter incorporated in the water current producing means or sterilization means utilizing ultraviolet rays incorporated in the tank filter. The supply of the purified water enhances the water purification.
A sixth aspect of the invention achieves the foregoing objects by providing a clean water structure characterized in comprising a bottom of a body of water formed with at least one level difference establishing a height differential, water circulation means for circulating water from a lower level of the bottom to a higher level thereof, a sand layer provided on the bottom formed with the level difference and biological groups that form a food-chain effect in the main region of the water body and near the bottom and surface of the water body.
In this aspect, the aforesaid water current producing means is replaced by a
Pollock Vande Sande & Amernick
Swiatek Robert P.
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