Animal husbandry – Aquatic animal culturing – Aquarium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-05-22
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Aquatic animal culturing
Aquarium
C119S245000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234113
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to an aquarium system. In particular, the invention concerns a self cleaning aquarium system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,342 discloses a self cleaning aquarium having a water tank extending over the floor of the tank with a perforated plate extending over the drainage plate. An aggregate material is deposited onto the perforated plate. Water is piped from the drainage plate to a filter located externally of the tank and filtered water from the filter is returned into the tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,054 discloses an aquarium system consisting of a tank with flanges which support an under gravel filter with side inlet holes and a cleanout. The floor of the tank is shaped to provide one or more depressed areas into which waste is directed by gravity and water flow and from which a drain system allows the waste and stale water to be removed without the need for vacuuming. A filter tower extends upwardly from the filter and returns filtered water into the tank.
Australian Patent 28583/95 discloses an integrated under gravel filter for an aquarium which in many respects is similar to the arrangement illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,342.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,980 discloses an arrangement for biological purification of water in which water within a tank is separated into a space above and a space below a partition. The partition consists of sand or gravel sandwiched between two screens. A diffuser aerates and agitates the water in the space above the partition. The water below the partition has a low oxygen content and has above it a layer supersaturated in oxygen occupied by microalgae and aerobic microorganisms.
With all of these known systems it is periodically necessary to completely drain the tank and clean the filter and/or aggregate material and then refill the tank with clean water. When the tank is drained for cleaning purposes the fish or life forms in the tank need to be removed. This is tedious and may lead to injury to the fish or other life forms in the tank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to at least minimize the disadvantages referred to above.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an aquarium system including at least one sump with an outlet through which water may be drained from the sump a cavity for containing a filter medium located above the sump, a catchment zone adjacent the filter medium containing cavity and separated from the cavity by an upstanding wall, at least one aspiration conduit communicating with the sump and having an outlet above the height of the separating wall whereby, when water is drained form a tank having the system coupled to it or integrally formed with it, water remains in the catchment zone up to a level defined by at least the separating wall.
The aquarium system may be integrally formed with a tank and form the base of a tank. Alternatively, the system may receive a peripheral wall of a tank from which the base wall has been removed and the system may act as a stand for the peripheral wall and provide the base wall to complete the tank.
The outlet from the sump may include a valve which may be moved between an open and a closed position. Preferably, the sump has sloping side walls.
A pump may be associated with the aspiration conduit and may be located at one end of the conduit and has an outlet above the separating wall.
Preferably, the aquarium system has two sumps located adjacent one another and a cavity for filter medium is located above each sump. The filter medium cavities may be separated from one another by a partition. The partition may extend to a height corresponding to the height of the separating wall between the catchment zone, from one or the filter medium cavities.
Where the system has two sumps, each of them is provided with a drain outlet. The two sumps are preferably interconnected with each other. A connecting conduit may be provided for this purpose. The sumps may be in continuous communication. Alternatively, the connecting conduit may have a valve which is operable between an open and a closed position to allow the communicating connection between the sumps to be shut off.
Particular preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings accompany.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3759223 (1973-09-01), D'Andrea
patent: 3785342 (1974-01-01), Rogers
patent: 4754571 (1988-07-01), Riechmann
patent: 4995980 (1991-02-01), Jaubert
patent: 5626747 (1997-05-01), Ritzow et al.
patent: 5690054 (1997-11-01), Allen
patent: 6117313 (2000-09-01), Goldman et al.
patent: 28583/95 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 539208 (1931-12-01), None
Hoffman Wasson & Gitler
Jordan Charles T.
Nelson Judith A.
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