Liquid purification or separation – Structural installation – Closed circulating system
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-01
2003-11-11
Prince, Fred G. (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Structural installation
Closed circulating system
C210S235000, C210S416200, C210S429000, C210S444000, C210S460000, C119S259000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06645376
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tube connection assembly with safety locking system for external filters for aquariums.
It is known that the water contained in an aquarium must be appropriately oxygenated and filtered so that it can ensure optimum living conditions for aquatic animals.
One existing kind of filter is the external filter, which is usually constituted by a container inside which there is filtering material, through which the water stream from the aquarium passes so that the filtering material retains the suspended dirt.
In order to filter the water of the aquarium, the water is in fact circulated through a closed circuit of tubes to which the filter is arranged in series and under a head.
The head required to circulate the water inside the filter is ensured by an appropriately provided pump, which is normally electric with a permanent magnet rotor and is housed in the lid of the container.
Nowadays this kind of filter is widely tested in operation, but some problems arise during maintenance.
It is in fact well-known that the accumulation of dirt causes, over time, a gradual degradation of the functionality of the filter and therefore when this functionality drops below a certain minimum preset threshold the filtering material must be cleaned or removed appropriately.
Operation for removing the material normally entails disconnecting the filter from the tubes that connect it to the aquarium.
However, if the filter has been working normally up to the time when maintenance for removing the filtering material is performed, it is full of water and therefore in order to disengage the tubes from the filter it is necessary to close corresponding valves that control the flows and are placed on the tubes adjacent to the head.
This is done to avoid bothersome water losses.
However, since operation for disconnecting the filter is not particularly frequent, the user may be forgetful, consequently spilling water and causing inconveniences.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide a tube connection assembly for external filters for aquariums that allows to disconnect the filter from the tubes for connection to the aquarium only when the valves are in the closed configuration.
Another object is to provide a connection assembly in which the flow-rate of liquid is adjusted by means of the same device that allows to disconnect the filter.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a tube connection assembly for external filters for aquariums that allows simple and rapid filter maintenance.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tube connection assembly for external filters for aquariums whose operations for disconnection from the filter do not require particular technical skills.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a tube connection assembly for external filters for aquariums whose structure can be produced at low cost with conventional equipment and systems.
This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a tube connection assembly for external filters for aquariums of the type that comprises a container that is closed hermetically by an upper lid and contains at least one filtering mass crossed by a water stream that is forced by means of a pump incorporated in said lid, said container being shaped so as to form, in the lid, parallel connectors, respectively for the input and output of the stream, in which said tube connection assembly engages, said tube connection assembly supporting the ends of tubes for connection to an aquarium, said tube connection assembly being characterized in that it comprises two valves with cylindrical flow control elements, which are arranged coaxially and are rigidly coupled to each other, a lever-type regulator protruding from a central region of said flow control elements in order to move them simultaneously by rotating said regulator on a plane that is perpendicular to a common axis of rotation, a lever-type engagement system being articulated to said assembly between said regulator and said lid, acting on the same plane as said regulator, and having a wing for engaging said lid and a locking wing that allows the release movement by means of its insertion in a coverable seat that is present between said flow control elements and is accessible to said wing only when said lever-type regulator is in the position that causes the simultaneous closure of the valves.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4529515 (1985-07-01), Selz
patent: 4559136 (1985-12-01), Dockery
patent: 5294335 (1994-03-01), Chiang
patent: 0 619 070 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 01 83078 (2001-11-01), None
Akerman & Senterfitt
Askoll Holding S.r.l.
Prince Fred G.
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