Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
33~
Bac~.gro~nd OE The Invelltio
1. I~ield Of The Invention
This invention relates to water purifying devices Eor
domestic uses, for aquariums, swimmincJ pools and -the like,
and is more particularly directed to one which utilizes ultra- -
violet lamps for the germicidal effects thereof.
2. Description Of The Prior ~rt
The present water purifying devices that utilize
ultraviolet lamps place the lamps in the water being purified
so that as the water flows through the purifier, it passes in
close proximity to the ultraviolet rays emanating from the
lamps thereby rendering the lamps effective in its germicid~l
function. However, after a relatively short period of time,
deposits from the wa-ter will form on the lamps and other
foreign matter will adhere to the lamps to reduce the normal
amount of ultraviolet rays that is able to leave the lamps
and pass into the water. The longer the lamps remain in the
;- water, the greater the amount of opaqueness is cuased by the
deposits and the less is the efficiency of the lamps to kill
germs, etc. in the water. In addition, the ultraviolet lamps
operate at maximum efficiency at 40 centigrade. Since the
`~ water being purified is normally a great deal lower in tempe.ra-
. ture than 40 centigrade, the efficiency of the lamps is
reduced accordingly.
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The present invention contemplates a water purifying
device which avoids the above indication objections.
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According to the present invention, there is provided
a water purifier including a receptacle having an inlet mounted
at one side of the receptacle, outle-t means compelliny the
flow of water along substantially the full lenyth of the
receptacle, and an ultraviolet lamp with means mounting the
ultraviolet lamp above the water and extending along the
receptacle whereby water flowing,therethrough is exposed to
ultraviolet rays being emitted by -the lamp. A depending baffle
is mounted adjacent the inlet in the receptacle and terminates I~,
in spaced relation to a bottom wall of -the receptacle so as
to form an opening which compels water entering the receptacle
to flow downwardly and be discharged through the opening.
Filter means is mounted in the receptacle adjacent to the
depending baffle, and a second depending baffle is mounted
adjacent to the filtering means and extends to below the
surface of water positioned in the receptacle so as to form - ?
a chamber above the filtering means for trapping bubbles
entering the receptacle.
, Therefore, a principal object of the present invention
is to provide a water purifying device for domestic uses, for
swimming pools and aquariums in which ultraviolet lamps are ,
in position above the body of water passing through the
purifier.
An object of the present invention is to provide
an ultraviolet,water purifylng device Eor aquariums with a
plurality of baf1es and filters that compel the water as
it enters the device to flow downwardly and then laterally
through the screens with a depending flange extending down-
wardly below the surface of the water in the device to prevent
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any bubbles from coming into contact with ul-traviolet lamps
positioned above the water.
An object of a specific embodiment of the present
invention is to provide a water purifying device with ultra-
violet lamps mounted above and exposed to water passing
therethrough and the electrical equipment connected to the
lamps are mounted in a water-tight compartment that covers
the water purifying device and with baffle plates constructed
to trap air bubbles and prevent them from coming into contact
with the lamps.
With these features and other objects in view, the
invention will be best understood from a consideration of the
following detailed description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with
the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined
~' to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing
but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or
;, modifications mark no material departure from the salient
features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION Or~` T~IE SEVERAL VII`WS OF TIIE DRAWING
In ~he drawing:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aquarium
utilizinq an ultraviolet water purifier constructed in
accordance with our invention.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view
taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figures 3 and ~ are transverse cross sectional
views taken along the lines 3-3 and 4-~ respectively of
Figure 2.
Detailed Description Of The Preferred Embodiment
Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are
. ....................................................................... .
used to indicate similar parts throughout the several views,
the numeral 10 refers to our ultraviolet water purifier shown ~;~
: . -: .
, mounted in position on a side wall of a conventional aquarium
;~ 11 having a hose 12 connected there-to that directs the flow of
,
the aquarium water from a pump ~not shown) which con-tinuously ~ -
~, recirculates the water, thereby maintaining the water in
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- disease free condition as it explained in detail hereinafter.
.' ' ' , ' - . ~: .
The purifier 10 consists of a receptacle for containing
and purifying the water that flows therethrough formed by end
walls 13 and 1~, side walls 15 and 16 and a bottom wall 17,
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the walls (except for wall 16) being joined at their edge
; portions to form an open receptacle. Mounted on the end wall
13 is a water inlet nipple 23 having a varying tapered outside ~
l diameter for receiving and accommodating water pipes 12 of ~ -
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varying si~es. Water entering the recep-tacle -~- is discharged
through an opening 30 formed by the wa:Ll 16 terminating at a
l lower position than that of the walls 13, 1~ and 15. In order ~
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to compel the watcr in the purifier 10 to flow through the
full length oE the receptacle -R- the wall 16 is formed at
a lower height adjacent the end wall 14 as at 31. The end
walls 13 and 14 are extended at their upper end portions on
each side as at 1~ to form a combined bracket ~B- and dis- :
charge outlet 21. Theiwall portion 18 is steppad as at 19, ~`
20 to form slo-tted portions of various widths for receiving
the upper edge portion of a wall of the aquariu~ 11 for
supporting the purifier 10 thereon, as shown by Figure 1. A
side wall 22 encloses the bracket -B- while the lowermost
slot portion 21 is open to permit the discharge of water
therethrough.
. .
; Mounted vertically in the receptacle -R- in proximity
of the end wall 13 is a baffle plate 24 that extends to the
side walls 15 and 16. The baffle plate 24 extends upwardly
: to a horizontal wall 52 extending from the wall 13 above the
- .
inlet 23 and terminates short of the bottom wall 17 to form
" an enclosed chamber 2~ with a discharge opening 25 along the
... . . . . .
' bottom wall 17 for the water that enters the receptacle -R-
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: 20 at the inlet 23.
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: On each of the side walls 15 and 16 and bottom wall ~: .
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17 are slotted members 26 for receiving therein screen panels
: 29 that are readily removed when it is desired to clean them . -t
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of foreign matter entrapped thereon. ~t approximately the
mid-portion of the receptacle ~R- is a further plurality for
slotted member 33 mounted on the walls 15, 16 and 17 for re-
, ceiving a baffle plate 32 forming compartments 34 and 35, the
; plate 32 being of lower heigh-t than that of the wall 16 to
compel all of the water to flow along the surface of the body
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of water fr~m compartment 34 to compart~nen-t 35 prior to
being discharged from the recep-tacle -R-.
Compel].ing the water in the receptacle -R- to flow
along the surface of the bod~ of water therein exposes the
water for optimum effectiveness -to our purifier device -P-
consisting in general of superimposed housings to form a
watertight chamber 134 tberebetween and a second chamber 135
for containing ultraviole-t lamps 46 whose rays are directed
in the direction of the wa-ter in the aquarium receptacle -R-.
The outer housing consists of a top wall 37 depending side :~:
walls 38 that extend to flanged portions 39 that rest on and
.. engage the top edge portlons of the walls 13~16 inclusive of
:
the receptacle -R-.
Within the chamber 134 is the lamp chamber 135 formed
: by a top wall 40 in parallel and spaced relation to the top
wall 37 with depending side walls 41 and end walls 42 that
extend to a bottom wall 43. The bottom wall 43 is horizontally
... . .
: disposed extending to the flanged portions 39 to seal.off the
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~ chamber 134 from the receptacle -R-, so that no moisture or ~ .
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',~ 20 water vapor can enter the chamber 134 in which the electrical
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.. equipment is contained. One of the end walls 42 nearest the
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. screens 29 is provided with an extension baffle 44 that ex- :~
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tends downwardly to below the surface of the water in receptacle : .
. -R- forming an air bubble trap chamber 51. The function of the
~:. baffle 44 is to inhibit the passage of water over the top of
.
the screens 29, to trap air bubble that would otherwise splash
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water, etc. on the lamps 46. The water is compelled to pass
::................ through the screens 2~ to filter out any particles of foreign
. ma'cter therein and the bubbles trapped in the chamber 51
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eventuall.y return to the form of water, but upon breaking
up, the bubbles cannot splash on-to the lamps ~6 to dirty
them or to cause the lamps ~6 to drop in temperature if the
water is cooler than the lamps.
Mo~lnted on both of the end walls ~2 are fixtures ~5
for receiving a pair o~ ultraviolet lamps 46 that ex-tend
approximately the Eull length of the chamber 35 with a
parabolic reflector shield ~7 mounted over the lamps 46 to
reflect the rays aischarged by the lamps 46 so that all of
the rays of the lamps ~6 are directed toward the body of water
in the receptacle -R-. The fixtures 45 are connected by
wires ~8 that extend to a switch 50 mounted on the cover wall
37. The switch ~0 in turn is connected to wires 49 that ex~
tend through an opening in the side wall 38 and connected to
an appropriate transformer plug 51 whLch is normally connected
to a source of electricity (not shown).
In the normal use of our aquarium water purifying
device 10, the latter is positioned on the edge of an aquar:ium
11 with the top.edge portion of the rear wall of the aquarium
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.l 20 being received by any one of the slotted portions 19, 20 of
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::' the bracket -B- as determined by the thickness of the wall at . ,
the top edge portion. The discharge outle-t 21 will then dis-
charge the purified water that has passed throuyh the purifyiny .
device 10 back into the aquarium 11. The pipe 12 which is
norma].ly connected to a pump will permit the water that is
.' pumped from the aquarium 11 to discharge the water into the
... .
receptacle R- into a chamber 28 formed by the baffle 2~.
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~, This water is compelled to flow downwardly in the chamber 28
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to leave the chamber 28 by the elongated openiny 25 at the
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foo-t of the baffle 2~. The water then f:Lows into the chamber
34 a:E-ter having passed through the pair of screens 29 which
removed any particles or solid matter and air bubbles from
the wa-ter. ~lso, any bubblcs -that may have been discharged
into the chamber 2~ will remain in the chamber or bubble trap
51 until broken up. If nok then broken up, the bubbles will
be dispersed by the filter screens 28 but in any event, there
can be no splashing of water on-to the lamps 46 that may be
caused by the -turbulence at the inle-l 23 or by bubbles. It
is the function of the baffles 24 and ~4 to prevent any wa-ter
from splashing into contact with the lamps 46. It is to be
noted that water contacting the lamps ~6 will deposit calcium
and other matter present in the water on the lamps 46 to
reduce the efficiency of the lamps. In our purifying device 10
no water will contact the lamps 46 so that the water germicidal
effect is at its maximum at all times while in operation, and
the optimum lamp temperature for maximum efEiciency of the
lamps is realized.
To assure that every particle of water that passes
through the receptacle -R- is exposed to the ultraviolet rays
emanating from the lamps 46, the water is compelled -to surface
by the baffle 32 when passing from the chamber 34 to the
chamber 35. It is to be noted that the water in the chambers
34 and 35 is being purified by rays from the lamps ~6, but
the effectiveness of these germicidal rays is increased as to
the water that is near the surface as compared to the water
that would otherwise remain close to the bottom of the body
of water. Consequently the baffle 32 which compels the water
to rise to the surface as it flows from the chamber 34 to the
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chamber 35 assures the exposure of all the water in the
aquariurn system to those ultraviolet rays emanating from the
lamps 46 at their most eEfective germicidal conditi.on besides
effecting a proper mixing of the water passing thereover.
Obviously the germicidal effect of the ultraviole-t rays is
indirectly proportional to the depth of penetration in the
water, and if the water is murky or dirty then the effectiveness
of the ultraviolet rays is reduced even more.
.~ It is to be noted that at no time can water flowing
into the purifying device 10 spill or overflow except into
the aquarium 11. In the event the screens 28 become clogged .
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. by foreign matter, or in the event the flow of water in the
device 10 is greater than that can be discharged along the ~ i
~: discharge edge 31 of the side wall 16, the water will rise in
;-: the receptacle -R- and flow over the top edge of the wall 16 :
~ at the position of the chamber 51. The water will then flow
: through the bracket -B- and be discharged through the outlet
21 and into the aquarium 11.
Although our water purifying device 10 is shown and
r, ' 20 described in connection with the aquarium 11, it is to be
.. noted that our water purifier can readily be used to purify
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. water for domestic use such as for cooking, drinking, swimming
pools and the like.
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