Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVE.NTION
This invention relates to water filtration systems for
house aquariums.
Several patents show a network of perforated tubes to
be used inside an aquarium, with a vertical tune, e.g. U.S.
patent 2,595,965 issued to Ludwick in 1952. However, these tubes
are often used to bring pressurized air, through the tubes and
their perforations, into the aquarium to oxygenate the water, not
to draw water from the aquarium through the perforations in the
tubes. Filtration stations of various kinds are also known for a
plurality of purposes. Nonetheless, there is still no prior art,
to the knowledge of applicant, that describes the combination of
a filtration station and a network of perforated tubes within an
aquarium sand or gravel bed not only for purifying and
recirculating the water but also for cleaning the bed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The gist of the invention is to provide an efficient
purification and recirculatory system for the water of an
aquarium, which cleans the aquarium bed so as to considerably
extend the time between the periodic cleaning of the bottom of
the aquarium.
Accordingly, there ls disclosed, in combinatlon, an
aquarium, a bed of mineral particles in the bottom of said
aquarium, water filtering means, and bed cleaning means; the
latter including a network of interconnected tubes resting on
said bottom and located within said bed, below the bed top
surface, each tube having a plurality of bores spaced
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longitudinally and circumferentially thereof, some cf said bores
facing said bottom, a ver-tical tubular member operatively
connected to said tubes, electric motor-operated pump means,
connected to said tubular member at its inlet and to saicl
filtering means at its outlet, and means to return the filtered
water to said aquarium at the downstream end of said filter
means.
Preferably, the treatment chamber comprises two spaced
fluid-permeable members, defining first and second
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sequential compartments. The first compartment has an agent
for the fixation of solid particles, preferably glass-wool.
The second compartment has an agent for the adsorption o,
alcoholic and acidic compounds, preferàbly ^harcoal.
The fluld-permeable mcmber of the first compartment
should be more permeable than the other.
The suction means could consist of an electric motor,
a shaft driven by the motor and a Jan rotatively mounted to
the shaft and ~ealingly connected to the tube network. The
fan is adapted to produce a suction force upon energization
of the electric motor.
sRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a downwardly-looking perspective view
of the aquarium filtering system of the invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged partly-broken-sectional side
view of the filtering system;
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the bottom portion
of Figure 2 and further showing a bottom bed of small gravel
stones; and
Figure 4 is a sectional rear view of the filtration
tank of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE
INVENTION
Referr'~g to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown
a conventional aquarium 10 comprising a bottom glass floor
12 and side glass wails 14. The aquarium holds a volume
of water 16.
The filtering system of the invention for aquarium 10
consists of a horizontal network of parallel tubes 18
opening at their ends into~the tube-receiving sockets 20
of two transverse tubes 22. Tubes 18 and 22 have a plurality
of through-bores 24 and are flatly supported by floor 12.
A vertical tube 26 extends frc,m one tube la through a
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a tubular T-member 28 to the outside of the surface of water 16,
along one side wall 14, such as the rear wall. Tube 26 opens into
a wate filter 30, which is removably secured to the top edge of
rear wall 14, and is of known type.
Vertical tube 26 defines a rearwardly-curved horizontal
top end portion 26A and a rearmost downwardly-extending portior
26B of a short length compared to the main leg of tube 26.
Filter 30 defines a casing 32 having two hook portions
34, 36, for engagement to the top edge of rear glass wall 14,
wherein casing 32 lies on the outer side of wall 14. To the
bottom of casing 32 is secured an electric motor 33 for driviny a
vertical shaft 35 rotatively mounted to a multiple blade fan 38.
Fan 38 is positioned at the free open end of the tube portion 26B
and sealingly secured thereabout by an adapter 40.
Casing 32 comprises three inner compartments, as
defined by spaced partitions 42, 44, which partitions have a
plurality of slots 46, 56, respectively. Glass-wool 48 is packed
between partitions 42, 44, and charcoal 50 fills the compartment
adjacent partition 42.
The third compartment defined by partition 44 and the
corresponding wall of casing 32 is engaged by tube portion 26B.
As shown in figure 3, the network of tubes 18, 22, may
be embedded in a bed of small gravel stones 52.
The filtering system is operated as follows. The
electric motor 33 is started and a vacuum is thereby created at
the end of tube 26. A suction effect is therefore produced in the
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whole network of tubes 26 and tubes l and 22. Of course a
negative pressure gradient is established at, the interface water-
air at the level of the bores 24, and water charged with vegetal
or fish wastes enyulfs therethrough.
As is apparent from figure 3, some bores 24 are
downwardly directed toward the aquarium floor 12, while others
are upwardly directed; organic waste is dislodged and sucked not
only from the surface of and between the bed particles but also
from the aquarium floor, as suggested by the arrows in tlle
figure. Therefore, the bed is effectively cleaned. This water
lifts within tube 26 above filter hook portion 34 and into said
third (empty) compartment. As the latter is filled, the water
permeates partition 44 through slots 46 and it is filtered by the
glass-wool 48. When the glass-wool 48 becomes soaked wlth water,
the corresponding second compartment begins to fill up witl
water. Then water permeates partition 42 through slots 56 into
the first compartment and is there treated by the charcoal 50.
The water fills up the latter compartment and eventually
overflows forwardly along hook portion 36, preferably falling
20 over downwardly-forwardly-extending steps 60 to return into the
aquarium 10.
It may also be appropriate to provide hook portion 3q
with a similar step 62, to prevent an overflow of water to the
rear of casing 30, should the overflow capability of steps 60 not
be sufficient. As seen in figure 4, slots 46 are of larger
diameter than slots 56, so that ingress of water within the
second compartment be easier than egress therefrom. As seen in
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figure 2, the slots 46 may be larger than the intermediate
portions of the partition 94, wherein a spider-like network
constitutes the partition 44.
The glass-wool 48 filters small solid particles out of
the water and the charcoal re-establishes the pH of the water to
its neutral value of 7.
It has been found that by locating the water intake
below instead of above the gravel or sand bed 52, practically all
the organic debris which have fallen into bed 52 are sucked out
and filtered. Therefore, the bed 52 can be kept cleaned a much
longer time, thereby considerably extending the time interval
between aquarium emptying and cleaning operations.
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