Patent ID: 9655348
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: A01K

Claim:
1. A fish display and water circulation apparatus comprising: a water retaining reservoir tank; a multi-shelf assembly in fluid communication with said reservoir tank, said multi-shelf assembly comprising a plurality of horizontal shelves, transverse supply conduits and transverse return troughs; a plurality of removable, open-topped, lid-less fish containers retained on said shelves; a water pump delivering water from said reservoir tank to said transverse supply conduits; each transverse supply conduit including at least one outlet; pivoting rocker valves in fluid communication with said transverse supply conduits, each of said valves being associated with and actuated by one of said fish containers, said valves delivering water from said transverse supply conduit into said fish containers; wherein upon removal of any of said fish containers, said valve associated with said removed fish container diverts water into said transverse return troughs for return to said reservoir tank: whereby for each said rocker valve associated with one of said fish containers, said rocker valve delivers water from said transverse supply conduits into said fish container when said fish container is retained on said shelves, and wherein said rocker valve delivers water from said transverse supply conduits into said transverse return troughs when said fish container is removed from said shelves; and further wherein each of said fish containers comprises a valve-less outflow opening, wherein water received from said transverse supply conduits through said rocker valves passes through said outflow openings and is returned to said reservoir tank; each rocker valve comprising a channel having an oven top, a first end and an opposite second end; a lever extending from the channel; a fulcrum between the first end of the channel and the second end of the channel; said channel being pivotable about said fulcrum from a first orientation to a second orientation; the first end of the channel being disposed beneath and in fluid communication with one of the openings in one of the transverse supply conduits and further being disposed above and in fluid communication with one of the transverse return troughs, and the second end of the channel being disposed above and in fluid communication with one of the fish containers when said one of the fish containers is retained on one of said shelves; and the channel providing a fluid flow path from said one of the openings in said one of the transverse supply conduits to said one of the fish containers when said channel is in the second orientation; and said one of the fish containers including a flange in abutting alignment with the lever and urging the lever and causing the channel to remain in the second orientation when said one of the fish containers is retained on one of said shelves.