Patent Publication Number: US-2023138865-A1

Title: Sweeping illuminator for aquarium tanks

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Continuation Application claims priority of U.S. Application No. 17/167,042, filed on Feb. 3, 2021, of the same title, Attorney Docket No. MB-2001-US, currently allowed, which application is a Non-Provisional Application and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/972,576, filed on Feb. 10, 2020, of the same title, Attorney Docket No. MB-2001-P, expired, which applications are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention, systems and methods for illuminating indoor aquariums containing plant and animal life that require simulated sunlight for enabling photosynthesis. 
     Proper maintenance of aquariums is critical for sustaining both aquatic plant life and animal occupants. With the popularity of saltwater aquariums, which provides a wider variety of colorful plants and animals, proper illumination has become more critical. 
     To simulate the rising, overhead and setting positions of the sun, lighting has to appear to travel from one end to an opposing end of the aquarium. Previous inferior attempts include a bulky and costly overhead light fixture that covers the entire aquarium top surface. The light fixture includes parallel rows of lights that are turned on and off from one end to the opposing ends during the course of a day. 
     These inferior attempts include a centered lighting fixture that is designed to pan in a downward direction towards the aquarium’s top surface in a manner similar to that deployed by a searchlight on a tower. This technique is flawed because of plant and animal life such as corals, beneficial algae and seaweed will result in areas of the aquarium being permanently shadowed. Shadowed coral can result in coral tissue regression and death. 
     It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for a compact illumination system for aquariums that provides light coverage that sweeps a substantial portion of the top surfaces of the aquariums to better simulate natural sunlight during the course of a day. 
     SUMMARY 
     To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention, systems and methods for illuminating aquariums, and in particular, aquariums with plant and animal life requiring simulated sunlight for survival. 
     In one embodiment, a sweeping illumination system illuminates an aquarium with organisms requiring simulated sunlight for survival. The illumination system includes a downward-facing light housing for illuminating a top surface of the aquarium. A support arm is operatively coupled to the light housing and is directed by a controller, thereby enabling the light housing to sweep a pattern across the top surface of the aquarium. The sweep pattern can be semi-circular or semi-elliptical along a plane substantially parallel to the top surface of the aquarium. 
     In some embodiments, the illumination system includes a camming mechanism for elongating the sweep pattern of the light housing. The light housing can also have additional freedom of motions relative the support arm. 
     Note that the various features of the present invention described above may be practiced alone or in combination. These and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the present invention may be more clearly ascertained, some embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1 A  is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a sweeping illumination system for an aquarium in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG.  1 B  is a top view depicting a sweeping motion of the illumination system of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  1 C  is another top view depicting an optional extension and retraction capability for a light housing relative to a support arm of the illumination system of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  1 D  is a front view depicting an optional rotational capability for a light housing relative to a support arm of the illumination system of  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  are top views illustrating another embodiment of an illumination system providing an elongated sweeping path in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIGS.  3 A and  3 B  are top views illustrating yet another embodiment of an illumination system providing an elongated sweeping path in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIGS.  4 A and  4 B  are top views illustrating an embodiment of an illumination system providing a parallel sweeping path in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG.  5    illustrates exemplary sweep patterns for the light housings of  FIGS.  1 A,  2 A,  3 A and  4 A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to several embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention. The features and advantages of embodiments may be better understood with reference to the drawings and discussions that follow. 
     Aspects, features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing(s). It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments of the present invention provided herein are illustrative only and not limiting, having been presented by way of example only. All features disclosed in this description may be replaced by alternative features serving the same or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Therefore, numerous other embodiments of the modifications thereof are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention as defined herein and equivalents thereto. Hence, use of absolute and/or sequential terms, such as, for example, “will,” “will not,” “shall,” “shall not,” “must,” “must not,” “first,” “initially,” “next,” “subsequently,” “before,” “after,” “lastly,” and “finally,” are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention as the embodiments disclosed herein are merely exemplary. 
     The present invention relates to systems and methods for illuminating aquariums with organisms requiring simulated sunlight for survival. Referring first to  FIG.  1 A , a sweeping illumination system  100  is attached to the top of an aquarium  110  filled with water  180  and intended to house aquatic living organisms (not shown). Illumination system  100  includes a controller  120 , a support arm  130 , and a light housing  140  secured to one end of arm  130 . 
     To facilitate discussion,  FIG.  1 B  is a top view depicting right rotational sweeping motion  192  and left rotational sweeping  194  for arm the illumination system  100 . Note that although a complete sweep of arm  130  from a left limit to a right limit is normally timed to simulate a daylight cycle, optional variations can be included to incorporate the four seasons of a solar year experienced by different geographical latitudes. 
     In some embodiments, the controller  120  includes a stepper motor (not shown) and a control circuit board (not shown) and can be programmed locally, e.g., via a touchscreen, and/or remotely via, for example, a smart phone or a smart assistant device using, for example, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. System  100  can be powered by a battery (not shown) and/or household AC power (not shown). 
       FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  show a right-biased view and a left-biased top view, respectively, illustrating another embodiment of an illumination system  200  providing an elongated sweeping path; from a rightward direction  292  to a leftward direction  294 , in accordance with the present invention. System  200  includes an arm  130 , and also includes a light housing  140  secured to one end of the arm  130 . 
     In this embodiment, system  200  also includes a camming mechanism to provide the elongated sweeping motion for arm  130  by incorporating a driving gear  282 , a cammed guide  288  and two or more supporting bearings, e.g., bearings  262 ,  264  &amp;  266 . The arm  130  is secured to a midline of the guide  288 . The guide  288  and the driving gear  282  are operatively coupled to a controller (not shown) that is attached to a vertical wall of an aquarium (not shown). 
     In some embodiments, the support bearings  262 ,  264  &amp;  266  can be replaced by one or more lubricated supporting track(s) (not shown). The support bearing(s) and/or support track(s) stabilize the cammed guide  288  and enables the light housing  140  to repeatedly sweep from right to left in a back and forth motion relative to a top surface of an aquarium (not shown). 
       FIGS.  3 A and  3 B  show a right-biased view and a left-biased top view, respectively, illustrating yet another embodiment of an illumination system  300  providing an elongated sweeping path; from a rightward direction  392  to a leftward direction  394 , in accordance with the present invention. System  300  includes an arm  330 , and also includes a light housing  140  secured to one end of the arm  330 . 
     In this embodiment, system  300  also includes a camming mechanism to provide the elongated sweeping motion for arm  330  by incorporating a driving gear  282 , an elongated guide  388  and two or more supporting bearings  262  &amp;  264 . The arm  330  is rotatably coupled to a midpoint  386  of the guide  388 . A slot  336  of arm  330  is also slidably and rotatably coupled a pivot point  326  of a controller (not shown). The guide  388  and the driving gear  282  are also operatively coupled to the controller which is attached to a vertical wall of an aquarium (not shown). 
     In some embodiments, support bearings  262  &amp;  264  can be replaced by one or more lubricated supporting track(s) (not shown). The support bearing(s) and/or support tracks(s) stabilize the guide  388  and enables the light housing  140  to repeatedly sweep from right to left in a back and forth motion relative to a top surface of an aquarium (not shown). 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B , a right-biased view and a left-biased top view, respectively, illustrate an embodiment of an illumination system  400  that provides a substantially parallel sweeping path for light housing  140 . In this embodiment, system  400  also includes a pair of substantially parallel arms, i.e., a support arm  432  and a guiding arm  434 , and a controller  420  attached to a substantially vertical wall  420  of an aquarium (partially shown). 
     A housing attachment  460  operatively couples the respective ends of arms  432  &amp;  434  to light housing  140  via pivot pins  462  &amp;  464 , respectively, thereby enabling the arms  432  &amp;  434  to rotate synchronously relative the housing attachment  460 . The opposing ends of arms  432  &amp;  434  are rotatably coupled to the respective attachment points  422  &amp;  434 , respectively, of controller  420 . One or both attachments points  422  &amp;  424  are operatively coupled to and powered by a motor such as a stepper motor (not shown). 
     This arrangement enabling light housing  140  to track a path that remains substantially vertical with respect to the aquarium wall  412 , as the housing  140  sweeps from a rightward direction  492  to a leftward direction  494 , thereby better simulating a normal source of daylight and also minimizing permanently shadowed areas within the aquarium. 
     Referring back to  FIGS.  1 C and  1 D , light housing  140  can have one or more additional optional freedom of motions relative to support arm  130 , such as translational motion and/or rotational motion, respectively. For example, as shown in  FIG.  1 C , light housing  140  may be capable of extending and retracting relative to support arm  130 , thereby enabling the light housing  140  to provide a more elongated sweep pattern over the top surface of the aquarium  110 . 
     Many modifications and additions to the above described embodiments are possible. For example, a shorter or longer interval other than the normal 24-hour day-night schedule can be implemented by simply reprogramming the controller, e.g., controllers  120  or  320 . It may also possible to combine the above described embodiments, such as combining the camming mechanism of system  200  or system  300  with the dual-arm mechanism of system  400 . 
     It is also contemplated that controllers, e.g., controller  120 , can be configured, programmed and/or customized by an end user to adapt the illumination systems to the shape and size of the aquariums, e.g., to adapt the sweep pattern(s) to the dimensions and shape of the aquariums’ top surface, and also to adapt the light intensity to the water depth(s) at various aquarium waypoints along the sweep pattern(s). In some implementations, e.g., in a large and/or unusually shaped aquarium, multiple illumination systems can also be installed, with each illumination system programmed to operate synchronously with adjacent system(s) to best simulate sunlight during a normal day/night cycle across the aquarium while minimizing shadowing. 
     In sum, as illustrated by  FIG.  5   , the above described exemplary embodiments advantageously provide customizable and expansive sweep patterns (not to scale) for their respective light housings without the need for a bulky and heavy light housing, relative to aquarium top surface areas. For example, illumination system  100  provides a sweep pattern similar to pattern  510 ; illumination systems  200  &amp;  300  provide sweep patterns similar to pattern  520 ; and illumination system  400  provides a sweep pattern similar to pattern  530 . 
     Suitable materials for constructing the various embodiments described above include materials strong enough to prevent deformation while in use, such as, but not limited to thermo-moldable plastics, fiberglass impregnated nylon, carbon fiber composites, epoxy compounds, synthetic resins, steel and/or aluminum alloys, tubing and sheet metal. Note that the various components of the described embodiments may be assembled using joints that can be reinforced by the use of adhesives such as plastic cements or epoxy compounds, and/or by employing techniques such as ultrasonic bonding or heat bonding. 
     While this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, there are alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. Although sub-section titles have been provided to aid in the description of the invention, these titles are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, where claim limitations have been identified, for example, by a numeral or letter, they are not intended to imply any specific sequence. 
     It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.