Patent Publication Number: US-2007119381-A1

Title: Fish tank with integrated gravity assisted cleaning apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to fish tank accessories, and more particularly to an aquarium cleaning system used with fish tanks.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Maintaining aquatic life in a tank or aquarium is a common endeavor. Fish and other organisms are relatively easy to care for and in many cases only require periodic feeding. As the living environment for the fish, the tank or aquarium requires both cleaning and the frequent replacement water in the tank. In some cases, caring for the aquarium is more tedious than caring for the fish. This process can be cumbersome both for the person performing the periodic maintenance and the organisms who have their living space disrupted.  
      Removing water can be messy and tedious for large tanks. Spilling fish waste in a person&#39;s living space can be very disruptive and is highly undesirable. Removing the fish from the tank in order to change the water can also be dangerous for the fish and cause injury, and sometimes lead to death.  
      Filtration systems have been utilized to lengthen the time between required water changes in an aquarium. These systems require electricity and additional maintenance of the filter unit. They do not address the need for a simple method of changing a portion of the dirty water.  
      There also have been attempts to simplify the procedure for cleaning an aquarium, but these systems are costly and complicated. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,113 (Dor) discloses a segregated aquarium with a pump, valve, and filter. Cleaning of this system requires several steps including the manipulation of a valve. U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,596(Chesnut) discloses the use of a siphon, but utilizing the disclosed system requires the user to physically manipulate a cleaning apparatus in the aquarium to affect cleaning. This system also requires the operation of a valve for the system to operate, further complicating the cleaning procedure.  
      Improvements such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,054 (Allen) also utilize a siphon, however the disclosed apparatus requires the additional manipulation of a valve to initiate the operation of the siphon, therefore complicating the cleaning and water exchange process and further making it unsuitable for use by children.  
      Aquarium systems known in the art have required multiple or complex steps in order to clean the system. These systems often require the use of electricity and manipulation of valves. There is a need for an aquarium system that vastly simplifies the cleaning and water exchange procedure in an aquarium by providing an aquarium with an integrated gravity assisted cleaning apparatus with a cleaning procedure as simple as possible.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide a fish tank with a siphon port formed thereon in which a siphon tube connector is inserted. An outside siphon tube is then connected to the siphon tube connector. The siphon tube then bends upward over the outer surface of the tank so that the distal end of the siphon tube is located at or near the desire water level inside the tank. When clean water is slowly added to the tank, dirty water and the debris located on or near the bottom surface of the tank flows into the siphon port connector and into the siphon tube. The dirty water and debris then exits from the distal end of the siphon tube and is conveniently collected in a container.  
      An important aspect of the invention is that hydrostatic pressure automatically stops the flow of dirty water and debris from the distal end of the siphon tube when the water level drops below the distal end of the siphon tube. By adjusting the relative position of the distal end of the siphon tube with respect to the water level in the tank, the user is able to easily adjust the water level in the tank. Also, by continuously pouring clean water into the tank, the dirty water and debris that settle on or near the bottom of the tank may be flushed out and replaced with clean water while maintaining the water at a constant level.  
      A manual valve is provided that allows the user to selectively control the flow of water from the tank. In one embodiment, a manual valve is attached to the distal end of the siphon tube. In another embodiment, the manual valve is integrally formed on the siphon port connector thereby enabling the siphon tube to be removed from the tank.  
      The siphon tube extends upward on the sidewall of tank and is permanently or temporarily fixed in position at or near the desired water level. In one embodiment, at least one clip is mounted in a fixed position on the outer surface of the sidewall designed to hold the distal end of the siphon tube in an elevated position. In another embodiment, the siphon tube is attached to a multiple clip strap that is adhesively mounted on the sidewall of the tank that allows the distal end of the siphon tube to be positioned at different elevations on the tank for different water levels.  
      In one embodiment of the invention, the bottom surface of the tank is flat. In other embodiments, the bottom surface of the tank is sloped to assist the flow of movement of dirty water and debris towards the siphon port. In another embodiment, a conical collection element is provided that directs dirty water or debris into an inside siphon tube that connects to the siphon tube connector. In yet another embodiment, a grate is disposed over the bottom surface of the tank that supports objects and allows dirty water and debris to fall into a collection cavity located under the grate that communicates with the siphon tube. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a cylindrical fish tank with a siphon tube attached at one end to a siphon tube connector attached to the sidewall near the lower edge of the fish tank.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a rectangular tank with a flat bottom and a siphon tube connected to a siphon tube connector attached to the sidewall near the bottom surface of the tank.  
       FIG. 3  is a front view of an embodiment of the invention showing the position of a clip affixed to the sidewall used to attach the siphon tube on the tank shown in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional side elevational view of the clip shown in  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional, side elevational view of a siphon tube connector mounted on the sidewall of the tank.  
       FIG. 6  is a sectional, side elevational view of a siphon tube connector mounted on the sidewall of the tank with an integrally attached manual used valve to control the flow of water therethrough.  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view a pair of hook and loop pad connectors used to hold a siphon tube on the sidewall of the tank.  
       FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of an adjustable multiple clip device attached to the sidewall of a tank that allows the distal end of the siphon tube to be adjusted at different positions.  
       FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the multiple clip device shown in  FIG. 8 .  
       FIG. 10  is a cylindrical fish tank with a conical collection element located therein with an inside siphon tube that connects to the neck of the conical element and extends outward through the sidewall and upward so that the distal end of the outside siphon tube is located near or at the water level.  
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a rectangular tank with a conical collection element located centrally on the bottom surface of the tank with an inside siphon tube attached to its neck that connects to a siphon tube connector mounted on the sidewall.  
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a rectangular tank with a sloped bottom and a siphon tube attached to a siphon tube connector on the sidewall of the tank.  
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a rectangular tank with a sloped grate structure located on the bottom surface of the tank with a lower cavity located thereunder filled with marbles with an optional elevated horizontal grate located above the sloped grate structure.  
       FIG. 14  is a front view of the embodiment of the invention showing a globular-shaped tank, with a conical collection element located therein with a siphon tube that extends through the bottom surface of the tank and supported on a cylindrical base. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)  
      Shown in the accompanying  FIGS. 1-14  and described herein is a fish tank  8  with an integrated gravity assisted cleaning apparatus, generally denoted as  9 . The fish tank  8  which contains fresh or salt water  90  suitable for maintaining aquatic organisms, may be a spherical or rounded structure with one or more curved sidewalls  10  or a square or rectangular structure with three or four flat sidewalls  11 - 14 . The sidewall  10  and  11 - 14  are typically made of rigid, transparent material that enables aquatic organisms living inside the tank  8  to be seen. The tank  8  also includes a flat bottom surface  15  and a top opening  18 . Over time, dirty water  92  and debris  94  settle along the bottom surface  15  and must be replaced with clean water  96  and removed.  
      The gravity assisted cleaning apparatus  9  includes a siphon tube connector  20  formed on the sidewall  10 - 14  of the tank  8  near or adjacent to the bottom surface  15 . The apparatus  9  also includes and a siphon tube  30  that connects to the siphon tube connector  20 . In the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the siphon tube connector  20  includes a cylindrical body  21  that extends transversely through a bore formed in the sidewall (sidewall shown  11 ). The diameters of the body  21  and the bore  16  in the sidewall  11  are sufficient to create a water tight seal. An optional sealant or adhesive  17  may be used to assure a water tight seal. Formed or attached to one end of the body  21  is a longitudinal aligned neck  22 . Extending through the body  21  and neck  22  is a longitudinally aligned passageway  23  which communicates with the cavity formed inside the tank  8 . During assembly, the siphon tube  30  fits tightly over the neck  22 . An optional clamp  80  may be used to securely hold the siphon tube  30  to the neck  22 . Also shown in  FIG. 5  is a second siphon tube connector, denoted  20 ′ that includes a second neck  25  that extends into the tank  8 . As discussed further below, an inside siphon tube  75  may be attached to the second neck  25  to quickly deliver dirty water  92  and debris  94  from a conical collection element located inside the tank.  FIG. 6  shows a third embodiment of the siphon tube connector, denoted  20 ″ that includes a manual valve  26  integrally on the first neck  22  that allows the user to selectively close the flow of water through the siphon tube  30  or allow the siphon tube  30  to connect and disconnect from the tank  8 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the siphon tube  30  bends upward along the outside surface of the sidewall  10 . The siphon tube  30  is sufficient in length so that its distal end  33  is positioned at or near the desired water line, (designated by the reference number  85 ) inside the tank  8 . Attached to the distal end  33  of the siphon tube  30  is a manual valve  35  which is used when the siphon tube connector  20 ″ that includes a manual valve  26  is not used. When new volume of clean water  96  is added to the tank  8 , the manual valve  26  is opened so that an equal volume of dirty water  92  and debris  94  may flow out of the distal end  33  of the siphon tube  30  thus maintaining the water  90  inside the tank  8  at the desired water line  85 . Because the proximal end  32  of the siphon tube  30  is attached to the siphon tube connector  20  at or near or at the bottom surface  15  of the tank  8 , the addition of clean water  96  to the tank  8  automatically, forces the dirty water  92  and debris  94  that settles on the bottom surface  15  to flow into the siphon tube  30 . A discharge bucket or container  100  is used to collect the dirty water  92  and debris  94  exiting from the distal end  15 . When the task of removing debris  94  and adding clean water  96  to the tank  8  has been completed, the manual valve  35  is closed. The same procedure is used when the siphon tube connector  20 ″ that includes the manual valve  26  is used.  
      The siphon tube  30  must bend upward and held in position on the outside surface of the sidewall. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in the first embodiment, a C-shaped clip  50  is used that extends around the siphon tube  30  and connects to a slot  52  formed just above the water line  85 . During use, the clip  50  is extended around the siphon tube  30  and through slot  52  to hold the siphon tube  30  in an upward position on the sidewall  11 . In a second embodiment, shown in  FIG. 7 , the C-shaped clip  50  is replaced by one or more pairs of hook and loop connector pads  55  and  60 , respectively, that are selectively engaged to hold the siphon tube  30  in position on the sidewall  10 . A suitable adhesive  61  may be applied to the back surface of the loop connector pad  60  it on the outside surface of the sidewall  10 . The hook pad  55  is sufficient in length to extend over the siphon tube  30  and connects at its opposite ends to the loop connector pads  60 .  
      In  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a third embodiment of the clip is shown (denoted  65 ), that includes an elongated body  67  with a plurality of C-shaped clips  69 ,  71 ,  73  mounted transversely thereon each designed to receive and hold the siphon tube  30 . An adhesive layer  74  may be applied to the back of the elongated body  67  that enables to be attached it to the outside surface of the sidewall  10 . When using clip  65 , the user is able to easily adjust the position of the distal end  34  of the siphon tube  30  to change the water line  85  in the tank  8 .  
      As mentioned above and as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the first embodiment in the apparatus  9 , the tank  8  has a flat bottom surface  15  with the siphon tube connector  20  mounted in a siphon port formed on the sidewalls  10 , and  11 , respectively. In another embodiment of the apparatus  9  shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a conical collection element  110  is placed over the bottom surface  15  that is used to concentrate and collect dirty water  92  and debris  94  that settles via gravity in the tank  8 . In this embodiment, the conical collection element  110  includes a lower neck  112  that attaches to an inside siphon tube  75 . The inside siphon tube  75  extends laterally along the bottom surface  15  of the tank  8  and connects to the second neck  25  formed on the third embodiment of the siphon tube connector  20 ″ shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
       FIG. 12  shows another embodiment of the invention which uses a rectangular tank with four sidewalls  11 - 14 , and a sloped bottom surface  150  that slants downward towards the siphon tube connector  20 . When clean water  96  is added to the end of the tank  8  opposite the siphon connector tube  20 , a current is created in the water  90  that forces the dirty water  92  and debris  94  settled thereon towards the siphon connector tube  20  when the manual valve  26  or  35  is opened.  
       FIG. 13  shows another embodiment of the invention with a rectangular tank in which a sloped grate structure  160  placed over the bottom surface  15 . Formed under the slope grated structure  160  is a lower cavity  162  in which small balls or marbles  165  may be placed. During use, the debris (not shown) collects on the marbles  165 . When clean water  96  is added to the tank  8 , a current is created in the water  90  along the slope grate structure  160  that washes the debris (not shown) away from the marbles  165  into the siphon tube connector  20  and into the siphon tube  30  when valve  26  or  35  is opened. Mounted on the inside surface of the tank  8  are four optional catch pins  172 - 178  that support an optional, horizontally aligned grate  180  in an elevated position inside the tank  8 . The grate  180  is elevated and horizontally aligned above the slope grated structure  160  so that rocks  185  and other items located inside the tank are not sucked into or pulled towards the siphon tube  30 .  
       FIG. 14  illustrates another embodiment of the invention similar to the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  that is designed to be more aesthetically pleasing. In this embodiment, the tank  8  is globular with a flat bottom surface  115 . Located inside the tank  8  is a conical collection element  110  with a lower neck  112 . Mounted on the bottom surface  115  of the tank  8  is an L-shaped siphon tube connector  20 ″ to which a siphon tube  30  attaches. The distal end  33  of the siphon tube  30  is positioned at or near the water line  85 . Disposed around the tank  8  is a cylindrical base  200  made of opaque material that may be placed on the bottom surface  15  of the tank  8  to reduce visibility of the accumulated dirty water  92  or debris  94  in the bottom surface  115  of the tank  8 .  
      In the preferred embodiments, the siphon tube connector  20  is mounted on the end surface of the tank  8 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , the siphon tube connector  20  may be mounted in the front or rear surface of the tank  8 . In the preferred embodiment, the siphon tube  30  extends laterally to the edge of the tank  8  and then upward. The siphon tube  30  then bends laterally at the water line. In an alternative embodiment, the siphon tube  30  extends outward and perpendicular from the tank  8  and then upward. The siphon tube  30  then bends inward and into a second port connector  202  located at or near the water line. The siphon tube  30  then extends across the tank  8  and through a third port connector  204  located directly across the tank  8  from the second port connector  202 . A manual valve  35  is attached to the distal end of the siphon tube  30  to control the flow of water therethrough.  
      In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown is comprised only of the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.