Abstract:
The Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion is a hydraulic waste and airborne contaminant containment system disposed beneath a birdcage, occupying a bird. The birdcage, having a grid floor retains and separates the bird from the system, while allowing the waste and airborne contaminants from the caged bird to gravitate to the system&#39;s constant medium being a hydraulic body of water contained in a tray beneath the birdcage. Our constant medium traps, contains and moves waste and airborne contaminants within it&#39;s water to a plurality of filters. The waste filled water passes through the filters. The filters remove the waste materials. The now filtered water is returned by electric pump and discharged into the tray&#39;s constant medium creating the hydraulic body, which traps and contains new waste for removal. The filters continually renew the water in this closed hydraulic waste and airborne contaminant containment system.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/286,106, filed Apr. 24, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to birdcages and a process for continuous cleaning and removal of allergens. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Today&#39;s birdcage is a wire cage enclosure with a grid on the bottom to contain the bird yet allows waste to pass through A pullout tray underneath the grid is customarily lined with newspaper and is removed and replaced as needed. No medium is provided which can contain, suspend and automatically remove the bird dander, feathers and airborne particulate, which are known to cause serious and life threatening respiratory problems. 
     Managing pet birds, commercially or residentially, can be a health hazard to humans and birds because of the airborne bacteria and disease caused from bird dander and dried bird waste. 
     Numerous cages and cage cleaning systems have been provided in the prior art, all provide some measure of cleaning but lack the ability to minimize allergens and continuously clean and contain waste with minimal effort or maintenance. 
     Several types of flush systems have been proposed—for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,612 to Trail (1980) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,771 to Schuett et al (1992) which suffer from a number of disadvantages: 
     (a) The waste can become dried between flush operations creating a difficult cleaning task. 
     (b) Waste and seeds can fall on semi-dry areas and bounce out of the enclosure. 
     (c) The intermittent operation of the flush system may agitate or frighten caged birds. 
     (d) The complicated systems have much apparatus to clean and maintain 
     (e) Only the specified cage can be used with the systems. 
     The following types of cage cleaning inventions, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,640 to Del Rosario (1992) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,107 to Clarizo (1986) also suffer from a number of disadvantages: 
     (a) Waste becomes dried, bacteria becomes airborne within the enclosed cage making it hazardous to the caged bird. 
     (b) Only the specified cage can be used with the systems. 
     Accordingly the problem of airborne particulate and dried waste has not been successfully addressed by prior invention. 
     Objects and Advantages 
     Several objects and advantages of the containment system are: 
     (a) To provide a healthy environment for humans and birds by containing waste and allergens in a safe, manageable embodiment. 
     (b) To provide gradual removal of waste allowing it to be viewed for a short time, which is necessary for the early detection of illness in birds. 
     (c) To provide a soothing sound and relaxing environment for birds and humans by the movement of water. 
     (d) To provide an easily adaptable system to accommodate the variety of sizes and styles of cages used for residential, as well as commercial use. 
     (e) To provide simplicity of bird keeping by the continuous cleaning of this invention. 
     (f) To provide ease of maintenance for the bird owner, by the continuous cleaning action and the basic operation of the system. 
     (g) The durable stainless steel components provide a non-porous surface which prohibit bacterial growth 
     (h) The continuous movement of water provides welcome humidity for birds. 
     (i) Ease of use is provided by the large liquid surface, which continuously cleans waste and airborne particulate, and channels it into a small unseen area to be emptied as needed. 
     (j) Fragrance may be added to the water to provide pleasant aromatherapy 
     Other advantages will become apparent from consideration of the ensuing description and drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the present invention the Aqua Clean Birdcage Companion employs a shallow body of water with a gentle current, flowing across a stainless steel tray, trapping and removing the waste and particulate within the water. The waste is carried off the edge of the tray into a plurality of filters, which clean the water in this closed system. The circulating pump returns the filtered water back to the tray to collect new waste and airborne particulate. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Drawing Figures 
     Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion may be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and by reference to the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the complete Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion with a typical birdcage suspended above the same. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion showing the deflector cap, the plastic tubing, the tray, support slats and the hopper as it relates to the bottom cabinet that houses the filtration system and pump. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the multiple filtration system and the circulating pump cabinet that the dual compartment acrylic unit; the acrylic unit is housed in the base member directly beneath the hopper. 
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 11 
                 water 
                 12 
                 tray 
               
               
                 13 
                 plastic tube 
                 14 
                 tray notch 
               
               
                 15 
                 T-fitting 
                 16 
                 hopper 
               
               
                 17 
                 slats 
                 18 
                 base member 
               
               
                 19 
                 flexible tubing 
                 20 
                 deflector cap 
               
               
                 21 
                 pullout shelf 
                 22 
                 hole for tubing 
               
               
                 23 
                 hole for electric cord 
                 24 
                 bird cage 
               
               
                 25 
                 grid floor 
                 26 
                 mesh basket 
               
               
                 27 
                 funnel 
                 28 
                 acrylic filtering unit 
               
               
                 28A 
                 filtering compartment 
                 28B 
                 filtering compartment 
               
               
                 29 
                 pump 
                 30 
                 capped drain hole 
               
               
                 31 
                 foam mat 
                 32 
                 fiberglass blocks 
               
               
                 33 
                 carbon cartridge 
                 34 
                 electric cord 
               
               
                 35 
                 plastic tube holes 
                 36 
                 deflector cap notch 
               
               
                 37 
                 angled surface of deflector cap 
                 38 
                 hopper notch 
               
               
                 39 
                 plastic grid 
                 40 
                 fill line 
               
               
                 41 
                 end caps 
                 42 
                 reservoir of water 
               
               
                 43 
                 hinged door 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Description—FIG.  1 - 3  Preferred Embodiment 
     The drawings disclose the preferred embodiment of the present invention. While the configurations according to the illustrated embodiments are preferred it is envisioned that alternate configurations of the present invention maybe adopted without deviating from the invention as portrayed. 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the Aqua Clean Bird Cage Companion that consists of a flat, three-sided tray  12 , a hopper  16 , a box like base member  18  and a filter unit  28 . FIG. 1 denotes similar elements, above which is a birdcage  24 . 
     The birdcage  24  has a grid floor  25  for passage of waste therethrough. The tray  12  is below the cage  24  and when operational contains a shallow body of moving water  11  for the receiving of waste passing through the grid floor  25  of the cage  24 . The tray  12  has a floor and three raised sides. The fourth side is open which allows waste filled water to exit the open edge of tray  12  and enter the hopper  16  directly below. 
     On the opposing side of the open edge within the tray  12  lies a plastic tube  13  with caps  41  on both ends and a T-fitting  15  in the center. The plastic tube  13  has a plurality of holes  35  in which water  11  is pumped to create a current within the shallow body of water  11  contained in the tray  12 . Additionally, tray  12  has a notch  14  on the opposing side of the open edge to receive the T-fitting  15  which connects the plastic tube  13  to the flexible tubing  19 . 
     The deflector cap  20  is a detachable collar that rests on and covers the top perimeter of the tray  12  with an angled surface  37  to deflect debris inward. Additionally, the cap  20  contains a notch  36  to receive the T- fitting  15 . 
     The hopper  16  is slightly larger in diameter than the tray  12  and supports the tray  12  by use of slats  17  that span the opening and maintain an opening for the water to exit the tray  12 . The hopper  16  is beneath the tray  12  and consists of four sides in which the support slats  17  and the tray  12  sit within. Each side is bent to form a conical surface that slopes downward creating a funnel shaped opening. One side contains a notch  38  to receive the T-fitting  15 . The waste filled water  11  exits the hopper  16  and enters the funnel  27  which contains a mesh basket  26  for daily disposal of debris such as seed and hulls. The funnel  27  and basket  26  sit atop the acrylic filtering unit within the base member  18 . The base member  18  has a dual function, it supports the hopper  16  and secondly houses the funnel  27 , the basket  26 , the acrylic filtering unit  28  and the circulating pump  29 . It further contains a hinged door  43  on one side for easy access to a pullout shelf  21  on which the acrylic filtering unit  28  rests. The back of the base member  18  has access holes for tubing  22  and electricity  23 . Water  11  and finer particulate flow into the acrylic unit  28 . The water and finer particulate first enter the two different filtering systems located within the first compartment of the acrylic unit  28 A. 
     The first consists of a coarse foam mat  31  which catches and holds the finer particulate such as dander and granular waste and is removed, rinsed and replaced as needed. The second filter is a biological filter, which consists of a plurality of fiberglass blocks  32  that rest on a plastic grid  39 ,directly below the foam matt  31 . The fiberglass blocks house a bacterial colony, which purify the water  11  on a continuous basis. The purified water  11  flows into the second compartment of the acrylic unit  28 B that contains the carbon cartridge  33  and the circulating pump  29  within the reservoir  42  of water  11 . The final filter is a cartridge of carbon  33 , which continues to purify the water  11  and remove odors. The carbon cartridge  33  can be changed as often as necessary. The pump  29  is connected to flexible tubing  19 , which exits the base member  18  through a hole  22  and connects to the T- fitting  15  in the tray  12 . Additionally the acrylic unit  28  has a capped drain  30 , which provides for easy draining of water  11  without disturbing or removing the filtration unit  28 . 
     Alternative Embodiments 
     While the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of one preferred embodiment thereof Many other variations are possible. For example; 
     A. The Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion can easily adapt to a large floor model birdcage whereby the cage rests within the tray  12  on stainless steel supports. The grid floor  25  of the birdcage would remain while the seed tray; legs and casters of a typical floor model birdcage would be eliminated. The size of the tray  12  would be increased. The basket  26  and the funnel  27  are adapted to become a lift out screen within the hopper  16 . The hopper  16  is positioned directly over the acrylic unit  28 , which would be increased in size, as well as determining the pump  29  size required. 
     B. Another example would be a small version of the floor model intended for tabletop use with small cages. Whereby the size of the tray  12 , hopper  16  and pump  29  are reduced and the acrylic-filtering unit  28  is on a smaller scale. 
     C. Another embodiment would be a connected series of trays  12 , hoppers  16  and baskets  26  in a horizontal fashion. This configuration would provide for multiple cages to be located above the connected series of this system. This multiple configuration could be constructed for commercial use to provide easy maintenance and creates excellent health conditions when housing many birds. The acrylic filtering unit and pump size would be increased to handle the larger volume of water. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not only by the embodiment illustrated, but also by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 
     Advantages 
     From the description above, a number of advantages of my Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion become evident: 
     (a) To provide a healthy environment for humans and birds by containing waste and allergens in a safe, manageable embodiment. 
     (b) To provide gradual removal of waste allowing it to be viewed for a short time, which is necessary for the early detection of illness in birds. 
     (c) To provide a soothing sound and relaxing environment for birds and humans by the movement of water. 
     (d) To provide an easily adaptable system to accommodate the variety of sizes and styles of cages used for residential, as well as commercial use. 
     (e) To provide simplicity of bird keeping by the continuous cleaning of this invention. 
     (f) To provide ease of maintenance for the bird owner, by the continuous cleaning action and the basic operation of the system. 
     (g) The durable stainless steel components have rounded edges for safety of both birds and humans. 
     (h) The durable stainless steel components provide a non-porous surface which prohibit bacterial growth 
     (i) The continuous movement of water provides welcome humidity for birds. 
     (j) Ease of use is provided by the large liquid surface, which continuously cleans waste and airborne particulate, and channels it into a small unseen area to be emptied as needed. 
     (k) Fragrance may be added to the water to provide pleasant aromatherapy. 
     Operation—FIGS.  1 ,  2 ,  3   
     The manner of using the Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion is to position a birdcage  24 , which has a grid  25  for passage of waste, over the stainless steel tray  12 . To begin operation the acrylic-filtering unit  28  is filled with water  11  to the fill line  40  and the circulating pump  29  is activated using household electricity. An immediately clean and healthy environment is created with the soothing and relaxing sound of moving water  11 . The stainless steel deflector cap  20  rests on and covers the top perimeter of the tray  12  and the plastic tube  13 . The deflector cap  20  has an angled surface  37  to deflect debris inward, protects the tube  13  from damage and prevents waste from getting on or behind the tube  13 . The tube  13  is connected to the T-fitting  15  in the center, which exits the tray  12  and is connected to the flexible tubing  19 . The tubing  19  is beneath the tray  12 , enters the base member  18 , and connects to the pump  29  housed within the base member  18 . The operational Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion employs a shallow body of water  11  that continuously flows across the tray  12 . The water  11  is pumped through a plurality of holes  35  in the plastic tube  13 .The moving water  11  traps, contains and gradually removes waste and airborne particulate from view. The waste filled water  11  flows off the open edge of the tray  12  and enters the stainless steel hopper  16 . The hopper  16  is supported by the base member  18  which houses the funnel  27 , the mesh basket  26 , the acrylic filtering unit  28  and the pump  29 . The conical shaped hopper  16  channels the water  11  into the funnel  27 , which contains a mesh basket  26  for daily disposal of debris such as seed and hulls. The water  11  and finer particulate continue through the funnel  27  into the dual compartment acrylic filtering unit  28 ,  28 A,  28 B which house the water  11 , the reservoir  42  and three different filtering systems. 
     The compartment  28 A contains the first and second filters. The first filter comprises a coarse foam mat  31  which catches and holds the finer particulate such as dander and granular waste, yet allows water  11  to flow into the second filter directly below. The biological filter rests on the plastic grid  39  and comprises a plurality of fiberglass blocks  32 , that house a bacterial colony which purify the water  11  on a continuous basis. The compartment  28 B contains the final filter  33 , the circulating pump  29  and the reservoir of water  42 . Compartment  28 B receives the water  11  through an opening in the bottom of the acrylic divider from Compartment  28 A. The filter is a carbon cartridge  33 , which removes odors and purifies the water  11  as it is collected in the reservoir  42  in compartment  28 B. The pump  29  is connected to the flexible tubing  19 , which exits the base member  18  and connects to the T-fitting  15  within the tray  12 . Filtered water is returned back to the tray  12  to trap and collect waste, whereby the water is continuously renewed as a constant medium by the filter unit. This completes the circulating closed water system. 
     Accordingly, the reader will see the ease of use provided by the Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion. To maintain maximum efficiency of this invention the following steps are taken daily: 
     1. Turn off the circulating pump  29 . 
     2. Remove the mesh basket  26  and empty collected waste. 
     3. Replace the basket  26 . 
     4. Check the fill line  40  and add the required amount of water  11 . 
     5. Turn on the pump  29 . 
     To maintain maximum efficiency of this invention the following steps are taken weekly or as needed: 
     1. Turn off the circulating pump  29 . 
     2. Lift out the coarse foam mat  31 , rinse and replace. 
     3. Lift out the carbon cartridge  33 , rinse and replace. 
     4. Turn on the pump  29 . 
     Additionally for relocation or draining of the system, the acrylic unit  28  has a capped bottom drain  30 , which provides for easy draining of the water  11  without disturbing or removing the unit  28 . While certain novel features of this invention have been shown, it will be understood that various changes of the system illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope 
     Accordingly, the reader will see that the continuous cleaning of the Aqua Clean BirdCage Companion provides a healthy and clean environment for humans and birds by containing harmful allergens and bacteria found in bird waste, feathers and dander. In addition to the healthy and clean environment, the hydraulic system provides humidity and or fragrance along with the soothing sound of moving water. 
     This system with it basic design provides for ease of maintenance, ease of use and ease of cleaning in addition to providing automatic and continuous cleaning during the normal operation. The preferred material of the exposed components in this system, being stainless steel provide a durable non-porous surface which prohibits bacterial growth and is easily cleaned. The design of these components have rolled edges to provide a safe and long lasting surface. The system is easily adaptable to accommodate the variety of sizes and styles of cages and can be connected in series to accommodate multiple cages. Lastly, the system can be easily adapted to accommodate cages that contain a bottom grid designed for reptiles and other animals which may require humidity in their environment. Accordingly the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated but by the appended clams and their legal equivalents.