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US 5,628,905 AGranted
Biological aquarium filter with means to keep the siphon tubes primed
OwnerGregory Montalbanoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A filtration apparatus for an aquarium comprising of mechanical, biological and chemical filter mechanisms for removing impurities from water and an intake tube/pre-filter arrangement for maintaining syphonability of the apparatus during both operating and non-operating states. In an another embodiment, a protein skimmer is combined with the other filter mechanisms.
Claims14
A filtration apparatus for filtering water in an aquarium comprising:
- a pre-filter comprising:
- an intake chamber;
- an intermediate chamber;
- and
- an outlet chamber having a filter therein;
- a biological filter located below said pre-filter having a biological chamber containing biological media that supports bacteria growth;
- a bottom wall separating the pre-filter from the biological filter, said bottom wall having an aperture between the outlet chamber and the biological chamber;
- a first partition wall located between the intake and intermediate chambers, and extending from an elevation higher than that of an additional partition wall located between the intermediate and outlet chambers, said first partition wall being spaced from said bottom wall;
- an intake tube extending from outside the pre-filter to inside the intake chamber for flowing water from said aquarium to said intake chamber, the intake tube having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being at an elevation lower than that of the intake chamber;
- a water return tube;
- and
- pump means for pumping water from a lower region of said biological chamber through said water return tube into said aquarium, forcing a water level in said aquarium to become higher than a water level in said intake chamber, forcing water to flow through said intake tube into said intake chamber, below said first partition wall into said intermediate chamber, over said additional partition wall into said outlet chamber through said outlet chamber filter, through said aperture and back into said biological filter chamber, with the structure of the partition walls maintaining siphonability in said intake tube, both when the pump is operating, and when the pump is not operating.
9 more elements
A method of filtering water in an aquarium comprising the steps of:
- (i) providing a filtration apparatus comprising:
- a pre-filter comprising:
- an intake chamber;
- an intermediate chamber;
- and
- an outlet chamber having a filter therein;
- a biological filter located below said pre-filter having a biological chamber containing biological media that supports bacteria growth;
- a bottom wall separating the pre-filter from the biological filter, said bottom wall having an aperture between the outlet chamber and the biological chamber;
- a first partition wall located between the intake and intermediate chambers, and extending from an elevation higher than that of an additional partition wall located between the intermediate and outlet chambers, said first partition wall being spaced from said bottom wall;
- an intake tube extending from outside the pre-filter to inside the intake chamber for flowing water from said aquarium to said intake chamber, the intake tube having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being at an elevation lower than that of the intake chamber;
- a water return tube;
- and
- (ii) circulating water from an aquarium through said filtration apparatus, and then returning the water to the aquarium, wherein water is circulated from a lower region of said biological chamber through said water return tube into said aquarium, forcing a water level in said aquarium to become higher than a water level in said intake chamber, forcing water to flow through said intake tube into said intake chamber, below said first partition wall into said intermediate chamber, over said additional partition wall into said outlet chamber through said outlet chamber filter, through said aperture and back into said biological filter chamber, maintaining siphonability in said intake tube, both when the water is circulating, and when the water is not circulating.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.