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US 7,024,814 B1Granted
Fish or fish bait life preservation apparatus and method
OwnerFrank Oneil McDougleinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel system, apparatus and method of operation for use in watercraft, terrestrially bound motor vehicles and fixed based land applications where water from a live well or bait tank is withdrawn, filtered, climactically controlled and conveyed through a water conditioning unit containing in part a heat exchanging unit with a generally serpentined contour water passageway, the water passageway formed and structured in a manner to allow water, or another fluid within the passageway to abut and surround a generally serpentine form tubular conduit containing a pressurized refrigerant with the water routed within the passageway maintaining continuous contact with the conduit then exiting the heat exchanging unit returned to the live well tank or bait tank.
Claims18
An enhanced filtration and water conditioning system for a bait tank comprising:
- (a) a bait tank having a top, a bottom and an essentially oval shaped exterior wall connecting the top and bottom of the tank;
- (b) first and second interior water compartments separated from one another by a common wall essentially isolating said first and second interior water compartments from one another within the interior portion of said tank;
- (c) an essentially oval shaped interior wall connected to the top of the tank, the common wall and a second interior bottom of the tank positioned above the interior bottom of said bait tank:
- (d) a dual compartment filtration unit removably accommodated within the second interior water compartment, said filtration unit having inflow and outflow water conduits with each of said conduits communicably attaching said filtration unit to said first and said second interior water compartments;
- (e) a propulsion means for circulating water from said first compartment into and through said second compartment and returning said circulating water to said first compartment;
- and,
- (f) a water conditioning unit attached to the bait tank via input and output water conditioning conduits, a water conditioning compartment having a generally serpentined pattern tubular conduit containing a refrigerant in communication with a direct current compressor, a condenser, a heat exchanger having attachable top and base portions with an o-ring seal displaced therebetween and partially containing said tubular conduit containing refrigerant in communication with water discharged from the internal portion of said bait tank;
- and, a pumping means for circulating water from an internal portion of said bait tank through the water conditioning unit and then traversing a generally serpentined patterned water passageway within the internal portion of the heat exchanger causing said water to be in communication with the external surface of the generally serpentined pattern tubular conduit containing refrigerant and then returning said circulating water to said tank.
5 more elements
An enhanced bait tank filtration and water conditioning apparatus comprising:
- (a) a bait tank having a top, a bottom and an essentially oval shaped exterior wall connecting the top and bottom of the tank;
- (b) first and second interior water compartments separated from one another by a common wall essentially isolating said first and second interior water compartments from one another within the interior portion of said tank;
- (c) an essentially oval shaped interior wall connected to the top of the tank, the common wall and a second interior bottom of the tank positioned above the interior bottom of said bait tank;
- (d) a dual compartment filtration unit removably accommodated within the second interior water compartment, said filtration unit having inflow and outflow water conduits with each of said conduits communicably attaching said filtration unit to said first and said second interior water compartments;
- (e) a propulsion means for circulating water from said first compartment into and through said second compartment and returning said circulating water to said first compartment;
- (f) a control means for presetting and maintaining upper and lower reference temperatures for water contained within said tank;
- (g) a water conditioning unit attached to the bait tank via input and output water conditioning conduits comprising a direct current compressor, a direct current condenser and an evaporator, a heat exchanger having a serpentined pattern tubular conduit containing refrigerant in communication with water discharged from the internal portion of said bait tank and evaporator;
- and,
- (h) a pumping means for circulating water discharged from an internal portion of said bait tank through the water conditioning unit causing said water to traverse along a non-linear flow path within the internal portion of the heat exchanger parallel to and in communication with the external surface of said serpentine patterned tubular conduit containing refrigerant and returning said circulating water to said tank.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.