Air stone for an aquarium

Claim 2

An improved air stone for an aquarium comprising an airreceiving element, a baseplate connected to said air-receiving element, the joinder of said baseplate and air-receiving element defining a plenum and a water insoluble generally annular-shaped fiber mat, containing a weight therein in concentric relation thereto, said fiber mat being disposed intermediate of said airreceiving element and said baseplate, said air stone being resultingly adapted to supply a uniform stream of air bubbles to the water contained in said aquarium when connected to an air supply with the result that uniform aeration of said aquarium is achieved, said air-receiving element comprising an air inlet tube, an air inlet aperture located therein, a shoulder portion located at the base of said air inlet tube, and a cap portion disposed at the base of said shoulder portion, said air inlet tube, said shoulder portion and said cap portion being integrally connected, said air inlet tube also being characterized as flaring outwardly towards its base juncture with said shoulder portion, so that when an air supply tube from said air supply is connected to said air inlet tube said air supply tube is held in airtight relationship therewith, said air-receiving element having cloverleaf-shaped aperture disposed in said cap portion and extending into said shoulder portion from the face of said cap portion, said cloverleaf-shaped aperture defining three arc portions in circular relationship to each other in the central portion of said cloverleaf-shaped aperture.

Claim 3

An air stone according to claim 1 wherein said shoulder portion is hexagonal in shape.

Claim 4

An air stone according to claim 2 wherein cloverleaf-shaped aperture extends in the direction of three corners of said hexagonally shaped shoulder portions.

Claim 5

An improved air stone for an aquarium comprising an air-receiving element, a baseplate connected to said air-receiving element and a water insoluble generally annular-shaped fiber mat, containing a weight therein in concentric relation thereto, said fiber mat being disposed intermediate of said air-receiving element and said baseplate, said air stone being adapted to supply a uniform stream of air bubbles to the water contained in said aquarium, when connected to an air supply, said air-receiving element further comprising an air inlet tube, an air inlet aperture located therein, a shoulder portion located at the base of said air inlet tube, and a cap portion disposed at the base of said shoulder portion, said air inlet tube, said shoulder portion and said cap portion being integrally connected, said air inlet tube also being characterized as flaring outwardly towards its base juncture with said shoulder portion, so that when an air supply tube from said air supply is connected to said air inlet tube said air supply tube is held in airtight relationship therewith, said air-receiving element further having a cloverleaf-shaped aperture disposed in said cap portion and extending into said shoulder portion from the face of said cap portion, said cloverleaf-shAped aperture defining three arc portions in circular relationship to each other in the central portion of said cloverleaf-shaped aperture, further comprising a generally cylindrically shaped element and a cap portion integrally connected thereto with an aperture defined in said cylindrical element extending into said cap portion and being centrally located in said cap portion, said air-receiving element, said weight having a central aperture, said arc portions forming walls, said baseplate and said fiber mat being connected by threaded screw means having a tapered end which pass through said aperture in said cylindrical element and cap portion thereof, then further passing through said central aperture located in said weight and finally said screw means threading into the walls formed by said arc portions of said cloverleaf-shaped aperture to an extent sufficient to allow the passage of air over said tapered end of said screw means, said air coursing downwardly through said air inlet aperture into said cloverleaf-shaped aperture and thence outwardly through said fiber mat, finally emerging as uniform air bubbles in said water from the periphery of said fiber mat with the result that uniform aeration of said aquarium is achieved.

Claim 6

An improved air stone for an aquarium comprising an air-receiving element, a baseplate connected to said air-receiving element and a water insoluble generally annular-shaped fiber mat, containing a weight therein in concentric relation thereto, said fiber mat being disposed intermediate of said air-receiving element and said baseplate, said air stone being adapted to supply a uniform stream of air bubbles to the water contained in said aquarium, when connected to an air supply, said air-receiving element further comprising an air inlet tube, an air inlet aperture located therein, a shoulder portion located at the base of said air inlet tube, and a cap portion disposed at the base of said shoulder portion, said air inlet tube, said shoulder portion and said cap portion being integrally connected, said air inlet tube also being characterized as flaring outwardly towards its base juncture with said shoulder portion, so that when an air supply tube from said air supply is connected to said air inlet tube said air supply tube is held in airtight relationship therewith, said air-receiving element further having a cloverleaf-shaped aperture disposed in said cap portion and extending into said shoulder portion from the face of said cap portion, said cloverleaf-shAped aperture defining three arc portions in circular relationship to each other in the central portion of said cloverleaf-shaped aperture, further comprising a generally cylindrically shaped element and a cap portion integrally connected thereto with an aperture defined in said cylindrical element extending into said cap portion and being centrally located in said cap portion, said air-receiving element, said weight having a central aperture, said arc portions forming walls, said baseplate and said fiber mat being connected by threaded screw means having a tapered end which pass through said aperture in said cylindrical element and cap portion thereof, then further passing through said central aperture located in said weight and finally said screw means threading into the walls formed by said arc portions of said cloverleaf-shaped aperture to an extent sufficient to allow the passage of air over said tapered end of said screw means, said air coursing downwardly through said air inlet aperture into said cloverleaf-shaped aperture and thence outwardly through said fiber mat, finally emerging as uniform air bubbles in said water from the periphery of said fiber mat with the result that uniform aeration of said aquarium is achieved.

Claim 7

An air stone according to claim 4 wherein said weight is a metal washer.