Aquarium accessories with self-starting water-circulating systems

Claim 2

A self-starting water circulating system for use in conjunction with an aquarium accessory comprising, in combination: an aquarium accessory including a substantially airtight water treatment chamber; a water circulation system for circulating water from the aquarium to the treatment chamber and also circulating water from the treatment chamber back to the aquarium, said circulation system including airlift leg means with an inlet below the liquid level of a body of water within said aquarium, means including an outlet constructed and arranged whereby a mixture of air and water is discharged into said water treatment chamber establishing a body of liquid therein with air trapped in a space within said chamber above the liquid level of the body of water in said chamber, means including an exit tube for water within the chamber with its inlet positioned to receive water below the liquid level in said chamber and air passageway means communicating between said space with air trapped therein and the interior of said exit tube whereby the pressure of said trapped air both raises the level of the water in the exit tube to be entrained with air from the air passageway means and provides an airlift leg in said exit tube, outlet means in said exit tube in communication with said aquarium.

Claim 3

In an aquarium accessory which includes a water treatment chamber and a water circulation system which circulates water from the aquarium to the treatment chamber and back to the aquarium, the improvement in which: the water treatment chamber is substantially airtight, and in which The circulation system includes an airlift leg means with an inlet below the liquid level of a body of water within said aquarium, means including an outlet constructed and arranged whereby a mixture of air and water from the aquarium is discharged into the water treatment chamber establishing a body of liquid therein with air trapped in a space within said chamber above the liquid level of the body of water in said chamber; said improvement including chamber exit tube means for conveying water-air mixture back to the aquarium, said means having the end thereof extending a sufficient depth into the chamber to reside below the water level, said exit tube means being provided with an air passageway having an input opening in the airspace, and a discharge opening in the interior of the exit tube, connecting the airspace in the chamber to the interior of the exit tube, said passageway being sufficiently constricted to cause generation of sufficient air back pressure within said airspace to raise the level of the water within the exit tube to a level of entrainment with air from the discharge opening of the passageway when the water level in the chamber remains below the input opening of the passageway.

Claim 4

In an aquarium accessory which includes a water treatment chamber and a water circulation system which circulates water from the aquarium to the treatment chamber and back to the aquarium, the improvement in which: the water treatment chamber is substantially airtight, and in which The circulation system includes an airlift leg means with an inlet below the liquid level of a body of water within said aquarium, means including an outlet constructed and arranged whereby a mixture of air and water from the aquarium is discharged into the water treatment chamber establishing a body of liquid therein with air trapped in a space within said chamber above the liquid level of the body of water in said chamber; said improvement including chamber exit tube means for conveying water-air mixture back to the aquarium, said means having the end thereof extending a sufficient depth into the chamber to reside below the water level, said exit tube means being provided with an air passageway having an input opening in the airspace, and a discharge opening in the interior of the exit tube, connecting the airspace in the chamber to the interior of the exit tube, said passageway being sufficiently constricted to cause generation of sufficient air back pressure within said airspace to raise the level of the water within the exit tube to a level of entrainment with air from the discharge opening of the passageway when the water level in the chamber remains below the input opening of the passageway.

Claim 5

The improved accessory of claim 2 in which the air passageway has a flow cross section at least as constricted as 1/8 inch diameter.

Claim 6

An improved filter accessory for use in conjunction with an aquarium, including: a substantially airtight water-treatment chamber, said chamber including a water-treatment region, and a treated water region; means including an airlift leg for transfer of an air-water mixture into the filter from the aquarium; a water-treatment medium positioned in the water treatment region to require water to pass through the medium into the treated water region; exit water conduit means for conveying water from the treated water region back to the aquarium, said conduit means passing through a trapped airspace at the top of the airtight water-treatment chamber; and a relatively constricted air passageway connecting the air in the trapped airspace with the interior of the exit conduit, said passageway having an air entry port in the water-treatment chamber and an air discharge port in the interior of the conduit, said air discharge port being positioned for its air to lift water within said exit conduit means.

Claim 7

An improved filter accessory for use in conjunction with an aquarium, including: a substantially airtight water-treatment chamber, said chamber including a water-treatment region, and a treated water region; means including an airlift leg for transfer of an air-water mixture into the filter from the aquarium; a water-treatment medium positioned in the water treatment region to require water to pass through the medium into the treated water region; exit water conduit means for conveying water from the treated water region back to the aquarium, said conduit means passing through a trapped airspace at the top of the airtight water-treatment chamber; and a relatively constricted air passageway connecting the air in the trapped airspace with the interior of the exit conduit, said passageway having an air entry port in the water-treatment chamber and an air discharge port in the interior of the conduit, said air discharge port being positioned for its air to lift water within said exit conduit means.

Claim 8

The improved accessory of claim 4 in which the air passageway has a flow cross section at least as constricted as one-eighth inch diameter.

Claim 9

An aquarium accessory having a self-starting water-circulating system including: a substantially airtight water-treatment chamber; inflow and outflow tubes of generally U-shaped configuration for hanging over an edge of an aquarium, the inflow tube having an inlet below the liquid level of a body of water within said aquarium and being provided with airlift-pump means for pumping a mixture of air and water into the treatment chamber; the outflow tube extending upwardly from the water-treatment chamber and within the chamber extending downwardly to a water-receiving opening, said outflow tube having a passage for air to flow into it from a level near the top of the space within the water-treatment chamber where air from said mixture accumulates, said passage opening into the tube at substantially said level and being sufficiently constricted compared to the supply of air derived from said airlift pump to maintain uniformity of airflow; said outflow tube being of small cross-sectional size to cause the air flowing through said passage and out through said outflow tube to entrain water with it for producing substantially uniform flow of water as an air and water mixture up through the outflow tube.

Claim 10

An aquarium accessory having a self-starting water-circulating system including: a substantially airtight water-treatment chamber; inflow and outflow tubes of generally U-shaped configuration for hanging over an edge of an aquarium, the inflow tube having an inlet below the liquid level of a body of water within said aquarium and being provided with airlift-pump means for pumping a mixture of air and water into the treatment chamber; the outflow tube extending upwardly from the water-treatment chamber and within the chamber extending downwardly to a water-receiving opening, said outflow tube having a passage for air to flow into it from a level near the top of the space within the water-treatment chamber where air from said mixture accumulates, said passage opening into the tube at substantially said level and being sufficiently constricted compared to the supply of air derived from said airlift pump to maintain uniformity of airflow; said outflow tube being of small cross-sectional size to cause the air flowing through said passage and out through said outflow tube to entrain water with it for producing substantially uniform flow of water as an air and water mixture up through the outflow tube.

Claim 11

An aquarium accessory having a self-starting water-circulating system including: a substantially airtight water-treatment chamber; inflow and outflow tubes communicating with said chamber and extending outwardly and downwardly for hanging over an edge of an aquarium, the inflow tube having an inlet below the liquid level of a body of water within said aquarium and being provided with airlift-pump means for pumping a mixture of air and water into the treatment chamber; the outflow tube having a passage for air to flow into it from a level near the top of the space within the water-treatment chamber where air from said mixture accumulates, said passage opening into the tube at substantially said level to receive all of the air derived from said airlift pump and being constricted for uniform airflow; said outflow tube being of small cross-sectional size to cause the air flowing through said passage and out through said outflow tube to entrain water with it and produce a substantially uniform flow of an air and water mixture through the outflow tube, thereby reaerating the water and making the flow of water visible.

Claim 12

An aquarium accessory having a self-starting water-circulating system including: a substantially airtight water-treatment chamber; inflow and outflow tubes communicating with said chamber and extending outwardly and downwardly for hanging over an edge of an aquarium, the inflow tube having an inlet below the liquid level of a body of water within said aquarium and being provided with airlift-pump means for pumping a mixture of air and water into the treatment chamber; the outflow tube having a passage for air to flow into it from a level near the top of the space within the water-treatment chamber where air from said mixture accumulates, said passage opening into the tube at substantially said level to receive all of the air derived from said airlift pump and being constricted for uniform airflow; said outflow tube being of small cross-sectional size to cause the air flowing through said passage and out through said outflow tube to entrain water with it and produce a substantially uniform flow of an air and water mixture through the outflow tube, thereby reaerating the water and making the flow of water visible.

Claim 13

An improved germicidal lamp accessory for use in conjunction with an aquarium, said accessory being adapted for use in conjunction with an airlift leg for transfer of a water-air mixture into the accessory from the aquarium, the improvement including: an elongated tubular member fitted at both ends with means for forming a sealed water-treatment chamber for sealing a tubular germicidal lamp therein; said accessory including inlet means for discharging in the treatment chamber an air and water mixture from the airlift leg, a vertically rising exit tube extending into a body of water within the confines of the water-treatment chamber, thereby trapping air in an airspace above the body of the water, said exit tube having an air-passageway means for connecting the airspace to the interior of the exit tube; the passageway means including an air input end and an air discharge end; said accessory having means, including the construction and positioning of said passageway means, to cause water from the body of water to rise within the exit tube to be entrained with air from the air discharge end and to cause the air input end of the passageway means to be positioned above the water level in the water-treatment chamber during operation whereby the excess air pressure in the chamber provides an airlift leg in the exit tube for returning water to the aquarium.

Claim 14

An improved germicidal lamp accessory for use in conjunction with an aquarium, said accessory being adapted for use in conjunction with an airlift leg for transfer of a water-air mixture into the accessory from the aquarium, the improvement including: an elongated tubular member fitted at both ends with means for forming a sealed water-treatment chamber for sealing a tubular germicidal lamp therein; said accessory including inlet means for discharging in the treatment chamber an air and water mixture from the airlift leg, a vertically rising exit tube extending into a body of water within the confines of the water-treatment chamber, thereby trapping air in an airspace above the body of the water, said exit tube having an air-passageway means for connecting the airspace to the interior of the exit tube; the passageway means including an air input end and an air discharge end; said accessory having means, including the construction and positioning of said passageway means, to cause water from the body of water to rise within the exit tube to be entrained with air from the air discharge end and to cause the air input end of the passageway means to be positioned above the water level in the water-treatment chamber during operation whereby the excess air pressure in the chamber provides an airlift leg in the exit tube for returning water to the aquarium.

Claim 15

The improved accessory of claim 8 in which the air passageway has a flow cross section at least as constricted as 1/8 inch diameter.