Water aerator and method

Claim 2

A live bait water aerator comprising: (A) a submergible electrically powered water pump; (B) a delivery conduit having a delivery entrance hole on one end and a delivery exit hole on the other end with a fluid passage connecting the entrance hole and the exit hole, the delivery conduit attached to the water outlet of the pump so that water can pass from the pump through the delivery entrance hole of the conduit, said conduit extending to a height above the bottom of the pump of between about 20 and about 40 centimeters; (C) a water delivery head with a height of between about 5 and about 1.5 centimeters and a cross-section maximum width less than about 5 centimeters and a cross-section minimum width greater than 2 centimeters, the head having an entrance hole in the bottom sealingly attached to the delivery exit hole of the conduit so that water can pass through the conduit into the head, the vertical sides having a plurality of openings evenly spaced over the sides of the head having a diameter of between about 0.25 and about 0.40 centimeters, and a length of between about 0.35 and about 0.55 centimeters, the entrance to the opening being higher than the exit of the opening so that a line through the center of the length of the opening forms an acute angle with a vertical line through the cross sectional center of the opening of between about 30 and about 55 degrees.

Claim 3

The aerator of claim 1 where the delivery conduit extends vertically upward to a height of between about 20 and about 30 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator.

Claim 4

The aerator of claim 2 where the delivery head is cylindrically shaped with a horizontal diameter of between 2.5 and 3.5 centimeters.

Claim 5

The aerator of claim 3 where the number of delivery head openings is between 6 and about 9 inclusive.

Claim 6

The aerator of claim 4 where the head openings are in the same horizontal plane.

Claim 7

The aerator of claim 5 where the angle made by a line through the center of the length of the head openings and a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the openings forms an angle of between about 38 and about 40 degrees.

Claim 8

The aerator of claim 1 where the height of the delivery conduit is adjustable.

Claim 9

The aerator of claim 7 where the delivery conduit is telescopic.

Claim 10

A water aerator comprising: A. a submergible electrically powered water pump comprising: (i) a sealed motor housing having an electrical motor therein with a shaft rotatably connected at one end to the motor and extending from the bottom of the motor housing, the shaft having an impeller on the other end; (ii) a three-chambered housing having an inner upper chamber, an inner lower chamber, and an outer chamber surrounding the inner upper and inner lower chambers, the outer chamber having a plurality of outer chamber holes in the sides and bottom of the outer chamber to allow water to flow from outside the aerator to inside the outer chamber, the inner lower chamber having a plurality of inner lower chamber holes to allow water in the outer chamber to flow to the inside of the inner lower chamber and the top of the inner lower chamber forming the bottom of the inner upper chamber and having at least one partition hole to allow water in the inner lower chamber to flow to the inner upper chamber, the inner upper chamber side having a water outlet hole therein, communicating with a water outlet conduit which is attached to the side of the inner upper chamber and passes through the outer chamber and outer chamber side wall to allow water to flow from inside the inner upper chamber to outside the pump, the outlet conduit being attached to the side wall of the inner upper chamber so that a line through the center of the conduit into the inner upper chamber does not pass through the vertical center of the chamber, the bottom of the three-chambered housing having at least one bottom attachment means for attaching the aerator to the surface on which it rests and the top of the three-chambered housing having at least one top attachment means adapted to reversibly attach to the bottom of the motor housing so that the bottom of the motor housing forms the top of the outer chamber and the top of the inner upper chamber and the shaft and impeller of the motor housing extends into the inner upper chamber; (B) a filter material placed inside the outer chamber so that substantially all of the water entering the outer chamber through the holes therein must pass through the filter material before entering the inner lower chamber through the holes therein; (C) a delivery conduit having a delivery entrance hole and delivery exit hole with a fluid passage connecting the delivery entrance hole and the delivery exit hole, the delivery entrance hole being sealingly connected to the water outlet exit of the pump, the delivery conduit extending vertically upward to a height of between about 20 and about 40 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator; (D) a water delivery head having a vertical height of between about 1.5 and about 5.0 centimeters and a maximum horizontal cross-section length of less than 5 and a minimum horizontal cross-section length of greater than 2 centimeters, the head having a head entrance hole in the bottom of the head, the delivery conduit being sealingly attached to the head so that the head entrance hole and the delivery conduit exit hole communicate in order that water can flow from the conduit into the head, the sides of the head having a plurality of side holes substantially evenly spaced over the head sides, the side holes having a diameter of between about 0.25 and about 0.40 centimeters and a length of between about 0.35 and about 0.55 centimeters, the inside entrance to the side hole being higher than the outside exit of the side hole so that a line through the center of the length of the side hole forms an angle with a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the head side hole of between about 30 and about 55 degrees.

Claim 11

A water aerator comprising: A. a submergible electrically powered water pump comprising: (i) a sealed motor housing having an electrical motor therein with a shaft rotatably connected at one end to the motor and extending from the bottom of the motor housing, the shaft having an impeller on the other end; (ii) a three-chambered housing having an inner upper chamber, an inner lower chamber, and an outer chamber surrounding the inner upper and inner lower chambers, the outer chamber having a plurality of outer chamber holes in the sides and bottom of the outer chamber to allow water to flow from outside the aerator to inside the outer chamber, the inner lower chamber having a plurality of inner lower chamber holes to allow water in the outer chamber to flow to the inside of the inner lower chamber and the top of the inner lower chamber forming the bottom of the inner upper chamber and having at least one partition hole to allow water in the inner lower chamber to flow to the inner upper chamber, the inner upper chamber side having a water outlet hole therein, communicating with a water outlet conduit which is attached to the side of the inner upper chamber and passes through the outer chamber and outer chamber side wall to allow water to flow from inside the inner upper chamber to outside the pump, the outlet conduit being attached to the side wall of the inner upper chamber so that a line through the center of the conduit into the inner upper chamber does not pass through the vertical center of the chamber, the bottom of the three-chambered housing having at least one bottom attachment means for attaching the aerator to the surface on which it rests and the top of the three-chambered housing having at least one top attachment means adapted to reversibly attach to the bottom of the motor housing so that the bottom of the motor housing forms the top of the outer chamber and the top of the inner upper chamber and the shaft and impeller of the motor housing extends into the inner upper chamber; (B) a filter material placed inside the outer chamber so that substantially all of the water entering the outer chamber through the holes therein must pass through the filter material before entering the inner lower chamber through the holes therein; (C) a delivery conduit having a delivery entrance hole and delivery exit hole with a fluid passage connecting the delivery entrance hole and the delivery exit hole, the delivery entrance hole being sealingly connected to the water outlet exit of the pump, the delivery conduit extending vertically upward to a height of between about 20 and about 40 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator; (D) a water delivery head having a vertical height of between about 1.5 and about 5.0 centimeters and a maximum horizontal cross-section length of less than 5 and a minimum horizontal cross-section length of greater than 2 centimeters, the head having a head entrance hole in the bottom of the head, the delivery conduit being sealingly attached to the head so that the head entrance hole and the delivery conduit exit hole communicate in order that water can flow from the conduit into the head, the sides of the head having a plurality of side holes substantially evenly spaced over the head sides, the side holes having a diameter of between about 0.25 and about 0.40 centimeters and a length of between about 0.35 and about 0.55 centimeters, the inside entrance to the side hole being higher than the outside exit of the side hole so that a line through the center of the length of the side hole forms an angle with a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the head side hole of between about 30 and about 55 degrees.

Claim 12

The aerator of claim 9 where the number of side outer chamber holes is between about 1 and about 20, the number of bottom outer chamber holes is between about 1 and about 12, the number of inner lower chamber holes is between about 2 and about 7 and the number of partition holes is one.

Claim 13

The aerator of claim 10 where the number of bottom attachments means is three or greater and the means are suction cups.

Claim 14

The aerator of claim 11 where the top attachment means is is a hook and eye.

Claim 15

The aerator of claim 12 where the filter material is an open pore non-woven plastic web.

Claim 16

The aerator of claim 13 where the plastic web is made of polypropylene.

Claim 17

The aerator of claim 14 where the delivery conduit extends to a height of between about 20 to about 30 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator.

Claim 18

The aerator of claim 15 where the head is cylindrically shaped with a horizontal diameter of between 2.5 and 3.5 centimeters.

Claim 19

The aerator of claim 16 where the number of head side holes is between about 6 and about 9 inclusive.

Claim 20

The aerator of claim 17 where the head side holes are all in the same horizontal plane.

Claim 21

The aerator of claim 18 where the angle made by a line through the center of the length of the head side hole and a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the head side hole is between about 38 and about 42 degrees.

Claim 22

A process for aerating the water of a live bait container which comprises pumping the water in the container by means of an electrically powered water pump essentially completely submerged in the water of the container through a delivery conduit having a delivery entrance hole on one end and a delivery exit hole on the other end with a fluid passage connecting the entrance hole and the exit hole, the delivery conduit attached to the water outlet of the pump so that water can pass from the pump through the delivery entrance hole of the conduit, said conduit extending to a height above the bottom of the pump of between about 20 and about 40 centimeters and a height above the surface of the water in which the pump is submerged of between about 4.5 and about 20 centimeters, into a water delivery head with a height of between about 5 and about 1.5 centimeters and a cross-section maximum width less than about 5 centimeters and a cross-section minimum width greater than 2 centimeters, the head having an entrance hole in the bottom sealingly attached to the delivery exit hole of the conduit so that water can pass through the conduit into the head, the vertical sides having a plurality of openings evenly spaced over the sides of the head having a diameter of between about 0.25 and about 0.40 centimeters, and a length of between about 0.35 and about 0.55 centimeters, the entrance to the opening being higher than the exit of the opening so that a line through the center of the length of the opening forms an acute angle with a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the opening of between about 30 and about 55 degrees, then, through the openings in a plurality of streams onto and below the surface of the water of the container, the streams of water contacting the surface of the water at an angle relative to a vertical line through the point of contact essentially equivalent to the angle of the opening, thereby trapping air in the form of bubbles and driving the bubbles below the surface of the water.

Claim 23

A process for aerating the water of a live bait container which comprises pumping the water in the container by means of an electrically powered water pump essentially completely submerged in the water of the container through a delivery conduit having a delivery entrance hole on one end and a delivery exit hole on the other end with a fluid passage connecting the entrance hole and the exit hole, the delivery conduit attached to the water outlet of the pump so that water can pass from the pump through the delivery entrance hole of the conduit, said conduit extending to a height above the bottom of the pump of between about 20 and about 40 centimeters and a height above the surface of the water in which the pump is submerged of between about 4.5 and about 20 centimeters, into a water delivery head with a height of between about 5 and about 1.5 centimeters and a cross-section maximum width less than about 5 centimeters and a cross-section minimum width greater than 2 centimeters, the head having an entrance hole in the bottom sealingly attached to the delivery exit hole of the conduit so that water can pass through the conduit into the head, the vertical sides having a plurality of openings evenly spaced over the sides of the head having a diameter of between about 0.25 and about 0.40 centimeters, and a length of between about 0.35 and about 0.55 centimeters, the entrance to the opening being higher than the exit of the opening so that a line through the center of the length of the opening forms an acute angle with a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the opening of between about 30 and about 55 degrees, then, through the openings in a plurality of streams onto and below the surface of the water of the container, the streams of water contacting the surface of the water at an angle relative to a vertical line through the point of contact essentially equivalent to the angle of the opening, thereby trapping air in the form of bubbles and driving the bubbles below the surface of the water.

Claim 24

The process of claim 20 where the height of the delivery conduit is adjustable.

Claim 25

The process of claim 21 where the delivery conduit is telescopic.

Claim 26

The process of claim 20 where the delivery conduit extends vertically upward to a height of between about 20 and about 30 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator and to a height above the surface of the water of between about 7 and about 18 centimeters.

Claim 27

The process of claim 23 where the delivery head is cylindrically shaped with a horizontal diameter of between 2.5 and 3.5 centimeters.

Claim 28

The process of claim 24 where the number of delivery head openings is between 6 and about 9 inclusive.

Claim 29

The process of claim 25 where the head openings are in the same horizontal plane.

Claim 30

The process of claim 26 where the angle made by a line through the center of the length of the head openings and a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the openings forms an angle of between about 38 and about 40 degrees.

Claim 31

A process for aerating the water in a container which comprises pumping the water in the container by means of a submergible electrically powered water pump where the pump comprises: A. a sealed motor housing having an electrical motor therein with a shaft rotatably connected at one end to the motor and extending from the bottom of the motor housing, the shaft having an impeller on the other end; B. a three-chambered housing having an inner upper chamber, an inner lower chamber, and an outer chamber surrounding the inner upper and inner lower chambers, the outer chamber having a plurality of outer chamber holes in the sides and bottom of the outer chamber to allow water to flow from outside the aerator to inside the outer chamber, the inner lower chamber having a plurality of inner lower chamber holes to allow water in the outer chamber to flow to the inside of the inner lower chamber and the top of the inner lower chamber forming the bottom of the inner upper chamber and having at least one partition hole to allow water in the inner lower chamber to flow to the inner upper chamber, the inner upper chamber side having a water outlet hole therein, communicating with a water outlet conduit which is attached to the side of the inner upper chamber and passes through the outer chamber and outer chamber side wall to allow water to flow from inside the inner upper chamber to outside the pump, the outlet conduit being attached to the side wall of the inner upper chamber so that a line through the center of the conduit into the inner upper chamber does not pass through the vertical center of the chamber, the bottom of the three-chambered housing having at least one bottom attachment means for attaching the aerator to the surface on which it rests and the top of the three-chambered housing having at least one top attachment means adapted to reversibly attach to the bottom of the motor housing so that the bottom of the motor housing forms the top of the outer chamber and the top of the inner upper chamber and the shaft and impeller of the motor housing extends into the inner upper chamber, said pump having a filter material placed inside the outer chamber so that substantially all of the water entering the outer chamber through the holes therein must pass through the filter material before entering the inner lower chamber through the holes therein into and through a delivery conduit having a delivery entrance hole and delivery exit hole with a fluid passage connecting the delivery entrance hole and the delivery exit hole, the delivery entrance hole being sealingly connected to the water outlet exit of the pump, the delivery conduit extending vertically upward to a height of between about 20 and about 40 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator and to a height above the surface of the water of the container of between about 4.5 and about 20 centimeters, then into a water delivery head having a vertical height of between about 1.5 and about 5.0 centimeters and a maximum horizontal cross-section length of less than 5 and a minimum horizontal cross-section length of greater than 2 centimeters, the head having a head entrance hole in the bottom of the head, the delivery conduit being sealingly attached to the head so that the head entrance hole and the delivery conduit exit hole communicate in order that water can flow from the conduit into the head, the sides of the head having a plurality of side holes substantially evenly spaced over the head sides, the side holes having a diameter of between about 0.25 and about 0.40 centimeter and a length of between about 0.35 and about 0.55 centimeters, the inside entrance to the side hole being higher than the outside exit of the side hole so that a line through the center of the length of the side hole forms an angle with a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the head side hole of between about 30 and about 55 degrees, then through the openings in a plurality of streams onto and below the surface of the water in the container, the streams of water contacting the surface of water at an angle relative to a vertical line through the point of contact essentially equivalent to the angle of the openings, thereby trapping air in the form of bubbles and driving the bubbles below the surface of the water.

Claim 32

A process for aerating the water in a container which comprises pumping the water in the container by means of a submergible electrically powered water pump where the pump comprises: A. a sealed motor housing having an electrical motor therein with a shaft rotatably connected at one end to the motor and extending from the bottom of the motor housing, the shaft having an impeller on the other end; B. a three-chambered housing having an inner upper chamber, an inner lower chamber, and an outer chamber surrounding the inner upper and inner lower chambers, the outer chamber having a plurality of outer chamber holes in the sides and bottom of the outer chamber to allow water to flow from outside the aerator to inside the outer chamber, the inner lower chamber having a plurality of inner lower chamber holes to allow water in the outer chamber to flow to the inside of the inner lower chamber and the top of the inner lower chamber forming the bottom of the inner upper chamber and having at least one partition hole to allow water in the inner lower chamber to flow to the inner upper chamber, the inner upper chamber side having a water outlet hole therein, communicating with a water outlet conduit which is attached to the side of the inner upper chamber and passes through the outer chamber and outer chamber side wall to allow water to flow from inside the inner upper chamber to outside the pump, the outlet conduit being attached to the side wall of the inner upper chamber so that a line through the center of the conduit into the inner upper chamber does not pass through the vertical center of the chamber, the bottom of the three-chambered housing having at least one bottom attachment means for attaching the aerator to the surface on which it rests and the top of the three-chambered housing having at least one top attachment means adapted to reversibly attach to the bottom of the motor housing so that the bottom of the motor housing forms the top of the outer chamber and the top of the inner upper chamber and the shaft and impeller of the motor housing extends into the inner upper chamber, said pump having a filter material placed inside the outer chamber so that substantially all of the water entering the outer chamber through the holes therein must pass through the filter material before entering the inner lower chamber through the holes therein into and through a delivery conduit having a delivery entrance hole and delivery exit hole with a fluid passage connecting the delivery entrance hole and the delivery exit hole, the delivery entrance hole being sealingly connected to the water outlet exit of the pump, the delivery conduit extending vertically upward to a height of between about 20 and about 40 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator and to a height above the surface of the water of the container of between about 4.5 and about 20 centimeters, then into a water delivery head having a vertical height of between about 1.5 and about 5.0 centimeters and a maximum horizontal cross-section length of less than 5 and a minimum horizontal cross-section length of greater than 2 centimeters, the head having a head entrance hole in the bottom of the head, the delivery conduit being sealingly attached to the head so that the head entrance hole and the delivery conduit exit hole communicate in order that water can flow from the conduit into the head, the sides of the head having a plurality of side holes substantially evenly spaced over the head sides, the side holes having a diameter of between about 0.25 and about 0.40 centimeter and a length of between about 0.35 and about 0.55 centimeters, the inside entrance to the side hole being higher than the outside exit of the side hole so that a line through the center of the length of the side hole forms an angle with a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the head side hole of between about 30 and about 55 degrees, then through the openings in a plurality of streams onto and below the surface of the water in the container, the streams of water contacting the surface of water at an angle relative to a vertical line through the point of contact essentially equivalent to the angle of the openings, thereby trapping air in the form of bubbles and driving the bubbles below the surface of the water.

Claim 33

The process of claim 28 where the number of side outer chamber holes is between about 1 and about 20, the number of bottom outer chamber holes is between about 1 and about 12, the number of inner lower chamber holes is between about 2 and about 7, the number of partition holes is one, and the conduit height above the surface of the water in the tank is between about 7 and about 18 centimeters.

Claim 34

The process of claim 29 where the number of bottom attachment means is three or greater and the means are suction cups.

Claim 35

The process of claim 30 where the top attachment means is a hook and eye.

Claim 36

The process of claim 31 where the filter material is an open pore non-woven plastic web.

Claim 37

The process of claim 32 where the plastic web is made of polypropylene.

Claim 38

The process of claim 33 where the delivery conduit extends to a height of between about 20 to about 30 centimeters above the bottom of the aerator.

Claim 39

The process of claim 34 where the head is cylindrically shaped with a horizontal diameter of between 2.5 and 3.5 centimeters.

Claim 40

The process of claim 35 where the number of head side holes is between about 6 and about 9 inclusive.

Claim 41

The process of claim 36 where the head side holes are all in the same horizontal plane.

Claim 42

The process of claim 37 where the angle made by a line through the center of the length of the head side hole and a vertical line through the cross-sectional center of the head side hole is between about 38 and about 42 degrees.