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US5062950A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Prefab filter tank with warning function

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-05-04
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Granted: 1991-11-05
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Expires: 2010-05-04
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention relates to a prefab filter tank with warning function for an aquarium which is characterized by a prefab filter tank and a space-adjustable motor seat. The filter tank and the motor seat may be freely combined to meet the filtration requirement of larger aquariums to provide better filtration; by a warning function which may emit light or sound to warn users when filter fibre pads lose their filtration function due to too many impurities deposited thereon, and by a buffer tank provided within one end of the filter tank for continuing the filtration when the filter fibre pads lose their filter function and allowing users to clean or change the filter fibre pads at a later time without endangering the life of fish in the aquarium.

Inventors

  • 👤 Wen-Yau Shieh

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 21:31
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01K; A01K63/00; A01K63/04; A01K63/045; B; B01; B01D; B01D35/00; B01D35/14; B01D35/143

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim 539 words
A prefab filter tank with warning function comprising a filter tank, a plurality of partitions, a water guiding board, a plurality of netted sheets, active carbon, filter fibre pads, motor seats, an alarm lamp seat, an overflow pipe, and a clean water pipe, wherein said filter tank is generally a rectangular and upward open tank with a removable top cover, a plurality of partition rails are bilaterally symmetrically formed on the inside of its two longer side walls for partitions to be fixedly supported therein, two sets of two preformed holes are separately provided at two ends of tank bottom, another two sets of preformed holes are separately formed on the two shorter end walls, and two pairs of suitable elongated tenons and mortises are diagonally symmetrically formed outside the two end walls normal to the tank bottom; said water guiding board is inserted in slant slots formed at one side of the partitions, said slant slots have width of about one half the width of said partitions; said netted sheets and active carbon are inserted in level slots formed at the opposite side of said partitions in a position slightly lower than the lower end of said slant slots; two of said netted sheets are separately placed on tops of partitions positioned at two sides of a main partition, a filter fibre pad is placed on each of said netted sheets on tops of said partitions; said main partition has a meshy portion below its level slot and has a solid plate portion above its level slot, two through holes are formed in said solid plate portion for said water distributing pipe and a pipe head to transversely pass there, said pipe head has an outward and downward slant pipe end extending into the space between said main partition and one end wall of said filter tank with a shutter pivotally connected to the top of said slant pipe end, the upper end of said shutter extends to form a press plate which is closely aligned with a microswitch, said microswitch together with an alarm lamp or a buzzer are disposed in said alarm lamp seat mounted on said main partition and with its top projected out said tank top cover when said cover is covered on said filter tank; said motor seat is assembled by two parts which join with each other by matching sliding bars and sliding rails separately formed on their two side walls, on one of said motor seat parts, vertical tenon and mortise are formed at its end wall to match said tenons and mortises formed on two end walls of said filter tank permitting said motor seat to join to said filter tank at either end; a keyhole-shaped opening is formed on bottom of one of said motor seat parts and cooperates with an oblong opening formed on bottom of another motor seat part to adjust space left on bottom of said motor seat for receiving a motor, and a through hole is formed on one end wall of said motor seat corresponding to said preformed holes on two end walls of said filter tank and said one of through holes on said main partition for said water distributing pipe to pass.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 539 words
A prefab filter tank with warning function comprising a filter tank, a plurality of partitions, a water guiding board, a plurality of netted sheets, active carbon, filter fibre pads, motor seats, an alarm lamp seat, an overflow pipe, and a clean water pipe, wherein said filter tank is generally a rectangular and upward open tank with a removable top cover, a plurality of partition rails are bilaterally symmetrically formed on the inside of its two longer side walls for partitions to be fixedly supported therein, two sets of two preformed holes are separately provided at two ends of tank bottom, another two sets of preformed holes are separately formed on the two shorter end walls, and two pairs of suitable elongated tenons and mortises are diagonally symmetrically formed outside the two end walls normal to the tank bottom; said water guiding board is inserted in slant slots formed at one side of the partitions, said slant slots have width of about one half the width of said partitions; said netted sheets and active carbon are inserted in level slots formed at the opposite side of said partitions in a position slightly lower than the lower end of said slant slots; two of said netted sheets are separately placed on tops of partitions positioned at two sides of a main partition, a filter fibre pad is placed on each of said netted sheets on tops of said partitions; said main partition has a meshy portion below its level slot and has a solid plate portion above its level slot, two through holes are formed in said solid plate portion for said water distributing pipe and a pipe head to transversely pass there, said pipe head has an outward and downward slant pipe end extending into the space between said main partition and one end wall of said filter tank with a shutter pivotally connected to the top of said slant pipe end, the upper end of said shutter extends to form a press plate which is closely aligned with a microswitch, said microswitch together with an alarm lamp or a buzzer are disposed in said alarm lamp seat mounted on said main partition and with its top projected out said tank top cover when said cover is covered on said filter tank; said motor seat is assembled by two parts which join with each other by matching sliding bars and sliding rails separately formed on their two side walls, on one of said motor seat parts, vertical tenon and mortise are formed at its end wall to match said tenons and mortises formed on two end walls of said filter tank permitting said motor seat to join to said filter tank at either end; a keyhole-shaped opening is formed on bottom of one of said motor seat parts and cooperates with an oblong opening formed on bottom of another motor seat part to adjust space left on bottom of said motor seat for receiving a motor, and a through hole is formed on one end wall of said motor seat corresponding to said preformed holes on two end walls of said filter tank and said one of through holes on said main partition for said water distributing pipe to pass.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3746168A Cited
US4039453A Cited
US4220530A Cited
US4892651A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-11-04 1995-05-06 1995-11-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-11-04 1999-05-06 1999-11-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-11-04 2003-05-06 2003-11-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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