FR2618977A1 - Aquarium with air pockets - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device making it possible to increase oxygen and carbon dioxide gas exchanges within aquaria between the outside air and the water in the tank. It is formed by one or more accumulations of air replenished by a pump. In the application illustrating this abstract, the arrangement of the invention is the following: 1 and 2 represent a side wall and the bottom wall of a parallelepipedal aquarium, and 6 represents a fine mesh supporting a filter under gravel (graded coral sand) 5. Inside this aquarium, air and water flows are set up in the following manner: As regards the air, this is conveyed under pressure by the pipe 8, and escapes in bubbles 13 through the orifice 9, feeding the layer of air C. The excess of this layer of air C is evacuated through the orifice 10, to an air diffuser 12 via the pipe 11, in the form of small bubbles 13. As regards the water, the rising of bubbles 13 in the tube 15 causes the water to be drawn up from the bottom layer D via the inlet orifice 14, to the top of the layer A. Because of this suction, the layer of water D is replenished by sucking water from the layer B, which itself sucks water through the mesh 6 and the filter 5 of the layer A. Thus, these two circuits meet at the contact surface 16, providing a useful addition to the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange between the air supplied and the water in the aquarium.

Description

 The present invention relates to a device for obtaining optimized oxygen and carbon dioxide contents in the water of aquariums.

In aquariums, the level of oxygen in the water is one of the fundamental factors that diverge from natural conditions. In rivers or oceans, the content of
Oxygen is very high, even maximum. In the aquarium, the amount of oxygen consumed by all animals, algae and bacteria is important. Its renewal and the elimination of carbon dioxide released are major concerns for aquarists and for aquarium builders themselves. They are rarely performed optimally. All aquatic animals are indeed consumers of oxygen and producers of carbon dioxide (C02), which in turn intoxicates them.

The most economical usual methods for ensuring these gas exchanges consist in mixing the water using porous diffusers connected to air pumps. These diffusers are generally installed at the bottom of aquariums, or inside vertical tubes in water. Thus, the release of carbon dioxide (Co2) and the absorption of oxygen by water are caused in 2 ways - by the contact of air bubbles with water during their
rise - but essentially by natural gas exchange at the surface
air / water contact. The installation of air diffusers has
especially for the role of ensuring a permanent circulation circuit
of water entrained by air bubbles from the bottom to the surface.

Arrival at the surface, the water in the bottom layers can be charged
in Oxygen that she lost, and discharge the anhydride because
bonique (C02) harmful, whose biological processes have
saturated.

For this, we have the upper air / water surface of
the aquarium, limited in size.

 Only few or fragile animals can be kept in this case, and the proportions of water volume / air-water contact surface require dimensions limited to the tanks.

 The invention consists in injecting pressurized air by means of a pump, which supplies one or more air pockets, retained by a bell-shaped or cover-shaped device in the aquarium, so to prevent air from rising to the surface. The lower part of this (these) pocket (s) is free, and comes into contact with the aquarium water. The evacuation of this renewed air in the pocket (s) is ensured by overflow orifices, at a well determined level and location. Because of these configurations, the pocket (s) are provided with constant air circulation and thickness.

 On the other hand, a circulation of water is established in the aquarium, in such a way that the bottom layer in particular is caused by the current created to move under and in contact with the pocket (s) d 'air. This water is thus constantly re-oxygenated and discharged into carbon dioxide. The device therefore achieves the desired result, which is, by recycling the water, maintaining favorable oxygen and carbon dioxide contents of the interior of the aquarium, beyond what the exchanges provide. limited to the surface. This effect is amplified by the device because the air in the pocket (s) being at a higher pressure than that of the atmosphere, its density is greater, and the gas exchanges amplified accordingly.

 The figures of the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting example, will make it clear how the invention can be implemented, the same elements being designated by the same numerical or literal references.

 Figure 1 is a side sectional view showing the lower part of an aquarium, with a device according to the invention.

 Figure 2 is a bottom view of the same aquarium, provided with the same device.

 In Figure 1, we discover glass plates seen in section: the side walls (1) and bottom of the aquarium (2) as well as the plates (3) and (4), which, mounted in the form of a cover , will retain the air necessary for the proper functioning of the invention.

 The air circuit is made up as follows: the outside air comes under pressure through the supply pipe (8) and escapes in bubbles (13) from the orifice (9). Thus the pocket (D) is supplied with fresh air. The orifices (10) act as an overflow for this pocket, the air rising under the effect of the pressure difference, via the pipes (11), to escape in bubbles (13) through diffusers (12).

 The water circuit is thus established: the bubbles (13) rising in the tubes (15) drive the columns of water contained in these tubes to be mounted. They cause a suction effect through the orifices (14) on the water layer (C). This aspiration on the layer (C) is reflected on the layer (B), which reflects it on the water of the useful layer through the grid (6) and the filter (5).

The water leaving the tops of the tubes (15) regenerates that of the useful layer (A).

 These two circuits come into contact with the air / water contact surface (16), through which the oxygen / carbon dioxide exchanges necessary between air and water take place.

 In Figure 2, we can see, in addition to the same elements described above, a glass wall (7), also noted in Figure 1. This wall (7) rises from the bottom of the aquarium (2), up to mid -level of the air layer (D). By this arrangement, if we observe Figure 2, we see that the water descending from the layer (B) through the slots (17) passes through the aquarium at full length, circulating under the layer of air (C), to be aspirated in (14). Thus, the entire contact surface (16) is used for gaseous stools, thereby increasing their intensity.

 After these explanations, it becomes clear that one can integrate this device and these circuits in several copies if necessary, independent or not, with superimposed or offset air pockets, within the same tank.

Claims (5)

1) Device for optimizing the oxygen and  carbon dioxide from aquarium water, characterized by  what it uses a pressurized air circuit (s)  feeding one (or more) pocket (s) of captive air (s) into the aqua  rium, whose lower surface (s) is (are) at  contact with water.  2) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it  create one (or more) water circuits, coming into contact with the party  bottom of the air pocket (s). 3) device according to claim 1, characterized by the eva  cuation of the air in the pocket (s) by overflows,  which maintain the thickness and the renewal cons  aunts. 4) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that If  several pockets are used, they can be superpo  entered or offset from each other and generated  by one (or more) circuit (s) according to claim 2. 5) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that  the water circuit (s), according to claim 2, can (wind)  be generated by the adequate diffusion of pro air bubbles  coming from the air circuit according to claim 1.