FR3064883B1 - DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC PRESENTATION OF LIVE AQUATIC ORGANISMS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for dynamic presentation of living aquatic organisms, this device comprising a reservoir (1) at least partially substantially transparent, having a bottom (10) and an opening (11) at its end opposite to the bottom, the reservoir having in its bottom a plurality of holes (40) for the passage of water and / or air under pressure.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC PRESENTATION OF LIVE AQUATIC ORGANISMS

The present invention relates to a device and a method for dynamic presentation of living aquatic organisms. The invention finds a particularly important, although not exclusive, application for seaworms, especially American worms, which are used as live bait for recreational fishing at sea.

These organisms are usually delivered to sales outlets in large cardboard boxes for transporting more than 100 live worms per box.

These worms are then repackaged at points to become, when purchased by a consumer.

In order to facilitate the work of the vendors, long-term conditioning and preservation systems for sea worms have been proposed, comprising a stack of retention trays and means for feeding recycled water through the top of the stack. In this regard, particular mention may be made of documents FR 2 847 767 and FR 2 963 871.

Each of these trays is a packing of sale, in which worms are packaged in small quantities.

These packaging systems provide full satisfaction because they allow to preserve the worms for several months while avoiding any manipulation during the sale, which allows sellers to save time.

However, potential buyers know that these fishing vessels are fragile organisms that are unable to live for a long time outside of their natural environment. However, these packages do not allow buyers to easily control the health status of worms.

In some outlets, worms are kept in a pool, which should allow buyers to properly view them before purchasing them.

However, this is not the case in practice because the natural instinct of these verses is to hide. They can for example slip behind stones, seaweed or bury themselves in the marine substrate present at the bottom of the aquarium, position themselves in a hidden corner of the aquarium or group together in a tight ball, thus making their ends invisible. Moreover, in many cases, these verses are confused with the relief and the color of the seabed and they are all the less visible for a buyer that they remain flat on the ground and flee light.

Thus, even presented in a pool, it is not easy for a user to see these worms correctly, so as to control their health status. The invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by proposing a device and a dynamic presentation method of living aquatic organisms, making them visible to consumers, while ensuring their good health.

Thus, the invention particularly relates to a device for dynamic presentation of living aquatic organisms, the device comprising a reservoir at least partially substantially transparent, having a bottom and an opening at its end opposite the bottom, the tankcomportant in its bottom a plurality of holesdestinés passage water and / or pressurized air.

Thus, when the tank is filled with water, currents are generated inside the tank, which allows the aquatic organisms to be moved and made always perfectly visible to an outside observer placed near the device and this, whatever its angle devue.

Particularly advantageously, the device also comprises a tube placed inside the tank, open at its two ends, and at least partially substantially transparent, the lower end of the latter being positioned at a distance from the bottom of the tank and in line with the holes, while its upper opening is at least partly located more near the bottom of the tank than the upper end of the tank.

With this arrangement, it is possible, once the tank filled with water, to create ascending and descending currents inside the tank and thus to completely control the positioning and movement of aquatic organisms such as worms in the device.

It is thus possible to obtain a movement of upwards or downwards downwards, which one can control the speed and which will give the impression that the sea worms dance a strange ballet.

This device thus makes it possible to create special effects contributing to the enhancement of the aquatic organisms that it contains.

In advantageous embodiments, there is also and / or more recourse to one and / or the other of the following provisions: the holes are perforations of a grill the section is inscribed in that of the tube; - the tank is cylindrical; - the tube is cylindrical; the reservoir and the tube are substantially concentric; the device comprises a removable cover; the tube is integral with the lid; the wall of the tube is partially cut in its upper part; the connection between the lid and the tube is carried out by the uncut upper part of the tube; - At its upper end, the paroidu tube is cut on a sector between180 ° and 300 ° and preferably about 270 °; the volume of the tube represents from 30 to 50% of the volume of the reservoir; the distance between the bottom of the tank and the bottom end of the tube is preferably between 2 and 3 centimeters. the lower part of the wall of the tube is cut in such a way that the distance between the bottom of the tank and the lower end of the tube is shorter in the area above the undivided upper part of the wall than in the zone to the 'plumb with the cut top of the wall. the device comprises battery lighting means. - comprising an evacuation opening in the tank wall, and an anti-overflow device for aquatic organisms. The invention also proposes a method for the dynamic presentation of living aquatic organisms in which a device is filled with water according to the invention and the water is generated in the water, by means of jets of water and / or air, to drive said organisms according to these currents. The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of embodiments of the device according to the invention, given as non-limiting examples.

The description refers to the drawings which accompany it in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the device according to the invention in operation.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the device illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective viewpartially illustrating the upper part of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating in more detail the lower part of the device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a device illustrated in FIG.

The elements common to the different figuress will be designated by the same references.

Reference is first made to FIGS. 1 and 2, which show an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention.

It comprises an external reservoir 1, for example transparent plexiglass, here of formecylindrique.

However, the invention is not limited to this form and the reservoir could generally have a parallelepiped shape.

This reservoir comprises at one end a bottom 10, surrounded by a wall 14, and it is open at its end 11 opposite the bottom.

The bottom 10 is intended to rest on a supportwhen it is in operation and the open end 11 then constitutes the upper end of reservoir 1. Inside the tank 1, here is arranged a tube 2 which is, meanwhile, open at both ends 20 and 21.

The reservoir 1, like the tube 2, are preferably made of a transparent material. They can also be made only partially in a transparent or substantially transparent material.

They may in particular be made of plastic or glass.

When the tank is cylindrical in shape, the height of the cap may for example be 2 to 3 times greater than its diameter.

In addition, the diameter of the tube 2 may be approximately 30 to 50% of the diameter of the reservoir 2. For example, the reservoir 1 has a diameter of 30 cm and a height of 66 cm, whereas the tube 2 has a diameter of about 12 cm and a height of 63 cm.

The tube 2 is here of round section but the invention is not limited to this embodiment.

The tube 2 is kept inside the tank 1 so that its most proximal end 20 of the tank 10 is away from it.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, this is obtained by hooking the tube 2 ontouvouvercle removable 3, intended to close at least partially the opening 11.

The distance between the lower end 20 of the tube and the bottom 10 of the tank isincluded between 2 and 3 cm.

FIGS. 1 and 2 also show that a grid 4 is provided in the bottom 10 of the tank 1.

This grid will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4. It is pierced with a plurality of holes which are intended for the passage of water and / or air under pressure.

Of course, the invention is not limited to this embodiment and the holes could be made directly in the bottom of the tank.

Thus, in operation, the device is connected to means for supplying air or underpressure water which makes it possible to create jets of air or water through the holes of the grid.

Figures 1 and 2 show that the tube 2 isdisposed substantially vertically above the grid 4 which is here circular and whose diameter is inscribed in that of the tube.

This arrangement will make it possible to create a flowcurrent inside the tube 2 when the device is filled with water and in operation, the water then going down into the peripheral annular space located between the outer wall of the tube 2 and the inner wall of the reservoir 1 .

Finally, the device comprises a box 6 which is arranged above the lid 3.

This box is intended to house lighting means and power supply means for the latter.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover 3 and the casing 6 preferably have a similar section to that of the tank 1. The invention is however not limited to this embodiment.

These figures also show the presence of an opening 12 in the wall 14 of the tank 1. This opening opens into a conduit 13 and makes it possible to evacuate the overflow of water present in the tank 1, when the device is depressed. A net 12 'prevents the passage of versvers.

This opening is here made vis-à-vis the vertical part 23 of the tube which will be described later.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which illustrates in greater detail the upper opening 21 of the tube, opposite the opening 20, as well as the cover 3.

FIG. 3 shows that the upper part of the tube 2, that is the one furthest from the bottom 10, is cut on a sector comprised between 180 ° -300 ° and here equal to 270 °. This recess is carried out over a portion of the height of the tube, in particular between 10 and 20% of its height, the cube being kept intact at its upper ends 24 and this, over a height of a few centimeters, to form a section 22. C ' is by this cylindrical section 22 that the tube 2 is hooked in the lid 3.

This section 22 is for example inserted by force into a central opening 30 of the cover 3.

Of course, the invention is not limited to this embodiment and other means could be provided for hooking the tube 2 to the lid 3.

In particular, the tube could have a completely cylindrical shape, vertical fasteners being provided on the edges of the opening 21 to allow hooking of the tube to the lid.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the vertical part 23, which connects the section 22 to the rest of the tube, makes it possible to provide the necessary mechanical strength for the integral connection between the tube 2 and the cover 3.

Moreover, as confirmed by FIGS. 1 and 2, the edges of the opening 21 are located closer to the bottom 10 of the tank than the upper ends 11 of the tank.

FIG. 4 illustrates in greater detail the lower part of the device according to the embodiment of the invention more particularly described here.

It illustrates the grid 4 present in the bottom 10 of the tank and the tube 2, positioned at the foot of the grid 4.

As indicated above, the lower end 20 is away from the bottom of the tank so as to arrange a passage between the tube and the bottom where the water rises in the tube.

Moreover, because of the presence of the vertical part 23, the water flow is limited between the inner wall of the tank and the outer wall ofthe vertical part as the outer wall dutube located vertically above this vertical part.

Thus, at the level of the lower opening 20 of the tube, the current is also quite low above the vertical portion 23 and sometimes insufficient to drive the worms inside the tube. This is why FIG. 4 shows that the lower end 20 has a particular profile.

With this profile, the space between the bottom of the tank 10 and the lower end 20 of the tube is less important in line with the vertical wall 23que on the rest of the periphery of the tube, for example of the order of 1.5 cm .

In other words, on a sector corresponding substantially to that on which the upper part of the tube is cut, the lower part of the tube is also cut, the recessed part bearing the reference 25 and the remainder of the lower end, the reference 26.

With this arrangement, a suction force is created between the bottom of the tube and the portion 26 dutube, which allows to pass the versitions in this area inside the tube 2.

The grid 4 is here pierced by 16 holes 40 which are distributed in pairs on rays 45 ° apart from each other. For example, the perforated grid may have a diameter of 12 cm and the holes diameter of 3 mm.

The operation of the device will be as follows.

First of all, the reservoir is filled with water, so that its level is located above the edge of the opening 21 of the tube 2. It is natural or reconstituted water demer.

Preferably, the height between the level 15 and the opening 21 is between 2 and 6 cm.

Sea worms 5 are then introduced into the tube 2.

Finally, the inlet means of air or water underpressure are actuated so as to inject water or air continuously into the tube 2, jets jets that are generated at the grid 4 andwhich are schematically illustrated by the arrows F on FIG.

The jets of water or air generated at the bottom 10 create an upward flow (of adjustable flow) in the tube 2 which makes it possible to raise the water inside the tube 2 until the opening 21. The water is then overflowed by this opening and spreads into the space between the outer wall of the tube 2 and the inner wall of the tank 1.

This creates a downward current which will then feed through the bottom of the tube 2 the current ascension created in it. This circulation of water is permitted thanks to the clear space between the lower opening 20 of the tube 2 and the bottom 10 of the reservoir.

Marine worms which have a density close to the water will be automatically driven by ascending and descending water currents and will therefore see their course imposed within the device according to the invention.

This ensures a complete and perfect vision of the body of the worms, this 360 ° vision having anattractive effect on the potential buyers.

Furthermore, the device according to the inventionpermet to create special animations and special effects such as a weightlessness, circumnavigations, illusions of choreographic dance or spin effects.

This can be achieved by modulating the current velocity and its direction, adjusting the flow of the objects and their direction, in particular by changing the distribution and the density of the holes in the grid.

These effects can also be increased by appropriately using the lighting means 60 present in the cover 6. By way of example, a gate of the type illustrated in FIG. 4, having a diameter of 12 cm and destrous the diameter of which is 3 mm can deliver a flow rate of 20 liters per minute. This permits the generation of a rising current that will cause the worms to rise very rapidly into the reservoir until organisms that are almost weightless and elegantly dry in open water.

This controlled slow motion enhances the shape, color and movement of marine organisms.

The presence of the tube 2 inside the tank allows to create an upward movement and a downward movement which are perfectly controlled. However, the invention is not limited to this embodiment and the device could be devoid of tube, jets of water or air creating currents allowing the worms to move inside the tank.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 which describes a variant embodiment of the net 12 'illustrated in FIG. 1. As indicated above, it makes it possible to prevent the worms from passing through the overflow opening 12.

When the tube 2 is present, this risk islimited since the vertical wall 23 prevents the passage of worms. This risk is much more important in the absence of the tube. However, the worms may then agglutinate against the net and thus plug the opening 12, which is detrimental to the operation of the device.

To avoid these drawbacks, FIG. 5 shows an anti-crossing device formed of a box 7 delimited by four vertical walls 71 to 74 and whose upper part is open and the lower part is closed by a grid 70 arranged horizontally (or parallel to the bottom of the tank ).

This grid may have relatively large meshes, for example 2 mm.

The box is positioned against the inner wall of the tank so that the grid 70 is located under the overflow opening 12, so as to be a few millimeters below the surface of the water when the tank is filled with water.

Thus, the vertical walls 71 to 74 and the grid70 prevent aquatic organisms from passing from the reservoir into the opening 12, without the passage of water is prevented. Moreover, the versne do not agglutinate against the grid.

In fact, aquatic organisms such as swimming swimmers naturally follow the current of evacuation and then meet an obstacle with this grid even with wide mesh, because the position to flee is not favorable to them. In fact, swimming ensues, a certain number of worms try to flee but their heads dodeling permanently under the gate, forbid them access to a precise mesh. Moreover, in full water thevers do not have support. As a result, the grid 70 becomes an unstoppable obstacle to the passage of all sides by improving the passage of water due to its enlarged mesh. In addition, the unwanted wastes such as mucus secreted by the worms, with very sticky properties, contained in the dubac water, pass through the grid in a smaller quantity because of the very high position of the latter in the beak.

As is obvious and as it follows from the foregoing, the present invention is notlimited to the more specifically described embodiments. It encompasses all variants and especially those in which a device for cooling and / or filtration of water is associated with the device according to the invention.

Claims (2)

1.Dynamic presentation device of living aquatic organisms, the device comprising a reservoir (1) at least partially transparent, having a bottom (10) surrounded by a wall (14) and an opening (11) sonextrémité opposite the bottom, the tank comprising, in its bottom, a plurality of holes (40) for passing water and / or air under pressure and also a tube (2) placed inside the tank, open at both ends, and at least partially substantially transparent, the lower end (20) of the latter being positioned at a distance from the bottom of the tank and at the right level. 2. Device according to claim 1, whereinthe upper opening (21) of the tube is at least partly located closer to the bottom of the reservoir tank than the upper end of the reservoir. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holes are perforations of a gram whose section is inscribed in the dutube. 4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tank is cylindrical. 5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tube is cylindrical. 6. Device according to claims 4 and 5, wherein the reservoir and the tube are substantiallyconcentric. 7. Device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 comprising a cover (3) removable. 8. Device according to claim 7, whereinthe tube (2) is integral with the lid. 9. Device according to any one of claims therein 8, wherein the wall of the tube (2) is partially cut in its upperparts. 10. Device according to claim 9, in which the connection between the lid and the tube is performed by the uncut upper part dutube. 11. Device according to claims 9 and 10in which, at its upper end, the wall of the tube is cut on a sector between 180 and 320 ° and preferably about 270 °. 12. Device according to one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the volume of the tube is 30-50% of the volume of the tank. 13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the distance between the bottom (10) durservoir (1) and the lower end (20) of the tube (2) is between 2 and 3 centimeters. 14. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the lower part of the wall of the tube is cut so that the distance between the bottom of the tank and the lower end of the tube is shorter in an area (26) in line with the undivided upper part of the wall (23) than in an area (25) in line with the cut-out upper part of the wall. 15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 14, comprising lighting means (60) duréservoir. 16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 15, comprisinga discharge opening (12) in the wall (14) of the tank, and an anti-overflow device (12 ', 7) for aquatic organisms. 17. A method for dynamically presenting living aquatic organisms in which a device according to one of the claims 1 to 16 is filled with water and generated in the water, by means of jets of water and / or air in order to drive said organisms according to these currents.