GB2165965A - Control system for an aquarium or other artificial habitat - Google Patents

Abstract

A control system, for an aquarium or other artificial habitat, includes a clock controlling energisation at least of artificial lights L1, L2 so that these are illuminated for a "daytime" period each day and extinguished for a "night-time" period. Only one of the lights may be illuminated for "dawn" and "twilight" periods. Other units, such as an air pump AP and a filter pump FP, may be controlled by the clock. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Control system for an aquarium or other artificial habitat This invention relates to a control system for an aquarium or for a similarly enclosed, artificial habitat for other creatures.

Generally in aquaria or enclosures for other creatures, such lights, thermostatically-regulated heaters, air pumps or water pumps etc., as are provided, are constantly engerised unless switched off manually. I have now devised a control system for controlling such units, so as to simulate the natural environment of the fish or other creatures.

In accordance with my invention, there is provided a control system for an aquarium or other artificial habitat, which control system includes a clock controlling energisation at least of artificial lights during a daytime period each day, and de-energising at least those lights for a night-time period.

Apart from lights, other units which condition the environment of the fish or other creatures, may also or instead be controlled by the control system, for more closely simulating the natural environment of the particular fish or other creatures in question.

in the case of lights, these may pass through a "twilight" period before total darkness, then pass through a "dawn" period before full illumination. For example, two lights may be illuminated during the daytime period and only one of them (preferably of lower power) illuminated during the twilight and dawn periods.

In the case of an aquarium, preferably the air pump is inactive until the daytime period (i.e. the period of full illumination), so that the specimens' respiratory functions have become fully active after resting. Then the aeration becomes available when it is most likely to be needed to aid respiration, without subjecting the specimens to shock whilst resting. Preferably also, the external water filter of the aquarium is not energised until some time after the air pump. This ensures that aeration is at peak efficiency with regard to circulation currents, so that particles of detritus from the gravel substrate are suspended to allow efficient extraction by the external filter unit, to ensure that there is a good water movement which serves to aid mixing of the returned, filtered water, particularly as this could be of a different temperature.

Preferably also, the returned, filtered water is pulsed into the aquarium (at least when the filter pump is first energised each time) in order to be dispersed by the circulation currents. Simultaneously, water enters the external filter unit in pulses through the filter syphon. The pulsing greatly reduces the possibility of temperature shock to the fish.

In the night-time period of no illumination, the fish rest and their respiratory functions do not need the aeration and the air pump is deenergised. Filtration now becomes efficient, so that the external filter pump can also be rested.

Optionally, the air pump may be arranged to operate only when the thermostat causes the heater to be energised. Simultaneous operation of the heater and air pump provides for efficient distribution of heat, thus saving electricity. This mode of operation may be continued through the night-time period: occasional aeration at night can be beneficial because the plants are no longer generating oxygen.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of the control panel of a system for an aquarium in accordance with this invention; and Figure 2 is a simplified, schematic blockdiagram of the control system associated with the aquarium.

The typical aquarium shown in Fig. 2 is provided with a heater H regulated by a thermostat T, an air pump AP for pumping air to a biological filter BF under the gravel substrate S and also to an aeration stone AS, and a filter pump FP which pumps air to an external filter box FB to return filtered water to the aquarium and to draw water from the aquarium and into the filter box via the filter syphon FS. The aquarium is further provided with two lights L1 and L2.

The various units just described are controlled by an electronic control system and Fig. 1 shows the control panel on the front of its housing. A key-switch 6 is provided for switching the system to OFF, manual or automatic modes:- indicator 4 or 5 illuminates according to whether manual or automatic mode is selected. In manual mode, each of switches 7-10 can be activated to energise (respectively) light L1, light L2, the air pump AP or the filter pump FP:- each switch becomes illuminated when activated.

A digital clock display 11 is provided and oscillates when automatic mode is selected. A button 13 when pressed causes seconds to be displayed, a button 14 when pressed causes the clock display to advance slowly, and a button 1 5 when pressed causes the clock display to advance rapidly: however, as tamper-prevention, each of buttons 13-15 only operates as described if a further button 12 is simultaneously pressed. A button 16 when pressed tests an audible alarm circuit, which is powered by a battery and emits an alarm in the event of a mains tower failure.

Indicators 17-20 flash when the respective lights L1, L2, the air pump or the filter pump is energised. An indicator 21 flashes to show that a clock pulse generator of the system is running and that the power supply is functioning correctly.

The rear of the control system housing (not shown) is provided with a holder for the alarm circuit battery, with outputs to the two lights, the air pump, filter pump and heater, and with an input connector for mains power.

The block circuit diagram in Fig. 2 shows many of the elements described with reference to Fig. 1. The manual mode will be clear from the above description and the circuit diagram has been simplified in that respect, but a description of the automatic mode will now be given with reference to Fig. 2.

It will firstly be assumed that programme switches PS1-4 (which can be set by the user) are set as follows:- PS1 and PS3 are OFF and PS2 and PS4 are ON. When automatic mode is selected, indicators 5 and 21 and the display 11 are illuminated. The user can select the precise periods of illumination of lights L1, L2 by means of binary-codeddecimal setting switches 30: comparators 31 compare the real time (via decoders 32) with the time settings and when appropriate direct power to the respective light outputs L01, L02, of the housing to indicators 17, 18 and to AND logic 33.Thus when both lights are energised, logic 33 acts to power the air pump via output APO: further, a binary counter BC commences and when it reaches a predetermined count, a preset number of pulses are delivered to the filter pump via output FPO, whereafter power is delivered continuously to FPO.

When eventually, at the preset time, one of the lights is de-energised, then the AND logic 33 removes power from both the air pump and filter pump.

Optionally, an auto-control circuit 34 for the air pump may be wired into the system by the user. Then, each time the thermostat contacts close (to deliver power to the heater), power is passed by circuit 34 to the air pump output APO, also commencing the binary counter to pulse the filter pump its preset number of times, after the usual predetermined delay. The circuit 34 is provided with indicators 1, 2 which are energised according to whether the heater is on or off, respectively. This optional circuit can be switched on by a switch 3 (Fig. 1), which is itself illuminated when activated.

The pulsing circuit includes programme switches PS5-10: any one of switches PS5-PS8 is set by the user to select a delay time period of say 33, 16, 8 or 4 minutes respectively, and either of switches PS9, PS10 is set to supply either 7 or 3 pulses to the filter pump before its continuous operation.

Further options are selectable by the programme switches PS1-PS4, the selected option being effective when automatic mode is selected. These options are as follows: 1) Power is supplied immediately and continuously to the air pump output APO, and continuously to the filter pump output FPO after the usual time delay and predetermined number of pulses. For this, PS1, PS2 and PS4 are on and PS3 is off.

2) As option (1) above, but power to the air pump output APO is cut when the power to the filter pump output FPO becomes continuous. For this, PS1, PS2 and PS4 are off and PS3 is on.

3) Power is supplied immediately and continuously to the air pump output APO, but no power is supplied to the filter output. For this, PS1, PS2 and PS4 are on but PS3 and PS5-10 are off.

4) No power is supplied to either pump outputs APO or FPO. For this, PS4 is on but PS1-PS3 and PS5-PS10 are all off.

Claims (9)

1. A control system for an aquarium or other artificial habitat, which control system includes a clock controlling energisation at least of artificial lights during a daytime period each day, and de-energising at least those lights for a night-time period.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1, arranged for the lights to provide partial iilumination for a "twilight" period before the nighttime period, and for a "dawn" period before the daytime period.

3. A control system as claimed in claim 2, in which two artificial lights are provided, both of these being illuminated during the daytime period but only one being illuminated during the "twilight" and "dawn" periods.

4. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, for an aquarium, arranged to render an air pump for the aquarium inactive until the daytime period.

5. A control system as claimed in claim 4, arranged so that an external water pump for the aquarium is not energised until some time after the air pump.

6. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, for an aquarium, including means for pulsing returned, filtered water into the aquarium (at least when the filter pump is first energised each time).

7. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, for an aquarium, arranged to energise an air pump for the aquarium only when a thermostat causes a heater for the aquarium to be energised.

8. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, combined with an aquarium which it is arranged to control.

9. A control system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.