GB2215571A

GB2215571A - Cleaner for aquarium

Info

Publication number: GB2215571A
Application number: GB8806984A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chi Shiang Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-03-22
Filing date: 1988-03-23
Publication date: 1989-09-27
Also published as: FR2628938A3; FR2628938B3; GB8806984D0; DE8803860U1

Abstract

A cleaner for aquarium having a cover (1), a cylindrical stem (2) which is threadably secured in a first annular protrusion (11) of the cover (1), a hand-like element which is partly encompassed by the cylindrical stem (2), and a handle (4). The upper distal end of the hand-like element receives the handle (4), and the lower distal end of the hand-like element is forked into a plurality of fingers 31. The rotation of which agitates all the gravel within the cover. Therefore, the movement and collision of the gravel dislodges not only the impurities from the surface of the gravel but also stirs up the impurities deposited on the bottom end of the aquarium. A pump 6 draws water and impurities from the aquarium and returns water via filter 7. <IMAGE>

Description

CLEANER FOR AQUARIUM The present invention relates to a cleaner for an aquarium, and more particularly relates to a cleaner wherein a hand-like element is provided to agitate the gravel in the aquarium.

Conventional cleaning structures for aquariums often comprise several sieving plates on which the gravel is disposed. A distal end of a waste-pipe is provided beneath the bottom end of the sieving plates and the other distal end of the waste-pipe is connected to a pump. Therefore, the impurities of the water are filtered out via gravel and stored in the sieving plates by the pump. It should be noted that only part of impurities are filtered out from the water and the impurities left in the aquarium cause water pollution.

This application has arisen from work in seeking to obviate and/or mitigate the above-mentioned problem.

This invention, therefore, provides a cleaner for an aquarium wherein a cover with a plurality of stripshaped protuberances formed therein is provided to define the region of the gravel to be cleaned, and the strip-shaped protuberances can increases the extent of the collision of the gravel.

This invention also provides a cleaner for an aquarium wherein a hand-like element is provided to agitate and clean the gravel.

This invention further provides a cleaner for an aquarium wherein an annular protrusion is mounted on the cover for receiving a waste-pipe and the impurities of water via the annular protrusion are filtered out.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaner for an aquarium in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaner for the aquarium of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, it can be seen that a cleaner for an aquarium in accordance with the present invention comprises a cover 1, a cylindrical stem 2 which is threadably secured on the cover 1, a hand-like element 3 which is partly encompassed by the cylindrical stem 2, and a handle 4 which receives a distal end of the hand-like element 3.

The cover 1 preferably has a cylindrical shape and the top. surface of the cover 1 slopes upward from the periphery thereof to the center thereof. Further, the center of the top surface of the cover 1 is funnelshaped, with a first annular protrusion 11 provided thereon. Moreover, a second annular protrusion 12 is provided on the top surface of the cover 1 for receiving a waste-pipe 5. A plurality of strip-shaped protruberances 13 are formed on the lower interior of the cover 1.

The height of the top of the protuberances 13 is preferably higher than the height of the accumulated gravel, and is about half of the height of the cover 1.

The cylindrical stem 2 has a threaded reinforced wall on its distal end for being threadably secured on the first annular protrusion 11. The height of the cylindrical stem 2 is preferably higher than the height of the aquarium so that it is easy for the user to grasp the stem 2 while in use.

The hand-like element 3 has an elongate body which is encompassed by the cylindrical stem 2. The upper portion of the hand-like element 3 is shaped so as to form a crank. Due to the shape of the crank, a handle 4 receives the upper distal end of the hand-like element 3 so as to facilitate the manual rotation of the handlike element 3. A lower distal end of the hand-like element 3 is forked into a plurality of fingers 31. As can be seen in Fig. 1, all the fingers 31 are arranged in a plane; nevertheless, diverse arrangements of the finger-like elements are possible, for example, a semispherical arrangement. It is of great significance that the rotation of the fingers 31 agitates the pieces of gravel within the cover 1 so that they collide with one another. Moreover, the protuberances 13 increase the extent of collision of the gravel.

The movement and collision of the gravel not only dislodges the impurities from the surface of the gravel but also stirs up the impurities deposited on the bottom end of the aquarium.

A pump 6 is connected to a distal end of the waste-pipe 5 and is in communication with the cover 1 via the second annular protrusion 12. While the handlike element 3 is rotated, the water mixed with impurities is forced out of the cover 1 via the second annular protrusion 12 and waste-pipe 5 by the pump 6, and then, streams into the aquarium through a sieving gauze 7. The sieving gauze 7 filters the impurities out of the water. At the same time, the gravel remains in the aquarium due to its weight.

Understandably, the bottom end of the aquarium can be divided into several parts according to the dimension of the cover 1 as per this application.

Therefore, the impurities can be filtered out part by part with the cleaner in accordance with this invention.

While the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cleaner for aquarium being connected to a waste pipe and in communication with a pump, comprising: a cover having a cylindrical shape; a first annular protrusion being provided at a center of a top surface of said cover; and a second annular protrusion being provided on said top surface of said cover for receiving said waste-pipe; a cylindrical stem being threadably secured on said first annular protrusion; a hand-like element having an elongate body which is encompassed by said cylindrical stem; an upper portion of said hand-like element being shaped so as to form a crank; a lower distal end of said hand-like element being forked into a plurality of fingers for agitating gravel in said aquarium; and a handle receiving said upper distal end of said hand-like element so as to facilitate manual rotation of said hand-like element.

2. A cleaner for aquarium according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of strip-shaped protuberances are formed on a lower interior of said cover so as to increase a extent of a collision of said gravel.

3. A cleaner for aquarium, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

4. Any novel feature of combination of features described therein.