WO2002023982A1

WO2002023982A1 - Fish tank shelf

Info

Publication number: WO2002023982A1
Application number: PCT/SG2001/000184
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tuanyuan Chen
Original assignee: Tuanyuan Chen
Priority date: 2000-09-20
Filing date: 2001-09-13
Publication date: 2002-03-28
Also published as: AU2001286376A1

Abstract

Shelf (134) for use inside of, and underwater in, aquarium (110) may be supported by suction cups (136), legs, decorative rocks, magnetically, etc to one or more of walls (114,116,118,120) so as to form a territory for a fish above shelf (134) and a territory for another fish below shelf (134) yet allow all fish to access the rest of the water volume.

Description

FISH TANK SHELF

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a fish tank shelf and refers particularly, though not exclusively, to a fish tank shelf for creating separated territorial zones for fish in the fish tank.

Background to the Invention

Fish, like many animals, may be quite territorial. As such, a particular fish may use a specific location as their home or territory, and they will defend that territory quite vigorously. This is quite often a cave in a rock, a gap behind a rock, or the like. However, in the limited confines of a fish tank there will be very few places where a fish can locate their home or territory.

This territory may be required for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, social-heirarchical, aggression, predatory, or sexual. There have been many patents granted on divisions within fish tanks but these, in general, can be divided into two categories:

(a) a separate cage or the like in the fish tank for separating young fish and adult fish to allow the young fish to have time to grow. See, for example, US 3, 216, 395; US 3, 291, 098; GB 1, 275, 976; and US 3, 140, 691; and

(b) a vertical division to achieve the same result as (a) above, or to for example, separate fighting fish. See, for example, US 1, 838, 215; US 3, 149, 608; US 3, 255, 731; US 3, 288, 110; US 4, 120, 265; US 4, 323, 032; US 5, 067, 059; US 5, 597,228; US 2, 626, 800; US 2, 981, 228; and US 3, 854, 50. None of these allows the fish to have their own "home" or territory, yet allow all fish to have access to the majority of the tank.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a means to allow a larger number of fish in a fish tank to create their own home or territory to satisfy their territorial instincts, yet allow all fish in the tank to have ready access to the majority of the tank.

A further object is to provide additional floor surface area and/ or terrain to create more privacy areas for fish and/ or space for territories for fish.

Summary of the Invention

With the above and other objects in mind, the present invention provides a fish tank shelf for use in a fish tank having a plurality of side walls, a floor, and an enclosed volume, the shelf having support means to enable the shelf to be releasably supported in the fish tank spaced from the floor and with the shelf extending in a generally horizontal manner; the shelf creating a first territory above the shelf and a second territory below the shelf to thereby create separated territorial zones for fish in the fish tank.

The support means may be suction cups, and/ or legs and/ or decorative rocks and/ or clips and/ or magnetic devices. If the fish tank is generally cuboid in shape and has four mutually perpendicular side walls, the shelf may be substantially triangular. IrD that case the shelf may extend along two adjacent side walls from a junction of the two adjacent side walls.

There may be provided at least one further shelf above or adjacent the shelf and supported above or adjacent the shelf by a second support means, the second support means also being suction cups and/ or legs and/ or decorative rocks and/ or clips and/ or magnetic devices.

Description of the Drawings

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily put into practical effect there shall now be described by way of non-limitative example only a number of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the description being with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fish tank fitted with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the fish tank fitted with a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the fish tank fitted with a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the fish tank fitted with a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the fish tank fitted with a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the fish tank fitted with a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Listing of components and their reference numbers

10 tank 40 first side of shelf member

11 floor 42 side of shelf member

14 side 44 leg

15 side 46 leg

18 side 48 leg

20 side 50 rock or other decoration

22 corner 52 second shelf

24 corner 54 second shelf member

26 corner 56 second shelf suctions cups

34 shelf member 58 second shelf leg

36 suctions cups 60 second shelf rock

38 front shelf me 62 second shelf rock cave

64 second shelf rock cave entrance

Description of Preferred Embodiments

Throughout the description, reference to like components will use the same reference numerals but with a prefix number to indicate the relevant embodiment and hence figure number.

To first refer to Figure 1, there is shown a fish tank 110 which, in this instance, is cuboid. Tank 110 has four mutually perpendicular walls 114, 116, 118 and 120 joined at corners 122, 124, 126 and 128, and a floor 112. This defines interior volume to enable the tank to be used to hold water and thus fish.

Releasably attached to side walls 114 and 120 between floor 112 and top 130, is a shelf 132. Preferably, shelf 132 locates into corner 128. Shelf 132 has a shelf member 134 and a number of suction cups 136 to attach shelf member 134 to side walls 114 and 120. In addition to or as an alternative to suction cups 136, clips and/ or magnetic devices may be used. Shelf member 134 has sides 140, 142 which extend along and are generally parallel to side walls 114, 120 respectively. Shelf member 134 is also generally triangular having an outer side 138. Side 138 is shown as being straight, but it may be a simple or complex curve, if desired.

Shelf member 134 may be transparent, translucent, opaque, or otherwise as desired, as may be the suction cups 136. The shelf member 134 may be made of any suitable material such as, for example, glass or a plastics material. It may be flat, curved, landscaped, and may have caverns and/ or holes therethrough.

Shelf member 134 may be of any desired size or shape. It is located between floor 112 and top 130, but below the waterline of any water in tank 110. In this way shelf 132 creates first territorial zone between it and the top of the water and a second territorial zone between the shelf 132 and the floor 112. The two territorial zones are separated by shelf 132. In this way one or more fish can "live" in each of the first and second territories, to satisfy their natural territorial instincts. However all fish have access to the remainder of the tank 110 which thereby becomes a common space.

The variation of Figure 2 is solely that the shelf member 234 curves downwardly towards a complexly curved front 238. In all other respects it is the same.

The shelf 332 of Figure 3 uses three legs 344, 346 and 348 to support shelf member 334, rather than suction cups. Legs 344, 346 and 348 rest on floor 312. Also, front 338 has a simple curve, and shelf member 334 is transparent. The shelf 434 of Figure 4 is similar to that of Figure 2, but it uses one leg 444 in corner 428, one (or more) suction cup 436, and a rock 450 (or other similar and relatively strong decorative feature) to support the shelf member 434. This shows that the manner of support of shelf member 434 is not important. However, it is important that shelf 432 is removable for cleaning.

In Figure 5 the shelf 534 member uses a combination of legs 544, 546 and 548; and suction sups 536. A second shelf 552 is located between shelf 532 and top 530 to create three territorial zones. This may be useful where the tank 510 is relatively tall. Second shelf 552 is preferably of smaller dimensions that shelf member 534, although it may be larger, if desired. Second shelf 552 also includes legs 558 and/ or suction cups 556. Second shelf member 554 may be similar in shape to shelf member 534, or may be different. There may be further shelves on top of second shelf 552, or additional shelves 552 also on top of shelf 532.

In Figure 6, the shelf member 634 is supported by a combination of legs 644, 646 (not shown) and 648, suction cups 636, and a rock 650.This is because shelf member 634 is considerably larger and extends for the full length of side wall 620.

Also, a second rock 660 with a cave 662 having an entrance 664 is placed on shelf 632 to provide a more complete territory for one or more fish.

Other forms of decoration, plaints, or the like may also be placed on and/ or attached to any shelf 32 and/ or 52. Naturally, there may be a plurality of shelves 32 in a fish tank and they may be different, if desired.

Although shelves 32 have been shown in a corner, they need not be in a corner and could be located along a single side, or be separated from all sides and be nearer the center of the tank.

Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description a member of preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology that many variations or modifications in details of design as construction may be made without departing from the present invention.

Claims

The claims

1. A fish tank shelf for use in a fish tank having a plurality of side walls, a floor, and an enclosed volume, the shelf having support means to enable the shelf to be releasably supported in the fish tank spaced from the floor and with the shelf extending in a generally horizontal manner; the shelf creating a first territory above the shelf and a second space below the shelf to thereby create separated territorial zones for fish in the fish tank yet allowing all fish in the tank to have access to the remainder of the enclosed volume.

2. A fish tank shelf as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support means is selected from the group consisting of: suction cups, legs, decorative rocks, clips, and magnetic devices.

3. A fish tank shelf as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fish tank is generally cuboid in shape and has four mutually perpendicular side walls, the shelf being substantially triangular.

4. A fish tank shelf as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shelf is adapted to, in use, extend along two adjacent side walls from a junction of the two adjacent side walls.

5. A fish tank shelf as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein there is provided a second shelf above the shelf and supported above the shelf by a second support means.

6. A fish tank shelf as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second support means is selected from the group consisting of: suction cups, legs, decorative rocks, clips and magnetic devices.

7. A fish tank shelf as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fish tank is generally cubiod in shape and has four mutually perpendicular side walls, the shelf being substantially triangular and, in use, extending along two adjacent side walls from a junction of the two adjacent side walls.

8. A fish tank shelf as claimed in claim 1 or claim 7, wherein the shelf has two sides and an end, the end being selected from the group consisting of: straight, a simple curve, and a complex curve.

9. A fish tank shelf as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the shelf is of irregular shape.

10. A fish tank shelf as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the shelf is supported against at least one of the plurality of side walls.

11. A fish tank as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the shelf extends from the at least one of the plurality of side walls into the enclosed volume.