Pond filters

• US 20060021920A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cal Pump
• Original Assignee: Cal Pump
• Inventors: Forbes, Robert C., Larios, Miguel A., Thompson, Brett
• Application Number:
  US11/078,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20060021920A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/108
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/045 Filters for aquaria
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/668 with valves, e.g. rotating valves for coaxially placed filtering elements

Abstract

Pond filters are generally discussed herein with particular discussions extended to pond filters having a filter mode and a backflush mode. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, the pond filters incorporate a flow controller positioned inside a housing capable of being manipulated using a control knob located on the outside of the housing. The control knob moves a flow gate to direct incoming fluid flow to flow along a first direction for filtering or a second direction for backflushing the filter cartridge.

Claims

1. A pond filter comprising a housing comprising two or more housing parts attached to one another by one or more clamps, an inlet port;

an outlet port, and a backflush port projecting from at least one of the two or more housing parts;

a filter cartridge positioned in an interior cavity of the housing having a shaft connected at one end to a control knob and at another end to a plug;

wherein the pond filter comprises a filter mode and a backflush mode and is placed in backflush mode or filter mode by manipulating the control knob.

2. The pond filter of claim 1, wherein the two or more housing parts comprise two housing parts defining a seam comprising an O-ring therebetween.

3. The pond filter of claim 1, wherein the outlet port and the inlet port are positioned on different housing parts.

4. The pond filter of claim 1, further comprising a cage, wherein the plug engages the cage when the ponder filter is in backflush mode.

5. The pond filter of claim 1, wherein the filter cartridge comprises a main filter and a secondary filter.

6. The pond filter of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of bioballs positioned in a space between the main filter and the secondary filter.

7. The pond filter of claim 1, further comprising a flow controller, said flow controller directs fluid flow flowing through the inlet port.

8. The pond filter of claim 7, wherein the flow controller comprises a flow duct, a flow gate, and a ported bearing.

9. The pond filter of claim 1, wherein the filter cartridge comprises two end walls.

10. The pond filter of claim 9, further comprising a cap engaged to an access opening on at least one of the two end walls.

11. A pond filter comprising a housing comprising two or more housing parts attached to one another by one or more clamps;

an inlet port, an outlet port, and a backflush port projecting from at least one of the two or more housing parts;

a filter cartridge positioned in an interior cavity of the housing, said filter cartridge comprising an outer screen having a plurality of openings of a first general dimension and an inner core comprising a plurality of openings of a second general dimension larger than the first general dimension, and a support member for supporting the filter cartridge inside the interior cavity of the housing.

12. The pond filter of claim 11, wherein the support member comprises two cylindrical member attached to two housing parts.

13. The pond filter of claim 11, further comprising a shaft passing through an axial center of the filter cartridge.

14. The pond filter of claim 13, further comprising a combination cage and plug located at a first end of the shaft and a flow controller at a second end of the shaft.

15. The pond filter of claim 14, wherein the cage comprises course threads and the plug comprises corresponding coarse threads.

16. The pond filter of claim 14, wherein the flow controller comprises a control knob and a flow duct.

17. The pond filter of claim 16, wherein the flow duct directs fluid flow from the inlet port to a flow gate.

18. The pond filter of claim 17, wherein the fluid flow flows through a ported bearing.

19. The pond filter of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of support legs.

20. The pond filter of claim 11, further comprising a vent port.

21. The pond filter of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of bioballs located between a space defined by the outer screen and the inner core.

22. The pond filter of claim 11, further comprising a block valve connected to the backflush port.

23. A pond filter comprising a housing comprising a first housing part connected to a second housing part along a seam by an adjustable clamp;

an outlet port and a backflush port projecting from the first housing part and an inlet port projecting from the second housing part;

a filter cartridge comprising an outer main screen and an inner secondary screen positioned in an interior cavity defined by the housing, said filter cartridge comprising two filter stub ends mechanically coupled to two bearing support flanges located on the first and second housing parts; and

means for directing fluid flow through the housing between a filter mode and a backflush mode.

24. The pond filter of claim 23, wherein the means for directing fluid flow comprises a control knob.

25. The pond filter of claim 24, wherein the means for directing fluid flow further comprises a flow duct, a flow gate, and a ported bearing.

26. The pond filter of claim 25, wherein the ported bearing comprises a plurality of cut-outs for fluid flow.

27. The pond filter of claim 26, wherein the ported bearing comprises a bearing insert element.

28. The pond filter of claim 27, further comprising a shaft projecting through the center of the means for directing fluid flow and the filter cartridge.

29. The pond filter of claim 23, wherein the filter cartridge comprises a first end wall and a second end wall.

30. The pond filter of claim 29, further comprising a cap for capping an opening located on one of the end walls.