Fish tank ventilation apparatus

• US 5,220,881 A
• Filed: 05/11/1992
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth J. Sandor Jr
• Original Assignee: Kenneth J. Sandor Jr
• Inventors: Sandor, Kenneth J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEISS, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US07/881,178
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 119/3, 119/5, 119/15, 119/17, 119/51.04, 210/169
• US Class Current: 119/265
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/042 Introducing gases into the water, e.g. aerators, air pumps

Abstract

An apparatus to direct an air barrier between a fish tank cover mounted above a fish tank is arranged to include a housing directing pressurized air into the cover for ventilation through the cover providing an air barrier. A modification of the invention includes manifold structure to enhance dispersion of pressurized air between the manifold cover hood and an underlying fish tank.

Claims

1. A fish tank ventilation apparatus, comprising,

a fish tank having an upper perimeter edge, and

a cover hood mounted removably relative to the upper perimeter edge, with the cover hood having spaced cover hood end walls and a top wall extending coextensively between the end walls, and

each end wall of said end walls includes end wall slots directed therethrough, and

a fan housing mounted within the cover hood, the fan housing having a fan motor, the fan motor having impeller blades mounted to the fan motor for directing air into the cover hood for directing such air through the end wall exhaust slots.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fan housing is mounted within a manifold housing, the manifold housing is mounted to an interior surface of the cover hood, and the fan housing includes a fan housing entrance directed through the cover hood top wall, with a grid mounted within the entrance.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the manifold housing includes manifold housing side walls extending coextensively between the cover hood end walls, and the side walls include exhaust ports directed therethrough, the side walls of the manifold housing define a pneumatic chamber, with the pneumatic chamber in pneumatic communication exteriorly of the manifold housing through the exhaust ports.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the fan housing includes a fan housing bottom wall, and the fan housing bottom wall includes spaced elongate housing cavities directed through the bottom wall, and each of the end plates includes bulb sockets, and the bulb sockets receive illumination bulbs, wherein the illumination bulbs are oriented parallel relative to the manifold housing, and an illumination bulb of said illumination bulbs is directed through each housing cavity of said housing cavities.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the manifold housing includes a manifold housing top wall coplanar with the cover housing top wall, and a plurality of feed cylinders directed through the manifold housing top wall through the manifold housing, and each feed cylinder includes a feed cylinder lid removably mounted relative to each feed cylinder, with each feed cylinder including a flange receiving a lid thereon, and the flange is biased above the manifold housing top wall in a first position, and each feed cylinder includes a feed cylinder side wall, each feed cylinder side wall mounts a spring hinge therethrough, and the spring hinge includes a floor plate positioned below a respective feed cylinder lid of each feed cylinder, and a floor plate lever is mounted to each floor plate, with each floor plate lever directed through a respective side wall of each feed cylinder, with the floor plate lever spaced above the floor plate in the first position, and the floor plate lever pivoted about the spring hinge in a second position to displace the floor plate relative to a lower distal end of a respective feed cylinder.