Pond insert with pump

• US 6,423,218 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gardena Kresta and Kastner GmbH
• Original Assignee: Gardena Kresta and Kastner GmbH
• Inventors: Lindermeir, Wolfgang, Haeufele, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRINCE JR, FREDDIE GARY
• Application Number:
  US09/451,626
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 210/170, 210/198.1, 210/220, 210/263, 210/416.1, 210/460, 210/463, 210/747, 261/4, 261/40, 261/77, 261/DIG.75, 417/182, 417/187, 417/423.3, 417/423.9, 415/121.2, 239/23
• US Class Current: 210/170.09
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/047 Liquid pumps for aquaria air pumps for aquaria A01K63/042
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/086 the pump and drive motor are both submerged
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/406 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4293 Details of fluid inlet or outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/605 specially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/708 specially for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/75 Flowing liquid aspirates gas

Abstract

A pond insert more particularly intended for insertion in a garden pond is described and which has at least one electromotively driven pump (2) The pump has an inlet connection and two intercommunicating outlet connections (5, 6), whereof one is preferably oriented horizontally and one vertically. The pump can be fixed in a basket-like container (3), which can be filled with a weighting material such as gravel or the like for improving the stability of the pond insert.

Claims

1. Pond insert device adapted for inserting in a pond, the pond insert device comprising:

at least one motor-driven pump;

wherein the pump comprises at least one inlet connection, a first outlet connection, and at least one second outlet connection;

wherein the first outlet connection and the second outlet connection are adapted for providing different functionality;

wherein at least one of the outlet connections has a passage cross-section; and

wherein the passage cross-section of at least one of the outlet connections is variable.

2. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the pump comprises a standing surface and wherein one outlet connection is at least one of oriented and orientable substantially parallel to the standing surface and another outlet connection is at least one of oriented and orientable substantially perpendicular to the standing surface.

3. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the pond insert device comprises a standing surface and wherein at least one of the outlet connections is variably orientable relative to the standing surface.

4. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the pump comprises at least one connection socket and wherein at least one outlet connection comprises an extension which is connected in directionally variable manner to the outlet connection socket.

5. Pond insert device according to claim 4, wherein the outlet socket connection and the extension are connected by means of a water-carrying ball joint.

6. Pond insert device according to claim 1, further comprising a standing foot means associated with the pond insert device and defining a standing surface, wherein the pump is fixed to the standing foot means in a manner which is at least one of detachable and movable.

7. Pond insert device according to claim 6, wherein the standing foot means is constructed in such a manner that the pump is pivotable about a pivoting axis running parallel to the standing surface.

8. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the pump comprises a pump drive creating a flow quantity being discharged out of outlet connections and wherein there are provided means for adjusting the flow quantity of at least one of the outlet connections independently of the pump drive.

9. Pond insert device according to claim 1, further comprising a regulating valve in communication with an outlet connection for varying the passage cross-section of the outlet connection.

10. Pond insert device according to claim 9, wherein the regulating valve has a regulating sleeve adapted to be fitted directly to the outlet connection.

11. Pond insert device according to claim 9, wherein there is provided a line piece connectable to the outlet connection and wherein the regulating valve is adapted to be fitted at a distance from the associated outlet connection to the line piece.

12. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet connection is constructed as an inlet socket provided with one of a screw thread and a coupling connection.

13. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet connection is constructed as an outlet socket provided with one of a screw thread and a coupling connection.

14. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second outlet connections are constructed in intercommunicating manner in such a way that a flow quantity through one of the outlet connections is adjustable by regulating the flow quantity through the other outlet connection.

15. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein there is provided an aereating means associated with the pond insert device, the aereating means operating in the manner of a water jet pump and being adapted to be fitted to an outlet connection.

16. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein there is provided a fountain associated with the pond insert device and wherein at least one of the outlet connections is adapted to be connected to the fountain.

17. Pond insert device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one container associated with the pond insert device, the container comprising means for connecting the container with the pump and the container being adapted for receiving weighting material for improving the stability of the pond insert device.

18. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the container is a basket.

19. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the pump is installed with respect to the container in such a manner that an area of the inlet connection is positioned substantially within the container.

20. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the pump is installed with respect to the container in such a manner that an area of the inlet connection is positioned substantially facing the container.

21. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the container comprises side walls surrounding at least parts of the pump, wherein the side walls have a height which is adapted to the height of the pump connected to the container in such a way that the pump is substantially completely coverable by weighting material received in the container.

22. Pond insert device according to claim 21, wherein the side walls comprise an upper termination and wherein the upper termination of the side walls is located higher than a top surface of the pump.

23. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the container has a shape which is permanently shape-variable.

24. Pond insert device according to claim 23, wherein the shape-variable container is adapted to be placed at least partly below a standing surface of the pump.

25. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the container is formed by a netting being adapted to be filled with pourable weighting material.

26. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the container has at least one reception device for detacheably fixing a functional unit to the container.

27. Pond insert device according to claim 17, wherein the container is adapted for receiving pourable weighting material.

28. Pond insert device according to claim 27, wherein the pourable weighting material contains at least one of gravel, stones and rocks.

29. Pond insert device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter means positionable upstream of the inlet connection, wherein the filter means comprises at least one container located in an intake area of the inlet connection, the container being adapted for receiving material suitable for filtering of water.

30. Pond insert device according to claim 29, wherein the material suitable for filtering comprises at least one of gravel, stones and rock.

31. Pond insert device according to claim 1, wherein the pond insert device is adapted to be inserted into a garden pond.

32. Pond insert device adapted for inserting in a pond, the pond insert device comprising:

at least one motor-driven pump;

wherein the pump comprises at least one inlet connection, a first outlet connection, and at least one second outlet connection;

wherein the pond insert device comprises a standing surface; and

wherein at least one of the outlet connections is variably orientable relative to the standing surface.

33. Pond insert device according to claim 32, wherein the pump comprises at least one connection socket and wherein at least one outlet connection comprises an extension which is connected in directionally variable manner to the outlet connection socket.

34. Pond insert device according to claim 33, wherein the outlet socket connection and the extension are connected by means of water-carrying ball joint.

35. Pond insert device adapted for inserting in a pond, the pond insert device comprising:

at least one motor-driven pump;

wherein the pump comprises at least one inlet connection, a first outlet connection and at least one second outlet connection;

a standing foot means associated with the pond insert device and defining a standing surface, wherein the pump is fixed to the standing foot means in a manner which is at least one of detachable and movable; and

wherein the standing foot means is constructed in such a manner that the pump is pivotable about a pivoting axis running parallel to the standing surface.

36. Pond insert device adapted for inserting in a pond, the pond insert device comprising:

at least one motor-driven pump,

wherein the pump comprises at least one inlet connection, a first outlet connection and at least one second outlet connection;

wherein the pump comprises a pump drive creating a flow quantity being discharged out of outlet connections; and

means for adjusting the flow quantity of at least one of the outlet connections independently of the pump drive.

37. Pond Insert device according to claim 36, wherein an outlet connection has a passage cross-section and wherein the passage cross-section of at least one of the outlet connections is variable.

38. Pond insert device according to claim 37, further comprising a regulating valve in communication with an outlet connection for varying the passage cross-section of the outlet connection.

39. Pond insert device adapted for inserting in a pond, the pond insert device comprising:

at least one motor-driven pump;

wherein the pump comprises at least one inlet connection, a first outlet connection and at least one second outlet connection;

wherein the first and second outlet connections are constructed in an intercommunicating manner so that a flow quantity through one of the outlet connections is adjustable by regulating the flow quantity through the other outlet connection.

40. Pond insert device adapted for inserting in a pond, the pond insert device comprising:

at least one motor-driven pump;

wherein the pump comprises at least one inlet connection, a first outlet connection and at least one second outlet connection; and

at least one container associated with the pond insert device;

wherein the container comprises means for connecting the container to the pump;

wherein the container is adapted for receiving weighting material for retaining the pond insert device on the pond floor.

41. Pond insert device according to claim 40, wherein the container is adapted for receiving pourable weighting material.

42. Pond insert device according to claim 41, wherein the pourable weighting material contains at least one of gravel, stones and rocks.

43. Pond insert device according to claim 42, wherein the container is a basket.

44. Pond insert device according to claim 40, wherein the pump is installed with respect to the container in such a manner that an area on the inlet connection is positioned substantially within the container.

45. Pond insert device according to claim 40, wherein the pump is installed with respect to the container in such a manner that an area of the inlet connection is positioned substantially facing the container.

46. Pond insert device according to claim 40, wherein the container comprises sidewalls surrounding at least parts of the pump, wherein the side walls have a height which is adapted to the height of the pump connected to the container in such a way that the pump is substantially completely covetable by weighting material received in the container.

47. Pond insert device according to claim 46, wherein the side walls comprise an upper termination and wherein the upper termination of the side walls is located higher than a top surface of the pump.

48. Pond insert device according to claim 40, wherein the container has a shape which is permanently shape-variable.

49. Pond insert device according to claim 48, wherein the shape-variable container is adapted to be placed at least partly below a standing surface of the pump.

50. Pond insert device according to claim 40, wherein the container is formed by a netting being adapted to be filled with pourable weighting material.