Aquarium bottom cleaner system

• US 8,632,677 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kathy Reulbach, Sherman, Wayne
• Original Assignee: Kathy Reulbach, Sherman, Wayne
• Inventors: Sherman, Wayne, Reulbach, Kathy
• Primary Examiner(s): Prince, Fred
• Application Number:
  US13/007,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20120181222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 210/143, 210/167.21, 210/167.23, 210/242.1, 15/17
• US Class Current: 210/167.23
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/006 Accessories for aquaria or terraria
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/045 Filters for aquaria
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/10 Cleaning bottoms or walls of ponds or receptacles

Abstract

An aquarium cleaner system for cleaning the bottom surface of an aquarium. The system has a suction means with a suction body. The suction body has an open enlarged lower end, an open upper end and a propeller system. There is also a filter with an opening fluidly connected to the open upper end of the suction body, an impurities entrapment surface and a fluid return surface. There is further provided a controller for turning on or off the suction means according to a preprogrammed schedule and a random position effecter, such that when a new cleaning position is desired, the suction means is terminated for a first predetermined duration so that the suction body causes the aquarium bottom cleaner to rise from the current cleaning position before turning on the suction means for a second predetermined duration.

Claims

1. An aquarium bottom cleaner system for cleaning a bottom surface of an aquarium, wherein said aquarium bottom cleaner system comprises:

a suction means;

a powering means;

a controlling means;

an automatic positioning means comprising a random position effecter comprising an annular cavity, a plurality of directional intake flow apertures, a plurality of plug balls and a plurality of substantially symmetrically disposed steer apertures along an outer radial periphery of said annular cavity; and

a filtering means;

wherein said suction means is powered by said powering means to move untreated water to be processed by said filtering means to produce a filtered return flow, said automatic positioning means cooperates with said controlling means to move said aquarium bottom cleaner system from a current cleaning position to a new cleaning position and wherein a portion of said filtered return flow is received through said plurality of directional intake flow apertures and directed into said annular cavity to form a flow which directs each said plug ball to plug a steer aperture, leaving at least one steer aperture unplugged such that the portion of said filtered return flow can be exhausted to create a force which propels said aquarium bottom cleaner laterally from a current cleaning position to a new cleaning position.

2. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 1, wherein said controlling means comprises a preprogrammed schedule for turning on or off said suction means, whereby said suction means is terminated for a first predetermined duration so that said aquarium bottom cleaner system rises from said current cleaning position before turning on said suction means for a second predetermined duration so that said random position effecter causes said aquarium bottom cleaner system to move laterally in combination with lowering of said aquarium bottom cleaner system onto a new cleaning position on the bottom surface of the aquarium.

3. An aquarium bottom cleaner system for cleaning a bottom surface of an aquarium, wherein said aquarium bottom cleaner system comprises:

a suction means comprising a naturally buoyant suction body having an open enlarged lower end, an open upper end and a propeller system, wherein said open enlarged lower end is adapted to be seated on the bottom surface of the aquarium and said open enlarged lower end is fluidly connected to said open upper end and said propeller system creates an untreated water flow from said open enlarged lower end to said open upper end;

a powering means;

a controlling means;

an automatic positioning means; and

a filtering means;

wherein said suction means is powered by said powering means to move untreated water to be processed by said filtering means to produce a filtered return flow, and wherein said automatic positioning means cooperates with said controlling means to move said aquarium bottom cleaner system from a current cleaning position to a new cleaning position and said propeller system comprises a propeller having an axis of rotation, an eccentric shaft eccentrically disposed parallel to and at an offset with respect to said axis of rotation and said propeller is capable of creating rotary motion.

4. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 3, wherein said propeller system is configured to provide net suction pressure of from 5 to 15 psi.

5. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 3, wherein said filtering means comprises a dome shaped filter housing having an interior surface and a dome shaped filter having an opening, an impurities entrapment surface and a fluid return surface, wherein said untreated water flow is received at said opening and forced through said impurities entrapment surface of said filter, leaving behind impurities on said impurities entrapment surface and creating said filtered return flow in a cavity defined by said fluid return surface of said filter and said interior surface of said filter housing, and wherein said opening of said filter is fluidly coupled to said open upper end of said suction body.

6. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 5, wherein said filter further comprises a lock disposed about said opening of said filter and configured to mate with said suction body such that said untreated water flow is received through said opening of said filter and said filter is readily removable from said suction body and cleansed using a water flow from said fluid return surface to said impurities entrapment surface to discard impurities from said impurities entrapment surface for reuse.

7. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 5, wherein said filter further comprises a ledge disposed substantially on an inner periphery of said opening of said filter.

8. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 5, wherein said filter comprises a micron rating of from about 25 to about 100 micron.

9. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 3, further comprising an agitating means including an agitator configured to be coupled to said eccentric shaft of said propeller such that said agitator is powered by the rotary motion, said agitator comprises at least an elongated agitator member having a first end, a second end, an arm extending at a substantially right angle from said second end and an elongated slot, wherein said elongated slot is disposed between said first and second ends, said first end is pivotably connected to said eccentric shaft of said propeller, said elongated slot is slidingly and pivotably mounted to a pin fixedly attached to an attachment point in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation on said suction body such that when said propeller rotates, said arm moves in a circular trajectory having a radius at a speed to cause agitation on the bottom surface of said aquarium.

10. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 9, wherein said attachment point is configured to be fixable to any radial position from said axis of rotation within said plane such that said speed and radius of said circular trajectory are modifiable.

11. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 3, wherein said powering means comprises a replenishable power supply and a docking means, wherein said replenishable power supply comprises a rechargeable battery and is rechargeable by a slave charging device configured to be powered by a master charging device when said slave charging device is docked by said docking means to said master charging device.

12. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 11, wherein said docking means comprises a magnet configured to come within magnetic attraction of a docking base disposed in a vicinity of said master charging device such that said slave charging device receives power from said master charging device.

13. An aquarium bottom cleaner system for cleaning a substantially flat bottom surface of an aquarium in its entirety, comprising a controlling means, a naturally buoyant suction means and an automatic positioning means, wherein said controlling means controls turning on or off of said suction means, whereby when said naturally buoyant suction means is turned on according to a first task, said aquarium bottom cleaner system is laterally translated by said automatic positioning means and lowered to a portion of the bottom surface and when said naturally buoyant suction means is turned off according to a second task, said aquarium bottom cleaner system rises and said controlling means is configured to run a schedule comprising said first and second tasks such that the substantially flat bottom surface of said aquarium is cleaned in its entirety and said suction means comprises a naturally buoyant suction body haying an open enlarged lower end, an open upper end and a propeller, wherein said lower end is adapted to be seated on the bottom surface of the aquarium and said open enlarged lower end is connected to said open upper end and said suction means creates a untreated water flow from said open enlarged lower end to said open upper end and said propeller comprises an axis of rotation and an eccentric shaft eccentrically disposed parallel to and at an offset with respect to said axis of rotation.

14. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 13, further comprising an agitating means configured to be powered by said suction means.

15. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 13, wherein said agitating means comprises an agitator configured to be coupled to said eccentric shaft of said propeller such that said agitator is powered by said propeller, wherein said agitator comprises at least an elongated agitator member having a first end, a second end, an arm extending at substantially right angle from said second end and an elongated slot, wherein said elongated slot is disposed between said first and second end, said first end is pivotably connected to said shaft of said propeller, said elongated slot is slidingly and pivotably mounted to a pin fixedly attached to an attachment point in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation on said suction body such that when said propeller rotates, said arm moves to cause agitation on the bottom surface of the aquarium.

16. An aquarium bottom cleaner system for cleaning a bottom surface of an aquarium, wherein said aquarium bottom cleaner system disposed at a current cleaning position comprising:

a suction means comprising a naturally buoyant suction body having an open enlarged lower end, an open upper end and a propeller system including a propeller having an axis of rotation, an eccentric shaft eccentrically disposed parallel to and at an offset with respect to said axis of rotation and said propeller is capable of creating rotary motion, wherein said lower end is adapted to be seated on the bottom surface of the aquarium and said open enlarged lower end is connected to said open upper end and said suction means creates a untreated water flow from said open enlarged lower end to said open upper end;

a powering means comprising a replenishable power supply and a docking means, wherein said replenishable power supply comprises a rechargeable battery disposed within said suction body rechargeable by a slave charging device configured to be powered by a master charging device when said slave charging device is docked by said docking means to said master charging device and said docking means comprises a magnet configured to come within magnetic attraction of a docking base disposed in a vicinity of said master charging device such that said master charging device powers said slave charging device;

a filtering means comprises a dome shaped filter housing having an interior surface and a dome shaped filter having an opening, an impurities entrapment surface and a fluid return surface, wherein said untreated water flow is received at said opening and forced through said impurities entrapment surface of said filter, leaving behind impurities on said impurities entrapment surface and creating a filtered return flow in a cavity defined by said fluid return surface of said filter and said interior surface of said filter housing and said opening of said filter is fluidly coupled to said upper end of said suction body;

an automatic positioning means comprises a random position effecter comprising an annular cavity, a plurality of directional intake flow apertures, a plurality of plug balls and a plurality of substantially symmetrically disposed steer apertures along an outer radial periphery of said annular cavity, wherein a portion of said return flow is received through said plurality of directional intake flow apertures and directed into said annular cavity to form a flow which directs each said plug ball to plug a steer aperture, leaving at least one steer aperture unplugged such that said portion of said filtered return flow can be exhausted to create a force which propels said aquarium bottom cleaner from a current position to a new position; and

a controlling means comprises a controller which utilizes a preprogrammed schedule for turning on or off said suction means, whereby when a new cleaning position is desired, said suction means is terminated for a first predetermined duration so that said naturally buoyant suction body causes said aquarium bottom cleaner to rise from said current cleaning position before turning on said suction means for a second predetermined duration so that said random position effecter causes said aquarium bottom cleaner to move laterally in combination with lowering said aquarium bottom cleaner system onto a new cleaning position on the bottom surface of the aquarium,

wherein said suction means is powered by said powering means and said suction means moves untreated water to be processed by said filtering means to produce a return flow and said automatic positioning means cooperates with said controlling means to move said aquarium bottom cleaner system from a current cleaning position to a new cleaning position.

17. The aquarium bottom cleaner system of claim 16, further comprising an agitating means including an agitator configured to be coupled to said eccentric shaft of said propeller such that said agitator is powered by the rotary motion, said agitator comprises at least an elongated agitator member having a first end, a second end, an arm extending at substantially right angle from said second end and an elongated slot, wherein said elongated slot is disposed between said first and second end, said first end is pivotably connected to said shaft of said propeller, said elongated slot is slidingly and pivotably mounted to a pin fixedly attached to an attachment point in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation on said suction body such that when said propeller rotates, said arm moves in a circular trajectory having a radius at a speed to cause agitation on the bottom surface of said aquarium and said attachment point is configured to be fixable to any radial position from said axis of rotation within said plane such that said speed and radius of said circular trajectory are modifiable.