Pump for liquids, especially circulating pump for aquariums

Abstract

A pump, especially for circulating liquid in an aquarium, in which a pipe is disposed in a substantially vertical plane with the lower end of the pipe being provided with an inlet and with the upper end of the pump being bent off horizontally and provided with an outlet. A spring resilient about a vertical axis is connected to the lower end of the pipe and electromagnetic means is provided for causing the pipe to oscillate about a vertical axis near the inlet in the lower end of the pipe, thereby to cause liquid to be expelled from the outlet of the pipe.

Description

The present invention relates to a pump for liquids, which is driven by an electromagnetic alternating field, and particularly concerns a circulating pump driven in said manner for aquariums, which pump is preceded by a filter.

The invention furthermore concerns such pumps which are provided with a pipe which for guiding the liquid is movable in a transverse direction, said pipe being adapted by an electromagnet at its free ends to be deviated to a greater extent than that end which faces the pump inlet.

With heretofore known pumps of the type involved, the above mentioned pipes are flexible and are arranged in a rigid housing which has an inlet and an outlet for forming the pump inlet and the pump outlet. A pump of this type has only a low degree of efficiency because that part which is intended for guiding the liquid has to be deformed continuously while being subjected to bending stresses. Furthermore, the back and forth movement of the hose-like pipe brings about only a moderate increase in pressure within the rigid housing for the pump.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve the above mentioned pumps in such a way that a pump housing will not be needed while in spite of a simple construction of the pump, its degree of efficiency will be greatly improved.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical partial section through an aquarium with built-in pump.

FIG. 2 is a view of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents a section along the line III--III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line IV--IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 represents a section taken along the line V--V of FIG. 1.

The pump according to the present invention which is equipped with a preceding filter, and with a pipe which is adapted by means of an electromagnet at its free end to be deviated to a greater extent than at the end which faces the pump inlet, is characterized primarily in that the pipe is suspended in an oscillating manner on a spring and is pivotable in an inclined upward direction about a vertical axis located within the region of the lower pipe end. In order to realize this pivoting operation or pivot movement, an armature or permanent magnet may be connected to the pipe and/or the spring so that in view of the magnetic forces emanated by the electromagnet, a swinging back and forth or a pivoting in the above mentioned direction may occur.

In view of the fact that the lower end of the pipe is located in or in the vicinity of the above mentioned pivot axis, said lower end serves as pump inlet, whereas the upper pipe end which is located in spaced relationship to the pivot axis forms the outlet of the pump. At this outlet, the liquid leaves in the form of a jet which forms as a sector-shaped fan in conformity with the pivot range of the pipe. A pump housing is not necessary because the mounting and suspension of the mentioned pipe is effected by the above mentioned spring which, in its turn, is fixedly journaled at one end.

In view of the elastic suspension of the pipe, only minor forces are necessary in order to realize a sufficient pump or centrifuging effect. As a result thereof, also the possibility exists of arranging the said pipe with its elastic suspension within the liquid and to arrange the magnet outside of the vessel containing the liquid. This, however, makes it necessary that the wall of the vessel permits the passage of magnetic force lines of the alternating current magnet.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the aquarium shown therein is filled with water having a water level 1 and comprises an upper frame 2 and glass panes 3. Within the aquarium there is provided a box 4 which is open at the top and which is mounted on the pane 3 in any convenient or standard manner and preferably is connected thereto so as to be adjustable as to height. For instance, some metal or plastic hooks may be connected to the box 4 and suspended at the upper edge of the pane 3 or a metal frame for the latter. The box 4 has a suction conduit 5 connected to the bottom of box 4 while a filter cartridge 6 of foamed material, or the like, is mounted on said conduit 5.

In the lower portion of the box 4 there is provided a holding member 7 for a leaf spring 8 which may consist, for instance, of synthetic material and which has its lower end firmly clamped in. This leaf spring extends approximately vertically upwardly within the box 4. To the upper free end of the leaf spring 8 there is connected a pipe 9 of rigid synthetic material, for instance, hard polyvinylchloride, the main axis of which is located in the plane in which the leaf spring 8 is located. The pipe 9 rises at its lower portion at an inclination of some 60.degree. to 80.degree. upwardly and has its free end bent off in the direction toward the interior of the aquarium, and more specifically, in such a way that the free end of the pipe 9 forms only a small angle with the horizontal plane. To the upper end of the leaf spring 8 there are furthermore connected two permanent magnets 10. The leaf spring 8 is arranged between the two magnets 10 which are poled in the same direction.

The upper end of the leaf spring 8, the two magnets 10, and the lower portion of pipe 9 may be covered by a body a of synthetic material with rounded outer surface or may be worked into said body. This arrangement has the advantage that all parts are held firmly together. Moreover, the water resistance is less when the pump is in operation.

On the outside of the aquarium and connected to the pane 3 is a plate 11 which engages pane 3 and preferably is adjustable relative thereto. Plate 11 has a round window 12 which is engaged by a pot-shaped container 14 which is open toward the aquarium. The container 14 is rotatable in said window 12 as indicated by the double arrow 13 of FIG. 2. This container 12 serves for receiving the alternating current magnets 15 with the electrical cable 16, winding 17 and U-shaped core 18.

By means of the electromagnet 15 in cooperation with the permanent magnet 10, the free end of pipe 9 can be turned, which pipe can be pivoted, as indicated at 19, about a vertical axis 20, which for all practical purposes is determined by the front edge 21 of the leaf spring 8. The pivot axis is thus located very closely to the lower end of the pipe 9 which forms the inlet or the inlet opening for the pump. The water ascending in pipe 9 will then in the form of a sector be centrifuged in the direction of the deviation at 19 as indicated by the direction of the arrow 22.

As will be evident from the above, the leaf spring acts primarily as a torsion spring in order in this way to bring about a pivoting of the pipe 9 in the direction of the double arrow 23. In this connection, it is important that the lower end of pipe 9 remains practically at rest, whereas the upper free end of the pipe 9 is deviated toward both sides.

Accordingly, the water of the aquarium enters the box 4 in the direction of the arrows 24 through the filter cartridge 6 and the suction conduit 5. The fact that the construction of the pump is simple and that the devices effecting the drive of the pump are located outside the aquarium greatly contributes to a long life of the pump which may be used above all where a continuous servicing of the pump is impossible and the purchase costs must be kept low. Therefore, the pump according to the invention is particularly suitable as circulating pump for aquariums, but is also suitable for fountains and for sprinkling.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the specific showing in the drawing, but also comprises any modificaations within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a pump, especially for liquids, a container having a bottom wall and side walls and open at the top, a pipe disposed in a generally vertical plane and having an inlet end at the bottom extending into the container from above and a laterally offset outlet end at the top which is directed outwardly over the upper edge of the container, said container being adapted to receive liquid in an amount sufficient to immerse at least the lower end of said pipe, a spring in the container connected to the pipe and resiliently supporting the pipe for oscillatory movement in a substantially horizontal direction in the container, magnetic armature means connected to the pipe, and an electromagnet in about the same horizontal plane as said armature and engageable by a pulsating electric current to cause said armature and pipe to oscillate and thereby pump liquid from within the container out over the upper edge of the container.

2. A pump according to claim 1 in which said spring is a vertically extending torsionally resilient spring and has the upper end connected to said pipe near the lower end of the pipe and extends downwardly from the pipe to near the bottom wall of the container, means in the container fixedly supporting the lower end of the spring, the torsional resilience of the spring permitting oscillation of said pipe about a vertical axis near the axis of said spring.

3. A pump according to claim 1 in which said pipe is sufficiently rigid to be substantially nondeformable during operation of said pump.

4. A pump according to claim 1 in which said pipe is bent with the pipe being substantially vertical in the region of the lower inlet end and substantially horizontal in the region of the upper outlet end.

5. A pump according to claim 1 in which said spring is a substantially vertical leaf-like spring which is both laterally and torsionally resilient.

6. A pump according to claim 1 in which said spring is a substantially vertical leaf-like spring which is both laterally and torsionally resilient, said pipe bending off toward one side at the upper outlet end, the said pipe near the lower inlet end being connected to the upper end of said spring on the side of the spring nearest the outlet end of said pipe, said pipe being bodily pivotable laterally about a vertical axis near the said side of said spring.

7. A pump according to claim 1 in which said spring is in the form of a strip of hard synthetic material.

8. A pump according to claim 1 in which the spring extends downwardly from the pipe and has the upper end in engagement with the side of the pipe near the lower end of the pipe, and a body of material encapsulating the upper end of the spring and the lower end of the pipe while leaving the inlet end of the pipe exposed.

9. A pump according to claim 8 in which said armature means is also encapsulated in said body of material.

10. A pump according to claim 1 in which the spring extends downwardly from the pipe and has the upper end in engagement with the side of the pipe near the lower end of the pipe, said armature means being connected to at least one of said pipe and spring near the connection of the spring to the pipe.

11. A pump according to claim 2 in which said armature means comprises a pair of permanent magnets disposed on opposite sides of the common plane of said pipe and spring.

12. A pump according to claim 1 in which said electromagnet is adjustable relative to said armature.

13. A pump according to claim 2 in which said armature means comprises a pair of permanent magnets disposed on opposite sides of the common plane of said pipe and spring, the magnetic axis of said electromagnet extending substantially horizontally in the region of said plane and at about the level of said magnets, and means supporting said electromagnet for rotation about an axis parallel to said magnetic axis and disposed vertically therebeneath.

14. A pump according to claim 1 in which said container includes an inlet near the bottom for the supply of liquid thereto.

15. A pump according to claim 14 which includes a filter element in series with the said container inlet.

16. A pump according to claim 1 in which said container is adapted for being supported inside a wall of an aquarium while said electromagnet is adapted for being supported outside the said wall of the aquarium.

17. A pump according to claim 1 in which the lower end of said pipe is substantially vertical while the pipe is bent off so the upper end is substantially horizontal, said pipe being disposed in about the same vertical plane as the axis of said electromagnet, said spring being in the form of a strip having the longer cross sectional axis in said plane and connected on the edge facing away from the electromagnet to the lower end of said pipe, said armature means comprising permanent magnets mounted on opposite sides of said strip near the level of said axis of said electromagnet.