Water circulation device for preventing overflow of fish tank

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of water circulation filtering, in particular to a fish tank anti-overflow water circulation device, which comprises an outer shell, an inner shell and an annular interlayer, the inner shell is sleeved on one side of the outer shell, and an annular interlayer is formed between the outer side wall of the inner shell and the inner side wall of the outer shell; a precipitation cavity, a filtering cavity and a culture cavity are arranged in the inner shell, a water inlet hole is arranged on the upper portion of the precipitation cavity, a partition plate is arranged between the precipitation cavity and the filtering cavity, a filtering hole for water flow is arranged on the upper portion of the partition plate, the filtering cavity is communicated with the culture cavity, and a water outlet hole is arranged at the bottom of the culture cavity. The device realizes the anti-overflow function through the height difference between the inner and outer shells and the annular interlayer design, and adopts 3D printing integrated molding technology to improve the production efficiency and adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of water circulation filtration devices, specifically a fish tank anti-overflow water circulation device. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of miniature aquarium ecosystem maintenance, water circulation and filtration devices for ultra-small aquariums are crucial for maintaining stable water quality. Current filtration solutions on the market for ultra-small aquariums of 10cm×10cm or 15cm×11cm have several structural defects. The shell is a single-layer, thin-walled structure, making leakage prone to occur at the seams; the lack of an overflow prevention design means that when the water pump stops working, water inside the box can flow backward, causing the aquarium to overflow. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of water circulation device that can solve these structural defects. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention addresses the technical problems of existing micro aquarium water circulation and filtration devices, such as easy overflow due to single-shell design, inability to customize and adapt, and complex installation. It provides an aquarium overflow prevention water circulation device based on a double-shell structure design. The device achieves overflow prevention through the height difference between the inner and outer shells and a ring-shaped interlayer design, and utilizes 3D printing integrated molding technology to improve production efficiency and adaptability.

[0004] This utility model provides a fish tank anti-overflow water circulation device, including an outer shell, an inner shell, and an annular interlayer. The inner shell is sleeved on one side of the outer shell, and an annular interlayer is formed between the outer side wall of the inner shell and the inner side wall of the outer shell. The inner shell contains a sedimentation chamber, a filtration chamber, and a culture chamber. The upper part of the sedimentation chamber has a water inlet. A partition is provided between the sedimentation chamber and the filtration chamber. The upper part of the partition has a filter hole for water flow. The filtration chamber is connected to the culture chamber. The bottom of the culture chamber has a water outlet.

[0005] Furthermore, the height of the inner shell is lower than that of the outer shell, and the height of the inner shell is 3 to 8 millimeters lower than that of the outer shell.

[0006] Furthermore, the water inlet is connected to a water inlet pipe, the water inlet pipe is connected to a water inlet pump, and the water inlet pump is installed in the water pump compartment of the outer shell.

[0007] Furthermore, the water pump compartment is equipped with ventilation openings and cable trays.

[0008] Furthermore, the lower part of the water outlet is connected to a fish tank, and the upper part of the fish tank is provided with an opening structure that matches the water outlet.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom contour of the outer shell is adapted to the square or elliptical rim of the aquarium.

[0010] Furthermore, the filter chamber is equipped with filter media, which may be biochemical cotton, activated carbon box, or ceramic ring.

[0011] Furthermore, reinforcing ribs are provided between the inner shell and the outer shell.

[0012] Furthermore, the culture chamber contains culture material for culturing bacteria.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer shell and the inner shell are formed by one-piece 3D printing, and their maximum external dimensions do not exceed 25 cm × 25 cm.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model lie in its double-layer shell structure design, which fundamentally eliminates the risk of overflow caused by pump stoppage. The annular interlayer design stores remaining water when the pump stops, ensuring the liquid level remains below the top edge of the outer shell, effectively blocking backflow. Furthermore, the use of 3D printing technology keeps the maximum external dimensions within 25cm × 25cm, reducing material usage by over 30% and allowing users to download STL files for different aquarium opening sizes online, achieving a "download, print, and use" effect. In addition, the device achieves "fit-fit and fixation" through customized bottom contours of the outer shell, eliminating the need for traditional fixing methods such as hooks, suction cups, and screws, reducing installation time from an average of 5 minutes to 10 seconds. The modular filter media slot design significantly improves maintenance convenience, allowing users to quickly replace filter media and clean residual dirt from the annular interlayer. In summary, this utility model possesses significant technical advantages and practical value. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a top view of the structure of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a side view of the structure of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the device of this utility model connected to the fish tank.

[0019] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Outer shell; 2. Inner shell; 3. Annular interlayer; 4. Sedimentation chamber; 5. Filter chamber; 6. Culture chamber; 7. Water inlet; 8. Partition; 9. Filter hole; 10. Water outlet; 11. Water pump compartment; 12. Ventilation opening; 13. Cable tray; 14. Fish tank. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described below are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0021] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This utility model provides a fish tank overflow prevention and circulation device, mainly composed of an outer shell 1, an inner shell 2, and an annular interlayer 3 formed between the outer shell 1 and the inner shell 2. The outer shell 1 and the inner shell 2 are precisely formed using integrated 3D printing technology, and their maximum external dimensions are precisely controlled within a 25 cm x 25 cm plane range to adapt to the usage environment of desktop miniature fish tanks. The overall height of the device is typically 8 cm to 12 cm, and in a specific embodiment, its height is designed to be 10 cm. The integrated 3D printing process uses PETG (polyethylene terephthalate) material, which is hydrolysis-resistant, UV-resistant, has good mechanical strength, and is non-toxic to aquatic organisms. The wall thickness of the shell is uniformly set to two millimeters to ensure structural rigidity and durability.

[0022] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the outer shell 1 has a rectangular or elliptical overall outline, with a flange structure extending horizontally inward at its bottom edge. This flange structure perfectly matches the shape of the pre-designed rim of the fish tank 16, allowing the fish tank anti-overflow circulation device to be stably placed and fixed on the rim of the fish tank 14 without additional hooks or suction cups. The flange is three millimeters wide, and its thickness is the same as the wall thickness of the outer shell 1. The internal space of the outer shell 1 is designed as a cavity to accommodate the inner shell 2 and other auxiliary components. On one side of the outer shell 1, above the flange, is a water pump compartment 11. This water pump compartment 11 has a rectangular groove structure, and its internal space is used to accommodate a miniature water pump. The bottom of the water pump compartment 11 is flush with the bottom of the outer shell 1, and its sidewalls are integrally formed with the sidewalls of the outer shell 1. On the upper inner wall of the water pump compartment 11, along its depth direction, there are several ventilation openings 12. These ventilation openings 12 are slit-like openings, 4 mm long and 2 mm wide, evenly arranged horizontally. Their existence allows air inside the water pump compartment 11 to circulate with the external environment, thereby regulating the internal temperature of the water pump compartment 11. Simultaneously, on the lower side wall of one of the water pump compartments 11, adjacent to the bottom, there is a wire groove 13. This wire groove 13 is a circular through-slot used to neatly house the power lines of the water inlet pump, ensuring that the lines are laid along a predetermined path and maintaining the overall neatness of the device.

[0023] The inner shell 2 is integrally fitted inside the outer shell 1. Its outer contour and the inner wall of the outer shell 1 form a fixed and uniform gap on a plane, constituting the annular interlayer 3. The overall height of the inner shell 2 is designed to be lower than that of the outer shell 1. In a specific embodiment, the height of the inner shell 2 is 3-8 mm lower than that of the outer shell 1. This height difference structure causes the top edge of the inner shell 2 to be lower than the top edge of the outer shell 1. The inner shell 2 and the outer shell 1 are integrally connected via their bottom edges. This connection has a smooth, rounded corner transition structure to enhance connection strength and prevent water leakage at this point.

[0024] The annular interlayer 3 is a ring-shaped space formed between the outer wall of the inner shell 2 and the inner wall of the outer shell 1. It is five millimeters wide and eight centimeters deep, serving as a secondary overflow barrier. When the water level inside the inner shell 2 rises abnormally due to any abnormal situation (e.g., the return water fails to drain in time after the inlet pump stops working), and even overflows the top edge of the inner shell 2, the overflowing water will be confined and contained within the annular interlayer 3, preventing water from directly overflowing outside the fish tank 14.

[0025] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the interior of the inner shell 2 is precisely divided into three independent and interconnected cavities by multiple partition structures: from top to bottom along the water flow direction, these are the sedimentation cavity 4, the filtration cavity 5, and the culture cavity 6. These cavity division structures are seamlessly connected to the body of the inner shell 2 using the integrated 3D printing technology, forming a unified internal structure.

[0026] The sedimentation chamber 4 is the first chamber into which water flows from the inner shell 2, located in the top region of the inner shell 2. The sedimentation chamber 4 is rectangular in shape. Below the top edge of one side wall of the sedimentation chamber 4, there is a water inlet 7, a circular opening with a diameter of eight millimeters, its center point two centimeters from the top edge of the sedimentation chamber 4. The water inlet 7 is precisely connected to one end of a flexible water inlet pipe to ensure smooth water flow. The water inlet pipe is made of non-toxic, bend-resistant silicone material, and the other end of the water inlet pipe is connected to a miniature water pump.

[0027] The partition 8 is disposed on the side of the sedimentation chamber 4, physically separating the side filter chamber 5. The partition 8 is a planar plate structure, integrally formed with the inner wall of the inner shell 2. Specifically, the upper part of the partition 8 has a plurality of filter holes 9 on its surface. These filter holes 9 are circular through holes. The geometry of the filter holes 9 allows the water that has undergone preliminary sedimentation in the sedimentation chamber 4 to pass through, while effectively blocking larger particles or impurities that may be located inside the sedimentation chamber 4 from entering the next chamber with the water flow.

[0028] The filter chamber 5 is located on one side of the sedimentation chamber 4 and receives water flow through the filter holes 9 on the partition 8. The filter chamber 5 is rectangular in shape. The internal space of the filter chamber 5 is equipped with filter media. The filter media can be one or a combination of various filter media such as bio-cotton, activated carbon boxes, or ceramic rings. In a specific embodiment, the filter media adopts a filter box combination structure filled with two layers of bio-cotton and one layer of activated carbon particles. The bio-cotton is a porous foam structure with a thickness of one centimeter and has high porosity. The activated carbon particles are encapsulated inside a filter box with fine mesh. The filter media is precisely placed inside the filter chamber 5 so that it can be in close contact with the chamber wall, ensuring that the water flow must pass through the filter media to continue flowing. The filter chamber 5 is connected to the culture chamber 6 through a channel.

[0029] The culture chamber 6 is rectangular in shape, and its overall position is slightly lower than the bottom of the filter chamber 5 to form a natural water level gradient. The culture chamber 6 contains culture material. In a specific embodiment, the culture material is a porous ceramic bioring with a diameter and length of 10 mm, possessing a highly developed microporous structure, providing a sufficiently large surface area for the attachment and growth of beneficial bacteria such as nitrifying bacteria. The culture chamber 6 is designed with a water outlet 10. The lower part of the water outlet 10 matches an opening structure on the upper part of the fish tank 14. The opening structure is a correspondingly shaped groove on the rim of the fish tank 14, used for the stable insertion of the connecting sleeve of the water outlet 10, ensuring that the purified water can smoothly flow back to the fish tank 14 through the water outlet 10.

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the other end of the inlet pipe is connected to the inlet of the inlet pump. The inlet pump is a miniature water pump with external dimensions of 4 cm long, 2 cm wide, and 3 cm high, and is fixed to the bottom of the pump compartment 11 by a suction cup structure. The outlet of the inlet pump is connected to the suction port inside the fish tank 14 through a short, flexible pipe, and water is pumped into the sedimentation chamber 4 through the inlet pipe.

[0031] Furthermore, within the annular interlayer 3 between the inner shell 2 and the outer shell 1, a plurality of reinforcing ribs are evenly distributed along the vertical direction of the shells. These reinforcing ribs are vertical plate-like structures integrally formed with the outer shell 1 and the inner shell 2, with a thickness of two millimeters, a height of seven and a half centimeters, and a width of five millimeters. They are arranged radially or in a grid pattern, with one rib every three centimeters. Their presence significantly enhances the overall structural strength of the device, effectively preventing deformation of the shells due to water pressure or external stress during long-term use. They also reinforce the connection between the inner and outer shells, avoiding possible leakage at the joints, and improving the stability and service life of the device.

[0032] During operation, when the inlet pump starts, it draws water from the fish tank 14 into the sedimentation chamber 4 through the inlet pipe. As the water enters the sedimentation chamber 4, the reduced flow velocity causes larger particles (such as fish feces and uneaten food) to settle to the bottom under gravity. The clearer upper portion of the initially settled water then enters the filter chamber 5 through the filter holes 9 on the partition 8. In the filter chamber 5, the water flows through the filter media layer by layer. The physical barrier effect of the filter media effectively removes suspended particles, small impurities, and some organic pollutants from the water. After physical filtration, the water's clarity is significantly improved, and it then flows from the filter chamber 5 into the culture chamber 6 through the connecting opening. In the culture chamber 6, the water comes into full contact with the culture material. The beneficial microbial community, such as nitrifying bacteria, attached to the surface of the culture material biotransforms toxic substances such as ammonia nitrogen and nitrite in the water, decomposing them into non-toxic nitrates, thus completing the biological filtration process. Finally, the clean water, after undergoing sedimentation, physical filtration, and biological filtration, flows back to the fish tank 14 through the water outlet 10 at the bottom of the culture chamber 6, thus forming a continuous and efficient water circulation and purification system.

[0033] When the water inlet pump stops working due to power failure or malfunction, the water in the inlet pipe and the water inside the inner shell 2 flow back to the fish tank 14 through the outlet hole 10 under the action of gravity. Since the overall height of the inner shell 2 is lower than that of the outer shell 1, after the outlet hole 10 is completely drained, some water will still remain inside the inner shell 2. However, the height of this residual water is effectively limited within the internal space of the inner shell 2 and will not overflow the top edge of the inner shell 2. The higher wall of the outer shell 1 and the annular interlayer 3 formed between it and the inner shell 2 together construct a secondary overflow barrier. Even in extreme cases, such as abnormal overflow inside the inner shell 2, the overflowing water is first introduced into the annular interlayer 3. The volume of the annular interlayer 3 is sufficient to hold a certain amount of overflowing water, thereby effectively preventing water from directly overflowing to the outside ground of the fish tank 14 and providing users with additional safety assurance.

[0034] This utility model's aquarium overflow prevention and circulation device utilizes a double-layer structure design with an outer and inner shell, along with a specific dimensional relationship where the inner shell's height is lower than the outer shell, forming an effective secondary overflow protection mechanism. The annular interlayer acts as an overflow buffer, accommodating overflow water when the water volume in the inner shell is abnormal, preventing direct overflow. The multi-chamber series structure of the sedimentation chamber, filtration chamber, and culture chamber achieves stepped purification of the water flow. The customized design of the outer shell's bottom contour allows it to adapt to the rims of ultra-small aquariums of different shapes and sizes, eliminating the need for additional fasteners such as hooks or suction cups. The integrated 3D printing process ensures structural strength while keeping the overall size within the limitations of desktop equipment. The synergistic effect of these structural features effectively solves the technical problems of easy overflow in existing single-shell designs, poor adaptability of standardized molds, and insufficient structural strength of 3D printed filter cartridges, providing a stable, reliable, and highly adaptable water circulation solution.

[0035] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the technical features of this utility model are not limited thereto. Any simple changes, equivalent substitutions, or modifications made based on this utility model to solve essentially the same technical problems and achieve essentially the same technical effects are all covered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A fish tank anti-overflow water circulation device, characterized in that: It includes an outer shell, an inner shell, and an annular interlayer. The inner shell is fitted onto one side of the outer shell, and an annular interlayer is formed between the outer side wall of the inner shell and the inner side wall of the outer shell. The inner shell contains a sedimentation chamber, a filtration chamber, and a culture chamber. The sedimentation chamber has a water inlet at its upper part. A partition is provided between the sedimentation chamber and the filtration chamber. The upper part of the partition has a filter hole for water to flow through. The filtration chamber is connected to the culture chamber. The bottom of the culture chamber has a water outlet.

2. The aquarium overflow prevention and water circulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height of the inner shell is lower than that of the outer shell, and the height of the inner shell is 3 to 8 millimeters lower than that of the outer shell.

3. The aquarium overflow prevention and water circulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet is connected to a water inlet pipe, which is connected to a water inlet pump. The water inlet pump is located inside the water pump compartment of the outer shell.

4. The aquarium overflow prevention and circulation device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The water pump compartment is equipped with ventilation openings and cable trays.

5. The aquarium overflow prevention and water circulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower part of the water outlet is connected to a fish tank, and the upper part of the fish tank is provided with an opening structure that matches the water outlet.

6. The aquarium overflow prevention and circulation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bottom contour of the outer shell is adapted to the square or elliptical rim of the fish tank.

7. The aquarium overflow prevention and water circulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filter chamber is equipped with filter media, which may be biochemical cotton, activated carbon box, or ceramic ring.

8. The aquarium overflow prevention and circulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A reinforcing rib is provided between the inner shell and the outer shell.

9. The aquarium overflow prevention and circulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The culture chamber contains culture material for culturing bacteria.

10. The aquarium overflow prevention and circulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell and inner shell are formed by one-piece 3D printing, and their maximum external dimensions do not exceed 25 cm × 25 cm.

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