Device for holding a structure to be presented in an aquarium

Abstract

Device for receiving a structure (18, 20) to be presented in an aquarium (1), comprising: - a lower part (8) that can be inserted into a basin (2) of the aquarium (1), - an upper part (16) for receiving the structure (18, 20) to be presented, which is rotatably mounted on the lower part (8) about an axis of rotation (DA), and - a drive (22) designed to rotate the upper part (16) relative to the lower part (8) about the axis of rotation (DA), characterized in that - the drive is designed as a jet drive which has a water jet nozzle (22) which ejects water (4) tangentially to the axis of rotation (DA).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for holding a structure to be presented in an aquarium. The device comprises a lower part that can be inserted into the basin of an aquarium and an upper part for holding the structure to be presented. The upper part is rotatably mounted on the lower part about an axis of rotation, and a drive is provided which is designed to rotate the upper part relative to the lower part about the axis of rotation.

[0002] It is common practice to place structures intended for display within an aquarium. A structure intended for display can include living organisms such as plants, algae, corals, or other sessile invertebrates—that is, animals that cannot move on their own. However, other structures intended for display, often referred to as "hardscape" in aquariums, are also possible. These include habitat-specific materials like reef rock or wood, as well as non-habitat-specific materials such as artificial ceramics or plastics. Such a static arrangement of the structures intended for display, when placed directly in the aquarium, makes it difficult for an external observer to perceive them from different angles.Furthermore, in such an arrangement, life forms grow under static light and flow conditions, which can negatively affect their growth and robustness.

[0003] Rotating devices for displaying structures in an aquarium are common in both marine and freshwater aquariums. They consist of a base that is mounted in the aquarium and a rotatable top section. This top section may have openings for inserting animals and plants or allow for their attachment, for example, by gluing or tying. Such a rotating device allows animals or plants to be viewed from various angles while rotating, and it can facilitate growth under changing light and flow conditions.

[0004] However, such rotating devices are driven by a magnetic drive. Magnetic drives always require the base to be attached to the bottom of the aquarium to ensure reliable operation. Furthermore, a magnetic drive is difficult to position in an aquarium, as it must always be located directly beneath the rotating top. Therefore, installing a magnetic drive in an aquarium is expensive. Moreover, the long-term functionality of the magnetic drive is not guaranteed, especially with large or heavy structures being displayed. If the structure is too heavy, the magnet on the base is no longer strong enough to drive the magnet on the top; the magnetic drive must be correspondingly larger, which in turn increases the cost.

[0005] Based on this, the object of the invention is to provide a device for receiving a structure to be presented in an aquarium, which makes it possible to view the structures from different angles and to enable the growth of life forms under changing light and flow conditions, while at the same time being particularly cost-effective to manufacture.

[0006] The invention is defined in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0007] A device for holding a structure to be displayed in an aquarium is provided. The device comprises a base that can be placed in a basin of the aquarium and a top for holding the structure to be displayed, the top being rotatably mounted on the base about a pivot axis. It is possible for the plants, algae, corals, or other sessile invertebrates to be located directly on the top, or the "hardscape," such as wood and / or reef rock, can be placed on the top, upon which the living but sessile elements can then be positioned.

[0008] The rotating mounting of the structure being presented creates optimal growth conditions for living organisms and ensures a visually appealing presentation. The upper part rotates completely around the axis relative to the lower part, providing an external observer with a 360° view from various angles. This rotating mounting can be implemented, for example, using one or more ball bearings connecting the upper and lower parts.

[0009] Due to the rotatable mounting of the upper part on the lower part, the structure to be presented can perform the described rotational movement. For this purpose, a drive is provided, designed as a jet drive, which has a water nozzle that expels water tangentially to the axis of rotation. This movement of the water surrounding the device in the aquarium is the cause of the rotational movement of the upper part on the lower part of the device. It is possible that the upper part has a jet drive structure, such as a paddle wheel, and that the water jet nozzle expels the water against the jet drive structure to set the upper part into rotation relative to the lower part. Equally, it is also possible that the water jet nozzle expels the water directly against the structure to be presented to set the upper part into rotation relative to the lower part.Of course, the water can also be moved against both the upper part and the structure to be presented, in order to then set the upper part in rotation relative to the lower part.

[0010] The jet drive doesn't necessarily need its own pump; for example, an existing circulation pump already present in the aquarium can be used to deliver water to the jet nozzle. Such a pump is typically suspended from the edge of the aquarium or attached to the tank itself with a magnet. It then serves both to circulate the water in the aquarium and to drive the upper part of the jet to rotate relative to the lower part around its axis. This eliminates the need for the complex installation of a separate magnetic drive and also avoids the need for an additional drive component, as the existing circulation pump is used as part of the drive system. This significantly reduces costs.

[0011] It is equally possible that the drive unit consists of a pump and water jet nozzle, which can be placed anywhere in the aquarium basin independently of the rest of the device.

[0012] In both variants (water jet nozzle plus circulation pump (1) and water jet nozzle plus its own pump (2)), it is not necessary to place the drive unit directly under the top section, which allows for greater design freedom within the aquarium. The drive unit is independent of the exact position of the water jet nozzle in the tank, as long as the water is expelled tangentially to the top section or the structure being presented.

[0013] The base can be placed directly on the bottom of the aquarium. To improve stability, the base can be equipped with a foot. Alternatively, it can be attached directly to the bottom of the aquarium, for example, using adhesive. No further modifications to the base are necessary, which reduces costs compared to a magnetic drive.

[0014] Furthermore, the operation of the jet drive is independent of the size or weight of the structure being presented. Unlike a magnetic drive, which ceases to function or requires larger dimensions above a certain weight, the jet drive always sets the structure in motion. The rotational speed of the upper part relative to the lower part can be adjusted, for example, by modifying the outlet cross-section of the water jet nozzle. This is also easy and cost-effective to implement. This adjustment of the outlet cross-section can be achieved by changing its shape and / or size. For example, attachments with different outlet cross-sections can be fitted to the water jet nozzle. These outlet cross-sections can differ in diameter, size, and / or shape.Additionally or alternatively, the rotational speed of the upper part relative to the lower part can be adjusted by modifying the pump's flow rate, thus controlling the speed at which the water jet is ejected from the nozzle. It is also possible to operate the pump intermittently, delivering water in pulses towards the upper part only at specific intervals. The flow rate is then adjusted via the on / off duty cycle.

[0015] Particularly preferred is the upper part, together with the lower part, designed as a turntable, wherein the upper part is a plate that can rotate relative to a column with a base, which together serve as the lower part. This design simplifies the placement of the structures to be presented on the upper part.

[0016] It is preferred that the upper and lower parts be made of a seawater-resistant material. The same applies to the components used to mount the upper part on the lower part, such as ball bearings and the drive mechanism. A seawater-resistant material is defined here as a material that does not corrode in seawater with a salinity of less than 7%, i.e., is not susceptible to corrosion. Particularly preferred seawater-resistant materials are high-alloy steel, ceramic, titanium, or plastic. Depending on the weight and size of the upper part or the structures to be prepared, the size of the lower part, or, if present, the base, as well as the dimensions of the rotating bearing, can be adjusted to control the rotational speed.

[0017] It is possible for the drive mechanism to be permanently attached to the base, for example, in the form of a nozzle or a water wheel directly connected to the base and aligned tangentially to the axis of rotation. In this case, the entire device can be placed in the aquarium tank, and the drive mechanism is already aligned, reducing assembly time and thus also lowering costs. The aquarium's existing circulation pump (i.e., an existing component) can be used as the pump.

[0018] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combinations given, but also in other combinations or on their own, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, which also disclose essential features of the invention. These exemplary embodiments serve only for illustration and are not to be interpreted as limiting. For example, a description of an exemplary embodiment with a plurality of elements or components is not to be interpreted as meaning that all of these elements or components are necessary for implementation. Rather, other exemplary embodiments may also contain alternative elements and components, fewer elements or components, or additional elements or components. Elements or components of different exemplary embodiments may be combined with one another unless otherwise specified. Modifications and variations described for one of the exemplary embodiments may also be applicable to other exemplary embodiments.The figure shows: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a rotatable device in an aquarium in a first embodiment, Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a rotatable device in an aquarium in a second embodiment, and Fig. 3 A schematic representation of the position of the water jet nozzle relative to the upper part.

[0020] Fig. Figure 1 shows an aquarium 1 comprising a basin 2 filled with water 4. A base 8, consisting of a stand 10 and a column 12, is placed on a basin floor 6. Two ball bearings 14 are provided on the base 8, which rotatably connect a top part 16 to the base 8. A hardscape 18 is provided on the top part 16, on which sessile organisms 20 are located.

[0021] The rotation of the upper part 16 with the structures to be presented on it, i.e. the hardscape 18 and the sessile organisms 20, is effected by a water jet nozzle 22. This water jet nozzle 22 can, as in Fig. The water jet nozzle 22, as shown in Figure 1, is connected as a unit to a circulation pump 28 and, based on the flow lines 24, expels water against the upper part and / or the hardscape 18 or the sessile organisms 20 in order to rotate the upper part 16 relative to the lower part 8 about a rotation axis DA. The unit consisting of the water jet nozzle 22 and the circulation pump 28 is attached to the edge of the basin 2, usually to the glass of the aquarium 1, via a magnetic connection 29. It is also possible for the water jet nozzle 22 to be connected via pipes to a circulation pump 28 suspended at the edge of the basin 2, or for the water jet nozzle 22 to be connected via pipes, for example through the basin floor 6, to a circulation pump 28 located below the aquarium 1 (these two further variants are not explicitly shown).

[0022] Fig. 2 is essentially the same Fig. 1, however, in this embodiment, a separate pump 30 is provided for the water jet nozzle 22, which together with it forms a single unit. In this embodiment, the flow lines 24 are directed towards jet drive structures 32 on the upper part 16, so that the drive directly powers the upper part 16 via the jet drive structures 32. The jet drive structure 32 on the upper part 16 can, for example, be an impeller. It is possible for the unit consisting of pump 30 and water jet nozzle 22 to be permanently connected to the lower part 12, so that the water jet nozzle 22 can be aligned before the device is placed in the aquarium 1. It is also possible, as in Fig. Figure 2 explicitly shows that the unit consisting of water jet nozzle 22 and pump 30 can be placed in the aquarium 1 independently of the base 12.

[0023] In the two embodiments of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The water jet nozzle 22 can be freely placed in the basin 2 of the aquarium 1. It simply needs to be arranged so that it expels the water 4 in flow lines 24 that run tangentially to the axis of rotation DA of the upper part 16 (i.e., perpendicular to the radial direction of the axis of rotation DA of the upper part 16), as shown in Fig. 3 is shown. Then it is ensured that the upper part 16 rotates around the lower part 8 regardless of the size and weight of the objects 18, 20 to be presented.

[0024] The speed of the upper part 16 relative to the lower part 12 can be adjusted in various ways. It is possible to adjust the rotational speed of the upper part 16 relative to the lower part 12 by adjusting the delivery rate of the pump 28, 30, thus controlling the speed at which the water jet is ejected from the water jet nozzle 22. An intermittent operating mode of the pump 28, 30 is also possible to adjust the delivery rate. The rotational speed of the upper part 16 relative to the lower part 12 can also be adjusted by changing the outlet cross-section 23 of the water jet nozzle 22. This adjustment of the outlet cross-section 23 can be achieved by changing its shape and / or size. For example, different attachments with different outlet cross-sections 23 can be fitted to the water jet nozzle 22.For example, different attachments have different diameters, different sizes and / or different shapes of the outlet cross-section 23.

[0025] All components of the device can be freely positioned within basin 2 of aquarium 1, making assembly very cost-effective. Furthermore, a 360° view of the hardscape 18 and the sessile organisms 20 is possible for an external observer, and the sessile organisms 20 are exposed to changing light and flow conditions.

Claims

[1] Device for receiving a structure (18, 20) to be presented in an aquarium (1), comprising: - a lower part (8) that can be inserted into a basin (2) of the aquarium (1), - an upper part (16) for receiving the structure (18, 20) to be presented, which is rotatably mounted on the lower part (8) about an axis of rotation (DA), and - a drive (22) designed to rotate the upper part (16) relative to the lower part (8) about the axis of rotation (DA), characterized by , that - the drive is designed as a jet drive which has a water jet nozzle (22) which ejects water (4) tangentially to the axis of rotation (DA). [2] Device according to claim 1, characterized by , that the drive expels the water (4) against a jet propulsion structure (32) of the upper part (16) in order to set the upper part (16) into rotation relative to the lower part (8). [3] Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by, that the drive expels the water (4) against the structure (18, 20) to be presented, in order to set it and its upper part (16) into rotation relative to the lower part (8). [4] Device according to any one of the above claims, characterized by , that the upper part (16) and the lower part (8) together form a turntable. [5] Device according to any one of the above claims, characterized by that the upper part (16) and the lower part (8) are made of a seawater-resistant material, particularly preferably a high-alloy steel, ceramic, titanium or plastic. [6] Device according to any one of the above claims, characterized by , that the water jet nozzle (22) is firmly connected to the lower part (8). [7] Device according to any one of the above claims, characterized by, that the drive has a pump (28; 30) which is connected to the water jet nozzle (22), wherein in particular a delivery rate of the pump (28; 30) is adjustable in order to set a rotational speed of the upper part (16). [8] Device according to claim 7, characterized by , that the pump (28; 30) and the water jet nozzle (22) are designed as a unit that can be inserted into the basin (2) of the aquarium (1). [9] Device according to claim 7, characterized by , that the pump is a circulation pump (28) of the aquarium. [10] Device according to any one of the above claims, characterized by , that an outlet cross-section of the water jet nozzle (22) is adjustable in order to set a rotational speed of the upper part (16).

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