Patent Application
20110284442
A number of different types of filters are known in the art for filtering surface water. Patents of interest in this regard include:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,819, issued Aug. 19, 1986, to Colson;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,601,258, issued Oct. 15, 2007, to James;
U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,677, issued Aug. 18, 2009, to Barnes;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,836, issued Feb. 17, 1987, to Schmid;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,672, issued Apr. 14, 1987, to Allen;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,393, issued Aug. 21, 1990, to Goettl;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,039, issued Nov. 3, 1992, to Colburn;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,828, issued Aug. 27, 1996, to Ehrlich;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,639, issued Feb. 22, 2000, to J. Lenhart
U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,544, issued Sept. 25, 2007, to Hoffmeier et al, details a continuous Pond Vacuum that may benefit from this current invention.
The above cited prior art does not provide a suitable means for reliably and automatically removing debris via pond vacuum, and subsequently returning said filtered water to the pond.
Consequently, there has been a need to provide improved and more reliable apparatus and methods that result in continuous circulation of water with minimal loss of water. Those of skill in the art will greatly appreciate the present invention which addresses the above problems and other problems.
Most pond vacuums allow the user to vacuum leaves, sludge and other waste from their pond, and discard the water produced from this exercise into the flower garden or lawn. This practice is very effective in terms of removing waste from the pond but it does involve losing quite a lot of water in the process.
This filter bag is used to enable the user to return the normally discarded water to the pond through a four-stage filtration bag that separates the leaves, and sludge before returning the water completely polished to the pond.
This method would save hundreds of gallons of water every year, for anyone using such filtration, not to mention the impact on the environment in saving valuable water.
The system consists of four bags, a net bag that allows the trapping of all leaves and large debris, this net bag is enclosed by high density layers of graduated filtration fabric allowing further removal of finer debris and flocculants from the water. The net bag is constructed with a pull string attachment at its open end to allow the bag to be removed and emptied while vacuuming, in the event the net becomes full before the vacuuming exercise is complete.
The additional three stages of filtration of this system comprises of bags constructed of filter type material, each independent of the other allowing separation after removal for easy cleaning. In addition each stage utilizes multiple layers of the same material, this eliminates channeling which is the major reason for most filtration systems failure to efficiently remove waste. The water after passing through these stages of filtration is dumped directly back into the pond.
The Filtration bag is attached to the discharge end of the pond vacuum by means of the two pull string assemblies. The first pull string assembly is attached to the net bag, and the second is attached to the final filtration material the fine mesh bag.
After completing vacuuming, the bags can be removed and the varying filtration stages separated from each other and cleaned for reuse.
The outer bag is constructed of a fine mesh material filled with activated carbon material that will also aid in filtration while having sufficient perforations to allow efficient flow of water back into the pond.
Before beginning vacuuming the post-filtration bag is attached to the output end of the discharge tube in the following manner.
The leaf bag is attached to the output end of the discharge tube by placing the open end of the net bag over and around the opening, and pulling the pull-string system tight around the tube's end.
The second layer of filtration comprising of a foam bag is placed within the third layer of filtration which is a batting bag, which altogether is placed inside the fourth stage of filtration which is a fine mesh bag filled with activated carbon material.
This final stage of filtration the fine mesh bag has a pull string on its open end which allows the bag to be pulled tight and secured around the output end of the discharge tube as well.
The discharge tube with the bags securely attached is now placed in a position that allows the bag to hang loosely into the water of the pond while allowing the end of the discharge tube to remain submerged no more than two inches under the surface of the pond. (In so doing allowing the user to monitor the bags in case they are full and need emptying).
The vacuum is now turned on allowing the intake nozzle to extract water from the pond in the normal manner prescribed by the manufacturer.
If during the vacuum process it is noticed that the leaf bag is full and impeding the discharge of water from the post filter, simply switch off the vacuum, detach the outer bag, then the leaf net bag, empty its contents and replace into its original position.
The same pertains to the other two filtration stages if observed to be full, remove clean by dumping debris and possibly spraying with a hose to dislodge fine debris. Then return to its original position over the leaf bag and secure to discharge output as previously done.
On completion of vacuuming the post filtration bags can be removed, separated, emptied, cleaned thoroughly, and stored for future use.
The filtration bags can be individually replaced whenever they are deemed to be worn.
This invention relates to water filters and more particularly, to water filtration systems that waste water in the process of achieving this goal. The pond vacuum systems presently being utilized are capable of removing sludge and debris from a fish pond or water feature in a very efficient manner. The only aspect not addressed in the process is a means of protecting the environment by conserving the water that is being treated. This can be achieved by devising a method of recycling, and reusing the processed water in a manner that does not hurt the environment or the fish or live media within the pond.
This process utilizes the practice of circulation of filtered water through varying filtration medium, and returning the filtered water to the pond. The post vacuum filtration system is submerged into the pond.
The utilization of foam, activated carbon and batting as filtration medium, is not new in filtration practice, but the method in which they are utilized, namely as individualized bags, which can be separated for cleaning or for replacement when worn, adds to the practicality of this system.
There currently exists various types of filtration systems that filter water then returned the resulting water to the pond. These come in the form of sand filters, bio ball filters, to name a few. This invention in particular pertains to being used in conjunction with pond vacuum systems.
The present invention provides a novel approach to liquid treatment and circulation as preferred embodiment of which may be utilized for filtering and treating water for fish ponds, waterfalls, and fountains.
The present invention provides a post vacuuming filter that potentially filters and polishes waste water to the extent that the water can be returned directly to the pond from which it was extracted. The present invention provides a means of protecting the environment by saving water.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is therefore illustrative and explanatory of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and variations thereof, and it will be appreciated by any individual or enthusiast who as struggled with saving water while affecting vacuuming. As well, the drawings are intended to describe the concepts of the invention so that the presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be plainly disclosed to hobbyists familiar with the practice of pond filtration, but are not intended to be manufacturing level drawings or renditions of final products and may include simplified conceptual views.
Thus, various changes and alternatives may be utilized that remain within the spirit of the invention. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative of a presently preferred embodiment and not in a limiting sense.
These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:
The arrows a, b, and c in
Referring now to one embodiment illustrated in
The waste water entering the post vacuum filtration system first passes through the net bag 3, where all large particles of debris are trapped the water then proceeds through the foam bag 4 which then removes sand and gravel size particles. The water then proceeds through the batting bag 5 which removes waste micro sized particles from the water. The water finally passes through the fine netting mesh containing activated carbon 8 which removes any other particles along with odor that may have gotten through the previous four stages.
