Aquarium filter assembly and filter element

1. An aquarium filter assembly comprising a housing having mounting structure for mounting to an aquarium tank, said housing having a filter cartridge therein, said filter cartridge having an upstream face and a downstream face, said housing having an inlet receiving dirty aquarium water, and an outlet returning clean filtered water to said tank, said housing defining a flow path therethrough from upstream to downstream from said inlet to said outlet, including a vertical flow path portion from said upstream face of said filter cartridge to said downstream face of said filter cartridge, said housing having a water pump pumping water along said flow path;

wherein said housing has upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums vertically spaced from each other by said filter cartridge therebetween and vertically spaced directly above the aquarium water in said tank; and

wherein said housing has first, second, third, and fourth vertically extending sidewalls bordering said upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums therebetween, said first sidewall of said housing having a water flow passage passing water upwardly therealong from said inlet and said pump to said upper plenum, said second sidewall of said housing having said outlet and passing water through said outlet from said lower plenum to return the water to said tank.

2. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 1 wherein said water pump is upstream of said filter cartridge and pumps water from said housing inlet to said upstream face of said filter cartridge, and wherein water flows by gravity along said vertical flow path portion from said upstream face of said filter cartridge to said downstream face of said filter cartridge.

3. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 1 wherein said filter cartridge comprises a replaceable filter element having a height and a width spanning along an extension plane, and a thickness substantially less than said height and said width and spanning perpendicularly to said extension plane, wherein said extension plane lies in a substantially horizontal plane, and said replaceable filter element is directly above the aquarium water in said tank.

4. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 3 wherein said housing has a sidewall with a shoulder, and said replaceable filter element has a side resting on said shoulder to support said replaceable filter element along a slightly sloped angle relative to horizontal, said angle being less than 10°.

5. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 3 wherein said tank has an interior holding aquarium water therein, and wherein both said filter cartridge and said pump are in said tank interior.

6. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 1 wherein said housing has upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums vertically spaced from each other by said filter cartridge therebetween and vertically spaced directly above the aquarium water in said tank.

7. An aquarium filter assembly comprising a housing having mounting structure for mounting to an aquarium tank, said housing having a filter cartridge therein, said filter cartridge having an upstream face and a downstream face, said housing having an inlet receiving dirty aquarium water, and an outlet returning clean filtered water to said tank, said housing defining a flow path therethrough from upstream to downstream from said inlet to said outlet, including a vertical flow path portion from said upstream face of said filter cartridge to said downstream face of said filter cartridge, said housing having a water pump pumping water along said flow path;

wherein said housing has upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums vertically spaced from each other by said filter cartridge therebetween and vertically spaced directly above the aquarium water in said tank;

wherein said housing has first, second, third, and fourth vertically extending sidewalls bordering said upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums therebetween, said first sidewall of said housing having a water flow passage passing water upwardly therealong from said inlet and said pump to said upper plenum, said second sidewall of said housing having said outlet and passing water through said outlet from said lower plenum to return the water to said tank; and

wherein said third sidewall of said housing has an overflow port passing water from said upper plenum back to said tank, and wherein said tank has a tank sidewall, and said fourth sidewall of said housing extends along said sidewall of said tank.

8. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 7 wherein said water pump is upstream of said filter cartridge and pumps water from said housing inlet to said upstream face of said filter cartridge, and wherein water flows by gravity along said vertical flow path portion from said upstream face of said filter cartridge to said downstream face of said filter cartridge.

9. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 7 wherein said filter cartridge comprises a replaceable filter element having a height and a width spanning along an extension plane, and a thickness substantially less than said height and said width and spanning perpendicularly to said extension plane, wherein said extension plane lies in a substantially horizontal plane, and said replaceable filter element is directly above the aquarium water in said tank.

10. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 9 wherein said housing has a sidewall with a shoulder, and said replaceable filter element has a side resting on said shoulder to support said replaceable filter element along a slightly sloped angle relative to horizontal, said angle being less than 10°.

11. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 9 wherein said tank has an interior holding aquarium water therein, and wherein both said filter cartridge and said pump are in said tank interior.

12. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 7 wherein said housing has upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums vertically spaced from each other by said filter cartridge therebetween and vertically spaced directly above the aquarium water in said tank.

13. An aquarium filter assembly comprising a housing having mounting structure for mounting to an aquarium tank, said housing having a filter cartridge therein, said filter cartridge having an upstream face and a downstream face, said housing having an inlet receiving dirty aquarium water, and an outlet returning clean filtered water to said tank, said housing defining a flow path therethrough from upstream to downstream from said inlet to said outlet, including a vertical flow path portion from said upstream face of said filter cartridge to said downstream face of said filter cartridge, said housing having a water pump pumping water along said flow path;

wherein said housing has upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums vertically spaced from each other by said filter cartridge therebetween and vertically spaced directly above the aquarium water in said tank;

wherein said housing has first, second, third, and fourth vertically extending sidewalls bordering said upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums therebetween, said first sidewall of said housing having a water flow passage passing water upwardly therealong from said inlet and said pump to said upper plenum, said second sidewall of said housing having said outlet and passing water through said outlet from said lower plenum to return the water to said tank;

wherein said third sidewall of said housing has an overflow port passing water from said upper plenum back to said tank, and wherein said tank has a tank sidewall, and said fourth sidewall of said housing extends along said sidewall of said tank; and

wherein said first and third sidewalls of said housing are distally opposite to each other along a first lateral span, and said second and fourth sidewalls of said housing are distally opposite to each other along a second lateral span transverse to said first lateral span, whereby said water flow passage from said inlet and said pump is laterally distally opposite to said overflow port along said first lateral span, and said outlet from said lower plenum is laterally distally opposite to said tank sidewall along said second lateral span.

14. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 13 wherein said water pump is upstream of said filter cartridge and pumps water from said housing inlet to said upstream face of said filter cartridge, and wherein water flows by gravity along said vertical flow path portion from said upstream face of said filter cartridge to said downstream face of said filter cartridge.

15. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 13 wherein said filter cartridge comprises a replaceable filter element having a height and a width spanning along an extension plane, and a thickness substantially less than said height and said width and spanning perpendicularly to said extension plane, wherein said extension plane lies in a substantially horizontal plane, and said replaceable filter element is directly above the aquarium water in said tank.

16. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 15 wherein said housing has a sidewall with a shoulder, and said replaceable filter element has a side resting on said shoulder to support said replaceable filter element along a slightly sloped angle relative to horizontal, said angle being less than 10°.

17. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 15 wherein said tank has an interior holding aquarium water therein, and wherein both said filter cartridge and said pump are in said tank interior.

18. The aquarium filter assembly according to claim 13 wherein said housing has upper and lower horizontally spanning plenums vertically spaced from each other by said filter cartridge therebetween and vertically spaced directly above the aquarium water in said tank.