Modular aquarium filter
View Patent ↗A modular aquarium filter includes one or more cartridges connected in series. The cartridges may contain filter media for chemical, biological and/or mechanical filtration. In addition, the cartridges are designed such that they provide a unique internal helical geometry to increase the contact area and flow rate of the water with the filter media. The helix may be optionally adjusted to provide different thickness filter layers for aquarium filtration. The pitch of the flights of the helix may be varied to provide enhanced centrifugal flow of the water within the cartridge. The present invention also provides self-sealing valve assemblies at the filter inlet and outlet, which when disconnected shut off the flow of water through the filter to expedite exchange of the cartridges.
1. A modular aquarium filter comprising:
a plurality of cartridges connected in series, each of said cartridges having a top end and a bottom end, each of said cartridges including an inlet at said top end;
wherein the last in said series of cartridges engages an endplate including an outlet, wherein said bottom end of said filter is closed off by said endplate;
wherein each of cartridges contains a helical flow director; and
wherein at least one of said plurality of cartridges contains biological filtering media and another of said plurality of cartridges contains chemical or mechanical filtering media.
2. The filter of claim 1 wherein at least two of said cartridges include a perforated platform for supporting said filtering media.
3. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said endplate is frictionally engaged.
4. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of cartridges provide biological, chemical and/or mechanical treatment of aquarium water.
5. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of cartridges, endplate, helical flow director and perforated support are molded of plastic.
6. The filter of claim 1 , further including a first inlet connector and a second outlet connector for supplying aquarium water to and returning water from said filter, wherein said connectors are self-sealing.
7. The filter of claim 6 wherein said first and second connectors each include a spring, a gasket and a flow controller which provide a self-sealing connector.
8. The filter of claim 1 , wherein said filter includes a self-sealing valve assembly which prevents substantial leakage of the filter when the filter is not connected to a water supply.
9. The filter of claim 1 , wherein the helical flow director comprises a helix having a pitch, wherein the pitch is constant in each of said plurality of cartridges.
10. The filter of claim 9 , wherein the pitch is different in any of said one or more cartridges in said filter.
11. The filter of claim 9 , wherein the pitch of said helical flow director varies between the top and the bottom of any of said one or more cartridges.
12. A device for directing the flow of water through a filter, the filter including a plurality of housings connected in series, each housing including a first end and a second end, the filter further including an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, the device comprising:
a helical flow director disposed in each of said housings, wherein the helical flow director comprises a coil of material disposed axially in spiral fashion from said first end of said housing to said second end of said housing to impart centrifugal force upon fluid passing from said filter inlet to said filter outlet;
wherein at least one of said plurality of housings contains biological filtering media and another of said plurality of housings contains chemical or mechanical filtering media.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein said plurality of housings provide biological, chemical and and/or mechanical treatment of aquarium water.
14. The device of claim 12 , further including a first inlet connector connected to said inlet and a second outlet connector connected to said outlet for supplying aquarium water to and returning water from said filter, wherein said connectors are self-sealing.
15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the helical flow director comprises a helix having a pitch, and said pitch is constant in each of said one or more housings.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the pitch is different in any of said one or more housings in said filter.
17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the pitch of said helical flow director varies between said first and second end of any of said one or more housings.
18. A method of filtering aquarium water comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of cartridges connected in series, wherein each of said cartridges having a top end and a bottom end, each of said cartridges including an inlet at said top end;
providing an endplate including an outlet wherein the last in said series of cartridges has a bottom end closed off by said endplate;
wherein each of cartridges contains a helical flow director; and
wherein at least one of said plurality of cartridges contains biological filtering media and another of said plurality of cartridges contains chemical or mechanical filtering media.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more cartridges provide biological, chemical and and/or mechanical treatment of aquarium water.