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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attaching device, and more particularly to a flexible attaching device for attaching water pumps to aquariums.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various kinds of typical aquariums have been developed and comprise a water pump disposed inside or outside the aquarium, for pumping and circulating water through the aquarium.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,600 to Mowka, Jr. et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,394 to Harrison disclose two of the typical aquariums each comprising a water pump disposed within the aquarium, for pumping and circulating water through the aquarium.
However, the water pumps are normally solidly disposed and positioned within the aquariums, and may not be adjusted to different directions, such that the water pumps may not be used for pumping and circulating water toward various directions in the aquariums.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,911 to Chow et al. disclose another typical aquarium comprising a water pump disposed outside the aquarium, for pumping and circulating water through the aquariums with pipings or hoses.
However, the water pumps are disposed and positioned outside the aquariums, and also may not be adjusted to different directions, such that the water pumps also may not be used for pumping and circulating water toward various directions in the aquariums.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,929 to Kozak discloses a typical portable tool having a flexible extension shaft. However, the typical flexible extension shafts may not be used to attach or secure a water pump to an aquarium.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional water pumpes for aquariums.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an attaching device for flexibly attaching a water pump to an aquarium and thus for allowing the water pump to be positioned or adjusted to different directions, and to pump and circulate water toward various directions in the aquariums.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a flexible attaching device for attaching a water pump to an aquarium, the flexible attaching device comprising a flexible stem including a first end and a second end, an attaching device for attaching the first end of the flexible stem to the aquarium, a water pump, and a coupling device for coupling the second end of the flexible stem to the water pump.
The coupling device includes a plate attached to the second end of the flexible stem for coupling to the water pump. The water pump includes at least one sucker device provided thereon, for attaching to the plate.
The flexible stem includes a ball attached to the first end thereof, and the attaching device includes a seat, a fastener device attached to the seat for detachably attaching the seat to the aquarium, and a coupler attached to the seat and having a chamber formed therein to rotatably receive the ball.
The fastener device is preferably a clip. The seat includes a shank extended therefrom, the coupler includes a screw hole formed therein for threading with the shank of the seat. The seat includes a lock nut threaded onto the shank, and engageable with the coupler, to lock the coupler to the shank.
The coupler includes a plurality of posts extended therefrom to define the chamber thereof. Each of the posts includes a projection extended into the chamber of the coupler, to engage with the ball, and to rotatably retain the ball within the chamber of the coupler. The coupler includes a plurality of slots formed between the posts, to receive and position the flexible stem to the coupler.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a partial cross sectional view of an aquarium having a flexible attaching device in accordance with the present invention, for attaching a water pump to the aquarium;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the flexible attaching device for attaching the water pump to the aquarium;
FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view as seen from a direction of the flexible attaching device opposite to that shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view of the flexible attaching device;
FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the other arrangement of the flexible attaching device relative to the aquarium; and
FIGS. 7, 8 are partial cross sectional views similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the angular adjusting operation of the flexible attaching device.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-5, a flexible attaching device 30 in accordance with the present invention is provided for flexibly attaching a water pump 10 to an aquarium 20, and for allowing the water pump 10 to be positioned or adjusted to different directions relative to the aquarium 20, and to pump and circulate water toward various directions in the aquarium 20.
The flexible attaching device 30 comprises a seat 31, a fastener device 32, such as a clip 32 attached to the seat 31, for detachably and selectively attaching the seat 31 of the flexible attaching device 30 to the aquarium 20, such as to an outer peripheral wall 21 of the aquarium 20 (FIG. 1), or to an upper portion 23 of the aquarium 20 (FIG. 6). The fastener device 32 may also be the other detachably attaching devices, such as quick release fasteners (not shown) or the like.
The seat 31 includes a threaded shank 33 extended therefrom and having an outer thread formed thereon, and a lock nut 34 is threaded onto the threaded shank 33. A coupler 40 includes a screw hole 41 formed therein, for threading onto the threaded shank 33, and the lock nut 34 may be rotated or moved to engage with the coupler 40, for solidly locking the coupler 40 to the threaded shank 33. The coupler 40 includes one or more flat surfaces 42 formed thereon for allowing the coupler 40 to be solidly rotated or driven by driving wrenches (not shown) or the like.
The coupler 40 includes a chamber 43 formed therein, and defined by or between one or more posts 44, or includes one or more posts 44 extended therefrom, to form or define the chamber 43 thereof, and the coupler 40 may thus include one or more slots 45 formed or defined between the posts 44. Each of the posts 44 preferably includes a projection 46 extended into the chamber 43 of the coupler 40.
A flexible stem 47 is further provided and includes a ball 48 provided or attached to one end 471 thereof, and a coupling device 49, such as a plate 49 provided or attached to the other end 472 thereof. One example of the flexible stem 47 has been taught and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,929 to Kozak which may then be taken as a reference for the present invention.
The ball 48 is rotatably received in the chamber 43 of the coupler 40, and anchored or retained within the chamber 43 of the coupler 40 by engaging with the projections 46 of the posts 44 (FIGS. 5-8), to prevent the ball 48 from being disengaged from the coupler 40, and to allow the ball 48 and thus the flexible stem 47 to be rotated or adjusted relative to the coupler 40 to any selected angular direction (FIGS. 5 and 7-8).
The coupling device 49 or the plate 49 is provided for attaching or coupling the water pump 10 to the flexible stem 47, and thus to the seat 31, and thus for allowing the water pump 10 to be flexibly attached to the aquarium 20, and for allowing the water pump 10 to be positioned and adjusted to different directions relative to the aquarium 20, and thus to pump and circulate water toward various directions in the aquarium 20.
For example, the water pump 10 may include one or more sucker devices 11 attached thereto, for attaching or securing to the coupling device 49 or the plate 49, best shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, and thus for attaching the water pump 10 to the seat 31 via the flexible stem 47 and the coupler 40.
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7-8, the ball 48 may first be rotatably received in the chamber 43 of the coupler 40, and anchored or retained in the coupler 40 by the projections 46 of the posts 44. The coupler 40 may then be rotated and threaded to the threaded shank 33 which may be engaged with the ball 48, after the ball 48 has been adjusted relative to the coupler 40 to the required angular direction, to solidly secure the ball 48 to the coupler 40 at the selected angular direction.
It is preferable that the flexible stem 47 may be engaged in either of the slots 45 of the coupler 40, to further position or retain the flexible stem 47 to the coupler 40 at the selected or required angular direction. The flexible attaching device 30 may thus be used to flexibly or adjustably attach the water pump 10 to the aquarium 20 and directed toward different directions relative to the aquarium 20, and thus to allow the water pump 10 to pump and circulate water toward various directions in the aquarium 20.
Accordingly, the flexible attaching device for attaching pump to aquarium in accordance with the present invention may be used for flexibly attaching the water pump to the aquarium and thus for allowing the water pump to be positioned or adjusted to different directions, and to pump and circulate water toward various directions in the aquariums.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.