Patent US3970731A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US3970731A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Bubble-generating aerator

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-01-22
•
Granted: 1976-07-20
•
Expires: 1995-01-22
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A bubble generating aerator comprising a disc-like or tubular aerating element made of a sintered open-pore plastics material, the element being submerged in a surrounding liquid and connected to a pressure gas source for supplying gas into the element and discharging the gas from one surface of said element as gas bubbles into the liquid. The discharge surface of the element is provided with a number of mutually spaced recesses larger than the pores of the element into which recesses the gas discharging from the element first enter as small bubbles and are combined to form larger bubbles before finally discharging from the element into said surrounding liquid.

Inventors

  • 👤 Erkki Olavi Oksman

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 05:32
CPC Classifications
C; C02; C02F; C02F3/00; C02F3/02; C02F3/12; C02F3/20; B; B01; B01F; B01F23/00; B01F23/20; B01F23/23; B01F23/231; B01F23/23105; B01F23/2312; B01F23/23123; B01F23/23126; B01F23/231265; B01F23/231262; Y; Y02; Y02W; Y02W10/00; Y02W10/10

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 106 words
A bubble aerator comprising and aerating element constituted of a sintered open pore material, said aerating element being of disc shape and having opposite surfaces thereof, and a mounting means supporting said element for supplying air to a first surface thereof while said element is submerged in a liquid and the second surface thereof is exposed to said liquid, said element being provided with recesses in said second surface which recesses have closed bottoms and are larger in size than the pores in the element to collect gas bubbles discharged from the pores and discharge the gas in the form of larger bubbles from the element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 106 words
A bubble aerator comprising and aerating element constituted of a sintered open pore material, said aerating element being of disc shape and having opposite surfaces thereof, and a mounting means supporting said element for supplying air to a first surface thereof while said element is submerged in a liquid and the second surface thereof is exposed to said liquid, said element being provided with recesses in said second surface which recesses have closed bottoms and are larger in size than the pores in the element to collect gas bubbles discharged from the pores and discharge the gas in the form of larger bubbles from the element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first surface of the element is smooth.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 36 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first surface of the element is provided with further recesses of a size smaller than that of the first said recesses but larger than the pores.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 1 comprising a coating of a hydrophobic material on said second surface, said coating being provided with holes in registry with said recesses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said coating consists of a plate secured onto said second surface of the element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said coating consists of a film of a hydrophobic material on said second surface of the plate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 4 wherein said coating consists of a layer of a hydrophobic material spread onto said second surface of the element and leaving said recesses uncovered.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 1 comprising rings of a hydrophobic material secured to said one surface of said element and surrounding the edges of said recesses in said second surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 14 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 8 wherein said rings are nozzle sleeves.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recesses have bounding surfaces which have been melted into unified surfaces.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 13 words
A bubble aerator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recesses are branched.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1677502A Cited
US1940350A Cited
US1936305A Cited
US2008363A Cited
FR1009829A Cited
US3048339A Cited
US3330645A Cited
US3396950A Cited
GB1247395A Cited
US3603509A Cited
US3768788A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-07-20 1980-01-19 1980-07-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-07-20 1984-01-19 1984-07-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-07-20 1988-01-19 1988-07-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag