Collapsible aquarium

Claim 2

A collapsible aquarium comprising a base and four sides, each of said four sides being hingedly connected to the base in watertight relation with the base and with the two sides adjacent therewith, whereby the hingedly connected sides can be folded open, and when so opened, the four sIdes define, together with the base, a rigid, shape-retaining water-tight enclosure.

Claim 3

A collapsible aquarium comprising a base, four sides, connecting means for connecting each of said four sides to the base in movable relation therewith, each of said four sides being movable with respect to the base between two extreme positions, the first of said extreme positions being parallel to the base and the second of said extreme positions being at right angles to the base, first water-tight seal means connecting each of said four sides to the base and second water-tight seal means connecting each of said four sides with the two sides adjacent therewith, whereby, when said sides are in the second of said extreme positions, said sides define, together with the base, a rigid, shape-retaining water-tight enclosure and when said sides are moved into the first of said extreme positions, the aquarium is collapsed.

Claim 4

A collapsible aquarium comprising a base, four sides, connecting means for connecting each of said four sides to the base in movable relation therewith, each of said four sides being movable with respect to the base between two extreme positions, the first of said extreme positions being parallel to the base and the second of said extreme positions being at right angles to the base, first water-tight seal means connecting each of said four sides to the base and second water-tight seal means connecting each of said four sides with the two sides adjacent therewith, whereby, when said sides are in the second of said extreme positions, said sides define, together with the base, a rigid, shape-retaining water-tight enclosure and when said sides are moved into the first of said extreme positions, the aquarium is collapsed.

Claim 5

An aquarium according to claim 2 wherein all four sides are of equal height, and said four sides comprise two pairs of sides having different lengths, the longer pair of sides being at least twice the height of the sides.

Claim 6

An aquarium according to claim 3 wherein the connecting means connecting each of the shorter sides to the base comprises at least one hinge having two plates, one plate being fixed to each of the sides and the other plate being fixed directly to the base; the connecting means connecting the longer sides to the base comprising at least one hinge having two plates and a spacing means having a height equal to the thickness of the side; one plate being fixed to the longer side and the other plate being fixed to the spacing means which is fixed to the base; the connecting means connecting the other of the longer sides to the base being the same except that the spacing means has a height equal to twice the thickness of the side.

Claim 7

An aquarium according to claim 4 wherein the first plate is connected to the base by means of a screw passing through a hole provided in said one plate.

Claim 8

An aquarium according to claim 4 wherein each of said sides comprises a rectangular sheet of glass and a U-shaped frame member attached to each edge of said sheet of glass, and cemented thereto, said other plate of the hinge being fixed to the U-shaped frame member attached to the lowermost edge of the sheet of glass.

Claim 9

An aquarium according to claim 6 wherein said other plate of the hinge is spot welded to the U-shaped frame member attached to the lowermost edge of the sheet of glass.

Claim 10

An aquarium according to claim 6 wherein the first water-tight seal means comprises, in the case of the shorter sides, a sheet of flexible material having a length equal to the shorter side, one edge of said sheet of flexible material being cemented for substantially its entire length between the sheet of glass and the U-shaped frame member associated with the lowermost edge thereof and the other edge of said sheet of flexible material being fixed between the base and the said other plate of the hinge.

Claim 11

An aquarium according to claim 6 wherein the first water-tight seal means comprises, in the case of the longer sides, a sheet of flexible material having a length equal to the longer side, one edge of said sheet of flexible material being cemented for substantially its entire length between the sheet of glass and the U-shaped frame member associated with the lowermost edge thereof and the other edge of said sheet of flexible material being cemented to the base and the spacing means.

Claim 12

An aquarium according to claim 6 wherein the second water-tight seal means comprises a rectangular sheet of flexible material formed into a cone joining adjacent sides of the aquarium said rectangular sheet of flexible material having a first edge cemented between the sheet of glass and the U-shaped frame member which is attached to a side edge of one side of the aquarium and a second edge cemented between the sheet of glass and the U-shaped frame member attachEd to a side edge of the side of the aquarium, adjacent said one side; and wherein the apex of the cone is folded under said one side.

Claim 13

An aquarium according to claim 2 comprising a base frame to which the base is cemented.

Claim 14

An aquarium according to claim 6 comprising means for clamping adjacent sides together in fixed position.

Claim 15

An aquarium according to claim 12 wherein the means for clamping comprises a clip which fits over the U-shaped frame members of adjacent sides.

Claim 16

An aquarium according to claim 10 wherein the flexible material is a clear plastic material and further comprising a plurality of colored pebbles in each of the cones.

Claim 17

An aquarium according to claim 9 comprising a clip for holding the cone to one of the two sides joined thereby.

Claim 18

An aquarium according to claim 1 wherein each of said four sides is hingedly connected to the base by means of at least one hinge secured to said side and said base.