Title of Invention: A free-standing fishpond

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a free-standing fishpond and finds

particular, although not exclusive, utility as a relatively quick and easy form of providing a fishpond in areas where access to ground for forming traditional fishponds is restricted.

[0002] Such traditional fishponds are typically formed in the ground as a hole. Material is sometimes used as a liner either to provide waterproofing and/or ground stabilisation. Pre-formed solid walled liners are also known which are at least partially buried in use in the ground.

[0003] The present invention provides the possibility of fishponds in situations where there is no access to suitable ground for the at least partial burial of a liner, or the creation of a hole. Moreover, the present invention provides an easily erectable, easily dis- mantleable and easily portable fishpond.

[0004] In one aspect, the invention provides a free-standing fishpond structure comprising a flexible waterproof liner and support means for supporting at least a portion of the liner to form a wall, wherein the liner includes at least one integral substantially transparent portion.

[0005] The term "free-standing" may be understood to mean that the fishpond is located above ground and may be self-supporting, without the requirement of relatively permanent structures such as brick or concrete walls, or foundations.

[0006] The term "flexible" may be understood to mean that the liner is foldable, without damage being caused to it. The liner may be relatively thin having a thickness less than 2mm, preferably less than 1mm. Furthermore, the liner may comprise only one piece or more than one piece joined together to form one piece. The joints may be made using heat welding such that the liner becomes unitary.

[0007] The term "integral" may be understood to mean that it is one-piece. This "one-piece" includes the possibility of two initially separate pieces being joined together. It may, or does, exclude the use of clamps, seals, and other detachable elements.

[0008] The liner may be described as a one-piece flexible and foldable liner.

[0009] The flexible liner may be comprised of plastics, and the liner and substantially

transparent portion may be welded together to form a water-tight seal. Other means of attaching the transparent portion to the liner are contemplated such as with the use of glue. The substantially transparent portion may be comprised of PVC, although other materials are contemplated. The substantially transparent portion may be flexible and/ or may not comprise glass.

[0010] The liner may comprise plastics such as PVC. Other materials may also be possible. The at least one integral substantially transparent portion may act as a window for a person to be able to see inside the pond, or to let in light, under the surface of the water. The whole of the liner may be substantially transparent, or it may only comprise one or more discrete portions which are substantially transparent. In this regard, the term "substantially" is taken to mean a range of between slightly opaque to relatively totally clear/transparent. However, in one embodiment, the at least one portion is transparent.

[0011] The wall may be circular in plan, rectangular, or hexagonal, octagonal, or any other polygonal shape. It is expected that the fishpond may have a height in the range 50cm to 150cm although other heights are contemplated. It is expected that the fishpond may have a width (in plan) in the range 50cm to 300cm (preferably 50cm to 200cm) although other sizes are contemplated.

[0012] The free-standing fishpond may include a base for protecting the base of the liner.

The base may protect the liner underneath the fishpond. The base may be integral with the liner or may be separate therefrom. The base may comprise timber, metal, concrete or plastics.

[0013] The support means may comprise a plurality of poles, some of said poles being

erectable, in use, substantially vertically and for supporting a substantially horizontal array of some other poles, the liner being attachable to the support means. The substantially vertical poles may be arrangeable radially outwardly of the liner.

[0014] In this regard the phrase "substantially vertically" includes any angle to the horizontal, and the phrase "substantially horizontal" includes any angle to the vertical. However, it is expected that some of the poles will stand substantially perpendicularly to the horizontal. The substantially horizontal array of other poles may have a hooplike shape. The hoop may be rectangular, circular, oval, semi-circular, or polygonal. The liner may be hung from the hoop and in this regard the liner may include portions which may be wrapped at least partially around the hoop and attached to either the hoop, the liner, or to some other element to maintain the liner in place. This hoop may be attached to the substantially vertical poles and the liner may be attached to this hoop to maintain the wall. The weight of water filling the pond may act to hold the liner in a desired shape and/or to hold the base portion of the liner in place. The walls may bow out due to the pressure of the water; however, the poles may act to maintain the integrity of the fishpond.

[0015] At least one of the substantially vertically erectable poles may include a foot for preventing damage to the liner being arrangeable, in use, internally of the liner, radially inward of the wall.

[0016] At least one of the substantially vertically erectable poles may be arrangeable within a portion of the liner. [0017] The free-standing fishpond may include a cover attachable to the support means for covering at least a portion of the wall and support means. The cover may be removably attachable. The cover may include at least one substantially transparent portion or hole for alignment with the at least one transparent portion of the wall.

[0018] The cover may have one or more benefit, such as for aesthetic reasons, for acting as thermal insulation, for protection of the liner, and for maintaining the shape of the liner. It is expected that the cover may comprise real or replica rattan, bamboo, timber or fabric.

[0019] The free-standing fishpond may include attachment means for attaching the cover to the support means. The attachment means may comprise elastic ropes (such as bungees), elastic strips, clips, or any other means. The cover may prevent the liner from bowing outwardly due to the pressure/weight of the water in the fishpond when filled.

[0020] The support means may comprise a plurality of pre-assembled frames, said frames being releasably attachable to one another. The frames may be the only elements providing support to the liner. The frames may be substantially rectangular and provided in three standard arrangements; one with sides substantially perpendicular to its large face, one with one side bevelled and the opposite side being substantially perpendicular to its large face; and one with both opposite sides bevelled. In this regard the term "sides" refers to the sides which extend substantially vertically in use. The various combinations of different quantities of the three standard arrangements allows for a range of differently shaped fishponds (when viewed in plan), at relatively low cost.

[0021] At least one of the frames may include a cover to provide an aesthetic external appearance. The cover may be faux, or real, rattan.

[0022] The cover may include at least one substantially transparent portion or hole for

alignment with the at least one transparent portion of the wall.

[0023] The frames may be releasably attachable to one another. They may be releasable attachable to one another by means of brackets and fixings such as screws or bolts.

[0024] The support means may be separate from the liner, although it may be combined with the liner during erection of the fishpond.

[0025] The liner may be releasably attachable to the frames by clips, hooks or other suitable means to maintain the shape and position, relative to the frame, of the upper perimeter of the liner.

[0026] The support means may be considered relatively lightweight comprising relatively lightweight materials such as metal, wood or plastics and not such materials as stone, brick or concrete.

[0027] The wall may include a substantially rectilinear portion for enabling the fishpond to be located substantially adjacent an unrelated rectilinear structure. For instance, the free-standing pond may be semi-circular or rectangular in plan, one of the rectilinear wall portions enabling the fishpond to be located substantially adjacent a wall of a house or other structure in an indoor or outdoor location.

[0028] The various possibilities of pole positions allow the creation of a structure that is strong enough to withstand the pressure of the water within the liner to suit the site conditions.

[0029] In one embodiment, the free-standing fishpond is an indoor and/or outdoor freestanding fishpond.

[0030] The fishpond may include integral pockets for holding vegetation. However, in one embodiment these pockets may be separate from the liner. The pockets may be located internally and/or externally to the interior of the fishpond.

[0031] The pockets are pouch-like and may be arrangeable such that a substantial part lies under the surface of the water in the pond. The pockets may be provided in pairs (and may appear like saddle-bags) such that, in use, they may be draped over the hoop, or rim, so that one lies inside the liner with the other pocket lying outside the liner. The pockets may be impermeable, semi-permeable or permeable. In one embodiment, the pockets may be formed from wicker.

[0032] The fishpond may include one or more of a fountain, a pump and a waterfall.

Moreover, the free-standing fishpond may include a filter system. The pump may supply one or more of the waterfall, the fountain and the filter system.

[0033] The filter system may include one or more of a UV clarifier, a mechanical filter

media, a biological filter media and a dosing chamber for the introduction of a chemical and/or a bacteria. In a free-standing fishpond it may be considered more important that a filter system be present because the water may become warmer than a similar size pond at least partially buried in the ground. The filter system may be necessary to handle the corresponding increase in growth of algae and other undesirable organic matter. The fountain and/or pump may be considered necessary to maintain sufficient levels of oxygenation of the water.

[0034] Any one or more of the filter system, the fountain and the pump may be located internally, or externally, of the wall. For instance, any one or more of the filter system, the fountain and the pump may be located in one or more of the pockets or suspended from the hoop or rim. Other locations are possible such as at the base of the pond under water, or suspended within the water at the side of the pond.

[0035] The fishpond may include a climbing means for ground-based wildlife to reach the water surface. The climbing means may be a ramp or a series of steps. Creatures such as frogs may use this climbing means. The climbing means may be arranged substantially around the circumference of the fishpond. It may be arranged between the cover and the liner. It may extend substantially perpendicularly away from the fishpond.

[0036] The fishpond may include a top cover for the purposes of heat retention etc.

[0037] In another aspect the invention provide a collapsible free-standing fishpond including any one or more of the features described and/or claimed herein. The fishpond may be erectable and/or collapsible in a relatively short time (less than 4 hours for example) without the need for ground engineering works such as the digging of holes and the construction of foundations. The fishpond when collapsed/disassembled is of a size that may fit into a standard size car, or even a box having a volume less than 0.5m ² .

[0038] The above and other characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. This description is given for the sake of example only, without limiting the scope of the invention. The reference figures quoted below refer to the attached drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 is a cut-away elevational view of one embodiment of the invention;

[0040] Figure 2 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention;

[0041] Figure 3 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the invention;

[0042] Figure 4 is an elevational view of a different embodiment of the invention including a series of steps;

[0043] Figure 5 is a plan view of a further embodiment of the invention;

[0044] Figure 6 is an elevational view of part of the embodiment of Figure 5; and

[0045] Figure 7 is a plan view of three different wall panels.

[0046] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0047] Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0048] Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under ap- propriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

[0049] It is to be noticed that the term "comprising", used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

[0050] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may refer to different embodiments. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

[0051] Similarly it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[0052] Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0053] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practised without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

[0054] The invention will now be described by a detailed description of several embodiments of the invention. It is clear that other embodiments of the invention can be configured according to the knowledge of persons skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit or technical teaching of the invention, the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

[0055] In Figure 1 the fishpond is generally referenced "10". It comprises support legs 30 supporting an upper rim, or hoop, 50. Each support leg 30 rests on a pad to prevent damage to the base 55 of the liner 20. The liner 20 lies underneath the support legs 30 and extends up to the rim 50. Due to the weight of the water in the fishpond the sides are shown bowing outwardly. The fishpond 10 rests on a base 60 to prevent damage to the liner 20. The hoop 50 may a have cover included (not shown), which may be in the form of an inverted "L" shape for fitting over the hoop. This may be for aesthetic reasons and/or for increasing the structural integrity of the hoop 50.

[0056] In Figure 2, a plan view of the fishpond 110 is shown. The base is shown in broken lines. The rim 150 is again supported by the eight support legs 130 arranged equidistantly around the circumference. The liner 120 is supported by the support legs 130. The fishpond 110 includes a pocket 160 located inside the circumference of the liner 120. The fishpond 110 also includes a pair of saddle-bag like pockets 170. The pair 170 are hung over the rim 150 such that one pocket is located inside the rim 150 of the fishpond 110 and the other is located outside the rim 150 of the fishpond.

[0057] The fishpond 210 in Figure 3 includes a cover 225 which obscures the liner. The rim 250 comprises several segments joined together. The cover 230 includes a window 230 through which the interior of the fishpond 210 may be seen. This is because the liner (not shown) includes a window (or substantially transparent portion) in alignment with the window 230 in the cover 225.

[0058] The fishpond 210 includes a pocket 260 located outside the rim 250 of the fishpond 210. The pocket has been planted with appropriate vegetation 290. The pocket 260 may be located within the rim. The pocket 260 may include a hole (not shown) such that the water within the fishpond may reach the soil and/or plants within the pocket for irrigation thereof.

[0059] In Figure 4, the fishpond 310 includes a series of steps 380 created from one or more individual containers such that the height of the step furthest from the fishpond 310 is lowest. An additional ramp or step 385 is provided within, and possibly without, the rim. In this way, wildlife may access the pond 310. The series of steps 380 is shown planted with vegetation 390.

[0060] The fishpond 310 includes a filter system 400. This filter system is shown in four different positions, inside the pond at the top 400A fully submerged, inside the pond at the bottom 400B fully submerged, inside the pond at the top half submerged 400C, and outside the pond 400D. The filter system may be integral with the fishpond 310.

Wherever the filter system 400 is located it may be connected to the water within the pond by means of appropriate conduits such as hoses or holes.

[0061] Due to the presence of the filter system the fishpond 10, 110, 210, 310 is a safe and healthy environment for fish and other wildlife.

[0062] With reference to Figures 5 and 6 a different fishpond 410 is possible. This fishpond 410 is substantially hexagonal in plan although other shapes are contemplated. The fishpond structure is comprised of six panels 430, 440 releasably attached to one another. In this embodiment, the panels 430, 440 are attached by means of brackets 450 bolted or screwed into each adjacent panel 430, 440 and spanning two such adjacent panels 430, 440. Other fixing means are contemplated. The floor 415 of the fishpond 410 is shown in broken lines in Figure 5. The panels 430, 440 may, or may not be of equal size.

[0063] Each panel 430, 440 is a frame, in this embodiment being substantially rectangular in form, over which a separate covering 435 may be affixed. With an arrangement of adjacent panels the covering 435 may appear substantially continuous about the outer vertical surfaces of the fishpond 410. Each frame 430, 440 is comprised of an arrangement of members. These may comprise metal, plastics and wood. The members may be tubular, square or any other cross-sectional shape. The covering 435 may be rattan or any other material. The covering 435 may include a hole 445 through which a portion 425 of the liner 420 may bulge due to the pressure of the water in the pond in use. A frame member may be provided at last partially around the hole 445 to provide extra support if necessary. The portion 425 of the liner 420 may be substantially transparent to act as a window.

[0064] The covering 435 may be attached to the frame by any suitable means such as

screws, bolts, clips, etc.

[0065] The upper edge of the liner 420 is attached to the top of some of the panels 430, 440 so that it hangs loosely inside the arrangement. The liner may only be attached at its upper edge providing a relatively simple structure.

[0066] Although substantially rectangular and planar panels 430, 440 are shown and

described, other shapes are contemplated such as triangular planar panels and curved panels.

[0067] In Figure 7 three panels 500, 510, 520 are shown in plan. The panel referenced "500" may be equivalent to the frames 430, 440 in Figures 5 and 6. It has two longitudinal sides which are parallel to each other and square with the front and rear faces. The panel referenced "510" has both longitudinal sides bevelled. The panel referenced "520" has one longitudinal side bevelled and the other square. By arranging a sequence of different panels 500, 510, 520 together any shape, within reason, can be formed in plan. Although the bevels have only one angle (approximately 45 degrees), other angles are contemplated. Even so, although two adjacent panels may not fit together completely flush with one another, the panels may be arranged at angles other than the bevelled edges, leaving a slight gap between the panels along the inside or outside edge. The provision of three basic shapes allows for a relatively inexpensive and easy system to manufacture and install.