Beach cleaner

Abstract

To make it easier to collect litter which is captured and deposited in a mesh member of a beach cleaner which scrapes up the litter along with sand and captures and deposits the churned up litter and sand in the mesh member. In a second beach cleaner which captures and deposits in a mesh member litter scattered around in the sand by churning up the litter along with sand while traveling by being towed by a towing vehicle, the mesh member has an encircling member open on at least one side and is attached to the frame such that the mesh member is pivotable with respect to the frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a beach cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention wherein the beach cleaner is being transported by being mounted on a trailer together with other devices;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a first beach cleaner according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the first beach cleaner shown in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4( a) and 4(b) are explanatory views of a sand pin of the first beach cleaner, in which FIG. 4(a) is a side view and FIG. 4(b) is a view as seen in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4(a);

FIGS. 5( a) and 5(b) are explanatory views of a modification of the sand pin, in which FIG. 5(a) is a side view and FIG. 5(b) is a view as seen in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5(a);

FIG. 6 is a side view of the first beach cleaner with a weight mounting portion attached thereto;

FIG. 7 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8( a) and 8(b) are explanatory views of the weight mounting portion shown in FIG. 6, in which FIG. 8(a) is a top view and FIG. 8(b) is a side view thereof;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory exploded view showing the weight mounting portion shown in FIG. 6 with a weight attached thereto;

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a weight mounting portion as attached to a front carrier of a towing vehicle;

FIG. 11 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an explanatory exploded view showing the weight mounting portion shown in FIG. 10 and a weight attached thereto;

FIG. 13 is a side view of a litter collecting station according to the embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory perspective view of a dividable structure in the litter collecting station;

FIG. 16 is a side view of a second beach cleaner according to the embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a rear view corresponding to FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a side view of a front portion of a frame of the second beach cleaner;

FIG. 20 is a view as seen in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a side view of a hinge for a mesh member of the second beach cleaner and its vicinity;

FIGS. 22( a) and 22(b) are views as seen in the direction of arrow A and arrow B in FIG. 21, respectively;

FIGS. 23( a) and 23(b) represent a case where the mesh member of the second beach cleaner is made movable in a front-rear direction, and are side views of the mesh member at a retracted position and at an advanced position, respectively;

FIG. 24 illustrates a path along which the vehicle travels when a sandy beach is cleaned using the beach cleaners of the embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a side view of the first beach cleaner as towed by the vehicle;

FIG. 26 is a side view of the second beach cleaner as towed by the vehicle;

FIG. 27 is a top view of a first modification of the mesh member of the second beach cleaner;

FIG. 28 is a side view of a second modification of the mesh member of the second beach cleaner;

FIG. 29 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is a side view of a third modification of the mesh member of the second beach cleaner; and

FIG. 31 is a side view of a fourth modification of the mesh member of the second beach cleaner.

Claims

1. A beach cleaner comprising: a frame including a plurality of longitudinal members each extending along a traveling direction of the beach cleaner and a plurality of transverse members each extending in a transverse direction of the beach cleaner such that the transverse members extend substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal members;a churn-up portion disposed in a front portion of the frame;a mesh member disposed in a rear portion of the frame; anda tow portion disposed at a front end portion of the frame, the churn-up portion churning up litter scattered on sand, along with sand, while the beach cleaner is traveling on a surface of the sand by being towed by a towing vehicle, and the churned up litter being deposited in the mesh member;wherein the mesh member has an encircling member open at least at a side, and is attached to the frame such that the mesh member is pivotable with respect to the frame.

2. The beach cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a handle is disposed on the encircling member of the mesh member.

3. The beach cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the encircling member has a wall at a side where a pivot axis around which the mesh member is pivotable is disposed.

4. The beach cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the encircling member has a wall at a side where a pivot axis around which the mesh member is pivotable is disposed.

5. The beach cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the encircling member has a rear wall, and a corner of the encircling member on at least one side of the rear wall is rounded.

6. The beach cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the encircling member has a rear wall, and a corner of the encircling member on at least one side of the rear wall is rounded.

7. The beach cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the encircling member has a rear wall, and a corner of the encircling member on at least one side of the rear wall is rounded.

8. The beach cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a litter accumulatable portion is disposed relative to at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member.

9. The beach cleaner according to claim 2, wherein a litter accumulatable portion is disposed relative to at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member.

10. The beach cleaner according to claim 3, wherein a litter accumulatable portion is disposed relative to at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member.

11. The beach cleaner according to claim 5, wherein a litter accumulatable portion is disposed relative to at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member.

12. The beach cleaner according to claim 1, wherein at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member is openable and closable.

13. The beach cleaner according to claim 2, wherein at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member is openable and closable.

14. The beach cleaner according to claim 3, wherein at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member is openable and closable.

15. The beach cleaner according to claim 5, wherein at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member is openable and closable.

16. The beach cleaner according to claim 8, wherein at least one of all the walls constituting the encircling member is openable and closable.

17. A cleaner comprising: a frame;a churn-up portion disposed in a front portion of the frame;a mesh member disposed in a rear portion of the frame; anda tow portion disposed at a front end portion of the frame, the churn-up portion churning up litter scattered on a surface while the cleaner is traveling on a surface by being towed by a towing vehicle, and the churned up litter being deposited in the mesh member;wherein the mesh member has an encircling member open at least at a side, and is attached to the frame such that the mesh member is pivotable with respect to the frame.

18. The cleaner according to claim 17, wherein a handle is disposed on the encircling member of the mesh member.

19. The cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the encircling member has a wall at a side where a pivot axis around which the mesh member is pivotable is disposed.

20. The cleaner according to claim 18, wherein the encircling member has a wall at a side where a pivot axis around which the mesh member is pivotable is disposed.