Patent Publication Number: US-2023135883-A1

Title: Garbage collection watercraft

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-180000 filed on Nov. 4, 2021. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a garbage collection watercraft. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, from the perspective of protecting the marine environment toward Sustainable Development Goals (so-called SDGs), activities have been promoted to protect the abundance of the sea by collecting and reducing garbage and microplastics floating on the water. For example, conventionally, there is known a marine garbage collection device that collects garbage floating on the sea by flowing in and collecting the garbage together with seawater (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2020-500709). 
     In addition, a garbage collection watercraft is used to collect garbage floating in the water. The garbage collection watercraft is equipped with a collection box and a crane. The garbage collection watercraft takes in the garbage to the collection box by moving the collection box in a state of being submerged in the water. Then, by lifting the collection box with the crane, the garbage is collected from the collection box. 
     The garbage collection watercraft as described above is a large ship for mounting the crane and the power source for the crane. Therefore, it cannot be used in a narrow place such as a harbor or a waterway. In addition, it is difficult to mount the crane and the power source on a small ship because the loading capacity is limited. Therefore, it is necessary for a worker to manually pull up the collection box, which imposes a heavy burden on the worker. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention reduce the size of garbage collection watercraft and reduce the burden on workers. 
     A garbage collection watercraft according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a hull, a collection box, and a buoyant material. The collection box includes an intake port to receive garbage. The collection box is held on the hull so as to be movable between a collection position and a pull-up position. The collection box is located at least partially underwater at the collection position. The pull-up position is located higher than the collection position. The buoyant material is attached to the collection box. The buoyant material raises the collection box from the collection position to the pull-up position by a buoyant force. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buoyant force of the buoyant material causes the collection box to move from the collection position to the pull-up position. Because it is not necessary to mount a crane and a power source on the hull, the hull is miniaturized. In addition, the buoyant force of the buoyant material moves the collection box, which reduces the burden on the worker. 
     The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view showing a garbage collection watercraft according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a top view of the garbage collection watercraft. 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view taken along the line in  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of a collection box. 
         FIG.  5 A  is a front view showing the collection box in a box storage area. 
         FIG.  5 B  is a front view showing the collection box in the box storage area. 
         FIG.  6    is a front view showing the collection box in the box storage area. 
         FIG.  7 A  is a side sectional view of the garbage collection watercraft. 
         FIG.  7 B  is a side sectional view of the garbage collection watercraft. 
         FIG.  8    is a side sectional view of the garbage collection watercraft according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, garbage collection watercrafts according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.  FIG.  1    is a perspective view showing a garbage collection watercraft  1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG.  2    is a top view of the garbage collection watercraft  1 .  FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in  FIG.  2   . As shown in  FIGS.  1  to  3   , the garbage collection watercraft  1  includes a hull  2  and collection boxes  3  and  4 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , a marine propulsion device  5  is attached to the hull  2 . The marine propulsion device  5  is, for example, an outboard motor. However, the marine propulsion device  5  may be another propulsion device such as a jet propulsion device. The marine propulsion device  5  generates a propulsive force to move the hull  2 . 
     The hull  2  includes a first boat  6 , a second boat  7 , and a connecting portion  8 . The first boat  6  and the second boat  7  each have a shape extending in a front-rear direction of the hull  2 . The first boat  6  and the second boat  7  are spaced apart from each other in a left-right direction of the hull  2 . The connecting portion  8  extends in the left-right direction of the hull  2  and connects the first boat  6  and the second boat  7 . 
     The hull  2  includes a box storage area  11 . The box storage area  11  is located between the first boat and the second boat  7 . The box storage area  11  is open toward the front. The box storage area  11  is open upward. The box storage area  11  is located between a first inner side surface  12  of the first boat  6  and a second inner side surface  13  of the second boat  7 . A bottom plate  14  is located below the box storage area  11 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , the hull  2  includes a through hole  15 . The through hole  15  is located behind the box storage area  11 . The through hole  15  extends from the box storage area  11  to the rear of the hull  2 . As the garbage collection watercraft  1  moves forward, water passes between the first boat  6  and the second boat  7  and enters the box storage area  11 . The water flows from the box storage area  11  to the rear of the hull  2  through the through hole  15 . 
     The hull  2  includes a cockpit  16  and a work space  17 . The work space  17  is adjacent to the box storage area  11 . The work space  17  is a place for a worker to perform work of pulling up garbage from the collection boxes  3  and  4 . For example, the cockpit  16  is provided on the first boat  6 . The work space  17  is provided on the second boat  7 . 
     The collection boxes  3  and  4  are located in the box storage area  11 . In the present preferred embodiment, the garbage collection watercraft  1  includes a plurality of collection boxes  3  and  4 .  FIG.  4    is a perspective view of the collection boxes  3  and  4 . The plurality of collection boxes  3  and  4  include a first collection box  3  and a second collection box  4 . The first collection box  3  and the second collection box  4  are separate bodies from each other. 
     The first collection box  3  includes an intake port  21  to receive garbage. The intake port  21  is provided on the front surface of the first collection box  3 . Mesh is provided on a rear surface  22 , both side surfaces  23  and  24 , and a bottom surface  25  of the first collection box  3 , respectively. An upper surface  26  of the first collection box  3  is open. 
     At least one of the side surfaces  23  and  24  of the first collection box  3  may be open. Mesh may be provided on the upper surface  26  of the first collection box  3 . The second collection box  4  has the same structure as the first collection box  3 . The second collection box  4  is located behind the first collection box  3 . 
     A first buoyant material  31  is attached to the first collection box  3 . The first buoyant material  31  is attached to the bottom surface  25  of the first collection box  3 . The first buoyant material  31  is made of a foamed material, e.g., a resin such as urethane. Alternatively, the first buoyant material  31  may be filled with air. The first buoyant material  31  raises the first collection box  3  by the buoyant force. 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  are front views showing the first collection box  3  in the box storage area  11 . In  FIG.  5 A , the first collection box  3  is located at the collection position. In  FIG.  5 B , the first collection box  3  is located at the pull-up position. The pull-up position is located above the collection position. The first collection box  3  is movably held by the hull  2  between the collection position and the pull-up position. 
     As shown in  FIG.  5 A , at least a portion of the first collection box  3  is located underwater at the collection position. The bottom surface  25  of the first collection box  3  is located below the water surface  100  at the collection position. The garbage collection watercraft  1  includes stoppers  33  and  34 . The stoppers  33  and  34  are attached to the hull  2 . The stoppers  33  and  34  are able to be switched between a fixed state and a released state. 
     As shown in  FIG.  5 A , the stoppers  33  and  34  fix the first collection box  3  to the hull  2  in the fixed state. For example, the stoppers  33  and  34  fix the first collection box  3  by pressing the first collection box  3  from the lateral side. Alternatively, the stoppers  33  and  34  may be engaged with the first collection box  3 . 
     The first collection box  3  is fixed by the stoppers  33  and  34  in a state of being submerged at the collection position. The stoppers  33  and  34  hold the first collection box  3  at the collection position against the buoyant force of the first buoyant material  31 . In this state, when the garbage collection watercraft  1  moves forward, the underwater garbage  200  enters the first collection box  3  from the intake port  21 . 
     The stoppers  33  and  34  release the first collection box  3  in the released state. As a result, as shown in  FIG.  5 B , the first collection box  3  is raised to the pull-up position by the buoyant force of the first buoyant material  31 . In this state, the worker pulls up the garbage  200  from the first collection box  3 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , the first collection box  3  is fixed to the pull-up position by setting the stoppers  33  and  34  to the fixed state while the first collection box  3  is located at the pull-up position. As a result, the first collection box  3  is stably held by the hull  2 , so that the work of pulling up the garbage  200  becomes easier. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   , a second buoyant material  32  is attached to the second collection box  4 . Like the first collection box  3 , the second collection box  4  is movable to the collection position and the pull-up position, and is fixed to the collection position and the pull-up position by the stoppers  35  and  36  shown in  FIG.  2   . Further, when the stoppers  35  and  36  are in the released state, the second collection box  4  is raised from the collection position to the pull-up position by the buoyant force of the second buoyant material  32 . 
     For example, as shown in  FIG.  7 A , the second collection box  4  may be located at the collection position while the first collection box  3  is located at the pull-up position. As a result, the underwater garbage  200  is taken into the second collection box  4  while the garbage  201  is pulled from the first collection box  3 . Further, as shown in  FIG.  7 B , the first collection box  3  may be located at the collection position while the second collection box  4  is located at the pull-up position. As a result, the underwater garbage  200  is taken into the first collection box  3  while the garbage  201  is pulled from the second collection box  4 . 
     In the garbage collection watercraft  1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the collection boxes  3  and  4  move from the collection position to the pull-up position due to the buoyant force of the buoyant materials  31  and  32 . Therefore, it is not necessary to mount a crane and a power source on the hull  2 , and the hull  2  is miniaturized. Further, since the collection boxes  3  and  4  are moved by the buoyant force of the buoyant materials  31  and  32 , the burden on the worker in the work of pulling up the garbage from the collection boxes  3  and  4  is reduced. 
     Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above preferred embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. 
     The number of collection boxes is not limited to two, and may be one or more than two. The plurality of collection boxes may be located side by side not only in the front-rear direction but also in the left-right direction. The shape of the collection box is not limited to that of the above preferred embodiments, and may be changed. 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , a lid  40  configured to open and close the intake port  21  may be attached to the collection box  3 . A lid may be attached to the collection box  4  as well. The lid  40  may be movable between a closed position and an open position. The lid  40  closes the intake port  21  in the closed position. The lid  40  opens the intake port  21  in the open position. The reference numeral  40 ′ indicated by the broken line in  FIG.  8    indicates the lid  40  in the open position. For example, the lid  40  is slidably attached to the collection box  3 . Alternatively, the lid  40  may be rotatably attached to the collection box  3 . Alternatively, the lid  40  may be removable from the collection box  3 . When the garbage collection watercraft  1  moves backward, the intake port  21  is closed by the lid  40  so that the backflow of garbage from the collection box  3  is prevented. 
     The structure of the hull  2  is not limited to that of the above preferred embodiments, and may be modified. For example, in the above preferred embodiments, the hull  2  is a so-called catamaran boat, but may be another type of watercraft. 
     While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.