US20080093280A1

US20080093280A1 - Litter screen

Info

Publication number: US20080093280A1
Application number: US11/961,165
Authority: US
Inventors: Seong-Hee KANG
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-07-05
Filing date: 2007-12-20
Publication date: 2008-04-24
Also published as: JP2008545075A; WO2007004793A1

Abstract

A litter screen to be installed below a drain grating placed in a drain hole so that litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, is caught by the litter screen, thus preventing water pollution. The litter screen of the present invention includes a main body, which has a plurality of water passing holes therein, a mounting support, which extends from the main body so that the main body is installed below a drain grating using the mounting support, and a handle, which is provided in part of the mounting support to allow a user to hold the handle and pull out the main body. The litter screen may further include an opening, which is formed in at least one surface of the main body to drain water without backflowing. Furthermore, at least one surface of the main body may be inclined.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to screens which are used in drain holes to collect litter such as cigarette butts and, more particularly, to a litter screen, which is installed below a drain grating placed in a drain hole at a side of a road, so that litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, is collected by the litter screen and thus prevented from entering drain water, and the litter, which is in the litter screen, can be easily removed, thereby preventing water pollution and environmental pollution from being caused by litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, entering rivers.

DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART

Generally, drain holes are formed at sides of roads to drain rainwater when it rains. A drain grating is placed on each drain hole. In conventional arts, when litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, is placed in the drain hole through the drain grating, it is difficult to remove the litter from the drain hole. Furthermore, when valuables, such as rings and earrings, fall into the drain hole through the drain grating, because the drain hole is relatively deep, it is very difficult to find them. Moreover, many people often dump cigarette butts and impurities into the drain hole through the drain grating. Around restaurants, food waste is often illegally dumped into the drain hole through the drain grating. As well, when cleaning the road, litter, which has been gathered by a broom, is often dumped into the drain hole through the drain grating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a litter screen, which is installed below a drain grating placed in a drain hole, so that litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, which has been dumped into the drain hole, is easily collected by the litter screen and removed, thus preventing the water quality from deteriorating, and preventing environmental pollution. Another object of the present invention is to provide a litter screen, which makes it possible to collect and remove litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, thus preventing the drain hole from being clogged by the litter, thereby preventing rainwater from backflowing when it rains.
In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a litter screen, including a main body to collect litter therein, with a plurality of water passing holes formed in the main body; a mounting support extending from the main body so that the main body is installed below a drain grating using the mounting support; and a handle provided in part of the mounting support to allow a user to hold the handle and pull out the main body.
The litter screen of the present invention prevents litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, from entering rivers, thus preventing water pollution, that is, environmental pollution. Furthermore, the present invention can prevent a drain hole from being clogged by litter, thus preventing rainwater from backflowing when it rains.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a litter screen according to the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of the litter screen mounted below a drain grating according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a left side view of a litter screen according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a litter screen 2 according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a left side view of a litter screen according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the litter screen 2 of the present invention has a plurality of water passing holes throughout the overall area of a main body thereof for water to easily drain therethrough. The size of each water passing hole may be varied depending on precipitation. An existing perforated structure or a screen manufactured through various perforating methods may be used as the litter screen 2. Furthermore, an opening 4 is formed through at least one surface of the main body of the litter screen 2, such that, even if a large amount of soil or litter is drawn into and piled in the litter screen 2 during the rainy season or heavy rainfall, rainwater can be easily drained. In the case of a region having a great deal of precipitation, the opening 4 may be formed in each of four surfaces of the main body of the litter screen 2. The litter screen 2 includes mounting supports 6, which have structures such that, when the litter screen 2 is inserted into a drain hole after a drain grating 12 has been removed from the drain hole, the litter screen 2 is supported on a concrete part in the drain hole by the mounting supports 6. Furthermore, the litter screen 2 further includes handles 8, which are bent to protect user's hands and allow the user to easily hold the litter screen 2 when removing litter. As such, the user can easily pull out the litter screen 2 using the handles 8. It is most preferable that the litter screen 2 be made of material (for example, stainless steel), which is corrosion resistant and is resistant to fire, for example, the fire of a cigarette butt, which is an inflammable substance. However, in consideration of weight, the litter screen 2 may be made of plastic having superior durability. Furthermore, the litter screen 2 has an inclined surface 14, which is inclined at a predetermined angle with respective to the ground, such that, even if a large amount of litter is piled in the litter screen 2, rainwater can drain through the inclined surface 14.
FIG. 2 is a view showing the litter screen 2 mounted below the drain grating 12 at a side of a road. For installation of the litter screen 2, the drain grating 12 is first opened and, thereafter, the litter screen 2 is installed in the drain hole, and the drain grating 12 is returned to the original position thereof on top of the litter screen 2. When a predetermined amount of litter 10, such as cigarette butts and plastic, collects in the litter screen 2, the user grasps the handles 8 and pulls out the litter screen 2 after removing the drain grating 12. Subsequently, the user removes the litter 10 from the litter screen 2 before inserting the litter screen 2 into the drain hole 2 and placing the drain grating 12 in the original position thereof. Even if it rains when a large amount of litter 10 has collected in the litter screen 2, rainwater can drain through the opening 4. As such, the present invention prevents rainwater from not draining when the litter screen 2 is clogged. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, and these modifications, additions and substitutions fall within the bounds of the accompanying claims of the present invention.
As described above, the litter screen of the present invention prevents litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic, from entering rivers, thus preventing water pollution, that is, environmental pollution. Furthermore, the present invention can prevent a drain hole from being clogged by litter, thus preventing rainwater from backflowing when it rains.

Claims

1. A litter screen, comprising:

a main body to collect litter therein, with a plurality of water passing holes formed in the main body;

a mounting support extending from the main body so that the main body is installed below a drain grating using the mounting support; and

a handle provided in part of the mounting support to allow a user to hold the handle and pull out the main body.

2. The litter screen according to claim 1, further comprising: an opening formed in at least one surface of the main body to drain water without backflowing when the water passing holes of the main body are clogged with soil or litter.

3. The litter screen according to claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the main body is inclined.

4. The litter screen according to claim 1, wherein the main body is made of stainless steel or plastic.

5. The litter screen according to claim 1, wherein the mounting support is made of stainless steel or plastic.