EP0443052B1 - Barrier arrangement for individual spaces of a car park - Google Patents

Abstract

In a barrier arrangement for individual spaces of a car park, each space is blocked in each case by a barrier (1) consisting of a post (2) and a barrier arm (3), the post (2) standing in each case at the same corner of the entry side of each space. The barrier arm (3) has solar cells (4) in its surface and is driven by means of an electrical low-voltage DC drive unit (5). The post (2) contains the drive unit (5) in the upper region, and rechargeable accumulators (6) for supplying it with power underneath. Finally, the drive unit (5) has a radio receiver for driving it. Manual operation of the barrier arrangement is also possible. <IMAGE>

Description

Parking space for motor vehicles is becoming increasingly scarce, not only in the metropolitan areas. Individual parking spaces or entire parking spaces are therefore increasingly being used by unauthorized persons.

To prevent this, different shut-off arrangements are known. Barrier shut-off arrangements are generally known which block the access to larger parking areas and parking lots. Such blocking arrangements for entire areas can only be used where a certain area can be blocked off for unauthorized persons.

However, there is often also the need to keep a few individual parking spaces free for one or a few specially authorized persons within a larger parking space. Foldable barrier posts are known for this purpose, which are mounted approximately in the middle of the approach side of the individual parking space.

These barrier posts can only be flipped over by the authorized person - either manually or by remote control, depending on the design - and driven over for the purpose of entering the parking space. However, these bollards are mounted in the middle of the entrance width of the individual parking spaces and there is again a full passage width between the individual bollards, so that an unauthorized person can enter between them if several parking spaces are not used. Furthermore, there must be a minimum height as ground clearance for driving over the corresponding vehicle. This often leads to damage to spoilers or other individual parts of the underside of a vehicle.

The remotely operated variant of such bollards contains mechanical components, e.g., over the entire height of the post, due to the joint at the base of the post. Levers or shafts and when starting off quickly to expensive damage to this mechanism.

Furthermore, FR-A-1448649 shows a vertically opening barrier for parking spaces and their special arrangement on the same corner of the entrance side of each parking space, so that the post of the next barrier also serves as an additional securing element to prevent the neighboring barrier from being bypassed . The barriers are triggered and secured only mechanically.

The US-A-4658543 shows as the next document (preamble of claim 1) an upward-opening barrier, the upper cover is coupled to a parallel running beam.

Although the use of this barrier to block individual parking spaces on a parking area is not described, an upward-opening barrier is operated electrically and powered by solar cells, which can also be remotely controlled, the drive unit and batteries being arranged in the vertical post of the barrier.

In contrast, nothing is stated or shown about the arrangement of the solar cells and the actuating device.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a shut-off arrangement for individual parking spaces of the parking lot, which avoids these disadvantages of the prior art and in particular only requires little effort Maintenance and assembly required, and yet reliably keeps unauthorized users away from the parking space.

This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1. If several individual, adjacent parking spaces are blocked in this way, no unauthorized person can enter between the individual barriers, even if there are several unused parking spaces, since the barrier arm is dimensioned long enough so that the remaining free passage between the free end of the barrier arm and the Post of the next barrier is not sufficient for the passage of a motor vehicle.

The barrier arm in particular is predestined to carry solar cells that generate electricity, which is stored in accumulators in order to supply the electrical drive unit with energy for moving the barrier arm. The drive unit and accumulators are located inside the post. The drive unit, which contains a low-voltage DC motor, is arranged at the upper end of the post, in the vicinity of the axis passing through the post, by means of which the barrier arm is mounted in the upper region of the post. This drive unit also comprises a radio receiver which is controlled by means of a handheld transmitter which the authorized person carries with him in order to activate the drive unit and to open or close the barrier arm as desired.

The drive unit also includes a corresponding sensor and control system to move backwards in order to avoid injuries or damage when the barrier arm moves, even with very low resistance, caused by objects or persons in the range of motion of the barrier arm.

Another advantage of the barrier in the form of a barrier is that the post contains important parts, such as accumulators and drive units, especially in the higher areas, but these do not have to be located directly at the base of the post. To assemble the barrier, it is sufficient to screw the post to the base. In order to ensure a high stability of the post, a mounting plate that is larger than the base area of the post is usually used for this.

Regardless of this, a predetermined breaking point is provided in the lower area of the post, as close as possible to the screw connection to the floor, so that the post in the event of transverse forces on the posts, which usually do not occur directly above the floor but at the level of the bumper of a motor vehicle as a whole, if possible without being damaged, tears off the screw connection relative to the substrate.

While the post itself and the base plate will mostly consist of sheet steel, such a predetermined breaking point could be made from an annular area made of correspondingly poorly dimensioned plastic. The predetermined breaking point can also be designed to be elastic, so that even before the post is finally torn off the base plate, a deflection of the post by a certain angular amount is possible without damage, and the post returns to its original position after the load has been removed.

If the post is nevertheless detached from the base plate at the predetermined breaking point, the components contained therein, such as batteries and drive unit, are undamaged and, if appropriate, the post itself, which is made of sheet steel, is repaired by replacing the predetermined breaking point or the wrapping of the post is relatively simple. The time and therefore the repair costs remain low. Since, in contrast to the foldable barrier post, a barrier-like barrier does not have to be run over by the motor vehicle, the dimensioning, in particular of the post, is not too narrow and in principle no damage to the underside of the motor vehicle can occur. In addition, no excavation work is required to sink certain components into the ground even when the barrier is installed, so that the installation of such a shut-off arrangement also requires little effort.

The power supply via solar cells is dimensioned so that dim, incident light is sufficient for four hours to be able to open and close the barrier arm several times. Since the energy supplied by the solar cells is limited, the force required to open and close the barrier arm must be minimized. This is done by making the barrier arm as light as possible, yet sufficiently stable, and restricting the length of the barrier arm to the absolutely necessary length in order to keep the required torque low by reducing the lever arm.

Since any contamination of the surface of the solar cells is a hindrance for optimal electricity production from the solar cells, the closed position of the barrier arm is adjusted so that it deviates by a few degrees from the horizontal, which is perpendicular to the axis of the barrier arm. This is especially necessary if the solar cells are mounted in the horizontal surface of the barrier arm, as this causes the rainwater, etc., to run off, for example. If the solar cells are in the horizontal surface of the barrier arm, a 1.20 to 1.50 m long barrier arm is usually complete sufficient, the horizontal surface of which is about 15 cm wide. The space available for the solar cells thereby ensures the sufficient energy supply of a DC motor, for example working with 24 volts, in the drive unit. Preferably, the solar cells are slightly recessed in relation to the lateral upper edges of the barrier arm, on the one hand to prevent damage from above, if possible, by the protruding side edges of the barrier arm and, on the other hand, to complicate their disassembly and theft by overlapping into the side area of the solar cell surface.

The electric drive unit can also be mechanically decoupled from the axis of the barrier arm to be driven, for example by means of a key switch, so that the barrier can also be opened manually in the event of a lack of energy. Since an access aid, such as a key for the key switch, is also required for this, the parking space cannot be occupied by unauthorized persons even if there is no energy.

If the solar cells are to be accommodated in the approximately horizontal surface of the barrier arm, the barrier arm itself will preferably consist of two parallel, essentially vertical sheet metal profiles which run along opposite sides of the post and through an axis which extends from one sheet metal profile to the other extends through the post, is stored in the upper region. Depending on the desired width of the surface of the barrier arm, the sheet metal profiles run parallel to one another at a distance of approximately the width of the post, or approach each other somewhat more by appropriate cranking.

The sheet metal profiles are preferably U-profiles. Are their free legs directed outwards, so cup-shaped plastic covers are preferably attached to their outer sides, which protrude slightly beyond the edge of the solar cells, which are located between the two U-profiles. These are held at a desired distance from one another by a further U-shaped profile or a similar spacer, so that the solar cells themselves do not have to perform any mechanically load-bearing function in the barrier arm in order to exclude torsions and other loads on these solar cells as far as possible.

Depending on the location of the barrier, it can also be provided that the solar cells are not installed essentially horizontally, but at an angle to the vertical surfaces of the barrier arm, in order to ensure a better angle of incidence of the incident light rays and thus a higher energy yield of the solar cells. In this case too, it should be ensured that the protruding edge of the solar cells does not protrude beyond the sheet metal parts of the barrier arm.

If the plastic cover caps described are used on the outer sides of the barrier arm, brackets can be used on their inner sides for attaching an antenna rod which is used to receive the radio signals from the handheld transmitter. This has the advantage that there are no shielding metal parts between the handheld transmitter and the antenna rod located on the inside of the plastic cover, so that good reception of the radio signal is ensured without the antenna rod protruding freely and being susceptible to damage and theft.

In addition to the previously used, several mm thick, inflexible solar cell fields, foil-shaped solar cells have also recently been on the market. This allows more freedom in the design of the cross section of the barrier arm. For example, the inside can consist of at least one sheet metal profile, over which a plastic cover is slid, which does not have essentially vertical, if also curved, side surfaces, but rather inclined side surfaces. The film-shaped solar cells can be applied and glued to the outer surfaces of these plastic covers. Removal of the plastic cover leads to the destruction of the solar cells, so that only the connection of the plastic shell with the supporting sheet metal profiles must be made sufficiently firm and secure.

Fig. 1

eine Aufsicht auf mehrere mit der erfindungsgemäßen Absperranordnung ausgerüstete Stellplätze einer Parkfläche,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Gesamtansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Schranke,

Fig. 3

eine Querschnittsdarstellung eines Schrankenarmes mit waagerecht liegenden Solarzellen,

Fig. 4

eine Querschnittsdarstellung eines Schrankenarmes mit schräg stehenden Solarzellen,

Fig. 5

eine andere Querschnittsform des Schrankenarmes, und

Fig. 6

einen Querschnitt durch einen Schrankenarm, bei dem folienförmige Solarzellen verwendet wurden.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It shows:

Fig. 1

a supervision of several parking spaces of a parking area equipped with the shut-off arrangement according to the invention,

Fig. 2

an overall perspective view of a barrier according to the invention,

Fig. 3

a cross-sectional view of a barrier arm with horizontally lying solar cells,

Fig. 4

2 shows a cross-sectional representation of a barrier arm with inclined solar cells,

Fig. 5

another cross-sectional shape of the barrier arm, and

Fig. 6

a cross section through a barrier arm, in which film-shaped solar cells were used.

Fig. 1 shows the assembly of the barrier barrier arrangement according to the invention within the individual parking spaces that are to be locked. The barrier post is located on the same side of the edge intended for entry into the parking space. In the direction in which the free end of the closed barrier arm points, a post must of course stand at the next parking space in order to effectively prevent the entry of unauthorized vehicles through the closed barrier arm. As a rule, this post will be the barrier blocking the next parking space, but if there are unblocked parking spaces then this can also be a normal, permanently installed post without a barrier arm.

In Fig. 1, a construction of the barrier arm 3 is shown in the middle parking spaces, which consists of two straight, parallel to each other at the distance of the width of the post 2 profiles between which the solar cells 4 are mounted. In the area of the post 2, the two profiles are connected to one another via a continuous axis 14, which runs through the post 2 and is supported therein. The two profiles will usually be sheet metal profiles.

If, however, only a smaller distance than the width of the post 2 is necessary between these sheet metal profiles 12 for the solar cells 4, these sheet metal profiles 12 between the post 2 and the solar cells 4 can be cranked in order to continue parallel to one another at a smaller distance, as in the left Parking space shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of one of the barriers 1 of Fig. 1, consisting of the post 2 and the Barrier arm 3, which is rotatably mounted by means of an axis 14 in the upper part of the post 2, so that it can be pivoted from an approximately vertical, open into an approximately horizontal, closed position and vice versa. In the closed position, the barrier arm 3 is not horizontal, but deviates from it by an angle 11 in order to ensure automatic cleaning of the solar cells 4 installed in the surface of the barrier arm 3 by draining off and not evaporation of the rainwater that strikes. The post 2 is hollow and made of sheet steel or similar material. On one of the vertical sides, the post 2 is accessible by opening a flap 9, which is secured by a flap lock 17.

Inside the post 2 is in the upper area, i.e. in the vicinity of the axis 14, which must be driven to move the barrier arm 3, the drive unit 5, which includes an electric motor 18, possibly with a corresponding gear, and a controller including Corresponding sensors which immediately stop the movements of the barrier arm and at least partially reverse them if any resistance is opposed to the movement of the barrier arm 3. This drive unit 5 is connected to accumulators 6, which are located below the drive unit in the post 2 and are connected to it via electrical lines.

For remote control using a handheld transmitter, a radio receiver (not shown) is accommodated in post 2.

In the event that the power supply is not possible to operate the barrier 1 automatically due to a fault, the drive unit can be decoupled from the barrier arm by means of a key switch 10, so that the latter can also be moved manually. Since the key for the key switch 10, like the hand transmitter, is only in the possession of the authorized person, the barrier 1 cannot be opened manually by an unauthorized person. The post 2 is firmly connected to the ground via the base plate 16, usually screwed. In the lower area of the post 2, a predetermined breaking point 15 is provided, which first causes an elastic yield when the transverse forces act on the post and, in the event of greater load, causes the entire post 2 to be torn off from the base plate 16. As a result, however, the post 2 itself and, above all, the components arranged inside are normally not damaged, so that the repair only consists in the insertion of a new predetermined breaking point 15. This can be a frame made of plastic material.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment with non-cranked sheet metal profiles 12 running at a spacing of the width of the post 2, corresponding to the middle representations of FIG. 1.

3 shows a cross section through a barrier arm 3, which essentially consists of U-profiles:

Two U-profiles 19 are mounted with a vertical upright middle part and outwardly projecting free ends 22 spaced apart, which is secured by a further U-profile 23 as a spacer. This U-section 23, which serves as a spacer, is located in the upper region of the free space between the two U-sections 19 and serves as a support surface for the mechanically unstable solar cells 4, which therefore do not protrude above the upper edges of the U-sections 19, but slightly opposite these are lowered, which protects against damage.

The two U-profiles 19 are also connected to one another via an axis 14 which is supported at its ends in bearing blocks 25 which are firmly connected to the profiles 19. Likewise, the axis 14 can be non-rotatably connected to the U-profiles 19, so that rotating the axis 14 in the post 2 is then sufficient to move the barrier arm 3.

Shell-shaped plastic covers 13 are placed over the free ends 22 of the U-profiles 19 and extend from one free end 22 to the other of a U-profile and have a somewhat curved outer contour. The upper free end 26 of the plastic cover 13 protrudes somewhat above the U-profile 19 into the space between the two U-profiles 19, which represents additional protection and, above all, an anti-theft device for the solar cells 4.

FIG. 4 shows a structure similar to that of FIG. 3, but here the solar cells 4 are inclined in order to ensure a better angle of incidence for the incident light beams. Since the solar cells 4 should not protrude above the upper edge of the profiles 19 in this case as well, the profile 23 connecting the U-profiles 19 must be mounted correspondingly lower.

3 further shows on the inside of one of the plastic covers 13 a holder 21 for receiving an antenna rod 20 for the radio receiver for controlling the drive unit 5. The holder 21 consists in an approximately closed eyelet with a circular inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the antenna rod 20 to be inserted, so that with at least two such holders over the length of the plastic cover 13, a simple insertion of the antenna rod 20 into the holders 21 is possible. By mounting the antenna rod at this point it is ensured that between there are no shielding metal parts in the hand transmitter and the antenna rod.

Fig. 5 shows another cross-sectional shape of the barrier arm 3: The U-profiles 19 are directed towards each other with their free ends 22, so that this results in a box shape which is closed towards the outside and in which there is no need for plastic covers 13. The two U-profiles 19 are at least fixed relative to one another by spacers 27, which are arranged between the upper free ends of the U-profiles 19 and are firmly connected to them. This spacer 27 also serves as a mounting surface for the solar cells 4. In this case, the solar cells 4 can be tilted in that an additional spacer block 28 is inserted between the one free end 22 of the U-profile 19 and the spacer 27, so that the Spacer 27 is given. By appropriate shaping of the spacer it can be ensured that the solar cells 4 protrude below the upper free ends 22 of the U-profiles 19 and are thereby secured against disassembly.

Fig. 6 shows the cross section through a barrier arm 3, as it could look when using flexible, film-shaped solar cells 4. The stability and torsional rigidity of the barrier arm 3 is ensured by two U-profiles 19 which are directed towards one another and connected to one another with the central region. A plastic cover 13 can be inserted or pushed over such a supporting profile, the outer contour of which can be freely designed within wide limits. If, for example, U-profiles 19 with legs of unequal length are used, the shorter free ends of which are at the top and the longer free ends 22 of which are at the bottom, the plastic cover 13 can have, for example, an approximately triangular outer contour, the The side surfaces project upwards at an angle to the center. The solar cells 4 are glued onto these side surfaces 29, whereby an optimal angle of incidence of the sun rays is ensured with a corresponding choice of the inclined position of the side surfaces 29. Here, too, the plastic cover 13 can have holders 21 on the inside for receiving an antenna rod 20.

Of course, the individual barriers 1 can be connected to a power line network in addition to the solar cell power supply. However, due to the routing of the individual supply lines to the individual barriers, a higher installation effort is necessary.

Claims (14)

1. Barrier blocking arrangement (1) for parking areas, which in each case comprises a post (2) and a barrier arm (3) rotatably mounted therein about a horizontal shaft (14), having

   a) electrical drive,

   b) energy supply by means of solar cells (4),

   c) a radio receiver for controlling the electrical drive, in which

   d) the drive unit (5) and underneath it rechargeable accumulators (6) for its current supply are
   arranged in the post (2) of each barrier, characterized in that

   e) the solar cells (4) are arranged in the surface of each barrier arm (3),

   f) the electrical drive consists of a low-volt d.c. drive unit (5),

   g) the drive unit (5) and the rechargeable accumulators (6) are arranged above a desired break point and the drive unit (5) is arranged in the upper region of the post (2),

   h) the drive unit (5) can be decoupled from the barrier arm (3) by means of a key-operated switch (10) for the purpose of manual operation,

   i) each parking space is blocked in each case by a barrier (1), comprising a post (2) and a barrier arm (3), and

   j) the post (2) in each case stands at the same corner of the entrance side of each parking space.
2. Blocking arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the barrier arm (3) in the closed position deviates from the horizontal line by an angle (11).
3. Blocking arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the barrier arm (3) has a substantially rectangular cross section and the solar cells (4) are mounted in the approximately horizontal surface, lowered with respect to the upper side edges of the barrier arm (3).
4. Blocking arrangement according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the barrier arm (3) consists of two substantially horizontal sheet-metal sections, between which the solar cells (4) are located.
5. Blocking arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the sheet-metal sections are U-sections (19), the free ends (22) of which project to the outside and on which on the outside plastics covers (13) are attached.
6. Blocking arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the plastics covers (13) have at their inner side holders (21) for accommodating a bar antenna (20).
7. Blocking arrangement according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the sections in the region of the posts extend parallel to one another on opposite sides of the post (2) and are connected to one another by way of a shaft (14) which extends through the post (2) and is mounted therein.
8. Blocking arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive unit (5) has a 24 volt d.c. motor and the barrier arm (3) is 1.20 to 1.50 m long and 10 to 20 cm wide.
9. Blocking arrangement according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the solar cells (4) are mounted at an angle deviating from 90° between the substantially vertical sections of the barrier arm (3).
10. Blocking arrangement according to one of claims 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, characterized in that a plastics cover (13) is mounted by way of a central metal section in the centre of the cross section of the barrier arm (3), the cover having lateral faces (29) projecting in an inclined manner upwards towards the middle, on which faces solar cells (4) are affixed in the form of a thin, flexible film.
11. Blocking arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the plastics cover (13) on its inner side has a holder (21) for accommodating a bar antenna (20).
12. Blocking arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that the screwed connection of the posts (2) with the base and a mounting plate, respectively is formed by a low dimensioned predetermined breaking pointing.
13. Blocking arrangement according to claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the posts (2) essentially consist of sheets steel in which an angular area consisting of low dimensioned synthetic material as predetermined breaking area is arranged.
14. Blocking arrangement according to claims 12 or 13 characterized in that the predetermined breaking point is flexible permitting before breaking a deflection of the posts by a limited angular degree without causing damages as well as a returning in the original vertical position of the posts (2).

Images