GB2226524A

GB2226524A - Parking fee ticket

Info

Publication number: GB2226524A
Application number: GB8927548A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Tay Kok Huat
Original assignee: INVENEUR Sdn Bhd
Current assignee: INVENEUR Sdn Bhd
Priority date: 1988-12-07
Filing date: 1989-12-06
Publication date: 1990-07-04
Also published as: GB8927548D0

Abstract

A ticket for collecting parking fees for a vehicle includes a rectangular sheet material 10 which has on its surface a plurality of transversely arranged arrays 12, 14 consisting of individually defined cells 16. Each of these cells is provided by adhesion or other methods a pre-paid price coupon or tab 22 which can be invalidated, e.g. by tearing out of a perforated section 23 at one end thereof. Adjacent to the tab 22 are spaces 18, 20 for recording the time and the lot of parking of the vehicle. The sheet 10 and tab 22 are made of waterproof material and sufficiently flexible to be folded along line 11 between the two arrays 12, 14 so that at least one of the arrays is displayed when the ticket is clamped against a window frame of the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

TICKET The present invention relates to a ticket for use in collecting vehicle parking fees.

Various apparatus are known to collect fees for parking motor vehicles in a restricted area or lot. One common system involves the use of coin-operated parking meters while another ticketing system involves the issue of parking tickets by the parking attendant. Both these systems cause considerable inconvenience to the motorist and the parking authority.

In the coin-operated parking meter system, the motorist must have sufficient coins of the correct denominations and fcre-knowledge of the duration of the parking in order to use the system. The parking meters are expensive to install, need regular maintenance and are subject to vandalism and theft of coins.

In the ticketing system, the parking attendant issues a perking ticket and places it between the wiper blade and front wind shield of the motor vehicle. The parking attendant also collects payment, gives the change and issues receipts wor the parking. This system suffers several disadvantages. The motorist often faces difficulty in locating the parking attendant to pay the parking fee and has to wait for receipt and change after payment. This may cause an impediment to the smooth flow of traffic. On rainy days, parking tickets get soggy and easily torn, making payment impossible.

Collection of parking fees is a major problem under this system. For the parking authority, the ticketing system presents high administrative overheads as it involves the tallying of total collection against receipts issued.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a parking fee ticket comprises a substantially rectangular fle:;ible sheet material having on its surface a plurality of transversely arranged arrays of individually defined cells, each cell being provided therein with a pre-paid price tab representative of the fee charged per unit time, and spaces for recording the parking time and the lot of a vehicle.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a parking fee ticket comprises applying to a rectangular, flexible sheet indicia defining a plurality of transversely arranged arrays of individually defined cells, each cell being provided therein with a pre-paid price tab representative of the fee charged per unit time, and spaces for recording the parking time and the lot of a vehicle.

The present invention improves the existing parking ticketing system for the convenience of the motorist and generates greater income for the parking authority through better operational efficiency.

Preferably, the ticket has two substantially parallel arrays of cells, the ticket being foldable about an axis extending between the arrays.

The present invention therefcre improves over the background art by guaranteeing the collection of parking fees, and frees the parking attendant from the burden of issuing parking tickets, collecting parking fees, giving change and issuing receipts for payment received. The productivity of the parking attendant is thereby increased as his job consists solely of invalidating the appropriate value of the pre-paid price tab or fee in the ticketing apparatus under the present invention. The administrative overhead for the parking authority is significantly reduced as papertçork is minimal. For the motorist there is no necessity for locating the parking attendant or carrying small change.

In crder that the nature of the invention may be more readily ascertained, an embodiment of the ticketing apparatus in accordance therewith is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the ticketing apparatus; and, Figure 2 illustrates the use of the ticketing apparatus in a motor vehicle.

Figure 1 shows a ticketing apparatus in which the preferred embodiment of this invention comprises a generally rectangular sheet material 10 which is flexible to be folded in certain preferred direction. Extending transversely across the surface of the sheet material 10 are two arrays 12, 14, which consist of a plurality of areas or cells 16 arranged in regular horizontal rows.

Each cell 16 is provided with spaces 18, 20, to enable the parking time and lot number to be recorded therein by the attendant.

The cell 16 is further provided with a pre-paid price coupon or tab 22 representative of the fee charged per unit time. The tab 22 is provided in this example by adhesive onto the sheet material 10. The collection of the packing fee can be achieved by various ways such as by striking off said tab 22, punching a hole through or simply by tearing out a perforated section 23 at one end thereof, as shown in Figure 1. In some preferred examples the individual tabs or coupons are not detatchable, and instead the validation of each coupon is done b either hand marking date, time of parking, signature and/or stamping.

Sheet material 10 has also printed information which includes the name and emblem of the parking authority 24, motor-vehicle registration number 26, serial number 28, and name of the owner of invention 30. Other information such as instructions for use of the ticketing apparatus may be printed.

Preferably, the material of sheet 10 and price tab 22 is waterproof and is capable of withstanding the severe conditions under the sun and rain.

Figure 2 illustrates the ticketing apparatus in use on a parked motor vehicle 31. After purchase the sheet material 10 is folded lengthwise along a line 11 the arrays 12, 14 of individually defined cells 16 to form a ridge 32 which is then mounted on the top edge of an open window. The window is wound up to the maximum so that ticketing apparatus is clamped tight against the upper portion of the window frame 34 with the displayed surface bearing at least an array of the cells 16. More than one apparatus may be clamped in this manner.

The attendant then cancels successive tabs 16 as time elapses while the car is parked.

The invention is presented to fulfill the need for an improvement in ticketing system for parked vehicles.

Each ticket may be manufactured by printing the two arrays 12, 14 onto a flexible sheet such as paper and at the same time, or later, printing the parking fees on the tabs 22.

Claims

1. A parking fee comprising a substantially rectangular flexible sheet material having on its surface a plurality of transversely arranged arrays of individually defined cells, each cell being provided therein with a pre-paid price tab representative of the fee charged per unit time, and spaces for recording the parking time and the lot of a vehicle.

2. A ticket according to claim 1, having two substantially parallel arrays of cells, the ticket being foldable about an axis extending between the arrays.

3. A ticket according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tabs are detachable.

4. A parking fee ticket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A method of manufacturing a parking fee ticket, the method comprising applying to a rectangular, flexible sheet indicia defining a plurality of transversely arranged arrays of individually defined cells, each cell being provided therein with a pre-paid price tab representative of the fee charged per unit time, and spaces for recording the parking time and the lot of a vehicle.