GB2241471A

GB2241471A - Parking card or ticket

Info

Publication number: GB2241471A
Application number: GB9103963A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marcus Patrick Keaveney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-02-28
Filing date: 1991-02-26
Publication date: 1991-09-04
Also published as: GB9103963D0; IE892766A1

Abstract

A parking card or ticket (1) of the type comprising a plurality of numbers (11, 12, 13, 14) and abbreviations (15) printed thereon for enabling a time at which parking commences to be indicated, uses self-adhesive tabs (18) which are secured to the card or ticket for selecting the time and date at which parking commences. The parking card or ticket is provided with a receiving surface (4) which has a relatively high affinity to the adhesive of the tabs (18) to prevent the tabs being removed without damaging the receiving surface. The parking card or ticket may be in book form (Fig. 10) with the tabs (18) provided on a carrier sheet (22) having a release surface (23). <IMAGE>

Description

PN IMPROVEMENT IN AND RELATING TO R PARING DISC The present invention relates to an improvement in and relating to a parking disc.

Parking discs are typically used for timing a period during which a car or other vehicle is parked in an area where parking is controlled, for example, on the side of a road, or a car park or the like where parking would normally be controlled by a local authority.

Such parking discs, in general, comprise a sheet of paper generally of rectangular shape measuring approximately 240 mm long by 100 mm wide. A plurality of time identifying means, generally numbers and abbreviations which enable one to select the time and date on which parking commenced are printed on the sheet. In general, the time of the day is selected from a plurality of numbers which indicate the hour of the day and a plurality of numbers which indicate the minute of the hour. Generally, the numbers of hours are provided on a twenty-four basis and the minutes are provided at five minute intervals. The date is normally indicated by selecting one of a series of numbers from one to thirty-one corresponding to the days of the month, and the month is indicated by selecting one of a plurality of twelve abbreviations corresponding to respective months.Each month is generally identified by a three letter abbreviation.

Numbers are also provided for identifying the year. A user generally punches a hole in the numbers and abbreviation corresponding to the minute, hour, day, month and year at which parking commenced. Such holes may be punched by any pointed instrument, for example, a pen, pencil or the like. The parking disc is then displayed in the window of the vehicle. In general, such parking discs are used as a means for collecting revenue from parking in controlled areas. The discs are purchased for a particular price which corresponds to the price of parking one's vehicle in a controlled area for a predetermined period of time. The amount paid for the disc is also generally displayed on the disc. Accordingly, a parking warden, by inspecting the time selected on the disc and the value of the disc, can readily determine whether the parking time allowed by the disc has expired.

While such parking discs provide a relatively inexpensive method for enabling a local authority to collect revenue from parking and to control parking in controlled areas, they suffer from a number of disadvantages. In particular, known parking discs can readily easily be tampered with, to the extent that they may be re-used many times. It has been found that if one, when selecting the time and date at which parking commenced, carefully punches the holes for selecting the time and date, the punched portions of the disc can be repaired to conceal the fact that the disc had been used, and accordingly, the disc can be re-used. This, it will be appreciated, is a serious problem, in that it deprives the local authorities from revenue which they would otherwise collect.

A further problem which arises with known parking discs is that in order to punch the holes for selecting a time and date, it is necessary to have a pointed implement. While holes may be punched by a pen, pencil or the like, in many cases, a driver of a vehicle may not be in possession of a pen or pencil when one is required to punch the hole.

There is therefore a need for an improvement in parking discs which overcomes these problems.

The present invention is directed towards providing such an improvement in parking discs.

According to the invention, there is provided an improvement in a parking disc of the type comprising a sheet medium, and a plurality of time identifying means provided on the sheet medium, the time identifying means being independently selectable for indicating a particular time, the improvement comprising the provision of selecting means for selecting at least one of the time identifying means, and securing means for securing the selecting means to the sheet medium for selecting the time identifying means, the securing means being non-releasable without leaving an indication that the selecting means was removed from the sheet medium. In one embodiment of the invention, the securing means is an adhesive.

In another embodiment of the invention, the securing means is a self-adhesive coating provided on the selecting means.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the sheet medium is provided with a receiving surface for receiving the selecting means, the receiving surface having a relatively high affinity for the adhesive so that the selecting means cannot be removed from the receiving surface without damaging the receiving surface for leaving the said indication that the selecting means was removed.

Advantageously, a carrier medium is provided for carrying a plurality of the selecting means, the carrier medium being provided with a release surface for releasably receiving the selecting means adhesive, the release surface having a relatively low affinity for the adhesive.

Preferably, each selecting means comprises a selecting tab.

In one embodiment of the invention, each selecting tab is of an opaque sheet material.

In another embodiment of the invention, the time identifying means comprises a plurality of indicia for identifying respective times of the day, respective days of the months, and respective months of the year.

In another embodiment of the invention, the time identifying means comprises a plurality of indicia for identifying respective years.

Further, the invention provides a booklet comprising a plurality of parking discs independently detachably bound in the booklet, and a carrier medium bound in the booklet carrying a plurality of selecting means.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an improvement in a parking disc according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parking disc of Fig.

1 in use, Fig. 3 is a side view of the parking disc of Fig.

1 also in use, Fig. 4 is a plan view of another portion of the improvement in the parking disc of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a side view of the portion of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a plan view of a detail of the portion of Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a side view of the detail of Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of portion of a vehicle illustrating the parking disc of Fig. 1 in use, Fig. 9 is a sectional end view on the line IX-IX of Fig. 8 showing the parking disc of Fig. 1 in use, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a booklet, also according to the invention, comprising a plurality of the parking discs of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 9, there is illustrated a parking disc comprising an improvement according to the invention for use in a road vehicle, such as, for example, a car to indicate the time at which the car commenced a parking period in a controlled parking area. The parking disc and the improvement is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, the parking disc is indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, and Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the parking disc 1 in use in a car, portion of which is illustrated and indicated generally by the reference numeral 2.

Returning to Figs. 1 to 7, the parking disc 1 comprises a sheet 3 of medium, in this case, paper of approximately 240 mm long by 100 mm wide which comprises a receiving surface 4. The sheet 3 comprises a portion 5 by which the disc 1 is attached to the car 2 as will be described below, and a portion 7 which comprises a plurality of time identifying means for indicating a time and date at which the car 2 is parked in the controlled area. The identifying means comprise a plurality of indicia, namely, first, second, third and fourth series of numbers 11 to 14, respectively, and a series of abbreviations 15 printed on the receiving surface 4 in respective discrete locations, which in this case are formed by a plurality of circular locations 16.

The numbers 11 to 14 and abbreviations 15 are independently selectable for indicating a particular time at which parking commences. The first series of numbers 11 from zero to fifty-five, at five minute intervals, correspond to respective fifth minutes in an hour, and enable the minute of the hour at which parking commences to be indicated to within five minutes. The second series of numbers 12 correspond to the hours of a day, and enable the hour at which parking commences to be indicated. The second series of numbers 12 representing the hours are from eight to eighteen which correspond with the equivalent hours in a twenty-four hour clock. In general, revenue is only collected from parking in controlled areas between the hours of 8.00 and 18.00 based on a twenty-four hour clock. The first and second series of numbers 11 and 12 are arranged in concentric circular paths 17.The third series of numbers 13 from one to thirty-one correspond to the days of the month, and enable the day of the month to be indicated. The fourth series of numbers 14, in this case from ninety to ninety-five, correspond to the years 1990 to 1995, and enable the year in which parking commences to be indicated. The series of abbreviations 15 in twelve of the locations 16 correspond to the twelve months January to December and enable the month in which parking commences to be identified.

The improvement to the parking disc 1 comprises the provision of a plurality of selecting means, in this embodiment of the invention comprising selecting tabs 18 for securing to the receiving surface 4 of the disc 1 at the appropriate locations 16 for selecting a particular time and date on the disc 1 at which parking commences. Each selecting tab 18 is of opaque paper material and of circular area. The area of the selecting tab 18 is substantially similar to the area of the circular locations 16. Securing means for securing the selecting tabs 18 to the receiving surface 4 comprises a self-adhesive coating 20 on a surface 21 of each selecting tab 18.The self-adhesive coating has a relatively high affinity to the receiving surface 4 so that the selecting tabs 18 cannot be removed from the disc 1 without damaging the receiving surface 4 and thereby leaving an indication that a selecting tab 18 had been removed from the disc 1. Furthermore, the self-adhesive coating 20 also has a relatively high affinity to the surface 21 of each selecting tab 18 to prevent a selecting tab 18 being separated from the adhesive coating 20. A carrier medium, in this case a sheet of paper 22, carries a plurality of the selecting tabs 18 for convenience. The carrier sheet 22 comprises a release surface 23 which receives the selecting tabs 18. The release surface 23 is such that it has a relatively low affinity to the self-adhesive coating 20 to facilitate ease of peeling off the selecting tabs 18 from the carrier sheet 22.

A blank space 24 is provided for receiving a serial number peculiar to each parking disc 1 so that the validity of the parking disc 1 can be checked by a parking warden. A blank space 25 is provided to enable the value of the parking disc 1 to be displayed. It is envisaged that parking discs 1 of different value may be provided. For example, it is envisaged that parking discs of differing value which would provide for halfhour parking, one hour parking, two hour parking or the like would be provided. In each case, the amount paid for the parking disc would be displayed in the blank space 25.

Returning to the portion 5 of the parking disc 1, the portion 5 is provided with two fold lines 26 and 27 which indicate lines along which the portion 5 is to be folded for attaching to a window 28 of a door 29 of the car 2 as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. A portion 30 between the fold lines 26 and 27 is engaged between th window 28 and the jamb 31 of the door 29 for securing the parking disc 1 in the car.

In use, to select a time at which parking commences on the parking disc 1, five selecting tabs 18 are required, which are peeled from the carrier sheet 22.

Referring in particular to Fig. 2, five selecting tabs are illustrated indicating that parking commenced at 13.40 p.m. on September 10. 1990. One selecting tab 18 is secured to the circular location 16 which carries the number forty of the first series of numbers 11 corresponding to the fortieth minute of the hour in which parking commences. A selecting tab 18 is placed over the circular location 16 carrying the number thirteen of the second series of numbers 12 corresponding to the thirteenth hour of the day. A selecting tab 18 is placed over the circular location 16 carrying the number ten of the third series of numbers 13 indicating the tenth day of the month.A selecting tab 18 is placed over the circular location carrying the number ninety of the fourth series of numbers 14 corresponding to the year 1990, while a selecting tab 18 is placed over the circular location 16 carrying the abbreviation *SEX" corresponding to September, namely, the ninth month of the year.

The portion 5 of the parking disc 1 is folded along th fold lines 26 and 27 and with the window 28 of the car 2 open, the parking disc 1 is hung on the window 28 so that the parking disc 1 hangs in the interior region of the car 2 with the receiving surface 4 visible through the car window 28. The window 28 is then closed and the portion 30 of the receiving portion 5 of the parking disc 1 is secured between the window 28 and a jamb 31 of the door 29.

Referring now to Fig. 10, a booklet indicated generally by the reference numeral 40 also according to the invention is illustrated. The booklet 40 comprises a plurality of parking discs 1, in this case, ten parking discs 1, and a carrier sheet 22 all bound together.

The parking discs 1 are each independently detachable form the booklet. Fifty selecting tabs 18 are provided on the carrier sheet 22 for use with the parking discs 1.

The advantages of the invention are many. One particularly important advantage of the invention is that once the selecting tabs 18 are secured to the receiving surface 4 of a parking disc 1, they cannot be removed without either damaging the selecting tabs 18 or the surface 4 of the parking disc 1. Accordingly, it is impossible to re-use a parking disc 1 without the fact that the parking disc 1 has been previously used being detected. A second important advantage of the invention is provided by the fact that no additional implements or instruments are required to enable a driver to select the time at which parking commences.

While a particular construction and layout of parking disc has been illustrated and described, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that any other suitable construction and layout of parking disc may be used. For example, it will be readily apparent that it is not necessary for the hours and minutes to be arranged in concentric circular paths. Further, it will be appreciated that it is not necessary for the months to be identified by abbreviations, they could, if desired, be identified by numbers from one to twelve. Indeed, in certain cases, it is envisaged that identification means for the year, month and day may be dispensed with. Needless to say, any other suitable identifying means besides numbers and abbreviations may be used.While the locations for the indicia corresponding to the year, month, day and time have been described as being circular locations, the locations may be of any other desired shape.

Furthermore, selecting means of different shapes besides circular selecting tabs may be used. The area and shape of the selecting tabs may be similar or different to the shape and area of the discrete locations.

Furthermore, while the selecting means has been described as being of an opaque material, in certain cases, it is envisaged that it may be of a transparent or translucent material. Indeed, in certain cases, it is envisaged that where the selecting means is provided by selecting tabs, portion of the tabs may be removed to permit inspection of the indicia through an opening in the tab. Needless to say, while the selecting means have been described as being provided by selecting tabs, any other suitable selecting means which may be secured to the parking disc may be provided. Needless to say, other securing means besides a self-adhesive coating on the securing tab may be provided.

While it is advantageous to provide the selecting tabs on a carrier medium, such as, for example, a carrier sheet, this is not essential, the selecting tabs may be provided in any other way. Indeed, in certain cases, it is envisaged that the selecting tabs may be secured to each other and the top surface of each selecting tab would be provided with a release surface for receiving the self-adhesive surface of the next adjacent tab.

Such a release surface on the top of each tab would have a relatively low affinity to the adhesive of the self-adhesive coating. Needless to say, the materials of the parking disc, the selecting tabs and the carrier sheet may be of any other suitable material besides paper, indeed, in certain cases, the materials may be plastics material if desired.

Claims

1. An improvement in a parking disc of the type comprising a sheet medium, and a plurality of time identifying means provided on the sheet medium, the time identifying means being independently selectable for indicating a particular time, the improvement comprising the provision of selecting means for selecting at least one of the time identifying means, and securing means for securing the selecting means to the sheet medium for selecting the time identifying means, the securing means being non-releasable without leaving an indication that the selecting means was removed from the sheet medium.

2. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 1 in which the securing means is an adhesive.

3. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the securing means is a selfadhesive coating provided on the selecting means.

4. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 2 or 3 in which the sheet medium is provided with a receiving surface for receiving the selecting means, the receiving surface having a relatively high affinity for the adhesive so that the selecting means cannot be removed from the receiving surface without damaging th receiving surface for leaving the said indication that the selecting means was removed.

5. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 4 in which a carrier medium is provided for carrying a plurality of the selecting means, the carrier medium being provided with a release surface for releasably receiving the selecting means adhesive, the release surface having a relatively low affinity for the adhesive.

6. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 5 in which the carrier medium is of paper.

7. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any preceding claim in which each selecting means comprises a selecting tab.

8. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 7 in which each selecting tab is of an opaque sheet material.

9. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 7 or 8 in which each selecting tab is of circular area.

10. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any of Claims 7 to 9 in which each selecting tab is of paper.

11. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any preceding claim in which the time identifying means comprises a plurality of indicia for identifying respective times of the day, respective days of the months, and respective months of the year.

12. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 11 in which the time identifying means comprises a plurality of indicia for identifying respective years.

13. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 11 or 12 in which the indicia for identifying the time of the day comprises a first series of numbers corresponding to minutes in an hour and a second series of numbers corresponding to hours in a day.

14. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 13 in which the series of numbers of the first series of numbers correspond to respective fifth minutes in an hour and the second series of numbers corresponds to the hours from the eighth to the eighteenth hour of a day.

15. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any of Claims 12 to 14 in which the indicia for identifying the days of a month comprise a third series of numbers from one to thirty-one corresponding to each day of a month.

16. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 15 in which the indicia for identifying the months of the year comprise a plurality of abbreviations for the respective months of the year.

17. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 16 in which the indicia for identifying the years comprise a fourth series of numbers for identifying a plurality of years.

18. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 17 in which a plurality of discrete locations are provided on the sheet medium, one location being provided for each number of the first, second, third and fourth series of numbers and a discrete location being provided for each of the months of the year.

19. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 18 in which each discrete location is defined by a circle.

20. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in Claim 18 or 19 in which the selecting tabs are of area substantially similar to the area of respective discrete location.

21. An improvement in a parking disc as claimed in any preceding claim in which the sheet medium is paper.

22. An improvement in a parking disc substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

23. A booklet comprising a plurality of parking discs independently detachably bound in the booklet, and a carrier medium bound in the booklet carrying a plurality of selecting means.

24. A booklet of parking discs substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.