GB2285881A

GB2285881A - Vehicle parking monitoring system

Info

Publication number: GB2285881A
Application number: GB9501477A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Riad Roomi
Original assignee: MED UNITED
Current assignee: MED UNITED
Priority date: 1994-01-25
Filing date: 1995-01-25
Publication date: 1995-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-01-25
Also published as: GB2285881B; GB9401382D0; GB9501477D0

Abstract

A monitoring device for a vehicle parking space ensures payment of parking fees without the need for an attendant to be present. The area of the parking space (2) to be occupied by a vehicle comprises roller means (8) extending across the line of travel of the vehicle wheels (4, 6). Locking means lock the roller means against the free rotation to allow the vehicle to drive on the rollers under normal conditions. A control device including a timing means provides a signal to unlock the roller means (8), so that if an attempt is made to drive the vehicle, the drive wheels spin the roller means rather than making normal progress, thus impeding the removal of the vehicle until the roller means are re-locked as a result of the appropriate parking fees having been paid. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE PARKING MONITORING SYSTEM The invention relates to a system and a device for use in the monitoring of vehicle parking, particularly but not exclusively, to control the permitted length of time during which a vehicle is parked in a legally defined or otherwise officially authorised area. In the present specification, such an area adapted to accommodate a single motor vehicle is referred to, for the sake of convenience, as a parking space.

Most attempts to organise the parking of vehicles, for example privately-owned vehicles, involve the payment of fees usually in the form of coins that operate timing mechanisms of one kind or another. However, these methods are open to abuse and are only partially satisfactory, particularly in the event of an overstay beyond the allocated time thus incurring further payment in the nature of a fine.

The invention provides a vehicle parking monitoring device comprising, in a parking space as hereinbefore defined, a designated parking area at least part of which is to be traversed by wheels of said vehicle, at least a portion of said area comprising roller means extending transversely to a predetermined line of travel of said wheels, locking means adapted to lock said roller means against rotation when contacted by said wheels so as to maintain said rollers in a fixed non-rotatable state under normal conditions, and timing means adapted to provide a signal to release means to unlock said roller means as required to permit free rotation thereof, said roller means providing at least a portion of the parking space surface that is adapted to be in contact with the vehicle wheels as the vehicle enters or leaves the parking space in said predetermined line of travel.

Conveniently, the locking means may be released by the detection by said release means of the entry of a vehicle to a parking space, and remain in a released condition until the parking action is validated by payment of a parking charge whereupon the roller means are re-locked.

Preferably, the above mentioned release of the roller means on entry may be delayed for a short time after detection, say, two or three minutes, to permit a change of mind on the part of the driver as to the choice of parking space.

It will be understood that when the roller means are locked in a fixed non-rotatable state, the vehicle may be driven on to the parking space with no difficulty.

However, if an attempt is made to drive the vehicle over roller means in a released condition, the driving wheels of the vehicle will simply spin the roller means as they rotate and no progress will be made by the vehicle.

Although the examples shown below in this specification illustrate the use of roller means over at least substantially the entire parking space, i.e. over the area occupied by a parked vehicle, it will be understood that, if preferred for reasons of economy or convenience, the roller means may be provided solely at the access zone of a parking space. However, if the roller means are provided only over such a reduced area, the passage of 4-wheel drive vehicles is unlikely to be impeded by the roller means. It is thus preferable in general to provide roller means that occupy the full area covered by the vehicle, or at least that area corresponding to wheel base length and breadth.

Advantageously, the length of time for which the roller means remain in a locked state may be monitored by the timing means and the rollers may be released for rotation after the pre-paid period of time has expired, say, 30 minutes or one or two hours according to the parking fee paid.

When the permitted time has elapsed, a driver returning to the vehicle will be unable to leave the parking space while the roller means are in a freelyrotatable state. A further payment in the nature of a fine will cause the locking means to re-apply the locking action on the roller means so that the vehicle may be driven away.

Thus the payment of the parking charge and a fine can be enforced without the presence of a parking attendant.

It will be understood that when there is no vehicle present upon the parking space, the control means maintains the locking means in an operative position in which the roller means is prevented from rotating.

There will now be described an example of a device according to the invention. It will be understood that the description, which is intended to be read with reference to the drawings, is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, part sectional view of a device from one side, and shown in contact with the road wheels of a vehicle; Figure 2 is a plan view of a parking space incorporating the device of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a further example of a device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a parking space 2 on which vehicle wheels 4, 6 are positioned. Roller means comprising a plurality of rollers 8 is received in a recess 10 in the parking space 2. The rollers 8 lie in a parallel manner transversely to the direction of approach of a vehicle entering the parking space 2, so as to be engaged by the driving wheels 4 or 6 thereof.

Each roller 8 is mounted for ease of rotation about its axis by means of bearings 14. Sensors are contained in a control box 16 which sense the presence of a vehicle entering the parking space 4 while the rollers are held in a locked condition by means of locking clamps 18. The control box 16 is connected by a line 20 to a timing means T which may be remote from the space 4 and is associated with a payment device, i.e. a coin-operated mechanism of a conventional type or an electronic apparatus operated by insertion of charge cards, credit or debit cards or the like.

In use, the vehicle will approach the parking space 2 in the direction shown by arrow A (Figure 2). The wheels 4, 6 of the vehicle including two driving wheels, which may be front or rear wheels, pass over the zone 2 and the wheels take up the positions shown. The weight of the vehicle passing over the locked roller members 8 is sensed in the control box 16 and after a short delay to confirm that the vehicle is intended to remain in the space 2, the roller members are released. Any later attempt to reverse the vehicle from the parking space 2 will thus result in the rollers 8 freely spinning (arrows B) under the influence of the driven wheels 4 or 6. However, a driver intending to park the vehicle legitimately will proceed to the timing means and insert the appropriate coins or card into the payment device. The locking means 18 will then re-lock the roller members and the vehicle may be readily driven from the space 2 at any point within the period of time bought by the fee paid.

If the vehicle is not removed within the proper period of time, the timing means T operates to signal the locking means to be released by suitable release means. Thus, the vehicle cannot be reversed away from its parking position until the roller members are re-locked. This is achieved through payment of a further heavy fee in the nature of a fine.

An attempt to evade normal payment by leaving the vehicle parked on unlocked rollers for more than a predetermined length of time, say, ten or twelve minutes, without payment will be detected by the detector means and will result in operation of the locking means taking place only on payment of an amount at least equivalent to said fine.

Figure 3 illustrates an alternative device including a roller means 22 including a continuous belt 24 supported on roller mountings 26 and known as a "rolling road" of a kind similar to that which may be used for test purposes in the automotive engineering trade.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, the roller means may be situated at the entrance or other access point of a defined vehicle parking area or garaging zone.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A vehicle parking monitoring device comprising, in a parking space as hereinbefore defined, a designated parking area at least part of which is to be traversed by wheels of said vehicle, at least a portion of said area comprising roller means extending transversely to a predetermined line of travel of said wheels, locking means adapted to lock said roller means against rotation when contacted by said wheels so as to maintain said rollers in a fixed non-rotatable state under normal conditions, and timing means adapted to provide a signal to release means to unlock said roller means as required to permit free rotation thereof, said roller means providing at least a portion of the parking space surface that is adapted to be in contact with the vehicle wheels as the vehicle enters or leaves the parking space in said predetermined line of travel.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein detector means are provided in association with said release means to detect entry of a vehicle to said parking area and to initiate release of said locking means by the release means.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the release means is delayed by a predetermined time after detection of a vehicle by said detector means.

4. A device according to either one of claims 2 and 3, wherein said locking means are re-activated after release by operation of a signal indicating payment of a parking charge.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein further comprising timing means adapted to cause said locking means to remain operative to lock said roller means against rotation for a period of time determined by the amount of said payment.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said roller means extend over at least substantially all said designated parking area.

7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said roller means extend over an entry or access portion of said designated parking area.

8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said roller means comprises a plurality of elongate rollers lying in a parallel manner transversely to the direction of approach of a vehicle.

9. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said roller means comprises a continuous belt arranged on roller mountings.

10. A vehicle parking monitoring device constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the drawings.