WO2015198188A1

WO2015198188A1 - Stationing unit for parking a motorcycle or a cycle, and parking area comprising a plurality of such stationing units

Info

Publication number: WO2015198188A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/054577
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro Spagnolo
Original assignee: Spagnolo Engineering Di Spagnolo S.
Priority date: 2014-06-27
Filing date: 2015-06-17
Publication date: 2015-12-30
Also published as: ITTO20140090U1

Abstract

A stationing unit for parking a motorcycle or cycle comprises a fixed structure (2) that is designed to be anchored to the ground in an area provided for parking, a locker (3), WHICH IS rigidly connected to the fixed structure (2) and has a door (5) for access to a locker space (6), WHICH can be blocked in the closed condition, and anchoring means (10) for securing the wheel (r), or other part, of the motorcycle or cycle to the aforesaid fixed structure (2). The anchoring means comprise a lock bolt carried by the aforesaid fixed structure or by the structure of the locker. The lock bolt is mobile between an opening position, in which it is received within its supporting structure, and a closing position, in which it projects partially outwards for anchoring a wheel or other part of the cycle or motorcycle to the aforesaid fixed structure. The stationing unit further comprises means for blocking the lock bolt in the closing position, which are provided within the locker (3), in a position accessible only when the access door (5) of the locker is open.

Description

"Stationing unit for parking a motorcycle or a cycle, and parking area comprising a plurality of such

stationing units"

* * *

TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

The subject of the present invention is a stationing unit for parking motorcycles or bicycles, and an equipped area comprising a plurality of such stationing units.

There have already been proposed for some time stationing units for parking motorcycles or the like that comprise:

a fixed structure, which is designed to be anchored to the ground in an area provided for parking;

- a locker, which is rigidly connected to the fixed structure and has a door for access to a locker space that can be blocked in the closed condition; and

- anchoring means for securing the wheel, or other part, of the motorcycle to the aforesaid fixed structure.

Solutions of this type are known, for example, from the documents Nos. US 4 080 020 A, US 3 989 327 A, US 3 827 773 A, FR 2 714 348 Al , FR 2 496 404 Al , EP 0 820 920 Al, and NL 7 602 569 A, the contents of which have been published.

The object of the invention is to propose a new, simple, and functional solution that will enable motorcyclists or cyclists to park safely their own motorcycle or bicycle and to deposit in a personal locker their own equipment (jackets, gloves, helmets, and protections) .

A further object of the invention is to provide a stationing unit for parking that will be practical and intuitive to use and that will enable securing of the cycle or motorcycle to the structure in a convenient and fast way, for example without requiring the user to bend down or use blocking members such as chains or the like, which are inconvenient and laborious to use.

Forming in particular an object of the invention is to enable provision of urban parking lots with stationing units adequate for accommodating technical clothing of cyclists or motorcyclists so as to favour and incentivize use of such clothing and life-saving protection means such as back protectors or helmets.

A further object is to propose a stationing unit for parking that will enable protection of the cycle or motorcycle from inclement weather and from sunlight, with a simple and light structure, and notwithstanding this such as to ensure the necessary stability even in conditions of strong wind.

With a view to achieving the above objects, the subject of the invention is a stationing unit for parking motorcycles or bicycles, of the type specified above, further characterized in that:

- said anchoring means for blocking the wheel comprise a lock bolt carried by the aforesaid fixed structure or by the structure of the locker, said lock bolt being mobile between an opening position, in which it is received within its supporting structure, and a closing position, in which it projects partially outwards for anchoring a wheel or other part of the cycle or motorcycle to the aforesaid fixed structure; and

said stationing unit further comprising means for blocking said lock bolt in said closing position, said blocking means being provided inside the locker, in a position accessible only when the door of the locker is open.

Preferably, the lock bolt is slidably guided between its opening position and its closing position by guide means that are provided in the structure of the locker. Moreover, the fixed structure of the stationing unit comprises an element for receiving the free end of the lock bolt, which receives the above free end when the bolt is brought into its closing position .

In one embodiment, the means for blocking the lock bolt in the closing position comprise a first element provided on the structure of the locker in a fixed position, and a second element fixed with respect to the bolt. The first and second elements have respective holes with vertical axis that align with one another in the closing position of the lock bolt. The blocking means further comprise a pin for blocking the bolt in the closing position, which can be engaged through the holes of the first and second elements when they are aligned .

In one embodiment, the lock bolt is equipped with a manoeuvring pedal rigidly carried in cantilever fashion at one end of the lock bolt. The pedal projects from the structure of the locker and is accessible from outside the locker. The pedal enables displacement of the lock bolt between the opening position and the closing position, and vice versa, without the motorcyclist or cyclist having to bend down.

In addition or as an alternative to the pedal, a grip may be provided in a position higher than the pedal, rigidly connected to the lock bolt.

In an alternative embodiment, the lock bolt is equipped with a manoeuvring rod set inside the locker and carried by a supporting plate, which projects in cantilever fashion from one end of said lock bolt, the manoeuvring rod being equipped with a grip for manual operation of the lock bolt. Also in this case, it is not necessary for the cyclist or motorcyclist to bend down to activate the blocking means.

Preferably, the blocking pin envisages a cable or chain that connects the pin to the structure of the locker to prevent removal of the pin from the structure of the locker .

In various embodiments, the stationing unit comprises a protective roof formed by a fixed supporting structure including two uprights and by a plurality of transverse slats having their ends that are mounted oscillating on the two uprights and are each displaceable by the wind from a lowered position, towards which they are recalled by springs, to a raised position in which they enable passage of the wind between one slat and another.

The subject of the invention is also a parking area comprising a plurality stationing units for parking of the type specified above.

As may be clearly understood, the present invention is of direct interest for users of motorcycles and bicycles in so far as it provides them with a solution to the problems of parking cycles/motorcycles and depositing their equipment in a safe place, but is likewise of indirect interest for public administrations, which can incentivize the tourist industry in places under their urisdiction, by providing areas equipped with stationing unit for parking according to the invention so as to enable visiting motorcyclists or cyclists to leave their motorcycles or cycles anchored in a safe place and their personal effects, clothing, helmets, etc., equally protected inside the aforesaid locker forming part of the stationing unit for parking.

Furthermore, in the embodiment equipped with protective roof, the cycle/motorcycle is also protected from atmospheric agents such as rain, snow, hail, or sunlight that might damage the cycle/motorcycle.

In the stationing unit for parking according to the invention, once the cycle or motorcycle has been blocked via the lock bolt, and once the lock bolt has been blocked in its closing condition, the door of the locker is closed and blocked, for example by means of the anti-theft padlock normally used for blocking the brake disk of a motorcycle. Alternatively, the door of the locker may, for example, be equipped with a lock, possibly of the coin-lock or token-lock type. The door could moreover be provided with an internal pocket, with a corresponding external window, for inserting and exhibiting a ticket or some other distinctive parking badge .

If so preferred, it is moreover possible to provide an electronic protection by means of anti- tamper sensors for the locker.

The invention will be described with reference to the annexed drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of embodiment of the invention, illustrated in an operating condition, in which the wheel of the motorcycle is blocked to the stationing unit structure;

- Figure 2 is a perspective view at an enlarged scale of a detail of the stationing unit for parking of Figure 1 in a non-operating condition in which the anchoring means for securing the wheel are in the opening position;

- Figure 3 is a perspective view of the locker in the open condition with the anchoring means in the opening position;

- Figure 4 is a partially see-through perspective view of the locker in the closed condition, with the anchoring means in the opening position; - Figure 5 is a view from inside the locker of the stationing unit for parking in the condition corresponding to the one illustrated in Figure 3;

- Figure 6 is a partially see-through perspective view of the locker in the closed condition with the anchoring means in the closing position;

- Figure 7 is a perspective view at an enlarged scale of a detail of the stationing unit for parking of Figure 1 in the operating condition in which the anchoring means for securing the wheel are in the closing position;

- Figure 8 is a variant of Figure 2, where the locker has a different conformation;

- Figure 9 is a partially see-through perspective view at an enlarged scale of a detail of the stationing unit for parking of Figure 8 in an operating condition in which the anchoring means for securing the wheel are in the closing position;

- Figures 10, 11, and 12 regard a further variant of the embodiment of the stationing unit for parking; and

- Figure 13-17 illustrate a further variant.

With reference to the annexed drawings, number 1 designates as a whole a stationing unit for parking a cycle or motorcycle, comprising a fixed base structure 2, which is designed to be anchored to the ground in an area provided for parking. Fixed on the base structure 2 is a locker, designated as a whole by the reference number 3, having a fixed structure 4, for example made of metal sheet or any other material suited for the purpose, and a door 5, which can be opened to enable access to an internal space 6 (see, for example, Figure 3), equipped with one or more surfaces 7, for example made of metal sheet, possibly with aeration holes. The door 5 can be blocked in the closed condition via any known blocking means .

The fixed structure 2 includes a base part 2a and an element for receiving the free end of the lock bolt 10, which receives the free end 101 when the lock bolt is brought into its closing position. The receiving element is, for example, constituted by a wall 2b, set so as to be orthogonal to the base part 2a (hence in a vertical position) . Extending between the wall 2b and the fixed structure 4 of the locker is a fixed bar 9, which serves as contrast element against which the wheel R of the cycle or motorcycle M can be rested.

With reference to Figure 4, the bar 9 has a part set on the outside of the locker 3, and the remaining part that extends throughout the width of the fixed structure 4 of the locker 3. In this way, the wall 2b for receiving the exposed portion of the bar 9 and the proximal wall of the fixed structure 4 of the locker 3 define the structure that is to receive the wheel R of the cycle or motorcycle.

With reference to Figures 2-5, the stationing unit for parking comprises anchoring means for blocking the wheel R to the fixed structure 2, which comprise a lock bolt 10 carried by the structure 4 of the locker 3 (alternatively, the lock bolt could also be carried by the fixed supporting structure, at the base of the locker) .

The lock bolt 10 is able to slide horizontally between an opening position (illustrated, for example, in Figures 2, 3, and 4), where the lock bolt 10 is received within the locker 3, and a closing position (illustrated, for example, in Figures 5, 6, and 7), where the lock bolt 10 projects partially outwards and anchors the wheel R to the fixed structure.

Furthermore, with particular reference to Figures 2-4, the locker 3 comprises closing means for blocking the door 5 of the locker 3 in its closed position, which comprise a perforated tab 12 carried by the structure 4 of the locker 3 and a slit 14 provided in the door 5, in such a way that, when the door 5 is closed, the tab 12 passes through the slit 14 and can be blocked by means of a padlock 15 by engaging the latter in the hole of the tab.

The locker 3 comprises inside it guide means of any type for guiding the lock bolt 10 slidably between the opening position and the closing position. The lock bolt 10 passes through a hole 10a made in the proximal wall of the fixed structure 4 of the locker 3, which also constitutes part of the guide means. Furthermore, joined to the lock bolt is a tab 16a (see Figure 5), the function of which will be illustrated in what follows, which is slidably engaged in a slit 17a made in a wall of the structure of the locker.

Furthermore, the wall 2b for receiving the fixed structure 2 comprises a seat 11 with horizontal axis provided for receiving the end 101 of the lock bolt 10 when the latter is in its closing position.

As illustrated in the figures, the stationing unit for parking comprises means for blocking the lock bolt and keeping it in the closing position illustrated in Figures 5-7. The blocking means are provided inside the locker 3, in a position accessible only when the door 5 for access to the locker 3 is open.

With reference to Figure 4, the means for blocking the lock bolt 10 and keeping it in the closing position comprise a horizontal fixed tab 16, which is rigidly connected to the structure of the locker and has a hole with vertical axis, and a mobile horizontal tab 17 carried in cantilever fashion by the end 102 of the lock bolt 10 in such a way that, when the lock bolt 10 is in the closing position, the tabs 16 and 17 are juxtaposed with respect to one another and their holes are aligned. There is moreover provided a pin 18 for blocking the lock bolt 10 in the closing position by engaging the above pin through the aligned holes of the two tabs 16 and 17. The tab 17 is moreover guided in a slit 17a made in a wall of the structure of the locker so as to constitute also a guide means for the movement of sliding of the lock bolt, together with the hole 10a.

Preferably, the blocking pin 18 is connected by a cable or chain 19 to the structure 4 of the locker 3 to prevent removal thereof.

In both of the examples of embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-7 and 8 and 9, the lock bolt 10 is equipped with a manoeuvring pedal 20 carried in cantilever fashion at the end 102 of the bolt 10 and fixed with respect to the aforesaid end 102. In the case of the first example of embodiment (Figures 1-7), the pedal projects outwards underneath the structure of the locker. In the case of the second example (Figures 8 and 9), the pedal 20 projects on the outside of the structure 4 of the locker 3 through a horizontal slit 21.

In both variants, the pedal is consequently accessible from outside the locker and can be used for shifting the lock bolt 10 between the opening position and the closing position, and vice versa.

When a cyclist or motorcyclist wants to use a stationing unit for parking, he brings the wheel R of the cycle or motorcycle M up to the arrest bar 9 and then, via the pedal 20, shifts the lock bolt 10 from the opening position (Figure 2) to the closing position ( Figure 7 ) .

He then opens the door 5 of the locker 3 and blocks the lock bolt 10 in the closing position with the pin 18. In this way, once the door 5 of the locker 3 is closed and blocked, from outside it is no longer possible to move the lock bolt 10 back into the opening position .

When the user comes back to the stationing unit for parking, he can unblock the cycle or motorcycle M by opening the locker 3, disengaging the pin 18 from the tabs 16, 17 and bringing the lock bolt 10 back into the opening position by acting on the pedal 20 so as to release the wheel R.

In the various embodiments, elements that are the same have been designated in the various figures with the same reference numbers.

In the embodiment of Figures 8 and 9, blocking of the lock bolt is obtained through engagement of the pin 18 through respective aligned holes made in a horizontal wall of the locker set in a position higher than the pedal 20 and in one end 22a bent back horizontally of a vertical arm 22, which extends upwards starting from the pedal. Also in this embodiment a blocking pin 18 is present, constrained by a cable 19.

With reference to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 10-12, the lock bolt 10 is equipped, instead of with the pedal 20, with a manoeuvring rod 24 set inside the locker and carried by a supporting plate 25 that projects in cantilever fashion from the end 102 of the lock bolt 10. The manoeuvring rod 24 is provided with a grip 26 for manual operation of the lock bolt 10.

In this embodiment, blocking of the lock bolt is obtained by engagement of the pin 18 through the hole of a horizontal tab 16a forming part of a bracket 16 and a hole with vertical axis provided on the free end of the grip 26 of the manoeuvring rod 24.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 13-17, the locker 3 is equipped, instead, with a manoeuvring pedal 20, altogether similar to that of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 8-9, i.e., the embodiment with vertical arm 22 that extends upwards starting from the pedal .

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 10-12 and 13-17, the door 5 for access to the space 6 inside the locker 3 has a leaf configuration of a top-hinged lift-up type with arms 30 for limiting opening thereof (for example, gas-operated springs) to increase the capacity of the locker 3 and improve accessibility to the locker compartment.

Preferably, the stationing unit for parking 1 further comprises a protective roof 27 formed by a fixed supporting structure 28 having two mutually parallel uprights and a plurality of transverse slats 29 (see Figure 1) . Preferably (see the variant of Figure 13), the slats 29 have their ends that are mounted oscillating on the two uprights and are each displaceable as a result of the wind from a lowered position, towards which they are recalled by springs (not illustrated) , to a raised position in which they enable passage of the wind between one slat and another .

The invention also regards an equipped area for parking motorcycles, including an array of devices of the type illustrated above.

The invention may be applied to mobile modular solutions that can be set in place at fairs or temporary events.

Of course, the invention extends also to other models and other embodiments that achieve the same utility in the framework of the same principle. Furthermore, the details of construction may vary widely with respect to what has been described herein purely by way of example.

The door of the locker could, for example, be equipped with a lock, possibly of the coin-lock or token-lock type. The door could moreover be provided with an internal pocket, with a corresponding external window, for inserting and exhibiting a ticket or some other distinctive parking badge.

Claims

1. A stationing unit for parking a motorcycle or cycle, comprising:

- a fixed structure (2), which is designed to be anchored to the ground in an area provided for parking;

- a locker (3), which is rigidly connected to the fixed structure (2) and has a door (5) for access to a locker space (6) that can be blocked in the closed condition; and

- anchoring means (10) for securing the wheel (R) , or other part, of the motorcycle or cycle to the aforesaid fixed structure (2),

said stationing unit for parking a motorcycle or cycle being characterized in that:

- said anchoring means for blocking the wheel (R) comprise a lock bolt carried by the aforesaid fixed structure or by the structure of the locker, said lock bolt being mobile between an opening position, in which it is received within its supporting structure, and a closing position, in which it projects partially outwards for anchoring a wheel or other part of the cycle or motorcycle to the aforesaid fixed structure, said stationing unit further comprising means (16-18) for blocking said lock bolt in said closing position, said blocking means being provided inside the locker (3) in a position accessible only when the door (5) of the locker is open.

2. The stationing unit for parking according to Claim 1, characterized in that:

said lock bolt (10) is horizontally slidably guided between its opening position and its closing position by guide means (10a, 17, 17a; 21) which are provided in the structure of the locker; and

said fixed structure of the stationing unit comprises an element (2b) for receiving the free end

(101) of the lock bolt (10), which receives said free end when the lock bolt is brought into its closing position .

3 . The stationing unit for parking according to

Claim 2, characterized in that said means for blocking said lock bolt in said closing position comprise a first element (16) provided on the structure of the locker in a fixed position, and a second element (17) fixed with respect to the lock bolt (10), said first and second elements having respective holes with vertical axis that align with one another in the closing position of the lock bolt, said blocking means further comprising a pin (18) for blocking the lock bolt in the closing position, which can be engaged through said holes of the first and second elements (16, 17) when said holes are aligned.

. The stationing unit for parking according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lock bolt is equipped with a manoeuvring pedal (20) rigidly carried in cantilever fashion at one end

(102) of said lock bolt (10) and accessible from outside the locker.

5. The stationing unit for parking according to Claim 3, characterized in that said lock bolt is equipped with a manoeuvring rod (24) set inside the locker and carried by a supporting plate (25) that projects in cantilever fashion from one end (102) of said lock bolt, said manoeuvring rod being provided with a grip (26) for a manual operation of the lock bolt .

6 . The stationing unit for parking according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said blocking pin (18) is connected by a cable or by a chain (19) to the structure of the locker.

7. The stationing unit for parking according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a protective roof (27) formed by a fixed supporting structure including two uprights (28) and by a plurality of transverse slats (29) , preferably having their ends that are mounted oscillating on the two uprights and are each displaceable as a result of the wind from a lowered position, towards which they are recalled by springs, to a raised position, in which they enable passage of the wind between one slat and another .

8. An area equipped for parking, comprising a plurality of stationing units for parking according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.