GB2512033A - Bicycle parking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Bicycle parking apparatus is disclosed for use in parking installations, especially bicycle hire systems. A base includes a recessed area to receive the bottom of the front wheel 18 of a bicycle. There is a structure 3 extending upwards from the base on which are mounted a pair of positioning members 5 located above the base by a distance substantially equal to half of the height of a typical bicycle wheel 18. An arm 9 is hinged to the structure at a point more remote from the base than the diameter of a typical bicycle wheel 18. The end of the arm 9 has a pair of substantially parallel prongs 15 which can be swung from a position where they lie above the handlebars of a bicycle to be parked in the apparatus down to a position in which the prongs are behind the centre piece of the handlebar of the bicycle, and essentially to each side of the steering column to which the bicycle handlebars are affixed. Means are provided for locking the hinged arm in such a position so as to secure the bicycle. The locking means may be operated by a keypad 13 mounted on the structure 3, and may be solar powered.

Description

BICYCLE PARKING APPARATUS

This invention relates to bicycle parking apparatus.

With the increasing use of bicycles as a personal means of transport in urban environments, there is an increased need to provide bicycle-parking apparatus which is effective to secure bicycles when not in use and to deter theft.

One solution is to provide, as items of street furniture, fixed installations having some form of stout tubular framework to which a bicycle can be secured by means of some form of locking device, for example a padlock and chain or a so-called "D" lock. In either case, the chain or the hoop of a D-lock is arranged to surround a portion of the bicycle and a portion of the stout tubular frame and so enable the bicycle to be locked on to the frame by the user. Such an approach requires the bicycle user to carry the chain or D-lock, which is an extra weight to carry around which is not insubstantial it the chain or lock is to be a sufficient deterrent against thefts. In other words, if the chain or lock is of inadequately strong construction, it can be easily broken or snapped by an intending thief, so enabling the bicycle to be removed.

In locations where large numbers of bicycles need to be parked, for example at railway stations, it is common to provide bicycle racks in the form of an array of"docking stations" into which the front wheel of a bicycle may be inserted and then held fast to the array of docking stations by means of a padlock and chain or D-lock or similar device.

According to the present invention, there is provided bicycle parking apparatus consisting of a base, including means defining a recessed area to receive the bottom of the front wheel of a bicycle, a structure fixed to the base and extending upwardly therefrom and having, projecting to one side thereof, a pair of positioning members located above the base by an amount substantially equal to half of the height of a standard bicycle wheel, an arm hinged to the upstanding member at a point more remote from the base than the diameter of a standard bicycle wheel, the arm having on its end remote from its hinge connection to the base a pair of substantially parallel prongs which can be swung from a position where they lie above the handlebars of a bicycle to be parked in the apparatus down to a position in which the prongs lie behind the centre piece of the handlebar of the bicycle and essentially to each side of the steering column to which the bicycle handlebars are affixed, and means for locking the hinged arm in such a position.

The locking means for the hinged arm may be any convenient mechanical locking means of sufficient robustness to stop the arm simply being forced up. The locking means may be mechanically linked to secondary locking means located substantially halfway up the front wheel, and adapted, when the hinged arm is locked in its downward position, to engage the front of the front wheel and lock on to it. For example, the apparatus may include a pair of horizontally extending spaced-apart members at about half the height of the front wheel and between which the wheel is located when the bicycle is parked. When the hinged arm is lowered to engage the prongs behind the centre of the handlebars and to either side of the steering column, a pair of locking bars may emerge from the horizontally extending means substantially at half the height of the front wheel and pass behind the wheel rim to lock the front wheel on to the structure of the apparatus.

The locking means may be purely mechanical or electromechanical. If purely mechanical, they can be actuated, for example, by turning a key in a key lock mechanism which locks the hinged arm in position and optionally actuates secondary locking means on horizontally projecting members to lock the front edge of the wheel to the apparatus.

The recess in the base is conveniently formed simply by providing, spaced from the base of the upstanding support member, a rib or ridge member located a little greater than the approximate radius of the wheel away therefrom. Alternatively, where the base is a pavement or walkway, it may be in the form of a concrete block set into the pavement or walkway and housing a curved-based groove set in it adapted to receive the edge of a bicycle wheel. Such blocks are known.

The invention is of particular value in the case of bicycle hire schemes where the docking station for bicycles not currently being hired may be provided with such apparatus and where the arm itself may incorporate a keypad and the relevant electronics to enable it to be unlocked so that it may be swung up if someone wishes to remove a bicycle for hire and which can then be locked down on to a bicycle returned from hire by simply lowering the arm and pressing one or more appropriate buttons on the keypad.

It may also be deployed simply as a bicycle park, e.g. at a sports or leisure centre to which customers cycle. On arrival, their bicycle may be simply positioned in front of apparatus according to the invention and the arm lowered to engage the handlebars and frame. The arm may be locked in position by turning a key which can then be extracted from the apparatus and retained by the bicycle owner until they have finished at the centre and wish to cycle home.

The apparatus according to the invention may be conveniently designed to lie against the wall of a building (which may itself constitute part of the structure fixed to the base) and a set of such apparatus may be placed evenly spaced along a wall to provide a bicycle-parking area. In such an installation, the area has a major advantage in that if there are no bicycles parked in it, for example at night, the area in front of the wall or the like may be essentially clear of obstructions, so facilitating street cleaning, as well as providing a less cluttered streetscape.

The invention is illustrated by way of example with reference to a specific embodiment shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective drawing of apparatus according to the present invention in unused mode, i.e. without a bicycle parked and secured to it; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view similar to Figure 1 but showing the apparatus with a bicycle parked in it; Figure 3 shows an alternative construction for the lower portion of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view from above of the swinging arm of such apparatus showing one possible locking system.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus is shown installed against a wall 1 adjacent a paved area 2. The apparatus consists of a vertical member 3 securely fixed to wall 1 having projecting from it a pair of wings 5 spaced apart by an amount slightly larger than the width of a wheel and tyre of the bicycle. Wings 5 are located above pavement 2 by a distance D corresponding roughly to the height of the hub of the bicycle front wheel.

Located on the pavement, at slightly greater distance than D away from wall 1, is a raised concrete rib 7.

Hinged to the top of member 3 is a swivel arm 9 which can swivel about a horizontal axis A. Internally of the upper end of member 3 is a mechanical locking unit (not shown in the drawing) which can be actuated by the use of a keypad 13 mounted on one side of vertical member 3. The keypad 13 could, if desired, be mounted on the swivel arm 9.

The mechanical locking device is adapted, when the end of arm 9 remote from member 3 is lowered, to lock it into the lowered position. A wide variety of mechanical linkages can be devised to achieve this, engineering solutions being preferred which can resist the force of someone trying to lift the end of the locked arm.

On the end of the lockable arm 9 is a pair of prongs 15 which are spaced apart by a little more than the width of the tube at the front of a bicycle frame in which a steering column is mounted and its associated mounting means for the steering column. As shown, the end of the arm carries two prongs, but it is conceivable that it could carry three prongs in a triangular arrangement or even four, in a square or rectangular array viewed in the direction of the prongs.

The prongs are of stout construction and preferably covered with a rubbery or plastics material to reduce the risk of damage to the bicycle being parked.

As can be clearly seen in Figure 2, when the end of the arm is swung down, the prongs 15 lie to either side of the front end of the frame 17 (or at least the tips of them do) and, once the arm 9 is locked in position, the front end of the bicycle is then fixed securely and the bicycle cannot be removed. The geometry of the arrangement may be such that, in this position, the wheel 18 cannot be extracted from between the wings 5 by lifting up the rear end of the bicycle because of the height of the rib 7 set on the pavement 2 stops the wheel 18 moving to the right as seen in Figure 2 because the handlebars are held down by the end of arm 9.

If desired, at the same time as the swivel arm 9 is locked into its downward position, a pair of jaws may emerge from the wings 5 to pass through the wheel behind the spokes and accordingly prevent the rim of the front wheel from being extracted from between the wings 5.

Although the wings are shown relatively short, they may project much further from the wall, even extending as tar as the centre of the wheel in order to reduce the risk of a parked bicycle (less its front wheel) being stolen by someone undoing the front wheel securing bolt. It is possible to arrange for longer wings to fold back against the wall when the arm is raised and to swing out from the wall to lie either side of the front wheel when the arm is lowered.

Referring to Figure 3, the paved area 1 incorporates, instead of a raised rib 7, a shallow curved base slot 20 of a width slightly greater than the tyre of a bicycle and into which the front wheel may drop when its leading edge is located between the wings 5 by the user.

By suitable choice of dimensioning, in particular of the swivel arm 9 and the prongs 15 at the end of it, secure locking can be achieved with a variety of bicycles, i.e. substantial design differences between the front ends of bicycles do not affect the ability of the apparatus to lock the bicycle to the apparatus in a fashion preventing its removal until arm 9 is unlocked and swivelled up. The locking mechanism at the top of member 3 may be configured to lock arm 9 against wall 1 when the apparatus is not being used to park a bicycle.

Referring now to Figure 4, this is a diagrammatic view from above of part of apparatus according to the present invention. As shown, a lockable arm 9 is mounted in a vertical member 3 which is in turn fixed to a wall 1. The arm 9 itself is hollow and, at its left-hand end as shown in Figure 4, it has two side walls 23 which have holes in them through which a shaft 22 passes. Shaft 22 is fixed in vertical member 3 and halfway along the shaft is set a fixed plate 24 which is firmly welded to the portion of vertical member 3 adjacent wall 1.

The portion of plate 24 located between the side walls 23 has a generally circular exterior contour in the form of a ratchet wheel section 27. The ratchet may be engaged by a pawl 25 located on a shaft 26 and spring-loaded towards the left as shown in Figure 4.

The end of arm 9 remote from the wall has a handle 30 mounted on it which can be grasped in order to pull the arm 9 downwards, rotating about shaft 22.

This may be done without difficulty if rod 26 is not locked in position.

Internally of arm 9, conveniently adjacent keypad 13 which is mounted on the exterior of the arm, is a suitable electromechanical locking mechanism which can be operated to prevent rod 26 moving. There are many such simple locking mechanisms available and a suitable one can be selected without difficulty.

When the user wishes to park the bicycle, the handle 30 may simply be pulled down by the requisite amount until the prongs 15 are located either side of the frame and behind the handlebars. They remain in the down position because of the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet. Keypad 13 then actuated to lock rod 26 in position. Because pawl 25 can then be disengaged from the ratchet 27, the arm can no longer be raised.

When the locking mechanism is released, for example by punching an appropriate code into keypad 13, a simple operating tab or the like located anywhere convenient in the arm can pull the rod 26 back to a sufficient extent to detach pawl 25 from the ratchet 27 and allow the arm 30 to be swung up. The arm may be spring-loaded to allow its easy up and down movement, e.g. by a spiral spring centred on shaft 22.

The power required to operate keypad 13 and its associated mechanisms may be conveniently produced by an appropriate solar cell array mounted on the top of the arm. Although the left-hand end of the arm is shown in Figure 4 with the various components relating to the locking, this end of the arm will in practice be covered by an appropriate cladding, for example a steel casing, to prevent interference.

If desired, the ends of plates 23 adjacent wall 1 may have a connecting rod or the like pivoted to them which operates, when the arm 9 is swung down, a locking mechanism for the front wheel of the bicycle. ci