US20060110241A1

US20060110241A1 - Road side parking apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20060110241A1
Application number: US10/983,301
Authority: US
Inventors: Shui-Pien Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-08
Filing date: 2004-11-08
Publication date: 2006-05-25

Abstract

A road side parking apparatus in which the angular frame supports the platform, two parallel steel cables of the drive mechanism are attached to the platform, and a speed reduction motor powers two drive wheels that synchronously wind the two steel cables. When the two steel cables from the exterior lateral surface of the platform are pulled upward, the angular frame serves as a fulcrum such that the platform slowly ascends in a level movement until positioned, causing the speed reduction motor to stop rotating. When the speed reduction motor rotates again, the platform slowly descends until positioned on the ground, causing the speed reduction motor to stop rotating. During the entire process, upper level vehicle parking and unparking is not only convenient, furthermore, completely accomplished without affecting the vehicle parked at the lower level, but most importantly, parking space availability is increased to effectively solve road side parking problems.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to a road side parking apparatus, specifically a vehicle parking installation having a platform that is elevated or lowered in a level movement, the level movement approach enabling the parking of a vehicle at the upper level without affecting a vehicle parked at the lower level, thereby increasing road side vehicle parking capacity and effectively solving road side parking problems.
2) Description of the Prior Art
In Taiwan, where population density is great and urban land highly valued, there is a serious insufficiency of parking space, with the cost of a single parking space ranging from NTD100,000 to several NTD100,000, a fact that is well-known by the public. As a result, how to utilize limited land resources to obtain the maximum number of parking spaces without escalating parking space square area (base land area) is the only way of increasing parking spaces. In terms of currently available road side parking spaces, one observes that parking spaces are planned on land along the two sides of roads exclusively for parking purposes. In other words, the length of road section influences the quantity of parking spaces and, as such, the base land area size determines parking space quantity, which is not only inconsistent with contemporary economic benefits, but at the same time highly wasteful of precious urban land, especially along bustling road sections or in high population and vehicle density areas, where a major shortage of parking spaces has resulted in serious traffic congestion and distribution. As a result, if currently available road side parking spaces were increased, not only would road side parking locations be multiplied by two, three, or more times, this would also solve the serious insufficiency problems in areas of high population and vehicle density, thereby significantly enhancing the constructive utilization of precious urban land.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the modern road side parking problems and the constant non-constructive utilization previously described, the invention herein is based on research about road side parking equipment to innovate a road side parking apparatus capable of effectively increasing land surface area and road side parking space quantity and, furthermore, facilitates parking and unparking convenience without affecting vehicles parked on the ground along road sides.
To enable a general understanding of the technical means and functions through which the invention herein achieves the said objectives as well as other objectives and advantages of the present invention, the brief description of the drawings below are followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of the invention herein.
FIG. 2 is an orthographic drawing of the invention herein that illustrates level movement.
FIG. 3 is isometric drawing of invention herein after the drive mechanism is covered by the enclosure.
FIG. 4 is an isometric drawing of another embodiment of the invention herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the isometric drawing of the invention herein and the orthographic drawing that illustrates level movement, the present invention is comprised of an angular frame 1, a platform 2, and a drive mechanism 3; the angular frame 1 has fixed frame members 10 and active frame members 11, wherein the fixed frame members 10 constitute a framework setup adjacent to the sidewalk along a roadway, a pulley wheel 100, 100 a, 101, and 101 a is disposed at the upper and lower ends as well as both the front and rear ends, and the active frame members 11 constitute two frameworks, with one end conjoined to the underside of the platform 2 and the other end conjoined onto a base 4; the said conjoinment areas are all respectively coupled to the platform 2 and the base 4 via bearings 5 and, furthermore, a steel cable 30 and 31 is attached to both the front and rear ends of the platform 2, each steel cable 30 and 31 routed through the pulley wheels 100, 100 a, 101, and 101 a, following which they are respectively wound on a drive wheel 32 and 33; the said two drive wheels 32 and 33 are controlled and powered by a clockwise/counterclockwise rotating speed reduction motor 34 and, as a result, when the speed reduction motor 34 powers the two drive wheels 32 and 33 into synchronous clockwise rotation or counterclockwise rotation, the platform 2 is raised or lowered and, furthermore, since the said platform 2 is controllably articulated by the supportive function of the active frame members 11, when pulled or released by the two steel cables 30 and 31, the platform 2 ascends or descends in a level movement, as shown in FIG. 2.
As indicated in the operating illustration of FIG. 2, in this embodiment of the invention herein, whether a vehicle is parked within the platform 2, the present invention is capable of its operation sequence and, as such, it is only necessary to start the drive mechanism 3 in order for the drive mechanism 3 to articulate the platform 2 in a level movement to the ground, at which time the driver maneuvers the car into the platform 2, stops, and chocks it, following which the drive mechanism 3 is started once again, the drive mechanism 3 speed reduction motor 34 synchronously reels in the two steel cables 30 and 31, and due to the synchronized pulling of the said two steel cables 30 and 31 as well as the supportive function of the active frame members 11, the platform 2 and the vehicle parked on it are lifted in a level movement until the platform 2 reaches the parking position level at the exact upper extent, whereupon the speed reduction motor 34 ceases rotation; conversely, when the vehicle is to be removed from the platform 2, it is only necessary to start the drive mechanism 3, the counterclockwise rotating speed reduction motor 34 of the drive mechanism 3 synchronously releases the two steel cables 30 and 31 as well as the platform 2 such that the weight of the vehicle itself causes the platform 2, which now utilizes the active frame members 11 as a fulcrum, to slowly descend to the ground in a level movement and halts the rotation of the speed reduction motor 34; after the driver leaves car, the drive mechanism 3 speed reduction motor 34 is started again, at which time speed reduction motor 34 rotates clockwise, slowly raising the platform 2 to the parking position level at the exact lower extent, whereupon the speed reduction motor 34 ceases rotation.
Based on the said description, the embodiments of the invention herein are not affected by a vehicle parked below; in other words, even with a vehicle occupying the parking space at the lower extent of the present invention, the invention herein is still capable of its operation sequence and, furthermore, its drive mechanism 3 speed reduction motor 34 and two drive wheels 32 and 33 can be setup next to a sidewalk along a roadway without sidewalk encroachment, while an enclosure 35 can be utilized to cover them, with the enclosure 35 also usable for displaying no entry or other security guard insignia, as indicated in FIG. 3. Furthermore, as for the platform 2 position control, in addition to speed reduction motor 34 revolution control, contact and other similar switches can be installed on the platform 2 and the steel cables 30 and 31 for two-way control.
In addition to the arrangement of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the active frame members 11 can be modified to the design indicated in FIG. 4, wherein the orientation of the fixed frame member 10 framework is altered into a diagonal, slanted arrangement to afford more space and, furthermore, the said active frame members 11 are of a matching hydraulic cylinder design that automatically extends and retracts supportively as the platform 2 rises and falls in a level movement, enabling the platform 2 to efficiently ascend and descend in a level movement, thereby achieving the objective of parking and unparking.
In summation of the foregoing section, since the road side parking apparatus of the invention herein is of high utility and possesses patent worthy value, the present invention is lawfully submitted to the patent bureau as a patent application for review by the examination committee and the granting of the commensurate patent rights.

Claims

1. A road side parking apparatus comprised of an angular frame, a platform, and a drive mechanism, with the said angular frame having fixed frame members and active frame members, wherein the said fixed frame members constitute a framework setup adjacent to the sidewalk along a roadway, a pulley wheel is disposed at the upper and lower ends as well as both the front and rear ends, and the said active frame members constitute two frameworks, with one end conjoined to the underside of the said platform and the other end conjoined onto a base, the said conjoinment areas all respectively coupled to the said platform and the said base via bearings, enabling the erecting of the said platform on the said active frame members; the said drive mechanism consists of a speed reduction motor powering two drive wheels and a steel cable wound around each of the said two drive wheels; the two said steel cables are utilized in parallel and their other ends are attached to the exterior lateral surface areas at the front and rear ends of the said platform, with each of the intermediary said pulley wheels assisting rotation such that the said active frame members serve as a fulcrum and the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the said speed reduction motor articulates the said platform upward or downward in a level movement, thereby achieving the objective of parking and unparking convenience and, furthermore, increasing parking space availability to effectively solve road side parking problems.

2. As mentioned in claim 1 of the road side parking apparatus of the invention herein, the said active frame members can be modified such that the design of its interior lateral framework is altered into a diagonal, slanted arrangement to afford more space and, furthermore, the said active frame members are of a matching hydraulic cylinder design that automatically extends and retracts supportively as the said platform rises and falls in a level movement, enabling the said platform to efficiently ascend and descend in a level movement, thereby achieving the objective of parking and unparking convenience without affecting a vehicle parked therein.