Parking space holder

Abstract

A parking space is reserved by raising a chain about three feet above a parking space. The chain is attached to a post, and a weight is attached to the chain to lower the chain along the post and to drag the lowering chain along the parking space toward the post for full access. A motor with a speed reducer turns a shaft with a chain drive gear and an encoder. A signal receiver and control start the motor to raise or lower the chain when one of two buttons is pressed on a key fob by the authorized space user. The encoder is connected to the control to stop the chain when fully up or down. A stop trigger on the chain activates a stop switch when the chain is fully raised.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising a parking space reserver having: a flexible barrier for raising to reserve a parking space and lowering to permit access to the parking space, a holder positioned above one side of the parking space and connected to one end of the flexible barrier, a weight connected to the flexible barrier near the holder for lowering a part of the flexible barrier near the holder, a drive unit positioned above another side of the parking space and comprising a drive gear therein connected to a portion of the flexible barrier remote from the holder for selectively driving and pulling in and raising the flexible barrier with the drive unit and paying out and lowering the flexible barrier, a control connected to the drive unit for controlling, starting and stopping the drive unit and the pulling in or the paying out of the flexible barrier for respectively raising or lowering the flexible barrier, a housing for enclosing the drive unit, and a shaped flexible barrier guide having a hole and mounted in the housing which aligns the flexible barrier through the hole with the drive gear when the flexible barrier is driven by the drive gear.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holder is connected to a post about three feet above the one side of the parking space and the drive unit is fixed on a support spaced and opposite from the post and about three feet above the other side of the parking space.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flexible barrier is a chain.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the drive unit is mounted on a wall spaced from the post.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive unit further comprises: an electric motor, a power source connected to the motor, a speed reducer connected to the motor, a shaft connected to the speed reducer, and a flexible barrier drive gear connected to the shaft and to the flexible barrier for raising and lowering the flexible barrier.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a frame supporting the shaft and a housing connected to the frame for supporting the electric motor and the speed reducer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a stop switch connected to the frame and a stop switch trigger connected to the flexible barrier for engaging the stop switch to stop retracting and raising of the flexible barrier at a desired parking space blocking height.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flexible barrier guide is attached to the frame for aligning the flexible barrier with the drive gear.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the flexible barrier is a chain and the flexible barrier guide is a chain guide for aligning links of the chain with the drive gear.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an encoder connected to the shaft for providing the number of revolutions of the shaft and thereby providing information on a position of the flexible barrier.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power supply further comprises a battery holder connected to the frame, a solar panel having a mount and electrical connectors connected to the solar panel and extending to the battery holder.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising front and back covers connected to the frame and to each other for housing the motor, the speed reducer, the shaft, the drive gear, the encoder and the battery holder.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a signal receiver and a controller mounted on the frame, the controller connected to the signal receiver and connected to the motor for controlling the motor, and a remote control for signaling the receiver and controlling raising or lowering of the flexible barrier.

14. A method comprising: providing a parking space reserver, providing an elongated flexible barrier, providing an electric motor and a speed reducer, providing a shaft connected to the speed reducer, and providing a flexible barrier drive gear on the shaft and driving the flexible barrier on the gear shaft for selectively pulling in and raising or paying out and lowering the flexible barrier, providing a housing and enclosing the drive unit, providing a shaped flexible barrier guide having a hole and mounted in the housing and aligning the flexible barrier through the hole with the drive gear when driving the flexible barrier with the drive gear, and remotely signaling a receiver, controlling the electric motor, raising or lowering the flexible barrier, and stopping the motor when the barrier is fully raised to a parking space reserving position or fully lowered to a parking space access position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the remotely signaling comprises controlling the raising or lowering of the flexible barrier by the remotely signaling with one of two buttons on a key fob.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a stop switch connected to the motor and providing a stop switch contactor on a part of the flexible barrier that is close to the drive gear when the flexible barrier is fully raised to a parking space reserving position and thereby stopping the motor with the stop switch when the flexible barrier is fully raised to a parking space reserving position.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing an encoder connected to the drive shaft for counting numbers of turns of the drive shaft, stopping the electric motor after lowering the flexible barrier to a fully lowered position and stopping the electric motor after raising the flexible barrier to a fully upper parking space reserving position.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein one end of the flexible barrier is attached to a fixed first object about three feet above a level of the parking space, and further comprising attaching a weight about three feet from the end of the flexible barrier and first lowering the weight to the parking space level when the flexible barrier is lowered.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising enclosing the electric motor, the speed reducer, the shaft, the drive gear and the encoder within the housing and fixing the housing to a second object about three feet above the level of the parking space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the new parking space holder.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of a chain lifting and lowering drive and power supply for the parking space holder shown in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded view of mounting frame plates for the chain lifting and lowering drive and battery holder for the parking space holder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(4) FIG. 4 is an exploded detail of a chain guide and a stop switch for the parking space holder shown in FIGS. 1-3.

(5) FIGS. 5a-d show details of the chain guide shown in FIG. 4.

(6) FIGS. 6a-d show details of a stop switch trigger shown in FIG. 4.

(7) FIGS. 7a-d show details of the drive shaft shown in FIG. 3.

(8) FIGS. 8a-c show details of chain rollers shown in FIG. 2.

(9) FIG. 9 shows details of frame plates shown in FIGS. 2 and 3

(10) FIGS. 10a-d show details of the battery shelf.

(11) FIGS. 11a-d show details of a circuit board shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the new parking space holder. A chain drive unit 10 for raising and lowering a chain 20 is mounted about 36 inches high on a wall 30 or a post at one side of a parking space 40 delineated by lines 42.

(13) Chain 20 has one end 22 fixed at or near a top of a post 24, which is about 36 inches high. A weight 26 on the chain 20 pulls the chain downward along post 24 as the chain is lowered.

(14) A 12 volt battery mounted on chain drive unit 10 is connected 52 to a solar panel 50 to store energy and to power a small motor, with a speed reducer that raises and lowers chain 20.

(15) When used in a parking garage, a longer charging connection 52 may be used, or a motor may operate with line current.

(16) A remote key fob 70 has lower and raise (open and close) buttons 72, 74 to start the motor for turning in the desired direction.

(17) FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of a chain lifting and lowering drive and battery for the parking space holder shown in FIG. 1.

(18) FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded view of mounting support plates for the chain lifting and lowering drive and battery shelf for the parking space holder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(19) The parts of the chain control unit 10 include a front cover 102, a back cover 104 and a drive unit frame 106. A battery support shelf 108 holds a 12 volt battery 110. The drive unit frame 106 has a circuit board shelf 112 for mounting a control circuit board 114. Frame 106 has a motor mount plate 116 connected to a larger support plate 118 with stand-offs 119. The stand-offs 119 hold the battery support shelf 108 and the circuit board shelf 112.

(20) A mounting bracket 120 is connected to the frame 106.

(21) A 12 volt drive motor 60 with a reduction gear is mounted on the motor mount plate 116 and is positioned inside the back cover 104.

(22) A drive shaft 62 extends between bearings 64 mounted in the main support plate 118 and the encoder mounting plate 130. Drive shaft 62 is connected to flexible shaft coupler 122 and chain drive gear 124 shown in FIG. 2. Chain guide rollers 126 guide chain 20 onto and off the chain gear 124.

(23) A plastic chain guide 24 is mounted on plate 118 below the chain drive gear 124 to align links in chain 20 to match grooves in the chain drive gear 124.

(24) An end of chain capture peg 128 is mounted on main support plate 118 to hold the near end 21 of the chain 20, resulting in a doubling 22 of the chain 20 as it is taken in by chain gear 124 to raise the barrier.

(25) A retract stop switch 26 is mounted on the chain guide 24. A stop switch trigger 28 is attached to chain 20 in a position that is equivalent to a chain fully or nearly fully raised in the parking space reserving position.

(26) An encoder wheel 132 is connected to an end of the drive shaft. An encoder sensor 134 is mounted on the encoder mounting plate 130. Sensor 134 is connected to the control circuit board 114 to stop the chain drive motor 60 when the chain is in its fully lowered or fully raised position. An adjustment is connected to the control circuit board or the sensor for adjusting the system to the width of the parking space.

(27) Stand-offs 139 are mounted between the main mounting plate 118 and the encoder mounting plate 130. The covers 102 and 104 are connected to the main mounting support plate 118.

(28) FIG. 4 shows details of the retract stop switch 26 connection to the chain guide 24 and the stop switch trigger 28 connected to the chain 20.

(29) FIGS. 5a, b, c and d show perspective, front, bottom and side views of the chain guide 24, which aligns chain links with the chain gear.

(30) FIGS. 6a, b, c and d show perspective, side, top and end views of the stop switch trigger 28 which is connected to the chain 20 to move the stop switch 26 and stop the motor when the chain is fully or nearly fully in the up, parking space blocking and reserving position.

(31) FIGS. 7a, b, c and d show perspective, end, top and side views of the drive shaft 62.

(32) FIGS. 8a, b and c show perspective, side and end views of one of the two chain rollers 126.

(33) FIG. 9 shows details in elevations of main support plate 118, motor mount plate 116 and encoder mount plate 130.

(34) FIGS. 10a, b, c and d show perspective, side, end and top views of battery support shelf 108.

(35) FIGS. 11a, b, c and d show perspective, side, end and top views of circuit board mounting shelf 112.

(36) While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.