Bicycle parking system

Abstract

To provide a bicycle parking system which enables a user to set up its stand easily to park a bicycle in a parking device and thereby creating a bicycle parking which allows improvement of users' convenience and enables an operation agency or a management agency to provide various services.SOLUTION: The invention proposes a bicycle parking system or the like comprising: lock bodies each of which is provided at a front wheel support arm configured to move forward and rearward and support a front wheel of a bicycle or a front wheel support frame body to which the front wheel support arm is fixed and which may move forward or rearward; and a control device having a plurality of bicycle parking devices in which the front wheel support arm or the front wheel support frame body provided with the lock body may move in a front-back direction of the bicycle when a stand is set up on a ground surface while guided by a fixed guide body fixed onto the ground surface, the control device configured to control the lock bodies provided for the respective bicycle parking devices through communication means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] To provide a bicycle parking lot system using a bicycle parking device that, when parking a bicycle, enables a stand to be easily erected with the front wheel positioned on the front wheel support frame of the bicycle parking device, and enables the bicycle to be parked in the bicycle parking device by parking the stand. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional bicycle parking lots have the following problems with the bicycle parking devices used therein. In other words, when parking a bicycle, if the front wheel is positioned on the front wheel support frame of the bicycle parking device and the stand is set up, and the front wheel is restricted in its forward and backward movement by the front wheel support frame, or if moving it backwards causes it to come off the front wheel support arm, it is difficult to move the bicycle backwards and the rear wheel of the bicycle must be lifted; this lifting operation is not easy, particularly in the case of a heavy electric assist bicycle, and parking operations including setting up the stand are a burden on the user. These are the problems that have been discussed. The use of bicycle parking devices with the above problems has made it difficult for users to park their bicycles, making it inconvenient for users to use the bicycle parking lot, and on the other hand, the operating or management body may find that the bicycle parking lot is not able to provide much use.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle parking system that makes it easy to park bicycles by making it possible to easily set up the stand and park the bicycle in the bicycle parking device, thereby improving convenience for users and enabling the operating or management body to provide a bicycle parking lot that can be used in a variety of ways.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides: The present invention proposes a bicycle parking system that includes a locking body provided on either a front wheel support arm that supports the front wheel of a bicycle that moves back and forth, or a front wheel support frame main body to which the front wheel support arm is fixed and which moves back and forth, and a plurality of bicycle parking devices in which the front wheel support arm or the front wheel support frame main body to which the locking body is provided can move in the fore-and-aft direction of the bicycle when the stand is set up on the ground while being guided by a fixed guide body fixed to the ground, and a control device that controls the plurality of locking bodies provided on each of the bicycle parking devices via communication means. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0005] The bicycle parking lot system of the present invention will now be described with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings. First, the bicycle parking device constituting the system will be described. 1 and 2 show a bicycle parking device of the present invention, which has a front wheel support arm (21) into which a front wheel (1a) of a bicycle (1) is inserted and supports the front wheel (1a) when the bicycle is parked. The front wheel support arm (21) is fixed to a front wheel support frame main body (22), and the front wheel support arm (21) and the front wheel support frame main body (22) are integrally mounted on the front wheel support frame main body (22) and are made movable in the fore-and-aft direction of the bicycle (1) while being guided by a fixed guide body (29) fixed to the ground by wheels (24) (25). This fixed guide body (29) is disposed below only the front wheel (1a) and does not extend below the rear wheel (1b). Allowing it to be moved forwards and backwards has the following effects: That is, as shown in FIG. 1, when a user parks a bicycle, the first step is to insert the front wheel (1a) into the front wheel support arm (21), and then from that position (shown by the solid lines), the user lowers the stand (1c) provided near the rear wheel (1b).

[0006] The bottom end of the stand (1c) then comes into contact with the ground at contact point (M), and from that state the user simply moves the entire bicycle (1) backwards (by pulling it) around that point. This is because the operation of lifting the bicycle (1) to set up the stand (1c) is not easy because it requires lifting the weight of the bicycle (1), whereas the operation of moving the entire bicycle (1) backwards (by pulling it) is an operation of pulling back and forth, which is "easier" and safer than lifting it. The ability to move the entire bicycle backwards (by pulling it) is made possible by the fact that the front wheel support arm (21) and the front wheel support frame body (22) can be moved as a unit in the fore-and-aft direction of the bicycle (1).

[0007] Next, FIG. 3 shows a bicycle parking device of the present invention, and the bicycle parking device (3) has a front wheel support arm (31) into which the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle (1) is inserted and supports it when the bicycle is parked. The front wheel support arm (31) is fixed to a front wheel support frame main body (32), and the front wheel support arm (31) and the front wheel support frame main body (32) are mounted as a single unit on the front wheel support frame main body (32) and are made movable in the fore and aft directions of the bicycle (1) while being guided by a fixed guide body (39) fixed to the ground by a wheel (34).

[0008] The structure that allows movement in the forward and backward directions provides the same effects as those described in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, and since they are the same, the description will be omitted. The fixed guide body (39) in FIG. 3 also extends only below the front wheel (1a) and does not extend below the rear wheel (1b).

[0009] That is, the bicycle parking device has a stand (1c), a fixed guide body (39) that is fixed to the ground and extends below only the front wheel (1a) and does not extend below the rear wheel (1b), a front wheel support arm (31) into which the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle is inserted when parking the bicycle and supports the front wheel (1a), and the front wheel support arm (31) and a front wheel support frame body (32) to which it is fixed are guided as a unit by the fixed guide body (39) and can be moved in the fore-and-aft direction of the bicycle when the stand (1c) is set up on the ground. The front wheel support frame main body (32) has wheels (34) that roll on the ground and is shaped like a bottomless box, with a long hole (33) on its upper surface into which the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle is inserted, and the front wheel support arm (31) is fixed to the upper surface of the front wheel support frame main body (32) above the long hole (33). The fixed guide body (39) is stored inside the box-shaped front wheel support frame main body (32), and the front wheel support frame main body (32) is guided in the fore-and-aft direction by the fixed guide body (39) to make it movable. This is a bicycle parking device.

[0010] Since the fixed guide body (39) is stored inside the box-shaped interior of the front wheel support frame main body (32) in this configuration, the guide portion is not exposed to the outside, making it difficult for mud and the like to get into the guide portion, and reducing the burden of maintenance. In addition, the structure is simplified by the configuration in which "the front wheel support frame body (32) has wheels (34) that roll on the ground," which is advantageous in every respect.

[0011] Next, FIG. 4 shows a bicycle parking device of the present invention, and the bicycle parking device (8) has a front wheel support arm (81) into which the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle (1) is inserted and supports it when the bicycle is parked. The front wheel support arm (81) is fixed to a front wheel support frame main body (82), and the front wheel support arm (81) and the front wheel support frame main body (82) are integrally made movable in the fore-and-aft direction of the bicycle (1) by rotation about an axis (83) of a fixed body (89) fixed to the ground. The structure that allows movement in the forward and backward directions provides the same effects as those described in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, and since they are the same, the description will be omitted. The fixed guide body (89) in FIG. 4 also extends only below the front wheel (1a) and does not extend below the rear wheel (1b). Here, in all the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 4, it is important that the front wheel support arms (21) (31) (81) and the front wheel support frame bodies (22) (32) (82) to which they are fixed are integrally movable back and forth by the force of the user alone, without being subjected to external forces such as springs. Furthermore, the forward and backward movement is limited to a maximum of the length of the stand, because when the stand is set up on the ground, the maximum angle from when the stand first comes into contact with the ground until it is in an upright position is 90°, and therefore the stand can be set up if forward and backward movement less than the length of the stand is allowed.

[0012] Next, Figure 5 shows the bicycle parking system of the present invention, which has a plurality of bicycle parking devices (5), specific examples of which are shown in Figures 1 to 4, and has a locking body (shown as L in Figure 1, L in Figure 3, and L in Figure 4) provided on each of the bicycle parking devices (5). The locking body L is attached to, for example, the front wheel support frame body (22) (32) (82) of the bicycle (1) when parked in the bicycle parking device illustrated in Figures 1, 3, and 4 (to prevent the front wheel (1a) from detaching from the locking body L so as to be able to move freely). Furthermore, the locking body L may be provided on the front wheel support arms (21), (31), (81) so that the front wheel (1a) cannot be separated from the locking body L while allowing the front wheel (1a) to run freely.

[0013] Here, the lock body L refers to a key that can be electrically switched between a locked position and an unlocked position, or a key that can be electrically switched between the locked and unlocked positions, i.e., a key whose locking function is electrically controlled. Next, the lock body L is controlled by the control device (4) via communication means (6) (which may be wired or may be radio wave). The control device (4) not only controls the lock body L, but may also be connectable to a hardware device for settling bicycle parking fees.

[0014] FIG. 6 shows another bicycle parking system of the present invention, which has a front wheel support (41) that supports the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle on both sides. The front wheel support (41) is provided with an elongated hole (42), along which a lock body main body (43) is slidably provided. When parking the bicycle, the user supports the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle (1) by clamping it between the front wheel support (41), and then in this state the bicycle is locked by the locking body L (the state in which the front wheel (1a) cannot leave the locking body L but can move freely; hereinafter this state will be referred to as the "locked state"). In this "locked state," the user takes down the stand (1c) provided near the rear wheel (1b) of the bicycle (1) shown in Figure 1 for parking. The bottom end of the stand (1c) then comes into contact with the ground at contact point (M), and from that state the user simply moves the entire bicycle (1) backwards (by pulling it) around that point. This is because the operation of lifting the bicycle (1) to set up the stand (1c) is not easy because it requires lifting the weight of the bicycle (1), whereas the operation of moving the entire bicycle (1) backwards (by pulling it) is an operation of pulling back and forth, which is "easier" and safer than lifting it. The reason why the entire bicycle can be moved backwards (pulled) is because the lock body (43) is slidable along the long hole (42). The relationship between the lock body L and the control device (4) is the same as that described in FIG. 5, that is, the lock body L is controlled by the control device (4) to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0015] FIG. 7 shows another bicycle parking system of the present invention, which has a front wheel support (52) that supports the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle on both sides. The front wheel support (52) is provided with a support portion (53) for supporting the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle (1) by sandwiching it therebetween. The front wheel support (52) is fixed to the mounting base (51) via its expandable portion (54), and a locking body L is provided on the support portion (53). When parking the bicycle, the user positions the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle (1) so that it is clamped between the support parts (53), and then the bicycle is locked in this state by the locking body L (the state in which the front wheel (1a) cannot leave the locking body L but can move freely; hereinafter, this state will be referred to as the "locked state"). In this "locked state," the user takes down the stand (1c) provided near the rear wheel (1b) of the bicycle (1) shown in Figure 1 for parking. The bottom end of the stand (1c) then comes into contact with the ground at contact point (M), and from that state the user simply moves the entire bicycle (1) backwards (by pulling it) around that point. The reason why the entire bicycle can be moved backwards (pulled) is because the support part (53) to which the locking body L is attached can move back and forth by the extension and retraction of the extension part (54). The relationship between the lock body L and the control device (4) is the same as that described in FIG. 5, that is, the lock body L is controlled by the control device (4) to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0016] FIG. 8 shows another bicycle parking system of the present invention, which has a front wheel support (52) that supports the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle on both sides. The front wheel support (52) is provided with a support portion (53) for supporting the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle (1) by sandwiching it therebetween. The front wheel support (52) is fixed to the mounting base (51) via its front-rear movable portion (55), and a locking body L is provided on the support portion (53). When parking the bicycle, the user positions the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle (1) so that it is clamped between the support parts (53), and then the bicycle is locked in this state by the locking body L (the state in which the front wheel (1a) cannot leave the locking body L but can move freely; hereinafter, this state will be referred to as the "locked state"). In this "locked state," the user takes down the stand (1c) provided near the rear wheel (1b) of the bicycle (1) shown in Figure 1 for parking. The bottom end of the stand (1c) then comes into contact with the ground at contact point (M), and from that state the user simply moves the entire bicycle (1) backwards (by pulling it) around that point. The reason why it is possible to move the entire bicycle backwards (by pulling it) is because the support part (53) to which the locking body L is attached can move back and forth by the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movable part (55). The relationship between the lock body L and the control device (4) is the same as that described in FIG. 5, that is, the lock body L is controlled by the control device (4) to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0017] FIG. 9 shows another bicycle parking system of the present invention, which has a front wheel support (61) that supports the front wheel (1a) of the bicycle on both sides. The front wheel support (61) is provided with an elongated hole (62), along which a lock body main body (63) is slidably provided. When parking the bicycle, the user positions the bicycle (1) with the front wheel (1a) sandwiched between the front wheel support (61), and then in this state the bicycle is placed in a "locked state" by the locking member L. In this "locked state," the user takes down the stand (1c) provided near the rear wheel (1b) of the bicycle (1) shown in Figure 1 for parking. The bottom end of the stand (1c) then comes into contact with the ground at contact point (M), and from that state the user simply moves the entire bicycle (1) backwards (by pulling it) around that point. The reason why the entire bicycle can be moved backwards (pulled) is because the lock body (63) is slidable along the long hole (62). The mounting base 51 in Figs. 7 to 9 may be a wall surface of a bicycle parking lot in an apartment building other than a protruding base that protrudes from the ground as shown in the figures. The relationship between the lock body L and the control device (4) is the same as that described in FIG. 5, that is, the lock body L is controlled by the control device (4) to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0018] The embodiment of Figures 6 to 9 is a different type of system from the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5. In other words, the system of Figures 1 to 5 is characterized in that it has a plurality of bicycle parking devices having a locking body attached to either a front wheel support arm that supports the front wheel of a bicycle that moves back and forth on the bicycle parking device, or a front wheel support frame main body to which the front wheel support arm is fixed and which moves back and forth, and in which the front wheel support arm or front wheel support frame main body to which the locking body is attached can move in the fore and aft directions of the bicycle when the stand is erected on the ground while being guided by a fixed guide body fixed to the ground, whereas the system of Figures 6 to 9 is characterized in that it has a plurality of bicycle parking devices having a front wheel support body that supports the front wheel of the bicycle and is provided with a locking body so that it can move back and forth, or a front wheel support body that supports the front wheel of the bicycle and to which a locking body is attached so that it can move back and forth. To summarize further, the system of Figures 1 to 5 is characterized in that the front wheel support arm or the front wheel support frame body, which is a relatively large structural member, moves back and forth to facilitate the operation of setting up the stand, while the system of Figures 6 to 9 is characterized in that the front wheel support body, which is a relatively small, non-structural member, moves back and forth and a locking body is provided there, or only the locking body moves back and forth. In either of the above two methods, the user can move the entire bicycle backwards (pull it) when setting up the stand while the bicycle is in the "locked" state.

[0019] The advantages of the bicycle parking system using the bicycle parking device of the present invention are as follows: In other words, the bicycle parking device used in the system of the present invention does not require the operation of lifting the bicycle in order to set up the stand, and it is possible to move the entire bicycle backwards (by pulling it). The reason for this is that, as mentioned above, in both the systems of Figures 1 to 5 and Figures 6 to 9, the user can move the entire bicycle backwards (pull it) when setting up the stand while the bicycle is in the "locked state."

[0020] The system of the present invention combines a lock body whose key function is electrically controlled with a bicycle parking device that allows the bicycle to move back and forth even in the "locked" state, and allows the stand to be easily set up and the bicycle to be parked. An important feature of the systems in Figures 1 to 5 is that the stand can be moved back and forth using only the force of the user when erecting it, without the force of a spring or the like, and that the forward and backward movement is limited to a maximum length equal to or less than the length of the stand. In other words, this is a system that has never been seen before, and it will be a bicycle parking lot system that makes parking extremely easy, increasing convenience for users, while also making the parking lot more usable for the operating or management body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a bicycle parking device according to the present invention together with a bicycle; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the bicycle parking device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another bicycle parking device according to the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a side view of another bicycle parking device according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] Conceptual diagram of a bicycle parking system of the present invention. [Figure 6] A conceptual diagram of another bicycle parking system of the present invention. [Figure 7] A conceptual diagram of another bicycle parking system of the present invention. [Figure 8]A conceptual diagram of another bicycle parking system of the present invention. [Figure 9] A conceptual diagram of another bicycle parking system of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 1. Bicycle 1a Front wheel 1b rear wheel 1c Stand 2 Bicycle parking equipment 21 Front wheel support arm 22 Front wheel support frame body 24 wheels 25 wheels 29 Fixed guide body 3 Bicycle parking equipment 31 Front wheel support arm 32 Front wheel support frame body 33 long hole 34 wheels 39 Fixed guide body 4. Control device 41 Front wheel support 42 long hole 43 Lock body 5 Bicycle parking equipment 51 Mounting base 52 Front wheel support 53 Support part 54 Telescopic part 6. Means of communication 61 Front wheel support 62 long hole 63 Lock body 8 Bicycle parking equipment 81 Front wheel support arm 82 Front wheel support frame body 83 Axis 89 Fixed body L lock body

Claims

1. A bicycle parking lot system comprising: a locking body provided on either a front wheel support arm that supports a front wheel of a bicycle that moves back and forth or a front wheel support frame body to which the front wheel support arm is fixed and that moves back and forth; a plurality of bicycle parking devices in which the front wheel support arm or the front wheel support frame body to which the locking body is provided is movable in the fore-and-aft direction of the bicycle when the stand is set up on the ground while being guided by a fixed guide body fixed to the ground; and a control device that controls the plurality of locking bodies provided for each bicycle parking device via communication means.

2. a front wheel support arm into which the front wheel of the bicycle is inserted when parking the bicycle and supports said front wheel; and a bicycle parking device in which said front wheel support arm and a front wheel support frame body to which said front wheel support arm are fixed are movable forward and backward by the force of the user alone and are not subjected to external forces such as springs, and said forward and backward movement is limited to a maximum length of the stand or less, and said front wheel support frame body can move in the fore and aft directions of the bicycle when the stand is set up on the ground while guided by said fixed guide body; a bicycle parking system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the above bicycle parking devices, a locking body provided on each of said front wheel support arms or front wheel support frame bodies that move forward and backward, and a control device that controls said plurality of locking bodies provided for each bicycle parking device via communication means.

3. A bicycle parking lot system comprising: a front wheel support that supports the front wheel of a bicycle and has a locking body mounted thereon so as to be movable back and forth; or a front wheel support that supports the front wheel of a bicycle and has a locking body mounted thereon so as to be movable back and forth; a plurality of bicycle parking devices having the above front wheel supports; and a control device that controls the plurality of locking bodies provided in each of the bicycle parking devices via a communication means.

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