A public single-car garage equipment, access method, and operation management method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of public bicycle technology, and discloses a public bicycle parking garage device, storage and retrieval method, and operation management method. The public bicycle parking garage is used for lifting and retrieving multiple bicycles, including a parking platform for positioning bicycles; a support arm for supporting the bicycles during lifting; a lifting mechanism that drives the support arm to move along a J / U-shaped trajectory, lifting the positioned bicycles as it moves from the lower end to the upper end of the J / U-shaped trajectory; and a main support, with the lifting mechanism installed in the main frame. This invention, through the coordination of the support arm and the bicycle parking position, allows the support arm, moving from the arc segment to the straight segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory, to lift the positioned bicycles during its movement. This enables public bicycles to be conveniently and orderly parked at higher levels, reducing the distance between parking garages, thereby effectively solving the contradictions of existing docked bicycle parking systems (large footprint, limited application) and dockless parking systems (chaotic, disorderly, and ineffective management).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of public bicycle technology, and more specifically, to a public bicycle garage and its storage and retrieval method and operation management method. Background Technology

[0002] Public bicycle systems, as an integral part of urban public transportation, play a crucial role in transportation, providing citizens with bicycle rental services that allow for return at different locations, solving the "last mile" problem of public transportation, and effectively improving the overall service level of urban public transportation. The concept of public bicycles originated in Europe. In 1965 (some sources say 1967), an anarchist organization in Amsterdam, Netherlands, placed some white-painted, unlocked bicycles in public areas, hoping for long-term free use by the public, a project known as the "White Bicycle Project." Contrary to the initiators' initial intentions, within a few days, all the bicycles were lost or destroyed, and the plan completely failed. However, this attempt is widely considered the origin of the earliest public bicycle system in history. Later, Copenhagen, Lyon, Paris, the United States, and cities in China such as Hangzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan, and Wuxi also successively put public bicycle systems into use.

[0003] In China, the public bicycle market has gone through three stages of development: the first stage (2007-2010) saw the introduction of public bicycle models originating abroad, with government-led city-level management and a predominance of docked bicycles; the second stage (2010-2014) saw the emergence of companies specializing in the bicycle market, but docked bicycles remained dominant; and the third stage (2014-present) has seen the rapid development of mobile internet, leading to the rise of internet-based bike-sharing companies like Mobike, with more convenient dockless bicycles beginning to replace docked ones.

[0004] While dockless bikes offer greater convenience to citizens compared to docked bikes, making borrowing and returning them easier—especially returning them by simply locking them anywhere—they have also fostered a culture of illegal parking. This has severely impacted traffic on sidewalks, vehicle entrances / exits, and building entrances in many cities, negatively affecting the city's appearance; in some places, there have even been instances of individuals appropriating bikes for personal use or maliciously vandalizing them. Furthermore, both docked and dockless bikes require a large area, contributing to traffic congestion. To address these issues, existing technologies include multi-level parking garages for shared bikes, such as the intelligent multi-level parking device for shared bicycles disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN107060403A, the intelligent multi-level parking garage for shared bicycles disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN106968474A, and a novel public bicycle multi-level parking garage system disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN105545029A. However, these multi-level parking garages are generally structurally complex and have a high risk factor.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical issues, the applicant previously filed a Chinese patent application with the State Intellectual Property Office, publication number CN108678448A, entitled "A Method for the Operation and Management of Shared Bicycles and its Parking Equipment." This solution utilizes parking equipment installed in a pit, resolving the technical shortcomings of bicycle parking requiring large land areas, inconvenience of returning bicycles with docking stations, and chaos in dockless parking. However, this solution requires excavating a pit, which increases the construction difficulty to some extent, especially when optical or electrical cables are buried underground. Therefore, it is necessary to provide another technical solution that can resolve the contradiction between the inconvenience of returning bicycles with docking stations and the chaos in dockless parking. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, in order to overcome at least one of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a public single parking garage equipment, a storage and retrieval method, and an operation and management method, which effectively solves the contradiction between the inconvenience of parking with docks and the chaos of parking without docks, while greatly reducing the difficulty of construction.

[0007] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] The first aspect of this invention provides a public bicycle parking system for lifting and retrieving a plurality of bicycles, including...

[0009] A parking platform for parking a single vehicle in place;

[0010] Support arm, which is used to support the bicycle during the lifting process;

[0011] A lifting mechanism, wherein the lifting mechanism drives the support arm to move along a J / U-shaped trajectory, and the support arm scoops up the positioned bicycle as it moves from the lower end to the upper end of the J / U-shaped trajectory; and

[0012] The main support is provided, and the lifting mechanism is mounted on the main support.

[0013] This invention utilizes a lifting arm that moves along a J / U-shaped trajectory in coordination with the bicycle parking position. The arm, moving from the arc segment to the straight segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory, scoops up the parked bicycle during its movement and then lifts it along the straight segment. This allows public bicycles to be conveniently and orderly parked at higher elevations, better utilizing longitudinal space and reducing the footprint of public bicycle parking garages. Consequently, the number of public bicycle parking garages can be increased, and the distance between them can be reduced. This effectively solves the contradictions of existing docked parking systems, which are inconvenient, occupy large areas, and have limited application, versus dockless parking systems, which are chaotic, disorderly, and difficult to manage. The public bicycle parking garage proposed in this invention has a small footprint, simple structure, and low construction cost, making it possible to increase the density of public bicycle access points. The reduced distance between two access points makes the convenience of returning bicycles using this public bicycle parking garage method approaching that of dockless bicycles. Furthermore, the inherent characteristic of dockless bicycles—the lack of fixed access points—means that consumers may not be able to retrieve a public bicycle within a short distance. Therefore, the operation and management method of this public bicycle parking garage is superior to dockless bicycles in terms of borrowing bicycles, bringing convenience to consumers. The support arm is connected to the lifting mechanism, which is mounted on the main support. This means that the components of the public bicycle parking garage, especially those with moving parts, are basically located within the main support, posing no potential harm to pedestrians or vehicles.

[0014] The support arms of this invention move along a J / U-shaped trajectory. Especially when moving along a U-shaped trajectory, several support arms can be distributed at intervals on the J / U-shaped structure of the lifting mechanism. This is practically significant for ensuring a suitable distance between bicycles lifted by the support arms, eliminating the need for precise calculation and control of the lifting and lowering of the support arms. However, this inevitably results in some support arms moving from one side of the J / U shape to the other, forming a non-U-shaped state, which doubles the width of the public bicycle parking space. Therefore, the support arms are designed as a one-way foldable structure, unfolded on one side of the lifting mechanism to support the bicycles, and folded on the other side, thus resolving the contradiction between statically controlling the bicycle spacing and maintaining minimal land occupation.

[0015] To improve the smoothness of the support arm's transition between extended and folded states, the support arm automatically transitions from an extended state to a folded state as it moves from one side of the lifting mechanism to the other, and from a folded state to an extended state as it moves from the other side of the lifting mechanism to one side. Specifically, the support arm is hinged to the lifting mechanism, and an obstacle is placed above or below the support arm to restrict its rotational freedom to only 90°. Therefore, on one side of the J / U track, the obstacle is located below the support arm, preventing it from rotating downwards and keeping it in an extended state to support the bicycle. When the support arm moves to the other side of the J / U track under the action of the lifting mechanism, the relative positions of the support arm and the obstacle reverse, with the obstacle now above the support arm. This obstacle can no longer prevent the support arm from rotating downwards due to its own weight, at which point the support arm is in a folded state.

[0016] In this invention, a support arm is used to support the bicycle during the lifting process, allowing the bicycle to be raised into the air in an orderly manner. Compared to the traditional method of parking bicycles on multiple platforms, this invention creatively proposes using a support arm to lift and support the bicycle, which has the advantages of simplified structure and small space occupation. To ensure that the bicycle can be stably supported by the support arm, the support arm includes...

[0017] An A-arm, wherein the A-arm is provided with a locking position for supporting the bicycle frame; and / or

[0018] The B-type arm has a locking block, and the bicycle has a hook that cooperates with the locking block.

[0019] As is well known, bicycles typically have a frame as their main structure. The front wheel is connected to the lower front side of the frame, the rear wheel to the lower rear side, the pedal drive mechanism that drives the front or rear wheel to the lower middle side, the seat to the upper middle side, and the handlebars for controlling direction to the upper front side. The frame is usually made of tubular or rod-like components, which have numerous openwork structures. This invention utilizes these openwork structures on the frame to support the bicycle by inserting support arms into the openwork sections. However, since the contact between the frame and the support arm is usually point contact or line contact, this mismatch may pose safety hazards such as rollover. To address this, the present invention designs the structure of the support arm and provides two structural design schemes: one design only for the support arm structure, setting a locking position on the support arm that matches the frame to restrict the relative rotational freedom between the frame and the support arm, thereby effectively preventing rollover; the other design separately for the support arm and the bicycle, assembling a hook on the bicycle and setting a locking block on the support arm that cooperates with the hook, which can also restrict the relative rotational freedom between the frame and the support arm. Preferably, the hook can be set as a cover structure or ring structure of various shapes, such as a square cover, square ring, round cover, or round ring, which can not only prevent rollover but also restrict the freedom of the bicycle to move back and forth relative to the support arm.

[0020] To ensure stable support for each bicycle, it is generally preferable to use two support arms for each bicycle. In this case, the manufacturer or purchaser can choose to configure each bicycle with "A-arm + A-arm", "B-arm + B-arm" or "A-arm + B-arm" as needed. Considering the support stability and the cost of bicycle modification, the "A-arm + B-arm" solution is preferred.

[0021] The coordination between the lifting trajectory of the support arm and the bicycle parking position not only provides the possibility of transporting bicycles to a high altitude and parking them stably in the air, but also, after designing the bicycle placement angle, opens up space for parking multiple bicycles at the same height. For this purpose, the A-type arm is equipped with several locking positions arranged in an array along the arm length; or the B-type arm is equipped with several locking blocks arranged in an array along the arm length. Each locking position or block on the same support arm can lift one bicycle, thus multiplying the number of bicycles that can be stored in the public bicycle garage. Of course, considering the stress on the support arm and lifting mechanism, as well as the overall structure and floor area of ​​the public bicycle garage, the number of locking positions or blocks on each support arm should not be too large, preferably 1 to 3.

[0022] In this invention, the lifting mechanism is driven by a drive mechanism such as a motor that can generate rotary motion. To enable the support arm to rise and fall along a J / U-shaped trajectory, the lifting mechanism is a transmission mechanism such as a chain drive mechanism or a belt drive mechanism that enables the support arm to rise and fall along a J / U-shaped trajectory.

[0023] To eliminate safety hazards and reduce the chances of users entering the public bicycle parking garage, or even appearing in the space that the lifting arm must pass through, the parking platform is movable and installed below the lifting mechanism to move bicycles horizontally into / out of the garage. In this way, the horizontal movement of the parking platform and the lifting of the lifting arm allow bicycles parked on the parking platform to move upwards along an L-shaped trajectory into the public bicycle parking garage, or allow bicycles supported in the air by the lifting arm to move downwards along an L-shaped trajectory out of the public bicycle parking garage. Of course, the parking platform can also be fixedly installed below the lifting mechanism, solely for confining bicycles to a designated position.

[0024] To facilitate control of the translational travel of the parking platform, the public parking garage is equipped with sensors to sense the parking platform's positioning, ensuring that the parking platform is in place and thus ensuring that the towing arm can retrieve the bicycle as it moves from the arc segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory to the straight segment.

[0025] To ensure the bicycle can be successfully retrieved during the movement of the support arm from the arc segment to the straight segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory, the parking platform is equipped with at least a limiting mechanism for straightening the bicycle. In addition, this limiting mechanism can also be configured as a locking mechanism with anti-theft functionality, or the parking platform may have a separate locking mechanism for anti-theft purposes.

[0026] In addition, the public single garage is equipped with a limit switch for controlling the lifting range of the support arm, ensuring that the support arm can move from the arc segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory to the straight segment after the bicycle is in place, so as to retrieve the bicycle.

[0027] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for accessing and storing public bicycles, comprising the following steps:

[0028] Bike storage: The support arm lifts up the bike that has been positioned as it moves from bottom to top along a J / U-shaped trajectory, or continues to rise while supporting the bike;

[0029] Bike retrieval: The bicycle being supported by the support arm is lowered as it moves from top to bottom along a J / U-shaped trajectory.

[0030] This invention utilizes the rotation of the support arm relative to the bicycle and the coordinated lifting and lowering of the bicycle and the support arm to allow bicycles on the ground to be moved from below to above, or bicycles supported in the air to be moved from above to below. This enables convenient and orderly parking of public bicycles at higher elevations, better utilizing vertical space and reducing the floor space occupied by public bicycles. Consequently, the number of public bicycle storage devices can be increased, and the distance between devices can be reduced, effectively resolving the contradiction between the inconvenience of docked bicycle return and the chaos of dockless parking. The public bicycle storage and retrieval method proposed in this invention is simple, convenient, and easy to implement, making it possible to increase the density of public bicycle storage and retrieval points. The reduced distance between two storage and retrieval points makes the convenience of returning bicycles in public bicycle management approach that of dockless bicycles. Furthermore, the inherent characteristic of dockless bicycles without fixed pick-up and return points means that consumers may not be able to retrieve a public bicycle within a short distance. Therefore, this invention is superior to dockless bicycles in the borrowing aspect of public bicycle management, bringing convenience to consumers.

[0031] When parking a bicycle, it is usually kept upright by support legs hinged to the frame. When the support legs are symmetrically hinged to both sides of the frame, the bicycle will maintain an "attention" posture. However, when the support legs are hinged to only one side of the frame, the bicycle will be in a "rest" posture. This may hinder the swing of the support arm, especially when the support arm needs to swing to insert into or remove multiple bicycles parked side by side. Therefore, in the parking step, the support arm swings slightly to pick up the bicycle that has been positioned and restrained, and then releases the bicycle restraint. In the retrieval step, the support arm lowers the bicycle until it lands, and then restrains the bicycle. After restraining the bicycle, the support arm continues to move along a J / U-shaped trajectory until it detaches from the bicycle.

[0032] In this invention, bicycles parked in a public bicycle parking garage are suspended on a support arm. To prevent the bicycles from falling off the support arm in the event of an accidental impact to the garage equipment, during the parking step, the support arm slightly swings to scoop up the positioned bicycle and then locks it in place using a mechanism within the parking garage or the bicycle's own lock. During the retrieval step, the support arm lowers the bicycle to its designated position and then unlocks it using a mechanism within the parking garage or the bicycle's own lock; after unlocking the bicycle, the support arm continues to move along a J / U-shaped trajectory until it detaches from the bicycle.

[0033] The third aspect of the present invention provides a public bicycle operation management method, based on the public bicycle garage provided in the first aspect of the present invention or the public bicycle garage applying the storage and retrieval method provided in the second aspect of the present invention, and a central management system that is communicatively connected to the public bicycle garage. Users can store and retrieve bicycles by establishing a connection with the central management system. When retrieving a bicycle, the user takes the bicycle that has been placed in the garage, and when storing a bicycle, the user stores the bicycle in the garage.

[0034] The public bicycle garage and storage method provided by this invention utilizes a simplified support arm to elevate bicycles, eliminating the need for multiple, larger, and more material-intensive parking platforms to support the suspended bicycles. This improves space utilization and reduces construction difficulty. Furthermore, the simple structure, small footprint, and low construction cost of the public bicycle garage allow for increased density of bicycle access points. The reduced distance between access points makes the return process as convenient as dockless bicycles. Moreover, the inherent lack of fixed access points for dockless bicycles means consumers may not be able to retrieve a bicycle within a short distance. Therefore, this method offers superior convenience for borrowing bicycles compared to dockless bicycles, providing greater convenience for consumers.

[0035] The public bicycle operation management method specifically includes the following two schemes.

[0036] The first approach requires a data connection to the central management system when a user parks or retrieves a vehicle. The central management system then determines whether the user is parking or retrieving the vehicle. This involves the following steps:

[0037] S1. Managers use support arms to park public bicycles into the various levels of the garage from bottom to top;

[0038] S2. Users establish a data connection with the central management system through their mobile devices. The central management system identifies the user's identity and makes judgments on the user's parking and retrieval behavior.

[0039] S3. The central management system detects that the user has no public bicycle to return and sends a retrieval instruction to the public bicycle garage. The public bicycle garage confirms or controls the parking platform to have a public bicycle parked there. The user retrieves the public bicycle from the parking platform. At the same time, the central management system starts timing or billing; or

[0040] The central management system detects that a user has a public bicycle to return and sends a parking instruction to the public bicycle garage. The public bicycle garage confirms or controls that there is an empty space on the parking platform. The user parks the public bicycle on the parking platform, and the central management system stops timing or billing and settles the bill.

[0041] The second approach requires users to establish a data connection with the central management system when retrieving a bike, and simply store the bike in the designated bike garage when parking. The central management system will automatically recognize the bike and process the transaction, which includes the following steps:

[0042] S1. Managers use support arms to park public bicycles into the various levels of the garage from bottom to top;

[0043] S2. Users establish a data connection with the central management system through their mobile devices. The central management system identifies the user's identity and sends a bike retrieval instruction to the public bike garage. The public bike garage confirms or controls the parking platform to have public bikes parked. The user retrieves the public bike from the parking platform. The central management system binds the public bike to the user's identity and starts timing or billing.

[0044] S3. After arriving at their destination, users store public bicycles in the parking platform. The central management system identifies the public bicycles, stops timing or billing, settles the bill, and unbinds the public bicycles from the user's identity.

[0045] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0046] First, the public bicycle garage and public bicycle storage method provided by this invention uses a simplified support arm to complete the task of parking bicycles at a higher position. It does not require several parking platforms that are relatively large and consume more materials to support bicycles intended to be suspended in the air, which can both improve space utilization and reduce construction difficulty.

[0047] Secondly, the support arm of this invention uses a swing-rotating method to lift the bicycle, eliminating the need for a moving platform to complete the bicycle lifting and lowering task. However, it can also be combined with a moving parking platform to create safer and more favorable conditions for the automated storage and retrieval of public bicycles. When users store or retrieve bicycles, the parking platform waits outside the garage, and users only need to interact with the parking platform, making the operation simple. More importantly, all other components of the public bicycle can be enclosed in the garage, completely isolated from the outside, eliminating safety hazards.

[0048] Finally, the simple structure, small footprint, and low construction cost of public bicycle parking garages make it possible to increase the density of public bicycle access points. The reduced distance between two access points makes the convenience of returning bicycles in this operation and management method close to that of dockless bicycles. In addition, the inherent characteristic of dockless bicycles, which have no fixed access points, means that consumers may not be able to find a public bicycle within a short distance when they want to pick it up. Therefore, this operation and management method is superior to dockless bicycles in terms of borrowing bicycles, bringing convenience to consumers. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a public single-car garage.

[0050] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the storage of bicycles in a public bicycle garage.

[0051] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism driving the support arm to lift the bicycle. Among them, Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of a boom swinging to retrieve a bicycle. Figure 3b This is a schematic diagram of a trailer lift.

[0052] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the lifting mechanism lowering the bicycle using the support arm. Among other things, Figure 4a This is a diagram illustrating the lowering of the towlift. Figure 4b This is a schematic diagram of the support arm swinging off the bicycle.

[0053] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the lifting mechanism.

[0054] Figure 6 This is an assembly diagram of the support arm and lifting mechanism. Figure 5 (Enlarged view of section B).

[0055] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a bicycle structure that works in conjunction with a B-arm. Figure 2 (Enlarged view of part A in the middle).

[0056] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the extended and folded states of the support arm.

[0057] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Enlarged view of section C.

[0058] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the parking platform.

[0059] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: support arm 100, mounting plate 101, A-arm 110, locking position 111, B-arm 120, locking block 121, obstacle 130, limit switch 140, parking platform 200, sensor 210, limit mechanism 220, lifting mechanism 300, motor 301, upper sprocket 310, lower sprocket 320, chain 330, upper drive shaft 340, lower drive shaft 350, main support 400, bicycle 500, hook 510. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate this embodiment, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings. The descriptions of positional relationships in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the invention. The invention will now be further described in detail with reference to specific embodiments.

[0061] Example 1

[0062] A public bicycle parking system is provided for lifting and retrieving several bicycles 500 to better utilize longitudinal space for storage. Figures 1-2 As shown, the public bicycle parking garage includes a parking platform 200, a support arm 100, a lifting mechanism 300, and a main support 400. The parking platform 200 is used to position the bicycle 500. The lifting mechanism 300 is installed in the main support 400 and is used to drive the support arm 100 to move along a J / U-shaped trajectory. During the process of the support arm 100 moving from the lower end to the upper end of the J / U-shaped trajectory, it picks up the positioned bicycle 500 and supports the bicycle 500 during the lifting process, thereby driving the bicycle 500 to rise and fall.

[0063] Among them, "single bicycle 500 is positioned" means that single bicycle 500 is positioned on parking platform 200 and remains in a state where it can be lifted by the swing arm 100, such as... Figure 3a As shown.

[0064] In this embodiment, the coordination between the lifting arm 100, which moves along a J / U-shaped trajectory, and the parking position of the bicycle 500 allows the lifting arm 100, which moves from the arc segment to the straight segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory, to scoop up the bicycle 500 (e.g., ...) that has been parked in place. Figure 3a As shown), then take the bicycle 500 and ascend along the straight section (as shown). Figure 3bAs shown in the diagram, this design allows public bicycles 500 to be conveniently and orderly parked at higher elevations, making better use of vertical space and reducing the footprint of public bicycle garages. This allows for a corresponding increase in the number of public bicycle garages and a reduction in the distance between them, effectively resolving the contradictions of existing docked bicycle systems (inconvenient return, large footprint, low application) and dockless bicycle systems (chaotic, disorderly, and ineffective management). The public bicycle garage proposed in this embodiment has a small footprint, simple structure, and low construction cost, making it possible to increase the density of public bicycle 500 access points. The reduced distance between two access points makes the convenience of returning bicycles using this public bicycle garage method approaching that of dockless bicycles 500. Furthermore, the inherent characteristic of dockless bicycles 500—the lack of fixed access points—means that consumers may not be able to retrieve a bicycle within a short distance. Therefore, the operation and management method of this public bicycle garage is superior to dockless bicycles 500 in terms of borrowing bicycles, bringing convenience to consumers. The support arm 100 is connected to the lifting mechanism 300, which is located in the main support 400. In other words, the components that make up the public single garage, especially those that are in motion, are basically located in the main support 400, so they will not pose a potential danger to pedestrians and vehicles.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown, the lifting mechanism 300 is driven by a motor 301 and configured to convert the rotational motion of the motor 301 into a chain drive mechanism that allows the support arm 100 to move up and down along a J / U-shaped trajectory. This embodiment includes two sets of chain drive mechanisms symmetrically arranged horizontally and longitudinally traversing the upper and lower parts of the main support 400. Each set of chain drive mechanisms includes an upper sprocket 310, a lower sprocket 320, and a chain 330 that engages the upper sprocket 310 and the lower sprocket 320. The upper sprockets 310 of both sets of chain drive mechanisms are respectively connected to both ends of an upper drive shaft 340 and positioned and connected to the upper part of the main support 400 through the upper drive shaft 340. Similarly, the lower sprockets 320 of both sets of chain drive mechanisms are respectively connected to both ends of a lower drive shaft 350 and positioned and connected to the lower part of the main support 400 through the lower drive shaft 350. The motor 301 is connected to the lower drive shaft 350. It is understandable that the transmission mechanism that can convert the rotational motion of the motor 301 into the lifting and lowering of the support arm 100 along the J / U-shaped trajectory can also be a belt drive mechanism, etc. Of course, the lifting mechanism 300 can also be driven by other drive mechanisms that can generate rotational motion.

[0066] like Figure 6As shown, the support arm 100 is connected to the chains 330 on the left and right sides via a mounting plate 101. Several mounting plates 101 are connected to the chains 330 at intervals. The back of each mounting plate 101 is fixedly connected to the chain 330, and a set of support arms 100 is connected to its front. The right support arm 100 is an A-type arm 110, which has a locking position 111 for supporting the bicycle frame, thus limiting the relative rotational freedom between the frame and the support arm 100 and effectively preventing tipping. The left support arm 100 is a B-type arm 120, which has a locking block 121, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the bicycle 500 is equipped with a hook 510 that cooperates with the locking block 121. This hook also serves to limit the relative rotational freedom between the frame and the support arm 100. The hook 510 is designed as a square cover structure, which not only prevents tipping but also limits the forward and backward movement of the bicycle 500 relative to the support arm 100. In addition, the hook 510 can be configured as a cover structure or ring structure of various shapes, such as a round cover, square ring, or circular ring. It should be noted that, to ensure the bicycle 500 can be stably supported, this embodiment uses an "A-type arm 110 + B-type arm 120" scheme, configuring two support arms 100 for each bicycle 500. Alternatively, an "A-type arm 110 + A-type arm 110" or "B-type arm 120 + B-type arm 120" scheme can also be used.

[0067] It is understandable that the coordination between the lifting trajectory of the support arm 100 and the parking position of the bicycle 500 not only provides the possibility of transporting the bicycle 500 to a high altitude and parking it stably in the air, but also, after designing the placement angle of the bicycle 500, opens up space for parking multiple bicycles 500 at the same height. For this purpose, the A-type arm 110 is provided with several locking positions 111 arranged in an array along the arm length; or the B-type arm 120 is provided with several locking blocks 121 arranged in an array along the arm length. Each locking position 111 or each locking block 121 on the same support arm 100 can lift one bicycle 500, thereby multiplying the number of bicycles that can be stored in the public bicycle garage. Of course, considering the stress on the support arm 100 and the lifting mechanism 300, as well as the overall structure and floor area of ​​the public bicycle garage, the number of locking positions 111 or locking blocks 121 on each support arm 100 should not be too many, preferably 1 to 3.

[0068] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 300 adopts a chain drive mechanism. The support arms 100 move along a J / U-shaped trajectory. Especially when moving along the U-shaped trajectory, several sets of support arms 100 are connected to the chain 330 at intervals through the mounting plate 101. This is of practical significance in ensuring that the bicycles 500 lifted by the support arms 100 maintain a suitable distance between them, eliminating the need for precise calculation and control of the lifting of the support arms 100. However, at this time, some support arms 100 will inevitably move from one side of the J / U shape to the other side, forming a non-U-shaped state, which doubles the width of the public bicycle garage. Therefore, the support arms 100 are designed as a one-way foldable structure, which is in an unfolded state on one side of the lifting mechanism 300 to support the bicycles 500, and in a folded state on the other side of the lifting mechanism 300. This solves the contradiction between statically controlling the spacing of the bicycles 500 and maintaining a small footprint. Figure 6 As shown, the support arm 100 is hinged to the mounting plate 101. An obstacle 130 is provided on the lower side of the support arm 100, located in front of the lifting mechanism 300, restricting the support arm 100 to have only 90° of rotational freedom. Therefore, as... Figures 8-9 As shown, at the front of the lifting mechanism 300, the support arm 100 cannot rotate downwards due to the presence of the obstacle 130 and remains in an unfolded state to support the bicycle 500; when the support arm 100 moves to the rear of the lifting mechanism 300 under the drive of the chain 330, the relative position between the support arm 100 and the obstacle 130 is reversed, and the obstacle 130 is located above the support arm 100, which cannot prevent the support arm 100 from rotating downwards due to its own gravity. At this time, the support arm 100 is in a folded state.

[0069] In addition, such as Figure 6 As shown, the public single garage is equipped with a limit switch 140 for controlling the lifting range of the support arm 100, ensuring that the support arm 100 can move from the arc segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory to the straight segment after the single vehicle 500 is in place, thereby catching the single vehicle 500.

[0070] Parking platform 200 refers to a platform that allows users to store and retrieve their vehicles. This platform can be a natural or man-made surface and does not necessarily have to be an additional installation. For additionally installed parking platforms 200, they can be fixedly installed below the lifting mechanism and are only used to confine a single vehicle to a designated location. However, to eliminate safety hazards and reduce the chances of users entering public parking garages or even appearing in the space that the lifting arm 100 must pass through, such as... Figure 10As shown, the parking platform 200 is movably installed below the lifting mechanism 300, used to move the bicycle 500 into or out of the parking garage. Thus, the translation of the parking platform 200 and the lifting of the support arm 100 allow the bicycle 500 parked on the parking platform 200 to move from bottom to top along an L-shaped trajectory into the public bicycle garage, or allow the bicycle 500, supported by the support arm 100, to move from top to bottom out of the public bicycle garage along an L-shaped trajectory. To facilitate control of the translation stroke of the parking platform 200, a sensor 210 is installed in the public bicycle garage to sense the positioning of the parking platform 200, ensuring that the parking platform 200 is in place, thereby ensuring that the support arm 100 can retrieve the bicycle 500 as it moves from the arc segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory to the straight segment. To ensure that the support arm 100 can smoothly retrieve the bicycle 500 during its movement from the arc segment to the straight segment of the J / U-shaped trajectory, the parking platform 200 is provided with at least a limiting mechanism 220 for straightening the bicycle 500. It is understood that the limiting mechanism 220 can also serve an anti-theft function, or an additional anti-theft locking mechanism can be provided on the parking platform 200.

[0071] To eliminate safety hazards, the main support 400 is surrounded by an outer shell, enclosing all the components of the public bicycle parking garage and completely isolating it from the outside. When storing or retrieving bicycles 500, the parking platform 200 moves out of the garage. Users only need to interact with the parking platform 200, making the operation simple.

[0072] Example 2

[0073] A method for storing and retrieving public bicycles includes the following steps:

[0074] Cart storage: During the process of the support arm 100 moving from bottom to top along the J / U-shaped trajectory, it picks up the car 500 that has been positioned, or continues to rise while supporting the car 500, as shown in Figure 4;

[0075] Retrieving the bicycle: As the support arm 100 moves downward along a J / U-shaped trajectory, it lowers the bicycle 500 it is supporting, as follows: Figure 5 As shown.

[0076] This embodiment utilizes the rotation of the support arm 100 relative to the bicycle 500 and the coordinated lifting and lowering of the bicycle 500 and the support arm 100 to allow the bicycle 500 on the ground to be parked in the air from below, or to allow the bicycle 500 supported in the air by the support arm 100 to be landed from above. This allows public bicycles 500 to be conveniently and orderly parked at higher levels, making better use of vertical space and reducing the floor space occupied by public bicycles 500. As a result, the number of storage devices for public bicycles 500 can be increased accordingly, and the distance between devices can be reduced accordingly, thereby effectively solving the contradiction between the inconvenience of docked bicycle return and the chaos of dockless parking. The public bicycle 500 access method proposed in this embodiment is simple, convenient, and easy to implement, making it possible to increase the density of public bicycle 500 access points. The reduced distance between two access points makes the convenience of returning bicycles in the public bicycle 500 management process approaching that of dockless bicycle 500. In addition, the inherent characteristic of dockless bicycle 500, which has no fixed access points, means that consumers may not be able to retrieve a public bicycle 500 within a short distance. Therefore, the public bicycle 500 management method proposed in this embodiment is superior to dockless bicycle 500 in terms of borrowing bicycles, bringing convenience to consumers.

[0077] When parking bicycle 500, the bicycle 500 is usually kept upright by support legs hinged to the frame. When the support legs are symmetrically hinged to the left and right sides of the frame, the bicycle 500 will maintain an "attention" posture. However, when the support legs are hinged to one of the left and right sides of the frame, the bicycle 500 will be in a "rest" posture. This may create some obstacles to the swing of the support arm 100, especially when the support arm 100 needs to swing to insert into or remove from multiple bicycles 500 parked side by side. Therefore, in the parking process, the support arm 100 swings slightly to pick up the bicycle 500 that has been positioned and restricted, and then releases the restriction on the bicycle 500. In the vehicle retrieval step, the support arm 100 lowers the bicycle 500 down until the bicycle 500 lands, and then limits the bicycle 500. When the bicycle 500 is limited, the support arm 100 continues to move along the J / U-shaped trajectory until it detaches from the bicycle 500.

[0078] In this embodiment, the bicycle 500 parked in the public bicycle garage is suspended on a support arm. To prevent the bicycle 500 from falling off the support arm in the event of an accidental impact to the garage equipment, during the parking step, the support arm slightly swings to retrieve the bicycle 500, and then locks the bicycle 500 in place using a mechanism within the bicycle garage or the bicycle's own lock. During the retrieval step, the support arm lowers the bicycle to its designated position, and then unlocks the bicycle using a mechanism within the bicycle garage or the bicycle's own lock; after unlocking the bicycle, the support arm continues to move along a J / U-shaped trajectory until it detaches from the bicycle.

[0079] Example 3

[0080] A public bicycle operation management method is based on the public bicycle garage equipment provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention or the public bicycle garage applying the storage and retrieval method provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and a central management system that is communicatively connected to the public bicycle garage. Users store and retrieve bicycles by establishing a connection with the central management system. When retrieving a bicycle, the user takes away the bicycle 500 that has been placed there. When storing a bicycle, the user stores the bicycle 500 in place.

[0081] The public bicycle garage and bicycle 500 storage method provided in this embodiment uses a simplified support arm 100 to park the bicycles 500 at a higher position. This eliminates the need for several larger and more material-intensive parking platforms to support the bicycles 500 suspended in the air, thus improving space utilization and reducing construction difficulty. Furthermore, the simple structure, small footprint, and low construction cost of the public bicycle garage make it possible to increase the density of bicycle 500 access points. The reduced distance between two access points makes the convenience of returning bicycles in this operation and management method approach that of dockless bicycles 500. Moreover, the inherent characteristic of dockless bicycles 500—the lack of fixed access points—means that consumers may not be able to retrieve a bicycle within a short distance. Therefore, this operation and management method is superior to dockless bicycles 500 in terms of borrowing bicycles, bringing convenience to consumers.

[0082] The public bicycle operation management method specifically includes the following two schemes.

[0083] The first approach requires a data connection to the central management system when a user parks or retrieves a vehicle. The central management system then determines whether the user is parking or retrieving the vehicle. This involves the following steps:

[0084] S1. The manager uses the support arm 100 to park the public bicycles 500 sequentially from bottom to top into the different levels of the garage;

[0085] S2. Users establish a data connection with the central management system through their mobile devices. The central management system identifies the user's identity and makes judgments on the user's parking and retrieval behavior.

[0086] S3. The central management system detects that the user has not returned any public bicycle 500 and sends a retrieval instruction to the public bicycle garage. The public bicycle garage confirms or controls the parking platform 200 to show that public bicycle 500 is parked there. The user retrieves public bicycle 500 from the parking platform 200. At the same time, the central management system starts timing or billing; or

[0087] The central management system detects that a user has 500 public bicycles to be returned and sends a parking instruction to the public bicycle garage. The public bicycle garage confirms or controls that there are empty spaces on the parking platform 200. The user then parks the public bicycle 500 on the parking platform 200. The central management system then stops timing or billing and settles the bill.

[0088] The second option requires users to establish a data connection with the central management system when picking up a bike. When parking, users simply need to deposit the public bike (model 500) into the public bike garage, and the central management system will automatically recognize the public bike (model 500) and process the transaction. The specific steps include the following:

[0089] S1. The manager uses the support arm 100 to park the public bicycles 500 sequentially from bottom to top into the different levels of the garage;

[0090] S2. The user establishes a data connection with the central management system through the mobile device. The central management system identifies the user's identity and sends a bike retrieval instruction to the public bike garage. The public bike garage confirms or controls that the parking platform 200 has a public bike 500 parked there. The user takes the public bike 500 from the parking platform 200. The central management system binds the public bike 500 to the user's identity and starts timing or billing.

[0091] S3. After the user arrives at the destination, he / she stores the public bicycle 500 in the parking platform 200. The central management system recognizes the public bicycle 500, stops the timer or billing and settles the bill, and unbinds the public bicycle 500 from the user's identity.

[0092] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A public bicycle parking system for lifting and retrieving a number of bicycles, characterized in that, include A parking platform for parking a single vehicle in place; Support arm, which is used to support the bicycle during the lifting process; A lifting mechanism drives the support arm to move along a U-shaped trajectory, and the support arm lifts up the bicycle that has been positioned as it moves from the lower end to the upper end of the U-shaped trajectory. and The main support is provided, and the lifting mechanism is mounted on the main support. The device includes multiple sets of support arms distributed along a U-shaped trajectory, each set including two support arms. The support arms support the bicycle by inserting into a hollow structure on the bicycle frame. The support arms are designed to be unidirectionally foldable and are hinged to a lifting mechanism. An obstacle connected to the lifting mechanism is provided on the upper or lower side of the support arm. The obstacle is used to restrict the support arm to a rotational freedom of only 90°, so that the support arm is in an unfolded state to support the bicycle on one side of the lifting mechanism and in a folded state on the other side of the lifting mechanism. The support arms include A-type arms and / or B-type arms. The A-type arms have several locking positions arranged in an array along the arm length to support the bicycle frame. The B-type arms have several locking blocks arranged in an array along the arm length. The bicycle has hooks that cooperate with the locking blocks. The hooks are designed as cover structures or ring structures.

2. The public single-car garage equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The parking platform is movably installed below the lifting mechanism to move a single vehicle into or out of the parking space; or the parking platform is fixedly installed below the lifting mechanism to confine a single vehicle to a designated position.

3. The public single-car garage equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The parking platform is equipped with at least one limiting mechanism for straightening bicycles.

4. A method for managing the operation of public bicycles, characterized in that, Based on the public bicycle parking equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 and the central management system that is communicatively connected to the public bicycle parking equipment, users can store and retrieve bicycles by establishing a connection with the central management system. When retrieving a bicycle, the user takes the bicycle that has been placed in the parking space, and when storing a bicycle, the user puts the bicycle in the parking space.

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