Extendable Bicycle Parking With Sliding, Nested Leaning Gates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bicycle parking facilities are prone to becoming unusable due to rough use or vandalism, and they are not easily installable or removable.

Innovation Solution

A bicycle parking device with sliding leaning gates that have separate feet, allowing easy storage and transportation, and interlocking mechanisms to prevent dislocation and vandalism, featuring guide elements that ensure gates remain connected and stable.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If uprights are hinged to a single foot and folded away into the foot, then storage space is minimized, but the structure becomes vulnerable to dislocation and vandalism

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage spaceVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single foot into multiple separate feet, with each foot supporting specific uprights. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain compact storage while distributing mechanical loads and preventing dislocation, as each foot acts as an independent stable base rather than a single vulnerable hinge point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements nesting by allowing the feet to be slid past each other and stored within the space between adjacent leaning gates. The feet can be inserted into the foot space of neighboring gates, creating a compact nested configuration that minimizes storage volume while maintaining structural integrity through the interlocking arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If leaning gates are made movable between operational and storage positions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational flexibilityVSAvoidmechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the leaning gates movable between operational and storage positions through simple sliding mechanisms. The gates can be easily moved along the ground surface without complex mechanical systems, maintaining adaptability while keeping the mechanism simple and straightforward.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements self-service through the self-locking characteristic of the feet sliding past each other. The interlocking feet automatically maintain their positions and provide stability without requiring additional locking mechanisms or complex control systems, allowing the structure to secure itself through the inherent friction and geometry of the sliding feet arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Volume of moving object

If feet are designed to slide past each other for compact storage, then storage efficiency is improved, but connection stability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage volumeVSAvoidgate connection stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the ground as an intermediary element that provides stability to the sliding feet arrangement. The feet slide along the ground surface, and the ground acts as a stable reference frame that prevents the feet from moving vertically or laterally out of alignment, thereby maintaining connection stability while allowing horizontal sliding for compact storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the vertical support function from the foot structure and transfers it to the ground through the sliding feet arrangement. The feet are designed to be inserted into the ground and held stable by friction and geometric constraints, separating the storage function (horizontal sliding) from the support function (vertical stability provided by ground contact).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4606686A1Extendable bicycle parking facility provided with a plurality of leaning gates
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 KOOYMANS BEHEER
  • EP4606686A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4606686A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4606686A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A bicycle parking facility 11 has a number of leaning gates 12, each of which has an upright 13 and a foot 14 attached thereto. The foot has two elongated foot parts 16 that are parallel to each other and are connected to each other via a connecting piece 17. The bicycle parking facility 11 also has a bench 18 in which the leaning gates 12 can be stored. The foot parts 16 are provided with a guide element 15 that is slidable over the foot parts 16 of an adjacent leaning gate 12. The feet 14 of the leaning gates 12 have a different width from each other, so that the leaning gates 12 can be nested in each other. The leaning gates 12 are movable between a storage position, in which the leaning gates are slid into each other, and an operational position, in which the leaning gates are slid apart and bicycles can be placed against the uprights 13.