Curb-Integrated Parking Meter Drainage and Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart parking meters protruding from curbs can be accidentally hit by vehicles and pose safety risks to pedestrians, and their design does not effectively manage water drainage or maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a control unit, top cover unit, and image-capturing module is mounted within a curb system's drainage structure, featuring an inclined design that prevents protrusion and includes a sealing ring for waterproofing, allowing for easy maintenance and efficient water discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the parking meter protrudes outwardly from the curb to ensure image capture functionality, then the image-capturing module can effectively detect vehicles, but the device becomes vulnerable to accidental hits by vehicles and poses safety risks to pedestrians
Solution Approach 1:
The parking meter is nested within the curb structure, with the housing positioned inside the curb body and the image-capturing module oriented through the curb's front surface. This allows the device to maintain its imaging function while being protected from direct exposure to vehicle impacts and pedestrian hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The curb structure serves as an intermediary protective barrier between the parking meter and external hazards. The housing and curb body work together to shield the image-capturing module while still allowing it to detect vehicles through the front opening.
2Measurement precision
If the parking meter protrudes from the curb, then the image-capturing module can be positioned for optimal detection, but the device becomes exposed to water accumulation and requires complex drainage solutions
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage function is merged into the curb structure itself, with drainage holes directly formed in the curb body at positions that naturally channel water away from the housing. This eliminates the need for separate complex drainage components while effectively preventing water accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The curb structure provides self-service drainage functionality through its built-in drainage holes that passively channel water away from the parking meter housing using gravity and the natural slope of the curb design, without requiring active pumping or complex mechanical drainage systems.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the parking meter is integrated into the curb structure, then pedestrian safety is improved and vehicle impact risk is reduced, but the image-capturing module may be obstructed from optimal detection positions
Solution Approach 1:
The curb structure incorporates a localized front opening at the precise position where the image-capturing module needs to detect vehicles. This local modification allows optimal detection while the rest of the curb structure maintains its protective function against vehicle impacts and pedestrian hazards.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a housing and a drainage structure. The drainage structure includes a shoulder surrounding wall connected to a top end of the housing, and an outer surrounding wall extending from the shoulder surrounding wall. The shoulder surrounding wall has opposite rear and front end portions, and is inclined with the front end portion lower than the rear end portion. The housing defines a receiving space and has a front housing wall that has a first slanted wall portion formed with an image-capturing opening. An angle is formed between a central line normal to the first slanted wall portion and extending through the image-capturing opening and a reference line, and is smaller than 90 degrees. Atop cover unit closes the receiving space. An image-capturing module is disposed in the receiving space.