Road structure – process – or apparatus – Traffic steering device or barrier
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-15
2001-06-05
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3673)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Traffic steering device or barrier
C049S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241418
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for blocking a parking vehicle from leaving, used in a nonattended toll parking lot and, more particularly, to for preventing a parking vehicle from leaving in an unauthorized manner.
2. Background Art
In a nonattended toll parking lot, as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
, there has heretofore been used a parking apparatus equipped with a parking fee receiving apparatus
1
and a leave-blocking apparatus
3
which locks a parking vehicle by means of a locking board
2
.
In the leave-blocking apparatus
3
shown in
FIG. 6
, the locking board
2
is disposed between the front tires and rear tires of a vehicle which is parking on a parking zone
4
. In the leave-blocking apparatus
3
shown in
FIG. 7
, the locking board
2
is disposed at one end of the parking zone
4
, i.e., disposed on the inlet side from where the vehicle comes in and goes out.
These apparatuses have been designed to block the vehicles from leaving by means of the locking board
2
that remains elevated unless a fee is paid for parking the car.
The apparatuses
3
for blocking the parking vehicle from leaving shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
have their merits and demerits. So far, however, the apparatus shown in
FIG. 6
has been widely and predominantly used.
The greatest reason is because when the locking board
2
is disposed on the vehicle inlet side of the parking zone
4
as shown in
FIG. 7
, the driver may overlook the elevated state, i.e., the locked state of the locking board
2
; and, accordingly, the driver may try to leave from the parking zone
4
in a state where the locking board
2
is elevated, therefore, much trouble occurs. When the locking board
2
is disposed between the front tires and the rear tires of the vehicle which is parking on the parking zone
4
as shown in
FIG. 6
, the driver is allowed to easily confirm the elevated state of the locking board
2
that is located near the driver's seat; i.e., the driver is less likely to leave the parking zone
4
in a state where the locking board
2
is elevated. Besides, even when the driver carelessly leaves the parking zone
4
in the state where the locking board
2
is elevated or leaves at a moment when the locking board
2
starts elevated as the time enters into a time for another charge, an elastic tire simply hits the locking board
2
without damaging the vehicle and, hence, causing less trouble.
So far, therefore, the leave-blocking apparatus of the type shown in
FIG. 6
has been much used. Accompanying an increase in the number of large four-wheel drive vehicles called RVs (recreational vehicles) in recent years, however, an increasing number of vehicles are trying to leave in an unauthorized manner without paying the fee for the charged time.
The vehicle leaves in an unauthorized manner by treading and pushing down the elevated locking board
2
with the tire or riding over the locking board
2
when it cannot be pushed down. This can be easily done by a vehicle having tires of a large diameter or by a vehicle having a small road clearance for which the locking board is elevated by a limited amount.
The above-mentioned unauthorized leave can be better prevented by the system of
FIG. 7
which closes the parking zone itself during the locking time than the system of
FIG. 6
of which the locking board
2
is trod by the tires.
As described above, however, the system of
FIG. 7
invites the occurrence of trouble, and makes it necessary to increase the depth of the parking zone
4
so that the locking board
2
will not be concealed under the vehicle body. Therefore, this system cannot be installed in a narrow place. In practice, therefore, the system of
FIG. 6
has been much employed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was accomplished in order to solve the above-mentioned problems inherent in the prior art, and its object is to provide an apparatus for blocking a parking vehicle from leaving in an unauthorized manner without paying fees, enabling the state of the locking portion to be easily confirmed, eliminating the occurrence of trouble when the driver carelessly leaves or leaves while the locking board is being elevated, offering safety and high reliability.
An apparatus for blocking a parking vehicle from leaving of the present invention satisfies the following requirements (1) to (3):
(1) The driver is allowed to easily make sure the elevated state of the locking board.
(2) Troubles occur little despite the driver carelessly leaves or leaves while the locking board is being elevated.
(3) Unauthorized leave without paying fees is prevented.
Therefore, a first aspect of the present invention is concerned with an apparatus for blocking a parking vehicle from leaving, comprising a locking portion for locking the parking vehicle, and a drive device for selectively driving the locking portion into a locked state in which the locking portion is elevated after the vehicle has entered for parking and into an unlocked state in which the locking portion is lowered, wherein the locking portion is constituted by a plurality of locking boards.
Thus, the locking portion is constituted by a plurality of locking boards. That is, at least one of the plurality of locking boards is installed at a position remote from the tire and at least one of them is installed at a position very close to the driver's seat, i.e., at a position which will be run (passed) over by a tire. Accordingly, the elevated state of the locking board installed at a position run (passed) over by the tire can be easily confirmed by the driver, and trouble occurs little despite the driver carelessly leaves or leaves while the locking board is being elevated.
When the driver leaves in an unauthorized manner without paying fees, furthermore, the locking board installed at a position remote from the tire hits the vehicle body to prevent it from leaving.
In this case, the end of the locking board is formed to be downwardly bent so will not to bite into the lower part of the vehicle body and so will not to damage the vehicle body.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the locking portion is constituted by a main locking board and an auxiliary locking board, the main locking board is interlocked to the drive device, and an interlocking device is provided to interlock the main locking board and the auxiliary locking board together so that the auxiliary locking board is actuated to be in the locked state or the unlocked state when the main locking board is driven by the drive device to be in the locked state or the unlocked state. Then, in addition to the function of the first invention, it is made possible to install the auxiliary locking board at a position remote from the main locking board without the need of employing the constitution for directly driving the auxiliary locking board by the drive device.
In this case, the interlocking device is so constituted as to interlock the main locking board and the auxiliary locking board together, so that the auxiliary locking board that has been actuated to be in the locked state can be actuated by the application of an external force to be in the unlocked state when the main locking board is driven to be in the locked state. Therefore, even when the auxiliary locking board is lowered being trod by the tire, the operation of the main locking board is not affected; i.e., the main locking board maintains the elevated locked state. This also prevents the vehicle from rising high and effectively prevents the vehicle from leaving in an unauthorized manner without paying fees.
Furthermore, the main locking board is disposed near the central portion of the parking zone with respect to the auxiliary locking board. Or, the auxiliary locking board has a lateral width larger than the lateral width of the main locking board. This makes it possible to prevent the main locking board from being intentionally trod by the tire and to prevent the vehicle from leaving in an unauthorized manner without paying fees.
Moreove
Fuyou Ryoyu
Kurotsu Tosio
Suzuki Masaru
Hartmann Gary S.
McDermott & Will & Emery
The Nippon Signal Co. Ltd.
Will Thomas B.
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