WO2015105470A1

WO2015105470A1 - Occupancy indicating system for outdoor parking lots

Info

Publication number: WO2015105470A1
Application number: PCT/TR2015/000003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Baruh Burak GATENYO
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-01-13
Filing date: 2015-01-12
Publication date: 2015-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-13

Abstract

This invention is about Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots. The subject of this invention, i.e.. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots is used within big-size outdoor parking lots of shopping centers, airports, sport complexes, show centers, hospitals, schools, business centers, various public areas, private or municipalities' parking lots and similar area making it easy to find free park areas readily, in case a parking place is emptied, the warning sign/flag is raised above, green warning lights are put on making it possible for the drivers looking for empty parking place perceive such raised warning sign/flag even at the far distances readily and access to such place.

Description

DESCRIPTION

OCCUPANCY INDICATING SYSTEM FOR OUTDOOR PARKING LOTS

TECHNICAL AREA

This invention is about Occupancy indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots. The subject of this invention, i.e.. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots is used within big-size outdoor parking lots of shopping centers, airports, sport complexes, show centers, hospitals, schools, business centers, various public areas, private or municipalities' parking lots and similar area, making it easy to find free park areas readily. In case a parking place is emptied, the warning sign/flag is raised above, green warning lights are put on making it possible for the drivers looking for empty parking place perceive such raised warning sign/flag even at the far distances readily and access to such place.

PREVIOUS ART

There are indoor or outdoor parking lots nearby shopping centers, airports, sport complexes, show centers, hospitals, schools, business centers, special or municipality parking lots or similar public area providing innumerable parking places. On the other hand, in such crowded areas it is unlikely for the users to have access to the parking lots where free parking place is available. It usually takes time to come across to an available parking place wondering within a high capacity parking lot in particular during peak hours when it's the time to go work or sporting competition, which gives rise to the distress as a result of waste of time in the search of an a vailable parking place.

The drivers observe care to drive slowly in the parking lot while searching for an empty place through confined passages, which gives rise to additional waste of time. In some cases, innumerable vehicles in the lot looking for an empty place give rise to complete deadlock of the traffic flow, resulting additional, incapacity of coming across to an available parking place. Looking for an available place, the drivers become exhausted and delayed due to the time wasted, let alone undesirable effect in economical and environmental point of views due to keeping their ears operating.

Nowadays, there are various parking lot occupancy indication systems designed and used, Such systems are usually consisted of illuminated warning signs installed at the ceiling of the parking lots, providing green or red light thanks to the sensors installed on each parking places, so that the drivers are warned on the availability or unavailability.

The systems used for indicating the parking place occupancy on behalf of the drivers are in fact an improvement, however, they still feature several disadvantages. To give an example, such systems usually feature limited utilization, only for enclosed lots in particular, leaving those located outside aside. The sensors and warning signs employed in such systems are installed at the ceiling and therefore, they are inconvenient to use within outdoor lots. The warning lights are effective when used in enclosed area, however, their visibility of such systems are insufficient when used outdoor in the day light, even impossible from far distances. All these disadvantages and discrepancies of such systems for parking lot occupancy indication in use today confine their uses almost specifically to indoor parking lots, There isn't any automatic direction system available in outdoor parking lots and therefore, it is indispensable to provide means for the drivers to lead them to the available parking spaces and thus eliminate the congestion encountered within the lots and eliminating the waste of time. The system for guiding drivers within outdoor lots will also eliminate the necessity of employment to serve for the drivers in finding the empty parking place, causing negative influence in operating expenses. DEFINITION OF INVENTION

Coping with foregoing disadvantages effectively, this invention is about Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots. The subject of this invention, i.e., Occupancy indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots is used within big-size outdoor parking lots of shopping centers, airports, sport complexes, show centers, hospitals, schools, business centers, various public areas, private and municipalities and similar area making it easy to find free park areas readily. The subject of this invention for Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lois is consisted of the a sign/flag and warning light indicating the empty parking place on behalf of the drivers by rising above, which remains lowered while the parking place is occupied. Attached onto a telescopic pipe, the sign/flag and warning light, raises to an elevation about 4 meters when the parking place is emptied, which provides visibility from almost all over the parking lot. By this way, when a driver enters into the parking lot, it will have complete visibility all over the lot and spot the nearest parking place that comes into the sight of the driver without wasting time for looking a convenient parking place.

The telescopic pipe complete with the sign/flag and warning light is extended and retracted via the drive system enclosed in the cabinet at the bottom, which is consisted of the motor driven drum and rope. It is also possible to employ belt and/or chain drive system to provide the extension and retraction- of the telescopic pipe. The motion in the vertical direction is controlled by the sensors that sense the occupancy status of the parking place. The sensors pro vided for the product of the invention may be of the type installed onto the cabinet, which senses the motion or else, it is possible to make use of magnetic sensors that are installed on the floor of the parking lot.

Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots provided by this invention makes use of the sign/flag as wel l as warning lights. The guidance is provided on behalf of the drivers as to the availability of parking place by the sign/flag as well as warning lights during the day times and the night when it is dark, respectively. By this way, the product of this invention can effectively be used during the day and the night in an effective manner. The system of tills invention can either be used single-mode and double-mode for the parking lot located along the edge and for twin parking places that are located hack to back at the remaining part of the parking lot respectively, Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots provided by this invention provides additional advantages by making it possible to used it as advertisement media incorporated into the sign/flag used for occupancy indication. By this way, possibility of advertisement within extremely large area specific to outdoor parking lots distinguished with its significant visibility and advantages from being center of focus within the urban settlement,

PARTS AND COMPONENTS OF INVENTION

1 - Motor

2 - Processor

3 - Sensor

4 -- Cabinet

5 - Outer pipe

6 - Center pipe

7 - Inner pipe

8 - Warning lights

9 - Sign/Flag

10 - Rope

1 1 - Pulley

12 - Switch/sensor

13 - Felt

14 - Spring cable

15 - Single parking place indicating system

16 ·- Double parking place indicating system BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1- Top view of Occupancy Indicating System for Ou tdoor Parking Lots

Figure 2- Front view of Occupancy indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots

Figure 3- Rear view of Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lois

Figure 4- Side view of Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots

Figure 5- Side view of Single Occupancy indicating System

Figure 6- Side view of Double Occupancy Indicat ing System

Figure 7~ Front Perspective View of Cabinet Inside

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

This invention is composed of motor (1). processor (2), sensor (3), cabinet (4), outer pipe (5), center pipe (6), inner pipe (7), warning lights (8), sign/flag (9), rope (10), pulley (1 1), switch/sensor (12), felt (13), spring cable (14), single parking place indicating system (15) and double parking place indicating system (16).

Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of the subject of the invention is consisted of a cabinet (4) and the pipes (5, 6, 7) in general that ensures up-and-down motion of warning lights (8) and sign/flag ( 9) by locating in cabinet (4).

There is a sensor (3) that sends the instructions to processor (2) for shifting sign/flag (9) to upper position by sensing empty parking place on cabinet (4). The information on the empty parking place delivered by sensor (3) is processed by processor (2) and the instruction is delivered to motor (I) for shifting inner pipe (7) to upwards. Incorporated with motor (1 ), pulley (11 ) ensures pulling rope (10) in that Is placed on top of it upon initiation of the motion and ensures inner pipe (7) that is incorporated with rope (10) to move in upper direction through center pipe (6). When inner pipe (7) is reached to the necessary elevation in center pipe (6), switch/sensor (12) is triggered and stops the motion of motor (1 ). When parking place is occupied, sensor (3) conveys this information to processor (2) to initiate the same operation in the opposite order and warning lights (8) and sign/flag (9) on top of inner pipe (7) begin to move downward.

There is felt (13) that centers center pipe (6) in inner pipe (7) arid prevents the abrasion in between and eliminating water ingress. Outer pipe (5) houses center pipe (6), inner pipe (7) and the connections between center pipe (6) and rope (10) as well as spring cable (14) and thus provides protection for these components against adverse ambient effects.

Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of this invention is complete with warning lights (8) and sign/flag (9) that remain at is park position when parking place is occupied and raises above up to 4 m when it is empty. Sign/flag (9) and warning lights (8) provides information on the occupancy of the parking place in the day and night times, respectively. When warning lights (8) are red when lowered and green when raised to provide information on the occupancy of the parking place. It also illuminates sign/flag (9) to pro vide the better visibility on behalf of the drivers.

Occupancy indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of this invention can be implemented in two different modes, namely, single-mode (15) and double-mode (16) for the parking lot located along the edge and for twin par-king places that are located back to back at the remaining part of the parking lot.

Claims

1. The Invention of Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots, characterized in that, it is consisted of engine (1 ), processor (2), sensor (3), cabinet (4), outer pipe (5) , center pipe (6), inner pipe (7), warning lights (S), sign/flag (9), rope (10), pulley ( 11), switch/sensor (12), felt (13), spring cable (14), single parking place indicating system ( 15) and double parking place indicating system (16).

2. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 1 the subject of cabinet (4) and the invention is consisted of the inner pipes (7) in general that ensures up-and-down motion of warning lights (8 ) and sign/flag (9) by locating in cabinet (4).

3. Occupancy indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in that it contains sensor (3) that conveys the instructions to processor (2) to raise sign/flag (9) to upper position by sensing the emptied parking place on top of cabinet (4).

4. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in that, it contains processor (2) that issues an instructions to motor (1) to shift inner pipe (7) by processing the emptied/occupied information conveyed by sensor (3).

5. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in that when motor ( i) is set into operation, rope ( 10) is wrapped onto pulley (1 1) to which it is incorporated and thus upper motion of inner pipe (7) connected to the rope ( 10) is ensured through center pipe (6).

6. Occupancy indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in that it is complete with switch/sensor (12) that is triggered to stop the motion of motor (1) when inner pipe (7) is raised to its upper position through center pipe (6).

7. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in that it is complete with felt (13) that ensures concentricity between inner pipe (7) and center pipe (6) and prevents abrasion in between.

8. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in thai outer pipe (5) houses center pipe (6), inner pipe (7) and the connections between center pipe (6) and rope (10) as well as spring cable (14) and thus provides protection for these components against adverse ambient effects.

9. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 this invention is complete with warning lights (8) and sign/flag (9) that remain at is park position when parking place is occupied and raises above up to 4 m when it is empty.

10. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in that it is complete with sign/flag (9) that provides empty/occupied information in the day light and warning lights (8) that provides empty/occupied information when it is dark.

1 1. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 is characterized in that it guides the driver by providing red light when it is lowered and green when it is raised and, in addition to providing empty/occupied information, it is complete with warning lights (8) that illuminates sign/flag (9) in the dark.

12. Occupancy Indicating System for Outdoor Parking Lots of Claim 2 this invention can be implemented in two different modes, namely, single-mode (15) and double-mode ( 16) for the parking lot located along the edge and for twin parking places that are located back to back at the remaining part of the parking lot.