The present invention relates to a secure bicycle parking system, and in particular, to a secure bicycle parking system in which a plurality of bicycles can be securely parked.

With the ever increasing rate of bicycle thefts, there is a need for a secure bicycle parking system, which allows a cyclist to park his or her bicycle in a secure place in a city or a town, or elsewhere while the cyclist is at work, shopping or attending to other chores and duties. The present invention is directed towards such a secure bicycle parking system.

According to the invention there is provided a secure bicycle parking system comprising a plurality of lockers, each locker defining a hollow interior region for a bicycle, and an open mouth to the hollow interior region for accommodating a bicycle into the hollow interior region, a closure element for closing the open mouth of each locker, a locking means for releasably locking the closure element of each locker in a closed state closing the open mouth, and a control means responsive to an input signal for operating the locking means of one of the lockers from a locked state to an unlocked state to release the closure element from the closed state for providing access to the hollow interior region of the locker.

Preferably, the control means is responsive to the input signal to operate the locking means of an unassigned one of the lockers to release the closure element of that locker from the closed state.

Advantageously, the control means is responsive to the input signal to operate the locking means of an assigned one of the lockers to release the closure element thereof from the closed state, the input signal being indicative of the identity of a user to which the assigned locker is presently assigned.

In one aspect of the invention the control means comprises an input interface means configured to receive the input signal. Preferably, the input interface means is configured for reading an identity code of a user, and preferably, the input interface means comprises a card reader for reading the identity code of the user, and advantageously, the identity code of the user is embedded in a card in a machine readable configuration.

In another aspect of the invention the control means is configured to store the identity code of a user cross-referenced with the identity of one of the lockers assigned to the user.

In another aspect of the invention the control means is configured to store identity codes of a plurality of respective users, and preferably, the control means is configured to compare an identity code read by the input interface means with the stored user identity codes prior to assigning one of the lockers to a user.

Ideally, the control means checks if one of the lockers is presently assigned to a user the identity code of which is being read by the input interface means, and if one of the lockers is presently assigned to that user, the control means operates the locking means of that locker into the unlocked state to release the closure element from the closed state.

In a further aspect of the invention the control means is configured to select a locker from the unassigned lockers for assigning to a user, the identity code of which is being read, if a locker is not presently assigned to that user.

In a further aspect of the invention the control means comprises a signal processor, which preferably, comprises a microprocessor.

In another aspect of the invention an indicating means is provided corresponding to each locker to indicate the assigned/unassigned status of the locker, and preferably, each indicating means comprises a first indicating means for indicating the assigned status of the corresponding locker, and advantageously, a second indicating means is provided for indicating the unassigned status of the corresponding locker.

Preferably, the identity codes of the users read from the cards of the users are validated prior to commencing a transaction with a user.

In one aspect of the invention each locker is of substantially triangular shape in plan view, and comprises a pair of side walls converging rearwardly from the open mouth. Advantageously, the side walls of each locker converge at an included angle in the range of 15° to 45°. Advantageously, the side walls of each locker converge at an included angle in the range of 15° to 30°. Advantageously, the side walls of each locker converge at an included angle of approximately 20°. In another aspect of the invention the length of each locker from the apex along a centre line of the locker to the open mouth thereof lies in the range of 1,800mm to 2,500mm, and preferably, is approximately 2,100mm. In one aspect of the invention the lockers are configured so that the open mouths of alternate lockers face in opposite directions. In another aspect of the invention the lockers are configured so that the open mouths of adjacent lockers are located adjacent each other, and the lockers are configured in an arcuate configuration. In a further aspect of the invention the lockers are configured so that the open mouths of adjacent lockers are located adjacent each other, and the lockers are configured in a circular or a partly circular configuration.

In a further aspect of the invention a central control panel is provided, and the control means is located in the central control panel. Preferably, the input interface means is provided on the central control panel. Advantageously, the central control panel is located on a control tower located adjacent one or more of the lockers.

The invention also provides a locker of the secure bicycle parking system. The advantages of the invention are many. The secure bicycle parking system according to the invention provides a convenient and secure parking system for securely retaining bicycles when unattended. By virtue of the fact that the system comprises lockers, the bicycles when secured in the lockers cannot be tampered with and parts of the bicycles cannot be stolen, and needless to say, the bicycles themselves likewise cannot be stolen. By virtue of the shape of the lockers, in particular, the fact that the sidewalls of the lockers converge from an open mouth to an apex, the footprint of each locker is minimised. Indeed, the footprint of each locker is substantially half the size of the footprint which would be required to store a bicycle, if the footprint of the locker were of rectangular cross-section when viewed in plan. Thus, the footprint required to store a bicycle in the locker according to the invention is half the footprint which would otherwise be required, and thus, twice the number of lockers can be provided in the same footprint as that which would be required to store half the number of bicycles in lockers of rectangular cross-section when viewed in plan. A further advantage of the invention is that the lockers according to the invention of the system according to the invention may be arranged in many different configurations, depending on the space available, in order to minimise the footprint required by a plurality of the lockers.

Additionally, the secure bicycle parking system provides a parking system which can be readily easily and conveniently used by a person wishing to park his or her bicycle for a period of time, which may be a short period of time, a long period of time or indeed any desired period of time. Additionally, by providing the secure bicycle parking system according to the invention such that it is operable by reading the identity code of an individual from a card or other suitable means for carrying an identity code of the individual, the parking system may be operated without the need for direct payment at the time of parking. An individual may be provided with an account which could be topped up at appropriate intervals such that an individual wishing to use the secure parking system according to the invention would have sufficient money in their account to cover the parking period required.

These and other advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a secure bicycle parking system according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the parking system of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the parking system of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the parking system of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the parking system of Fig. 1 , Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the portion of Fig. 5 of the parking system of Fig. 1 , Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the portion of Fig. 5 of the parking system of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the portion of Fig. 5 of the parking system of Fig. 1 , Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the parking system of Fig. 1 illustrated in a different configuration to that of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of the parking system of Fig. 1 in the configuration of Fig. 9,

Fig. 11 is an end elevational view of the parking system of Fig. 1 in the configuration of Fig. 9,

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the parking system of Fig. 1 in the configuration of Fig. 9,

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the parking system of Fig. 1 illustrated in another different configuration to that of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 14 is a front elevational view of the parking system of Fig. 1 in the configuration of Fig. 13,

Fig. 15 is an end elevational view of the parking system of Fig. 1 in the configuration of Fig. 13,

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of the parking system of Fig. 1 in the configuration of Fig. 13, and

Fig. 17 is a block representation of a control circuit for controlling operation of the parking system of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 8 thereof, there is illustrated a secure bicycle parking system according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The parking system 1 comprises a plurality of lockers 3 also according to the invention which are located side by side relative to each other for storing respective bicycles (not shown), and a control tower 5 within which a control means, namely, control circuitry, indicated generally by the reference numeral 7 in Fig. 17, is located for controlling operation of the lockers 3 as will be described in detail below.

Before describing the operation of the parking system 1, the lockers 3 will first be described with particular reference to Figs. 5 to 8. Each locker 3 comprises a base 8 of triangular shape and a pair of side walls 9 extending upwardly along respective opposite sides of the base 8. A top wall 10 extends between the side walls 9 and together with the base 8 and the side walls 9 defines a hollow interior region 12 for accommodating a single bicycle therein. The base 8, the side walls 9 and the top wall 10 define an open mouth 14 to the hollow interior region 12 for accommodating a bicycle into the hollow interior region 12.

A closure element, namely, a door 15 is hingedly coupled to one of the side walls 9 and is hingeable from a closed state closing the hollow interior region 12 to an open state providing access to the hollow interior region 12 through the open mouth 14. A locking means, namely, a solenoid operated bolt 16 which is illustrated only in Fig. 17, is secured to the door 15 and is operable between a locked state engageable with a receiver (not shown) on the side wall 9 opposite to the side wall 9 on which the door 15 is hingedly coupled, for securing the door 15 in the closed state, and an unlocked state releasing the door 15 from the closed state, so that the door 15 can be pivoted from the closed state to the open state. The base 8, the side walls 9 and the top walls 10, as well as the door 15 may be of any suitable material, and typically, will be of sheet metal or plastics material.

The side walls 9 converge rearwardly from the open mouth 14 to an apex 18, and define an included angle a of approximately 20° at the apex. The overall length L of each locker 3 from the apex 18 to the door 15 of the locker 3 along a centre-line 22 is approximately 2,100mm. It has been found that by providing the length of each locker 3 to be of length 2,100mm approximately with the included angle a defined by the side walls 9 of approximately 20° provides sufficient room to accommodate the overall length of a bicycle and the width of the handlebars of the bicycle, provided the bicycle is reversed into the hollow interior region 12 of the locker 3 through the open mouth 14.

In the configuration of the parking system 1 which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, alternate ones of the lockers 3 are reversed, so that the doors 15 of half the lockers 3 face in one direction, while the doors 15 of the other half of the lockers 3 face in the reverse direction. In this way, the number of lockers 3 which can be accommodated on a predefined footprint is half that which would be required had the lockers 3 been provided to be of rectangular cross-section when viewed in plan.

Turning now to Figs. 9 to 12, the lockers 3 of the parking system 1 according to the invention are illustrated in an alternative configuration to that of Figs. 1 to 4 whereby the lockers 3 are arranged side by side in an arcuate configuration with the doors 15 of the lockers 3 facing radially outwardly from a central point 21 adjacent the apices 18 of the lockers 3 and defined by the lockers 3 in the arcuate configuration. Referring now to Figs. 13 to 16, the parking system 1 is illustrated in a further different configuration to that of the configuration of Figs. 1 to 4 and Figs. 5 to 8. In this configuration of the parking system 1 the lockers 3 are configured in groups of four, whereby alternative groups of four of the lockers 3 are arranged so that the doors 15 of the lockers of alternate groups face in substantially respective opposite directions.

Referring now to Fig. 17, a block representation of the control circuitry 7 for controlling the operation of the lockers 3 of the parking system 1 will now be described. The control circuitry comprises a signal processor, which in this embodiment of the invention comprises a microprocessor 30 which controls the operation of the parking system 1 , and is located in the control tower 5. An input interface means comprising a card reader 31 is located on the control tower 5 for reading cards (not shown) of users of the parking system 1. The users of the parking system 1 are assigned respective unique identity codes. The identity code of each user is embedded in a card in a machine readable configuration which is supplied to the user, so that when a card is presented to the card reader 31 , the identity code embedded in the card is read by the card reader 31. The microprocessor 30 is configured to store the identity codes of the users of the parking system. On a card being presented by a user to the card reader 31 , the microprocessor 30 checks that the identity code read from the card corresponds with a stored identity code in the microprocessor 30 in order to validate the read identity code.

Before describing the actual operation of the parking system 1 to provide a locker to a user, the remainder of the control circuitry 7 will first be described. The microprocessor 30 controls the operation of the solenoid operated bolts 16 of the respective lockers for urging the bolts 16 between the locked and the unlocked states. A plurality of first indicating means, in this embodiment of the invention red light emitting diodes 33 are provided for indicating the status of the respective lockers 3 as being assigned to a user, and when a locker 3 is assigned to a user, the red light emitting diode 33 of that locker 3 is continuously powered up by the microprocessor 30, but may be intermittently powered-up. A plurality of second indicating means, namely, green light emitting diodes 34 are provided for indicating the status of the respective lockers 3 as being unassigned, and when a locker 3 is unassigned, the green light emitting diode 34 of that locker 3 is continuously powered up by the microprocessor 30 but may be intermittently powered up. Thus, when a locker 3 is assigned to a user, the red light emitting diode 33 is powered up and the green light emitting diode 34 is powered down under the control of the microprocessor 30. When a locker 3 is unassigned, the green light emitting diode 34 is powered up, and the red light emitting diode 33 is powered down under the control of the microprocessor 30. Turning now to the use of the parking system 1 , in normal use, the solenoid operated bolts 16 of the respective lockers 3 are all in the locked state retaining the doors 15 of the corresponding lockers 3 in the closed state. Some or all of the lockers 3 may be assigned and the red light emitting diodes 33 of those assigned lockers 3 will be powered up and the green light emitting diodes 34 of those assigned lockers 3 will be powered down. Some or all of the lockers 3 may be unassigned, and the green light emitting diodes 34 of those unassigned lockers will be powered up and the red light emitting diodes 33 of those unassigned lockers 3 will be powered down. When a person wishes to use a locker 3, the person presents his or her card with his or her identity code embedded therein to the card reader 31. The identity code is read by the card reader 31 from the presented card. The microprocessor 30 compares the read identity code against the stored identity codes in order to validate the read identity code. If the identity code read from the card does not correspond with any of the stored identity codes in the microprocessor 30, the identity code read from the card is not validated, and the transaction is terminated. Once the identity code read from the card has been validated, the microprocessor 30 checks if a locker 3 has already been assigned to that user, if not, assuming an unassigned locker is available, the

microprocessor 30 assigns an unassigned locker to the user.

In order to indicate the assigned locker, the microprocessor 30 operates both the red and the green light emitting diodes 33 and 34 of the assigned locker 3 to flash for a predefined time period, typically of the order of one minute to three minutes, in order to identify the assigned locker 3 to the user. The microprocessor 30 simultaneously operates the solenoid operated bolt 16 of the assigned locker 3 from the locked state to the unlocked state for releasing the door 15 of the assigned locker from the closed state. The user then opens the door 15 of the locker and reverses his or her bicycle into the hollow interior region 12 of the assigned locker 3. The door 15 of the assigned locker 3 is then closed by the user, and under the control of the microprocessor 30 the solenoid operated bolt 16 of the assigned locker 3 is operated from the unlocked state to the locked state, thereby securing the door 15 of the assigned locker 3 in the closed state. The solenoid operated bolt 16 of that assigned locker remains in the locked state retaining the door 15 in the closed state until the user again presents his or her card to the card reader 31. The green light emitting diode 34 of that assigned locker 3 is powered down, while the red light emitting diode 33 thereof is powered up, thus indicating that that locker 3 has been assigned.

On the solenoid operated bolt 16 of the just assigned locker 3 being operated into the locked state for retaining the door 15 of that assigned locker 3 in the locked state, the microprocessor 30 cross-references the identity code read from the card of the user with the identity of the assigned locker 3 in a look-up table. This look-up table allows the microprocessor 30 to readily identify which lockers are unassigned and are available for use, and which lockers have been assigned and the identity of the users to which the respective lockers 3 have been assigned.

5

Additionally, on a user presenting his or her card to the card reader 31 , as already described, the microprocessor 30 validates the identity code read from the card. The microprocessor 30 then checks if a locker has been assigned to that user by looking up the look-up table in which the identity codes of users are cross-referenced with the identity of the assigned lockers 3. If the microprocessor 30 determines that l o one of the lockers 3 is presently assigned to the user, the microprocessor 30 then operates the solenoid operated bolt 16 of that assigned locker from the locked state to the unlocked state, thereby releasing the door 15 of that assigned locker from the closed state. Simultaneously the microprocessor 30 also operates the red and green light emitting diodes 33 and 34 of that locker to flash in order to identify the locker 3 the door 15 of which has been released from the closed state. The user then opens the door 15

15 of that assigned locker 3 and removes his or her bicycle from the locker 3. The user then closes the door 15 of that locker 3, and the microprocessor 30 operates the solenoid operated bolt 16 from the unlocked to the locked state to again retain the door 15 of the locker 3 in the closed state. The locker 3 is then recorded as being unassigned, and the look-up table which contains the identity of the assigned lockers cross-referenced with the identity codes of the users to which the lockers are assigned is updated. The

20 green light emitting diode 33 of that locker which has now become unassigned is powered up and the red light emitting diode 34 thereof is powered down. And so operation of the parking system 1 continues.

In the event of all the lockers being assigned, all the red light emitting diodes 33 will be powered up, and it will be readily apparent to a user that lockers in that particular parking system are not available for use.

25

While the lockers have been described as being of a particular shape, lockers of any other suitable shape may be provided. It will be appreciated that while the side walls of the lockers have been described as converging rearwardly to an apex at a specific angle, where it is desired to have the side walls of the lockers converging rearwardly, the side walls may converge at any desired or suitable angle, and in all 30 cases, they may not converge fully to an apex. It will also be appreciated that the lockers may be of length along the centre-line other than the length described. It will also be appreciated that while the lockers of the parking system have been illustrated in three specific configurations, the lockers may be configured in any other suitable or desired configurations. Indeed, in certain cases, it is envisaged that the lockers of the secure parking system according to the invention may be configured to form a complete circle.

It will also be appreciated that while a specific control means and a specific operating procedure have been described, any other suitable control means and operating procedure may be adopted.

It is envisaged that in some embodiments of the invention the door of each locker may be provided with three solenoid operated bolts, in order to securely lock the door of the locker. It is envisaged that one of the solenoid operated bolts would be provided adjacent the top of the door, and one adjacent the bottom of the door, while the third solenoid operated bolt would be located approximately half-way between the top and bottom of the door.