Parking Aid

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a parking aid. More particularly, the parking aid of the present invention is intended for use in stopping a vehicle at a desirable distance from an object such as a wall.

Background Art

In circumstances where the length of a garage is only slightly longer than the length of a vehicle, it is necessary to park the vehicle as close as possible to an end wall in order to close the door of the garage or to reduce the extent to which the vehicle extends beyond the parking space into, for example a footpath or a road.

Some parking spaces have parking aids installed to assist drivers from hitting the wall of the garage. A common type of parking aid seen is in the form of a concrete strip. The concrete strip is attached permanently to the ground and at a predetermined distance from the wall. Whilst the concrete strip is durable andeasy to construct, the location of the concrete stripe relative to wall is fixed.

Therefore, drivers cannot necessarily rely on this form of parking aid to prevent them from hitting the wall and cannot alter the distance to accommodate different vehicles.

The present invention provides a parking aid that enables the distance between the vehicle and the wall of a parking space to be adjusted so that drivers can park their vehicle close to the wall.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or an admission that any of the material referred to was or is part of the common general knowledge in Australia as at the priority date of the application.

Disclosure of the Invention

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a parking aid comprising a wheel contacting means and a location adjusting means wherein the location adjusting means comprises securing means that facilitate adjustment of the length of the location adjusting means.

Advantageously, adjusting the length of the location adjusting means enables the user to adjust the distance between the object and the wheel contacting means, thereby controlling the distance between the object and the vehicle. Advantageously, the distance may be adjusted to accommodate different sized vehicles.

Preferably, the location adjusting means comprises a first member and a second member. Preferably, the first member and the second member are both elongated. The first member and the second member are adapted to be slidably received one inside the other. In one form of the invention, the first member is adapted to be slidably received by second member. Alternatively, the second member is adapted to be slidably received by the first member.

In one form of the invention, the elongate first member and the elongate second member are both U-shaped channels. In an alternate form of the invention, the elongate first member and the elongate second member are both four sided tubes. It will be appreciated that the first member and the second member may be provided in other shapes.

It will be appreciated that where the first member and the second member are both U-shaped channels, one member may be slidably received by the other

member by sliding a member into the other member in either the elongate direction or via the open end of the U-shape.

The length of the location adjusting means is adjusted by controlling how far one member is slidably received by or overlaps the other member.

The securing means is releasable and is adapted to secure the first member and second member to each other thereby fixing the length of the location adjusting means.

The securing means may be provided in the form of a bolt with or without a nut, a hook and loop fastener such as Velcro ^® , a hatch and latch combination, a hasp and latch combination or a plurality of teeth.

Where the securing means is provided in the form of a bolt with or without a nut, the first member is provided with at least one aperture and the second member is provided with at least one aperture.

In one specific form of the invention, the first member is provided with one aperture and the second member is provided with a plurality of apertures. In a second specific form of the invention, the first member is provided with a plurality of apertures and the second member is provided with one aperture.

The apertures of the first member and the second member are located on complimentary surfaces of the members such that when one member is slidably received in the other member, the surfaces comprising the apertures are adjacent. In this way, it is possible to align the apertures on the members to permit passage of the bolt through the aligned apertures and secure the members thereby fixing the length of the length adjusting means. The bolt may be secured to the members by attaching a nut in the conventional way. The nut may be secured on the inside of the internal member. Alternatively, the apertures may be provided with an internal thread.

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Where the securing means is provided in the form of a hook and loop fastener such as Velcro ^® , it will be appreciated that there may be a number of different ways to secure the members to each other. One method comprises the location of one half of the Velcro on one surface of a member and the location of the second complimentary half of the Velcro on the complimentary surface of the other member. The first half of the Velcro may overhang the end of the member and the second half of the Velcro may run along substantially the whole length of the side to which it is attached. The member with the first half of the Velcro is slid over the other member to the desired location and the overhanging portion of the Velcro is attached to the second half of the Velcro thereby securing the members to each other.

Where the securing means is provided in the form of a hasp and latch combination, it is anticipated that one member will be provided with a hasp and the other member will be provided with a plurality of latches.

Where the securing means is provided in the form of a plurality of teeth, it will be appreciated that the teeth will be complimentary and will be located on complimentary surfaces of the first member and the second members so that when the members are slidably engaged, the complimentary teeth mate and fix the length of the length adjusting means.

Preferably, the wheel contacting means comprises a wheel contacting plate comprising a wheel contacting surface and a back surface.

The wheel contacting means may comprise an upper flange and/or a lower flange. Preferably, the wheel contacting means comprises an upper flange and a lower flange. Preferably, the upper flange and the lower flange extend from the wheel contacting plate in the direction of the back surface.

In one embodiment, the upper flange and the lower flange are substantially parallel to each other and substantially normal to the wheel contacting plate. In this manner, the wheel contacting plate is substantially normal to the surface of the road. Alternatively, the wheel contacting plate is arranged such that it forms

an acute angle with the surface of the road. In such an embodiment, the upper flange and the lower flange are preferably substantially parallel to each other but the upper flange forms an obtuse angle with the wheel contacting plate and the lower flange forms an acute angle with the wheel contacting plate. In such an embodiment, a greater portion of the vehicle wheel touches the wheel contacting plate, placing less stress on the wheel and potentially creating greater resistance.

Preferably, the wheel contacting plate and the upper flange and/or the lower flange are formed in one piece. It will be appreciated that where the flanges and the wheel contacting plate are not formed in one piece, they may be secured by any means known in the art, depending on their material.

In one form of the invention, the upper flange is provided with an aperture for securing the location adjusting means to the wheel contacting means by way of, for example, a bolt. Alternatively, the location adjusting means may be welded to the wheel contacting means.

The parking aid may further comprise an abutment means comprising an abutment plate adapted to abut the object.

The abutment means may comprise an upper flange and/or a lower flange. Preferably, the abutment means comprises an upper flange and a lower flange. Preferably, the upper flange and the lower flange extend from the abutment plate in the direction away from the object.

Preferably, the upper flange and the lower flange are substantially parallel to each other and substantially normal to the abutment plate. In this manner, the abutment plate is substantially normal to the surface of the road.

Preferably, the abutment plate and the upper flange and/or the lower flange are formed in one piece. It will be appreciated that where the flanges and the abutment plate are not formed in one piece, they may be secured by any means known in the art, depending on their material.

In one form of the invention, the upper flange is provided with an aperture for securing the location adjusting means to the abutment means by way of, for example, a bolt. Alternatively, the location adjusting means may be welded to the abutment means.

The lower flange may be provided with at least one aperture to facilitate the securing of the abutment member to the ground by means of, for example, a bolt.

The parking aid may comprise two location adjusting means wherein the two location adjusting means are connected to the wheel contacting means to form a U-shape. Where there are provide two location adjusting means, the parking aid may further comprise a brace adapted to strengthen the parking aid. Strengthening the parking aid may be advantageous where the wheel contacting means is dimensioned such that it can contact both wheels of the vehicle.

The parking aid may be prepared from suitably resilient materials such as, without limitation, metal such as steel or aluminium, fibreglass, carbon fibre, plastic, Kevlar ^® or wood. It will be appreciated that different components of the parking aid may be prepared from different materials.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The parking aid of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to two embodiments thereof and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of the parking aid in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the parking aid of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the parking aid of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is an upper view of the disassembled parking aid of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is an upper view of the parking aid of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 6 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the parking aid in accordance with the present invention.

Best Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention

In Figures 1 to 5 there is shown a parking aid 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, the parking aid 10 comprising a wheel contacting means 12, a location adjusting means 14 and an abutment means 16.

The wheel contacting means 12 comprises a wheel contacting plate 18, an upper flange 20 and a lower flange 22. The wheel contacting plate 18 comprises a wheel contacting surface 19 and a back surface 21. The upper flange 20 and the lower flange 22 extend from the wheel contacting plate 18 in the direction of the back surface 21. The wheel contacting plate 18, the upper flange 20 and the lower flange 22 are formed in one piece. The upper flange 20 extends approximately 50 mm from the wheel contacting plate 18 at an angle of about 111°. The lower flange 22 extends approximately 90 mm from the wheel contacting plate 18 at an angle of about 69°. The wheel contacting plate 18 is disposed at an angle of about 69° relative to the ground. When a wheel engages the wheel contacting means 12, a greater proportion of the wheel touches the wheel contacting surface 18 than it would if the wheel contacting plate 18 was substantially normal to the ground.

An aperture 23 is provided in the middle of the upper flange 20 for connecting the location adjusting means 14 to the wheel contacting means 12.

The upper flange 20 is provided with an aperture 23 for securing the location adjusting means 14 to the wheel contacting means 12 by way of a bolt.

The location adjusting means 14 comprises a U-shaped elongate first member 30 and a U-shaped elongate second member 32. The first member 30 is adapted to be slidably received by the second member 32.

The first member 30 is provided with an aperture 35 located on its upper wall 34. The second member 32 is provided with a plurality apertures 36 located on its upper wall 38. The first member 30 and the second member 32 are secured by aligning aperture 35 of the first member 30 with one of the apertures 36 on the second member 32 and inserting a bolt 40 through the aligned apertures and securing the bolt with a nut (not shown).

The abutment means 16 comprises an abutment plate 42, an upper flange 44 and a lower flange 46. The upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46 extend from the abutment plate 42 in the direction away from the wall. The abutment plate 42, the upper flange 44 and the lower flange 46 are formed in one piece. The abutment plate 42 is substantially normal to the surface of the road. The upper flange 44 extends approximately 50 mm from the abutment plate 42 and the lower flange 46 extends approximately 50 mm from the abutment plate 42.

An aperture 45 is provided in the middle of the upper flange 20 for connecting the abutment means 16 to the wheel contacting means 12.

The abutment means 16 is connected to the second end (not shown) of the second member 32 by aligning the aperture 45 of the top flange 44 and the aperture (not shown) of the second end of the second member 32 such that a bolt 54 is inserted through the aligned apertures and a nut (not shown) to secure the bolt 54, thereby securing the second member 32 to the abutment means 16.

The wheel contacting means 12 is connected to the second end (not shown) of the first member 30 by aligning the aperture 23 of the top flange 20 and the aperture of the second end of the first member 30 such that a bolt 56 is inserted through the aligned apertures and a nut (not shown) to secure the bolt 56, thereby connecting the first member 30 to the wheel contacting surface 12.

In use, the parking aid 10 is assembled by disposing the wheel contacting means 12 secured to the first member 30 of the location adjusting means 14 remotely from the wall. The abutment means 16 secured to the second member 32 of the location adjusting means 14 is placed adjacent to the wall with the abutment

surface 43 adjacent the wall. The first member 30 is slid into in the direction of the wall. When the parking aid 10 is assembled, a user measures the distance between the wheel and the wall that permits the vehicle to be parked as close as possible to the wall. The user then adjusts the length of the location adjusting means 14 and secures the first member 30 and the second member 32 to each other with the bolt 40. When the parking aid is to be used with a different vehicle, it is a simple process to repeat the measuring and adjusting steps.

In Figure 6 there is shown a parking aid in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The parking aid 100 comprises a wheel contacting means 102, a first location adjusting means 104, a second location adjusting means 106 and a brace 107.

The first location adjusting means 102 comprises a first member 108 and a second member 110. The second location adjusting 106 means comprises a first member 112 and a second member 114.

The first member 108 is provided with a plurality of apertures 116. The second member 110 is provided with a plurality of apertures 118. The first member 112 is provided with a plurality of apertures 120. The second member 114 is provided with a plurality of apertures 122.

To fix the length of the location adjusting means 104 and 106, the apertures 116 and 120 of the first members 108 and 106 respectively are aligned with the apertures 118 and 122 of the second members 110 and 114 respectively and bolts 124 inserted through the aligned apertures.

When the parking aid 100 is assembled, the ends and of the second members 110 and 114 are placed adjacent to the wall. The lengths of the location adjusting means 102 and 106 are adjusted and the parking used as described with respect to the embodiment depicted in Figure 1 to 5.

Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to the skilled addressee are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.