EP1852553A1

EP1852553A1 - Device for delimiting parking spaces

Info

Publication number: EP1852553A1
Application number: EP06425290A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giampiero Ravaioli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-05-02
Filing date: 2006-05-02
Publication date: 2007-11-07

Abstract

An area delimiting device (1), of the type which comprises a base (2), which is rigidly coupled to the ground, at at least one portion of the perimeter of the area to be delimited, and a movable barrier (3), which is substantially associated with the base (2) so that it can be oriented. The base (2) comprises a flattened box-like body (4), on the upper surface of which at least one photovoltaic cell (5) is installed, at least one respective electric power accumulation element being connected to the terminals of the cell; a motor drive for the controlled movement of the movable barrier (3); and a receiver module, which is coupled to an appropriate actuator given to the user, for controlling and managing the motor drive. The motor drive and the receiver module are supplied with electric power by the at least one power accumulation element, which is kept charged by the at least one photovoltaic cell (5).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for delimiting an area.
The rapid growth in the number of circulating vehicles in proportion to the number of inhabitants has transformed private parking spaces from a convenient accessory to an indispensable necessity.
Nowadays, not only garages but even parking spaces must be protected by means of devices suitable to delimit them.
For example, traditional tilting bars are useful when the parking space is delimited laterally (at least on one of the two sides) by a wall or a pillar on which the bar can be installed.
When the parking spaces to be protected are arranged side by side, in areas accessible to all vehicles, it is absolutely necessary to install intrusion prevention devices which are fixed to the ground.
These devices are generally small bars (either straight or, more generally, arc-shaped or T-shaped), which are hinged to the ground and can be locked in a vertical position and are suitable to prevent the access of a vehicle to the parking space that they delimit. When the authorized user of the parking space releases said bar, it can turn about the hinge for coupling to the ground, assuming a horizontal arrangement: in this configuration, it does not interfere with the passage of the car, which therefore can access the parking space.
The techniques used for locking are substantially divided into two large groups: locks (either fixed or movable) of the mechanical type or of the electric type. Mechanical locks, while being very simple, require the user of the parking space to exit the vehicle to open them with the respective key, and this can be complicated and inconvenient in particular environmental and/or traffic conditions.
Electric locks have the great advantage that they can be controlled remotely: in practice, the user, by means of a remote control (or other equivalent means), sends a coded signal to a receiver. If the signal is correct, said receiver activates a suitable actuator, which releases the bar and moves it to the horizontal position (configuration for not interfering with the vehicle).
Installing an electric lock requires the availability of an electric power source: it is therefore necessary to provide a duct within which it is possible to arrange the power supply cables of the entire intrusion prevention device.
The costs related to the wiring of the electric power supply circuit are often much higher than the costs of the entire intrusion prevention device, and therefore the installation technician tends to prefer the use of mechanical locks, which usually have a very low cost.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an area delimiting device which is provided with a self-powered electric lock.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an area delimiting device which can be installed easily and quickly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an area delimiting device which has a low cost and is relatively simple, practical to provide and safe in application.
This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by the present area delimiting device, of the type which comprises a base, which is rigidly coupled to the ground, at at least one portion of the perimeter of the area to be delimited, and a movable barrier, which is substantially associated with said base so that it can be oriented, characterized in that said base comprises a flattened box-like body, on the upper surface of which at least one photovoltaic cell is installed, at least one respective electric power accumulation element being connected to the terminals of said cell, a motor drive for the controlled movement of said movable barrier, and a suitable receiver module, which is coupled to an appropriate actuator given to the user, for controlling and managing said motor drive, said motor drive and said receiver module being supplied with electric power by said at least one power accumulation element, which is kept charged by said at least one photovoltaic cell.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a device for delimiting an area, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a first side view of an area delimiting device according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a second side view of an area delimiting device according to the invention, with the bar lowered;
Figure 3 is a rear view of an area delimiting device according to the invention;
Figure 4 is a second side view of an area delimiting device according to the invention, with the bar raised;
Figure 5 is a top view of an area delimiting device according to the invention, with the bar lowered;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an area delimiting device according to the invention, with the bar lowered;
Figure 7 is a top view of an area delimiting device according to the invention, with the bar raised;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of an area delimiting device according to the invention, with the bar raised.

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an area delimiting device according to the invention.
The device 1 comprises a base 2, which is rigidly coupled to the ground at at least one portion of the perimeter of the area to be delimited, and a movable barrier 3, which is substantially associated with the base 2 so that it can be oriented.
In turn, the base 2 comprises a flattened box-like body 4, on the upper surface of which at least one photovoltaic cell 5 is installed; at least one respective electric power accumulation element (not shown in the figure) and a motor drive (also not shown in the figure) for the controlled movement of the movable barrier 3 are connected to the power supply terminals of said cell; substantially, the barrier 3 is rigidly coupled to the motor drive so that every movement thereof is transferred to the bar 3. The motor drive can be constituted by a traditional rotary electric motor, but it can also be constituted by a linear induction motor or by any other assembly which comprises a fixed portion rigidly coupled to the box-like body 4 and a portion which can move on the fixed portion.
The box-like body 4 also comprises a suitable receiver module, not shown in the figures, which is coupled to a suitable actuator provided to the the user, also not shown.
The receiver module is designed to activate/deactivate (i.e., in practice, control and manage) the motor drive: in particular, there can also be a control and management unit which is functionally associated with the motor drive so that said unit determines the times and modes of activation of the motor drive as a function of the activation/deactivation signal received by the receiver module. Of course, if the control and management unit is present, it is also functionally associated with the receiver module, with the power accumulation element (for example in order to check its charged status) and with the photovoltaic cell (in order to check its operation).
The photovoltaic cell is the junction of two thin semiconductor materials (p-type and n-type silicon). When a beam of light strikes the cell, the positive charges separate from the negative ones, producing a difference in potential. A small electric current is generated between the two semiconductors. A cell has, by way of example, a surface of approximately 100 mm², which in normal insolation conditions (25°C, 1 kW/m²) generates an electric current with an intensity of 3 amps, a voltage of 0.5 V and a power of 1.5 W. The silicon is in practice a "machine" which generates energy, but like all machines it has efficiency losses. Modem internal combustion engines achieve 27%, electric power stations reach 50%. Thus, polycrystalline silicon has low efficiencies of 12-14%, monocrystalline silicon has an efficiency of 18%, and amorphous silicon has a conversion efficiency (7%) which is even lower than that of polycrystalline silicon and is cheaper but lasts 10 years, whereas a polycrystalline module has a life guarantee of 25-30 years.
The connection of a plurality of cells allows to obtain higher voltages (volts). Once they have been connected in series/in parallel, the 36 cells are encapsulated in a layer of EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) and then laminated onto a high-strength, highly transparent and non-reflective glass sheet in order to obtain the module framed by an aluminum frame. Connected in this manner, the cells form the half-square-meter module, which generates 50 Wp (due to coupling losses) at a voltage of 17 V (volts x amps = watts). It weighs approximately 6 kilograms and is 4 centimeters thick. Multiple modules form a string and multiple strings together form a photovoltaic field: in practice, it is necessary to have a plurality of cells in order to supply the accumulation element with sufficient energy.
The motor drive and the receiver module, as well as the control unit, are supplied with electric power by the at least one energy accumulation element, which is kept charged by the at least one photovoltaic cell: in practice, there is a battery pack which is intended to be kept charged.
The box-like body 4 has an upper sheet 6 of the penetration-resistant type with high mechanical strength, and the sheet 6 has at least one transparent portion which lies above the at least one photovoltaic cell 5, so that said cell can be struck by solar radiation although it is protected against loads resting on the sheet 6.
Further, each device 1 must be provided with an adapted luminous indicator 7, which is active during periods in which the movable barrier 3 is moving: according to statutory provisions, whenever a moving element is present, the steps of movement must be indicated by a intermittent (flashing) light which is clearly visible.
In the box-like body 4, the front end surface 8 and the rear end surface 9 are substantially inclined in order to facilitate the passage of a vehicle above the box-like body 4: the inclined surfaces 8 and 9 in fact constitute a sort of connection between the road surface and the top of the box-like body 4, which lie at different levels (equal to the height of the box-like body 4). The vehicle might damage its tires if the step were not blended (beveled) by means of the surfaces 8 and 9; at the same time, the box-like body 4 also would be particularly subjected to the load indeed at the edge of the step and would be easily deformable in this very region.
Internally, the box-like body 4 comprises structural reinforcement tabs (for example metallic ribs or ridges), which are suitable to prevent its deformation if a vehicle passes over it; the structural tabs may also comprise small internal columns, on which part of the weight of any vehicle that travels over the device 1 can be distributed.
Of course, in order to ensure optimum stability in installation, the device 1 has surfaces for anchoring to the ground (for example bands which are suitable to be embedded with concrete or other structural binding agents in appropriate receptacles provided in the ground, or high-strength anchors).
Conveniently, the anchoring surfaces are not accessible when the device 1 is installed (for example because they lie inside the box-like body 4): this ensures that the device 1 can not be removed easily from its installation receptacle.
According to a constructive embodiment of particular practical interest (shown in the accompanying figures), the movable barrier 3 is a tubular body which is shaped appropriately and is made of a material with high mechanical strength (for example a metallic pipe).
According to a preferred constructive embodiment, the receiver module is a programmable receiver (of the type normally used in gates, main doors, bars of the automatic type), while the actuator given to the user is a programmable remote control (also of a known type for operating moving elements). The receiver and the remote control of course operate with a same signal subjected to the same coding, so that a same remote control cannot open any device 1 but only the one that has the same coding string.
It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In the exemplary embodiments shown, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other exemplary embodiments.
Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

An area delimiting device, of the type comprising a base (2), which is rigidly coupled to the ground, at at least one portion of the perimeter of the area to be delimited, and a movable barrier (3), which is substantially associated with said base (2) so that it can be oriented, characterized in that said base (2) comprises a flattened box-like body (4), on the upper surface of which at least one photovoltaic cell (5) is installed, at least one respective electric power accumulation element being connected to the terminals of said cell, a motor drive for the controlled movement of said movable barrier (3), and a suitable receiver module, which is coupled to an appropriate actuator given to the user, for controlling and managing said motor drive, said motor drive and said receiver module being supplied with electric power by said at least one power accumulation element, which is kept charged by said at least one photovoltaic cell (5).
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said box-like body (4) is provided with an upper sheet (6) of the penetration-resistant type with high mechanical strength, said sheet (6) having at least one transparent portion which lies above said at least one photovoltaic cell (5).
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a control and management unit, which is functionally associated with said motor drive, said receiving module, said energy accumulation element and said photovoltaic cell (5).
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an adapted luminous indicator (7), which is active when said movable barrier (3) is moving.
The device according to claim 4, characterized in that said luminous indicator (7) is of the flashing type.
The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that in said box-like body (4) the front end surface (8) and the rear end surface (9) are substantially inclined in order to facilitate the passage of a vehicle over said box-like body (4).
The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said box-like body (4) comprises structural reinforcement tabs, which are suitable to prevent its deformation if a vehicle passes over said box-like body (4).
The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has ground anchoring surfaces which are substantially inaccessible once the device is installed.
The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said movable barrier (3) is a tubular body which is shaped conveniently and is made of a material with high mechanical strength.
The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said suitable receiver module is a programmable receiver and in that said actuator provided to the user is a programmable remote control, the associated receiver and remote control operating with a same signal subjected to the same coding.