CYCLE STORAGE AND LOCKING SYSTEM

• US 20110226708A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smoove
• Original Assignee: Smoove
• Inventors: Mercat, Denis, Mercat, Laurent, Mercat, Jean-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,678,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/5
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/02 involving means for gripping the cycle by the handlebars or by the upper part of the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/04 involving forked supports of brackets for holding a wheel B62H3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 5/06 acting on the front wheel fork or steering head tube
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/40 Rider propelled cycles with auxiliary electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5872 For cycles

Abstract

The invention relates to a cycle storage and locking system, which includes a plurality of cycles (1) and at least one storage station including a plurality of storage and locking points, while the system includes means for locking each one of the cycles to one of the storage and locking points, each one of the storage points being made up of two arms, forming between them a space in which the front wheel of the cycle is intended to be inserted when positioning the cycle, while the means for locking each one at the cycles are made up of two laterally mobile side projections (6a, 6b) engaging with two locking recesses (7a, 7b), characterised in that the cycle includes the two mobile locking projections and the storage point includes the two concave locking recesses (7a, 7b).

Claims

1. Cycle storage and locking system, which includes a plurality of cycles (1) and at least one storage station (2) including a plurality of locking and storage points (3), whereas the system includes means for locking each of the cycles on one of the storage and locking points, each of the storage points (3) being comprised of two arms (3a, 3b) to form a space (E) therebetween, in which the front wheel (5) of the cycle (1) is adapted to be inserted when positioning the cycle, whereas the locking means of each cycle are comprised of two laterally movable lateral projections (6a, 6b) cooperating with two locking recesses (7a, 7b), characterized in that the cycle (1) includes the two locking movable projections, and the storage point (3) includes the two locking recesses (7a, 7b).

2. Cycle storage and locking system (1) according to claim 1, in which the cycle conventionally has a generally vertical plane (P) and comprises a front steering (90) with a front fork (9) comprised of two fork blades (9a, 9b) connected by a fork crown (9c) carrying a fork stem (9d), whereas the fork crown is constituted by a transverse block, characterized in that the fork crown (9c) includes the system for locking the cycle on the storage point with its two locking projections adapted to cooperate with the corresponding recesses.

3. Cycle storage and locking system (1) according to claim 1, and in which the cycle conventionally has a generally vertical plane (P) and comprises a front steering (90) with a front fork (9) comprised of two fork blades (9a, 9b) connected by a fork crown (9c) carrying a fork stem (9d), whereas the fork crown is constituted by a transverse block, characterized in that each fork blade (9a, 9b) includes a movable lateral projection (6a, 6b) to project laterally and to cooperate with the corresponding locking recesses of the storage point.

4. Cycle Storage and locking system according to any of the claim 1, characterized in that the two arms (3a, 3b) are fixed to the ground and extend upward.

5. Cycle Storage and locking system according to the preceding claim 4, characterized in that the upper portion of the inner wall of each of the arms (3a, 3b) of each of the storage points (3) includes a locking recess (7a, 7b) having a shape complementary to the projections to be introduced therein.

6. Cycle storage and locking system according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking and unlocking means include a rotatable control element (20) controlled by a control rod (2) housed in the fork stem.

7. Cycle storage and locking system (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that in the case of a keyless electronic management, the unlocking of the bicycle from its storage point is carried out using a micro motor that rotates the control rod (21).

8. Cycle storage and locking system (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that each of the movable lateral projections (6a, 6b) is kinematically connected to the rotatable control element (20) due to a connecting rod (19a, 19b) that is pivotally mounted on said rotatable element.

9. Cycle storage and locking system according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the locking projections (6a, 6b) is slidably housed in a socket (10a, 10b).

10. Cycle storage and locking system according to claim 9, characterized in that each of the sockets (10a, 10b) includes an inner tubular portion (10′

) housed in the fork crown (9c) and an outer tubular portion (10″

) projecting out of the fork crown, and it is via this outer tubular portion (10″

), through cooperation with a ramp system, that the cycle is guided to its storage and locking position.

11. Cycle storage and locking system according to claim 10, characterized in that each of the locking projections is part of a locking pin (11a, 11b), which includes an inner cylindrical housing (13a, 13b) and a bottom wall (14a, 14b), in which inner housing is arranged a control rod (15a, 15b) whose one end is housed in the locking pin and whose other end projects out of the locking pin, whereas the end that is housed in the locking pin has a cylindrical guiding wall (16a, 16b) and a support surface (17a, 17b) for a compression spring (18a, 18b) whose other end is supported on a bottom wall of the corresponding locking pin, and in that the lateral portion of the control rod (15a, 15b), constituted by the cylindrical guiding wall and the support surface (17a, 17b), is supported on an inner peripheral abutment (110).

12. Cycle storage and locking system according to claim 11, characterized in that a control connecting rod (19a, 19b) is articulated via one of its ends about a vertical axis (190), at the end of the control rod that projects out of the locking pin, and via its other end about a vertical axis (191), in the area of the rotatable control element (20).

13. Cycle storage and locking system according to claim 12, characterized in that, in the active locking position whereby the locking projections project, the two connecting rods are aligned along the transverse axis (X2, X′

2), thereby making the locked position secured by knuckle-joint effect, so that an axial force on the locking projections cannot cause a rotation toward the unlocked position.

14. Cycle storage and locking system according to claim 13, characterized in that each of the locking pins includes a movable central connection stud (104a) adapted to cooperate with a fixed connection stud (107a) arranged on the storage point, each of the fixed connection studs being connected to a power supply, whereas each of the movable central connection studs (104a) is electrically connected to the electrical circuit of the cycle.

15. Cycle storage and locking system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cycle includes an antitheft system used outside of the station, which includes means for locking the steering in an angular position relative to the general plane (P) of the frame.

16. Cycle storage and locking system (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that the antitheft system used outside of the station is an antitheft lock (24) comprised of a cable (25), the end of which includes a pin (27) adapted to be engaged in a transverse locking hole made in the steering column, on the one hand, and in the fork stem in order to be locked therein by a latch (28), on the other hand.