Patent Application
20220112761
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to storage devices and more particularly pertains to a new storage device for storing a skateboard at a public building.
The prior art relates to storage devices including a variety of electronic locker devices for storing personal items. The prior art also discloses a variety of lock boxes for storing a skateboard.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a storage housing that includes an access opening extending into an interior of the storage housing for having a skateboard extended therethrough. A door is hingedly coupled to the storage housing and the door is aligned with the access opening for opening and closing the access opening. A locking unit is coupled to the storage housing to lock the door. A carousel is rotatably positioned within the storage housing and the carousel has a plurality of storage spaces each integrated therein to receive a skateboard for storage. A dispensing unit is integrated into the storage housing for controlling the carousel to facilitate the user to either insert or remove their skateboard from the respective storage space.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The door 32 has a first edge 34 and a second edge 36, and the first edge 34 is hingedly coupled to the front wall 20 of the storage housing 12. A locking unit 38 is provided and the locking unit 38 is coupled to the storage housing 12. The locking unit 38 is actuatable into a locking condition having the locking unit 38 engaging the door 32 when the door 32 is in a closed position thereby inhibiting the door 32 from being opened. The locking unit 38 is actuatable into an unlocked condition having the locking unit 38 disengaging the door 32 when the door 32 is in an open position thereby facilitating the door 32 to be opened.
The locking unit 38 comprises a pair of engagements 40 that is each coupled to the second edge 36 of the door 32. Each of the engagements 40 may comprise a ferromagnetic plate or the like. The locking unit 38 includes a pair of locks 42 and each of the locks 42 is coupled to the front wall 20 of the storage housing 12. Each of the locks 42 is positioned adjacent to the access opening 14 in the front wall 20. Each of the engagements 40 is aligned with a respective one of the locks 42 when the door 32 is in the closed position. Each of the engagements 40 is releasably engaged by the respective lock 42 when the locks 42 are turned on and each of the engagements 40 is disengaged by the respective lock 42 when the locks 42 are turned off. Each of the locks 42 may comprise electromagnetic locks or the like that can magnetically engage each of the engagements 40.
A carousel 44 is provided and the carousel 44 is rotatably positioned within the storage housing 12. The carousel 44 has a plurality of storage spaces 46 each being integrated therein. The carousel 44 is aligned with the access opening 14 in the storage housing 12 to receive the skateboard 16, a scooter or any other similarly sized transportation device for storage. The carousel 44 has a first lateral side 48, a second lateral side 50 and an outer side 52 extending therebetween, and the outer side 52 is continuously arcuate about a center point of the carousel 44 such that the carousel 44 has a drum shape. Each of the storage spaces 46 extends into the outer side 52 and the storage spaces 46 are distributed around a full circumference of the outer side 52.
A carousel shaft 54 extends through the first lateral side 48 and the second lateral side 50 of the carousel 44. The carousel shaft 54 rotatably engages each of the first lateral wall 22 and the second lateral wall 24 of the storage housing 12. Each of the storage spaces 46 in the outer side 52 of the carousel 44 is aligned with the access opening 14 as the carousel shaft 54 is rotated to facilitate access to the skateboard 16 stored in each of the storage spaces 46. Each of the storage spaces 46 is assigned a unique identity with respect to each other. Moreover, the carousel shaft 54 has a plurality of markers 56 integrated therein, each of the markers 56 is aligned with a respective one of the storage spaces 46 and each of the markers 56 is associated with the unique identity of the respective storage space 46.
A motor 58 is positioned within the housing 12, the motor 58 rotates in a first direction when the motor 58 is turned on and the motor 58 has an output shaft 60. The motor 58 may comprise an electric motor or the like. A belt 62 is wrapped around the output shaft 60 of the motor 58 and the carousel shaft 54 such that the carousel 44 is rotated when the motor 58 is turned on. A cover 64 is provided that has a first end 66, a second end 68 and a first surface 70 extending therebetween. The cover 64 is elongated between the first end 66 and the second end 68 and the cover 64 is wrapped around the outer side 52 of the carousel 44 having the first end 66 being spaced from the second end 68. Each of the first end 66 and the second end 68 is aligned with a respective top edge 72 and bottom edge 74 of the access opening 14 in the front wall 20 of the storage housing 12.
A dispensing unit 76 is integrated into the storage housing 12 and the dispensing unit 76 can be manipulated by a user. The dispensing unit 76 is in communication with the carousel 44 and the carousel 44 is rotated to align a respective one of the storage spaces 46 with the access opening 14 in the storage housing 12 when the dispensing unit 76 is actuated by the user. In this way the dispensing unit 76 facilitates the user to either insert or remove their skateboard 16 from the respective storage space 46. The dispensing unit 76 comprises a position sensor 77 that is integrated into the storage housing 12 and the position sensor 77 is aligned with the carousel shaft 54. The position sensor 77 senses each of the markers 56 as the carousel shaft 54 is rotated. The position sensor 77 may comprise an electronic position sensor or the like that is capable of electronically detecting each of the markers 56.
The dispensing unit 76 includes a control circuit 78 that is integrated into the storage housing 12. The position sensor 77 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 78 and the motor 58 is electrically coupled thereto. The control circuit 78 receives a load input and the control circuit 78 receives a dispense input. Moreover, the motor 58 is turned on when the control circuit 78 receives the dispense input. The dispensing unit 76 includes an electronic memory 80 that is integrated into the storage housing 12. The electronic memory 80 stores the unique identity of each of the storage spaces 46 and the electronic memory 80 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 78.
The dispensing unit 76 includes an access code generator 82 that is integrated into the housing 12. The access code generator 82 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 78 and the access code generator 82 generates a unique access code when the control circuit 78 receives the load input. The access code generator 82 may be an electronic code generator and the access code may be an alphanumeric code. The dispensing unit 76 includes a control panel 84 that is coupled to the front wall 20 of the storage housing 12 to be accessible to the user. The control panel 84 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 78 and the control panel 84 includes a display 85 and a plurality of control buttons 86. Each of the control buttons 86 is manipulated to facilitate the user to either store or retrieve their skateboard 16.
The display 85 displays indicia comprising operational data to facilitate the user to either store or retrieve their skateboard 16. The control circuit 78 receives the load input when the control panel 84 is manipulated thereby facilitating a respective storage space 46 to be aligned with the access opening 14. The electronic memory 80 stores the access code generated by the access code generator 82 and associates the access code with the respective storage space 46 that is aligned with the access opening 14. Each of the locks 42 is turned off when the control circuit 78 receives the load input to facilitate the user to insert their skateboard 16 into the respective storage space 46.
The control buttons 86 are manipulated to enter the access code when the skateboard 16 in the respective storage space 46 is to be retrieved from the carousel 44. The control circuit 78 receives the dispense input when the access code is entered with the control buttons 86 that corresponds to an access code stored in the electronic memory 80. The motor 58 is turned on to rotate the carousel 44 such that the storage space 46 with the unique identity that is associated with the access code entered with the control buttons 86 is aligned with the access opening 14 for retrieving the skateboard 16 from the carousel 44. Moreover, each of the locks 42 is turned off to facilitate the door 32 to be opened for removing the skateboard 16 from the storage housing 12.
The dispensing unit 76 includes a card reader 88 that is integrated into the storage housing 12 for having an electronic payment card inserted therein. The card reader 88 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 78 for processing payment for renting one of the storage spaces 46 in the carousel 44. The card reader 88 may be an electronic credit card reader 88 or the like and the electronic payment card may be a credit card or a debit card.
A power supply 90 is integrated into the housing 12 and the power supply 90 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 78. The power supply 90 comprises at least one battery 92 that is positioned in the storage housing 12. The at least one battery 92 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 78. The power supply 90 includes a solar panel 94 that is coupled to the top wall 18 of the storage housing 12 such that the solar panel 94 is exposed to sunlight. The solar panel 94 is electrically coupled to the at least one battery 92 for charging the at least one battery 92.
In use, the user inserts the electronic payment card into the card reader 88 to pay for renting storage time in the storage housing 12. The carousel 44 is rotated to align an empty storage space 46 with the access opening 14 and the locks 42 are turned off to facilitate the door 32 to be opened. The skateboard 16 is inserted into the carousel 44 and the access code is displayed on the display 85 for the user to memorize. The door 32 is closed and the locks 42 are turned on the secure the skateboard 16. The user enters the access code with the control buttons 86 to retrieve the skateboard 16 from the carousel 44.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
