Abstract:
A parking post capable of assuming retracted and protracted conformations includes a post moiety including an essentially elongated hollow body and a locking mechanism, adapted to secure the post in the protracted conformation. The parking post includes a pedestal moiety, including top and bottom frames, a housing connected to the top frame, at least two pulleys adapted to receive a string, at least two plummets vertically translatable within the pedestal moiety, the collective weight of which somewhat exceeds the weight of the post moiety. Strings are threaded onto the pulleys and interconnect the plummets with the jogs on the post moiety. An actuation mechanism is used to secure the parking post in the retracted and protracted conformations.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to parking post. In particular, the invention relates to parking post capable of assuming retracted and protracted conformations and a mechanism therefor. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is disclosed that the pertinent state-of-the-art is represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,451,164, 3,698,135 5,961,249; GB patent applications GB2305199A, GB2346642A and GB2435669A as well as by international patent application having publication number WO1998/024979. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood and appreciated more comprehensively from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is an isometric view of the parking post of the invention in a retracted conformation; 
         FIG. 1B  is an isometric view of the parking post of the invention in a protracted conformation; 
         FIG. 2A  is an isometric view of the mechanism of the parking post of the invention in a retracted conformation; 
         FIG. 2B  is an isometric view of the mechanism of the parking post of the invention in a protracted conformation; 
         FIG. 3A  is a side view of the mechanism of the parking post of the invention in a protracted conformation; 
         FIG. 3B  is a front view of the mechanism of the parking post of the invention in a protracted conformation; 
         FIG. 3C  is a cross-sectional front view of the mechanism of the parking post of the invention shown in  FIG. 3B , wherein the cross-section is performed in accordance with the cross-section line C, apparent in  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3D  is an enlarged view of the mechanism of the parking post of the invention shown in  FIG. 3C ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view of the post moiety of the mechanism of the invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view of the post moiety shown in  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4C  is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism of the post moiety, the cross-sectional view of which is shown in  FIG. 4B ; 
         FIG. 4D  is a side view of the post moiety of the mechanism of the invention. 
     
    
    
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.  FIG. 5   
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with technology- or business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the effort of such a development might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     In accordance with some embodiments of the parking post of present invention reference is now made to  FIGS. 1A to 4D . The parking post of the present invention assumes retracted and protracted conformations  10 A and  10 B, respectively. The parking post comprises pedestal moiety  12  and post moiety  20 . The top of post moiety  20  is furnished a pulling ring  22 . Pulling ring  22  is used to apply a forceful pulling to post moiety  20 , thereby recovering post  20  whenever it is stuck. 
     Pedestal moiety  12  is covered by an enclosure of plates  14 . Pedestal moiety  12  is formed by top and bottom frames  18  and  16 , respectively. Top frame  18  is connected housing  27 . Ribs  25  extend from housing  27 . Ribs  25  interconnect between housing  27  and enclosure plates  14 . Enclosure plates  14  are typically welded to each other at about 90 degrees angle as well as to ribs  25  at about 45 degrees angle. Housing  27  is used as the guiding rail for post moiety  20 ; conferring the latter a translation an essentially paralleling to the former. 
     A plurality of rollers  28  are disposed in-between housing  27  and post  20 ; preferably four rollers  28  are disposed on each interior face housing  27  facing vis-à-vis post  20 . Rollers  28  are preferably affixed to the interior faces housing  27  facing vis-à-vis post  20 . Rollers  28  are implemented to facilitate a smooth continuous translation of post  20  relatively to housing  27 . 
     The mechanism of the parking post comprises plummets  40 A and  40 B. Plummet  40 A is connected to string  42 A, whereas plummet  40 B is connected to a respective string (not shown), from the opposite (back) side of housing  27 . String  42 A is threaded onto pulley  41 A, whereas string the aforesaid respective string (not shown), is threaded onto another pulley (not shown), from the opposite (back) side of housing  27 . In  FIGS. 3A to 3C , the aforesaid respective string (not shown) and aforesaid another pulley (not shown), which are found on the back side of housing  27  are hidden by housing  27  and post  20 ; therefore in lieu of numerals these string and pulley are denoted herein as the counterpart string and counterpart pulley. 
     String  42 A and the counterpart string are then drawn form said pulley  41 A and counterpart pulley, respectively, downwards to jogs  46 A and  46 B of post  20 ; thereby essentially counterbalancing the weight of post  20  by the weight of plummets  40 A and  40 B, from both sides of post  20 . Guiding strings  48 A and  48 B are threaded into apertures in or arcuate/annular on the surface of plummets  40 A and  40 B; thereby facilitating a continuous alignment during the vertical translation thereof, essentially paralleling post  20 . 
     The collective weight of plummets  40 A and  40 B is typically predefined to somewhat exceed the weight of post  20 ; whereby the mechanism of the parking post spontaneously assumes protracted conformation  10 B, wherein plummets  40 A and  40 B assume a lower position, shown in  FIG. 2B ; whereas upon purposeful application of manual force to post  20  in the direction towards pedestal moiety  12 , the mechanism of the parking post is driven into retracted conformation  10 A, wherein plummets  40 A and  40 B assume an upper position, shown in  FIG. 2A . 
     Actuation pedal  30 , which is used to secure the mechanism of the parking post in retracted and protracted conformations  10 A and  10 B, is pivotally connected to top frame  18 . Pedal  30  is furnished with safety-catch  32 , preventing unintentional actuation pedal  30 . Slanted element  34 , having an elongated oval aperture therein, is affixed to the bottom face of pedal  30 . Pin  36  is threaded into the elongated oval aperture of slanted element  34 . Pin  36  is connected to striker  38 , which is inserted through a respective aperture in housing  27  into apertures  21 A and  21 B in post  20 , respectively, in retracted and protracted conformations  10 A and  10 B. Upon application of force to pedal  30  in the direction towards the bottom, slanted element  34  is translated somewhat top towards bottom frame  16  thereby the oval aperture therein retracts striker  38  from pin  36  away from post  20 , driving striker  38  out of apertures  21 A and  21 B in post  20 , respectively, in retracted and protracted conformations  10 A and  10 B. 
     The mechanism of the parking post further comprises electrical motor  50 . Electrical motor  50  is rotationally coupled to a gear, preferably of a planetary type. The rotor of the gear terminates with reel/sprocket  52 . Belt/chain  54  is wound onto reel/sprocket  52  and reel/sprocket  58 , mounted onto jog  59  of bottom frame  16 . Jog  56  of post  20  is operationally connected belt/chain  54 ; thereby upon rotation reels/sprockets  52  and  58 , belt/chain  54  is translated together with jog  56  thus retracting and protracting post  20 . Motor  50  is coupled to an electric circuitry, including an energy source, preferably of a portable type, e.g. electrical battery, and a control module. The control module is connected to two microswitches disposed on jog  59  of bottom frame  16  and housing  27 . Upon a contact with jog  56  of post  20  with the microswitches the operation of motor  50  is terminated. The control module comprises a remote control sub-module, which can be operated by a respective remote; thereby the parking post of the invention can be in retracted/protracted without any application of manual force, namely without leaving the vehicle. 
     The mechanism of the parking post further comprises locking mechanism  60 , adapted to secure post  20  in protracted conformation  10 B. Locking mechanism  60  comprises cylinder  62 , wherein the driving element is a sprocket furnished with cogs  65 . Cylinder  62  is a standard door-lock key-cylinder known in the art, such as the Euro Profile Cylinder available from Mul-T-Lock Technologies Ltd., Yavne 81104, Israel. Yoke  63  comprises an arcuate portion furnished with respective cogs  64 ; whereby upon rotation of cylinder  62  arcuate portion furnished with respective cogs  64  is translated along the sprocket furnished of the former. Yoke  63  is pivotally mounted on pivot  66  that is affixed in protrusion  67 . The terminal portion of yoke  63 , distant from cylinder  62 , is pivotally connected to pivot  68  that affixed to striker  70 . Striker  70  is inserted into aperture  23  in post  20 . Circumferential ridge  69  is used to position striker  70  substantially perpendicularly to the face of post  20  with aperture  23  therein. 
     Upon a counterclockwise rotation of cylinder  62 , striker  70  is retracted towards the interior of post  20 ; whereas upon a clockwise rotation of cylinder  62 , striker  70  is protracted away from post  20  and can be inserted into aperture  61  within housing  27  in protracted conformation  10 B; thereby locking post  20  in protracted conformation  10 B. 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described herein above. Rather the scope of the invention is defined by the claims which follow: