Abstract:
A parking guide having both visual and auditory indicators to show a driver when a vehicle is properly positioned in a parking space.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates, in general, to devices which assist in parking a vehicle in a garage, and, in particular, to floor guides which have an auditory and visual guide for proper placement of a vehicle in a garage or other parking space. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   In the prior art various types of parking devices have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,150 to Laubach discloses a projection unit mounted above a parking position which projects a beam of light onto the parking position. A detection unit detects the light and a motion detector actuates the projector. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,205 to White uses a laser that emits a beam over the path a vehicle is to take to guide the driver into position. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,357 to Viskovick discloses a mirror affixed adjacent a garage door which reflects the vehicles brake lights and rear bumper. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,758 to Sanders discloses a metal plate mounted with a fastener to a supporting surface and lateral positioning members for ensuring proper lateral vehicle positioning. 
   Garage-parking guides have been in use for years. Typically, garage-parking guides are comprised of either physical levels, electrical connections or hanging devices that activate on visual and/or audible signals. Previous and current garage-parking guides have required precise installation and adjustments for a particular vehicle, and/or driver. 
   The main problem with conventional garage parking guides is that positioning a vehicle in an enclosed garage requires attention and precision. Parking a vehicle in a confined space requires, but is not limited to, the following conditions:
         1) Vehicle must be parked to allow clearance for the garage door to close. The clearance should be minimal.   2) Vehicle should be parked to permit maximum use of garage space for storage of tools, lawn equipment and other household items.   3) Driver should allow space for movement around the vehicle.   4) Driver must also avoid hitting internal walls and other objects in the garage that may lead to damage of structure, equipment and/or vehicle.       

   A simplistic garage guide is needed to provide the driver with a signal to let the driver know when he or she has reached the proper location in which to park. The guide should be universal so that it will work for any driver attempting to park the vehicle. Conventional garage parking guides have physical signal producing devices that interfere with use of garage space. They are unsightly and require high maintenance. The audible signal devices are often irritating to the household and neighborhood, and they are expensive. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a parking guide having both visual and auditory indicators to show a driver when a vehicle is properly positioned in a parking space. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved parking guide. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved parking guide which has both visual and auditory parking indicators. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved parking guide which can be easily and quickly mounted in any garage. 
   These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is perspective view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a partial view of the present invention showing the bell ringing mechanism. 
       FIG. 3  is a partial view of the present invention showing the device separated so it can be used on two tires or two vehicles. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings in greater detail,  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the parking guide of the present invention  1 . The guide is made in two substantially identical parts and joined at a center line  22 . The two halves can be secured together in any conventional manner if the user wants to use the device as a single guide. Alternatively, the user could separate the two halves and use each half independently as shown in  FIG. 3 . One half could be used for the front left side tire and the other half could be used for the front right side tire, or the halves could be used with a single tire on two different vehicles. 
   The guide has a pair of side walls  2 ,  3  a pair of floor sections  10 ,  11 , and a pair of back sections  24 ,  25 . The side walls  2 ,  3  are hollow and have an access door  4 ,  5  to allow ballast such as, but not limited to, water, sand, cement, etc to be placed inside to help anchor the guide to a floor. In addition, each floor section  10 ,  11  has an adhesive pad  23  on the bottom of the floor section which can be adhesively attached to the floor to help anchor the guide device  1 . Each floor section also has a tapered lip section  26  to ease the tires entry onto the guide. 
   Each side wall  2 ,  3  has a series of apertures  6 ,  7  on the top of the walls which will receive a pole  8  having an attached flag  9 . The pole  8  can be placed in any of the apertures and serve as a visual guide for a user. Also, it should be understood that a second pole and flag would be used on the right side wall  2 , however, it was removed from  FIG. 1  for clarity. 
   Each floor section has a bell activator  12 ,  13  secured thereto. In addition, each guide half has a bell  14  secured thereto in any conventional manner. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the bell activators  12 ,  13  are pivoted at  26  so the activator will rotate when engaged by a vehicle tire  19 . When the activator is rotated it will move a connecting rod  20  which is connected to a striker  21 , when the striker  21  rotates about  27  to the dotted line position shown in  FIG. 2 , it will hit and activate a bell  14 , which will provide an audible indicator for the user of the parking guide  1 . It should be noted that the connecting arm  20  and striker  21  have been removed from  FIG. 1  for clarity. Also, where or how the bell is mounted on the device is not material as long as the striker can hit it when the activators  12 ,  13  are hit by the tire(s) of the vehicle. 
   Secured adjacent each of the backs  24 ,  25  is a stop ramp  15 ,  17  which will provide a positive stop for the tires of the vehicle. Mounted to each stop ramp  15 ,  17  is a reflective surface  16 ,  18 . The reflective surfaces  16 ,  18  will be mounted at an angle so the headlights of a vehicle will shine into the reflective surfaces when a vehicle is driven into the garage at night. The light will be reflected upwards, because of the angled mount of the reflective surfaces and provide additional light inside the garage. 
   In order to use the guide  1 , a user would decide whether he/she wanted to retain the halves together or separate them. Next, the user would open the access hatch  4 ,  5  and fill the side walls  2 ,  3  with a ballast. Next, the user would determine the position for the guide when the vehicle is properly parked, and the guide  1  could be attached in the proper place by the adhesive pads  23 . Next a user would decide which aperture  6 ,  7  would give them the best visual indication and insert the pole  8  into this aperture. As the vehicle is driven into the garage the tire(s)  19  would pass up the ramp(s)  26  onto the floor(s)  10 ,  11 . When the tire(s)  19  hit the activator  12 , it will rotate. When the activator  12  is rotated it will move a connecting rod  20  which is connected to a striker  21 . When the striker  21  rotates to the dotted line position shown in  FIG. 2 , it will hit and activate a bell  14 , which will provide an audible indicator for the user of the parking guide  1  which will indicate that the tires are in proper position. 
   After that the tires will strike the stops  15 ,  17  which will again indicate that the tires are in proper position. The reflective surface(s)  16 ,  18  will reflect the vehicle lights into the garage if the vehicle is driven into the garage at night. 
   Although the Vehicle Garage Guard #2 and the method of using the same according to the present invention has been described in the foregoing specification with considerable details, it is to be understood that modifications may be made to the invention which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims and modified forms of the present invention done by others skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be considered infringements of this invention when those modified forms fall within the claimed scope of this invention.