Unattended automated bicycle rental station

An automated bicycle rental system comprising:

• a plurality of automated bicycle rental stations, each of the rental stations having a lockable bicycle rack and a control means associated therewith, each of the bicycle racks including a plurality of bicycle-receiving bays, each of said bicycle racks having a preselected number of rental bicycles operatively associated therewith so that a single rental bicycle is disposed in a single bicycle-receiving bay, each said rental station having a plurality of locking assemblies associated with each said rental station bicycle rack thereof so that a single locking assembly is associated with a single bicycle-receiving bay, each said control means of each said rental station being operatively connected to said locking assemblies of said rental station, said control means controlling operation of said associated rental station locking assemblies between first and second positions wherein said locking assemblies respectively lock and unlock said rental bicycles to said rental station by respectively engaging and disengaging locking elements disposed on said rental bicycles, said system further including a central control center for monitoring bicycle rental that occur at each of said rental stations, said central control center being located remote from any of said rental stations, each of said rental station control means being operatively linked to said control center.

An automated, unattended bicycle rental system, comprising:

• a locking bicycle rack having a bicycle-receiving bay;
• a rental bicycle received in said bicycle-receiving bay and locked to said bicycle rack;
• locking means securing said rental bicycle to said bicycle rack, the locking means being movable between an unlocked position and a locked position to selectively release said rental bicycle from said bicycle rack and to lock said rental bicycle to said bicycle rack;
• control means for controlling said locking means in said locked and unlocked positions;
• a card reader means for reading information from a bank card to enable a user to pay for a rental of said rental bicycle by way of a bank card, said control means being operated in response to insertion of a user's bank card into said card reader means, whereby insertion of said bank card conditions said locking means for movement to said unlocked position;
• timer means for recording a length of time said rental bicycle is rented and removed from said bicycle rack;
• and, calculating means for calculating a rental charge based said recorded rental time.

An automated, unattended bicycle rental station for the unattended rental of bicycles, comprising:

• a bicycle rack, the bicycle rack including an elongated housing supported on a base, said bicycyle rack having a preselected number of bicycle-receiving bays disposed thereon, said housing and said base cooperating to define portions of said bicycle-receiving bays;
• a preselected number of rental bicycles, a single rental bicycle being received in a single bicycle-receiving bay of said bicycle;
• a plurality of locking assemblies disposed along said lock housing, a single locking assembly being associated with a single bicycle-receiving bay, each said locking assembly having a latching member movable between first and second operative positions, wherein in said first position said latching member engages a locking portion of an associated rental bicycle and locks said rental bicycle to said bicycle rack lock housing via said rental bicycle locking portion, and wherein in said second position said latching member disengages said associated rental bicycle portion to unlock said rental bicycle from said bicycle rack;
• and, first means for actuating locking assembly latching member into said second position, the first actuating means including means for reading information from a credit card and means for verifying the validity of the credit card, whereupon determining that a credit card read by said credit card reading means is valid, said first actuating means actuates said locking assembly and said latching member moves into said second position and unlocks said rental bicycle portion from said bicycle rack.

A method of renting bicycles in an unattended manner, comprising the steps of:

• providing a bicycle rental station having at least one rental bicycle, the rental bicycle having at least one locking element disposed thereon and a locking bicycle rack, the locking bicycle rack having a locking assembly associated therewith adapted to selectively lockingly engage and disengage the rental bicycle locking element;
• providing a control means in association with said bicycle rental station, the control means including means for reading information of a bank card;
• reading the information from a bank card inputted into said control means by a rental bicycle user;
• establishing the validity of said bank card;
• disengaging said locking assembly from said rental bicycle locking element to permit said user to remove said rental bicycle from said locking bicycle rack;
• recording the amount of time said rental bicycle is removed from said locking bicycle rack;
• calculating a rental charge based upon said recorded time;
• and,
• charging said rental charge to said bank card.

An automated bicycle rental station for the unattended rental of bicycles, comprising:

• a bicycle rack, the bicycle rack having a base for supporting said bicycle rack in place on a ground surface, a lock housing spaced apart from and disposed above said base, said bicycle rack including at least one bicycle-receiving bay disposed on said bicycle rack;
• at least one rental bicycle insertable into and removable from the bicycle rack, the rental bicycle having a locking portion formed on a frame of said rental bicycle;
• a locking assembly associated with said lock housing for locking said rental bicycle to said bicycle rack, said lock housing including at least one opening disposed thereon that defines a receptacle for receiving said rental bicycle locking portion, the locking assembly being operable between first and second positions wherein in the first position, said locking assembly locks said rental bicycle to said bicycle rack by engaging said rental bicycle locking portion, and wherein in the second position, said locking assembly unlocks said rental bicycle from said bicycle rack by disengaging said rental bicycle locking portion, thereby permitting it to be used by a customer, said locking assembly including a latch partially moveable in and out of said receptacle and engageable and disengageable with said rental bicycle locking portion to respectively lock said rental bicycle to said rental station and unlock said rental bicycle from said rental station;
• and, control means for operating said locking assembly between said first and second positions.

An automated bicycle rental station for the unattended rental of bicycles, comprising:

• a bicycle rack;
• at least one rental bicycle insertable into and removable from the bicycle rack, the rental bicycle having a locking element associated therewith;
• a locking assembly associated with said bicycle rack for locking the rental bicycle to said bicycle rack, the locking assembly being operable between first and second positions wherein in the first position, said locking assembly locks said rental bicycle to said bicycle rack and wherein in the second position, said locking assembly unlocks said rental bicycle from said bicycle rack, thereby permitting it to be used by a customer;
• a lock housing having a receptacle adapted to receive the rental bicycle locking element therein, said locking assembly including a latch that is partially disposed in said receptacle, the latch being moveable into and out of engagement with said rental bicycle locking element present in said receptacle, said locking assembly including means for sensing the presence of said rental bicycle locking element in a proper position for locking in said receptacle;
• and control means for operating said locking assembly between said first and second positions.

An automated bicycle rental station for the unattended rental of bicycles, comprising:

• a bicycle rack;
• at least one rental bicycle insertable into and removable from the bicycle rack;
• a locking assembly associated with said bicycle rack for locking the rental bicycle to said bicycle rack, the locking assembly being operable between first and second positions wherein the first position, said locking assembly locks said rental bicycle to said bicycle rack and wherein the second position, said locking assembly unlocks said rental bicycle from said bicycle rack, thereby permitting it to be used by a customer;
• an elongated housing that houses said locking assembly and receives a portion of said rental bicycle when said locking assembly is in said first position, the housing having a surface that is angularly disposed with respect to said bicycle rack, said housing including at least one opening disposed on the angled surface, the housing opening including a receptacle for receiving said rental bicycle portion, and said locking assembly including a latch partially moveable in and out of said receptacle to respectively lock said rental bicycle to said rental station and unlock said rental bicycle from said rental station;
• and,
• control means for operating said locking assembly between said first and second positions.