EP1342867A1

EP1342867A1 - Automated parking system with movable plattforms for supporting and transporting motor vehicles on previously selected parking positions

Info

Publication number: EP1342867A1
Application number: EP03003823A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luigi Filippo Von Mehlem
Original assignee: OMER SpA
Current assignee: OMER SpA
Priority date: 2002-02-22
Filing date: 2003-02-20
Publication date: 2003-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2023-02-20
Also published as: ITTV20020019A1; ATE348930T1; DK1342867T3; DE60310466T2; SI1342867T1; DE60310466D1; EP1342867B1; PT1342867E; ES2275956T3

Abstract

Automated parking system with movable platforms for supporting and transporting motor-vehicles on previously selected parking positions, by means of centralized electronic control means adapted to select each parking position to be attained. Such system comprises a modular constructive structure which can be installed on urban centers, forming a plurality of motor-vehicle parking places, arranged aligned to each other also on to more planes overlapped to each other, which are communicating by means of elevator movable in a vertical direction. Such movable platforms are adapted to be loaded with a motor-vehicle at the inlet zone and to transport such vehicle toward the selected parking position. All these displacements are operated through control means. System comprising movement powered and transmission means (17) associated with each movable platform (11) and operated by said control means in a manner to determine the autonomous and independent displacement of the same movable platform through each parking plane of the parking system.

Description

The invention relates to an automated parking system with movable platforms for supporting and transporting motor-vehicles on previously selected parking positions or pre-established positions, such parking system being made with a modular structure which can be installed with compact overall dimensions so as to be able to park a plurality of motor-vehicles on the available or pre-established parking positions, with a set of automated movements controlled and managed by automatic control means. Automated parking systems installed on urban centers are known, which are set to provide for the motor-vehicles parking in an automatic manner on available or pre-established positions, and comprise a modular constructive structure formed by a horizontal plane or more horizontal planes overlapped to each other, where various parking places separated from each other are provided, on defined positions thereof, in order to accommodate temporarily the respective motor-vehicles, and where the motor-vehicles are introduced from at least an inlet of such constructive structure and arranged on to movable platforms which are transported selectively on the parking positions by suitable transmission means controlled by automatic control means adapted to control all the displacement movements of the movable platforms and the motor-vehicles laid onto them, and these control means can be set in advance by the user so as to determine the displacement of the movable platforms of the related parking positions of the same motor-vehicles. Moreover, these parking systems comprise, in the case of structures with more overlapped planes, suitable elevators controlled automatically by the above mentioned automated control means, so as to determine the displacement of the movable platforms with the related motor-vehicles from a plane to another one and the parking thereof on the desired positions. Finally, the parking systems are set to draw the movable platforms with the related motor-vehicles from the relative parking position thereof, at the end of the parking duration, and to transport them automatically toward the outlet of said constructive structure, in order to be subsequently drawn by the user. The transmission mechanisms of these parking systems, in order to transport the movable platforms with the related motor-vehicles through the constructive structure, are generally constituted by a set of movable transmission members such as for example hydraulic operated cylinders connected with metallic cables and belts, racks and gears, telescopic arms and hooks, as well as also other mechanical and/or hydraulic transmission members of conventional type, which are complicated and burdensome structurally and operatively, and of difficult maintenance, and which also need control boards of conventional types or equipped with processing systems with complicated softwares. Furthermore, in order to permit the movable platforms with the related motor-vehicles to be displaced, the parking systems referred to are provided with stationary guiding paths with rectilinear pattern and directions orthogonal to each other, said guiding paths being provided on the different horizontal planes of the constructive structures, in a manner that the displacement of the different movable platforms is effected solely along these rectilinear directions and with movements controlled by said transmission mechanisms, which are always linked to the movable platforms and therefore do not permit an autonomous displacement thereof. The present invention has the object to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks and limits, by means of an automated parking system provided with movement transmission mechanisms for the movable platforms which are not linked to the same platforms, thereby allowing the relative displacements thereof on a fully autonomous way, along rectilinear sliding paths, on orthogonal directions thereof, and also curvilinear sliding paths, and with the possibility to rotate such movable platforms also about vertical axes, with consequent advantages to provide for the autonomous and separated movements of each movable platform with the related motor-vehicle, and removal of the currently used complicated transmission mechanisms, involving a difficult maintenance, the wear of the used components and materials as well as high energetic consumptions. This automated parking system is made with the substantially described constructive characteristics, with particular reference to the enclosed claims of the present patent.
The invention will be better understood from the following description, given solely by way of not-limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein :

Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective front view of the automated parking system according to the invention, provided with a plurality of parking places associated with corresponding movable platforms for supporting and transporting the motor-vehicles, performed on a first embodiment thereof;
Fig. 2 shows a perspective front view of a movable platform of the parking system of Fig. 1, on a first embodiment thereof and on the step in which it is arranged on to a parking place of the parking system of Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a horizontal parking plane of the system of Fig. 1, with the movable platforms for supporting and transporting the motor-vehicles and the relative displacement paths of such movable platforms ;
Fig. 4 shows a schematic plan view of a constructive item of the parking place of Fig. 3, associated with a movable platform according to a second embodiment thereof;
Fig. 5 shows a front view of a first embodiment of a sliding wheel, fitted on the lower part of a movable platform according to a second embodiment, said wheel being oriented on a first operative position thereof and sliding along a displacement path according to a first embodiment;
Fig. 6 shows a front view of the wheel of Fig. 5, oriented on a second operative position thereof, orthogonal to the preceding one ;
Fig. 7 shows a front view of a sliding path of the present parking system, on a second embodiment thereof;
Fig. 8 shows a side view of a sliding wheel fitted on the lower part of a movable platform and performed on a second embodiment thereof, so as to be able to be displaced along curvilinear paths;
Fig. 9 shows a schematic plan view of a sliding path for the displacement of the wheels according to Fig. 8.

Fig. 1 schematically represents a modular constructive structure 10 for an automated parking system according to the present invention, which can be installed on urban centers and provided with movable platforms 11 for supporting and transporting a plurality of motor-vehicles (not shown) on available or pre-established parking positions, such constructive structure being constituted by a plurality of metallic section bars 12 with different and variable sizes, which are joined together by means of per se known fixing means and with different compositions, arrangements and sizes, depending on the size and accommodation capacities of the provided parking systems. From Fig. 1 it is apparent by way of example a constructive structure, whose section bars 12 are joined together so as to form a set of parallelepiped frameworks 13, arranged adjacent and overlapped to each other, each one of which defines a parking place and has such dimensions as to be able to accommodate and support a relevant motor-vehicle, and to this aim it is made with a length and a width slightly larger than those of the same motor-vehicle, thereby forming a relative horizontal support surface 14 shaped as it will be described later, for supporting such motor-vehicle, and these horizontal support surfaces may be overlapped to each other, as in the present case in which different sets of three horizontal surfaces 14 are visible, which are arranged on planes overlapped to each other and reciprocally aligned, or they may be also arranged on a plane only, always at a position aligned to each other. Besides, this constructive structure comprises also at least an elevator 15 with vertical displacement, operated in a per se known manner and formed by a horizontal support surface 16 for supporting a motor-vehicle at a time, said elevator being adapted to be displaced selectively and vertically at different height levels, on each one of which the support surface 16 of said elevator arranges itself at the level of the different horizontal support surfaces 14, so as to be able either to unload or to load each motor-vehicle with respect to such elevator and to displace it as it will be described later. Obviously, the elevator isn't provided in the case in which the parking system hasn't parking places overlapped to each other. In the present parking system, each parking place defined by the relative horizontal plane surface 14 is provided with a feeding and traverse mechanism 17, constituted by autonomous operated powered means connected to adequate transmission members and secured to the same plane surface, said powered means being constituted (see Fig, 2) by at least a motor 18, of electrical or pneumatic type or of any other type, which is connected with a corresponding separated supply line (not shown) and secured to the central zone of the plane surface 14, and said transmission members being constituted in the present case by an extended transmission shaft 19 arranged on the longitudinal and central position of such plane surface and receiving the rotation movement from the motor 18 through a corresponding gearmotor 20, said shaft being adapted to transmit the rotational movement to a set of wheels 21 and 22 pivoted on associated side bars 23 and 24, also secured to the plane surface 14 through a set of corresponding transmission belts or chains 25 and 26, or similar transmission members. Obviously, the same result may be attained also with means different than those described by way of example only, thus without departing from the protection sphere of the present invention. All the motors 18 are controlled separately by means of at least a centralized electronic control device (not indicated) of the parking system, whose software is set in a manner to control the same motors through the relative supply lines for such motors, by means of a coded informations exchange between the control device and the various motors, and the control occurs depending on the parking place which has been respectively selected in advance by the user. Moreover, these motors may be supplied also without the use of said supply lines, in such case by employing separated generators which are included directly in the plane surface 14 and constituted by one or more electric batteries, in the case of electric motors, or by reservoirs loaded with compressed air in the case of pneumatic motors. Then, in this case such motors are associated with at least a further electronic control device (non indicated) acting on to the same motors and included in the respective plane surface 14 and controlled through said centralized control device or by means of adequate remote control devices of per se known type. In turn, the movable platforms 11 of the present parking system are shaped in a manner that to fit removably each horizontal plane surface 14 and to be able to be displaced over it solely in a transversal direction with an alternate rectilinear movement. To this purpose, each movable platform 11 is constituted (see Fig. 2) by a metallic frame 27 having such a size as to be adapted over each above mentioned feeding and traverse mechanism 17, and shaped with a set of longitudinal bars 28 parallel and spaced away from each other for the entire width of the same frame, and by a set of transversal bars 29 parallel and spaced away from each other for the entire length of such frame, said bars being able to be covered by a possible covering plate (not indicated), thereby forming an upper rest and support surface for a motor-vehicle. In particular, the terminal transversal bars 29 are so shaped as to be firstly approached to and then laid on to the corresponding set of stationary wheels 21 and 22, in order to be transported by the same wheels up to the fully overlapped position of such movable platform 11. In this way, each motor-vehicle is parked in the present parking system by arranging it firstly on to a movable platform 11 supported by the elevator 15, and such elevator then is controlled by the centralized control device to be lifted up to the needed level in which the selected parking place is situated, thereafter there are driven in rotation in the same direction the wheels of all the feeding and traverse mechanisms 17 of the parking places adjacent to each other, which must be run along by this movable platform 11, up to this latter is transported and stopped on the foreseen parking place. When the motor-vehicle must be drawn, all the wheels of the different parking places to be run along are driven in a direction opposite to the preceding one, thereby transporting the movable platform 11 with the related motor-vehicle in an inverse direction, and performing a set of inverse movements and paths in order to bring back the elevator with the movable platform and the motor-vehicle to the ground floor, and the motor-vehicle is subsequently drawn by the user. Turning now to Fig. 3, a plan view of the horizontal rest plane of the present parking system is schematically illustrated, which is situated at the ground level and is communicating with the parking inlet and outlet (not visible), said rest plane being able to be run along by a plurality of movable platforms 11 performed on a second embodiment thereof and shaped and operated in a manner different than the previously described platforms. Each movable platform 11 of this parking system is shaped in a manner to be adapted removably on to the horizontal plane surface 30 of this parking plane and to be displaced with rectilinear movements and in an alternate direction along a set of pre-established stationary paths of the same system, and constituted by a plurality of rectilinear guiding railways on the horizontal floor of both this parking plane and possible parking planes overlapped to the same plane (not shown), and communicating with this latter through the elevator 15, movable with a vertical movement C. The guiding railways are constituted by a set of longitudinal railways 31 parallel and spaced away from each other and a set of transversal railways 32 parallel and spaced away from each other, as well as oriented in an orthogonal direction to the corresponding longitudinal railways and joined with these latter with respective crossing points 33, to allow the movement of the movable platforms 11 along all the railways 31 with a longitudinal and alternate movement B and along all the railways 32 with a transversal and alternate movement A, and the deviation of the same platforms in an orthogonal direction from the railways 31 to the railways 32 at the level of said crossing points, in the manner which will be described later. To allow the displacement of the movable platforms 11 on the different selected parking positions, by utilizing also in this case the same above described centralized electronic control device, for each parking plane is used a number of movable platforms 11 which is smaller than the parking places actually available on the same plane, and in the illustrated example there are noted the free places 34 and 35 lacking of movable platforms to achieve this function. In this way, each movable platform to be loaded with a motor-vehicle situated at the level of the parking system inlet is initially transported toward such inlet, with a set of autonomous and automatic movements along the different railways 31 and 32, by displacing from time to time adequately and automatically all the remaining movable platforms being disposed along the feeding path of this movable platform, by operating the electronic control device of the system, and thanks to the availability of several free places without platforms. As soon as this movable platform arrives at the inlet, a motor-vehicle is loaded on to the same, and thereafter such platform is operated by the electronic control device to be advanced in an inverse direction so as to be displaced up to the established parking position, and if this parking position is situated on to one of the overlapped planes, this platform is firstly arranged on the elevator 15 and then lifted by this latter up to the foreseen height level, and finally discharged from said elevator and advanced up to the pre-selected position, and stopped on this parking position. When the motor-vehicle must be drawn, such movable platform is operated through the electronic control device of the system, to be displaced with movements in a direction inverse to the preceding ones, by displacing all the platforms being disposed along its feeding path, up to bring back the motor-vehicle near the parking outlet where it is unloaded from such platform and drawn by the user, thereby making available the same platform for subsequent uses. In this case, before drawing the motor-vehicle, which has been arranged on to the movable platform with the bonnet turned inwards the parking, the motor-vehicle position is inversed in a manner to arrange it with its bonnet turned outwards the parking, and this operation is effected by providing a rotating platform (not shown) at the parking system inlet/outlet, onto which platform the movable platform supporting the motor-vehicle is temporarily laid, then such rotating platform is rotated of 180° together with the movable platform and the motor-vehicle. Turning now to Fig. 4, in which there are shown in detail some longitudinal railways 31 and transversal railways 32 with the corresponding crossing points 33 of the present parking system, it is noted that each crossing point is shaped with a hollowed central zone 36 slightly entering the floor and shaped in a manner to permit easily and without hindrances the deviation of the feeding movement of the relative movable platform 11 from the one to the other one of the railways type. To this aim, as visible particularly from Figs. 5 and 6, in which a portion of one movable platform 11 on a second embodiment thereof is shown, it is noted that such movable platform is constituted by a horizontal metallic plate 37 with suitable sizes and supporting strength, onto the upper surface of which each motor-vehicle is loaded, and on the lower surface of which some free rotating sliding wheels 38 are pivoted, preferably four wheels situated along the different side edges of said plate and in such positions as to be able to slide along the different guiding railways, of which at least one or all said wheels are driven in rotation by means of at least one motor (not shown) secured to the plate 37, which is shaped and operated like the motor of the movable platform according to the first embodiment. Thanks to this configuration, when the wheels 38 are sliding through the various crossing points 33, such free rotating wheels are guided by the shape of the relative hollowed zones 36 to be oriented in the same direction of the railways where the platform is respectively advanced, wherein Fig. 5 shows one of the wheels 38 oriented for sliding along the longitudinal railways 31 and from Fig. 6 it is noted the same wheel oriented in a direction orthogonal thereto, for sliding along the transversal railways (not indicated). Referring now to Fig. 7, it is shown a guiding railway 39 of the present parking system on a second embodiment thereof, onto which a movable platform is still sliding, which is formed by the same support plate 37 of Figs. 5 and 6, such guiding railway being shaped for containing a pair of permanent magnets with identical polarities, which therefore repel each other and are formed by a lower flattened and extended magnet 40 which is arranged on to and supported by the bottom 41 of each railway, for the entire length thereof, and a set of upper plate-like shaped magnets 42 aligned and spaced away from each other for the entire length of the support plate 37, and secured to the same plate at positions corresponding to those of the relative guiding railways onto which said support plate must slide. In particular, the lower magnet 40 is inserted and housed steadily on a seat of the guiding railway 39 which is formed by the bottom 41, the two sides 41' and the two overhanging side partition walls 41'', spaced away from each other by an air gap 41''' for the reason hereinafter described, which walls prevent any vertical displacement from this position of the lower magnet 40, while in turn the upper magnets 42 are inserted freely and slidably in a seat of the guiding railway 39 which is formed by a bottom, defined by such partition walls 41", said sides 41' and an upper closing wall 43, and such upper magnets are dimensioned with such a size as to be able to slide longitudinally and to be displaced vertically in the same seat during the displacements of the movable platform 11. These upper magnets 42 are steadily kept raised upward being repelled magnetically by the lower magnet 40, at a condition in which they aren't into contact neither with the partition walls 41' nor with the upper closing wall 43 of the guiding railway, thereby allowing an effective sliding of the movable platform 11 on the corresponding guiding railways. Moreover, this seat of the upper magnets 42 may be advantageously coated internally with suitable material with low friction coefficient, thereby guiding the longitudinal sliding of said magnets and facilitating further the sliding of said magnets onto the same seat. Furthermore, such upper magnets 42 are joined by a set of vertical feet 44 with the support plate 37, where a suitable device for driving the movable platform is supported, such as at least a driving wheel (not shown) into contact with the floor, which is driven in rotation by at least an electric or a pneumatic motor or a motor of any other kind, also supported by the plate 37 and shaped and controlled like the motor of the movable platform according to the first embodiment. Such driving device may be also made in a different manner, for example by providing the feeding by means of an impulse magnetic attraction between the upper magnets 42 and other magnetic means adequately associated with these latter, in this case permitting to eliminate the driving wheel and the relative motor and transmission members, thus without departing from the protection sphere of the invention. Instead of utilizing permanent magnets as described, also electromagnets may be used for repelling them reciprocally and lifting the movable platform during the sliding along the guiding railways. In such case, the repelling effect is produced only by energizing such electromagnets. The presence of the magnets allows also to achieve a braking action, when it is requested, of the movement of the movable platform, in the case of permanent magnets by the use of either additional small magnets included into the seat for sliding the upper magnets, or suitable clamps adequately positioned, and in the case of the electromagnets by de-energizing them. Therefore, these permanent magnets are so dimensioned as to be able to repel reciprocally and steadily, with such forces as to allow, on the one hand, to support the load of each motor-vehicle disposed on to the plate 37, and on the other hand the sliding of the upper magnets 42 with the overhanging plate 37 on to the corresponding guiding railways, at a position raised from the lower magnets 40, and therefore with lower frictions and better sliding capacity. Finally, the upper magnets 42 are so shaped as to be able to be inserted, on the crossing points 33 between the longitudinal railways and the transversal railways, in either one of the same railways for each feeding direction of the movable platform. Finally, in Figs. 8 and 9 is shown now the sliding mode of a movable platform provided with wheels on to guiding railways having rectilinear and curved sliding paths, without use of differential gears. In Fig. 8 it is noted a portion of a transmission shaft 45 fixed below the movable platform, at the end portions of which there are secured in an independent manner a first inner wheel 46 with larger diameter and a second outer wheel 47 with smaller diameter, which is coaxial and adjacent to the preceding wheel, both being adapted to rotate with different rim speeds along railway paths respectively rectilinear and curved. To this purpose, as visible from Fig. 9, in which the rectilinear paths 48 and the curved paths 49 of a railway part are visible, it is noted that on the rectilinear railway paths 48 the inner wheel 46 is sliding on to the same paths, while the outer wheel 47 isn't laid and doesn't slide on to said rectilinear paths, and on the curved paths the outer wheel 47 only is sliding on to a short curved railway portion 50, having such a height as to permit this outer wheel to be laid thereon, and which is applied externally against the end portions of the rectilinear railway paths respectively adjacent thereto, while the inner wheel 46 isn't sliding owing to the fact that on this position is lacking a corresponding curved railway path, which is aligned with said rectilinear railway paths.

Claims

Automated parking system with movable platforms for supporting and transporting motor-vehicles on previously selected parking positions, by means of centralized electronic control means adapted to select each parking position to be attained, said system comprising a modular constructive structure which can be installed on urban centers, constituted by a plurality of metallic section bars with different and variable sizes, which are joined together by means of per se known fixing means and with different compositions, arrangements and sizes, thereby forming a plurality of parking places for motor-vehicles, which are arranged aligned to each other also on to more planes overlapped to each other, which are communicating by means of a vertically movable elevator, said movable platforms being adapted to load at least a motor-vehicle at the parking system inlet zone and to transport it toward the selected parking position by displacing it through each parking plane, and being adapted to bring back said movable platforms, at the end of the parking period, at the parking system outlet zone so as to draw the motor-vehicle from said movable platform, and all these displacements being performed with movements controlled through said control means, characterized by movement powered and transmission means (17) associated with each movable platform (11) and operated by said control means in a manner to provide for the autonomous and independent displacement of the same movable platform through each parking plane.
Automated parking system according to claim 1, characterized in that said movement powered and transmission means (17) are included on each parking place and connected to a plurality of wheels (21, 22), and that each movable platform (11) is constituted by a metallic frame (27) having such a size and capacity as to be able to support at least a motor-vehicle and adapted to be adapted over each established parking place solely on an alternate transversal direction, with movements determined by said wheels (21, 22) being driven in rotation through said powered and transmission means (17), said frame (27) being adapted to be displaced from the parking system inlet zone to the selected parking place, in case also by lifting it to an upper parking plane through said elevator (15), in a manner to attain said selected parking plane with movements determined by said powered and transmission means (17) of this parking place and of possible parking places adjacent thereto, which must be run along, said frame (27) being also adapted to be displaced from said selected parking place toward said parking system outlet zone, with inverse movements and paths.
Automated parking system according to claim 1, characterized in that said movement powered and transmission means are fixed to and supported by at least a horizontal metallic plate (37), constituting said movable platform (11), and dimensioned with such a size and capacity as to support at least a motor-vehicle, said plate (37) being adapted to slide with alternate rectilinear movements along a plurality of guiding railways (31, 32 ; 39) inserted on each parking plane of the parking system at longitudinal and transversal directions thereof, and joined together by corresponding crossing points (33) provided with hollowed central zones (36), said plate (37) being adapted to be displaced from the inlet zone of said parking system toward the selected parking place, in case also by lifting it toward an upper parking plane by means of said elevator (15), and from said selected parking place toward said outlet zone of the parking system with inverse movements and paths, and said outlet zone being in case provided with motor-vehicle position reversing means (rotating platform), adapted to reverse of 180° the position of each motor-vehicle before being drawn.
Automated parking system according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said powered means are constituted by at least an electric or a pneumatic motor or a motor of any other type, supplied by means of separated system supply lines and controlled through said centralized control means or supplied by means of corresponding autonomous generators, associated with further remote-controlled control means.
Automated parking system according to claim 3, characterized in that said horizontal plate (37) is provided with a set of independent free rotating lower wheels (38) on to positions corresponding to those of the relative guiding railways (31, 32), said wheels (38) being able to be driven by means of said powered and transmission means and being adapted to be oriented by the shape of said hollowed central zones (36) in either one of said longitudinal railways (31) or transversal railways (32), depending on the feeding direction of said movable platform (11).
Automated parking system according to claim 3, characterized in that said guiding railways (39) are so shaped as to accommodate first and second magnetic means (40, 42) which are repelling to each other, constituted by either permanent magnets or electromagnets, said first magnetic means (40) being accommodated stationary and without vertical displacement into said guiding railways (39), and said second magnetic means being connected to said plate (37), so as to provide for the steady raising thereof with respect to said first magnetic means (40), thereby allowing them to slide with very low frictions on the corresponding guiding railways (39) when said movable platform (11) is displaced along said guiding railways (39), said second magnetic means (42) being adapted to facilitate the braking of said movable platform (11) and to be oriented at the level of said crossing points (33) in either one of said longitudinal railways (39) or transversal railways, depending on the feeding direction of said movable platform (11).
Automated parking system according to claim 3, characterized in that said movable platform (11) is provided with a first inner wheel (46) with larger diameter and a second outer wheel (47) with smaller diameter, coaxial and adjacent to each other, having different rotation rim speeds, adapted to run along respectively a rectilinear path (48) and a curved path (50) of said guiding railways, said curved path (50) being formed by a curved railway portion having such a height as to permit said second outer wheel (47) to be laid and to slide thereon, and situated on a position comprised between the free end portions of the recilinear paths (48) of respectively adjacent railways, where said rectilinear paths are interrupted for the entire lenght of said curved portion (50).