GB2190052A - Vehicle parking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle-carrying truck 5, adapted to carry the vehicle 3, includes a plurality of castor wheels 6 on its bottom surface, a pivot shaft 7 fitted in one corner of the truck 5 or a pair of removable pivot shafts (18a, 18b, Figures 3 and 4) fitted centrally at opposite ends of the truck, and a bearing 8 or respective bearings (19a, 19b) are installed in the floor of a parking space 1. To park the vehicle 3, the truck 5 is pivoted about the shaft 7 or one of the pair of shafts (18a, 18b) to move into an adjacent road 2 and the vehicle 3 driven onto the truck. The truck is then pivoted back into the parking space. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Parking apparatus The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to parking apparatus. The apparatus is particularly applicable to parking motor vehicles.

In the past, when parking an automotive vehicle by either right-angle parking, as shown in Figure 5(a) of the accompanying drawings, or parallel parking, as shown in Figure 5(b), the area ofthe parking space or the road bordering the entrance and exit of the parking space is often restricted.

More specifically, in the case of right angle parking, the road 2 bordering the entrance and exit of the parking space must have a width of about 4m or more. In the case of the parallel parking, the area of the parking space must have a width equal to the vehicle's width plus about 0.8m and a length equal to the vehicle's length plus about 1 sum.

Thus, especially in urban areas where the price of land has recently increased dramatically, there has been an increasing demand for parking spaces which take up a small area and yet can be negotiated even from a narrow road.

The present invention has been developed to meet the foregoing requirements and it is the primary object of the invention to provide parking apparatus which permits access to and exit from a narrow road and which requires onlythe minimum lot.

In accordance with the invention there is provided parking apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprising a truck adapted to carry a vehicle, a plurality of wheels which support the truck above the surface of a parking space and a first pivot shaft associated with a bearing, let into the surface of the parking space, about which the truck is able to swing across the said surface.

The truck may include a second pivot shaft in which case, both should be removablefromtheir respective bearings, to allow either to be used. The pivot shafts are preferably located at each end of the truck, eithercentrallyoratthe outer corners.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a parking apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprising: a vehicle-carrying truck having a construction adapted to carry a vehicle and including a plurality of wheels mounted on a bottom surface thereof; a pivot shaft fitted in one of the corners of said truck to project downwardly; and a bearing installed in a floor surface of a parking space whereby said pivot shaft is rotatably mounted in said bearing.

According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a parking apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprising: a vehicle-carrying truck having a construction adapted to carry an automotive vehicle and including a plurality of casterwheels mounted on a lower surface thereof; a pair of shafts respectively detachably fitted in longitudinal ends of said truck to projectfrom said lower surface; and a pair of bearings installed in a floor surface of a parking space whereby each of said shafts is rotatably mounted in one of said bearings.

When parking an a uto motive veh icle, the vehicle-carrying truck is swung about the pivot shaft to move it onto a road from a parking space and the vehicle is driven from the road so as to be mounted on the truck. Then, the truck is swung in the reverse direction and the truck is accommodated in the parking space. Returning the vehicle to the road can be effected by performing the reverse ofthe operations mentioned above.

Using parking apparatus in accordance with the invention in a parking space, allows the area taken up bythe parking space to be reduced in relation to that of conventional parking spaces. Consequently, the cost of parking spaces is substantially reduced.

Furthermore, no sophisticated driving techniques are required for parking the vehicle.

The present invention can be put into practice in several ways two embodiments of which will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1ha) is a plan view of parking apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 1(b) is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure (a); Figure2 is a further plan view of the apparatus in Figure 1 (a) illustrating the operation ofthefirst embodimentofthe present invention; Figure 3(a) is a plan view of parking apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 3{b) is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure3(a);; Figure 4 is a further plan view of the apparatus in Figure 3(a) illustrating the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5(a) is a diagram illustrating a conventional right-angle parking method; and Figure 5(b) is a diagram illustrating a conventional parallel parking method.

Referring to Figures 1 (a) and 1(b), there is illustrated parking apparatus according to afirst embodiment of the invention comprising a vehicle-carrying rectangulartruck 5 constructed to carry an automotive vehicle 3. The truck 5 includes a sloped ramp portion 5a formed atthe rear end, and a set of four spaced wheels 6 mounted on the bottom surface of the truck 5 which run on the surface beneath. A pivot shaft 7, fitted in a corner on the front end of the truck 5, projects downwardly at a right-angletothesurface beneath. The axis of each wheel is aligned to allow motion ofthe truck5 about the pivot shaft 7. The pivot shaft 7 is rotatably mounted ina bearing 8installed inthefloorsurface of a parking space 1 at one end bordering the road 2.

A cushioning member 11 comprising a resilient member, such as hard rubber or a spring, is attached to each of the portions of the truck 5 which are adapted to contact a wall 12 of the parking space 1 into which the truck is received.

The operation of the first embodiment will now be described. To pa rk the vehicle 3, the truck 5, running on the wheels 6, is swung about the pivot shaft 7 into the road 2 by means of manual or mechanical power (not shown). Figure 2 shows the condition in which the truck 5 has been swung out. Then, the vehicle 3 is driven in the direction ofthe arrow 13 up the ramp 5a to be mounted on the truck 5. A wedge stopper 10is lodged againstthe front and/or rear of each wheel of the vehicle 3 to prevent it rolling off the truck 5.

Thereafter, the truck 5 is swung back on the pivot shaft7 and accommodated in the parking space 1 by the manual or mechanical power (not shown). When received in the parking space 1, the cushioning members 11 preventthe truck 5 and/or the parking space wall 12 from being damaged when they strike against each other.

Where mechanical power is used to swing the truck 5, it may take the form of any system such as an electric motor or hydraulic system suitably connected to swing the truck 5 about the pivot shaft 7.

Also, the floor surface ofthe parking space 1 should preferably be paved with concrete or the like so as to be atthe same level as the road 2.

Referring nowto Figures3(a) and 3(b), there is illustrated parking apparatus according to a second embodiment ofthe invention including a vehicle-carrying truck 15formed with sloped ramp portions 1 6a and 1 6b on the one and other ends thereofand including a setoffourcasterwheels 17 on the lower surfacethereof, each spaced to be located generally beneath a corresponding wheel 14 of a vehicle to be parked.

The truck 15 is pivotable about each of a pair of removable shafts 18a and 18b which are received in bearings 19a and 19b respectively let into the surface of the parking space. Each shaft 18a or8b,when located in the bearing 19a or 19b, pass through a corresponding eye formed in the one or other ends of the truck 15 respectively. The caster wheels 17 allowthetruck 15 to be swung about either pivot shaft 18a or 18b.

The operation of the second embodiment is as follows. To park an automotive vehicle 3, as shown in Figure 4, the shaft 18b is drawn out of its bearing 19b and one side ofthetruck 15 swung ontothe road, on the caster wheels 17, using the other shaft 18a as a pivot shaft. Then, the vehicle 3 is driven from the road in the direction ofthe arrow 25. After mounting the vehicle 3 on thetruck 15, a wedge stopper 21 is lodged against each of wheels 14 ofthe vehicle 3 and the truck 15 is swung back into the parking space 1, again using the shaft 18a as a pivot shaft. Finally, the shaft 18b is again inserted through the corresponding eye into the bearing 19boo lock the apparatus in the parked position.Returning the vehicle 3 to the road is effected by drawing out the shaft 18a, swinging the truck 15 about the pivot shaft 18b, as shown by the dot-and-chain line in Figure 4, and driving the vehicle 3 off the truck 15 in the direction of the arrow 26. The sequence of operations involved in parking and driving the vehicle 3 away can, of course be reversed so thatthe vehicle 3 enters and exits from opposite directions.

A cushioning member 22 comprising a resilient member, such as hard rubber ora spring, is attached to each ofthe parts ofthe truck 15 which may come into contact with a wall 13 ofthe space, thereby preventing for example either ofthetruck 15 and the wall 13 of the parking space 1 from being damaged when they strike against each other.

The truck 15 is moved manually or by mechanical power. It is conceivable to use a winch, hydraulic system orto drive the wheels 17 to move the truck 15.

Again, the floor surface of the park space 1 should preferably be paved with concrete or the like to have the same level as the surface of the road 2.

By utilizing the parking apparatus according to the invention, the area of a parking space can be reduced to that which accommodates the truck in width, and the diagonal ofthe truck in length, at the roadside of the space, in relation to the length of a vehicle to be parked.

Claims (7)

1. Parking apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprising atruckadaptedto carry a vehicle, a plurality of wheels which support the truck above the surface of a parking space and a first pivot shaft associated with a bearing, let into the surface of the parking space, about which the truck is able to swing across the said surface.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the pivot shaft is located longitudinallyto one end of the truck.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the wheels are caster wheels.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein each wheel is located generally beneath the region on the truck in which a corresponding road wheel of a vehicle to be parked, and carried by the truck, will bear.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the pivot shaft is located laterally centrally with respect to the truck.

6. Apparatus as claimed in anyof 5, further comprising a second pivot shaft located to the other end of the truck and associated with a corresponding bearing, each pivot shaft being removable from its bearing such that the truck is able to be swung about either pivot shaft.

7. Parking apparatus for manoevring a motor vehicle into and out of a parking space constructed and arranged substantially as specially described herein with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 ofthe accompanying drawings.