IL280017B2 - Parking apparatus - Google Patents

Description

280017/3 PARKING APPARATUS TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to the field of parking lots.

BACKGROUND Conventional parking lots do not utilize significant space for allowing the operation of parking and exiting the parking.

RU2430225. WO2019229820 and JP2012241382 disclose transferring vehicles one above the other. However, these references do not suggest a solution to the problem of transferring together with placing the vehicles on the same elongated platform.

There is a long felt need to provide a solution to the above־mentioned and other problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY A parking apparatus, including•־- a plurality of platforms; and- a cart.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings: 280017/3 - 2 • Fig. 1 depicts a parking apparatus according to one embodiment, at a given state.

Fig. 2 depicts the first step.

Fig. 3 depicts the second step.

Fig. 4 depicts the third step.

Fig. 5 depicts the fourth step.

Fig. 6 depicts the fifth step.

Fig. 7 is a side sectional view.Fig. 8 magnifies a first portion of Fig. 7 for one platform.

Fig. 9 magnifies a second portion of Fig. 7 for another platform.

Fig. 10 is a front view at the unlocked state of the cart.Fig. 11 is a magnified view of the lock at the locked state of the cart.

Fig. 12 depicts a parking apparatus according to another embodiment, at a given state.Fig. 13 depicts the first step of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12.Fig. 14 depicts the second step of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12. 280017/3 Fig. 15 depicts the third step of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12.

Fig. 16 depicts the fourth step of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12.

The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features are not described in detail.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.Fig. 1 depicts a parking apparatus according to one embodiment, at a given state.A parking apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the invention includes a unique facility that allows the addition of parking spaces in a given area, utilization and maximization of parking spaces in a given space cell allows the 280017/3 - 4 • creation of parking spaces in space cells that could not be used for parking.Parking apparatus 10 applies skipping and allows the utilization of all the space given for parking cars, including the utilization of the space designated for maneuvering and traffic space and uses it for parking spaces.

Parking apparatus 10 applies the vehicle entering the first compartment of the facility that always remains vacant, the system transports it to another available parking space independently and automatically and also knows how to take a vehicle on demand to the entrance outside the facility regardless of other vehicles actually parked.

Skipping may be performed in all dimensions and possibilities: upper dimension, sub-dimension and lateral dimension and upper or lower side dimension. The skipping may be done in any apace for all dimensions.

Parking apparatus 10 may include an advanced shuttle / parking conveyor that allows vehicles to be loaded on surfaces that have the option of moving horizontally or vertically or sideways. The conveyor allows the lifting of any platform designed to carry a vehicle along all axes +/• X +/• Y +/* Z and its transportation as aforesaid by skipping uninterrupted above or below or on the sides of vehicles parked on the parking areas or any other given surface. 280017/3 - 5 - The conveyor belt allows lifting and swinging the parking platform without interruption Skipping is allowed along the +X or •X axis ־ or the +Y or •Y axis or the +Z or •Z axis or a combination of them.

Parking apparatus 10 includes an elongated base including a plurality of parking spaces 38A, 38B, etc.; a plurality of platforms 12A, 12B, etc., for carrying cars, and being movable along elongated base 36; and an elevating cart for carrying one of the platforms, and being as will moveable along elongated base 36.At the exemplary given state of Fig. 1, all of the parking spaces are occupied, thus except for the front car, none of the cars can drive out of the parking lot. The apparatus solves the problem.

According to the example, platform 12A is currently disposed on parking space 38A; platform 12B is currently disposed on parking space 38B; etc., and elevating cart 14 is disposed on parking space 38A.Fig. 2 depicts the first step.

At the first step, elevating cart 14 may be driven from parking space 38A to parking space 38D, currently accommodating platform 38D, currently accommodating car 16D.Fig. 3 depicts the second step. 280017/3 At the second step, elevating cart 14 may elevate platform 12D, thus elevating car 16D.

Fig. 4 depicts the third step.At the third step, elevating cart 14 may be driven while carrying platform 12D accommodating car 16D, to parking space 38A, by skipping and passing over parking spaces 38A and 38B and the cars accommodated thereon, thus to be disposed above platform 12A accommodating car 16A.

Fig. 5 depicts the fourth step.

At the fourth step, platforms 12A 12B and 12C together with cars 16A, 16B and 16C may be driven to parking spaces 38B, 38C and 38D respectively, thus emptying parking space 38A, while maintaining the location of platform 12E to be on parking space 38E.Thus, each of the platforms is independently movable along elongated base 36.Fig. 6 depicts the fifth step.

At the fifth step, elevating cart 14 may descend platform 12D onto parking space 38A.

Fig. 7 is a side sectional view.Stationary base 36 may include a conveyor 72 driven by wheels 30, for allowing moving platform 12A in relation to stationary base 36.Fig. 8 magnifies a first portion of Fig. 7 for one platform. 280017/3 Platform 12A may be locked by a lock 46A to conveyor for moving platform 12A.

Fig. 9 magnifies a second portion of Fig. 7 for another platform.Platform 12C may be unlocked by lock 46C thereof from conveyor 72 for not moving platform 12C.

Thus, each of the platforms is independently movable along the elongated base.Fig. 10 is a front view at the unlocked state of the cart.Fig. 11 is a magnified view of the lock at the locked state of the cart.Platform 12A may be locked by a lock 42 to cart 14 for lifting platform 12A and for carrying platform 12A; or may be unlocked for allowing moving cart 14 without carrying any platform.Fig. 12 depicts a parking apparatus according to another embodiment, at a given state.Cart 14 may be disposed below stationary base 36, being a bridge and below the platforms for descending the platforms below base 36.Fig. 13 depicts the first and second steps of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12. 280017/3 According to this embodiment, elongated base 36 must constitute a frame only, as shown by platform 12D being the single floor of elongated base 36.

At the first step, elevating cart 14 may be driven from parking space 38A to parking space 38D, currently accommodating platform 38D, currently accommodating car 16D.At the second step, elevating cart 14 may descend platform 12D, thus descending car 16D.

Fig. 14 depicts the third step of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12.At the third step, elevating cart 14 may be driven while carrying platform 12D accommodating car 16D, to parking space 38A, by skipping and passing below parking spaces 38A and 38B and the cars accommodated thereon, thus to be disposed below platform 12A accommodating car 16A.

Fig. 15 depicts the fourth and fifth steps of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12.

At the fourth step, platforms 12A, 12B and 12C together with cars 16A, 16B and 160 may be driven to parking spaces 38B, 38C and 38D respectively, thus emptying parking space 38A, while maintaining the location of platform 12E to be on parking space 38E.Thus, each of the platforms is independently movable along elongated base 36. 280017/3 - 9 - At the fifth step, elevating cart 14 may lift platform 12D onto parking space 38A.

Fig. 16 depicts the sixth step of using the parking apparatus of Fig. 12.

At the sixth step, car 16D may drive out.

The steps show releasing car 16D out of parking apparatus by cart 14 being hidden below the cars.

According to another embodiment, cart 14 may slide platform 12D aside in relation to stationary base 36, rather than elevate platform 12D in relation to stationary base 36 as of Fig. 3, or rather than descend platform 12D in relation to stationary base 36 as of Fig. 13, At the first step, elevating cart 14 may be driven from parking space 38A to parking space 38D, currently accommodating platform 38D, currently accommodating car 16D.At the second step, elevating cart 14 may slide platform 12D aside stationary base 36, thus moving car 16D aside.At the third step, elevating cart 14 may be driven while carrying platform 12D accommodating car 16D, to parking 280017/3 space 38A, by skipping and passing aside parking spaces 38A and 38B and the cars accommodated thereon, thus to be disposed aside platform 12A accommodating car 16A.At the fourth step, platforms 12A, 12B and 12C together with cars 16A, 16B and 16C may be driven to parking spaces 38B, 38C and 38D respectively, thus emptying parking space 38A, wMe maintaining the location of platform 12E to be on parking space 38E.Thus, each of the platforms is independently movable along elongated base 36, At the fifth step, elevating cart 14 slide platform 12D aside back onto parking space 38A.At the sixth step, car 16D may drive out.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a parking apparatus (10), including•- an elongated stationary base (36);- a plurality of platforms (12A,12B) disposed on the elongated stationary base (36), each platform for allowing carrying at least one car (16A); and- a cart (14) being movable along the elongated base (36), and being configured to ascend and descend any of the platforms (12A,12B) once the cart (14) is disposed against that platform (12A,thereby allowing moving at least one (16A) of the cars along the elongated stationary base (36) above or below another car of the cars, thereby skipping and passing over them. 280017/3 The parking apparatus (10) may further include:- a conveyor (72), for conveying the platforms (12A,12B) in relation to the elongated stationary base (36),thereby each of the platforms (12A,12B) is conveyable along the elongated base (36),thereby allowing emptying a portion (38A) of the elongated stationary base (36).

The parking apparatus (10) may farther include:- a conveyor lock (46A) for each of the platforms (12A.12B), for allowing locking that platform (12A) to the conveyor (72),thereby each of the platforms (12A,12B) is independently conveyable along the elongated base (36).

The parking apparatus (10) may further include•- a cart lock (42), for allowing locking the cart (14) to any of the platforms (12A),thereby allowing selecting any of the platforms (12A,12B) to be descendible and ascendible by the cart (14).

The elongated stationary base (36) may constitute a frame lacking a floor.

The elongated stationary base (36) may constitute a bridge, for moving the cart (14) therebelow and therealong. 280017/3 In another aspect, the invention is directed to a parking apparatus (10), including:- an elongated stationary base (36);- a plurality of platforms (12A,12B) disposed on the elongated stationary base (36), each platform for allowing carrying at least one car (16A); and- a cart (14) being movable along the elongated base (36), and being configured to transfer right and left any of the platforms (12A,12B) once the cart (14) is disposed against that platform (12A),thereby allowing moving at least one (16A) of the cars along the elongated stationary base (36) aside another car of the cars.

In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned: ־ Numeral 10 denotes the parking apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention;• 12A,12B,12C,12D.12E: platforms;• 14: cart being also an elevator;• 16A,16B,16C,16D.16E: cars;0 ־: cylinder for moving conveyor belt 36;• 34•־ cylinders functioning as bearings;■ 36: base which may be a frame only, and which may be a bridge; 280017/3

Claims (4)

1./4 - 14 - CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A parking apparatus (10), comprising:  an elongated stationary base (36);  a plurality of platforms (12A,12B) disposed on said elongated stationary base (36), each platform for allowing carrying at least one car (16A); and  a cart (14) being movable along said elongated base (36), and being configured to ascend and descend any of said platforms (12A,12B) once said cart (14) is disposed against that platform (12A);  a conveyor (72), for conveying said platforms (12A,12B) in relation to said elongated stationary base (36); and  a conveyor lock (46A) for each of said platforms (12A,12B), for allowing locking that platform (12A) to said conveyor (72), thereby allowing moving at least one (16A) of said cars along said elongated stationary base (36) above another car of said cars, and thereby each of said platforms (12A,12B) is conveyable along said elongated base (36), thereby allowing emptying a portion (38A) of said elongated stationary base (36). thereby each of said platforms (12A,12B) is independently conveyable along said elongated base (36).

2. The parking apparatus (10) according to claim 1, further comprising: 280017/4 - 15 -  a cart lock (42), for allowing locking said cart (14) to any of said platforms (12A), thereby allowing selecting any of said platforms (12A,12B) to be descendible and ascendible by said cart (14).

3. The parking apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein said elongated stationary base (36) comprises a frame lacking a floor.

4. The parking apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein said elongated stationary base (36) comprises a bridge, for moving said cart (14) therebelow and therealong.