MXPA98007157A - Vehicle parking system - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle parking system including a pair of horizontal rails (11, 12) spaced apart to define a line of vehicle parking spaces between them, a horizontal carrier (10) movable over the rails (11, 12) for conveying vehicles to selected parking spaces, and a vertical lift laterally of the pair of rails (11, 12) for lifting onto the horizontal carrier (10) a vehicle to be parked, the horizontal carrier (10) comprising a frame structure for receiving a vehicle to be parked, and four legs (14) depending from four corners of the frame structure and carrying wheels (15) rollable along the rails (11, 12), the legs (14) being of a height to enable the frame structure, and the vehicle supported thereby, to move over other vehicles that may be parked in the parking spaces, at least the rail (11) adjacent to the vertical lift being interrupted to produce a gap (11a) sufficiently large to accommodate the vertical lift when lifting a vehicle onto the horizontal carrier (10).

Description

PARKING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to parking systems for vehicles. The invention is particularly useful with respect to the vehicle parking system described in my earlier Israel patent 86295, and is therefore described below with respect to that application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The problem of providing parking spaces for motor vehicles is becoming increasingly serious due to the increase in the demand for parking space, and the decrease in supply of land available for said parking spaces, particularly in shopping centers. or densely populated areas. My aforementioned previous patent describes a multi-level parking system that allows almost any available land to be used to provide a large number of parking spaces since the described system accommodates the shape, dimensions and topography of the site. land available.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a parking system for vehicles that provides a number of important advantages particularly when used in the system described in that patent, but which can also be used advantageously in other systems.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parking system for vehicles comprising a parking system for vehicles, comprising a pair of separate horizontal rails to define a line of parking spaces for vehicles between them; a horizontal mobile loader on the rails to transport vehicles to selected parking spaces; and a vertical crane lateral to the pair of rails to raise a vehicle to park on the horizontal loader; The horizontal loader comprises: a frame structure for receiving a vehicle for parking, and four legs that depend on four corners of the frame structure and carrier wheels that rotate along the rails; the legs are of a height that allows the frame structure and the vehicle supported on it to move on other vehicles that can be parked in the parking spaces; at least the rail adjacent to the vertical crane is interrupted to produce a slot large enough to accommodate the vertical crane when lifting a vehicle on the horizontal loader.

As will be described more fully below, such a parking system, when used in the aforementioned patent system, substantially reduces the time to park and retrieve vehicles, mainly for two reasons: First, it allows the vehicle to be transferred between the crane vertical and the horizontal loader in the elevated position of the vehicle on the horizontal carrier, thus saving time to the horizontal loader when raising the vehicle to pass over other vehicles that may be parked in the line of parking spaces that the horizontal loader must pass through when parking and recover a vehicle. In addition, this arrangement allows the vertical crane to be located in an intermediate position in the line of parking devices at the respective level, rather than at one end of the line of parking spaces, thus shortening the transit time of a vehicle when you park or recover.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parking system for vehicles comprising: a support structure having a plurality of parking levels; each of the levels includes a pair of separate horizontal rails to define a line of vehicle parking spaces between them, a plurality of drawers supported on the rails, and a mobile horizontal loader on the rails of the respective level to transport the vehicles to the drawers of the chosen parking spaces; and a vertical crane to lift a vehicle by parking the horizontal loader of a chosen level; the pair of horizontal rails of each level is curved, and the horizontal loader of each level has wheels mounted in a rotating manner to allow the horizontal loader to pass through the curved rails.

This feature allows the parking system to better accommodate itself according to the shape and size of the plot of land available to be used for parking purposes.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is described herein, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a shape of the vehicle parking system constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a planar top view of the parking system of the system of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the elevational system of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a side elevational view particularly illustrating the vertical crane in the parking system of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the horizontal loader and the vertical crane; Figure 6 is a side elevational view illustrating a variation in the construction of the vertical crane; Figures 7a-7c illustrate three phases in the movement of the horizontal loader, and the vehicle transported by means of it, with respect to the rails and the vertical crane; Figure 8 is a view illustrating the lifting and lowering mechanism included in each horizontal loader; Figure 9 is a side elevational view illustrating the lifting and lowering mechanism and also the safety devices for securing a vehicle drawer to the horizontal loader; Figures 9a and 9b are end and plan views, respectively, more particularly illustrating the manner of supporting the drawers on the rails and securing the drawers to the horizontal loader; Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the hydraulic circuit included in the lifting and lowering mechanism for each horizontal loader; Figure 11 is a planar top view illustrating a variation in the construction of the vehicle parking system to better allow it to be accommodated according to the shape of the available lot of land; Y Figure 12 illustrates a modification in the construction of the horizontal loader when used in the system of Figure 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The parking system illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 as an example of the invention includes a support structure, generally designated 2, constructed to provide a plurality of vertical columns C1-C3, each of the vertical columns have a plurality of parking levels, for example, a street level SL, three levels L1-L3 below street level and two levels L4, L5 above street level. The support structure 2 may be a permanent building structure or part of it, specially constructed for the purpose of parking, or it may be a temporary open frame structure to provide temporary parking spaces for vehicles. The support structure may be of a modular construction, for example, as described in the aforementioned patent, or it may be a non-modular construction specially designed for the particular construction site.

As particularly illustrated in Figure 1, each vertical column has two entry / exit points at street level 3, 4 at opposite ends of the structure. Each point can serve as an entrance or as an exit. For example, during heavy morning hours, both can serve as inputs only to accelerate the parking of vehicles, and during the peak hours of the afternoon, both can serve as outputs to accelerate the recovery of vehicles; at all other times, one point can serve as one entrance and the other as an exit, or each can be both an entrance and an exit.

As will be described more particularly below, each parking space in the parking system is provided with a drawer 5 (eg, Figure 4) that the vehicle receives when entering the parking system, and that remains with the vehicle until the vehicle leaves the parking system.

In the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, each vertical column of the parking system is worked by two vertical cranes 6, 7 at the opposite ends of the structure 2 adjacent to the entry / exit points 3, 4. Each vertical crane it has a rotary table 8, 9 (Figure 2) that receives the drawer 5 for a vehicle to be driven, and rotates the drawer and the vehicle 90 degrees so that the vehicles can be parked in a tight side-to-side relationship within the structure 2, instead of an end-to-end relationship.

Each level in each vertical column C1-C3 of parking spaces has a horizontal loader, generally designated 10, which receives the box 5 and the vehicle on it from the vertical crane of the respective column and transports them both to a parking space chosen at the respective level. As will be described below, each horizontal conveyor 10 transports the drawer and the vehicle over it onto other vehicles that may already be parked in the respective line of parking spaces, until it reaches the parking space chosen for the respective vehicle, and then lower the drawer with the vehicle on it inside the parking space.

Each level includes a pair of horizontal rails 11, 12 spaced apart to define a line of vehicle parking spaces between them. Each parking space is occupied by one of the drawers 5 that are supported by the rails. The pair of rails 11, 12 of one level is separated from that of the next adjacent level by a distance that more than double the height of the vehicles to be parked.

Each horizontal loader 10 comprises a frame structure 123 for receiving a drawer 5 carrying a vehicle to be parked, and four legs 14 depending on the four corners of the frame structure 13 and loading wheels 15 rotatable along the rails 11, 12. The legs 14 are of a height that allows the frame structure 13, and the vehicle supported by it, to move other vehicles that are parked in the parking spaces, when a vehicle is transported to and from a parking space. chosen parking.

As indicated above, each parking space in each level is occupied by a drawer 5 to receive the vehicle for parking in that space. As illustrated in Figures 9a and 9b, the two rails 11, 12 (only the rail 12 is illustrated there) have a pair of hooks 16 that receive laterally projecting needles 17 carried at opposite ends of each of the drawers 5. The needles 17 of the drawers are thus used to support the drawers between the two rails 11, 12. These needles are also used to secure the drawer, and the vehicle carried on it, to the horizontal loader 10 when it is transported to or from its respective parking space. Thus, when a drawer is secured to the horizontal loader 10, the needles 17 of the drawer are engageable to safety devices, in the form of hooks 18, carried by a vehicle support carriage 19 mounted on the horizontal loader 10. The horizontal loader 10 further includes a lifting and lowering mechanism 20 for raising and lowering the carriage 19 with respect to the frame structure 13 of the horizontal loader 10.

As particularly illustrated in Figures 5, 8 and 9, the lifting and lowering mechanism 20 includes a pair of arms 21 rotatably mounted at one end 22 for each end of the load-bearing frame structure 13. The opposite end of each arm 21 is rotatably connected to one end of a link 21a, the opposite end of the link is rotatably coupled to the vehicle support carriage 19. The arm 21 rotates about its pivot 22 by a hydraulic cylinder 23, which is contract to move the arm to its lower position as illustrated in solid lines in Figure 8, and extend to move the arm to its raised position as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 8.

The carriage 19 further includes another hydraulic cylinder 24 for each of the safety hooks 18, as illustrated in Figure 9. Thus, in the extended position of the tamping cylinder 24, it operates its hook 18 to engage the respective needle 17. carried by the drawer 5 of the vehicle as illustrated in Figure 9; and in the retracted position of the hydraulic cylinder, it rotates the hook 18 to its release position with respect to the needle 17 of the drawer.

The rails 11, 12 for each level are interrupted in the position occupied by the vertical crane 6 (or 7). The foregoing is illustrated more particularly in Figures 5 and 7a-7c, where it will be noted that the rail 11 is interrupted to define a slot l a, and similarly the rail 12 is interrupted to define a slot 12 a. These slots 12a are dimensioned to accommodate the vertical crane 6 (or 7) which serves all the levels of the respective column, and therefore they are in vertical alignment with each other at all levels.

In the example illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the vertical crane 6 includes a cantilever arm 28 mounted laterally to the rail 11 and vertically movable via the grooves 11 on the rail 11. The cantilever arm 28 is loaded by a chain of jets 30 received on a jet wheel 31 rotated by a motor 32 and carrying a counterweight 33 at its opposite end.

Since the construction illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 uses a cantilever arm 28 on the vertical crane, a slot (1 a) on only one of the rails (11) is needed to accommodate the arm; therefore, a slot (12a) in the second rail (12) can be omitted, or can be retained for purposes of symmetry.

Figure 6 illustrates a variation where the vertical crane includes an arm 35 that extends transversely through both rails 11, 12 and therefore the slots 1, 12a would be provided on both rails. Figure 6 also illustrates the variation where a hydraulic cylinder 36 is provided to raise and lower the arm 35. Such a hydraulic transmission can be provided on only one side of the pair of rails as in Figures 4, or both sides as illustrated in Figure 6.

As shown particularly in Figures 5 and 7a-7c, there is a pair of wheels 15a, 15b mounted at one end of each leg 14 of the horizontal loader 10 rotatable along the rails 11, 12. Each pair of wheels 15a, 15b is dimensioned so that its points of contact with the rail are separated by a distance D (Figure 7a) that is greater than the length (d) of the respective slot (1 a, 12a). This arrangement allows the horizontal loader 10 to smoothly traverse the slots in the rails, as illustrated in Figures 7a-7c. One or more pairs of wheels 15a, 15b can be driven by traction motors, illustrated schematically at 38 in Figure 7d.

Figure 10 illustrates a hydraulic transmission circuit that can be used to drive cylinders 23 of the two lifting and lowering mechanisms 20 at opposite ends of horizontal loader 10. Cylinders on opposite sides of horizontal loader 10 are illustrated as 23a , 23b. Both are driven via a proportional control valve 40 and a hydraulic rotary flow transmission 41 which supplies the tamping cylinders 23a, 23b via balance valves 42a, 42b. This arrangement obviates the need for a mechanical link between the lifting and lowering mechanisms 20 at the opposite ends of the horizontal magazine 10, and ensures that both mechanisms will move together, in synchrony with each other, either during their lifting movements as well. as well as in their descent movements.

The illustrated system operates as follows: As indicated above, for each parking space there is a drawer 5 supported through the rails 11, 12.

As a vehicle enters one of the entrances 3, 4, for the respective column, the drawer for the parking space to receive that vehicle is transported to the vertical crane 6 or 7, for the respective column Cl, C3. The vehicle is driven directly on the drawer 5 on the vertical crane and rotated 90 degrees by means of the rotary table 8, 9. If the vehicle will be parked at street level SL, the lifting device 8 only lifts the vehicle to the raised position of the horizontal loader 10 for that level, said horizontal loader is placed in overlap with the lifting device; on the other hand, if the vehicle will be parked at a higher or lower level, the vertical riser 8 rises or falls to the chosen level, to transfer it to the horizontal loader 10 of that level, which is placed in overlap with the lifting device when it reaches the respective level. The slots 1, on the horizontal rails 11 accommodate the cantilever arm 28 which moves through the various levels to reach the chosen level for parking the vehicle.

Figure 7b illustrates the condition of the crane 6 when transferring the vehicle to the horizontal loader 10 for the respective level. As seen in Figure 7b, the transfer is made while the lifting and lowering mechanism 20 of the loader is in its raised position, thus saving the time that would otherwise be necessary to raise the vehicle after it has been transported and coupled to its respective horizontal loader 10.

The lifting and lowering mechanism 20 at each of the two ends of the horizontal magazine 10 is thus in its raised position, as illustrated by the position of the dotted lines of the arms 21 and the link 21a in Figure 8, when the The vehicle is transported to the horizontal loader 10 by means of the vertical crane 6. The safety hooks 18 of the horizontal loader are also in their release condition. As soon as the vehicle has been transported to the horizontal loader, the hooks 18 are actuated by the tamping cylinders 24 to engage the needles 17 in the drawer of the vehicle 5, and thus secure the drawer, and the vehicle therein, to the horizontal loader 10. The motor or traction motors (38, Figure 7b) of the horizontal loader 10 are then operated to transport the vehicle on any other vehicles that may be parked at that level to the chosen parking position. When the chosen parking position is reached, the tamping cylinders 23 of the horizontal loader 10 are operated to rotate their arms 21 and the links 21a to the lower position, thus lowering the box, and the vehicle on it, to its parking space. chosen one. The cylinders 24 for the safety hooks 18 are then actuated to decouple the needles 17 from the drawer 16, and the cylinders 23 are operated to rotate the arms 21 and the links 21a to their raised position, ready to receive another vehicle for parking at that location. level.

When the next vehicle is to be parked, a parking space is chosen, and the horizontal loader 10 at the respective level is used to transport the drawer 5 of that parking space to the vertical crane 6, 7, to receive the next vehicle, for which procedure is repeated to transport the next vehicle to your chosen parking space.

To recover a vehicle from your parking space, the procedure is reversed. That is, the horizontal loader 10 of the respective level is transported to lie under the vehicle to be recovered; the arms 21 at the opposite ends of the horizontal magazine rotate to their low position; the safety hooks 18 are actuated to engage with the needles 17 of the drawer 5 of the respective vehicle; the arms 21 then rotate to their raised position; and the loader 10 moves along the rails 11, 12 to transport the drawer and its vehicle in overlap with the vertical crane 6, 7, after which the vehicle drawer is released from the horizontal loader and lowered (or raised ) at street level SL, to exit at exit 3, 4 for the respective vertical column.

The complete parking system can be computerized to minimize the time of parking and recovery of vehicles according to the conditions of the moment. In the arrangement described, the vertical crane can be used to move the vehicle to the elevated position of the vehicle on its horizontal loader 10 before the vehicle is coupled to the horizontal loader while the vehicle is parked, and similarly to receive the vehicle from the elevated position of the horizontal loader during vehicle recovery from your parking space. Such an arrangement thus saves considerable time that would otherwise be required to raise the drawer and its vehicle after it has been coupled to the horizontal loader 10 during the parking of the vehicle, and also to lower the vehicle and its drawer on the vertical crane when recover the vehicle.

In addition, the illustrated arrangement allows the vertical crane 6, 7 to be included in any convenient position along the length of the levels, instead of only at one end of the levels, thus saving in addition considerable transit time in the transport of the vehicles from the vertical crane to your chosen parking space or from your parking space to the vertical crane.

Figures 11 and 12 illustrate an additional variation that can be used to adapt the parking system to the shape of the available land plot. In this variation, the plot site can be of curved configuration. According to the above, as illustrated in Figure 11, the rails 111, 112 of each level are also of curved configuration. In addition, the wheels 15a, 15b are mounted with a rotary assembly 116 to the lower ends of the legs 114 in the horizontal loaders, so as to allow the wheels to traverse the rails (112) and also the groove (112a) in the respective rail .

In all other aspects, the construction and mode of operation of the vehicle parking system illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 are substantially the same as those described above.

While the invention has been described with respect to several preferred specimens, it will be appreciated that these are merely stated for exemplary purposes, and that many other variations, modifications and applications of the invention can be made.

Claims (20)

1. CLAIMS: 1. A parking system for vehicles, comprising: a pair of separate horizontal rails to define a line of parking spaces for vehicles between them; a horizontal mobile loader on said rails to transport vehicles to selected parking spaces; and a vertical crane lateral to said pair of rails for lifting a vehicle to park on said horizontal loader; said horizontal loader comprises a frame structure for receiving a vehicle for parking and four legs that depend on four corners of the frame structure and load wheels that roll along said rails; said legs are of a height that allows the structure of the frame, and the vehicle supported by it, to move on other vehicles that may be parked in said parking spaces; at least the rail adjacent to the vertical crane is interrupted to produce a groove large enough to accommodate said vertical crane when lifting a vehicle on said horizontal loader.
2. 2. The system according to Claim 1, wherein said vertical crane includes an arm mounted in the form of a cantilever from one side of the rails and moving through said slot when a vehicle is raised on said horizontal loader.
3. 3. The system according to Claim 1, wherein said vertical crane extends transversely through said horizontal loader and said pair of rails, both said rails are interrupted to produce grooves aligned with each through which the vertical crane moves. when you lift a vehicle on said horizontal loader.
4. 4. The system according to Claim 3, wherein each of said legs carries two wheels having contact surfaces with the rail separated a greater distance than the length of said slots.
5. 5. The system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said rails extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to be transported, and said vertical crane includes a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to be transported.
6. 6. The system according to any of the Claims 1 to 4, wherein there is a drawer for each vehicle transported on said rails, and wherein said horizontal loader further includes: a support member for the vehicles to support the vehicle and its received drawer in the horizontal loader; safety devices for securing the vehicle drawer to said vertical support member; and a lifting and lowering mechanism for raising and lowering the vertical support member, and the vehicle and its drawer therefore, with respect to said frame structure.
7. 7. The system according to Claim 6, wherein said drawer has a pair of side projection needles on each end of the drawer to support the drawer, and the vehicle on itself, on said pair of rails; said safety devices include a hook carried by said vehicle support member for each of the needles and operable to engage its respective needle.
8. 8. The system according to Claim 6, wherein said lifting and lowering mechanism includes a pivoting arm at each end of the frame structure, one end of each of the pivotal arms is rotatably mounted to the frame structure, the opposite end of each rotating arm coupled via a link to the vehicle support member.
9. 9. The system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said pair of rails is curved, and said wheels are mounted rotatably to the respective legs to allow the horizontal loader to traverse said curved rails.
10. 10. The system according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein there is a plurality of parking levels, each level includes a pair of horizontal rails defining a line of vehicle parking spaces between them, with the slots in the rails of all levels in vertical alignment, and a plurality of drawers supported on said rails; each level also includes one of said movable horizontal loaders on the rails of the respective level to transport vehicles on the drawers to chosen parking spaces; said vertical crane is positioned laterally of the rails of all said levels and is movable within the aligned slots.
11. 11. A parking system for vehicles, comprising: a support structure having a plurality of parking levels; each of said levels includes a pair of separate horizontal rails to define a line of parking spaces for vehicles therebetween, a plurality of drawers supported on said rails, and a movable horizontal loader on said rails of the respective level for transporting vehicles to them. drawers of chosen parking spaces; and a vertical crane for raising a vehicle by parking to the horizontal loader of a chosen level; said pair of horizontal rails of each level is curved, and the horizontal loader of each of the levels has wheels mounted in a rotating manner to allow the horizontal loader to cross said curved rails.
12. 12. A parking system for vehicles, comprising: a support structure having a plurality of parking levels; each of said levels includes a pair of separate horizontal rails to define a line of parking spaces between them, a plurality of drawers supported on said rails and a movable horizontal loader on said rails of the respective level to transport vehicles to the spaces caissons parking choices; and a vertical crane to lift a vehicle on its drawer by parking the horizontal loader of a chosen level; each of said horizontal loaders comprises a frame structure for receiving a vehicle for parking and its drawer, and four legs that depend on four corners of the frame structure and loading wheels that roll along said rails; said legs are of a height that allows the frame structure, and the vehicle and the drawer supported thereby, to move on other vehicles that may be parked in said parking spaces; at least one rail adjacent to the vertical crane is interrupted to produce a groove large enough to accommodate said vertical crane when lifting a vehicle on said horizontal loader.
13. 13. The system according to Claim 12, wherein said vertical crane includes an arm mounted in the form of a cantilever from one side of the rails that moves through said slot when a vehicle is lifted on said horizontal loader.
14. 14. The system according to Claim 12, wherein said vertical crane extends transversely through said horizontal loader and said pair of rails, and both said rails are interrupted to produce grooves aligned with each through which the vertical crane is moves when lifting a vehicle on the horizontal loader.
15. 15. The system according to Claim 12, wherein each of said legs carries two wheels having contact surfaces with the rail separated by a distance greater than the length of said grooves.
16. 16. The system according to any of the claims 12 to 15, wherein said rails extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to be transported, and said vertical crane includes a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to be transported.
17. 17. The system according to any of the Claims 12 to 15, wherein said horizontal loader further includes: a supporting member for the vehicle to support the vehicle and its drawer on the horizontal loader; safety devices for securing the vehicle drawer to said vertical support member; and a lifting and lowering mechanism for raising and lowering the vertical support member, and the supported vehicle and the box itself, with respect to said frame structure.
18. 18. The system according to Claim 17, wherein said drawer has a pair of lateral projection needles at each end of the drawer to support the drawer and the vehicle thereon, on said pair of rails; said safety devices include a hook carried by said vehicle support member for each of said needles and operable to engage its respective needle.
19. 19. The system according to Claim 17, wherein said lifting and lowering mechanism includes a pivotal spleen at each end of the frame structure, one end of each pivotal arm is rotatably mounted to the frame structure, the opposite end of each pivotal arm is coupled via a link to the vehicle support member.
20. 20. The system according to any of Claims 12 to 15, wherein said pair of rails is curved, and said wheels are rotatably mounted to the respective legs to allow the horizontal loader to traverse said curved rails. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A vehicle parking system that includes a pair of separate horizontal rails to define a line of parking spaces between them, a mobile horizontal loader on the rails to transport vehicles to chosen parking spaces, and a side vertical crane to the pair of rails for raising a vehicle to park on the horizontal loader, the horizontal loader comprises a frame structure for receiving a vehicle to be parked, and four legs that depend on four corners of the frame structure and which carry wheels that rotate to along the rails, the legs are of a height to allow the frame structure, and the vehicle supported by it, to move on other vehicles that may be parked in the parking spaces, at least the rail adjacent to the vertical crane is interrupted to produce a groove large enough to accommodate the verti crane lime when lifting a vehicle on the horizontal loader.