NL1019155C2 - Transport device and method for transporting a vehicle. - Google Patents

Description

Transport device and method for transporting a vehicle.

DESCRIPTION: 5

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a transport device for transporting a vehicle between an input / output position and a storage position, which transport device comprises a movable platform, as well as two parallel, extendable arms which are present on the platform and at least one of which is movable transversely with respect to the platform, which arms each comprise two pairs of carrier shoes, for supporting the wheels of the vehicle to be transported, the carrier shoes of a pair being movable apart and towards each other. More in particular, the invention relates to a transport device for use in an automatic parking installation for vehicles, in particular passenger cars.

The automatic entry of a vehicle in a parking system is as follows. First the platform is brought in front of a vehicle to be moved, which is in the input position. The two arms then extend until they extend on either side of the vehicle. The arms are then moved towards each other, the carrying shoes of each pair being brought in front of and behind a wheel of the vehicle. The carrier shoes are then moved towards each other, lifting the wheels of the vehicle. Finally, the arms are retracted and the tray can be moved to the storage position. Here the arms extend, the vehicle being brought into the storage position, whereafter the carrier shoes are moved apart, and the arms are moved apart and finally retracted. The removal of a vehicle is done in the same way but in the reverse order.

State of the art.

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Such a conveying device is known from the European patent application EP-A-0 563 663. In this known conveying device, the carrier shoes are formed by 2 rollers, which extend perpendicular to the arms and which are movable along the arms. Under the arms are transport wheels with which the arms are in contact with a floor. The rollers are at a distance above the floor. When lifting the wheels of a vehicle, the entire weight of the vehicle comes to rest on the rollers and the weight is guided to the floor via the arms and the transport wheels. The rollers, arms and transport wheels are therefore heavily loaded and must therefore be of heavy design.

Summary of the invention.

An object of the invention is to provide a transport device of the type described in the preamble, wherein the construction is lighter and therefore cheaper than with the known transport device. To this end, the transport device according to the invention is characterized in that the carrier shoes are rotatable between a first position, in which the carrier shoes are substantially parallel to the arms and a second position, in which the carrier shoes are at least substantially perpendicular to the arms, and that each carrier shoe is coupled to a rotating mechanism which, when rotated from the first position to the second position, moves the carrier shoe downwards in a vertical direction from a first position at a distance above a floor on which the vehicle to be transported is located, to a second position on or just above the floor. During rotation of the carrier shoes from the first position to the second position, the carrier shoes may come into contact with the floor. However, it is also possible to first raise the arm so that the carrier shoes can rotate without coming into contact with the floor, and then lower the arm, the carrier shoes coming onto the floor. In both cases, the carrier shoes are on the floor after lifting the vehicle and the weight of the vehicle passes directly to the floor, so that the arms are not loaded by the weight of the vehicle.

It is noted that foldable carrier shoes provided with wheels for transport over a floor are known per se from the international patent application WO-A-88/04350. However, in this case the carrier shoes are in the folded-in or folded-out position at the same height as the floor and the arms are not displaceable in transverse direction.

An embodiment of the transport device according to the invention is characterized in that each arms is provided with at least one transverse wheel, for supporting the arm in the case of transverse displacement, which transverse wheel is movable by a lifting mechanism between a first position on a floor on which it is to be moved. vehicle and a second position at a distance above the floor, wherein in the first position the arm with the carrier shoes is present at a distance above the floor, the carrier shoes being rotatable without coming into contact with the floor. In this case the arm is first lifted so that the carrier shoes can turn without coming into contact with the floor. The rotating mechanism for rotating the carrier shoes is hereby loaded less heavily, so that it can be made lighter.

In order to ensure that the weight of the vehicle is not partly passed through the arms to the floor, a further embodiment of the transport device according to the invention is characterized in that in the second position of the carrier shoes and if the carrier shoes are present on the floor the arms are present at a distance above the floor due to the vertical position of the carrier shoes relative to the arms. Because the arm is lifted from the ground, it is ensured that the weight of the vehicle is completely led to the floor via the carrier shoes.

A still further embodiment of the conveyor device according to the invention is characterized in that each arm comprises a first guide which is connected to the platform and an extendable, second guide which is displaceable relative to the first guide, wherein a coupling device is arranged between the two guides. which coupling device comprises a first and a second guide element connected to each other, which guide elements are guided in the first and the second guide, respectively, and which guide elements each comprise a gear wheel, which gear wheels co-operate with racks present on the first and second guide, respectively, and which gears are coupled to each other via a transfer mechanism, which transport device comprises a drive mechanism, which is present on the first guide, for moving the first guide element, so that when the first guide element is moved over a first distance , via the gear wheels and the transmission mechanism, the second guide is moved over a second distance that is greater than the first distance. This ensures that the second guide can be fully extended, so that the arms have a large reach.

It is noted that this embodiment of the arm of the transport device can also be used separately from the rotation and lifting mechanisms for the fold-out carrier shoes, and that the possibility is explicitly kept open of claiming this embodiment separately from the earlier embodiments in a split-off patent application. .

For further favorable embodiments of the transport device, reference is made to the following description of an embodiment and the subsequent claims.

The invention also relates to a method for transporting a vehicle. With regard to the method according to the invention, reference is also made to the following description of an embodiment and the subsequent claims.

Brief description of the drawings.

The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of an exemplary embodiment of the transport device according to the invention shown in the drawings. Hereby shows:

Figure 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the transport device according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a rear view of an arm of the transport device;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a transfer mechanism of the arm;

Figure 4 shows a bottom view of a cross shoe in a first position; Figure 5 shows a bottom view of the cross shoe in a second position; Figures 6, 7 and 8 show a pair of carrier shoes of the transport device in bottom view in respectively folded position, folded-out position at a distance from each other, and folded-out position near each other;

Figure 9 is a top view of a cross shoe in perspective; and Figure 10 shows a bottom view of the cross shoe in perspective.

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Detailed description of the drawings.

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Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the transport device according to the invention in top view during operation. The transport device 1 has a platform 3 which is movable in a direction according to arrow a. On the platform 3 there are two extendable arms 5,7, which are shown in the extended position. The arm 5 is movable in the transverse direction (arrow b) relative to the platform 3. The other arm 7 is fixedly connected to the platform 3.

The transport device 1 is present in an automatic parking installation and brings vehicles from an input and output position to a storage position and vice versa. The vehicle 9 is hereby lifted from one of the aforementioned positions from a floor 10 and brought onto the platform 3 and discharged at the other position of the platform 3 and placed on a floor.

Each arm 5,7 has two guides 11,13 and 15,17 of which one guide 11,13 is connected to the platform 3 and the other guide 15,17 is extendable (arrow c). The guides 11 and 15 and 13 and 17, respectively, are coupled to each other via coupling devices 16 and 18. These coupling devices will be explained in more detail below with reference to Figure 3. Each coupling device 16, 18 has two mutually connected guide elements 19 and 23, 21 and 25, respectively, which are movable in the guide elements 19-25.

Each arm 5, 7 furthermore has four carrier shoes 27-33 and 35-41. Each carrier shoe 27-41 is rotatably connected to a carriage 43-57 that can be moved along the guide 15,17. Illustratively, the carrier shoes 35-41 are shown in a first collapsed position and the carrier shoes 27-33 in a second collapsed position. In reality, the carrier shoes 27-33 of arm 7 are in the same position as the carrier shoes 35-41 of arm 5.

The guides 15 and 17 have longitudinal wheels 59-65 which serve during the retraction and extension.

In figure 2 the arm 7 is shown in rear view. The guide 1 is attached to the platform 3 via a support 67, while the other guide 15 is movable and is provided with longitudinal wheels 59. On both guides 11,15 there are guide rails 69 over which the guide elements 19,23 can be moved with running wheels 71 . Further, on the guide 15, there is a further guide rail 73 along which the slides 43 can be moved.

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Each guide element 19,23 has a gear 75,77 which cooperates with a gear rack 79,81 present on the relevant guide 11,15. The gear wheels 75 and 77 are coupled to each other via a transmission mechanism 83 which will be explained in more detail below with reference to Figure 3. A toothed belt 87 is attached to the guide element 19 via a clamping block 85. This toothed belt 87 is wrapped around discs 89 and 91, one of which is driven by an electric motor (not shown) which is mounted on the arm 7 (see also figure 1).

To extend and retract the arm 7, the guide element 19 is moved via the drive disc 89 and toothed belt 87 by means of a drive mechanism, of which the electric motor forms part. Here the gear 75 rolls over the gear rack 79, see figure 2. Via the transfer mechanism 83 the rotation of the gear wheel 75 is transferred to the gear wheel 77 with a gear ratio greater than one, so that the gear wheel 77 makes more revolutions than the gear wheel 75. gear 75 drives the rack 81, whereby the guide 15 is extended or retracted.

In addition to the longitudinal wheels 59, the guide 15 also has transverse wheels 93 at both ends. When the arm 7 is moved transversely with respect to the floor (by moving the platform 3 to which the arm 7 is attached), the transverse wheels 93 become lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown) to a level where the running surface of the transverse wheel 93 is lower than the running surface 20 of the longitudinal wheels 59. The longitudinal wheels 59 and the supporting shoes 27-41 are lifted from the floor and the turn the carrier shoes off the floor.

In the position shown in Figure 2, the carrier shoe 27 is folded out and together with the carrier shoe 29 (not visible in Figure 2) it lifts the wheel 95 of the vehicle. When the carrier shoe 27 is unfolded, it is also moved downwards. After lifting the transverse wheels 93, the carrier shoes 27 and 29 are present on the floor and the guide 15 with the longitudinal wheels 59 is present at a distance above the floor.

With reference to Figure 3, the coupling mechanism 16 with the transmission mechanism 83 will now be described. The two guide elements 19 and 23 are connected to each other via leaf springs 97. As a result, they are displaceable in the vertical direction over a small distance with respect to each other, which is desirable when lifting the guide 23 when the carrier shoes are unfolded. The gear wheels 75 and 77 are connected to pulleys 99 and 101. A toothed belt 103 is passed over the pulleys 99 and 101, two tensioning rollers 105 ensuring that the toothed belt 103 is spread over a large part of the circumference of the pulley 99. The guide element 19 is displaced via the toothed belt 87 attached to the clamping block 85. The gear wheel 75 rotates here. This rotation is transmitted in a strengthened manner via the pulleys 99 and 101 and the toothed belt 103 to the gear wheels 77, which drive the extendable guide. By coupling the gear wheels 75 and 77 with each other via a toothed belt 103 it is possible to move the guide elements 19 and 23 in height relative to each other.

Figures 4 and 5 show one of the carrier shoes with a slide in bottom view in a first, folded position (figure 4) and a second folded-out position (figure 5), respectively. The carrier shoe 27 has six wheels 105 for movement across the floor and two rollers 107 for lifting a wheel of a vehicle. The carrier shoe is rotatable about an axis 109 present on the carriage 43. The axis 108 is provided with a trapezoidal external thread 111 which cooperates with a trapezoidal internal thread present in an opening 113 of the carriage 43. Through this thread 111 move the carrying shoe 27 in height relative to the carriage 43 when it is rotated relative to the carriage 43.

The slide 43 is slidable along the guide rails 73 of the guide 15 and is displaced with the aid of a cylinder-piston combination which is connected at one end to a pin 115 on the slide 43. The cylinder-piston combination forms part 20 of a displacement mechanism for displacing the carrier shoes. A plate 117 is connected to the carriage 43 via a spring 118. A further pin 119 and a tooth 121 are present on the plate 117. The pin 119 cooperates with a slot 123 in the carrier shoe 27, and the tooth 121 cooperates with a recess 125 in the carrier shoe 27. The shaft 109, opening 113 , screw thread 111, plate 117 with pin 119 and the slot 123 all form part of a turning mechanism for rotating and lifting / lowering the carrier shoe.

In the collapsed position (Fig. 4) the pin 119 is in the slot 123 and the tooth 121 is out of the recess 125. The spring 118 is in this case in the stretched position and the plate 117 is retained by a pin present on the guide 15 127. When moving the slide 43 in the direction of arrow d, the wall of the slot 123 is pressed against the pin 119. The spring 118 ensures that the plate 117 remains pulled against the pin 127. As a result, the carrier shoe 27 rotates in the direction of arrow e to the unfolded position. In the unfolded position (Figure 5) the tooth 121 is in engagement with the 8 recess 125, as a result of which the carrying shoe 27 is blocked against rotation. The spring 118 is hereby fully retracted and no longer exerts any force on the plate 117. Upon further displacement of the carriage 43 in the direction of arrow d, the plate 117 moves with the carriage 43.

When the carrier shoe 27 is collapsed, the carriage 43 is displaced and the plate 117 initially moves with the carriage 43. The plate 117 moves together with the slide 43 until the plate 117 is retained by the pin 127 present on the guide 15 (situation as shown in Figure 5). Upon further displacement of the carriage 43, the carriage moves relative to the plate 117 and the pin 119 enters the slot 123, as a result of which the carrying shoe 27 rotates about the axis 109 and is simultaneously moved upwards.

The different stages during the movement of a pair of carrier shoes are explained in Figures 6, 7 and 8. Figure 6 shows the pair of folded carrier shoes 27,29 (this position corresponds to that of Figure 4). The carriages 43 and 45 to which these carrier shoes are rotatably connected are spaced apart and are coupled to each other via a cylinder-piston combination 129. By pulling the piston in the cylinder, the carriages 43 and 45 are moved towards each other, while the carrier shoes 27 and 29 unfold, as shown in Figure 7 (this position corresponds to that of Figure 5). Thereafter, the carriages 43 and 45 are moved closer to each other, the carrier shoes 27 and 29 lifting the tire of a vehicle.

For the sake of clarity, the carrying shoe 27 is shown in figures 9 and 10 in perspective and top view, respectively.

Transporting a vehicle 9 between an input / output position and a storage position takes place as follows. First, the vehicle 9 with the front wheels is placed on the floor 10 at a predetermined distance from the platform 3. The vehicle 9 is then brought parallel to the longitudinal direction of the platform 3. These two steps take place on the floor 10 at the location of the input / output position and can for instance be carried out by placing the vehicle 9 on a mobile plate and automatically aligning this plate with respect to the platform 3.

The platform 3 is then moved to the vehicle 9 to the center in front of the vehicle. The two arms 5, 7 are then extended on either side of the vehicle, whereafter the platform 3 is moved until the arm 7, which is fixedly connected to the platform 9, is at a desired distance from a side of the vehicle 9. Thereafter, the other arm 5 is moved in the transverse direction b (see Figure 1) relative to the platform 3 until this arm is also at a desired distance from the other side of the vehicle 9. Moving the arms 5,7 to the desired distance from the sides 5 of the vehicle is done with the aid of sensors (not shown in the figures) on the arms.

The pairs of carrier shoes 27, 29 and 35, 37 are now located near the front wheels. The pairs of carrier shoes 31, 33 and 39, 41 are then moved to next to the rear wheels of the vehicle 9. This is done by first folding out the rear carrier shoes 33 and 41 and placing them against the rear wheels of the vehicle 9.

The other carrier shoes 27-31 and 35-39 are then folded out from a position parallel to the arms (see figure 1 arm 5) to a position perpendicular to the arms (see figure 1 arm 7). The carrying shoes are hereby also moved downwards.

The carrier shoes 27-41 are then moved together in pairs, lifting the wheels of the vehicle 9. The arms 5,7 are now retracted, the vehicle 9 being driven by the carrier shoes 27-41 onto the platform 3.

Subsequently, the platform 3 is brought to the storage position where the vehicle 9 of the platform 3 is placed. This is done by first extending the arms 5, 7, then moving the carrying shoes 27-41 of each pair apart and then collapsing, thereby also lifting them. Finally, the arms 5, 7 are retracted.

It is not necessary that the front wheels of the vehicle are first brought to a predetermined distance from the platform. If this does not happen, front carrier shoes 27 and 35 must first be folded out and moved to the front wheels of the vehicle 9. Furthermore, the vehicle may be slightly tilted relative to the platform, provided that this tilt is so small that the carrier shoes can get under the wheels of the vehicle.

Although in the foregoing the invention has been elucidated with reference to the drawings, it should be noted that the invention is by no means limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiment shown in the drawings within the scope defined by the claims.

Claims (10)

A transport device (1) for transporting a vehicle (9) between an input / output position and a storage position, which transport device (1) comprises a movable platform (3), and two parallel, extendable arms (5,7), which are present on the platform and of which at least one is movable transversely with respect to the platform, which arms (5, 7) each comprise two pairs of carrier shoes (27-41) for carrying the wheels of the conveyor to be transported vehicle (9), wherein the carrier shoes of a pair are movable apart and towards each other, characterized in that the carrier shoes (27-41) are rotatable between a first position, in which the carrier shoes are substantially parallel to the arms (5,7) and a second position, in which the carrier shoes are present at least substantially perpendicular to the arms, and that each carrier shoe (27-41) is coupled to a turning mechanism that the carrier shoe (27-41) when rotated from the first position to the second position moved downwards in a vertical direction from a first position at a distance above a floor (10) on which the vehicle (9) to be transported is located, to a second position on or just above the floor. Transporting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each arms (5,7) is provided with at least one transverse wheel (93) for supporting the arm in transverse displacement, which transverse wheel is movable by a lifting mechanism between a first position on a floor on which the vehicle (9) to be transported is located, and a second position at a distance above the floor, wherein in the first position the arm with the carrier shoes is present at a distance above the floor, wherein the carrier shoes be rotatable without coming into contact with the floor. Transporting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the second position of the carrier shoes (27-41) and if the carrier shoes are present on the floor, the arms (5,7) are spaced apart above the floor (10) due to the vertical position of the carrier shoes relative to the arms. Transporting device (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that each carrying shoe (27-41) comprises first wheels (105) for making contact with a floor on which the vehicle to be transported is located, and second wheels (107) for making contact with a tire of a vehicle to be transported. Transporting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the turning mechanism comprises an opening (113) with internal screw thread, as well as an axis (109) rotatable in the opening with external screw thread (111), the axis of which and the opening is either on / in the carrier shoe (27-41). 6. Transport device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport device comprises displacement mechanisms for displacing the carrier shoes (27-41) of a pair, each carrier shoe being rotatably present on an arm along the relevant arm. (5, 7) movable carriage (43-57), which displacement mechanism can move the two carriages of a pair of carrier shoes apart and towards each other, and wherein when the carriages are moved pins (119) come into contact with parts of the carrier shoes and with further displacement of the carriages these parts 10 stop causing the carrier shoes to rotate. 7. Transporting device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each arm (5,7) comprises a first guide (11,13) which is connected to the platform (3) and an extendable, second guide (15) 17) which is movable relative to the first guide, wherein a coupling device (16, 18) is present between the two guides, which coupling device comprises a first and a second guide element (19, 21 and 23, 25, respectively) connected to each other which guide elements are guided in the first and the second guide, respectively, and which guide elements each comprise a gear (75,77), which gear wheels co-operate with racks (79,81) present on the first and second guide, respectively, and which gear wheels (75 77) are coupled to each other via a transfer mechanism (83), which transport device (1) comprises a drive mechanism, which is present on the first guide (11,13), for moving the first guide element (19, 21), so that when the first guide element (19, 21) is displaced over a first distance, the second guide (15, 17) is moved over the gear wheels (75, 77) and the transmission mechanism (83) a second distance that is greater than the first distance. Transporting device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the transfer mechanism (83) comprises a first pulley (99) connected to the first gear (75) for guiding a belt or chain, and a second pulley (101), which is connected to the second gear (77), and that the transmission mechanism (83) further comprises a belt (103) or chain which is guided through the two pulleys (99,101) and both pulleys with each other connects. Conveyor device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the guide elements (19, 21 and 23, 25) are mutually movably connected to each other in the vertical direction. 10. Method for transporting a vehicle (9) between an input / output position and a storage position, comprising moving a platform (3) to a vehicle (9), extending two arms (5) present on the platform 7) on either side of the vehicle, moving at least one arm (5) in the transverse direction (b) relative to the platform (3) until it is at a desired distance from one side of the vehicle (9), moving at least one pair of carrier shoes (31, 33 and 39, 41) on each arm (5, 7) to adjacent a wheel of the vehicle (9), moving the carrier shoes (27-41) towards one another of a pair, lifting the wheels of the vehicle, retracting the arms (5, 7), driving the vehicle (9) through the carrier shoes (27-41) on the platform (3), moving the platform (3) to a desired position and placing the vehicle (9) from the platform (3), characterized in that after sliding out of the arms (5, 7) the platform (3) is moved until one of the arms (7), which is fixedly connected to the platform, is at a desired distance from one side of the vehicle (9), after which the the other arm (5) is displaced in the transverse direction (b) relative to the platform (3) until this arm is also at a desired distance from the other side of the vehicle (9), and that after moving the carrier shoes (31) , 33 and 39,41) up to the wheels of the vehicle (9), the carrier shoes 20 (27-41) are folded out from a position parallel to the arms to a position perpendicular to the arms, while also the carrier shoes (27-) 41) moved downwards.