JP7714497B2 - Mechanical parking equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mechanical parking system.

Patent Document 1 describes a loading/unloading compartment structure for a mechanical parking lot, which includes a loading/unloading compartment where automobiles enter and exit and which is equipped with pallet transfer equipment that transports pallets carrying automobiles laterally, a storage layer where automobiles are stored, and a transport compartment equipped with a transport device that transports pallets carrying automobiles between the loading/unloading compartment and each storage layer, the loading/unloading compartment and the transport compartment being arranged adjacent to each other, the pallet transfer equipment having a lateral feed mechanism that transports the loaded pallet laterally and a turntable that rotates the turntable, the rotation position of the turntable being a position where part of the pallet's rotation trajectory extends beyond the loading/unloading compartment toward the transport compartment, and the loading/unloading position of the pallet when entering and exiting an automobile is located on the opposite side of the transport compartment from the rotation position.

Patent Document 2 describes a parking space consisting of an entrance/exit boarding/deboarding area equipped with a boarding/deboarding area lifter, a cart travel lane for carts to travel on, a front parking lane adjacent to the cart travel lane with a number of car shelves lined up in a row, and a rear parking lane behind the front parking lane with a number of car shelves lined up in a row, with two rows of carts arranged side by side, and a parking space lifter installed in the front parking lane adjacent to the cart travel lane. The cart has an upper pallet support section on which a full car pallet is placed and a lower pallet support section on which an empty pallet is placed, on the top and bottom. The cart is also equipped with a pallet transfer means for dispensing and retracting the upper pallet and an empty pallet feed mechanism for dispensing and retracting the empty pallet. The boarding/deboarding area lifter is mounted on the upper pallet support section and the rear pallet support section at the same level as the cart. The mechanical multi-story parking system is characterized in that the parking space lifter is equipped with a pallet lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the pallet and a pallet feed mechanism that operates to withdraw and retract the pallet between the cart and the vehicle; each car shelf in the front parking lane is equipped with an upper pallet support portion and a lower pallet support portion that are at the same level as the cart; each car shelf in the rear parking lane is equipped with an upper pallet support portion that is at the same level as the front parking lane; and the parking space is equipped with a pallet moving device that moves the vehicle pallet between the rear parking lane and the front parking lane.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-303444 Patent No. 2880115

The invention described in Patent Document 1 includes a boarding/deboarding room equipped with pallet transfer equipment that transports pallets carrying automobiles laterally, and a transport room equipped with a transport device that transports pallets carrying automobiles between the boarding/deboarding room and each storage level. However, pallets are not swapped during loading and unloading operations, and the elevator is designed to carry pallets on two levels, upper and lower, making the process of transferring pallets between the boarding/deboarding room and the transport room complicated.

Furthermore, the invention described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a loading/unloading room lifter that transfers pallets between the loading/unloading room and the lift. However, although the loading and unloading lifts are equipped with pallets on two levels, one above the other, the pallets are not swapped during loading/unloading operations, which complicates the process of transferring pallets between the loading/unloading room and the lift.

The present invention aims to solve the above problem by providing a mechanical parking system with a platform that can efficiently transfer two trays between the loading/unloading compartment and the lift when an elevator carrying one tray is used to accommodate two trays in the loading/unloading compartment.

The mechanical parking device according to the first aspect comprises a loading/unloading section having a tray for placing vehicles, a loading/unloading compartment in which two of the trays are stacked with a gap between them in the vertical direction, a lift compartment adjacent to the loading/unloading compartment in which an elevator is located that carries one of the trays and raises and lowers it, and an elevator platform that is arranged between the tray and the lift compartment so that it can be raised and lowered by an elevator means, and the elevator is arranged to be able to be raised and lowered by an elevator means between the tray and the lift compartment during loading/unloading operations in the loading/unloading compartment. The stop position is allowed to change depending on the transport height of the tray, and when the elevator is positioned at the lower transport height, the tray located below is allowed to be transported between the loading/unloading room and the elevator during the loading/unloading operation, and the lift platform is moved to a position that allows the movement of the tray located above when the tray located above moves between the loading/unloading room and the lifting room, and is moved to a position that allows the movement of the tray located below when the tray located below moves between the loading/unloading room and the lifting room.

The mechanical parking device of the second aspect is the mechanical parking device of the first aspect, wherein the position on the platform that allows movement of the upper tray is lower than the upper tray, and the position on the platform that allows movement of the lower tray is higher than the lower tray.

The mechanical parking device of the third aspect is the mechanical parking device of the first aspect, wherein the lifting means includes a motor, a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor, and a lifting member having one end fixed to the drive shaft and the other end as a rotatable free end; when the drive shaft is driven by the motor, the free end of the lifting member rotates while supporting the underside of the lifting platform, thereby raising and lowering the platform.

The mechanical parking device of the fourth aspect is the mechanical parking device of the third aspect, in which the lifting members are provided as a pair spaced apart toward one side of the platform, and the pair of lifting members are fixed to both ends of the shaft.

A mechanical parking device according to a fifth aspect is a mechanical parking device according to the third or fourth aspect, in which the free end of the lifting member has a lifting roller that rotatably contacts the back surface of the lifting platform.

The mechanical parking device of the sixth aspect is a mechanical parking device of the first or third aspect, in which the lifting means are provided as a pair spaced apart in the direction of the other side of the platform, and the pair of lifting means are operated synchronously.

The seventh aspect of the mechanical parking system is a mechanical parking system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, in which the lifting means is arranged so that the free ends of the lifting members face each other.

The eighth aspect of the mechanical parking system is a mechanical parking system according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, in which the platform is supported by a support means when moved to a position that allows movement of the tray located below.

The mechanical parking device of the ninth aspect is a mechanical parking device of any one of the third to eighth aspects, in which the platform is stopped while being supported by the lifting member when it is moved to a position that allows movement of the tray located above it.

The mechanical parking system according to the first aspect allows trays to be swapped during entry and exit operations, reducing the time it takes for vehicles to enter and exit the parking lot, compared to systems in which the platform is fixed inside the loading and unloading area.

The mechanical parking device according to the second aspect reduces the time it takes for a vehicle to enter or exit the parking lot compared to a device that folds the platform or raises it to near the ceiling during entry and exit operations.

The mechanical parking device according to the third aspect has a simpler structure for the platform than rack-and-pinion or rope lift systems, which allows for reduced costs and improved maintenance efficiency.

With the mechanical parking device according to the fourth aspect, the lifting and lowering operation of the platform is more stable than with a single lifting member.

According to the mechanical parking device of the fifth aspect, noise and vibration can be reduced and maintenance efficiency can be improved compared to a device in which the free end of the lifting member slides on the back surface of the lifting platform.

In the mechanical parking device according to the sixth aspect, the platform can be raised and lowered stably with a smaller driving force than in a device with a single lifting means.

The mechanical parking device according to the seventh aspect provides more stable lifting and lowering operation of the platform compared to a device in which the two lifting means face in different directions.

With the mechanical parking device of the eighth aspect, the platform is supported more reliably than in a system in which the platform is supported only by a lifting member, and shaking and shifting of the platform when a user walks on it is reduced.

With the mechanical parking system of the ninth aspect, the platform can be stopped at a predetermined position simply by stopping the lifting member midway, compared to systems that use a member to rest the platform on when it is lowered and stopped.

In this way, according to the present invention, even if an elevator that can carry one tray is used for each of the two trays in the boarding/de-boarding compartment, the platform can be raised and lowered to accommodate the swapping of trays during loading and unloading operations, thereby preventing the time it takes for vehicles to load and unload from being extended.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an overview of the storage room in this embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an overview of a mechanical parking device according to this embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an outline of the boarding/deboarding room and the elevator room in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a lifting and lowering drive unit of the movable deck in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a lifting and lowering drive unit of the movable deck in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a lifting and lowering drive unit of the movable deck in the embodiment. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the support means of the movable deck in this embodiment is protruded to a support position that supports the movable deck. FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the support means for the movable deck in this embodiment has retracted to a retracted position where it does not support the movable deck. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by support rollers in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by the lifting member in this embodiment. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by the lifting member and the support roller is retracted to a retracted position where it does not support the movable deck in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1, and is a side view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by the support rollers. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1, and is a side view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by the lifting member. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1, and is a side view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by the lifting member and the support rollers are retracted to a retracted position where they do not support the movable deck. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1, and is a side view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by the lifting member and stopped at a position where the movement of the upper tray is permitted. FIG. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Figure 1, and is a side view showing the state in which the movable deck is supported by the lifting member and stopped at a position where movement of the upper tray is permitted, and the support roller has advanced to a support position that supports the tray. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state before the movable deck in the embodiment is supported by the support rollers. 10 is a side view showing a state immediately before the movable deck is supported by the support rollers in the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the movable deck is supported by support rollers in the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a vehicle has entered the boarding/deboarding compartment in this embodiment and the movable deck is in a raised position. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a vehicle has entered the boarding/deboarding compartment in this embodiment and the movable deck is in a lowered position. FIG. A front view showing the state in which a tray carrying a vehicle in the boarding/deboarding compartment in this embodiment is moved on a lowered movable deck and loaded onto a lift. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the lift in this embodiment is lowered and the tray and movable deck that were waiting below in the boarding/deboarding room are raised. FIG. 10 is a front view showing the state in which the lift in this embodiment has risen to the transport height L2 of the tray located below and stopped. 10 is a front view showing the state in which the tray carried on the lift in this embodiment passes under the movable deck and is moved to a standby position below the raised tray. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the lift in this embodiment has risen to a transport height L1 of the tray located above and stopped. FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a lifting drive unit in a modified example. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a lifting drive unit in a modified example.

[Embodiment]
An example of a mechanical parking device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 28.
In the drawings, arrow W indicates the width direction of the device, arrow D indicates the depth direction of the device, and arrow H indicates the height direction of the device. The width direction W of the device is sometimes referred to as the "horizontal direction" or "short-side direction of the tray," the upper part of the height direction H of the device is sometimes referred to as the "upper" or "upper part," the lower part of the height direction H of the device is sometimes referred to as the "lower" or "lower part," the depth direction D of the device is sometimes referred to as the "longitudinal direction of the tray," and a view from the side of the height direction H of the device is sometimes referred to as a "plan view."

<Overall configuration of mechanical parking device>
1 and 2 , the mechanical parking device according to this embodiment includes a loading/unloading section 1 having a tray 8 for placing a vehicle M, a boarding/unloading compartment 2 in which two trays 8 are stacked with a vertical gap between them, a lift 42 adjacent to the boarding/unloading compartment 2 and mounted thereon, and a movable deck 10 that is movable between the tray 8 and the lifting/unloading compartment 4. During a loading/unloading operation in the boarding/unloading compartment 2, the lift 42 is allowed to change its stopping position in accordance with a transport height L1 of the upper tray 8 among the trays 8 placed in the boarding/unloading compartment 2 and a transport height L2 of the lower tray 8 among the trays 8 placed in the boarding/unloading compartment 2. When the lift 42 is positioned at the lower transport height L2, the lower tray 8 is allowed to be transported between the boarding/unloading compartment 2 and the lift 42 during the loading/unloading operation. Here, the movable deck 10 is an example of a platform, and the lift 42 is an example of an elevator.

Specifically, the mechanical parking system according to this embodiment has two entry/exit sections 1 and 11 arranged above the height direction H of the system and spaced apart in the depth direction D of the system within a building, and a vehicle storage section 6 formed below the entry/exit section in the height direction H. One of the entry/exit sections is entry section 1, and the other is exit section 11, spaced apart from entry section 1 in the depth direction D. Furthermore, storage section 6 is provided with a storage device 60, which has two layers in the height direction H, each layer containing multiple trays 8 on which vehicles M are placed. The trays 8 are arranged adjacent to each other in the height direction H so that they can be transported independently. While this storage device 60 is illustrated as a flat-surface circulating parking system as an example, it may be of any type, including other types of parking systems, such as a flat-surface shuttle parking system. In the description of the mechanical parking system in this embodiment, the operation and stopping of each part is automatically controlled by placing various sensors necessary for each part and electrically connecting the detection signals from the various sensors to a control device, but a description of the various sensors and control device will be omitted.

[tray]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the tray 8 has a rectangular shape in plan view, one side of which is longer than the other, and includes an upper surface 8A and a lower surface 8B. The upper surface 8A is flat and large enough to accommodate a vehicle M. The lower surface 8B includes a pair of lateral feed rollers 82 and longitudinal feed rollers 84 that are attached near the four corners of the tray 8 and allow transport along rails installed on the elevator 42 and the storage device 60. In this embodiment, as an example, the lateral feed rollers 82 are rollers that can travel in the device width direction W, and the longitudinal feed rollers 84 are rollers that can travel in the device depth direction D. Furthermore, the lower surface 8B is provided with unillustrated transport rails in the device depth direction D (longitudinal direction) and the device width direction W (lateral direction) of the tray 8, respectively. The tray 8 is supported by a transfer roller 52 and a drive roller 46 (described later) and can be transported in the longitudinal direction or the lateral direction. Hereinafter, the level of the upper surface 8A of the tray 8 is also referred to as the loading surface.

[Incoming and outgoing section]
As shown in Fig. 1, the entrance section 1 has a boarding/de-boarding room 2 and a lifting room 4 arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction W of the device. Specifically, the mechanical parking device in this embodiment is of a type in which the lifting room 4, which is a section for lifting and transporting the vehicle M between the storage section 6, and the boarding/de-boarding room 2, which is a section in which the vehicle M is placed on a tray 8 and in which the user gets on and off the vehicle M and in which the user enters and leaves the parking device, are arranged separately. Note that the entrance section 1 and the outgoing section 11 have the same configuration as entrance and outgoing sections, so here, only the entrance section 1 will be described.

[Passengers' room]
1 to 3, the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 has a tray 8 arranged in the center in a plan view, and a movable deck 10 arranged adjacent to the tray 8 on the side of the elevator chamber 4 (described later) in the device width direction W. The boarding/deboarding compartment 2 also has an entrance/exit door 20 facing the boarding surface of the tray 8 and used by the vehicle M to enter, a partition door 22 separating the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 from the elevator chamber 4, and an operation panel 28 with which the user operates the mechanical parking device. The boarding/deboarding compartment 2 also has a floor that serves as the boarding surface corresponding to the upper surface 8A of the tray 8 through which the vehicle M enters, and a pit 24 that has a depth extending downward from the floor in the device height direction H. In this embodiment, as an example, the entrance/exit door 20 is configured as a three-panel lift-up door so that it can be installed even when the floor height of the boarding/exit room 2 is low or when there are obstacles such as building beams, air conditioning equipment, or fire extinguishing equipment around the entrance/exit door 20. However, depending on the degree of obstacles on the building side, the entrance/exit door 20 may be configured as two or four or more lift-up doors, or may of course be configured as two or three or more side-opening doors.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 has two trays 8 arranged at a distance from each other in the device height direction H. Specifically, in the boarding/deboarding chamber 2, the upper tray 8, whose upper surface 8A is located on the boarding surface, has transport means 30 (described later) at both longitudinal ends of the tray 8. The transport means 30 have support rollers 32 that support the upper tray 8 so that it can be transported between the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 and the lifting chamber 4. Furthermore, on the floor of the pit 24, which faces upward in the device height direction H of the pit 24, a plurality of transport devices 50 are arranged at intervals in the tray 8 transport direction (device width direction W in this embodiment), each having transport rollers 52 that support the transport rails, at positions corresponding to two transport rails (not shown) provided on the underside 8B of the tray 8.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pit 24 is also equipped with an elevator 26 that raises and lowers the trays 8 between the upper tray 8 position and the lower tray 8 position. In this embodiment, as an example, the elevator 26 includes a support base 26 on which the trays 8 are placed, and a pantograph-type elevator (not shown) that raises and lowers the support base 26.

(Transportation means)
4 and 5 , the conveying means 30 is a device that supports both longitudinal ends of the upper tray 8 in the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 and both longitudinal ends of the movable deck 10, and moves the tray 8 horizontally between the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 and the elevator 42. The conveying means 30 also includes a plurality of support rollers 32 that rotate horizontally between a support position that supports the tray 8 and the movable deck 10 and a retracted position that does not support the tray 8 and the movable deck 10, a link mechanism 34 that is connected to each of the plurality of support rollers 32 and rotates each support roller 32 synchronously, a conveying device 36 that conveys the tray 8 horizontally, and fixed rollers 32A that are provided between the movable deck 10 and the elevator 42 and are fixed in positions that rotatably support both longitudinal ends of the tray 8 so that the tray 8 can be conveyed. Here, the link mechanism 34 is an example of a rotating mechanism.

The multiple support rollers 32 provided on the transport means 30 specifically support the underside 8B at both longitudinal ends of the tray 8, and are driven to pivot horizontally between a support position where the tray 8 rotates in the direction (the direction of the device width W) in which it is transported between the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 and a lift 42 (described later) located in the lifting chamber 4, and a retracted position where the support rollers are retracted from the underside 8B of the tray 8, allowing the tray 8 to be raised and lowered between the boarding surface of the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 and a transfer device 50 (described later) installed on the floor of the pit 24. In this embodiment, the support rollers 32 are rotatably mounted on a pivot arm supported by a rotation shaft (not shown) facing the device height direction H and pivoted horizontally. Furthermore, each support roller 32 is not driven but freely rotates as the tray 8 moves.

The support roller 32 has a link mechanism 34 that allows it to rotate between a support position and a retracted position. The link mechanism 34 is driven by a driving means (not shown) to switch the support roller 32 between a support position in which it supports the tray 8 and a retracted position in which it does not support the tray 8.

As shown in FIG. 5, the conveying device 36 is composed of conveying rollers 38 that contact both longitudinal ends of the tray 8 and convey the tray 8 in the widthwise direction of the tray 8, a drive device (not shown) that rotates and drives the conveying rollers 38, and an advancing/retracting device (not shown) that moves the conveying rollers 38 back and forth between a contact position where they contact the tray 8 and a separation position where they are separated from the tray 8. The conveying device 36 drives the conveying rollers 38 in contact with the tray 8, thereby conveying the tray 8 between the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 and the lifting chamber 4. The conveying device 36 also retracts the conveying rollers 38 to the separation position where they are separated from the tray 8, allowing the tray 8 to be raised and lowered between an upper tray position and a lower tray position in the boarding/deboarding chamber 2.

(transfer device)
4 and 5, a plurality of transfer devices 50 are installed on the floor surface of the pit 24 of the boarding/deboarding room 2 and on a transport frame 40A provided on the boarding/deboarding room 2 side of the lifting frame 40 rising from the storage room 6 in the lifting room 4. The transfer devices 50 support the trays 8, which are stacked and spaced apart below the trays 8 placed on the boarding surface in the boarding/deboarding room 2, with transfer rollers 52 that can rotate and transport. Specifically, the transfer devices 50 are arranged on the underside 8B of the trays 8 at positions corresponding to two transport rails (not shown) that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction and along the shorter side of the trays 8.

The transfer rollers 52 are rotatably fixed and supported on a rotation shaft aligned with the device depth direction D, and are positioned to transport the tray 8 between the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 and the lift 42 in the lifting compartment 4. As a result, the tray 8 is supported by the transfer rollers 52 and can be transported between the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 and the lift 42 located in the lifting compartment 4 below the boarding surface in the boarding/deboarding compartment 2. The transfer rollers 52 are permitted to transport the tray 8 while the vehicle M is entering or leaving the boarding/deboarding compartment 2.

[Elevator room]
2, 3 and 5, the lifting chamber 4 is disposed adjacent to the movable deck 10 side of the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 in the device width direction W, and is connected to the storage section 6. The lifting chamber 4 has four lifting frames 40 rising from a storage device 60 installed in the storage section 6, a lift 42 supported on the lifting frames 40 by link chains (not shown) so that it can be raised and lowered, a transport frame 40A provided on the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 side of the lifting frames 40, and a drive device 49 that drives the link chains so that the lift 42 can be raised and lowered between the lifting chamber 4 and the storage section 6.

As shown in FIG. 5 , a partition door 22 is provided on the wall separating the boarding/deboarding room 2 and the elevator room 4 so that it can be opened and closed along the device height direction H. In this embodiment, the partition door 22 is a three-leaf door, as an example, so that it can be installed even when the elevator room 4 is located on a low floor or when there are obstacles such as building beams directly above the partition door 22. In this embodiment, the partition door 22 is a three-leaf lift-up door, as an example, so that it can be installed even when the elevator room 4 is located on a low floor or when there are obstacles such as building beams, air conditioning equipment, or fire extinguishing equipment around the partition door 22. However, the partition door 22 may be a two-leaf or four-leaf or more lift-up door, or a two-leaf or three-leaf or more side-opening door, depending on the degree of obstacles on the building side.

(lift)
As shown in Fig. 5, the lift 40 has a vertical/horizontal conveying device 44 located at the center of the lift 42 in the device width direction W, which conveys the tray 8 in the device width direction W and the device depth direction D. The vertical/horizontal conveying device 44 shown as an example is provided on the underside 8B of the tray 8 and is arranged to rotate horizontally to correspond to two horizontal feed rails (not shown) provided at a distance along the short side of the tray 8 and one vertical feed rail provided in the center of the long side of the tray 8. The vertical/horizontal conveying device 44 is provided on a rotating base that supports two drive rollers 46 so that they can rotate horizontally, and the two rotating bases are connected to a link mechanism 48 so that they rotate horizontally in sync. Here, the lift 42 is an example of an elevator.

[Configuration of main parts]
The configuration of the main part will now be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 13. FIG.

[Moving deck]
1, 3, and 5, the movable deck 10 is disposed between the trays 8 disposed in the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 and the lifting compartment 4. The movable deck 10 is rectangular in plan view and includes an upper surface 10A on which a user steps when getting on and off the vehicle M, a back surface 10B on which lifting guide members 10D (described later) are provided, support members 10C (provided at both ends in the device depth direction D) that support the support rollers 32 from below in the device height direction H when the deck is supported by the support rollers 32, and the lifting guide members 10D with which lifting rollers 16E (provided on lifting members 16C of the lifting means 16) (described later) come into contact. The upper surface 10A of the movable deck 10 can be raised and lowered between an upper height that is the same as the upper surface 8A of the trays 8 (which serves as the boarding surface) and a lower height that does not interfere with the lateral feed rollers 82 and longitudinal feed rollers 84 of the trays 8 when the trays 8 positioned on the boarding surface are supported by the support rollers 32 and move between the boarding compartment 2 and the lifting compartment 4.

The movable deck 10 is moved to a position that allows the movement of the upper tray 8 when the upper tray 8 moves between the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 and the elevator chamber 4, and is moved to a position that allows the movement of the lower tray 8 when the lower tray 8 moves between the boarding/deboarding chamber 2 and the elevator chamber 4. Specifically, the position on the movable deck 10 that allows the movement of the upper tray 8 is lower than the upper tray 8, and the position on the movable deck 10 that allows the movement of the lower tray 8 is higher than the lower tray 8. More specifically, the position on the movable deck 10 that allows the movement of the upper tray 8 is lower than the transport height L1 of the upper tray 8, and the position on the movable deck 10 that allows the movement of the lower tray 8 is higher than the transport height L2 of the lower tray 8.

Furthermore, when the movable deck 10 descends, it does not descend further in the device height direction H than the transfer device 50 having the transfer rollers 52; in other words, it only descends to a position above the transport height L2 of the tray 8 located below. Therefore, there is no need to provide an opening on the upper surface 10A to avoid interference with the transfer device 50 or an opening/closing lid to cover the opening, and the upper surface 10A is made into a flat plate-like body. Furthermore, in Figure 5, the movable deck 10 is illustrated as having a rectangular shape with one side long and the other short in plan view, but the movable deck 10 is not limited to a rectangular shape in plan view and can also have other shapes such as a square or trapezoid.

[Lifting means]
5 to 8, a lifting means 16 for raising and lowering the movable deck 10 is disposed on the floor of the pit 24. The lifting means 16 has a motor 16H, a drive shaft 16B operatively connected to the motor 16H, and a lifting member 16C having one end fixed to the drive shaft 16B and the other end as a rotatable free end, and is configured such that when the drive shaft 16B is driven by the motor 16H, the free end of the lifting member 16C pivots while supporting the underside 10B of the movable deck 10, thereby raising and lowering the movable deck 10.

In this embodiment, as an example, the lifting means 16 includes a pair of lifting members 16C spaced apart along one side of the movable deck 10, and the pair of lifting members 16C are fixed to both ends of a drive shaft 16B. Specifically, the lifting means 16 includes a pair of bearings 16A spaced apart in the short direction (i.e., toward one side of the movable deck 10) on the floor of the pit 24, which is the fixed side, on the underside 10B of the movable deck 10, and a drive shaft 16B is rotatably supported between the pair of bearings 16A. One end of the lifting member 16C is fixed to a portion of the drive shaft 16B adjacent to the bearing 16A in a direction perpendicular to the drive shaft 16B, and the other end of the lifting member 16C is a free end to which a shaft 16D, whose axis is parallel to the drive shaft 16B, is fixed. A lifting roller 16E is rotatably mounted on the shaft 16D. A gear 16F is fixed to the drive shaft 16B concentrically with the axis of the drive shaft 16B. The gear 16F meshes with a drive gear 16G provided on the motor 16H. This constitutes a set of lifting means 16.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, two sets of lifting means 16 are arranged at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the direction toward the other side of the movable deck 10. The two sets of lifting means 16 are arranged so that the other free ends of the lifting members 16C, i.e., the sides where the lifting rollers 16E are provided, face each other.

The free end of the lifting member 16C has a lifting roller 16E that rotatably contacts the underside 10B of the movable deck 10. Specifically, the lifting roller 16E contacts a lifting guide member 10D provided on the underside 10B of the movable deck 10.

Furthermore, a pair of lifting/lowering devices 16 are provided at a distance from each other toward the other side of the movable deck 10, and the pair of lifting/lowering devices 16 operate synchronously. Specifically, when the motor 16H of the lifting/lowering device 16 is driven, the drive gear 16G rotates, which in turn rotates the gear 16F meshing with the drive gear 16G, causing the drive shaft 16B to rotate. As a result, the lifting/lowering members 16C fixed to both ends of the drive shaft 16B rotate around the drive shaft 16B. Then, the lifting/lowering rollers 16E rotatably mounted on the free end of the lifting/lowering member 16C come into contact with the lifting/lowering guide member 10D mounted on the movable deck 10, thereby raising and lowering the movable deck 10. At this time, the lifting/lowering rollers 16E move relative to the lifting/lowering guide member 10D in the longitudinal direction as the lifting/lowering member 10C rotates. These operations will be described in detail later.

[Support means]
9 to 13, the support means 31 supports the longitudinal ends of the movable deck 10. As shown in Fig. 5, the support means 31 is disposed at both longitudinal ends of the movable deck 10, and rotates support rollers 32 (described later) in the horizontal direction between a support position where the support means 31 supports both longitudinal ends of the movable deck 10 and a retracted position where the support means 31 does not support the movable deck 10.

As shown in Figures 9 and 14, the support means 31 is fixed to the pit 24 and includes multiple swivel shafts 31A with axes aligned in the device height direction H; support rollers 32 rotatably mounted via shafts installed above each swivel shaft 31A facing the movable deck 10; an actuating plate 31B fixed below the swivel shaft 31A on the side opposite the support rollers 32; a rotating plate 31C positioned between the two swivel shafts 31A and rotatably mounted horizontally on a rotating shaft 31D of a drive motor (not shown) facing the device height direction H; and multiple connecting members 31E that connect the multiple actuating plates 31B and rotating plate 31C to form a link mechanism. In this embodiment, there are three swivel shafts 31A and three support rollers 32 attached to the swivel shafts 31A. Figure 9 shows the movable deck 10 being supported.

Figure 10 shows the support means 31 with the support rollers 32 in a retracted position where they do not support the movable deck 10. As shown in Figure 10, when the rotating plate 31C is rotated counterclockwise by counterclockwise rotation of the rotating shaft 31D of the drive motor (not shown), the link mechanism is activated and the pivoting shaft 31A is rotated counterclockwise, causing the support rollers 32 attached to the pivoting shaft 31A to pivot and stop in a position retracted from the movable deck 10. Operation in the opposite direction to this operation causes the support rollers 32 to pivot and stop in a support position where they support the movable deck 10, as shown in Figure 9.

Figures 11 to 13 are views of the movable deck 10 viewed from the longitudinal center in the direction D of the device depth. Figure 11 shows the state in which the support rollers 32 are supporting the movable deck 10 and are stopped. Figure 12 shows the state in which the support rollers 32 are supporting the movable deck 10 and the lifting means 16 is operating to support the movable deck 10. Figure 13 shows the state in which the lifting means 16 is supporting the movable deck 10 and the support rollers 32 have rotated to a retracted position away from the movable deck 10 and are stopped.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the support rollers 32 support the underside of the support members 10C, which are fixed to both ends of the underside 10B of the movable deck 10. Positioning members 10E are provided on the underside of the support members 10C of the movable deck 10, corresponding to the left and right support rollers 32 in the device width direction W, to prevent the movable deck 10 from shaking in the device width direction W when the support members 32 are in the support position. In this embodiment, the positioning members 10E are made of plate material and have positioning surfaces 10E1 that engage when the support rollers 32 rotate to the support position. The positioning surfaces 10E1 are arc-shaped with a radius slightly larger than the outer radius of the support rollers 32, allowing the outer surfaces of the support rollers 32 to engage and disengage. The lifting means 16 is shown in a pre-operation state, with the lifting rollers 16E provided on the lifting members 16C waiting in a position close to the floor of the pit 24.

Next, as shown in Figure 12, with the support rollers 32 supporting the underside of the support members 10C fixed to both ends of the underside 10B of the movable deck 10, the lifting means 16 rotates the drive shaft 16B by operating the motor 16H, causing the lifting member 16C to pivot and rise. As a result, the lifting rollers 16E provided at the free ends of the lifting member 16C support the lifting guide member 10D fixed facing downward from the underside 10B of the movable deck 10. At this time, the support rollers 32 remain engaged with the positioning surface 10E1 of the positioning member 10E fixed to the movable deck 10.

As shown in Figure 13, with the lift guide members 10D fixed to the movable deck 10 supported by the lift rollers 16E provided on the lift members 16C of the lifting means 16, the support rollers 32 disengage from the positioning surfaces 10E1 of the positioning members 10E fixed to the movable deck 10 and retract while rotating from the undersides of the support members 10C fixed to both ends of the movable deck 10, until they stop. This allows the movable deck 10 to be lowered by operation of the lifting means 16. The lowering and raising/lowering operations of the movable deck 10 will be described later.

[Function of main parts]
Here, the operation of the main parts will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in Figure 14, the movable deck 10 is supported by the support rollers 32 of the support means 31. This is the state shown in Figure 3. In this state, the lifting means 16 is not operating, and the lifting member 16C is lowered to the floor side of the pit 24.

Figure 15 shows the movable deck 10 supported by the support rollers 32 of the support means 31 and the lifting member 16C of the lifting means 16. As shown in Figure 15, while the movable deck 10 remains supported by the support rollers 32, the lifting member 16C of the lifting means 16 rotates, raising the free end, and the lifting roller 16E attached to the free end of the lifting member 16C comes into contact with the lifting guide member 10D fixed to the back surface 10B of the movable deck 10 and stops.

Figure 16 shows the movable deck 10 supported by the lifting member 16C, with the support member 32 retracted from the movable deck 10 to a retracted position. As shown in Figure 16, the movable deck 10 is supported at the boarding surface of the vehicle by lifting rollers 16E attached to the free ends of the lifting member 16C and supported by lifting guide members 10D fixed to the underside 10B of the movable deck 10. In this state, the support rollers 32 retract while rotating horizontally from the underside of the support member 10C of the movable deck 10; in Figure 16, the support rollers 32 have retracted from the movable deck 10, i.e., from the support member 10C.

Figure 17 shows the movable deck 10 descending from the boarding surface and coming to a stop. As shown in Figure 17, the support rollers 32 are retracted from the lifting range of the movable deck 10, and the movable deck 10 is supported by the lifting rollers 16E attached to the free ends of the lifting members 16C and descends from the boarding surface due to the pivoting movement of the lifting members 16C. In Figure 17, the movable deck 10 comes to a stop while still supported by the lifting members 16C. That is, the movable deck 10 is stopped in mid-air while still supported by the lifting members 16C of the lifting means 16. This is achieved by stopping the rotation of the motor 16H of the lifting means 16 and stopping the rotation of the drive shaft 16B, thereby stopping the pivoting of the lifting members 16C. Therefore, the movable deck 10 comes to a stop without requiring any supporting or resting members other than the lifting members 16C.

Figure 18 shows the state in which the movable deck 10 has been lowered and the support rollers 32 have rotated horizontally and stopped at a support position that supports the movable deck 10. As shown in Figure 18, the movable deck 10 is stopped in mid-air below the boarding surface while being supported by the support members 16C, while the support rollers 32 have rotated horizontally around the pivot shafts 31A and stopped at a position where they can support the movable deck 10. This position is the position when the upper tray 8 of the two upper and lower trays 8 is moved between the boarding/disembarking chamber 2 and the lifting chamber 4, and the support rollers 32 are also used when the tray 8 is moved. This state will be described later.

The above describes the operation of the movable deck 10 when it descends, but when the movable deck 10 is raised and lowered to the boarding surface and stopped, the reverse of the above description is performed.

Next, using Figures 19 to 21, we will provide additional explanation of the support operation of the support rollers 32 at both longitudinal ends of the movable deck 10.

Figure 19 shows the state of the movable deck 10 before it is supported by the support rollers 32. As shown in Figure 19, the surface of the movable deck 10 is positioned slightly below the boarding surface and is stopped. The movable deck 10 is where the driver walks when getting on and off the vehicle, and may also be used to load and unload luggage onto and from the vehicle, so the movable deck 10 may stop slightly below the boarding surface.

In this state, as shown in Figure 20, the support roller 32 is rotatably mounted on the pivot shaft 31A and rotates toward and contacts the underside of the support member 10C of the movable deck 10, so that the support roller 32 pushes up the movable deck 10 and penetrates into the underside of the support member 10C.

Then, as shown in Figure 21, the support rollers 32 push the movable deck 10 up to the boarding surface, stopping its rotation. In this way, the support rollers 32 are configured to support the underside of the support member 10C of the movable deck 10 while rotating. Therefore, even if the movable deck 10 is stopped slightly lower than the boarding surface, no device or component is required to correct the stopping level of the movable deck 10.

As shown in Figures 19 to 21, an anti-vibration roller 33 is provided above the pivot shaft 31A, facing the movable deck 10, at a position that moves toward and away from the anti-vibration surface 10C1, which is the end face of the movable deck 10. The anti-vibration roller 33 functions to prevent longitudinal vibration of the movable deck 10 and stops with a small gap from the anti-vibration surface 10C1 of the movable deck 10. While Figures 19 to 21 only show one longitudinal end of the movable deck 10, the other end has a similar configuration. The anti-vibration roller 33 stops with a small gap from the anti-vibration surface 10C1 so that, when the movable deck 10 is slightly lowered relative to the boarding surface as described above, even if the support roller 32 moves slightly upward, excessive force in the vertical direction will not be applied to the anti-vibration roller 33. Here, it is possible to have no gap between the anti-vibration roller 33 and the anti-vibration surface 10C1, but in this case, the anti-vibration roller 33 should be arranged so that it moves slightly up and down in the vertical direction.

<Overall operation>
We have explained the support and raising and lowering of the movable deck 10, but here we will also explain the operation of the movable deck 10 in relation to the overall operation of the mechanical parking system.

[Receiving operation]
The operation of storing a vehicle will be described with reference to Figures 22 to 28. In order to avoid complicating the drawings, the devices related to the transport and lifting of the tray 8 and the movable deck 10, and the entrance door 20 are not shown.

Figure 22 shows the arrangement of the trays 8, movable deck 10, and lift 42 in the initial stage of the loading operation. Two trays 8, one above the other, are placed in the boarding/deboarding chamber 2, and the upper surface 10A of the movable deck 10 is positioned at the same level as the upper surface 8A (boarding surface) of the upper tray 8 (see Figure 14). The partition door 22 is closed, and in the lifting chamber 4, the upper surface of the rail 42A on the lift 42 is positioned at the transport level L1 of the upper tray 8.

As shown in Figure 23, when a user first starts the loading operation, the presence or absence of a lower tray 8 (hereinafter referred to as the "next tray 8") in the boarding/deboarding compartment 2 is determined by the operation of each position detection sensor (not shown). If the next tray 8 is present in the boarding/deboarding compartment 2, the next tray 8 will remain on standby.

Next, the stored vehicle M is moved into the elevator chamber 4. As shown in Figure 23, the partition door 22 opens in the direction of arrow R1, and at the same time, the movable deck 10 descends in the direction of arrow Q1 (see Figure 17).

As shown in Figure 24, the entered vehicle M is placed on a tray 8 and transported by support rollers 32 (see Figures 4 and 5) in the direction of arrow S1 toward a lift 42 waiting in the elevator chamber 4. Once the tray 8 reaches the top of the lift 42, it is driven by drive rollers 46 (see Figure 5) to a stop position on the lift 42 and stops there.

As shown in Figure 25, the lift 42 descends in the direction of arrow U1 and stores the tray 8 carrying the stored vehicle M in the storage device 60 of the storage section 6 (see Figure 2). At the same time, in the boarding/deboarding compartment 2, the partition door 22 closes in the direction of arrow R2, the movable deck 10 rises in the direction of arrow Q2 (see Figure 15), and the next tray 8 rises in the direction of arrow T2 for use in the next storage operation. Also, if there is a next user, the next storage operation by the next user will be performed here.

As shown in Figure 26, the descending lift 42, carrying an empty tray 8 without a vehicle M on it, rises in the direction of arrow U2 and stops at level L2, where the next tray 8 below in the boarding/de-boarding compartment 2 is transported. At this time, the movable deck 10 is supported by the support rollers 32, as shown in Figure 14, and the lifting member 16C of the lifting means 16 is lowered toward the floor of the pit 24.

Next, as shown in Figure 27, the empty tray 8 is transported from the lift 42 in the direction of arrow S2 and waits as the next tray 8 at the lower tray position in the boarding/de-boarding room 2. After transporting the empty tray 8, the lift 42 rises from level L2 in the direction of arrow U3 as shown in Figure 28 and waits at level L1 (boarding level) where it can receive the tray 8 located on the boarding surface. During this time, if there is a next loading operation in the boarding/de-boarding room 2, the operation related to the loading of vehicle M is carried out at the same time.

The above is the operation during warehousing work. In this way, in this embodiment, by raising and lowering the movable deck 10 in accordance with the warehousing work, the next tray 8 can be prepared even while the warehousing work is being carried out, and the next tray 8 can be raised and prepared for the next warehousing even while the lift 42 is lowered into the storage section 6.

<Removal operation>
The unloading operation is almost the same as the reverse of the loading operation described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, the mechanical parking device according to this embodiment comprises a loading/unloading section 1 having a tray 8 on which a vehicle M is placed, a boarding/unloading room 2 in which two trays 8 are stacked with a gap between them in the vertical direction, a lifting room 4 adjacent to the boarding/unloading room 2 and in which an elevator 42 is disposed that carries one tray 8 and moves up and down, and a movable deck 10 that is disposed between the tray 8 and the lifting room 4 so as to be able to be raised and lowered by an elevator means 16, and during loading/unloading operations in the boarding/unloading room 2, the elevator 42 is configured to move between a transport height L1 of the uppermost tray 8 of the trays 8 disposed in the boarding/unloading room 2 and a transport height L2 of the uppermost tray 8 of the trays 8 disposed in the boarding/unloading room 2. The stopping position is allowed to change in accordance with the transport height L2 of the lower tray 8 among the trays 8 being transported, and when the elevator 42 is positioned at the lower transport height L2, the lower tray 8 is allowed to be transported between the boarding/deboarding room 2 and the elevator 42 during loading/unloading operations, and the movable deck 10 is moved to a position that allows the upper tray 8 to move when the upper tray 8 moves between the boarding/deboarding room 2 and the elevator 4, and is moved to a position that allows the lower tray 8 to move when the lower tray 8 moves between the boarding/deboarding room 2 and the elevator 4.

This makes it possible to swap trays during loading and unloading operations, compared to systems in which the movable deck 10 is fixed inside the boarding and unloading compartment 2, thereby preventing the vehicle's loading and unloading time from being prolonged.

Furthermore, the position on the movable deck 10 that allows the movement of the upper tray 8 is set to a position lower than the upper tray 8, and the position on the movable deck 10 that allows the movement of the lower tray 8 is set to a position higher than the lower tray 8.

This reduces the time it takes for a vehicle to enter or leave the warehouse compared to when the movable deck 10 is folded or raised to near the ceiling during entry and exit operations.

The lifting means 16 also has a motor 16H, a drive shaft 16B operatively connected to the motor 16H, and a lifting member 16C, one end of which is fixed to the drive shaft 16B and the other end of which is a rotatable free end. When the drive shaft 16B is driven by the motor 16H, the free end of the lifting member 16C rotates while supporting the underside 10B of the movable deck 10, thereby raising and lowering the movable deck 10.

This allows the movable deck 10 to have a simpler structure than rack-and-pinion or rope-lift types, reducing costs and improving maintenance efficiency.

A pair of lifting members 16C are provided spaced apart toward one side of the movable deck 10, and the pair of lifting members 16C are fixed to both ends of the drive shaft 16B.

This makes the lifting and lowering operation of the movable deck 10 more stable than when there is only one lifting member 16C.

In addition, the free end of the lifting member 16C has a lifting roller 16E that rotatably contacts the underside 10B of the movable deck 10.

This reduces noise and vibration and improves maintenance efficiency compared to when the free end of the lifting member 16C slides along the underside of the movable deck 10.

In addition, a pair of lifting means 16 are provided at a distance from each other toward the other side of the movable deck 10, and the pair of lifting means 16 are operated synchronously.

This allows the movable deck 10 to be raised and lowered stably with a smaller driving force than when there is only one lifting means 16.

In addition, the lifting means 16 is arranged so that the free ends of the lifting members 16C face each other.

This makes the lifting and lowering operation of the movable deck 10 more stable than when the two lifting means 16 are arranged facing in different directions.

In addition, when the movable deck 10 is moved to a position that allows movement of the tray 8 located below, it is supported by the support means 31.

This ensures that the movable deck 10 is supported more reliably than if it were supported only by the lifting member 16C, and reduces shaking and shifting of the movable deck 10 when the user walks.

Furthermore, when the movable deck 10 is moved to a position that allows the movement of the tray 8 located above, it stops while being supported by the lifting member 16C.

This allows the movable deck 10 to be stopped at a predetermined position simply by stopping the lifting member 16C midway, compared to systems that use a member to place the movable deck 10 on when the movable deck 10 is lowered and stopped.

<Modification>
Here, a modified example of the lifting means will be described with reference to Figures 29 and 30. Note that the same components as those in the above embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals.

As shown in Figures 29 and 30, the lifting means 160 in this modified example differs from the above embodiment in the configuration of the motor 161H and drive shaft 161B. The motor 161H of the lifting means 160 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the drive shaft 161B, and has axes extending from the reducer portion of the motor 161H on both sides in the device width direction W, i.e., in the direction of the drive shaft 161B, and is connected to the left and right split drive shafts 161B, 161B by couplings 162, 162, respectively. As a result, bearings 161A, 161A are added to support the drive shaft 161B. As a result, this modified example does not require gears, which improves maintenance efficiency.

The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but this embodiment is merely an example, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

1. Storage area (example of storage area)
10. Movable deck (an example of a lifting platform)
10A: Surface; 10B: Back surface; 10C: Support member; 10C1: Anti-vibration surface; 10D: Lift guide member (support surface)
10E Positioning member 10E1 Positioning surface 16 Lifting means 16A Bearing 16B Drive shaft 16C Lifting member 16D Shaft 16E Lifting roller 16F Gear 16G Drive gear 16H Motor 2 Boarding and alighting chamber 26 Lifting device (support stand)
30 Conveying means 31 Supporting means 31A Swiveling shaft 31B Actuating plate 31C Rotating plate 31D Rotating shaft 31E Connecting member 32 Support roller 32A Fixed roller 33 Anti-vibration roller 34 Link mechanism 36 Conveying device 4 Lifting chamber 42 Lift (an example of an elevator)
50 Transfer device 6 Storage section 8 Tray

Claims (5)

a tray for placing a vehicle;
a loading/unloading section having a boarding/unloading room in which two of the trays are stacked and spaced apart in the vertical direction, a lifting room adjacent to the boarding/unloading room in which an elevator is disposed that carries one of the trays and moves it up and down, and a lifting platform disposed between the tray and the lifting room so that it can be raised and lowered by a lifting means,
the elevator is allowed to change its stop position in accordance with the transport height of the upper tray among the trays placed in the loading/unloading room and the transport height of the lower tray among the trays placed in the loading/unloading room, and when the elevator is located at the lower transport height, the lower tray is allowed to be transported between the loading/unloading room and the elevator during the loading/unloading operation;
The platform is selectively supported for elevation by an elevation means having an elevation member provided at the bottom of the pit of the boarding/deboarding room and a support means erected from the bottom of the pit,
the support means has a configuration in which support rollers supporting both longitudinal ends of the lifting platform are configured to horizontally rotate between a support position that supports the lifting platform and a retracted position at which the lifting platform can be raised and lowered,
a positioning member having an arc-shaped positioning surface that engages with an outer peripheral surface of the support roller is provided on the rear surface of the lifting platform at a position corresponding to the support position of the support roller;
the lifting platform is supported by the support rollers that are in an engaged state with the positioning surfaces at an upper position that allows the movement of the tray located below when the tray located below moves between the boarding/deboarding chamber and the lifting chamber;
When the tray positioned above moves between the boarding/deboarding chamber and the lifting chamber, the support roller is horizontally rotated to the retracted position where it is retracted from the positioning member of the lifting platform, and the lifting platform is supported by the lifting means at a lower position that allows the movement of the tray positioned above.
Mechanical parking equipment. The mechanical parking device described in claim 1, wherein the lifting means includes a motor, a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor, and a lifting member having one end fixed to the drive shaft and the other being a rotatable free end, and when the drive shaft is driven by the motor, the free end of the lifting member rotates while supporting the back surface of the lifting platform, thereby raising and lowering the lifting platform. A mechanical parking device as described in claim 2 , wherein the lifting members are provided in pairs spaced apart from one another toward one side of the lifting platform, and the pair of lifting members are fixed to both ends of the drive shaft. The mechanical parking device according to claim 2 , wherein the free end of the lifting member has a lifting roller that rotatably contacts the back surface of the lifting platform. 3. The mechanical parking device according to claim 2 , wherein the lifting means is arranged so that the free ends of the lifting members face each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the lifting platform.