Patent Application
20190301191
This application claims the benefit of pending German Application No. 10 2018 107 807.2 (“Parksystem”; filed Apr. 3, 2018, at the German Patent Office), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a parking system for motor vehicles.
An exemplary parking system for motor vehicles is disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 1,020,591 A1. This parking system is used to accommodate many vehicles on a small floor space. For this purpose, parking platforms in the form of pallets are provided, which are arranged one above the other, next to each other, and one below the other in a frame and can be moved in the frame in vertical and horizontal directions. In this parking system, to park a vehicle on a parking platform in a rear parking row or to move a vehicle out of a rear parking row, it is necessary to drive over a parking platform that is in front of it in the parking direction. This can be disadvantageous, however, because at least one parking platform in the front row must always remain free to drive over it.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a parking system that enables even more efficient use of the available parking space.
An exemplary parking system provides that at least a part of the parking platforms of a front row, when viewed in the direction of entry, has a roof spanning the parking platform, thus forming a space for a vehicle to be parked. Typically, at least the parking platforms of a row arranged below the entry level can be provided with a roof. The parking platforms provided with a roof can be vertically adjusted to different positions, such as an entry/exit position in which the parking platform is on an entry level that allows a vehicle to be driven over in order to be parked, or to a drive-over position, in which the roof is located on the entry level and can be driven over by a vehicle driving in to reach a parking platform located in the row behind it, as well as in a parking position that is lowered in relation to the drive-over position and in which a further parking platform can be moved transversely across the parking platform.
To be able to drive on a parking platform in the front row, the parking platform is moved vertically onto the entry level. A vehicle enters a rear row either by driving over a parking platform in the front row or, in accordance with the present parking system, by moving a parking platform in the front row to its drive-over position, so that a vehicle can drive over the roof of the parking platform concerned. Thus, in the drive-over position, the roofs are used as drive-over bridges to allow access to the parking platforms of the rear row(s), even if all parking platforms of the front row are occupied.
In the entry/exit position, the parking space of the parking platform concerned is essentially aligned with an entry or exit, and a motor vehicle can drive onto or from at least one parking space on the parking platform. In the drive-over position, the parking platform is lowered until the roof of the parking platform is essentially aligned with the entrance or exit, and a motor vehicle can drive over the roof of the parking platform to drive onto a row behind it in the direction of entry. In the parking position, the parking platform can be lowered further so another parking platform can be moved over the parking platform in a transverse direction. In this way, a gap can be formed at another spot in which another parking platform can be moved vertically into an entry/exit position. Thus, it is possible to park on or leave from all parking platforms of the parking system.
In an advantageous further development, at least the parking platforms of a row arranged below the entry level are provided with a roof. Therefore, the parking platforms concerned can be raised onto the drive-over position. In particular, it is provided that only the parking platforms on the lowest level in the front row, when viewed in the direction of entry, are provided with a roof. To reach a parking space in the row behind, a gap is formed in the column concerned by laterally moving all parking platforms above, and the parking platform on the lowest level is raised to the drive-over position.
In addition, it is advantageous if a parking platform can be coupled with an adjacent parking platform at the top or bottom in order to carry out a shifting movement in a vertical direction. This reduces the number of drives required to move the parking platforms in a horizontal direction by using a single drive for several parking platforms on top of each other and coupling the parking platforms to be moved with this drive, if necessary.
It also proved to be advantageous to place the lift drive between two adjacent rows. As required, the lift drive can be coupled for raising or lowering with the parking platforms in the two adjacent rows, further reducing the number of lift drives required to implement the present parking system.
Furthermore, it is advantageous if the parking platforms can be coupled with an adjacent parking platform in a transverse direction in order to carry out the shifting movement in the transverse direction. As a result, it is also possible to reduce the number of transverse drives required for a parking system. In an exemplary embodiment, only one transverse drive per row is required on the top level, and this transverse drive can move the parking platforms on the top level to form a gap.
As noted, the gaps are necessary to allow the parking platforms to be raised or lowered to the entry/exit position on the entry level, so that vehicles can enter a parking space of the parking platform via an entrance or leave the parking space of the parking platform via the exit.
Advantageously, the gap can be formed over several levels. As a result, it is possible to use an intelligent control system of the lift drives and transverse drives to make the movement of the parking platforms particularly efficient and fast, such as to transfer a vehicle parked on the lowest level of a parking platform to an entry/exit position.
Typically, the parking platforms on the entry level can only be moved horizontally in a transverse direction to form a gap but cannot be raised or lowered. The parking platforms need not be movable vertically, because they are already on the entry level. They only have to be movable laterally, so a gap can be formed at the point concerned to allow a parking platform above or below to be lowered or raised to the entry level.
On the other hand, it is sufficient if the parking platforms on the lowest level can only be raised or lowered but cannot be moved horizontally. To gain access to them, a gap is formed over all levels above and the lowest parking platform is raised to its entry/exit position. A lateral movement is not required.
According to another aspect, it is advantageous if each row of the parking system has at least one frame. The frames of each row can be arranged at a distance from each other, such as in a separate pit. On the entry level, a bridge can be arranged between the rows. The bridge can be crossed by the motor vehicles. For example, the motor vehicles can pass over the bridge when driving from a parking platform in a first row to a parking platform in a second row.
It is advantageous if the respective parking platform occupies in the entry/exit position the highest position in the frame. Therefore, the parking system is particularly suitable for space-saving installation in a pit, especially in an underground parking structure. However, it is also possible to arrange the entry level on the central parking levels. In this case, one part of the parking system can be above ground and the other part below ground.
In one embodiment of the parking system, a hydraulic cylinder can be used as a lift drive, which typically engages at a U-shaped traction device loop (e.g., cable loop) to double the movement the lift drive generates. One end of the loop is locked, while the other end engages directly or indirectly on the parking platforms. Alternatively, the lift drive can be driven pneumatically or electrically. The transverse drive can be configured with a hydraulic cylinder in the same way as the lift drive, but no large lifting forces are required to move the lift drive in the transverse direction to form a gap, and so the transverse drives can be correspondingly smaller.
The foregoing illustrative summary, as well as other exemplary objectives, properties, and/or advantages of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, are further explained within the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.
The drawings are provided as examples, may be schematic, and may not be drawn to scale. The present inventive aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples depicted in the drawings.
In this detailed description, various aspects and features are herein described with reference to the accompanying figures. These aspects and features generally pertain to exemplary parking systems for motor vehicles.
Specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to those having ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed parking systems may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. As another example, features disclosed as part of one embodiment can be used in the context of another embodiment to yield a further embodiment. In some instances, well-known aspects have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. This detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense, and it is intended that other embodiments are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
As noted, the present invention relates to a parking system for motor vehicles. An exemplary parking system includes a plurality of parking platforms arranged next to one another, on at least two levels one above the other and in at least two rows one behind the other in a frame with parking spaces. The parking platforms can be raised and lowered at least on levels above and/or below an entry level within the frame and can be moved horizontally at least on one level in a transverse direction to form a gap.
An exemplary embodiment of a parking system 1 for motor vehicles 2 is described in detail with reference to
As shown in
Among other things, the frame G has numerous pillars 5 with a rail guide 6 and transverse rails 8, which are designed to allow for a displacement of the parking platforms 10, 11, as described in more detail (below). For example, C-profiles can be used as rails, in which rollers attached to the parking platforms are guided. In this specific exemplary embodiment, the transverse rails 8 are located in the area of the upper parking platforms 10.
The upper parking platforms 10 include a transverse drive by which each parking platform 10 on the upper level can be adjusted in transverse direction y. Alternatively, the transverse drive can be fixed to the frame G.
The parking platforms 10 can be moved individually or coupled. For this purpose, coupling members are provided on the respective parking platforms 10. Corresponding coupling members are described in European Patent Publication No. 1,020,591 A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and which is referenced to avoid unnecessary repetition. The respective parking platforms 10 can be coupled with each other and with the transverse drive via coupling members and can optionally be moved in transverse direction y by the transverse drive. When moving in transverse direction y, the parking platforms 10 are supported on the transverse rails 8 by suitable bearing mechanisms, such as rollers.
In the embodiment shown in
Four pillars 5 respectively surround a parking platform 10, 11, 12 and support the essentially rectangular parking platforms 10, 11, 12 at the corners. The parking platforms 11, 12 have guide mechanisms corresponding to the rail guide 6 arranged on the pillars 5. The parking platforms 11, 12 are movably held in vertical direction z on the pillars 5, and the parking platforms 11, 12 can carry out raising or lowering movements in vertical direction z.
The lift drive 30 between the first row X1 and the second row X2 is provided for raising and lowering the parking platforms 11, 12 in the first row X1, while the lift drive 30 between the second row X2 and the wall W is provided for raising and lowering the parking platforms 11, 12 in the second row.
Furthermore, the lift drive 30 is configured in the manner of a wire rope with U-shaped traction device loops 35 in which the deflection roller 32 of the hydraulic cylinder 31 is located. Thus, the movement of the hydraulic cylinder 31 generates a movement of the parking platforms 11, 12 twice as large or twice as fast during the raising movement or the lowering movement. The motor vehicles 2 can thus be raised or lowered on the parking platforms 11, 12 at a high speed.
As shown in
The parking platforms 11 are the parking platforms shown in
Therefore, the parking platform 10 on the top level can be moved either laterally by itself to raise the parking platform 11 below on the central level, or the central parking platform 11 can be coupled with the upper parking platform 10 and moved laterally together with the upper parking platform 10 so the parking platform 12 on the lowest level can be raised to the entry/exit position or, alternatively, to the drive-over position.
The parking platforms 12 are located on the lowest level. These can be raised and lowered vertically if there is a gap on each of the levels above. A lateral move of the parking platforms 12 of the lowest level is not provided, because there is no need to form a gap on the lowest level.
In addition to the parking space 15 formed by the drive-over plate 14, the parking platforms 12 in the front row X1, when viewed in the direction of entry, include a roof 16, which also has a drive-over plate 17 and which is arranged parallel to and at a distance from the drive-over plate 14 of the parking space 15 on the parking platform 12. The distance between the parking space 15 and the roof 16 involves a clearance height adapted to the height of the motor vehicles 2 to be parked on the parking space 15 and typically amounts to between 1.6 meters and 2.0 meters or more. Instead of a drive-over plate, which forms the respective parking platform, open pallets or the like, which essentially consist only of rails, can also be used to save weight.
The roof 16 configured in the form of a drive-over plate 17 is not used as a parking space, but as a drive-over bridge for vehicles to reach a parking platform in the rear row X2. Accordingly, the parking platforms 12 in the rear row X2 are not provided with a roof 16, because it is unnecessary to drive over a lowered platform in the rear row. In contrast to the parking platforms 10 and 11 on the upper two levels of frame G, parking platforms 12 can be raised and lowered but cannot be moved laterally.
Therefore, on the lower level there are six parking platforms 12, which can be raised individually into a gap 20 onto the level above. On the upper level there are five parking platforms 10. These can be moved laterally to form the gap 20 but cannot be lowered or raised. On the central level there are five parking platforms 11, which can be raised and lowered individually to the entry level and which can also be moved laterally when coupled with a parking platform 10 above.
The parking platforms 11, 12 can be raised or lowered into different positions in vertical direction z. In
In the back row X2 there are parking platforms 10, 11, 12 in their parking positions (e.g., parking platforms 11, 12 are lowered). The parking platform 10 is aligned with the entrance or exit so a vehicle could drive over a parking platform or a roof of a parking platform in the front row X1 onto the parking platform 10 in the rear row. For this purpose, a connecting bridge 9 is provided between the two parking rows X1 and X2. The connecting bridge 9 covers a gap in the frame G between the first row X1 and the second row X2 on the entry level. First, however,
Based on the situation shown in
In
Finally,
To occupy the two lower parking spaces 15 in the rear row X2, the parking platforms 10, 11 occupied by vehicles 2 must be again moved laterally to form a gap in the front row X1. Now the lower parking platform 12 of the front row X1 can be raised onto its drive-over position so vehicles can drive over its roof 16 onto a free parking space in the rear row. Accordingly, to occupy the lowest parking space 15 in the rear row X2, a gap must also be formed in the manner described above to be able to raise the lower parking platform 12 in the rear row X2.
The parking platforms 10, 11, 12 in columns Y can be raised and lowered together in vertical direction z by the lift drive 30. Both parking platforms are provided with appropriate coupling devices, so they can be operatively connected with the lift drive 30. Such an exemplary embodiment of the parking system 1 is advantageous for a parking system 1 with many levels. In this way, only a single lift drive per column Y is required for all parking platforms 10, 11, 12 arranged vertically one above the other, regardless of the number of levels Z involved. The lift drive 30 can also be used to raise or lower two adjacent rows X.
The lift drive 30, as well as the transverse drives, are controlled by an intelligent control system that has a user interface by which the parking system 1 can be operated by the users.
In exemplary embodiments, the parking system 1 is controlled by the control system in such a way that the motor vehicles 2 are delivered to the user at the same position or the same column Y for parking and leaving the parking space. The user can use the user interface to request his parked vehicle and pick it up where he parked it.
Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, an exemplary parking system 1 for motor vehicles 2 makes the best possible use of the limited installation space within a pit B for the accommodation of numerous motor vehicles 2 and which permits rapid access to the motor vehicles 2, as the intelligent control system, together with dynamic lift drives and transverse drives, enables the parking platforms 11, 12 to be moved in vertical direction z, and the parking platforms 10, 11 to be moved in transverse direction y.
The foregoing detailed description and accompanying figures set forth typical embodiments of parking systems for motor vehicles. The present disclosure is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. It will be apparent that numerous other parking-system embodiments may be provided in accordance with the present disclosure. The present disclosure may utilize any variety of aspects, features, or steps, or combinations thereof. The figures may be schematic representations that are not necessarily drawn to scale.
It is within the scope of this disclosure for one or more of the terms “substantially,” “about,” “approximately,” and/or the like, to qualify each adjective and adverbs of the foregoing disclosure, to provide a broad disclosure. As an example, it is believed those of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that, in different implementations of the features of this disclosure, reasonably different engineering tolerances, precision, and/or accuracy may be applicable and suitable for obtaining the desired result. Accordingly, it is believed those of ordinary skill will readily understand usage herein of the terms such as “substantially,” “about,” “approximately,” and the like.
The use of the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The figures are schematic representations and so are not necessarily drawn to scale. Unless otherwise noted, specific terms have been used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.
While various aspects, features, and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects, features, and embodiments will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art. The various disclosed aspects, features, and embodiments are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting. It is intended that the scope of the present invention includes at least the following claims and their equivalents:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2018 107 807.2 | Apr 2018 | DE | national |
