Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WHOLLY AUTOMATED MOBILE DEVICE AND CORRESPONDING FAST,
ECONOMICAL AND COMPACT METHOD FOR PARKING PRIVATE VEHICLES
Patent Application "The Smart Parking Tower"
Technical Specifications
1 Description
1.1 Title
1.2 Technical domain
1.3 State of the art
1.4 Detailed presentation and execution of the invention
1.1.1 Objective of the invention
1.4.1.1 Partial objective
1.1.2 Solutions (Fig. 1)
1.1.2.1 Parking platform, centering and positioning (fig. 2)
1.1.2.2 Traktor (Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b) horizontal displacement
1.1.2.3 roll fingers (Fig. 5, Fig. 4b, Fig. 4c) grip and lift
1.1.2.4 Lift and Lift platform (Fig. 3 & 6), transporting and rotating
1.1.2.5
1.1.2.6 Parking arrangement and process
1.1.2.7 Departure ramp and method of handling over
1.1.2.8 construction
2 Patent Claims
2.1 Generic part
2.2 Designation of Object
2.3 Technical characteristics
2.4 Characterising part
2.5 Independent claim
2.6 Depending claims
2.6.1 Parking ramp and centering system (Fig. 2)
2.6.2 Lift shaft and lift platform (Fig. 3)
2.6.3 Traktor (Fig. 4)
2.6.4 Roll fork (Fig. 5)
2.6.5 ?
2.6.6 Park platform, arrangement and parking method (Fig. 8, Fig. 9)
3. Abstract
4. Drawings
Numerals of the building parts
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1. Description
1.1. Title
Fully automatic, mobile device and corresponding process for the fast and
economical
parking of private vehicles with minimum space requirement.
1.2. Technical field
The invention concerns a device (FIG. 1) and a method for centering the
private
vehicles on a plafform, gripping them and transporting them quickly, in order
to park
them in a space-saving way, and upon request getting them again from the
parked
position automatically and handing them over to the user.
In combination with a modular design, such that this device can be quickly and
easily mounted, dismantled and remounted, this is a less costly alternative
for the
indoor car parks, parking silos, multi-storeyed car parks and similar systems
with a
higher utilisation of space.
1.3. State of the art technology
Private vehicles are parked on the road, in parking lots, in garages, multi-
storeyed car
parks or also in access-controlled automated parking systems. In the typical
multi-
storeyed car parks, only about 40% of the ground area and around 300i6 of the
enclosed volume can be used for parking the private vehicles. While an average
automobile is about 1.7 m wide, 1.6 m high and 4.4.m long, which results in a
cubic
volume of around 12 m3, the regular multi-storeyed car parks and parking
systems
include a volume of up to 80 m3 and more per vehicle. In contrast to the
earlier
models, the modern cars with their compact motors are no longer rectangular in
their
shape. These taper conically or in oval shape mainly at the front, starting
from the
rear-view mirror at the side, for which reason a rectangular parking area
cannot be
used optimally. A lot of valuable space is thus lost in the usual parking
systems
through entry and exit paths, manoeuvring, space for opening doors, stairs,
lifts,
footway, solid pillars and beams, the minimum floor height for persons, as
well as
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escape routes, illumination and fire-extinguishing systems etc. Parking needs
time
and skill and is perceived as unpleasant.
In other systems the cars are lifted high with lifting systems, in order to
save
place, and then these are parked closely by staff (valet parking). This makes
parking
more expensive and increases the access time.
In the existing parking systems, it is necessary to drive-in the car exactly
in a
parking slot for parking, where the driver automatically receives instructions
for
cantering the vehicle on a palette. These palettes, which are needed for
displacing
the vehicle, show a rectangular area with the minimum length and width of the
largest
car to be parked, plus tolerances for inaccurate parking and manoeuvring. As
such,
more area is needed than the effective average ground area of the vehicle.
Furthermore, before each parking these palettes must be procured or replaced,
which
needs a complicated mechanism and extensive control and consumes a lot: of
time
and space.
In case of other systems with fixed plafforms hanging from vertical chains,
which can be seen occasionally in Asia, the enclosed space can be used only
poorly
and the long access time restricts the actual number of parking spots.
The known systems are designed as fixed structures, which do not permit an
economical and quick parking and hence are suitable only for the Icing-term
permanent usage. The long construction time, high investments and the long-
term
retention have an investment-dampening effect.
1.4. Detailed description and embodiment of the invention
1.4.1 Task of the invention
The tasks of the invention are to devise a simple technical device and an
automated
method to park the private vehicles quickly and economically with minimum
space
requirement and to retrieve them quickly for the users upon their request.
In order that the vehicles can be parked as closely and precisely as possible,
taking the car in and out of the storage should be done automatically. To do
this, the
modern shapes and the different sizes of the cars should be taken into account
for an
optimum parking. To keep the usage costs below the current level, the device
should
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be manageable with fewer persons or even without an operator, and it should
have
low maintenance, minimum susceptibility to faults and high reliability. In
order to make
the device suitable for temporarily available parcels of lands and gaps
between
buildings, and for temporary solutions, it should be devised in a simple
modular
design with little effort, which can be remounted quickly, if needed.
1.4.1.1 Sub-tasks
In order that the vehicles can be gripped mechanically, displaced and parked
precisely, these must first be positioned correctly. To do this precisely and
without
errors, it cannot be left to the customers. Placing the vehicle must be
simpi'e. Even
when the vehicle is not placed correctly, the system must fulfil its task. The
first sub-
task is thus to centre the vehicle automatically by mechanical means and to
bring it in
a uniform, precise position for the mechanical and electronic collection.
The vehicles should be moved and stored automatically through a simple
technique without any means of transportation. The second sub-task is to grip
the
vehicles accurately and quickly by means of a method, so as to move it to the
assigned position and to pull it out of this again. For this, the components
imust be
designed in such a way that these can grip the vehicle at an appropriate
point,
suitable for all vehicle types, in order to place it on the platform of the
lift and on the
parking ramp, and finally pull the vehicle out of there again and place it on
the exit
ramp to be handed back to the user, when needed.
The third sub-task is to park the vehicles as closely as possible with a smart
arrangement, with the least wastage of space and simple construction. The
modern
basic shapes and the different widths, heights, and lengths of the cars should
be used
optimally. By means of selected arrangement, the method, the electronic
measurement and the IT-supported allocation of the parking positions, wasted
empty
spaces are avoided to a large extent and the degree of space utilisation is
increased
manifold as compared to the conventional systems.
The fourth sub-task is to handover the vehicles back to the driver quickly,
safely upon request, using a simple and safe design in the direction of
traffic, so that
the handover is simple and swift.
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The fifth sub-task is to design the entire system in such a way that this can
be
erected, dismantled, moved and re-erected with minimal effort, without using
cranes,
supports and heavy foundations. For this, the components are to be assernbled
in
such a way that they can be reused.
1.4.2 Solutions (Fig. 1)
The solutions are accordingly represented by a device, which parks the
vehicles fully
automatically and quickly in a space-saving way by a special arrangemerit,
takes
them out and returns them when demanded. Furthermore, the vehicles are first
centred on a parking ramp by means of guide rails and rollers, then gripped at
their
wheels with the help of a device, brought in the starting position and theri
moved
automatically and precisely without making use of the means of transportation,
such
as palettes or conveyor belts. This is done by pushing small rollers below the
wheels
of the vehicle, in order to place the vehicle on these and to move it. With
the help of a
device - hereinafter referred to as the tractor - on a plafform, which is
mounted at a
central lift, the vehicles can be moved horizontally. On the lifting platform
these can
then be rotated on the vertical axis and at the same time quickly transported
vertically.
The complete system is assembled in a modular design with screws and bolts in
such
a way that it can be dismantled easily when required and then reassembled on
another location without making use of any expensive construction machines.
The
combination of the following individual inventions results in the desired
solution with
the advantages mentioned above vis-a-vis the existing systems.
1.4.2.1 Parking ramp, cantering and positioning (Fig. 2)
In this solution, the vehicles are cantered automatically and exactly on a
parking ramp
by driving it on longitudinally aligned rollers (25) on the parking ramp and
moving it
with side guide rails (21) while driving in the vehicle at the wheels (16) in
the rniddle of
the parking ramp (Fig. 2). Rollers on the guide rails prevent the vehicle from
over-
rolling. Each of these two guide rails is joined mechanically to each other on
i:he front
and at the back with two swivel arms (37) and cantering rails (29) and are
pressed in
the middle by means of a central tension spring (23). However, since the rear
arms
are pressed away from one another by means of another tension spring (23), the
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guide rails at the back go to the state of rest in the open position. If the
guide rails are
pressed away from each other by the front wheels when the vehicle is driven
in, then
the closing force on the rear arms is increased via the central spring (23)
and the
guide rails also close at the back. As a result of this, the vehicle can be
moved in the
centre now only at the back. When the vehicle leaves the parking ramp, the
guiding
rails go back to their original resting position, conically closed at the
front and open at
the back. In this way, it becomes ready for driving in the next vehicle. This
arrangement does not need any mechanical drive and is maintenance-free tc> a
large
extent.
The proper positioning of the vehicle is achieved by instructing the driver to
drive till an electronic and mechanical stopper, upon which a stop signal is
given to
him. The vehicle is now gripped mechanically, measured electronically and a
computer determines a suitable parking space for the vehicle. If none is
available, the
driver - as in the case of a car washer - is instructed to put the steering
wheel in
neutral, to apply the brakes, to shift the gear to 1 or P, to leave the
vehicle and to
close the doors. Once this leaving has been registered electronically, any
further
access is barred with the help of a gate for security. As such, the vehicle is
now ready
to be parked and the parking ticket can be issued to the driver. To avoid
delays,
several such parking ramps (Fig. 2) can be placed before one or several
unloading
zones.
As an alternative, fixed guide rails or rails with mechanical drive can also
be
used for cantering the vehicle. In the variant of a fixed guide rail, the car
is held only
within a specific limit of the lateral deviations. These guide rails are then
aligned for
the widest vehicle. The exact cantering is then done by the arms (forked
rails) (44) of
the tractor (Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b), which hit upon the wheels synchronously from
inside and
thus displace the vehicle to the side and centre it (Z4a1, 42, 37) 2 Tractor
(Fig. 4a,
Fig. 4b) horizontal displacement
1.4.2.2. Traktor (Fig. 4a, Fig. 4b) horizontal displacement
In order to manage without palettes or conveyor belts, all vehicles must be
gripped at
a uniform point, suitable for all models. This is done with the help of a
device, the
tractor (40) (Fig. 4a), which centres the vehicle, grips it at the wheels,
lifts it and
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moves it. The tractor is fixed on the lifting platform and comprises of
hydraulically
movable tractor rails (tractor rails) (42), at which a parallel swivellable
forked rail
(forked rail) (44) is fixed on both the sides. Each of these are equipped with
two forks
(45) each having two fingers with rollers (51) (roller fingers). Each of the
roller fingers
comprises of one to two rollers (57) and one lifting roller (58). Both the
roller fingers of
each fork are connected with each other by means of an actuator (pneumatic or
hydraulic cylinder) (48) and can run freely together in the forked rail, but
are held in
the starting position by means of a spring or else the front-most roller
fingeir can be
designed as fixed.
The forked rail is connected with the tractor rail via two rods (41) and a
slider
(43) mounted on the tractor rail with pneumatic or hydraulic actuators. This
tractor rail
can move over the lifting platform beyond it (31) (Fig. 4a), when is moved in
the
corresponding direction by two telescopic cylinders or an electro-mechanical
drive.
The forked rail is pressed by the tractor rail against the wheels, as a result
of which
the vehicle is moved exactly in the middle and is stable. Subsequently the
fiNo roller
fingers of each fork are moved together, through which the wheels are lifted
on to the
lifting rollers (58). When the fingers are closed, these are fixed with the
forked rail, in
order to transfer the lateral movement to the vehicle. This brings the vehicle
in a
uniform and precise initial position and can now be measured electronicallyõ
so that
the computer can determine the optimum parking space.
Next the vehicle - rolling on the roller fingers - is pulled on to the lifting
platform (Fig. 4a Tractor position 1). The lifting platform (31) - unless
designed to be
mobile - now moves to the middle of the lift (61) and then travels vertically
to the
assigned deck (Tractor position 2). After the lift has rotated to the
calculated parking
platform - in the reverse process - the tractor discharges the vehicle again
(Tractor
position 1). The roller fingers then travel away from each other and the
forked rails
then contract. Thereafter, the tractor retreats back to the lifting platform
and is ready
for the next vehicle. For discharging the vehicles on the exit platform (9)
the lifting
platform and the tractor travel in the opposite directions (Tractor position
3), which
facilitates the parking in the direction of the traffic.
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1.4.2.3 Roller finger (Fig. 5, Fig.4b, Fig.4c) Grip and lift
The transfer of the tensile and impact forces from the tractor (40) to the
wheels and
the lifting of the vehicle is resolved by the mentioned roller fingers (51).
These
comprise of one to two rollers (57), which carry a lifting roller (58). The
rollers roll on
the corresponding platform. The lifting rollers (58) serve for lifting and
carrying the
wheel. The lifting rollers are designed either as separate rollers or
concentric on the
same axis as the rollers, where these then have the form of a segment of a
barrel and
overlay the rollers. (Z5a, 58). In this way the contact surface of the wheels
can be
enlarged in small increments. The axes of the rollers have a flange (53) on
both the
sides. The inner flange runs in the forked rail (44), where the drive cylinder
(48) is
present that contracts the roller fingers. In the open position these roller
fingers are
held in a certain starting position by means of springs. In the closed
position the
fingers are mechanically anchored with the rails, in order to transfer the
compression
and the tensile forces of the tractor to the vehicle. The front-most roller
can also be
anchored fixed and hence this additional anchoring can be omitted.
1.4.2.4 Lift and lifting platform (Fig. 3 & 6), Transporting and Rotating
The lifting plafform (31) comprises of a plate fitted to the parking platform
(8). This is
placed on the rollers so that it can move horizontally lengthwise against the
other
platforms and can connect there. This can also be fixed permanently at the
lift (at the
lift cabin). Its shape is such that it connects centrally with the connecting
plafforms
through the conical or rounded fronts and that the rollers travel over the
platform
thrusts without hitting. The lifting platform is mounted on a conventional
lift (Ei1). This
leads to vertical guide rails (65) by means of an upper and lower rail (67)
and
stabilised. These vertical rails are fixed either (Fig. 6a) at the parking
platforms (8) or
(Fig. 6b) or, as a variant of the vertical lift carrying pillars (68), which
rotate with the lift
along the vertical axis. These then form the lift shaft (62). Thus rotating
lift shaft,
which is supported on the side with rollers (Fig. 6b 64) at the platforms,
provides an
unrestricted access to this without the hindering guide rails and supports.
The tractor is connected with the lifting platform by means of the mounting of
the drive cylinder (48) and through the guide of the tractor rail (42). In
case of a
movable lifting platform design; so that the lifting platform (31) extending
below the
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front of the vehicle can be moved vertically, it is retracted in the centre
position
(platform position 2). For discharging the vehicle, the vehicle is gripped in
the same
way with the tractor on the parking platform, pulled on to the lifting
platform and the
pushed on to the other side of this (platform position 3) on the exit ramp
(9).
1.4.2.5 Parking platform (8) (Fig. 8, Fig. 9)
The parking platform (8) comprises of conical plates (circular discs) with
fixing points
for suspension or supports. To ensure that these rails do not extend in the
overlapping parking areas and manoeuvring paths, these are placed in the rear
part
of the platform. The conically converging forms enable close parking. In this
way, the
rectangular base shapes overlap at the front corners and on the sides. Large
vehicles
can extend beyond the platform on the sides and the wheels can roll in and out
on the
adjacent platforms. In case of the movable lifting platform design: The
selec'ted front
line of the platform enables on one hand the maximum lifting of the lifting
platform,
helps it in exact cantering during thrust and enables a smooth transfer of the
rollers
when the thrusts are transferred. Through the selected suspension of each
iridividual
platform no cross rails are necessary, and hence no vertical space is needed
and the
distance to the ceiling can be kept low. Possible horizontal reinforcements of
the
plates can be placed at the side margins, where enough space is available.
1.4.2.6 Parking arrangement and method (Fig. 8)
In order that the vehicles can be parked compactly with the least utilisation
of space,
the cars are pushed on to small, fixed parking platforms (8) in keeping with
the conical
or= oval base forms of the front part of the cars. These are placed star-
shaped in a
polygon and form a circular disc. With their conically converging front
section and
rounding the vehicles can thus be parked compactly, in circles, with the
frorit facing
the centre point of the circle. This special compact arrangement is enabled by
the
automatic, without using the displacement of the vehicles done through
palettes,
through the cantered, exact guiding of the vehicle during parking, through the
computer-assisted optimisation and allocation of the positions and through the
selected design of the platforms. In this way the rectangular parking ground
forms
overlap and their paths overlap when the vehicles are being pushed in and
pulled out.
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The conical form in the front and the short front section of the vehicle is
used to
reduce the distances accordingly. By means of the electronic measurement and
gripping of the vehicle done in the angle, these are distributed in such a way
on the
parking platforms (8) that on the side of each broad car two small cars can be
placed,
such that the parking distances is further reduced. In this way, space is
available only
for the average vehicle width for each position and not for the biggest
vehicle.
Calculations show that the optimum number of vehicles per deck is around 14
to 20. In case of a higher number the inner space of the circular discs
becomes
unnecessarily large. If the number of the parking platforms is less, the space
in the
centre becomes too small or the space requirement for the lift and the lifting
platform
becomes too large as compared to the usable area.
In contrast to the conventional systems and other automated parking systems
with rectangular palettes, the area requirements here is reduced considerably.
No
movable parts are necessary on the individual parking platforms (8), which
makes the
design very simple.
Alternatively, the parking platforms (8) can also be shaped and rnounted
closely in such a way that these form a gap-less circular disc, through which
the
vehicles can be parked at an angle, depending upon the width of the car, side
by side
with the least distance. This is enabled by placing the pillars (2) widely
outside and
supporting the platforms on horizontal rails.
The vertical rails (71) are present in the outer part between the parking
platforms. Depending on the arrangement none or only sidewise or radial
horizontal
rails are necessary below the platforms. In this way, the height of the floors
and hence
the vertical loss of space can be ignored.
The height of the individual decks i.e. the vertical distance can be decided
before mounting and, if necessary, can be adjusted to the requirement with
least
effort. The vertical distance is to be set for the expected vehicle height to
several
different deck heights. Because the deck is allocated based on the values
measured
for the vehicle, each vehicle would require only that much height as
necessary. In this
way, the space utilisation efficiency is enhanced once again and the increase
is about
three-fold as compared to the conventional multi-storeyed car parks.
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1.4.2.7 Exit ramp and delivery method
The exit ramp (9) comprises of a simple plate, on which the vehicle is pushed
by the
tractor in the same way as on the parking platform, but in the forward
direction. After
the vehicle has been pushed on to it, the exit ramp is opened and made
accessible to
the driver. To avoid delays while driving away, several exit ramps can be
placed,
which can be supplemented with connecting loading zones.
1.4.2.8 Design
The lift shaft as well as the cover with the parking platforms comprise of
elements that
can be combined together. By means of a consistent modular design and the use
of
plug and screw connection, the mounting is quick and easy. In the reverse
sequence,
the assembly can be dismantled again. Optionally, the cover can also be fixed
on to
the walls of the building as a hanging or standing structure. The complete
plant can
be assembled above or also below the ground.
Given the fact that the user has no access to the decks, the emergency
devices such as escape routes and fire-extinguishing systems, as also stairs,
lifts,
illumination and ventilation can be avoided to a large extent. The lift is
based on
commercial design with the technology used for lifts for carrying people and
goods.
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4 Drawings
Drawing 0 Fig. 0 3D presentation
Drawing 1 Fig. 1 Complete overview of the parking system
Drawing 1 a Fig. 1 b Parking system sectional representation 3D
Drawing 2 Fig. 2 Parking ramp and centering system Details
Drawing 2b Fig. 2b Parking ramp and cantering system with fixed guide rails
Drawing 3 Fig. 3 Lifting platform with tractor
Drawing 4a Fig. 4a Tractor positions with movable lifting platform
Drawing 4a1 Fig. 4a 1 Tractor with roller forks operating principle
Drawing 4a2 Fig. 4a2 Tractor positions with fixed lifting platform
Drawing 4b Fig. 4b Tractor on the lifting platform (fixed and moving)
Drawing 4c Fig. 4c Tractor with roller forks
Drawing 5a Fig. 5a Roller forks with two rollers
Drawing 5b Fig. 5a Roller forks with 1 roller and overlaid lifting roller
Drawing 6a Fig. 6a Lift with fixed lift shaft
Drawing 6b Fig. 6b Lift and lifting platform
Drawing 7 Fig. 7 Parking arrangement, arrangement with short and long
platforms
Drawing 8 Fig. 8 Area comparison
Drawing 9 Fig. 9 a, b, c Erection method and overview of design
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Numbers of the components
No Designation 28 Push rods 57 Rolls
2 Pillars 29 Centering rails 58 Lifting rollers
4 Ridge support 31 Lifting platform 61 Lift
Lift shaft 37 Swivel arms 62 Lift Shaft
6 Chassis 40 Traktor 64 Guiding rollers Lift
shaft
8 Parking platform 41 Rods 65 Guiding rails
9 Exit platform 42 Traktor rails 66 Counter weight
13 Centering spring 43 Slider 67 Rail
16 Car wheel 44 Forked rails 68 carrying pillars
19 Centering rail 45 Roller fork 69 Rotational gear of
lift
21 Guide rails 46 Roller finger 71 Support of
platform
22 Parking ramp 48 cylinder 71 Holder of platform
23 Tension spring 51 Roll fingers 73 Pillar, support
25 Roll 53 Flange
