AUTOMATIC LOAD-PARKING SYSTEM

• US 20110274523A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomas Petalas
• Original Assignee: Thomas Petalas
• Inventors: Petalas, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/129,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20110274523A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/231
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/285 using car-gripping transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/422 Automatically operated car-parks

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic load-parking system comprising:—a plurality of storage locations placed at different levels;—at each level, at least one main aisle enabling access to the storage locations;—at least one shuttle configured to carry the load to be parked and to move the latter horizontally into the storage locations;—at least one carrier configured to carry the shuttle and move the latter horizontally into the main aisle;—at least one elevator configured to carry the shuttle and/or the carrier and move them vertically from one level to the other in a vertical shaft; and—a control unit enabling the automatic management of the movement of the shuttle, the carrier, and the elevator so as to move the loads between a transfer area and the storage locations. The invention is characterized in that the storage locations (12) are not all the same size; the heights, widths, and lengths thereof vary, so the control unit (2) is equipped with a means for detecting the size, i.e. the length, width, height, and optionally the weight, of each parked load placed in the transfer area (11) so that said loads are moved and parked in free locations, the sizes of which come closest to the sizes of the loads, said system comprising a device for fixing prices that are proportional to the size of the loads to be parked and optionally to the weight thereof.

Claims

1. A system for automatically parking loads, the system comprising:

a plurality of storage spaces positioned on different levels,

at each level, a traffic lane enabling access to the storage spaces,

a shuttle configured to support the load to be parked and maneuver it horizontally into the storage spaces,

a transport carriage configured to carry the shuttle and move it horizontally in the traffic lane,

an elevator configured to support the shuttle and/or the transport carriage and move them vertically from one level to another in a vertical shaft,

a control unit enabling automatic management of the movement of the shuttle, of the transport carriage and of the elevator so as to move the loads between a transfer area and the storage spaces,

characterized by the fact that;

the storage spaces are not all the same dimensions;

the heights, widths and lengths being variable,

the control unit is arranged with means to detect the outline;

length, width, height and possibly the weight of each load to be parked positioned in the transfer area, so that the aforementioned loads are moved and parked in empty locations with dimensions closest to their outline,

the aforementioned system comprising a device to charge proportional to the outline of the loads to be parked and possibly proportional to their weight.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a computer program enabling maintenance in memory of the outline of loads to be parked and real-time analysis of available locations so as to move a load from a location where it was originally parked by default to another location that has become free and whose dimensions are closest to its outline and/or be moved to other locations where they can be combined to optimize the available space.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the length and the width of the load is performed using motorized carriages running on horizontal guide rails fixed against the walls and/or ceiling of the transfer area, the aforementioned carriages being equipped with scanners for the measurement of the dimensions.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the length and the width of the load is performed using motorized carriages running on horizontal guide rails fixed against the walls and/or ceiling of the transfer area, the aforementioned carriages being equipped with cameras to capture the image of the aforementioned load, the central unit being equipped with a program enabling calculation of the dimensions of the aforementioned load from the aforementioned image.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the shuttle, the transport carriage and the elevator are independent of each other and move with their own drive mechanism means.

6. A system according to claim 1, comprising multiple shuttles and multiple transport carriages and multiple elevators, the number of shuttles, transport carriages, and elevators not being equal.

7. A system according to claim 1, comprising multiple shuttles and multiple transport carriages and multiple elevators, the number of shuttles, transport carriages, and elevators being changeable by the activity periods.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the loads to be parked are automobile vehicles, the dimensions of storage spaces varying to correspond to commercial vehicles having small outline, medium outline, or large outline.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein:

the loads to be parked are automobile vehicles

the shuttle is configured to pass under a vehicle and position itself between the wheels of the latter,

the lateral edges of the shuttle are equipped with means of gripping of each wheel of the aforementioned vehicle,

the means of gripping each comprise a stop element coupled to a cradle serving as support tray during the transport of the aforementioned vehicle, the aforementioned cradle being configured to pass under a wheel and tip into a locked position where the aforementioned wheel is sandwiched between the aforementioned cradle and the aforementioned stop element.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the cradles and stop elements are mounted on movable arms between a folded position where they are parallel to the lateral edges of the shuttle and an extended position where they are perpendicular to the aforementioned lateral edges and wherein the aforementioned shuttle comprises a front part and a rear part equipped with means of gripping respectively of the front wheels and the rear wheels of the vehicle, the aforementioned parts being mobily mounted on the shuttle so that the aforementioned cradles can pass between the aforementioned wheels and tilt into locked position

11. A system according to claim 9 one, wherein a control panel enables the users to indicate their identity or the identity of their vehicle so that the control unit automatically recognizes them and admits the parking of their vehicle, the panel used being tactile recognition and/or card with or without contact and/or by voice recognition.

12. A system according to claims 11, wherein the control panel is positioned in proximity to the transfer area or in a remote location such as apartments, offices, commercial centers, airports, train stations, hospitals, hotels, or others or accessible via a computer or a remote portable terminal.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transport carriage is equipped with a turntable enabling rotation of the shuttle and the load about a vertical axis.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transport carriage moves via axles on which are mounted wheels, each wheel being rotated by an independent gear motor and each axle being equipped with a clutch enabling disengaging of its associated gear motor.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the shuttle moves via axles on which are mounted wheels, each wheel being rotated by an independent gear motor and each being equipped with a clutch enabling disengagement of its associated gear motor.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply of the transport carriage is implemented using conductor wipers attached to the aforementioned carriage and brushing on electric rails positioned in the traffic lanes.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply of the shuttle is implemented using batteries equipped with chargers.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein the shuttle is equipped with wheels rolling on roll strips positioned on the transport carriage and/or storage spaces and/or in the elevator and/or in the transfer area, the aforementioned shuttle being provided at the front and the rear with brushes arranged to clean the aforementioned roll strips during its movement.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transport carriage is equipped with wheels rolling on roll strips positioned in the traffic lanes, the aforementioned carriage being provided at the front and the rear with brushes arranged to clean the aforementioned roll strips during its movement.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein the shuttle is equipped with a device to detect an object abandoned in a storage space, the aforementioned detection device being formed by a projecting arm positioned at the front and at the rear of the aforementioned shuttle, the end of the aforementioned arm being provided with a detection sensor.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein the shuttle is equipped with a device to recognize the ground, the aforementioned recognition device being formed by a wheel for recognizing the ground attached to the front and to the rear of the aforementioned shuttle, the aforementioned wheels being coupled to sensors so that when the aforementioned wheels are no longer in contact with the ground, the control unit is instantly alerted and stops the drive mechanism of the aforementioned shuttle.

22. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first bar codes are positioned in the traffic lanes, in line with storage spaces and/or in line with the transfer area and/or in line with elevator, bar code readers being positioned on the sides of the transport carriage so as to be able to read the aforementioned first and wherein second bar codes are placed in the storage space and/or the transfer area and/or in the elevator and/or in the transport carriage, the bar code readers being positioned on the sides of the shuttle so as to be able to read the aforementioned second bar codes.

23. A system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator and/or the transfer area comprise roll strips on which is positioned the load, recentering bars coming to exert a lateral pressure on the aforementioned load so as to center it to the aforementioned roll strips, the aforementioned roll strips being provided with rollers mounted freely in rotation on axes parallel to the direction of insertion of the load, the latter rolling on the aforementioned rollers during the action of the aforementioned lateral thrust

24. A system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator, its drive mechanism device and its guide device, are mounted in a fixed or adjustable mobile structure forming the vertical shaft.

25. A system according to claim 1, wherein certain loads to be parked are automobile vehicle with electric drive mechanism, before being moved, these vehicles are pre-positioned on a table connected to a current source and equipped with a means for electrically recharging their drive means.

26. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer area leads directly onto an elevator or directly onto a traffic lane.

27. A system according to claim 1, wherein any defect encountered during the use of the aforementioned system is recovered, in the form of information, in real time to the control unit and/or to a remote management technique that processes the aforementioned information.

28. A system according to claim 1, wherein the loads correspond to a fleet of vehicles placed at the disposition the users, the control unit incorporating a fleet management program comprising instructions for managing the modification of the aforementioned fleet and/or to manage the taking of a vehicle and/or to manage the return of a vehicle and/or to manage the selection of a vehicle by the aforementioned system depending on the category assigned to the identity of a user.