Vehicle parking system
First Claim
1. A parking system particularly useful to enable almost any available plot of land to be utilized for providing a large number of parking spaces for automotive vehicles, comprising:
- a building structure constructed of a plurality of structural elements to define at least one vertical column of parking levels constituted of a ground parking level and at least two upper parking levels at vertically increasing elevations;
each of said parking levels having a floor and a ceiling defining between them a line of parking spaces extending horizontally;
the floor and ceiling of each of said parking levels being spaced from each other a distance which is greater than twice the height of the vehicles to be parked in the respective level, to define a lower zone of parking spaces for supporting the vehicles, and an upper zone for conveying the vehicles to a selected parking space in the lower zone;
each of said vertical columns including a separate entrance/exit for the respective vertical column, and a separate vertical conveyor adjacent the entrance/exit for the respective vertical column to convey a vehicle entering or leaving the respective vertical column to or from a selected one of said upper parking levels in the respective column;
and horizontal conveyor means for each vertical column communicating with the vertical conveyor of the respective vertical column for conveying each vehicle, when conveyed to its selective level, upwardly to the upper zone of the selected level, then horizontally to a selected parking space, and then downwardly into the selected parking space in the lower zone of the respective parking level;
said horizontal conveyor means for the respective vertical column comprising a separate conveyor unit for each level of the respective vertical column, each of said conveyor units including a vehicle supporting device for supporting a vehicle thereon, vertical drive means for raising and lowering said vehicle supporting device from the lower zone to the upper zone of the respective parking level, and horizontal drive means for driving said vehicle supporting device horizontally in the longitudinal direction through said upper zone of the respective parking level to a selected parking space in the lower zone of the respective line of parking spaces.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A parking system for automotive vehicles, comprises a building structure divided into a ground parking level and at least two upper parking levels, each having a floor and a ceiling defining between them one or more lines of parking spaces extending longitudinally of the respective level. The floor and ceiling of each level are spaced from each other a distance which is greater than twice the height of the vehicles to be parked in the respective level, to define a lower zone of parking spaces for supporting the vehicles, and an upper zone for conveying the vehicles to a selected parking space in the lower zone.
49 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A parking system particularly useful to enable almost any available plot of land to be utilized for providing a large number of parking spaces for automotive vehicles, comprising:
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a building structure constructed of a plurality of structural elements to define at least one vertical column of parking levels constituted of a ground parking level and at least two upper parking levels at vertically increasing elevations; each of said parking levels having a floor and a ceiling defining between them a line of parking spaces extending horizontally; the floor and ceiling of each of said parking levels being spaced from each other a distance which is greater than twice the height of the vehicles to be parked in the respective level, to define a lower zone of parking spaces for supporting the vehicles, and an upper zone for conveying the vehicles to a selected parking space in the lower zone; each of said vertical columns including a separate entrance/exit for the respective vertical column, and a separate vertical conveyor adjacent the entrance/exit for the respective vertical column to convey a vehicle entering or leaving the respective vertical column to or from a selected one of said upper parking levels in the respective column; and horizontal conveyor means for each vertical column communicating with the vertical conveyor of the respective vertical column for conveying each vehicle, when conveyed to its selective level, upwardly to the upper zone of the selected level, then horizontally to a selected parking space, and then downwardly into the selected parking space in the lower zone of the respective parking level; said horizontal conveyor means for the respective vertical column comprising a separate conveyor unit for each level of the respective vertical column, each of said conveyor units including a vehicle supporting device for supporting a vehicle thereon, vertical drive means for raising and lowering said vehicle supporting device from the lower zone to the upper zone of the respective parking level, and horizontal drive means for driving said vehicle supporting device horizontally in the longitudinal direction through said upper zone of the respective parking level to a selected parking space in the lower zone of the respective line of parking spaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A parking system particularly useful to enable almost any available plot of land to be utilized for providing a large number of parking spaces for automotive vehicles, comprising:
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a building structure constructed of a plurality of structural elements to define at least one vertical column of parking levels constituted of a ground parking level and at least two upper parking levels at vertically increasing elevations; each of said parking levels having a floor and a ceiling defining between them a line of parking spaces extending horizontally to accommodate vehicles in end-to-end relationship; the floor and ceiling of each of said parking levels being spaced from each other a distance which is slightly greater than twice the height of the vehicles to be parked in the respective level, to define a lower zone of parking spaces for supporting the vehicles, and an upper zone for conveying the vehicles to a selected parking space in the lower zone; each of said vertical columns including a separate entrance/exit for the respective vertical column, and a separate vertical conveyor adjacent the entrance/exit for the respective vertical column to convey a vehicle entering or leaving the respective vertical column to or from a selected one of said upper parking levels in the respective column; and horizontal conveyor means for each vertical column communicating with the vertical conveyor of the respective vertical column for conveying each vehicle, when conveyed to its selective level, upwardly to the upper zone of the selected level, then horizontally to a selected parking space, and then downwardly into the selected parking space in the lower zone of the respective parking level; said structural elements including a plurality of modular units joined to each other, each modular unit being an open, box-like frame structure having a height slightly greater than twice the height of the vehicle to be parked in the respective level, a length slightly greater than the length of the vehicle to be parked in the respective level, and a width slightly wider than the vehicle to be parked in the respective level. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. The parking system particularly useful to enable almost any available plot of land to be utilized for providing a large number of parking spaces for automotive vehicles, comprising:
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a building structure constructed of a plurality of structural elements to define at least one vertical column of parking levels constituted of a ground parking level and at least two upper parking levels at vertically increasing elevations; each of said parking levels having a floor and a ceiling defining between them a line of parking spaces extending horizontally; the floor and ceiling of each of said parking levels being spaced from each other a distance which is greater than twice the height of the vehicles to be parked in the respective level, to define a lower zone of parking spaces for supporting the vehicles, and an upper zone for conveying the vehicles to a selected parking space in the lower zone; each of said vertical columns including a separate entrance/exit for the respective vertical column, and a separate vertical conveyor adjacent the entrance/exit for the respective vertical column to convey a vehicle entering or leaving the respective vertical column to or from a selected one of said upper parking levels in the respective column; and horizontal conveyor means for each vertical column communicating with the vertical conveyor of the respective vertical column for conveying each vehicle, when conveyed to its selective level, upwardly to the upper zone of the selected level, then horizontally to a selected parking space, and then downwardly into the selected parking space in the lower zone of the respective parking level; said horizontal conveyor means for the respective vertical column comprises a separate conveyor unit for each level of the respective vertical column, each of said conveyor units including a vehicle supporting device for supporting a vehicle thereon, vertical drive means for raising and lowering said vehicle supporting device from the lower zone to the upper zone of the respective parking level, and horizontal drive means for driving said vehicle supporting device horizontally in the longitudinal direction through said upper zone of the respective parking level to a selected parking space in the lower zone of the respective line of parking spaces; said vehicle supporting device comprising a pair of bars for each wheel of the vehicle and actuatable either to a retracted, inoperative position, or to a projected, operative position on opposite sides of the respective vehicle wheel, and drive means for actuating said bars. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification