Vehicle parking carriages

• US 5,863,171 A
• Filed: 02/18/1997
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apex Skypark Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sky Park IC Jr. AB
• Inventors: Engman, Bengt
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Frank E.
• Application Number:
  US08/793,041
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 414/227, 414/231, 414/233, 414/234, 414/232, 414/240, 414/242, 414/241, 414/243, 414/213, 414/252, 414/253, 414/255, 414/256, 414/259, 414/260, 414/261, 414/264, 414/273 , 414/279, 414/281, 104/282, 104/279, 364/478.02
• US Class Current: 414/256
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/183 without transverse movement of the car after leaving the transfer means

Abstract

A vehicle transporting arrangement for transporting a vehicle in a parking building automatically from a drive-in module to a parking space (27), wherein the arrangement includes a first carriage (1), a so-called transfer carriage, which can be moved on and between different parking floors or storeys of the parking building and which includes a second carriage (2) and a third carriage (3), each of which includes lifting devices (4, 5, 6, 7) for lifting and supporting a pair of vehicle wheels, the second and third carriages being positioned sequentially in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first carriage on a parking floor and being movable in relation to the first carriage at right angles to its direction of movement on a parking floor. According to the invention, at least one of the second and the third carriages (2, 3) includes drive wheels (10) and drive elements for moving the carriage in relation to the first carriage (1).

Claims

1. A vehicle transporting arrangement for transporting a vehicle in a parking building automatically from a drive-in module to a parking space, the arrangement comprising:

a first carriage including means for moving the first carriage along a direction on different parking floors of the parking building;

a second carriage and a third carriage movably carried on said first carriage, each of said second and third carriages including lifting devices for lifting and supporting a pair of vehicle wheels, said second and third carriages being positioned sequentially in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first carriage, said second and third carriages being movable in relation to the first carriage in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first carriage, said second and third carriages being joined together by a connection means having an adjustable length; and

at least one of the second and third carriages including drive wheels and drive means for moving said at least one of the second and third carriages relative to the first carriage into and out of a parking space.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein only one of the second and third carriages includes drive wheels and drive means.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the second carriage and the third carriage is belt-driven.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each of the second and the third carriages are driven by belts, the belts of the second and third carriages running on rails mounted on the first carriage and on each parking space;

and each of the second and third carriages having mutually remote ends carrying brushes which function to brush the rails clean as the second and third carriages move.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein each belt of the second and third carriages has mounted on an inner side thereof a central rib which runs in a respective groove provided in each wheel of the second and the third carriages.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising position sensors mounted in the parking space and functioning to disclose when a vehicle carried by the second and third carriages is located in a parking position in a parking space.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the position sensors are mounted on the first carriage and function to disclose when the second and third carriages, having a vehicle carried thereof, are located in a transport position on the first carriage;

and the first carriage includes a control device constructed and arranged to move the first carriage only when the second and third carriages are located in said transport position.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second and third carriages includes means for detecting a parked vehicle in a parking space.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the detecting means comprise a Doppler radar.