DEVICE AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY LATERALLY STORING A MOTOR VEHICLE IN A STORING DEVICE

• US 20130280018A1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Serva transport systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Serva transport systems GmbH
• Inventors: Meirer, Leopold, Koch, Rupert, Bellaflor, Cary Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,702,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/256
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/183 without transverse movement of the car after leaving the transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/305 using car-gripping transfer means

Abstract

Device for storing an automotive vehicle transversely relative to its longitudinal axis on a parking space of a storage facility, having a surface-maneuverable, driverless transporting means which is disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the automotive vehicle when receiving the automotive vehicle and has horizontally extending pairs of forks which are disposed thereon at one side and perpendicularly, the forks of the pairs of forks being displaceable individually horizontally along the transporting means and the pairs of forks moving under wheels respectively of a vehicle axle from one side of the automotive vehicle in order to grip the wheels by displacing the individual forks horizontally towards each other, whereupon the automotive vehicle is lifted for transporting, surface-maneuverable supports (4) being disposed on the transporting means (1) respectively at the end-side, which supports extend horizontally and parallel to the pairs of forks (3) and, when the pairs of forks (3) move under the wheels (8), move past the automotive vehicle (7) at the front- and rear-side at a small spacing, the spacing between the supports (4) being adjustable, a measuring device (6), before the automotive vehicle (7) is received, determining its length, axle positions and the position of the automotive vehicle (7) in space, the surface-maneuverable, driverless transporting means (1) adapting, with the data transmitted from the measuring device (6), its length determined by the spacing of the supports (4) and the position of the pairs of forks (3) automatically to the dimensions of the automotive vehicle (7) to be received, and the load absorbed upon lifting the automotive vehicle (7) being transmitted, on the one hand, by the transporting means (1) and, on the other hand, by the surface-maneuverable supports (4) to the travel surface.

Claims

1. A device for storing an automotive vehicle transversely relative to its longitudinal axis on a parking space of a storage facility, having a surface-maneuverable, driverless transporting means which is disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the automotive vehicle when receiving the automotive vehicle and has horizontally extending pairs of forks which are disposed thereon at one side and perpendicularly, the forks of the pairs of forks being displaceable individually horizontally along the transporting means and the pairs of forks respectively moving under wheels of a vehicle axle from one side of the automotive vehicle in order to grip the wheels by displacing the individual forks horizontally towards each other, whereupon the automotive vehicle is lifted for transporting,

wherein the

surface maneuverable supports are disposed on the transporting means respectively at the end-side, which supports extend horizontally and parallel to the pairs of forks and, when the pairs of forks move under the wheels, move past the automotive vehicle at its front- and rear-side at a small distance , in that the distance between the supports is adjustable, in that a measuring device, before the automotive vehicle is received, determines its length, axle positions and the position of the automotive vehicle in space, in that the surface maneuverable, driverless transporting means adapts, with the data transmitted from the measuring device, its length determined by the distance of the supports and the position of the pairs of forks automatically to the dimensions of the automotive vehicle to be received, and in that the load absorbed upon lifting the automotive vehicle is transmitted, on the one hand, by the transporting means and, on the other hand, by the surface-maneuverable supports to the travel surface.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the surface-maneuverable driverless transporting means has at least one displacement unit for adapting the distance between the surface-maneuverable supports to the length of the automotive vehicle to be received.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein a displacement unit is disposed between one of the supports and the transporting means for horizontal displacement of the support along the transporting means, and in that the other support is connected rigidly to the transporting means.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein that lifting the automotive vehicle is effected by vertical displacement of the pairs of forks abutting against the wheels by means of lifting units, respectively one lifting unit for each pair of forks being disposed on the transporting means.

5. A method for storing an automotive vehicle transversely relative to its longitudinal axis on a parking space of a storage facility, in which horizontally extending pairs of forks which are disposed on a surface-maneuverable, driverless transporting means at one side and perpendicularly move under the automotive vehicle from the side of the automotive vehicle at wheels of respectively one vehicle axle, the forks of the pairs of forks gripping the wheels by displacing the individual forks horizontally towards each other, in which surface-maneuverable supports which are disposed on the transporting means respectively at the end-side and extend horizontally and parallel to the pairs of forks, when the pairs of forks move under the wheels, move past the automotive vehicle at the front- and rear-side at a small distance, in which a measuring device, before the automotive vehicle is received, determines its length, axle positions and the position of the automotive vehicle in space in order to adapt, with the data transmitted to the surface-maneuverable driverless transporting means, the distance between the supports, which is adjustable, and the position of the pairs of forks automatically to the dimensions of the automotive vehicle, in which the absorbed load is transmitted, on the one hand, by the transporting means and, on the other hand, by the supports to the travel surface, and in which the surface-maneuverable driverless transporting means transports the lifted automotive vehicle to the intended parking space of the storage facility and deposits it there in the reverse sequence of the method steps.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein that lifting the automotive vehicle is effected by vertical displacement of the pairs of forks which abut on the wheels by means of lifting units which are disposed between each pair of forks and the transporting means.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein that the surface-maneuverable driverless transporting means stores the received automotive vehicles several rows deep and adjacently on parking spaces of the storage facility.