[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-storey automatic garage of the type described
in the preamble to claim 1.
[0002] Store plants in which the materials to be stored are placed on loading units, mats
or pallets and then moved by wheeled elevators travelling on floor rails are well
known. Due to the precisely defined location of the storage boxes or spaces in the
plant, the automatic transfer and centering of the loads to be stored are made feasable
without any human presence.
[0003] Any movement from the elevator to said boxes and vice-versa is made by resorting
to the use of roller conveyors of which both the elevator and the vehicle boxes are
provided. The motor for operating said roller conveyors are usually placed on the
elevator, in which case the box rollers are actuated by friction from the elevator
when the latter contacts the box (cf CH-A-453658).
[0004] U.S. Pat. 2.714.456 describes a mechanical parking system in which cars are loaded
in stalls on the various storeys of a multi-tier parking unit by means of a suitable
crane mechanism. Such systems are in general well known in the art, and usually utilize
a crane-way running between two multi-storey parking structures, each having a row
of boxes on each floor to receive cars from the elevator mechanisms which move vertically
and horizontally on the crane ways.
[0005] The use of mats for carrying the motor vehicles within the boxes according to the
present invention has been suggested by the following advantages:
a. The maximum saving of space;
b. The danger of drips from overlying vehicle is avoided;
c. Because the parked motor vehicles are constantly braked, the danger of hazardous
movements of the same within the garage is reduced to a minimum;
d. The motor vehicles speed within the garage can be high being of the order of 19.5
m/min (65 feet per minute) when travelling on roller conveyors and 100 m/min (330
feet per minute) when travelling on the wheeled elevator. A car when travelling in
neutral gear cannot be moved at the above speeds since it must be stopped at short
distance from starting;
e. The cost of fire fighting equipment is reduced since the storage areas cannot be
entered by unauthorised persons;
f. The motor vehicle, during its travel within the garage, except when being withdrawn
from a box always maintains its front in the same direction, whereby no backing of
the vehicle is required for moving it into and out of the garage.
[0006] In spite of all the above undoubted advantages no garage has been used up to now
wherein the vehicles are always moved on mats because, when dealing with motor vehicles
a constant flow of vehicles to be stored, either incoming and outgoing is confronted,
which cannot be delayed as in the case of other merchandise to be stored. In fact,
in the case of vehicles, the waiting time must be reduced to a minimum and a storage
procedure cannot be programmed for fixed times during the day. Summing up, too many
vehicles cannot be kept waiting in a transitory area before they can be transferred
into a storage box since each vehicle arrival and departure time is different and
never foreseable. Furthermore, every vehicle needs to be ready for departure.
[0007] These problems have been solved according to this invention by the characterising
features of claim 1. According to the invention, a group of four transitory boxes
is provided, one at the entrance and one at the exit of the garage for the movement
of motor vehicles into and out of the same. All the vehicle traffic is made to pass
through said group of boxes, while vehicle mats are continuously recycled from the
exit to the entrance of the garage. For the latter movement, a roller conveyor is
provided. Due to the position of the above transitory boxes, the problem has been
faced of providing the garage of this invention with transfer roller conveyors by
which any mat either alone or carrying a vehicle can be moved sideways from its location.
For such a movement of the mat, as described hereinafter, the terminal sections of
the roller conveyor, in addition to the rollers typical of a roller conveyor but crosswise
thereof, are also provided with a platform made of steel profiles which carry a range
of small wheels or short rollers of which the axes are perpendicular to the axes of
the last named rollers, each range of said wheels being inserted between a pair of
said rollers. The rollers provide for the movement crosswise of the position of the
mat either with or without an overlaying vehicle while said wheels provide for the
displacement of a further empty mat in the direction from the exit to the entrance
of the garage.
[0008] By means of the above features the following results are attained:
- only two communications with the ordinary road network are required: one for the
entrance and one for the vehicle exit;
- the stored vehicle is left closed and braked without anybody on board, the engine
being left cut off.
[0009] The garage system itself provides means for allowing access to said entrance section
of roller conveyor to a fresh vehicle and later for returning it, as required, at
the garage exit.
[0010] Further advantages and features of this invention will appear with reference to the
attached drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 shows an elevation cross-section of the garage of this invention;
Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the garage of fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the vehicle elevator of the invention;
Fig. 4 shows a partly exploded view of a transfer and roller conveyor;
Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal cross-section of the elevator and of one of the boxes.
It shows the mechanism by which a roller conveyor of a box is actuated by a motorized
elevator;
Figs. 6-24 show some examples of the mats and vehicles movements.
[0011] With reference to the figures, the automatic garage of this invention for the storage
of motor vehicles comprises two parallelepipedal pigeonholed blocks that are made
of a stand 20 with several spaces or boxes in each of which a vehicle to be stored
can be placed. The two blocks or stands 20 are separated from one another by an intervening
corridor 60 along the center of which an elevator is made to run on a rail 22, which
elevator comprises a portal framework 30 having a ceiling horizontal 32, said framework
in addition to running on a floor railway 22 is guided by a ceiling U-rail attached
to the building.
[0012] Between and along the portal uprights 30, a vertically slidable platform 26 is mounted
which can be lifted by means of chains 28 driven by actuating cylinders (not shown)
embedded in said uprights. A pair of motor vehicles resting on mats can be placed
on platform 26 side by side, which vehicles can be moved by a roller conveyor with
which said platform is provided.
[0013] As mentioned before, the garage of this invention has substantially rectangular shape,
one of the shorter sides thereof having the length of two vehicle boxes 38 plus the
intermediate corridor 60.
[0014] At the entrance and exit head of the garage, two groups of four vehicle boxes are
located at positions symmetrically opposed to each other with respect to corridor
60. One of the two groups of boxes 39"', 39", 39', 39 will be called entrance transitory
boxes. Of these boxes, box 39'" is placed adjacent to one row of main storage boxes
38 while transitory box 39" is placed directly behind box 39'" with respect to corridor
60. Box 39, 10 located adjacent to 39" but closer to the entrance head.
[0015] The same arrangement applies to the four exit transitory boxes 40"', 40", 40' and
40. The total of eight transitory boxes and one end of the intervening corridor all
border on a roller conveyor 42 which communicates with the entrance and exit of the
garage. The length of conveyor 42 is thus equal to the length of four vehicle boxes
plus the width of corridor 60.
[0016] The first section 44 of the conveyor 42 has the length of a vehicle box and comprises
a transfer and conveying device already known in the trade. Hence this will only be
summarily described with reference to fig. 4. It comprises a quadrilateral frame 62
on which a series of rollers 42' are mounted, the axes of which are in the direction
of said conveyor 42 with the exception of a first roller 62' on which the vehicle
to be stored is placed for movement crosswise of conveyor 42 and towards the first
transitory box 39, and with the exception of the last roller 62" of which the axis
is crosswise to rollers 42' and which is consequently the first roller of conveyor
42. A line of empty mats arrive from the garage exit side to the garage entrance side
by means of the conveyor 42.
[0017] A further series of profiles 45 is provided between each pair of the above rollers
42' which are simultaneously vertically movable by means not shown. Each of the above
profiles is equipped with a series of rotatable small wheels 66 which can be moved
vertically together with said profiles at an height such that an empty mat, after
having moved along roller conveyor 42 and surpassed roller 62' spreads on rollers
66 for receiving vehicle thereon, said vehicles entering the garage on their own power
means. The above series of profiles 45 will than be lowered such that the vehicle
and underlying mat are pushed onto box 39 by rollers 42'.
[0018] A device similar to that of section 44 of conveyor 42 can be provided at entrance
transitory boxes 39, 39', 39", 39'" and at exit transitory boxes 40, 40', 40", 40"'.
The roller conveyor 42, apart from end sections 44, 44' is decked with rollers the
axes of which are transverse to the same conveyor.
[0019] Boxes 39, 39" and 40, 40" need to be motorized because they cannot be contacted by
elevator 24. However, boxes 39', 39"', 40', 40'" need not be motorized.
[0020] Such a solution is shown in fig. 5, wherein the motor for rollers 26' is not shown.
The rotation of rollers 26' is transmitted to rollers 46 of box 38 through oscillating
friction arm 48 of elevator 24 whereby mat 41 which, in this case, is empty and is
transferred out of the elevator platform 26 as shown by arrow M, arm 48 being provided
with an end wheel 48' which frictionally engages wheel 50' which is the first roller
of storage box 38, the rest of the roller wheels of the same box being coupled to
the first one.
[0021] Figs. 6-24 show diagrammatically the operation of the garage.
[0022] In figs. 6-24 an empty small rectangle represents an empty mat while an occupied
mat is represented by a black circle in a rectangle.
Fig. 6: Two vehicles 1, 2 represented by black circles are present at the garage entrance,
another two vehicles 3, 4 are present in the same row (a) of storage boxes and another
two in the other row (b) where two empty mats are also present. Some empty mats are
present along roller conveyor 42 and an occupied mat is shown at the exit box 44'
with an outgoing vehicle.
Fig. 7: Vehicle 1 and mat moves to box 39 vehicle 2 waits in front of entry box 44
while outgoing vehicle leaves the garage. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 8: Vehicle 1 moves from box 44 to box 39 while the empty mat is recycled along
conveyer 42. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 9: Vehicle 2 moves from box 44 to box 39 and vehicle 1 moves from box 39" to
box 39"'. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 10: Vehicle 1 has moved to box 39'11 and vehicle 2 moves to box 39'. Elevator
24 moves along corridor 60, with two empty mats thereon and an empty mat has moved
to section 44. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 11: Two empty mats are moved on boxes 41', 40''' and vehicles 1 and 2 move on
elevator 24. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 12: Vehicles 1 and 2 on elevator 24 move towards the box to be occupied by the
same; two empty mats move from box 40', 40"' to boxes 40, 40" respectively, the rest
being unchanged.
Fig. 13: Vehicles 1 and 2 move to respective storage boxes, an empty mat moves from
box 40 to section 44' and another empty mat moves from box 40" to box 40.
Fig. 14: Elevator 24 moves towards the storage box containing vehicle 3, an empty
mat moves from box 40 and another empty box moves from section 44' to conveyor 42.
The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 15: Vehicle 3 moves from its storage box to elevator 24 and an empty mat moves
from box 40 to section 44'. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 16: Elevator 24 with vehicle 3 moves towards the garage exit while conveyor 42
is now full of empty mats.
Fig. 17: Elevator 24 takes on board vehicle 4. The rest being unchanged;
Fig. 18: Elevator 24 moves towards the garage exit. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 19: Vehicles 3 and 4 move to boxes 40'" and 40' respectively.The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 20: Vehicles 3 and 4 move from boxes 40'" and 40' to boxes 40" and 40 respectively.
Elevator 24 is left free. Two further vehicles 5 and 6 are present at the garage entrance.
All the rest being unchanged.
Fig. 21: Vehicle 5 from section 44 of conveyor 42 moves to box 39. Vehicle 4 moves
from box 40 to section 44'. The rest being unchanged.
Fig. 22: Vehicle 5 moves from box 39 to box 39", vehicle 4 exits the garage. The rest
being unchanged.
Fig. 23: Vehicle 6 moves from section 44 to box 39.
[0023] All the mats on conveyor 42 move from their respective position on conveyor 42 towards
section 44. Vehicle 4 moves away from garage 20.
[0024] Fig. 24: An empty mat is in section 44, vehicle 3 leaves garage 20. The rest being
unchanged.
[0025] Thus a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described. However it is obvious
that many variations and modifications can be made to it to meet different traffic
flows by those skilled in the art. For instance the garage entrance and exit can be
doubled and each placed at either end of the garage, the garage can be equipped with
two elevators whereby the garage activity can be doubled. Said roller conveyor and
the related transit groups of transitory boxes can be located at any of the storage
floors.
[0026] Such variants are deemed to be covered in the scope of the following claims.
1. A multi-storey automatic garage for parking motor vehicles in a building comprising
two parallelepiped pigeonholed blocks (20) opposed to one another and comprising a
plurality of boxes (38) in each of which a vehicle can be stored, said two blocks
(20) being separated from one another by an intermediate corridor (60) along the center
of which a motor vehicle elevator (24) travels on at least one rail (22), said elevator
being a portal framework comprising uprights (30), a horizontal ceiling member (32)
and platform (26), said platform (26) being suspend between said uprights (30) from
said ceiling member (32) and capable of moving up or down and carrying at least one
vehicle placed thereon, the garage further comprising mats (40) on which said vehicles
are placed stationary when said vehicles are within the garage, characterised in that
said building has a first group of positions or transitory boxes (39, 39', 39", 39"'),
for entry into the garage, and a second group of position or transitory boxes (40,
40', 40", 40"') for exit out of the garage, said groups being arranged sym- metricaly
opposed to each other with respect to said corridor (60), a first pair of said first
group (39''', 39') being aligned with the adjoining storage boxes (38) along said
corridor and a second pair (39, 39") being set behind the former pair with respect
to said corridor, the same arrangement being applicable to said second group (40,
40', 40", 40"'), and in that adjacent said two groups of transitory boxes a roller
conveyor (42) adapted for moving said mats extends in a direction perpendicular to
the corridor (60) between the entrance section (44) and the exit section (44') of
the garage.
2. A garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein in said entrance section (44) of said roller
conveyor (42), a transfer and conveying device is mounted which is provided with rollers,
whose axes extend in the direction of the roller conveyor (42), and of a series of
profiles (45) which are simultaneously vertically movable; each of said profiles (45)
being equipped with a series of rotatable small wheels (66), whereby a vehicle on
said section (44) of roller conveyor (42) can be pushed into one (39) of said second
pair (39, 39") transitory boxes.
3. A garage as claimed in claim 1 and 2 wherein the transitory boxes (39, 39', 39",
39"') at the entrance and the transitory boxes (40, 40', 40", 40"') at the exit are
also provided with the transfer and conveying device.
4. A multi-storey automatic garage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roller conveyor
(42) and the related groups of transitory boxes (39-40) can be located at any of the
storage floors.
5. A multi-storey automatic garage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elevator is
provided with an oscillating friction arm (48) for transmitting rotation to rollers
(46) of a storage box roller conveyor, whereby a mat (41) with or without overlaying
vehicle is put on or extracted from the related storage box whenever said elevator
is mating said box; said oscillating friction arm being provided with an end wheel
(48') which engages wheel (50') of the storage box roller conveyor.
1. Mehrstöckige automatische Garage für das Parken von Kraftfahrzeugen in einem Gebäude,bestehend
aus zwei quarderförmigen durchbrochenen Blöcken (20), die einander gegenüberliegen
und zahlreiche Boxen (38) aufweisen, in denen jeweils ein Fahrzeug abstellbar ist,
wobei die beiden Blöcke (20) voneinander durch einen Zwischenkorridor (60) getrennt
sind, längs dessen Mitte ein Kraftfahrzeugaufzug (24) auf wenigstens einer Schiene
(22) fährt, wobei der Aufzug aus einem Portalrahmenfachwerk besteht, das aufrechte
Elemente (30), ein horizontales Deckenelement (32) und eine Plattform (26) aufweist,
wobei die Plattform (26) zwischen den aufrechten Elementen (30) von dem Deckenelement
(32) abgehängt und auf- und abbewegbar ist und wenigstens ein darauf angeordnetes
Fahrzeug trägt, wobei die Garage weiterhin Matten (40) aufweist, auf denen die Fahrzeuge
stationär angeordnet sind, wenn die Fahrzeuge sich in der Garage befinden,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß das Gebäude eine erste Gruppe von Stellungs- bzw.
Durchgangsboxen (39, 39', 39", 39''') für den Eingang in die Garage und eine zweite
Gruppe von Stellungs- bzw. Durchgangsboxen (40, 40', 40", 40"') für den Ausgang aus
der Garage besitzt, wobei die Gruppen symmetrisch einander gegenüberliegend bezüglich
des Korridors (60) angeordnet sind, wobei ein erstes Paar der ersten Gruppe (39"',
39') mit den anschließenden Aufnahmeboxen (38) längs des Korridors fluchtet und ein
zweites Paar (39, 39") hinter dem erstgenannten Paar bezüglich des Korridors angeordnet
ist, wobei dieselbe Anordnung für die zweite Gruppe (40, 40', 40", 40"') gilt, und
daß angrenzend an die beiden Gruppen der Durchgangsboxen ein Rollenförderer (42) für
das Bewegen der Matten sich in einer Richtung senkrecht zu dem Korridor (60) zwischen
dem Eingangsabschnitt (44) und dem Ausgangsabschnitt (44') der Garage erstreckt.
2. Garage nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß in dem Eingangsabschnitt (44) des Rollenförderers (42) eine Übertragungs- und
Transportvorrichtung montiert ist, die mit Rollen, deren Achsen sich in Richtung des
Rollenförderers (42) erstrecken und mit einer Reihe von Profilen (45) versehen ist,
welche gleichzeitig in vertikaler Richtung bewegbar sind, wobei jedes Profil (45)
mit einer Reihe von drehbaren kleinen Rädern (66) ausgerüstet ist, wodurch ein Fahrzeug
auf dem Abschnitt (44) des Rollenförderers (42) in eine (39) der Durchgangsboxen des
zweiten Paars (39, 39") schiebbar ist.
3. Garage nach Anspruch 1 und 2
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß die Durchgangsboxen (39,39', 39", 39"') an dem Eingang und die Durchgangsboxen
(40, 40', 40", 40"') an dem Ausgang ebenfalls mit der Übertragungs- und Transportvorrichtung
versehen sind.
4. Mehrstöckige automatische Garage nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß der Rollenförderer (42) und die zugeordneten Gruppen von Durchgangsboxen (39―40)
an jedem der Stockwerkböden lokalisierbar sind.
5. Mehrstöckige automatische Garage nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß der Aufzug mit einem schwingenden Reibarm (48) zur Übertragung der Drehung auf
Rollen (46) eines Aufnahmeboxrollenförderers versehen ist, wodurch eine Matte (41)
mit oder ohne darauf befindlichem Fahrzeug in die zugeordnete Aufnahmebox oder aus
dieser heraus jedesmal dann bringbar ist, wenn der Aufzug sich in passender Zuordnung
zu der Box befindet; wobei der schwingende Reibarm mit einem Endrad (48') versehen
ist, das sich in Eingriff mit einem Rad (50') des Rollenförderers der Aufnahmebox
befindet.
1. Garage automatique à plusieurs niveaux pour le stationnement des véhicules à moteur
dans un bâtiment, comprenant deux blocs de rangement parallélipipédiques (20) en vis-à-vis
et pourvus d'une multiplicité de cases (38) dans chacune desquelles un véhicule peut
être rangé, lesdits blocs (20) étant séparés l'un de l'autre par un couloir intermédiaire
(60) le long du centre duquel un élévateur (24) pour lesvéhicules, qui se déplace
sur au moins un rail (22), comporte un châssis porteur composé de montants (30), d'une
traverse supérieure (32) et d'une plateforme (26) suspendue entre lesdits montants
à partir de ladite traverse (32) et susceptible d'être déplacée vers le haut ou vers
le bas, ladite plateforme supportant au moins un véhicule, ledit garage comportant
en outre des claies (41) sur lesquelles les véhicules stationnent lorsqu'ils sont
dans le garage, caractérisé en ce que ledit bâtiment comprend un premier groupe de
cases de position ou de transit (39, 39', 39", 39"') pour l'entrée dans le garage
et un second groupe de cases de position ou de transit (40, 40', 40", 40"') pour la
sortie, lesdits groupes étant disposés symétriquement et opposés l'un à l'autre par
rapport au couloir (60), deux première cases (39"', 39) du premier groupe étant alignées
avec les cases de stationnement adjacentes (38) situées le long dudit couloir tandis
que deux autres cases (39, 39") sont disposées derrière les deux premières, par rapport
au couloir, la même disposition étant applicable au second groupe (40, 40', 40", 40"')
et en ce qu'un transporteur à rouleaux (42) disposé de manière adjacente aux deux
groupes de cases de transit et prévu pour déplacer lesdites claies, s'étend dans une
direction perpendiculaire au couloir (60) entre l'entrée (44) et la sortie (44') du
garage.
2. Garage suivant la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce qu'à l'entrée (44) du transporteur
à rouleaux (42) se trouve un dispositif de transfert et de déplacement pourvu de rouleaux
dont les axes sont orientés dans la direction du transporteur à rouleaux (42), ainsi
qu'une série de profilés (45) déplaçables verticalement de manière simultanée, chacun
de ces profilés (45) étant pourvu d'une série de petites roues (66) afin qu'un véhicule
placé à l'entrée (44) du transporteur (42) puisse être poussé dans l'une (39) de la
seconde paire de cases de transit (39, 39").
3. Garage suivant l'une quelconque des revendications 1 et 2, caractérisé en ce que
les cases de transit (39, 39', 39", 39"') de l'entrée et celles (40, 40', 40", 40"')
de la sortie comportent aussi un dispositif de transfert et de déplacement.
4. Garage automatique à plusieurs niveaux suivant la revendication 1, caractérisé
en ce que le transporteur à rouleaux (42) et les groupes de cases de transit (39-40)
peuvent être disposés à chacun des niveaux de stationnement.
5. Garage automatique à plusieurs niveaux suivant la revendication 1, caractérisé
en ce que l'élévateur comporte un bras oscillant de friction (48) propre à transmettre
un mouvement de rotation aux rouleaux (46) d'un transporteur à rouleaux d'une case
de stationnement de manière qu'une claie (41) vide ou portant un véhicule puisse être
mise en place ou extraite de cette case de stationnement lorsque l'élévateur coopère
avec ladite case, ledit bras comportant un galet (48') en prise avec un rouleau (50')
du transporteur de la case de stationnement.