Liftable platform device for housing and covering two motor-cars

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a device having a structure for housing and covering two motor-cars, comprising a liftable and canting rearwards platform, with an articulated front portion acting as an invitation to the ascent. The lifting and lowering is controlled by a motor unit and is determined by systems of crossing and articulated levers provided on both the longitudinal sides of the platform.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a platform device, suitable to be lifted and lowered, designed to the pur pose of allowing parking of two motor-cars, inside a single garage, taking the maximum advantage of available room, in height, as well as in length, and provided with a lifting control which allows the movement to be stopped of the second motor car bearing platform.

[0002] Lifting systems are known for parking motor-cars within garages. Such systems are fundamentally of two types:

a) lifting systems with lifting units of the elevator type, designed for big parking towers for public use;

b) lifting devices or units for "household" use, in tended to allow two motor-cars to be parked within a limited room, by placing them one above the other.

[0003] In particular, indeed, such known units provide the lifting of the platform on which the first motor-car is parked either by means of a simple vertical shift, or by means of a rotation around a hinge positioned at the end of the supporting base.

[0004] Both these systems are disadvantageous: the first one, because it makes it necessary to lift the platform at a height which is at least equal to that of the second motor-car to be parked, operation this which is often not allowed by the limit in height of the small garages for family use; the second one because, to the purpose of rationally exploiting the available room, it is necessary to position the platform rotation fulchrum at a certain level above the ground, it being thus neces sary to maintain it very canted in its resting position. This condition complicates the ascent manoeuvring of the first car on the platform, to be done by going in reverse.

[0005] Another drawback of these known systems is that they all use hydraulic systems, to the purpose of driving the lifting operation, as such systems are considered as be ing simpler.

[0006] As a matter of fact, the hydraulic systems are only apparently simple, because to the purpose of reaching an absolute reliability level, they must be associated to safety and braking devices, which inevitably increase the cost of the device, and render complex its maintenance.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide .a liftable platform device to the purposes as hereinbefore mentioned, which allows the said drawbacks to be overcome, and, in particular, allows the maximum advantage to be taken of available room, as for height as well as length, at the same time supplying a lifting drive which is reliable and free from dangers, thus rendering easier the problem of its maintenance.

[0008] This is achieved, according to the present invention, by means of a liftable platform device for the housing and the covering of motor-cars, of the type suit able to be installed e.g. inside a garage (so-called "box"), essentially comprising a base onto which said liftable platform is hinged, a motor means being provided to the purpose of driving said lifting, characterized in that between said base and said platform, on eachone of two longitudinal opposite sides, at least a pair of levers is provided, each pair consisting essentially of two crossing levers, connected by means of an intermediate pivot, and hinged to said basis and to the platform, so as to act as a pantograph, at least one of the levers of said pair extending towards an end of said base so as to be operatively linked to said motor unit, the other end of said base being moreover open, and said pair of levers moreover having such dimensions, as to confer to said platform a rotary-translational vertical lifting motion.

[0009] Preferably said base comprises two lateral longitudinal girders and a cross beam at one of its ends, said pairs of levers being articulated and contained within the space defined by said longitudinal girders, and said motor unit being positioned in correspondence of said cross beam.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the levers of said pairs of levers in the portion of said device in which said cross beam is not present, are hinged to said base longitudinal girders and to said platform with the interposition of intermediate connecting levers, said connecting levers hinged to said platform being shorter than the connecting levers hinged to said longitudinal girders.

[0011] The invention will be now better described with reference to an embodiment of it, of non limitative char acter, to be considered together with the enclosed draw ings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the platform in its fully lifted and canting position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the platform completely lowered in the horizontal plane of the garage;

Fig 3 shows a detail of the device; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of a garage provided with a device according to the present invention.

[0012] Referring to the drawings, first of all it must be understood that the lifting device being disclosed is housed within a garage 40 comprising side walls 41 and a ceiling 42, both of the fixed building work type, and of the type made with prefabricated elements.(Fig. 4).

[0013] In the attached Figs., with 1 a transverse beam is shown of a base or frame which is extended on the ground floor of the garage, and acts as stop element for the motor-car to be placed on the ground floor. As 2 two longitudinal girders are shown positioned sideways relatively to element 1, said longitudinal girders being in tended for supporting the crossing lever kinematic sys tems, said levers being indicated with 3 and 4. The an gle-shaped levers 3 have their ends hinged on fulchrum pivots 5 and 6, positioned respectively on the base lon gitudinal girders 2 and on connecting levers 7. These latter levers 7 are hinged onto upper transverse beams _8 by means of fulchrum pivots 9.

[0014] The reference number 10 indicates fulchrum pivots of straight levers 4 crossing the levers 3 and hinged at their ends on fulchrum pivots 11, relatively to the beams 8, and on fulchrum pivots 12 relatively to connecting levers 13; these latter levers 13 are hinged at their ends on fulchrum pivots 14 fastened onto the base longitudinal girders 2.

[0015] In 15 a motor unit is shown, connected by means of shafts 30 to universal joints 31 and to the kinematic system of driving of crossing levers 3, 4 described above, for the lifting and the lowering of a platform 16. The powering is carried out by means of the sliding, in either direction, of nuts 17 hinge connected to the free end of levers 3 within which two fixed-point screw spindles 18 are engaged, whose lower ends are hinged on a pivot or fulchrum 19 provided on base lateral longitudinal girders 2.

[0016] To the purpose of guaranteeing a safe operation un der any conditions, as it is shown in Fig. 3, on screw girdles 18 two steel nuts 20 are engaged above nuts 17, the nuts 20 being held in their position by semi-elli₂ tic springs 21 locked within grooves 22 of nuts 20. Dur ing the running upwards or downwards, the nuts 20, which cannot turn, being prevented from so doing by the springs 21, will move along screw girdles 18 while keeping constant their position relatively to the nuts 17, acting in this way as safety stops, should the screw spindles 18 come out of their respective nuts 17 because of wear.

[0017] In the upper portion with the reference numbers 23 in Figs. 1 and 2 two stopping fins are shown which are suit able to house rear wheels 43 of a motor-car 44, which will be parked on the platform 16.

[0018] This latter has a front portion 24 which is hinged on pivots 25 and is provided in its front edge with rollers 26 necessary for the sliding on the ground 45 of platform 16 during its movement upwards.

[0019] The reference number 27 indicates a control pushbutton panel for the control of motor unit 15. A manual control shall be also provided of the movement of platform 16, by means of a suitable lever (not shown), so as to guarantee such operation also in case of lack of electrical energy.

[0020] The operating way of the device is already clear from what previously disclosed, and is shortly as fol lows: let's suppose that the platform 16 is lowered ' down to the position as shown in Fig. 2, a first motor-car 44 is parked by going up the platform itself in re verse gear. Then, following the drive by the motor unit 15, the platform 16 is lifted by means of the various movements of levers 3, 4, 7 and 13, until it reaches the position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, keeping in mind that during such manoeuvre the platform 16 is obliged to rotate around its rear pivot 11, so that the motor-car 44 is inclined, thus giving a height advantage. At this moment, another motor-car 46 is slipped under the plat form 16, the maximum advantage being taken in the sense of the length, in that all the control unit is positioned sideways, and does not limit the housing length.

[0021] As previously specified, the lifting drive of mechan ical type by means of the screw 17 allows the lifting or lowering motion of the platform to be stopped without any dangers, as the device is of the irreversible type.

[0022] The levers are so designed that, during their motion, the platform, starting moving from a position very close to the ground, can be lifted and at the same time rotat ed, so as to reach the most suitable position to the pur pose of rationally occupying the room available within the garage, taking the maximum advantage of it in length as well as in height.

[0023] As it is well shown in Fig. 2, the resting position of platform'16 involves an overall height as minimum as possible, to the purpose of making as easy as possible the positioning of the upper motor-car.

[0024] In order to achieving this result each unit comprises two levers, which are crossing each other and whose purpose is of carrying out the vertical shift, . whilst the other two levers which connect the first ones respectively to the base and to the movable platform have the task of driving said rotary motion.

[0025] It is clear that by suitably dimensioning the crossing levers and the connecting levers, the motion driven by the single motor unit can be varied, increasing the rotation relatively to the translation, or vice-versa.

[0026] Advantageously between said base 1, 2 and said plat form 16 on eachone of two opposing longitudinal sides at least a pair of levers 3, 4 is provided, each pair basically consisting of two crossing levers 3,.4, connected through an intermediante pivot 10 and pivoted in 5, 14 onto said base longitudinal girder 2 and onto said platform 16, so as to act as a pantograph. The levers of said pair 3, 4 are extended towards an end 1 of said base to the purpose of operatively connecting to the driving means 15, the other end of said base being moreover open, and said pairs of levers 3, 4 being of such length, as to impart a rotary-translational upwards movement to said platform 16.

[0027] Moreover, advantageously the base comprises two lat eral longitudinal girders 2 and a transverse beam 1 at one of its ends, said pairs of levers 3, 4 being artic ulated and contained within the space occupied by said longitudinal girders 2 and said driving means 15 being positioned in correspondence of said transverse beam 1. The levers 3 of said pairs of levers 3, 4 in the portion of said device in which said transverse beam is not present are articulated to said base longitudinal girders 2 and to said platform 16, with the interposi tion of intermediate connecting levers 13, 7, said con necting levers articulated in 9 to said platform 16 being shorter in length than those articulated in 14 to said longitudinal girders 2.

Claims

1. Liftable platform device for housing and covering two motor-cars, of the type suitable to be positioned . e.g. inside a garage, essentially comprising a base on to which said liftable platform is hinged, a motor means being provided for driving said lifting, characterized in that between said base and said platform on eachone of two opposed longitudinal sides at least a pair ef levers is provided, each pair basically consisting of two cros sing levers, connected by means of an intermediate fulchrum pivot, and hinged onto said base and onto said platform, so to act as a pantograph, at least one of the levers of said pair extending towards an end of said base to the purpose of operatively connecting with said motor .means, the other end of said base being moreover open and said pairs of levers being of such dimensions, as to confer a rotary-translational upwards movement to said platform.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said base comprises two lateral longitudinal gird ers and a transverse beam at an end, said pairs of levers being articulated and housed within the space occupied by said longitudinal girders, and said motor means being positioned in correspondence of said transverse beam.

3. Device as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characteriz ed in that said levers of said pairs of levers in the portion of said device in which said transverse beam is not present, are articulated to said base longitudinal girders and to said platform with the interposition of intermediate connecting levers, said connecting levers articulated to said platform being shorter in length than those articulated to said longitudinal girders.

4. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said levers of said pair which extend to connect to said motor means have an angle shape and comprise at a free one of their ends means for being operatively connected to said motor means.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in -that said means for operative connection are of the screw-nut type, at least one of them receiving the movement from transmission shafts operatively connected to said motor means by means of universal joints.

6. Device as claimed in claims 4 and 5, character ized in that said connecting means of the screw-nut type is of irreversible type with stopping elements of nut type, provided with grooves within which semi-elliptic springs are engaged.

7. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said platform has a front part rotatably hinged acting as an invitation to the ascent, with rollers being provided at its front end.

Drawing