A chain garage system and method of operation

Abstract

The application provides a chain garage system and a running method, wherein the chain garage system comprises a parking frame module and a transfer module, the parking frame module is provided with a parking layer for parking vehicles and a channel layer for moving vehicles; the transfer module is arranged on the parking frame module and drags the vehicles in the moving parking frame module; a plurality of parking frame modules are connected in series to form a chain structure, and the transfer module drags the vehicles to move between the parking layer and the channel layer of a single parking frame module and between the channel layers of adjacent parking frame modules. The application adopts a two-layer parking frame module, so that a plurality of parking frame modules are distributed in a chain form, the first layer is arranged as a parking area, and the second layer is arranged as a transfer channel for vehicles to enter and exit the parking area. The mode of transferring vehicles in the garage by a transfer vehicle and automatically charging in the parking frame module is adopted to solve the problems of low transfer efficiency of vehicles in the elevated garage and difficulty in installing charging piles in the elevated parking area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated parking systems, and more particularly to a chain-type parking system and its operation method. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing prevalence of family cars and the growing proportion of electric vehicles among them, parking and charging difficulties are prevalent in public places, tourist attractions, densely populated factory areas, residential areas, and some highway service areas with high passenger traffic, especially in first- and second-tier cities. Current solutions to the electric vehicle charging problem involve modifying existing parking spaces, which ironically exacerbates the shortage, making parking a persistent challenge in large and medium-sized cities. Existing charging methods, which require occupying existing parking spaces, face numerous limitations. Furthermore, during peak charging periods, waiting times for charging, and even the possibility of charging before the vehicle's battery depletes, are uncertain, causing charging anxiety for long-distance electric vehicle travel. All of these factors negatively impact the further popularization of electric vehicles.

[0003] In existing parking solutions, public parking lots, tourist attractions, highway service areas, factory areas, and residential communities mostly use a planar distribution of parking spaces. Office buildings and shopping malls may also use multi-level parking garages, but these are essentially planar distribution parking solutions. To meet charging needs in this way, charging stations will be installed in the existing parking spaces later.

[0004] Another form of parking solution for public places is the use of multi-level elevated parking garages. Where space constraints prevent the construction of multi-level elevated garages, there are also two-level elevated parking garage options, but both fall under the category of elevated parking solutions. Elevated parking solutions require specially designated areas for construction, thus subjecting them to regional restrictions. Furthermore, when vehicles enter and exit the elevated garage, the existing vehicles need to be maneuvered to create passageways, resulting in inefficient vehicle transfer within the elevated garage.

[0005] As for two-level parking garages, most are still built on top of existing flat-distributed parking spaces. Because existing two-level parking garages require parking on both levels, to address the access issues of vehicles not on the lower level, similar to multi-level elevated parking garages, not only are passageways for vehicle entry and exit required, but sufficient space must also be left in front of each two-level parking garage to facilitate vehicles reversing in or out. This makes the solution to the parking space shortage problem insignificant, and the efficiency of vehicle entry and exit at the two-level parking spaces remains an issue. Due to these problems, elevated parking solutions have not achieved widespread adoption.

[0006] While it's technically possible to install charging stations on elevated parking spaces, it's significantly more difficult than installing them on flat surfaces. Furthermore, due to inefficiencies in vehicle entry and exit, it's challenging to quickly evacuate electric vehicles should they catch fire or emit smoke. For these reasons, there are currently virtually no cases of charging stations being installed in elevated parking spaces.

[0007] With the increasing number of cars and the growing proportion of electric vehicles, and even the eventual phasing out of gasoline-powered vehicles, the parking and charging problem will become increasingly prominent. The technical solution of this invention establishes a new parking and charging model without encroaching on existing parking spaces. While expanding parking spaces, it also establishes a managed and orderly new charging model, aiming to eliminate anxiety caused by charging uncertainty and partially alleviate the parking difficulty problem.

[0008] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the present invention provides a chain-type parking garage system and operation method. By adopting a two-layer parking rack module and distributing several parking rack modules in a chain, the first layer is set as the parking space area, and the second layer is set as the transportation channel for vehicles to enter and exit the parking spaces. The system adopts a mode of transferring vehicles in the garage by a transport vehicle and automatically charging in the parking rack module, so as to solve the problems of low vehicle transfer efficiency in elevated parking garages and difficulty in installing charging piles in elevated parking spaces.

[0010] This invention provides a chain-type parking garage system, including parking rack modules and a transport module. The parking rack modules are provided with parking levels for parking vehicles and passage levels for vehicle movement. The transport module is installed on the parking rack modules and tows and moves the vehicles in the parking rack modules. A number of parking rack modules are connected in series to form a chain structure. The transport module tows vehicles to move between the parking levels and passage levels of a single parking rack module, and to move vehicles between the passage levels of adjacent parking rack modules.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of parking rack modules are connected in series to form a chain structure including an L-shaped chain, an I-shaped chain, a C-shaped chain and an S-shaped chain, and the chain structure also includes a single chain, a double chain and a multi-chain.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the parking rack module includes an inbound rack module and an outbound rack module disposed at the ends of the chain structure, and only a channel layer is provided on the inbound rack module and the outbound rack module.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inbound rack module and the outbound rack module are respectively provided with an inbound / outbound platform on the side opposite to the parking rack module. The inbound / outbound platform is used for the vehicle to move between the inbound rack module and the outbound rack module and the ground.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the parking rack module includes uprights, a central guide rail plate, and side guide rail plates. A plurality of uprights are assembled to form a frame for the parking rack module. The central guide rail plate and the side guide rail plates are installed in the frame formed by the uprights and move along the uprights between the passage level and the parking level. The two side guide rail plates arranged in pairs are respectively located on both sides of the central guide rail plate, and the side guide rail plates are flipped and installed on the frame formed by the uprights. The flipping range of the side guide rail plates includes an angle range from parallel to the central guide rail plate to perpendicular to the central guide rail plate.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the middle guide plate and / or the side guide plate are located in the passage layer or parking layer, the middle guide plate and / or the side guide plate serve as the hardware carrier of the passage layer or parking layer.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the passageway layer and the parking layer are in a vertical position.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transport module includes an elevator and a transport vehicle. The elevator lifts a central guide plate and moves it along a column between a passage level and a parking level. The transport vehicle pulls a vehicle along the passage level formed by the central guide plate and / or side guide plates, or moves with the pulled vehicle between the passage level and the parking level along the central guide plate.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, a charging bracket is also included. The charging bracket is installed on the barge, and one end of the power connector on the charging bracket is used to connect to the charging port of the vehicle, and the other end is used to connect to the power interface on the column.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for operating a chain-link garage, comprising:

[0020] S100. Before the vehicle enters the warehouse, the vehicle is pulled from the entry / exit platform to the entry vehicle frame module through the transport module.

[0021] S200: When a vehicle enters the warehouse, the vehicle in the warehouse rack module is moved to the passage layer of the parking rack module by the transport module, and then moved along the passage layer to the parking layer of the parking rack module.

[0022] S300: When a vehicle leaves the warehouse, the vehicle in the parking level is moved to the passage level by the transport module, and after being towed to the passage level of the vehicle rack module, the vehicle in the vehicle rack module is moved to the side of the entry / exit platform, and finally the vehicle is moved to the entry / exit platform.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, step S100 further includes:

[0024] S110. Before the vehicle enters the inbound / outbound platform, the central guide rail plate of the inbound vehicle frame module is located on one side of the inbound / outbound platform.

[0025] S120. After the vehicle enters the inbound / outbound platform, the barge of the barge module enters under the vehicle chassis and lifts the vehicle off the ground by aligning it with the lifting point of the vehicle chassis.

[0026] S130. Before the vehicle enters the rack module, the barge lifts the vehicle and drives it to the center line of the guide rail plate. The barge lifts the guide rail plate to the passage layer of the rack module via the lift of the barge module, so that the barge lifts the vehicle along the passage layer and enters the parking rack module.

[0027] S140. After the vehicle leaves the inbound rack module, the central guide rail plate moves back to the side of the inbound / outbound platform in the inbound rack module to wait for subsequent vehicles to enter the warehouse.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, step S200 further includes:

[0029] S210. Before the vehicle enters the parking rack module, the middle guide rail plate of the parking rack module is in the passage layer and the side guide rail plate of the parking rack module is in the parking layer.

[0030] S220. After the vehicle enters the parking rack module, the transport module's transport vehicle lifts the vehicle and moves it along the passage level to the central guide rail plate of the corresponding parking position. The transport module's elevator moves the central guide rail plate and the vehicle on it to the parking level. At the same time, the side guide rail plate located on the parking level is folded up and moved to the passage level and folded up and placed flat to allow subsequent transport vehicles to pass.

[0031] S230 After the vehicle moves to the parking level, the barge lowers the vehicle it is carrying and drives to the location of the inbound rack module or the vehicle waiting to leave the warehouse.

[0032] S240 When a vehicle needs to leave the parking level, the barge lifts the vehicle and moves it from the parking level to the passage level along with the central guide rail. At the same time, the side guide rails located on the passage level are folded up and moved to the parking level and folded flat to allow subsequent barges to pass.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, step S300 further includes:

[0034] S310. Before the vehicle enters the outbound rack module, the middle guide rail plate of the outbound rack module is located in the second-level channel layer and on one side of the channel layer of the parking rack module.

[0035] S320 After the vehicle enters the outbound rack module, the lifting platform of the barge module moves the middle guide rail plate and the vehicle on it to the passage layer of the outbound rack module. Then, it continues to move the vehicle in the outbound rack module to the side of the inbound / outbound platform, and lifts the vehicle to the inbound / outbound platform by the barge, and lowers the vehicle until the tires touch the ground.

[0036] S330. After the vehicle enters the entry / exit platform, the guide rail plate of the elevator moves back to the channel layer of the exit vehicle frame module.

[0037] S340. After the vehicle leaves the inbound / outbound platform, the transport vehicle moves to the parking level of the parking rack module to wait for the vehicle to leave the warehouse, or moves to the inbound rack module to wait for the vehicle to be transferred to the warehouse.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the process from step S100 to step S300 further includes:

[0039] S101. Before the vehicle enters the warehouse, the barge carrying the charging bracket of the barge module moves to the vehicle and the power plug of the charging bracket is manually connected to the charging port of the vehicle.

[0040] S201. When a vehicle enters the parking lot, the barge carrying the charging bracket moves synchronously with the vehicle. After entering the parking space on the parking floor, the barge falls and separates from the vehicle it is carrying. At the same time, the charging bracket falls with the barge, so that the power plug connects to the power interface on the column and the charging bracket separates synchronously from the barge.

[0041] S301. When a vehicle leaves the warehouse, the charging bracket is raised while the barge lifts the vehicle, so that the power plug is separated from the power interface. After the barge carrying the charging bracket and the vehicle enters the warehouse platform, the power plug on the vehicle is manually unplugged.

[0042] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0043] 1. This invention provides a chain-type parking garage system. By adopting a chain-type arrangement of three-dimensional parking garages, there is no need for vehicle passageways on both sides of the chain-type parking garage, saving space and avoiding encroachment on existing parking spaces. Moreover, the parking spaces and entry / exit passages in the chain-type parking garage are independent of each other, and vehicles can be transported into or out of the garage at the same time through the entry / exit passages, which enhances the efficiency of queuing for entry and exit in elevated parking garages.

[0044] 2. By utilizing the rapid entry and exit function of the chain-type parking garage, when there is a safety hazard in the vehicle in the garage, the vehicle in the corresponding parking space can be quickly moved out and isolated through the transport module, which is safer than the flat distribution parking scheme and the elevated parking garage scheme.

[0045] 3. By utilizing the independent parking spaces and entry / exit lanes in the chain-type parking garage, the charging of electric vehicles can be arranged so that vehicles that have finished charging first leave first, and vehicles that enter the garage later are charged in the order of their entry, thus improving the charging experience of the chain-type parking garage.

[0046] 4. By positioning the entry and exit points at both ends of the chain-type parking garage, the parking and exit points are fixed, solving the problem of finding parking spaces in flat-distributed parking spaces and further improving the user experience of the chain-type parking garage.

[0047] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0048] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0049] Figure 1 This is an architectural diagram of the chain-type garage system of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the chain-type garage system of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a U-shaped chain in one embodiment of the chain-type garage system of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the parking rack module of the chain-type garage system of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the parking rack module of the chain-type parking system of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the outbound vehicle rack module of the chain-type garage system of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the chain-type garage operation method of the present invention.

[0056] In the diagram: 100, vehicle; 20, column; 30, center guide rail; 40, side guide rail; 50, inbound / outbound platform. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other. It should also be understood that the terminology used in the embodiments of the present invention is for describing specific implementation schemes and not for limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Test methods in the following embodiments that do not specify specific conditions are generally performed under conventional conditions or according to the conditions recommended by the respective manufacturers.

[0058] Please see Figures 1 to 7 It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and to facilitate understanding. They are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effectiveness or purpose of the invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are merely for clarity and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0059] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This invention provides a chain-type parking garage system, including parking rack modules and a transport module. The parking rack module is provided with a parking layer for parking a vehicle 100 and a passage layer for moving the vehicle 100. The transport module is installed on the parking rack module and pulls the vehicle 100 in the parking rack module. A number of parking rack modules are connected in series to form a chain structure. The transport module pulls the vehicle 100 between the parking layer and the passage layer of a single parking rack module, and pulls the vehicle 100 between the passage layers of adjacent parking rack modules.

[0060] Specifically, in this embodiment of the invention, the entire chain-type garage is actually formed by connecting and combining several parking rack modules in series. It is designed as a two-layer long chain structure consisting of several parking rack modules. The first layer of the chain-type garage is a parking level for parking vehicles 100, which can be parked in a longitudinal tandem arrangement (i.e., with the front and rear of the vehicles connected). The second layer of the chain-type garage serves as a transport channel for vehicles 100 to enter and exit the garage. During the process of vehicles 100 entering and leaving the chain-type garage, mainly at the ends of the long chain, please refer to the appendix. Figure 2 The example shown is designed so that, in most cases, vehicles enter the chain-link garage head-on from one end and exit head-on from the other. The advantage is that when a vehicle enters the garage, its front faces the garage, and when it leaves, its front naturally faces away from the garage. Drivers do not need to reverse to enter or exit, improving efficiency, facilitating driver access, and saving space.

[0061] Furthermore, the second level of the chain-link garage, where vehicles 100 are transported, can be configured for unidirectional transport. This ensures that multiple vehicles 100 can be transported in and out of the chain-link garage without interference, thereby improving the transport efficiency of vehicles 100 within the garage and enhancing the user experience.

[0062] Thus, compared to the traditional flat-distribution parking method, chain-type parking garages improve the problem of insufficient parking spaces caused by the flat distribution of parking spaces, one car per space, and the large ground area occupied by the passage in front of the parking space, especially in places with limited space such as factories and residential areas.

[0063] Similarly, in large public parking lots and parking garages, when vehicle 100 needs parking, it needs to drive to a designated empty space. However, when there are many vehicles, it is usually necessary to drive around the entire parking lot to find a space. Furthermore, when retrieving the vehicle, drivers may forget their exact parking location in a large parking lot and need to search for vehicle 100's parking spot throughout the entire parking area. The chain-type parking garage proposed in this invention uniformly divides the entrance and exit of the garage at both ends, ensuring that the point where vehicle 100 enters or exits the garage is fixed, thus solving the problem of finding a parking space in a planar parking space system. It optimizes the process of finding an empty parking space when parking and finding the parking spot when retrieving the vehicle.

[0064] Meanwhile, because traditional parking spaces use ground markings, there are no restrictions on parking positions. When improper parking occurs, such as one car occupying two spaces, or a vehicle 100 parking on the line and obstructing the passage of other vehicles 100, it further affects the parking process of vehicle 100. The chain-type garage in this embodiment of the invention allows vehicles 100 to be parked in the corresponding parking level of the parking rack module and moved by the transport module, avoiding improper parking by humans and achieving orderly parking.

[0065] Furthermore, several parking rack modules are connected in series to form a chain structure, including L-shaped, I-shaped, C-shaped, and S-shaped chains. The chain structure also includes single chains, double chains, and multiple chains. Specifically, the actual chain shape formed by the chain-type parking garage is determined by the shape of the available site; for example, it can form L-shaped, I-shaped, C-shaped, and S-shaped structures, for example, with... Figure 3The U-shaped chain structure can be further modified into double-chain Y-shaped, X-shaped, and other structures, depending on site requirements or availability. This is designed based on the actual shape of the walls or unused spaces in residential areas, highway service areas, factory areas, and entertainment venues. In areas with concentrated parking demand, such as residential areas, factory areas, highway service areas, and entertainment venues, this approach fully utilizes spaces like walls to expand public parking resources and alleviate parking difficulties without encroaching on existing parking spaces.

[0066] Thus, due to the chain-like arrangement of parking spaces, chain-type parking garages do not require or need 100-lane vehicle passageways on both sides, saving space. They can be constructed without encroaching on existing parking spaces, instead utilizing existing walls such as those around residential areas, highway service areas, and factories. These walls can be directly replaced by chain-type parking racks, which function as both parking spaces and perimeter walls. Of course, they can also be used on idle sites where 100-lane vehicle passage is inconvenient, expanding public parking resources.

[0067] Please see Figures 4 to 6 In one embodiment, the parking rack module includes columns 20, a central guide rail plate 30, and side guide rail plates 40. A plurality of columns 20 are assembled to form a frame for the parking rack module. The central guide rail plate 30 and the side guide rail plates 40 are installed in the frame formed by the columns 20 and move along the columns 20 between the passage level and the parking level. The two side guide rail plates 40 arranged in pairs are located on both sides of the central guide rail plate 30, and the side guide rail plates 40 are flipped and installed on the frame formed by the columns 20. The flipping range of the side guide rail plates 40 includes an angle range from parallel to the central guide rail plate 30 to perpendicular to the central guide rail plate 30.

[0068] Furthermore, when the middle guide plate 30 and / or the side guide plate 40 are located in the passageway level or parking level, the middle guide plate 30 and / or the side guide plate 40 serve as the hardware carrier of the passageway level or parking level. The passageway level and the parking level are in a vertical position.

[0069] Furthermore, the transport module includes an elevator and a transport vehicle. The elevator lifts the central guide plate 30 and moves it along the column 20 between the passage level and the parking level. The transport vehicle tows the vehicle 100 and moves it along the passage level formed by the central guide plate 30 and / or the side guide plates 40, or moves with the towed vehicle 100 along the central guide plate 30 between the passage level and the parking level.

[0070] Specifically, in a chain-type parking garage structure composed of several parking rack modules, each parking rack module has the same function to facilitate addition, reduction, or replacement and maintenance. The number of parking rack modules included in the entire chain-type parking garage is determined based on the actual length of the available space, such as the perimeter wall, and the number of parking rack modules that can be accommodated.

[0071] Furthermore, the four corners of the parking rack module are the uprights 20 of the parking rack, which are mainly used to support the passage of vehicles 100 on the second layer of the parking rack module, as well as the force of the lifting and moving of the guide rails (middle guide rail 30 and side guide rail 40), and to install components such as charging piles. In each parking rack module, one middle guide rail 30 and two side guide rails 40 are set.

[0072] In this way, the parking space layout and vehicle entry / exit lanes are independent and do not interfere with each other. With a sufficient number of transport vehicles, multiple vehicles can be simultaneously transported into or out of the second-floor vehicle entry / exit lanes, solving the problem of long waiting times for entry and exit in elevated parking garages. Because vehicles can quickly enter or leave parking spaces, and if there is a safety hazard with a vehicle in the garage, it can be quickly and unattended removed from the isolation area, making it safer than both planar parking schemes and elevated parking garage schemes.

[0073] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the invention, the chain-link garage is designed with the first floor serving as parking spaces and the second floor as the entry and exit passage for vehicles 100. Alternatively, it can be designed with the first underground floor as parking spaces and the entry and exit passage on the ground floor. Another option is a first floor as the entry and exit passage and the second floor as parking spaces. Similarly, in this embodiment of the invention, the chain-link garage is designed with parking spaces arranged longitudinally. However, when conditions permit, it can also be designed with parking spaces arranged laterally, and with a lateral transport method for vehicles 100, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0074] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment, the parking rack module includes an inbound rack module and an outbound rack module disposed at the ends of the chain structure, and only a channel layer is provided on the inbound rack module and the outbound rack module.

[0075] Furthermore, the inbound and outbound vehicle rack modules are respectively provided with inbound / outbound platforms 50 on the side opposite to the parking rack module. The inbound / outbound platforms 50 are used for the vehicle 100 to move between the inbound and outbound vehicle rack modules and the ground.

[0076] Furthermore, it also includes a charging bracket, which is installed on the barge. One end of the power connector on the charging bracket is used to connect to the charging port of the vehicle 100, and the other end is used to connect to the power interface on the column 20.

[0077] Specifically, the entry and exit rack modules located at both ends of the chain-link garage contain columns 20, central guide rails 30, and side guide rails with the same specifications and dimensions as the parking rack module, but their functions are not entirely the same. Furthermore, the passageway layers of the entry and exit rack modules are not used for parking vehicles 100; instead, an entry / exit platform 50 for vehicles 100 to enter and exit is arranged on the outside of both the entry and exit rack modules.

[0078] It should be noted that when there are limitations at one of the two ends of the chain-link parking garage, such as limited installation space or a malfunction of a parking rack module, the vehicles 100 can temporarily or permanently enter and exit from the same end because the hardware of the entry and exit rack modules is identical. In other words, the functions of the entry and exit rack modules are compatible and complementary. The principles of the entry and exit operations of the chain-link parking garage are the same as above. Therefore, the entry and exit sequence of the vehicles 100 can be implemented through the system program.

[0079] Furthermore, in the chain-type parking garage of this embodiment, the charging solution adopted for new energy electric vehicles is to add a charging transition bracket, hereinafter referred to as the charging bracket, so that one end of the charging bracket has a power connector for connecting to the charging port of the electric vehicle. The power connector at the other end is connected to the power interface of the column 20 of the parking rack module via a transport vehicle.

[0080] Electric vehicle charging stations no longer require waiting for the vehicle in front to finish charging before entering; personnel can leave immediately after queuing to enter. This solves the problem of personnel being unable to leave their vehicles and waiting for extended periods to finish charging in the current charging model. Furthermore, under the system's control, electric vehicle charging can generally proceed in a first-come, first-served order, allowing vehicles to leave after completing charging, and subsequent vehicles to enter in the order they arrived. This is particularly convenient for charging management in areas with high charging demand, such as highway service areas.

[0081] Compared to traditional parking lots, in residential areas, especially multi-story or high-rise residential areas, to accommodate the parking needs of gasoline-powered vehicles, it's difficult to install charging stations in every parking space. Furthermore, any charging stations that are installed are scattered, resulting in messy and unsafe cable arrangements. Additionally, in public charging areas, without proper management, gasoline-powered vehicles may occupy charging spaces, affecting the normal charging of electric vehicles.

[0082] Meanwhile, in areas with concentrated charging demand, such as highway service areas, scenic spots, and entertainment venues, the long charging time for a single vehicle causes subsequent vehicles to wait for an extended period, while drivers are essentially unable to leave their waiting vehicles, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0083] Although there are fast charging stations in public places and highway service areas, vehicles waiting to charge basically choose charging stations randomly and wait for the vehicle in front to finish charging. It is not possible for vehicles that arrive first to wait for the vehicle that has finished charging first. The waiting time is random, lacks management, and the user experience is also poor.

[0084] Thus, the charging solution proposed in this invention, combined with the entry and exit process of the chain-type parking garage, enables unmanned operation of both the EV entering the garage for charging and exiting to free up a parking space. This solves the problem of long waiting times for charging in areas with concentrated EV charging demand, allowing EVs to enter and charge immediately upon arrival. Although charging still takes time, the charging time is fixed, eliminating the need to wait inside the vehicle and alleviating charging anxiety during long-distance EV trips. Furthermore, the chain-type parking garage-based charging solution allows for centralized construction and management of EV charging facilities, changing the situation of scattered and unsafe cable layouts of charging piles in residential areas and alleviating the difficulty of installing charging piles in multi-story and high-rise residential areas and factory areas. In the event of a fire or other dangerous situation, vehicles can be quickly and unmannedly moved, solving the problem that distributed parking solutions and elevated parking solutions cannot quickly isolate vehicles in such situations.

[0085] Please see Figure 7 The present invention also provides a method for operating a chain-link garage, comprising:

[0086] S100: Before vehicle 100 enters the warehouse, vehicle 100 is pulled from the entry / exit platform 50 to the entry frame module via the transport module.

[0087] S200: When vehicle 100 enters the warehouse, the vehicle 100 in the warehouse rack module is moved to the passage layer of the parking rack module by the transport module, and then moved along the passage layer to the parking layer of the parking rack module.

[0088] S300: When vehicle 100 leaves the warehouse, the vehicle 100 in the parking level is moved to the passage level by the transport module, and after being towed to the passage level of the outbound rack module, the vehicle 100 in the outbound rack module is moved to one side of the inbound / outbound platform 50, and finally the vehicle 100 is moved onto the inbound / outbound platform 50.

[0089] Furthermore, step S100 also includes: S110, before vehicle 100 enters the entry / exit platform 50, the central guide rail plate 30 of the entry frame module is located on one side of the entry / exit platform 50; S120, after vehicle 100 enters the entry / exit platform 50, the transport vehicle of the transport module enters under the chassis of vehicle 100 and lifts vehicle 100 off the ground by aligning it with the lifting point of the chassis of vehicle 100; S130, before vehicle 100 enters the entry frame module, the transport vehicle lifts vehicle 100 to the centerline position of the central guide rail plate 30, and moves the central guide rail plate 30 to the passage layer of the entry frame module through the lift of the transport module, so that the transport vehicle lifts vehicle 100 along the passage layer into the parking rack module; S140, after vehicle 100 leaves the entry frame module, the central guide rail plate 30 is moved back to the side of the entry / exit platform in the entry frame module, waiting for subsequent vehicles 100 to enter the warehouse.

[0090] Specifically, before any vehicle 100 enters the inbound rack module, the initial positions of each guide rail plate are as follows: the middle guide rail plate 30 is located on one side of the inbound / outbound platform in the inbound rack module, and the two side guide rail plates 40 are located on one side of the passage layer of the parking rack module and on both sides of the column 20 and are placed vertically.

[0091] The driver steers vehicle 100 onto the entry / exit platform 50 located outside the entry / exit platform 50, with the front of the vehicle facing the entry frame module. The driver then leaves vehicle 100 and the entry / exit platform 50. The barge then enters the chassis of vehicle 100 from below, first calibrating the center of gravity of vehicle 100, and finally lifting vehicle 100 until all four wheels are off the ground.

[0092] When the barge carrying vehicle 100 is at the entrance of the warehouse frame module, the center line position of the central guide plate 30 is first calibrated, and then the vehicle drives into the central guide plate 30. Through the aforementioned steps, the center line positions of vehicle 100, barge and central guide plate 30 are consistent, thereby ensuring the stability of vehicle 100 during transport.

[0093] Subsequently, the central guide rail plate 30 lifts the barge and vehicle 100 together and rises to the passage level of the warehouse rack module via the elevator, and then drives to the parking rack module via the guide rail of the passage level.

[0094] As the central guide rail plate 30 lifts the barge and vehicle 100 together and ascends through the elevator, the two side guide rail plates 40 on the passage level descend to another layer of the inbound vehicle frame module, then fold and lay flat at the bottom of the other layer, located on one side of the inbound / outbound platform 50, for subsequent barge passage.

[0095] After the transport vehicle lifts vehicle 100 away from the warehouse rack module, the central guide rail plate 30 descends back to the position on one side of the inbound / outbound platform 50, and the two side guide rail plates 40 fold up and rise to the passage level to wait for the next inbound vehicle 100.

[0096] Furthermore, step S200 also includes: S210, before the vehicle 100 enters the parking rack module, the central guide rail plate 30 of the parking rack module is located on the second-level passage layer, and the side guide rail plate 40 of the parking rack module is located on the first-level parking layer; S220, after the vehicle 100 enters the parking rack module, the transport vehicle of the transport module lifts the vehicle 100 along the passage layer to the central guide rail plate 30 at the corresponding parking position, and the elevator of the transport module moves the central guide rail plate 30 and the vehicle 100 on it to the parking layer, while simultaneously being located on the parking layer. The side guide rail plate 40 is folded up and moved to the passage level and then folded up and laid flat to allow subsequent barge vehicles to pass; S230, after the vehicle 100 moves to the parking level, the barge vehicle lowers the vehicle 100 it is carrying and drives to the position of the inbound rack module or the vehicle 100 waiting to leave the parking level; S240, when the vehicle 100 needs to leave the parking level, the barge vehicle carries the vehicle 100 and moves it from the parking level to the passage level along with the central guide rail plate 30. At the same time, the side guide rail plate 40 located in the passage level is folded up and moved to the parking level and then folded up and laid flat to allow subsequent barge vehicles to pass.

[0097] Thus, when no vehicle 100 is parked in the parking level of the parking rack module, the initial positions of each guide rail plate are as follows: the middle guide rail plate 30 is located in the passage level of the parking rack module, and the two side guide rail plates 40 are laid flat at the bottom of the parking level. After the barge lifts the vehicle 100 through the middle guide rail plate 30 to the upper position of the passage level of the parking rack module, it descends to the parking level along with the middle guide rail plate 30 via the lift of the barge module. At the same time, the two side guide rail plates 40 fold up at the bottom of the parking level to make room for the descent of the vehicle 100, and rise along the column 20 to the passage level before folding up again to form the guide rails for the barge in the passage level, facilitating the passage of subsequent barges.

[0098] Once vehicle 100 descends to a parking level in the chain-link garage and comes to a stop, the transport vehicle lowers vehicle 100 until there is no contact between vehicle 100 and the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle then drives away from its current parking position along the guide rail of the parking level. Afterwards, it can return to the entrance end of the chain-link garage or drive to the parking level of a parking rack module that has an exit instruction, depending on the instructions.

[0099] When a vehicle 100 needs to leave the parking space, the barge arrives at the bottom of the vehicle 100 with the leave instruction along the guide rails of the parking level, lifts the vehicle 100, and raises it along with the central guide rail 30 via the elevator. At the same time, the two side guide rails 40 on the passage level are re-erected to make way for the vehicle 100 to pass through. The barge then descends along the column 20 to the parking level of the parking rack module and is then folded down again to allow subsequent barges in the parking level to pass through.

[0100] After the guide rail plate 30 lifts the barge and vehicle 100 to the passage level of the parking rack module, the barge, carrying the vehicle 100, travels along the guide rail plate of the passage level towards the exit end of the chain parking garage. During the process of the vehicle 100 moving from one side of the entry / exit platform in the entry rack module to the passage level, or from the passage level of the exit rack platform to one side of the entry / exit platform, the two side guide rail plates 40, in addition to serving as guide rails, also play a role in balancing the weight of the vehicle 100 during the lifting or lowering process, thereby reducing the load on the lifting machine.

[0101] Furthermore, step S300 also includes: S310, before the vehicle 100 enters the outbound rack module, the central guide rail plate 30 of the outbound rack module is located in the passage layer and on one side of the passage layer of the parking rack module; S320, after the vehicle 100 enters the outbound rack module, the elevator of the transport module moves the central guide rail plate 30 and the vehicle 100 on it to the passage layer of the outbound rack module, and then continues to move the vehicle 100 in the outbound rack module to the inbound / outbound platform 5. On one side, the vehicle 100 is lifted by a barge and moved to the entry / exit platform 50, and the vehicle 100 is lowered until the tires touch the ground; S330, after the vehicle 100 enters the entry / exit platform 50, the guide rail plate 30 of the elevator moves back to the passage layer of the exit vehicle rack module; S340, after the vehicle 100 leaves the entry / exit platform 50, the barge moves to the parking layer of the parking rack module to wait for the exit vehicle 100, or moves to the entry vehicle rack module to wait for the entry vehicle 100.

[0102] Specifically, before any vehicle 100 enters the outbound rack module, the initial positions of each guide rail plate are as follows: the middle guide rail plate 30 is located in the passage layer of the outbound rack module, and the two side guide rail plates 40 are located on both sides of the column 20 on another layer and are placed in a position parallel to the ground, and are located on one side of the inbound / outbound platform 50.

[0103] After the barge carrying vehicle 100 enters and comes to a stop on the outbound rack module at the passage level, the central guide rail plate 30, along with the barge and vehicle 100, descends to another level and is positioned on one side of the inbound / outbound platform 50. Simultaneously, the two side guide rail plates 40 fold up from their bottoms on the side of the inbound / outbound platform, creating space for vehicle 100 to descend, and rise along the column 20 to reach the passage level. Unlike other parking rack modules, the side guide rail plates 40 of the outbound rack module do not fold down to a flat position after reaching the passage level.

[0104] After the central guide rail plate 30 comes to a stop on one side of the inbound / outbound platform, the barge lifts the outbound vehicle 100 out of the outbound frame module and onto the outer inbound / outbound platform 50. After the barge comes to a stop on the inbound / outbound platform 50, the vehicle 100 is lowered until all four wheels are on the ground. After the barge drives away from the bottom of the vehicle 100, the driver enters the vehicle 100 and drives it away, completing the vehicle retrieval process.

[0105] After the barge leaves the outgoing vehicle rack module, the central guide rail plate 30 rises from one side of the inbound / outbound platform 50 to the passage level, awaiting the entry of the next outgoing vehicle 100. The two side guide rail plates 40 descend to one side of the inbound / outbound platform 50 and are folded flat on the ground, allowing the barge on the outbound side of the platform 50 to enter the parking garage composed of parking rack modules via the guide rails. After completing the transport of the previous vehicle 100, the barge enters the chain-type parking garage from the inbound / outbound platform 50 to drive towards the next vehicle 100 waiting to leave, or directly towards the incoming vehicle rack module to wait for the vehicle 100 to enter.

[0106] Furthermore, the process from steps S100 to S300 also includes: S101, before vehicle 100 enters the warehouse, the transport vehicle of the transport module moves to vehicle 100 carrying the charging bracket, and the power connector of the charging bracket is manually connected to the charging port of vehicle 100; S201, when vehicle 100 enters the warehouse, the transport vehicle carrying the charging bracket moves synchronously with vehicle 100, and after entering the parking space on the parking level, the transport vehicle falls and separates from the vehicle 100 it is lifting. At the same time, the charging bracket falls with the transport vehicle, so that the power connector connects to the power interface on the column 20, and the charging bracket is simultaneously separated from the transport vehicle; S301, when vehicle 100 leaves the warehouse, the transport vehicle lifts vehicle 100 and raises the charging bracket at the same time, so that the power connector separates from the power interface. After the transport vehicle carrying the charging bracket and vehicle 100 enter the entry / exit platform 50, the power connector on vehicle 100 is manually unplugged.

[0107] Specifically, when the trolley enters the entry / exit platform 50 outside the entry / exit frame module, the barge enters the bottom of the trolley and lifts the trolley. Then, the power plug of the charging bracket (automatic or manual) is connected to a specific position on the barge. The charging plug on the charging bracket is manually connected to the charging port of the trolley.

[0108] When the barge carrying the charging bracket and the trolley enters the chain-type parking garage, the above-mentioned entry and parking procedures are followed. After the barge delivers the trolley to the corresponding position on the parking level, when the barge stops and begins to lower the trolley, the power connector on the charging bracket also falls down and is plugged into the power socket on the column 20 of the parking rack module. Then the charging bracket is completely detached from the barge, and charging begins after the charging system checks that the connection is normal.

[0109] Once the trolley has completed charging within the parking rack module and received the exit command, the barge arrives at the bottom of the trolley following the exit procedures described above. While lifting the trolley, the barge connects the charging bracket and disconnects the power plug from the power interface of the column 20. After the barge, carrying the charging bracket, arrives at the entry / exit platform 50 along with the trolley, the charging plug is manually unplugged. After the barge lowers the trolley, the charging bracket separates from the barge automatically or manually, thus completing the trolley's charging and exit process.

[0110] In summary, the chain-type parking garage system and operation method provided by this invention employs a two-layer parking rack module, with several parking rack modules arranged in a chain. The first layer is designated as the parking space area, and the second layer is designated as the transport channel for vehicles 100 to enter and exit the parking spaces. In the chain-type parking garage, the parking spaces and the entry / exit channels are independent of each other, enabling simultaneous transport of vehicles 100 into or out of the garage through the entry / exit channels, thus enhancing the efficiency of queuing for entry and exit in elevated parking garages. Furthermore, the use of a transport vehicle to transfer vehicles 100 within the garage and the automatic charging mode within the parking rack module improves the charging experience of the chain-type parking garage.

[0111] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A chain-type parking garage system, characterized in that, include: A parking rack module, wherein the parking rack module is provided with a parking layer for parking vehicles (100) and a passage layer for moving vehicles (100); A transport module is installed on the parking rack module and tows and moves the vehicle (100) in the parking rack module; The parking rack modules are connected in series to form a chain structure. The transport module pulls the vehicle (100) between the parking level and the passage level of a single parking rack module, and also pulls the vehicle (100) between the passage levels of adjacent parking rack modules. The parking rack module includes: Columns (20), a plurality of said columns (20) are assembled to form the frame of said parking rack module; A central guide rail plate (30) and a side guide rail plate (40) are installed in the frame formed by the column (20) and move along the column (20) between the passage layer and the parking layer; The two side guide rails (40) arranged in pairs are located on both sides of the middle guide rail (30), and the side guide rails (40) are flipped and mounted on the frame formed by the column (20). The flipping range of the side guide rails (40) includes an angle range from parallel to the middle guide rail (30) to perpendicular to the middle guide rail (30).

2. The chain-type parking system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chain structure includes L-shaped chains, I-shaped chains, C-shaped chains, and S-shaped chains, and also includes single chains, double chains, and multi-chains.

3. The chain-type parking system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The parking rack module includes an inbound rack module and an outbound rack module located at the ends of the chain structure, and only the channel layer is provided on the inbound rack module and the outbound rack module.

4. The chain-type parking system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inbound rack module and the outbound rack module are respectively provided with an inbound / outbound platform (50) on the side opposite to the parking rack module. The inbound / outbound platform (50) is used for the vehicle (100) to move between the inbound rack module and the outbound rack module and the ground.

5. The chain-type parking system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the middle guide plate (30) and / or the side guide plate (40) are located in the passage layer or the parking layer, the middle guide plate (30) and / or the side guide plate (40) serve as the hardware carrier of the passage layer or the parking layer.

6. The chain-type parking system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The passageway level and the parking level are vertically related.

7. The chain-type parking garage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transshipment module includes: An elevator that lifts the central guide rail plate (30) and moves it along the column (20) between the passage level and the parking level; A barge, which tows a vehicle (100) and moves along the passage layer formed by the central guide rail (30) and / or the side guide rail (40), or moves with the towed vehicle (100) along the central guide rail (30) between the passage layer and the parking layer.

8. The chain-type parking system according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a charging bracket, which is installed on the barge. One end of the power connector on the charging bracket is used to connect to the charging port of the vehicle (100), and the other end is used to connect to the power interface on the column (20).

9. A method for operating a chain-link parking garage, applied to a chain-link parking garage system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, include: S100. Before the vehicle (100) enters the warehouse, the vehicle (100) is pulled from the entry / exit platform (50) to the entry frame module through the transport module; S200: When the vehicle (100) enters the warehouse, the vehicle (100) in the warehouse rack module is moved to the passage layer of the parking rack module by the transport module and then moved along the passage layer to the parking layer of the parking rack module. S300. When the vehicle (100) leaves the warehouse, the vehicle (100) in the parking layer is moved to the passage layer by the transport module, and after being towed to the passage layer of the outbound rack module, the vehicle (100) in the outbound rack module is moved to one side of the inbound / outbound platform (50), and finally the vehicle (100) is moved onto the inbound / outbound platform (50).

10. The chain-type garage operation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The S100 step further includes: S110. Before the vehicle (100) enters the inbound / outbound platform (50), the middle guide plate (30) of the inbound vehicle frame module is located on one side of the inbound / outbound platform (50). S120. After the vehicle (100) enters the inbound / outbound platform (50), the transport module's transport vehicle enters under the chassis of the vehicle (100) and lifts the vehicle (100) off the ground by aligning it with the lifting point of the chassis of the vehicle (100). S130. Before the vehicle (100) enters the warehouse rack module, the barge lifts the vehicle (100) and drives it into the center line position of the middle guide plate (30), and moves the middle guide plate (30) to the channel layer of the warehouse rack module through the lift of the barge module, so that the barge lifts the vehicle (100) and enters the parking rack module along the channel layer; S140 After the vehicle (100) leaves the warehouse rack module, the middle guide plate (30) moves back to the side of the warehouse rack module located on the inbound / outbound platform (50) to wait for subsequent vehicles (100) to enter the warehouse.

11. The chain-type garage operation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The S200 step also includes: S210. Before the vehicle (100) enters the parking rack module, the middle guide rail plate (30) of the parking rack module is in the passage layer and the side guide rail plate (40) of the parking rack module is in the parking layer. S220. After the vehicle (100) enters the parking rack module, the transport vehicle of the transport module lifts the vehicle (100) and moves it along the passage layer to the central guide rail plate (30) at the corresponding parking position. The elevator of the transport module moves the central guide rail plate (30) and the vehicle (100) on it to the parking layer. At the same time, the side guide rail plate (40) located on the parking layer is folded up and moved to the passage layer and folded flat to allow the subsequent transport vehicle to pass. S230. After the vehicle (100) moves to the parking level, the barge lowers the vehicle (100) it is carrying and drives to the location of the inbound rack module or the vehicle (100) to be outbound. S240 When the vehicle (100) needs to leave the parking level, the barge lifts the vehicle (100) and moves it from the parking level to the passage level along with the central guide rail plate (30). At the same time, the side guide rail plate (40) located in the passage level is folded up and moved to the parking level and folded flat to allow the subsequent passage of the barge.

12. The chain-type garage operation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The S300 step also includes: S310. Before the vehicle (100) enters the outbound rack module, the middle guide plate (30) of the outbound rack module is located on one side of the channel layer of the parking rack module. S320. After the vehicle (100) enters the outbound rack module, the elevator of the transport module moves the middle guide rail plate (30) and the vehicle (100) on it to the passage layer of the outbound rack module, and then continues to move the vehicle (100) in the outbound rack module to one side of the inbound / outbound platform (50), and lifts the vehicle (100) to the inbound / outbound platform (50) by the transport vehicle, and lowers the vehicle (100) until the tires touch the ground. S330. After the vehicle (100) enters the inbound / outbound platform (50), the elevator moves the middle guide plate (30) back to the channel layer of the outbound vehicle frame module. S340. After the vehicle (100) leaves the inbound / outbound platform (50), the transport vehicle moves to the parking level of the parking rack module to wait for the vehicle (100) to leave the warehouse, or moves to the inbound rack module to wait for the vehicle (100) to be picked up.

13. The chain-type garage operation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The processes from step S100 to step S300 also include: S101. Before the vehicle (100) enters the warehouse, the transport vehicle of the transport module carries the charging bracket to the vehicle (100) and manually connects the power plug of the charging bracket to the charging port of the vehicle (100). S201. When the vehicle (100) enters the parking space, the transport vehicle carrying the charging bracket moves synchronously with the vehicle (100). After entering the parking space on the parking floor, the transport vehicle falls and separates from the vehicle (100) it is lifting. At the same time, the charging bracket falls with the transport vehicle, so that the power plug is connected to the power interface on the column (20) of the parking rack module, and the charging bracket is synchronously separated from the transport vehicle. S301. When the vehicle (100) leaves the warehouse, the barge lifts the vehicle (100) and raises the charging bracket at the same time, so that the power plug is separated from the power interface. After the barge carries the charging bracket and the vehicle (100) into the warehouse platform (50), the power plug on the vehicle (100) is manually unplugged.

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