Pallet type mechanical parking device

Abstract

To provide a pallet type mechanical parking device having charging environments capable of selecting a charge voltage among a plurality of options in each pallet.SOLUTION: A pallet type mechanical parking device mounts an electric mobility 1 on a pallet 3 in a loading / unloading room 9, conveys the electric mobility 1, and stores the electric mobility 1 in a storage place 40 of a parking room 16. The pallet type mechanical parking device includes: a plurality of pallets 3 having a plurality of outlets 5 for providing power having mutually different charge voltages; a power feeding system 20 which is installed outside the parking room, converts power supplied from an external power source AC into a plurality of charge voltages, and switches the charge voltage of the power fed to the pallet 3 for each of the pallets or starts or stops power feeding for each of the pallets; a control system 17 for controlling the power feeding system 20; and a detection device 7 for outputting the states of the outlets 5 in each of the pallets 3 as outlet state signals. The control system 17 derives the kind of the charge voltages to be fed for each of the pallets, on the basis of the outlet 50 during usage specified from the outlet state signal, and controls the power feeding system 20 so that it feeds power to each of the pallets 3 at the charge voltage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pallet-type mechanical parking device in which each pallet has a charging environment in which a charging voltage can be selected from a number of options. [Background technology]

[0002] A mechanical parking system is a facility that stores a large number of vehicles in a multi-level manner by installing mechanical equipment inside a building constructed above ground or in a space formed underground. A pallet-type mechanical parking system is a mechanical parking system that transports vehicles on pallets, and examples of such systems include the elevator system, vertical circulation system, multi-layer circulation system, horizontal circulation system, and flat shuttle system.

[0003] In recent years, EV vehicles (electric vehicles) that use electric motors as a power source have become popular instead of general engine-powered vehicles. EV vehicles are environmentally friendly because they reduce exhaust gas emissions, but they require charging of batteries instead of refueling with gasoline. For this reason, mechanical parking devices with charging functions have been developed that charge EV vehicles while they are parked in mechanical parking devices. In such mechanical parking devices with charging functions, for example, a charging stand for power supply is installed on a pallet that carries the EV vehicle, and the EV vehicle can be charged by connecting the charging stand and the EV vehicle with a charging cable when entering the parking lot. The pallet is stored in a storage space of the mechanical parking device with the EV vehicle connected to the charging stand until it leaves the parking lot.

[0004] In recent years, various new means of transportation (mobility) have been provided, such as electric bikes, electric scooters, and power-assisted bicycles, as well as electric kickboards, handlebar-type electric wheelchairs, green slow mobility, and ultra-compact mobility. A mechanical parking device capable of parking multiple types of mobility such as EV vehicles, electric bikes, and power-assisted bicycles is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, the charging voltage of EV vehicles is different from that of electric bikes and power-assisted bicycles. This mechanical parking device is capable of charging multiple types of mobility by separately providing a charging pallet compatible with single-phase 100V AC for electric bikes and power-assisted bicycles, and a charging pallet compatible with single-phase 200V AC for EV vehicles.

[0005] Furthermore, a vehicle charging system that is provided with both a 100V outlet and a 200V outlet in each vehicle compartment where the vehicle is parked is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5328834 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-186926 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The mechanical parking device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a one-to-one correspondence between pallets and their corresponding charging voltages, so for example, an EV placed on a charging pallet compatible with single-phase AC 100V cannot be charged with a charging voltage of single-phase AC 200V. This mechanical parking device determines whether to supply 100V or 200V single-phase AC to each pallet by linking the designated pallet with the charging voltage of that pallet in advance as information. Therefore, if multiple outlets were installed on one pallet in the mechanical parking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it would be uncertain which outlet the user would select, and it would be impossible to uniquely determine the charging voltage for the pallet. Therefore, in the mechanical parking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it was not possible to install outlets compatible with multiple voltages on one pallet.

[0008] In addition, the mechanical parking device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can only install outlets compatible with one voltage per pallet, so if there is no pallet with an outlet of the voltage that the user wants to use, the outlet may not be available. As a result, in a free-location mechanical parking device in which the pallet is not linked to the user and the pallet is determined at the time of entry, or in a mechanical parking device for hourly rental, if the charging voltage is not used uniformly, there is a possibility that some users will not be able to charge even if there is an available pallet. In other words, for example, even if a user wants to charge at 200V, there may be a situation where only a pallet for 100V charging is available, and the user can park but cannot charge.

[0009] Furthermore, the vehicle charging system disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a parking lot where vehicles are directly parked in each vehicle compartment, and is not a mechanical parking device that places vehicles on a pallet and transports them to each vehicle compartment (hereinafter referred to as the pallet type). Unlike the parking lot in Patent Document 2, in a pallet type mechanical parking device, the electrical connection between the charging unit on the pallet and the mechanical parking device is cut while the pallet is moving, making it difficult to install a charging unit including a voltage switch on the pallet.

[0010] In other words, because voltage switchgear operates electrically, it is not possible to operate the voltage switchgear while the pallet is moving. For example, if an abnormality occurs and the electrical connection is cut off while the voltage switchgear is on the 200V side, and then an attempt is made to supply 100V, there is a possibility that 200V will be applied momentarily. Because of this risk of equipment failure, it is difficult to install voltage switchgears on pallets.

[0011] In addition, even if a voltage switch and battery were to be installed on the pallet in order to supply power while the pallet is in motion, there is no extra space on the pallet. In particular, as EVs today are getting larger, if a charging unit is installed on a pallet, which has a limited size, there is a possibility that it will interfere with the vehicle when it is brought into storage. Furthermore, it would be costly to install a voltage switch and battery on every pallet.

[0012] Furthermore, if the weight of the pallet increases due to the installation of batteries and voltage switches, the weight that needs to be lifted using a lift or the like increases, and the main drive unit must be changed to a larger one, further increasing the manufacturing costs of the parking device. Therefore, the vehicle charging system of Patent Document 2 could not be adopted for pallet-type mechanical parking devices.

[0013] The present invention has been invented to solve the above problems. That is, the object of the present invention is to provide a pallet-type mechanical parking device in which each pallet has a charging environment where the charging voltage can be selected from multiple options. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] According to the present invention, there is provided a pallet-type mechanical parking device in which an electric mobility vehicle is placed on a pallet in a boarding / disembarking area, transported, and stored in a plurality of storage locations in a parking space, A plurality of said pallets each having a plurality of outlets each providing power at a different charging voltage; a power supply system that is installed outside the parking space and converts power supplied from an external power source into a plurality of charging voltages, and switches the charging voltage of the power to be sent to the pallets for each pallet, or starts or stops the transmission of power for each pallet; a control system that controls the power supply system, the control system having outlet information that associates the type of charging voltage, which is fixed for each outlet, with individual identification information of the outlet; a detection device that detects the state of the outlets on each pallet and outputs the detected state to the control system as an outlet state signal; A pallet-type mechanical parking device is provided in which the control system identifies an outlet in use from the outlet status signal, derives the type of charging voltage to be transmitted for each pallet from the outlet in use and the outlet information, and controls the power supply system to transmit power to each pallet at that type of charging voltage. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention described above, the control system automatically determines which outlet is in use and into which the charging plug of the electric mobility is inserted, based on the state of the outlets on each pallet detected by the detection device, so that the charging voltage to be transmitted to each pallet can be automatically determined.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the power supply system centrally manages the switching of the charging voltage transmitted to each pallet and the start and stop of power transmission, switching the charging voltage and starting or stopping power transmission for each pallet. Therefore, even if the pallet does not have a voltage switch, it is possible to transmit power at an appropriate charging voltage to the outlets in use on each pallet. This allows each pallet to be equipped with multiple outlets with different charging voltages.

[0017] Therefore, even if each pallet is equipped with multiple outlets that provide power with different charging voltages, the pallet-type mechanical parking device can be operated safely. This allows the pallet-type mechanical parking device to provide each pallet with a charging environment in which users can select a charging voltage from multiple options. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a type of mechanical parking device that is the pallet-type mechanical parking device of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is a front view of the pallet-type mechanical parking device of the first embodiment when used as an elevator parking device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a pallet according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit related to power supply of a pallet-type mechanical parking device of a first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, common parts in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a type of mechanical parking system that is a pallet-type mechanical parking system 10 of the present invention. As an example of the pallet type mechanical parking system 10 of the present invention having a storage shelf 4 as a storage location 40, FIG. 1(A) shows an elevator parking system, and FIG. 1(D) shows a flat reciprocating type parking system. On the other hand, the pallet type mechanical parking system 10 having the storage space 41 as the storage location 40 includes a horizontal circulation type parking system and a multi-layer circulation type parking system. As an example, a side view of a horizontal circulation type parking system is shown in Fig. 1(B) and a plan view of the same is shown in Fig. 1(C).

[0021] The pallet-type mechanical parking device 10 of the present invention is a pallet-type mechanical parking device in which electric mobility 1 is placed on a pallet 3 in a boarding / disembarking room 9, transported, and stored in a plurality of storage locations 40 in a parking room 16. In other words, a parking device in which electric mobility 1 is placed on a pallet 3 and transported, in which the boarding / disembarking room 9 where the electric mobility 1 is loaded onto and unloaded from the pallet 3 and the parking room 16 having the storage location 40 for storing the pallet 3 are located in different locations, corresponds to the pallet-type mechanical parking device 10 of the present invention. For example, examples of the pallet-type mechanical parking device 10 of the present invention include elevator parking, a level reciprocating type parking device, a horizontal circulation type parking device, and a multi-layer circulation type parking device. The present invention will be described below in the case where the storage shelf 4 is the storage location 40, taking as an example a case where the pallet-type mechanical parking device 10 is an elevator parking device.

[0022] (First embodiment) FIG. 2 is a front view of the pallet-type mechanical parking device 10 of the first embodiment when used as an elevator parking device. In the following description, the pallet-type mechanical parking device 10 of the present invention will be referred to simply as "parking device 10."

[0023] The parking device 10 of this embodiment is a parking device that can park various types of electric mobility while charging them. In this application, "electric mobility" is defined as "a rechargeable vehicle that can run on public roads." Examples of "electric mobility" include EV vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric minicars, electric motorcycles, electric scooters, balance scooters, electrically assisted bicycles, electric kickboards, electric wheelchairs, handlebar-type electric wheelchairs, senior carts, green slow mobility, ultra-compact mobility, electric unicycles, self-supporting unicycles, electric skateboards, and electric trikes.

[0024] In this diagram, 1 is electric mobility, 2 is an elevator, 3 is a pallet on which the electric mobility 1 is placed while it is being charged, 4 is a storage shelf, 6 is a cage that moves through the elevator 2, 7 is a detection device, and 8 is a main frame. Also in this diagram, 9 is a boarding and disembarking room where the electric mobility 1 enters and leaves the facility, 12 is a traction type (friction drive) hoist installed on top of the main frame 8, and 14 is a machine room in which the hoist 12 is installed. The space in which the electric mobility 1 is parked is called a parking space 16. In elevator parking, the space in which the storage shelf 4 is located corresponds to the parking space 16. Furthermore, this figure illustrates an EV vehicle 1A, an electrically assisted bicycle 1B, a senior cart 1C, an electric kickboard 1D, an ultra-compact mobility vehicle 1E, and a plug-in hybrid vehicle 1F as examples of the electric mobility 1. Note that the pallet 3 in the example of this figure is a flat pallet, but the pallet 3 of this embodiment may be a folded pallet.

[0025] In this example, the cage 6 carries the pallet 3 and moves up and down the elevator shaft 2. The storage shelves 4 are arranged along the elevator shaft 2 and store the pallets 3 therein. Each storage shelf 4 is provided with a power supply device 11. When the pallet 3 is stored in the storage shelf 4, the power supply device 11 is electrically connected to the stored pallet 3 and can supply power to the outlet 5 into which the charging plug 28 is inserted. As will be described in detail in FIG. 3, each pallet 3 is equipped with multiple outlets 5 that provide power of different charging voltages. Hereinafter, the outlet 5 into which the charging plug 28 is inserted will be referred to as the "in-use outlet 50." The power supply devices 11 provided in each storage shelf 4 may all be of the same type (model). For example, the power supply devices 11 installed in any storage shelf 4 can support power supply of any charging voltage from 5V to 900V.

[0026] A control system 17 and a power supply system 20 are installed outside the parking space 16 and at a location inside the parking device 10. The control system 17 and the power supply system 20 are preferably installed in the boarding / alighting space 9, but may be arranged in the machine room 14. By locating the control system 17 and the power supply system 20 together outside the parking space 16 and at a location inside the parking device 10, installation work and maintenance can be simplified.

[0027] The power supply system 20 converts the power supplied from the external power source AC into a plurality of charging voltages, switches the charging voltage for each pallet, or starts or stops power transmission for each pallet. Specifically, the power supplied from the external power source AC and distributed via a distribution board 22 is converted into various charging voltages and transmitted to the power supply devices 11 installed on the storage shelves 4 on which each pallet 3 is stored. Each power supply device 11 on each storage shelf 4 is connected to the power supply system 20 by a power supply line 23 and a signal line 24c. The power supply system 20 is also connected to the control system 17 via signal lines 24a, 24b, and 24d. Hereinafter, the multiple signal lines 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, and 24e will be collectively referred to simply as "signal lines 24."

[0028] The control system 17 includes a control device 18 and a management personal computer 19 . The control device 18 controls the operation of various devices in the parking device 10, such as a traverse device (not shown) that moves the pallets 3 between the cage 6 and the storage shelf 4, the hoist 12, and a device for opening and closing the doors of the boarding and disembarking compartment 9. The control device 18 also switches the charging voltage under the management of a management personal computer 19. The management personal computer 19 performs various management functions such as controlling the charging order, identifying the outlets 50 in use for the target pallet, and instructing the control device 18 to start charging the target pallet at the charging start time. The management personal computer 19 also stores outlet information that links the type of charging voltage fixed for each outlet with the individual identification information of the outlet 5.

[0029] Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the pallet 3 of this embodiment. Fig. 3(A) is a plan view, and Fig. 3(B) is a view taken along the arrow BB in Fig. 3(A). In the parking device 10 of this embodiment, each of all pallets 3 has multiple outlets 5 that provide power of different charging voltages. In other words, the parking device 10 of this embodiment does not have two types of pallets, one equipped with only 100V outlets and the other equipped with only 200V outlets, as in conventional parking devices. In the parking device 10 of this embodiment, one pallet 3 has multiple outlets 5 with different charging voltages. These outlets 5 are fixed to supply one type of charging voltage per outlet 5. Each pallet 3 has multiple outlets 5 that provide power of different charging voltages so that a user can select one charging voltage from among the multiple outlets on the same pallet.

[0030] In the example shown in this figure, a charging stand 26 is erected at the rear end of the pallet 3, and various types of outlets 5 are provided on the side of the charging stand 26. The outlets 5 may be provided all together in one place on the pallet 3 as described above, or may be provided in multiple places on the pallet 3. For example, charging stands 26 provided with the same types of outlets 5 may be provided at the front, rear, left and right of the pallet 3. Alternatively, the locations at which the outlets 5 are provided may be separated according to the type of charging voltage to be provided, for example, a 100V outlet 5 may be provided at the front end of the pallet 3 and a 200V outlet 5 may be provided at the rear end of the pallet 3.

[0031] Furthermore, the charging voltage and current that can be provided by each outlet 5 are fixed. For example, the power that can be provided by the outlets 5 denoted by 5A and 5B in Fig. 3(B) is single-phase AC of 100 V and 15 A only, and the power that can be provided by the outlets 5 denoted by 5C and 5D is single-phase AC of 200 V and 20 A only. The outlets 5 denoted by 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are all outlets 5 for normal charging.

[0032] Reference numeral 5E denotes a quick-charging outlet 5, which supplies direct current power of 125 to 400 A with a charging voltage of, for example, 200 V to 1000 V. Note that, since the higher the voltage and the larger the current, the shorter the charging time can be, depending on advances in charging technology, the charging voltage and current may be greater than 1000 V and 400 A. The only power that can be provided by outlet 5, designated by reference number 5F, is 5 to 12V DC.

[0033] The outlet 5 designated by the reference numeral 5G is an outlet 5 used to prevent the battery from running out (hereinafter, referred to as an auxiliary battery charging outlet 5G), and can only supply 5 to 12V DC power. When the standards for the devices to be charged change, each outlet 5 may change the power it provides in accordance with the new standards.

[0034] With this configuration, a user can select a charging voltage that suits his / her electric mobility 1 by selecting an outlet 5 that matches the shape of the charging plug 28 of his / her electric mobility 1 from among the many outlets 5 available. Each outlet 5 may have a lid 27. In Fig. 3(B), all of the lids 27 are shown open so that the shapes of the outlets 5 can be seen, but in reality, the lids 27 of the outlets 5 that are not in use are kept closed. For example, the lid 27 in this figure is provided so as to rotate by a hinge at the top, and is configured so that it opens when pushed up by the inserted charging plug 28 while the outlet 5 is in use, and hangs down due to gravity when not in use, thereby automatically closing.

[0035] Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line AA in Fig. 2. This figure shows a plan view of the boarding / deboarding compartment 9. In this figure, a parking device 10 is provided with a detection device 7, a control system 17, and an input device 15 in a boarding / deboarding area 9. The control system 17 has a control device 18 and a personal computer 19 for management. A pallet 3 is installed at the boarding area in the center of the boarding / de-boarding space 9. The parking device 10 is configured so that a user or a manager of the parking device 10 (hereinafter, the user, etc.) drives the electric mobility 1 themselves and loads it onto the top surface of the pallet 3 to enter the parking device 10. An electric door whose opening and closing is controlled by a control device 18 is provided at the entrance and exit of the boarding / de-boarding space 9.

[0036] For safety measures in the boarding / de-boarding room 9 of the parking device 10, the boarding / de-boarding room 9 is provided with safety devices such as a three-dimensional laser radar or an image processing device. Information acquired by these safety devices is output to a management personal computer 19 and analyzed by the management personal computer 19 to determine the safety of the boarding / de-boarding room 9. The safety device may be, for example, a sensor for detecting people. The parking device 10 is equipped with a detection device 7 in the boarding / deboarding compartment 9. The detection device 7 is a device that detects the state of the outlet 5 in each pallet 3 and outputs an outlet state signal to the control system 17. For example, a safety device provided in the boarding / deboarding compartment 9 may also function as the detection device 7. The detection device 7 may be a three-dimensional laser radar 7a or an image processing device 7b, or may be a sensor 7c such as a proximity sensor or a contact sensor.

[0037] For example, the parking device 10 may be provided with a three-dimensional laser radar 7a in the boarding / deboarding compartment 9 as a safety device. This three-dimensional laser radar 7a is a device that measures the positions and shapes of vehicles and people in the boarding / deboarding compartment in three dimensions and outputs the point cloud data to the management personal computer 19. In the parking device 10 of this embodiment, the three-dimensional laser radar 7a installed as a safety device may also be used as the detection device 7. In that case, the point cloud data corresponds to the outlet status signal, and the individual identification information of the outlets 5 is the three-dimensional coordinates of each outlet 5 of the pallet 3 when installed in the boarding / deboarding compartment 9. The management personal computer 19 compares the outlet status signal, which is the point cloud data captured from the three-dimensional laser radar 7a, with the individual identification information, which is the three-dimensional coordinates of each outlet 5, and identifies the outlet 5 whose individual identification information matches the three-dimensional coordinates of the outlet 5 into which the charging plug 28 of the electric mobility 1 is inserted, as the outlet 50 in use. This allows the management personal computer 19 to identify the type of outlet 5 selected by the user, etc. for charging.

[0038] Alternatively, the detection device 7 may be an image processing device 7b that outputs image data obtained by photographing the interior of the passenger compartment as a power outlet state signal. The image processing device 7b is, for example, a surveillance camera that captures the charging stand 26 within its photographing range. In this case, the outlet status signal is image data output to the management personal computer 19. The individual identification information of the outlets 5 is the coordinates of each outlet 5 of the pallet 3 when it is installed in the boarding / departure compartment 9 in the image data input to the management personal computer 19 as the outlet status signal. From that image, the management personal computer 19 performs image authentication on the image data and identifies the outlet 5 as an in-use outlet 5 whose coordinates into which the charging plug 28 of the electric mobility 1 is inserted, obtained from the outlet status signal, match the coordinates of each outlet 5 on the image or in the video.

[0039] The management personal computer 19 associates the individual identification information of each outlet 5 with information on the charging voltage to be supplied thereto, and stores the information as outlet information. Therefore, when the outlet 50 in use is, for example, the outlet 5 of type 5A in FIG. 3(B), the management personal computer 19 manages the control device 18 so as to transmit AC of 100V, 15A. Similarly, when the outlet 50 in use is the outlet 5 of type 5D, the management personal computer 19 determines that AC of 200V, 20A should be transmitted, and manages the control device 18 accordingly.

[0040] Alternatively, the detection device 7 may be a sensor 7c that detects the open / closed state of the lid 27 of the outlet 5. For example, in the case of the lid 27 illustrated in Fig. 3(B) which is configured so that the lid 27 is always open when the outlet 5 is in use and the lid 27 of the outlet 5 which is not in use is always automatically closed, it is possible to detect whether the charging plug 28 is inserted or not by detecting the open / closed state of the lid 27. 3B, for example, a sensor 7c is provided as the detection device 7 at a portion that is covered by the lid 27 when the lid 27 is closed. The sensor 7c may be a proximity sensor or a contact sensor.

[0041] For example, when the sensor 7c is a proximity sensor, it detects whether or not the lid 27 is within a predetermined distance from the sensor 7c for each individual identification information, and outputs that information as a receptacle state signal to the control device 18. In this case, when the lid 27 is closed, it detects that the lid 27 is in proximity, and when the lid 27 is open (in the open state), it detects that there is no object in proximity within a certain distance. This makes it possible to input information that identifies the receptacle 5 in use to the control device 18. The individual identification information of the receptacle 5 may be a number, letter, or symbol assigned to each receptacle. When the sensor 7c is a contact sensor, the open / closed state of the cover 27 may be detected by detecting whether the cover comes into contact with the sensor 7c.

[0042] The output of the outlet state signal from the sensor 7c to the control device 18 may be either wired or wireless. In this case, the control device 18 identifies the outlet 5 to which the individual identification information indicating the open state is assigned as the outlet 50 in use.

[0043] In this way, the management personal computer 19 identifies the outlets 50 in use from the outlet status signals of the 3D laser radar 7a and the image processing device 7b, and the control device 18 identifies the outlets 50 in use from the outlet status signal of the sensor 7c. Then, the control system 17 derives for each pallet the type of charging voltage to be transmitted to each pallet 3 from the outlets 50 in use and the outlet information, and controls the power supply system 20 to transmit power to each pallet 3 at that type of charging voltage.

[0044] The parking device 10 of this embodiment is equipped with the detection device 7, and is therefore capable of identifying an in-use outlet 5. The control system 17 automatically determines the charging voltage to be supplied to the identified outlet 5 by comparing the outlet information with the identified outlet 5 (in-use outlet 50). This eliminates the need for users to select the charging voltage when entering the parking lot.

[0045] Furthermore, in the conventional method in which a user inputs a selected charging voltage into the input device 15, there is a possibility that the user may select an incorrect charging voltage. However, in the case of the parking device 10 of this embodiment, the charging plug 28 is shaped to fit snugly into the mating outlet 5 and cannot be inserted into other outlets 5, so there is no risk of a user or the like inserting the charging plug 28 into the wrong outlet 5. In other words, if the charging plug 28 can be inserted into an outlet 5, then it is always possible to select the outlet 5 that provides the correct charging voltage for the electric mobility 1. And in the case of the parking device 10 of this embodiment, the detection device 7 identifies the outlet 5 into which the charging plug 28 is inserted, automatically determining the charging voltage that should be provided, so there is no risk of an incorrect charging voltage being supplied to the electric mobility 1. In this manner, the parking device 10 of the present embodiment can prevent a situation in which an incorrect charging voltage is supplied to the electric mobility 1.

[0046] Furthermore, when a subscriber of one pallet 3 replaces the electric mobility 1, even if the shape of the outlet 5 changes, the new electric mobility 1 can be charged at the appropriate charging voltage by simply changing the position where the charging plug 28 is inserted.

[0047] 5 is a schematic diagram of a circuit related to power supply of the parking device 10 of the first embodiment. In this diagram, the power supply line 23 is shown by a solid line, and the signal line is shown by a dashed line. The ground line is omitted. In this diagram, 1 is electric mobility, 3 is a pallet, 9 is a boarding / disembarking area, 11 is a power supply device, 14 is a machine room, 16 is a parking area, 20 is a power supply system, 17 is a control system, 18 is a control device, and 19 is a management personal computer. In addition, 22 is a distribution board, 23 is a power supply line, 24 is a signal line, 25 is a charging cable, 29 is a current sensor, 30 is a power switch, 32 is a switch, 33 is a communication control device, and 34 is a current control device.

[0048] In this figure, 5A represents a 100V single-phase AC outlet 5, 5D represents a 200V single-phase AC outlet 5, and 5E represents a quick-charging outlet 5 that supplies 500V DC. Note that in order to depict the shape of each outlet 5, the illustration of the charging plug 28 is omitted. In addition, in this figure, in order to avoid complicating the figure, the illustration of outlets 5B, 5C, 5F, and 5G that are not used in the explanation is omitted.

[0049] As shown in this figure, a plurality of pallets 3 are installed in a parking space 16, and a control system 17 and a power supply system 20 are installed in a boarding / deboarding space 9 or a machine room 14. The parking space 16 is located away from the boarding / deboarding space 9 or the machine room 14. In the following explanation, it is assumed that the control system 17 and the power supply system 20 are installed in the "boarding / deboarding space 9."

[0050] The pallets 3 are stored in a storage shelf 4 in a parking space 16. The four pallets 3 lined up horizontally at the top of this figure are examples of pallets 3 stored in the storage shelf 4 of the parking space 16. These four pallets 3 are assigned individual identification numbers, 3P, 3Q, 3R, and 3S from left to right. Each pallet 3 is shown to have three outlets 5 as examples of multiple outlets 5 each providing charging at a different charging voltage: a 100V single-phase AC outlet 5A, a 200V single-phase AC outlet 5B, and a 500V DC quick-charging outlet 5E. The multiple outlets 5A, 5D, 5E mounted on each pallet 3 are connected in parallel to form an outlet unit 51.

[0051] Further, a connection sensor 52 and a fuse 53 are connected in series to each of the outlets 5A, 5D, and 5E. Each connection sensor 52 is a sensor for determining whether or not power of an appropriate charging voltage suitable for each of the outlets 5A, 5D, and 5E is reaching each outlet 5. For example, the three-dimensional laser radar 7a and the image processing device 7b output the external appearance of the surroundings of the outlet 5 in the form of point cloud data or image data as an outlet status signal. In addition, the sensor 7c, such as a proximity sensor or a contact sensor, detects whether the charging plug 28 is inserted by detecting the open / closed state of the lid 27. Therefore, these detection devices 7 cannot determine whether or not power of an appropriate charging voltage suitable for the outlet 50 in use is actually reaching that outlet 50 in use. Therefore, by having the connection sensor 52, the parking device 10 of this embodiment can determine whether the outlet 50 in use is supplying electricity with the appropriate charging voltage that matches the shape of the outlet 50 in use.

[0052] The fuse 53 has a protective function of cutting off the power supply in the unlikely event that an incorrect voltage is supplied to the series-connected outlets 5. By providing each outlet 5 with a fuse 53, even if an incorrect voltage is input for some reason, it is possible to prevent an overvoltage from being applied to the outlet 5, and the parking device 10 can be used safely.

[0053] Additionally, each storage shelf 4 and each power supply device 11 is assigned an individual identification number that is stored in the management personal computer 19. In explaining this diagram, the identification numbers of the storage shelf 4 are 4H, 4J, 4K, and 4L from the left of the diagram, and the individual identification numbers of the power supply devices 11 are 11H, 11J, 11K, and 11L from the left of the diagram.

[0054] A power supply line 23 and a signal line 24c are respectively wired between the power supply devices 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L installed on each storage shelf 4H, 4J, 4K, 4L and the power supply system 20. The power supply line 23 and the signal line 24c electrically and signally connect the pallets 3 stored in each storage shelf 4H, 4J, 4K, 4L and the power supply system 20 via the power supply devices 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L. As a result, the power supply line 23 extends from the power supply system 20 to the parking space 16, and the distal end (the end on the storage location side) of the power supply line 23 is electrically connected to the outlet units 51 of each pallet 3P, 3Q, 3R, 3S via the power supply devices 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L.

[0055] On the other hand, three-phase 200V or 400V AC power provided from an external power source AC of the parking device 10 is distributed by a distribution board 22 to the management personal computer 19 and the power supply system 20.

[0056] The power supply system 20 includes a plurality of voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C, a plurality of switches 32, a current value sensor 29, a communication control device 33, and a current control device 34. In the example shown in the figure, the plurality of voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C and the plurality of switches 32 are housed inside a power switching device 30. The power switching device 30 is also connected to the control device 18 via a signal line 24a. This enables the control device 18 to output a power switching instruction signal to the power switching device 30 to control the opening and closing (connection and disconnection) of the switch 32. Three-phase 200V or 400V AC power sent from an external power source AC is distributed to a plurality of voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C that convert the power into different charging voltages.

[0057] The voltage converters 31 convert the power supplied from the external power source AC into different charging voltages. It is preferable that at least one of the voltage converters 31 converts the power supplied from the external power source AC into an AC current with a charging voltage of 100 V, and at least one of the other voltage converters 31 converts the power supplied from the external power source AC into an AC current with a charging voltage of 200 V. At least one of the multiple voltage converters 31 may convert power supplied from the external power source AC into a charging voltage of 200 V to 1000 V and a DC current for rapid charging of 125 to 400 A. Alternatively, at least one of the multiple voltage converters 31 may convert power supplied from the external power source AC into a DC current of 5 to 12 V in order to charge an auxiliary battery of an engine vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle 1F.

[0058] For example, in this figure, voltage converter 31A is a voltage converter that converts 200V three-phase AC to 100V single-phase AC, and voltage converter 31B is a voltage converter that converts 200V three-phase AC to 200V single-phase AC. Voltage converter 31C is a voltage converter that converts 200V three-phase AC to 500V DC.

[0059] The switch 32 switches between the voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C to be connected to the proximal end (the end on the power supply system side) of the power supply line 23, and starts or stops the supply of electricity to the proximal end of the power supply line 23. Each switch 32H, 32J, 32K, 32L switches the voltage converters 31A, 31B, 31C connected to the power supply devices 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L of each storage shelf 4H, 4J, 4K, 4L for each power supply device. In other words, there are multiple options to which one terminal on the power supply device 11 can be connected, the number of which is equal to the number of voltage converters 31A, 31B, 31C. The switch 32 switches on and off the connection between the terminal of the power supply line 23 extending from each power supply device 11 and the terminal connected to each of the voltage converters 31A, 31B, 31C. With this configuration, only one of the multiple voltage converters 31A, 31B, 31C is connected to one power supply device 11. Alternatively, the connection between the power supply device 11 and all of the voltage converters 31A, 31B, 31C is cut off for the power supply device 11. One power supply device 11 is not connected to a plurality of voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C.

[0060] Between the voltage converters 31A, 31B, 31C and each of the power supply devices 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L, the same number of switches 32H, 32J, 32K, 32L as the power supply devices 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L are installed. A unique switch 32 that is paired with one power supply device 11 is provided. A current value sensor 29 and a current control device 34 are provided between the power supply device 11 and the switch 32. The current value sensor 29 measures the current value of the power supply line 23 connecting each of the power supply devices 11 and each of the switches 32, and outputs a current value signal indicating the value to the control device 18 via the current control device 34. In addition, the current control device 34 controls the increase or decrease of the current flowing through the power supply line 23 according to the current value change instruction received from the control device 18. As a result, the parking device 10 can control the increase or decrease of the current flowing through the power supply line 23 by the control device 18.

[0061] For example, in the case of this figure, the power supply device 11H is paired with a current value sensor 29H, a switch 32H, and a current control device 34H, and the power supply device 11J is paired with a current value sensor 29J, a switch 32J, and a current control device 34J. The current control device 34 is connected to the control device 18 by a signal line 24b. In the parking device 10 of this embodiment, since the multiple current value sensors 29 and the multiple current control devices 34 are collected in the power supply system 20, there is no need to provide them in the storage shelf 4. As a result, the current value sensors 29 and the current control devices 34 are collected in one location, which simplifies the installation and maintenance of the current value sensors 29 and the current control devices 34. The current control device 34 may be provided separately from the current value sensor 29 as shown in this figure, or may be incorporated as a part of the current value sensor 29.

[0062] The communication control device 33 is connected to the outlets 5 on each pallet via a signal line 24c and a power supply device 11. The communication control device 33 is also connected to a management personal computer 19 via a signal line 24d. The communication control device 33 exchanges signals with the electric mobility device 1 during charging via the outlet 5 , and transmits the signals received from the electric mobility device 1 to the management personal computer 19 .

[0063] Hereinafter, each storage location 40 and each switch 32 related to power transmission to the storage location 40 are referred to as “power transmission destination information.” This power transmission destination information is stored in the management personal computer 19. Moreover, information on the current position of the pallet 3, which indicates "which pallet 3 is stored in which storage shelf 4 (storage location 40)", is called "pallet position information." The device that always keeps track of the latest pallet position information is also the management personal computer 19.

[0064] The control device 18 and the management personal computer 19 are connected by a signal line 24e. The management personal computer 19 derives the voltage converters 31A, 31B, 31C to be connected for each switch from the power transmission destination information, the pallet position information, and the identified in-use outlet 50, determines whether to open or close the switch 32, and outputs this as a power switching instruction signal to the control device 18. The management personal computer 19 also controls the charging order by outputting a power switching instruction signal to the control device 18 at the exact moment charging starts.

[0065] (Example of operation of the parking device 10 during normal charging) The operation of the parking device 10 in normal charging will be described below using as an example a case where it is the micro-compact mobility 1E parked on a pallet 3P's turn to be charged. For example, suppose that a user or the like inserts the charging plug 28 (not shown) of the charging cable 25 of an ultra-compact mobility 1E mounted on a pallet 3P into a 100V single-phase AC outlet 5A, and the pallet 3P is stored on a storage shelf 4H.

[0066] First, when the micro-compact mobility 1E enters the pallet 3P, the management personal computer 19 analyzes the outlet status signal captured from the detection device 7, and identifies that the outlet 50 in use on the pallet 3P is of type 5A. Furthermore, from the identification result and the outlet information, the management personal computer 19 derives that 100V, 15A single-phase AC should be transmitted to the pallet 3P. Information linking these is output by the management personal computer 19 to the control device 18 and stored in the memory of the control device 18. The linked information is "that the pallet 3P and the outlet 50 in use are type 5A, and that the type of charging voltage to be transmitted is 100V, 15A single-phase AC." Note that this linked information may be held by the management personal computer 19.

[0067] When it is the micro mobility 1E parked on the pallet 3P's turn to charge, the management personal computer 19 updates the linking information between "pallet 3P, storage shelf 4H, and switch 32H" to the latest information based on the pallet position information linking the pallet 3P to the storage shelf 4H and the power transmission destination information linking the storage shelf 4H to the switch 32H. Next, the management personal computer 19 outputs a power switching instruction signal to the control device 18 at the timing when charging starts. This power switching instruction signal includes the linking information between "pallet 3P and switch 32H" and the linking information between "pallet 3P and type of charging voltage (must be single-phase AC of 100V, 15A)".

[0068] The control device 18 that has received the power switching instruction signal links the switch 32H with the type of charging voltage, 100V, 15A, single-phase AC, based on the linking information between "the pallet 3P and the switch 32H" and the linking information between "the pallet 3P and the type of charging voltage (100V, 15A single-phase AC)". Next, the control device 18 sends a power switching instruction signal to the power switch 30, the content of which instructs the power to be transmitted to the pallet 3P to be switched to an appropriate charging voltage and to start transmitting power. Specifically, the control device 18 operates the switch 32H and sends a power switching instruction signal to the power switch 30 to connect the terminal on the power supply device 11H side to the terminal connected to the voltage converter 31B. The multiple outlets 5A, 5D, and 5E on the pallet 3P are connected in parallel, but the 200V outlet 5D and the quick charging outlet 5E do not have charging plugs 28 inserted therein, so no electricity is passed through these two outlets 5D and 5E. This allows the management personal computer 19 to open and close the switch 32H via the control device 18 and the power switch 30, and transmit power at an appropriate charging voltage to the in-use outlet 50 of the pallet 3P. In this manner, the management personal computer 19 can open and close the switch 32 via the control device 18 and the power switch 30 .

[0069] The control device 18 monitors the progress of charging based on a current value signal sent from the current value sensor 29 via the current control device 34. For example, when the control device 18 detects from the current value signal received from the current control device 34H that the current value of the power supply line 23 connected to the power supply device 11H has fallen below a predetermined value, it determines that charging of the micro-compact mobility 1E is complete and outputs a power switching instruction signal to the power switch 30 to "disconnect the switch 32H." In response to this, the power switch 30 disconnects the switch 32H. As a result, the switch 32H is no longer connected to any of the multiple voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C. In this manner, the parking device 10 of the present embodiment can prevent the parked electric mobility 1 from being subjected to a load due to overcharging.

[0070] Furthermore, when the pallet 3P is to be removed from the parking lot while being charged, the management personal computer 19 sends a power switching instruction signal to the control device 18 with the content "stop power transmission to the pallet 3P" before moving the pallet 3P. This power switching instruction signal includes information linking the pallet 3P and the switch 32H. Based on this power switching instruction signal, the control device 18 outputs a power switching instruction signal with the content "disconnect the switch 32H" to the power switch 30. In response to this, the power switch 30 disconnects the connection between the terminal of the switch 32H on the power supply device 11H side and all of the voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C. This allows the parking device 10 to disconnect the switch 32H before moving the pallet 3P. The operation of the parking device 10 when performing normal charging using the 200V outlet 5D or when charging various types of electric mobility 1 using the 5 to 12V DC outlet 5F is the same as in the case of normal 100V charging described above.

[0071] Furthermore, the operation of the parking device 10 when the engine vehicle or plug-in hybrid vehicle 1F uses the auxiliary battery charging outlet 5G is similar to the operation in the case of normal 100V charging described above. This allows the parking device 10 to charge the auxiliary battery of the engine vehicle or the plug-in hybrid vehicle 1F, thereby preventing the battery from running out.

[0072] (Example of operation of the parking device 10 during rapid charging) Next, the operation of the parking device 10 in the case of rapid charging will be described. Generally, when EV vehicle 1A is charged using 100V single-phase AC outlet 5A or 200V single-phase AC outlet 5B, it takes 7 to 14 hours to fully charge. On the other hand, when charging with 500V DC by inserting charging plug 28 into outlet 5E, charging up to 80% can be completed in about 30 minutes.

[0073] For example, in the example shown in this figure, pallet 3R with charging plug 28 inserted into quick charging outlet 5E is stored in the second storage shelf 4K from the right. From the pallet position information of pallet 3R, "pallet 3R is in storage shelf 4K," and the outlet status signal, management personal computer 19 derives that 500V DC should be supplied to power supply device 11K linked to storage shelf 4K.

[0074] During rapid charging, the management personal computer 19 communicates with the communication control device of the electric mobility 1 that is the target of rapid charging. The communication is performed via the communication control device 33 in the power supply system 20, the signal lines 24d and 24c, and the rapid charging outlet 5E. The management personal computer 19, which has determined that the power to be supplied to the power supply device 11K is a direct current of 500V, first transmits a charging start signal to the EV vehicle 1A. Battery information of the EV vehicle 1A is transmitted from the EV vehicle 1A to the management personal computer 19, and charger information is transmitted from the management personal computer 19 to the EV vehicle 1A. The battery information is, for example, the maximum voltage, battery capacity, and maximum charging time of the battery of the EV vehicle 1A, and the charger information is, for example, the maximum voltage, maximum current, and abnormality determination value. The management personal computer 19 judges the suitability of the battery information. Similarly, the control device of the EV vehicle 1A also judges the suitability of the charger information and sends a preparation completion notification to the management personal computer 19. When the management personal computer 19 confirms suitability based on the battery information and receives the preparation completion notification, it outputs a power switching instruction signal to the control device 18 to start rapid charging to the pallet 3R. This power switching instruction signal includes linking information between "pallet 3R and switch 32K" and linking information between "pallet 3R and type of charging voltage (500V DC)". After that, upon receiving the power switching instruction signal, control device 18 outputs a power switching instruction signal to power switch 30, the content of which is "connect the terminal of switch 32K on the power supply device 11K side to voltage converter 31C for rapid charging". Upon receiving the power switching instruction signal from control device 18, power switch 30 connects the terminal of switch 32K on the power supply device 11K side to voltage converter 31C for rapid charging. This starts rapid charging of EV vehicle 1A parked on pallet 3R.

[0075] The control device of the EV vehicle 1A calculates the optimal current value from the battery state and intermittently sends a current command value to the management personal computer 19. The control device of the EV vehicle 1A also monitors the input current and sends an error signal to the management personal computer 19. In response, the management personal computer 19 controls the increase or decrease of the current according to the current command value via each current control device 34. Through communication between the control device of the EV vehicle 1A and the management personal computer 19, the charging current is controlled to decrease as the charging rate increases during quick charging. By controlling in this way, the battery of the EV vehicle 1A and the charging equipment of the parking device 10 can be protected. The parking device 10, by including the current control device 34 in the power supply system 20, can rapidly charge, for example, a plurality of EV vehicles 1A with different charging rates. In other words, the control device 18 separately controls each of the current control devices 34 paired with the power supply devices 11 that supply power to each EV vehicle 1A, so that power with a charging voltage of 500V can be supplied to each EV vehicle 1A with different currents. This allows rapid charging to be performed simultaneously for a plurality of electric mobility vehicles 1, even though the power supply system 20 has only one voltage converter 31C for rapid charging. In addition, the parking device 10 can supply power distributed from one voltage converter 31C for rapid charging with a current that matches the current command value from each electric mobility vehicle 1.

[0076] When the battery capacity of the EV vehicle 1A reaches a specified value, the control device of the EV vehicle 1A requests the management personal computer 19 to stop charging. In response to this request, the management personal computer 19 sends a power switching instruction signal to the control device 18, including information linking the pallet 3R and the switch 32K, with the content "stop power transmission to the pallet 3R". Based on this, the control device 18 outputs a power switching instruction signal to the power switch 30 with the content "disconnect the switch 32K", and the switch 32K is disconnected by the control of the power switch 30. As a result, the switch 32K is no longer connected to any of the multiple voltage converters 31A, 31B, and 31C. After that, the control device of the EV vehicle 1A ends communication with the communication control device 33.

[0077] When rapid charging is performed, monitoring for charging abnormalities is performed both on the parking device 10 side and on the EV vehicle 1A side. Monitoring of the parking device 10 side is performed by the control device 18 by monitoring the current value signal sent from the current value sensor 29 via the current control device 34. When the control device 18 detects an abnormality in the current value signal, it identifies the pallet 3 and switch 32 in which the abnormality in the current has occurred from the stored linked information. Next, the control device 18 outputs a power switching instruction signal to the power switch 30 with the content "disconnect the corresponding switch 32." In response to this, the power switch 30 disconnects the switch 32 connected to the power supply line 23 in which the abnormality in the current has occurred.

[0078] The EV vehicle 1A side is monitored by the control device of the EV vehicle 1A. When the control device of the EV vehicle 1A detects a charging abnormality, it transmits a signal indicating that "charging abnormality has been detected" to the management personal computer 19 via the communication control device 33. The management personal computer 19, upon receiving this, transmits a power switching instruction signal indicating that "power transmission to the notified pallet 3 is to be stopped", which includes linking information between the notified pallet 3 and the switch 32, to the control device 18. Based on this, the control device 18 identifies the switch 32 to be disconnected from the linking information, and outputs a power switching instruction signal indicating that the switch 32 is to be disconnected to the power switch 30. As a result, the power switch 30 disconnects the switch 32 connected to the power supply line 23 in which the current abnormality has occurred.

[0079] In this way, in the parking device 10 of this embodiment, by consolidating the switch 32 in the power supply system 20 located in the boarding / disembarking area 9, high-voltage electricity for rapid charging can be sent to the pallet 3 using the same power supply line 23 that sends electricity for normal charging.

[0080] (Example of operation of the parking device 10 for a pallet 3 with an unused outlet 5) Next, the operation of the parking device 10 for a pallet 3 with an unused outlet 5 will be described using the pallet 3S shown on the far right of Fig. 5. A "pallet 3 with an unused outlet 5" refers to, for example, a pallet 3 carrying an electric mobility 1 with the charging plug 28 of the charging cable 25 not inserted into the outlet 5, a pallet 3 carrying an engine-powered vehicle, or an empty pallet. The management personal computer 19 controls the movement of the pallets 3, and also receives a power outlet status signal from the detection device 7, so that it knows in which storage shelf 4 the pallets 3 with unused power outlets 5 are stored. The management personal computer 19 controls the power switch 30 via the control device 18 so that the switch 32 associated with the storage shelf 4 in which these pallets 3 with unused power outlets 5 are stored is maintained in the OFF state.

[0081] For example, in the example shown in the figure, pallet 3S is an empty pallet, so no charging plugs 28 are inserted into any of the outlets 5 on pallet 3S. The management personal computer 19 derives this from the pallet position information and outlet status signal of pallet 3S, and outputs a power switching instruction signal to the control device 18 to turn off the switch 32L that supplies power to the storage shelf 4L on which pallet 3S is stored. In this way, by having a circuit such as that illustrated in FIG. 5, the parking device 10 of this embodiment can charge a plurality of electric mobility vehicles 1 simultaneously with various charging voltages using a single parking device 10.

[0082] In the above explanation, the storage of outlet information and power transmission destination information and the linking operation of linking the pallets 3, outlets 50 in use, types of charging voltage, storage shelves 4, switches 32, etc. to one another are performed by the management personal computer 19, but these operations may also be performed by the control device 18. In this case, the management personal computer 19 transmits to the control device 18 the analysis results of the outlet status signals of the three-dimensional laser radar 7a and the image processing device 7b, and information on the outlets 50 in use identified from the analysis results. In addition, in this embodiment, the parking apparatus 10 is an elevator parking apparatus, but the same applies to the case where the parking apparatus 10 is a flat-surface reciprocating type parking apparatus.

[0083] In this way, in the parking device 10 of this embodiment, the switch 32 for switching the charging voltage is not mounted on the pallet 3, but is instead concentrated in the power supply system 20 at the base. The charging voltage to be supplied is determined by the control system 17 of the parking device 10 based on information (outlet state signal) from the detection device 7, and the control system 17 controls the switching of the switch 32. Therefore, the parking device 10 of this embodiment does not require a switch 32 to be mounted on the pallet 3, and can prevent accidents such as a large current flowing or an incorrect charging voltage being supplied immediately after the pallet 3, to which no power is supplied, is moved.

[0084] Next, the present invention will be described in a case where the storage shelf 4 is the storage space 41, taking as an example a case where the parking device 10 is a horizontal circulation type parking device. Second embodiment 1B and 1C, the parking device 10 is an underground type with two storage areas, an upper and lower, underground. Also, a lift 43 is provided that moves vertically between the boarding / disembarking room 9 on the ground and the upper and lower levels underground, and raises and lowers the pallet 3 between them. In this example, each of the two upper and lower levels (each storage area) has storage spaces 4B for 11 vehicles as storage locations 40 in a range other than the position where the lift 43 raises and lowers the pallets 3.

[0085] In this figure, each vehicle storage space 4B is provided with a drive cell 42 that can carry a pallet 3 carrying an electric mobility 1 and move in the width and length directions. The space above the drive cell 42 serves as the storage space 4B. At least one of the drive cells 42 is an "empty cell" in which no pallet 3 is placed on the drive cell 42. In this example, the lift 43 is also provided with a drive cell 42. With this configuration, the pallets 3 of the horizontal circulation type parking device 10 are moved horizontally over the vacant cells by repeatedly moving the pallets 3 on the drive cells 42 adjacent to the vacant cells, so that each pallet 3 can be freely moved horizontally in its width and length directions like a puzzle. Hereinafter, this will be called puzzle movement.

[0086] In such a horizontal circulation type parking device, unlike elevator parking and flat reciprocating type mechanical parking devices, the pallets 3 are frequently moved between the multiple storage locations 40. The power supply device 11 is provided in each storage space 41. During normal charging, the control device 18 preferably changes the charging voltage supplied by the power supply device 11 of each storage space 41 to follow the movement of the pallets 3 and controls the switch 32 so that charging is not interrupted. In addition, the horizontal circulation type parking device 10 preferably includes a drive cell 42 dedicated to rapid charging that is off the path of puzzle movement. The pallets 3 placed on this drive cell 42 dedicated to rapid charging can continue to be charged without moving from the drive cell 42 dedicated to rapid charging even when other pallets 3 move. Therefore, it is possible to prevent charging from being physically interrupted due to the movement of the pallets 3 before the management personal computer 19 turns off the switch 32K in response to a request to stop charging issued from the control device of the EV vehicle 1A. The rest of the configuration, method of use, and effects of this embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0087] According to the present invention described above, the detection device 7 detects the state of the outlet 5 of each pallet and outputs an outlet status signal, and the control device 18 automatically derives from the outlet status signal which outlet 50 in use is into which the charging plug 28 of the electric mobility 1 is inserted, so that the charging voltage to be transmitted to each pallet 3 can be automatically determined without any input from the user, etc. Therefore, each pallet 3 can be simultaneously equipped with multiple outlets 5 that provide power with different charging voltages. Also, users can select the outlet 5 they want to use in the parking lot, and do not need to worry about whether charging is possible (whether the outlet 5 they want to use is available). Furthermore, even if a user who has a contract for a specific pallet 3 on a monthly basis, for example, replaces the electric mobility 1, they can continue to use the same pallet 3.

[0088] Furthermore, each pallet 3 is equipped with multiple outlets 5 that provide power at different charging voltages, so electric mobility 1 that uses any charging voltage can be charged on the same pallet 3. Therefore, even if the charging voltage is used unevenly, a situation will not arise where users are unable to use the outlets 5 unless the empty pallets 3 run out.

[0089] In addition, since the switching of the charging voltage transmitted to each pallet 3 is centrally managed by the power supply system 20 outside the pallet 3, there is no need to install a voltage switch on the pallet 3. Therefore, even in the event of an abnormality such as the voltage switch being on the 200V side and then the electrical connection being cut off, and then 100V power being supplied, equipment failure such as 200V being momentarily applied to the electric mobility 1 will not occur, and the parking device 10 can be operated safely.

[0090] In this way, the parking device 10 can be operated safely even if each pallet is equipped with multiple outlets 5 supplying different charging voltages, so that the parking device 10 can have a charging environment on each pallet 3 where a charging voltage can be selected from multiple options. Therefore, the parking device 10 can provide a charging environment suitable for various electric mobility vehicles 1.

[0091] Furthermore, since the charging voltage to be transmitted can be switched even without a voltage switch on the pallet, the pallet does not need to be equipped with a voltage switch or a battery for supplying power to the voltage switch while the pallet 3 is moving, the weight of the pallet 3 can be reduced and the pallet 3 can be manufactured at a lower cost than when a voltage switch and a battery are provided on the pallet 3. Furthermore, since the pallet 3 can be made lighter by not having a voltage switch or a battery, there is no need to change the hoist 12 and the lift 43 to larger ones. In addition, since the pallet 3 is not equipped with a voltage switch or a battery, there is no risk of the voltage switch or the battery interfering with the electric mobility 1 when it is parked.

[0092] Therefore, according to the present invention, even in a parking device that transports electric mobility 1 on a pallet 3, it is possible to provide a charging environment in which a charging voltage can be selected from multiple options on each pallet, without significantly changing the weight of the pallet 3 or the size of the hoist 12 or the lift 43.

[0093] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0094] For example, in order to accommodate future changes in the shape of the outlet 5, it is preferable that the charging stand 26 has a structure that allows the outlet 5 itself to be replaced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 Electric mobility, 1A EV vehicles, 1B Electrically assisted bicycles, 1C Senior Cart, 1D Electric Kickboard, 1E Ultra-compact mobility, 1F Plug-in hybrid vehicles, 2 elevators, 3,3P,3Q,3R,3S Palette, 4, 4H, 4J, 4K, 4L storage shelves, 5 outlets, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D Normal charging outlets, 5E fast charging outlet, 5F outlet, 5G Auxiliary battery charging outlet 6 cages, 7 Detection device, 7a 3D laser radar, 7b image processing device, 7c proximity sensor, 8 Main frame, 9 Passenger compartment, 10 Pallet-type mechanical parking equipment (parking equipment, horizontal circulation type parking equipment), 11, 11H, 11J, 11K, 11L Power supply device, 12 hoist, 14 machine room, 15 input device, 16 parking room, 17 Control system, 18 Control device, 19 Management personal computer, 20 Power supply system, 22 Distribution board, 23 Power supply lines, 24, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e signal lines, 25 Charging cable, 26 Charging stand, 27 outlet cover, 28 charging plug, 29 current sensor, 30 power switch, 31 voltage converter, Voltage converter that converts 31A 200V 3-phase AC to 100V single-phase AC, 31B A voltage converter that converts 200V three-phase AC to 200V single-phase AC; 31C Voltage converter that converts 200V 3-phase AC to 500V DC, 31D Voltage converter that converts 200V 3-phase AC to 12V DC, 32, 32H, 32J, 32K, 32L switches, 33 communication control device, 34 current control device, 40 storage location, 41 storage space, 42 drive cell, 43 lift, 50 Outlets in use, 51 Outlet units, 52 connection sensor, 53 fuse, AC external power supply

Claims

1. A pallet-type mechanical parking device in which an electric mobility vehicle is placed on a pallet at a boarding / disembarking area, transported, and stored in a plurality of storage locations in a parking space, A plurality of said pallets each having a plurality of outlets each providing power at a different charging voltage; a power supply system that is installed outside the parking space and converts power supplied from an external power source into a plurality of charging voltages, and switches the charging voltage of the power to be sent to the pallets for each pallet, or starts or stops the transmission of power for each pallet; a control system that controls the power supply system, the control system having outlet information that associates the type of charging voltage, which is fixed for each outlet, with individual identification information of the outlet; a detection device that detects the state of the outlets on each pallet and outputs the detected state to the control system as an outlet state signal; The control system identifies the outlet in use from the outlet status signal, derives the type of charging voltage to be transmitted for each pallet from the outlet in use and the outlet information, and controls the power supply system to transmit power to each pallet at that type of charging voltage.

2. a socket unit in which a plurality of the sockets mounted on each pallet are connected in parallel; a plurality of power supply lines extending from the power supply system to the parking spaces and having distal ends electrically connected to the outlet units of each pallet; The power supply system includes a plurality of voltage converters each converting power supplied from an external power source into a different charging voltage; a switch for switching the voltage converter connected to the proximal end of the power supply line or for starting or stopping the supply of current to the proximal end; The pallet-type mechanical parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the control system controls the operation of the switch for each pallet.

3. 3. The pallet-type mechanical parking device of claim 2, wherein the control system has power transmission destination information linking each storage location with each switch related to power transmission to that storage location, and derives the voltage converter to be connected for each switch from the power transmission destination information, pallet position information indicating the storage location in which each pallet is currently stored, and the identified in-use outlet, and opens and closes the switch.

4. The pallet-type mechanical parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply system is installed in the boarding / disembarking room or the machine room.

5. At least one of the voltage converters converts power supplied from an external power source into an AC current having the charging voltage of 100 V; 3. The pallet-type mechanical parking device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the other voltage converters converts power supplied from an external power source into an AC current having the charging voltage of 200 V.

6. 3. The pallet-type mechanical parking device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the voltage converters converts power supplied from an external power source into a DC charging voltage for rapid charging.

7. the detection device is a three-dimensional laser radar that outputs point cloud data obtained by three-dimensionally surveying the interior of the boarding / deboarding compartment as the outlet status signal, The individual identification information of the outlet is a three-dimensional coordinate of each outlet of the pallet when installed in the boarding / deboarding compartment, 2. The pallet-type mechanical parking device according to claim 1, wherein the control system identifies, as the in-use outlet, the outlet whose individual identification information matches the three-dimensional coordinates of the outlet into which the charging plug of the electric mobility is inserted, obtained from the point cloud data.

8. the detection device is an image processing device that outputs image data obtained by photographing the interior of the boarding / deboarding compartment as the outlet state signal, The individual identification information of the outlet is a coordinate in the image data of each outlet of the pallet when the outlet is installed in the boarding / deboarding compartment, 2. The pallet-type mechanical parking device according to claim 1, wherein the control system identifies, as the in-use outlet, the outlet whose coordinates of the outlet into which the charging plug of the electric mobility is inserted, obtained from the outlet status signal, match with the individual identification information.

9. The individual identification information of the outlet is a number, a letter, or a symbol assigned to each of the outlets, the detection device is a sensor that detects whether a cover of the outlet is opened or closed, and outputs an open / closed state of the cover for each piece of individual identification information as the outlet state signal; 2. The pallet-type mechanical parking system according to claim 1, wherein the control system identifies the outlet to which the individual identification information indicating an open state is assigned as the in-use outlet.

10. 2. A pallet-type mechanical parking device as described in claim 1, wherein when the control system determines from the outlet status signal that a single pallet has a plurality of in-use outlets, it controls the power supply system to stop power supply to all of the outlets mounted on that pallet.

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