Multistory parking device

Abstract

To provide a multistory parking device that has a plurality of liftable pallets, a plurality of pillars surrounding the plurality of pallets, and a gate that opens and closes an entrance / exit for loading and unloading vehicles onto each pallet, and that allows vehicles to be loaded onto the respective pallets for parking and that can prevent forgetting to close the gate.SOLUTION: Gate closure forgetting notification means 50 comprises a control device 41, a gate closed state detection sensor 51b, a user-side mobile terminal device 52 and an administrator-side mobile terminal device 53. The control device 41, after a first predetermined time period has elapsed since a detection state by the gate closed state detection sensor 51b was released, notifies the user-side mobile terminal device 52 that a gate 30 has been forgotten to be closed if the gate closed state detection sensor 51b does not return to the detection state. If no response regarding forgetting to close the gate 30 is received from the user-side mobile terminal device 52 within a second predetermined time period, the control device notifies the administrator-side mobile terminal device 53 that the gate 30 has been forgotten to be closed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-story parking system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Mechanical multi-story parking systems have been known as systems that make effective use of limited space and allow more vehicles to be parked. A multi-story parking system is a device that parks multiple vehicles in a multi-level manner, and mainly comprises multiple pallets that are arranged to be able to be raised and lowered inside a frame structure consisting of multiple pillars, and gates that open and close entrances and exits for vehicles to enter and exit the pallets. In addition, the entrance / exit is part of a frame structure and is provided on a specified floor (for example, the first floor above ground) in the multi-story parking device, and the gate is configured to open and close the entrance / exit mainly by raising and lowering it using an elevator device.

[0003] When a vehicle is to be stored (parked) in a multi-story parking system, first the desired pallet is moved to the entrance / exit and the gate is opened, then the vehicle enters through the entrance and is loaded onto the pallet, after which the gate is closed again and the pallet carrying the vehicle is raised or lowered to the specified floor. On the other hand, when a vehicle is to be removed from a multi-story parking system, the desired pallet is first moved to the entrance / exit and the gate is then opened. Next, the vehicle is removed from the entrance / exit, and the gate is closed again, and the pallet, now empty of the vehicle, is raised or lowered to the designated floor. Among such mechanical multi-story parking systems, there is also known a puzzle-type multi-story parking system in which each pallet has not only a lifting function but also a traversing function.

[0004] As an example of a multi-story parking system having such a configuration, Patent Document 1 discloses a parking system (multi-story parking system) that has a function to prevent a gate from being left closed when a vehicle is entering or leaving the parking system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-191546 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the multi-story parking device in Patent Document 1, when a user opens the gate, a timer starts counting a predetermined time, and if the gate does not start closing within the predetermined time, it determines that the gate has been forgotten to be closed, and turns on a warning light and sounds an alarm to notify (warn) the user that the gate has been forgotten to be closed, thereby preventing the gate from being forgotten to be closed. However, in a multi-story parking system with such a configuration, there are cases where a user does not notice the above-mentioned warning light coming on or the alarm sounding, for example, by moving away from the entrance / exit of the multi-story parking system before the timer has finished counting the specified time, and so measures were desired to more reliably prevent users from forgetting to close the gate.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the current problems described above, and aims to provide a multi-story parking system that includes a plurality of pallets that are arranged so that they can be raised and lowered, a plurality of support pillars surrounding the plurality of pallets, and gates that open and close entrances and exits for vehicles to enter and exit the pallets, and that allows vehicles to be loaded onto each of the pallets and parked therein, and that prevents the gates from being forgotten to be closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0009] In other words, the multi-story parking apparatus of aspect 1 of the present invention is a multi-story parking apparatus comprising a plurality of pallets arranged to be able to be raised and lowered, and gates for opening and closing entrances and exits for vehicles to enter and exit the pallets, and for parking vehicles on each of the pallets, and further comprising a gate-forgotten-closed notification means for notifying users and managers that the gate has been left closed, and the gate-forgotten-closed notification means comprises a control unit, a close detection sensor for detecting the closed state of the gate, a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and users, and a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and managers, and the control unit is characterized in that if the close detection sensor does not again detect the closed state of the gate after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the close detection sensor released the detection state of the closed state of the gate, the control unit determines that the gate has been left closed and communicates to the first notification means to notify the user that the gate has been left closed, and if there is no response from the first notification means to the fact that the gate has been left closed within a second predetermined time, the control unit communicates to the second notification means to notify the user that the gate has been left closed.

[0010] In addition, a multi-story parking apparatus according to aspect 2 of the present invention is a multi-story parking apparatus comprising a plurality of pallets arranged to be able to be raised and lowered, and gates for opening and closing entrances and exits for vehicles to enter and exit the pallets, and for parking vehicles on each of the pallets, and further comprising a gate-forgotten-closed notification means for notifying users and managers that the gate has been left closed, and the gate-forgotten-closed notification means comprises a control unit, an opening detection sensor for detecting the open state of the gate, a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and users, and a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and managers, and the control unit is characterized in that if the detection state of the open state of the gate by the opening detection sensor is not released after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the opening state of the gate was detected by the opening detection sensor, the control unit determines that the gate has been left closed and communicates to the first notification means that the gate has been left closed, and if there is no response from the first notification means to the fact that the gate has been left closed within a second predetermined time, the control unit communicates to the second notification means that the gate has been left closed.

[0011] By having the configuration of the above-mentioned aspect 1 or aspect 2, the multi-story parking device of the present invention can reliably notify the user that the gate has been forgotten to be closed via the first notification means, even if the user, for example, opens the gate to enter or exit the vehicle, and then moves to a position away from the entrance / exit without performing the gate closing operation, thereby preventing the user from forgetting to close the gate. Furthermore, even if a user who has been notified that the gate has been left closed does not subsequently close the gate for some reason (for example, if the user does not notice the notification from the first notification means), the fact that the gate has been left closed is also notified to the administrator via the second notification means, so it is possible to reliably prevent the gate from being left closed.

[0012] In addition, a multi-story parking apparatus according to aspect 3 of the present invention is a multi-story parking apparatus comprising a plurality of pallets arranged to be able to be raised and lowered, and gates for opening and closing entrances and exits for vehicles to enter and exit the pallets, and for parking vehicles on each of the pallets, and further comprising a gate-forgotten-closed notification means for notifying users and managers that the gate has been left closed, and the gate-forgotten-closed notification means comprises a control unit, a close detection sensor for detecting the closed state of the gate, a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and the user, and a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and the manager, and the control unit is characterized in that if the close detection sensor does not again detect the closed state of the gate after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the detection state of the closed state of the gate by the close detection sensor was released, the control unit determines that the gate has been left closed and communicates to the first notification means to notify the user that the gate has been left closed, and if the response from the first notification means to the gate having been left closed is inability to respond, the control unit communicates to the second notification means to notify the user that the gate has been left closed.

[0013] In addition, a multi-story parking apparatus according to aspect 4 of the present invention is a multi-story parking apparatus comprising a plurality of pallets arranged to be able to be raised and lowered, and gates for opening and closing entrances and exits for vehicles to enter and exit the pallets, and for parking vehicles on each of the pallets, and further comprising a gate-forgotten-closed notification means for notifying users and managers that the gate has been left closed, and the gate-forgotten-closed notification means comprises a control unit, an opening detection sensor for detecting the open state of the gate, a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and users, and a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and managers, and the control unit is characterized in that if the detection state of the open state of the gate by the opening detection sensor is not released after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the opening state of the gate was detected by the opening detection sensor, the control unit determines that the gate has been left closed and communicates to the first notification means that the gate has been left closed, and if the response from the first notification means to the gate having been left closed is inability to respond, the control unit communicates to the second notification means that the gate has been left closed.

[0014] By having the configuration of the above-mentioned aspect 3 or aspect 4, according to the multi-story parking device of the present invention, for example, if a user who has been notified that the gate has been left closed via the first notification means is unable to deal with the situation for some reason (for example, if it is difficult for the user to return to the vicinity of the entrance / exit), the user can communicate information about the inability to deal with the situation to the control unit via the first notification means, and the control unit will immediately notify the manager that the gate has been left closed via the second notification means, so that the manager can immediately deal with the situation without waiting for the second specified time to elapse. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention has the following effects. In other words, the multi-story parking system according to the present invention can more reliably prevent the gate from being left closed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is an oblique view showing the overall configuration of a multi-story parking system according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a gate installed at the entrance and exit of a multi-story parking system. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit of a multi-story parking system. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the operation procedure of the gate-forgotten-to-close notification means, and is a flowchart showing a series of operation procedures from the pallet call operation to notification to the user-side terminal device. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing the operation procedure of the gate-forgotten-to-close notification means, and is a flowchart showing a series of operation procedures from determining whether or not there is a response from the user terminal device to the gate moving to the closed position. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. For the sake of convenience, the side of the multi-story parking device 1 where the entrance / exit 13 is located will be referred to as the front side, and the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down directions of the multi-story parking device 1 will be defined and described according to the directions of the arrows shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0018] [Overall configuration of multi-story parking device 1] First, the overall configuration of a multi-story parking system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

[0019] The multi-story parking device 1 is a mechanical multi-story parking device that parks multiple vehicles W·W··· in a multi-story manner, and is a device that simultaneously parks multiple vehicles W·W··· by arranging each vehicle W in storage spaces S·S··· which are divided into multiple levels (two levels in this embodiment). As shown in Figure 1, the multi-story parking device 1 mainly comprises a frame structure 10 that forms the skeleton of the device body, a plurality of pallets 20·20··· that are arranged inside the frame structure 10 and can be raised and lowered, a gate 30 that opens and closes an entrance / exit 13 provided in the frame structure 10, and a control means 40 (see Figure 3) that controls the operation of the entire device. In addition, the multi-story parking device 1 is equipped with a gate-forgotten-closing notification means 50 (see Figure 3) that notifies users of the multi-story parking device 1 and managers at management companies or inspection companies that manage the operation of the multi-story parking device 1 if the gate 30 has been left closed.

[0020] The configuration of the multi-story parking device 1 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be, for example, a puzzle-type multi-story parking device in which each pallet 20 has not only a lifting and lowering function but also a traversing function. In addition, in the frame structure 10, an enclosure made of, for example, a fence or the like may be arranged so as to surround the periphery of the plurality of pallets 20.

[0021] The frame structure 10 has a plurality of columns 11 arranged parallel to one another at predetermined intervals, and a plurality of beams 12 arranged between adjacent columns 11 and connecting these two members 11. In this embodiment, for example, the frame structure 10 is configured as a two-story structure. In other words, the frame structure 10 has a plurality of columns 11 surrounding a plurality of pallets 20. Furthermore, each support pillar 11 is made of a member having sufficient rigidity to be able to support the load acting on the multi-story parking system 1, and in this embodiment, for example, an H-beam is used.

[0022] The number of stories configured by the frame structure 10 is not limited to that in this embodiment, and may be configured as a one-story structure or a three-story or higher structure, for example. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the frame structure 10 is configured to be installed on the ground G (see Figure 2), but this is not limited to this. For example, the first floor F1 corresponding to the first floor may be located in an underground space (inside a pit), and the second floor F2 corresponding to the second floor may be located on the ground G, or the entire frame structure 10 may be located in an underground space (inside a pit).

[0023] Inside the frame structure 10, a plurality of (three in this embodiment) storage spaces S·S·S capable of storing the respective vehicles W are provided on each floor. Furthermore, on a predetermined floor (in this embodiment, the first floor F1 located on the first floor above ground) at the front side of the frame structure 10, a plurality of entrances 13 (in this embodiment, three entrances) for loading and unloading vehicles W onto and from each pallet 20 are provided as part of the frame structure 10. Specifically, each entrance 13 is formed by the space between adjacent support columns 11 at the front side of the frame structure 10.

[0024] The pallets 20 are used to load each vehicle W and move to a predetermined position (in this embodiment, the second floor F2) to park the vehicle W.They are each placed in a storage space S inside the frame structure 10 and are configured to be able to be raised and lowered by a predetermined moving means (pallet moving means 21).

[0025] When parking (entering) a vehicle W into the multi-story parking device 1, the pallet moving means 21 moves the pallet 20 without the vehicle W loaded onto it to the first floor F1, and the vehicle W is loaded onto the pallet 20 through a designated entrance / exit 13, and then the pallet 20 is moved again to the second floor F2. In addition, when a vehicle W parked in the multi-story parking device 1 is to be removed, the pallet 20 carrying the desired vehicle W is moved to the first floor F1 by the pallet moving means 21, the vehicle W is advanced from the pallet 20 through a predetermined entrance / exit 13, and then the pallet 20 is moved again to a predetermined position.

[0026] In this embodiment, after the pallet 20 carrying the vehicle W reaches the storage space S on the second floor F2, it is possible to park (store) a new vehicle W in the storage space S on the first floor F2.

[0027] The gates 30 are provided at the plurality of entrances 13 provided in the frame structure 10, for example, and serve to open and close each of the entrances 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the gate 30 includes a gate body 31, a guide mechanism 32 provided on the outer periphery of the gate body 31, and a gate moving device 33 that moves the gate body 31.

[0028] The gate body 31 includes, for example, a gate frame 31a formed in a rectangular frame shape, and a panel member 31b arranged so as to close the inner periphery side of the gate frame 31a. The panel member 31b is formed of, for example, a rectangular plate-shaped member made of punched metal (internal punched wire mesh) or a lattice-shaped mesh member.

[0029] At each entrance / exit 13, the gate body 31 is positioned perpendicular to the entrance / exit direction of the vehicle W (in this embodiment, the front-to-back direction) and parallel to the width direction of the vehicle W (in this embodiment, the left-to-right direction), and is configured to be able to open and close each entrance / exit 13 by moving (raising and lowering) in the vertical direction using the gate moving device 33. For example, in this embodiment, the gate moving device 33 moves (lowers) the gate body 31 to a predetermined lower limit position, thereby closing the entrance / exit 13, and moves (raises) the gate body 31 to a predetermined upper limit position, thereby opening the entrance / exit 13.

[0030] The direction of movement of the gate body 31 by the gate moving device 33 is not limited to the up-down direction as in this embodiment, but may be the vehicle width direction (left-right direction).

[0031] The guide mechanism 32 regulates the elevation position of the gate body 31 when the gate body 31 is raised or lowered by the gate moving device 33 . The guide mechanism 32 includes, for example, a pair of upper regulating rollers 32a·32a arranged to protrude in the left-right direction at the top of the gate main body 31, and a pair of lower regulating rollers 32b·32b arranged to protrude in the left-right direction at the bottom of the gate main body 31.

[0032] The upper regulating roller 32a is provided rotatably around its axis, with its axis oriented in the left-right direction, and is disposed in a state where it is sandwiched between flanges of a gate-side support pillar 33a (described later).

[0033] When the gate body 31 is raised or lowered by the gate moving device 33, the upper regulating roller 32a slides between the flanges of the gate side support pillar 33a, and regulates deviation of the raised or lowered posture of the gate body 31 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0034] The lower regulating roller 32b is provided rotatably around its axis, with its axis oriented in the front-rear direction, and is arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the web of the gate-side support pillar 33a.

[0035] When the gate body 31 is raised or lowered by the gate moving device 33, the lower regulating roller 32b slides on the web of the gate side support pillar 33a, and regulates deviation of the raised or lowered posture of the gate body 31 in the left-right direction.

[0036] The configuration of the guide mechanism 32 is not limited to this embodiment, and any configuration is acceptable as long as it is possible to regulate the deviation of the raised and lowered posture of the gate body 31 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions when the gate body 31 is raised and lowered by the gate moving device 33.

[0037] The gate moving device 33 includes, for example, a pair of gate side supports 33a, 33a erected on both the left and right sides of the gate main body 31, a drive motor 33b provided as a drive source, and a suspension rope 33c that pulls the gate main body 31.

[0038] The gate-side support pillar 33a is made of a member having sufficient rigidity to be able to support the load acting on the gate moving device 33, and in this embodiment, for example, an H-beam is used. The gate side support 33a may be provided separately from the frame structure 10 as a component of the gate moving device 33, or may be substituted by the support 11 (see Figure 1) that constitutes the entrance / exit 13 of the frame structure 10.

[0039] The drive motor 33b is disposed at the upper end of a predetermined gate-side support pillar 33a, with the axial direction of the drive shaft facing the front-rear direction, for example. A sprocket 33b1 is provided through the drive shaft.

[0040] The suspending cables 33c·33c are formed by drive chains, and for example, one pair (two cables) are provided for one gate moving device 33. Each of the suspending ropes 33c is connected at one end to a sprocket 33b1 of the drive motor 33b, and at the other end to the lower part of the gate body 31.

[0041] Then, when the drive motor 33b rotates the sprocket 33b1 in the forward direction, the gate body 31 rises from the first floor F1 to the second floor F2 via the suspension rope 33c, and the entrance / exit 13 opens. In addition, the drive motor 33b rotates the sprocket 33b1 in the reverse direction, causing the gate body 31 to descend from the second floor F2 to the first floor F1 via the suspension rope 33c, and the entrance / exit 13 becomes closed.

[0042] The configuration of the gate moving device 33 is not limited to this embodiment, and any configuration is acceptable as long as it is capable of raising and lowering the gate body 31 between the first floor F1 and the second floor F2. For example, the sprocket 33b1 and the suspension rope 33c may each be constructed using a pulley and timing belt, or the gate moving device 33 may be constructed using an electric actuator that can move back and forth in the vertical direction, or a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, the control means 40 includes a control device 41 and an operating device 42.

[0044] The control device 41 includes an arithmetic processing unit 41a consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory unit 41b consisting of a ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc., and a communication means 41c for wireless communication with a user-side mobile terminal device 52 and an administrator-side mobile terminal device 53, which will be described later. In addition, the control device 41 is electrically connected to various moving means (pallet moving means 21, gate moving means 33, etc.) provided in the multi-story parking device 1, the opening / closing sensor 51 (gate open state detection sensor 51a and gate closed state detection sensor 51b) described later, and the operating device 42 (main device 42a and unmanned confirmation device 42b).

[0045] The storage unit 41b stores programs for operating the various moving means (pallet moving means 21, gate moving means 33, etc.) provided in the multi-story parking device 1 in advance. The storage unit 41b also stores in advance a program for operating the gate-forgotten-to-close notification means 50, which will be described later. In other words, the control device 41 also functions as a control unit that constitutes the gate-forgotten-to-close notification means 50.

[0046] Then, the control device 41 executes calculation processing in accordance with the above program based on the operation signal (electrical signal) input by the operating device 42, and based on the calculation results of the calculation processing, appropriately transmits output signals (electrical signals) to the various moving means described above, thereby controlling the operation of the entire device. In addition, the control device 41 executes calculation processing in accordance with the above program based on the detection signals (electrical signals) input from the various sensors (gate open state detection sensor 51a, gate closed state detection sensor 51b, etc.), and operates the gate forgotten to close alarm means 50 based on the calculation results of the calculation processing.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, the operating device 42 comprises a main device 42a arranged on one gate-side support 33a near the entrance / exit 13, and a plurality of (three in this embodiment) unmanned confirmation devices 42b·42b·42b arranged on each of the other gate-side supports 33a except for the one gate-side support 33a.

[0048] The main body device 42a includes an emergency stop switch 42a1, a touch panel 42a2, and a key switch 42a3.

[0049] The emergency stop switch 42a1 is a switch that stops all operations (mechanical operations) in the multi-story parking device 1. When the emergency stop switch 42a1 is operated, the lifting, lowering, and traversing movements of each pallet 20 are immediately stopped. In addition, when the emergency stop switch 42a1 is operated, the opening and closing movements of the gate body 31 are also immediately stopped, and the gate body 31 is stopped midway in the opening or closing position.

[0050] The touch panel 42a2 has display and input functions, and for example, when a vehicle W is brought in or out of the warehouse, it is possible to input the number of the pallet 20 on which the desired vehicle W is mounted (or to be mounted), or to input an authentication number, etc. The touch panel 42a2 is also capable of displaying input numbers and various operation buttons, and is capable of transmitting input data to the control device 41 as operation signals (electrical signals).

[0051] The key switch 42a3 enables or disables the movement of each pallet 20 and the opening and closing of the gate body 31 using the touch panel 42a2. The key switch 42a3 has an engagement hole that can engage with a specified safety key (not shown), and by inserting the safety key into the engagement hole and rotating it in a specified direction, operation via the touch panel 42a2 can be enabled or disabled.

[0052] The unmanned confirmation device 42b has an unmanned confirmation button 42b1 and the like. The unmanned confirmation button 42b1 is used to cancel the stopped state in which the operation of the multi-story parking device 1 has been temporarily stopped, and to return the device to an operable state again.

[0053] Specifically, for example, if the emergency stop switch 42a1 is operated to temporarily stop all operations in the multi-story parking device 1, the multi-story parking device 1 can be restored to an operable state again by operating (pressing) the unmanned confirmation button 42b1 after confirming that there is no one inside the device.

[0054] The configuration of the operating device 42 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the main device 42a and the unmanned confirmation device 42b may be configured as an integrated unit, or the control device 41 and the operating device 42 (main device 42a and the unmanned confirmation device 42b) may all be configured as an integrated unit.

[0055] The gate closure forgetting notification means 50 is a means for notifying a user (or a user and a manager) that the gate 30 has been forgotten to be closed, for example, when a user opens the gate 30 to enter or leave the vehicle W, and then forgets to close the gate 30 without performing the closing operation. As shown in Figure 3, the gate forget-to-close notification means 50 mainly comprises the above-mentioned control device 41, an opening / closing sensor 51 that detects the open / closed state of the gate body 31 at the gate 30, a user-side portable terminal device 52 that communicates between the control device 41 and the user, and an administrator-side portable terminal device 53 that communicates between the control device 41 and the administrator.

[0056] The control device 41 is an example of a control unit according to the present invention. As described above, in this embodiment, the control device 41 also has the function of controlling the operation of the entire multi-story parking device 1, but this is not limited to this, and it may also be provided separately as a control device that only controls the gate forgotten closing warning means 50.

[0057] The open / close sensor 51 has a gate open state detection sensor 51a that detects that the gate main body 31 is in an open state, and a gate closed state detection sensor 51b that detects that the gate main body 31 is in a closed state.

[0058] Here, the "open state" means a state in which the gate body 31 is completely open, and the "closed state" means a state in which the gate body 31 is completely closed.

[0059] The above-mentioned "open state" may also include, for example, "a state in which the gate body 31 is open enough to allow people, vehicles W, etc. to pass through the gate 30." Furthermore, the above-mentioned "closed state" may also include, for example, "a state in which the gate body 31 is open to the extent that people or objects of a certain size (objects smaller than the vehicle W) cannot pass through the gate 30." In other words, even if the gate body 31 is not yet fully open, it may be determined that the gate body 31 has been left unclosed, and the user may be notified that the gate body 31 has been left unclosed via the user's mobile terminal device (first notification means) 52, which will be described later.

[0060] The gate open state detection sensor 51a is an example of an open detection sensor according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the gate open state detection sensor 51a is, for example, a contact-type general-purpose sensor such as a limit switch, and is positioned so as to come into contact with the gate body 31 when it reaches a predetermined upper limit position (in this embodiment, the second floor F2), and by coming into contact with and detecting the gate body 31, it grasps the open state of the gate body 31.

[0061] On the other hand, the gate closed state detection sensor 51a is an example of a closed state detection sensor according to the present invention. Like the gate open state detection sensor 51a, the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is also composed of a contact-type general-purpose sensor such as a limit switch in this embodiment, and is placed in a position where it will come into contact with the gate body 31 when it reaches a predetermined lower limit position (in this embodiment, the first floor F1), and by coming into contact with and detecting the gate body 31, it determines the closed state of the gate body 31.

[0062] The configuration of the gate open state detection sensor 51a and the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is not limited to this embodiment, and may be configured using, for example, a non-contact general-purpose sensor such as a proximity switch or a photoelectric switch. In addition, the gate open state detection sensor 51a may be configured to detect the open state of the gate body 31 by becoming non-detecting when the gate body 31 reaches a predetermined upper limit position, and the gate closed state detection sensor 51b may be configured to detect the closed state of the gate body 31 by becoming non-detecting when the gate body 31 reaches a predetermined lower limit position.

[0063] Here, only when the gate open state detection sensor 51a enters a detection state (or a non-detection state) and the open state of the gate main body 31 is recognized, entry and exit operations of the vehicle W are permitted, and the user can enter and exit the vehicle W from the multi-story parking device 1. On the other hand, the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is in a detecting state (or a non-detecting state), and the closed state of the gate main body 31 is detected, whereby the end of the closing operation of the gate main body 31 is determined.

[0064] The open / close sensor 51 may be provided with only one of the gate open state detection sensor 51a and the gate closed state detection sensor 51b. If only the gate open state detection sensor 51a is provided, the open state of the gate main body 31 can be determined when the gate open state detection sensor 51a is in the detection state, and the closed state of the gate main body 31 can be determined when the gate open state detection sensor 51a is in the non-detection state. Furthermore, if only the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is provided, the closed state of the gate main body 31 can be determined when the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is in the detection state, and the open state of the gate main body 31 can be determined when the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is in the non-detection state.

[0065] In this manner, in this embodiment, the open / close sensor 51 can be configured to include only the gate closed state detection sensor (close detection sensor) 51b that can directly detect the gate main body 31 in the closed state. With this configuration, the opening / closing sensor 51 can reliably detect that the closing operation of the gate main body 31 has not been completed, and the user can be more reliably notified that the gate main body 31 has been left closed via the user's mobile terminal device (first notification means) 52, which will be described later.

[0066] In addition, in this embodiment, the opening / closing sensor 51 consists only of a gate open state detection sensor (open detection sensor) 51a that can directly detect the gate main body 31 in the open state, and can be configured to detect the closed state of the gate main body 31 when the detection state of the gate open state detection sensor 51a is released. With this configuration, the closed state of the gate body 31 can be detected by the gate open state detection sensor 51a without the need to separately provide a gate closed state detection sensor 51b that can directly detect the gate body 31 in the closed state, thereby reducing equipment costs.

[0067] As will be described later, in the multi-story parking device 1 of this embodiment, if the opening / closing sensor 51 does not again detect the closed state of the gate main body 31 after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the detection state of the closed state of the gate main body 31 by the opening / closing sensor 51 was released (see step S05 in Figure 4), the control device (control unit) 41 determines that the gate 30 has been left unclosed, and communicates with the user's mobile terminal device 52 to notify them that the gate 30 has been left unclosed (see step S06 in Figure 4). Here, when at least a gate closed state detection sensor (closed detection sensor) 51b is provided as the opening / closing sensor 51, the control device (control unit) 41 will determine that the gate 30 has been left unclosed if the gate closed state detection sensor (closed detection sensor) 51b does not again detect the closed state of the gate 30 after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the gate closed state detection sensor (closed detection sensor) 51b released the detection state of the closed state of the gate 30. On the other hand, if the opening / closing sensor 51 consists only of a gate open state detection sensor (open detection sensor) 51a, the control device (control unit) 41 will determine that the gate 30 has been left unclosed if the detection state of the open state of the gate 30 by the gate open state detection sensor (open detection sensor) 51a is not released after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the open state of the gate 30 was detected by the gate open state detection sensor (open detection sensor) 51a.

[0068] Furthermore, with regard to the opening / closing sensor 51, a separate sensor may be provided to detect a state in which the gate body 31 has stopped between the upper limit position where it is in the open state and the lower limit position where it is in the closed state, or the state in which the gate body 31 has stopped between the upper limit position and the lower limit position may be detected by the fact that neither the gate open state detection sensor 51a nor the gate closed state detection sensor 51b described above is in the detection state. This makes it possible to reliably determine that the gate body 31 has been left closed even before the gate body 31 is fully open, and to notify the user that the gate body 31 has been left closed via the user's mobile terminal device (first notification means) 52, which will be described later.

[0069] The user-side portable terminal device 52 is an example of a first notification means according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the user side portable terminal device 52 is configured by, for example, a smartphone, and is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the control device 41 via the communication means 41c.

[0070] If the gate 30 is left unclosed, the user is notified by the control device 41 using the user's portable terminal device 52 that the gate 30 has been left unclosed. The user also uses the user's portable terminal device 52 to respond to the controller 41 about the fact that the gate 30 has been left unclosed.

[0071] The manager side portable terminal device 53 is an example of a second notification means according to the present invention. Like the user-side mobile terminal device 52 described above, the administrator-side mobile terminal device 53 is also configured, for example, in this embodiment, as a smartphone, and is configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with the control device 41 via communication means 41c.

[0072] If the control device 41 does not receive a response from the user within a specified time after the gate 30 is left unclosed, the administrator is notified by the control device 41 that the gate 30 has been left unclosed using the administrator's mobile terminal device 53.

[0073] The configuration of the user-side mobile terminal device 52 and the administrator-side mobile terminal device 53 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be configured using other general-purpose mobile terminal devices, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer. The manager's mobile terminal device 53 may be placed in a management room where the manager is present, and may be configured as a desktop personal computer equipped with a management monitor, etc.

[0074] In the gate forgotten-to-close notification means 50 configured as described above, if the detection state of the closed state of the gate main body 31 by the opening / closing sensor 51 is released (i.e., after the detection state by the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is released), and the opening / closing sensor 51 does not again detect the closed state of the gate main body 31 (i.e., the gate closed state detection sensor 51b does not again detect it) even after a first predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes in this embodiment) has elapsed, the control device 41 determines that the gate 30 has been forgotten to close, and communicates that the gate 30 has been forgotten to close to the user's mobile terminal device 52 to notify the user. Furthermore, if thereafter, within the second predetermined time period (for example, 10 minutes in this embodiment), the user does not respond to the control device 41 using the user's mobile terminal device 52 regarding the fact that the gate 30 has been left closed, the control device 41 communicates that the gate 30 has been left closed to the administrator's mobile terminal device 53, thereby notifying the administrator that the gate has been left closed.

[0075] Here, the following four patterns of response means are set for the response between the user and the control device 41 using the user-side portable terminal device 52.

[0076] That is, in pattern 1, a list of telephone numbers for each user (i.e., the telephone numbers of the user's mobile terminal device 52) is pre-registered in the control device 41, and when the gate 30 is left unclosed, the control device 41 automatically selects the relevant user and calls the telephone number of the user's mobile terminal device 52 used by that user to notify the user that the gate 30 has been left unclosed. When the user responds to the call on the user-side portable terminal device 52 (answers the phone), the control device 41 determines that there is a response from the user.

[0077] In this case, when the user's mobile terminal device 52 receives a call, for example, number 1, which can be answered, and number 2, which cannot be answered, may be displayed at the same time, and the user may notify the control device 41 of either number 1 or number 2 without answering the call, and the control device 41 may determine that a response has been received from the user.

[0078] In addition, as pattern 2, a list of email addresses for each user (i.e., the email addresses of the user's mobile terminal device 52) is pre-registered in the control device 41, and if the gate 30 is left unclosed, the control device 41 automatically selects the relevant user and sends a pre-set link URL to the user's mobile terminal device 52 used by the relevant user. When the user accesses the transmitted URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and clicks on a response button provided at the linked destination, the control device 41 determines that a response has been received from the user.

[0079] In this case, in addition to the response button, a separate button may be provided at the link destination, indicating that it is not possible to immediately respond to the fact that gate 30 has been left closed. When the button is clicked, the control device 41 may immediately notify the administrator that gate 30 has been left closed via the administrator's mobile terminal device 53.

[0080] In addition, as pattern 3, similar to pattern 1 described above, a list of telephone numbers for each user (i.e., telephone numbers of the user's mobile terminal device 52) is pre-registered in the control device 41, and when the gate 30 is left unclosed, the control device 41 automatically selects the relevant user and notifies the user's mobile terminal device 52 used by the relevant user that the gate 30 has been left unclosed via SMS (Short Message Service) or the like. Thereafter, when the user who has received the notification launches an application that has been pre-installed on the user's mobile terminal device 52 and clicks the response button provided in the application, the control device 41 determines that a response has been received from the user.

[0081] The application may have a function of at least displaying a notification that the gate 30 has been left closed when the application receives the notification without requiring a user to perform an activation operation. Furthermore, in the above application, as in the above-mentioned pattern 2, a separate button may be provided in addition to the response button, which indicates that it is not possible to immediately respond to the fact that the gate 30 has been left closed. When the button is clicked, the control device 41 may immediately notify the administrator that the gate 30 has been left closed via the administrator's mobile terminal device 53.

[0082] Furthermore, as pattern 4, when the user's mobile terminal device 52 is notified that the gate 30 has been left closed by calling a phone number, sending a URL, notifying via SMS, or other method, the control device 41 determines that a response has been received from the user when the user makes some kind of response to a pre-set reply window via a link to a specified URL or application.

[0083] In the response means consisting of the above-mentioned multiple patterns, the user can select any pattern, and depending on the selected pattern, predetermined information (such as the telephone number, email address, and app membership information of the user's mobile terminal device 52 to be used) is pre-registered in the control device 41.

[0084] It should be noted that each user can select and set a plurality of patterns for the response means, and it is also possible to register a plurality of contact points for the above-mentioned predetermined information.

[0085] In addition, the above-mentioned first predetermined time (the time from when the gate closed state detection sensor 51b becomes non-detecting until the control device 41 determines that the gate 30 has been left closed) and the second predetermined time (the time from when the control device 41 notifies the user that the gate 30 has been left closed until it determines that there has been no response from the user) can be set arbitrarily.

[0086] Furthermore, counting of the first predetermined time may start at the same time that the gate closed state detection sensor 51b enters a non-detecting state, or may start after entering a non-detecting state (for example, at the same time that the gate open state detection sensor 51a enters a detecting state).

[0087] [Operation procedure of the gate closure forgotten notification means 50] Next, the operation procedure of the gate-forgotten-to-close notifying means 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0088] In FIG. 4, first, the user inputs an individually assigned authentication number via the touch panel 42a2 of the main device 42a. When an authentication number is input, the control device 41 checks the input authentication number against a list of pre-registered authentication numbers, and if the authentication number is present in the list, it allows the pallet 20 to be called.

[0089] Thereafter, the user again performs a call operation for the palette 20 by inputting the individually assigned number of the palette 20 via the touch panel 42a2 (step S01).

[0090] When a call operation for a pallet 20 is performed, the control device 41 operates the pallet moving means 21 to move the corresponding pallet 20 to the entrance / exit 13 (step S02).

[0091] Then, when the pallet 20 reaches the entrance / exit 13, the control device 41 operates the gate moving device 33 to move the gate body 31, which is located at the lower limit position (hereinafter referred to as the "closed limit position" as appropriate), to the upper limit position (hereinafter referred to as the "open limit position" as appropriate) (step S03). Furthermore, the control device 41 starts counting the first predetermined time (10 minutes) at the same time that the gate main body 31 starts moving toward the open limit position and the gate closed state detection sensor 51b goes into a non-detecting state.

[0092] When the gate main body 31 reaches the open limit position and the gate open state detection sensor 51a enters a detection state, the user enters or leaves the vehicle W (step S04).

[0093] Meanwhile, the control device 41 determines whether or not a first predetermined time has elapsed in a state in which the gate body 31 has reached the open limit position (step S05).

[0094] In step S05, the state of the gate body 31 is not limited to the state where it has reached the open limit position, but may be, for example, a state where it is positioned between the open limit position and the closed limit position. In other words, the gate body 31 should not be positioned at least in the closed position.

[0095] Then, as a result of the determination in step S05, if it is determined that the first predetermined time has not elapsed (NO determination), the control device 41 executes step S05 again. On the other hand, if the result of the judgment in step S05 above is that the first predetermined time has elapsed (YES judgment), the control device 41 determines that the gate 30 has been left unclosed, and notifies the relevant user that the gate 30 has been left unclosed via the user's mobile terminal device 52 (step S06).

[0096] The user who is notified that the gate 30 has been left closed can respond to the control device 41 via the user's portable terminal device 52. The response means from the user to the control device 41 can be executed based on the multiple patterns (four patterns) described above.

[0097] On the other hand, the control device 41 starts counting a second predetermined time (10 minutes) at the same time as notifying the user that the gate 30 has been left closed.

[0098] Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the control device 41 determines whether or not there has been a response from the user through the user's mobile terminal device 52 (step S07), and if it determines that there has been a response from the user (YES judgment), it then determines whether or not the user can take action regarding the fact that the gate 30 has not been closed (step S08).

[0099] Here, in step S08, the determination as to whether or not the user can respond can be made based on the inability to respond information in the above-mentioned patterns 2 and 3. That is, if the response from the user side portable terminal device 52 to the fact that the gate 30 has been left unclosed is information indicating that the response is not possible (NO determination), the control device 41 immediately executes step S11, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the response from the user's mobile terminal device 52 to the fact that the gate 30 has been left unclosed is not the above-mentioned inability information (YES judgment), when the user performs the closing operation on the gate main body 31 (step S09), the control device 41 operates the gate moving device 33 and moves the gate main body 31, which is located in the open limit position, to the closed limit position (step S13).

[0100] If it is determined in step S07 that there is no response from the user (NO verdict), the control device 41 determines whether or not a second predetermined time has elapsed (step S10).

[0101] Then, as a result of the determination in step S10, if it is determined that the second predetermined time has not elapsed (NO determination), the control device 41 executes step S07 again. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that the second predetermined time has elapsed (YES judgment), the control device 41 notifies the administrator that the gate 30 has been left closed via the administrator's mobile terminal device 53 (step S11).

[0102] When the manager, who has been notified that the gate 30 has been left closed, performs the closing operation on the gate main body 31 (step S12), the control device 41 operates the gate moving device 33 and moves the gate main body 31, which is located in the open limit position, to the closed limit position (step S13). Thereafter, when the gate body 31 reaches the closed limit position, the series of operations by the gate forgetting to close warning means 50 ends.

[0103] As described above, the multi-story parking device 1 in this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of pallets 20·20··· that are arranged so that they can be raised and lowered, a plurality of support pillars 11·11··· that surround the plurality of pallets 20·20···, and a gate 30 that opens and closes the entrance / exit 13 through which vehicles W enter and exit the pallets 20, and is a multi-story parking device 1 in which vehicles W are loaded onto each pallet 20 and parked.

[0104] Here, the multi-story parking device 1 is equipped with a gate-forgotten-closed notification means 50 that notifies users and managers that the gate 30 has been left closed, and the gate-forgotten-closed notification means 50 has a control device (control unit) 41, an opening / closing sensor 51 (gate-open state detection sensor (open detection sensor) 51a and gate-closed state detection sensor (close detection sensor) 51b) that detects the open / closed state of the gate 30 (more specifically, the gate main body 31), a user-side mobile terminal device (first notification means) 52 that communicates between the control device 41 and the user, and a manager-side mobile terminal device (second notification means) 53 that communicates between the control device 41 and the manager.

[0105] Then, if the opening / closing sensor 51 does not again detect the closed state of the gate main body 31 (i.e., if the gate closed state detection sensor (closed detection sensor) 51b does not again detect the closed state, or if the gate open state detection sensor (open detection sensor) 51a does not release the detection state of the open state of the gate 30) after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the detection state of the closed state of the gate main body 31 by the opening / closing sensor 51 is released (i.e., if the gate closed state detection sensor (closed detection sensor) 51b does not again enter the detection state, or if the detection state of the open state of the gate 30 by the gate open state detection sensor (open detection sensor) 51a is not released) (step S05), the control device 41 is configured to determine that the gate 30 has been left unclosed, and communicate with the user's mobile terminal device 52 to notify that the gate 30 has been left unclosed (step S06). In addition, if there is no response from the user's mobile terminal device 52 regarding the gate 30 being left unclosed within the second predetermined time period (step S10), the control device 41 is configured to communicate with the administrator's mobile terminal device 53 to notify them that the gate 30 has been left unclosed (step S11).

[0106] By having such a configuration, according to the multi-story parking device 1 of this embodiment, even if a user opens the gate body 31 of the gate 30 to enter or exit the vehicle W, and then moves to a position away from the entrance / exit 13 without performing the closing operation of the gate body 31, the user can be reliably notified that the gate 30 has been forgotten to be closed via the user's mobile terminal device (first notification means) 52, thereby preventing the gate 30 from being forgotten to be closed. Furthermore, even if a user who has been notified that the gate 30 has been left closed does not subsequently perform the closing operation on the gate body 31 for some reason (for example, if the user does not notice the notification from the user's mobile terminal device 52), the fact that the gate 30 has been left closed is also notified to the administrator via the administrator's mobile terminal device (second notification means) 53, so it is possible to reliably prevent the gate 30 from being left closed.

[0107] In addition, in the multi-story parking device 1 of this embodiment, in the gate-forgotten-closed notification means 50, if the response from the user-side mobile terminal device (first notification means) 52 to the gate 30 being forgotten to be closed is inability to respond (step S08), the control device (control unit) 41 communicates to the administrator-side mobile terminal device (second notification means) 53 that the gate 30 has been forgotten to be closed to notify them (step S11).

[0108] With this configuration, for example, if a user who has been notified that gate 30 has been left closed via the user's mobile terminal device (first notification means) 52 finds it difficult to deal with the situation (for example, if it is difficult for the user to return to the vicinity of entrance / exit 13), the user can communicate information about the inability to deal with the situation to the control device (control unit) 41 via the user's mobile terminal device 52, and the control device 41 will immediately notify the administrator that gate 30 has been left closed via the administrator's mobile terminal device (second notification means) 53, so that the administrator can immediately deal with the situation without waiting for the second specified time to elapse.

[0109] The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, which is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and further includes the meaning of equivalents set forth in the claims, and all modifications within the scope of the claims.

[0110] For example, in the above-mentioned step S08, if the response from the user's mobile terminal device 52 to the fact that the gate 30 has been left unclosed is incapable of being handled, indicating that it is "possible to handle," and the result is initially a "YES judgment," but then, even after waiting for a predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes), if the user does not operate the gate main body 31 to close, and the gate closed state detection sensor 51b is in a detecting state (or a non-detecting state), the user or administrator may be notified again of the forgetting to close by a response means using a different pattern (see patterns 1 to 4 for the response means described above).

[0111] Furthermore, in step S08 above, even if the response from the user's mobile terminal device 52 to the fact that the gate 30 has been left unclosed is incapable of being handled (YES judgment), the user may be unable to close the gate main body 31 for some reason. Taking this situation into consideration, the control configuration may be such that, in the above-mentioned step S06, the user who has been notified that the gate 30 has been left closed can once again respond with information indicating that they are unable to respond, even after they have responded to the control device 41 via the user's mobile terminal device 52 that they are able to respond. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1 Multi-story parking system 11 Posts 13 Entrance / exit 20 palettes 30 Gates 41 Control device (control unit) 50 Gate closing warning means 51b Gate closed state detection sensor (sensor) 52 User-side portable terminal device (first notification means) 53 Manager-side mobile terminal device (second notification means) W vehicle

Claims

1. A plurality of pallets arranged so as to be able to be raised and lowered; a gate for opening and closing an entrance for vehicles to enter and leave the pallet, A multi-story parking system in which vehicles are loaded onto and parked on each of the pallets, a gate closure notice means for notifying a user and a manager that the gate has been left closed; The gate closing forgetting notification means A control unit; a closing detection sensor that detects the closed state of the gate; a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and a user; a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and a manager; The control unit If the close detection sensor does not detect the closed state of the gate again after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the detection state of the closed state of the gate by the close detection sensor was released, it is determined that the gate has been left unclosed, and the gate is notified by communicating with the first notification means that the gate has been left unclosed; If a response from the first notification means to the fact that the gate has been left unclosed is not received within a second predetermined time, the second notification means is notified of the fact that the gate has been left unclosed. A multi-story parking system characterized by the above.

2. A plurality of pallets arranged so as to be able to be raised and lowered; a gate for opening and closing an entrance for vehicles to enter and leave the pallet, A multi-story parking system in which vehicles are loaded onto and parked on each of the pallets, a gate closure notice means for notifying a user and a manager that the gate has been left closed; The gate closing forgetting notification means A control unit; an opening detection sensor that detects the open state of the gate; a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and a user; a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and a manager; The control unit If the open state of the gate detected by the open detection sensor is not released after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the open state of the gate was detected by the open detection sensor, it is determined that the gate has been left unclosed, and the gate is notified by communicating with the first notification means that the gate has been left unclosed; If a response from the first notification means to the fact that the gate has been left unclosed is not received within a second predetermined time, the second notification means is notified of the fact that the gate has been left unclosed. A multi-story parking system characterized by the above.

3. A plurality of pallets arranged so as to be able to be raised and lowered; a gate for opening and closing an entrance for vehicles to enter and leave the pallet, A multi-story parking system in which vehicles are loaded onto and parked on each of the pallets, a gate closure notice means for notifying a user and a manager that the gate has been left closed; The gate closing forgetting notification means A control unit; a closing detection sensor that detects the closed state of the gate; a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and a user; a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and a manager; The control unit If the close detection sensor does not detect the closed state of the gate again after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the detection state of the closed state of the gate by the close detection sensor was released, it is determined that the gate has been left unclosed, and the gate is notified by communicating with the first notification means that the gate has been left unclosed; When the response from the first notification means to the fact that the gate has been left unclosed is inability to respond, the second notification means is notified by communicating that the gate has been left unclosed. A multi-story parking system characterized by the above.

4. A plurality of pallets arranged so as to be able to be raised and lowered; a gate for opening and closing an entrance for vehicles to enter and leave the pallet, A multi-story parking system in which vehicles are loaded onto and parked on each of the pallets, a gate closure notice means for notifying a user and a manager that the gate has been left closed; The gate closing forgetting notification means A control unit; an opening detection sensor that detects the open state of the gate; a first notification means for communicating between the control unit and a user; a second notification means for communicating between the control unit and a manager; The control unit If the open state of the gate detected by the open detection sensor is not released after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the open state of the gate was detected by the open detection sensor, it is determined that the gate has been left unclosed, and the gate is notified by communicating with the first notification means that the gate has been left unclosed; When the response from the first notification means to the fact that the gate has been left unclosed is inability to respond, the second notification means is notified by communicating that the gate has been left unclosed. A multi-story parking system characterized by the above.

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