Mechanical bicycle parking lots and methods for determining which motorcycles can be accommodated in mechanical bicycle parking lots

Abstract

To provide a vehicle inspection device, a mechanical bicycle parking lot, and a method for determining whether or not two-wheeled vehicles can be accommodated in the mechanical bicycle parking lot, capable of determining whether or not the two-wheeled vehicle can be stored in the mechanical bicycle parking lot without assigning professional personnel.SOLUTION: In a mechanical bicycle parking lot, a vehicle inspection pallet 24S which is equipped with a guide part 42 for guiding a front wheel and a rear wheel of a two-wheeled vehicle B, a standing state holding part 44 provided at one end part of the guide part 42 for holding the standing state of the two-wheeled vehicle B by supporting the rear wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle B, and a fall detection sensor 52 and a rear wheel sensor for detecting whether or not the two-wheeled vehicle B erected by a standing state holding part 44 can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot automatically inspect the motorcycle B accommodated therein.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle inspection device, a mechanical bicycle parking lot, and a method for determining whether a motorcycle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, mechanical bicycle parking lots that can accommodate multiple motorcycles have become popular. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, such mechanical bicycle parking lots include a gate section for receiving and transferring motorcycles, a storage section in which multiple pallets are arranged for placing motorcycles, a transport device that transports motorcycles from the gate section to the pallets in the storage section, and an elevator that raises and lowers the transport device. In the following, a bicycle will be used as an example of a motorcycle.

[0003] In addition, some mechanical bicycle parking lots that store bicycles on pallets activate sensors such as limit switches when the rear wheel of the bicycle falls into a positioning hole in the pallet to determine whether the bicycle is properly placed on the pallet, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-127803 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-243223 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Mechanical bicycle parking lots such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 have set dimensional standards for each part of the bicycle that can be accommodated in order to make the most of the limited storage space. Conventionally, the measurement of the dimensional standards for each part of the bicycle and confirmation of the stability of the bicycle's holding (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle inspection") were carried out manually, and bicycles were assigned to storage tiers to determine whether they could be accommodated.

[0006] However, conventional vehicle inspections require specialized personnel to measure the dimensions of each bicycle and assess the stability of the bicycle. Furthermore, it can take time for specialized personnel to make these assessments and sort the bicycles into storage compartments based on size standards.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle inspection device, a mechanical bicycle parking lot, and a method for determining whether a motorcycle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot, which makes it possible to determine whether a motorcycle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot without deploying specialized personnel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle inspection device of the present invention comprises a guide section that guides the front and rear wheels of a two-wheeled vehicle, an upright state holding section that is provided at one end of the guide section and that supports the rear wheel to keep the two-wheeled vehicle in an upright state, and a sensor that detects whether the two-wheeled vehicle that has been made upright by the upright state holding section can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot.

[0009] According to this configuration, a pallet equipped with a sensor similar to the pallet on which the motorcycle is placed is used to detect whether the motorcycle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot, so it is possible to determine whether the motorcycle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot without deploying specialized personnel.

[0010] In the vehicle inspection device of the present invention, the sensor may include a first sensor that detects whether the motorcycle placed on the guide unit is within a predetermined range when a gripping device that grips the front wheel of the motorcycle placed on the guide unit is in an open state. With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the motorcycle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot without deploying specialized personnel.

[0011] In the vehicle inspection device of the present invention, the first sensor may be a non-contact sensor. Because there are various motorcycle standards, if the tilt detection sensor were a contact sensor, there is a possibility that the tilt detection sensor would not come into contact with the leaning motorcycle and would not activate, resulting in low detection reliability. Therefore, according to this configuration, by using a non-contact sensor as the tilt detection sensor, it is possible to reliably detect whether the motorcycle is leaning, regardless of the motorcycle standard.

[0012] In the vehicle inspection device of the present invention, the sensor may include a second sensor that detects whether the rear wheel is supported by the upright state maintaining unit. With this configuration, it is possible to detect whether the rear wheel of a motorcycle is supported by the upright state maintaining unit without deploying specialized personnel.

[0013] In the vehicle inspection device of the present invention, the standing state maintaining unit may include a movable unit that moves when the rear wheel is placed on it, and the second sensor may detect the movable state of the movable unit. According to this configuration, by providing various sensors that detect the state of the movable unit of the standing state maintaining unit, it is possible to reliably detect multiple factors (tire diameter, tire width, size and presence of rear wheel accessories) related to whether the rear wheel of a motorcycle can be placed on it.

[0014] In the vehicle inspection device of the present invention, the guide portion may have a linear groove structure and guide the front wheel and the rear wheel of the motorcycle. With this configuration, the motorcycle can be stably placed on the pallet and the rear wheel of the motorcycle can be guided to the upright state maintaining portion.

[0015] The mechanical bicycle parking lot of the present invention includes a gate unit for receiving and transferring motorcycles, a storage unit in which a plurality of pallets for placing the motorcycles are arranged, a transport device for transporting the motorcycles from the gate unit to the pallets arranged in the storage unit, a lifting unit for raising and lowering the transport device, and the vehicle inspection device described above. With this configuration, it is possible to determine which motorcycles cannot be stored in the mechanical bicycle parking lot without deploying specialized personnel.

[0016] In the mechanical bicycle parking lot of the present invention, the vehicle inspection device may be provided in the storage unit. With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether a motorcycle placed on a pallet can be stored within existing facilities.

[0017] The mechanical bicycle parking lot of the present invention may further include a gripping device that grips the front wheel of the motorcycle placed on the guide section, and the movement distance of the gripping device when the gripping device grips the front wheel and pushes the motorcycle from the front of the guide section toward the upright state maintaining section may be detected as the motorcycle length. With this configuration, the motorcycle length can be detected without adding any additional sensors or the like.

[0018] The mechanical bicycle parking lot of the present invention may further include an interference sensor that detects interference between the two-wheeled vehicle and a support post supporting the rear end of the pallet. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the storage of a two-wheeled vehicle that interferes with the support post.

[0019] In the mechanical bicycle parking lot of the present invention, a door provided on the transport path of the motorcycle from the gate unit to the storage unit may be provided with a sensor that detects the width and height of the motorcycle. With this configuration, the width and height of the motorcycle can be detected at the same time as the motorcycle is pulled into the storage unit.

[0020] In the mechanical bicycle parking lot of the present invention, the gate unit may include a vehicle length detection sensor that detects the length of the motorcycle, and the motorcycle detected by the vehicle length detection sensor to have a length equal to or greater than a predetermined length may not be accommodated in the accommodation unit. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the accommodation of motorcycles whose length is equal to or greater than the predetermined length with a simple configuration.

[0021] The method of the present invention for determining whether a two-wheeled vehicle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot has a pallet equipped with a guide section that guides the front and rear wheels of the two-wheeled vehicle, and an upright state maintaining section that is provided at one end of the guide section and supports the rear wheel to keep the two-wheeled vehicle upright, and comprises a first step of pushing the two-wheeled vehicle into the guide section and placing the two-wheeled vehicle on the guide section, and a second step of detecting using a sensor whether the two-wheeled vehicle that has been uprighted by the upright state maintaining section can be accommodated in the mechanical bicycle parking lot. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether a two-wheeled vehicle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot without deploying specialized personnel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a mechanical bicycle parking lot according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the gate portion of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the pallet of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the tipping detection sensor of the first embodiment, where (A) shows an example in which the tipping detection sensor is installed on the side of the bicycle, (B) shows an example in which the tipping detection sensor is installed on a clamp, and (C) shows an example in which the tipping detection sensor is a camera for detecting the tilt of the bicycle. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a rear wheel sensor of the first embodiment, where (A) shows an example in which the rear wheel sensor is a limit switch that detects the placement of the rear wheel on a movable part, (B) shows an example in which the rear wheel sensor is a tactile sensor, and (C) shows an example in which the rear wheel sensor is a strain sensor. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the automobile inspection system of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the vehicle inspection process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the gate portion of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below shows an example of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration described below. When implementing the present invention, a specific configuration corresponding to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted.

[0025] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 according to this embodiment.

[0026] The mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a cylindrical body 12 buried underground to accommodate a large number of two-wheeled vehicles B (bicycles in this embodiment), a storage section 14 provided within the body 12, a gate section 16 for loading and unloading the two-wheeled vehicles B into and out of the storage section 14, a transport device 18 that transports the two-wheeled vehicles B between the gate section 16 and the storage section 14, an elevator section 20 that raises and lowers the transport device 18 within the body 12, and a rotation drive section 22 that rotates and drives the transport device 18 and the elevator section 20 within the body 12. The body 12 forms the walls that make up the storage section 14.

[0027] The storage section 14 is equipped with a plurality of pallets 24 on which the motorcycles B are placed. The storage section 14 has a plurality of layers each made up of a plurality of pallets 24, and the plurality of motorcycles B are stored stacked in the height (depth) direction within the main body 12. The gate section 16 is provided on the ground and is located approximately in the center of the upper part of the main body 12. The user picks up and drops off the motorcycle B at this gate section 16.

[0028] The transport device 18 transports the motorcycle B from the gate section 16 to one of the pallets 24 in the storage section 14 when entering the warehouse, and transports the motorcycle B from the pallet 24 to the gate section 16 when leaving the warehouse. The lifting section 20 lowers the transport device 18 that has received the motorcycle B at the gate section 16 on the ground to the height (depth) of the corresponding pallet 24 when entering the warehouse, and raises the transport device 18 that has received the motorcycle B from the pallet 24 to the gate section 16 when leaving the warehouse.

[0029] The rotation drive unit 22 is provided at the bottom of the body 12 and rotates the lifting unit 20 and the transport device 18 that is lifted and lowered by the lifting unit 20.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the gate portion 16 of this embodiment.

[0031] The gate section 16 comprises an upper storage chamber 30 and a delivery section 32 adjacent to the upper storage chamber 30. The delivery section 32 is connected to the upper storage chamber 30 via an opening / closing door 34 provided on the wall of the upper storage chamber 30.

[0032] A guide rail 36, which serves as a path for the two-wheeled vehicle B, extends from the bottom surface of the delivery section 32 toward the opening and closing door 34. The guide rail 36 has a width slightly wider than the width of the wheels of the two-wheeled vehicle B. The two-wheeled vehicle B placed on the guide rail 36 has its front wheel gripped by a gripping device (hereinafter referred to as "clamp") 38 provided on the transport device 18 and pulled into the upper storage chamber 30, after which the transport device 18 places the two-wheeled vehicle B on the pallet 24 in the storage section 14.

[0033] On the wall of the upper storage chamber 30, there is provided an operation panel 40 as an operating device including a start switch, an IC card reader as a reading device, a speaker that outputs various voice messages including warnings to the user, and a screen that displays various information.

[0034] Furthermore, in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment, sensors (vehicle width sensor 41, vehicle height sensor 43) that detect the width and height of the motorcycle B are provided on the opening / closing door 34 provided on the transport path of the motorcycle B from the gate section 16 to the storage section 14. The vehicle width sensor 41 and vehicle height sensor 43 enable the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 to detect the width and height of the motorcycle B at the same time as pulling the motorcycle B into the upper storage compartment 30. The vehicle width sensor 41 and vehicle height sensor 43 are, for example, non-contact sensors (photoelectric sensors) that use lasers.

[0035] If at least one of the vehicle width sensor 41 and the vehicle height sensor 43 determines that the width or height of the motorcycle B is outside the range of specified values, the user is notified by a speaker or the like on the operation panel 40 that the motorcycle B cannot be stored. Note that if pallets 24 of different sizes corresponding to different sizes of motorcycles B are provided in the storage section 14, the vehicle width sensor 41 and the vehicle height sensor 43 may be provided in multiple locations so that the width and height of the motorcycle B can be detected more accurately. In this case, the pallets 24 for storing the motorcycles B are allocated according to the detection results of the vehicle width sensor 41 and the vehicle height sensor 43.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the pallet 24 of this embodiment.

[0037] 3 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the pallet 24 on which the motorcycle B is placed. The motorcycle B stored in the storage section 14 is loaded onto the pallet 24 rear wheel first. Specifically, the motorcycle B, with its front wheel held by the clamp 38, is pushed rear wheel first onto a predetermined pallet 24 by the clamp 38. Once the placement of the motorcycle B on the pallet 24 is complete, the clamp 38 opens, ceases holding the front wheel, and returns to a predetermined position (e.g., the upper storage chamber 30) together with the transport device 18. On the other hand, when the motorcycle B is to be removed from the pallet 24, the transport device 18 moves to the pallet 24 and holds the front wheel with the clamp 38, and the motorcycle B is pulled out front wheel first and transported to the gate section 16.

[0038] The pallet 24 of this embodiment includes a guide portion 42 and an upright state holding portion 44, and its rear end is connected to a support 48.

[0039] The guide section 42 has a linear groove structure that guides the front and rear wheels of the motorcycle B, and is installed with the rear wheel holding side tilted slightly downward. This allows the motorcycle B to be placed on the pallet 24, and the rear wheel of the motorcycle B to be guided to the upright state holding section 44.

[0040] The upright state maintaining portion 44 is provided at one end of the guide portion 42, and supports the rear wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle B from behind by maintaining the upright state of the two-wheeled vehicle B by supporting the rear wheel. This allows the two-wheeled vehicle B to maintain a substantially upright state relative to the pallet 24.

[0041] Wheel support parts 46 are provided on the support posts 48. The wheel support parts 46 abut against the rear wheels of the two-wheeled vehicle B placed on the pallet 24 from the left and right, thereby holding the rear wheels and restricting the tilt of the two-wheeled vehicle B. This prevents the two-wheeled vehicle B placed on the pallet 24 from tipping over. Note that if the independence of the two-wheeled vehicle B can be ensured without the wheel support parts 46, the wheel support parts 46 may not be necessary.

[0042] The mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment also includes an interference sensor 50 that detects interference between the motorcycle B and a support 48 that supports the rear end of the pallet 24. This prevents the motorcycle B from interfering with the support 48 from being accommodated. The interference sensor 50 is, for example, a non-contact sensor that uses a laser, and emits a laser from bottom to top. When the motorcycle B is placed on the pallet 24, the interference sensor 50 determines that the motorcycle B has interfered with the support 48 if it receives reflected laser light. Note that the interference sensor 50 is not limited to a non-contact sensor, and may be a contact sensor provided on the support 48. In this case, when the motorcycle B comes into contact with the contact sensor, it is determined that the motorcycle B has interfered with the support 48.

[0043] In this embodiment, a large number of pallets 24 are arranged at predetermined intervals on a plane so as to be stacked in multiple layers in the storage unit 14 (see FIG. 1). As an example, the multiple pallets 24 in each layer are arranged radially around the conveying device 18 so that the upright state maintaining portions 44 face the outer periphery of the storage unit 14.

[0044] Here, in the conventional mechanical bicycle parking lot 10, it was necessary for a specialized person to determine whether the two-wheeled vehicle B could be placed on the pallet 24.

[0045] Therefore, the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment has a vehicle inspection device (hereinafter referred to as a "vehicle inspection pallet") 24S equipped with a sensor (hereinafter referred to as a "vehicle inspection sensor") that detects whether or not the two-wheeled vehicle B erected by the erect state maintaining unit 44 can be accommodated in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10. According to this configuration, the vehicle inspection pallet 24S on which the two-wheeled vehicle B is placed detects whether or not the two-wheeled vehicle B can be accommodated in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10, so it is possible to determine whether or not the two-wheeled vehicle B can be accommodated in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 without deploying specialized personnel.

[0046] Furthermore, the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment is provided with a vehicle inspection pallet 24S in the storage section 14. This makes it possible to determine within the existing facility whether or not a two-wheeled vehicle B placed on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S can be stored. As an example, of the multiple layers of pallets 24 arranged in the storage section 14, one or more of the pallets 24 in the lowest layer are vehicle inspection pallets 24S.

[0047] In the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 equipped with the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, a motorcycle B pulled into the storage unit 14 is placed on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, and then inspected by a vehicle inspection sensor. Then, the motorcycle B that passes the inspection on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S is moved from the vehicle inspection pallet 24S to a predetermined pallet 24 in the storage unit 14 and placed on this predetermined pallet 24. On the other hand, a motorcycle B that fails to pass the inspection on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S is not permitted to enter and is returned to the gate unit 16. Note that the vehicle inspection pallet 24S in this embodiment is, as an example, used only for the inspection of the motorcycle B, and is not used to store the motorcycle B.

[0048] Specific examples of vehicle inspection sensors will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a tipping detection sensor 52 as an example of a vehicle inspection sensor. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a rear wheel sensor 54 as an example of a vehicle inspection sensor. Note that the vehicle inspection sensor is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, and other forms may be used as long as it can detect whether or not motorcycle B can enter mechanical bicycle parking lot 10.

[0049] When the clamp 38 that grips the front wheel of the motorcycle B placed on the guide section 42 is in the open state, the tilt detection sensor 52 detects whether the motorcycle B placed on the guide section 42 is within a predetermined range (hereinafter also referred to as the "tilt range"). In other words, if the tilt angle of the motorcycle B or the deviation from the reference line when the clamp 38 is in the open state is outside the predetermined range, the motorcycle B is determined to be ineligible for storage.

[0050] In this embodiment, the tilt detection sensor 52 is a non-contact sensor. The reason for this is that there are various standards for motorcycles B, and if the tilt detection sensor 52 were a contact sensor, there is a possibility that the tilt detection sensor 52 would not come into contact with the tilted motorcycle B and would not operate, thereby reducing the reliability of detection. For this reason, by using a non-contact sensor for the tilt detection sensor 52, it is possible to reliably detect whether or not the motorcycle B is tilting, regardless of the standard of the motorcycle B. Note that the tilt detection sensor 52 is not limited to a non-contact sensor, and a contact sensor may also be used as appropriate.

[0051] FIG. 4(A) shows an example in which the tilt detection sensor 52 is provided on the side of the motorcycle B. In the example of FIG. 4(A), the tilt detection sensor 52 is one or more non-contact sensors (for example, non-contact sensors using lasers) that detect multiple locations on the side of the motorcycle B. Then, it is determined whether the difference in the detection results before and after the clamp 38 that grips the front wheel is opened is within a predetermined tilt range. Note that the non-contact sensor shown in FIG. 4(A) may be attached via a support connected to the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, or may be attached via a support to the bottom surface of the storage section 14, for example.

[0052] 4(B) shows an example in which the tipping detection sensor 52 is provided on the clamp 38. In the example of FIG. 4(B), a contact or non-contact sensor is provided inside the clamp 38, and this sensor determines whether the difference in detection results before and after the clamp 38 that grips the front wheel is opened is within a predetermined tilt range. For example, if the front wheel comes into contact with the contact sensor provided inside the clamp 38 after the clamp 38 is opened, it is determined that the tilt is outside the predetermined range.

[0053] FIG. 4(C) shows an example in which the tilt detection sensor 52 is a camera for detecting the tilt of the bicycle. In the example of FIG. 4(C), the camera is mounted on the top surface of the clamp 38. This camera captures an image of the motorcycle B after the clamp 38 is opened, and by analyzing this image, it is determined whether the motorcycle B placed on the guide unit 42 is within a predetermined tilt range. Note that the installation location of the camera shown in FIG. 4(C) is just one example, and other locations are possible as long as the camera's angle of view includes the motorcycle B and the tilt of the motorcycle B can be detected. For example, the camera may be attached to the vehicle inspection pallet 24S via a support.

[0054] On the other hand, the rear wheel sensor 54 is a sensor that detects whether or not the rear wheel is supported by the upright state maintaining unit 44. The rear wheel sensor 54 described below is a contact sensor, but is not limited to this, and a non-contact sensor may also be used as appropriate.

[0055] FIG. 5A shows an example in which the rear wheel sensor 54 is a limit switch that detects placement of the rear wheel on the movable part 56. The upright state maintaining unit 44 shown in FIG. 5A includes a movable part 56 that moves when the rear wheel is placed on it, and the rear wheel sensor 54 detects the movable state of the movable part 56. For example, a plunger 58 is installed on the lower or rear side of the movable part 56, and the movable part 56 moves up and down or forward and backward by the plunger 58. That is, when the rear wheel of the motorcycle B is placed on the movable part 56, the movable part 56 moves downward or rearward. Then, as the movable part 56 on which the rear wheel is placed moves downward or rearward, the rear wheel sensor 54 detects contact of the movable part 56. That is, if the rear wheel is not placed on the movable part 56, the movable part 56 does not move, and therefore the rear wheel sensor 54 does not detect contact, and it is not determined that the rear wheel is supported by the upright state maintaining unit 44. Furthermore, the rear wheel sensor 54 detects multiple elements related to the rear wheel, such as the tire diameter, tire width, size and presence of rear wheel accessories, etc., by determining whether the rear wheel can be placed on the movable part 56. Note that the rear wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle B being placed on the movable part 56 means, for example, a state in which the rear wheel is stuck in the movable part 56, but this is not limiting, and the rear wheel does not necessarily have to be stuck in the movable part 56 as long as the two-wheeled vehicle B can be kept upright without coming off the wheel.

[0056] In this way, by providing the rear wheel sensor 54 that detects the state of the movable part 56 of the standing state maintaining part 44, it is possible to reliably detect multiple factors related to whether the rear wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle B can be placed on the vehicle with a simple structure.

[0057] Fig. 5(B) shows an example in which a tactile sensor is used as the rear wheel sensor 54. As shown in Fig. 5(B), a sensor that detects physical interference, such as a tactile sensor, is provided at a position on the upright state maintaining unit 44 that comes into contact with the rear wheel, for example, at a position where the bottom or rear part of the stationary rear wheel comes into contact with the upright state maintaining unit 44, thereby detecting whether or not the rear wheel is being supported by the upright state maintaining unit 44.

[0058] Fig. 5(C) shows an example in which a strain sensor is used as the rear wheel sensor 54. As shown in Fig. 5(C), a sensor that detects deformation of the rear wheel is provided at a position on the upright state maintaining unit 44 that comes into contact with the rear wheel, for example, on the inner side surface of the upright state maintaining unit 44, thereby detecting whether the rear wheel is being supported by the upright state maintaining unit 44.

[0059] 6 is a functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the vehicle inspection system 60 of this embodiment. The vehicle inspection system 60 is a system that automatically performs vehicle inspections using a vehicle inspection pallet 24S.

[0060] The mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 includes various sensors such as the vehicle width sensor 41, vehicle height sensor 43, tilt detection sensor 52, rear wheel sensor 54, etc., as well as a clamp stroke detection unit 55 and a vehicle inspection control unit 70.

[0061] The clamp stroke detection unit 55 detects the vehicle length (total length) of the two-wheeled vehicle B based on the forward and backward movement of the clamp 38. Specifically, the clamp stroke detection unit 55 detects the movement distance of the clamp 38 when the clamp 38 grips the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle B and pushes the two-wheeled vehicle B from the front of the guide unit 42 toward the upright state holding unit 44 as the vehicle length of the two-wheeled vehicle B. This makes it possible to detect the vehicle length of the two-wheeled vehicle B without adding any additional sensors or the like.

[0062] The vehicle inspection control unit 70 determines whether the two-wheeled vehicle B can be accommodated in the accommodation unit 14 based on the detection results of the above-mentioned sensors, etc. The vehicle inspection control unit 70 is a calculation device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be realized by individual hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) for each function executed by the following components.

[0063] The vehicle inspection control unit 70 of this embodiment includes a vehicle height determination unit 72, a vehicle width determination unit 74, a tilt determination unit 76, a rear wheel sensor determination unit 78, a vehicle length determination unit 80, a vehicle inspection determination unit 82, a notification control unit 84, and a control instruction unit 86.

[0064] The vehicle height determination unit 72 determines whether the detection result by the vehicle height sensor 43 is within a predetermined height range. If the detection result is within the height range, the vehicle height determination unit 72 outputs an entry possible signal indicating that entry is possible to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82, and if the detection result is not within the height range, the vehicle height determination unit 72 outputs an entry impossible signal indicating that entry is not possible to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82.

[0065] The vehicle width determination unit 74 determines whether the detection result by the vehicle width sensor 41 is within a predetermined width range. If the detection result is within the width range, the vehicle width determination unit 74 outputs an entry possible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82, and if the detection result is not within the width range, the vehicle width determination unit 74 outputs an entry impossible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82.

[0066] The tilt determination unit 76 determines whether the detection result by the tilt detection sensor 52 is within a predetermined tilt range. If the detection result is within the tilt range, the tilt determination unit 76 outputs an entry possible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82, and if the detection result is not within the tilt range, the tilt determination unit 76 outputs an entry impossible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82.

[0067] The rear wheel sensor determination unit 78 determines whether the rear wheel sensor 54 supports the rear wheel. If the rear wheel sensor determination unit 78 determines that the rear wheel is supported, it outputs an entry possible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82, and if it determines that the rear wheel is not supported, it outputs an entry impossible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82.

[0068] The vehicle length determination unit 80 determines whether the detection result by the clamp stroke detection unit 55 is within a predetermined vehicle length range. If the detection result is within the vehicle length range, the vehicle length determination unit 80 outputs an entry possible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82, and if the detection result is not within the vehicle length range, the vehicle length determination unit 80 outputs an entry impossible signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82.

[0069] When all of the vehicle height determination unit 72, vehicle width determination unit 74, tilt determination unit 76, rear wheel sensor determination unit 78, and vehicle length determination unit 80 output an entry-permitted signal, the vehicle inspection determination unit 82 determines that the motorcycle B placed on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S has passed inspection (entry-permitted determination). On the other hand, when an entry-prohibited signal is output from at least one of the vehicle height determination unit 72, vehicle width determination unit 74, tilt determination unit 76, rear wheel sensor determination unit 78, and vehicle length determination unit 80, the vehicle inspection determination unit 82 determines that the motorcycle B will not pass inspection (entry-prohibited determination).

[0070] The notification control unit 84 issues a notification according to the determination result by the vehicle inspection determination unit 82 via the speaker or screen of the operation panel 40. If entry is not possible, the notification control unit 84 may also notify the reason.

[0071] The control instruction unit 86 outputs control instructions to each unit to perform a series of operations to transport the motorcycle B from the gate unit 16 to the vehicle inspection pallet 24S and then transport the motorcycle B from the vehicle inspection pallet 24S to a predetermined pallet 24. Note that the control instruction unit 86 outputs control instructions to each unit to return the motorcycle B that did not pass vehicle inspection to the gate unit 16. Furthermore, the control instruction unit 86 may determine the pallet 24 on which to place the motorcycle B, for example, based on the detection results of the vehicle height sensor 43, the vehicle width sensor 41, and the clamp stroke detection unit 55.

[0072] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the vehicle inspection process in this embodiment, which starts when a user of the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 (the owner of two-wheeled vehicle B) performs a parking operation for two-wheeled vehicle B via the operation panel 40.

[0073] First, in step S100, when the clamp 38 grasps the front wheel of the motorcycle B in the transfer section 32 and pulls the motorcycle B into the upper storage chamber 30, the vehicle height sensor 43 detects the vehicle height of the motorcycle B, and the vehicle width sensor 41 detects the vehicle width of the motorcycle B.

[0074] In the next step S102, the vehicle inspection determination unit 82 determines whether the two-wheeled vehicle B retrieved from the vehicle height determination unit 72 and the vehicle width determination unit 74 can be stored, and if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step S104, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S114.

[0075] In step S104, the transport device 18 moves the motorcycle B to the vehicle inspection pallet 24S. When the transport device 18 reaches the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, the clamp 38 pushes the motorcycle B onto the vehicle inspection pallet 24S.

[0076] In the next step S106, the length of the two-wheeled vehicle B is detected by the clamp stroke detection unit 55, and a vehicle inspection is performed using the tipping detection sensor 52 and rear wheel sensor 54 provided on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S to determine whether the two-wheeled vehicle B can be accommodated in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10.

[0077] In the next step S108, the vehicle inspection determining unit 82 determines whether or not the vehicle has passed vehicle inspection. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S110, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S114.

[0078] In step S110, the notification control unit 84 notifies the user that the motorcycle B of the user can be stored.

[0079] In the next step S112, the two-wheeled vehicle B that has passed the vehicle inspection is moved to a predetermined pallet 24, and the vehicle inspection process ends.

[0080] On the other hand, in step S114, the notification control unit 84 notifies the user that motorcycle B cannot be stored, and in the next step S116, motorcycle B is moved to the delivery unit 32, and the vehicle inspection process ends.

[0081] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0082] As shown in Fig. 8, the gate unit 16 provided in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a vehicle length detection sensor 100 that detects the length of the motorcycle B. The mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment will not accommodate in the accommodation unit 14 a motorcycle B whose length is detected by the vehicle length detection sensor 100 to be equal to or longer than a predetermined length. The vehicle length detection sensor 100 is, for example, a non-contact sensor (photoelectric sensor) that detects the rear end of the motorcycle B by emitting a laser in the lateral direction of the motorcycle B. Although the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of the first embodiment detects the length of the motorcycle B by the clamp stroke detection unit 55, the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 of this embodiment does not need to be equipped with the clamp stroke detection unit 55.

[0083] The vehicle length detection sensor 100 of this embodiment is provided on the opening / closing door 34, and detects the rear end of the motorcycle B when the motorcycle B is pulled into the upper storage compartment 30 and transported downward by the transport device 18. In other words, when the rear end of the motorcycle B is detected by the vehicle length detection sensor 100, the vehicle length determination unit 80 determines that the detection result is outside the vehicle length range, and the vehicle length determination unit 80 outputs an entry denial signal to the vehicle inspection determination unit 82.

[0084] The reason why the vehicle length is detected by the conveying device 18 conveying the motorcycle B downward is that motorcycles B with baskets, reflectors, etc. provided rearward of the rear wheels are commonly available, and therefore the vehicle length detection sensor 100 needs to detect the entire rear surface of the motorcycle B, rather than just a portion of the rear side of the motorcycle B. In this embodiment, the conveying device 18 moves downward relative to the gate unit 16, so the vehicle length detection sensor 100 is provided below the opening / closing door 34. Note that in a configuration in which the conveying device 18 moves upward relative to the gate unit 16, the vehicle length detection sensor 100 is provided above the opening / closing door 34.

[0085] It should be noted that the vehicle length detection sensor 100 and the motorcycle B only need to move up and down relative to each other, and the rear end of the motorcycle B may be detected by the vehicle length detection sensor 100 moving up and down. Furthermore, the vehicle length detection sensor 100 may not detect the motorcycle B by emitting a single laser beam in the lateral direction of the motorcycle B, but may detect the motorcycle B in a planar manner by emitting multiple laser beams in the vertical direction of the lateral direction of the motorcycle B. In this case, relative movement between the vehicle length detection sensor 100 and the motorcycle B is not required.

[0086] 7, in the vehicle inspection process of this embodiment, when the clamp 38 grips the front wheel of the motorcycle B in the delivery section 32 and pulls the motorcycle B into the upper storage compartment 30, the vehicle height sensor 43 detects the vehicle height of the motorcycle B, the vehicle width sensor 41 detects the vehicle width of the motorcycle B, and then the transport device 18 transports the motorcycle B downward while the vehicle length detection sensor 100 detects the vehicle length of the motorcycle B. If the vehicle length of the motorcycle B is equal to or greater than a predetermined length, the vehicle inspection determination unit 82 determines that the motorcycle B cannot be stored, and the transport device 18 returns the motorcycle B to the gate section 16. The user is notified by a speaker or the like on the operation panel 40 that the motorcycle B cannot be stored.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiment, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-mentioned embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above-mentioned embodiment without departing from the gist of the invention, and such changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0088] In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the two-wheeled vehicle B stored in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 is a bicycle, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the two-wheeled vehicle B stored in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 may also be a motorcycle.

[0089] In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the motorcycle B is not accommodated by the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the motorcycle B may be accommodated by the vehicle inspection pallet 24S. In other words, the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10 is provided with a plurality of vehicle inspection pallets 24S, and the motorcycle B that has passed the vehicle inspection on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S may be accommodated on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S as is, without being moved to another pallet 24.

[0090] Furthermore, a motorcycle B for temporary use may be stored on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S. For example, if a motorcycle B owned by a regular user passes inspection on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, the next time it is brought into storage, it will be stored on the pallet 24 without undergoing inspection on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S. On the other hand, a motorcycle B for temporary use will be inspected on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, and if it passes the inspection, it will be stored on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S as is. In this case, for example, a pallet 24 on a predetermined layer of the multiple layers of pallets 24 is designated as the vehicle inspection pallet 24S.

[0091] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the vehicle inspection pallet 24S is provided inside the storage unit 14 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle inspection pallet 24S may be provided outside the storage unit 14. For example, the vehicle inspection pallet 24S may be provided near the gate unit 16, and a user may place the motorcycle B on this vehicle inspection pallet 24S, and the vehicle inspection may be performed by the tipping determination unit 76 and the rear wheel sensor determination unit 78. Furthermore, a clamp identical to the clamp 38 provided in the storage unit 14 may be provided near the gate unit 16 together with the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, and the front wheel of the motorcycle B may be gripped by this clamp and pushed onto the inspection pallet 24S, thereby detecting the length of the motorcycle B.

[0092] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle inspection pallet 24S may be structured to be detachable and transportable so that it can be installed at any location in the mechanical parking lot (inside the storage area 14, the gate area 16, outdoors, etc.) in order to move the vehicle inspection pallet 24S to a specific location. By using such a structure, even in existing mechanical parking lots that do not have the vehicle inspection pallet 24S and cannot perform vehicle inspections, vehicle inspections can be made possible by installing the vehicle inspection pallet 24S.

[0093] In the above embodiment, a form has been described in which a vehicle inspection sensor such as a tipping detection sensor 52 is provided on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle inspection sensor may be provided not only on the vehicle inspection pallet 24S but also in the mechanical bicycle parking lot 10. For example, a camera installed inside the storage unit 14 may be used as the tipping detection sensor 52. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 10 Mechanical bicycle parking lot 14 Storage section 16 Gate section 18 Conveyor equipment 20 Lifting section 24S Vehicle Inspection Pallet (Vehicle Inspection Equipment) 38 Clamp (gripping device) 42 Guide section 44 Standing state maintenance section 52 Fall detection sensor (first sensor) 54 Rear wheel sensor (second sensor) 56 Moving parts B Motorcycle 100 Vehicle length detection sensor

Claims

1. a guide portion for guiding the front and rear wheels of the motorcycle; an upright state maintaining portion provided at one end of the guide portion and configured to support the rear wheel to maintain the two-wheeled vehicle in an upright state; a sensor that detects whether the two-wheeled vehicle that has been raised by the standing state maintaining unit can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot; A vehicle inspection device comprising: a gate section for transferring the motorcycle; a storage section in which a plurality of pallets for storing the motorcycles are arranged; a conveying device that conveys the motorcycle from the gate unit to the pallet arranged in the storage unit; a lifting unit that lifts and lowers the transport device; Equipped with The vehicle inspection device is provided in the storage unit. Mechanical bicycle parking.

2. 2. The mechanical bicycle parking lot described in claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a first sensor that detects whether the two-wheeled vehicle placed on the guide section is within a predetermined range when a gripping device that grips the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle placed on the guide section is in an open state.

3. The mechanical bicycle parking lot according to claim 2 , wherein the first sensor is a non-contact sensor.

4. 4. The mechanical bicycle parking lot according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a second sensor that detects whether the rear wheel is supported by the upright state maintaining section.

5. the upright state maintaining unit includes a movable unit that moves when the rear wheel is placed thereon, The mechanical bicycle parking lot according to claim 4 , wherein the second sensor detects the movable state of the movable part.

6. The mechanical bicycle parking lot according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion has a linear groove structure and guides the front wheel and the rear wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle.

7. a gripping device that grips the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle placed on the guide portion, A mechanical bicycle parking lot as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the distance traveled by the gripping device when the gripping device grips the front wheel and pushes the motorcycle from the front of the guide section toward the upright state maintaining section is detected as the length of the motorcycle.

8. The mechanical bicycle parking lot according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an interference sensor that detects interference between a support supporting a rear end of the pallet and the two-wheeled vehicle.

9. A mechanical bicycle parking lot as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a door provided on the transport path of the motorcycle from the gate section to the storage section is equipped with a sensor that detects the width and height of the motorcycle.

10. the gate unit includes a vehicle length detection sensor that detects the vehicle length of the two-wheeled vehicle; 10. The mechanical bicycle parking lot according to claim 1, wherein the motorcycle detected by the vehicle length detection sensor as having a length equal to or greater than a predetermined length is not accommodated in the accommodation section.

11. A method for determining whether a two-wheeled vehicle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising: a first step of pushing the motorcycle into the guide portion to place the motorcycle on the guide portion; a second step of detecting by a sensor whether the two-wheeled vehicle erected by the erection state maintaining unit can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot; A method for determining whether a motorcycle can be accommodated in a mechanical bicycle parking lot.

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