Mechanical parking system

Abstract

To provide a mechanical parking device that can charge an electric vehicle and improve parking efficiency.SOLUTION: A mechanical parking device 1 comprises: a plurality of storage shelves 3 capable of accommodating vehicles 2; a plurality of pallets 4 on which the vehicles 2 are placed to be accommodated in the storage shelves 3; and a temporary placing shelf 5 on which unused pallets 4 are temporarily placed. At least one of the storage shelves 3 is a charging shelf 31 capable of charging an accommodated electric vehicle 21. The number of temporary placing shelves 5 is equal to the number of charging shelves 31. The number of pallets 4 is the same as the number of storage shelves 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanical parking device, and particularly to a mechanical parking device capable of charging an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as a large-scale mechanical parking device that efficiently utilizes three-dimensional space, parking devices such as an elevator type and a horizontal circulation type, which place vehicles on pallets and store them, have already been developed.

[0003] In recent years, electric vehicles (EVs: Electric Vehicles) powered by electric motors using electricity as an energy source have been becoming popular. In addition, hybrid vehicles (HV: Hybrid Vehicles) that also have an internal combustion engine (engine) as a power source in addition to an electric motor have been becoming popular. Hereinafter, in this specification, the "electric vehicle" shall include both electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles (HV).

[0004] Current electric vehicles generally have a secondary battery (storage battery) that can be charged from an external power source, and supply electricity from the secondary battery to an electric motor to drive it. As such electric vehicles become popular, a plurality of electric vehicles will be parked in a mechanical parking device.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a three-dimensional parking facility having at least one charging parking section capable of charging an electric vehicle, having a charging pallet that can be stored in the charging parking section, the charging pallet being provided with a number that is at least one more than the number of the charging parking sections, and the total number of all pallets including the charging pallet being less than the total number of all parking sections including the charging parking section by the number of the charging parking sections to 1, and having a charging function.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] In the parking system described in Patent Document 1, the total number of pallets is at least one less than the total number of parking spaces, which means that even when the maximum number of vehicles are parked is reduced.

[0008] This invention was conceived in view of the aforementioned problems, and aims to provide a mechanical parking system that can charge electric vehicles and improve parking efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the present invention, a mechanical parking device comprising a plurality of storage shelves capable of accommodating vehicles, and a plurality of pallets on which the vehicles are placed and stored in the storage shelves, further comprising a control device for controlling the transport of the pallets, and a temporary storage shelf on which unused pallets can be temporarily stored, wherein at least one of the plurality of storage shelves is a charging shelf capable of charging the stored electric vehicles, the number of temporary storage shelves is the same as the number of charging shelves, and the number of pallets is the same as the number of plurality of storage shelves. The control device is configured to switch between a rotating charging mode, in which the electric vehicle can be charged while swapping the pallets using the charging shelf, the temporary storage shelf, and the storage shelf, and a parking priority mode, in which the charging shelf can accommodate vehicles that are not being charged or vehicles other than the electric vehicle. A mechanical parking system characterized by the above is provided.

[0011] The control device may be configured to operate in the rotating charging mode until the parking lot is full, and to automatically switch to the parking priority mode when the last vehicle is parked.

[0012] The number of charging shelves may be set based on the number of groups classified according to the vehicle height.

[0013] If there are multiple charging shelves, they may be arranged on the same side of the hoistway for the pallet.

[0014] The charging rack may be positioned close to the passenger compartment used for entering and exiting the vehicle.

[0015] If there are multiple temporary storage shelves, they may be distributed throughout the installation space of the storage shelf, or they may be concentrated in a portion of the installation space of the storage shelf.

[0016] If there are multiple temporary storage shelves, at least one pair of these temporary storage shelves may be placed at the same height.

[0017] The charging shelf and the temporary storage shelf are positioned on at least one side of the hoistway for the pallet, and the mechanical parking device may be configured to transport the pallet to the storage shelf, the charging shelf, and the temporary storage shelf without rotating the pallet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the mechanical parking system of the present invention described above, by installing the same number of temporary storage shelves as charging shelves and arranging the same number of pallets as storage shelves, electric vehicles can be charged sequentially, and vehicles can be parked in all storage shelves. Therefore, according to the mechanical parking system of the present invention, electric vehicles can be charged, and parking efficiency can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device (sequential charging mode) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device (parking priority mode) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an overall configuration diagram showing a modified example of the mechanical parking system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Here, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device (wheel rotation charging mode) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device (parking priority mode) according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a mechanical parking device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of storage shelves 3 capable of accommodating a vehicle 2, a plurality of pallets 4 on which the vehicle 2 is placed and stored in the storage shelves 3, and a temporary storage shelf 5 on which unused pallets 4 can be temporarily placed. At least one of the plurality of storage shelves 3 is a charging shelf 31 capable of charging the accommodated electric vehicle 21. The number of temporary storage shelves 5 is the same as the number of charging shelves 31, and the number of pallets 4 is the same as the number of storage shelves 3.

[0022] The mechanical parking device 1 is, for example, an elevator-type parking device. The elevator-type parking device includes, for example, a lift 7 suspended from the ceiling of a building 11 by a wire rope or the like and configured to be able to move up and down by a lifting device 6. In the building 11, a hoistway 10, which is a space configured to be able to move the lift 7 up and down in the vertical direction, is formed. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the diagram of the wire connecting the lifting device 6 and the lift 7 is omitted.

[0023] Further, the mechanical parking device 1 includes an entrance / exit room 12 that forms a space for the vehicle to enter and exit. An entrance / exit door (not shown) is arranged in the front of the building 11 of the entrance / exit room 12. Further, a turning device 8 for changing the orientation of the pallet 4 is installed in a pit 13 formed in the entrance / exit room 12. Further, the mechanical parking device 1 includes a control device 9 for controlling the conveyance of the pallet 4. The control device 9 may be arranged inside the building 11 or outside the building 11.

[0024] The mechanical parking system 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in the illustration, and may be other types of parking systems such as a comb-type elevator system or a horizontal circulation system, as long as it is capable of transporting the vehicle 2 on the pallet 4.

[0025] Vehicle 2 includes both electric vehicles 21 and vehicles powered by petroleum fuels such as gasoline. Furthermore, electric vehicles 21 include both electric vehicles (EVs) powered by electric motors that use electricity as an energy source, and hybrid vehicles (HVs) that have both electric motors and internal combustion engines as power sources.

[0026] Furthermore, vehicles 2 are classified into three groups based on their height: passenger cars N, medium-roof vehicles M, and high-roof vehicles H. The mechanical parking system 1 shown in Figure 1 is configured to accommodate vehicles 2 of all heights (three groups). When the electric vehicle 21 is placed on the pallet 4, it is connected manually or automatically to a charging terminal (not shown).

[0027] Pallet 4 is a plate-like member on which the vehicle 2 is placed. Pallet 4 is configured to be transferable between the lift 7 and the storage rack 3. The vehicle 2 is stored in the storage rack 3 together with pallet 4. Although not shown, pallet 4 is equipped with charging terminals for charging the electric vehicle 21.

[0028] For example, the charging terminal is located on either the left or right side of the pallet 4. When storing the pallet 4 in the charging rack 31, the orientation of the pallet 4 is adjusted by the swivel device 8 so that the charging terminal can be connected to the charging device 14 located in the storage rack 3. Note that the charging terminal does not need to be located on all pallets 4; it may be located on only some of the pallets 4, taking into account the usage of the electric vehicles 21.

[0029] The storage racks 3 are arranged in multiple tiers on both sides of the elevator shaft 10, which raises and lowers the pallet 4 placed on the lift 7. The storage racks 3 are equipped with traverse rails installed on column members located inside the building 11. For the sake of clarity in this embodiment, the diagram of the traverse rails has been omitted.

[0030] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, six storage shelves 3 (12 in total) are arranged on each side of the elevator shaft. For example, the bottom two shelves 3n are for passenger cars N, the middle two shelves 3m are for medium-roof vehicles M, and the top two shelves 3h are for high-roof vehicles H. The vertical spacing of the storage shelves 3 is set according to the height of the vehicle 2 to be stored.

[0031] Of the four storage shelves for passenger car N, at least one is a charging shelf 31 equipped with a charging device 14. Here, storage shelf 3, located in the lower left of the figure, is set as charging shelf 31. Of the four storage shelves for medium-roof vehicle M, at least one is a charging shelf 31 equipped with a charging device 14. Here, storage shelf 3, located in the lower left of the figure, is set as charging shelf 31. Of the four storage shelves for high-roof vehicle H, at least one is a charging shelf 31 equipped with a charging device 14. Here, storage shelf 3, located in the lower left of the figure, is set as charging shelf 31.

[0032] Thus, the number of charging shelves 31 is set based on the number of groups classified according to the vehicle height of the vehicle 2. In other words, in this embodiment, the vehicles are classified into three groups: passenger cars N, medium-roof vehicles M, and high-roof vehicles H. Therefore, three charging shelves 31 are installed so that at least one charging shelf 31 is placed in each group.

[0033] Furthermore, the charging racks 31 located in each group are positioned closest to the passenger compartment 12 through which the vehicles 2 are loaded and unloaded, among the storage racks 3 located in each group. Also, as shown in the figure, when there are multiple charging racks 31 (three in this case), the charging racks 31 are arranged on the same side of the hoistway 10 of the pallet 4.

[0034] Each charging device 14 is connected to the power supply 16 via a distribution board 15. The distribution board 15 controls the amount of power supplied to the charging devices 14, the charging time, etc. As shown in the diagram, by arranging the charging shelves 31 for passenger cars N, medium-roof cars M, and high-roof cars H on the same side (left side in the diagram) and placing them on the lowest level within each group, the wiring route can be shortened and simplified, and the amount of work required for wiring can be reduced.

[0035] The temporary storage shelves 5 are for temporarily storing pallets 4 that are not in use. Since the temporary storage shelves 5 do not store vehicles 2, they are positioned close to the storage shelves 3 located above them. The number of temporary storage shelves 5 is determined, for example, based on the number of groups classified by the height of the vehicles 2. Specifically, three temporary storage shelves 5 are provided: one for passenger cars N, one for medium-roof vehicles M, and one for high-roof vehicles H.

[0036] The temporary storage shelf 5n for passenger car N is located close to the storage shelf 3 for passenger car N, for example, below the rightmost storage shelf 3 on the bottom row. The temporary storage shelf 5m for medium-roof car M is located close to the storage shelf 3 for medium-roof car M, for example, below the rightmost storage shelf 3 on the second row from the top. The temporary storage shelf 5h for high-roof car H is located close to the storage shelf 3 for high-roof car H, for example, below the leftmost storage shelf 3 on the second row from the top.

[0037] In this manner, multiple temporary storage shelves 5n, 5m, and 5h are distributed within the installation space of the storage shelf 3. Note that the temporary storage shelf 5m for the middle-roof vehicle M and the temporary storage shelf 5h for the high-roof vehicle H may be swapped. Also, as shown in the figure, the temporary storage shelf 5m for the middle-roof vehicle M and the temporary storage shelf 5h for the high-roof vehicle H are placed at the same height. By placing a pair of temporary storage shelves 5m and 5h at the same height at the boundary between the storage shelf 3 for the middle-roof vehicle M and the storage shelf 3 for the high-roof vehicle H, wasted space can be reduced, and the travel distance or travel time of the pallet 4 can be shortened.

[0038] The control device 9 is a device that controls the operation of swapping pallets 4 using the storage rack 3, charging rack 31, and temporary storage rack 5 described above. For example, the control device 9 is configured to switch between a rotating charging mode in which electric vehicles 21 can be charged while swapping pallets 4 using the charging rack 31, temporary storage rack 5, and storage rack 3, and a parking priority mode in which vehicles 2 that are not being charged or vehicles other than electric vehicles 2 can be accommodated in the charging rack 31.

[0039] The rotating charging mode is an operating mode in which electric vehicles 21 that require charging are stored in the charging racks 31 in a ready-to-charge state. For example, a passenger car N is stored in a predetermined rack while the pallet 4 is swapped between the storage rack 3n for passenger car N, the charging rack 31 for passenger car N, and the temporary storage rack 5n for passenger car N.

[0040] At this time, as shown in Figure 1, at least one of the storage shelves 3 is controlled to become an empty shelf where no vehicle 2 is parked. By setting an empty shelf, the electric vehicles 21 that need charging can be moved to the charging shelf 31 at a predetermined timing and charged sequentially.

[0041] Similarly, if vehicle 2 is a medium-roof vehicle M, the pallet 4 is stored on the designated shelf while being swapped between the storage shelf 3m for medium-roof vehicle M, the charging shelf 31 for medium-roof vehicle M, and the temporary storage shelf 5m for medium-roof vehicle M. Similarly, if vehicle 2 is a high-roof vehicle H, the pallet 4 is stored on the designated shelf while being swapped between the storage shelf 3h for high-roof vehicle H, the charging shelf 31 for high-roof vehicle H, and the temporary storage shelf 5h for high-roof vehicle H.

[0042] In the rotational charging mode, it is necessary to rotate the electric vehicles 21 while charging them, so charging racks 31 and temporary storage racks 5 are arranged in groups set based on the vehicle height. Therefore, the number of temporary storage racks 5 is set to be the same as the number of charging racks 31.

[0043] The parking priority mode is an operating mode in which, when vehicle 2 does not need to be charged, vehicle 2 is stored in the mechanical parking device 1 using the entire storage rack 3, as shown in Figure 2. "When vehicle 2 does not need to be charged" means both when vehicle 2 is not an electric vehicle 21, and when vehicle 2 is an electric vehicle 21 but does not need to be charged.

[0044] In parking priority mode, there is no need for sequential charging, so vehicles 2 with a predetermined vehicle height are stored sequentially in each storage rack 3. Therefore, the number of pallets 4 is set to the same number as the number of storage racks 3. For example, in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, there are 12 storage racks 3, so the number of pallets 4 is set to 12. Note that sequential charging is not possible in parking priority mode, but it is possible to charge electric vehicles 21 stored in the charging rack 31.

[0045] According to the mechanical parking system 1 of this embodiment described above, by installing the same number of temporary storage shelves 5 as the charging shelves 31 and arranging the same number of pallets 4 as the storage shelves 3, it is possible to use the system in two ways: a rotating charging mode in which the electric vehicles 21 are charged in sequence, and a parking priority mode in which the number of vehicles that can be parked in the storage shelves 3 is increased. Therefore, according to the mechanical parking system 1 of this embodiment, the electric vehicles 21 can be charged, and parking efficiency can be improved.

[0046] Alternatively, the system may operate in "sequential charging mode" until it is not yet full, just before all vehicles 2 are stored, and then automatically switch to "parking priority mode" when the last vehicle is stored. In this case, it is preferable to store the last vehicle in the charging rack 31. While it generally takes a long time for the mechanical parking system 1 to become full, this time can be used to evenly charge many electric vehicles 21, and the last vehicle can also be charged in the charging rack 31, allowing many vehicles to be charged with less equipment, thereby improving both the efficiency of the charging equipment and the efficiency of the number of parking spaces.

[0047] Here, Figure 3 is an overall configuration diagram showing a modified example of the mechanical parking system according to the first embodiment. For the sake of explanation, Figure 3 illustrates the case when used in rotational charging mode.

[0048] The mechanical parking system 1 shown in Figure 3 is assumed to be a mechanical parking system capable of parking only passenger cars N. That is, the number of groups set based on the vehicle height is one. In this modified example, since there is only one group, the number of charging shelves 31 and temporary storage shelves 5 is one. Also, since there are 10 storage shelves 3, the number of pallets 4 is set to 10.

[0049] Thus, even if the number of groups of vehicles 2 that can be parked in the mechanical parking system 1 changes, the number of temporary storage shelves 5 is set to be the same as the number of charging shelves 31, and the number of pallets 4 is set to be the same as the number of storage shelves 3. Although not shown in the diagram, if there are two groups, the number of charging shelves 31 and temporary storage shelves 5 is set to 2, and the number of pallets 4 is set to be the same as the number of storage shelves 3.

[0050] Next, a mechanical parking device 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Here, Figure 4 is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is an overall configuration diagram showing a mechanical parking device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Note that in Figures 4 to 6, for the sake of explanation, the case in which the device is used in rotational charging mode is illustrated.

[0051] The mechanical parking system 1 according to the second embodiment shown in Figure 4 is a modified version of the first embodiment described above, with the position of the temporary storage shelves 5 changed. Specifically, the temporary storage shelves 5 are consolidated and arranged in one location within the installation space of the storage shelves 3. For example, as shown in the figure, the temporary storage shelves 5n for passenger cars N, 5m for medium-roof cars M, and 5h for high-roof cars H are consolidated and arranged in one location in the space on the right side of the lower section of the figure.

[0052] The temporary storage shelves 5 may be distributed within the installation space of the storage shelves 3, as shown in Figure 1, or they may be concentrated in one location within the installation space of the storage shelves 3, as shown in Figure 4. The arrangement of the temporary storage shelves 5 can be flexibly set according to conditions such as the size of the building 11 of the mechanical parking system 1 and the required number of vehicles to be accommodated.

[0053] Alternatively, the space created by consolidating the temporary storage shelves 5 in Figure 4 may be used to store the vehicle 2. However, it should be noted that using the space created by consolidating the temporary storage shelves 5 as the storage shelf 3 requires setting the spacing between the traverse rails of the temporary storage shelves 5 to be wider than the length of the vehicle 2, which will increase the overall dimensions of the machinery.

[0054] The mechanical parking system 1 according to the third embodiment shown in Figure 5 has charging shelves 31 for passenger cars N, medium-roof vehicles M, and high-roof vehicles H, all located close to the passenger compartment 12. For example, as shown in the figure, the storage shelves 3 from the bottom up to the third row on the left side of the figure are set as charging shelves 31.

[0055] In this way, by concentrating the charging shelves 31 in a location close to the passenger compartment 12, the amount of work required for wiring can be reduced. Furthermore, by concentrating the charging shelves 31 on one side of the elevator shaft 10, the amount of work required for wiring can be reduced even further.

[0056] In the third embodiment, the temporary storage shelves 5 are grouped together on the third shelf from the bottom on the right side of the diagram, but this configuration is merely illustrative, and the temporary storage shelves 5 may be placed in other locations.

[0057] The mechanical parking system 1 according to the fourth embodiment shown in Figure 6 omits the swivel device 8. Specifically, charging shelves 31 and temporary storage shelves 5 are arranged on both sides of the hoistway 10 for the pallets 4. The storage shelf 3, charging shelf 31, and temporary storage shelf 5 located on the left side of the hoistway 10 are configured to circulate only pallets 4 suitable for that orientation, while the storage shelf 3, charging shelf 31, and temporary storage shelf 5 located on the right side of the hoistway 10 are configured to circulate only pallets 4 suitable for that orientation.

[0058] In the mechanical parking system 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the storage shelf, charging shelf 31, and temporary storage shelf 5 on one side of the figure are configured to allow switching between a rotating charging mode and a parking priority mode. Therefore, for example, when moving a pallet 4 from the left shelf to the right shelf, it is not necessary to rotate it to change its orientation, and the rotating device 8 can be omitted. Consequently, the cost of the mechanical parking system 1 can be reduced, and the movement time of the pallet 4 can also be shortened.

[0059] In this illustration, the storage shelves 3, charging shelves 31, and temporary storage shelves 5 are arranged on both sides of the elevator shaft 10. However, if the width of the building 11 is narrow, the storage shelves 3, charging shelves 31, and temporary storage shelves 5 may be arranged on only one side of the elevator shaft 10.

[0060] Furthermore, in the mechanical parking system 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the number of temporary storage shelves 5 is set to be the same as the number of charging shelves 31, and the number of pallets 4 is set to be the same as the number of storage shelves 3.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Mechanical parking system 2 vehicles 3 Storage shelves Storage rack for 3h high-roof vehicles (H) Storage rack for 3m medium-roof vehicles (M size) Storage rack for 3n passenger car N 4 pallets 5 Temporary shelf Temporary storage shelf for 5h high-roof vehicles (H) Temporary storage shelf for 5m medium-roof vehicles (size M) 5n Temporary storage shelf for passenger car N 6. Lifting device 7 Lifts 8. Swivel device 9 Control device 10 Elevator 11 buildings 12 Passenger compartments 13 Pit 14 Charging device 15 Distribution board 16 Power supply 21 Electric Vehicles 31 Charging shelf

Claims

[Claim 1] A mechanical parking system comprising a plurality of storage racks capable of accommodating vehicles, and a plurality of pallets on which the vehicles are placed and stored in the storage racks, The system comprises a control device for controlling the transport of the pallets, and a temporary storage shelf for temporarily storing unused pallets. At least one of the aforementioned storage shelves is a charging shelf capable of charging the electric vehicle stored inside. The number of temporary storage shelves is the same as the number of charging shelves. The number of pallets is the same as the number of storage racks. The control device is configured to switch between a rotating charging mode, in which the electric vehicle can be charged while changing the pallet using the charging shelf, the temporary storage shelf, and the storage shelf, and a parking priority mode, in which the charging shelf can accommodate vehicles that are not being charged or vehicles other than the electric vehicle. A mechanical parking system characterized by the following features.

Images