Mechanical parking system

Abstract

To provide a mechanical parking device, which is a pallet-less type parking device, allowing charging to electric vehicles, without requiring a storage space for a charging box in a loading and unloading section.SOLUTION: A mechanical parking device has a portable charging relay for charging electric vehicles, a relay storing part for storing multiple charging relays, and a relay moving device for moving the charging relay between a carrier and the relay storing part. The charging relay has a charging part connected to the electric vehicles and a power-receiving part for receiving power from a power supplying part provided in accordance with a prescribed parking part. The relay moving device has a carrier side conveyor part provided at the carrier and for loading the charging relay, and a storing part side conveyor part for moving the charging relay between the carrier and the relay storing part in cooperation with the carrier side conveyor part. A control device is configured to move the carrier to the relay storing part before loading the electric vehicle on the carrier, and to drive the carrier side conveyor part and the storing part side conveyor part to move the charging relay from the relay storing part to the carrier.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to a palletless mechanical parking apparatus capable of charging electric vehicles. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, mechanical parking facilities for parking a plurality of automobiles are installed in condominiums, business districts, etc. Mechanical parking facilities adopt forms such as elevator type and multi-stage type according to installation conditions, and a palletless type without pallets may be adopted in some cases. Meanwhile, in recent years, electric vehicles (in this specification and the claims, the term "electric vehicle" includes Electric Vehicles (EV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)) have become widespread, and mechanical parking facilities that charge electric vehicles by utilizing the parking time have been proposed.

[0003] For example, as a prior art of this kind, there is a conveyor-type mechanical parking apparatus that attempts to charge an electric vehicle while it is parked (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this parking apparatus, in the entry / exit booth (entry / exit section), the leg part of the current-collecting bracket is inserted into the tire of an electric vehicle parked on a conveyor, and a plug of a cable extending from the power supply socket of the electric vehicle is connected to a plug socket provided on the leg part of the current-collecting bracket. The electric vehicle is transported by a lift device to the parking stall, and the electric vehicle and the current-collecting bracket are moved integrally in the parking stall, so that charging becomes possible when the storage position is reached. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 5681525 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the current collection brackets are inserted into the tires of the electric vehicles at the loading / unloading section, thereby clamping the wheels and placing them on the conveyor belt. For this reason, it is necessary to permanently install a number of current collection brackets corresponding to the number of electric vehicles to be accommodated in the loading / unloading section, which requires a large storage space in the loading / unloading section.

[0006] Furthermore, in the entry and exit areas, the driver or staff member must insert the legs of the current collection bracket into the wheels, which is inconvenient.

[0007] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to provide a mechanical parking system that does not require storage space for a charging relay unit in the entry / exit section of a palletless parking system and can charge electric vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A mechanical parking system according to one aspect of this application comprises an entry / exit section for entering and exiting electric vehicles, a parking space section having a plurality of parking sections for storing the electric vehicles, a carrier for moving vehicles between the entry / exit section and the parking space section, and a control device for controlling the carrier, A power supply unit provided in the parking area, A portable charging relay for charging the electric vehicle, and a relay storage unit for storing multiple charging relays, It comprises a storage-side conveyor section provided in the relay storage section, a carrier-side conveyor section provided in the carrier, and a parking-side conveyor section provided in the parking section. The charging relay unit includes a charging unit connected to the electric vehicle, The aforementioned It has a power receiving unit for receiving power from the power supply unit. Do it. Before The control device, before placing the electric vehicle on the carrier, moves the carrier to the relay unit storage unit. Height position Move to the carrier side conveyor and the storage side conveyor to move the charging relay from the relay storage to the carrier. After placing the charging relay unit and the electric vehicle on the carrier, the carrier is moved to the height of the parking area, and the carrier-side conveyor and the parking area-side conveyor are driven to move the charging relay unit and the electric vehicle from the carrier to the parking area. It is configured in such a way. The charging unit of the charging relay unit, which has been transferred to the parking area, is configured to be connected to the electric vehicle, and the power receiving unit is configured to be connected to the power supply unit of the parking area.

[0009] This configuration allows the carrier to be moved to the relay unit storage area before the electric vehicle enters the carrier, and the charging relay unit can be placed on the carrier by the carrier-side conveyor and the storage unit-side conveyor of the relay unit storage area. As a result, the charging relay unit can be placed on the carrier before the electric vehicle enters the parking area without requiring storage space for the charging relay unit in the entry / exit area. Therefore, even with a palletless parking system, electric vehicles can be properly charged without requiring storage space for the charging relay unit in the entry / exit area.

[0010] Furthermore, the carrier-side conveyor section and the storage-side conveyor section may have positioning sections to prevent the charging relay unit from shifting position on the mounting surface.

[0011] With this configuration, the charging relay unit's position is determined at the positioning unit, allowing it to move stably without misalignment on the upper surfaces of the storage unit-side conveyor and the carrier-side conveyor.

[0012] Also, before The control device is 、 Drive of the carrier-side conveyor section and the parking area-side conveyor section to Therefore, the charging relay is From the aforementioned carrier The device may be moved to the parking area and configured to connect the power receiving unit and the power supply unit of the charging relay.

[0013] With this configuration, by driving the conveyor on the parking area side and the conveyor on the carrier side of the carrier, the charging relay unit on the carrier can be moved to the parking area, and the power receiving unit of the charging relay unit can be connected to the power supply unit by the conveyor on the parking area side.

[0014] Furthermore, the carrier-side conveyor section may be used for both moving the charging relay unit and for the electric vehicle on the carrier to move along, and the parking-side conveyor section may be used for both moving the charging relay unit and for the electric vehicle on the parking area to move along.

[0015] With this configuration, the carrier-side conveyor moves the charging relay unit and the electric vehicle, and the parking-side conveyor moves the charging relay unit and the electric vehicle, so that the charging relay unit and the electric vehicle can be moved appropriately with a small number of conveyor units.

[0016] Furthermore, the control device may have a storage unit that stores registration information of the electric vehicle entering the depot, the registration information including vehicle identification information and charging port position information linked to the vehicle identification information, and the control device may be configured to determine the position of the charging relay on the carrier based on the registration information when the electric vehicle enters the depot, and to drive the carrier-side conveyor to move the charging relay onto the carrier.

[0017] With this configuration, the control device can position the charging relay unit at an appropriate location corresponding to the charging port location information of the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle enters the depot, based on the charging port location information of the electric vehicle stored in the memory unit.

[0018] Furthermore, the carrier-side conveyor section may include a first carrier-side conveyor section and a second carrier-side conveyor section spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle placed on the carrier, and the control device may be configured to select, based on the registration information, whether to move the charging relay unit from the parking area-side conveyor section to the first carrier-side conveyor section, or from the parking area-side conveyor section to the second carrier-side conveyor section when the electric vehicle is parked.

[0019] With this configuration, the control device can position the charging relay at the appropriate location of the charging port by driving the parking area-side conveyor and the first or second carrier-side conveyor on the carrier side, based on the charging port position information stored in the memory unit.

[0020] Further, the storage-side conveyor section includes a first storage-side conveyor section corresponding to the first carrier-side conveyor section, and a second storage-side conveyor section corresponding to the second carrier-side conveyor section. When the electric vehicle is stored, the control device may be configured to select, based on the registration information, movement of the charging repeater from the first storage-side conveyor section to the first carrier-side conveyor section, or movement of the charging repeater from the second storage-side conveyor section to the second carrier-side conveyor section.

[0021] With this configuration, the control device can select driving of the first parking-side conveyor section and the first carrier-side conveyor section, or the second parking-side conveyor section and the second carrier-side conveyor section based on the charging port position information stored in the storage section, and arrange the charging repeater at an appropriate position corresponding to the position of the charging port.

[0022] Further, the storage-side conveyor section includes a right storage-side conveyor section and a left storage-side conveyor section which are provided at the same height position in the left direction and the right direction of the carrier. When the electric vehicle is stored, the control device may be configured to select, based on the registration information, movement of the charging repeater from the right storage-side conveyor section to the carrier-side conveyor section, or movement of the charging repeater from the left storage-side conveyor section to the carrier-side conveyor section.

[0023] With this configuration, the control device can place the charging repeater from the right parking-side conveyor section or the left parking-side conveyor section to the right position or the left position of the carrier based on the charging port position information stored in the storage section. Therefore, the charging repeater can be arranged at an appropriate position corresponding to the position of the charging port on the right or left side of the electric vehicle. Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to the present application, even for a pallet-less parking device, it is possible to provide a mechanical parking device that can charge electric vehicles without requiring a storage space for the charging repeater in the loading / unloading section. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing an elevator-type parking device according to one embodiment of this application. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram of the part including the conveyor drive unit shown in Figure 2, where (A) is a front view with the electric vehicle positioned on the carrier-side conveyor section, and (B) is a front view with the electric vehicle moved to the parking-side conveyor section. [Figure 4] Figures 4(A) and 4(B) are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the elevator-type parking system shown in Figure 1 when a vehicle is parked inside the parking space. [Figure 5] Figures 5(A) and 5(B) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of an elevator-type parking system during vehicle entry, following Figure 4(B). [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the positioning section for the charging relay unit in the carrier-side conveyor section. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the positioning section for the charging relay unit in the conveyor section on the parking area side. [Figure 8] Figures 8(A) to 8(D) are plan views showing the positions where the charging relay unit is placed on the carrier when an electric vehicle enters the depot. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of connection between the power receiving unit of a charging repeater and the power supply unit of the parking rack, where (A) is a front view of a contact connection and (B) is a front view of a non-contact connection. [Figure 10] Figures 10(A) and (B) are side views showing examples of the size of a charging repeater. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of this application will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, an elevator-type parking system 1 will be described as an example of a mechanical parking system, but the type of mechanical parking system is not limited and may be a tower type, underground type, conveyor type, etc. The concepts of front, rear, left, and right directions in this specification and the claims document shall be consistent with the concepts of front, rear, left, and right directions shown in Figure 2.

[0027] <Configuration of an elevator-type parking system> Figure 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing an elevator-type parking system 1 according to one embodiment. The ground floor in Figure 1 is the entrance / exit section 11, with an entrance / exit door at the front. Since Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view, the entrance / exit door is not shown. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a drawing of the part including the conveyor drive unit 35 shown in Figure 2, where (A) is a front view of the electric vehicle EV positioned on the carrier-side conveyor section 30, and (B) is a front view of the electric vehicle EV moved to the parking section-side conveyor section 12.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the elevator-type parking system 1 has a parking tower 2 made of a steel frame structure. The parking tower 2 is formed in a frame shape by vertically positioned main columns 5 that form the outer shape, and horizontally positioned upper beams 3 and horizontal beams 4 that connect the main columns 5. A control device 9 is provided on the ground level.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control device 9 controls not only the various parts of the elevator-type parking system 1 but also the charging of the electric vehicle (EV). The control device 9 includes a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and an I / O interface. The control device 9 is realized when the processor uses the volatile memory to perform calculations based on a program stored in the non-volatile memory. When the control device 9 charges an electric vehicle (EV) entering the parking system, it charges the electric vehicle (EV) in a manner described later.

[0030] Furthermore, the control device 9 has a storage unit that stores registration information for electric vehicles (EVs) entering the depot. The registration information includes vehicle identification information and charging port location information linked to the vehicle identification information. The information stored in the storage unit may also include other information. The charging port location information includes whether the charging port 70 is located on the front right, rear right, front left, rear left, front, or rear of the electric vehicle (EV). The registration information may also include driver's seat location information. Including driver's seat location information allows, for example, wiring to not obstruct the driver's movement if the charging port 70 is located in the center of the front of the vehicle.

[0031] A lift shaft 10 for raising and lowering a carrier 20 is provided in the center of the left-right direction of the parking tower 2. The carrier 20 is raised and lowered in the lift shaft 10 by a lifting drive device 23 provided at the top of the parking tower 2. Movable pulleys 21 are provided at the lower front and rear ends of the carrier 20. The carrier 20 is raised and lowered by a cable-like body 22 ("cable-like body" refers to "wire rope," etc.) that is stretched over these movable pulleys 21. The lifting drive device 23 in this embodiment has a traction sheave 24, and the cable-like body 22 stretched over the traction sheave 24 has one end stretched over the movable pulley 21 of the carrier 20, then extends upward and is fixed to a fixed part 8 of the parking tower 2. The other end of the cable-like body 22 extends in the direction of the counterweights 25, 26, is stretched over movable pulleys 27, 28, and is then fixed to a fixed part 8 of the parking tower 2. Counterweights 25 and 26 are installed side by side at the rear of parking tower 2.

[0032] The carrier 20 is raised and lowered by a lifting drive device 23 using a pulley system via a cable-like body 22 attached to front and rear pulleys 21. When the carrier 20 is raised or lowered, the counterweights 25 and 26 move up and down in the opposite direction to the lifting direction of the carrier 20. Note that the lifting drive device 23 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0033] The carrier 20 of this embodiment includes a carrier-side conveyor section 30 for moving the electric vehicle EV placed on it in the left-right direction. The carrier-side conveyor section 30 of this embodiment has a first carrier-side conveyor section 31 and a second carrier-side conveyor section 32 that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the carrier 20. The first carrier-side conveyor section 31 and the second carrier-side conveyor section 32 each have a conveyor 33. The first carrier-side conveyor section 31 and the second carrier-side conveyor section 32 are located at the positions of the tires of the electric vehicle EV. The control device 9 controls the driving or stopping of the first carrier-side conveyor section 31 and the second carrier-side conveyor section 32.

[0034] To the left and right of the elevator shaft 10 are multi-tiered parking areas 6 and 7. In this embodiment, the upper two tiers of parking areas 6 are for parking ordinary vehicles V, and the lower six tiers of parking areas 7 are for parking electric vehicles EV. The following description of the parking areas will focus on the parking area 7 for electric vehicles EV.

[0035] The parking area 7 is provided with a parking area-side conveyor section 12. The parking area-side conveyor section 12 is provided with a conveyor 13 for moving the placed electric vehicle EV in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the parking area-side conveyor section 12 is provided with two conveyors 13. The two conveyors 13 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction, corresponding to the two conveyors 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30. In this embodiment, roller conveyors driven by chains at both ends are used as the conveyors 13 of the parking area-side conveyor section 12. By using roller conveyors, the height dimension of the parking area-side conveyor section 12 is reduced. The conveyors 13 may also be slat conveyors or the like. The carrier-side conveyor section 30 and the parking area-side conveyor section 12 can utilize known conveyor devices. Note that the parking area-side conveyor section 12 in Figure 1 is shown in a simplified form.

[0036] In this embodiment of the elevator-type parking system 1, a relay storage section 60 for storing the charging relay units 50 is provided below the lowest parking section 7. The relay storage section 60 is tall enough to accommodate the charging relay units 50. The relay storage section 60 stores multiple charging relay units 50 in parallel in the horizontal direction. The charging relay units 50 are portable, and their structure is explained in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the relay storage section 60 is provided on both the left and right sides when the carrier 20 is stopped in the elevator shaft 10. The elevator-type parking system 1 also includes a relay moving device 61 for moving the charging relay units 50 between the carrier 20 and the relay storage section 60. The relay moving device 61 has a carrier-side conveyor section 30 and a storage section-side conveyor section 62. The storage section-side conveyor section 62 is provided in the relay storage section 60. The storage unit-side conveyor section 62 works in cooperation with the carrier-side conveyor section 30 to move the charging relay unit 50 horizontally between the carrier 20 and the relay unit storage unit 60. The relay unit storage unit 60 has a right storage unit-side conveyor section 63 to the right and a left storage unit-side conveyor section 64 to the left. The right storage unit-side conveyor section 63 and the left storage unit-side conveyor section 64 each have a conveyor 65. In this embodiment, the storage unit-side conveyor section 62 has a right storage unit-side conveyor section 63 located to the right of the carrier 20 and a left storage unit-side conveyor section 64 located to the left, both located at the same height. The relay unit storage unit 60 can also be combined with the parking section 6 or parking section 7.

[0037] Furthermore, the storage unit side conveyor section 62 has a first storage unit side conveyor section (rear) corresponding to the first carrier side conveyor section 31, and a second storage unit side conveyor section (front) corresponding to the second carrier side conveyor section 32. Thus, the storage unit side conveyor section 62 has a right storage unit side conveyor section 63 which has a first storage unit side conveyor section and a second storage unit side conveyor section, and a left storage unit side conveyor section 64 which has a first storage unit side conveyor section and a second storage unit side conveyor section.

[0038] The parking area 7 is equipped with a power supply unit 15 for charging electric vehicles (EVs) stored in each parking area-side conveyor section 12. The power supply unit 15 is located at the innermost part of the direction of movement of the electric vehicles (EVs) stored in the parking area-side conveyor section 12. The power supply unit 15 is electrically connected to the control device 9.

[0039] The carrier 20 is equipped with a conveyor drive device 35 that drives the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 and the conveyor 13 of the parking area-side conveyor section 12. The conveyor drive device 35 rotates the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 and the conveyor 13 of the parking area-side conveyor section 12 in a synchronous manner at a predetermined position in the parking area 7. The conveyor drive device 35 uses a drive gear 36 provided on the carrier 20 to rotate a driven gear 14 provided on the parking area-side conveyor section 12.

[0040] Figures 3(A) and 3(B) show the carrier 20 and the conveyor section 12 on the right side of the parking area. In this embodiment, the carrier-side conveyor section 30 of the carrier 20 serves both to move the portable charging relay 50 and the electric vehicle EV, but the operation of moving the electric vehicle EV between the carrier 20 and the parking area 7 will be explained based on this figure. As shown in Figure 3(A), when the carrier 20 moves up and down, it moves with a predetermined gap between it and the conveyor section 12 on the parking area side. Then, as shown in Figure 3(B), after the carrier 20 is stopped at the parking area 7 on the predetermined floor, the conveyor section 12 on the parking area side moves toward the conveyor section 30 of the carrier 20. As the conveyor section 12 moves, it engages the driven gear 14 of the conveyor section 12 with the drive gear 36 of the conveyor drive device 35 provided on the carrier 20.

[0041] The conveyor drive unit 35 rotates the driven gear 14 by rotating the drive gear 36, thereby synchronizing the drive of the conveyor 33 on the carrier side conveyor section 30 and the conveyor 13 on the parking area side conveyor section 12. In this way, the conveyor drive unit 35 moves the carrier 20 and the charging relay unit 50 between the carrier side conveyor section 30 and the parking area side conveyor section 12 by coordinating the two.

[0042] Furthermore, the conveyor drive device 35 in this embodiment moves the charging relay 50 between the carrier-side conveyor section 30 and the storage-side conveyor section 62 of the carrier 20. That is, the storage-side conveyor section 62 is also provided with driven gears, and the conveyor drive device 35 of the carrier 20 drives the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 and the conveyor 65 of the storage-side conveyor section 62 in a synchronized manner. In this way, the conveyor drive device 35 moves the charging relay 50 between the carrier 20 and the relay storage section 60 by coordinating the storage-side conveyor section 62 and the carrier-side conveyor section 30.

[0043] <Example of electric vehicle parking in an elevator-type parking system> Figures 4(A) and 4(B) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the elevator-type parking system 1 shown in Figure 1 when a vehicle enters the parking space. Figures 5(A) and 5(B) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the elevator-type parking system 1 when a vehicle enters the parking space, following Figure 4(B). According to the elevator-type parking system 1 described above, in a palletless parking system, electric vehicles (EVs) can be charged while parked as follows. The following explanation describes the operation of the elevator-type parking system 1 after the entry of an electric vehicle (EV) has been accepted. The explanation will also be given in terms of the elevator shaft 10, the parking section 7 to the right, and the conveyor section 63 on the right storage section side.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4(A), when the control device 9 receives notification of an electric vehicle (EV) entering the depot, it moves the carrier 20 waiting in the entry / exit section 11 to the relay unit storage section 60. Then, as shown in Figure 4(B), the control device 9 drives the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 and the conveyor 65 of the storage section-side conveyor section 62 to move the charging relay unit 50 to the carrier 20. In this way, the control device 9 places the charging relay unit 50 in the carrier 20 before the user boards the electric vehicle (EV) into the carrier 20. The carrier 20 with the charging relay unit 50 placed in it is returned to the entry / exit section 11 and placed in its designated position. The control device 9 then opens the entry / exit doors.

[0045] Next, as shown in Figure 5(A), the user drives the electric vehicle EV and enters the carrier 20 located at a predetermined position in the entry / exit section 11. The user then connects the charging unit 51 of the charging relay unit 50 located in the carrier 20 to the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle EV with wiring 53. In this embodiment, the example connection is one in which a charging connector 71 provided on the wiring 53 connected to the charging unit 51 of the charging relay unit 50 is connected to the charging port 70. The wiring 53 may be the one provided in the electric vehicle EV. After connecting the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle EV to the charging unit 51 of the charging relay unit 50 with wiring 53, the user exits the entry / exit section 11.

[0046] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 5(B), when a user exits the entrance / exit area 11, the control device 9 closes the entrance / exit door and raises the carrier 20 to the parking area 7 on the designated floor. Once the carrier 20 is stopped at the parking area 7, the conveyor drive device 35 (Figure 3) drives the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 and the conveyor 13 of the parking area-side conveyor section 12. This moves the charging relay unit 50 and the electric vehicle EV, which are placed on the carrier 20, to the parking area 7. The control device 9 drives the conveyor 13 of the parking area-side conveyor section 12 until the power receiving unit 52 of the charging relay unit 50 is connected to the power supply unit 15 of the parking area 7. The control device 9 stops the conveyor 13 of the parking area-side conveyor section 12 when the power receiving unit 52 of the charging relay unit 50 is connected to the power supply unit 15, and the storage of the charging relay unit 50 and the electric vehicle EV is completed.

[0047] Thus, when an electric vehicle (EV) enters the parking area, the control device 9 moves the carrier 20 to the parking area 7 and drives the carrier-side conveyor 30 and the parking area-side conveyor 12 to move the charging relay unit 50 to the parking area 7. The control device 9 moves the charging relay unit 50 to a position where the power receiving unit 52 is connected to the power supply unit 15. As a result, when an electric vehicle (EV) enters the parking area, the power receiving unit 52 of the charging relay unit 50 is connected to the power supply unit 15 of the parking area 7, and the vehicle becomes ready for charging. Charging of the electric vehicle (EV) is controlled by the control device 9.

[0048] Furthermore, the carrier-side conveyor section 30 in this embodiment is used for both moving the charging relay unit 50 and for the electric vehicle EV on the carrier 20 to move along. Similarly, the parking area-side conveyor section 12 in this embodiment is used for both moving the charging relay unit 50 and for the electric vehicle EV on the parking area 7 to move along. By using a single conveyor 13 for both the movement of the electric vehicle EV and the movement of the charging relay unit 50, equipment costs can be reduced.

[0049] Thus, with the elevator-type parking system 1 described above, when an electric vehicle (EV) enters the parking area, the charging relay unit 50 is automatically moved from the relay unit storage unit 60 to the carrier 20. Therefore, there is no need for space to store the charging relay unit 50 in the entry / exit section 11. Furthermore, users do not need to carry the charging relay unit 50 to the carrier 20.

[0050] <Example of a positioning unit> Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a positioning unit 40 of the charging relay unit 50 in the carrier-side conveyor section 30. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a positioning unit 45 of the charging relay unit 50 in the parking-side conveyor section 12. The positioning units 40 and 45 shown in these figures are examples and may have other configurations. The charging relay unit 50 is an example having a case 54, a power receiving unit 52 provided on the outside of the side of the case 54, and a charging unit 51 provided inside the case 54. In this embodiment, the charging relay unit 50 is an example in which wiring 53 is connected to the charging unit 51. The charging relay unit 50 may also not include the wiring 53.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 has a positioning section 40 at a predetermined position. The positioning section 40 shown in the figure is an example of a conical projection 41 that protrudes upward from the conveyor 33. The charging relay unit 50 has a hole 55 in the lower surface of the case 54 into which the projection 41 fits. Because the projection 41 fits into the hole 55, the charging relay unit 50 maintains its position on the mounting surface without shifting even when the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 is driven.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7, the conveyor 13 of the parking area side conveyor section 12 has a positioning section 45 at a predetermined position. The positioning section 45 shown in the figure is an example in which a plate-shaped member 46 is provided on the front and rear sides of the case 54 of the charging relay unit 50 in the direction of movement. By engaging with the plate-shaped member 46, the charging relay unit 50 maintains its position on the mounting surface without shifting even when the conveyor 13 of the parking area side conveyor section 12 is driven.

[0053] The charging relay unit 50 is moved by the conveyor 13 of the parking area side conveyor unit 12 to the power supply unit 15 located in the parking area 7, and the power receiving unit 52 is connected to the power supply unit 15. In this embodiment, the power receiving unit 52 and the power supply unit 15 are examples of a three-wire connection.

[0054] <Example of charging repeater placement> Figures 8(A) to 8(D) are plan views showing the positions in which the charging relay unit 50 is placed on the carrier 20 when an electric vehicle (EV) enters the depot. When placing the charging relay unit 50 on the carrier 20, the control device 9 can place the charging relay unit 50 on the carrier 20 from the relay unit storage unit 60 at the optimal position based on the charging port position information stored in the memory unit beforehand.

[0055] When an electric vehicle (EV) enters the depot, the control device 9 selects whether to move the charging relay unit 50 from the storage unit side conveyor section 62 to the first carrier side conveyor section 31, or from the storage unit side conveyor section 62 to the second carrier side conveyor section 32, based on the charging port location information in the registration information.

[0056] Furthermore, the control device 9 selects whether to move the charging relay unit 50 from the first storage-side conveyor section (rear) of the right storage-side conveyor section 63 to the first carrier-side conveyor section 31, or from the second storage-side conveyor section (front) to the second carrier-side conveyor section 32. The control device 9 also selects whether to move the charging relay unit 50 from the first storage-side conveyor section (rear) of the left storage-side conveyor section 64 to the first carrier-side conveyor section 31, or from the second storage-side conveyor section (front) to the second carrier-side conveyor section 32. As a result, the charging relay unit 50 is placed in the appropriate position on the carrier 20 from the front or rear of the right storage-side conveyor section 63, or from the front or rear of the left storage-side conveyor section 64, based on the charging port position information registered in the memory unit.

[0057] In this way, the control device 9 determines, based on the registered information, where the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle (EV) is located on the vehicle and whether it is on the front or rear side. The control device 9 then places the charging relay unit 50 at a position suitable for the location of the charging port 70, either at the front or rear of the right storage side conveyor section 63 or the left storage side conveyor section 64.

[0058] The example shown in Figure 8(A) is an example where the electric vehicle EV has a charging port 70 at the front and the electric vehicle EV is right-hand drive. In this case, by placing the charging relay unit 50 at the left front of the carrier 20, it is easy for the driver to get out of the electric vehicle EV, and it is easy to connect the charging unit 51 of the charging relay unit 50 and the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle EV with wiring 53.

[0059] The example shown in Figure 8(B) is an example where the electric vehicle EV has a charging port 70 at the rear and the electric vehicle EV is right-hand drive. In this case, by placing the charging relay unit 50 at the left rear of the carrier 20, it is easy for the driver to get out of the electric vehicle EV, and it is easy to connect the charging unit 51 of the charging relay unit 50 and the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle EV with wiring 53.

[0060] The example shown in Figure 8(C) is an example where the electric vehicle EV has a charging port 70 at the front and the electric vehicle EV has left-hand drive. In this case, by placing the charging relay unit 50 at the front right of the carrier 20, it is easy for the driver to get out of the electric vehicle EV, and it is easy to connect the charging unit 51 of the charging relay unit 50 and the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle EV with wiring 53.

[0061] The example shown in Figure 8(D) is an example where the electric vehicle EV has a charging port 70 at the rear and the electric vehicle EV has left-hand drive. In this case, by placing the charging relay unit 50 at the right rear of the carrier 20, it is easy for the driver to get out of the electric vehicle EV, and it is easy to connect the charging unit 51 of the charging relay unit 50 and the charging port 70 of the electric vehicle EV with wiring 53.

[0062] In this way, by pre-registering the location of the charging port 70 and the driver's seat for electric vehicles (EVs) in the control device 9, the charging relay unit 50 can be positioned in the appropriate location on the carrier 20 when an electric vehicle (EV) enters the depot.

[0063] <Examples of charging formats> Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of connection between the power receiving unit 52 of the charging relay unit 50 in the parking area 7 and the power supply unit 15 of the parking area 7, where (A) is a front view of a contact connection and (B) is a front view of a non-contact connection. The connection example shown in Figure 9(A) is an example in which the power receiving unit 52 of the charging relay unit 50 is connected to the power supply unit 15 by contact, similar to the embodiment described above. Figure 9(B) is an example of non-contact charging between the power receiving unit 52 of the charging relay unit 50 and the power supply unit 15. In this case, the charging relay unit 50 is moved to a position where charging is possible on the conveyor unit 12 on the parking area side and then stopped. The method of connecting the charging relay unit 50 and the power supply unit 15 is not limited.

[0064] <Example of a charging repeater> Figures 10(A) and (B) are side views showing examples of the size of the charging relay unit 50. The charging relay unit 50 shown in Figure 10(A) is an example that includes a case 54 of a size that can be moved by either the conveyor 33 of the carrier-side conveyor section 30 provided at the front and rear of the carrier 20, similar to the charging relay unit 50 in the embodiment described above. The charging relay unit 50 shown in Figure 10(B) is an example that includes a case 56 of a size that extends from the first carrier-side conveyor section 31 to the second carrier-side conveyor section 32 provided on the carrier 20. The size of the charging relay unit 50 may be as shown in Figures 10(A) and (B), or it may be of a different size.

[0065] <Variation> In the above-described embodiment, the carrier-side conveyor section 30 is configured to handle both the movement of the electric vehicle EV and the movement of the charging relay unit 50. However, it is also possible to configure it to move each independently, and the embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0066] Furthermore, the mechanical parking system is not limited to the elevator-type parking system 1 described above. For example, it may be a parking system with a wide horizontal area, such as an underground system, and the type of mechanical parking system is not limited to the embodiment described above.

[0067] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are merely examples, and various modifications are possible without impairing the essence of this application; this application is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0068] <Summary> As described above, the elevator-type parking system 1 described above is a palletless parking system that does not require storage space for the charging relay unit 50 in the entry / exit section 11. Furthermore, when an electric vehicle (EV) is parked, the charging relay unit 50 can be positioned at a predetermined location on the carrier 20 before the EV enters the parking space. Therefore, even in a palletless parking system, electric vehicles (EVs) can be properly charged without requiring a large storage space in the entry / exit section 11. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1. Elevator-type parking system 2 Parking Towers 6 Parking Area 7 Parking area 9 Control device 10 Elevator 11. Inbound / Outbound Section 12 Conveyor section on the parking area side 13 Conveyor 14 Driven gear 15 Power supply section 20 Transporter 30 Carrier-side conveyor section 31. Conveyor section on the first carrier side 32 Conveyor section on the second carrier side 33 Conveyor 35 Conveyor drive unit 36 drive gears 40 Positioning section 41 Protrusion 45 Positioning section 46 Plate-shaped member 50 Charging Repeater 51 Live parts 52 Power receiving section 53 Wiring 55 Hole 60 Repeater storage unit 61. Mobile repeater device 62 Storage section side conveyor section 63 Right storage compartment side conveyor section 64 Left storage compartment side conveyor section 65 Conveyor 70 Charging port EV (Electric Vehicle)

Claims

1. A mechanical parking system comprising: an entry / exit section for entering and exiting electric vehicles; a parking space section having a plurality of parking sections for storing the electric vehicles; a carrier for moving vehicles between the entry / exit section and the parking space section; and a control device for controlling the carrier, A power supply unit provided in the parking area, A portable charging relay for charging the aforementioned electric vehicle, A relay unit housing a plurality of the aforementioned charging relay units, The conveyor section on the storage side of the relay storage section, A carrier-side conveyor section provided on the carrier, The parking area includes a conveyor section on the parking area side, The charging relay unit has a charging unit connected to the electric vehicle and a power receiving unit for receiving power from the power supply unit. The control device is configured to move the carrier to the height of the relay storage unit before placing the electric vehicle on the carrier, drive the carrier-side conveyor and the storage unit-side conveyor to move the charging relay from the relay storage unit to the carrier, and after placing the charging relay and the electric vehicle connected to the charging unit of the charging relay onto the carrier, move the carrier to the height of the parking unit, and drive the carrier-side conveyor and the parking unit-side conveyor to move the charging relay and the electric vehicle from the carrier to the parking unit. The power receiving unit of the charging relay unit, which has been transferred to the parking area, is configured to be connected to the power supply unit of the parking area. Mechanical parking system.

2. The carrier-side conveyor section and the storage-side conveyor section have positioning sections to prevent the charging relay unit from shifting position on the mounting surface. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1.

3. The control device is configured to move the charging relay unit from the carrier to the parking area by driving the carrier-side conveyor and the parking area-side conveyor, and to connect the power receiving unit and the power supply unit of the charging relay unit. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1.

4. The carrier-side conveyor section is used for both moving the charging relay unit and for the electric vehicle on the carrier to move horizontally. The conveyor section on the parking area side is used for both moving the charging relay and for traversing the electric vehicle on the parking area. The mechanical parking device according to claim 3.

5. The control device has a storage unit that stores registration information of the electric vehicle entering the depot. The registration information includes vehicle identification information and charging port location information linked to the vehicle identification information. The control device is configured to determine the position of the charging relay on the carrier based on the registration information when the electric vehicle enters the depot, and to drive the carrier-side conveyor to move the charging relay onto the carrier. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The carrier-side conveyor section has a first carrier-side conveyor section and a second carrier-side conveyor section that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the electric vehicle placed on the carrier. The control device is configured to select, based on the registration information, whether to move the charging relay from the storage-side conveyor to the first carrier-side conveyor, or to move the charging relay from the storage-side conveyor to the second carrier-side conveyor, when the electric vehicle is brought into storage. The mechanical parking device according to claim 5.

7. The storage unit side conveyor section includes a first storage unit side conveyor section corresponding to the first carrier side conveyor section, and a second storage unit side conveyor section corresponding to the second carrier side conveyor section. The control device is configured to select, based on the registration information, whether to move the charging relay from the first storage unit side conveyor to the first carrier side conveyor, or to move the charging relay from the second storage unit side conveyor to the second carrier side conveyor, when the electric vehicle is brought into storage. The mechanical parking device according to claim 6.

8. The storage unit side conveyor section includes a right storage unit side conveyor section and a left storage unit side conveyor section, which are provided at the same height positions to the left and right of the carrier. The control device is configured to select, based on the registration information, whether to move the charging relay from the right storage side conveyor to the carrier side conveyor, or from the left storage side conveyor to the carrier side conveyor, when the electric vehicle is brought into storage. The mechanical parking device according to claim 5.

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