JP7637473B2 - Pallet-type lifting device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lift device that uses a pallet as a carrier (pallet-type lift device) that is applicable to mechanical parking lots.

Conventionally, known pallet-type lift devices for use in mechanical parking lots include a so-called intermediate lift device that has a lift frame that raises and lowers the parking space in the middle (e.g., the center) of the parking space, and a so-called end lift device that has a lift frame that is supported by two pillars fixed to the side wall of the parking space and raises and lowers along the side wall.

The mid-lift device only raises and lowers the top pallet, and the bottom of the pallet has rails for transporting the pallet. For this reason, in a stacked mechanical parking lot with multiple levels of parking shelves, the pallet cannot be moved between levels. In addition, the end-lift device requires that two support pillars be positioned close to the side walls of the parking space, which imposes layout restrictions when constructing a mechanical parking lot.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-48947 JP 2014-34778 A

In consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, the present invention provides a pallet-type lift device that can be installed anywhere in a mechanical parking lot, regardless of whether it is an intermediate lift device or an end lift device, and that allows for inter-layer movement of pallets in a mechanical parking lot having a stacked structure.

The pallet-type lift device of the present invention, which is installed in a mechanical parking lot, comprises four free-standing pillars arranged at the four corners of a rectangle, a lift frame, a support mechanism that supports the lift frame on the four pillars so that it can be raised and lowered horizontally and along the four pillars, and a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the lift frame. Here, the lift frame has a lifting frame arranged horizontally on the lift frame and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the lifting frame, a rotating frame on which a pallet is placed and arranged horizontally on the lifting frame, and a rotating mechanism for rotating the rotating frame.

In the lift device of the present invention, the lift frame that raises and lowers the pallet is supported by four independent pillars located at each of the four corners of a rectangle. The four pillars allow the lift device itself to stand on its own, making it possible to install it anywhere in a mechanical parking lot, regardless of whether it is an intermediate lift device or an end lift device. This makes it possible to minimize layout restrictions when constructing a mechanical parking lot. The lift device of the present invention can also be applied to both building-type parking lots and underground parking lots.

In the lift device of the present invention, the lift frame has a lifting frame and a mechanism for raising and lowering the lifting frame, a rotating frame on which the pallet is placed, and a mechanism for rotating the rotating frame. With this, the pallet can be raised and lowered together with the rotating frame via the lifting frame on the lift frame that is raised and lowered, and the pallet can be rotated via the rotating frame. This allows the height position and orientation of the pallet to be adjusted on the lift frame, and this adjustment function enables the pallet to be moved between layers in a mechanical parking lot with a stacked structure.

The support mechanism of the lift frame may be composed of four pairs of sprockets rotatably supported on the four pillars at the upper and lower parts of the pillars, and four chains respectively hung on the four pairs of sprockets, with both ends of each chain fixed to the lift frame at its upper and lower parts. Here, the lift frame may have a rectangular planar shape, and both ends of the four chains may be located at the four corners of the rectangle. The drive mechanism of the lift frame may be composed of a rotational power source and a power transmission device that transmits the rotational power of the rotational power source to the four sprockets located at the lower parts of the four pillars.

The lifting mechanism of the lifting frame can be composed of a plurality of rotary ball screws extending in the vertical direction, a rotary power source, and a device for transmitting the rotary power of the rotary power source. Here, each rotary ball screw has an outer ring fixed to the lift frame, a nut rotatably held on the outer ring, and a male threaded rod fixed to the lifting frame and screwed onto the nut. The transmission device also consists of a plurality of sprockets attached to the nuts of the plurality of rotary ball screws and the rotary power source, respectively, and an endless chain hung on the plurality of sprockets.

The rotation mechanism of the rotating frame can be composed of a rotational power source attached to the lifting frame, a first spur gear attached horizontally to the rotational power source and receiving rotational power, and a second spur gear attached horizontally to the rotating frame and partially rotatably received in a hole provided in the lifting frame, meshing with the first spur gear.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a lift device according to the present invention applied as an intermediate lift in a mechanical car park having a stacked structure; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a lift frame, four pillars, a support mechanism for supporting the lift frame on the four pillars, and a drive mechanism of the lift device according to the present invention. 2 is a schematic front view showing a lift frame of a lift device, and a lifting mechanism and a rotating mechanism provided on the lift frame. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a lift frame of a lift device, and a lifting mechanism and a rotating mechanism provided on the lift frame.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pallet-type lift device according to the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10.

The lift device 10 is installed in a mechanical parking lot 12 as a so-called intermediate lift device. The mechanical parking lot 12, which is an example of an application of the lift device 10, is an underground parking lot and has a parking space 14 that is rectangular in plan view. The lift device 10 is located in the center of the parking space 14 when viewed from above and extends vertically. In addition, the parking space 14 has multiple levels of parking shelves 16 that are arranged parallel to each other with the lift device 10 between them. Vehicles 18 are parked on each parking shelf 16 via pallets 20 that have a rectangular planar shape. The lift device 10 can be applied to building-type parking lots installed above ground, in addition to the underground parking lot shown in the figure.

The illustrated parking space 14 is formed by a concrete base 22 installed underground, four side walls 24, and a ceiling wall 26 exposed to the ground. The ceiling wall 26 has a rectangular opening 28 that opens to the ground above the lift device 10. In addition, a roof 32 is provided on the ceiling wall 26 to cover the opening 28 and define an entrance 30 for the vehicle 18.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lift device 10 comprises four columns, i.e., two pairs of opposing columns 34, a lift frame 36, a support mechanism 38 for the lift frame, and a drive mechanism 40. In Figure 1, the columns 34 are shown with two-dot chain lines to avoid cluttering the illustration. Also, a part of the support mechanism 38, a chain (described below), is shown with a dashed dot line.

The four support columns 34 are arranged at the four corners of the rectangle and stand on their own. In the illustrated example, two pairs of support columns 34 are arranged and fixed on two parallel bases 44 spaced apart from each other within a recess 42 (FIG. 1) provided in the base 22 of the parking space 14, and extend vertically up to the vicinity of the ceiling wall 26.

The illustrated lift frame 36 is made of a plate-like body having a rectangular planar shape. The support mechanism 38 of the lift frame 36 supports the lift frame 36 horizontally on the four pillars 34 and allows it to move up and down along the four pillars 34. The illustrated support mechanism 38 is made of four pairs of sprockets 46 rotatably supported on the four pillars 34 at the upper ends 34a and lower ends 34b of the pillars, respectively, and four chains 48 hung on each of the four pairs of sprockets 46.

The four pairs of sprockets 46 of the support mechanism 38 are supported by the four pillars 34 via four cantilevered shaft members 50 and two double-end supported shaft members 52. The two shaft members 50 are located at the upper end 34a of each pair of pillars 34 located on the left and right sides of the figure, and extend horizontally toward the other. Each shaft member 52 extends horizontally from one end of the lower end 34b of each pair of pillars 34 to the other. Both ends 48a, 48b of the four chains 48 are fixed to the lift frame 36 at the four corners (four corners of a rectangle) of its upper surface 36a and lower surface 36b. As a result, the lift frame 36 is supported at four points.

The drive mechanism 40 of the lift frame 36 is composed of a rotary power source 54 such as an electric motor, and a power transmission device 56 that transmits the rotary power of the rotary power source 54 to four sprockets 46 located on the lower end side of the four pillars 34. The rotary power source 54 is located on another base 45 located at the middle position of two bases 44 on the left and right in the figure on which the two pairs of pillars 34 are placed. The illustrated power transmission device 56 includes a reducer 58 located on the base 45 and connected to the rotary power source 54, two shaft members 60 rotatably connected to the reducer and extending horizontally toward the two bases 44 on the left and right in the figure, two other reducers 62 located on the two bases 44, and the two shaft members 52 extending horizontally on the two bases 44. Here, each shaft member 60 and each shaft member 52 are rotatably connected around their respective axes via the other reducers 62. In addition, the two sprockets 46 located on the lower end 34b side of each pair of posts 34 are fixed to both ends of each shaft member 52 and rotate together with each shaft member 52.

By operating the rotary power source 54, both shaft members 60 are rotated around their axes via the reduction gears 58. Also, each shaft member 52 is rotated around its axis via each reduction gear 62. As a result, the two sprockets 46 attached to each shaft member 52 are rotated around the axis of each shaft member 52, and the two chains 48 move around the two upper and lower sprockets 46, respectively, and the lift frame 36 rises or falls along the four pillars 34.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lift frame 36 has a lifting frame 64 arranged horizontally on the lift frame, a lifting mechanism 66 for raising and lowering the lifting frame, a rotating frame 68 on which the pallet 20 is placed, arranged horizontally on the lifting frame 64, and a rotating mechanism 70 for rotating the rotating frame.

The lifting frame 64 and swivel frame 68 shown in the figure are each made of a plate-like body having a rectangular planar shape smaller than the lift frame 36 and the pallet 20, respectively, and are located above the center of the lift frame 36.

The lifting mechanism 66 of the lifting frame 64 consists of multiple (four in the illustrated example) rotary ball screws 72 extending in the vertical direction, a rotational power source 74 such as an electric motor, and a transmission device 76 for the rotational power of the rotational power source.

Each rotary ball screw 72 has an outer ring 78 fixed to the lift frame 36, a nut (inner ring) 80 rotatably held on the outer ring, and a male threaded rod 81 fixed to the lift frame 64 and screwed into the nut 80. The transmission device 76 also consists of a number of sprockets attached to the nuts 80 of the four rotary ball screws 72 and the rotary power source 74, respectively, four sprockets 82 and one sprocket 84 in the illustrated example, and an endless chain 86 hung on these five sprockets 82, 84.

According to this lifting mechanism 66, the operation of the rotary power source 74 rotates the sprocket 84 attached to the rotary power source, and the other four sprockets 82 are rotated via the chain 86. In response to this, the nuts 80 of each rotary ball screw 72 rotate, the male threaded rod 81 that screws into the nut moves up and down relative to the nut 80, and the lifting frame 64 fixed to the male threaded rod 81 moves up and down.

The revolving mechanism 70 of the revolving frame 68 is composed of a rotary power source 88 such as a motor attached to the lifting frame 64, a first spur gear (small diameter spur gear in the illustrated example) 90 that is attached horizontally to the rotary power source and receives the rotary power of the rotary power source 88, and a second spur gear (large diameter spur gear in the illustrated example) 94 that is attached horizontally to the revolving frame 68 and partially rotatably received in a hole 92 provided in the lifting frame 64 and meshes with the first spur gear 90. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 96 indicates a screw member that fixes the second spur gear 94 to the revolving frame 68.

According to the turning mechanism 70, the first spur gear 90 and the second spur gear 94 meshing therewith are driven to rotate by the operation of the rotary power source 88. This causes the turning frame 68 to which the second spur gear 94 is fixed and the pallet 20 placed thereon to turn about the axis L (Figure 3). Here, the axis L extends vertically through the intersection of the diagonals connecting the four corners of the rectangle in which the four pillars 34 are respectively positioned.

According to the present invention, the lift device 10 has four self-supporting supports 34, and therefore can stand on its own in the parking space 14, and does not require support from, for example, the side walls 24 that define the parking space 14. Therefore, the lift device 10 can be installed either in the middle of the parking space 14 or at the end close to the side walls 24.

The vehicle 18 placed on the pallet 20 can be parked at any height within the parking space 14 by raising and lowering the lift frame 36. The height of the pallet 20 on which the vehicle 18 is placed can be adjusted by raising and lowering the lift frame 64 so that the loading surface of the vehicle 18 is within a plane that includes the upper surface of any parking shelf 16. In addition, the orientation of the pallet 20 and the vehicle 18 can be adjusted by rotating the swivel frame 68.

When the vehicle 18 is to enter or leave the parking space, the lift frame 36 is raised to the uppermost position, the lifting frame 64 is raised to position the pallet 20 above the ceiling wall 26 of the parking space 14 (see the pallet 20 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1), and the swivel frame 68 is rotated to determine the orientation of the pallet 20. Next, the lifting frame 64 is lowered so that the top surface of the pallet 20 and the top surface of the ceiling wall 26 are at the same height. The lift frame 36 is then lowered to wait for the vehicle 18 to leave the parking space, or to allow the vehicle 18 to enter the parking space. This series of operations, i.e., the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting frame 64 and the turning operation of the turning frame 68, can be performed in the same manner when the lift frame 36 is moved between the layers, i.e., moved between the two adjacent parking shelves 16 vertically and stopped between the layers, in order to move the pallet 20 and the vehicle 18 on the pallet 20 onto an empty parking shelf 16 or to move the pallet 20 and the vehicle 18 on the pallet 20 from the parking shelf 16 onto the lift frame 36. When entering or leaving the parking shelf, two pairs of holding devices 98 (FIG. 3) are attached to the ceiling wall 26 to keep the balance of the pallet 20 when the vehicle 18 is transferred onto the pallet 20. Each pair of holding devices 98 for each pallet 20 and the vehicle 18 on the pallet has two arms 100 that can be rotated between a holding position that supports the pallet 20 from below and a non-holding position. The two pairs of holding devices are also provided on each of the two parking shelves 16 that face each other in the horizontal direction (not shown). The arms of the two pairs of holding devices of the opposing parking shelves 16 transfer the pallet 20 on which the vehicle 18 is placed from the lift frame 36 onto each parking shelf 16, or from the vehicle shelf 16 onto the lift frame 36. The transfer of the pallet 20 on which the vehicle 18 is placed among the multiple parking shelves 16 is performed via a guide and drive mechanism (not shown) for the pallet 20 provided on the parking shelf 16.

10 Lift device 12 Mechanical parking lot 14 Parking space 16 Parking shelf 18 Vehicle 20 Pallet 34 Support 36 Lift frame 38 Support mechanism 40 Drive mechanism 46 Sprocket 64 Lifting frame 66 Lifting mechanism 68 Swivel frame 70 Swivel mechanism 54, 74, 88 Rotational power source

Claims (6)

A pallet-type lift device installed in a mechanical parking lot where entry and exit are performed at the top position,
Four independent pillars are placed at the four corners of the rectangle,
A lift frame;
a support mechanism for supporting the lift frame on the four columns so that the lift frame can be raised and lowered horizontally and along the four columns, and a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the lift frame,
The lift frame includes a lifting frame arranged horizontally on the lift frame, a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the lifting frame on the lift frame, a rotating frame arranged horizontally on the lift frame and on which a pallet for carrying a vehicle to be brought in and taken out is placed, and a rotating mechanism for rotating the rotating frame ,
A pallet-type lift device in which, when a vehicle is brought into or taken out of a parking lot, the lift frame is raised to the uppermost position by the drive mechanism, and the lift frame is further raised on the lift frame by the lifting mechanism to a position above the ceiling wall of the mechanical parking lot, and the swivel frame on which the pallet is loaded is rotated by the swivel mechanism to determine the orientation of the pallet . The pallet-type lift device according to claim 1, wherein the support mechanism of the lift frame is composed of four pairs of sprockets rotatably supported on the four pillars at the upper and lower parts of the pillars, and four chains respectively looped around the four pairs of sprockets, and both ends of each chain are fixed to the lift frame at its upper and lower surfaces, respectively. The lift frame has a rectangular planar shape,
3. The pallet-type lift apparatus according to claim 2, wherein both ends of the four chains are located at four corners of the rectangle. The pallet-type lift device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the drive mechanism of the lift frame comprises a rotational power source and a power transmission device that transmits the rotational power of the rotational power source to four sprockets located at the bottom of the four pillars. the lifting mechanism of the lifting frame includes a plurality of rotary ball screws extending in the vertical direction, a rotational power source, and a transmission device for transmitting the rotational power of the rotational power source;
Each rotary ball screw includes an outer ring fixed to the lift frame, a nut rotatably held by the outer ring, and a male threaded rod fixed to the lift frame and screwed into the nut;
The pallet-type lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the transmission device comprises a plurality of sprockets attached to nuts of the plurality of rotary ball screws and the rotational power source, respectively, and an endless chain hung on the plurality of sprockets. The pallet-type lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotating mechanism of the rotating frame is comprised of a rotary power source attached to the lifting frame, a first spur gear attached horizontally to the rotary power source and receiving rotary power, and a second spur gear attached horizontally to the rotating frame and partially rotatably received in a hole provided in the lifting frame, meshing with the first spur gear.

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