JP7714508B2 - Mechanical parking equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power supply device for a mechanical parking system.

Patent Document 1 describes a parking device for parking vehicles that are supplied with power, which includes a plurality of pallets each having a substantially rectangular outline when viewed from above and capable of loading a vehicle, a main structure arranged along a path along which the pallets can move and forming a plurality of parking spaces in which the pallets can be placed, a power supply device having at least one power supply terminal arranged corresponding to a specific parking space that is at least one of the parking spaces and capable of supplying power to the power supply terminal, a relay device provided on the pallet and having a parking space side relay terminal that receives power from the power supply terminal and is capable of relaying the power supplied to the parking space side relay terminal to the vehicle, and a plurality of pallets arranged in a straight line perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane. a pallet moving mechanism that moves the pallet along the movement path by selectively moving the pallet along a virtual horizontal line and a virtual vertical line, which are virtual lines extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving path, and positions the pallet in each of a plurality of parking spaces, wherein the virtual horizontal line is parallel to a short side of the substantially rectangular outline of the pallet, and the virtual vertical line is parallel to a long side of the substantially rectangular outline of the pallet, and when the pallet located in a specific parking space is moved a predetermined distance J away from the movement path along one of the virtual vertical line or the virtual horizontal line that is perpendicular to the movement path, the parking space side relay terminal is electrically connected to the power supply terminal arranged corresponding to the specific parking space, the main structure has an earthing brush, and the pallet is The parking device described includes a pallet main structure that is a substantially quadrilateral-shaped structure when viewed from above and capable of carrying a vehicle, and a rail structure that forms a rail surface supported by the pallet moving mechanism for moving the pallet along the imaginary horizontal line or the imaginary vertical line. The rail structure is composed of a pair of vertical rails that are arranged below the pallet main structure and extend parallel to the imaginary vertical line with their rail surfaces facing downward, and a pair of horizontal rails that are arranged perpendicular to the imaginary vertical line with their rail surfaces facing downward. The lower surfaces of both ends of the vertical rails have inclined surfaces that slope downward as the pallet moves from the ends toward the center, and the lower surfaces of both ends of the horizontal rails have inclined surfaces that slope downward as the pallet moves from the ends toward the center. When the pallet located in the specific parking space deviates from the movement path and is moved a predetermined distance J along one of the imaginary vertical line or imaginary horizontal line that is perpendicular to the movement path, the earthing brush slides along the inclined surfaces and comes into contact with the rail surface, thereby grounding the pallet to the main structure.

Patent Document 2 describes a mechanical parking lot that includes multiple parking spaces and a pallet that can accommodate vehicles and is movable between the parking spaces in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction; at least one of the multiple parking spaces is provided with a power supply terminal, and the pallet is provided with a power receiving terminal, and the power supply terminal and the power receiving terminal are connectable in the first direction; the power supply terminal is located in a position that does not come into contact with the power receiving terminal when the pallet moves in the second direction to the parking space where the power supply terminal is located; and after the pallet moves to a stopping position within the parking space where the power supply terminal is located, the pallet is further moved to a charging position on the power supply terminal side, and the power receiving terminal comes into contact with the power supply terminal.

Patent No. 6150488 Patent No. 6618261

However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 comprises a power supply terminal that corresponds to at least one specific parking space among the parking spaces and is positioned off the pallet's movement path, and a pallet that is provided with a parking space side relay terminal that receives power from the power supply terminal, and the pallet is moved using a pallet movement mechanism so that the parking space side relay terminal comes into contact with the power supply terminal.
For this reason, the large pallet carrying the vehicle must be moved to a position outside the pallet's travel path, and the pallet movement mechanism must be driven precisely each time. Furthermore, when moving the pallet within the parking space, the pallet movement mechanism must be driven precisely to return the pallet to the travel path. In other words, the pallet must be moved from a position where power is supplied to the pallet to a position on the travel path where power is not supplied to the pallet each time the parking device is operated, in order to move along the pallet's travel path. Furthermore, since the power supply terminals are located on the outside of the pallet in a plan view, the space efficiency of the parking device is inevitably reduced.

Furthermore, the invention described in Patent Document 2 comprises a power supply terminal provided in at least one of the parking spaces and a pallet provided with a power receiving terminal, and the pallet is moved to a stopping position within the parking space where the power supply terminal is provided, and then further moved to a charging position on the power supply terminal side so that the power receiving terminal comes into contact with the power supply terminal.
For this reason, the large pallet carrying the vehicle must be moved to a position outside the pallet's movement path in the first and second directions, and the second movement device must be driven precisely each time. Furthermore, when the pallet is moved to a stopping position, the second movement device must be driven precisely to return the pallet to a stopping position on the movement path. In other words, the pallet cannot move in the first or second direction unless it is moved from a position where power is supplied to the pallet to a stopping position on the movement path where power is not supplied to the pallet each time the parking device is operated. Furthermore, the power supply terminals are located on the outside of the pallet in a plan view, which inevitably reduces the space efficiency of the mechanical parking lot.

The present invention allows power to be supplied to the tray while it is stopped in the correct stopping position, and power can be supplied immediately after it is moved. Furthermore, because the tray, which has a power receiving unit, can be moved in either direction relative to the power supply unit, there is no waste in the operation of the mechanical parking device. Another objective is to improve the space efficiency of mechanical parking devices.

A mechanical parking device according to a first aspect is a mechanical parking device including a tray on which a vehicle to be powered is placed, a power receiving unit provided at one predetermined location on the underside of the tray, a storage unit in which the tray is stored, and a plurality of storage compartments in the storage unit, each having at least one empty compartment and each equipped with a power supply device having a power supply unit that supplies power to the power receiving unit.
The power supply device is provided in one location facing the power receiving unit in any of the storage compartments, and includes a power supply unit having a drive unit that raises and lowers the power receiving unit in an up and down direction, thereby bringing the power supply unit into contact with or away from the power receiving unit. When power supply is not required or when power supply is temporarily suspended, the power supply unit moves away from the power receiving unit, but when power supply is resumed, the power supply unit comes into contact with the power receiving unit and the power supply is resumed. The tray is movable in both a planar view and in the vertical and horizontal directions when the power supply unit is separated from the power receiving unit .

The mechanical parking device of the second aspect is the mechanical parking device of the first aspect, wherein the power supply unit is arranged below the tray.

The mechanical parking device of the third aspect is a mechanical parking device of the first or second aspect, in which the power supply unit is separated from the power receiving unit when power supply is not required or when power supply is temporarily suspended, and when power supply is resumed, the supply unit comes into contact with the power receiving unit and power supply is resumed.

A mechanical parking device according to a fourth aspect is a mechanical parking device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the tray is movable from either direction relative to the power supply unit.

A mechanical parking device according to a fifth aspect is the mechanical parking device according to the third aspect, wherein the tray is movable from either direction relative to the power supply unit.

The power supply device for a mechanical parking device according to the first aspect allows power to be supplied while the tray is stopped in the correct stopping position, compared to systems that move the tray from its normal stopping position to the power supply position, and power can be supplied immediately after the tray is moved. Furthermore, because the tray with the power receiving unit can be moved in either direction relative to the power supply unit, there is no wasted time in the operation of the mechanical parking device. Furthermore, the space efficiency of the mechanical parking device is improved.

The power supply device for a mechanical parking device according to the second aspect eliminates wasted space and improves the space efficiency of the mechanical parking device compared to a device in which the power supply unit is located outside the outer periphery of the tray.

The power supply device for a mechanical parking system according to the third aspect simplifies the control of power supply and shutdown compared to systems that supply power by moving the tray from the normal parking position to the power supply position.

With the power supply device for a mechanical parking system according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the tray can be moved to the storage compartment to be powered from any direction, compared to devices that have restrictions on the direction of movement due to the orientation of the terminals of the power supply unit and power receiving unit.

1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention; 10 is a side view showing a state in which a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention is in contact with a power receiving unit installed on the tray and a power supply unit installed on a vertical feed frame. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are not in contact with each other and power is not being supplied in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state of the position detection device when the lifting member of the power supply unit is located at the lower end in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which the power supply unit and the power receiving unit are in contact with each other and power supply is possible in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a state of the position detection device when the lifting member of the power supply unit is located at the lift end in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an arrangement of vehicle power supply devices arranged on a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An example of a power supply device for a mechanical parking device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrow W shown in the drawing indicates the width direction of the device, the arrow D indicates the depth direction of the device, and the arrow H indicates the height direction of the device. The width direction W of the device is sometimes referred to as the "short direction of the tray," the depth direction D of the device is sometimes referred to as the "longitudinal direction of the tray," and the view from the side of the height direction H of the device is sometimes referred to as the "plan view."

[Embodiment]
<Overall configuration of mechanical parking device>
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a mechanical parking system as one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mechanical parking device 1 includes a tray 4 having a power receiving unit 60 on which a vehicle M to be powered is placed, a storage unit 2 in which the tray 4 is stored, and a plurality of storage compartments 3 in the storage unit 2, each having at least one empty compartment 3 and a power supply unit 50 that supplies power to the power receiving unit 60.

[Storage section]
Specifically, the storage unit 2 has a plurality of storage compartments 3 arranged in multiple rows in both the device width direction W and device depth direction D, and each storage compartment 3 is configured to allow the trays 4 to move in the device width direction W or device depth direction D. Although only one layer is shown in the present embodiment, multiple storage units 2 are provided along the device height direction H, resulting in a multi-layer mechanical parking device 1. Also, in this embodiment, multiple empty compartments 3 are set up to shorten the time required for the trays 4 to circulate.

In addition, in part of the storage unit 2, an elevator device 6 is located adjacent to a specific storage compartment 3, and raises and lowers the trays 4 circulated in the storage unit 2 by connecting them to a boarding/deboarding room (not shown) located above or below the storage unit 2. In a multi-story storage unit 2, the elevator device 6 can also move trays 4 between a storage unit 2 on a specific level and a storage unit 2 on a different level.

[Storage compartment]
Each storage compartment 3 includes a vertical feed frame 32 and a horizontal feed frame 34, and each vertical feed frame 32 and horizontal feed frame 34 is configured to connect adjacent storage compartments 3. Each storage compartment 3 is equipped with a vertical/horizontal feed device (not shown) that moves the trays 4 in the width direction W or depth direction D of the device. The trays are moved appropriately in the width direction W or depth direction D under the control of the control panel 10, thereby moving within the storage section 2. Each storage compartment 3 is also provided with a power supply unit 50 of a power supply device 7 (described later) that is configured to supply power to trays 4 carrying vehicles equipped with batteries that require power. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , all storage compartments 3 and all trays 4 are illustrated as having the power supply unit 50 and the power receiving unit 60. However, if it is not necessary to provide a power supply device 7 having a power supply unit 50 in every storage compartment 3, for example, power supply devices 7 having a power supply unit 50 may be provided only in storage compartments 3 located far from the lifting device 6.

〔tray〕
1 and 2, in this embodiment, the tray 4 has a rectangular shape in plan view, with a shorter side along the width direction W of the apparatus and a longer side along the depth direction D of the apparatus, and has a thickness in the direction along the height direction H of the apparatus. A total of four pairs of vertical feed wheels 4A and lateral feed wheels 4B are provided on the underside of the tray 4 near the four corners of the tray 4, and the vertical feed wheels 4A can run on the vertical feed frame 32, and the lateral feed wheels 4B can run on the lateral feed frame 34.

2 and 7, a vehicle power supply device 44 is mounted on one or both ends of the tray 4 in the device depth direction D, and is capable of being raised or lowered relative to the tray 4 using a shaft 44 as a fulcrum. The vehicle power supply device 44 has a power outlet on the free end that faces upward when the tray 4 is upright. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle power supply device 44 is tilted down to be stored in a storage section 44B provided in the tray 4. When stored in the storage section 44B, the vehicle power supply device 44 is used as part of the roadway to allow vehicles to travel. The tray 4 has a flat top surface, and a water-stopping member 42 is provided around the periphery of the top surface of the tray 4 to prevent water, such as rainwater brought in by vehicles or meltwater from snow and ice, from flowing down to the surrounding area. Water that accumulates on the tray 4 is channeled down to a drainage gutter (not shown) by water guide means (not shown) provided in the notches at both longitudinal ends of the tray 4. This cutout may be positioned offset in the tray's short direction relative to the vehicle power supply device 44. The water-stopping member 42 also has a fall prevention function that prevents the on-board charging cord 48, used to supply power to the vehicle M equipped with the battery, from falling out of the tray 4.

(power receiving section)
As shown in Fig. 2, the power receiving unit 60 is installed on the underside of the tray 4, and has a power receiving terminal 62 facing downward in the device height direction H. In this embodiment, the power receiving terminal 62 is a long member extending along the device width direction W, and three power receiving terminals 62 are provided at predetermined intervals in the device depth direction D (see also Fig. 1). The power supply unit 50, which will be described later, contacts the power receiving unit 60 from below the tray 4 in the device height direction H to supply power.

<Configuration of main parts>
Next, the configuration of the main part of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Power supply device]
As shown in Figure 3, the power supply device 7 has a drive unit 70 that faces the power receiving unit 60 and moves it up and down along the device height direction H, and is equipped with a power supply unit 50 that brings it into contact with or away from the power receiving unit 60.

Specifically, the power supply device 7 includes a power supply unit 50 and a linearized motor 70, which serves as a drive unit for raising and lowering the power supply unit 50. More specifically, the power supply unit 50 has a power supply terminal 52 facing upward in the device height direction H. The power supply unit 50 is mounted on the upper end of a lifting member 54, which is supported for lifting by a lifting unit 72 integrally incorporated into the linearized motor 70. In this embodiment, the power supply terminal 52 is a long member extending along the device width direction W, and three long members are provided at predetermined intervals in the device depth direction D (see also Figure 1). The linearized motor 70 is attached by a fixing member 74 to a bracket (not shown) provided on the vertical feed frame 32. The linearized motor 70 is also equipped with a position detector 76 that detects the position of the lifting member 54. The position detector 76 detects the position of the lifting member 54, thereby determining the position of the power supply terminal 52 of the power supply unit 50. The configuration of the position detection device 76 will be described later.

[Position detection device]
As shown in FIG. 4 , the position detection device 76 includes a first detection sensor 76A that detects the ascending stop position of the lifting member 54 and a second detection sensor 76B that detects the descending stop position of the lifting member 54. In this embodiment, the first detection sensor 76A and the second detection sensor 76B are limit switches. Meanwhile, a position detection target 56 is provided on the surface of the lifting member 54 facing the first detection sensor 76A and the second detection sensor 76B. When the first detection sensor 76A detects the upper end of the position detection target 56, the position detection target 56 detects that the power supply terminal 52 of the power supply unit 50 has come into contact with the power receiving terminal 62 of the power receiving unit 60 provided on the tray 4. When the second detection sensor 76B detects the lower end of the position detection target 56, the position detection target 56 detects that the power supply terminal 52 of the power supply unit 50 has come into contact with the power receiving terminal 62 of the power receiving unit 60 provided on the tray 4. In the present embodiment, as an example, the position detection member 56 is configured as a striker protruding from the lifting member 54. The portion where the first detection sensor 76A, the second detection sensor 76B, and the position detection member 56 are provided is covered with a sensor cover 78.

<Function of main parts>
Next, the operation of the main parts will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply unit 50 is located away from the power receiving unit 60. Upon receiving an activation signal from the control panel 10, the linearized motor 70 raises the lifting member 54 in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 6. The first detection sensor 76A detects the upper end of the position detection member 56 and contracts in the direction of arrow B. The first detection sensor 76A then transmits a detection signal to the control panel 10, causing the linearized motor 70 to stop. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the power supply terminal 52 of the power supply unit 50 comes into contact with the power receiving terminal 62 of the power receiving unit 60. This contact state is confirmed by a detection signal from the first detection sensor 76A. The control panel 10 then transmits a signal to the power supply unit 12 (shown in FIG. 1) instructing it to supply power. The power supply unit 12 then supplies power to the new power receiving unit 60. If a power receiving unit 60 (tray 4) is already receiving power, power continues to be supplied to that unit.

On the other hand, there are cases where power supply is not required or the power supply is temporarily interrupted. First, when the vehicle's battery is fully charged and a signal is issued, the control panel 10 causes the power supply unit 12 to stop supplying power to that storage compartment. In addition, it sends a start signal to the linear motor 70, causing the lifting member 54 to descend in the direction of arrow A shown in Figure 4. When the second detection sensor 76B detects the position detection member 56 and retracts in the direction of arrow B, it sends a detection signal to the control panel 10 indicating that it is in the lowered position, and stops the linear motor 70.

Secondly, in the mechanical parking device 1, when the control panel 10 receives a command to enter or leave from an operation panel located outside the boarding/deboarding compartment (not shown), the control panel 10 temporarily suspends power supply to all storage compartments 3 having power supply devices 7 in the storage section 2. The control panel 10 sends a signal to the power supply unit 12 to stop the supply of power to all power supply devices 7, and a signal to the linear motor 70 to lower the lifting member 54 so that the power supply units 50 move away from the power receiving units 60, transitioning to the state shown in FIG. 3. Then, when the entry or exit operation in the mechanical parking device 1 is completed and the movement of the tray 4 in the storage section 2 is finished, the power supply unit 7 can again contact the power supply unit 50 with the power receiving units 60 to resume the supply of power.

In this way, the power supply device 7 can bring the power supply unit 50 and the power receiving unit 60 into contact with or separate from each other depending on the current state. Furthermore, because the power supply device 7 is located on the underside of the tray 4, the power supply unit 50 does not protrude beyond the outer periphery of the tray 4. Even when the storage unit 2 has multiple layers, the power supply unit 50 fits within the height range of the vertical and horizontal feed device that moves the tray 4, improving space efficiency. Furthermore, while there are restrictions on the orientation of the power supply terminal 52 of the power supply unit 50 and the power receiving terminal 62 of the power receiving unit 60 in a planar view, the power supply unit 50 is configured to rise from below in the device height direction H to contact the power receiving unit 60, so there are no restrictions on the direction of movement of the tray 4 relative to the power supply unit 50.

In this way, the mechanical parking device of the present invention is a mechanical parking device 1 including a tray 4 on which a vehicle to be powered is placed, a power receiving unit 60 provided at one predetermined location on the underside of the tray 4, a storage section 2 in which the tray 4 is stored, and a plurality of storage compartments 3 in the storage section 2, each having at least one empty compartment, and each equipped with a power supply device 7 having a power supply unit 50 that supplies power to the power receiving unit 60. The power supply device 7 is provided in one location facing the power receiving unit 60 in any of the storage compartments 3. The power supply unit 50 has a linear motor 70 that moves the power supply unit 50 up and down relative to the power receiving unit 60 , and moves the power supply unit 50 into or out of contact with the power receiving unit 60. When power supply is not required or when the power supply is temporarily suspended, the power supply unit 50 moves away from the power receiving unit 60, but when power supply is resumed, the power supply unit 50 comes into contact with the power receiving unit 60 and the power supply is resumed. When the power supply unit 50 is separated from the power receiving unit 60, the tray 4 can be moved in either a planar view or in the vertical or horizontal direction .

This allows power to be supplied while the tray 4 is stopped in the normal stopping position, compared to when the tray 4 is moved from the normal stopping position to the power supply position, and power can be supplied immediately after the tray 4 is moved. Furthermore, because the tray 4 having the power receiving unit 60 can be moved in either direction relative to the power supply unit 50, there is no waste in the operation of the mechanical parking device 1. Furthermore, the space efficiency of the mechanical parking device 1 is improved.

The power supply unit 50 is also located below the tray 4.

This eliminates wasted space and improves the space efficiency of the mechanical parking device compared to when the power supply unit 50 is located outside the outer periphery of the tray 4.

In addition, when power supply is not required or when power supply is temporarily suspended, the power supply unit 50 separates from the power receiving unit 60, and when power supply is resumed, the power supply unit 50 comes into contact with the power receiving unit 60 and power supply is resumed.

This simplifies the control of power supply and shutdown compared to when power is supplied by moving the tray 4 from the normal stop position to the power supply position.

Furthermore, the tray 4 can be moved in either direction relative to the power supply unit 50.

This allows the tray 4 to be moved to the storage compartment that supplies power from either direction, compared to devices that are restricted in their movement direction by the orientation of the terminals of the power supply unit 50 and power receiving unit 60.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention, but these embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

For example, while a linear motor 70 has been described as being used as the mechanism for raising and lowering the power supply unit 50 of the power supply device 7, this is not limiting and any configuration may be used as long as it can support the lifting member 54 that raises and lowers the power supply unit 50 so that it can be raised and lowered.

Furthermore, while the power supply device 7 has been described as being mounted on the vertical feed frame 32, it may also be mounted on the horizontal feed frame 34, or may be mounted upright on the floor of the storage section 2.

Furthermore, while the mechanical parking system 1 has been described as having storage compartments 3 arranged in a planar manner, it is not limited to this and can of course also be used in elevator-type multi-story parking systems, i.e., storage compartments adjacent to elevators arranged vertically, and the type of mechanical parking system is not important.

1 Mechanical parking device 10 Control panel 12 Power supply unit 2 Storage unit 3 Storage compartment 32 Vertical feed frame 34 Horizontal feed frame 4 Tray 4A Vertical feed wheel 4B Horizontal feed wheel 42 Water stopping member 44 Vehicle power supply device 44A Shaft 44B Storage unit 46 Outlet 48 Vehicle charging cord 50 Power supply unit 52 Power supply terminal 54 Lifting member 56 Position detection member 6 Lifting device 60 Power receiving unit 62 Power receiving terminal 7 Power supply device 70 Linear motor (an example of a drive unit)
72 Lifting section 74 Fixed member 76 Position detection device 76A First detection sensor 76B Second detection sensor 78 Sensor cover

Claims (1)

A mechanical parking device comprising : a tray for placing a vehicle to be powered; a power receiving unit provided at one predetermined location on the underside of the tray; a storage unit for storing the tray; and a plurality of storage compartments in the storage unit, each having at least one empty compartment, and each compartment having a power supply device provided with a power supply unit that supplies power to the power receiving unit.
the power supply device includes a power supply unit that is provided in one location facing the power receiving unit in any one of the storage compartments, and that has a drive unit that moves up and down relative to the power receiving unit to bring it into contact with or away from the power receiving unit ;
the power supply unit is configured to move away from the power receiving unit when power supply is not required or when power supply is temporarily suspended, and to come into contact with the power receiving unit when power supply is resumed, thereby resuming power supply;
the tray is movable in any of the vertical and horizontal directions in a plan view when the power supply unit is spaced apart from the power receiving unit;
Mechanical parking equipment.