JP7819255B2 - Parking equipment with charging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a charging device for electric vehicles that is installed in a parking device. Alternatively, the present invention relates to a parking device that has a charging device for electric vehicles.

In order to secure parking spaces, multi-level parking systems that park vehicles in a multi-level manner have become widespread. Multi-level parking systems have a pallet on which the vehicle is placed and a transport device that raises and lowers the pallet. Vehicles are parked on the pallet, and the transport device raises and lowers the pallet as needed. Meanwhile, with the recent spread of electric vehicles, it has become necessary to park electric vehicles in multi-level parking systems. Since electric vehicles require charging while parked, it has become necessary to charge electric vehicles in multi-level parking systems.

Unlike flat-surface parking lots, charging an electric vehicle may require the pallet on which the electric vehicle is placed to be raised and lowered or moved left and right. Because a charging cable is required to charge an electric vehicle, the charging cable is placed on the pallet when charging the electric vehicle. However, there is a risk that the charging cable may extend beyond the pallet and get caught on the transport device, causing the charging cable to break or the transport device to malfunction. To solve these problems with multi-level parking systems that allow charging of electric vehicles, technologies such as those described in Patent Documents 1 to 7 are known.

JP 2010-121403 A JP 2010-242297 A JP 2011-021360 A JP 2011-026925 A JP 2012-092511 A JP 2012-102474 A JP 2012-158955 A

One object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a parking device that ensures safety when charging an electric vehicle. Another object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a parking device that prevents breakdowns in the transport device due to the charging cable breaking or getting caught on something when charging an electric vehicle. Another object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a charging device that prevents breakdowns in the parking device due to the charging cable breaking or getting caught on something when charging an electric vehicle.

A charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first storage unit having a first hole and a power outlet and capable of being placed on the underside of a pallet on which a vehicle is parked, a second storage unit having a second hole and an opening and capable of being placed on the upper surface of the pallet, and a cable locking unit placed in the first storage unit or the second storage unit.

The second storage section may further include an opening through which the charging cable can be removed, and the cable locking section may lock the charging cable.

The cable locking portion may connect the first hole and the second hole.

The second housing may house a first portion of a charging cable of a predetermined length.

It may also be equipped with a holder capable of engaging a charging connector located at the end of the charging cable.

It may further include a lid portion that is arranged in an openable and closable manner on the opening and that has the holder arranged therein.

A parking device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a pallet having one or more third holes into which a charging cable can be placed, and any of the charging devices described above placed on the pallet, with the first hole, second hole, and third hole being arranged in an overlapping manner, and a cable locking portion connecting the first hole, second hole, and third hole.

The pallet may have one or more third holes in the first convex portion located on the first side or in the second convex portion located on the second side opposite the first side.

The pallet has a first end through which a vehicle can enter, the first convex portion has a first region on the first end side and a second region on the second end side opposite the first end, the second convex portion has a third region on the first end side and a fourth region on the second end side, and one or more third holes may be located in any one or more of the first to fourth regions.

One or more third holes may be arranged in each of the first to fourth regions.

One of the objectives of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a parking device that ensures safety when charging an electric vehicle. Alternatively, one of the objectives of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a parking device that prevents breakdowns in the transport device due to the charging cable being disconnected or getting caught on the charging cable when charging an electric vehicle.

1 is a schematic side view of a parking device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the parking device 1000 shown in FIG. 1. 1 is a cross-sectional end view of a pallet on which a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed. (a) is a top view of the first storage section 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a cross-sectional end view of the first storage section 110 at line AA' in (a), and (c) is a bottom view of the first storage section 110. 1A is a top view of a cable anchor 130 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional end view of the cable anchor 130 taken along line BB' in FIG. 1A. (a) is a top view of the second storage section 120 according to one embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a cross-sectional end view of the second storage section 120 at line CC' in (a), and (c) is a bottom view of the second storage section 120. 1A is a front view of a pallet 1001 on which a charging device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the pallet 1001. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional end view of a pallet on which a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed. 1 is a cross-sectional end view of a pallet on which a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed. 1 is a cross-sectional end view of a pallet on which a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

In the drawings referenced in this embodiment, identical parts or parts with similar functions are designated by the same or similar reference numerals (reference numerals consisting of a number followed by A, B, etc.). Furthermore, for the sake of convenience, the dimensional proportions of the drawings may differ from the actual proportions, and some components may be omitted from the drawings. Note that ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," and "third" are used in this specification and elsewhere only to simplify the explanation and should not be interpreted in a limiting sense.

[Parking device configuration]
Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a parking device 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows the main configuration of the parking device 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of the parking device 1000 shown in Fig. 1.

The parking device 1000 has a main structure made up of support posts 1102, and a pallet 1001 on which a vehicle V is placed is installed within the main structure.

The pallet 1001 is arranged so that it can be raised and lowered along the support 1102 by an elevator 1106. The pallet 1001 may also be movable laterally across the vehicle body (in the depth direction of the paper in Figure 1).

The pallets 1001 within the main structure are spaced apart so that when multiple vehicles V are stacked vertically, they do not interfere with each other. As a result, the main structure formed by the support posts 1102 forms a parking space stacked vertically in multiple tiers.

The parking device 1000 is operated by a control panel 1112 via a control device 1110. The control panel 1112 is provided on the outside of the parking device 1000. Figure 1 shows an example in which the control panel 1112 is attached to a support 1102 near the entrance/exit gate of the parking device 1000 (lower right side of the figure).

The user can operate the operation panel 1112 from outside the parking device 1000 to instruct the control device 1110, which can then move the desired pallet 1001 to the loading/unloading entrance.

The gate 1108 installed at the entrance/exit of the parking device 1000 can be opened and closed by the control device 1110 through operation of the operation panel 1112.

Gate 1108 is kept closed except when it is opened to allow vehicle V to enter or leave the parking facility. Therefore, when pallet 1001 is moving, gate 1108 is kept closed. By keeping gate 1108 closed, people are normally prevented from entering the parking device 1000.

The parking device 1000 forms parking spaces stacked vertically in multiple tiers, allowing vehicles V to be stored and parked in a three-dimensional manner. Pallets 1001 are raised and lowered to move the desired pallet 1001 to the entrance/exit gate, allowing the vehicle to be loaded or unloaded.

There are several methods for moving the desired pallet 1001 to the entrance/exit gate. For example, a method is used in which the lower pallet 1001 is lowered into an underground pit to allow a vehicle parked on the upper pallet 1001 to exit, a method is used in which the lower or upper pallet 1001 is slid laterally across the vehicle body (in the depth direction of the paper in Figure 1) to lower the upper pallet 1001 into a space where the lower pallet 1001 is not present, or a combination of these methods is used.

Figure 1 shows parking spaces PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4 arranged from the first floor to the upper floors. Also, parking space PS5 is arranged to the side of parking space PS1 shown in Figure 2, and parking space PS9 is arranged further to the side of that.

Parking spaces PS1 to PS9 are each equipped with pallets 1001 numbered P1 to P9. When lowering the pallet 1001 in the upper parking space PS4 to allow vehicle V to enter or exit, the pallets 1001 in the lower parking spaces PS1, PS2, and PS3 present an obstacle. In this case, if the pallet 1001 in parking space PS9 is raised to the same height as the pallet 1001 in parking space PS8 and the pallets 1001 in parking spaces PS1 to PS3 and parking spaces PS5 to PS7 are slid sideways, the obstacle disappears, allowing the pallet 1001 in parking space PS4 to be lowered to the entrance/exit gate.

[Configuration of charging device]
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional end view of a pallet 1001 on which a charging device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is arranged. FIGS. 4 to 6 show the configuration of a charging device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4(a) is a top view of the first storage section 110, FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional end view of the first storage section 110 taken along line AA' in FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 4(c) is a bottom view of the first storage section 110. FIG. 5(a) is a top view of the cable locking section 130, and FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional end view of the cable locking section 130 taken along line BB' in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 6(a) is a top view of the second storage section 120, FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional end view of the second storage section 120 taken along line CC' in FIG. 6(a), and FIG. 6(c) is a bottom view of the second storage section 120.

The charging device 100 is a device for placing a vehicle V on a pallet 1001 on which the vehicle V is parked, and includes a first storage section 110 and a second storage section 120. The first storage section 110 is a housing that can be placed on the underside of the pallet 1001 (the side opposite the side on which the vehicle V is parked). A first hole 117 is provided on the upper surface of the first storage section 110, through which the cable 11 of the charging cable 10 can be placed. The first hole 117 preferably has a diameter that allows the plug 13 of the charging cable 10 to pass through. While the first hole 117 is shown as a circular hole in Figure 4(a), the shape of the first hole 117 is not particularly limited as long as it allows the plug 13 to pass through.

In addition, an outlet 111 is installed inside the first storage section 110 for connecting the plug 13 of the charging cable 10. A cable 113 arranged outside the first storage section 110 is connected to the outlet 111. A plug 115 is connected to the end of the cable 113. The plug 115 is connected to an outlet (not shown) arranged in the parking device 1000, and supplies power to the outlet 111 via the cable 113. Note that if the cable 113 is a cable that is pulled directly from the parking device 1000, there is no need to install the plug 115.

The second storage section 120 is a housing that can be placed on the upper surface of the pallet 1001 (the surface on which the vehicle V is parked). A second hole 127 is arranged on the bottom surface of the second storage section 120, and the cable 11 of the charging cable 10 can be placed therein. The second hole 127 preferably has a diameter that allows the plug 13 of the charging cable 10 to pass through. In Fig. 6(c) , the second hole 127 is shown as a circular hole, but the shape of the second hole 127 is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape that allows the plug 13 to pass through.

The first storage section 110 and the second storage section 120 are constructed from corrosion-resistant materials or materials with an anti-rust coating, with the aim of being installed outdoors. The combined volume of the first storage section 110 and the second storage section 120 is sufficient to accommodate one charging cable 10. The second storage section 120 also accommodates a length of cable 11a sufficient to pull the charging cable 10 out of the charging device 100 and connect the charging connector 15 to the vehicle V for charging. The first storage section 110 accommodates the remaining length (excess) of cable 11b up to the plug 13.

A cable locking portion 130 that locks the cable 11 of the charging cable 10 is disposed inside the charging device 100. The cable locking portion 130 has a hole 131 that can lock the cable 11. In one embodiment, the cable locking portion 130 also has a detachment prevention portion 133 that prevents the cable 11 from detaching from the first hole 117 of the first accommodating portion 110 and the second hole 127 of the second accommodating portion 120. While Figure 3 shows the cable locking portion 130 as being circular in top view, the shape of the cable locking portion 130 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of locking the cable 11 and preventing it from detaching from the first hole 117 and the second hole 127. The cable locking portion 130 connects the first hole 117 of the first housing portion 110 and the second hole 127 of the second housing portion 120 at a position where the first hole 117 and the second hole 127 overlap, and locks the cable 11 of the charging cable 10. By locking the cable 11, the cable locking portion 130 can limit the length of the cable 11a housed in the first housing portion 110 to a predetermined length. Here, the predetermined length of the cable 11a limited by the cable locking portion 130 is the length that allows the cable 11a to be removed from an opening 121 (described below) when the plug 13 of the charging cable 10 is connected to the outlet 111. In other words, the predetermined length is the length of the cable 11a from the opening 121 to the vehicle V, which is necessary for charging the vehicle V.

The second storage section 120 has an opening 121 through which the charging cable 10 can be removed. In this embodiment, the second storage section 120 has a lid section 123 disposed at the opening 121 so that it can be opened and closed. A holder 125 for engaging the charging connector 15 is disposed on the surface of the lid section 123 facing inward of the second storage section 120. The holder 125 may be formed, for example, from an insulating member having a structure that can be fitted with the charging connector 15.

By using the charging device 100, the excess cable 11b of the charging cable 10 can be stored in the first storage section 110, the charging cable 10 can be secured using the cable locking section 130, and the cable 11a required for charging the vehicle V can be stored in the first storage section 110. As a result, the excess cable 11b of the charging cable 10 will not be placed on the pallet 1001 during charging. This prevents the charging cable 10 from breaking when charging the vehicle V, or the parking device 1000 from malfunctioning due to the charging cable 10 getting caught.

[Placement of charging device on pallet]
The placement of the charging port of an electric vehicle varies depending on the manufacturer and model. Therefore, in order to prevent the charging cable 10 from breaking or the charging cable 10 from getting caught when charging the vehicle V, the charging device 100 needs to be placed near the charging port of the vehicle V. On the other hand, the charging device 100 needs to be placed in a position where it does not interfere with the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle V.

In this embodiment, the pallet 1001 of the parking device 1000 has one or more third holes 1005 in which the charging devices 100 can be placed. More specifically, the pallet 1001 has one or more third holes 1005 in a convex portion 1003 arranged on the side. Fig. 7(a) is a front view of the pallet 1001 on which the charging devices 100 are arranged. Fig. 7(b) is a top view of the pallet 1001. Fig. 7(b) shows an example in which four arrangement spaces 1105 are arranged on two opposing side portions of the pallet 1001.

The pallet 1001 has a first end 1007 through which a vehicle V can enter, and a second end 1009 opposite the first end 1007. A vehicle stopper is arranged on the second end 1009 side of the pallet 1001. Two convex portions 1003 (one may be referred to as the first convex portion and the other as the second convex portion) arranged on the pallet 1001 can have third holes 1005 arranged in the area on the first end 1007 side and the area on the second end 1009 side, respectively. More specifically, the third holes 1005 can be arranged in a first region on the first end 1007 side of one convex portion 1003 (first convex portion), a second region on the second end 1009 side, a third region on the first end 1007 side of the other convex portion 1003 (second convex portion), and a fourth region on the second end 1009 side.

Typically, the charging port of an electric vehicle is located on the left or right rear side of the vehicle V (where a fuel filler port is typically located) or on the front of the vehicle V. For this reason, one or more third holes 1005 are located on the pallet 1001 near the left or right rear side of the vehicle V (first area or third area), or near the left or right front of the vehicle V (second area or fourth area). The third hole 1005 is preferably located closest to the charging port of the vehicle V. In one embodiment, one or more third holes may be located in each of the first area to fourth area, i.e., four or more in total.

The parking device 1000 has a third hole 1005 pre-positioned on the pallet 1001, so the charging device 100 can be installed by selecting the third hole 1005 that is suitable for installing the charging device 100 depending on the position of the charging port of the vehicle V to be parked on the pallet 1001, the position of the driver's seat (right-hand drive, left-hand drive), etc.

Refer to Figure 3. The pallet 1001 has one or more third holes 1005 into which the charging cable 10 can be placed. In this embodiment, the charging device 100 is placed on a convex portion (edge) 1003 located on the side of the pallet 1001. At this time, the first accommodating portion 110 is accommodated in the space inside (below) the convex portion 1003. Therefore, a structure is created in which only the second accommodating portion 120 is placed above the convex portion 1003. In this embodiment, the first hole 117, second hole 127, and third hole 1005 are arranged in an overlapping manner. The cable locking portion 130 connects the first hole 117, second hole 127, and third hole 1005, and locks the cable 11 of the charging cable 10.

In one embodiment, it is preferable that the height of the first storage section 110 is approximately equal to the height of the space inside the convex section 1003. In this embodiment, unlike a structure in which the entire charging device 100 is placed on the pallet 1001, the height of the charging device 100 exposed above the pallet 1001 can be reduced to avoid interference with the doors of the vehicle V, etc.

By selecting a third hole 1005 from pre-arranged third holes 1005 on the pallet 1001 at a suitable location for installing the charging device 100 and installing the charging device 100, even if the pallet 1001 is moved while the vehicle V is parked and charging in the parking device 1000, the excess cable 11b of the charging cable 10 will not be placed on the pallet 1001, preventing the charging cable 10 from breaking or becoming caught, which can cause the parking device 1000 to malfunction.

In addition, because the length of the charging cable 10 that can be removed from the second storage section 120 is limited to the length of the cable 11a, removing and storing the charging cable 10 is easier than when the entire length of the charging cable 10 is removed. Furthermore, because the charging connector 15 is engaged with the holder 125 arranged in the lid section 123 of the second storage section 120 and the charging cable 10 is stored, it is possible to prevent inadvertent current flow or leakage from the charging connector 15. Furthermore, because the holder 125 is arranged inside the lid section 123, the charging connector 15 can be attached and detached from the holder 125 in the large space left open by the lid section 123, unlike when the holder 125 is arranged inside the second storage section 120.

[Charging Device Modification 1]
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional end view of a charging device 100A in which a holder 125A is arranged on a support 223 instead of a lid 123, and the charging device 100A is placed on a pallet 1001A. The configuration of the first storage section 110 is the same as that of the charging device 100, so a detailed description will be omitted. A support 223 is arranged in the second storage section 120A, and a holder 125A is arranged on the support 223. In the charging device 100A, the charging connector 15 is engaged with the holder 125A arranged on the support 223 to accommodate the charging cable 10, thereby preventing inadvertent current flow and leakage from the charging connector 15. Furthermore, because the holder 125A is arranged on the support 223, the charging connector 15 can be attached to and detached from the holder 125A in a large space, unlike when the holder 125A is arranged inside the second storage section 120. The support pillars 223 may be arranged on the pallet 1001 in addition to the second storage section 120A.

[Modification 2 of the charging device]
9 is a cross-sectional end view of a charging device 100B placed on a pallet 1001B, the charging device 100B having a cable locking portion 130A placed in the first housing portion 110 instead of the cable locking portion 130 connecting the first hole 117, the second hole 127, and the third hole 1005. The cable locking portion 130A is a member, such as a ring-shaped member, that prevents the excess cable 11b of the charging cable 10 from moving to the second housing portion 120. By placing the cable locking portion 130A in the first housing portion 110, it is possible to prevent the plug 13 from being detached from the outlet 111.

[Charging Device Modification 3]
10 is a cross-sectional end view of a charging device 100C placed on a pallet 1001C, the charging device 100C having a cable locking portion 130B arranged in the second housing portion 120 instead of the cable locking portion 130 connecting the first hole 117, the second hole 127, and the third hole 1005. The cable locking portion 130C may be a known mechanism capable of locking the cable 11, such as a lockable cable lock, a cable clip, a cable tie hook, or a combination of two holes (or openings) and a cable tie arranged inside the second housing portion 120. By arranging the cable locking portion 130B in the second housing portion 120, the length of the charging connector 15 cable 11a that can be pulled out of the second housing portion 120 can be easily adjusted.

The above describes one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a parking device according to this embodiment can be modified by a person skilled in the art by adding, deleting, or modifying components as appropriate, and this also falls within the scope of the present invention as long as it maintains the essence of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate as long as there are no mutual contradictions, and technical matters common to each embodiment are included in each embodiment even if not explicitly stated.

Even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the aspects of each of the above-mentioned embodiments, those that are clear from the description in this specification or that can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention.

10 Charging cable, 11 Cable, 11a Cable, 11b Cable, 13 Plug, 15 Charging connector, 100 Charging device, 100A Charging device, 100B Charging device, 100C Charging device, 110 First storage section, 111 Outlet, 113 Cable, 115 Plug, 117 First hole, 120 Second storage section, 120A Second storage section, 121 Opening, 123 Lid portion, 125 Holder, 125A Holder, 127 Second hole, 130 Cable locking portion, 130A Cable locking portion, 130B Cable locking portion, 223 Support, 1000 Parking device, 1001 Pallet, 1001A Pallet, 1001B Pallet, 1001C Pallet, 1003 Convex portion, 1005 Third hole, 1007 First end, 1009 Second end, 1102 Support, 1105 Arrangement space, 1106 Elevator, 1108 Gate, 1110 Control device, 1112 Operation panel

Claims (6)

a charging device including: a storage unit having a first hole into which a charging cable can be placed and which can be placed on an upper surface of a pallet on which a vehicle is parked; and a cable locking unit which is placed in the storage unit and locks the charging cable;
a pallet having a first convex portion arranged on a first side or a second convex portion arranged on a second side opposite the first side, and having four second holes into which the charging cable can be arranged;
the charging device is disposed on the first convex portion or the second convex portion of the pallet such that the first hole and any one of the second holes overlap;
The charging cable is disposed through the first hole and the second hole. the pallet has a first end accessible to the vehicle;
the first convex portion has a first region on the first end side and a second region on the second end side opposite to the first end side,
the second convex portion has a third region on the first end side and a fourth region on the second end side,
The parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the second holes are arranged one in each of the first area to the fourth area. The parking device according to claim 2 , wherein the charging device is placed by selecting a second hole that is located closest to a charging port of the vehicle. The parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the charging device is disposed in the storage section and further comprises an opening through which the charging cable can be removed. The parking device according to claim 1 , further comprising a holder capable of engaging a charging connector arranged at an end of the charging cable. the charging device further includes an opening disposed in the housing and through which the charging cable can be removed;
The parking device according to claim 5 , further comprising a lid portion that is disposed in the opening in an openable and closable manner and that has the holder disposed thereon.