| 摘要 |
The present invention as disclosed herein is an improved vehicle parking structure and method for using the same. The vehicle parking structure provides for the automated storage and retrieval of vehicles in response to user inputs. In one aspect, the vehicle parking structure comprises one or more transfer rooms in which a vehicle operator may deposit and later retrieve a vehicle, a plurality of parking spaces of either fixed or variable dimensions, and one or more vehicle transporters used to move vehicles from the one or more transfer rooms to the plurality of parking spaces. The one or more vehicle transporters are in turn each preferably comprised of one or more vertical stabilizers, one or more tractors, one or more lifts, a lifting platform, and a dolly. The vehicle transporters move the lifting platform and dolly so that the dolly may be positioned to access a vehicle located in a transfer room or parking space. |
| 主权项 |
1. An apparatus for moving wheeled vehicles,
wherein each vehicle has a front portion and a rear portion and being comprised of two pairs of wheels, one pair of wheels arranged at said front portion, one pair of wheels arranged at said rear portion, each wheel of each pair of wheels being positioned at a set wheel distance apart from a corresponding wheel of the pair of wheels, and wherein a transfer station of a parking structure has a plurality of vertically spaced parking floors, each parking floor being comprised of a plurality of parking spaces, each parking space having a front entrance and lateral sides, said front entrance being orthogonal to said lateral sides, said transfer station having a continuous flat floor, each vehicle being received on said continuous flat floor of said transfer station, said apparatus comprising:
a platform having a first end and a second end, said platform comprising:
a platform table;a lifting means for said platform vertically relative to the parking floors;a transporting means for said platform horizontally relative to the parking floors; anda rotation means for said first end of said platform and said second end of said platform relative to said front portion and said rear portion of each vehicle, said first end facing said rear portion when each vehicle is in said transfer station, said second end facing said front portion when each vehicle is in said transfer station; anda dolly having a major axis and a minor axis and being extendable from said platform, said major axis being aligned with a direction from said front portion to said rear portion, said minor axis being orthogonal to said direction from said front portion to said rear portion, said dolly comprising:
four pairs of lifting arms, each lifting arm having a folded position aligned on said major axis and an extended position orthogonal to said major axis,
wherein a first set of two pairs of lifting arms are aligned with said one pair of wheels at said front portion, andwherein a second set of two pairs of lifting arms are aligned with said one pair of wheels at said rear portion, wherein said dolly extends along said continuous flat floor of said transfer station according to said major axis, said dolly extending from said first end of said platform when said rear portion of each vehicle faces said platform, said dolly extending from said second end of said platform when said front portion faces said platform, wherein said first set of two pairs of lifting arms engage each wheel of said one pair of wheels at said front portion, when each lifting arm swivels from said folded position, engages one side of each wheel, pivots on each wheel and slides along said major axis, so as to set said extended position orthogonal to said major axis and engaged to each wheel, wherein said second set of two pairs of lifting arms engage each wheel of said one pair of wheels at said rear portion, when each lifting arm swivels from said folded position, engages one side of each wheel, pivots on each wheel and slides along said major axis, so as to set said extended position orthogonal to said major axis and engaged to each wheel, wherein the first and second sets lift wheels of each vehicle from said continuous flat floor, said dolly retracting back to said platform table with the vehicle, and wherein said dolly extends from said platform table with the vehicle to said parking space, when said platform is aligned with said front entrance of a parking space, the first and second sets lowering the vehicle onto said parking space by releasing respective wheels of said two pairs of wheels, said dolly retracting back to said platform table. |
