WO1990005820A2 - Automatic storage device with anti-intrusion and fire protection devices and size control - Google Patents

Abstract

The vertical and horizontal motions are autonomous and independent. A lock chamber, combined with human presence detections and utilization of an individual cover, provides for a protection against fire and vandalism as well as a size control.

Description

 ROBOTIC AUTOMATIC STORAGE with ANTI-INTRUSION DEVICE; FIRE PROTECTION and TEMPLATE CONTROL

The present invention relates to a robotized automatic storage (garage) process for vehicles or any heavy and bulky object, whether public or private. Up to now, apart from parking on public roads and in reserved areas, at ground level, with or without payment of a fee, underground air or mixed garages with tolls have been the solution generally adopted.

In addition to the continuous increase in cars in circulation, and parking restrictions along the sidewalks, a certain delinquency due mainly to unemployment and drugs, has settled in these public places that are these parking lots. There are countless thefts, break-ins and assaults committed on people and vehicles.

As a result, these garages are increasingly shunned by users who prefer to take the risk of unauthorized parking rather than endangering their lives or their property. To this serious problem must be added the time lost to find a place in the garage and to pick up the vehicle, pay the toll and leave. This average time is of the order of 15 to 20 minutes.

So, for example, a sales representative will lose at least an hour per day to park his car. This time is necessarily taken from his working hours. It should also be noted that this type of garage does not use more than 50% of its actual surface for parking spaces. In recent years, small automatic garages have appeared in cities.

It is possible to classify them into three types:

^~ J System consisting of nacelles suspended from one or two endless chains, in vertical or horizontal position. b / Tri-directional handling machine, moving in the center of the building over the entire length and height of the construction. (Neutralization of a third of the total volume) cl System consisting of a cylindrical building with a pivoting central plate e moving vertically.

There are variants to these devices described above, but which do not change the problems encountered.

REPLACEMENT SHEET The main drawbacks are:

1 ° / Very limited capacity (from 30 to 80 places)

27 Risk of "blocking" of all parked vehicles in the event of mechanical or hydraulic failure.

37 Mobilization of the entire robot to move a car in both the vertical and horizontal planes. (Long cycle)

47 Except in the last example, it is necessary to provide a turntable at the

»Exit the vehicle. (Cycle increase)

The present invention therefore aims to eliminate all these defects by the following means.

The construction, which can be made of concrete or metallic structure, will be of rectangular shape, of constant section, but of a length adapted to the dimensions of the land made available.

In the width direction, we will place side by side as many elements as described above, depending on the space available.

The number of levels will depend on the nature of the terrain and its environment. Before tackling the mechanical means that can be used, it is important to note that the distance to travel to move a vehicle vertically is short and constant in relation to each level.

On the other hand, the distance to be covered on the horizontal plane is variable, but longer and more complex.

Thus, to ensure the movement of a load on five levels, the freight elevator will carry out approximately 5 x 2.50 m = 12.50 m.

If its speed is 1 m per second, the time required will be 12.5 sec. On the horizontal plane, if the distance to be covered is 30 meters, at the speed of 1 m / sec, the time required will be 30 sec. increased time used for direction changes. (3 seconds)

As a result, if the automatic garage uses a single mechanical assembly to ensure the two movements, the cyclical efficiency will be poor. (Addition of cycles) The automatic garage, object of the present invention, will therefore separate any mechanical connection between the two movements, which will allow the lift to make several trips while the loads deposited at the different levels will move independently on the horizontal plane.

While a vehicle will go to its parking spot at a determined level, while another will leave its location to stand in front of a freight elevator, the latter will have time to get off or go up to other cars.

The two movements will therefore be autonomous and independent.

The rate of entries and exits will therefore be optimal. (Masked time)

In order to facilitate the horizontal movement of several vehicles, the mechanical system providing this function will be divided into several sections, made up of short standard elements.

Thus, in a sector of the horizontal plane, a vehicle will be able to leave its location in a direction perpendicular to the central longitudinal line, place itself on this line and begin its approach to the freight elevator, while another vehicle located in another sector, will, for example, be placed on its parking area.

The coordination of all these movements will be ensured by a central computer.

Given the autonomy of operation of the vertical movement, and to ensure both a cycle adapted to the expected traffic, and the elimination of the risk of blocking of cars inside the garage in the event of a lift failure , less than two of these devices will never be installed per parking lot.

The freight elevator in working order will thus take over from the one who may be deficient.

As the maximum number of freight elevators is not limited, it will be adapted to foreseeable traffic.

The mechanical assembly with horizontal displacement, as explained above, will be made up of independent elements by sectors.

This design will have the effect of reducing the power required to move a load, and reduce the risk of breakdowns in a car. The independence of mechanical movements and sectorization provide an additional possibility. Indeed, in the case of a maintenance visit, it is possible to program the neutralization of a part of the garage without stopping the normal operation of the rest of the installation.

In this case, the computer will let the cars out of the sector concerned but direct the arrivals to another sector.

It will even be possible to move cars from the sector concerned to another to clear a sector more quickly, without the user being disturbed in the slightest.

Regarding the horizontal movement mechanism, it is planned to be able to disconnect the motorization, without using a tool and in a few seconds, in order to possibly move a vehicle manually or using an appropriate device

(manual or motorized winch, for example).

The drive motors will be two speeds and two windings. In the event of a winding failure, the second will automatically take over.

Therefore, blocking a car will be impossible.

It is easy to understand that it is possible to use different techniques, in particular as regards the mechanical means of horizontal displacement.

A person skilled in the art will thus be able to choose, for example to use self-propelled trays or carriages, individual or not, moving on rails or remote-controlled. It may also prefer tracks on rollers or rollers, or even roller chains.

It should be noted that this latter technique brings certain significant advantages.

First of all, the precision of the movements. In addition, the change of direction at right angles is not a problem because the builders have a long experience. It should also be noted that the power of the motorization is very low

(about 2 hp for a load of more than 2 tonnes).

In the case of the choice of roller chains for horizontal movements, including in freight elevators, the vehicles will be placed, by the user, on a platform equipped longitudinal guides to better center the car. Fixed chocks will position the front wheels.

The entrances / exits will, for example, consist of a room (consisting of airlock) in which the freight elevator will arrive at level 0. On each side of the freight elevator, a platform will receive an arriving car, or drop off another car outgoing.

In order to ensure a rotation of the platforms, the freight elevator will never move empty.

For example, if he is called to enter a car placed on his tray and he has no car to leave, he will deposit, on his arrival, an empty tray in the second airlock.

It will do the same in reverse.

In order to prevent people from entering the garage, the entry / exit room will be designed as an airlock. That is to say that a set of doors with opening and closing combined, will close the entrance of the freight elevator as long as the users have not evacuated the area in which the car has been deposited. Conversely, the door giving access to the drop-off or recovery area of a car will be closed during transfer operations in the freight elevator.

As a security measure, a human presence detection device will complete the device.

In addition, an anti-intrusion, anti-fire and template control device will ensure maximum security.

Despite advances in electronics and IT, to date, there is no 100% reliable system to detect and prevent harm to an attacker in a room and especially in the case of a parking lot. automatic (without staff present).

Indeed, an individual can always hide in the trunk of a car where he will be undetectable by systems that are not dangerous for his health.

Likewise, unconscious parents who leave a child capable of opening a window or door in the car, could be responsible for serious injury or even death of this child. The device described below eliminates these risks by using simple mechanical means and maximum reliability.

This device also provides good protection against an incipient fire by self-extinguishing (lack of air) and the protection of neighboring vehicles.

In addition, this device can be used to control the size of the car placed on the platform by the user, at the entrance to the parking lot.

When the user has deposited his vehicle on tray 1 (fig. 1) waiting in the entrance airlock, and that he has left the room, a cover, of dimensions adapted to the most bulky vehicles, descends and comes place yourself on the board.

During the descent of the cover, the control of the template is ensured by a sensitive device, which can be placed, for example, under the lower edge 3 of the cover (feelers) or by a dynamometric device incorporated in the up and down mechanism 5 .

If the cover encounters an obstacle (rear view mirror, for example) this cover immediately rises and triggers an alarm, inviting the user to better position his car, or to clear the obstacle.

Electronic payment, in any case, will issue the ticket only after a positive check and fitting of the cap.

This cap can be made with metals, composite materials or the like.

The material or materials used must: a / Withstand shocks such as hammer, crank or any other blunt object. b / Resist sharp tools such as knife, cutter, screwdriver or others. c / Resist fire. Minimum Ml protection.

This cover will be locked on the plate, for example by using pins 4 whose clearance length will be greater than the distance separating the top of the cover and the ceiling of the garage room. In this way, a person trapped under the cover will not be able to release it and go out into the parking area.

To ensure the survival of the prisoner, ventilation will be provided at the level of the tray. An incipient fire will be extinguished quickly by lack of oxygen, carbon dioxide quickly replacing the air contained under the cap.

The damage will be limited to the car concerned and the fire will not be able to communicate with other neighboring vehicles.

Openings, unlockable from the outside, will allow firefighters to intervene, if necessary.

A listening device, placed under each tray, and connected to a remote monitoring system, can trigger an alarm (silent or not) in order to get the prisoner out.

It may happen during the parking period that a tire deflates or a battery discharges quickly.

In the event that the return of his vehicle, a user would have difficulty getting started, the motorist will have at his disposal, a supply of compressed air and cables supplied with 12 volts electric current.

With regard to the filling rate of the garage, object of the present invention, those skilled in the art can always choose a particular arrangement. However, given, on the one hand the horizontal right-angle movements, and on the other hand the sectoring of the mechanisms, the best arrangement of the vehicles will be, in the longitudinal direction and in at least two rows side by side on each side of the traffic aisle.

Given the precision of the trajectories, the driveway will not be wider than the parking spaces.

As a result, the occupancy rate of actual surfaces by parking spaces will be close to 80%.

Depending on the direction of movement of vehicles on the surface (one way or alternate) it will be possible for users to choose the direction of exit from their car. This choice will depend on the freight elevator. Indeed, a vehicle entered by one of the freight elevators located, for example on the left side of the garage, will automatically exit in the opposite direction of its arrival, if the motorist calls his car to a freight elevator located on the right of the garage, due either to the internal circular motion of the cars or by Depending on the direction of movement of vehicles on the surface (one way or alternate) it will be possible for users to choose the direction of exit from their car. This choice will depend on the freight elevator. Indeed, a vehicle entered by one of the freight elevators located, for example on the left side of the garage, will automatically exit in the opposite direction of its arrival, if the motorist calls his car to a freight elevator located on the right of the garage, due either to the internal circular movement of the cars, or by a reversal device incorporated into the horizontal or vertical movements inside the garage.

Of course, those skilled in the art will be able to use any known or future mechanical means. Only the combination of independent and autonomous resources managed by a data center counts.

Claims

1 / Automatic garage characterized by the independence and autonomy of mechanical functioning of the systems ensuring the Vertical and Horizontal movements of vehicles or other objects.

2 / Automatic garage characterized by the presence of at least two independent systems ensuring vertical movements.

3 / Automatic garage characterized by changes of direction at right angles to vehicles or other objects in their horizontal and vertical movements.

4 / Automatic garage characterized by the use of airlocks, combined with human presence detections, and the use of a special and individual cover ensuring excellent protection against vandalism, fire and control of the template.

5 / Automatic garage characterized by centralized computerized management of the various functions of all the systems.

67 Automatic garage characterized by its modular design allowing the construction of complexes without any upper limit on the number of parking spaces.

7 / Automatic garage characterized by the division into vertical and horizontal "sectors" of the computerized management of the mechanisms.

8 / Automatic garage characterized by the provision of energy sources: compressed air and direct electric current of 12 volts as well as automatic telephone connections with a national remote monitoring center.

9 / Automatic garage characterized by the possibility offered to users to choose the direction of exit from their vehicle.