GB2220650A

GB2220650A - A vehicle park

Info

Publication number: GB2220650A
Application number: GB8913248A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ernesto Sanchez Portillo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-06-08
Filing date: 1989-06-08
Publication date: 1990-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-08
Also published as: NL8901455A; GB2220650B; ES1007125U; DE3918514A1; FR2632676A1; GB8913248D0; ES1007125Y; IT8967461A0

Description

2 2 2- 0 6 5 0 1 A VEHICLE PARK Car parks for motor vehicles are generally

per manent, be they underground or at ground level having one storey or a plurality of storeys.

These permanent car parks have the drawback that, as indicated by their name, they cannot be moved from one place to another as a disassembled unit and in a rapid manner.

Furthermore, these car parks, because of their intrinsic nature, oblige the drivers parking their vehicles to drive into a car park, which results in the movement of people entering and leaving the car park.

As a result of this movement, unscrupulous people are able to gain access to the car park easily under the pretence of retrieving their parked car, whereas in reality, at best, they intend to break into the parked motor vehicles and, at worst,"to steal a motor vehicle which they have broken into.

This occurs so often that in some car parks it is a requirement that the keys be left in the attendant's kiosk and the vehicle kept locked.

However, this solution is also unsatisfactory since, if a miscreant is able to open the doors of a vehicle parked there and make a contact bridge to turn on the ignition, he will be able to do so with greater impunity inside a car park where the only person keeping guard is the same person responsible for collecting the parking tickets and who is inside his booth for most of the time.

Another problem which exists is that, in the case of a conventional car park, exhaust gases from combustion caused by running engines are produced and built up inside the car park, along with the risk to human health which this represents.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

2 According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle park consisting of at least one module formed by a frame having pairs of rails between which there are arrangeable platforms each able to support a vehicle thereon; there existing in each module at least one array of platform- receiving bays; and a space being provided adjacent said at least one array of bays enabling the platforms to be manoeuvred within the module, said platforms being displaceable in either sense along longitudinal or transverse directions, said space being provided with at least one entry and/or exit bay for receiving a vehicle.

It is not necessary for the drivers of the vehicles to enter the car park, neither when the vehicle is left there nor when it is retrieved. Consequently, the theft of objects located inside the parked vehicles is also avoided by forbidding people to epter the car park.

As the car park is built using modular units, it can be easily disassembled and moved, in parts, whenever appropriate, from one location to a different one.

Furthermore, since the car park consists of modules and not single-piece walls, there is an entrance and exit which are free from combustion gases.

Another of the problems of present-day car parks is the great loss of space caused by the random parking of vehicles often carried out by careless drivers. This same lack of concern results in tight spaces, scrapes, dents and scratching between the vehicle which is moving and those which are parked. Furthermore, bottlenecks occur which prevent the easy and continuous exit of vehicles leaving the car park.

On the other hand, supposing the capacity of the car park needs to be increased, this can be easily achieved by any car park according to the present invention. since it is constructed using modules, then, by means of suitable bracing members, they may, as required, be joined horizontally or vertically, to other similar new modules for 3 expanding the car park.

Another advantage can be gained when these modules are constructed with metal frames, as a result of which the exhaust gases can never accumulate since they have free access to the exterior through the openings in each modules, frame.

In order that the present invention can be better understood, a description is given below, merely by way of a non-limiting example, of a practical embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings; in which:-

Figure 1 shows schematically, in elevation, a car park module of the invention; and Figure 2 shows an expandedversioh of car park, in an enlarged plan view, formed by the addition of other modules similar to that of Figure 1.

The car park is constructed of metal modules 1 formed with a metal frame having pairs of rails 2 to receive between them metal platforms 3 provided with rolling wheels. These platforms 3, can be displaced as required in any direction and are adapted to move a vehicle 4 from one place to another inside the car park module.

The platforms may be moved by any suitable means, such as electric, hydraulic, compressed-air or any other appropriate means which includes an electronic or com- puterised control unit. The means for moving a car within the car park is not shown in the drawings nor is it described in this Specification since it is merely an accessory element to the invention and such devices are commonly available and known to the skilled person.

The platforms may also be movable vertically from one level to another by means of any suitable ram shown schematically as a bold arrow in Figure 1.

Each car park module has a plurality of bays 5 arranged in two vertical arrays for receiving the platforms 3. Between the two arrays of bays 5 there is provided a continuous passageway, or space, 6 for enabling the vehicle 4 - to be manoeuvred forwardly or backwardly as necessary. Moreover, this central forwards and backwards sliding space is provided with at least one additional space, or entry and/or exit bay 7 for accommodating a vehicle at its front and rear ends (see Figure 2) in order to facilitate the entry and exit operation of the vehicles and their positioning between the sides of the central travelling corridor, that is in the bays 5. A central roof 9 is provided to cover the central corridor.

These frames are preferably provided with pillars 8 in the form of piles anchored in the surface of the underlying ground.

In use of the car park described above, vehicles are driven to the entry bay 7 onto a platform 3, at which point the platform 3, with the car, is moved, preferably under computer or electronic control, to an appropriate bay 5. The car can be retrieved upon suitable actuation of the computer or electronic circuitry to the same bay 7 or to a separate exit bay as shown in Figure 2.

The rails, platforms 3 and the supporting structures are so designed to be able to be assembled and disassembled readily.

It is to be understood that, in the present case, the constructional details may be varied insofar as they do not alter, change or modify the essential idea of the invention.

4.

Claims

1. A vehicle park consisting of at least one module formed by a frame having pairs of rails between which there are arrangeable platforms each able to support a vehicle thereon; there existing in each module at least one array of platform-receiving bays; a space being provided adjacent said at least one array of bays enabling the platforms to be manoeuvred within the module, said platforms being displaceable in either sense along longitudinal or transverse directions, said space being provided with at least one entry and/or exit bay for receiving a vehicle.

2. A vehicle park according to claim 1, wherein said modules include pillars anchorable in the ground.

3. A vehicle park according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said modules and platforms are of metallic construc- tion.

4. A vehicle park according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein each platform is provided with wheels for rolling on said rails. 20

5. A vehicle park according to any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for moving said platforms vertically in a module having a plurality of levels.

6. A vehicle park substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Published 1989 at The Patent Office, State House. 66171 High Holborn, London WCIR4TP Further copies maybe obtainedfrom. The Patent Offtce. Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent, Con- 1187