MOVING CONVEYORS FOR THE MOVEMENT OF A VEHICLE WHEEL 4.

Title: moving conveyors for vehicle travel to 4 wheels

Domain 1' disclosure

The present invention relates to the field of moving conveyors for moving a four wheeled vehicle, especially - but not exclusively - for automatic parking of vehicles or moving of motor vehicles being manufactured.

Such conveyors typically comprise a movable frame with a pair of forks are slid under the vehicle and then raised so that the vehicle wheels only come into contact with the ground. The conveyor may then move the vehicle to a new location where it is deposited by lowering and removal of the forks.

It is known in the prior European Patent ep2614198 describing a device for the storage of a motor vehicle, movable transverse to its longitudinal axis on a ground storage. The device without conductor comprises a motorized chassis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. A pair of forks is moved horizontally from a side of the vehicle wheels.

Also known German Patent de4216457 describing a movable conveyor for lifting an vehicle by movable arms horizontally and vertically. Two of these arms form a pair of maintaining support wheels. Each pair of arms comprises rotatable support rollers, which engage under the tires of the wheels in opposition to one another, when the support arms are moved horizontally.

Also known European Patent ep0292537 describing a device for transporting vehicles to a parking place without intervention of a driver and without motion to the vehicle.

The carrying device of the prior art includes eight lifting blocks which are adapted to be disposed in pairs on both sides of a respective vehicle wheel. Lifting blocks are provided to remove any wheels of said vehicle. Each of the lifting units comprises a roller device or the like which is intended to slide on the ground when the vehicle is in a raised position. The lifting units can be moved to a position adjacent to one of the wheels of a vehicle, so that the two lifting blocks in each of the respective pairs of blocks are located on both sides of the vehicle wheels.

U.S. Patent us7736113 describes a conveying apparatus for vehicle parking systems. It comprises a first platform on which a vehicle is placed, a second platform provided in a parking space and a pair of carriers which move between the first platform and the second platform. Each conveying device comprises a main frame and a pair of arms pivotally mounted on each of the opposite sides of the main frame and a hydraulic device which rotates the arm. The arms lift the wheels when extracted from the main frame and the transporting device transports the vehicle lifted by the arms from one platform to another platform.

Patent ep0735215 describes another exemplary system vehicle transfer. The support members are comprised of a wheel shaft and a tubular member which is attached rotatably to the outside of the shaft via bearings. The wheel support members are brought into contact with the wheels of a vehicle from both sides to keep the gears in a tightened state. The support members are adapted wheel to seat under the wheels since the tubular elements are rotatable when coming into contact with the wheels, and thereby ensure a secure support.

The solution side loading such as that described in Patent ep2614198 requires a large space on the side of the vehicle to allow the approach of the transportation device, its positioning central parallel and 1' actuation forks lifting the vehicle.

Other solutions, such as that proposed by the Patent ep0292537, require the pre-lift vehicle, before positioning on the conveying device.

These known solutions are therefore not adapted to move free driver of a four wheeled vehicle, simple, robust and reliable.

To address these disadvantages, the present invention relates according to its widest meaning a conveyor for moving a four-wheeled vehicle, comprising a frame provided with arms movable between a position in which they permit the movement of said frame beneath the vehicle, and a position in which they come into contact with the tread portions of said wheels, characterized in that said frame is telescopic and comprises two segments each carrying a pair of arms,

- at least one of the pairs of arms being hinged for movement between a position perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame with an extension at least equal to the path of the vehicle, and a folded position to occupy a width less than the distance between the inner flanks of the wheels of the vehicle,

- said segments being movable between a position where the arms are not in contact with the wheels, and a position where each arm comes into contact with the tread of one of said wheels, to ensure the raising or removal of the vehicle.

The height of the chassis and elements that it supports, for the portion to be engaged under the vehicle to be transported, is set to be smaller than the ground clearance of the vehicle.

In a first embodiment, said pair of arms is movable transversely hinged.

According to a second embodiment, said pair of arms is pivotally movable articulated.

In one implementation, said raising the vehicle is prevented by the interaction, each side of the vehicle, between the rear arm with the rear of the area of the tread of the rear wheel on the one hand, and between the front arm with the front of the area of the tread of the front wheel on the other hand.

The term "rear" refers, as used herein Patent, depending on the direction of normal movement of the conveyor. When the vehicle is laden "upside down" the front wheels of the vehicle will be designated by "rear wheels" as used herein Patent.

In another implementation, said raising the vehicle is prevented by the interaction, each side of the vehicle, between the rear arm with the front of the area of the tread of the rear wheel on the one hand, and between the front arm with the rear of the area of the tread of the front wheel on the other hand.

In another implementation, said raising the vehicle is prevented by the interaction between a said arm with one of the parts of the tread of a wheel and a accessory arm engaging an opposite portion of the tread of the same wheel.

The invention also relates to an automated parking system comprising at least one conveyor for displacement of a four-wheel, comprising a frame provided with arms movable between a position in which they permit the movement of said frame beneath the vehicle, and a position in which they come into contact with the tread portions of said wheels, characterized in that said frame is telescopic and comprises two segments each carrying a pair of arms,

- at least one of the pairs of arms being hinged for movement between a position perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame with an extension at least equal to the path of the vehicle, and a folded position to occupy a width less than the distance between the inner flanks of the wheels of the vehicle,

- said segments being movable between a position where the arms are not in contact with the wheels, and a position where each arm comes into contact with the tread of one of said wheels, to ensure the raising or removal of the vehicle.

Advantageously, said automated parking system according to the preceding claim characterized in that it comprises a computer to control movement of the conveyor under the frame of a vehicle, by movement of said conveyor along the longitudinal axis of said vehicle, and the raise of the vehicle by the motion of said arm segments and the conveyor, and then moving the conveyor to a destination location, then the release of the vehicle by the movement of the arms and removal of the conveyor by a movement along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

The present invention will be better understood upon reading the description that follows, referring to non-limiting examples and illustrated by the annexed drawings wherein:

figure 1 - represents a schematic view in perspective of a conveyor according to an example embodiment of the invention

- figures 2 to 8 are schematic views of the car and conveyor to consecutive stages of loading.

- figure 9 represents a bottom view of a conveyor according to the invention.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an exemplary conveyor according to the invention. It comprises a block (1) enclosing a front motor driving a single steerable wheel (alternatively, it is possible to provide two steered wheels). (1) Front block also contains electronic circuitry and a computer processor for the autonomous guidance of the conveyor. (1) Block before this is surmounted by a laser range finder (10) wide angle providing the real-time information to the computer.

(1) Front that block is extended towards the rear by an arm (2) telescopic. (3) A retractable part of this arm is actuated by an actuator or a linear actuator, for example worm.

The first segment of the arm (2) has a transverse arm (25) before that is stationary and supports two extensions (21, 22) fixed, and two retractable extensions (23, 24), rotatably pivots (26, 27). They are driven by actuators, for movement between an erasure, during loading of the vehicle, and a retracted position locking, during transportation of the vehicle. In the retracted position, the spacing of the extensions (21, 23) (22, 24) and is determined to come in contact with the leading and trailing edges of the tire of the vehicle and by clamping while ensuring the elevation. To this end, the extensions (21, 23) before have an inclined ramp (28, 29).

When the extensions (22, 23) are folded together in the locking position, they block the movement of the vehicle relative to the conveyor.

The rear portion (3) of the arm (2) also comprises a transverse arm (35) extended by two extensions (31, 32) movable relative to pivot pins (36, 37). During loading of the vehicle, these extensions (31, 32), as well as the extensions (21, 22), are oriented substantially longitudinally, parallel to the main axis of the arm (2). The length L of the arms (25, 35), measured between the pivots (26, 27) respectively (36, 37) and is less than the V_min. - I_min. , where:

- V._min. denotes the usual minimum and a car, typically 1600 millimeters

- I_min. denotes the usual width of the tire of a car, typically 220 millimeters.

The length L of the arms is therefore typically less than 1400 millimeters, and preferably in the order of 1200 millimeters.

The length of the extensions (21, 22) fixed and mobile (23, 24), (33, 34) is set to correspond to half of the width L_max. corresponding to the width of a large car minus the length of the arm (25, 35), typically 500 millimeters for each extension.

The conveyor may thus be positioned in the axis of the vehicle to permit passage of the arm (2) under the vehicle frame with the extensions (23, 24, 33, 34) in the folded position, oriented substantially, until the ramps (28, 29) fixed arm (20, 21) abut against the front wheels of the vehicle. The extension (3) of the arm (2) is moved to accommodate the wheelbase of the car to be loaded. The extensions (23, 24, 33, 34) are then moved into transverse position, in contact with the trailing edges of the vehicle wheels.

The extension (3) is then driven forwardly to provide locking of the wheels of the vehicle.

The front block (1) has four ultrasonic range sensors (41 to 44) providing signals as a function of the distance of the bumper of the vehicle.

The front arm (25) comprises two force sensors ((46, 47) for the detection and validation of the pickup vehicle.

The rear arm (35) comprises two laser rangefinder sensors (48, 49) for close range scan for detection of wheels and obstacles.

The frame formed by the arms (2, 3) and the arms (25, 35) has casters or rollers to enable the taxiing.

Figures 2 to 8 are schematic views of the car and conveyor to consecutive stages of loading.

Initially, as shown in fig. 2, the conveyor comes to be positioned properly in front of the car that is parked on a place of deposit. The movable arms (22, 23, 32, 33) are folded in the longitudinal position.

The laser range finder (10) provides the information to control the positioning of the conveyor. The laser rangefinders short range (46, 47) detects the front wheels of the vehicle. The conveyor aligns with the car.

In the next step (fig. 3), the conveyor will position the arm (2) under the carriage, longitudinal alignment with the axis of the arm (2) and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The ultrasonic range finders (41 to 43) detects the bumper of the vehicle to control stopping the relative movement of the conveyor relative to the vehicle.

The laser rangefinders short range (48, 49) detects the rear wheels of the vehicle.

In the next step (fig. 4), the extensions movable rear (32, 33) are retracted to a transverse position.

The conveyor then advances until the extensions (22, 23) fixed front engage the front wheels (fig. 5). The arm (2) adjusts its length depending on the length of the cantilever before estimated by the ultrasonic range finders (41 to 44).

The force sensors (46, 47) indicates that the wheels are in contact.

The conveyor (fig. 6) then adjusts the length of the rear arm (3) so that the rear extensions (32, 33) touch the rear wheels. The force sensors (48, 49) indicates that the wheels are in contact.

The extensions (23, 24) movable clamp the front wheels and rise up the car on the front and rear rollers (fig. 7), which causes the elevation of the vehicle.

The force sensors (48, 49) validate that the car is mounted on the rollers (fig. 8), and the conveyor is moved automatically to bring the vehicle to the target location. The laser range finder (10) detects obstacles. It stops the robot urgently needed.

Figure 9 is a bottom view of a conveyor according to the invention. The front block (1) comprises a motorized wheel steering (50), as well as two casters problems arising (51, 52) stabilization.

The extensions (21, 22) are provided at their lower surfaces of rollers (60, 61), e.g. two metal rollers or rubberized parallel.

The extensions (37, 33) have rollers (70, 71), e.g. two metal rollers or rubberized parallel.