Automated parking garage

Abstract

An automated parking garage. The garage comprises a multi-floor building having a plurality of vehicle storage racks in a storage area for storing a loaded pallet or an unloaded pallet. An entrance-level floor of the building includes an entry/exit station (EES) on for receiving a vehicle, the EES having an exterior entrance through which the vehicle is driven and, an opposing interior entrance that provides access to the storage area and through which the loaded pallet is transported, the loaded pallet and unloaded pallet adapted to be positioned at floor level in the EES. The garage includes a pallet stacking station for storing the unloaded pallet, the pallet stacking station located over a shuttle aisle that extends under the EES. A pallet shuttle that traverses the shuttle aisle to a first position under the EES for handling the unloaded pallet in the EES, and to a second position under the pallet stacking station for stacking the unloaded pallet. The garage also includes a transport system for transporting the loaded pallet in the storage area.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An automated parking garage, comprising: 
 a multi-floor building having a plurality of vehicle storage racks in a storage area for storing a loaded pallet or an unloaded pallet;    an entry/exit station (EES) on an entrance-level floor of the building for receiving a vehicle, the EES having an exterior entrance through which the vehicle is driven and, an opposing interior entrance that provides access to the storage area and through which the loaded pallet is transported, the loaded pallet and unloaded pallet adapted to be positioned at floor level in the EES;    a pallet stacking station for storing the unloaded pallet, the pallet stacking station located over a shuttle aisle that extends under the EES;    a pallet shuttle that traverses the shuttle aisle to a first position under the EES for handling the unloaded pallet in the EES, and to a second position under the pallet stacking station for stacking the unloaded pallet; and    a transport system for transporting the loaded pallet in the storage area.    
     
     
         2 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle storage racks include a first vehicle storage rack and a second vehicle storage rack that are aligned end-to-end such that the transport system operates to access the second vehicle storage rack through the first vehicle storage rack.  
     
     
         3 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein the transport system includes a vertical lift conveyor that transports the loaded pallet vertically between floors of the multi-floor building.  
     
     
         4 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein the transport system includes a lower carrier assembly that extends into the EES to handle the loaded pallet.  
     
     
         5 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein each floor of the multi-floor building includes a carrier aisle over which at least one carrier assembly traverses to access each of the vehicle storage racks thereon.  
     
     
         6 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein the transport system includes a vertical lift conveyor that transports the loaded pallet vertically between floors of the multi-floor building and a carrier assembly that traverses the horizontal length of a floor, such that vertical lift conveyor has associated therewith a vehicle storage rack that is accessible by the carrier assembly only through the vertical lift conveyor.  
     
     
         7 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein the EES includes a pallet support mechanism that operates in one of a support position and a non-support position such that when the unloaded pallet is removed from the EES to the pallet stacking station, the pallet shuttle traverses to the first position under the EES and operates a pallet shuttle elevation mechanism of the pallet shuttle to raise the unloaded pallet from underneath so that the pallet support mechanism can be operated to the non-support position.  
     
     
         8 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein the pallet stacking station includes a pallet vertical lift that performs one of vertically transporting a pallet bundle from a non-entrance-level floor to a pallet stack support mechanism of the pallet stacking station, or from the pallet stacker support mechanism to a non-entrance-level floor.  
     
     
         9 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein a customer initiates storage of the loaded pallet with the transport system via an automated parking teller associated with and located outside of the EES in which a vehicle of the customer entered.  
     
     
         10 . The garage of  claim 1 , wherein the transport system comprises a lower carrier assembly on the entrance-level floor that includes a turntable that rotates the loaded pallet in a horizontal plane once in the storage area.  
     
     
         11 . A method of providing an automated parking garage, comprising: 
 providing a multi-floor building having a plurality of vehicle storage racks in a storage area for storing a loaded pallet or an unloaded pallet;    providing an entry/exit station (EES) on an entrance-level floor of the building for receiving a vehicle, the EES having an exterior entrance through which the vehicle is driven and, an opposing interior entrance that provides access to the storage area and through which the loaded pallet is transported, the loaded pallet and unloaded pallet adapted to be positioned at floor level in the EES;    storing the unloaded pallet in a pallet stacking station, the pallet stacking station located over a shuttle aisle that extends under the EES;    moving a pallet shuttle along the shuttle aisle to a first position under the EES for handling the unloaded pallet in the EES, and to a second position under the pallet stacking station for stacking the unloaded pallet; and    transporting with a transport system the loaded pallet in the storage area.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of vehicle storage racks include a first vehicle storage rack and a second vehicle storage rack that are aligned end-to-end such that the transport system operates to access the second vehicle storage rack through the first vehicle storage rack.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the transport system in the step of transporting includes a vertical lift conveyor that transports the loaded pallet vertically between floors of the multi-floor building.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the transport system in the step of transporting includes a lower carrier assembly that extends into the EES to handle the loaded pallet.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each floor of the multi-floor building includes a carrier aisle over which at least one carrier assembly traverses to access each of the vehicle storage racks thereon.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the transport system in the step of transporting includes a vertical lift conveyor that transports the loaded pallet vertically between floors of the multi-floor building and a carrier assembly that traverses the horizontal length of a floor, such that vertical lift conveyor has associated therewith a vehicle storage rack that is accessible by the carrier assembly only through the vertical lift conveyor.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the EES includes a pallet support mechanism that operates in one of a support position and a non-support position such that when the unloaded pallet is removed from the EES to the pallet stacking station, the pallet shuttle traverses to the first position under the EES and operates a pallet shuttle elevation mechanism of the pallet shuttle to raise the unloaded pallet from underneath so that the pallet support mechanism can be operated to the non-support position.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pallet stacking station in the step of storing includes a pallet vertical lift that performs one of vertically transporting a pallet bundle from a non-entrance-level floor to a pallet stack support mechanism of the pallet stacking station, or from the pallet stacker support mechanism to a non-entrance-level floor.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a customer initiates storage of the loaded pallet with the transport system via an automated parking teller associated with and located outside of the EES in which a vehicle of the customer entered.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the transport system in the step of transporting comprises a lower carrier assembly on the entrance-level floor that includes a turntable that rotates the loaded pallet in a horizontal plane once in the storage area.