Entrance gate for an automatic parking garage having mechanism for centering a vehicle on the entrance gate

An automatic parking installation comprising:

• (a) an entrance gate (110) comprising:
• at least one stationary ground plate (81);
• two separate trace plates (82,83) beside each other, each adapted to receive thereon a front and rear wheel of a car;
• said trace plates laid on a top surface of said stationary ground plate, movable in the plane in any direction on said top surface of said ground plate in a gliding manner;
• a stationary top plate (84) disposed above said two trace plates, said top plate having two elongated cut-out windows (85,86) on opposing sides of a longitudinal centerline of said top plate and each of said two trace plates (82,83) being exposed through one of said cut-out windows;
• said trace plates movable relative to said top plate and said cut-out windows;
• and
• two centering plates (87,88) laid on top of said stationary top plate, disposed on two opposing outer sides of said cut-out windows;
• said centering plates being connected to two stationary drive units (93,94), said stationary drive units driving synchronous counter-movements of said centering plates;
• each centering plate movable toward said longitudinal centerline of said top plate;
• wherein when said centering plates are driven toward each other by said stationary drive units, said centering plates touch outer sides of tires of the car rested on said trace plates and move the car toward a centerline (95) of said entrance gate, until a longitudinal centerline of the car is in alignment with said centerline of said entrance gate;
• and
• (b) a robot (40) adapted to move along said centerline of said entrance gate, said robot comprising four roller forks (45), each having two roller fingers (46), wherein said robot rolls underneath said car centered along said centerline of said entrance gate, said roller fingers (46) of each fork move together to squeeze on a tire of said car between said roll fingers, thereby lift said car slightly above said trace plates, and said robot moves said car into a lift platform (31) without said tires of said car touching the ground.

A method of parking a car in an automatic parking installation, comprising:

• (a) receiving a car on an entrance gate, said entrance gate comprising
• at least one stationary ground plate;
• two separate trace plates beside each other, each adapted to receive thereon a front and rear wheel of a car;
• said trace plates laid on a top surface of said stationary ground plate, movable in the plane in any direction on said top surface of said ground plate in a gliding manner;
• a stationary top plate disposed above said two trace plates, said top plate having two elongated cut-out windows on opposing sides of a longitudinal centerline of said top plate and each of said two trace plates being exposed through one of said cut-out windows;
• said trace plates movable relative to said top plate and said cut-out windows;
• and
• two centering plates laid on top of said stationary top plate, disposed on two opposing outer sides of said cut-out windows;
• said centering plates being connected to two stationary drive units, said stationary drive units driving synchronous counter-movements of said centering plates;
• each centering plate movable toward said longitudinal centerline of said top plate;
• as received, tires of the car resting on areas of said trace plates exposed through said cut-out windows;
• (b) activating said stationary drive units to drive said centering plates toward each other, thereby said centering plates touch outer sides of tires of the car resting on said trace plates, and move the car toward a centerline of said entrance gate until a longitudinal centerline of the car is in alignment with said centerline of said entrance gate;
• and
• (c) moving a robot underneath the car along said centerline of said entrance gate, activating four roller forks of said robot to cause roller fingers of each of said forks moving together to squeeze on one tire of the car between said roller fingers, and lifting the car slightly above the trace plates;
• (d) rolling said robot out from said entrance gate and into a lift platform without said tires of the car touching the ground;
• (e) moving said lift platform vertically to one level of multiple decks, next to a parking space;
• and
• (f) rolling said robot into said parking space, and lowering the car to have said tires resting on said parking space.