Patent Publication Number: US-2022228391-A1

Title: Vehicle, and parking facility for same

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a vehicle that can be parked while kept standing upright and a parking facility for the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A four- to six-seater standard motor vehicle imposes a heavy burden on users in terms of parking space and maintenance costs. For this reason, in recent years, the development of vehicles called “small mobility” has been progressing. This type of vehicle, for example, is electrically driven for one or two adults, and can be made smaller and lighter than a vehicle equipped with an engine as a drive source. 
     Meanwhile, in order to promote the spread of this kind of vehicles, it is necessary to solve problems such as securing storage space and parking space in the city. 
     In light of these problems, Patent Documents 1 and 2 propose a foldable vehicle that can be parked in a small space. Further, Patent Document 3 proposes a parking facility for parking a vehicle on the rooftop of an existing building. This parking facility is configured to be provided with a plurality of columns erected around the existing building for supporting a floorboard covering at least a part of the rooftop of the existing building, and an elevating apparatus for raising and lowering a vehicle between the ground and the floorboard. 
     RELATED ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     
         
         [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-082827 
         [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-159211 
         [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-090005 
       
    
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
     However, the vehicles disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are intended for electric wheelchairs and small caster-type moving objects, but not for vehicles that can travel on general roads in the same manner as a standard motor vehicle. As a side note, a vehicle that can travel in the same manner as a standard motor vehicle is small, but unfoldable as it takes the same form as a standard motor vehicle. 
     Further, the parking facility disclosed in Patent Document 3 utilizes a rooftop of an existing building as a parking lot for a vehicle, but never specifically reduces parking space for a vehicle. Therefore, the number of vehicles that can be parked in this parking facility is limited. 
     The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle that can minimize its parking space and a parking facility that can efficiently park many vehicles in a predetermined parking space. 
     Means of Solving the Problems 
     In order to achieve the above object, a first invention is a vehicle ( 1 ) that can stand upright with a rear surface of a vehicle body facing down, characteristically including a bottom flap ( 7 ) arranged on a bottom surface of the vehicle body and vertically rotatable around a lower rear end of the vehicle body, and a drive source ( 9 ) for rotating the bottom flap ( 7 ). 
     Since the vehicle according to the first invention is parked while kept standing upright with the rear surface facing down, parking space for the vehicle can be minimized. This enables many vehicles to be efficiently parked in a predetermined parking space. 
     Further, the vehicle ( 1 ) may include a rear flap ( 8 ) arranged on the rear surface of the vehicle body and vertically rotatable around the lower rear end of the vehicle body, and a drive source ( 11 ) for rotating the rear flap ( 8 ). 
     According to the above configuration, if the rear flap rotates to be brought into contact with the ground at the time of parking, the erected vehicle can be stably received by the rear flap ( 8 ). 
     Furthermore, the vehicle ( 1 ) may be provided with contact sensors ( 10 ,  12 ) on a bottom surface of the bottom flap ( 7 ) and an outer surface of the rear flap ( 8 ). 
     According to the above configuration, when the contact sensors provided on the bottom flap and the rear flap detect a contact with something other than the ground while the bottom flap and the rear flap are in motion, the drive sources for the bottom flap and the rear flap stop operating. Then, the bottom flap and the rear flap are suspended to rotate, ensuring a high degree of safety. 
     Next, a second invention is a vehicle ( 1 ″) that can self-travel while kept standing upright with a rear surface of a vehicle body facing down, and characteristically includes a caster ( 17 ), a drive wheel ( 18 ), and a drive source for rotationally driving the drive wheel ( 18 ) on the rear surface of the vehicle body. 
     According to the second invention, at the time of parking, the erected vehicle can self-travel and be transferred to an optional parking position. 
     Here, a geared motor may be used as the drive source ( 9 ,  11 ) for self-travelling provided on the bottom flap ( 7 ), the rear flap ( 8 ), or the vehicle. This can amplify output torque of the motor to transmit to each member. 
     Further, the vehicle ( 1 ,  1 ′,  1 ″) according to the first and second inventions may be configured as an electric vehicle including a rechargeable battery, an electric motor for traveling that is rotationally driven by electric power supplied from the battery, and a power receiving unit ( 13 ) for receiving electric power from the outside for charging the battery. 
     According to the above configuration, the vehicle as an electric vehicle can be reduced in size and weight. 
     Moreover, a parking facility ( 20 ) for the vehicle ( 1 ′) according to the second invention characteristically includes an erecting mechanism for erecting the vehicle ( 1 ′) with its rear surface facing down, and a transfer mechanism for transferring the vehicle ( 1 ′) erected by the erecting mechanism to a predetermined position. 
     According to the above-described parking facility, at the time of parking, the vehicle erected by the erecting mechanism can be transferred for parking to a predetermined parking position by using the transfer mechanism. 
     Here, the transfer mechanism may be a belt conveyor ( 25 ). According to this, the erected vehicle can be placed on the belt conveyor and then transferred to the predetermined parking position. 
     Further, the belt conveyor ( 25 ) may include a plurality of power transmission units ( 31 ) for transmitting power from the outside to the parked vehicle ( 1 ′). This configuration enables the battery mounted on the vehicle to be charged during parking. 
     A third invention is a parking facility ( 20 ″) for parking a vehicle ( 1 ″) that can self-travel while kept standing upright characteristically including an erecting mechanism for erecting the vehicle ( 1 ″) with its rear surface facing down. 
     According to the third invention, the vehicle erected by the erecting mechanism can self-travel for parking to a predetermined parking position. 
     Here, the erecting mechanism may include a horizontal base plate ( 21 ), a rotating member ( 22 ) rotatably supported at one end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate ( 21 ) for placing a vehicle ( 1 ′,  1 ″) before and after erection, an electric motor ( 23 ) provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate ( 21 ), and a link mechanism ( 24 ) for connecting an output shaft ( 23   a ) of the electric motor ( 23 ) to the rotating member ( 22 ). 
     According to the above-described erecting mechanism, the electric motor is driven to move a link member, and the rotating member on which the vehicle before erection is loaded is rotated by approximately 90° by the movement of the link member, thereby enabling the vehicle to be erected vertically with its rear surface facing down. 
     Here, contact sensor ( 27 ,  28 ) may be provided on the rotating member ( 22 ). When the contact sensor provided on the rotating member detects an obstacle during the rotation of the rotating member, the electric motor stops driving and the rotating member stops rotating, ensuring a high degree of safety. 
     Furthermore, a plurality of power transmission units ( 31 ) may be arranged on the base plate ( 21 ) of the parking facility ( 20 ″) for transmitting power from the outside to the parked vehicle ( 1 ″). This can charge the battery mounted on the vehicle on the base plate during parking. 
     Effects of the Invention 
     According to the present invention, the vehicle can be parked while kept standing upright with its rear surface facing down. This results in minimization of parking space, enabling many vehicles to be efficiently parked in a predetermined parking space. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle according to a first invention as viewed from diagonally above forward; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the vehicle according to the first invention with a bottom flap and a rear flap thereof open as viewed from diagonally below rearward; 
         FIGS. 3A to 3E  are side views schematically showing a process of erecting the vehicle according to the first invention; 
         FIGS. 4A to 4C  are perspective views showing a process of parking a plurality of the vehicles according to the first invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a vehicle that is parked in a parking facility according to a second invention as viewed from diagonally above rearward; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the parking facility according to the second invention; 
         FIGS. 7A to 7E  are side views showing a process of parking a plurality of the vehicles in the parking facility according to the second invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a vehicle according to a third invention as viewed from diagonally above rearward; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a parking facility according to the third invention; and 
         FIGS. 10A to 10E  are side views showing a process of parking a plurality of the vehicles in the parking facility according to the third invention. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (namely, first to third inventions) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     [First invention] First, an embodiment of the first invention will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 6 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle according to the first invention as viewed from diagonally above forward, and  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the vehicle with a bottom flap and a rear flap open as viewed from diagonally below rearward. The vehicle (small vehicle)  1  shown in the figures is a four-wheeled electric vehicle for two adults, equipped with an electric motor as a power source for traveling and a battery for supplying electric power to the electric motor, both of which are not shown in the figures. In this vehicle  1 , driving force from the electric motor is transmitted to a pair of left and right front wheels  2  or a pair of rear wheels  3 , and the front wheels  2  or rear wheels  3  are rotationally driven, so that the vehicle  1  travels on a road. Therefore, the vehicle  1  shown in the figures as an electric vehicle is configured to be smaller and lighter than a vehicle equipped with an engine as a drive source. 
     In this vehicle  1 , a rear surface  4   a  of a vehicle body frame  4  made of metal formed into a substantially rectangular box shape forms a flat surface standing vertically, and an upper opening of the vehicle body frame  4  is covered with a flip-up roof  5  that can be opened upward. Here, the roof  5  is made of, for example, lightweight resin, and at least a front surface and left- and right-side surfaces thereof are configured respectively as a transparent front window and transparent side windows. As described above, the vehicle  1  according to the present embodiment provided with the flip-up roof  5  can achieve minimization of a space required for occupants to get on and off the vehicle  1 , or in other words, of a space between the vehicle  1  and other vehicles parked around the vehicle  1 , as compared with a normal vehicle with doors that open and close to the left and right. 
     In addition, two seats  6  for seating occupants are arranged in the front and rear of a vehicle interior surrounded by the vehicle body frame  4  and the roof  5  of the vehicle  1 . 
     As will be described later (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ), the vehicle  1  is erected with the rear surface  4   a  facing down at the time of parking. In this connection, a reinforcing section  4 A in a trapezoidal shape as viewed from the side face is formed on the rear left and right sides near the rear surface  4   a  of the vehicle body frame  4  so as to sufficiently withstand the self-weight of the erected vehicle  1  that acts when the vehicle  1  stands upright. 
     Meanwhile, in the vehicle  1  according to the present embodiment, a bottom flap  7  and a rear flap  8  in a rectangular flat plate shape are provided so as to rotate vertically (namely, open and close) around a lower rear end of the vehicle body frame  4 . Here, the bottom flap  7  is an elongated member arranged along the front-rear direction between a pair of left and right front wheels  2  arranged in the width direction of the lower surface of the vehicle body frame  4  and between a pair of left and right rear wheels  3  arranged in the width direction of the lower surface of the vehicle body frame  4 . A front end  7   a  of the bottom flap  7  bends diagonally forward upward, and a rear end thereof is pivotally supported on the vehicle body frame  4  so as to rotate vertically. In addition, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the center in the width direction of the rear end of the bottom surface flap  7  is connected to a geared motor  9  as a drive source provided on the vehicle body frame  4 . It should be noted that in the vehicle  1 , the bottom flap  7  remains horizontal so as to cover the bottom surface of the vehicle  1  as shown in  FIG. 1  except at the time of parking. Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a contact sensor  10  is provided on a part of the bottom surface of the bottom flap  7 . 
     Moreover, the rear flap  8  is configured as a rectangular plate along the outer diameter shape of the rear surface  4   a  of the vehicle  1 . And, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the left and right sides of the lower end of the rear flap  8  are connected respectively to left and right geared motors  11  serving as drive sources provided on the vehicle body frame  4 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the rear flap  8  stands vertically and covers the rear surface  4   a  of the vehicle  1  except at the time of parking. Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a contact sensor  12  is provided on an upper part of the outer surface of the rear flap  8 , and a power receiving unit  13  for receiving electric power for charging the battery from the outside is provided on a lower part of the rear flap  8 . 
     As will be described later, the vehicle  1  stands vertically with the rear surface  4   a  facing down at the time of parking. In this regard, a lithium battery in which no liquid leakage occurs at any position is used in order to prevent liquid leakage in the battery even when the vehicle  1  stands upright. Further, the geared motors  9 ,  11  are motors as drive sources in which a reduction gear for amplifying drive torque is built. 
     Next, a parking method of the vehicle  1  configured as described above will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
       FIGS. 3A to 3E  are side views schematically showing a process of erecting the vehicle, and  FIGS. 4A to 4C  are perspective views showing a process of parking a plurality of the vehicles. As described above, the vehicle  1  is parked while kept standing vertically with the rear surface  4   a  facing down. In the following, the process of erecting the vehicle  1  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3A to 3E . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , when the vehicle  1  reaches a predetermined position in a parking lot, the geared motor  9  shown in  FIG. 2  is activated. When the geared motor  9  is driven in this manner, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the bottom flap  7  rotates to land on the ground. If the geared motor  9  further continues to be driven from this state, driving force of the geared motor  9  turns into reaction force from the ground to function as power for erecting the vehicle  1 , so that the vehicle  1  rotates owing to this power around the lower rear end thereof (namely, around the axial center of the geared motor  9 ) in the direction of the arrow (namely, clockwise) in  FIG. 3B . 
     Moreover, when the geared motor  11  shown in  FIG. 2  is activated, the rear flap  8  rotates (namely, opens) around the lower end (namely, around the axial center of the geared motor  11 ) in the direction of the arrow in  FIG. 3B  (namely, clockwise) to touch the ground. It should be noted that in this process, if either or both of the contact sensors  10 ,  12  provided respectively on the bottom flap  7  and the rear flap  8  detect something other than the ground, the driving of the geared motors  9 ,  11  stops, the vehicle  1  stops rotating (namely, stops being erected), and the rear flap  8  stops rotating (namely, stops opening) for ensuring a high degree of safety. 
     After that, when the geared motor  9  continues to be driven, the vehicle  1  stands vertically on the rear flap  8  with the rear surface  4   a  facing down as shown in  FIG. 3D  through the process shown in  FIG. 3C . After that, when the geared motor  9  is driven to rotate the bottom flap  7  in the direction of the arrow (clockwise) in  FIG. 3D , the bottom surface of the vehicle  1  standing vertically is covered with the bottom flap  7  as shown in  FIG. 3E , coming to completion of a series of erecting operations conducted on the vehicle  1 . Accordingly, the vehicle  1  is parked while kept standing vertically at a predetermined position in the parking lot. 
     When the series of parking operations as described above are performed on a plurality of the vehicles  1 , first, as shown in  FIG. 4A , the first vehicle  1  is parked while kept standing vertically at a predetermined position (innermost position) in the parking lot. A plurality of power transmission units  14  (three in the illustrated example) are installed in advance on the floor of the parking lot at predetermined intervals. Electric power is transmitted to the power receiving unit  13  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) of the parked vehicle  1  wirelessly or by wire from the power transmission unit  14 . Then, the electric power received by the power receiving unit  13  is used for charging a battery (not shown in the figure) mounted on the vehicle  1 . Therefore, the battery mounted on the vehicle  1  is charged during parking. 
     When the above-described operation is sequentially performed on the second and third vehicles  1 , the second and third vehicles  1  are parked while kept standing vertically as shown in  FIGS. 4B and 4C  in an orderly manner. While  FIG. 4C  shows how the three vehicles  1  are parked, four or more vehicles  1  can be parked while kept standing vertically by repeating the same operation, and thus the battery mounted on each of these vehicles  1  can be charged during parking. 
     Meanwhile, since the total height H of the vehicle  1  is smaller than the total length L (H&lt;L as shown in  FIG. 4A ), when the vehicle  1  is parked while kept standing vertically with the rear surface  4   a  facing down as in the present embodiment, a large number of the vehicles  1  can be parked more efficiently in a predetermined parking space. In effect, six vehicles  1  can be parked while kept standing upright in a parking space for one ordinary vehicle, which solves difficulties such as securing parking space for the vehicle  1  in the city. 
     [Second invention] Next, an embodiment of the second invention will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 5 to 7 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a vehicle that is parked in a parking facility according to the second invention as viewed from diagonally above rearward. In the illustrated vehicle  1 ′, a rear plate  15  in a rectangular flat plate shape is fixed to a vertical flat rear surface. Since the vehicle  1 ′ according to the present embodiment is also an electric vehicle, its basic configuration is the same as that of the vehicle  1  according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in  FIG. 5 , the same elements as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted below. 
     Meanwhile, on the center in the width direction of the upper and lower ends of the rear plate  15 , support bases  16  in a rectangular block shape are fixed along the width direction. And, above the lower support base  16  on the rear plate  15 , a power receiving unit  13  is provided for receiving electric power from the outside for charging a battery (not shown in the figure) mounted on the vehicle  1 ′. 
     Next, the parking facility  20  for parking the vehicle  1 ′ configured as described above while kept standing vertically will be described below with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the parking facility according to the second invention. The illustrated parking facility  20  is configured to include a base plate  21  in a horizontally elongated shape, a rotating member  22  pivotally supported at one end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate  21  (namely, at the left end in  FIG. 6 ) so as to rotate vertically, an electric motor  23  serving as a drive source arranged at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate  21  (namely, at the right end in  FIG. 6 ), a pair of left and right link mechanisms  24  for connecting an output shaft  23   a  of the electric motor  23  to the rotating member  22 , and a belt conveyor  25  arranged on the center in the width direction of the base plate  21  along the longitudinal direction thereof. 
     The rotating member  22  constitutes an erecting mechanism for vertically erecting the vehicle  1 ′ at the time of parking, and includes a plate  22 A on which the vehicle  1 ′ before erection is placed, a plate  22 B, forming a right angle with the plate  22 A, on which the vehicle  1 ′ after erection is placed, and left and right-side plates  22 C respectively connecting the left and right-side ends of these plates  22 A,  22 B to each other. The rotating member  22  is supported on the base plate  21  by a shaft  26  inserted into the base ends (namely, corners) of the left and right-side plates  22 C in the width direction so as to rotate vertically. More specifically, a pair of brackets  21 A are erected on the left and right sides of the one end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate  21 , and these brackets  21 A rotatably supports both left and right ends of the shaft  26 . In this manner, the rotating member  22  is pivotally supported on the base plate  21  so as to rotate vertically. 
     Here, a notch  22   a  in a rectangular shape is formed on the plate  22 B of the rotating member  22  for preventing interference with the belt conveyor  25 . And, a contact sensor  27  is provided on the outer surface of the left and right sides of the plate  22 B so as to sandwich the notch  22   a  on the plate  22 B. Further, a contact sensor  28  is also provided on the center in the width direction of the outer surface of the other plate  22 A. 
     The electric motor  23  is arranged at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate  21  (shown at the right end in  FIG. 6 ) horizontally along the width direction. And, one ends of link members  24 A constituting the left and right link mechanisms  24  are bonded to both ends of the output shaft  23   a  longer in the width direction of the base plate  21 . 
     Here, each of the left and right link mechanisms  24  is configured by rotatably connecting two link members  24 A,  24 B to each other by a shaft  29 . And, the one end of the link member  24 A is bonded to the output shaft  23   a  of the motor  23   b  as described above, and one end of the other link member  24 B is rotatably connected to an end of the side plate  22 C of the rotating member  22  by a shaft  30 . 
     Since the belt conveyor  25  is conventionally known, detailed descriptions of its configuration will be omitted. But, in general, it is configured so that an endless strip belt is wound between a drive roller and a driven roller (not shown in the figure) arranged in parallel with each other, and the strip belt moves by rotationally driving the drive roller with an electric motor serving as a drive source (not shown in the figure). Additionally, a plurality of power transmission units  31  (three in the illustrated example) are built in the belt conveyor  25  at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction. 
     Next, a method of parking the vehicle  1 ′ shown in  FIG. 5  by using the parking facility  20  shown in  FIG. 6  will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 7A to 7E . 
       FIGS. 7A to 7E  are perspective views showing a process of parking a plurality of the vehicles  1 ′, where the plurality of the vehicles  1 ′ are parked while kept standing vertically by using the parking facility  20  shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Namely, before the vehicle  1 ′ is erected vertically, the rotating member  22  of the parking facility  20  is maintained in such a posture that the plate  22 A is horizontal as shown in  FIG. 7A . And, the vehicle  1 ′ transferred to the parking facility  20  is moved and then placed onto the horizontal plate  22 A of the rotating member  22  of the parking facility  20 . 
     In the above-described state, when the electric motor  23  of the parking facility  20  is driven to rotate the output shaft  23   a  of the electric motor  23  and then rotate the link member  24 A of each of the left and right link mechanisms  24  around the output shaft  23   a  of the electric motor  23  in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure (namely, clockwise) as shown in  FIG. 7B , the other link member  24 B is pulled in the direction of the arrow shown in  FIG. 7B , thereby rotating the rotating member  22  in the direction of the arrow (namely, clockwise) around the shaft  26 . When this operation continues to be performed, the vehicle  1 ′ eventually stands vertically as shown in  FIG. 7C  to be placed on the plate  22 B of the rotating member  22  with its rear surface facing down. At this point, the vehicle  1 ′ is placed on the horizontal plate  22 B of the rotating member  22  via the support base  16  projecting from the rear plate  15  fixed to the rear surface of the vehicle  1 ′. In this process, if either or both of the contact sensors  28 ,  27  provided respectively on the plates  22 A,  22 B of the rotating member  22  detect something other than the base plate  21 , the driving of the electric motor  23  is stopped, and then the vehicle  1 ′ stops rotating (namely, stops being erected) for ensuring a high degree of safety. 
     As described above, when the vehicle  1 ′ stands vertically on the plate  22 B of the rotating member  22 , the belt conveyor  25  is driven to transfer the vehicle  1 ′ standing vertically to the innermost part of the base plate  21  (namely, to the right end of  FIG. 7D ) as shown in  FIG. 7D , so that the vehicle  1 ′ is parked while kept standing vertically on the base plate  21  of the parking facility  20 . Then, electric power is transmitted wirelessly or by wire from the transmission unit  31  built in the belt conveyor  25  to the power receiving unit  13  (see  FIG. 5 ) of the parked vehicle  1 ′, and the electric power received by the power receiving unit  13  is used to charge a battery (not shown in the figure) mounted on the vehicle  1 ′. In this manner, the battery of the vehicle  1 ′ is charged during parking. 
     When the above-described operation is sequentially performed on the second and third vehicles  1 ′, the second and third vehicles  1 ′ are parked while kept standing vertically as orderly as shown in  FIG. 7E . It should be noted that while  FIG. 7E  shows how the three vehicles  1 ′ are parked, by lengthening the base plate  21  of the parking facility  20  and repeating the same operation, a plurality of four or more vehicles  1 ′ can be parked while kept standing vertically, and the battery mounted on each of the vehicles  1 ′ can be charged during parking. 
     Meanwhile, since the total height of the vehicle  1 ′ is smaller than the total length, when the vehicle  1 ′ is parked while kept standing vertically with the rear surface facing down as in the present embodiment, a large number of the vehicles  1 ′ can be parked more efficiently in a predetermined parking space. This can solve problems such as securing parking space for this type of vehicle  1 ′ in the city. 
     [Third invention] Next, an embodiment of the third invention will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 8 to 10 . 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a vehicle parked in a parking facility according to the third invention as viewed from diagonally above rearward. In the illustrated vehicle  1 ″, a rear plate  15  in a rectangular flat plate shape is fixed to a vertical flat rear surface. Since the vehicle  1 ″ according to the present embodiment is also an electric vehicle, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the vehicle  1  according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in  FIG. 8 , the same elements as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted below. 
     Meanwhile, a caster  17  is rotatably arranged on both left and right sides of the upper end of the rear plate  15 , and a drive wheel  18  is rotatably arranged on both left and right sides of the lower end of the rear plate  15 . Here, the left and right drive wheels  18  are rotationally driven by a geared motor (not shown in the figure) built in a motor case  19  fixed between both drive wheels  18  at the lower end of the rear plate  15 . Further, a rectangular opening window  15   a  is formed on the center in the width direction of the upper half of the rear plate  15 , and a power receiving unit  13  for receiving electric power for charging a battery (not shown in the figure) mounted on the vehicle  1 ″ is provided below the opening window  15   a  of the rear plate  15 . 
     Next, a parking facility  20 ′ for parking the vehicle  1 ″ configured as described above while kept standing vertically will be described below with reference to  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the parking facility according to the third invention, and the basic configuration of the illustrated parking facility  20 ′ is the same as that of the parking facility  20  according to the second invention shown in  FIG. 6 . Therefore, in  FIG. 9 , the same elements as those shown in  FIG. 6  are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted below. 
     Similarly to the parking facility  20  according to the second invention shown in  FIG. 6 , the parking facility  20 ′ according to the third invention shown in  FIG. 9  is also configured to include a horizontally elongated rectangular base plate  21 , a rotating member  22  supported at one end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate  21  (namely, at the left end in  FIG. 9 ) so as to rotate in the vertical direction, an electric motor  23  serving as a drive source arranged at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the base plate  21  (namely, at the right end in  FIG. 9 ), and a pair of left and right link mechanisms  24  for connecting an output shaft  23   a  of the electric motor  23  to the rotating member  22 . However, the parking facility  20 ′ includes no belt conveyor such as the belt conveyor  25  provided in the parking facility  20  according to the second invention (see  FIG. 6 ). It should be noted that a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of power transmission units  31  are arranged on the base plate  21  at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction. 
     Next, a method of parking the vehicle  1 ″ shown in  FIG. 8  by using the parking facility  20 ′ shown in  FIG. 9  will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 10A to 10E . 
       FIGS. 10A to 10E  are side views showing a process of parking a plurality of the vehicles  1 ″, where the vehicle  1 ″ is parked while kept standing vertically by the parking facility  20 ′ shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     Namely, through the same process shown in  FIGS. 10A to 10C  as the process in the parking facility  20  according to the second invention as shown in  FIGS. 7A to 7C , the vehicle  1 ″ is erected vertically on the base plate  21  of the parking facility  20 ′ with its rear surface facing down. In this state, the vehicle  1 ″ stands vertically on the base plate  21  via the pair of the left and right casters  17  and the pair of the left and right drive wheels  18  rotatably provided on the rear plate  15  (see  FIG. 10C ). 
     Next, when a geared motor (not shown in the figure) provided on the rear plate  15  is activated in the above-described state, the pair of the left and right drive wheels  18  are rotationally driven by the geared motors, so that as shown in  FIG. 10D , the vehicle  1 ″ is transferred on the base plate  21  of the parking facility  20 ′ in the direction of the back side (namely, in the direction of the arrow in the figure), and thus stands upright at a predetermined position. Then, electric power is transmitted wirelessly or by wire from a power transmission unit  31  installed on the base plate  21  to the power receiving unit  13  (see  FIG. 8 ) of the parked vehicle  1 ″. The electric power received by the power receiving unit  13  is used to charge a battery (not shown in the figure) mounted on the vehicle  1 ″. Therefore, the battery of the vehicle  1 ″ is charged during parking. 
     When the above-described operation is sequentially performed to the second and third vehicles  1 ″, the second and third vehicles  1 ″ are parked while kept standing vertically as orderly as shown in  FIG. 10E . It should be noted that while  FIG. 10E  shows how the three vehicles  1 ″ are parked, by lengthening the base plate  21  of the parking facility  20 ′ and repeating the same operation, a plurality of four or more vehicles  1 ″ can be parked while kept standing vertically, and the battery mounted on each vehicle  1 ″ can be charged during parking. 
     Therefore, since similarly to the parking facility  20  according to the second invention (see  FIG. 6 ), the parking facility  20 ′ according to the third invention also enables the vehicle  1 ″ to be orderly parked while kept standing vertically with the rear surface facing down, a large number of the vehicles  1 ″ can be parked more efficiently in a predetermined parking space. This can solve problems such as securing parking space for this type of vehicle  1 ″ in the city. 
     It should be noted that the first to third inventions described above are not limited to the embodiments described above, and may vary within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and the drawings.