Patent ID: 7815410

Claim:
A vehicle parking apparatus, comprising: a main structure having a plurality of storage racks vertically aligned; a lift cage; a coupling mechanism having a second coupling member, a first coupling member comprising a first block capable of making direct contact with the second coupling member from a lower side and capable of relative movement in a downward direction from a position of making contact with the second coupling member, and an urging mechanism causing a prescribed urging force to act in a downward direction on the first coupling member; a wire capable of suspending the lift cage in an elevator shaft next to the storage racks via the coupling mechanism; and a winding apparatus capable of winding the wire up and down, wherein the first coupling member is fixed to one end of the wire, and the second coupling member is fixed to the lift cage, wherein an entirety of the first block is disposed below the one end of the wire, and wherein the coupling mechanism moves back-and-forth between a first position in which the first coupling member makes direct contact with the second coupling member from a lower side, and a second position in which the first coupling member is moved in a relatively downward direction from the first position, and in which the urging mechanism causes the prescribed urging force to act in the downward direction on the first coupling member.