EP0034983B1 - Device for loading an aerial cableway system, especially a disengageable chair lift - Google Patents

Abstract

Aerial chairlift comprising at the loading station two separate loading areas spaced apart along the travel path of the chairs. Each loading area comprises separate lanes for queuing skiers normally closed by gates. A traffic control system for controlling boarding of the chairlift is actuated by the arrival of chairs at a predetermined location for causing alternate opening of the gates so that the successive chairs are loaded at separate loading areas.

Description

The invention relates to a boarding device according to the preamble of claim 1.

The speed of current chairlifts is limited by boarding operations for skiers and for chairlifts with fixed attachments, an oblique runway has already been proposed facilitating skiers' access to the embarkation location (FR-A-2.236 .707). The advancement of the skiers in the direction of travel of the seats is faster than the usual transverse movement and this saving of time allows an increase in the speed and the flow of the chairlift. A rhythm controller controls the advance to avoid any collision. Speed increases are however limited. The chairlifts with detachable seats allow uncoupling of the seats from the drive cable in the boarding station and movement of the seats at reduced speed on a connection or transfer track. This eliminates the cable running speed and it is possible to choose an optimal boarding speed. The possibilities of increasing the flow are also limited, the time offset of the seats on the connection track being necessarily the same as that on the line and a reduction in speed requiring the seats to be brought closer together. The spacing must obviously remain sufficient for easy access for skiers.

This problem frequently arises in transport installations and the classic solution consists in splitting or multiplying the loading docks, the vehicles being oriented successively on the different docks (US-A-4,050,385). This solution involves a plurality of connection paths, which complicates the installation and significantly increases the footprint. In this known chairlift, provision is also made for pairing of the seats at the embarkation location for the simultaneous loading of the 2 seats. This requires special seats, arranged in length and a differential seat drive. Landing on the face of the connecting channel located inside the loop is difficult to achieve.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by taking a different approach and based on the observation that the boarding operation is broken down into an approach for skiers to the boarding location and a boarding operation proper, which can be accelerated if the approach operation gives skiers sufficient time to prepare for the boarding operation.

The boarding device according to the invention is characterized in that at least two boarding locations are staggered along the boarding area, each equipped with a rhythmic means for timing the access of skiers to said locations. a rate corresponding to the rate of travel of the seats divided by the number of boarding locations, each boarding location having its own approach and access runways.

It is easy to see that in the case of two boarding locations, each location only serves one seat out of two and that the speed of each location is thus reduced by half. If the number of locations is higher, the speed is of course reduced in proportion. Skiers thus have a longer time to prepare and get in place for boarding and the boarding phase can be significantly accelerated. Another advantage of this device consists in having an independent boarding space which can be reserved for priority passengers, for example at the ski school.

The device according to the invention is applicable to chairlifts with fixed fasteners whose boarding platform has been extended, but it is particularly suitable for chairlifts with detachable fasteners in which the loop connection path extends the line.

The rhythmic means, advantageously produced by gates, barriers or possibly traffic lights, determines the instant at which the skiers can safely enter the section of track to reach the embarkation location. Any false maneuver, in particular the engagement on the access track while the seat which is presented is already occupied by passengers embarked at the preceding pier, is thus avoided. The access track can of course be slightly sloping. The opening of the gates or the boarding signal delivered by the rhythmic means is triggered by the passage of the seats at predetermined locations, so as to overcome the speed of movement of the seats. The selection of an order on 2 or 3 depending on the number of 2 or 3 boarding locations, can be carried out by an electric muting system or by assigning each seat to a boarding location, the gates not being open only when approaching these seats. The closing of the gates can be controlled in different ways, for example by a timer.

The boarding locations can be staggered along a straight section of the track, but according to a preferred embodiment, one of the locations is arranged in the curved area of the track.

For detachable chairlifts, a minimum spacing of the seats in the boarding area must be respected for the insertion of skiers between two successive seats. The running speed of the seats is set accordingly to ensure the desired flow.

The invention is applicable to 3-seater seats, the skiers being seated frontally looking in the direction of travel in the usual manner. The three skiers taking place in a seat of course advance head on parallel access tracks, each track includes both its gate, but the gate openings can be synchronized or preferably slightly offset in time, the first opening as soon as the previous seat has released the corresponding track and so on. Each gate is equipped with an individual motor, in particular an electric one, to allow great flexibility of operation. An electric control allows the blocking of one of the gates for operation in a two-seater chairlift during off-peak periods, or the blocking of one of the boarding spaces, only one seat out of two being occupied or any other combination .

The gates are advantageously carried by an erasable or removable structure to facilitate the development of the access, in particular after a snowfall.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues schématiques en plan d'une station d'embarquement d'un télésiège à deux instants différents.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the description which follows of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting example and represented in the appended drawing, in which:

• Figures 1 and 2 are schematic plan views of a boarding station of a chairlift at two different times.

In the figures, an overhead cable transport installation 10, of the chairlift type comprises seats 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. capable of being coupled at regular intervals to the cable 10. The chairlift shown is with disengageable seats, but it is clear that the invention is applicable to a chairlift with fixed attachments or to telescopic handlers. In the boarding station 12 the cable 10 passes over an end pulley 14 and a circulation path 16, in a loop and in extension of the line, connects the return strand 18 and the forward strand 20 of the cable 10. At l upon arrival at the station, the seat is uncoupled from the cable 10 by opening a coupling clamp (not shown) and the seat circulates on the circulation or connection track 16, passing in front of landing areas 22 and boarding areas 24, advantageously at reduced speed. The seat spacing in boarding area 24 is between 3 and 5 meters. The braking at the entry and the acceleration at the exit of the track 16 are carried out by well known means, not forming part of the present invention. The circulation on track 16 takes place either by gravity, or preferably by positive drive, for example by chains or drive belts (not shown).

In the example illustrated by the figures, the boarding area 24 has two boarding locations 26, 28, the location 26 being arranged on the straight section of the track 16, before the exit of the track, at a distance sufficient to allow the occupants to settle in correctly, and location 28 in the curved area of track 16 before location 26, viewed in the direction of travel of the seats. Each location 26, 28 has three access tracks 30, 32, 34; 36, 38, 40 parallel, allowing three skiers to access the corresponding location 26, 28 head-on, by being inserted between two successive seats, the seats in this case having three seats. On each track 30 to 40 is placed a gate 42,44,46; 48, 50, 52, pivotally mounted to close or open the track and prevent or allow access by skiers to location 26, 28. Gates 42 to 52 are arranged close to boarding location 26, 28 , but leaving the free passage of the seats. Each gate or group of gates is controlled by an electric motor 53, 55, for example incorporated in the support. Each boarding location 26, 28 is associated with a seat passage detector 54, 56 which electrically controls the opening of the gates 42-52 at the appropriate time in the manner described below. The detector 54, 56 can be a simple electrical contact actuated by the seat.

• Dans la position représentée sur la figure 1, le siège 1 est en cours d'accélération et d'accouplement au câble 10, les sièges 2, 3, 4 et 5 étant désaccouplés du câble 10 et circulant sur la voie 16. Le siège 2 est occupé par trois skieurs, schématiquement représentés par des ronds, qui ont pris place à l'emplacement d'embarquement 28. Le siège 2 vient de franchir l'emplacement 26, dont les portillons 42-46 fermés avaient empêché l'accès des skieurs en attente sur les pistes 30-34. Au passage le siège 2 a actionné le détecteur 54 qui a provoqué temporairement l'ouverture des portillons 42-46 et a permis l'accès des skieurs à l'emplacement en suivant les trajectoires indiquées par des flèches sur la figure. Les portillons 42-46 sont déjà refermés afin d'éviter une collision entre un skieur s'engageant tardivement et le siège 3 qui arrive. Les skieurs à l'emplacement d'embarquement 26 vont prendre place sur le siège 3, qui arrive et les rattrape d'une manière bien connue. Le siège 3 a franchi l'emplacement 28 sans prendre de skieurs, les portillons 48-54 étant fermés. Le siège 3 a par contre actionné au passage le détecteur 56 et ouvert temporairement les portillons 48-52, les skieurs étant en train de se placer à l'emplacement 28 de la manière indiquée par les flèches, pour être cueillis par le siège suivant 4. Le siège 5 est dans la zone de débarquement.

The device according to the invention operates as follows:

• In the position shown in FIG. 1, the seat 1 is being accelerated and coupled to the cable 10, the seats 2, 3, 4 and 5 being uncoupled from the cable 10 and circulating on track 16. The seat 2 is occupied by three skiers, schematically represented by circles, who have taken their places at boarding location 28. Seat 2 has just crossed location 26, whose closed gates 42-46 had prevented skiers from accessing waiting on tracks 30-34. In passing, the seat 2 activated the detector 54 which temporarily caused the gates 42-46 to open and allowed skiers to access the site by following the paths indicated by arrows in the figure. The gates 42-46 are already closed in order to avoid a collision between a late skier and the arriving seat 3. Skiers at embarkation location 26 will take place in seat 3, which arrives and catches them in a well-known manner. Seat 3 has crossed location 28 without taking skiers, the gates 48-54 being closed. The seat 3 on the other hand actuated the detector 56 and temporarily opened the gates 48-52, the skiers being in the process of positioning themselves at location 28 in the manner indicated by the arrows, to be picked up by the following seat 4 Seat 5 is in the landing area.

It is easy to understand that the seats 1, 3, 5, of odd rank are loaded in location 26 and the seats 2, 4 ... of even rank are loaded in location 28. The detector 54 controls the opening the gates 42-46 as soon as the seat 2, 4 has freed the access tracks 30-34, and the detector 56 controls the opening of the gates 48-52 in a similar manner.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, which represents the installation a few moments later, it can be seen that the loaded seat 2 takes off, the seat 3 is being loaded, etc.

It is clear that the rhythmic means constituted by the detectors 54, 56 impose a ca dence of opening the gates which is half that of scrolling the seats. Skiers therefore have double time to approach the gates and prepare for boarding, which takes place as soon as the gates open.

The gates 42, 44, 46 do not necessarily open at the same time and according to an important improvement the gate 46 opens first, as soon as the seat 2 has released the track 34, the gate 44 a little later when the seat 2 has crossed runway 32, etc .... The gates 42-46; 48-52, are arranged perpendicular to the tracks 30-40, and in the example illustrated they are aligned. The access tracks 30-40 form an acute angle with the track 16 and it is possible to offset the gates, in particular to bring the gates 42, 44 and 48, 50 and the track 16 without interfering with the passage of the seats.

The gates 42-46, 48-52 are carried by an erasable or removable structure to allow the development of the tracks after a snowfall. The gates can be in the same opening direction or, depending on the installation conditions, open on the right or on the left.

For boarding 28 in the curved zone, it is advantageous to stop the seat 4 arriving at the boarding location 28 to load skiers, for a short time so as to clear access to the location.

It should be noted that the multiplication of embarkation locations hardly complicates the installation and requires only a limited lengthening of the connection path.

The number of boarding locations 26, 28 and their arrangement can of course be different and the invention is applicable to other aerial cable installations without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. Device for loading an aerial cableway system with a continuously moving cable (10) along a closed loop travel path, especially a high capacity chair lift having chairs (1-5) oriented in the direction of travel and gripping the cable (10) at regular spaced apart distances along the line and running in the loading station (12) along a track passing through a loading zone (24) and having rhythm means (54, 56) to control the access of the skiers in accordance with the travel of the chairs (1-5), characterized in that at least two loading areas (26, 28) are spaced along the loading zone (24), each loading area being equipped with a rhythm means (54, 56) for giving rhythm to the access of the skiers towards said areas (26, 28) at a frequency corresponding to the travel frequency of the chairs divided by the number of loading areas, each loading area having its own approach and access lines (30-40).

2. Device according to claim 1, for a disengageable chair lift, characterized in that the chairs (1-5) are coupled to the cable (10) by disengageable grippers and are uncoupled from the cable in the loading station (12) for running at low speed onto a connecting track (16) which lead from the downhill (18) run towards the uphill (20) run of the cable (10) before its acceleration and coupling to the cable, said loading areas (26, 28) being staggered along said connecting track (16).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said rhythm means (54, 56) is synchronized with the circulation of the chairs at the loading area (26, 28) to avoid any collision between the chairs and the skiers advancing to a loading area.

4. Device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said rhythm means (54, 56) is monitored by the passage of the chairs through a predetermined loading area, only one chair between n chairs clearing the access to the loading area in the case of n loading areas.

5. Device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that at least one (28) of the loading areas (26, 28) is disposed in the curved end zone of the connecting or running track (16) of the chairs.

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims for a chairlift with chairs (1-5) for several passengers, characterized by a plurality of adjacent parallel access lines for skiers moving abreast to each loading area (26, 28), the number of lines corresponding to the number of seats of the chairs.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized by an arresting bar (48-52) located on each of said lines (30-40) and arranged to cooperate with said rhythm means (54-56) to control the skiers access to the loading areas.

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the opening time of the arresting bars (42-52) of adjacent lines are staggered, the arresting bar of the first located line in the direction of travel opening the first.

9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spacing of the chairs in the loading zone (24) is comprised between 3 and 5 meters.

10. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises means to bring a chair (4) coming to a loading area (28) in a curved zone to a stop for an easy access of the skiers.

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