EP2349807B1 - Ski lift facility - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a ski lift facility including, in particular, means for guiding and driving an overhead carrying and traction cable (5) from which vehicles are suspended, and including at least one boarding area (4) and at least one disembarking area. According to the invention, the facility also includes a device for sequentially powering a vehicle (8) including a stationary electrical conductor (23, 24) connected to a low-voltage power supply, including a plurality of flexible conductor contact wires (25) arranged on at least one of the means for guiding and driving the overhead cable (5) and a mobile conductor (20, 21) on board the vehicle (8) making it possible to establish electrical contact when the mobile conductor (20, 21) comes into contact with the contact wires (25) of the stationary electrical conductor (23, 24).

Description

The invention relates to a lift installation.

A ski lift facility allows passengers, typically skiers, to climb slopes. There are currently several types. These include facilities such as ski lift, chairlift, gondola or cable car.

A lift installation conventionally comprises a passenger boarding area and an unloading area connected by a transport cable, supported by pylons and having the form of a closed loop. Vehicles such as seats or cabins are suspended by a pliers to a carrying cable and tractor; the cable is supported by pylons and is driven by means of pulleys in order to advance the vehicles.

The ski lift facilities are used to transport passengers in large numbers with a high level of safety.

When the lift installation is chairlift type, vehicles are seats that can be disengaged or not.

In the first case, each seat can be disengaged, that is to say can be detached from the main transport cable when docking the boarding area and the landing area. The seat is then brought on a secondary path in which the speed of movement of the seat is more limited. The embarkation or disembarkation of the passengers can therefore be carried out with greater security, the comfort of use for the passengers being further improved.

In the second case, when the seats are not disengaged, they remain permanently on the cable, even in the loading and unloading areas. The complexity of this type of installation is thus reduced, no clutch system being necessary.

In all cases, the seats are moving above the ground, generally at a fairly large distance from it.

It should therefore be ensured that each passenger, and especially children, can not accidentally tilt over or under the guard.

For this, it is known to use a restraint system as described in document WO 2007/135256 .

A restraint system of this type comprises a magnetic member disposed on each seat, cooperating with a magnetizable element placed on a passenger boarded on the seat, so as to retain the passenger when the seat is outside a landing area and to release the said passenger when the seat crosses the landing zone.

The restraint system further comprises first electrical coupling means, electrically connected to the magnetic member and disposed on the seat, and second electrically powered electrical coupling means arranged in the landing area so as to cooperate with the first electrical coupling means when the seat crosses said landing area.

The magnetic member is arranged to retain the passenger when not electrically powered and to release the passenger when it is powered.

In this way, it is ensured that the passenger equipped with the magnetizable element is retained on the seat. The risks of falling are thus limited.

The second electrical coupling means, arranged at the landing area, are formed by wipers.

The wipers conventionally used require a good positioning of the first electrical coupling means, and therefore the seat, in the landing zone. Such positioning can be obtained in the case where the seats are disengageable. In this case, the swaying movements of the seats are limited in the loading and unloading areas in which the seats are disengaged.

By cons, this type of shoe is more difficult to use in a lift installation in which the seats are not disengaged. Indeed, in this case, the rocking movements are relatively large and it is difficult to establish a safe contact between the wiper and the first electrical contact means. In addition, one could witness a deterioration of said contact means and rubbers.

In addition, it may be useful to issue signals to passengers, for example, relating to their safety.

In this technical context, an object of the invention is to propose sequentially supplying a vehicle of a ski lift installation, in particular for a magnetic retention system.

The invention relates to a mechanical lift installation comprising in particular means for guiding and driving a carrier and tractor overhead cable on which are suspended vehicles comprising at least one boarding area and at least one landing area. The ski lift installation further comprises a sequential power supply device of a vehicle comprising a fixed electrical conductor connected to a low voltage power supply, comprising a plurality of flexible conductive contact wires arranged on at least one means for guiding and driving the overhead cable and a mobile conductor on board the vehicle making it possible to establish an electrical contact when the mobile conductor comes into contact with the contact wires of the fixed electrical conductor.

Thus, the invention makes it possible to reliably, simply and inexpensively supply power to a vehicle of a ski lift installation, for example, a chairlift or gondola when it passes close to a means for guiding the carrying cable / tractor of the vehicle in question, namely a pylon or a pulley of a loading or unloading station. The fact of being able to provide punctual power supply of a vehicle from a ski lift opens up considerable possibilities for improving the safety and / or comfort of passengers. For example, it may be envisaged when the vehicle passes near the first pylon following the boarding station to take advantage of the electrical signal to power an electronic device on board the vehicle that emits an audible signal reminding the passenger certain safety instructions such as the lowering of a railing. Symmetrically, a message warning the passenger approaching the landing station can be triggered when the vehicle passes near the last pylon.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the invention relates to a mechanical lift installation equipped with a retaining system comprising at least one magnetic member disposed on a seat of a vehicle and designed to cooperate with a magnetisable element supported by a passenger. taken on the seat so as to restrain the passenger when the seat is outside an unloading area and to release the passenger when the seat crosses the landing area. It is further provided that the movable electrical conductor is connected to the magnetic member and that the fixed electrical conductor is disposed at the level of the landing zone so that the movable conductor comes into contact with the fixed electrical conductor when the seat enters the landing area and feeds the magnetic member to create an electromagnetic field that opposes that of the magnetizable element.

In this way, the flexible electrical contact element can, in case of rocking movement of the seat, compensate for a poor positioning of the first electrical coupling means with respect to the second electrical coupling means.

This type of restraint system can therefore be used for a lift installation, whether the seats are disengageable or not.

According to one possibility, the fixed electrical conductor comprises a first contact element comprising a plurality of flexible and conductive conductor contact wires disposed on one side of the path of the vehicles.

According to another possibility, the fixed electrical conductor comprises a first and a second contact element comprising a plurality of flexible contact wires made of conductive material disposed opposite each other on either side of the path of the vehicles.

In one embodiment, the wires are made of carbon fibers.

In concrete terms, the magnetic member comprises a first and a second pole intended to be electrically connected to the first and second contact elements, respectively, when the seat passes through the landing zone or when a pylon or another element on the path of the lift installation.

According to a first possibility, the magnetic member comprises a first and a second pole, one of said poles being intended to be electrically connected to a single contact element when the seat crosses the landing zone, the other of said poles being connected. to the mass formed, for example, by a metal frame of the seat or by a wire rope transporting the seat.

In one embodiment, the installation comprises a sleeve of insulating material, intended to be mounted on a connecting arm of the seat, outside which is disposed at least one conductor electrically connected to the magnetic member, against which comes support the contact element, intended to be fixedly mounted at the landing area.

According to one possibility, the magnetic member comprises a permanent magnet adapted to retain the magnetizable element of the passenger and an electromagnet whose magnetic field, when energized, opposes the magnetic field of the permanent magnet.

• Figure 1 est une vue schématique, de dessus, d'une installation de remontée mécanique ;
• Figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'un siège équipé d'un système de retenue selon l'invention ;
• Figure 3 est une vue de détail, de dessus, d'une zone de débarquement équipée du système de retenue.
• Figure 4 est une vue correspondant à la figure 3, d'une variante de réalisation de l'invention.

For a good understanding, the invention is described with reference to the attached schematic drawing showing, by way of example, an embodiment of this safety system for a mechanical lift installation.

• Figure 1 is a schematic view, from above, of a ski lift installation;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a seat equipped with a restraint system according to the invention;
• Figure 3 is a detail view, from above, of an unloading area equipped with the restraint system.
• Figure 4 is a view corresponding to the figure 3 , an alternative embodiment of the invention.

As it appears figure 1 a chairlift-type lift installation comprises at least, as is known per se, a generally high-altitude station 1 and a generally low-altitude station 2, each station 1, 2 respectively comprising a loading zone 3 of passengers and a landing zone 4 of these. The stations 1, 2 are connected by a carrier and tractor 5 aerial cable forming a closed loop; the cable 5 is driven by pulleys 6, 7. The cable 5 is supported by towers, not shown in the figures.

In the majority of cases, only the boarding area 3 of the lower station 2 and only the landing zone 4 of the upper station 1 are used, the ski lift then making it possible to go up the slope. It may sometimes be necessary to use the ski lift to descend the slope.

A plurality of seats 8, regularly spaced, are suspended from the transport cable 5 and fixedly connected thereto. In the example illustrated in the figures, the seats 8 are not disengageable, that is to say can not be detached from the transport cable 5.

As illustrated in figure 2 each seat 8 comprises a metal frame 9 forming a backrest 10 and a seat 11, a connecting arm 12 for fixing the frame 9 to the transport cable 5. The arm link 12 comprises a substantially vertical portion 13 disposed below and in the vicinity of the transport cable 5.

A guard 14 is pivotally mounted on the frame 9; it can be lowered once the passenger or passengers 15 are seated, so as to prevent them from falling forward of the seat 8. The guard 14 is raised when the seat 8 reaches the landing area 4 to allow evacuation of passengers.

The backrest 10 of the seat is equipped with a magnetic member 16 may comprise a permanent magnet and / or an electromagnet. A magnetic organ of this type is known from the document WO 2007/135256 . The electromagnet is designed to generate, when energized, a magnetic field opposing the magnetic field of the permanent magnet.

The passenger is equipped with a magnetizable element 17. By magnetizable element is meant any element that can be magnetized when it is subjected to a magnetic field, in particular by the permanent magnet of the magnetic member 16 mentioned above. The magnetizable element 17 is positioned at the level of the passenger's back 15. It can be either integrated into the passenger's clothing or be embedded in a protective back protector worn by the passenger.

• Un manchon 18 réalisé en matériau isolant, par exemple en matériau synthétique, est monté sur la zone verticale 13 du bras de liaison 12 du siège 8.

At the vehicle level, a mobile driver is constituted as follows:

• A sleeve 18 made of insulating material, for example of synthetic material, is mounted on the vertical zone 13 of the connecting arm 12 of the seat 8.

Two brass conductors 20, 21 of generally semicylindrical shape are mounted on the outer wall of the insulating sleeve 18. The two conductors 20, 21 are separated from each other so as to form two separate areas of electrical contact. Each conductor 20, 21 is connected, via an electric cable 22, to a pole of the electromagnet. When a voltage is applied between said contact zones 20, 21, the electromagnet is energized and opposes the magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet.

At each landing zone 4, the ski lift installation comprises a fixed conductor.

This fixed conductor consists of first and second contact elements 23, 24 arranged opposite one another, and from else of the theoretical path T of the connecting arm 12. Each contact element 23, 24 comprises a plurality of flexible and conductive contact wires 25 made for example of carbon fibers. As can be seen on the figure 3 a space 26 is provided between the free ends of the wires 25 of each contact element 23, 24.

Each contact element 23, 24 is connected to a pole 27, 28 of a supply supplying a low voltage.

The operation of the installation is as follows.

When boarding the passenger 15, it is positioned in the boarding area 4 of the low altitude station 2, waiting for the next seat 8.

When the seat 8 enters the boarding area 3, the passenger 15 sits on the seat 11 and places his back against the backrest 10. The electromagnet is not powered, the permanent magnet produces a magnetic field sufficient to press and hold in position the magnetizable element 17 against the magnetic member 16. The passenger 15 is then held against the backrest 10 of the seat 8.

As an additional safety measure, it lowers the railing 14 and the seat leaves the boarding area 3 and goes to the landing zone 4 of the high altitude station 1.

Before the seat 8 reaches this zone 4, the passenger 15 raises the railing 14. The passenger remains held against the backrest 10 by the attraction exerted by the magnetic member 16 on the magnetizable element 17.

When the seat 8 reaches said landing zone 4, the connecting arm 12, more particularly the zone 13 thereof, enters the space 26 formed between the contact wires 25. The free ends of the wires 25 of the contact element 23 come into contact with the contact zone 20 and the free ends of the wires 25 of the contact element 23 come into contact with the contact zone 21. More particularly, the wires 25 can deform easily and thus ensure the good electrical contact, even in the case where the link arm 12 is not positioned exactly on its theoretical path T. This is particularly the case when the seat 8 is subjected to rocking movements. The use of the brushes 23, 24 thus makes it possible to compensate for arm positioning defects, without the risk of damaging some of the components of the restraint system.

In this way, the electromagnet is energized and produces a magnetic field opposing the magnetic field of the permanent magnet. The force required to separate the magnetizable element 17 from the magnetic member 16 is virtually zero or even zero.

The passenger 15 can leave the seat 8 and leave the landing zone 4.

The restraint system described above can also be used in the case of a chairlift with disengageable seats.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, one of the poles of the electromagnet can be connected to ground, formed either by the metal frame 9 or by the transport cable 5, the other pole being connected to a single contact area mounted on the insulating sleeve 18. In this case, a single brush can be used, as shown in FIG. figure 4 or, alternatively, two brushes connected to the same pole of the power supply.

In addition, the flexible wire (s) may also cooperate with means for releasing or locking the railing (14) so that the body guard (14) is released when the seat (8) enters the landing zone (4) and the guardrail 14 is locked when the seat leaves this area 4.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments of restraint system, described above as examples, but it embraces on the contrary all variants falling under the attached set of claims.

• ouverture et fermeture de portillons,
• verrouillage et déverrouillage de garde corps,
• déclenchement de message lumineux et/ou sonore,
• alimentation de systèmes électriques embarqués sur le siège,
• détection de présence.

It is in particular envisaged to apply the invention to, in particular:

• opening and closing of gates,
• locking and unlocking guardrail,
• triggering of light and / or sound message,
• supply of electrical systems on board the seat,
• presence detection.

Claims (9)

1. A mechanical lift facility comprising means for guiding and driving an overhead carrying and pulling cable (5) on which vehicles (8) are suspended, comprising at least one loading zone (3) and at least one unloading zone (4), characterized in that the facility also comprises a sequential power device for a vehicle comprising a stationary electrical conductor (23, 24, 25) connected to a low-voltage electrical power supply, comprising a plurality of flexible conductive contact wires (25) positioned on at least one of the guiding and driving means of the overhead cable and a mobile conductor (20, 21) onboard the vehicle making it possible to establish an electric contact when the movable conductor (20, 21) comes into contract with the contact wires (25) of the stationary electrical conductor.
2. The mechanical lift facility according to claim 1, equipped with a retaining system including at least one magnetic member (16) positioned on a seat (8) of a vehicle and designed to cooperate with a magnetizable element (17) supported by a passenger (15) positioned on the seat (8), so as to retain the passenger (15) when the seat (8) is located outside an unloading zone (4) and to release said passenger (15) when the seat (8) passes through the unloading zone (4), characterized in that the movable electrical conductor is connected to the magnetic member (16) and in that the stationary electrical conductor is positioned at the unloading zone (4) so that the movable conductor comes into contact with the stationary electrical conductor when the seat enters the unloading zone and powers the magnetic member (16) to create an electromagnetic field that opposes that of the magnetizable element (17).
3. The mechanical lift facility according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the stationary electrical conductor comprises a first contact element comprising a plurality of flexible contact wires and conductors (25) made from a conductive material positioned on one side of the path of the vehicles.
4. The mechanical lift facility according to claim 3, characterized in that the stationary electrical conductor comprises first and second contact elements comprising a plurality of flexible contact wires made from a conductive material positioned opposite on either side of the path of the vehicles.
5. The mechanical left facility according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the wires (25) are made from carbon fibers or other electrically conductive materials.
6. The mechanical lift facility according to one of claims 4 to 5, characterized in that the metal member (16) includes first and second poles intended to be electrically connected, to the first and second contact elements (23, 24), respectively, when the seat (8) passes through the unloading zone (4) or upon the passage of a pylon or another element on the path of the cable of the mechanical lift facility.
7. The mechanical lift facility according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the magnetic member (16) has first and second poles, one of said poles being intended to be electrically connected to a single contact element (23) when the seat (8) passes through the unloading zone, the other of said poles being connected to the ground formed, for example, by a metal frame (9) of the seat (8) or by a metal transport cable (5) of the seat (8).
8. The mechanical lift facility according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that it includes a sleeve (18) made from an insulating material, intended to be mounted on a connecting arm (12, 13) of the seat (8), outside which at least one conductor (20, 21) is placed electrically connected to the magnetic member (16), against which the contact element (23, 24) bears, intended to be securely mounted at the unloading zone (4).
9. The mechanical lift facility according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the magnetic member (16) includes a permanent magnet capable of retaining the magnetizable element of passenger and an electromagnetic whereof the magnetic field, when powered, opposes the magnetic field of the permanent magnet.

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