EP3795442A1 - Cabin for a transportation system, in particular for transporting passengers with skis or snowboards - Google Patents

Cabin for a transportation system, in particular for transporting passengers with skis or snowboards Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3795442A1
EP3795442A1 EP20197010.0A EP20197010A EP3795442A1 EP 3795442 A1 EP3795442 A1 EP 3795442A1 EP 20197010 A EP20197010 A EP 20197010A EP 3795442 A1 EP3795442 A1 EP 3795442A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cabin
snowboard
ski
holders
row
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP20197010.0A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Günther Steger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Leitner AG
Original Assignee
Leitner AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Leitner AG filed Critical Leitner AG
Publication of EP3795442A1 publication Critical patent/EP3795442A1/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B61—RAILWAYS
    • B61B—RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B61B12/00—Component parts, details or accessories not provided for in groups B61B7/00 - B61B11/00
    • B61B12/002—Cabins; Ski-lift seats

Definitions

  • the technical field of this invention is that of gondola lifts, i.e. the technical field relating to passenger transportation systems in which these passengers are moved along a route inside transport units in the form of cabins.
  • This invention preferably finds its most advantageous application in a particular type of transportation system, i.e. an aerial cable transportation system where the cabins are moved along the system by a hauling cable in a configuration where they do not rest on any support below.
  • the cabin of this invention may find application in systems where its movement can be carried out in another way, for example by means of motors connected to the individual cabins, and/or where the cabins rest below on special supports (land-based systems).
  • this invention refers to a cabin for a gondola lifts transportation system.
  • the term "cabin” refers to a space or volume isolated from the outside environment inside of which passengers are housed.
  • gondola lifts are systems in which the cabins are moved along a track to allow passengers to reach one or more destinations.
  • a gondola lift comprises an upstream and a downstream station that define the ends of the route. There may be intermediate stations between these terminal stations. It is known that between stations, the cabins are moved at a travel speed while within the stations the cabins advance more slowly, or even stopped for a few moments, to allow passengers to board and land. In the terminal stations, the cabins can make U-turns in order to travel along two parallel lanes with opposite directions.
  • cabin transportation systems For the purposes of this invention, additional definitions of possible cabin transportation systems are omitted because they are well known to the person skilled in the art. However, in order to better define this invention, it is appropriate to try to define what is meant with the term cabin.
  • the term "cabin” refers to a space or volume delimited by a series of walls; in particular, at least one floor wall and one roof wall. In the case of rectangular plan cabins, the remaining walls are a front boarding and landing wall provided with a door, a back wall opposite the boarding and landing wall (this could also be provided with a door), and two side walls facing each other that join the boarding and landing wall and the back wall.
  • the side walls are basically orthogonal to the forward direction of the cabin while the boarding and landing wall is parallel to that direction.
  • the side walls are basically orthogonal to the forward direction of the cabin while the boarding and landing wall is parallel to that direction.
  • these gondola lifts are used in mountain systems where passengers with skis or snowboards are transported during the winter season in order to reach the desired winter sports resorts. Therefore, during the use of these systems, passengers carry their skis or snowboards.
  • the provision of one or more equipment holders configured to house such equipment outside the cabin is well known.
  • These holders can be made in the form of a case (commonly called a ski-rest) in which to place a plurality of skis or snowboards that are not separated from each other. There are some disadvantages to this design.
  • a first known solution involves providing the cabin with a number of selective restraint or support devices for skis or snowboards. These devices may be in the form of openings or recesses made in the floor or rail seats or hooks protruding from the roof. According to a first prior art practice, these devices are positioned in such a way that the skis or snowboards transported are essentially in the middle of the cabin.
  • the centre of the cabin can be immediately defined, while "rectangular plan" means along a row orthogonal to the forward direction that ideally connects the centrelines of the front (boarding) and back walls.
  • the passenger seats are arranged adjacent and along the side walls so that there is enough space between the seated user and their equipment.
  • this design has a major disadvantage.
  • the skis when placed constrained in the centre of the cabin are an obstacle for any new passengers entering the cabin or for passengers leaving the cabin.
  • Figure 2 represents a cabin incorporating this solution according to the prior art. Incidentally, the solution of enlarging the cabin to provide more space between the central row of skis and the seats is generally not feasible because the maximum size of the cabin is defined by specific regulations.
  • EP0497713 and EP0222646 offer as a solution that of moving the selective restraint devices for the skis or snowboards from the centre of the cabin to a more lateral position, i.e. along the rows placed a short distance from the side passenger seats. In particular, exactly facing each seat, there is a holder in the floor wherein the passenger can fasten their skis or snowboard. Thanks to this solution, the central space in the cabin is left free to enable passengers to board and disembark in greater comfort.
  • one purpose of this invention is that of providing a cabin for a gondola lift, i.e. a cabin transportation system, suitable of housing the skis and snowboards of passengers inside in convenient holders and, on the other hand, which does not create obstacles along the centreline for easily boarding/disembarking and that enables passengers to be able to first get up and then, while standing, remove the skis or snowboard from the corresponding holders.
  • a cabin for a gondola lift i.e. a cabin transportation system
  • this invention relates to a cabin for a transportation system, in particular for the transport of passengers with skis or snowboards along a forward direction, wherein the cabin comprises:
  • the skis or snowboards when housed in their corresponding holders inside the cabin, are not an obstacle to passengers either when they are boarding or disembarking (the central part of the cabin remains, in fact, free), nor when they are seated or leaving their seat (the space facing the seat remains, in fact, free). In this way, the passenger can first get up, find a correct and subjective position of equilibrium, and then free their skis or snowboard from the corresponding holder in order to exit the cabin.
  • each seat comprises a plurality of embodiments in which the holders are physically in alternating positions along the same row of seats (possibly also integrated into a kind of lateral arm) and embodiments in which the holders are positioned a little beyond the body of the seats towards the centre of the cabin.
  • the distance between the row of holders and the centre or middle of the cabin is less than the distance separating the row of holders from the row of seats.
  • the cabin in this invention can have, in plan view, different shapes. In fact, it can have a circular extension in which there is only one side wall, one row of seats, and one row of holders.
  • the cabin in plan view can have a rectangular extension with a front wall for boarding and landing provided with a door, a back wall opposite the front wall, and two side walls wherein the side walls are basically orthogonal in the forward direction of the cabin.
  • the holders may also be made in various forms.
  • the holders can be made in the form (as known) of simple openings or recesses (possibly shaped) formed in the floor in which part of the skis or snowboard can be inserted (one such example will be show in the figures), or each holders may have a shape (as known) of tracks protruding from the roof in which the tip of the skis or snowboards is inserted by sliding.
  • the inventive cabin described here can be installed in transportation systems of various kinds, i.e. in air or on land transportation systems.
  • the cabin may be moved by means of a hauling cable or with individual motorised trolleys, or in any other possible way.
  • the following figures will schematically show a an aerial cable transportation system in which this invention finds advantageous application because this is the type of system most used for reaching winter sports resorts where passengers use skis or snowboards.
  • Figure 1 schematically shows a portion of an aerial cable transportation system in which the inventive cabin of this invention finds advantageous application.
  • the innovative cabin of this invention can also be used in different systems.
  • Figure 1 shows a portion of a system 5 comprising a section 14 configured as a cable transportation system.
  • the system comprises a number of transport units in the form of cabins 2 moved in succession in aerial or suspended configurations, i.e. lifted from the ground and not resting on anything below.
  • the aerial cable systems can be of various types, for example back-and-forth systems or systems with ascent and descent return branches, and comprise a plurality of stations at which passengers can enter or exit the cabins 2.
  • FIG. 1 shows a station 16 that can be an intermediate station or the downstream station.
  • the cabins 2 can traverse the system 5 in both directions indicated with the arrows A and B that are the opposite directions to a shared forward direction.
  • the cabins 2 are supported hanging from and moved by a cable 3.
  • each cabin 2 is connected to a respective clamp 1 configured to couple to the cable 3.
  • the cabin 2 is kept suspended by means of a suspending arm 17 having one end coupled to the roof 18 of the cabin 2 and the opposite end coupled to the clamp 1.
  • the cabin 2 advances no longer supported by the cable 3, but on special tracks formed in the station 16 itself.
  • the cabin 2 can, naturally, also be applied to two-cable or three-cable systems wherein the support and forward movement functions are divided between different cables.
  • Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of the detail indicated as II in Figure 1 , i.e. the cabin 2.
  • Figure 2 shows a plan view, i.e. from the roof 18 towards the interior of the cabin, of a cabin according to the prior art.
  • the elements that will be described in this figure of the prior art will have the same references as the analogous elements present in the successive figures of this invention.
  • Figure 2 also shows the forward direction A, B in this example the cabin 2 has a rectangular plan, is configured for transporting passengers with skis or snowboards and comprises:
  • This embodiment comprises, in addition, two rows of seats 10, 11; in particular, each row of seats is arranged along a corresponding side wall and each seat comprises a backrest arranged basically in contact with the corresponding side wall.
  • the reference X (which can also be seen in Figures 3 and 4 ) identifies a transverse centreline plane of the cabin (i.e. a plane transverse to the forward direction that passes through the centre of the front and back walls, i.e. through the centre of the door 12).
  • the cabin comprises a row of holders 13 in which each holder 13 is configured (in a known way) to individually support the skis or snowboards of a single passenger in a vertical position when the cabin 2 advances.
  • the holders are a plurality of openings or recesses made on the floor wall and the row of holders 13 is arranged along the central plane X.
  • FIGS 3 and 4 show one embodiment of the invention.
  • each holder 13 is positioned beside the corresponding passenger seat 10, 11.
  • both the space at the centre of the cabin (centreline plane X) and the space immediately in front of each seat is, advantageously, left free.
  • the holders 13 are in the form of openings or recesses formed in the floor 6.
  • the limitation "positioned beside" relative to the holder with respect to the seat does not indicate the fact that the holder is physically between one seat and the other along the same row (which is however possible according to this invention), but that the holders are adjacent to the seats (distance d between the seat and the holder is less than the distance D from the plane X) and that they are not placed frontally to the seats but in a theoretical continuation of a hypothetical lateral armrest of the seats.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Central Heating Systems (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
EP20197010.0A 2019-09-19 2020-09-18 Cabin for a transportation system, in particular for transporting passengers with skis or snowboards Pending EP3795442A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT102019000016751A IT201900016751A1 (it) 2019-09-19 2019-09-19 Cabina per un impianto di trasporto, in particolare per il trasporto di passeggeri con sci o snowboard

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3795442A1 true EP3795442A1 (en) 2021-03-24

Family

ID=69375775

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20197010.0A Pending EP3795442A1 (en) 2019-09-19 2020-09-18 Cabin for a transportation system, in particular for transporting passengers with skis or snowboards

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EP (1) EP3795442A1 (it)
IT (1) IT201900016751A1 (it)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2022269054A1 (de) * 2021-06-25 2022-12-29 Innova Patent Gmbh Seilbahnfahrzeug

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0222646A1 (fr) 1985-10-23 1987-05-20 Pomagalski S.A. Cabines à sièges relevables pour une installation de transport à câble aérien
EP0497713A1 (fr) 1991-01-31 1992-08-05 Pomagalski S.A. Cabine d'une télécabine débrayable
WO2012045651A1 (de) * 2010-10-06 2012-04-12 Cwa Constructions Sa Skitransportvorrichtung

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0222646A1 (fr) 1985-10-23 1987-05-20 Pomagalski S.A. Cabines à sièges relevables pour une installation de transport à câble aérien
EP0497713A1 (fr) 1991-01-31 1992-08-05 Pomagalski S.A. Cabine d'une télécabine débrayable
WO2012045651A1 (de) * 2010-10-06 2012-04-12 Cwa Constructions Sa Skitransportvorrichtung

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2022269054A1 (de) * 2021-06-25 2022-12-29 Innova Patent Gmbh Seilbahnfahrzeug

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT201900016751A1 (it) 2021-03-19

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