EP4175861A1

EP4175861A1 - Door controller for a cable car vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP4175861A1
Application number: EP21739652.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gerd Dür; Sebastian SCHAUERTE; Stefan Hämmerle
Original assignee: Innova Patent GmbH
Current assignee: Innova Patent GmbH
Priority date: 2020-07-06
Filing date: 2021-07-05
Publication date: 2023-05-10
Also published as: WO2022008399A1; AR126224A1; AT523971A1; JP2023532854A; CA3188928A1; CN115768674A; AU2021304804A1; US20230264721A1; KR20230029994A; JP7464312B2

Abstract

In order to enable more reliable actuation of the entry barrier (8) of a cable car vehicle (5) in a cable car station (2), the invention proposes that at least one mechanically actuable barrier actuation element (24) for actuating the entry barrier (8) is provided on the cable car vehicle (5), and at least one movable actuation component (28, 30) is provided in the barrier actuation apparatus (10), wherein the actuation component (28, 30) is moved by the remote control unit (11) upon activation of the barrier actuation apparatus (10) in order to exert an actuation force on the barrier actuation element (24), wherein the barrier actuation element (24) is moved by the actuation force in order to actuate the entry barrier (8).

Description

Door control for a cable car vehicle

The present invention relates to a cable car with at least one cable car station and with at least one cable car vehicle, with at least one actuatable boarding barrier being provided on the cable car vehicle, which can be moved between an open position and a closed position when actuated, with at least one remote-controlled barrier actuating device for actuating the boarding barrier in the cable car station of the cable car vehicle is provided, wherein the barrier activation device can be activated by a remote control unit in order to move the boarding barrier from the closed position to the open position and/or vice versa when the cable car vehicle is in the area of the barrier activation device. The invention also relates to a method for operating a cable car with at least one cable car station and with at least one cable car vehicle, with at least one actuatable boarding barrier being provided on the cable car vehicle, which can be moved between an open position and a closed position when actuated, with the cable car vehicle in the cable car station being converted into a Area of a remote-controlled barrier operating device is moved and that the boarding barrier is moved from the open position to the closed position or vice versa by activating the barrier operating device using a remote control unit. The invention also relates to a barrier activation device for arrangement in a cable car station of a cable car for actuating an access barrier of a cable car vehicle of the cable car that can be moved between an open position and a closed position, the barrier activation device being controllable by a remote control unit in order to move the access barrier from the closed position to the open position relocate and/or vice versa if the cable car vehicle is in the cable car station in the area of the barrier activation device.

Cable car systems are used to transport people and materials between two or more cable car stations. For this purpose, a number of cable car vehicles, such as chairs or cabins, are moved between the cable car stations, either circulating or in shuttle traffic. The cable car vehicles are moved between the cable car stations by means of at least one hoisting cable. The cable car vehicle can be suspended on at least one carrying cable or the hoisting cable (cableways) or be movably arranged on rails or the ground (funicular railways) and be moved with at least one hoisting cable. However, the cable car vehicle can also be detachably or firmly clamped to the hoisting rope and moved with the hoisting rope. In the case of revolving cable cars, the cable car vehicles in a cable car station are often decoupled from the hoisting cable, for example by means of detachable cable clamps, and are moved through the cable car station at a lower speed in order to make it easier for people to get on or off or to load or unload material. It is known that certain functions of cable cars can be actuated via a mechanical positive control, in particular a link control, for example opening or closing a rope clamp, folding down or up a safety bar or a weather protection hood of a chair or opening and closing a door of a cabin or gondola in a cable car station. For this purpose, a link is fixed to the station, which is scanned by a scanning element on the cable car vehicle when passing through. The scanning element is arranged on a rotatably mounted lever which is pivoted during scanning. The specific function is then carried out via a Bowden cable acting on the lever or a linkage. An example of the opening and closing function of a door can be found in US Pat. No. 3,742,864 A and EP 1 671 867 B1 shows an example of a safety bar folding down and up.

However, the flexibility of the door control is limited by the link control. In particular, the times and the positions at which the doors of a cabin are opened or closed within a cable car station depend on the specific design and arrangement of the link guide in the cable car station and are therefore fixed. A change in the opening and closing position is not possible or only possible with a great deal of effort, because the position of the stationary link guide in the cable car station would have to be changed. Under certain circumstances, however, it may be desirable for the positions or points in time at which the doors are opened or closed to be variable. For example, this could be the case in emergencies within the cable car station, in which the cable car vehicle is already outside the link guide. For example, the cable car vehicle could come to a standstill in an exit area of the cable car station with the door already closed because the door had previously been closed by the link guide. Similarly, the cable car vehicle could come to a standstill in an entry area of the cable car station with the door still closed because the door has not yet been opened by the link guide. In such emergencies, it was previously necessary to open the doors manually, in particular to push them open, which requires skill and a great deal of effort. However, it could also happen, for example, that there is a malfunction in the slide control, which is why the door does not open as desired or at the intended position.

EP 2 708434 A1 discloses a cable car station in which several functions of the cable car can be controlled via a control unit. This also includes opening/closing the doors. The control unit can be controlled via a stationary user interface of a control room or a remote control. However, EP 2 708434 A1 does not disclose details on the specific design of the door control. US 3742864 A discloses a passive mechanical positive control for opening/closing a door of a cable car vehicle. The door is opened by displacing a control pin of a control lever via a stationary control rail when the cable car vehicle is moving.

EP 1671867 A1 discloses a passive mechanical forced control for opening a dome of a chair of a chair lift. The dome can be opened by moving a lever arranged on the hanger over a stationary ramp of a station.

Proceeding from the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to enable more reliable actuation of the boarding barrier of a cable car vehicle within a cable car station.

According to the invention, the object is achieved in that at least one mechanically actuatable barrier actuating element for actuating the boarding barrier is provided on the cable car vehicle, and at least one movable actuating component is provided in the barrier actuating device, with the actuating component being displaced when the barrier actuating device is activated by the remote control unit in order to generate an actuating force exert the barrier operator, wherein the barrier operator is displaced by the operating force to operate the boarding barrier. This makes it possible to actuate a boarding barrier of a cable car vehicle within a cable car station in a simple manner independently of a mechanical forced control.

The barrier actuating device preferably has at least one opening element, which can be displaced between an opening rest position and an opening working position by means of an opening actuating unit, the opening element generating an opening force on the barrier actuating element when shifting from the opening rest position to the opening working position in order to move the access barrier into the open position . As a result, the boarding barrier of the cable car vehicle can be opened remotely in a simple manner using the remote control unit.

To generate the opening force, the opening actuation unit preferably has at least one electrically controllable opening element actuator, which can be controlled by the remote control unit. As a result, known actuators can be used to generate the opening force, for example electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators.

Advantageously, the barrier actuating device has at least one closing element which can be displaced between a closed idle position and a closed working position by means of a closing actuating unit, with the closing element exerting a closing force on the Barrier actuator generated to move the boarding barrier in the closed position. As a result, the boarding barrier of the cable car vehicle can be closed remotely in a simple manner using the remote control unit.

The closing actuation unit preferably has at least one electrically controllable closing element actuator in order to move the closing element from the closed working position to the closed rest position, the closing element actuator being controllable by the remote control unit. To generate the closing force, the closing element can preferably be displaced from the closed idle position into the closed working position by gravity, with at least one weight element preferably being provided on the closing element in order to generate a specific closing force. As a result, known actuators, for example electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, can in turn be used in order to move the closing element back into the closed rest position after actuation. The generation of the opening force by gravity increases safety, since it is reliably avoided that inadmissibly high forces are generated on the access barrier and in particular on a trapped person or an object.

The opening element is advantageously designed as an opening rail that extends over a predetermined opening area in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicle and/or the closing element is designed as a closing rail that extends over a predetermined closing area in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicle. As a result, the boarding barrier can be actuated in a relatively large area in the longitudinal direction.

The barrier activation element of the cable car vehicle is preferably located in a vertical direction above the opening element and/or below the closing element when the cable car vehicle is in the area of the barrier activation device, with the barrier activation device preferably being in an upper area of an exit area provided for the cable car vehicle to exit the cable car station cable car station is arranged and/or is arranged in an upper area of an entry area of the cable car station provided for entry of the cable car vehicle into the cable car station.

As a result, the boarding barrier can be actuated in an area that is difficult for people to access. The arrangement in the exit area is advantageous in order to easily close the boarding barrier before the cable car vehicle leaves the cable car station. The arrangement in the entrance area is advantageous in order to easily open the boarding barrier after the cable car vehicle has entered the cable car station. A mechanical forced control is preferably provided in the exit area of the cable car station to actuate the boarding barrier to move the boarding barrier to the closed position, with the barrier actuating device being located downstream of the mechanical forced control in the exit direction of movement of the cable car vehicle and/or in the entry area of the cable car station there is a mechanical forced control to move the Access barrier provided in the open position, wherein the barrier actuating device is upstream of the mechanical forced control in an entry movement direction of the cable car vehicle. In an emergency, for example, a boarding barrier that is still closed in the entrance area can be opened by the barrier actuating device before the mechanical forced control and/or an already closed boarding barrier in the exit area can be opened by the barrier actuating device after the mechanical forced control.

The remote control unit is preferably designed as a stationary remote control unit, which is preferably located in an operating room of the cable car station or outside the cable car station and/or the barrier activation device can be controlled via a portable remote control unit, preferably a mobile phone or a portable computer, with control signals from the remote control unit being transmitted wirelessly and / or can be transmitted by wire to the barrier operating device. As a result, the boarding barrier can be actuated very flexibly locally from inside and/or from outside the cable car station.

Advantageously, the cable car has a cabin, with the boarding barrier being a door, or the cable car has a chair, with the boarding barrier being a safety bar or a dome. As a result, the barrier activation device can be used in known cable cars.

The object is further achieved with a method according to claim 13 and with a barrier activation device according to claim 18.

The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5d, which show advantageous configurations of the invention by way of example, schematically and not restrictively. while showing

1 a cable car station of a cable car in plan view,

2 one arranged in an exit area of a cable car station

Barrier activation device in a side view,

3 shows the barrier activation device in a rear view, Fig.4a-4d a barrier operating device in different stages of

actuation to open a boarding barrier,

Fig.5a-5d a barrier operating device in different stages of

Actuation to close a boarding barrier.

The structure and function of a cable car system is well known, which is why it is only briefly explained with reference to FIG. 1 using the example of a circulating cable car. 1 shows a cable car station 2 (for example a mountain or valley station) of a cable car 1, which is designed as an orbit. A pulley 3 is arranged in the cable car station 2, via which a circulating conveyor cable 4 of the cable car 1 is deflected. A sheave 3 in at least one of the stations of the cable car 1 is driven in a known manner by a drive in order to allow the hoisting rope 4 to circulate in a loop over a sheave of another station. It is also known that the hoisting cable 4 is tensioned by a tensioning device acting on the cable pulley 3 . The cable car 1 is controlled by a cable car control unit SE in the form of suitable hardware and software.

For reasons of clarity and because they are irrelevant to the invention, these devices, which are known per se, in particular the second station with cable pulley, drive, tensioning devices, etc., are not shown. The cable car control unit SE is only indicated schematically and can of course also be arranged at any other location of the cable car station 2. Several cable car vehicles 5 are permanently or detachably attached to the hoisting cable 4 . A cableway 1 can, of course, move very many cableway vehicles 5 simultaneously with the hoisting cable 4, typically in the range of a few tens or a few hundred cableway vehicles 5, only a few of which are shown for the sake of simplicity. A platform 6 is also provided in the cable car station 2 in order to allow or facilitate the boarding and alighting of people to be transported, or generally the loading and unloading of the cable car vehicles 5 .

If the cable car 1 has cable car vehicles 5 detachably clamped to the hoisting cable 4, a cable car vehicle 5 of the cable car 1 entering the cable car station 2 is decoupled from the hoisting cable 4, usually by means of a detachable cable clamp 16 provided on the cable car vehicle 5 (Fig. 3). The cable car vehicle 5 is usually moved within the cable car station 2 along a guide rail 7 through the cable car station 2, usually at a significantly lower speed than on the route between the cable car stations 2. This makes it easier to get on and off the cable car vehicles 5 within the Cable car station 2 are made possible and due to the unchanged high speed of the hoisting cable 4, a high conveying capacity can still be achieved. Along the guide rail 7 is a (not shown) Conveyor provided with which the cable car vehicle 5 is moved further in the cable car station 2. The conveyor is designed, for example, in the form of driven conveyor wheels 23 arranged in the cable car station 2, which interact with a friction lining 22 on the cable car vehicle 5 in the cable car station 2, as indicated in FIG. When the cable car vehicle 5 leaves the cable car station 2 in the area of an exit area A, the cable car vehicle 5 is accelerated via the conveyor and coupled again to the hoisting cable 4 by means of the cable clamp 16 . To actuate the rope clamp 16, a suitable rope clamp actuation unit can be provided in a known manner, for example in the form of a mechanical link guide.

The cable car 1 can, for example, be designed as a cable car, in which cable car vehicles 5 have cabins that are guided along a platform 6 . Passengers can board or disembark the cable car vehicles 5 via the platform 6 in the cable car station 2 . The cable car vehicle 5 could of course also be used to load and unload objects to be transported, for example winter sports equipment, bicycles, prams, etc. / unloading area provided along a fixed portion of the platform 6. The loading/unloading area can, for example, be specially marked and separated, for example, by barriers from the rest of the area of the cable car station 2, in which access for unauthorized persons is not permitted.

Of course, however, other cable car vehicles 5 could also be provided, e.g. chairs if the cable car is designed as a chair lift. The cable car also does not have to be designed as an orbit, but could also be designed as a known aerial tramway.

At least one boarding barrier 8 can be provided on a cable car vehicle 5, which can be displaced between an open position and a closed position. Access to the cable car vehicle 5 is possible in the open position and access to the cable car vehicle 5 is blocked in the closed position. In the case of the cable car shown, the boarding barrier 8 is, for example, a door of the cabin. The functioning of a boarding barrier 8 is known, which is why the boarding barrier 8 is only indicated in FIG. Depending on the design of the cable car 1, several boarding barriers 8 or doors could of course also be provided on the cable car vehicle 5. In the case of cable car cabins, for example, two opposite doors are often provided on the cabin. If the cable car is designed as a chair lift, for example, the boarding barrier 8 can be a safety bar or a dome to protect against the weather.

As is known, the boarding barrier 8 is often actuated by a known mechanical positive control 9 which is provided in a stationary manner in the cable car station 2 and is indicated only schematically in FIG. The boarding barrier 8 is used to open or close Usually actuated by a substantially stationary passive component of the positive control 9 during the movement of the cable car 5 relative to the positive control 9 interacts mechanically with a movable barrier actuating element 24 (FIGS. 2+3) arranged on the cable car 5. Passive is to be understood here as meaning that the component of the forced control cannot be actively actuated, for example by an actuator. The barrier actuating element 24 is functionally connected to the boarding barrier 8 in a suitable manner, for example via a linkage or a Bowden cable, in order to open or close the boarding barrier 8 . During the movement of the cable car vehicle 5, the component of the mechanical forced control 9 exerts an actuating force on the barrier actuating element 24, which changes the position of the movable barrier actuating element 24 and moves the boarding barrier 8 from the open position to the closed position or vice versa.

The mechanical forced control 9 is often designed as a known gate control. In this case, the barrier actuating element 24 is designed as a lever which is articulated in a suitable manner on the boarding barrier 8 and via which the boarding barrier 8 can be actuated for opening and closing. For example, the barrier activation element 24 can be arranged on a hanger of the cableway vehicle 5, with which the cableway vehicle 5 is suspended from the hoisting cable 4, as can be seen in FIG. The boarding barrier 8 can be actuated by the barrier actuating element 24 via a suitable linkage or a Bowden cable 26 . An actuating roller can also be arranged on the barrier actuating element 24, which scans the guide link of the link control.

The guide slot can extend, for example in the form of a guide rail, over a certain section of the cable car station 1 in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicles 5 in which the boarding barrier 8 is to be opened or closed. The mechanical forced control 9 or gate control can be arranged, for example, in the entrance area E of the cable car station 2 in the direction of movement in front of an exit area AB on the platform 6, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. As a result, the boarding barrier 8 is shifted from the closed position to the open position at the beginning of the exit area AB, so that passengers can leave the cable car vehicle 5 . A further mechanical positive control 9 or link control can be arranged, for example, in the exit area A of the cable car station 2 in the direction of movement after a boarding area EB on the platform 6, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. As a result, the boarding barrier 8 at the end of the boarding area EB is shifted from the open position to the closed position before the cable car vehicle 5 is again accelerated to the speed of the hoisting cable 4 so that the passengers can enter the Cable car vehicle 5 can enter. In the area between the start of the exit area AB and the end of the boarding area, the boarding barrier 8 preferably remains open, so that passengers can board and/or exit the cable car vehicles 5 .

Depending on the specific design and arrangement of the mechanical forced control 9 or link guide, the opening/closing time or the opening/closing position of the boarding barrier 8 within the cable car station 2 is fixed and cannot be changed or can only be changed with great structural effort. It is therefore generally not possible to open or close the boarding barrier 8 outside of the positions specified by the mechanical positive control 9 . If a cable car vehicle 5 is in the exit area A of the cable car station 2, for example, seen in the direction of movement after the mechanical forced control 9, the boarding barrier 8 is already in the closed position. However, it can now happen that in this position, for example, an emergency situation occurs and the drive of the cable car 1 is stopped.

This can be the case, for example, if an object protruding from the cable car vehicle 5 was jammed when the boarding barrier 8 was closed, or because a person was dragged along by the cable car vehicle 5 and a known contour check was triggered by the object or person, which for safety reasons usually has a Emergency stop of cable car 1 triggers. In this case it may be desirable to open the boarding barrier 8 in order to remove the object or to help the person and thereafter to be able to continue the operation of the cable car 1. Previously, this was only possible manually and required the necessary skill on the one hand and a relatively large amount of force on the other hand because the boarding barrier 8 is often relatively stiff for safety reasons and can also be pretensioned in the closed position by a pretensioning device. It can thus be seen that the previous mechanical positive control 9 restricts the access barrier 8 inside the cable car station 2 considerably.

According to the invention, at least one remote-controlled barrier actuating device 10 is therefore provided in the cable car station 2 for actuating the boarding barrier 8 of the cable car vehicle 5, wherein the barrier actuating device 10 can be activated by a remote control unit 11 in order to remotely shift the boarding barrier 8 from the closed position to the open position and/or vice versa if the cable car vehicle 5 is in the area of the barrier activation device 10 . At least one movable actuating component is provided in the barrier actuating device 10, for example an opening element 28 and/or a closing element 30, which is displaced when the barrier actuating device 10 is activated by the remote control unit 11 in order to exert an actuating force on the barrier actuating element 24 of the cable car vehicle 5 . The barrier actuating element 24 can be displaced by the actuating force in order to actuate the boarding barrier 8 . In this context, “remote control” or “from a distance” means in particular that the boarding barrier 8 can be actively influenced by means of the movable actuating component of the barrier actuating device 10 without, for example, one of the operating personnel having to be on site at the boarding barrier 8 .

As a result, the boarding barrier 8 can be remotely opened and/or closed by means of the barrier actuating device 10 in the cable car station 2, for example locally independently of any mechanical forced control 9 that may be provided.

However, it would also be conceivable for the barrier activation device 10 to be provided in a cable car station 2 instead of a mechanical positive control 9 . In this case, the movable actuating component could, for example, be moved relative to the barrier actuating device 10 during the movement of the cable car vehicle 5 in order to continuously displace the barrier actuating element 24 . As a result, the boarding barrier 8 could be opened or closed during the movement of the cable car vehicle 5 .

However, the barrier actuating device 10 and the mechanical forced control 9 could also be structurally combined. For example, a guide link (stationary during normal operation) of the mechanical forced control 9 could also form the movable actuating component of the barrier actuating device 10 . For example, if a cable car vehicle 5 comes to a standstill in the area of the guide link and the boarding barrier 8 is not opened or closed or is only insufficiently open or closed as a result, the guide link could be moved by activation via the remote control unit 11 in order to displace the barrier actuating element 24 and thereby move the boarding barrier 8 in move the open position or the closed position. Of course, the barrier actuating device 10 could also be arranged in the same position in the cable car station 2 as the mechanical positive control 9, for example in the transverse direction, for example viewed in the direction of movement BR. In this case, the boarding barrier 8 that is incompletely opened or closed in the area of the mechanical forced control 9 when a cable car vehicle 5 is stationary could be completely opened or closed by the barrier actuating device 10 .

The remote control unit 11 can be embodied, for example, as a stationary remote control unit 11a, which can preferably be arranged in a control room 12 in the cable car station 2 . As a result, the boarding barrier 8 can be controlled, for example, by the responsible operating personnel from the operating room 12, from which the cable car 1 is usually controlled anyway. Additionally or alternatively, a stationary remote control unit 11a can also be arranged, for example, outside the cable car station 2 (in which the barrier activation device 10 is provided), for example in another cable car station 2, in a central control center responsible for several cable cars, etc. As a result, for example, the operating personnel of a cable car station 2 can Control barrier operating device 10 of another cable car station 2. Alternatively or additionally, however, the barrier activation device 10 can advantageously also be controlled via a portable remote control unit 11b, preferably a cell phone or a portable computer. As a result, the flexibility of the control can be increased because the operating personnel can open and/or close the boarding barrier 8 independently of the location.

“Locally independent” is to be understood here as meaning that the barrier activation device 10 can be controlled by the mobile remote control unit 11b, in contrast to the stationary remote control unit 11a, not only from a point within the cable car station 2 (in which the barrier activation device 10 is arranged), but also from outside the respective cable car station 2, for example from another cable car station 2, from a central control center responsible for several cable cars, etc. Regardless of whether a stationary or mobile remote control unit 11a, 11b is used, control signals from the remote control unit 11 can be wireless and/or wired be transmitted to the barrier operator 10 . As a wireless control, e.g. via WLAN, radio, Bluetooth or near field communication (NFC), as indicated in Fig. 1 on the mobile remote control unit 11b. Wired transmission could, for example, take place in a known manner via an electrical line, for example in the form of a data communication bus.

The barrier actuation device 10 can be actuated directly, for example, in that the control signals are transmitted from the remote control unit 11 directly to the barrier actuation device 10 . However, the activation preferably takes place indirectly via the cable car control unit SE, as shown in FIG. The remote control unit 11 sends the control signals for controlling the barrier activation device 10 to the cable car control unit SE, which processes the control signals and activates the barrier activation device 10 depending on the control signals received. An advantageous embodiment of a barrier activation device 10 is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS.

2 shows a side view of a barrier activation device 10 in an advantageous embodiment, which is arranged in the exit area A of a cable car station 2 . In FIG. 3, the barrier-actuating device 10 is shown in a sectional illustration according to section line AA in FIG. A cable car vehicle 5 is in the area of the barrier operating device 10, for example at a standstill, with only the upper Part of the cable car vehicle 5 is shown. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cable car vehicle 5 is decoupled from the hoisting cable 4 and is guided on a guide rail 7 within the cable car station 2 . The cable car vehicle 5 has a carriage (not shown) for accommodating passengers and/or objects, for example a cabin or a chair. The transport body is attached to a hanger 15 of the cable car vehicle 5 . At least one boarding barrier 8 (not shown) is provided on the transport body. In the case of a cabin, the boarding barrier 8 can be a door of the cabin, for example.

The cable car vehicle 5 can be connected to the hoisting cable 4 via the hanger 15 . For this purpose, a cable clamp 16 can be arranged on the hanger 12, which can clamp the conveying cable 4 under the action of one or more clamping springs 17, and which can be mechanically actuated via a coupling roller 18 and a clamping lever 19. About (not shown) guide links in the cable car station 2, which scans the coupling roller 18 by the movement of the cable car vehicle 5, the clamp lever 19 is actuated and the rope clamp 16 is opened. For closing, the cable clamp 16 is activated, for example, by a further guide link and is clamped on the hoisting cable 4 by the action of the clamping spring 17 . One or more rollers 20 can also be provided on the hanger 15, by means of which the cable car vehicle 5 rolls on the guide rail 7 in the decoupled state from the hoisting cable 4 within the cable car station 2.

In addition, a lateral guide roller 21 can also be arranged, which cooperates in the cable car station 2 with a further guide rail (indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 3) in order to stabilize the cable car vehicle 5 . A friction lining 22 can also be arranged, which can interact with a conveyor, for example rotating conveyor wheels 23 (indicated in FIG. 3), in order to move the uncoupled cable car vehicle 5 along the guide rail 7 through the cable car station 2 . Of course, other configurations of a cable car 1 and/or a cable car vehicle 5 are also conceivable, for example a cable car 1 with cable car vehicles 5 fixedly clamped to the hoisting cable 4, or with suspension cables on which the cable car vehicle 5 is suspended via a carriage and supported by at least one hoisting cable 4 is moved. Likewise, the cable car 1 can be designed as an aerial tramway, with or without a suspension cable, ie also with a reciprocating hoisting cable 4 instead of a circulating hoisting cable 4. However, the specific design of the cable car 1 is irrelevant to the invention.

The barrier actuating device 10 is arranged on a stationary component of the cable car, for example on the guide rail 7, which runs in the upper region of the cable car station 2 in the direction of movement BR of the cable car vehicle(s) 5. The barrier actuating device 10 can be fastened to the guide rail 7 with suitable holding elements 13, for example. The guide rail 7 in turn can, for example, with be attached to a stationary structure of the cable car station 2 by a suitable holding device 14 . In the example shown, an additional mechanical positive control 9 is also provided, which is upstream of the barrier activation device 10 in the direction of movement BR of the cable car vehicle 5 . The mechanical positive control 9 is used here to move the boarding barrier 8 of the cable car 5 from the open position to the closed position. The mechanical positive control 9 is a passive device, ie, in contrast to the barrier actuating device 10, it cannot be actively actuated. This means that with the mechanical forced control 9, the actuating force for opening or closing the boarding barrier 8 is generated without an external energy supply, but only by a relative movement between the (moving) cable car vehicle 5 and the (stationary) forced control 9.

The mechanical forced control 9 is designed here as a link guide and has a guide link 9a in the form of a rail, which extends over a certain area in the direction of movement BR of the cable car vehicle 5 . A contact surface in the form of an inclined plane sloping downwards in the direction of movement is provided on the underside of the guide link 9a. The mechanical forced control 9 is designed to mechanically interact with the barrier actuating element 24 in order to actuate the boarding barrier 8 in order to apply an actuating force to the

Barrier actuator 24 exercise. The barrier actuating element 24 is arranged here on the hanger 15 of the cable car vehicle 5 in the vertical direction between the transport body and the cable clamp 16 and has an actuating roller.

The actuating roller is rotatably mounted on an actuating lever 25. The actuating lever 25 is operatively connected to the boarding barrier 8 via a Bowden cable 26 in order to actuate the boarding barrier. When a cable car 5 passes the mechanical positive control 9 in the direction of movement BR, the barrier actuating element 24, in particular the actuating roller, scans the contact surface of the guide slot 9a, as a result of which an actuating force directed downwards is exerted on the actuating roller. The actuating force pushes the actuating roller in a vertical direction from a first position P1 (in which the boarding barrier 8 is in the open position) down to a second position P2 in which the boarding barrier 8 is in the closed position, as shown in Fig .2 is indicated by the dotted actuating rollers. The actuating lever 25 is pivoted by the actuating force, as a result of which the boarding barrier 8 is actuated via the Bowden cable 26 .

A joint 27 can also be provided on the mechanical positive control 9 for safety reasons. As a result, the link guide 9a can be deflected upwards when the resistance of the barrier activation element 24 exceeds a specific resistance. This can be the case, for example, when the boarding barrier 8 has passed is blocked by an object or person and cannot close completely. This can prevent the force exerted by the boarding barrier 8 on the object or person from becoming impermissibly high, thereby reducing the risk of damage or injury. Of course, this is only to be understood as an example and other constructive designs of the mechanical forced control 9 would also be conceivable. After the cable car vehicle 5 has passed through the mechanical forced control 9, preferably without incident, the boarding barrier 8 is in the closed position and the barrier actuating element 24 is in the second vertical position P2 corresponding to the closed position, as indicated in FIG.

The barrier actuating device 10 preferably has at least one opening element 28 (as a movable actuating component) which can be displaced between an opening rest position and an opening working position by means of an opening actuating unit 29 . The opening element 28 preferably extends over a certain length in the direction of movement BR of the cable car 5 in order to extend the effective range of the barrier activation device 10 . When shifting from the open rest position to the open working position, the opening element 28 generates an opening force on the barrier actuating element 24 in order to shift the boarding barrier 8 into the open position. To generate the opening force, the opening actuation unit 29 has at least one electrically controllable opening element actuator 29a, which can be controlled by the remote control unit 11. As described, the control can be direct or indirect via the ropeway control unit SE (Fig. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the opening element 28 is preferably designed as an opening rail that extends over a predetermined opening area in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicle 5, in which remote-controlled opening of the boarding barrier 8 independently of the mechanical forced control 9 is desired.

In the example shown, two opening element actuators 29a act on the opening element 28, which can preferably be controlled synchronously by the remote control unit 11 in order to move the opening element 28 in the vertical direction from the illustrated open rest position to the open working position (and vice versa). The opening element actuators 29a are designed here as electric drives, for example linear drives, in particular as electric spindle motors. Of course, other electrically controllable actuators could also be used that are suitable for generating a sufficiently large actuating force, such as pneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic actuators, etc. For example, a fixed part 29b of the opening element actuator 29a (here the upper Part) be arranged on a stationary component of the barrier operating device 10, for example on one of Holding elements 13. A movable part 29c of the opening element actuator 29a (here the lower part) can act directly on the opening element 28. When the opening element actuators 29a are actuated, the movable part 29c is moved linearly relative to the fixed part 29b and generates a force on the opening element 28, by which the opening element 28 is displaced from the (here lower) open rest position into the (here upper) open working position can and vice versa.

2 shows the opening element 28 in the open rest position and the cable car 5 is located in a central area of the barrier actuating device 10 in the direction of movement BR. The boarding barrier 8 of the cable car 5 is in the closed position. The barrier actuating element 24 of the cable car 5 is located directly above the opening element 28 in a vertical direction and is preferably spaced apart from the opening element 28 . As a result, the cable car vehicle 5 can pass through the barrier-actuating device 10 unhindered during normal operation, without the barrier-actuating element 24 making contact with the opening element 28 . However, if the cable car vehicle 5, as shown, comes to a standstill in the area of the barrier activation device 10, for example due to an emergency, it may be desirable to open the boarding barrier 8.

For this purpose, for example, one of the operating personnel can use the remote control unit 11 to control the opening actuation unit 29, here the two opening element actuators 29a, in order to move the opening element 28 from the illustrated open rest position into the open working position. The two opening element actuators 29a generate a sufficiently large opening force on the barrier actuating element 24 via the opening element 28 in order to push the barrier actuating element 24 vertically upwards (e.g. at the height of the first position P1), whereby the boarding barrier 8 (here via the Bowden cable 26) in the open position is shifted. Thereafter, the opening element 28 can be lowered again from the open working position into the open rest position, with the boarding barrier 8 remaining in the open position. The course of the opening process is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4a-4d.

As an alternative or in addition to the opening element 28, the barrier actuating device 10 can also have at least one closing element 30 (as a movable actuating component) which can be displaced between a closed idle position and a closed working position by means of a closing actuating unit 31. When shifting from the closed rest position to the closed working position, the closing element generates a closing force on the barrier actuating element 24 in order to shift the boarding barrier 8 into the closed position. Analogously to the opening element 28 , the closing element 30 also preferably extends over a certain length in the direction of movement BR of the cable car vehicle 5 in order to close the effective range of the barrier activation device 10 expand. As shown in the example shown, the closing element 30 is also advantageously designed as a closing rail, which extends over a predetermined closing area in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicle 5, in which closing of the boarding barrier 8 independently of the mechanical forced control 9 is desired. The closing actuation unit 31 preferably has at least one electrically controllable closing element actuator 31a in order to move the closing element from the closed working position to the closed rest position, the closing element actuator being controllable by the remote control unit 11 . 2 shows the closing element 30 in the (upper) closed position of rest.

In the example shown, the closing/actuating unit 31 has a closing element actuator 31a in the form of an electric drive, preferably a linear drive, in particular in the form of an electric spindle motor. Of course, other electrically controllable actuators could also be used which are suitable for generating a sufficiently large actuating force, for example hydraulic, pneumatic, electromagnetic actuators, etc. As can be seen in FIG 31a (here the lower part) can be arranged on a stationary component 33 of the barrier operating device 10 and a movable part 31c of the closing element actuator 31a (here the upper part) can act on a link 34 . The link 34 is articulated here with one end on a stationary component of the barrier actuating device 10 . The opposite end of the link 34 is pivotally attached to the closure member 30 .

When the closing element actuator 31a is actuated, the movable part 31c is preferably moved linearly relative to the fixed part 31b and generates a force on the link 34, by which the closing element 30 is moved from the (here lower)

Closing work position can be shifted back into the closed rest position (here above).

In the example shown, two links 34 are provided, with the closing element actuator 31a acting only on the link 34 shown on the right in FIG. An optional damping element 35 acts on the left link 34 in order to dampen the downward movement of the closing element 30 . This can be advantageous in order to achieve a controlled closing of the boarding barrier 8 that is as uniform as possible.

In order to generate the closing force, the closing element 30 can preferably be displaced by gravity from the closed rest position into the closed working position, here vertically downwards. As with the mechanical positive control 9, this can ensure that when the access barrier 8 reaches or exceeds a certain resistance (e.g. if an object is trapped), the closing process is stopped for safety reasons without an impermissibly high force being applied to the trapped object or the person is exercised. Preferably is at least one weight element 32 is provided on the closing element 30 in order to be able to generate a closing force of a certain amount. Depending on the desired closing force, one or more weight elements 32 of a certain mass can be arranged. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the actuating element 24 of the cableway vehicle 4 is located in the vertical direction above the opening element 28 and below the closing element 30 when the cableway vehicle 5 is in the region of the barrier actuating device 10 .

Of course, a suitable electrically controllable actuator could also be provided to generate the closing force, for example again an electric linear drive, etc. A suitable sensor system could be provided, for example, to limit the closing force. For example, a force sensor could be provided for measuring the closing force, which communicates with the actuator in a suitable manner. The actuator could then stop the closing process when a certain maximum permissible force is reached or exceeded. Of course, this is exemplary only and other sensors could also be used. For example, the boarding barrier 8 could alternatively or additionally be monitored using a suitable camera system. A state of the access barrier 8 that deviates from the normal state could be recognized by automated image recognition, for example a door that is not completely closed or an object or a person who is trapped. Depending on the image recognition, the actuator could, for example, stop the closing process.

In FIG. 2, the barrier actuating device 10 is arranged in an upper area of an exit area A of the cable car station 2 and is located downstream of the mechanical (closing) forced control 9 in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicle 5 . A barrier activation device 10 could of course also be arranged in a similar way in an upper area of an entry area E of the cable car station 2, preferably in front of a mechanical (opening) forced control 9 in the direction of movement BR of the cable car vehicle 5, as indicated in FIG. The mode of operation would of course be analogous to that in the exemplary embodiment shown.

FIGS. 4a-4d show the barrier actuating device 10 from FIGS. 2+3 in various stages during the actuation to open the boarding barrier 8. In FIG. 4a, the cable car vehicle 5 is in the direction of movement BR in front of the mechanical positive control 9, with the boarding barrier 8 being in the open position. In FIG. 4b, the cable car vehicle 5 is in the area of the barrier actuating device 10, analogously to FIG. The barrier actuating element 24 arranged on the hanger 15 is therefore located in the vertical direction immediately above the opening element 28, preferably without touching the opening element 28. The opening element 28 is in the (lower) open rest position, ie in the non-actuated state.

In FIG. 4c, the barrier actuating device 10 was actuated by remote control unit 11, for example by an employee of the cable car using a stationary or mobile remote control unit 11a, 11b (FIG. 1). When the remote control unit 11 is actuated to open the boarding barrier 8, corresponding control signals are sent to the opening actuation unit 29, here the two opening element actuators 29a. The opening element actuators 29a move the opening element 28 from the (lower) open rest position (Fig. 4b) to the (upper) open working position (Fig. 4c), whereby an opening force is generated on the barrier actuating element 24 and the boarding barrier 8 is opened. Preferably, the opening element actuators 29a are automatically switched off when the opening element 28 reaches the open working position and preferably automatically shifted back to the open rest position after a certain time, e.g. Reaching the opening working position can be detected, for example, by a suitable position sensor or by a stroke limitation implemented in the opening element actuators 29a.

In FIGS. 5a-5d, the barrier actuating device 10 from FIGS. 2+3 is shown in various stages during the actuation to close the boarding barrier 8. FIG. 5a corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 4d, in which the cable car vehicle 5 is located in the region of the barrier actuating device 10 with the access barrier 8 open. The opening member 28 is in the open (lower) rest position and the closing member 30 is in the closed (upper) rest position and is held in this position by the closing actuator 31a. The barrier actuating element 24 is located directly below the closing element 30. The closing element 30 can now be actuated by remote control unit 11, for example by means of a stationary or mobile remote control unit 11a, 11b (FIG. 1) by an employee of the cable car. When the remote control unit 11 is actuated to close the boarding barrier 8, corresponding control signals are sent to the closing actuation unit 31, here the closing element actuator 31a. The closing element 30 is consequently shifted downwards from the (upper) closed rest position into the closed working position due to the force of gravity, supported by the weight elements 32 .

The closing element actuator 31a is operated in such a way that it performs an idle stroke, ie no tensile force is exerted on the closing element 30 by the closing element actuator 31a. The closing element 30 is thus displaced downwards only by the force of gravity and the closing element actuator 31a follows the movement of the closing element 30, as in FIG. 5b is shown. Due to the mass of the closing element 30 and possibly the weight elements 32, a closing force is exerted on the barrier-actuating element 24 of the cable car vehicle 5 and the boarding barrier 8 is shifted into the closed position. When the closing element 30 reaches the closing working position, this is preferably detected, for example by a suitable sensor or by a stroke limitation implemented in the closing element actuator 31a. After a certain time has elapsed, for example 2s, the closing element 30 is preferably automatically shifted back into the (upper) closed rest position by the closing element actuator 31a, as shown in FIG. 5c. When the cable car 1 is put into operation again, the cable car vehicle 5 can then be moved out of the area of the barrier actuating device 10 in the direction of movement BR with the boarding barrier 8 closed.

If, for example, an object or a person is trapped in the access barrier 8 during the closing process, the closing element 30 does not reach the intended closing working position. This can be detected, for example, by a suitable sensor or, as described, by means of a suitable camera system including image recognition. However, a certain maximum permissible duration for the closing process between the actuation of the closing actuation unit 31 and the closing working position being reached by the closing element 30 could also be specified, for example in the cable car control unit SE. If the maximum duration is exceeded, this can be interpreted as an incompletely closed boarding barrier 8 .

In this case, the closing element 30 can be automatically returned to the closed position of rest, for example by means of the closing element actuator 31a. If necessary, one or more further closing attempts can also be carried out automatically, or an operator of the cable car can carry out another closing attempt manually via the remote control unit 11 . If the closing work position cannot be reached even after the closing process has been carried out several times, and consequently the closed position of the boarding barrier 8 cannot be reached either, one of the operating personnel can carry out a visual inspection on site and, if necessary, rectify the error, for example the jammed object from the boarding barrier 8 remove.

The flexibility when opening and/or closing a boarding barrier 8 of a cable car vehicle 5 within a cable car station 2 can thus be significantly improved by the invention. As a result, for example, partially automated operation or even fully automated, essentially unattended operation of the cable car 1 can be achieved.

Claims

patent claims

1. Cable car (1) with at least one cable car station (2) and with at least one cable car vehicle, wherein at least one actuatable boarding barrier (8) is provided on the cable car vehicle (5), which can be moved between an open position and a closed position when actuated, wherein in the Cable car station (2) at least one remote-controlled barrier activation device (10) for actuating the boarding barrier (8) of the cable car vehicle (5) is provided, wherein the barrier activation device (10) can be activated by a remote control unit (11) in order to move the boarding barrier (8) from the closed position into the open position and/or vice versa when the cable car (5) is in the area of the barrier activation device (10), characterized in that at least one mechanically actuatable barrier activation element (24) for actuating the boarding barrier (8) is provided on the cable car (5). is provided and in the barrier operating device (10) at least st a movable actuating component (28, 30) is provided, wherein the actuating component (28, 30) is displaced when the barrier actuating device (10) is activated by the remote control unit (11) in order to exert an actuating force on the barrier actuating element (24), the barrier actuating element (24) is displaced by the actuating force in order to actuate the boarding barrier (8).

2. Cable car (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the barrier actuating device (10) has at least one opening element (28) which can be displaced between an opening rest position and an opening working position by means of an opening actuating unit (29), the opening element (28 ) when shifting from the open rest position to the open working position, an opening force is generated on the barrier actuating element (24) in order to shift the boarding barrier (8) into the open position.

3. Cable car (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the opening actuation unit (29) for generating the opening force has at least one electrically controllable opening element actuator (29a) which can be controlled by the remote control unit (11).

4. Cableway (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the barrier actuating device (10) has at least one closing element (30) which can be displaced between a closed idle position and a closed working position by means of a closing actuating unit (31), wherein the closing element exerts a closing force on the Barrier actuator (24) generated to move the boarding barrier (8) in the closed position.

5. Cable car (1) according to Claim 4, characterized in that the closing actuation unit (31) has at least one electrically controllable closing element actuator (31a) in order to shift the closing element (30) from the closed working position to the closed rest position, the Closing element actuator (31a) can be controlled by the remote control unit (11).

6. Cableway (1) according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the closing element (29) can be displaced from the closed idle position into the closed working position to generate the closing force by gravity, with at least one weight element (32) preferably being mounted on the closing element (30) is provided in order to generate a certain closing force.

7. Cable car (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the opening element (28) is designed as an opening rail which extends over a predetermined opening area in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicle (5) and/or the closing element (30) is designed as a closing rail which extends over a predetermined closing area in the direction of movement of the cable car vehicle (5).

8. Cable car (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the barrier actuating element (24) of the cable car vehicle (5) is located in a vertical direction above the opening element (28) and/or below the closing element (30) when the cable car vehicle (5) in the area of the barrier operating device (10).

9. Cable car (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the barrier activation device (10) is located in an upper area of an exit area (A) of the cable car station (2) provided for the exit of the cable car vehicle (5) from the cable car station (2). ) is arranged and/or that the barrier actuating device (10) is arranged in an upper area of an entry area (E) of the cable car station (2) provided for entry of the cable car vehicle (5) into the cable car station (2).

10. Cable car (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that in the exit area (A) of the cable car station (2) there is a mechanical forced control (9) for actuating the boarding barrier (8) for moving the boarding barrier (8) into the closed position, wherein the barrier actuating device (10) is downstream of the mechanical forced control (9) in the exit direction of movement (BR) of the cable car vehicle (5) and/or that in the entry area (E) of the cable car station (2) there is a mechanical forced control (9) for moving the boarding barrier (8) is provided in the open position, wherein the barrier actuator (10) in a Entry direction of movement (BR) of the cable car vehicle (5) is upstream of the mechanical forced control (9).

11. Cable car (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the remote control unit (11) is designed as a stationary remote control unit (11a), which is preferably in a control room (12) of the cable car station (2) or outside the cable car station ( 2) and/or that the barrier activation device (10) can be controlled via a portable remote control unit (11b), preferably a mobile phone or a portable computer, control signals from the remote control unit (11) being transmitted wirelessly and/or by wire to the barrier activation device (10 ) are transferrable.

12. Cable car (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the cable car vehicle (5) has a cabin, the boarding barrier (8) being a door or that the cable car vehicle (5) has a chair, the boarding barrier (8) is a safety bar or dome.

13. A method for operating a cable car (1) with at least one cable car station (2) and with at least one cable car vehicle (5), wherein at least one actuatable boarding barrier (8) is provided on the cable car vehicle (5) which, when actuated, moves between an open position and a Closing position is displaceable, wherein the cable car vehicle (5) in the cable car station (2) in an area of a remote-controlled

barrier actuating device (10) is moved and the boarding barrier (8) is moved from the open position to the closed position or vice versa by activating the barrier actuating device (10) using a remote control unit (11), characterized in that the boarding barrier (8) upon activation the barrier actuating device (10) is actuated by a movable actuating component of the barrier actuating device (10) being displaced and an actuating force exerted on a mechanically actuatable barrier actuating element (24) of the cable car vehicle (5).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the barrier actuating device (10) is actuated with a stationary remote control unit (11a) arranged inside or outside the cable car station (2) or that the barrier actuating device (10) is actuated with a portable remote control unit (11b), preferably a mobile phone or a portable computer, control signals being transmitted from the remote control unit (11a, 11b) to the barrier operating device (10) wirelessly or by wire.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the boarding barrier (8) of the cable car vehicle (5) before or after the cable car vehicle (5) is moved into the area of the remote-controlled barrier actuating device (10), is actuated by a mechanical positive control (9) provided in the cable car station (2) in order to shift the boarding barrier (8) from the open position to the closed position or vice versa.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the boarding barrier (8) is shifted from the closed position to the open position in that at least one opening element (28) of the barrier actuating device (10) applies an opening force to the barrier actuating element (24). is generated in that the opening element (28) is displaced between an opening rest position and an opening working position by means of at least one electrically controllable opening element actuator (29a).

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the boarding barrier (8) is shifted from the open position to the closed position in that at least one closing element (30) of the barrier actuating device (10) applies a closing force to the barrier actuating element (24). is generated by the closing element (30) being displaced by gravity between a closed rest position and a closed working position.

18. Barrier actuating device (10) for arrangement in a cable car station (2) of a cable car (1) for actuating a boarding barrier (8) of a cable car vehicle (5) of the cable car that can be displaced between an open position and a closed position, the barrier actuating device (10) being a remote control unit (11) can be controlled in order to shift the boarding barrier (8) from the closed position to the open position and/or vice versa when the cable car vehicle (5) is in the cable car station (2) in the area of the barrier activation device (10), thereby characterized in that at least one movable actuating component is provided in the barrier actuating device (10), which is displaced by the remote control unit (11) when the barrier actuating device (10) is activated, in order to apply an actuating force to a mechanically actuatable barrier actuating element provided for actuating the boarding barrier (8). (24) of the cable car vehicle ( 5) exercise, the barrier actuating element (24) being displaced by the actuating force in order to actuate the boarding barrier (8).

19. Barrier operating device (10) according to claim 18, characterized in that the barrier operating device (10) has at least one opening element (28), preferably designed as an opening rail, which can be displaced between an opening rest position and an opening working position by means of an opening operating unit (29), wherein the opening member (28) is adapted to move from the open rest position to the open operative position to generate an opening force on the barrier actuating element (24) of the cable car vehicle (5) in order to move the boarding barrier (8) into the open position and/or that the barrier actuating device (10) has at least one closing element (30), preferably designed as a closing rail, which can be displaced between a closed rest position and a closed working position by means of a closing actuating unit (31), the closing element (30) being designed to generate a closing force on the barrier actuating element (24) when shifting from the closed rest position into the closed working position in order to open the boarding barrier ( 8) to move to the closed position.