JP7464312B2 - Door control device for cable car vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cable car comprising at least one cable car station and at least one cable car car, in which at least one actuatable entrance barrier is provided on the cable car car, which barrier can be moved between an open position and a closed position when actuated, and at least one remotely controllable barrier actuation device for actuating the entrance barrier of the cable car car is provided at the cable car station, which barrier actuation device is operable by a remote control unit to displace the entrance barrier from a closed position to an open position and/or vice versa when the cable car car is located in the area of the barrier actuation device. The present invention also relates to a method for operating a cable car comprising at least one cable car station and at least one cable car car, in which at least one actuatable entrance barrier is provided on the cable car car, which barrier can be moved between an open position and a closed position when actuated, and the cable car car is moved in the area of the remotely controlled barrier actuation device at the cable car station, and the entrance barrier is displaced from a closed position to an open position and/or vice versa by actuating the barrier actuation device by the remote control unit. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a barrier operating device for arrangement in a cable car station of a cable car for operating an entrance barrier of a cable car car of a cable car, the entrance barrier being displaceable between an open position and a closed position, the barrier operating device being operable by a remote control unit to displace the entrance barrier from a closed position to an open position and/or vice versa when the cable car car is located within the area of the barrier operating device at the cable car station.

Cable car installations are used to transport people and goods between two or more cable car stations. For this purpose, a number of cable car cars, such as chairs or cabins, are moved between the cable car stations in a circular manner or by crossing. The cable car cars are moved between the cable car stations by at least one traction cable. The cable car cars can be suspended by at least one support cable, or even by a traction cable (aerial cableway), or can be arranged on rails or on the ground in a manner that allows the movement (crossing) and can be moved by at least one traction cable. However, the cable car cars can also be fastened to the traction cable removably or fixedly and moved by the traction cable. In the case of circular cable cars, the cable car cars are often decoupled from the traction cable at the cable car station, for example by a removable cable clamp, and moved through the cable car station at a slower speed in order to make it easier for people to get on and off or to make it easier to load and unload goods.

It is known to activate certain functions of a cable car by means of mechanical positive control devices, in particular link control devices, such as opening and closing cable clamps, raising and lowering the safety bars of the chairs or the weather protection hood, or opening and closing the cabin or gondola doors of a cable car station. For this purpose, a link is permanently arranged at the station, and a sensor element on the cable car vehicle detects this link when passing the station. The sensor element is arranged on a rotatably mounted lever which is pivoted upon detection. The function in question is then performed by the arrangement of a Bowden cable or a rod acting on the lever. An example of a door opening and closing function can be found in US Pat. No. 3,742,864 (A), and EP 1 671 867 B1 shows an example in which a safety bar is raised and lowered.

However, the link control limits the flexibility of the door control device. In particular, the time or position at which the cabin doors are opened or closed in the cable car station depends on the specific embodiment and arrangement of the link guide in the cable car station and is therefore fixedly specified. In this case, changing the opening and closing position is not possible or is only possible with very great effort, since the position of the link guide, which is fixedly arranged in the cable car station, must be changed for this purpose. However, under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to be able to change the position or time at which the doors are opened or closed. For example, this may be an emergency case in a cable car station where the cable car vehicle is already located outside the link guide. For example, the cable car vehicle may stop in the exit area of the cable car station with the doors already closed because the doors were previously closed by the link guide. Similarly, the cable car vehicle may stop in the entry area of the cable car station with the doors still closed because the doors have not yet been opened by the link guide. In such emergency cases, up to now, the doors have had to be opened manually, in particular pushed open, which requires skill and a great expenditure of force. However, there may be, for example, a malfunction of the link control device, and for this reason the door may not open as desired or in the intended position.

EP 2708434 A1 discloses a cable car station in which several functions of the cable car can be controlled via a control unit, including opening and closing of the doors. The control unit can be operated by a stationary user interface in a control room or a remote control. However, details of a specific embodiment of the door control device are not disclosed in EP 2708434 A1.

U.S. Patent No. 3,742,864 (A) discloses a passive mechanical positive control device for opening and closing the doors of a cable car. The doors are opened by displacing a control pin of a control lever by a stationary control rail when the cable car is moving.

EP 1 671 867 A1 discloses a passive mechanical positive control device for opening the cover of a chair lift chair. The cover can be opened by a stationary ramp at the station, which activates a lever located on a suspension mounting.

Thus, moving forward from the prior art, the object of the present invention is to enable a more reliable operation of entrance barriers for cable car vehicles in cable car stations.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that at least one mechanically actuable barrier actuation element for actuating the entrance barrier is provided on the cable car, at least one movable actuation component is provided on the barrier actuation device, the actuation component is displaced by a remote control unit when the barrier actuation device is actuated in order to apply an actuation force to the barrier actuation element, and the barrier actuation element is displaced by the actuation force in order to actuate the entrance barrier. As a result, it is possible to actuate the entrance barrier of the cable car in the cable car station in a simple manner, independent of a mechanical positive control device.

The barrier actuation device preferably has at least one opening element which can be displaced between an open rest position and an open operating position by an opening actuation unit, which during the displacement from the open rest position to the open operating position generates an opening force on the barrier actuation element to displace the entrance barrier to the open position. As a result, the entrance barrier of the cable car can be easily opened remotely by the remote control unit.

The opening actuation unit for generating the opening force preferably has at least one electrically controllable opening element actuator that can be actuated by a remote control unit. As a result, the opening force can be generated using known actuators, for example electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators.

Advantageously, the barrier actuation device has at least one closure element which can be displaced between a closed rest position and a locking operating position by a closure actuation unit, which while moving from the closed rest position to the closed operating position generates a closing force on the barrier actuation element to displace the entrance barrier to the closed position. As a result, the entrance barrier of the cable car can be easily closed remotely by the remote control unit.

The closing actuation unit preferably has at least one electrically actuatable closing element actuator for displacing the closing element from the closing operating position to the closing rest position, the closing element actuator being actuatable by a remote control unit. To generate the closing force, the closing element is preferably displaceable by gravity from the closing rest position to the closing operating position, and preferably at least one weight element is provided on the closing element for generating a certain closing force. And, this allows the use of known actuators, for example electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, for returning the closing element to the closed rest position after actuation. The generation of the opening force by gravity reliably avoids the generation of unacceptably strong forces against the entrance barrier, in particular against trapped persons or objects, thus increasing safety.

The opening element is advantageously designed as an opening rail extending over a given open area in the direction of movement of the cable car car and/or the closing element is designed as a closing rail extending over a given closed area in the direction of movement of the cable car car. As a result, the entrance barrier can be operated over a relatively large area in the longitudinal direction.

The barrier actuation element of the cable car vehicle is preferably located vertically above the opening element and/or below the closing element when the cable car vehicle is located in the area of the barrier actuation device, which is preferably arranged in the upper area of the exit area of the cable car station provided for the exit of the cable car vehicle from the cable car station and/or in the upper area of the entry area of the cable car station provided for the entry of the cable car vehicle into the cable car station. As a result, the entry barrier can be actuated in an area that is difficult for people to access. The arrangement in the exit area is advantageous for closing the entry barrier in a simple manner before the cable car vehicle leaves the cable car station. The arrangement in the entry area is advantageous for opening the entry barrier in a simple manner after the cable car vehicle enters the cable car station.

Preferably, a mechanical positive control device is provided for actuating the entrance barrier to displace it into a closed position, the barrier actuation device being mounted downstream of the mechanical positive control device in the outgoing movement direction of the cable car car, and/or a mechanical positive control device is provided for displacing the entrance barrier into an open position in the entry area of the cable car station, the barrier actuation device being arranged upstream of the mechanical positive control device in the entry movement direction of the cable car car. As a result, for example in an emergency, a still closed entrance barrier upstream of the mechanical positive control device in the entry area can be opened by the barrier actuation device and/or an already closed entrance barrier in the entry area behind the mechanical positive control device can be opened by the barrier actuation device.

The remote control unit is preferably designed as a stationary remote control unit, preferably located in a control room of the cable car station or outside the cable car station, and/or the barrier actuator can be operated by a portable remote unit, preferably a mobile phone or a portable computer, and control signals are transmitted wirelessly and/or in a wired manner from the remote control unit to the barrier actuator. As a result, a localized and very flexible actuation of the entrance barrier from inside and/or outside the cable car station can be performed.

Advantageously, the cable car car has a cabin and the entrance barrier is a door, or the cable car car has a chair and the entrance barrier is a safety bar or a cover. As a result, the barrier actuation device can be used in known cable cars.

The object is further achieved by the method according to claim 13 and the barrier actuation device according to claim 18.

The invention will now be explained in more detail, by way of example, with reference to Figures 1 to 5d, which show in a schematic, non-limiting manner advantageous embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cable car station of a cable car. FIG. 2 is a side view of a barrier operating device located in the entrance area of a cable car station. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the barrier actuator. 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for opening an entrance barrier; 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for opening an entrance barrier; 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for opening an entrance barrier; 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for opening an entrance barrier; 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for closing an entry barrier; 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for closing an entry barrier; 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for closing an entry barrier; 1 shows a barrier actuator in various stages of operation for closing an entry barrier;

Since the structure and function of a cable car system is known, it will only be briefly described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, taking the example of a circular aerial cableway. Fig. 1 shows a cable car station 2 (e.g. a mountain or valley station) of a cable car 1 designed as a circular cable car. In the cable car station 2, a pulley 3 is arranged, which induces the deflection of the circular traction cable 4 of the cable car 1. The pulley 3 in at least one of the stations of the cable car 1 is driven by a drive in a known manner, in order to allow the traction cable 4 to circulate in a loop around the pulleys of the further stations. It is also known that the traction cable 4 is tensioned by a tensioning device acting on the 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 present invention, the second station with its devices, known per se, in particular pulleys, drives, tensioning devices, is not shown. The cable car control unit SE is only shown diagrammatically and can of course also be arranged at any other point in the cable car station 2. A number of cable car cars 5 are fixedly or releasably fastened to the traction cable 4. The cable car 1 can of course move a very large number of cable car cars 5 (usually tens or hundreds of cable car cars 5, but for simplicity only a few are shown) simultaneously with the traction cable 4. A platform 6 can also be provided at the cable car station 2 to enable or facilitate the embarkation or disembarkation of transported persons or generally the loading and unloading of the cable car cars 5.

If the cable car 1 has a cable car car 5 clamped in a removable and detectable manner on the traction cable 4, the cable car car 5 of the cable car 1 proceeding into the cable car station 2 is usually decoupled from the traction cable 4 by a removable cable clamp 16 (FIG. 3) provided on the cable car car 5. In the cable car station 2, as a rule, the cable car car 5 is moved along the guide rail 7 through the cable car station 2 at a speed that is usually significantly lower than on the route between the cable car stations 2. As a result, this allows a more comfortable entry and exit of the cable car 5 in the cable car station 2, while nevertheless a high conveying capacity can be achieved due to the unchanged high speed of the traction cable 4. A conveyor (not shown) is provided along the guide rail 7, by which the cable car car 5 is moved forward through 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 cooperate with friction linings 22 on the cable car car 5 in the cable car station 2, as shown in FIG. 3. When the cable car car 5 travels out of the cable car station 2 and into the area A of the exit area, it is accelerated via a conveyor and is again connected to the traction cable 4 by the cable clamp 16. To activate the cable clamp 16, a suitable cable-clamp actuation unit can be provided in each case in a known manner, for example in the form of a mechanical link guide.

The cable car 1 can be designed, for example, as an aerial cableway with cabins in which the cable car cars 5 are guided along the platform 6. Passengers can board and disembark on the cable car cars 5 via the platform 6 at the cable car station 2. The cable car cars 5 can of course also be used for loading and unloading objects to be transported, for example winter sports equipment, bicycles, buggies, etc. For boarding and disembarking persons or, as a rule, for loading and unloading, a loading and unloading area is usually provided along the fixed part of the platform 6. The loading and unloading area can, for example, be given a special sign and can, for example, be separated by a barrier from the rest of the area of the cable car station 2, to which unauthorized persons are not allowed access. Of course, other cable car cars 5 can also be provided, for example chairs if the cable car is designed as a chairlift. The cable car also does not have to be designed as a circular track, but can also be designed as a known shuttle track.

At least one entrance barrier 8 can be provided on the cable car car 5, which can be displaced between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, access to the cable car car 5 is possible, and in the closed position, access to the cable car car 5 is blocked. In the case of the shown aerial cableway, the entrance barrier 8 is, for example, a cabin door. The operating mode of the entrance barrier 8 is known, and for this reason, the entrance barrier 8 is merely shown in FIG. 1. Depending on the design of the cable car 1, multiple entrance barriers 8 or doors can of course also be provided on the cable car car 5. In the case of a shuttle truck cabin, for example, the cabin is often provided with two opposing doors. If the cable car is designed, for example, as a chair lift, the entrance barrier 8 can be a safety bar or a cover for protection from the weather.

As shown, the actuation of the entrance barrier 8 is performed by a known mechanical positive control device 9, which is often provided in a stationary manner at the cable car station 2 and is only diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1. The entrance barrier 8 is usually actuated for opening and closing, with essentially stationary passive components of the positive control device 9 mechanically interacting with a movable barrier actuation element 24 (FIGS. 2 and 3) arranged on the cable car car 5 during the movement of the cable car car 5 relative to the positive control device 9. In this case, "passive" is understood to mean that the components of the positive control device cannot be actively actuated, for example by an actuator. The barrier actuation element 24 is operatively connected to the entrance barrier 8 in a suitable manner, for example via a linkage or a Bowden cable for opening and closing the entrance barrier 8. During the movement of the cable car car 5 by the components of the mechanical positive control device 9, an actuation force is applied to the barrier actuation element 24, which force changes the position of the movable barrier actuation element 24 and displaces the entrance barrier 8 from an open position to a closed position or vice versa.

The mechanical positive control device 9 is often designed as a known link control device. In this case, the barrier actuating element 24 is designed as a lever that is articulated in a suitable manner at the entrance barrier 8, via which the entrance barrier 8 can be actuated for opening and closing. For example, the barrier actuating element 24 can be arranged on a suspension mounting of the cable car 5, whereby, as can be seen in FIG. 3, the cable car car 5 is suspended on the traction cable 4. In this case, the entrance barrier 8 can be actuated by the barrier actuating element 24 via a suitable interlocking mechanism or a Bowden cable 26. The actuating rotor, which contacts the guide link of the link control device, can also be arranged on the barrier actuating element 24.

The guide link, for example in the form of a guide rail, can extend over a certain part of the cable car station 2 in the direction of movement of the cable car car 5, in which the opening and closing of the entrance barrier 8 takes place. The mechanical positive control device 9 or link control device can be arranged, for example, in the entry area E of the cable car station 2, in the direction of movement, before the disembarking area AB on the platform 6 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1. As a result, the entrance barrier 8 is moved from a closed position to an open position at the beginning of the disembarking area AB, whereby passengers can disembark from the cable car car 5. A further mechanical positive control device 9 or link control device can be arranged, for example, in the exit area A of the cable car station 2, in the direction of movement, after the boarding area EB on the platform 6 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1. As a result, after the entrance barrier 8 has been moved from an open position to a closed position at the end of the boarding area EB, the cable car car 5 is accelerated again to the speed of the traction cable 4, whereby passengers can board the cable car car 5. In the area between the beginning of the disembarking area AB and the end of the boarding area EB, the entrance barrier 8 preferably remains open, allowing passengers to board and disembark the cable car car 5.

Depending on the particular embodiment and the arrangement of the mechanical positive control device 9 or the link guide, the opening and closing times or the opening and closing positions of the entrance barrier 8 in the cable car station 2 are fixed and predefined and cannot be changed or can only be changed with great effort. Opening and closing of the entrance barrier 8 outside the position specified by the mechanical positive control device 9 is therefore usually not possible. If the cable car car 5 is already located in the approach area A of the cable car station 2 after the mechanical positive control device 9, for example when viewed in the direction of travel, the entrance barrier 8 is already in the closed position. However, it may be the case that in this position, for example, an emergency situation occurs and the operation of the cable car 1 is stopped.

This may be the case, for example, if during the closing of the entrance barrier 8 an object protruding from the cable car car 5 is caught or a person is dragged along the cable car car 5, triggering the known contour control by the object or person, which usually triggers an emergency stop of the cable car 1 for safety reasons. In this case, it may be desirable to open the entrance barrier 8 in order to remove the object or rescue the person and then to continue the operation of the cable car 1. Previously, this was only possible manually, on the one hand, requiring the necessary skills and, on the other hand, a relatively large expenditure of force, since the entrance barrier 8 is often relatively difficult to move for safety reasons and may even be preloaded in the closed position by a preloading device. It is therefore clear that when the entrance barrier 8 is opened in the cable car station 2, the previously used mechanical positive control device 9 is significantly limited.

Thus, according to the invention, at least one remotely controllable barrier actuation device 10 for actuating the entrance barrier 8 of the cable car car 5 is provided at the cable car station 2, which, when the cable car car 5 is located in the area of the barrier actuation device 10, is operable by a remote control unit 11 to remotely move the entrance barrier 8 from a closed position to an open position and/or vice versa. The barrier actuation device 10 is provided with at least one movable actuation component, for example an opening element 28 and/or a closing element 30, which, when the barrier actuation device 10 is put into operation, is displaced by the remote control unit 11 in order to apply an actuation force to the barrier actuation element 24 of the cable car car 5. The barrier actuation element 24 can be displaced by the actuation force in order to actuate the entrance barrier 8. "Remotely controlled" or "from a distance" means in this context in particular that the entrance barrier 8 can be actively influenced by the movable actuation component of the barrier actuation device 10 without the need for a member of the working staff to be located on site at the entrance barrier 8 for this purpose.

As a result, the entrance barrier 8 can be opened and closed remotely, for example by a barrier actuator 10 at the cable car station 2, locally independent of any possible mechanical positive control device 9. However, it is also conceivable that the barrier actuator 10 is provided at the cable car station 2 instead of the mechanical positive control device 9. In this case, the movable actuator component can be moved relative to the barrier actuator 10 during the movement of the cable car car 5, for example to continuously displace the barrier actuator element 24. As a result, the entrance barrier 8 can be opened and closed during the movement of the cable car car 5.

However, the barrier actuator 10 and the mechanical positive control device 9 can also be structurally combined. For example, the guide links of the mechanical positive control device 9 (stationary in normal operation) can simultaneously form the movable actuating components of the barrier actuator 10. If the cable car 5 is stationary, for example in the region of the guide links, and as a result the entrance barrier 8 does not open or closes or only opens and closes insufficiently, the guide links can be moved by actuation via the remote control unit 11 in order to displace the barrier actuating element 24 and thereby the entrance barrier 8 to the open or closed position. However, the barrier actuator 10 can of course also be arranged in the same position, for example laterally adjacent to the mechanical positive control device 9, in the cable car station 2, for example when viewed in the direction of travel BR. In this case, the entrance barrier 8, which opens or closes incompletely during a stop event of the cable car car 5 in the region of the mechanical positive control device 9, can be completely opened and closed by the barrier actuator 10.

The remote control unit 11 can be designed as a stationary remote control unit 11a, which can be arranged, for example, in a control room 12, preferably in the cable car station 2. As a result, the entrance barrier 8 can be controlled, for example, by a responsible person from the control room 12, from which the control of the cable car 1 is usually carried out in any way. However, additionally or alternatively, the stationary remote control unit 11a can also be arranged, for example, outside the cable car station 2 (where the barrier operating 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, operating personnel at one cable car station 2 can control the barrier operating device 10 at another cable car station 2. However, alternatively or additionally, the barrier operating device 10 can also advantageously be controlled via a portable remote control unit 11b, preferably a mobile phone or a portable computer. As a result, the operating personnel can open and close the entrance barrier 8 in a locally independent manner, thus increasing the flexibility of control.

Here, "locally independent" is understood to mean that the control of the barrier operating device 10 by the mobile remote control unit 11b, in contrast to the stationary remote control unit 11a, can take place not only from a point in the cable car station 2 (where the barrier operating device 10 is located), but also from outside the respective cable car station 2, for example again from another cable car station 2, from a central control center in charge of several cable cars, etc. Regardless of whether a stationary remote control unit 11a or a mobile remote control unit 11b is used, the control signals from the remote control unit 11 can be transmitted to the barrier operating device 10 wirelessly and/or in a wired manner. As shown on the mobile remote control unit 11b in FIG. 1, for example, WLAN, radio, Bluetooth or near field communication (NFC) can be used as wireless control. Wired transmission can take place in a known manner, for example via power lines, for example in the form of a data communication bus.

The control of the barrier actuator 10 can be performed directly by a control signal sent directly to the barrier actuator 10 from the remote control unit 11. However, preferably, as shown in FIG. 1, the control is performed indirectly by the cable car control unit SE. In this case, the remote control unit 11 sends a control signal for controlling the barrier actuator 10 to the cable car control unit SE, which processes the control signal and operates the barrier actuator 10 depending on the received control signal. An advantageous embodiment of the barrier actuator 10 is described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Figure 2 shows a side view of an advantageous embodiment of a barrier actuator 10 arranged in the entry area A of the cable car station 2. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the barrier actuator 10 along the section line A-A in Figure 2. The cable car car 5 is located in the area of the barrier actuator 10, for example at a standstill, and only the upper part of the cable car car 5 is shown. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cable car car 5 is decoupled from the traction cable 4 and guided on a guide rail 7 in the cable car station 2. The cable car car 5 has a carrier (not shown), for example a cabin or chair, for receiving passengers and/or objects. The carrier is fastened to a suspension mounting 15 of the cable car car 5. On the carrier at least one entrance barrier 8 (not shown) is provided. In the case of a cabin, the entrance barrier 8 can be, for example, a cabin door.

The cable car 5 can be connected to the traction cable 4 via a suspension attachment 15. For this purpose, a cable clamp 16 can be arranged on the suspension attachment 15, which can clamp the traction cable 4 under the action of one or more clamping springs 17 and can be mechanically actuated via a coupling roller 18 and a clamping lever 19. The clamping lever 19 is actuated and the cable clamp 16 is opened via a guide link (not shown) at the cable car station 2, which comes into contact with the coupling roller 18 as a result of the movement of the cable car car 5. When closing, the cable clamp 16 is actuated, for example, by a further guide link and is clamped on the traction cable 4 by the action of the clamping spring 17. One or more rollers 20 can be provided on the suspension attachment 15, by means of which the cable car car 5 rolls on the guide rail 7 in the cable car station 2 when it is decoupled from the traction cable 4.

In addition, lateral guide rollers 21 can also be arranged at the cable car station 2, which interact with a further guide rail (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3) to stabilize the cable car car 5. Friction linings 22 can also be included, which can cooperate with a conveyor, e.g. a rotating conveyor wheel 23 (shown in FIG. 3), to move the decoupled cable car car 5 along the guide rail 7 through the cable car station 2. Naturally, other embodiments of the cable car 1 and/or the cable car car 5 are also conceivable, e.g. a cable car 1 which includes a cable car car 5 fixedly fastened to the traction cable 4 or which includes a life rope on which the cable car car 5 is suspended via a running gear and which is moved by at least one traction cable 4. Similarly, the cable car 1 can be designed as a shuttle track with or without a life rope, i.e. a shuttle track with a crossing traction cable 4 rather than a circulating traction cable 4. However, the specific design of the cable car 1 is irrelevant to the present invention.

The barrier actuator 10 is arranged on a stationary component of the cable car, for example on the guide rail 7, which extends in the upper region of the cable car station 2 in the direction of movement BR of the cable car car 5. The barrier actuator 10 can be fastened to the guide rail 7, for example by a suitable retaining element 13. The guide rail 7 can in turn be fastened to a stationary structure of the cable car station 2, for example by a suitable retaining device 14. In the example shown, an additional mechanical positive control device 9 is also provided, which is arranged upstream of the barrier actuator 10 in the direction of movement BR of the cable car car 5. In this case, the mechanical positive control device 9 serves to displace the entrance barrier 8 of the cable car car 5 from an open position to a closed position. The mechanical positive control device 9 is a passive device, i.e., in contrast to the barrier actuator 10, it cannot be actively actuated. This means that in the case of the mechanical positive control device 9, the actuating force for opening and closing the entrance barrier 8 is generated only by the relative movement between the (movable) cable car car 5 and the (stationary) positive control device 9, without an external energy supply.

Here, the mechanical positive control device 9 is designed as a link guide and has a guide link 9a in the form of a rail extending over a certain area in the direction of movement BR of the cable car car 5. A contact surface in the form of a slope descending downwards in the direction of movement is provided on the underside of the guide link 9a. The mechanical positive control device 9 is designed to mechanically interact with a barrier actuating element 24 for actuating the entrance barrier 8 in order to exert an actuating force on the barrier actuating element 24. Here, the barrier actuating element 24 is arranged on the suspension mounting 15 of the cable car car 5 between the carrier and the cable clamp 16 in the vertical direction and includes an actuating roller.

The actuating roller is rotatably mounted on an actuating lever 25. The actuating lever 25 is operatively connected to the entrance barrier 8 via a Bowden cable 26 for actuating the entrance barrier. When the cable car car 5 passes the mechanical positive control device 9 in the travel direction BR, the barrier actuating element 24, in particular the actuating roller, comes into contact with the contact surface guide link 9a, as a result of which a downwardly directed actuating force is applied to the actuating roller. As a result of the actuating force, the actuating roller is pushed downwards in the vertical direction from a first position P1 (where the entrance barrier 8 is in an open position) to a second position P2 where the entrance barrier 8 is in a closed position, as shown by the dashed actuating roller in FIG. 2. The actuating lever 25 pivots by the actuating force, as a result of which the entrance barrier 8 is actuated via the Bowden cable 26.

For safety reasons, a joint 27 can also be provided on the mechanical positive control device 9. As a result, if the resistance of the barrier actuation element 24 exceeds a certain resistance, the guide link 9a can be bent upwards. This can be the case, for example, when the entrance barrier 8 is blocked by an object or person and cannot be fully closed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the forces exerted by the entrance barrier 8 on the object or person from becoming unacceptably strong, as a result of which the risk of damage or injury is reduced. Of course, this is to be understood as merely an example, and other structural designs of the mechanical positive control device 9 are also conceivable. After the cable car car 5 has preferably passed through the mechanical positive control device 9 without any problems, the entrance barrier 8 is in the closed position and the barrier actuation element 24 is in the second position P2, which corresponds to the closed position in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 2.

The barrier actuator 10 preferably has at least one opening element 28 (as a movable actuator component), which can be displaced between an open rest position and an open operating position by an opening actuator unit 29. The opening element 28 preferably extends over a certain length in the direction of movement BR of the cable car car 5 in order to extend the effective range of the barrier actuator 10. Upon displacement from the open rest position to the open operating position, the opening element 28 generates an opening force on the barrier actuator element 24 in order to displace the entrance barrier 8 to the open position. To generate the opening force, the opening actuator unit 29 has at least one electrically controllable opening element actuator 29a, which can be controlled by the remote control unit 11. As will be explained, the actuation can be performed directly or indirectly by the cable car control unit SE (FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the opening element 28 is preferably designed as an opening rail extending over a predefined opening area in the direction of movement of the cable car car 5, where a remote controlled opening of the entrance barrier 8 is desired, independent of the mechanical positive control device 9.

In the example shown, two opening element actuators 29a engage on the opening element 28, which actuators are preferably controlled simultaneously by the remote control unit 11 in order to move the opening element 28 in the vertical direction from the shown open rest position to the open operating position (and vice versa). Here, the opening element actuators 29a are designed as electric drives, for example linear drives, in particular electric spindle motors. Naturally, other electrically actuable actuators suitable for generating sufficiently large actuating forces may also be used, such as pneumatic, hydraulic, electromagnetic actuators, etc. For example, the fixed part 29b (here the upper part) of the opening element actuating element 29a can be arranged on a stationary component of the barrier actuating device 10, for example on one of the holding elements 13. The movable part 29c (here the lower part) of the opening element actuator 29a can act directly on the opening element 28. When the opening element actuator 29a is actuated, the movable part 29c in each case is moved linearly relative to the stationary part 29b, generating a force on the opening element 28, which allows the opening element 28 to be displaced from an open rest position (here lower) to an open operating position (here upper) and vice versa.

2, the opening element 28 is shown in the open rest position and the cable car car 5 is located in the direction of movement BR towards the central area of the barrier actuator 10. The entrance barrier 8 of the cable car car 5 is in the closed position. The barrier actuator element 24 of the cable car car 5 is located directly above the opening element 28 in the vertical direction and is preferably spaced apart from the opening element 28. As a result, the cable car car 5 can pass unhindered past the barrier actuator 10 in normal operation, without the barrier actuator element 24 coming into contact with the opening element 28. However, as shown, it may be desirable to open the entrance barrier 8 when the cable car car 5 is stationary in the area of the barrier actuator 10, for example due to an emergency situation.

For this purpose, for example, a member of the operating personnel can control the opening actuation unit 29, here two opening element actuators 29a, by means of the remote control unit 11 in order to move the opening element 28 from the open rest position shown to the opening operating position. The two opening element actuators 29a generate a sufficiently strong opening force on the barrier operating element 24 via the opening element 28 in order to push the barrier operating element 24 vertically upwards (for example to the height of the first position P1), whereby the entrance barrier 8 is displaced (here via the Bowden cable 26) to the open position. After this, the opening element 28 can be lowered from the open operating position back to the open rest position, with the entrance barrier 8 remaining in the open position. The sequence of the opening process is explained in more detail below with reference to Figs. 4a to 4d.

Alternatively, or in addition to the opening element 28, the barrier operating device 10 also has at least one closing element 30 (as a movable operating component), which can be displaced between a closed rest position and a closed operating position by the closing actuation unit 31. Upon displacement from the closed rest position to the closed operating position, the closing element generates a closing force on the barrier operating element 24 in order to displace the entrance barrier 8 to the closed position. Like the opening element 28, the closing element 30 also preferably extends over a certain length in the movement direction BR of the cable car car 5 in order to extend the effective range of the barrier operating device 10. As explained in the shown embodiment, the closing element 30 is also advantageously designed as a closing rail extending over a predefined closing area in the movement direction of the cable car car 5, where a closing of the entrance barrier 8 independent of the mechanical positive control device 9 is desired. The closing actuation unit 31 preferably has at least one electrically actuable closing element actuator 31a in order to displace the closing element from the closed operating position to the closed rest position, the closing element actuator being actuable by the remote control unit 11. Figure 2 shows the closure element 30 in the (upper) closed rest position.

In the example shown, the closure actuation unit 31 has a closure element actuator 31a in the form of an electric drive, preferably a linear drive, in particular in the form of an electric spindle motor. However, of course, other electrically actuable actuators suitable for generating a sufficiently powerful actuation force can also be used, for example hydraulic, pneumatic, electromagnetic actuators, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, the fixed part 31b (here the lower part) of the closure element actuator 31a can be arranged on the stationary component 33 of the barrier actuation device 10, and for example the movable part 31c (here the upper part) of the closure element actuator 31a can act on the control arm 34. Here, the control arm 34 is mounted in an articulated manner at one end on the stationary component of the barrier actuation device 10. The other end of the control arm 34 is articulated on the closure element 30.

When the closure element actuator 31a is actuated, the movable part 31c is moved, preferably linearly, relative to the stationary part 31b, generating a force on the control arm 34, by which the closure element 30 can be moved from a (here lower) closed operating position back to a (here upper) closed rest position. In the example shown, two control arms 34 are provided, and the closure element actuator 31a acts only on the control arm 34 shown on the right side of FIG. 2. To damp the downward movement of the closure element 30, an optional damping element 35 acts on the left control arm 34. This can be advantageous to achieve a controlled and as uniform as possible closure of the inlet barrier 8.

To generate the closing force, the closing element 30 is preferably displaceable by gravity from a closed rest position to a closing operating position, here vertically downwards. As a result, similar to the mechanical positive control device 9, it can be ensured that when a certain resistance is reached or exceeded by the entrance barrier 8 (for example in the case of a trapped object), the closing process is stopped for safety reasons without exerting unacceptably strong forces on the trapped object or person. Preferably, at least one weight element 32 is provided on the closing element 30 to enable a certain magnitude of closing force to be generated. 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 operating element 24 of the cable car car 5 is located vertically above the opening element 28 and below the closing element 30 when the cable car car 5 is located in the area of the barrier operating device 10.

Of course, a suitable electrically controllable actuator for generating the closing force can also be provided, for example again an electric linear drive or the like. To limit the closing force, for example a suitable sensor system can be provided. For example a force sensor can be provided for measuring the closing force, communicating with the actuator in a suitable manner. The actuator can then stop the closing process when a certain maximum permissible force is reached or exceeded. Of course, this is only an example, other sensors can also be used. For example, alternatively or additionally the entrance barrier 8 can be monitored by a suitable camera system. By means of automatic image recognition, a state of the entrance barrier 8 that deviates from the normal state, for example an incompletely closed door or a trapped object or person, can be detected. Based on the image recognition, the actuator can for example stop the closing process.

2, the barrier operating device 10 is arranged in the upper area of the entrance area A of the cable car station 2 and is mounted downstream of the (closed) positive control device 9 in the movement direction of the cable car car 5. In a similar manner, the barrier operating device 10 can of course be arranged in the upper area of the entrance area E of the cable car station 2, as shown in FIG. 1, preferably upstream of the mechanical (open) positive control device 9 in the movement direction BR of the cable car car 5. The operating mode is of course similar to the exemplary embodiment shown.

Figures 4a to 4d show the barrier actuation device 10 from Figures 2 and 3 at various stages during operation for opening the entrance barrier 8. In Figure 4a, the cable car car 5 is located in front of the mechanical positive control device 9 in the direction of movement BR and the entrance barrier 8 is in the open position. In Figure 4b, analogous to Figure 2, the cable car car 5 is located in the area of the barrier actuation device 10 and the entrance barrier 8 has been pre-displaced from the open position to the closed position by the mechanical positive control device 9. The barrier actuation element 24 arranged on the suspension mounting 15 is therefore preferably located directly above the opening element 28 in the vertical direction without touching the opening element 28. The opening element 28 is located in the (lower) open rest position, i.e. in the non-actuated state.

In FIG. 4c, the barrier actuator 10 is actuated by a remote control unit 11, for example by a cable car employee via stationary or mobile remote control units 11a, 11b (FIG. 1). When the remote control unit 11 is actuated to open the entrance barrier 8, a corresponding control signal is sent to the opening actuation unit 29, in this case to two opening element actuators 29a. The opening element actuators 29a displace the opening element 28 from a (lower) open rest position (FIG. 4b) to an (upper) open operating position (FIG. 4c), as a result of which an opening force is generated on the barrier actuation element 24 and the entrance barrier 8 is opened. As shown in FIG. 4d, the opening element actuators 29a are preferably stopped automatically when the opening element 28 reaches the open operating position and are preferably moved automatically back to the open rest position after a certain time, for example 2 seconds, has elapsed. The reaching of the open operating position can be detected, for example, by a suitable position sensor or movement limiter implemented in the opening element actuators 29a.

Figures 5a-5d show the barrier actuation device 10 from Figures 2 and 3 at various stages during operation for closing the entrance barrier 8. Figure 5a corresponds to the state shown in Figure 4d in which the cable car car 5 is located and the open entrance barrier 8 is in the area of the barrier actuation device 10. The opening element 28 is located in the (lower) open rest position and the closing element 30 is located in the (upper) closed rest position, in which it is held by the closing element actuator 31a. The barrier actuation element 24 is located directly below the closing element 30. The closing element 30 can now be actuated by the remote control unit 11, for example by a cable car employee by means of stationary or mobile remote control units 11a, 11b (Figure 1). When the remote control unit 11 is actuated to close the entrance barrier 8, a corresponding control signal is sent to the closing actuation unit 31, here to the closing element actuator 31a. As a result, the closing element 30 is displaced downwards from the (upper) closed rest position to the closing operating position due to gravity assisted by the weight element 32.

In this case, the closure element actuator 31a operates to execute an idle stroke, i.e. no tension is applied to the closure element 30 by the closure element actuator 31a. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5b, the closure element 30 is displaced downwards only by gravity, and the closure element actuator 31a follows the movement of the closure element 30. The mass of the closure element 30 and optionally the weight element 32 exerts a closing force on the barrier actuation element 24 of the cable car car 5, which moves the entrance barrier 8 to the closed position. When the closure element 30 reaches the open operating position, this is preferably detected by a suitable sensor or movement limiter, for example implemented in the closure element actuator 31a. After a certain time, for example 2 seconds, as shown in FIG. 5c, the closure element 30 is preferably automatically moved back to the (upper) closed rest position by the closure element actuator 3a. When the cable car 1 is restarted, the cable car car 5 can then be moved out of the area of the barrier actuation device 10 in the movement direction BR with the entrance barrier 8 closed.

For example, if an object or person gets stuck in the entrance barrier 8 during the closing process, the closing element 30 does not reach the intended closing operating position. This can be detected, for example, by a suitable sensor or by a suitable camera system including image recognition as described. However, a certain maximum permissible duration of the closing process between the actuation of the closing actuation unit 31 and the reaching of the closing element 30 in the closing operating position can also be predefined, for example in the cable car control unit SE. If the maximum duration is exceeded, this can be interpreted as an incompletely closed entrance barrier 8.

In this case, the closure element 30 can be moved automatically back to the closed rest position, for example by the closure element actuator 31a. Optionally, one or more further closure attempts can be made automatically or the cable car operator can make further closure attempts manually via the remote control unit 11. If it is not possible to reach the closed operating position even after repeated closure processes and, consequently, the closed position of the entrance barrier 8, a member of the operating staff can optionally make a visual inspection of the site and, if necessary, remedy the error situation, for example by removing trapped objects from the entrance barrier 8.

In this way, the flexibility when opening and closing the entrance barrier 8 of the cable car 5 in the cable car station 2 can be significantly improved by the invention. In this way, for example, a partially automated or even fully automated, substantially operator-free operation of the cable car 1 can be achieved.

Claims (12)

A cable car (1) comprising a barrier actuation device (10) for arrangement in a cable car station (2) for actuating an entrance barrier (8) of a cable car (5),
The inlet barrier (8) is displaceable between an open position and a closed position;
In an entrance area (A) of the cable car station (2) provided for the entrance of the cable car (5), a mechanical positive control device (9) is provided for actuating the entrance barrier (8) to displace the entrance barrier (8) to the closed position, the barrier actuation device (10) being mounted downstream of the mechanical positive control device (9) in the exit movement direction (BR) of the cable car (5),
the mechanical positive control device (9) applies an actuation force for closing the entrance barrier (8) to a barrier actuation element (24) which is a mechanically actuable lever of the cable car (5) provided for actuating the entrance barrier (8);
the barrier actuator (10) being operable by a remote control unit (11) for remotely displacing the entrance barrier (8) from the closed position to the open position and/or vice versa when the cable car (5) is located within the area of the barrier actuator (10) at the cable car station (2);
an actuation component (28, 30) is provided on the barrier actuation device (10);
the actuation components (28, 30) are displaced by the remote control unit (11) when the barrier actuation device (10) is activated to apply an actuation force to the barrier actuation element (24) of the cable car car (5);
In the barrier actuation device (10), the barrier actuation element (24) is displaced by the actuation force to actuate the entrance barrier (8),
At least one opening element (28) is provided as said actuating component (28) ,
said opening element (28) being displaceable upwards or downwards between an open rest position and an open operating position by an opening actuation unit (29);
when the opening element (28) is displaced from the open rest position to the opening operating position after the inlet barrier (8) is closed via the barrier operating element (24) by the mechanical positive control device (9) , it generates an opening force on the barrier operating element (24) opposite to the closing of the inlet barrier (8) via the barrier operating element (24) by the mechanical positive control device (9) in order to displace the inlet barrier (8) to the open position;
At least one closure element (30) is provided as said actuation component (30) ,
The closure element (30) can be displaced downwards or upwards between a closure rest position and a closure operating position by a closure actuation unit (31);
The cable car (1), characterized in that, when the closing element (30) is displaced from the closed rest position to the closing operating position after the opening of the entrance barrier (8) via the barrier operating element (24) by the opening element (28), the closing element (30) generates a closing force against the barrier operating element (24) that is opposite to the opening of the entrance barrier (8) via the barrier operating element (24) by the opening element (28) in order to displace the entrance barrier (8) to the closed position . The cable car (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening actuation unit (29) has at least one electrically actuatable opening element actuator (29a) which can be actuated by the remote control unit (11 ) to generate the opening force. The cable car (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the closure actuation unit (31) has at least one electrically operable closure element actuator (31a) for displacing the closure element (30) from the closed operating position to the closed rest position, the closure element actuator (31a) being controllable by the remote control unit (11). The cable car (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the closure element (30) is displaceable by gravity from the closed rest position to the closed operating position in order to generate the closing force, preferably characterized in that at least one weight element (32) is provided on the closure element (30) in order to generate a certain closing force. A cable car (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the opening element (28) is designed as an open rail extending over a given open area in the movement direction of the cable car car (5) and /or the closing element (30) is designed as a closed rail extending over a given closed area in the movement direction of the cable car car (5 ). The cable car (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the barrier operating element (24) of the cable car car (5) is located vertically above the opening element (28) and/or below the closing element (30) when the cable car car ( 5 ) is located within the area of the barrier operating device (10). The cable car (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the barrier operating device (10) is arranged in an upper area of the entrance area (A) of the cable car station (2) and/ or the barrier operating device (10) is arranged in an upper area of the entrance area (E) of the cable car station (2) provided for the entrance of the cable car vehicle (5) to the cable car station (2). A cable car (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the remote control unit (11) is designed as a stationary remote control unit (11a), preferably arranged in a control room (12) of the cable car station (2) or outside the cable car station (2), or the barrier operation device (10) can be operated by a portable remote control unit (11b), preferably a mobile phone or a portable computer, and control signals from the remote control unit ( 11 ) can be transmitted to the barrier operation device (10) wirelessly or in a wired manner. A cable car (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the cable car car (5) comprises a cabin and the entrance barrier (8) is a door, or the cable car car (5) comprises a chair and the entrance barrier ( 8 ) is a safety bar or a cover. A method for operating a cable car (1) including at least one cable car station (2) and including at least one cable car vehicle (5), comprising:
a barrier actuator (10) that is remotely controllable and that displaces the entrance barrier (8) from the closed position to the open position and/or vice versa by operating the barrier actuator (10) by a remote control unit (11) for remote operation , the entrance barrier (8) being actuated when the barrier actuator (10) is actuated, a movable actuating component (28, 30) of the barrier actuator (10) is displaced and exerts an actuating force on a barrier actuating element (24), which is a mechanically actuable lever of the cable car (5),
a positive mechanical control device (9) for actuating the entrance barrier (8) to displace the entrance barrier (8) to the closed position in an entrance area (A) of the cable car station (2) provided for the exit of the cable car car (5) from the cable car station (2), the barrier actuation device (10) being mounted downstream of the positive mechanical control device (9) in the exit movement direction (BR) of the cable car car (5);
the positive mechanical control device (9) applies an actuation force to the barrier actuation element (24) of the cable car (5) arranged to actuate the entrance barrier (8) to close the entrance barrier (8);
the inlet barrier (8) is displaced from the closed position to the open position after closing via the barrier actuation element (24) by the mechanical positive control device (9), and an opening force is generated on the barrier actuation element (24) by at least one opening element (28) of the barrier actuation device (10) opposite to the closing of the inlet barrier (8) via the barrier actuation element (24) by the mechanical positive control device (9), and the opening element (28) is displaced upwards between an open rest position and an open operating position by at least one electrically actuatable opening element actuator (29a);
the inlet barrier (8) is displaced from the open position to the closed position after opening by the opening element (28) via the barrier actuation element (24) , a closing force is generated on the barrier actuation element (24) by at least one closing element (30) of the barrier actuation device (10 ) opposite to the opening of the inlet barrier (8) via the barrier actuation element (24) by the opening element (28) , and the closing element (30) is displaced downwards by gravity between a closed rest position and a closed operating position. 11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the barrier actuator (10) is operated using a stationary remote control unit (11a) located inside or outside the cable car station (2) or the barrier actuator (10) is operated using a portable remote control unit (11b), preferably a mobile phone or a portable computer, and control signals are transmitted to the barrier actuator ( 10 ) by the remote control unit (11a, 11b) wirelessly or in a wired manner. 12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the entrance barrier (8) of the cable car (5) is actuated by a mechanical positive control device (9) provided at the cable car station (2) before or after the cable car car (5) is moved into the area of the remotely controllable barrier actuation device ( 10 ) in order to displace the entrance barrier (8) from an open position to a closed position or vice versa.

Images