NZ538315A

NZ538315A - Method for heating the seat and/or back rest upholstery of a chair pertaining to a chair lift installation, and corresponding chair

Info

Publication number: NZ538315A
Application number: NZ538315A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Manfred Seibt
Original assignee: Innova Patent Gmbh
Priority date: 2003-03-10
Filing date: 2004-03-08
Publication date: 2007-03-30
Also published as: KR20050113161A; US20050168028A1; EP1601564A1; NO20045617L; CA2485645A1; RU2005117359A; CN100572160C; SI1601564T1; ATE319597T1; ES2258758T3; AT7477U1; CA2485645C; WO2004080776A1; EP1601564B2; HK1089417A1; AU2004220473A1; JP2006519725A; EP1601564B1; ES2258758T5; PL1601564T3

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for heating the seat and/or back rest upholstery (4) of a chair pertaining to a chair lift installation, said method being characterised in that the seat and/or back rest upholstery is heated while the chair is in the chair lift station, by means of an electric heating device (7) integrated into the seat and/or back rest upholstery. The disclosure also relates to a corresponding chair comprising an electrically operated heating device (7).

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 538315 TITLE: METHOD FOR HEATING THE SEAT AND/OR BACK REST UPHOLSTERY OF A CHAIR PERTAINING TO A CHAIR LIFT INSTALLATION, AND CORRESPONDING CHAIR Technical Field The invention relates to a method of heating the seat and/or back rest of a chair of a cableway system, and to a chair which is suitable for this purpose. Cableway systems in the form of chair lifts are known. In this case, a multiplicity of suspension-gear mechanisms are located on a conveying cable and each bear a chair for transporting one or more individuals. Unlike cable cars, in the case of which the passenger compartment is protected against wind and bad weather, chair lifts do not provide any great level of comfort in particular in very cold weather. In the case of low temperatures, in particular the seat and back rests of the chairs cool down to a pronounced extent, with the result that it is often unpleasant for the passenger to use the chair. This has been remedied, up until now, by the cableway staff covering the cold seat and/or back rests with covers or the like prior to the passengers boarding. However, the tasks of supplying covers for the seat and/or back rests of the chairs and removing them again are onerous ones and do not fully satisfy the users' requirements. It is an object of the invention to specify a method which noticeably increases the comfort of sitting on chairs of a chair lift. It is likewise intended to specify a correspondingly configured chair. This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the independent claims. An advantageous configuration and developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the seat and/or back rest is heated, while the chair is in a station of the cableway system, by an electric heating device integrated in the chair and/or back rest. According to the invention, each chair of the cableway system thus has an electrically operated heating device which is operated while the chair is in the cableway 1 Intellect!#! Property Offiee @f NX 12 JAN 2007 np/^ci\/Fr\ It is thus possible for the temperature of the seat and/or back rest to be adjusted to a temperature which the passenger finds pleasant, before the passenger boards. The advantage of this method is that the seat and/or back rests of the chair are heated automatically, this doing away with any additional work for the lift staff. An advantageous configuration of the method provides that the heating device is only supplied with power for a certain period of time, during which the chair is located within a cableway station. In particular the duration and/or the intensity of the power supply may be regulated in dependence on the local outside temperature. This means that the colder the temperature, the greater the level to which the seat and/or back rests of the chair are heated. The power supply to the heating device may be interrupted as soon as the temperature of the seat and/or back rest reaches a predetermined maximum temperature value. This maximum temperature value may likewise be defined in dependence on the local outside temperature. As has already been mentioned, an appropriate heating device is preferably arranged in the seat rest and in the back rest of each chair. This heating device is connected to current collectors which are arranged on the clamping body or the suspension-gear mechanism of each chair. Upon entry into a cableway station, the current collector comes into contact with a contact device provided on the cableway system, with the result that current can flow through the heating device, which heats the seat and/or back rests. The current collector may include both roller-type contacts and sliding contacts, which interact with a correspondingly configured contact device in each case. This contact device is preferably designed as a conductor rail which is arranged along the conveying or haulage cable of the cableway system. In an advantageous configuration, provision, is made for the power to be transmitted in a contactless manner in the form of an inductive coupling. In this case, a corresponding device builds up an alternating electric field along the haulage cable, this electric field being picked up by a corresponding device of the chair 2 Intellectual Property ' Office of N.Z. 1 9 lAki onn7 and serving for operating the heating device. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the figures of the drawings. Further features, advantages and possible applications of the invention can be gathered from the drawings and the description thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a chair of a cableway system which is fastened on a haulage cable; Figure 2 shows, schematically, the construction of a seat rest of a chair; and Figure 3 shows a schematic plan view of a deflecting or drive wheel of a cableway system. Figure 1 shows, schematically, a typical suspension-gear mechanism 1, which is connected to a conveying cable 6 via a clamping body 2. A chair for a number of individuals is fastened on the suspension-gear mechanism. The chair comprises a seat rest 4 and a back rest 5. As illustrated schematically in Figure 2, the seat rest 4 comprises an integrated electrically operated heating mat 7, which comprises electrical connections 8 which are preferably guided into the region of the clamping body 2 within the suspension-gear mechanism 1. The heating mat 2 is enclosed by padding 9 which, in turn, has a covering 10, for example made of imitation leather. Figure 3 illustrates a deflecting or drive wheel 12 in a cableway station. The running direction 11 of the conveying cable 6 is correspondingly deflected by the deflect'ng or drive wheel 12. As can be seen at the top right in Figure 3, the clamping body 2, with the suspension-gear mechanism 1 arranged thereon, comprises a current collector, illustrated by a positive and a negative supply terminal. The power supply to the heating mat 7 preferably takes place by low- volt direct current. Of course, it is also possible, correspondingly, to use alternating current. When the chair enters into the cableway station, the current collectors 13 come into contact with a conductor rail 14, to which a low-volt direct voltage is correspondingly applied. The direction voltage then passes via the current collector 13 and the supply terminals 8 to the heating mat 7 and heats the latter until the suspension-gear mechanism 1 has run around the 3 Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 12 JAN 2087 deflecting or drive wheel 12 and leaves the region of the conductor rail 14 again. During this period of time, the seat and backrest 4, 5 of the chair is heated to a predetermined temperature value. It should also be mentioned that each individual heating mat is 5 provided with a fuse, in particular an overtemperature and/or overcurrent fuse. The intensity of the current and the duration of the flow of current can be regulated in accordance with the local outside temperature, with the result that a predetermined temperature value is always achieved for the seat and/or back rest 4, 5. 10 Once the seat and back rest 4, 5 has been heated, the passenger can board. 4 Intellectual Property Offlot of NX 12 JAN 2007 RECEIVED </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> Claims:

1. A method of heating the seat and/or back rest of a chair of a cableway system, characterized in that the seat and/or back rest is heated, while the chair is in a station of the cableway system, by an electric heating device integrated in the 5 seat and/or back rest.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the heating device is only supplied with power for a pre-determined period of time. 10

3. The method as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the duration and/or the intensity of the power supplied to the heating device is regulated in dependence on the local outside temperature. 15

4. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the power supply to the heating device is interrupted as soon as the temperature of the seat and/or back rest has reached a predetermined maximum temperature value. 20

5. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the power supply to the heating device is interrupted when the cableway system is at a standstill.

6. A chair of a cableway system, which is connected via a suspension-gear 25 mechanism to a clamping body which can be coupled to a conveying or haulage cable, characterized in that the chair includes an electrically operated heating device.

7. The chair as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the heating device is 30 located in the seat rest and/or back rest of the chair.

8. The chair as claimed in either of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that provided on the clamping body or the suspension-gear mechanism is at least one current collector which is connectable electrically to the heating device and 35 interacts with at least one contact device provided in a station of the cableway system. 5 Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 12 JAN 2007

9. The chair as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the current collector roller-type contacts. 5

10. The chair as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the current collector includes sliding contacts.

11. The chair as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the contact device includes a conductor rail arranged along the conveying or 10 haulage cable.

12. The chair as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the current collector and the contact device are part of a device for inductive power transmission. 15

13. The chair as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that each individual heating device is provided with a fuse.

14. A method of heating the seat and/or back rest of a chair of a cableway system, 20 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

15. A chair of a cableway system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 12 JAN 2007 RECEIVPn </div>