NZ579980A

NZ579980A - Chair for a chair lift with foot rests aligned to the centre of the seat and attached to the safety bar

Info

Publication number: NZ579980A
Application number: NZ579980A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Josef Sutter
Original assignee: Innova Patent Gmbh
Priority date: 2008-10-09
Filing date: 2009-09-28
Publication date: 2011-02-25
Also published as: KR101405506B1; ATE510742T1; CA2679207C; CN101716935A; JP2010111383A; ES2362854T3; KR20100040248A; AT507312B1; US20100089281A1; EP2174854A1; EP2174854B1; CA2679207A1; RU2009133736A; AT507312A1; AU2009213068A1; RU2505435C2; JP5500920B2

Abstract

A foot rest (11) for each seating position (14) on a chair lift chair (1) is disclosed. The foot rest (11) is attached by a support bar (12) to a protective bar (2), which extends across the entire seat (1) and can be pivoted from an open position to a closed position. In the closed position of the protective bar (2) the supporting bar (12) extends down in the central region in front of each seating position (14) so that each has an associated central footrest (11).

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> Received at IPONZ 20 December CHAIR FOR A CHAIR LIFT AND CHAIR LIFT Technical Field The invention relates to a chair of a chair lift with at least one seat, with a protective bar which extends transversely over the seat and can be pivoted from an open position into a closed position, and with a footrest. The invention furthermore relates to a chair lift with chairs of this type. Background Art Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is not an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field. Chairs for chair lifts have at least one seat, generally up to eight or more, for example ten, seats located next to one another. In order to prevent the passengers from falling out from or slipping off the chair, said chairs have protective bars which go over the entire width of the chair. Said protective bars can be pivoted from a position in which they are located above the passengers (open position) into a position in which a crossbar extends in front of the passengers over their thighs (closed position). The protective bars are frequently provided with footrests on which the passengers can rest and support their feet, if appropriate with skis or a snowboard fastened thereto (for example AT 411 523 B and AT 411 046 B), The footrests are fastened to the protective bar of the chairs via supporting bars and extend downwards between or in front of the seats from the protective bar. The footrests themselves comprise rods or tubes which protrude laterally away from the supporting bar and are fastened to the lower end of the supporting bars. As a result, the central region below a seat is substantially free, and the passenger can place his feet, if appropriate with the skis or a snowboard fastened thereto, onto the footrests which protrude from the side toward the centre of the seat. Since a passenger therefore has to share a supporting bar having the two rods or tubes protruding laterally away therefrom with an adjacently seated passenger, undesirable contact between the sports equipment of the adjacent passengers occurs time and again. Since, in accordance with the regulations, the distance between the protective bar and seat surface is dimensioned in such a manner that even tall passengers having longer legs have a comfortable amount of space under the protective bar, said distance is 1a Received at IPONZ 20 December generally too large for shorter people, and therefore said shorter people may slip through under the crossbar, in particular if, due to their shorter legs, they cannot support their feet on the footrests. In order to reduce this slipping-through risk for smaller people, it is known from AT 411 523 B and AT 411 046 B to arrange securing 5 parts, in particular protective panels, on the protective bars, said securing parts, in the closed position of the protective bar, extending in the direction toward the centre of the front edge of the respective seat surfaces. After the protective bar has been pivoted into its closed position, said protective panels are located between the passengers' thighs, 10 If, therefore, yet another protective element is located between the passengers' legs, lateral yielding and subsequent depositing of the sports equipment on the footrest becomes all the more difficult. Added to this is the fact that, during the closing of the protective bar, the passengers now have to concentrate on a number of matters, 15 Firstly on spreading the thighs in order to make room for the protective panel and secondly on moving the sports equipment in the opposite direction in order to allow the footrest to close without obstruction, and to do all of this without colliding with the neighbour, 20 Disclosure of Invention As used herein, the term "seat" means a seating surface dimensioned to receive one passenger. The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a chair of the generic type 25 mentioned at the beginning, in which said problems are avoided. The present invention provides a chair of a chair lift with at least one seat, the or each said seat being dimensioned to receive one passenger, with a protective bar which extends transversely over the seat and can be pivoted from an open position into a 30 closed position, and with a footrest which is arranged on the protective bar by means of a supporting bar, characterized in that, in the closed position of the protective bar, a separate supporting bar extends in the central region in front of the or each seat downwards from the protective bar as far as the footrest, such that the or each seat has associated with it a separate footrest, 35 2 Received at IPONZ 20 December The invention is therefore based on replacing the protective element by the central supporting bar for the footrest, thus easing the burden on the passenger's concentration during the closing of the protective bar since he now only has to concentrate on the supporting tube with the footrest, said supporting tube moving between his legs. The supporting tube between the legs nevertheless provides security against slipping through under the protective bar, and a footrest permitting comfortable transportation for the passenger on a chair is present. Owing to the fact that each passenger now has his own footrest, undesirable contact between the sports equipment of the adjacent passengers can also be largely avoided. If use is made of a standard footrest appearing, for example, in the manner as illustrated in AT 411 523 B and AT 411 046 B, when the protective bar is closed the feet with the sports equipment have to be moved relatively far apart, which may again cause collisions with the sports equipment of seat neighbours. In order to avoid this, the width of the footrests has to be reduced. Then, however, snowboarders, for example, no longer have a sufficiently sized support for their boards. In order to avoid this, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the footrests have a plate-like support. In a preferred development of the invention, the support surface formed by the support extends in the direction of travel upstream and/or downstream of the connection of the footrest to the supporting bar. As mentioned above, the footrest in the prior art is formed by rods or tubes which extend laterally from the supporting bar. This firstly only forms a linear support which secondly only extends to the sides of the supporting bar. By means of the design according to the invention of the footrest with a two-dimensional support which preferably extends upstream and/or downstream of the connection of the footrest to the supporting bar, with the fact that the passengers very rarely keep their skis or snowboards precisely parallel to the direction of travel being taken into consideration, the support surface is enlarged and the passengers are provided with more options and more flexible options of placing their feet and/or sports equipment on the footrests, A wide variety of contour shapes are possible structurally for the footrests. Simple shapes which are preferred within the context of the invention are substantially rectangular, circular or elliptical contour shapes. Of course, rectangular or other 3 Received at IPONZ 20 December "angular" contour shapes are preferably provided with rounded corners. However, for example, V-shaped or kidney-shaped contours are also possible, A preferred embodiment can also consist in the footrest having a rearwardly tapering shape, and in particular being wedge-shaped. As a result, upon contact with the footrest, the feet or sports equipment are gently pushed apart during the closing of the protective bar. Within the context of the invention, there are a wide variety of options for producing the footrest, A preferred option consists in that the footrest include a frame which has an opening the centre. Such a frame may be composed, for example, of an arcuate and/or composite tube or bar. The opening in the centre or in the region of the centre automatically ensures that snow cannot accumulate on the footrest. An alternative option which is likewise preferred within the context of the invention consists in that the footrest includes a plate which is preferably provided with one or more apertures. Of course, a grid or the like is also conceivable. The footrest can define a substantially planar support surface or a curved support surface. Within the meaning of the invention, a substantially planar support surface is also defined, for example, by a frame which is composed of an arcuate and/or composite tube or bar and has an opening in the centre. The contour formed by the frame or the upper side thereof defines a plane or "support surface" on which the passenger can place his feet or sports equipment, A curved support surface can be formed, for example, by a curved plate which preferably has apertures through which snow can drop. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the chair according to the invention can have separating elements rising over the seat surfaces arranged between the seat surfaces. The separating elements cause a passenger to notice immediately if he is sitting in the transition region from one seat to an adjacent seat. He will then immediately correct his sitting position even before the protective bar is pivoted into its closed position. The passenger's legs are then automatically in a position in which unpleasant collisions with the supporting bar for the footrests are largely avoided. Preferably the seat surface has, in the region of the front edge thereof, a central region which differs with regard to its graphical design from the regions arranged laterally 4 Received at IPONZ 20 December thereto. The graphical design of the central region may include a picture, pattern or marking. The present invention further provides a chair lift with a valley station and a mountain station, a traction cable encircling between the valley station and the mountain station, and with chairs which are connected permanently or such that they can be coupled to the traction cable for the purpose of transporting people from the valley station to the mountain station and, if appropriate, back, characterized in that the chairs are designed as described above. Brief Description of Drawings Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the description below of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig, 1 shows a chair according to the invention in a front view, Fig, 2 shows the chair from Fig, 1 in side view, Fig, 3 shows an embodiment of a footrest according to the invention during use by a skier, and Fig, 4 shows the footrest during use by a snowboarder. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Figs 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of a chair 1 according to the invention which, as known per se, has a frame 2 which is coupled via a joint 3 with a supporting rod 4 and a clamping device 5 to a traction cable 9, The chair 1 has six seats 14 which are located next to one another and have a seat surface 6 and a backrest 7, In order to prevent passengers from falling from the chair 1, a protective bar 8 can be moved from an upper and open position (illustrated in Fig, 1) into a lower and closed position (likewise illustrated in Fig, 1), The protective bar 8 can be closed and opened either automatically with the aid of a mechanism 10, which interacts with a device (not illustrated) provided in the stations, or manually by the passengers. In addition, the chair may also have a hood. With the aid of the closed and encircling supporting cable 9 (merely indicated in Fig, 1), the chairs 1 are conveyed from a valley station (not illustrated in the drawings), if appropriate via one or more intermediate stations, to a mountain station and back again. In this case, the chairs 1 can either be decoupled from the traction cable 9 and 5 Received at IPONZ 20 December coupled again to the latter in the stations with a clamping device 5, as illustrated by way of example in Fig, 1, or it is also possible for the chairs 1 to be clamped fixedly to the traction cable 9, 5 The chair 1 has a number of footrests 11 corresponding to the number of seats 14, said footrests being connected to the protective bar 8 via supporting bars 12, The supporting bars 12 run downwards from the protective bar 8 centrally in front of the respective seat 14 such that, when the protective bar 8 is closed, a passenger has the supporting bars 12 between his legs. As a result, each passenger is secured by a 10 supporting bar 12 from slipping through between the seat surface 6 and the protective bar 8, In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the footrests 11 comprise a tube which forms a substantially rectangular, closed frame 13, Of course, instead of a tube, a solid bar 15 or the like may also be used. In order to protect the sports equipment, the tube may be entirely or partially covered with a covering, for example made of plastic. The front side 15 and the rear side 16 of the frame 13 and the edges of the frame 13 are rounded in order to avoid injuries to the passengers or damage to the sports equipment, 20 The frame 13 is connected to the supporting bar 12 via a mounting plate 17, The mounting plate 17 is fastened to the frame 13 in such a manner that the frame 13 - as seen in the direction of travel - extends both upstream and also downstream of the supporting bar 12, The length by which the frame 13 extends upstream and 25 downstream of the supporting bar 12 may differ in accordance with the particular requirements. It is also possible for the frame 13 to extend exclusively upstream or downstream of the supporting bar 12, The rear side 16 of the frame may also become narrower in wedge-shaped manner to the rear such that the feet or sports equipment are gently pressed apart upon contact with the footrest 11 during the closing of the 30 protective bar. Of course, said wedge-shaped region may also extend into the front region of the footrest 11 or else may be located only in the front region thereof. By means of the frame 13, an opening 19 through which snow can drop is formed in the centre such that, despite the substantially plate-like contour of the frame 13, snow 35 does not accumulate on the footrest. 6 Received at IPONZ 20 December It can be seen in Figs 3 and 4 that, despite its smaller lateral extent in comparison to known footrests, the footrest 11 according to the invention has a sufficiently large support surface for skis or snowboards. This is relevant in particular to snowboards, since the latter, during travel on the chair lift, are generally not oriented parallel to but rather obliquely to the direction of travel, and the region which extends upstream and/or downstream of the supporting bar 12 can serve as a support surface for the sports equipment. Since, in the closed position of the protective bar 8, the supporting bars 12 extend between the passengers' thighs and prevent in particular shorter people, such as children, from slipping through under the protective bar 8, it is important, however, that the supporting bars 12 are arranged between the passengers' thighs, which, in turn, presupposes a correct sitting position of the passengers on the seats 14, In addition, in particular if the protective bar 8 is closed automatically, the supporting bar 12 is to be prevented from pressing against a passenger's leg because the latter is not sitting correctly on his seat 14 and a leg is located entirely or partially under the supporting bar 12 during the closing of the protective bar 8, In order for the passengers to sit down correctly on the seats 14, separating elements 20 rising over the seat surfaces 6 are arranged between the seats 14, specifically between the seat surfaces 6 of the seats 14, The separating elements 20 cause a passenger to notice immediately if he is not sitting correctly in the centre of a seat 14, and therefore he can correct his sitting position even before the protective bar 8 is automatically or manually closed. In addition, in order to get passengers, in particular children, to spread their legs apart somewhat and to sit down correctly on the seats 14 so that the supporting bar 12 can easily be arranged between the legs, a central region may be arranged in the region of the front edge 21 of each or at least some seats 14, said region differing with regard to its graphical design from the regions arranged laterally next thereto. Said central region may be a marking, for example a graphic, in particular a picture, a pattern, a logo, for example a company logo, or the like. In a simple embodiment, the marking may constitute a geometrical figure with greater or lesser simplicity (for example a circle, cross, triangle, square or line) which already per se identifies the region to be left free. The marking may also be, for example, a picture of a comic figure or of a mascot in order, in particular, to motivate children to leave said region free by their 7 Received at IPONZ 20 December attention being drawn, at least as they get into the chair 1, to the picture and being prompted to sit down correctly on the seat 14 and to spread their legs apart somewhat. In summary, an exemplary embodiment of the invention can be depicted as follows: 5 A chair of a chair lift has at least one seat 14, a protective bar 8 which extends transversely over the seat 14 and can be pivoted from an open position into a closed position, and a footrest 11 which is arranged on the protective bar 8 by means of a supporting bar 12, In the closed position of the protective bar 8, the supporting bar 12 extends in the central region in front of the seat 14 downwards from the protective 10 bar 8 to the footrest 11, The footrests 11 form a plate-like support for the passengers' feet or sports equipment. 8 Received at IPONZ 20 December </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> We Claim: 1, Chair of a chair lift with at least one seat, the or each said seat being dimensioned to receive one passenger, with a protective bar which extends transversely over the seat and can be pivoted from an open position into a closed position, and with a footrest which is arranged on the protective bar by means of a supporting bar, characterized in that, in the closed position of the protective bar, a separate supporting bar extends in the central region in front of the or each seat downwards from the protective bar as far as the footrest, such that the or each seat has associated with it a separate footrest, 2, Chair according to Claim 1, characterized in that the footrest forms a plate-like support, 3, Chair according to either one of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the footrest has a substantially rectangular contour, 4, Chair according to either one of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the footrest has a substantially circular or elliptical contour, 5, Chair according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the footrest has a rearwardly tapering shape, 6, Chair according to Claim 5, wherein the footrest is wedge-shaped, 7, Chair according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the footrest includes a frame which has an opening in the centre, 8, Chair according to Claim 7, characterized in that the frame includes an arcuate and/or composite tube or bar, 9, Chair according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the footrest includes a plate, 10, Chair according to Claim 9, wherein the plate is provided with apertures. Received at IPONZ 20 December 11, Chair according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the footrest defines a planar support surface, 12, Chair according to any one of Claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the footrest 5 defines a curved support surface, 13, Chair according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the footrest extends in the direction of travel upstream and/or downstream of the connection thereof to the supporting bar, 10 14, Chair according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that separating elements rising over the seat surfaces are arranged between the seat surfaces, 15 15, Chair according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the seat surface has, in the region of the front edge thereof, a central region which differs with regard to its graphical design from the regions arranged laterally next thereto, 20 16, Chair according to Claim 15, characterized in that the graphical design of the central region includes a picture, pattern or marking, 17, Chair of a chair lift, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings, 25 18, Chair lift with a valley station and a mountain station, a traction cable encircling between the valley station and the mountain station, and with chairs which are connected permanently or such that they can be coupled to the traction cable for the purpose of transporting people from the valley station to the mountain 30 station and, if appropriate, back, characterized in that the chairs are designed according to any one of the preceding Claims, 10 </div>