EP0161159B1 - Boarding device for non-stopping vehicles moving along a platform - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Boarding device for non stopping vehicles (16) or cabins having a limited number of seats and moving at slow speed along a platform (12), comprising on the platform entry side passenger couting means (28, 30) to form passenger groups, of passengers corresponding to the number of seats of one vehicle or of one vehicle compartment, each group for boarding in one of the vehicles or compartments, characterized in that the platform (72) is arranged to receive a plurality of vehicles (16) at the same time and is equipped with a subdivision device (44) to form movable compartments (52, 54), each capable to receive a passenger group for boarding in one vehicle (16) or associated compartment, said movable compartments (52, 54), following the associated vehicle (16) in its movement along the platform (12).

Description

The invention relates to a boarding device in operation in vehicles or cabins with a limited number of places, moving at low speed along a quay, comprising on the side of the access to the quay a means of counting the passengers to form groups of passengers of a number corresponding to the number of places in a vehicle or a vehicle compartment, each group being intended to embark in one of the vehicles or compartments.

In known devices, the continuous scrolling of vehicles at the station and boarding on the move or with a short stop, allow a significant increase in transport rates, this increase being however limited by the disorder resulting from the presence at the station of several vehicles. . This disorder causes loss of time, even insecurity, the passengers wandering on the platform to choose their place and not respecting the load limitation of the vehicles.

The present invention aims to remedy this disorder and allow the realization of a boarding device avoiding any excess number of passengers in a vehicle.

The invention is characterized in that the quay is arranged to receive several vehicles simultaneously and is equipped with a subdivision device to form mobile compartments, each capable of receiving a group of passengers intended to embark in an associated vehicle or compartment, said compartment accompanying the associated vehicle in its movement along the quay.

By first selecting the group of passengers to board a vehicle and isolating this group in a compartment or platform volume, which follows the vehicle throughout its passage in front of the embarkation platform, any hesitation of the passengers is excluded and boarding can be done regularly during the whole time the vehicle is in the station. The term vehicle subsequently also designates a compartment or a compartment. By fixing in advance to each passenger the vehicle in which he must board and then giving him the maximum boarding time, compatible with the system, in the best order, that is to say without any interference passengers from neighboring vehicles, optimal boarding is ensured both in terms of efficiency and safety, the maximum number of passengers to be admitted into a vehicle being imposed during the selection.

It is important that each compartment is associated with one and only one vehicle, which implies, during irregular spacing of the vehicles, to adapt the compartmentalization of the platform to the scrolling of the vehicles. For this purpose the movable barriers, which define the compartments of the platform, are advantageously set up in synchronism with the arrival in cheerful of the vehicles, the control being automatic and triggered by the passage of the vehicle in a predetermined location. The barriers accompany the vehicles in their movement at the station by moving at the same speed, the means for driving the vehicles and the barriers, in particular the drag chains, being synchronized by any operating means.

Passengers access the platform at the arrival end of the vehicles and access is controlled by a counter, which blocks access after the passage of a number of passengers corresponding to the maximum capacity of a vehicle. The counter forms groups of passengers, the group being either admitted directly into a mobile platform compartment, or stored in an intermediate volume or airlock. In the first case, the counter is blocked automatically when a vehicle arrives with reset, to avoid any interference from groups and compartments. In the case of a storage airlock, the arrival of the vehicle at the station triggers the opening of the airlock to allow the transfer of the group from the airlock to the platform compartment.

We can admit that passengers do not try to pass from one group to another, either by staying in the airlock, or by parking in a corner of the platform, but it is possible to provide surveillance or barrier systems preventing any wrong move.

Several parallel access routes, each equipped with a meter, can be provided in high-speed installations, but the total number of passengers must therefore be taken into account for blocking access. The counter can be a turnstile at the same time acting as an access blocking barrier. In the case of an access airlock, several airlocks can be arranged in parallel to allow filling of one, during the emptying of the other, many combinations being achievable depending on the nature of the transport installation. The airlocks are emptied successively. This installation may include vehicles traveling on rails in a line and at a station, with individual or common propulsion or be of the type of overhead cable transporter with uncoupled cabins of the cable in the station or of any other type.

The platform compartments are advantageously delimited by a fixed barrier, parallel to the edge of the platform and by movable barriers extending transversely between the fixed barrier and the edge, and moving in translation in the longitudinal direction of the platform of the end d entrance to the platform, which corresponds to the arrival side at the vehicle station to the exit end corresponding to the departure side of the vehicles. The barriers advantageously constituted by movable bars move along guide rails in closed loop, the bar arriving at the end of the platform being brought back to the start of the platform along an inactive return path. According to a preferential mode of implementation the guide rails of the bars extend on the side of the fixed barrier and are inclined by 45 ° so as to orient the bars horizontally during the active stroke, and in a vertical position for the return stroke which takes place behind the fixed barrier. The driving of the movable bars can be carried out by an endless chain, which extends along the path of movement, the bars being automatically uncoupled from the chain on the side of the entrance to the quay and stored awaiting the arrival of a vehicle. The storage rail is inclined and equipped with a bar retaining stop, which stop is controlled, for example electrically, by the arrival of a vehicle which actuates an electrical contact. The released bar slides on the rail and mates with the drive chain. The retaining stop frees the bars one by one, possibly with a preselection in a similar way to that used in drag lifts. Any other suitable system, in particular for individual drive of the bars, is conceivable.

According to another embodiment, the return of the mobile bars takes place above or below the platform, the guide rail forming a loop arranged in a vertical plane. The movable bar enters the platform by a downward or upward movement, while the system described above involves a pivoting movement in a horizontal plane. It is possible to envisage retractable bars or compartment limits, materialized by light rays or by moving traces on the quay, the system for moving these limits, in synchronism with the vehicles, being of course adapted to the nature of these limits. It would not be departing from the scope of the invention to provide a movable platform, of the conveyor belt type, the bars then being simply coupled to this conveyor belt in synchronism with the arrivals of the vehicles, to delimit sections of conveyor belt, forming said compartments which move at vehicle speed.

• - la figure 1 est une vue schématique en plan d'un dispositif d'embarquement selon l'invention;
• - la figure 2 est une vue en élévation du dispositif selon la fig. 1;
• - la figure 3 est une vue analogue à celle de la fig. 1, montrant le dispositif un instant plus tard;
• - la figure 4 est une coupe suivant la ligne IV-IV de la fig. 1;
• - la figure 5 est une vue en plan du dispositif d'entraînement de barres mobiles selon la fig. 4;
• - la figure 6 est une vue schématique en perspective d'une variante de réalisation.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows of different embodiments of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting examples and represented in the appended drawings, in which:

• - Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a boarding device according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 is an elevational view of the device according to fig. 1;
• - Figure 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, showing the device an instant later;
• - Figure 4 is a section along line IV-IV of FIG. 1;
• - Figure 5 is a plan view of the movable bar drive device according to fig. 4;
• - Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of an alternative embodiment.

In the figures, a station 10 includes a boarding platform 12, extending along a track 14 for the circulation of vehicles 16. Station 10 can be a station of a transport installation of any type, having vehicles succeeding each other at irregular intervals, several vehicles being able to be simultaneously at the station. The invention is described below as being applied to a gondola lift with vehicles or cabins 16 uncoupled from the cable on arrival at the station and traveling at low speed on tracks 14, being driven by a chain 18 with cleats, propelled by an engine 20. The loading platform 12 can be preceded by a loading platform.

The end 22 of platform 12, arranged on the side where vehicles arrive at the station 16, has two access routes 24, 26, each barred at its end by a turnstile or rotary gate 28, 30, with three arms allowing the passage one by one of the passengers 34 represented diagrammatically by circles in FIG. 1. Each turnstile 28, 30 actuates a counter 32, which counts the passages and triggers a lock 36 for blocking the turnstile 28, 30 during a predetermined number of passages. In the case of two or more access channels 24, 26, a totalizer totals the counts of all the counters and blocks all the turnstiles 28, 30 when the predetermined number is reached. Such turnstiles or gates 28, 30 are well known to specialists and are commonly used for controlling access to cable cars. The turnstiles 28, 30 pass a number of passengers 34 corresponding to the maximum number that can board a vehicle 16.

The arrival at the station of a vehicle 16 is detected by an arm 36, disposed on the vehicle movement path. The arm 38 actuates, when the vehicle 16 passes, an electrical contact 40 sending a signal to a control unit 42.

The platform 12 is equipped with a subdivision device, bearing the general reference 44, which defines by means of transverse bars 46 of the compartments 52, 54. The bars 46 extending between the edge 50 of the platform 12 and a fixed barrier 48 parallel to this edge and at the bottom of the platform and define a compartment between two successive bars 46. At the instant illustrated in FIG. 1, the platform 12 is subdivided into two compartments 52, 54, to ensure the simultaneous loading of two vehicles 16, but this number is greater when the frequency of arrival of the vehicles is greater. The maximum number of compartments depends on the length of platform 12 and the number of vehicles in the station simultaneously. The bars 46 are movable in translation in the direction of movement of the vehicles 16.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that each bar 46 is fixed at the rear to a guide 56, sliding on two rails 58, 60, which form a closed circuit having a straight active path 62, parallel to barrier 48 and a return path 64. On the path 62 the bars 46 are horizontal at a sufficient height from the floor of the platform 12 to avoid crossing by the passengers 34, while the guide 56 and the plane defined by the rails 58, 60 are inclined by 45 ° relative to the vertical. This inclined arrangement automatically brings the bar 46 into a less bulky vertical position on the return path 64. Any other system for lifting the bars 46 on the return path can be used. A chain 66 with drive tabs extends along the rails 58, 60 to drive the movable bars 46. The chain 66 is driven by a motor 67, controlled by a block 69, which at the same time drives the motor 20 of the vehicle drive chain 18 for moving vehicles 16 and the bars 46 in perfect synchronism.

The return path 64 of the bars 46 comprises two sections, forming between them an obtuse angle seen in plan (fig. 1) and seen in elevation (fig. 2). The last section constitutes a declining storage rail 68, equipped at its outlet with a double stop distributor 70, controlled by an electromagnet 72. The chain 66 is deflected along the section 68, so as not to entrain the bars 46 stored on this section 68. The distributor with double stop 70 releases at each command, a bar 46, which slides by gravity on the section 68 to mate with the chain 66 and make a journey along the paths 62, 64 before to return to the storage section 68. It is useless to describe the distributor 70, which may be of the type commonly used in drag lifts. Any other system for releasing the bars 46, one by one, can also be used. The electromagnet 72 is controlled by the block 42.

• A l'instant représenté à la figure 1, deux véhicules 16 sont en gare en défilant à faible vitesse devant le quai 12, un troisième véhicule 16 arrivant. Les deux barres 46 actives s'étendent à l'avant de chaque véhicule 16 en gare, en definissant un premier compartiment 52 entre le début 22 du quai et la première barre 46, et un deuxième compartiment 54 entre les deux barres 46. Le compartiment 54 arrive en bout de quai, la quasi-totalité des passagers 34 étant embarqués. Les tourniquets 28, 30 sont bloqués empêchant l'accès au compartiment 52 de début de quai, dont les passagers sont en cours d'embarquement. Les barres 46 se déplacent en synchronisme des véhicules 16 et il est facile de voir que les passagers peuvent embarquer jusqu'à la venue en bout de quai du véhicule.

The device works as follows:

• At the instant shown in FIG. 1, two vehicles 16 are at the station, parading at low speed in front of platform 12, a third vehicle 16 arriving. The two active bars 46 extend at the front of each vehicle 16 at the station, defining a first compartment 52 between the start 22 of the platform and the first bar 46, and a second compartment 54 between the two bars 46. The compartment 54 arrives at the end of the platform, almost all of the passengers 34 being on board. The turnstiles 28, 30 are blocked preventing access to the compartment 52 at the start of the platform, the passengers of which are in the process of boarding. The bars 46 move in synchronism with the vehicles 16 and it is easy to see that the passengers can board until the vehicle arrives at the end of the platform.

The vehicle 16 which enters the station actuates the arm 38 and the contact 40, the signal 42 of which causes the turnstiles 28, 30 to be blocked by the lock 36, if the turnstiles are not already blocked by the counter 32 and on the other hand the control of the distributor 70 for the release of a bar 46. In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the bar 46 delimiting the compartment 52 at the rear, has engaged on the quay, the compartment 52 is moving to the left while the passengers get into the vehicle 16. After a predetermined blocking period, fixed for example by a timer, sufficient for the engagement of the bar 46 released on the platform, the turnstiles 28, 30 are released and the counters 32 reset to zero. Passengers can now access the next compartment while the vehicle is approaching the platform. The bar 46 arriving at the end of the quay is brought back by the return path to the stock on the section 68. The operation is fully automatic and synchronized with the arrival and movement of the vehicles.

The turnstiles 28, 30, which can of course be replaced by any counting system, simultaneously control the transfer of passengers one after the other to the dock compartments. This transfer is relatively slow and to obtain high flow rates the multiplication of turnstiles may complicate the installation. According to an alternative embodiment, particularly suitable for high flow rates, metering is dissociated from the transfer to the compartments. In FIG. 6, illustrating such a variant, the same references designate elements identical or analogous to those of FIG. 1. On each access route 24, 26 is an airlock 74, 76 delimited at the entrance by a turnstile 28, 30 counting and at the exit by a gate 78, 80 with automatic locking by a lock 36. The volume of each airlock 74, 76 corresponds to the number of passengers in a group, the turnstile 28, 30 blocking as soon as the airlock contains the predetermined number of passengers. Traffic lights 82 indicate to passengers the state of airlock 74, 76. The transfer of passengers from airlock 74, 76 to platform 12 is carried out in a package, when unlocked by lock 36 of gate 78, 80. This unlocking is controlled by the arrival at the station of the vehicle 16 in the manner described above, the airlocks 74, 76 being emptied alternately. The transfer speed is independent of the operation of the turnstile 28, 30 and it can be very fast, if the size of the gate 78, 80 is sufficient for the passage of several passengers at the front. The time saving is undeniable, one of the airlocks filling while the other empties, the number of airlocks can also be greater. In FIG. 6, the access routes 24, 26 are aligned with the platform 12, but it is clear that airlocks can be associated with tracks 24, 26 arranged according to FIG. 1, and conversely that counting turnstiles and transfer according to Figure 1 can be arranged on tracks aligned with the platform.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the subdivision device 44 with parallel bars 46 for delimiting the compartments. The active path 62 of the bars 46 is identical to that described above, but the return takes place along a parallel path 84 disposed above the platform 12. The storage section 68 of the bars 46 is located at the entrance and above the platform 12, the first released bar 46 lowering down to define the platform compartment. Lock 36 is unlocked as soon as this bar is lowered and the gate 78, 80 remains open for a sufficient time for the transfer of passengers, the relocking being controlled by a timer or in the manner described above by the arrival of the following vehicle. Other interlocking and / or signaling systems can easily be envisaged by the specialist to improve reliability and operational safety. The subdivision device with return from the top of the bars 46, according to FIG. 6, can be used on a platform according to fig. 1, and conversely, the rear return subdivision device according to FIG. 1 is applicable to a boarding device with an airlock 74, 76.

The airlock system is slightly more complicated, but it is easier for passengers to operate. The airlock may include weighing the passengers, thus avoiding the counting turnstile.

The installation naturally extends to transport installations with vehicles regularly spaced at the station, the boarding device can then be considerably simplified. It is applicable to vehicles of any capacity, but particularly useful for vehicles or cabins with more than six passengers. The vehicle may include several compartments and in this case a mobile compartment is associated with each vehicle compartment.

Claims (10)

1. Boarding device for non stopping vehicles (16) or cabins having a limited number of seats and moving at slow speed along a platform (12), comprising on the platform entry side passenger counting means (28, 30) to form passenger groups, the number of passengers corresponding to the number of seats of one vehicle or of one vehicle compartment, each group for boarding in one of the vehicles or compartments, characterized in that the platform (72) is arranged to receive a plurality of vehicles (16) at the same time and is equipped with a subdivision device (44) to form movable compartments (52, 54), each capable to receive a passenger group for boarding in one vehicle (16) or associated compartment, said movable compartment (52, 54) following the associated vehicle (16) in its movement along the platform (12).

2. Boarding device according to claim 1, characterized in that said subdivision device (44) comprises gates (46), movable in the vehicle (16) movement direction, that two movable successive gates (46) delimit a movable compartment (52, 54) and the space between said two movable gates (46) corresponds to the spacing of two successive vehicles (16) for associating to each vehicle one compartment.

3. Boarding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the entry of o movoble gate (46) on the platform (12) arrival end coincides with the vehicle (76) arrival, the movable gate (46) preceding the vehicle (76) in its movement synchronous with the barrier movement.

4. Boarding device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said gates (46) move along a closed loop comprising an active stroke (62) along the platform (72) and an inactive return stroke (64, 68), being driven by a chain (66) or an endless driver and moving at the speed of the vehicles (16) along the platform and that the gates (46) are detached from the chain (66) and stocked near said platform arrival end, the coupling to the chain (66) being controlled by the arrival of a vehicle.

5. Boarding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the rod shaped movable gate (46) is substantially horizontal during the active stroke (62) along the platform being guided by guiding rails (58, 60) having a slope about 45° so as to bring the rod (46) vertical during the return stroke.

6. Boarding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the rod shaped movable gate (46) moves in translation at the platform level (72) during the active stroke and above or under the platform during the return stroke.

7. Boarding device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the counting means comprises a rotating turnstile (28, 30) which controls the platform (12) access and a turnstile stopping device (36) which stops the turnstile after the passage of said passenger number or during the rod (46) insertion on the platform.

8. Boarding device according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterizws in that ot comprises a platform (72) access stopping device (78, 80) disposed after the counting means (28, 30) for gathering together the passengers group on the platform arrival end, said stapping device being released at the arrival of a vehicle to allow the transfer of said group in the associated compartment (52, 54).

9. Boarding device according to claim 8. characterized in that the counting means (28, 30) and the stopping device (78, 80) form a sluice (74,-76) for grouping said passengers number, disposed on the side of tha platform (72) arrival end, the entry to the sluice being stopped when said passengers entrance number is reached and during the opening time of the sluice (74, 76) exit, said opening time beginning just after the arrival of a vehicle and ending after a sufficient time for the transfer of the passengers from the sluice to the platform compartment.

10. Boarding device according to claim 9, having a plurality of access sluices (74, 76) in parallel, characterized in that said sluices are successively opened at a predetermined order to allow the transfer of the passengers to the platform.

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