FR2774963A1 - Overhead transport cable installation with continuous loop - Google Patents

Abstract

The continuous loop overhead cable installation comprises two load carriers coupled to the cable. Transfer of the load carriers from an upstream cable strand before the end boarding station to the downstream cable strand is carried out on two tracks. These are inner (15) and outer (16) tracks each having a boarding site (22,22') with an access track (23,23'). A first set of points (14) directs the load carrier onto one or other track. A second set of points (17) connects the outer and inner tracks on leaving the station end. The outer and inner tracks do not cross and the access track extends under or below a section of the outer track.

Description

The invention relates to the technical field of overhead traveling cable transport installations, in particular chairlift or gondola.

More particularly, the invention relates to the end stations of such a transport installation.

One of the solutions proposed in the prior art for increasing the throughput of such transport facilities has consisted in multiplying the loading docks.

Document FR-A-2,476,579, issued by the applicant, describes a high-speed overhead cable transport installation, in which two or more than two boarding locations are staggered along the boarding area, each boarding location with own approach and access runways. Each location only serves one seat out of two. One of the locations can be arranged in the curved area of the track.

The document FR-A-2,731,972 describes a transport installation, in particular a chairlift or a gondola, detachable, in which the transfer path is split by a bifurcation into an inner path and an outer path, each having a location for boarding. A switching device orients the loads alternately on both tracks.

The document FR-A-2.731.196 describes an installation of the same type as that which is the subject of the document FR-A-2.731.972, in which a crossing of the two tracks is arranged after the embarkation location of one of the tracks and before the embarkation location of the other lane.

In installations of the type presented above, known in the prior art, each boarding location serves only a fraction of the scrolling seats or cabins, for example half when two locations are provided.

At the most upstream boarding location, it is therefore necessary at all costs to avoid that a person or a load is in the path of a load carrier intended for a boarding location located further downstream , this load carrier such as a cabin or a seat that does not stop at the most upstream boarding location.

In the installations described in documents EP-34 983, FR-A-2 731 972, FR-A-2 476 579, for example, there is a risk that a person such as a skier is blocked, for example following at a fall, at the upstream boarding location, while a seat or cabin intended for the downstream boarding location passes without stopping at the upstream boarding location.

Thus, for example, in the case of the installation described in document FR-2 731 972, the access track to the embarkation location of the internal route necessarily crosses a lane.

To avoid this collision between a seat and a passenger advancing on an access runway, the document FR-2 731 196 discloses an embarkation station whose access runways do not cross the track.

The footprint of the boarding station is however severely increased.

The document US-4,050,385 describes an overhead cable transport installation comprising two embarkation locations. The installation has a very large footprint and is costly and complex, both in its implementation and in its management.

The invention discloses an overhead cable transport installation, the end stations of which, in particular the boarding station, comprises at least two lanes each provided with a boarding location, loads or persons such as skiers. placed on an access route to any given boarding location of the installation not crossing load carriers such as cabins or seats intended for the other or at other boarding locations, stations end being of a footprint on the ground of a total height reduced, the control of the good functioning of the installation being simple and its installation of reduced cost.

To this end, the invention relates to an overhead cable transport installation with continuous scrolling in a loop between two end stations, comprising load carriers coupled to the cable, the transfer of the load carriers from an upstream strand of the cable, before the boarding end station at the downstream strand of the cable, after said station, being carried out on at least two tracks, namely at least one inside track and one outside track each having a boarding location with one track access, a first switch device orienting the load carriers on one or the other track, a second switch device connecting the outside track and the inside track at the end station exit, characterized in that as the exterior and interior tracks do not intersect, at least one access track extends substantially below or above a section of an exterior track.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear during the following description of an embodiment, description which will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which - Figure 1 is a top view of a station boarding according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a view along arrow A, side of Figure 1.

In Figure 1 is shown a top view of a boarding station according to the invention.

In this case, it is a boarding station for a detachable chairlift.

The invention is however applicable to other overhead cable installations such as cable cars, drag lifts or the like.

In the embodiment shown, the seats are capable of transporting six skiers or passengers.

The invention is however applicable to chairlifts having seats of less than six seats or more than six seats, if applicable.

The boarding station has at its entrance a zone 10 for disengaging the seats 11 of the cable 12 and decelerating these seats which roll on a rail to be transferred to the exit of the station where they are re-accelerated in an acceleration zone 13 before being re-coupled to the opposite strand of cable 12.

The driving and deceleration of the seats 11 uncoupled from the cable 12 is carried out by any suitable means, for example by cleat chains or sets of tires wheels.

Such detachable chairlifts with low speed boarding are well known and will not be described in more detail.

A first switch 14, disposed after the deceleration and declutching zone 10, makes it possible to selectively orient the seats 11 on an inner track 15 or on an outer track 16.

The two tracks 15, 16 are connected by a second switch 17 to the acceleration zone 13.

The outer track 16 surrounds the inner track 15.

The transfer path of the seats 11, from one strand of the cable 12 to the opposite strand, is thus split by the two paths 15, 16, which each comprise a rail and associated propulsion means.

The internal track 15 comprises a first straight section 18, a second substantially straight section 19 and a third curved section 20 for connection to the second switch 17.

The second section 19 of the interior track 15 defines an angle a substantially greater than 90 relative to the axis 21 of the station or boarding station.

In the embodiment shown, the angle a is substantially 1000.

The first section 18 of the interior track 15 connects the first switch 14 substantially arranged parallel to the axis of the station 21 to the second substantially straight section 19 of the interior track 15.

Likewise, the third section 20 of the interior route 15 connects the second substantially rectilinear section 19 of this interior route to the second switch 17 substantially disposed parallel to the axis 21 of the boarding station.

A boarding location 22 is provided at the entrance to the second section 19 of the interior route 15.

An access track 23, the axis of which is substantially tangent to the first section 18 of the interior track 15 allows access to this boarding location 22 for skiers or passengers 24 placed behind the gates 25.

The skiers 24 are substantially arranged side by side, and face the gate 25, their skis being parallel and substantially oriented in the main direction 26 of the access track 23.

As will appear more clearly hereinafter, the skiers 24, during their movement towards the embarkation location 22, do not cross the seats 11 intended for the embarkation location 22 'of the outer track 16.

The outer track 16 is generally in the form of a deformed half-loop with a lateral offset, so as to follow the general curvature of the generally inner track 15.

This outer track 16 comprises a first section 27 which is substantially rectilinear and disposed in the axis of the declutching zone 10. A second section 28 of the outer track 16 connects the first section 27 to a third section 29 which is substantially straight and inclined relative to the axis 21 of the station at an angle ss substantially greater than 90 ".

In the embodiment shown, this angle ss is substantially equal to the angle a of inclination of the second section 19 of the inner track 15 relative to the axis 21 of the station.

In other embodiments, not shown, the angle ss is greater or less than the angle a.

The external track 16 also comprises a fourth, curved section, connecting the third substantially straight section 29 to a fifth substantially straight section 30 and disposed in the axis of the acceleration zone 13 of the boarding station.

The fifth section 30 is connected to the second switch 17.

A boarding location 22 ′ is provided, substantially in the axis 21 of the station, in a similar manner to the boarding location 22 of the interior track 15.

More specifically, the embarkation location 22 ′ is arranged at the entrance to the third section 29 of the exterior route 16.

An access runway 23 'whose axis is substantially tangent to the second section 28 of the external route 16 allows access to the boarding location 22' for skiers 24 'placed behind the gates 25 '.

The skiers 24 'are placed substantially side by side, behind the gates 25', their skis being substantially parallel to one another.

The skiers 24, 24 'are arranged beyond the template for passing the seats 11, template whose outer limit is represented by a dotted line 32 in FIG. 1.

In one embodiment, the access tracks 23, 23 ′ are substantially horizontal and at ground level.

In another embodiment, the access tracks 23, 23 ′ are arranged below the average level of the ground.

The access tracks 23, 23 ′ can be delimited, laterally by barriers or marks 33 as shown in FIG. 1.

The access track 23 'of the external route 16 allows direct access to the boarding location 22', in the usual manner, from the rear.

Likewise, the access track 23 of the internal route 15 allows direct access to the boarding location 22, in the usual manner, from the rear.

And this without the skiers 24 in any way crossing the seats 11 intended for the boarding location 22 ′ of the external route 16.

To this end, in a first embodiment, the first section 27 of the external track 16 comprises rails or a beam 31 allowing the horizontal translation at a higher level of the seats 11 above the access track 23.

More specifically, in one embodiment, said beam 31 cooperates with wheels or rollers, not shown, provided on the seats 11 ensuring their inclination relative to the vertical and their maintenance, when they pass over the runway. access 23, in a horizontal inclined position thereby reducing the overall height of the installation.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the seats 11 are supported by an elevator device 34 descender 35 allowing their transfer to a substantially vertical equilibrium position or to an inclined position above the access track 23.

 It is conceivable to provide a third bypass channel and in general, more than two bypass channels to increase the spacing of the seats 11.

Each lane may have an embarkation location and possibly a disembarkation location arranged before the embarkation location.

In certain embodiments, the bypass routes can be used in part for storing seats or cabins, the total number of seats circulating in the installation thus being adjustable as a function of the number of passengers or skiers to be transported.

The arrival station can be substantially identical to the boarding station with split lanes.

Depending on the flow and structure of the facility, a standard one-lane landing station may be sufficient, since disembarking is easier than boarding.

In the case of two boarding locations, each location only serves one in two load carriers and the throughput of each location is thus halved.

If the number of locations is higher, the speed of each location is of course reduced in proportion.

Skiers thus have a longer time to prepare and get in place for boarding and the boarding phase can be significantly accelerated.

The device makes it possible to have an independent boarding space which can be reserved for priority passengers, for example at a ski school.

The rhythmic means such as gates 25, 25 ', barriers or possibly traffic lights, determine the instant at which the skiers 24, 24' can engage without risk on the section of track 23, 23 'respectively to reach the embarkation location 22, 22 'respectively.

The opening of the gates 25, 25 ′ or the boarding signal delivered by the rhythmic means can be triggered by the passage of the seats 11 at predetermined locations, so as to overcome the speed of movement of the seats 11.

The gates 25, 25 'do not necessarily open at the same time as is known from the state of the art.

A boarding assistance device such as a conveyor belt can be provided on at least one of the access tracks 23, 23 ′.

In one embodiment, at least one conveyor belt allows the descent and then the ascent of the skiers 24 below an overpass for the seats intended for the boarding location 22 ′ of the external track 16.

In one embodiment, the seats 11 intended for the exterior track 16 do not pass above the access track 23, but on the contrary below, thereby further reducing the vertical size of the installation.

At the exit of the exterior and interior routes, after passing through the acceleration zone 13, the seats 11 regain the speed of movement they had before entering the station.

In another embodiment, not shown,: its access tracks 23, 23 ′ and the associated boarding locations 22, 22 ′ are located on other sections of the interior and exterior routes respectively.

Claims (18)

 CLAIMS 1. Aerial cable transport installation with continuous scrolling loop between two end stations, comprising load carriers coupled to the cable, the transfer of load carriers from one strand upstream of the cable, before the end station boarding at the downstream strand of the cable, after said station, being carried out on at least two tracks, namely at least one inner track (15) and one outer track (16) each having a boarding location (22, 22 ' ) with an access track (23, 23 '), a first switching device (14) orienting the load carriers on one or the other track (15, 16), a second switching device ( 17) connecting the outside track (16) and the inside track (15) at the end station exit, characterized in that the outside tracks (16) and inside tracks (15) do not intersect, at least one runway access (23) extends substantially below or above a section of an external track (16). 2. Aerial cable transport installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the access track (23) extends substantially below the first section (27) of the outer track (16). 3. Aerial cable transport installation according to claim 2, characterized in that said first section (27) comprises means (31) allowing the tilting of the load carriers relative to the vertical and their transfer, above the access track (23) to the interior track (15), in an inclined position. 4. Aerial cable transport installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the means (31) are rails, a beam, a lowering elevator device or the like. 5. Aerial cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises an inner track (15) and an outer track (16), in the form of a half-loop. 6. Overhead cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the boarding locations (22, 22 ') are substantially arranged in the axis (21) of the boarding station. . 7. Aerial cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the access tracks (23, 23 ') to the embarkation locations are tangent to a curved section (18, 28) internal and external transfer channels (15, 16). 8. Aerial cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the embarkation locations (22, 22 ') are arranged upstream of an end part of a substantially rectilinear section ( 19, 29) of the exterior and interior routes (15, 16). 9. Aerial cable transport installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the rectilinear sections (19, 29) are respectively inclined at an angle a and ss relative to the axis (21) of the boarding station. . 10. Aerial cable transport installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the angles a and ss are substantially equal. 11. Aerial cable transport installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the angles a and ss are substantially equal to 100 degrees. 12. Overhead cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the access tracks (23, 23 ') allow direct access to the embarkation locations (22, 22') in the usual way, from the rear. 13. Overhead cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the access tracks (23, 23 ') are substantially horizontal and at ground level. 14. Overhead cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the tracks (23, 23 ') are arranged below the average level of the ground. 15. Overhead cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises more than two bypass paths. 16. Aerial cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that one of the channels serves as storage for load carriers. 17.Aerial cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that it comprises rhythmic means such as gates (25, 25 '), barriers. 18. Aerial cable transport installation according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the seats (11) are capable of transporting at least five passengers and in particular six.