METHOD OF HEATING THE SEAT AND/OR BACK REST OF A CHAIR OF A CABLEWAY SYSTEM, AND CHAIR WHICH IS SUITABLE FOR THIS PURPOSE

PROCEDE DE CHAUFFAGE DU REMBOURRAGE DE SIEGE ET/OU DE DOSSIER D'UN SIEGE OU TELESIEGE ET SIEGE ADAPTE

English Abstract

The invention relates to a method for heating the seat and/or back rest
upholstery (4, 5) of a chair (3) 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
invention also relates to a corresponding chair (3) comprising an electrically
operated heating device (7).

French Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé de chauffage du rembourrage de siège et/ou de dossier (4, 5) d'un siège (3) d'un télésiège. L'invention est caractérisée en ce que le rembourrage de siège et/ou de dossier est chauffé par un équipement de chauffage électrique (7) intégré dans le rembourrage de siège et/ou de dossier lorsque le siège se trouve dans la station de télésièges. L'invention également un siège (3) de télésiège doté d'un équipement de chauffage électrique (7).

Claims

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Claims:
1. A method of heating the seat, backrest or seat and
backrest of a chair of a cableway system, which is
connected by a suspension to a clamping body which can
be coupled to a conveying or haulage cable, wherein the
seat, backrest or seat and backrest is or are heated by
an electric heating device integrated in the seat,
backrest, or seat and backrest, which is provided with
electrical power via at least one current collector on
a clamping body only while the chair is in a station of
the cableway system from a power source located in the
station of the cableway system.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
heating device is only supplied with power for a
certain period of time.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the
duration, intensity, or duration and intensity of the
electrical power is or are regulated in dependence on
the local outside temperature.
4. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3,
wherein the electrical power to the heating device is
interrupted as soon as the temperature of the seat,
backrest, or seat and backrest has or have reached a
predetermined maximum temperature value.
5. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4,
wherein the electrical power 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 mechanism to a clamping body
which can be coupled to a conveying or haulage cable,
the chair comprising an electrically operated heating
device, wherein there is provided at least one current

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collector on the clamping body and the heating device
is connected directly and only to the at least one
current collector.
7. The chair as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
heating device is arranged in the seat, backrest, or in
the seat and backrest of the chair.
8. The chair as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the
current collector comprises roller-type contacts.
9. The chair as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the
current collector comprises sliding contacts.
10. The chair as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9,
wherein the at least one current collector interacts
with at least one contact device provided in a station
of the cableway system.
11. The chair as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
contact device comprises a conductor rail arranged
along the conveying or haulage cable.
12. The chair as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein
the current collector and the contact device are part
of a device for inductive power transmission.
13. The chair as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 12,
wherein each heating device is provided with a fuse.

Description

CA 02485645 2004-11-10
Method of heating the seat and/or back rest of a chair
of a cableway system, and chair which is suitable for
this purpose
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.

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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 station.
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 is
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 is 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

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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 and
heats the seat and/or back rests.
The current collector may comprise 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
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

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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
deflecting 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 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 provided with a fuse, in particular an
overtemperature and/or overcurrent fuse.
The intensity of the current and the duration of the

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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.
Once the seat and back rest 4, 5 has been heated, the
passenger can board.

Representative Drawing