Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02856980 2016-03-01
CABLEWAY SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTING PERSONS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority of Austrian
patent application A 712/2013, filed September 16, 2013.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention:
[0002] The present invention relates to a cableway system for the transport
of
persons. The cableway system includes at least one vehicle, which along the
route
can be coupled to a conveying cable or which, by means of a traction cable
that is
coupled to the vehicle, is transportable along at least one track cable or
along a
track. Along the route it is coupled to the conveying cable or to the traction
cable
and in the stations it is decoupled from the conveying cable or from the
traction
cable. Then it is moved through the stations and is moved past or halted at at
least
one embarkation or disembarkation point adjoining an entry or exit region for
the
passengers, wherein it is boarded or vacated by the passengers. Thereupon it
is
once more coupled to the conveying cable or to the traction cable and moved
out of
the station.
[0003] By cableway systems according to the present patent application are
understood both systems for the transport of persons of the kind in which
vehicles,
in particular gondolas, are coupled to a conveying cable guided via supporting
towers and are moved by said conveying cable, or in which the vehicles are
transportable along at least one track cable and are moved by means of a
traction
cable and, moreover, also systems of the kind in which the vehicles are
transportable along tracks, in particular along rails, wherein they can be
coupled to
a traction cable by which they are moved.
[0004] Cableway systems of this type have terminal stations and, if need
be,
intermediate stations, in which the vehicles are moved at very slow speeds or
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halted, so that they can be boarded or vacated by the passengers. These
stations
are generally configured as buildings, in which waiting rooms, restaurants,
buffets,
cash desks, wash rooms and the like are located. Furthermore, these buildings
are
configured either with openings, through which the vehicles are moved along a
movement path into the building or the movement paths run alongside the
buildings. In the regions of the buildings, the vehicles are moved at a very
low
speed or brought to a halt, so that the passengers can board them and/or
disembark. After this, the vehicles are reaccelerated and moved away from the
building. Located alongside the movement paths of the vehicles are platforms,
on
which the passengers linger in order to be able to board the vehicles or onto
which
the passengers make their way after vacating the vehicles.
[0005] Due to this arrangement of the platforms, virtually the same
climatic
conditions prevail in the regions thereof as outside the stations.
[0006] Furthermore, as a result of the movement of the vehicles, namely as
a
result of their decoupling from the conveying cable or from the traction
cable, as a
result of the deceleration of the vehicles, as a result of the drives for the
vehicles,
as a result of their movement along guide rails, as a result of their coupling
to the
conveying cable or the traction cable, as a result of the acceleration of the
vehicles
for the exit from the stations and the like, strong noise developments occur,
to
which the passengers located on the platforms are exposed.
[0007] In contrast thereto, the vehicles which are boarded or vacated by
the
passengers can be air conditioned, in particular heated, and, moreover,
soundproofed.
[0008] The passengers located on the platforms are thus exposed to adverse
acoustic conditions and, in dependence on the general climatic conditions,
possibly
also to adverse climatic conditions.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a cableway
transport
system that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-
known devices and methods of this general type and which provides for an
improvement which avoids the drawbacks for the passengers of cableway systems
who board or alight from vehicle gondolas.
[0010] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in
accordance with the invention, a cableway system for transporting persons, the
cableway system comprising:
at least one vehicle to be coupled to a conveying cable or a traction cable
for moving the vehicle along a traveling route between stations with the
vehicle
being coupled to the conveying cable or the traction cable, and wherein the
vehicle
is decoupled from the conveying cable or the traction cable while being moved
through a station along a movement path, and the vehicle is once more coupled
to
the conveying cable or the traction cable for moving out of and away from the
station;
a station building formed with an entry or exit region for the passengers
where the at least one vehicle on moving through the station is moved past, or
briefly stopped, at an embarkation or disembarkation point adjoining the entry
or
exit region for the passengers, where the vehicle is boarded or vacated by the
passengers;
the station building having a screen disposed between the movement
path of the vehicle and the entry or exit region for the passengers, the
screen
having at least one passage opening formed therein for the passengers at the
embarkation or disembarkation point.
[0011] In other words, the objects of the invention are achieved by virtue
of the
fact that in at least one of the stations, between the movement path of the
vehicle
and the entry or exit region for the passengers, there is provided a screen,
in
particular a wall, which at the embarkation or disembarkation point is
configured
with at least one passage for the passengers. Preferably, the screen, in
particular
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the wall, is configured with two through passages, of which a first is
intended for the
passengers boarding a vehicle cabin and a second is intended for the
passengers
alighting from a vehicle cabin.
[0012] Furthermore, the at least one passage can be configured with a door
or
the like, wherein this door is controlled by the position of the vehicle cabin
which is
moving toward it.
[0013] According to a further embodiment, the station building is adjoined
by a
tunnel-like housing, in which the movement path for the at least one vehicle
is
located.
[0014] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention
are set forth in the appended claims.
[0015] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as
embodied in
a cableway system for the transport of persons, it is nevertheless not
intended to be
limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural
changes
may be made therein without departing from the invention and within
the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
[0016] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,
together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best
understood
from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a station of a
cableway system according to the invention;
[0018] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a station of
a
cableway system according to the invention; and
[0019] FIG. 2 is a side view of a third embodiment of a station of a
cableway
system according to the invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first,
particularly,
to Fig. 1 thereof, there is shown a first embodiment of a station of a
cableway
system, which has a station building 1. The cableway system is configured with
a
continuously circulating conveying cable 2. Along the route between stations
vehicles 3 are clamped to the conveying cable. The vehicles 3, in the
illustrated
case are gondolas with cabins 30. In the stations, the conveying cable 2 is
guided
via deflection pulleys 21, also referred to as head-wheels. At least one of
the
deflection pulleys 21 is driven. The conveying cable 2 is moved at a constant
speed
of, say, 7 m/sec to 10 m/sec. The vehicles 3 travel in the direction of an
arrow A.
[0021] In an alternative conveyance system, the carrying cable for the
vehicles 3
is a stationary cable (e.g., single or double) or a rail system extending
between the
stations and supporting the vehicles. In that case, the vehicles are provided
with a
roller head which rolls on the cable. Drive power is transferred to the
vehicles by a
traction cable to which the vehicles are coupled between the stations and
which
pulls the vehicles en route from one station to the another station.
[0022] In the station, the vehicles 3, after having been decoupled from the
continuously running conveying cable 2 or from the traction cable, are moved
through the station along guide rails 4. Following the decoupling from the
conveying
or traction cable 2, the speed of the vehicles 3 is reduced to around 0.3
m/sec by
way of a battery of deceleration tires 41. At this speed, the vehicles 3 are
moved by
conveyor tires 42 through a boarding area, with the embarkation and
disembarkation points for the passengers. Subsequently, the speed of the
vehicles
3 is increased to the speed of the conveying cable 2 by way of a battery of
acceleration tires 43, whereupon the vehicles 3 are re-coupled to the
conveying or
traction cable 2.
[0023] For the purpose of boarding the vehicle cabins 30, the passengers
are
located in an entry and exit region 11 located within the station building 1.
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[0024] The station building 1 is closed off from the movement path of the
vehicles 3 by a wall 12 located directly alongside the movement path of the
gondolas 30. In this wall 12 there is provided an opening 13, through which
the
passengers make their way from the entry region 11 into the vehicle cabins 30
or
the passengers make their way out of the vehicle cabins 30 into the exit
region 11
and thus into the station building 1.
[0025] The effect of the wall 12 is that the passengers who are located in
the
entry and exit region 11 and who wish to board the vehicle cabins 30, or who
have
just left the vehicle cabins 30, are very largely protected, on the one hand,
against
the climatic conditions prevailing outside the station building 1 and, on the
other
hand, against the acoustic emissions caused by the operation of the cableway
system.
[0026] Since the distance between the wall 12 and the vehicle cabins 30 can
amount to just a few centimeters, the passengers, when boarding or alighting
from
the vehicle cabins 30, are almost completely protected against climatic and
acoustic nuisances.
[0027] The second embodiment, represented in FIG. 1A, of a station building
1
of a cableway system differs from the first embodiment according to FIG. 1 by
virtue
of the fact that two passages 13a and 13b are provided in the wall 12, wherein
the
passage 13a is intended for those passengers who are alighting from a vehicle
cabin 30 and the passage 13b is intended for those passengers who are boarding
a
vehicle cabin 30.
[0028] As can be seen, furthermore, from FIG. 2, the station building 1 can
be
adjoined by a tunnel-like housing 10, which almost fully encloses the movement
path of the vehicle cabins 30, whereby an additional screen against climatic
or
acoustic nuisances for the passengers is realized.
[0029] The passages 13, 13a, 13b can be configured with doors. Preferably,
these doors are controlled such that they open upon the approach of a vehicle
cabin 30.
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[0030] The above-described configuration of a station building 1 having a
wall
12 which, at the embarkation and disembarkation point, is configured with at
least
one passage 13, 13a, 13b is not limited to the design of the cableway system.
It
can be provided both in cableway systems of the kind in which, as represented
in
the illustrative embodiments, is provided a conveying cable 2, to which the
vehicles
3 are coupled along the route, wherein in the stations they are decoupled from
the
conveying cable 2 and are moved through the stations. However, it can also be
provided in cableway systems of the kind in which the vehicles, in the route,
are
transported by means of at least one traction cable along at least one track
cable or
a fixed cable track, wherein in the stations they are decoupled from the
traction
cable and are moved at reduced speed through the embarkation and
disembarkation points for the passengers.
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