Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CABLEWAY STATION HAVING A SAFETY BARRIER
[0001] The present invention relates to a cableway station for at least one
cableway, in which station at least one openable safety barrier is provided,
wherein a sensor for detecting an opening state of the at least one safety
barrier is provided in the cableway station, said sensor generating a sensor
signal as a function of the opening state and sending a sensor signal to a
control unit of a cableway drive, wherein the control unit controls the
cableway drive as a function of the obtained sensor signal. Furthermore, the
invention relates to a safety system for a cableway station having an
openable safety barrier, and to a method for operating at least one cableway
having at least one cableway station, in which an openable safety barrier is
arranged.
[0002] Cableways are used to transport people and materials between two or
more cableway stations. For this purpose, a number of cable cars, such as
chairs or gondolas, are moved between the cableway stations, either
circulating or shuttling back and forth. The cable cars are moved between the
cableway stations by means of at least one traction cable. The cable car can
be suspended from at least one support cable (in the case of an aerial
cableway), or can be arranged on rails or on the ground (cable railways) in a
manner allowing movement, and can be moved with at least one traction
cable. However, the cable car can also be releasably clamped, or fixed, to
the traction cable, and moved with the traction cable. In the case of
circulating
cable cars, the cable cars are often decoupled from the traction cable in a
cableway station, e.g., by means of releasable cable clamps, and are moved
through the cableway station at a lower speed, in order to make it easier for
people to get on or off, or to make it easier to load or unload material.
[0003] In cableway stations, there are usually different areas with different
access restrictions. For example, there may be areas in which the access is
permitted both for the operating personnel of the cableway and for
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passengers - for example, an entry/exit area. Often, there are also areas in
which access is permitted only for the operating personnel, and in which the
entry for passengers is not permitted or is not desired. These can, for
example, be areas outside the entry/exit area, in which there is no immediate
risk of injury, but where the access is prohibited for persons who are not
operators - for example, for operational reasons. Furthermore, there may also
be areas in a cableway station in which access is prohibited for all persons
for safety reasons, i.e., both for persons who are involved in operations,
such
as the operating personnel, and also for persons who are not operators, such
as passengers. Such danger areas include, in particular, areas around the
drive, in which moving parts are located, and/or areas with live current.
[0004] Entering such danger areas can result in serious injury, which is why
they are generally separated by safety barriers. To date, mostly such safety
barriers have been used, which trigger an emergency stop of the drive of the
cableway upon opening. For known cableways, safety regulations typically
state that, during operation of the cableway, there must always be one
operator
on-site who monitors the operation and controls the cableway. Depending
upon the type and size of the system, the operating personnel may include one
or more persons who are present in order to ensure smooth operation. The
operating personnel generally control the cableway from an operation room,
which also gives a good visual overview of the areas being monitored, and in
particular entry/exit areas and danger areas. In addition, the operating
personnel generally also assist passengers entering and exiting the cable
cars,
such as, for example, the chair of a chairlift or the cars of a gondola lift.
[0005] Hitherto, if a safety barrier was triggered, e.g., because a passenger
had
inadvertently or intentionally entered a restricted area, an emergency stop of
the
cableway was then triggered automatically, and, at the same time, an alarm
would
also be triggered. For example, the triggering can take place by means of a
mechanical contact switch which is actuated when the safety barrier is opened.
The contact switch, for example, interrupts the energy supply of the cableway
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drive so that the drive is stopped immediately. The operating personnel
already
present in the cableway station typically check the area around the safety
barrier
in order to determine under which circumstances and by whom the safety barrier
has been opened. Afterthe check has been completed and it is ensured that
there
are no more persons in the prohibited area, the operation of the cableway can
be
continued. For this purpose, the safety barrier would have been manually reset
into the closed position by the operating personnel, as a result of which the
electrical contact would have been restored by the contact switch. The restart
of
the cableway is generally also carried out manually - for example, via the
controller in the operation room of the cableway station.
[0006] Due to the technical development in the field of automation technology,
the trend in the field of transport in recent years is towards automated
operation. For example, in some cities, driverless subway systems are already
in operation, and fully automated systems are frequently used in internal
transport processes. In such systems, the control of the transport process is
carried out fully automatically, and personnel are essentially necessary only
for monitoring a smooth operation, and possibly for emergencies. Accordingly,
in the hitherto quite personnel-intensive field of cableways, the trend is
towards
the greatest possible automation for operations, and/or to strive towards this
end, progressively, with fewer operating personnel.
[0007] Proceeding from the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present
invention to simplify the operation of a cableway, and at the same time to
ensure safe operation.
[0008] According to the invention, the object is achieved in that the control
unit
is configured to stop the cableway drive, or to reduce a drive speed of the
cableway drive, when a sensor signal corresponding to an open position of the
safety barrier is received, wherein the safety barrier has a remotely-operable
actuating unit which can be controlled by means of a remote control unit in
order to reset the safety barrier from the open position, in which the
cableway
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drive is stopped or the drive speed is reduced, into a closed position, in
which
the cableway drive can be activated again or the drive speed can be increased
again. As a result, it is no longer necessary for the operating personnel to
manually reset the safety barrier into the closed position. Instead, this can
now
take place remotely. As a result, when the safety barrier is actuated, the
drive
can be stopped completely as usual, or an operation at reduced speed could
also take place - for example, if there is no risk of injury upon entering the
prohibited area. After the remote-controlled reset of the safety barrier, the
cableway drive can be activated again, or the speed can be increased again -
for example, from an operation room within the cableway station.
[0009] Preferably, the control unit is configured to automatically reactivate
the
cableway drive or to increase the drive speed again when a sensor signal
corresponding to the closed position is received, after the remote-controlled
reset of the safety barrier from the open position into the closed position by
the actuating unit. The result is that, essentially, an at least partially
automated operation can be made possible, because the remote-controlled
closing of the safety barrier can simultaneously result in the resumption of
operation of the cableway, without a separate activation having to take place.
[0010] An alarm unit is preferably also provided in the cableway station
and/or
outside the cableway station, so that a preferably optical and/or acoustic
alarm is triggered, when the open position of the safety barrier is detected
by
the sensor. As a result, the operating personnel and/or, optionally, other
passengers can be alerted.
[0011] Preferably, the actuating unit of the safety barrier can be controlled
wirelessly and/or by wire via at least one stationary and/or portable remote
control unit. For this purpose, at least one stationary and/or portable remote
control unit is preferably arranged in the cableway station and/or outside the
cableway station. The stationary and/or portable remote control unit is
preferably arranged in an operation room within the cableway station and/or
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in a central operation room for several cableway stations. A mobile telephone
or a portable computer can advantageously be provided as a portable remote
control unit. As a result, a very flexible control of the safety barrier,
independent of location, can be created. As a result, it is no longer
necessary,
as previously, for the operating personnel to personally reset the safety
barrier. Rather, this reset can take place from an operation room or a central
operation room or from any location via a mobile device.
[0012] The sensor is preferably connected to the control unit in a wireless or
wired manner. In particular, a very simple system with little installation
effort
is created by a wireless connection.
[0013] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, a camera
system with at least one camera and with an evaluation unit is provided as
the sensor, wherein at least the safety barrier is arranged in the capture
range
of the at least one camera, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to
evaluate the images captured by the at least one camera in order to detect
the opening state of the safety barrier and to transmit the sensor signal to
the
control unit. As a result, the opening state can be detected by means of image
recognition, as a result of which no separate sensor has to be arranged
directly on the safety barrier. In an advantageous manner, for example, more
than one safety barrier can also be monitored with the camera system.
[0014] Preferably, at least one camera is provided in the cableway station,
wherein the at least one safety barrier is arranged in the capture range of
the
at least one camera, wherein a display unit for displaying images and/or
videos captured by the camera is provided in the cableway station -
preferably in an operation room - and/or outside the cableway station -
preferably the central operation room for several cableway stations. As a
result, the operating personnel can visually monitor the area of the safety
barrier, e.g., from the operation room, and reset the safety barrier into the
closed position with the remote control unit if no potential danger is
detected.
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[0015] Alternatively or additionally, a mechanical contact switch, inductive
sensor, capacitive sensor, light barrier, laser sensor, magnetic sensor, or
ultrasonic sensor arranged in the area of the safety barrier can also be
provided as the sensor. As a result, a suitable switch can be used, depending
upon the application; for example, a weather-resistant sensor can be used in
an unprotected area. A redundant system could also be provided if, in addition
to the camera system, a further sensor is provided, such that the reliability
and
consequently the safety of the operation of the cableway can be increased. As
a result, a relatively simple and robust system can be created.
[0016] The object is also achieved by a safety system, wherein the safety
barrier has a remotely-operable actuating unit in order to reset the safety
barrier with a remote control unit from an open position into a closed
position.
[0017] The object is further achieved by a method for operating a cableway,
wherein the cableway drive is stopped by the control unit, or a drive speed of
the cableway drive is reduced, when the safety barrier is moved from a closed
position into an open position, wherein the safety barrier is reset by means
of a
remote control unit from the open position, in which the cableway drive is
stopped or the drive speed is reduced, into the closed position, in which the
cableway drive can be activated again or the drive speed can be increased
again.
[0018] In the following, the present invention is described in greater detail
with
reference to Figs. 1 through 3, which, by way of example, show schematic and
non-limiting, advantageous embodiments of the invention. The drawings show:
Fig. 1 a plan view of a cableway station of a cableway,
Fig. 2 a plan view of a cableway station for three cableways,
Fig. 3 several, spatially separated cableway stations, each for one cableway,
with a central operation room.
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[0019] Fig. 1 is a cableway station 1 of a cableway S designed as a gondola
lift.
The basic structure and the function of a cableway station 1 are known, which
is
why a detailed description at this point is dispensed with. The illustration
is
therefore greatly simplified, and only the components essential for the
invention
are shown. The cableway S has several cable cars F which are moved with a
traction cable 12. In the example shown, the cableway S is designed as a
circulating cableway, in which the cable cars F are coupled to and uncoupled
from
the traction cable 12. In this case, the traction cable is deflected by 180
around
a pulley wheel 13, and is driven by the pulley wheel 13. For this purpose, a
cableway drive 5, e.g., an electrical drive, is provided which drives the
pulley
wheel 13. Of course, this is only an example, and several cableway stations 1
can
also be provided in the cableway, e.g., two end stations and one or more
central
stations, wherein a cableway drive 5 can be provided in each cableway station.
A
cable deflection of less than 180 would also be conceivable in principle. In
general, at least two cableway stations are usually provided, between which
the
cable cars F circulate, e.g., to transport persons P and/or objects, wherein a
cableway drive 5 is provided in at least one cableway station 1.
[0020] A control unit 4 is provided in the cableway station 1, which control
unit
is connected to the cableway drive 5 of the cableway S or is integrated
therein.
The control unit 4 can be used to control the cableway drive 5 in order to
control
the movement of the pulley wheel 13 and consequently the movement of the
traction cable 12. As a result, the speed at which the cable cars F are moved
when they are connected to the traction cable 12 can be controlled. As is
known,
the cable cars F of a circulating cableway can also be decoupled from the
traction cable 12 upon entry into a cableway station 1, in order to be able to
be
moved through the cableway station 1 at a mostly lower speed, independent
from the speed of the traction cable 12. Upon their exit from the cableway
station
1, the cable cars F can again be coupled to the traction cable 12. As a
result, a
more comfortable entry into and exit from the cable cars F within the cableway
station 1 can be made possible, and a high conveying capacity can nevertheless
be achieved by the unchanged high speed of the traction cable 12. In the
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uncoupled state, the cable cars F can be guided, for example, by means of
rollers on a guide rail (not shown), which guide rail is arranged in an upper
region
of the cableway station 1. The drive of the cable cars F uncoupled from the
traction cable 12 during the movement within the cableway station 1 can take
place, for example, via a known friction drive. Within the scope of the
invention,
the control unit 4 therefore controls not only the drive of the traction cable
12,
but in particular also the drive of the cable cars F in the uncoupled state,
within
the cableway station 1.
[0021] As a rule, an operation room 9 is also provided in a cableway station
1, from which room the responsible operating personnel B control the
cableway, and in particular the cableway drive 5. For this purpose, for
example, a control console 14 can be provided in the operation room 9 - for
example, in the form of a computer which is connected to the control unit 4.
The operation room 9 is usually arranged in such a manner that the operating
personnel B responsible for the operation of the cableway S can view the
essential areas, and in particular an entry and/or exit area. If an unforeseen
event occurs which, under certain circumstances, jeopardizes safety for
persons, e.g., if a passenger falls when entering/exiting a cable car F, the
operating personnel B can intervene and stop the cableway drive 5 via the
control console 14, for example, or at least reduce the speed.
[0022] In a known manner, one or more openable safety barriers 2 can also
be provided in the cableway station 1 in order to detect whether a person or
an object is positioned in, and/or has entered into, a specific area without
authorization. Such a safety barrier 2 is often arranged in areas which are
particularly critical for safety - for example, in the area of the cableway
drive
5 of the cableway S in which moving parts are located. A safety barrier 2 is
often also arranged in an exit area of the cableway S, in which the cable cars
F are again coupled to the traction cable 12 in order to increase the speed
again.
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[0023] In the exit area of a cable car, the safety barrier 2 can be used as a
guide
contour of the car, for example. The shape of the safety barrier 2 can, for
example, be adapted in a substantially complementary manner to the outer
contour of the cars, or a part thereof. In normal operation, the cable cars F
pass
through the safety barrier 2 with the smallest possible distance between the
car
and the safety barrier 2 transverse to the direction of travel, without the
safety
barrier 2 being actuated or triggered. During operation of the cableway S,
however, certain hazardous situations can occur, e.g., when a car door has not
been locked, or has not been locked completely, an object is clamped in the
car
door, or a person is being dragged along by the cable car, etc. In these
cases,
the outer contour of the car or of a part thereof usually no longer matches
the
contour of the car in normal operation. As a result, the safety barrier 2 is
actuated, because, it is for example actuated or triggered by the laterally
protruding (not completely closed) car door, the object, or the person, and is
moved from the closed position into an open position during normal operation.
[0024] However, areas of a cableway station 1 which are not critical with
regard
to personal safety or risk of injury, but for which, for example, access is
not
permitted for unauthorized persons, e.g., passengers, for operational reasons,
can also be separated by means of a safety barrier 2. Safety barriers 2 can be
advantageous in particular in areas which are particularly safety-relevant
and/or
which are only poorly visible to the operating personnel B. In principle, many
different elements can be used as safety barriers 2 that are suitable for
blocking
passage access - for example, doors, bars, etc. However, the specific
embodiment of a safety barrier 2 is irrelevant for the invention.
[0025] In the example shown in Fig. 1, three safety barriers 2 are arranged.
One safety barrier 2 is arranged in this case in the region of the cableway
drive
5 below the pulley wheel 13 in order to block access to the drive, and in
particular to the moving parts of the drive. For better recognizability of the
components, the pulley wheel 13 is shown cutaway in the region of the safety
barrier. A further safety barrier 2 is arranged in the exit area of the
cableway
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station 1, in which the cable cars F are again coupled to the traction cable
12
in order to increase the speed of the cable cars F from the low speed within
the cableway station 1 to a relatively higher speed of the traction cable 12.
The
safety barrier 2 in the exit area can be provided, for example, as a guide
contour for the cable cars F, as was explained above. The third safety barrier
2 is arranged adjacent to the operation room 9 and separates the entry/exit
area accessible to passengers from an area to which access is not permitted
for persons who are not authorized operators - in particular, passengers.
[0026] In normal operation of the cableway S, a safety barrier 2 is generally
in
a closed position in which passage is blocked, and can, for example, be moved
from the closed position into an open position when actuated by a person or
an object. A sensor 3 with which the opening state of the associated safety
barrier 2 can be detected is assigned to each safety barrier 2. The sensor 3
is
connected to the control unit 4 and transmits a sensor signal Y to the control
unit 4 as a function of the opening state. The signal transmission can be
wired
or wireless. The control unit 4 processes the obtained sensor signal Y and
controls the cableway drive 5 as a function of the sensor signal Y. In the
simplest case, a mechanical contact switch, inductive sensor, capacitive
sensor, light barrier, laser sensor, magnetic sensor, or ultrasonic sensor
arranged in proximity to the safety barrier 2 can be provided as the sensor 3,
as is indicated on the safety barrier 2 in the region of the drive in Fig. 1.
[0027] If the safety barrier 2 is actuated by being moved from the closed
position
into an open position, the sensor 3 detects the open position and sends a
corresponding sensor signal Y to the control unit 4. In the simplest case,
this can
mean, for example, that the contact of a contact switch is interrupted. When
the
sensor signal Y corresponding to the open position is received, the control
unit
4 can trigger an emergency stop of the cableway drive 5, for example. This is
advantageous in particular if a safety barrier 2 of an area which is
particularly
critical with respect to the risk of injury, e.g., near the cableway drive 5
in Fig. 1,
or in the exit area of the cable cars F from the cableway station 1, is
actuated.
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In the case of less-critical areas, however, it is, for example, possible for
a
reduction in the speed of the cableway drive 5 to simply take place.
[0028] Until now, if a safety barrier 2 was actuated, an emergency stop of the
cableway S was generally triggered - for example, because the safety barrier 2
was actuated in the exit area by a passenger who wanted to climb into a cable
car F too late. However, an actuation could also take place by means of an
object
- for example, an object clamped in the door of a cabin. The responsible
operating
personnel B previously personally visually checked the area of the safety
barrier
2 in question, and identified the cause for triggering the safety barrier 2.
If they
determined that a normal operating state existed, or was restored, the safety
barrier 2 was manually closed by hand. The cableway drive 5 was then also
manually activated by hand by the same person or another person of the
responsible operating personnel B - usually from the operation room 9 of the
cableway station 1. Especially in the case of long distances between the
operation
room 9 and a safety barrier 2, and if the operation and monitoring is carried
out,
for example, by only one person of the operating personnel B, this can lead to
relatively long waiting times until the operation of the cableway S can be
resumed.
[0029] Within the scope of the invention, a remotely-operable actuating unit 6
is
therefore assigned to at least one safety barrier 2, with which the safety
barrier 2
can be moved from the state of the open position back into the state of the
closed
position by means of a suitable remote control unit 7, without manual
intervention.
In the example according to Fig. 1, each of the three illustrated safety
barriers 2
is assigned a remotely-operable actuating unit 6. "Remote operation" or "from
a
distance" in this context means in particular that it is possible to take
action which
affects the safety barrier 2 by means of the actuating unit 6 in order to
reset the
safety barrier 2 from the open position back into the closed position, without
a
person of the operating personnel having to be positioned on-site at the
safety
barrier 2. In the context of the invention, the closed position of the safety
barrier 2
generally means a position of the safety barrier 2 in the normal state in
which an
unrestricted normal operation of the cableway S is possible. In the context of
the
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invention, the open position is generally understood to mean any given
position
of the safety barrier 2, deviating from the closed position, by means of which
a
restricted operation of the cableway S is triggered. The closed position and
the
open position are detected by means of the at least one sensor 3.
[0030] A stationary remote control unit 7a can be provided as a remote control
unit 7, for example, which is arranged, for example, in the operation room 9
of
the cableway station 1 or in a control center that is spatially separated from
the
cableway, and is operated by a person in the operation room 9 or control
center. A central operation room 17 can be provided as a control center, for
example, which is provided for controlling several cableways that are
spatially
separated from one another, as will be explained in detail in Fig. 3. The
stationary remote control unit 7a can be integrated, for example, in the
control
console 14. However, a mobile remote control unit 7b could also be provided,
by means of which the actuating unit 6 can be controlled locally,
independently
of the operation room 9, as is indicated in Fig. 1 at left, above. For
example, a
suitable mobile telephone, such as a smartphone, or a suitable portable
computer, such as a tablet computer or the like, can be contemplated.
[0031] The actuating unit 6 can have, for example, a suitable drive unit, such
as an electric drive, via which the safety barrier 2 is reset. Of course,
other
drives, such as hydraulic, pneumatic, or electromagnetic drives, are also
possible. The control of the actuating unit 6 can take place directly, by
control
signals being transmitted directly from the remote control unit 7 to the
actuating
unit 6. This signal transmission can be wireless, e.g., via radio, or
conventionally wired - for example, via an electrical line. However, the
control
can also take place indirectly and centrally via the control unit 4, by the
control
signals being transmitted from the remote control unit 7 to the control unit
4,
and the control unit 4 controlling the actuating unit 6.
[0032] After the safety barrier 2 has been moved back into the closed position
via
the remote control unit 7, the closed position is detected by the sensor 3,
and a
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corresponding sensor signal Y is transmitted to the control unit 4. As a
result, the
operationally ready state is restored, in which the cableway drive 5 can be
restarted or the speed can be increased again - for example, by means of a
manual control by the operating personnel B. Preferably, however, the control
unit
4 automatically starts the cableway drive 5 when the sensor signal Y
corresponding to the closed position is received, or increases the speed of
the
cableway drive 5, depending upon whether the drive has been stopped when the
safety barrier 2 is opened or only the speed has been reduced. It is important
that
a start of the cableway drive 5 or an increase in the speed be possible only
if the
safety barrier 2 has been moved back into the closed position, i.e., the
safety
barrier 2 has again assumed the normal state. In the open position, this is
not
possible for safety reasons. Advantageously, the actuating unit 6 is actuated
to
close the safety barrier 2 only once the operating personnel B have made
certain
that there is no longer any risk in the area of the relevant safety barrier 2.
[0033] If the area of the activated safety barrier 2 is not visible, or is
only poorly
visible, it may be advantageous for the safety barrier 2 to be monitored by a
camera 10. The safety barrier 2 is arranged in the capture range of the camera
10, and the captured images are transmitted - preferably in the form of a
video
- to, for example, a suitable display unit, e.g., to a monitor in the
operation room
9, or to the (e.g., stationary or mobile) remote control unit 7. The operating
personnel B can then monitor the situation directly from the operation room 9
or
by means of the remote control unit 7, and can move the safety barrier 2 into
the closed position by means of the remote control unit 7, in order to
accordingly
restore the operation of the cableway S, and in particular to activate the
cableway drive 5. As a result, an advantageous, partially-automated operation
of the cableway S can be achieved, and the waiting times before the cableway
S is restarted can be shortened, while maintaining the same level of safety.
[0034] An alarm unit 8 is preferably also provided in the cableway station 1,
which triggers a preferably optical or acoustic alarm signal when the sensor
signal Y corresponding to the open position is received. In this case as well,
a
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direct, wireless, or wired transmission of the sensor signal Y to the alarm
unit
8 could take place, or the alarm unit 8 can be activated indirectly via the
control
unit 4 which receives the sensor signal Y. For example, a type of siren could
be provided as an alarm unit 8 in order to signal the triggering of a safety
barrier
2. A signal light, e.g., a beacon light, could also be provided - for example,
additionally or alternatively. Preferably, one signal light can be arranged
per
safety barrier 2, so that the detection of the specific activated safety
barrier 2
is facilitated. However, an alarm unit 8 could also be arranged outside of the
cableway station 1 - for example, in a central operation room 17 (Fig. 3).
[0035] It is particularly advantageous if a camera system K, which has at
least
one camera 10 and an evaluation unit 11, is used as the sensor 3. The
camera 10 is arranged in such a way that at least one safety barrier 2 is
arranged in the capture range A of the at least one camera 10. If it is
possible,
given the spatial arrangement, several safety barriers 2 can of course also
be arranged in the capture range A of a camera 10, as indicated with dashed
lines in Fig. 1. The evaluation unit 11 is provided to evaluate the images
captured by the at least one camera 10, in order to detect the opening state
of the safety barrier(s) 2 and to transmit a sensor signal Y corresponding to
the opening state to the control unit 4.
[0036] For this purpose, image recognition is implemented in the evaluation
unit
11 in a known manner - for example, in the form of hardware and/or software
which are designed to detect the opening states of the respective safety
barriers
2. The use of such camera systems K is known in the prior art - for example,
by
the term, "machine vision." The evaluation unit 11 can, for example, form one
unit with the camera 10 as shown, but could also be integrated, for example,
into the control unit 4, or also be designed as a separate unit. By using a
camera
system K, conventional sensors in the proximity of safety barriers 2, for
example,
can be dispensed with. In order to increase safety, the camera system K and
the sensors 3 could also be used in parallel, for reasons of redundancy.
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[0037] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is explained in
more detail below with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a single cableway
station 1 for three cableways S1 - S3. Such a configuration can be
advantageous, for example, in order to create a common entry point from
which passengers can be transported in several different directions. In this
case, passengers can decide in the cableway station 1 which cableway S1 -
S3 to take, and board the corresponding cable car F. By using a common,
instead of three, structurally-separate, cableway stations 1, a more cost-
effective and space-saving design can be realized. In addition, it is possible
to control and monitor the cableways S1 - S3 centrally, whereby a simpler
and more cost-effective operation can be achieved.
[0038] Where, in the past, at least one person of the cableway personnel B
was needed per cableway station 1 to control the cableway Si and monitor the
operation, this is now possible, in the embodiment shown, with a smaller
number of persons. In the example shown, therefore, only one operation room
9 is provided, from which the three cableways S1 - S3 can be controlled via a
central control unit 4. Each cableway S1 - S3 is assigned a separate cableway
drive Sin order to drive the respective pulley wheels 13 and to drive the
cable
cars F which are uncoupled from the traction cable within the cableway station
I. The cableway drives 5 are controlled by the central control unit 4, as a
result
of which, for example, the movement of the cable cars F of the three cableways
S1 - S3 can be synchronized or coordinated with one another. Due to the
separate cableway drives 5, it is possible that not all the cableways S1 - S3
always have to be in operation; rather, for example, only one or two of the
three
cableways S1 - S3 may be in operation. Of course, a shared cableway drive 5
for all the cableways S1 - S3 could also be provided.
[0039] One openable safety barrier 2, which according to the invention has an
actuating unit 6 which can be controlled by means of a remote control unit 7,
is
assigned to each of the exit areas of the cableways S1 - S3. Of course, it is
also
possible to provide only one safety barrier 2, which has a remotely-operable
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-21
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actuating unit 6. The safety barriers 2 can be provided, for example, as a
guide
contour for the cabins of the cable cars F, as has been explained earlier. The
remote control unit 7 is arranged in this case in the form of a stationary
remote
control unit 7a within the operation room 9, and in particular integrated into
the
control console 14. The control console 14 is connected to the central control
unit
4 in order to control the cableway drives 5. Each safety barrier 2 is assigned
a
camera 10 of a camera system K, which functions as a sensor 3. Each of the
safety barriers 2 is arranged in the capture range A of the associated camera
10.
[0040] The evaluation unit 11 of the camera system K is integrated in this
case
into the control unit 4. As has already been described with reference to Fig.
1,
the opening state of the safety barriers 2 is monitored via the camera system
K
by means of image recognition, and a corresponding sensor signal Y is
transmitted to the central control unit 4 when an open position of a safety
barrier
2 is detected. Depending upon the specific embodiment, the control unit 4
stops
the cableway drives 5 of all the cableways S1 - S3 as a function of the sensor
signal Y, or reduces the speed thereof. In the case of separate cableway
drives
5, it is of course also possible to stop only the specific cableway Si, or to
reduce
the speed thereof, for which the safety barrier 2 has been actuated.
[0041] In turn, one or more alarm units (not shown) is/are preferably provided
inside and/or outside the cableway station 1 in order to signal the triggering
of the safety barrier 2. In addition to a general alarm signal in the cableway
station 1 in the form of a light or a siren which is also perceptible to the
passengers, the safety barrier 2 actuated in each case could also be
indicated in a suitable manner in the operation room 9 - for example, on a
monitor. As a result, a more rapid reaction can take place, because the safety
barrier 2 which has been actuated can be identified more quickly.
[0042] If not all safety barriers 2 are visible from the operation room 9, it
is
advantageous if the camera system K, in addition to its function as a sensor
3,
is also used to indicate the situation at least in the region of the triggered
safety
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barrier 2 - preferably as a video transmission - to the operating personnel B
in
the operation room 9. As a result, it can be determined from the operation
room
9 whether a potential hazardous situation, such as a person who has fallen, or
a trapped object, has been rectified, and the relevant safety barrier 2 can be
moved back directly from the operation room 9 into the closed position by
means of the remote control unit 7b. The camera system K continues to
monitor the safety barrier 2, and transmits a corresponding sensor signal Y to
the control unit 4 when the closed position has been reached. As a result, the
normal operating state is restored, in which the cableway drive 5 of the
respective cableway Si can be restarted, for example, or the speed can be
increased again, which can take place, for example, actively by the operating
personnel B from the operation room 9. In an advantageous embodiment, the
control unit 4 controls the cableway drives 5 as a function of the obtained
sensor signal Y autonomously when the sensor signal Y is received, in order
to automatically restore the operation of the given cableway Si or all of the
cableways S1 - S3, or to increase the speed thereof again.
[0043] If the hazard potential is still present in the region of the triggered
safety barrier 2, the operating personnel B can personally evaluate the
situation in the region of the safety barrier 2 and restore the operationally-
safe state. In order in this case to bring the cableway Si or all the
cableways
S1 - S3 back into operation as quickly as possible, it can be advantageous if
the safety barrier 2 is able to be closed via a mobile remote control unit 7b,
which is not illustrated in Fig. 2 (see, for example, Fig. 1). It can be seen
from
this that the efficiency of the operation of a cableway compared to
conventional cableways can be increased by the invention, and at the same
time high operational safety can be achieved. According to a further
advantageous embodiment, the remote operability can also be exploited to
actuate several of the safety barriers 2 in cableway stations 1 arranged
separately from one another, as explained below with reference to Fig. 3.
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[0044] In Fig. 3, a portion of a ski area is shown in a highly simplified
manner.
A road 15 runs through the valley of the area. Three cableways S1 - S3 are
provided in the ski area, each with a first cableway station la in the form of
a
terminal station designed as a lower station, and with a second cableway
station lb in the form of a terminal station designed as a summit station. Of
course, further cableway stations 1 in the form of central stations could also
be provided in-between. The cableways S1 - S3 are embodied as circulating
cableways, and each has a plurality of cable cars F which can be moved in a
known manner between the cableway station la, lb by means of a traction
cable 12 in order to transport persons and/or objects from the lower station
to the summit station (and vice versa). Several cableway supports 16 are
arranged in a known manner between the cableway stations la, lb in order
to guide the traction cable 12. Of course, the illustration is greatly
simplified
and shows only the features that are essential for understanding the
invention.
[0045] In at least one cableway station la, lb of each cableway S1 - S3, a
cableway drive 5 (not shown) is also provided in each case in order to drive
the
traction cable 12 by means of a pulley wheel 13, which is indicated by dashed
lines. Each of the cableway drives 5 is in turn controlled by a control unit 4
(not
shown), as has already been described in detail. Due to simpler installation,
the
cableway drive 5 is generally provided in the lower station la. The structure
and
the function of the cableways S1 -S3 have already been described with
reference
to Figs. 1 and 2, which is why this is no longer discussed in detail at this
point.
[0046] In the example shown, one or more safety barriers 2 (not shown) is/are
provided in the cableway stations 1 a, lb of the three cableways S1 - S3, the
mode
of operation of which has already been described with reference to Figs. 1 and
2.
According to the invention, the safety barriers 2 each have an actuating unit
6
which can be actuated by means of one (or more) remote control units(s) 7 to
enable resetting the safety barriers 2 after the triggering from an open
position (in
which the cableway drive 5 is interrupted, or at least the speed is reduced)
into a
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closed position (in which the cableway drive 5 can be activated again, or the
speed can be increased again). Of course, it would, however, again be
sufficient
for the invention if only one safety barrier 2 of a cableway station Si were
assigned
a remotely-operable actuating unit 6. The remotely-controlled reset of the
safety
barriers(s) 2 by means of the remote control unit 7, and the subsequent
restarting
of the cableway drive 5 of the respective cableways Si, can take place, for
example, in separate steps. In an advantageous embodiment, however, the reset
could also take place automatically, by the control unit 4, if the closed
position of
the safety barrier 2 were detected by the associated sensor 3 and a
corresponding sensor signal Y were received by the associated control unit 4.
[0047] In the example shown, a central operation room 17 is provided
alternatively or additionally to operation rooms 9 (see Figs. 1 and 2), which
are possibly provided within each of the cableway stations 1 a, lb. The
central
operation room 17 in this case is separated spatially from the cableway
stations la, lb of the cableway S1 - 53 - for example, in a separate building
within the ski area. However, one of the operation rooms 9 of the cableway
stations la, lb or a central operation room 17 located entirely outside the
ski
area, could also be provided as the central operation room 17. In the central
operation room 17, a stationary remote control unit 7a is provided, by means
of which the actuating units 6 of the safety barriers 2 of all the cableway
stations la, lb of the cableways S1 -S3 can be controlled remotely in order
to move the safety barriers 2 from an open position into a closed position.
[0048] Preferably, the cableway drive 5 can also be activated again, or the
speed can be increased again, after the closed position is reached, from the
central operation room 17 - for example, by providing a central control
console (not shown) in the central operation room 17 via which the control
units 4 can be controlled. According to a preferred embodiment, the restart
of the respective cableway drives 5 is carried out automatically, however,
once the closed position of the safety barrier 2 has been detected by the
respective sensors 3, and a corresponding sensor signal Y has been
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transmitted to the control unit 4. By using a central operation room 17, the
cableways S1 - S3 can advantageously be controlled centrally, and an at
least partially automated operation of the cableways S1 -S3 can be achieved,
so that no operating personnel B need to be present directly on-site in the
cableway stations la, lb in order to close the safety barriers 2.
[0049] Alternatively or in addition to the illustrated stationary remote
control
unit 7a within the central operation room 17, it would also be conceivable for
the safety barriers 2 to also be operated by a mobile remote control unit 7b.
As a result, closing of the safety barriers 2 and preferably restarting of the
respective cableway drives 5 can be carried out, for example, independently
of the location of the cableway stations 1 a, lb and of the central operation
room 17, as is indicated in Fig. 3. The communication of the mobile remote
control unit 7b with the control unit 4 of the respective cableways S1 - S3
preferably takes place wirelessly - for example, via a suitable radio
connection. A suitable mobile telephone, and in particular a smartphone,
and/or a portable computer - in particular, a tablet computer - could be
provided as the mobile remote control unit 7b, for example.
[0050] In order to be able to visually monitor the area of a safety barrier 2
even
without the presence of operating personnel B in the cableway station la, lb,
it is
advantageous if the area of the safety barrier 2 is monitored by means of a
camera 10 (see Fig. 1), wherein the captured images or videos are displayed on
a display unit - preferably with real-time transmission. The display unit can
be
provided, for example, within the central operation room 17 - for example,
integrated into a central control console in the form of a monitor. However, a
suitable mobile remote control unit 7b could also serve as a display unit. As
a
result, if necessary, e.g., when a safety barrier 2 has been triggered in one
of the
cableway stations la, lb, and the cableway drive 5 has been stopped, the
situation in the area of the triggered safety barrier 2 can be checked via the
display
unit in the central operation room 17 (or via the mobile remote control unit
7b).
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[0051] Due to the transmitted images or videos of the camera 10, it can be
easily
determined whether there is still a potential danger. If necessary, persons of
the
operating personnel B and/or emergency responders can be sent to the location
if, for example, passengers were injured when the safety barrier 2 was
triggered.
If it is determined on the basis of the transmitted images or videos that
there is
no longer any danger, the safety barrier 2 can be moved back into the closed
position by means of the respective stationary and/or mobile remote control
units 7a, 7b, and the cableway drive 5 can preferably be restarted
automatically.
[0052] If a mechanical contact switch, inductive sensor, capacitive sensor,
light barrier, laser sensor, magnetic sensor, ultrasonic sensor, etc.,
arranged
in the region of the safety barrier 2 is provided as the sensor 3 for
detecting
the opening state of the safety barrier 2, a separate camera 10 is required
for
the visual monitoring of the safety barrier 2. If a camera system K with at
least
one camera 10 and with an evaluation unit 11 is provided as the sensor 3,
the camera 10 of the camera system K can advantageously also be used to
transmit the captured images and/or videos to the display unit. By means of
the invention, it is therefore no longer necessary for operating personnel B
to
be present permanently in each cableway station 1 a, 1 b, but only, for
example, if there is a need to address operation interruptions of a cableway
S1 - S3 which cannot be addressed via remote operation.
[0053] Preferably, one or more alarm units 8 can also be provided within
and/or
outside the cableway stations la, lb, in order to trigger an alarm when a
safety
barrier 2 has been actuated. For example, alarm units 8 could be provided
within the cableway station stations la, lb in order to signal the triggering
of
the safety barrier 2. However, an alarm unit 8 is also, advantageously,
provided
in the central operation room17 in order to signal to the operating personnel
B
by means of an alarm signal that a safety barrier 2 has been triggered, and
preferably also which of the safety barriers 2 has been triggered.
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