Aerial Cable Transport Station, Aerial Cable Transport Installation Comprising One Such Station and Operating Method of One Such Installation

The invention relates to an aerial cable transport station, an aerial cable transport installation comprising one such station and an operating method of one such installation.

In the field of transportation by aerial cable, it is conventional to use equipment such as fixed grip chairlifts. Each chair is securedly attached to a cable forming a loop passing through at least one station of an aerial cable transport installation.

In each station, the chairs remain securedly attached to the cable and follow the running track of the cable. As the chairs are attached to the cable, they are able to pivot with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cable, in particular when the weights are not evenly distributed over the different positions of the chair. For example, when an adult and a child sit in the two extreme places of the chair, the chair pivots due to the weight of the adult. This makes it more difficult to install the child on his chair. This configuration can lead to accidents. A similar problem can occur when the occupants leave the chair.

To reduce the pivot angle or even to prevent the chair from pivoting, a guide is installed in the station. The guide forms one or more stops that determine the lateral pivoting of the chair with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cable, corresponding to an angle of list.

In the same way as for any aerial cable transport installation, it is necessary to perform maintenance operations regularly, and in particular operations involving observation of the tops of the towers and notably the sheaves and sheave assemblies that guide the cable.

To perform this operation, it is conventional to use a maintenance vehicle that is attached to the cable and that moves with the cable up to each tower in order to approach the rocker as closely as possible. To make the operators' job easier, the maintenance vehicle has a different configuration from that of the transport vehicles intended for user transport. For example, the maintenance vehicle is provided with means facilitating observation and operations on the sheaves.

However, the configuration of the maintenance vehicle is incompatible with the use of an external guide configured to limit pivoting of the chair. When maintenance operations are performed, the vehicle is attached to the cable within the footprint of the station, and then, once the maintenance vehicle leaves the station, the vehicle is stopped to install at least a part of the equipment specific to the maintenance vehicle. When the maintenance vehicle returns to the station, its specific equipment has to be removed.

This operation takes a long time and has to be performed whenever the maintenance vehicle has to be coupled with the cable.

The document EP2647538 discloses a detection system for detecting vehicles approaching stations. A vehicle is hauled by a cable running between two stations. A beacon is attached to the vehicle and each of the stations has a receiving antenna to receive the signal emitted by the beacon. The vehicle has a retractable element arranged above the vehicle and the beacon only emits when the retractable element is salient from the vehicle. When the beacon receives the signal, a control system stops the cable. The control system allows the vehicle to run when the beacon does not receive the signal.

One object of the invention consists in overcoming these drawbacks, and more particularly in providing a station enabling a maintenance vehicle to be operational more rapidly.

These drawbacks tend to be overcome by means of an aerial cable transport station comprising:

The aerial cable transport station is remarkable in that it comprises a guide installed movable between an operating position and a maintenance position, the operating position preventing pivoting of the transport vehicle around the attachment of the transport vehicle to the running track beyond a threshold position;

According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the guide is installed pivoting between the operating position and the maintenance position.

In preferential manner, the guide is installed pivoting around a pivot axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cable.

In a particular embodiment, the aerial cable transport station comprises a first sensor emitting a signal representative of coupling and uncoupling of the maintenance vehicle with/from the cable and a second sensor emitting a signal representative of the guide in the operating position or of the guide in the maintenance position. When the first sensor emits a signal indicating coupling of the maintenance vehicle with the cable and the second sensor emits a signal indicating that the guide is in the operating position, a control circuit stops running of the cable.

Advantageously, the first sensor is located upline from the guide and detects the presence or absence of a top platform, the presence of the top platform corresponding to coupling with the cable and the absence of the top platform corresponding to uncoupling from the cable.

In a particular embodiment, the aerial cable transport station comprises a parking area of the maintenance vehicle when the maintenance vehicle is uncoupled from the cable, the parking area comprising the first sensor detecting the presence or absence of the maintenance vehicle in the parking area, the presence of the maintenance vehicle corresponding to uncoupling from the cable and the absence of the maintenance vehicle corresponding to coupling with the cable.

Preferentially, the cable defines a loop and the parking area is located outside the loop. An access platform extends from the inside of the loop to the outside of the loop, passing above the cable. The access platform forms a slide rail designed to transfer the maintenance vehicle from the parking area to the cable and vice versa to couple or uncouple the maintenance vehicle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an aerial cable transport installation that enables the maintenance vehicle to be coupled and put into operation more easily.

This problem tends to be solved by means of an aerial cable transport installation comprising at least one aerial cable transport station according to any one of the foregoing configurations.

In an advantageous development, the aerial cable transport installation according to the foregoing configuration comprises a maintenance vehicle and several transport vehicles coupled to the cable.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an operating method of an aerial cable transport installation that makes management of the maintenance vehicle easier to perform.

This issue tends to be addressed by means of an operating method of an aerial cable transport installation that comprises the following steps:

represent an aerial cable transport installationor a station of an aerial cable transport installation. The aerial cable transport installationcomprises a cableand several vehiclesable to be hauled by the cable. The vehiclescomprise at least one transport vehicleable to transport people or goods, for example a gondola car or a chair. The vehiclescomprise at least one maintenance vehicleThe maintenance vehicleis a different vehicle from the transport vehiclein particular as far as its safety regulations are concerned. For example, the maintenance vehiclerequires each user to attach himself to an attachment point of the maintenance vehicleThe passenger is wearing a harness and is attached to the maintenance vehiclevia an attachment point. The maintenance vehicleallows the passenger to move about inside the maintenance vehicleor even to leave the maintenance vehicleoutside the stations, for example to attach himself to a tower.

The aerial cable transport installationcomprises a stationfor loading and unloading passengers in or from the vehicles. The aerial cable transport installationcomprises a drive bull-wheeldriving the cable. The drive bull-wheelis driven in rotation by a motor.

The stationdefines a running track. When the vehiclesare in the station, the vehiclestravel along the running track. On exit from the station, the vehiclestravel along the cable.

Each vehiclecomprises a drive system that makes the vehiclemove. The drive system comprises one or more attachment systems performing attachment of the vehicleto one or more driving means. A first driving means is the cableand the drive system is configured to be attached to the cableat least on exit from the stationto move the vehiclesout of the station.

The drive system preferentially comprises a gripthat is attached to the cable. The cablesupports the vehicleand movement of the cableresults in movement of the vehicle.

When the installation is of fixed or non-detachable grip type, the running track is formed by the cable. The drive system may only comprise a single gripthat is attached to the cablein the stationand outside the station. When the installation is a detachable grip installation, the gripsare disconnected from the cablein the stationand the vehiclestravel along the running track that is different from the cable. The running track is formed by a second driving means, for example tyres or other conveying means, for example another cable, a drive belt, a chain, etc. The drive system can then comprise a gripand another attachment device that operates in conjunction with the running track. The running track makes the vehiclesrun in the station.

Control of pivoting of the vehicleis particularly advantageous in fixed grip installations also equipped with a single carrying-hauling cable.

The aerial cable transport installationpreferentially comprises one or more towersto keep the cableabove the ground. The towergenerally comprises a rockercomprising one or more beams equipped with rotatably-mounted sheavesto guide and enable movement of the cable. The vehiclesare hauled by the cableand pass over the towerto travel from one stationto the other.

In the loading station and preferably in each station, a guideis installed that is configured to limit pivoting of the transport vehiclearound the attachment between the transport vehicleand the running track. In other words, the guideprevents the transport vehiclefrom pivoting beyond a threshold position in a pivoting direction. For example in a fixed grip installation, the attachment corresponds to the attachment of the gripon the cable. The guidelimits pivoting of the transport vehiclearound the longitudinal axis of the cable. The axis of the cableis the axis in the attachment area of the vehiclewith the cable. The guide forms an end-of-travel stop in pivoting of the transport vehiclewith respect to the cable. Preferentially, two guidesare used in the form of an inner guide installed inside the loop defined by the cableand an outer guide installed outside the loop defined by the cable. The two guidesare separated by the cable, at least in a vertical observation.

It is advantageous for the guide(s)to be located and/or to extend under the horizontal plane containing the cableand the gripsof the vehicleto impose the position of an arm′ of the transport vehiclewhen the latter is in the station.

Each of the two guideslimits pivoting of the transport vehiclewith respect to the cablethereby enabling a substantially horizontal reference surface to be had from one end of the transport vehicleto the other. In the example of a chairlift, the different seating places of the chair remain substantially in the same horizontal plane regardless of the number of places occupied and the weight of each of the passengers. In the case of a gondola car, the floor remains substantially horizontal regardless of where the passengers are placed.

In preferential manner, the guide only extends facing the arm′ without extending up to the altitude where passengers are to be received.

The maintenance vehiclepresents a volume that is different from the volume of the transport vehiclesThe maintenance vehiclehas a top platform″ that is located closer to the rockersand the sheavesthan another platform designed to receive one or more passengers during the travel of the maintenance vehicle

The top platform″ is secured higher up on the arm′ with respect to a transport vehiclewhich modifies the space occupation with respect to the transport vehiclePreferentially, the top platform″ is located between 1 m and 1.5 m under the axis of rotation of one or more sheaveswhen the gripof the maintenance vehicleis stationary on a sheave. Advantageously, the top platform″ is located outside the loop defined by the cable. In a particular embodiment, the top platform″ is equipped with a guard rail, and the guard rail is preferentially facing a sheave in a horizontal direction when the gripis on a rocker.

The difference of size between a maintenance vehicleand a transport vehiclemeans that the top platform″ comes up against the stop formed by at least one the guideat least when the maintenance vehicleattempts to perform a full turn around the loop defined by the cable. What is meant by top platform comes up against the stop is that at least one of the top platform or the guard rail associated with the top platform comes up against the stop formed by the guide.

In more general manner, the volume of the maintenance vehicleis different from the volume of the transport vehicleso that at least a part of the maintenance vehiclecomes up against the stop formed by the guideor one of the guides.

To avoid damaging the guideand/or the top platform″, the guideis fitted movable between an operating position and a maintenance position. In the operating position illustrated in, the guideprevents pivoting of a transport vehiclefor example around the longitudinal axis of the cable, beyond a threshold position so as to have a horizontal or substantially horizontal reference plane. In the operating position, the maintenance vehiclecannot pass through the station.

In a maintenance position of the guideillustrated in, the guideis deactivated. In other words, the maintenance vehiclecan pass through the stationand the transport vehicleis able to pivot beyond the threshold position.

Installing a guidethat is fitted movable in the stationavoids having to take any action on the maintenance vehicleThe guidecan be shifted quickly from the operating position to the maintenance position. The maintenance vehiclecan be installed in its ready-to-use configuration, thereby enabling a maintenance vehicleto be had that is operational rapidly after it has been coupled to the cable. This also avoids having to dismantle the guide.

In preferential manner, the guideis installed able to pivot between the operating position and the maintenance position, more preferentially able to pivot around a pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cablesituated under or substantially under the pivot axis of the guide. It is advantageous for the pivot axis of the guideto be located above the horizontal plane containing the cablein the station. In other words, in the maintenance position, the maintenance vehiclepasses underneath the guide.

Pivotable installation of the guideis an installation that is easy to implement and that enables a top platform″ having a large space occupation to be passed without having to perform any operation on another part of the station. Pivotable installation around a pivot axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cablelimits the space occupation of the guidein the maintenance position as regards the other equipment of the station, for example the walkways that run inside the station.

Other movement modes are possible with pivoting around another axis, or a combination of pivoting and another movement for example a translation, or there again with a translation only.

It is advantageous for the stationto comprise an inner guide and an outer guide. The inner guide is configured to prevent pivoting of the arm′ in the direction of the inside of the ring formed by the cable. The outer guide is configured to prevent pivoting of the arm′ in the direction of the outside of the ring formed by the cable. It is particularly advantageous for the outer guide to move between the operating position and the maintenance position and for the inner guide not to be modified for coupling of the maintenance vehicleThe top platform″ and/or the associated guard rail can be facing the inner guide in a horizontal direction when the maintenance vehicleis in the station.

When a maintenance vehicleis coupled to the cable, a maintenance operation is scheduled preferentially outside the stationand possibly in the station. As the volume of the maintenance vehicleis different from that of the other vehicles, it is advantageous to provide a safety mechanism configured to limit, stop or prevent movement of the cableand therefore movement of the maintenance vehiclewhen an abnormal situation is detected.

The station is preferentially equipped with a first sensorthat emits a signal representative of coupling and uncoupling of the maintenance vehiclewith/from the cable. The first sensorcan emit a first signal that indicates that the maintenance vehicleis coupled to the cable, and it can emit a second signal that indicates that the maintenance vehicleis uncoupled from the cable. The first signal is different from the second signal. One of the first signal and second signal can be an absence of a signal.

The stationis preferentially equipped with a second sensorthat emits a signal representative of the guidein the operating position or of the guidein the maintenance position. There again, the second sensoremits a first signal that is different from the second signal. It is possible for one of the two signals to be an absence of a signal.

The first sensorand the second sensorare connected to a control circuitthat is configured to control movement of the cable. When the first sensoremits a signal indicating that the maintenance vehicleis coupled to the cableand the second sensoremits a signal indicating that the guideis in the operating position, the control circuitstops running of the cableand/or prevents movement of the cable. Detection of the maintenance vehiclecoupled to the cablemeans that a vehicleexists having a larger size than the other vehicles. To avoid damaging the guide, the cableis stopped. For example the motoris shut down.