Cable car system for transporting people

Abstract

A cable car system for transporting people includes at least one vehicle to be coupled along a line to a transport cable, to be moved by the cable in stations and to be moved past at least one embarkation or disembarkation area in which passengers board or leave the vehicle. A conveyor is provided in the embarkation or disembarkation area. A screen is provided for the passengers between the motion path of the vehicle and the embarkation and disembarkation area, to protect the passengers against climatic and acoustic conditions prevailing outside the station building. The screen has at least one opening through which the passengers move to the at least one vehicle or to the disembarkation area. The conveyor is located within the opening and extends only over a part of the length of the opening in the motion direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A cable car system for transporting people, the cable car system comprising: a station including a station building having at least one embarkation or disembarkation area for passengers; a transport cable or a hauling cable coupled to a transport cable; at least one vehicle having a vehicle cabin, said at least one vehicle being coupled to said transport cable or hauling cable along a line and being transported along at least one carrying cable or a track in a movement direction along a motion path, said at least one vehicle being coupled to said transport cable or hauling cable along the line, being uncoupled from said transport cable or hauling cable in said station, being moved through said station, being moved past said at least one embarkation or disembarkation area permitting passengers to board or leave said at least one vehicle, and being recoupled to said transport cable or hauling cable and moved out of said station; a wall disposed directly alongside said motion path of said at least one vehicle, said wall closing off said motion path of said at least one vehicle from said embarkation and disembarkation area for protecting the passengers present in said embarkation or disembarkation area against climatic conditions prevailing outside said station building and against acoustic emissions caused by operation of the cable car system, said wall having at least one opening through which the passengers move between said embarkation or disembarkation area and said vehicle cabin, said at least one opening having a length; and a conveyor being disposed in said embarkation or disembarkation area, being located within said at least one opening and extending in said motion direction of said at least one vehicle only over a part of said length of said at least one opening, said conveyor being moved in said movement direction of said at least one vehicle at least approximately at a speed of said at least one vehicle permitting passengers entering or leaving said vehicle cabin moving past said embarkation or disembarkation area to be moved along in said movement direction of said at least one vehicle.

2. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor extends in said motion direction of said at least one vehicle only over approximately two-thirds of said length of said at least one opening.

3. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor and said at least one vehicle moving past said embarkation or disembarkation area are moved at an identical speed.

4. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor has a length, and said conveyor has a width lying between one-half and all of said length of said conveyor.

5. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one vehicle moves continuously while the passengers are entering or leaving said vehicle cabin moving past said embarkation or disembarkation area in said movement direction.

6. The cable car system according to claim 1, wherein said opening in said wall is permanently open.

7. The cable car system according to claim 6, wherein said wall extends entirely along said embarkation or disembarkation area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) A cable car system according to the invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to an illustrative embodiment represented in the drawing, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a station of a cable car system according to the invention, in axonometric representation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) In FIG. 1 is represented a station of a cable car system, which has a station building 1. The cable car system is configured with a transport cable 2, to which, along the line, vehicles 3 having vehicle cabins 30 are coupled. In the stations, the transport cable 2 is guided over deflection pulleys 21. At least one of the deflection pulleys 21 is driven. The transport cable 2 is moved at a constant speed of, for example, 7 m/sec to 10 m/sec. The vehicles 3 are moved in the direction of the arrow A.

(4) In the station, the vehicles 3, after having been uncoupled from the transport cable 2, are moved through the station along guide rails 4. Following the uncoupling of the vehicles 3 from the transport cable 2, the speed of the vehicles 3 is reduced to about 0.3 m/sec by means of deceleration tires 41. At this speed, the vehicles 3 are moved by means of transport tires 42 past the embarkation and disembarkation area for the passengers. Subsequently, the speed of the vehicles 3 is increased to the speed of the transport cable 2 by means of acceleration tires 43, whereupon the vehicles 3 are recoupled to the transport cable 2.

(5) For the entering of the vehicle cabins 30 or following the exiting thereof, the passengers are found in the embarkation or disembarkation area 11, respectively, which is located within the station building 1.

(6) The station building 1 is closed off from the motional path of the vehicles 3 by a wall 12, which is located directly beside the motional path of the vehicle cabins 30. In this wall 12 is provided an opening 13, through which the passengers make their way from the embarkation area 11 into the vehicle cabins 30 or make their way out of the vehicle cabins 30 into the disembarkation area 11.

(7) As a result of the wall 12, the passengers present in the embarkation or disembarkation area 11 find themselves very largely protected, on the one hand, from the climatic conditions prevailing outside the station building 1 and, on the other hand, from the acoustic emissions caused by the operation of the cable car system.

(8) Since the distance between the wall 12 and the vehicle cabins 30 can amount to just a few centimeters, the passengers, when boarding or when leaving the vehicle cabins 30, are protected from climatic and acoustic nuisances.

(9) In the region of the opening 13 is found a conveyor 10, which is moved at an at least approximately same speed as the vehicles 3, thus, for example, at a speed of 0.3 m/sec, in the same direction as the vehicles 3. The passengers who want to access the vehicle cabins 30 thus step for the moment onto the conveyor 10. As soon as they are on the conveyor 10, they are moved at approximately the same speed as the vehicle cabins 30, so that they can step into the vehicle cabins 30 without any stress. This applies, in particular, to passengers of restricted mobility. The same also applies also to those passengers who leave the vehicle cabins 30. Since the stepping onto or leaving of the conveyor 10 is easier than the boarding of the vehicle cabins 30 through their door opening, the speeds of the vehicles 3 and of the conveyor 10 can hereby be increased, so that a boosting of the transport capacity of the cable car system is also achievable.

(10) Preferably, the conveyor 30 extends within the opening 13 only over a part of the length of the opening 13, so that collisions of the passengers with that end wall of the opening 13 which is located in the direction of transport are avoided. Preferably, the length of the conveyor 10 here amounts to about 50% to 80%, in particular 70%, of the length of the opening 13.