This application is a national stage application of PCT/IB2017/055264, filed on Sep. 1, 2017, which claims the benefit of and priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102016000088960, filed on Sep. 1, 2016, the entire contents of which are each incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a cable transportation system for transporting people.
In particular, the present disclosure relates to a cable transportation system which extends along a route whose overall length requires the use of at least two haul cables.
A cable transportation system of the type identified above is described in EP 2,455,267 A1 which describes transferring a vehicle from a first to a second haul cable and stopping the vehicle when the vehicle is simultaneously gripping the first and the second haul cable. The cable transportation system of the type described in EP 2,455,267 A1, on the one hand, makes it possible to stop the vehicle in the transfer phase but, on the other hand, imposes the condition of keeping the first haul cable and the second haul cable simultaneously stationary during the stop phase, to the detriment of the operation of the cable transportation system.
A feature of the present disclosure is to provide a cable transportation system which is free of certain of the drawbacks of certain of the prior art.
In accordance with the present disclosure a cable transportation system for transporting people is provided, the system extending along a given or designated track and comprising:
It should be appreciated that based on the configuration described above, when the vehicle is arranged in the stop position the first and second clamping device can be relatively easily controlled via actuating the respective first and second control cam. It is also possible to keep the vehicle stationary at the passenger embarking and disembarking station, while one or both of the first or the second haul cables may be freely operated. In particular, the first haul cable is stopped at the end of a deceleration phase of the first haul cable so as to stop the vehicle and is kept stationary while the vehicle is clamped in the stop phase, while the second haul cable is freely operable until the second haul cable is stopped to be clamped by the vehicle and immediately accelerated as soon as the vehicle has been coupled.
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present disclosure, the cable transportation system comprises a locking device to hold the vehicle stationary at the passenger embarking and disembarking station when the vehicle is released from the first haul cable and from the second haul cable.
It should be appreciated that based on the locking device it is possible to freely operate the first and second haul cable when the vehicle is stationary at the passenger embarking and disembarking station.
In particular, the locking device comprises a first locking member bound to the vehicle and a second locking member bound to the track, the first and the second locking member being couplable to each other. It is thus possible to lock the vehicle in a designated or given position.
In accordance with the present disclosure, the first locking member comprises a third clamping device (which in certain embodiments is aligned with the first and the second clamping devices) and the second locking member includes a cable section or a bar with a diameter equal to that of the cable section.
It may be advantageous in terms of economy of scale to make the first locking member in the form of a clamping device and the second locking member in the form of a cable section or a bar.
In particular, the locking device comprises a third control cam moveable between an operating position wherein the third control cam interferes with the first locking member for opening and closing the locking device and for keeping the locking device released from/attached to the second locking member and a resting position wherein the third control cam does not interfere with the first locking member. In other words, the control of the locking device is similar to the control of the clamping of the first and second clamping devices.
In accordance with the present disclosure, the cable transportation system comprises a control device, which comprises a control unit configured to acquire the position of the vehicle along the track and control the first and the second motor, and the first and the second actuator, and possibly the locking device depending on the position of the vehicle; and a plurality of sensors configured to retrieve the position of the vehicle along the track.
The control unit is further configured to control the first and the second motor, the first and the second actuator, and the locking device as a function of a predetermined cycle which comprises a vehicle deceleration phase, a vehicle stop phase, and a vehicle acceleration phase.
In practice, the vehicle makes a stop at the transfer from the first to the second cable according to a predefined cycle which however requires that the position of the vehicle is acquired via sensors.
In particular, the control unit is configured to arrange the first and the second control cam in the operating position or the resting position when the locking device locks the vehicle.
The first and second haul cables can thus be operated independently from one another in the vehicle's stop phase.
A further feature of the present disclosure is to provide a method for operating a cable transportation system for transporting people which is free of the drawbacks of the prior art.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a method is provided for operating a cable transportation system for transporting people, the method comprising the steps of:
In practice, locking the vehicle via the locking device enables the first and second haul cables to be freely operated during the vehicle stop, while locking the vehicle via clamping to the first or the second haul cable enables the second or first haul cable to be freely operated during the stop phase.
Additional features are described in, and will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of non-limiting examples of embodiment, with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the example embodiments of the present disclosure illustrated in
In the example shown, the vehicle 7 comprises two clamping devices 9 and 10, which are mutually aligned and configured to selectively attach the vehicle 7 to the haul cable 3 or the haul cable 4. The cable transportation system 1 comprises two cams 11 and 12, which are configured to cooperate with the clamping devices 9 and 10 so as to have the clamping devices 9 and 10 in an open position.
The cams 11 and 12 are selectively movable between an operating position in which the cams 11 and 12 intercept and open the clamping devices 9 and 10, and a resting position in which they do not interfere with the clamping devices 9 and 10 which are kept closed by respective springs (which are not shown). The cams 11 and 12 are linked to respective actuators 13 and 14 so as to arrange the cams 11 and 12 in respective operating and resting positions.
The cable transportation system 1 further comprises a locking device 15 configured to hold the vehicle 7 stationary when the vehicle 7 is simultaneously released by both haul cables 3 and 4 and to enable passengers to safely board and disembark from the vehicle 7. In other words, in the phase of transferring from the haul cable 3 to the haul cable 4, the vehicle 7 is held stationary at a passenger embarking and disembarking station 16 arranged at the end sections of the haul cables 3 and 4. The haul cables 3 and 4 are driven by respective motors 17 and 18 shown schematically in
In particular, the first and the second control cams 11 and 12 are spaced apart from one another by a distance equal to the distance between the clamping devices 9 and 10 in such a way that when the clamping device 9 is at the control cam 12, the clamping device 10 is at the control cam 11 as shown in
The locking device 15 comprises a first locking member 20 bound to the vehicle 7 and a second locking member 21 fixed with respect to the track 2 and configured to cooperate with the locking member 20. In practice, the locking members 20 and 21 are selectively and mutually coupled to each another. In particular, the locking member 20 is arranged between the two clamping devices 9 and 10, while the locking member 21 is arranged between the two cams 11 and 12. The locking member 20 is spaced apart from the clamping device 9 by a distance equal to the distance between the control cam 12 and the locking member 21 in such a way that when the clamping devices 9 and 10 are arranged at the respective cams 12 and 11, the locking member 20 is arranged at the locking member 21.
In particular, the locking member 20 is defined by a clamping device of the same type as the clamping devices 9 and 10 and aligned with the clamping devices 9 and 10 and then in use is also clamped to the haul cables 3 and 4 when located at them, while the locking member 21 comprises a cable section 22, which is stretched out between two supports 23 and is aligned with the end sections of the haul cables 3 and 4. In accordance with an embodiment not shown, the cable section 22 is replaced with a bar of diameter equal to that of the cable section 22. The locking device 15 also comprises a control cam 24 whose position is controlled by the actuator 19 so as to arrange the control cam 24 either in an operating position in which the control cam 24 intercepts the clamping devices 9 and 10 and the locking member 20, or in a resting position.
With reference to
In particular, the control unit 26 is configured to control the first motor 17 and the second motor 18 and the actuators 13, 14 and 19 as a function of a predetermined program which comprises a deceleration phase for the vehicle 7, a stop phase for the vehicle 7, and an acceleration phase for the vehicle 7.
The control unit 26 is configured to acquire the status of the condition of the motors 17 and 18 and the actuators 13, 14 and 19 and comprises a memory 28 for storing the signals acquired by the sensors 27, the motors 17 and 18 and the actuators 13, 14 and 19.
The control unit 26 is configured to arrange the cams 11 and 12 in the operating position when the locking device 15 locks the vehicle 7 at the passenger embarking and disembarking station 16 so as to enable the free and independent operation of each of the haul cables 3 and 4 in the stop phase of the vehicle 7.
In use, with reference to
Subsequently, the deceleration of the vehicle 7 continues until the vehicle 7 is stopped precisely when the clamping devices 9 and 10 are respectively arranged at the respective cams 12 and 11 as shown in
Once the vehicle 7 has stopped, the locking device 15 is operated by moving the locking member 21 so that it does not interfere with the locking member 20, which promptly clamps the cable section 22. The control cam 11 is arranged in the operating position and as a result the vehicle 7 is released from the haul cable 3, which can be operated without interfering with the vehicle 7 as shown in
The haul cable 4 is stopped so that the haul cable is stationary when the vehicle 7 has finished its stop. Once the haul cable 4 has stopped, the control cam 12 is brought into the resting position so as to enable the clamping device 9 to clamp the haul cable 4. The locking device 15 is then disengaged so as to release the locking members 20 and 21 from each another as shown in
The haul cable 4 is then started and the vehicle 7 is advanced together with the haul cable 4 as shown in
As soon as the clamping device 9 has passed the control cam 12, the control cam 12 is brought into the operating position (i.e., raised) to enable the clamping of the clamping device 10 and the locking member 20 to the cable 4 as shown in
In the alternative embodiment shown in
In use, with reference to
The deceleration of the vehicle 7 then continues until the vehicle 7 is stopped in a position wherein the clamping devices 9 and 10 are respectively arranged at the respective cams 12 and 11 as shown in
During the stop phase of the vehicle 7, the vehicle 7 remains clamped to the haul cable 3, which remains stationary for the entire stop phase, while the haul cable 4 is freely movable depending on the system's needs. The haul cable 4 is stopped so that the haul cable is stationary when the vehicle 7 has finished its stop. Once the haul cable 4 has stopped, the control cam 12 is arranged in the resting position so as to enable the clamping device 9 to clamp the cable 4 and simultaneously the control cam 11 is arranged in the operating position so as to release the vehicle 7 from the haul cable 3 as shown in
The haul cable 4 is then started and the vehicle 7 is advanced together with the haul cable 4 as shown in
As soon as the clamping device 9 has passed the control cam 12, the control cam 12 is brought into the operating position (i.e., raised) to enable the clamping of the clamping device 10 to the cable 4 as shown in
The embodiment described with reference to
In the present disclosure, the term “control cam” shall be taken to mean a complete control cam that comprises an opening ramp and a closing ramp for the clamping devices. When the control cam is arranged in the operating position and the vehicle advances, the clamping device which interferes with the cam performs a cycle of opening and closing.
Finally, it is clear that the cable transportation system described and claimed may be subject to modifications and variations without thereby departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims. As such, the present disclosure also covers embodiments not described in the detailed description and equivalent embodiments that fall within scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, various changes and modifications to the presently disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended technical scope. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102016000088960 | Sep 2016 | IT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2017/055264 | 9/1/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/042379 | 3/8/2018 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3871303 | Woodling | Mar 1975 | A |
20120103225 | Gubler | May 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2 455 267 | May 2012 | EP |
2455267 | May 2012 | EP |
Entry |
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Notification of the Recording of a Change for International Application No. PCT/IB2017/055264 dated Jan. 18, 2018. |
Notification Concerning Submission, Obtention or Transmittal of Priority Document for International Application No. PCT/IB2017/055264 dated Nov. 23, 2017. |
International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/IB2017/055264 dated Jan. 5, 2018. |
PCT Demand for International Preliminary Examination and Reply to International Search Report and the associated Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/IB2017/055264 dated Jun. 29, 2018. |
Notification of Receipt of Demand by Competent International Preliminary Examining Authority (Form PCT/IPEA/402) for International Application No. PCT/IB2017/055264 dated Jul. 6, 2018. |
Notification of Transmittal of the International Preliminary Report on Patentability (Form PCT/IPEA/416) for International Application No. International Application No. PCT/IB2017/055264 dated Aug. 13, 2018. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190193755 A1 | Jun 2019 | US |