The invention relates to a chair for an aerial transport installation, in particular a chair-lift, comprising:
The document EP-A-510,357 describes an operating mechanism of a cover for a chair-lift or a cable car cabin wherein a latching ratchet is articulated directly on the operating means. The ratchet acts on a pin securedly fixed to the top part of the hanger arm, with a certain heightwise stagger with respect to the top of the shell when the latter is in the closed position. The transmission device is formed by an articulated rod mechanism that has to be arranged to transmit the movement of the operating means and the latching force coming from the ratchet to the shell. Such a mounting device of the ratchet on the operating means causes latching of the cover on the hanger arm right from the beginning of the kinematic control chain.
The object of the present invention is to provide an operating mechanism of a pivoting cover for a chair-lift wherein the blocking action in the closed position takes place near to the cover so as to obtain positive latching without blocking the rest of the kinematic control chain.
The chair according to the invention is characterized in that the operating lever is mounted pivoting on the first pivoting spindle of the cover and operates in conjunction with a latch actuated by the transmission device between a latched position and an unlatched position.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the latch is articulated around a second spindle situated on the bow above the first spindle. The latch comprises a first arm equipped with a latching nose operating in conjunction with a roller of the operating lever, and a second arm designed to come up against a first stop corresponding to the latched position, or a second stop corresponding to the unlatched position. The transmission device is formed by a flexible cable link housed in a sheath, the assembly being designed to transmit the movements of the operating means to the operating lever, and vice-versa.
In the closed latched position, only the shell is positively latched, but not the operating means and the transmission device of the kinematic chain. The latching zone is situated at the base of the shell, preferably in a gap situated between the first spindle and the second spindle.
Other features can be used alone or in combination:
Other advantages and features will become more clearly apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given as a non-restrictive example only and represented in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 2 to 4 show enlarged scale views of the cover, which is represented respectively in the open position, the closed unlatched position, and the closed latched position.
With reference to the figures, each chair 10 of an aerial ropeway transport installation, in particular a chair-lift, is securedly fixed to a support bow 11 connected to a hanger bar 12 which is attached to the rope by a fastening clamp (not represented).
The chair 10 is equipped with a cover 13 formed by a protective shell made of transparent plastic material, for example polycarbonate. The cover 13 is mounted swivelling around a first transverse spindle 14 between a raised open position (
The cover 13 is coupled to an operating mechanism 15 comprising an operating lever 16 associated with an operating means 18 by means of a transmission device 17. The operating lever 16 presents a jointed V-shape and is mounted at one of its ends on the pivoting spindle 14 of the shell. A roller 19 is arranged at its opposite end to operate in conjunction with an articulated latch 20.
The operating means 18 is formed for example by a lever able to pivot due to the action of a ramp placed at a predetermined place of the terminal to command automatic closing or opening of the cover 13.
The transmission device 17 is formed by a cable link 21 able to slide in a sheath 22 to transmit movements of the operating means 18 to the operating lever 16, and vice-versa. The cable link 21 is interconnected for this purpose between the operating means 18 at the top part of the hanger arm 12 and an intermediate attachment point 23 of the operating lever 16. The sheath 22 is securedly fixed to the hanger arm 12 by at least one securing hoop 24, and to a rim 25 of the latch 20.
The latch 20 is mounted with limited pivoting around a second spindle 26 situated on the bow 11 above the first spindle 14. The latch 20 comprises a first arm 27 equipped with a latching nose 28 and a second arm 29 designed to operate in conjunction with a first upper stop 30 or a second lower stop 31 to determine the angular pivoting travel of the latch 20.
The latching nose 28 is advantageously shaped as a ratchet comprising an inclined ramp and a notch substantially perpendicular to the first arm 27. The latch 20 is actuated by the cable link 21 between a latched position and an unlatched position.
Operation of the operating mechanism 15 with latching of the cover 13 according to the invention is as follows:
Manual Closing
Manual closing is performed by a person sitting on the chair 10 who lowers the cover 13 making it swivel in the clockwise direction (arrow F1) from the open position (
Automatic Closing
Automatic closing of the shell is performed following pivoting of the operating means 18 resulting in a thrust on the cable link 21. A downward reaction exerted by the sheath 22 is transmitted to the latch 20 which pivots counterclockwise and comes up against the first upper stop 30. The operating cable 21 transmits the movement simultaneously to the operating lever 16, which makes the shell swivel in the closing direction. When the operating lever 16 comes into contact with the latch 20, the roller 19 rolls on the ramp of the latching nose 28 and drives the latch 20 down to the second lower stop 31. The roller 19 passes the neck of the ramp and drops into the notch of the latch 20. The force exerted by the sheath 22 makes the articulated latch 20 return to the first upper stop 30, in which the shell is latched in the closed position (
Manual Opening
Manual opening is possible from the closed unlatched position of
Automatic Opening
Automatic opening is performed by means of the operating means 18 from the closed latched position illustrated in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0413501 | Dec 2004 | FR | national |