VEHICLE OF TRANSPORT TO BE PULLED BY AN OVERHEAD CABLE AND INSTALLATION COMPRISING A VEHICLE OF SAID TYPE

Abstract

Vehicle of transport designed to be pulled by an overhead cable, including an attachment device to attach the vehicle to the overhead cable, a hanger arm extending along a longitudinal axis and connected to the attachment device, a support connected to the hanger arm, the vehicle including at least two chairs suspended on the support and situated one behind the other according to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the support delimiting a space open towards the outside and situated underneath the at least two chairs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to transport by overhead cable, and more particularly to installations of overhead cableway type and to the vehicles of these installations.

STATE OF THE ART

A large number of chairlifts are currently used to transport passengers to elevated locations and most of them are fairly old. A chairlift is a transport installation equipped with chairs suspended on an overhead cable, which acts as both carrying and hauling cable. At present, the transport capacity of a chairlift is limited to eight passengers per chair. Chairlifts do however further offer a wide panorama but do not procure strong sensations and thrills on account of the fact that they are located at heights which are rather close to the ground for reasons of safety standards.

Overhead cableways are on the other hand cars which are able to transport more than eight passengers at greater heights than those of chairlifts. An overhead cableway is a transport installation equipped with overhead hauling cables and carrying cables, and the cars are suspended above the ground by means of the overhead cables. Modern overhead cableways exist where the cars are mounted so as to be able to rotate around a vertical axis of the car so as that all the passengers are able to discover an exceptional panorama overlooking the surrounding landscape. The rotation is however slow if the discovery of the landscape is to take place in total safety with a maximum of comfort. These overhead cableways are further generally used in winter and are not used, or hardly used, in summer.

A requirement therefore exists to use the overhead cableways in summer when the passengers can no longer go skiing, and more particularly to propose overhead cableways which provide thrilling sensations and which can be used both in summer and in winter.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention consists in remedying these shortcomings, and more particularly in providing means for creating thrilling sensations for the passengers transported by overhead hauling cable in total safety.

According to one feature of the invention, a vehicle of transport designed to be pulled by an overhead cable is proposed, comprising an attachment device to attach the vehicle to the overhead cable, a hanger arm extending along a longitudinal axis and connected to the attachment device, a support connected to the hanger arm, the vehicle comprising at least two chairs suspended on the support and situated one behind the other according to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

The support delimits a space open towards the outside and situated underneath said at least two chairs.

The passengers are thus suspended in mid-air and their field of vision in the downwards direction is not obstructed, which means that they experience strong sensations, in particular in the case of vehicles which are pulled at great heights above ground level.

The support can delimit two lateral openings which pass through towards the outside and are situated respectively on the lateral sides of the vehicle.

The support can further delimit two front and rear openings which pass through towards the outside and are situated respectively at the front and at the rear of said at least two chairs.

The vehicle can comprise a protective structure of said at least two chairs mounted on the support.

The protective structure can comprise a base forming a frame around said at least two chairs and cylindrical members connecting the base to the support.

Each chair can comprise a harness pivotally mounted on the chair between a raised position in which access to the chair is allowed and a lowered position to provide protection of a passenger seated on the chair.

The vehicle can comprise a rotary chair mounted rotating on the support.

The vehicle can comprise a tilt system configured to move the rotary chair in rotation with respect to a reference position of the rotary chair.

According to another feature of the invention, an installation of transport by overhead cable is proposed, comprising at least one vehicle as defined in the foregoing.

The installation can comprise a station equipped with a floor movable between a retracted position in which the vehicle enters the station and a deployed position in which the floor is situated underneath said at least two chairs of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages and features will become more clearly apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention given for non-restrictive example purposes only and represented in the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle and of an installation of transport by cable according to the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a side view of an installation of transport for which the floor is in a retracted position; and

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a side view of the installation of transport of FIG. 2 for which the floor is in a deployed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An installation 1 of transport by overhead cable 2, comprising at least one vehicle 3, has been represented in FIG. 1. In general manner, the overhead cable is a hauling cable 2 on which the vehicles 3 are attached in order to be pulled. The installation 1 is preferably an overhead cableway comprising a support structure, for example one or more carrying cables 4, 5. The vehicle 3 comprises an attachment device 6, a hanger arm 7 and a support 8. The attachment device 6 is configured to attach the vehicle 3 to the overhead hauling cable 2. The attachment device 6 can be a carriage equipped with a fastener to attach the carriage to the cable 2 and with wheels to run on the carrying cable or carrying cables 4, 5, as illustrated in FIG. 1. As a variant, the attachment device 6 can be a fixed grip, for attachment of the vehicle 3 to the overhead hauling cable 2 in permanent manner, or a detachable grip to attach the vehicle 3 in removable manner. The hanger arm 7 is attached to the attachment device 6, and extends along a longitudinal axis L. The support 8 is connected to the hanger arm 7, at an end of the hanger arm 7 opposite the end to which the attachment device 6 is connected.

The vehicle 3 further comprises at least two chairs 9 to 13 suspended on the support 8 and situated one behind the other according to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. The axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L extends in the direction Y in which the vehicle 3 moves when the latter is pulled by the hauling cable 2. Advantageously, the vehicle 3 comprises at least two rows of chairs situated one behind the according to the axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L, so as to increase the capacity of transport of the vehicle 3. Each row further extends along a horizontal axis when the vehicle 3 is at a standstill. A vehicle 3 comprising chairs 9 to 13 arranged in five rows has been represented for example purposes in FIG. 1. In particular, the chairs 9 to 13 are of bucket seat type, i.e. individual chairs with a backrest engaging the passenger's hips so that the passenger is firmly ensconced in the chair. Each chair 9 to 13 preferentially comprises a harness 30, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, pivotally mounted on the chair 9 to 13 between a raised position, illustrated in FIG. 3, in which access to the chair 9 to 13 is allowed, and a lowered position, illustrated in FIG. 2, to provide protection of a passenger seated on the chair 9 to 13. Each chair 9 to 13 can further be equipped with a restraining bar 31, pivotally mounted between a raised position illustrated in FIG. 3 and a lowered position illustrated in FIG. 2 so as to immobilise the passenger's legs. In particular, the harness 30 is shaped so as to protect the passenger's torso by securing the latter between the backrest and the harness 30 when the harness 30 is in the lowered position. It is also possible to design a specific protection harness that can secure both the passenger's torso and legs, and in this case the restraining bar 31 is no longer necessary.

More particularly, the support 8 delimits a space 14 open towards the outside and situated underneath the chairs 9 to 13. This space 14 enables the chairs 9 to 13 to be suspended in mid-air. The passengers are thus suspended in mid-air without any floor obstructing their field of vision. Such a vehicle 3 procures sensations that have never been experienced previously and that are more thrilling than anything experienced with a closed car of a traditional overhead cableway. In particular, the open space 14 does not comprise any windows, or several openings allowing air to circulate. Unlike the state of the art, this vehicle 3 is not a car as it does not have a floor situated underneath the chairs 9 to 13. When the vehicle 3 is pulled in mid-air, it therefore creates thrilling sensations, as the passengers have an unobstructed field of vision over the landscape situated underneath the chairs, i.e. under their feet.

Preferentially, the support 8 also delimits two lateral openings 18, 19 which pass through towards the outside and are situated respectively on the lateral sides of the vehicle 3. In other words, the vehicle 3 is devoid of side walls, i.e. the sides of the vehicle 3 do not comprise any windows, or several openings allowing air to circulate. The support 8 can further also delimit two openings, a front opening 20 and a rear opening 21, which pass through towards the outside and are situated respectively at the front and at the rear of the chairs 9 to 13. This means that the front and rear of the vehicle 3 do not comprise any windows, or several openings allowing air to circulate. In general manner, the lateral 18, 19, front 20 and rear 21 through openings result in the outside communicating with a space situated underneath the support 8 where the chairs 9 to 13 are situated. Such a support 8 enhances the thrilling effect as the passengers can have a completely open field of vision on the sides, at the front and at the rear of the vehicle 3.

In general manner, the support 8 is shaped to suspend the chairs 9 to 13 on the hanger arm 7 of the vehicle 3. The support 8 can comprise a roof of parallelepiped shape provided with a top surface 16 equipped with fixing means connected to the hanger arm 7 to fix the roof on the hanger arm 7. The roof also comprises a bottom surface 17, opposite the top surface 16, on which the chairs 9 to 13 are suspended. As a variant, instead of the roof, the support 8 can comprise a suspension structure formed by an assembly of bars or tubes forming a suspension frame connected to the hanger arm 7 and to the chairs 9 to 13. Advantageously the support 8 can comprise a protective structure 22 of the chairs 9 to 13 mounted on the support 8. The protective structure 22 enables the chairs 9 to 13, and thereby the passengers, to be protected when rocking of the vehicle 3 takes place, in particular when the vehicle 3 enters the station or when the vehicle 3 passes over a tower. The protective structure 22 can be formed by cylindrical members, such as tubes, bars, full rods, or a combination of the three. What is meant by cylinder is a solid limited by a cylindrical surface generated by a set of parallel lines, referred to as generatrix, pressing on a closed flat curve, referred to as directrix, and two planes cutting the generatrix. Preferably, the protective structure 22 comprises a base 23 forming a frame around the chairs 9 to 13. The frame 23 can be continuous or discontinuous. In particular, the base 23 is connected to the support 8 by means of cylindrical members, preferably four tubes 24 situated at the four corners of the support 8.

An advantageous embodiment which accentuates the sensation of thrills even further has been represented in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the vehicle 3 comprises at least one rotary chair 9 to 13. Preferentially, all the chairs 9 to 13 are rotary, as illustrated in FIG. 2. It can also be envisaged for certain chairs 9 to 13, or a single chair 9, to be mounted fixed on the support 8, for example chairs 9 to 13 intended for passengers in charge of operation of the vehicle 3. For example, the rotary chairs 9 to 13 are mounted rotating on the support 8 around axes parallel to an axis of rotation R. The axis of rotation R of the rotary chairs 9 to 13 can be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the hanger arm 7. Preferentially, the axis of rotation R is perpendicular to an axis of attachment A extending along the overhead cable 2. The axis of attachment A is an axis along which the hauling cable 2 extends when the attachment device 6 is attached to the hauling cable 2. Advantageously, the vehicle 3 comprises a tilt system 15, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, configured to move the rotary chairs 9 to 13 in rotation with respect to respective reference positions of the rotary chairs 9 to 13. The rotary chairs 9 to 13 occupy their reference position when their backrests are vertical so that the passengers can seat, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The tilt system 15 further comprises a set of gears controlled and configured to move the rotary chairs 9 to 13 in rotation. The tilt system 15 comprises hydraulic or pneumatic jacks, or electric motors configured to control the gears. More particularly, the tilt system 15 is mounted on the support 8. As a variant, the tilt system 15 is housed inside the roof of the support 8. The tilt system 15 can thus incline the rotary chairs 9 to 13 once the passengers are seated and before the vehicle 3 begins to move, and the tilt system 15 can then return the rotary chairs 9 to 13 to their reference positions in order to embark further passengers. Advantageously, the tilt system 15 can incline the rotary chairs 9 to 13 towards the ground. In other words, the backrest and seat of the rotary chair 9 to 13 are inclined together in the downwards direction so that the passengers are in an extreme position with regard to the ground. This means that the field of vision of the passengers is directed towards the ground. This tilting enhances the thrilling sensations experienced by the passengers.

The installation 1 can further comprise a passenger loading station, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a passenger unloading station, not shown for the sake of simplification. A station can comprise a floor 41 mounted in movable manner in the station between a retracted position, illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the vehicle 3 is entering the station, and a deployed position, illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the floor 41 is situated underneath the chairs 9 to 13. In this way, when the vehicle 3 approaches a station, the floor 41 is retracted so as not to obstruct entry of the vehicle 3 into the station. Then, when the vehicle 3 is at a standstill in the station, the floor 41 is deployed underneath the chairs 9 to 13, and the passengers can disembark from the vehicle 3 and walk on the floor 41 to a platform 42 of the station. The station equipped with a movable floor 41 further comprises a mechanism 43 for moving the floor 41. For example, the mechanism 43 comprises jacks configured to retract and deploy the movable floor 41.

The installation and vehicle which have just been described above enable new sensations to be created providing greater thrills than those procured by traditional overhead cableways.

Claims

1. Vehicle of transport designed to be pulled by an overhead cable, comprising an attachment device to attach the vehicle to the overhead cable, a hanger arm extending along a longitudinal axis-and connected to the attachment device, and a support connected to the hanger arm, the vehicle comprising at least two chairs suspended on the support and situated one behind the other according to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and the support delimiting a space open towards the outside and situated underneath said at least two chairs.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the support delimits two lateral openings which pass through towards the outside and are situated respectively on the lateral sides of the vehicle.

3. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the support delimits two front and rear openings which pass through towards the outside and are situated respectively at the front and at the rear of said at least two chairs.

4. Vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a protective structure of said at least two chairs mounted on the support.

5. Vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the protective structure comprises a base forming a frame around said at least two chairs and cylindrical members connecting the base to the support.

6. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each chair comprises a harness pivotally mounted on the chair between a raised position in which access to the chair is allowed and a lowered position to provide protection of a passenger seated on the chair.

7. Vehicle according to claim 6, comprising a rotary chair mounted rotating on the support.

8. Vehicle according to claim 7, comprising a tilt system configured to move the rotary chair in rotation with respect to a reference position of the rotary chair.

9. Installation of transport by overhead cable, comprising at least one vehicle according to claim 1.

10. Installation according to claim 9, comprising a station equipped with a floor movable between a retracted position in which the vehicle enters the station and a deployed position in which the floor is situated underneath said at least two chairs of the vehicle.