EP2451692A1 - Escape ramp - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a ramp (2) for escape from passenger transport vehicles (1), said ramp (2) being foldable and, under normal working conditions, remaining folded and kept inside the vehicle (1), wherein the deployment of said ramp only requires manual actuation, and said ramp (2) comprises two portions (9, 10) that are connected by a hinge (18) and a mat (12) that is capable of supporting the passage of users, the mat (12) being made of two portions (12a) and (12b), each portion comprising a distal end (9c, 10a) hinged to one end of the gateway (12), respectively, and a proximal end (21a, 21b) connected to at least one cable (21).

Description

 EVACUATION RAMP

The present invention relates to a ramp for the evacuation of passenger transport vehicles, said ramp being collapsible and in normal working conditions intended to remain folded and maintained inside the vehicle and whose deployment does not require energy source except for manual operation.

 Such types of ramp are particularly used in public transport and in particular in some subways to allow the evacuation of passengers on the tracks. The cost of building the tunnels of ràétro leads to limit the diameter of the tunnel and to leave only a very small space between the metro itself and the wall of the tunnel. In case of evacuation, it becomes very difficult for the passengers to leave the metro using the side doors. In addition, the metro floor is about 1.20 m above the tracks, evacuation without help is difficult, especially for people with reduced mobility.

 Evacuation assistance devices such as ladders already exist, but these devices are difficult to implement and do not allow the evacuation of all people. There is therefore a need for an evacuation device that can be put in place at the head and tail of the train and to evacuate all passengers.

Such a device is described in the document EP0776808. This document describes an evacuation door located at the head end equipped with a foldable ramp which is folded in the normal operating phase of the subway. In case of evacuation the ramp can be quickly unfolded to allow evacuation on the track of all passengers. This device has made progress in solving the problem, but it has certain disadvantages. The need to allow a deployment of the ramp without external energy input other than the simple manual push of a passenger has led to fold the floor of the ramp in the upper part when the ramp is in the folded position. In the folded position, the ramp therefore generates a large space in the upper part of the evacuation door. Such bulk is annoying for tall people. In addition, it does not allow to put on the door a glass of a large area. Finally, the device is specific and difficult to install on existing metros.

 There is therefore a need for an evacuation ramp of a footprint reduced collapsed position and allowing easier adaptation to the subways already in operation.

 According to the invention a ramp for the evacuation of passenger transport vehicles, said ramp being foldable and in normal working conditions intended to remain folded and maintained inside the vehicle and whose deployment requires only actuation manual, said ramp having two parts connected by a hinge and a carpet adapted to support the passage of users, characterized in that the carpet is made in two parts, each part having a distal end, respectively articulated with one end of the bridge and a proximal end connected to at least one cable.

 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ramp according to the invention mounted at the front of a subway train, the ramp being in the unfolded position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view from inside the train of the ramp of FIG. 1 in the folded position. Fig. 3 is a side view of the ramp of FIG. 1 in the folded position.

 Fig. 4 is a top view of the Pig ramp. 1 in the folded position.

 Fig. 5 is a side view of the ramp of FIG. 1 in unfolded position.

 Fig. 6 is a top view of the ramp of FIG. 1 in unfolded position.

 Fig. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 in section. Fig. 8 and 9 are details of FIG. 7.

 Fig. 10 is a side view of the ramp of FIG. 1 in the partially unfolded position.

 Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig 10 illustrating different phases of deployment of the ramp.

 Fig. 12 is a detail of FIG. 11, and

 Fig. 13 is a detail illustrating the rail guidance of the sleepers of the carpet.

 We can see on Fig. 1 the front of a subway 1 where a ramp 2 according to the invention is installed. The front of the subway 1 comprises a door 3 provided with a window 4, the door 3 being shown in the open position. Next to the door 3 there is a windscreen 5 and a cockpit 6. The ramp 2 is deployed above a fastening device 7 and rails 8. Note that the ramp 2 is designed to such that in the deployed position its lower end is located above the rails 8. In particular, it is considered that a gap of about 15 cm from the upper end of the rails 8 constitutes a safety margin sufficient. Indeed, in the event that, during its deployment, the ramp

2 hit the rails 8 or the ground itself, damage could be caused on the ramp 2.

The ramp 2 is made of two aluminum parts 9 and 10 hinged relative to each other. The ramp 2, considered in the deployed position, is articulated at its upper end with a support plate secured to the front of the subway 1, at the base of the opening of the door 3. Straps 11 are fixed on the one hand above the opening of the door 3 inside the subway 1 and, on the other hand, at the lower end of the ramp 2 and at the joint between the parts 9 and 10 of the ramp 2.

 In Fig. 2, we can see the ramp 2 in situation from inside the subway 1. Note the cockpit 6 and the windshield glass 5 as well as the door 3 and its glass 4 partially obscured by a curtain 13. The ramp 2 is visible in the folded position and, in particular, the part 9. The part 10 is it hidden between the part 9 and the door 3.

 It is visible on Fig. 1 that the ramp 2 is deployed very far in order to avoid any impact with the fastening device 7. As a result, during its deployment, there remains a space between the floor of the subway 1 and the ramp 2.

 A bridge 15 is provided and is intended to be folded over this space so as to allow easy evacuation.

 On the door 3, the handle of a locking device 14 is visible and accessible by the passengers, which allows the opening of the door 3 in case of emergency. It is therefore necessary that the ramp 2 in the folded position does not come to prevent access to the handle 14.

 In the upper part, above the opening of the door 3, one can glimpse the folding device of the ramp 16.

On the side of the door 3, we can see a double-acting gas cylinder 17 which avoids too rapid deployment of the ramp 2. A first end of the cylinder 17 is articulated on the structure of the subway 1 in the vicinity of the hinge of the door 3 and the other end of the gas cylinder 17 is articulated with the ramp 2 on the side of the part 9. In the folded ramp position, closed door, housings fixed on the ramp 2 can hide the carpet cable systems 12 and the greased portions of the ramp 2. The carpets 12 folded in the lower part will be masked by a horizontal housing fixed on the door 3 and a footbridge or footbridge 15 raised to the vertical. The latter, mounted on hinges, provides a transition surface between the floor of the train 1 and the ramp 12.

 The structure of the ramp 2 is more particularly visible in FIG. 3 to 6.

 In Fig. 3 and 4, we can see the ramp 2 in its folded position.

 In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the part 9 comprises a protective plate 9a intended to protect the users from any contact with aggressive parts of the ramp 2.

 Part 9 is formed of two parallel longitudinal members connected by a cross member 9b. The portion 9 has at one end two orifices 17 intended to allow articulation with the base of the opening of the door 3 of the subway 1. The other end of the portion 9 comprises a hinge 18 of the piano type for the articulation with part 10, itself formed of two longitudinal members connected by cross members. A belt 12 occupies the space between the two longitudinal members of the portion 9, the belt 12 is made from a flexible Kevlar fabric reinforced by cross-members 19 stainless steel.

 In Fig. 4, we can see the carpet 12 in the folded position. Note its extremely small footprint. Fig. 4 thus makes it possible to visualize the important space left between the longitudinal members of the parts 9 and 10 and the carpet 12. This space makes it possible to preserve a window 4 of a substantial surface, thus improving the habitability of the subway ramp.

In Fig. 5 and 6, we can see the ramp 2 in unfolded position. In addition to the elements already described, we can see here the carpet 12 in fully unfolded position thus allowing the passage of passengers. It will be noted that the cross-members 19 of the belt 12 slide on rails 20 housed in the longitudinal members and integral with said longitudinal members of the parts 9 and 10.

 In Fig. 13, it is possible to visualize the sleepers 19 sliding on the rails 20, the Kevlar fabric of the carpet 12 has not been shown in FIG. 13.

 The deployment of the belt 12 is enabled by the use of a cable 21. More exactly, two cables 21 are located in the longitudinal members of the parts 9 and 10. The paths of the cables 21 are identical, so we will describe the route of the cable that we can see Fig. 7.

 The carpet 12 is in two parts; a first part 12a which covers the half-bridge or part 9 and a second part 12b which covers the half-bridge or part 10. The first part 12b of the belt 12 is articulated with the half-gate 9 in the vicinity of the joint 17 with the floor of the subway train 1.

 In this way, it is understood that, in the rest position, the belt 12 will be close to the ground under the window 4. In the same way, the portion 12b of the belt 12 is articulated with the half-bridge 10 near the end 2. In this way, since at rest the articulation between the half-bridges 9 and

10 will be in the upper part of the opening of the door 3, it is understood that the half carpet 12b will also be stored in the lower part under the window 4.

 We have seen that each of the two half mats 12a and 12b has a first end articulated with the bridge 2. Each of the two half mats 12a and 12b has a second end left free. These ends are connected by the cable 21.

When one examines Fig. 7, and in. particular the top of Fig. 7 in the right part, one can see the portion 12a of the carpet 12. Its right end will be fixed to the half-bridge 9 while its left end will be driven by the cable 21. Said cable 21 is then guided by a first pulley 22 and then goes to the right in the lower part of the half bridge 9. It is then guided by the roller 23 and the pulley 24 as can be seen more particularly in FIG. 9. The cable 21 then leaves to the left to the half-bridge 10. It is then guided by the pulley 25 and the roller 26 to the pulley 27 which is in the vicinity of the hinge 18 between the two half-bridges 9 and 10. After its passage through the pulley 27, the cable reaches the half carpet 12b and is fixed at its end.

 On Pig. 10, we can see the bridge 2 in a semi-unfolded position where the cable 21 and its path are more particularly visible.

 In Fig. 10, there is more particularly the attachment point 21a of the cable 21 with the half-belt 12a and the attachment point 21b of the cable 21 with the half carpet 12b, as well as the attachment point 9c of the half-belt carpet 12a with the half ramp 9 and the attachment point 10a of the half carpet 12b with the half ramp 10.

 Fig. 11 and 12 illustrate more particularly the technique used for the deployment of the ramp 2. Indeed, it is necessary to allow a safe deployment of the half-parts 9 and 10. For this purpose, using a cable 28 and a technique already proven , a first end of the cable 28 is secured to the chassis of the subway 1 behind the hinge 17. The cable 28 then travels over the half-gate 9 and is then guided by a set of pulleys 29 to its fixing at the end of the half-gate 10 near the joint 18.

In operation, after opening the front door 3, a passenger will exert a thrust of about 20 kg on the back of ramp 2 which will be sufficient to tilt it towards the track.

 The inertia and the assistance cylinder 17 ensure the smooth deployment of the ramp 2 to the end. The cables 28 guarantee the deployment of the half-ramp

10 while the cables 21 causes the deployment of the carpet 12.

 The full deployment time is less than 10 seconds. The evacuation can then begin.

 For the folding of the ramp 12, the support straps 11 fixed in mid-ramp 12 are mounted on a shaft with 2 pulleys. This shaft is equipped with a pinion that engages manually on a gearbox. When the latter is engaged, simply actuate the gearbox, for example with a drill equipped with a tip, so that the straps wind up progressively and up the ramp 2 in fact. When folding, the carpets 12 gradually resume their place in the low position. At the end of withdrawal, the assistance cylinder 17 generates a holding thrust on the ramp 12, which allows it to avoid redeploying itself.

 The fallback operation takes less than 8 minutes and can be done by one person. The closure of the door 3 can then be made.

 One of the advantages of this solution is to have a mat whose movement of support rails will be guaranteed in parallel. The tension of the cables between the two sides of the ramp will always be balanced because the length of the cables has been calculated so that they are always in tension during the deployment. Pulleys integrated in the uprights of the two parts of the ramp help to avoid hurting these cables.

 The use of cables makes it possible, unlike a purely inertial operation, to limit the lubrication of the sleepers of the belt 12, which reduces the maintenance required.

Claims

Ramp (2) intended for the evacuation of passenger transport vehicles (1), said ramp (2) being foldable and under normal working conditions intended to remain folded and maintained inside the vehicle (1) and whose deployment requires only manual actuation, said ramp (2) comprising two parts (9, 10) connected by a hinge (18) and a belt (12) adapted to support the passage of users, characterized in that the belt (12) is made in two parts (12a) and (12b), each portion (12a, 12b) having a distal end (9c, 10a), respectively articulated with an end of the bridge (12) and a proximal end (21a, 21b) connected to at least one cable (21).