EP3319857A1

EP3319857A1 - Chair for a chairlift

Info

Publication number: EP3319857A1
Application number: EP16744328.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andreas Sutterlüty
Original assignee: Innova Patent GmbH
Current assignee: Innova Patent GmbH
Priority date: 2015-07-09
Filing date: 2016-07-11
Publication date: 2018-05-16
Also published as: AU2016289519B2; AT517446A1; CN107848544A; RU2674969C1; AU2016289519A1; US20180251137A1; CA2991370C; CA2991370A1; NZ738551A; KR102019808B1; WO2017005932A1; KR20180030577A

Abstract

A chair for chairlifts comprises at least one seat portion (4) that can pivot about an axis, and an elastic element (2) between the seat portion (4) and a frame (7) of the chair. An actuation mechanism that is connected to the seat portion (4) allows the seat portion (4) to pivot downward counter to the force of the elastic element (2) and lock the seat portion (4) in said position in order to make it easier for chairlift users to get on and off the chair.

Description

Armchair for a chairlift

The present invention relates to a chair for chairlifts with at least one seat part, which is pivotable about a horizontal axis.

The present invention further relates to a method for pivoting at least one seat part of a chair of a chairlift.

In order to be able to transport passengers safely, armchairs of chairlifts have a safety bar. The problem with a closed safety bar is that particularly large

Passengers a space problem between the bottom of the

closed safety bar and the seat part can have. The problem can be caused by a general increase in the distance between the seat part and the bottom of the closed

Security bar can not be fixed because too big

Gap would greatly increase the risk of falling for smaller people, especially for children. For larger passengers, an individual adaptation in compliance with the respective regulations is therefore desirable.

In EP 1 721 801 A, this is done by means of elastic elements on the safety bar, which press from above against the thighs of the passengers and yield elastically in the case of tall persons. The risk of slipping even by small passengers can thus be minimized, but can cause some passengers an oppressive feeling.

The invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device of the type mentioned, which offers greater comfort to large passengers, without sacrificing safety. This problem is solved in a chair of the type mentioned above in that an elastic element between the seat part and a frame of the chair is arranged and presses the seat part upwards.

The object is further solved in a method of the type mentioned in that the seat part is pivoted against the force of an elastic element.

A particular advantage of the elastic element in the

Device according to the invention that the distance between the seat part and the underside of the safety bar is variable, so that in particular larger and usually heavier persons, the elastic element is pressed together and the space between the safety bar and the seat part is thus larger.

In a preferred embodiment, the elastic element is biased in an upper, unloaded position of the seat part. This position is called the starting position. By the bias is a swinging or rocking of the elastic

Element to be reduced to a minimum.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the bias of the elastic element in the

Starting position is greater than a defined weight of a passenger. If the force of the elastic element is greater than the weight of a passenger, the seat part will remain in the starting position by the elastic element. This is especially for smaller passengers and children

desired so as not to increase the clear width.

By means of an actuating device can against the force of the elastic element of the seat part in a lower input and / or Exit position to be pivoted. One forms

Seat of the seat part in the lower input and / or

Exit position a nearly horizontal plane and allows especially smaller passengers, easier to get in and out.

In the context of the invention may further be provided that the seat part in the entry and / or exit position can be locked. During the period of transit in a station, the seat part can thus be completely fixed in its comfortable lower entry and / or exit position.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, it is provided for locking the seat part in the lower position that a locking element connected to the seat part via a

Control element is connected to the actuating device, wherein furthermore the locking element connected to the seat part can be locked with a blocking element in the entry and / or exit position.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the blocking element is movable by the control in a locking position and in a release position, wherein the locking position, the position is understood, in which the seat part in its lower input and / or

Exit position is locked, and under release position, the position in which the seat part can be pivoted.

In the release position of the locking element, the force of the elastic element will automatically try the seat part with a passenger located thereon in the upper position or

Starting position to pivot and the space between the

Bottom of the safety bar and the seat part on

to restrict the defined minimum. Body weight or height and the space required between the bottom of the closed safety bar and the seat part are generally interdependent sizes.

People with, for example, 90 kg body weight point in the

Usually either longer legs or thicker thighs than lighter persons. To adjust the space between the bottom of the safety bar and the seat part to the length of the legs or to the thighs of a passenger, this is

elastic element dimensioned so that the seat part with a passenger, for example, has less than 80 kg body weight, after release of the seat part again completely pivoted back from the lower entry and / or exit position to the starting position. The space between the bottom of the closed safety bar and the seat is thus reduced to a defined minimum and the risk of a

Slipping smaller persons between safety bar and seat part is reduced.

For example, a passenger of 95 kg bodyweight may be assumed to be between the bottom of the body

closed safety bar and the seat part requires more space for comfortable sitting. The elastic element is dimensioned so that the seat part not after its release

pivots back to the starting position. The passenger thus has more space under the safety bar.

If seat parts of a chair can be swiveled separately, a large and heavy passenger has more space between them

Bottom of the closed safety bar and the seat part as a seated smaller passenger. Under

Ensuring safety for smaller and older passengers and possibly facilitated entry and / or exit for them, thus the comfort is significantly increased, especially for larger passengers. Further preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the remaining dependent claims.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the connected

Drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a chair of a chairlift with

a first embodiment of a device according to the invention in a starting position,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device of Fig. 1 in one

Entry and / or exit position and

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention

Contraption .

1 and 2 show an elastic element 2, which is arranged between a pivotable about an axis 19 seat part 4 and a frame 7 of a chair 1. On the frame 7 are further a pivotally mounted safety bar 8, a

Back part 18 and pivotable about a pin 9

Tilting element 6 stored or attached. The tilting element 6 is deflected by an actuating device which has a drive and a Bowden cable 5.

The drive not shown in the drawings

Actuator has, for example, a lever which is arranged on a support rod of the chair 1, as is known in principle for example from EP 1 780 091 A. The type of drive of the actuator is not limited to a mechanical device, but may also be be electric or other drive.

In Fig. 1, the seat part 4 is shown with the elastic element 2 in an upper, unloaded starting position. The

elastic element 2 has already in the starting position on a defined bias. The safety bar 8 is in a closed position. The elastic element 2 is in the figures shown a coil spring, but can also any other form of a spring, such as an annular spring, polymer spring, leaf spring, plate spring, torsion spring or

Scissors spring, and will be referred to hereinafter as spring 2. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the space between the underside of the closed safety bar 8 and the seat part 4 for passengers is limited to a defined minimum, which is designed for smaller and medium-sized passengers.

In Fig. 2, the seat part 4 is pivoted by means of the tilting element 6 against the force of the spring 2 down and the spring 2 fully tensioned. The seat part 4 is now in a lower entry and / or exit position. The operation of the

Tilting element 6 takes place via the drive and the Bowden cable 5 of the actuator.

If e.g. a drive as described in EP 1 780 091 A is used, the lever of the drive by means of a

Control rail operated in a station of the chairlift. The actuation of the tilting element 6 takes place in particular in an entry and / or exit area of the station. Immediately before

Ausstiegsbereich the lever is actuated via the control rail and the seat part 4 is pivoted to the lower exit position. The lever rests on the control rail for the entire duration in the exit area. After leaving the exit area of the seat part 4 pivoted at the end of the control rail back up to the starting position. Immediately before Entry area, the lever is operated again via a control rail and the seat part 4 pivoted down into the

Entry-level position. While passing through the

Boarding area is pivoted to the passengers by the

Position of the seat part 4 sitting on the chair 1

facilitated. After leaving the boarding area also ends the control rail and the seat part 4 can be small and

Panning medium-sized people up or stays

heavier persons below.

In a preferred embodiment, the seat part 4 with a dead center lock on the lever during the entire duration of the passage through the station in the on and

Exit position are locked. Immediately after entering the chair 1 in the station, the lever is actuated only once and locked by the dead center. Only immediately before leaving the station, the lever is again on a

Control rail actuated and the dead center lock released. The seat part 4 is then no longer locked and can swing upwards.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the tilting element 6 can be omitted and the Bowden cable 5 or a linkage of the drive or the drive itself is directly connected to the seat parts 4 and pivots the seat parts 4 in the lower position. In order to hold the seat parts 4 in the lower entry and / or exit position, the seat part can again as described above, e.g. be locked via the drive of the actuator.

3 shows a further developed embodiment of the

Invention in which a control element 14 is connected to the tilting element 6 and is actuated by this. The control element 14 has an opening 13 with a control link, in which a bolt 12 of a locking element 10 is received, the is firmly connected to the seat part 4. The control element 14 is moved by the tilting element 6 in the direction of the double arrow 21.

Thereby, the seat part 4 via the connected to the control element 14 via the opening and the bolt 12

Locking element 10 are pivoted against the force of the spring 2.

The actuator may consist of the same components as described above.

To the inventive embodiment of FIG. 3 the

Seat part 4 to pivot against the spring 2 must, as described for FIGS. 1 and 2, via the Bowden cable 5 and the tilting element 6, a force applied to the control element 14. The

Control element 14 moves with the voltage applied to the left end of the opening 13 bolt 12 in the direction of arrow 21 to the right. The control element 14 thereby moves as far as possible until the spring 2 is maximally tensioned and a locking element 11 loaded by a spring counterclockwise into a locking element 11

Recess 16 of the locking element 10 is engaged and the seat part 4 locked in the lower entry and / or exit position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The control element 14 has in addition to the opening 13 a

Defined cam 15 on which the locking element 11 bears under spring force and is guided. By means of the control cam 15, the locking element 11 located in the locking position is deflected out of the recess 16 of the locking element 10 and thus the seat part 4 is released. This must be

Control element 14 are moved over the Bowden cable 5 and the tilting element in the direction of arrow 21 to the left. The defined

Control cam 15 is shaped so that the voltage applied to the control element 14 locking element 11 is moved out of the recess 16. The bolt 12 is unloaded and located between the two ends of the opening 13 and their control link, so that the seat part 4 by the force of the spring 2 can move upwards.

In a further development of the embodiment of Fig. 3, the seat part 4 in continuation of the movement of the control element 14 in the direction of arrow 21 to the left all the way up against the

Back part 18 are pivoted. This invention

Embodiment thus enables a pivoting of the seat part 4 of the lower entry and / or exit position in the

Starting position and, if necessary, further in an uppermost position in which the seat part 4 rests against the back part 18 or is at least pivoted up to the vicinity of the back part 18 upwards. In order to lock the seat part 4 in the uppermost position, the locking element 10 is a further, not shown,

Recess into which the locking element 11 engages. To unlock the seat part 4 from the locked uppermost position, as described above, the locking element 11 by means of

Control 14 deflected out of the recess. The

Control element 14 has in this embodiment a

Extension of the control cam 15 in order to deflect the locking element 11 from the lock.

The opening 13 must in all embodiments of Fig.3

be at least as long that the seat part 4 of the

Starting position in the lower entry and / or exit position can be pivoted when a heavy person sits on the seat, plus the diameter of the bolt 12th

The unillustrated lever of the drive must be in the

Embodiment of Fig. 3 at the entrance to the station via the control rail only once so far deflected until the seat part 4 with the locking element 10 all the way down

pivoted and locked by the locking element 11.

Shortly before leaving the station, the lever is then over again a control rail is actuated or pivoted so far out of the recess 16, that the blocking element 11 is deflected by the control element 14 so far that the seat part 4 again

is released.

The use of a locking element 11 for locking the

Seat part 4 in the entry and / or exit position is not mandatory in the embodiment of Fig. 3. Alternatively, another, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical device may be used to lock the seat part 4.

A mechanical reversal between the locking element 10 and the control element 14 is of course possible insofar as the bolt 12, which is secured to the locking element 10, then located on the control element 14 and in an opening on

Locking element 10 engages.

Claims

Claims :

Chair for chairlifts with a frame and with at least one seat part (4) which is pivotable about a horizontal axis (19) in an upper starting position and a lower entry and / or exit position, characterized in that an elastic element (2 ) is arranged between the seat part (4) and the frame (7) of the chair, the

Seat part (4) pushes upwards to the starting position.

2. Armchair according to claim 1, characterized in that the

elastic element (2) a spring, preferably a

Coil spring, ring spring, polymer spring, leaf spring or disc spring, is.

3. Armchair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the seat part (4) by means of an actuating device against the force of the elastic element (2) is pivotable in a lower input and / or exit position.

4. Armchair according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized

characterized in that the elastic element (2) is prestressed in the upper starting position of the seat part (4).

5. Armchair according to claim 4, characterized in that the

Preload of the elastic element (2) in the upper starting position is greater than a defined weight of a passenger.

6. Armchair according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized

in that the seat part (4) can be locked in the entry and / or exit position.

7. Armchair according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized

characterized in that the seat part (4) in an uppermost

Position in which the seat part (4) rests against a back part (18) is pivotable.

8. Armchair according to claim 7, characterized in that the

Seat part (4) by means of the actuating device in the uppermost position is pivotable.

9. Armchair according to one of claims 3 to 8, characterized

in that a locking element (10) connected to the seat part (4) is connected to the actuating device via a control element (14).

10. Armchair according to claim 9, characterized in that with the seat part (4) connected to the locking element (10) with a blocking element (11) in the input and / or

Exit position is lockable.

11. Armchair according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized

characterized in that the seat part (4) in the uppermost

Position is lockable.

12. Armchair according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the blocking element (11) by the control element (14) is movable in a locking position and in a release position.

13. Armchair according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized

characterized in that the control element (14) has a control cam (15) on which the blocking element (11),

preferably under spring force, is applied.

14. Armchair according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized

characterized in that the control element (14) only in one direction of movement in operative connection with the seat part (4).

15. Armchair according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized

in that the control element (14) has an opening (13) into which a bolt (12) connected to the seat part (4) engages.

16. Armchair according to claim 15, characterized in that the

Bolt (12) of the locking element (10) in the

Release position of the locking element (11) on a

Control cam of the opening (13) rests and is guided.

17. Armchair according to one of claims 3 to 16, characterized

characterized in that the actuating device a

Drive has.

18. Armchair according to claim 17, characterized by a

mechanical or electric drive.

19. Armchair according to claim 18, characterized in that the

mechanical drive a Bowden cable (5) and / or a

Linkage has.

20. Armchair according to one of claims 17 to 19, characterized

characterized in that the actuating device comprises the drive and the control element (14).

21. Cableway system with at least two stations, wherein between the stations connected to a rope chairs are mobile, characterized in that the armchairs according to one of

Claims 1 to 17 are given.

22. A method for pivoting at least one seat part (4) of an armchair of a chairlift with a frame (7), wherein the seat part (4) about a horizontal axis (19) in an upper starting position and a lower input and / or

Swing-out position is pivotable, characterized in that the seat part (4) against the force of an elastic element (2) which is arranged between the seat part (4) and the frame (7) of the chair and the seat part (7) upwards in the Starting position presses, is pivoted.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that the seat part (4) by means of a with the seat part (4) connected to the actuating device against the force of the elastic

Element (2) is pivoted in an entry and / or exit position.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the pivoted in the entry and / or exit position seat part (4) is locked in this position by the actuator.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized

characterized in that the seat part (4) in an uppermost

Position in which the seat part (4) rests against a back part (18) is pivoted.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, characterized

characterized in that the seat part (4) by means of

Actuator is pivoted in the uppermost position.

27. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 26, characterized

characterized in that a drive connected to the actuator moves a control element (14).

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that the seat part (4) via the control element (14) against the force of the elastic element (2) in the input and / or

Exit position is pivoted, and that one

Locking element (11) locks the seat part (4) in this position.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that the blocking element (11) via the control element (14) is pivoted from a locking position into a release pitch.