Device for equipotential bonding of supporting cables of cableway

Abstract

In order to achieve a more reliable equipotential joining of the bearing cable (4) of the cableway (1), which does not lose its effect even in the event of possible slight movements of the bearing cable (4), an insert recess (14) is provided on a plastic insert (11) for a guide section (6) of the bearing cable (4), through which insert recess an electrically conductive contact element (15) is inserted, the contact element (15) is movably arranged in the insert recess (14), a spring element (20) is provided which presses the electrically conductive contact element (15) against the bearing cable (4) such that the electrically conductive contact element (15) contacts the bearing cable (4) guided on the plastic material insert (11) with the contact surface (16), the electrically conductive contact element (15) being electrically connected to an equipotential joining point (17) of the cableway (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a device for equipotential bonding (potential equalization, Potentialausgleich) of a support cable for a cableway, the guiding part being arranged on a fixed installation of the cableway, the guiding part comprising a plastic material insert extending in the cable direction, and a support cable resting on and guided by the plastic material insert. Background Art

[0002] Cableways generally use cables made of steel or a combination of steel and plastic to move cableway vehicles between two or more cableway stations. The cableway cable can be designed as a support cable and can be firmly tensioned between two points, such as two cableway stations. The cableway cable can also be designed as a hauling cable and can be moved back and forth or rotated. For example, a cableway vehicle uses a hauling cable, such as by firmly or detachably clamping the cableway vehicle to the hauling cable to move. When using at least one support cable, the cableway vehicle runs on rollers on at least one support cable and is moved by a hauling cable connected to the cableway vehicle. In a cableway, the hauling cable and, if necessary, the support cable are guided over cableway supports arranged between the cableway stations.

[0003] For safety reasons, the cables of a cableway must be electrically grounded for equipotential bonding (potential equalization) in order to safely discharge any possible charges on the cable, such as due to electrostatic charging, lightning strikes, current coupling through an electric field, etc. In principle, charges can be generated on the cable even if the cable itself is non-conductive. Compared with a moving hauling cable, it is easier to achieve such equipotential bonding with a defined reference potential, such as ground, for a tightly tensioned support cable because there is no relative movement or only very little relative movement between the support cable and the ground. However, for a moving hauling cable, equipotential bonding is difficult because the moving cable must be safely and permanently electrically contacted for equipotential bonding. Due to the relative movement, there is also high wear on the contact elements that contact the hauling cable. To reduce wear, WO 2022 / 090166A1 proposes a contact brush having bristles made of a conductive plastic material as the contact element.

[0004] WO 2018 / 150149 A1 discloses a grounding of a transport or support cable of a cableway, in which a contact element with a spring presses against the cable in order to establish a reliable electrical contact between the contact element and the cable. In the case of a moving transport cable, this grounding is also subject to considerable wear, which is further increased by the high contact force resulting from the spring preloading, such that this grounding is not suitable for a moving cable. Although the spring preloading of the contact element can improve the electrical contact, the cable of the cableway may deviate laterally due to external influences such as wind, cable vibration, etc. This applies to both the transport cable and the support cable of the cableway. In the case of lateral deflection, the electrical contact and thus the equipotential bonding may be lost or at least impaired despite the spring preloading of the contact element. This means that in some cases the problem of grounding the support cable cannot be satisfactorily solved.

[0005] The support cable of the cableway can rest on or be attached to the conductive and grounded components of the cableway, such as cableway supports, which will also ensure equipotential bonding. However, due to the movement of the support cable caused by external influences such as wind, cable vibration, etc., this equipotential bonding may be lost, which results in an incorrect positioning of the support cable. A holding device for the support cable on the components of the cableway is described, for example, in EP 2 127 990 B1.

[0006] However, the support cables of cableways are increasingly embedded in guiding parts with plastic material inserts, as this reduces the mechanical load acting on the support cables and reduces wear and tear on the support cables. If the support cable is embedded in a plastic material insert, equipotential bonding via a conductive contact part is not possible. Summary of the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a safer electrical equipotential bonding for the support cable of a cableway, which does not lose its effectiveness even in the case of possible slight movement of the support cable.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention in such a way that insert recesses are provided in the plastic material insert, through which conductive contact elements are inserted, and the contact elements are movably arranged in the insert recesses, and a spring element is also provided, which presses the conductive contact elements against the support cable such that the conductive contact elements contact the support cable guided on the plastic material insert with a contact surface, and the conductive contact elements are electrically connected to the equipotential bonding point of the cableway.

[0009] Once the support cable is guided and held in the plastic material insert, there is generally no lateral movement (perpendicular to the cable direction) of the support cable during operation. Due to tensile or load changes in the support cable, small movements along the cable direction may occur. Such movement of the support cable in the cable direction does not affect the contact between the support cable and the contact element. This results in only minimal relative movement between the support cable and the contact element, so the wear on the contact element is also small. However, more importantly, the spring-loaded contact element extending into the plastic material insert can also compensate for small possible movements of the support cable transverse to the cable direction, and by utilizing this movement, a reliable electrical contact for equipotential bonding can always be ensured. Therefore, during the operation of the cableway, equipotential bonding is always ensured during the normal and expected movement of the support cable 4.

[0010] To protect the plastic material insert, the guiding part may include a guiding housing in which the plastic material insert is arranged. In this case, a housing recess is provided on the guiding housing, and the conductive contact element is pushed through the housing recess in the guiding housing and through the insert recess in the plastic material insert.

[0011] Preferably, the guiding housing is detachably mounted on the fixed equipment of the cableway. For example, if the plastic material insert is worn, this allows for easy replacement of the guiding housing. Of course, only the plastic material insert can be replaceable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention will be described in more detail below Figures 1 to 6 by way of example, Figures 1 to 6 schematically and non - restrictively showing advantageous embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 A cross - section of a cableway having a support cable and a guiding part is shown, Figures 2 to 4 are different views of the guiding part with contact elements according to the present invention, Figure 5 A guiding part having a plurality of contact elements is shown, and Figure 6 A guiding part having a transport lock for the contact element is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Figure 1 A small interface of a cableway 1 having a cableway support 2 is schematically shown. The cableway support 2 has a cable support 3 arranged thereon. The cableway support 2 and the cable support 3 are fixed equipment of the cableway 1. At least one support cable 4 of the cableway 1 runs on the cable support 3. In accordance with Figure 1In the embodiment, two support cables 4 are provided, but more or fewer (at least one) support cables 4 can be provided. For this purpose, the support cables 4 are guided, for example, on the upper side of the cable support 3, as in the embodiment according to Figure 1 For this purpose, a guide portion 6 is also arranged on the cable support 3, in which the support cable 4 is guided and held.

[0014] The cable car 7 has a running gear 9, which has a plurality of running rollers 10. The running gear 9 is connected via a suspension rod 8 to the transport part of the cable car 7, for example a gondola. When the cable car 7 moves, the plurality of running rollers 10 roll on the support cable 4, or optionally on different support cables 4. To move the cable car 7, a hauling cable 5 is provided, which runs, for example, between two cable stations (not shown). The support cable 4 is usually tensioned between two cable stations. The running gear 9 usually includes known cable clips for clamping the cable car 7 to the hauling cable 5 or for releasing it from the hauling cable 5 (for example in a cable station).

[0015] In Figures 2 to 4 an embodiment of the guide portion 6 according to the invention is shown. The guide portion 6 includes a plastic material insert 11 extending in the cable direction S (longitudinal direction of the support cable 4). When the guide portion 6 is used, the support cable 4 rests on the plastic material insert 11. The plastic material insert 11 holds and guides the support cable 4. The support cable 4 is tensioned between two points in the cableway 1. Thus, for example due to external influences such as wind or cable vibration or when the cable car 7 passes by, the support cable 4 moves only to a very limited extent. In any case, the support cable 4 does not rotate due to the cableway drive and also does not move back and forth due to the cableway drive.

[0016] The plastic material insert 11 is advantageously designed to have a guide groove 13 extending in the cable direction S on the side facing the support cable 4, in which the support cable 4 rests. The guide groove 13 allows for better and safer holding and guiding of the support cable 4.

[0017] In Figures 2 to 4 the embodiment shown, the guide portion 6 also includes a guide housing 12 for receiving the plastic material insert 11. The plastic material insert 11 is arranged in the guide housing 12. The guide housing 12 is designed, for example, in the form of a U-shaped profile, and the plastic material insert 11 is arranged between the two legs of the U-shaped profile. The guide housing 12 can have any suitable shape. However, the guide housing 12 is optional and does not necessarily have to be present.

[0018] In accordance with Figure 2In the embodiment, the plastic material insert 11 or the guide housing 12 having the plastic material insert 11 is arranged to be movable, in this case pivotably arranged, for example, as described in EP 2 127 990 B1. This is not necessarily the case, for example, as Figure 3 shown.

[0019] Since the plastic material insert 11 is made of plastic, the support cable 4 is electrically insulated from the other components of the cableway 1 by the plastic material insert 11. However, in order to achieve electrical equipotential bonding of the support cable 4, an insert recess 14 is provided in the plastic material insert 11. The conductive contact element 15 is inserted through the insert recess 14. In this case, the contact element 15 extends into the region of the plastic material insert 11, for example into the region of the guide groove 13, against which the support cable 4 bears during use. Thus, the support cable 4 guided on the plastic material insert 11 is electrically contacted by the conductive contact element 15. For this purpose, the contact element 15 has a contact surface 16 that touches the support cable 4. The conductive contact element 15 is electrically connected to an equipotential bonding point 17 of the cableway 1 (for example on the cableway support 2). The electrical connection can be achieved via an electrical connection cable 18, as shown in the embodiment.

[0020] The contact element 15 is designed, for example, as a conductive carbon brush or a brush with conductive plastic bristles. In addition to brushes, the contact element 15 can of course also be designed as a rigid conductive part, for example a graphite block.

[0021] If the plastic material insert 11 is arranged in the guide housing 12, a housing recess 19 is also provided in the guide housing 12 through which the conductive contact element 15 is inserted. In this case, the recess 14 in the plastic material insert 11 and the housing recess 19 in the guide housing 12 are aligned, and the contact element 15 is pushed through both.

[0022] The contact element 15 is arranged in the insert recess 14 and optionally also in the housing recess 19 so as to be movable in the direction of the support cable 4. The contact element 15 is thus advantageously also arranged to be movable in a direction away from the support cable 4.

[0023] Furthermore, a spring element 20, such as a helical spring or a leaf spring, is provided on the guide part 6, which presses the conductive contact element 15 against the support cable 4 located in the plastic material insert 11. This establishes and maintains electrical contact.

[0024] Due to the spring-loaded contact element 15, even if the support cable 4 moves due to external influences, the electrical contact between the support cable 4 in the plastic material insert 11 and the contact element 15 can be maintained. During the operation of the cableway 1, the fixedly tensioned support cable 4 will only move slightly. The spring-loaded contact element 15 can at least compensate for this movement in order to maintain the electrical contact and thus maintain the equipotential bonding. In the case of a severe fault, for example, if the support cable 4 completely jumps out of the plastic material insert 11, the equipotential bonding cannot be ensured. However, such an error must be intercepted in some other way anyway, for example, in EP 2 127 990 B1.

[0025] The spring holder 22 can be arranged on another part of the guide housing 12 or the guide section 6, and the spring element 20 can be arranged between the spring holder 22 and the contact element 15.

[0026] A plurality of contact elements 15 can also be arranged on the guide section 6, distributed in the cable direction S, as Figure 5 shown. Each of these contact elements 15 can be connected to the equipotential bonding point (potential equalization point) 17 of the cableway 1, or to different equipotential bonding points 17 of the cableway 1.

[0027] In the embodiment according to Figure 6 a transport lock 21 is provided on the guide section 6, for example, on the spring holder 22. In this case, the transport lock 21 is designed as a screw, and the transport lock can also be designed in any other way. The transport lock 21 is detachably connected to the contact element 15 and holds the contact element 15 in a defined position retracted from the support cable 4 during use. This allows the support cable 4 to be arranged in the plastic material insert 11 after the transport lock 21 has been released and before the spring element 20 presses the conductive contact element 15 against the support cable 4. At the same time, this can prevent the contact element 15 from falling out of the guide section 6, for example, during installation or maintenance.

Claims

1. A device for equipotential bonding of supporting cables (4) of a cableway (1), wherein a guide section (6) is arranged on a fixed device (2, 3) of the cableway (1), the guide section (6) comprising a plastic material insert (11) extending in the cable direction (S) and the supporting cable (4) resting on and guided on the plastic material insert (11), characterized in that An insert recess (14) is provided on the plastic material insert (11), through which an electrically conductive contact element (15) is inserted, the contact element (15) being movably arranged in the insert recess (14), wherein a spring element (20) is provided, which presses the electrically conductive contact element (15) against the supporting cable (4), so that the electrically conductive contact element (15) contacts the supporting cable (4) guided on the plastic material insert (11) with a contact surface (16), and wherein the electrically conductive contact element (15) is electrically connected to an equipotential bonding point (17) of the cableway (1).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The guide part (6) comprises a guide housing (12) in which the plastic material insert (11) is arranged, a housing recess (19) is provided on the guide housing (12), and the electrically conductive contact element (15) is pushed through the housing recess (19) in the guide housing (12) and through the insert recess (14) in the plastic material insert (11).

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that A spring holder (22) is arranged on the guide housing (12), and the spring element (20) is arranged between the spring holder (22) and the contact element (15).

4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The guide housing (12) is detachably arranged on the fixed device (2, 3) of the cableway (1).

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that A transport lock (21) is provided on the guide part (11), which can be detachably connected to the contact element (15) and holds the contact element (15) in a defined position retracted from the support cable (4), so that after releasing the transport lock (21) and before the spring element (20) presses the electrically conductive contact element (15) against the support cable (4), the support cable (4) can be arranged in the plastic material insert (11).

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