CABIN COMPRISING A DEVICE FOR LOCKING AND UNLOCKING DOORS AND PASSENGER TRANSPORT FACILITY COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE SUCH CABIN - Patent application

Abstract

To provide a cabin for transporting passengers in which a choice of releasing a door from the inside can be provided while enabling locking / unlocking of the door from the outside.SOLUTION: A cabin is related that includes: at least one door P1; an internal floor C and a sill S positioned in any side of the door; and a lock device comprising a lug E firmly connected to the door, and protruding toward the outside of the cabin, and a catch finger 4 being movable between the locked position and the unlocked position. Also, an activating mechanism is related that includes: a pedal 7 positioned under the internal floor C of the cabin, and being accessible through a hatch of the floor of the cabin; and kinematic connection being the kinematic connection between the pedal 7 and the finger 4, in which the connection is positioned under the internal floor C and the sill S of the cabin. In the locked position, the finger is the abutment part in the path of the lug E. In the unlocked position, the finger is retreated under the sill S of the cabin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the locking and unlocking of doors in cabins transporting passengers and moving along paths that are not at a constant angle to the horizontal.

[0002] In particular, the present invention may be implemented in transportation facilities used in amusement parks, such as "big wheels" or ferris wheels. [Background technology]

[0003] Such installations are described, inter alia, in DE 476 892 and WO 2012 / 140330 and comprise a spherical cabin supported by a mobile structure which rotates about an axis of rotation relative to a fixed structure and rotates about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation relative to the mobile structure.

[0004] The cabins used in these facilities generally have lateral doors allowing passengers to embark and disembark, each door having an opening and closing member at its upper part and an outwardly projecting lug at its lower part which, in the closed position, abuts a catch finger which, in the open position, can be retracted below the floor of the cabin.

[0005] These doors are therefore provided with secure means for opening and closing them in an automatic and locked manner at landings located at the bottom of the facility.

[0006] Such means for automatically opening and closing the cabin doors of a Ferris wheel are described in CN206342901U and JP2006075526A. These means are designed in a safe manner to prevent accidental or deliberate opening from within the cabin.

[0007] However, if the facility fails, some cabins may be stranded at height and require the doors to be unlocked to allow them to be opened and passengers to evacuate using external equipment.

[0008] In other situations, the doors may accidentally close, preventing passengers from disembarking at the alighting point.

[0009] Furthermore, during maintenance of the facility and for practical reasons it may be useful for the operator to open the door from inside the cabin, which requires prior unlocking.

[0010] However, the cabin does not have means for unlocking the door that can be accessed and operated from the inside, nevertheless, for obvious safety reasons, such unlocking means should not be easily accessible, even inadvertently, at the risk of causing an accidental fall. Summary of the Invention

[0011] In this context, the object of the present invention is to provide a technically simple, reliable and safe solution that allows conventional locking / unlocking of the door from the outside, while also offering the option of occasional, manual and simple unlocking from inside the cabin for emergencies or maintenance, and that does not create any hindrance or obstacles to passengers entering or exiting the cabin.

[0012] This object is achieved by a cabin comprising at least one door movable between an open position and a closed position, and an internal floor and a threshold located on either side of the door in the closed position, the cabin comprising a locking and unlocking device having a lug rigidly connected to the door and protruding towards the outside of the cabin and a catch finger movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the finger being an abutment on the path of the lug from the closed position to the open position of the door, and the catch finger being retracted below the threshold of the cabin in the unlocked position, the locking and unlocking device comprising an actuating mechanism, the actuating mechanism comprising a pedal located below the internal floor of the cabin and a kinematic connection between the pedal and the catch finger, the connection being located below the internal floor of the cabin and below the threshold of the cabin.

[0013] The pedal is preferably accessible through an access hatch in the interior floor of the cabin. When it is necessary to manually open the door from inside the cabin, the pedal is accessed by lifting the hatch, allowing easy operation of the mechanism. This operation can be performed by a passenger receiving external instructions or by an operator entering the cabin through the roof hatch.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the kinematic connection comprises a lever mounted on the pin and supporting a finger and a pedal, the pedal being preferably between the pin and the finger, the lever being movable between a first position in which the catch finger is in the unlocked position and a second position in which the catch finger is in the locked position.

[0015] According to a particular variant, the actuation mechanism comprises an actuator capable of driving the lever from a first position to a second position, which actuator may for example be monostable, having a stable position corresponding to the locked position of the finger, or bistable, in which both the locked and unlocked positions are stable positions.

[0016] According to an advantageous feature of the cabin of the invention, the actuator is connected to the lever through a reversing lever pivoting about an axis parallel to the pin, the body of the actuator being mounted to pivot about an axis parallel to the pin. This type of mechanism allows an advantageous torque reduction.

[0017] The lever and actuator are preferably pivotally mounted on a frame of the actuation mechanism which is fixed to the frame of the cabin, the pin pivoting about a substantially horizontal axis.

[0018] According to another variant, the actuator comprises an electromagnetic cylinder including a translatable rod attached at one end to a reversing lever.

[0019] According to another feature, the catch finger, in the open position, supports a sole housed in a cavity arranged on the threshold of the cabin. The sole is optionally constituted by a second pedal enabling the locking device to be actuated by an operator from outside the cabin. Alternatively, the catch finger itself is constituted by a pedal. For this purpose, raised elements or texturing of the projecting end of the catch finger may be provided for easy operation by the foot.

[0020] According to another feature, the catch finger is designed to be biased by the lug in the opposite direction towards the unlocked position when the lug abuts against the catch finger.

[0021] According to another feature, the locking and unlocking device is connected to and disengageable from the member for opening and closing the door.

[0022] Additionally, a channel through the threshold is formed to accommodate the catch finger.

[0023] Another object of the invention is a passenger transport facility comprising at least one cabin as described above, supported by a mobile structure which rotates about an axis of rotation relative to a fixed structure and rotates about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation relative to the mobile structure.

[0024] The locking and unlocking device provided in the cabin of the present invention is very compact and can therefore be easily accommodated under the floor of the cabin. In case of emergency, this device offers the possibility of unlocking by pressing a pedal with the foot from inside the cabin, without compromising the safety of passengers in normal transport situations.

[0025] Other features and advantages of the present invention can be found in the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1A]FIG. 1 shows a front view of a cabin according to the invention with an embodiment of the locking and unlocking device, with the door in an open position; [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a side view of the cabin of FIG. 1A. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a locking and unlocking device intended to be provided in the cabin of the present invention; [Figure 3A] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 2. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 5B is a partial cross-section along the plane IV-IV, represented by the dotted line, of the device shown in FIG. 5A, in a rear view. [Figure 5A] 3C is a cross-section of the device shown in FIG. 3B along plane VV in the compartment of the device below the cabin when the door is in the locked position. [Figure 5B] 3C is a cross-section along plane VV of the device shown in FIG. 3B when the door is in the unlocked position.

[0027] For greater clarity, identical or similar elements are designated by the same reference numbers in the text and drawings.

[0028] Of course, the embodiments of the invention illustrated by the attached drawings and described below are given solely as non-limiting examples, and it is expressly stated that different embodiments can be proposed and combined in order to propose other embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] The cabin of the invention is equipped with a device intended to lock and unlock the doors, and is intended to be integrated into passenger transport facilities, more particularly into "giant wheels" or Ferris wheel type facilities, usually found in amusement parks.

[0030] 1A and 1B, the cabin has a generally spherical shape, is supported by a movable structure that rotates about an axis of rotation (not shown) relative to a fixed structure (not shown), and rotates about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation relative to the movable structure.

[0031] The cabin comprises at least one door P1, P2 movable between open and closed positions, and an internal floor C and a threshold S located on either side of the door in the closed position. Each of the doors (here, doors P1, P2) comprises an opening and closing member F located at the top and at the side of the opening for guiding the up and down sliding movement.

[0032] The cabin also comprises a locking and unlocking device comprising a lug E rigidly connected to the door and projecting towards the outside of the cabin, and a catch finger 4 movable between a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0033] In the locked position, the finger 4 is an abutment on the path of the lug E from the closed to the open position of the door. In the unlocked position, the finger 4 is retracted or stored under the cabin threshold S. The finger 4 may advantageously be provided with a V-shaped recess 44 oriented to contact the lug E when attempting to open the lift-up sliding door P. The recess 44 forms a slope intended to raise the finger 4 when the opening force of the lug E is applied.

[0034] In a manner known per se, the member F for opening and closing the doors is connected to the locking / unlocking device through an electromechanical system controlled by a microprocessor. In this configuration, the doors are opened, closed and locked in an automatic and synchronized manner at landings located at the bottom of the facility and intended for the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers.

[0035] It is an object of the present invention to improve upon current automatic locking / unlocking means by providing a manual unlocking member which can be accessed from inside the cabin.

[0036] According to the invention, the locking device comprises for this purpose an actuation mechanism comprising a pedal 7 located under the interior floor C of the cabin and accessible via a hatch in said floor, and a kinematic connection between the pedal 7 and a catch finger 4, which connection is located below the interior floor C of the cabin and below the threshold S, here horizontal to the floor.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, particularly shown in Figures 2 and 5A-B, the kinematic connection comprises a lever 1 mounted on a pin 11 and supporting a catch finger 4 and an unlocking pedal 7. The pedal 7 is preferably mounted between the pin 11 and the finger 4, and the lever 1 is movable between a first position in which the catch finger 4 is in a retracted, unlocked position of the door, and a second position in which the finger 4 is extended over the sill S in the locked position of the door.

[0038] The actuation mechanism comprises an actuator 2 capable of driving a lever 1 from a first position to a second position. For this purpose, the actuator 2 is connected to the lever 1 via a reversing lever 3 pivoting about an axis parallel to the pin 11, the end of the body of the actuator being mounted so as to pivot about an axis parallel to the pin 11.

[0039] The lever 1 and actuator 2 are preferably pivotally mounted on the frame of the actuation mechanism which is fixed to the frame of the cabin, the pin 11 pivoting about a substantially horizontal axis.

[0040] In the preferred embodiment shown, the lever 1 is in the form of a longitudinal profile placed under the floor C of the cabin and an actuator 2, here comprising an electromagnetic cylinder including a translating movable rod 20 attached at one end to a reversing lever 3 via an articulated connection (Figure 4). This actuator 2 is connected to and disengageable from a member F for opening and closing the door.

[0041] The pedal 7 is attached to the upper part 10 of the profile forming the lever 1 and is intended to be pressed by the foot of a passenger or a maintenance operator, in order to perform a "manual" unlocking, in particular in an emergency. The pedal 7 is preferably attached and fixed to the lever 1.

[0042] The kinematic connection between the pedal 7 and the finger 4 is explained in detail below. The end of the lever 1 located inside the cabin and below the floor C (hereinafter referred to as the inner end 1a) is mounted on a pin 11 with a substantially horizontal axis X, while its other end (hereinafter referred to as the outer end 1b), the end of which is located outside the cabin below the sill S, supports the catch finger 4, as shown by figures 2, 5A and 5B.

[0043] The catch fingers 4 have a textured upper surface 8 to facilitate pressure by the foot without slipping. In the open position, the catch fingers 4 are housed in a cavity A located below the cabin floor C (Figures 5A, 5B).

[0044] The outer end 1 b of the lever 1 comprises a joint which provides both a connection with the cabin structure B below the floor C and a vertical range of movement for the catch finger 4 .

[0045] The joint comprises a coder 5 fixed under the profile member 1 connected to a position sensor 6, as shown in Figures 5A, 5B. The lateral end of the sensor 6 is received in an opening arranged in the side member L, as shown in Figure 2.

[0046] The reversing lever 3 comprises an L-shaped end plate whose ends 31, 32 are rotatably connected to the lower part of the lever 1 via a pin 31a supported by a first bracket 1c, respectively, and rotatably connected to the rod 20 of the actuator 2 by a first trunnion 23.

[0047] The central part 33 of the lever 3 is connected to the cabin at an angle by a second trunnion 30 supported by a second bracket D. Bracket D is bolted onto a cross member T fixed on a structure B of the cabin below floor C as shown by Figures 2 and 5a. The actuator 2 is now fixed to structure B at a slight downward incline towards the reversing lever 3.

[0048] The pin 11 of the inner end 1a of the lever 1 is mounted on an axis B between two landings K which are rigidly connected to a side member L fixed on the structure B of the cabin, as shown in Figures 2 and 3A and 3B.

[0049] If the cabin comprises two doors P1, P2, each door is equipped with a locking and unlocking device of the invention. The devices are housed in a compartment M in juxtaposition, as shown by Figures 1A, 1B and 5A, which compartment can be accessed through an access hatch located under the cabin and in the floor C. This compartment M is located on either side of the doors P1, P2 between the exterior threshold S and the interior floor C of the cabin, and is equipped at its upper part with a sealing diaphragm m through which the catch finger 4 passes when it moves up and down.

[0050] The cabin is automatically locked at the lower landing of the facility for passengers to board immediately after the doors P1, P2 are closed. For each door, this locking is achieved by activating an actuator 2 connected to a member F for opening and closing the door.

[0051] In the embodiment of the device of the invention shown in the drawings and described above, locking is performed as follows: the rod 20 of the actuator 2 is extended, here in a downwardly inclined manner, and presses against the end 32 of the reversing lever 3, which therefore pivots about the axis of the trunnion 30. The end 31 of the lever 3 raises the outer end 1b of the lever 1 upwards and thus drives the finger 4 out of the cavity A through the channel m, in order to contact the corresponding door lug E and move from the retracted position of FIG. 5B to the extended position of FIG. 5A. The automatic unlocking is performed according to inverse kinematics before or simultaneously with the opening of the door.

[0052] As the actuator 2 is disengageable, the invention allows manual unlocking to be performed by the intervention of a passenger or, for example, a maintenance operator.

[0053] In this situation, a person wishing to unlock the door preferably uses his foot to press either on the sole 8 outside the cabin, or on the pedal 7 from inside the cabin through the hatch of compartment M. Such a press causes the finger 4 to return to its housing A and, if necessary, with force, to push back the rod 20 of the actuator 2 if the actuator in question is not in a disengaged state.

Claims

1. A cabin for a passenger transport facility, comprising at least one door (P1, P2) movable between an open position and a closed position, and an internal floor (C) and a threshold (S) located on either side of the door in the closed position, the cabin also comprising a locking and unlocking device having a lug (E) rigidly connected to the door and projecting towards the outside of the cabin, and a catch finger (4) movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the catch finger being adapted to lock the door in the locked position by locking the door with the locking and unlocking device, the catch finger being adapted to lock ... abutment on the path of the lug (E) from the unlocked position to the open position, the catch finger being retracted below the threshold (S) of the cabin in the unlocked position, the locking and unlocking device comprising an actuating mechanism comprising a pedal (7) located below the internal floor (C) of the cabin and a kinematic connection between the pedal (7) and the catch finger (4), which connection is located below the internal floor of the cabin and the threshold (S) of the cabin.

2. 2. Cabin according to claim 1, characterized in that the kinematic connection comprises a lever (1) mounted on a pin (11) and supporting the catch finger (4) and the pedal (7), the pedal (7) being preferably between the pin (11) and the catch finger (4), the lever (1) being movable between a first position in which the catch finger is in the unlocked position and a second position in which the catch finger is in the locked position.

3. Cabin according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuation mechanism comprises an actuator (2) capable of driving the lever (1) from the first position to the second position.

4. 4. Cabin according to claim 3, characterized in that the actuator (2) is connected to the lever (1) via a reversing lever (3) pivoting about an axis parallel to the pin (11), the body of the actuator being mounted to pivot about an axis parallel to the pin (11).

5. Cabin according to claim 4, characterised in that the lever (1) and the actuator (2) are mounted so as to pivot on a frame of the actuation mechanism which is fixed to the frame of the cabin.

6. Cabin according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that said pin (11) pivots about a substantially horizontal axis (X).

7. Cabin according to claim 4, characterized in that the actuator (2) comprises an electromagnetic cylinder including a translating movable rod (20) one end of which is attached to the reversing lever (3).

8. Cabin according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the catch finger (4) is designed to be biased by the lug (E) in the opposite direction towards the unlocked position when the lug (E) abuts against the catch finger (4).

9. A cabin according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the at least one door comprises an opening and closing member (F) and the locking and unlocking device is connected to and disengageable from the opening and closing member (F).

10. Cabin according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pedals can be accessed via an access hatch in the interior floor.

11. Cabin according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a channel (m) passing through the threshold (S) is formed for accommodating the catch finger (4).

12. A passenger transport facility comprising at least one cabin according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the cabin being supported by a movable structure which rotates about an axis of rotation relative to a fixed structure and rotates about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation relative to the movable structure.

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