Cable Car Station Maneuvering Mechanism for Delayed Vehicle Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In automatic cable transport systems with an endless stream of vehicles, delays at drop-off or pick-up stations cause all vehicles to stop, disrupting the smooth operation and affecting passenger transport efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Each station is equipped with an automatic maneuvering mechanism that extracts vehicles from the slow path, transfers them to designated drop-off/pick-up positions, and reinserts them into the path according to a program, using compensation positions with reserve vehicles to maintain continuous operation, even if a vehicle exceeds its allocated time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vehicles are allowed to exceed their allocated drop-off/pick-up time, then passenger service flexibility is improved, but the continuous operation of the endless stream of vehicles is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts delayed vehicles from the main endless stream path by transferring them to compensation positions located on parallel paths. This separation allows delayed vehicles to remain serviced without blocking or slowing down the continuous flow of vehicles on the main path, thus maintaining both service flexibility and system productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensation positions act as intermediary zones between the main endless stream and the delayed vehicle service areas. These intermediate positions allow vehicles to be temporarily held during delays without affecting the main stream, serving as a buffer that mediates between operational flexibility and continuous flow requirements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If all vehicles stop to wait for a delayed vehicle, then the endless stream maintains its integrity, but the efficiency of the installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vehicle stream into two independent groups: vehicles on the main endless stream path and vehicles in compensation positions. This segmentation allows the main stream to continue operating independently without being blocked by delayed vehicles, maintaining both stream integrity and system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension by using parallel paths and compensation positions offset from the main stream. This dimensional separation allows delayed vehicles to be handled in a different spatial plane, preventing them from blocking the main path and thus maintaining efficiency while preserving stream integrity through controlled reinsertion.
3Ease of operation
If a delayed vehicle blocks the path of other released vehicles, then the drop-off/pick-up process can be completed, but the path of the endless stream is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The maneuvering mechanism extracts vehicles from the main path before they can be delayed, transferring them to compensation positions on parallel paths. This extraction prevents delayed vehicles from blocking the main stream path, allowing both complete drop-off/pick-up operations and maintained flow speed of the endless stream.
Data Source
AI summary
Automatic cable transport facility along a closed loop line, including vehicles that can be disengaged at a set rate in stations after moving along a disengaged circuit where they are driven at low speed along disembarkation and embarkation platforms. Each station includes an automatic control mechanism able to extract the vehicles from the slow progression in the disengaged circuit, and transfer them to a disembarkation/embarkation point which is assigned to them in order of arrival, the previous vehicle having previously been reintegrated into the slow progression line in the place of the vehicle extracted in accordance with a preset program. A compensation point includes a permanently available spare empty vehicle which can be used to fill an empty space left by a vehicle that has been delayed and stopped at the disembarkation/embarkation point.