Cable Car Support Roller Rocker Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cable car systems experience increased wear and vibrations on support rollers due to vertical movements of the hoisting rope, leading to structural reinforcement needs and potential faulty couplings when trying to maintain rope height.

Innovation Solution

Mounting support rollers on pivotable seesaws or rockers allows for height adjustment and even loading, reducing vibrations and shocks by decoupling them from longitudinal rope irregularities, while maintaining rope height stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If support rollers are mounted on rigid axles to maintain hoisting rope height stability, then coupling reliability is improved, but vibrations and shocks are introduced into the supporting structure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling reliabilityVSAvoidvibrations and shocks
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The support rollers are mounted on rockers instead of rigid axles, allowing them to move dynamically in an arc. This dynamic mounting enables the rollers to adapt to vertical movements of the hoisting rope while maintaining stable coupling, thereby reducing vibrations and shocks transmitted to the supporting structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The rocker acts as an intermediary element between the supporting structure and the support rollers. It mediates the transmission of forces by allowing rotational movement, thus isolating the supporting structure from direct vibrations and shocks caused by rope irregularities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If support rollers are mounted on rigid axles to avoid height changes in hoisting rope area, then coupling stability is improved, but wear on support rollers increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling stabilityVSAvoidsupport roller service life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The rocker-mounted support rollers can move dynamically to accommodate vertical rope movements, reducing the wear caused by rigid constraints. The arc-shaped movement path allows the rollers to maintain optimal contact with the rope while reducing mechanical stress and wear on both the rollers and supporting structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If additional height-adjustable support rollers are provided on rockers, then vibrations and impacts on supporting structure are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibrations and impactsVSAvoidsupport structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rocker mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides height adjustment capability, reduces vibrations and impacts, and maintains coupling stability. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity despite the added capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Significantly reduces wear and vibrations on the supporting structure, preventing structural damage and ensuring stable coupling operations by evenly distributing loads and absorbing rope irregularities.

Implementation Method 1

the at least two idlers are mounted on an axis which is rigidly attached to the supporting structure. However, due to the vertical movements of the hoisting rope, different loads occur on these at least two support rollers, which cause increased wear on these support rollers. Vibrations and shocks caused by the hoisting rope also reach the supporting structure of the station

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration absorption: Damping

Implementation Method 2

the at least two of those support rollers for the hoisting rope, via which the drive of the control tires is derived from the hoisting rope by means of the drive belt

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP2420424B1Cable car system
Publication Date: 2014.04.30 INNOVA PATENT GMBH
  • EP2420424B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2420424B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2420424B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A cableway system with a haul rope (20) which is guided over a deflection pulley (2) at each of the two end stations of the system, and with vehicles (3) that can be coupled to the haul rope (20) and are guided through the stations by means of carriages (31), wherein the movement of the vehicles (3) in the stations is effected by means of control wheels (51, 52, 53) and the control wheels (51, 52, 53) are driven by at least one support roller (6a) for the haul rope (20) located in the respective station. The at least one of the support rollers (6a) for the haul rope (20), via which the drive of the control wheels (51, 52, 53) is derived from the haul rope (20), is adjustable in the vertical direction. (FIG.1)