Cableway Safety Device Radiation Detection System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cableway security systems are complex, unreliable, and limited in continuous monitoring, struggling to accurately detect passenger safety and retention systems, especially in adverse weather conditions and plant degradation.
Innovation Solution
A security system for cableway installations that uses radiation emitting and receiving means integrated with reflective markers on safety devices, allowing for continuous monitoring by analyzing reflection patterns, and includes heating and cleaning mechanisms to maintain efficiency in various conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If infrared light beam and shadow analysis system is used to detect passenger presence and safety bar position, then security verification is achieved, but system complexity increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the critical detection function from the complex shadow analysis system and implements it through a simple binary state detection approach. The reflective marker on the safety bar either reflects radiation to the receiver (bar closed) or does not (bar open), eliminating the need for complex image processing and shadow analysis while improving reliability and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of actively illuminating the passenger and analyzing their shadow (active detection), the patent uses passive reflection detection. The reflective marker on the safety bar passively reflects radiation back to the receiver when the bar is closed, inverting the detection approach from active shadow analysis to passive reflection detection, thereby simplifying the system.
2Reliability
If screen and optical sensor are placed near passing area for shadow detection, then security monitoring is enabled, but system reliability decreases due to damage risk and image distinction difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive and fragile screen component with a durable reflective marker that can be easily replaced if needed. The marker is a simple reflective element attached to the safety bar, eliminating the need for a vulnerable screen in the passenger path while maintaining detection capability through radiation reflection.
3Reliability
If traditional shadow analysis system is used at stations only, then security checking is performed, but continuous monitoring capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The radiation emitting means and receiving means are designed to detect the safety bar position regardless of the chair's location along the cableway path. The system can monitor safety conditions at stations and in transit, providing universal monitoring capability that works at any position, thereby enabling continuous monitoring throughout the entire operational cycle.
4Reliability
If radiation emitting means and receiving means are used with reflective marker on safety device, then continuous and reliable monitoring is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical shadow analysis systems with a radiation-based detection system. Instead of using optical sensors to analyze shadows mechanically, the system uses radiation emitting means and receiving means to detect the binary reflection state of a simple marker, substituting mechanical complexity with a more reliable electromagnetic field-based detection method.
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
Enhances passenger safety with continuous and reliable monitoring, capable of promptly detecting safety device configurations and maintaining high reliability even in adverse weather or plant fouling.
Implementation Method 1
reflective means 14, adapted to reflect said radiation; receiving means 15, adapted to receive a reflection of the radiation
Implementation Method 2
the system 10 comprises heating means adapted for heating the radiation emitting means 13 and/or the receiving means 15 to remove from therefrom the snow/ice/moisture
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
Cableway installation (10), comprising at least a housing (11) suitable to carry passengers and equipped with a safety device (12) which is movable between an access configuration and a safety configuration. The installation (10) comprises: - radiation emitting means (13); - reflecting means (14), adapted to reflect said radiation; - receiving means (15), adapted to receive a reflection of said radiation emitted by said reflecting means (14). The emitting means (13), the reflecting means (14) and the receiving means (15) are arranged in such a way that, in at least a predefined operating condition, the emitting means (13) are facing the reflecting means (14), to irradiate them, and the reflecting means (14) are facing the receiving means (15) to reflect the radiation towards them. The reflecting means (14) are fixed to the safety device (12) so as to reflect the radiation differently depending on whether the safety device (12) is in the access configuration or in the safety configuration.