Access device with lift-boarding conveyor in ski-lift

The present invention relates to an access device with lift-boarding conveyor in a ski-lift.

It is known that ski-lifts comprise a moving lift-boarding conveyor which carries the skiers, one after the other, to the position where they sit on a chair of the ski-lift.

Skier access to the lift-boarding conveyor is controlled by a gate, which is opened, from the closed position, following a command which arrives from a sensor which detects the passage of a chair in a position which is determined appropriately so as to create a situation of coordination which provides full utilization of the ski-lift, with occupation by a skier of all the chairs that progressively become available.

In known ski-lifts, the gate for accessing the lift-boarding conveyor is arranged at the end of a fixed horizontal carpet which accommodates the skier who awaits the opening of the gate, and is followed by a descending portion, which is entered by the skier when the gate is opened by pushing with one's own ski poles, so as to arrive with the skis resting on the lift-boarding conveyor.

However, for different reasons the opening of the gate is not always followed by the immediate passage of a skier, and in this case the coordination mentioned above is lost, with consequent passage of chairs which go up empty, thus losing the conditions of optimum utilization of the ski-lifts.

The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a device for accessing the lift-boarding conveyor which ensures that the condition occurs in which the opening of the gate is necessarily followed by the immediate passage of the skier who is waiting in front of such gate.

The proposed aim is achieved by an access device with lift-boarding conveyor in a ski-lift, according to the invention, comprising a gate which can move between a closure position, which prevents access of a skier to the lift-boarding conveyor, and an open position, which is reached following a command which arrives from a sensor upon passage at a correct position of a chair of the ski-lift, characterized in that it comprises a platform which is arranged directly adjacent to the gate so as to accommodate a skier in the position for waiting for the opening of said gate and is provided with means for movement between a horizontal position, located at a height which lies above the lift-boarding conveyor and assumed during the closure periods of the gate, and an inclined position, with the front end arranged without discontinuities with respect to the plane of the lift-boarding conveyor, which is assumed simultaneously with the opening of the gate.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof, taken along the line II-II of Figure 1.

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 designates a gate for accessing a lift-boarding conveyor 2 of a ski-lift, which can move between a closed position, shown in Figure 1, and an open position, shown in broken lines in Figure 2, and the reference numeral 3 designates a platform which is directly adjacent to the gate so as to accommodate a skier 4 in waiting position in front of the closed gate.

The platform 3 is provided with movement means, which comprise an actuation cylinder 5 accommodated in a pit 6 arranged below the platform, between the horizontal position shown in Figure 1 and in solid lines in Figure 2, located at a level which lies above the lift-boarding conveyor 2, and an inclined position, which is shown in Figure 2 in broken lines, which places the front end without discontinuities with respect to the rear end of the lift-boarding conveyor 2.

Operation of the device according to the invention is as follows.

When the gate 1 is closed, the platform 3 is in the horizontal position, and a skier moves onto it, stopping and waiting in front of the gate: this is the situation shown in Figure 1 and in solid lines in Figure 2.

When the gate 1 opens, the platform 3 assumes the inclined position shown in broken lines in Figure 2, and so the skier slides thereon, instantly moving onto the lift-boarding conveyor 2.

Substantially, a sort of forced access of the skier who is waiting in front of the gate is provided which ensures the condition in which every time the gate opens, a skier passes, and thus, due to the coordination between the passage of the chairs of the ski-lift and the opening actions of the gate, a situation of occupation of all the ascending chairs by a skier is ensured, with consequent full utilization of the ski-lift.

The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims: thus, for example, the platform movement means may be any.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MN2007A000005 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.