Running gear for a gondola of a gondola lift system, support means for gondolas of a gondola lift system, gondola for a gondola lift system, gondola lift system, and method for activating a running gear

Abstract

A running gear for a gondola of a gondola lift system for use with support means of the gondola lift system. The running gear includes a running gear frame coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm, and at least one running wheel, rotatably mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of the support means. The running gear includes a guide unit coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever. The guide unit includes a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support means, and an actuator element for the form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support means that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device. The running gear includes a control element for swiveling the cantilever together with the guide unit.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A running gear for a gondola of a gondola lift system, the running gear being provided for use with a support arrangement of the gondola lift system, the running gear comprising:
 a running gear frame that is coupled or coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm;   at least one running wheel, rotatably mounted or mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of the support arrangement;   a guide unit that is coupled or coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever, the guide unit including a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support arrangement, and an actuator element for a form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support arrangement that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device; and   at least one control element configured to swivel the cantilever together with the guide unit in order to selectively establish, at a branch point of the support arrangement, the form fit with one of the guide devices and with one of the actuator devices to select the travel path of the gondola.   
     
     
         17 . The running gear as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the guide unit includes at least one pair of rollers, the pair of rollers including a guide roller as a guide element, and an actuator roller as an actuator element, the guide roller and the actuator roller having a shared rotational axis. 
     
     
         18 . The running gear as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the guide element and the actuator element are stationarily situated relative to one another at the cantilever, and/or the cantilever together with the guide unit is situated preceding the at least one running wheel in a travel direction of the running gear. 
     
     
         19 . The running gear as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a drive unit configured to drive the at least one running wheel and/or the guide unit.   
     
     
         20 . A support arrangement for gondolas of a gondola lift system, the support arrangement being provided for use with running gear for the gondola, the running gear including a running gear frame that is coupled or coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm, at least one running wheel, rotatably mounted or mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of the support arrangement, a guide unit that is coupled or coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever, the guide unit including a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support arrangement, and an actuator element for a form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support arrangement that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device, and at least one control element configured to swivel the cantilever together with the guide unit in order to selectively establish, at a branch point of the support arrangement, the form fit with one of the guide devices and with one of the actuator devices to select the travel path of the gondola, the support arrangement comprising:
 a running device that may be traveled on by the at least one running wheel of the running gear; and   the two guide devices and the two actuator devices for the form fit with the guide unit of the running gear, each of the actuator devices being rigidly coupled to the running device to deflect the running device.   
     
     
         21 . The support arrangement as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the running device is situated between two pairs, each of the pairs made up of a guide device of the two guide devices and an actuator device of the two actuator device, in the area of at least one branch point of the support arrangement. 
     
     
         22 . The support arrangement as recited in  claim 21 , wherein for each travel direction of the gondolas, each pair of the pairs includes a threading section configured to thread the guide unit of the running gear into the guide device and the actuator device of the pair. 
     
     
         23 . The support arrangement as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 at least one branch point, the running device, in an area of the at least one branch point, including a separate deflectable subsection that is coupled to the actuator devices.   
     
     
         24 . The support arrangement as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the subsection is selectively deflectable by a particular one of the actuator devices that is in form fit connection with the guide unit of the running gear. 
     
     
         25 . A gondola for a gondola lift system, the gondola comprising:
 a running gear including:
 a running gear frame that is coupled or coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm, 
 at least one running wheel, rotatably mounted or mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of a support arrangement of the gondola lift system, 
 a guide unit that is coupled or coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever, the guide unit including a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support arrangement, and an actuator element for a form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support arrangement that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device, and 
 at least one control element configured to swivel the cantilever together with the guide unit in order to selectively establish, at a branch point of the support arrangement, the form fit with one of the guide devices and with one of the actuator devices to select the travel path of the gondola; and 
   the cabin, the running gear being coupled to the cabin via the support arm.   
     
     
         26 . A gondola lift system, comprising:
 at least one gondola including:
 a running gear including:
 a running gear frame that is coupled or coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm, 
 at least one running wheel, rotatably mounted or mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of a support arrangement of the gondola lift system, 
 a guide unit that is coupled or coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever, the guide unit including a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support arrangement, and an actuator element for a form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support arrangement that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device, and 
 at least one control element configured to swivel the cantilever together with the guide unit in order to selectively establish, at a branch point of the support arrangement, the form fit with one of the guide devices and with one of the actuator devices to select the travel path of the gondola; and 
 
 the cabin, the running gear being coupled to the cabin via the support arm; and 
   the support arrangement configured to carry the at least one gondola, the support arrangement including:
 a running device that may be traveled on by the at least one running wheel of the running gear, and 
 the two guide devices and the two actuator devices for the form fit with the guide unit of the running gear, each of the actuator devices being rigidly coupled to the running device to deflect the running device. 
   
     
     
         27 . A method for activating a running gear for a gondola of a gondola lift system, the running gear being provided for use with a support arrangement of the gondola lift system, the running gear including: a running gear frame that is coupled or coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm; at least one running wheel, rotatably mounted or mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of the support arrangement; a guide unit that is coupled or coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever, the guide unit including a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support arrangement, and an actuator element for a form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support arrangement that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device; and at least one control element configured to swivel the cantilever together with the guide unit in order to selectively establish, at a branch point of the support arrangement, the form fit with one of the guide devices and with one of the actuator devices to select the travel path of the gondola, the method comprising the following steps:
 reading in: (i) a satellite navigation signal, and/or (ii) a sensor signal that is generated using at least one surroundings sensor situated at the gondola and/or at the support arrangement, and/or (iii) a control signal that is generated using a central server device and/or a mobile terminal; and   generating an activation signal for activating the at least one control element, using the satellite navigation signal and/or the sensor signal and/or the control signal.   
     
     
         28 . A control unit that is configured for activating a running gear for a gondola of a gondola lift system, the running gear being provided for use with a support arrangement of the gondola lift system, the running gear including: a running gear frame that is coupled or coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm; at least one running wheel, rotatably mounted or mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of the support arrangement; a guide unit that is coupled or coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever, the guide unit including a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support arrangement, and an actuator element for a form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support arrangement that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device; and at least one control element configured to swivel the cantilever together with the guide unit in order to selectively establish, at a branch point of the support arrangement, the form fit with one of the guide devices and with one of the actuator devices to select the travel path of the gondola, the control unit configured to:
 read in: (i) a satellite navigation signal, and/or (ii) a sensor signal that is generated using at least one surroundings sensor situated at the gondola and/or at the support arrangement, and/or (iii) a control signal that is generated using a central server device and/or a mobile terminal; and   generate an activation signal for activating the at least one control element, using the satellite navigation signal and/or the sensor signal and/or the control signal.   
     
     
         29 . A non-transitory machine-readable memory medium on which is stored a computer program for activating a running gear for a gondola of a gondola lift system, the running gear being provided for use with a support arrangement of the gondola lift system, the running gear including: a running gear frame that is coupled or coupleable to a cabin of the gondola via a support arm; at least one running wheel, rotatably mounted or mountable on the running gear frame, for traveling on a running device of the support arrangement; a guide unit that is coupled or coupleable to the running gear frame via a swivelable cantilever, the guide unit including a guide element for a form fit with one of two guide devices of the support arrangement, and an actuator element for a form fit with one of two actuator devices of the support arrangement that are rigidly coupled to the running device for deflection of the running device; and at least one control element configured to swivel the cantilever together with the guide unit in order to selectively establish, at a branch point of the support arrangement, the form fit with one of the guide devices and with one of the actuator devices to select the travel path of the gondola, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:
 reading in: (i) a satellite navigation signal, and/or (ii) a sensor signal that is generated using at least one surroundings sensor situated at the gondola and/or at the support arrangement, and/or (iii) a control signal that is generated using a central server device and/or a mobile terminal; and   generating an activation signal for activating the at least one control element, using the satellite navigation signal and/or the sensor signal and/or the control signal.