Untitled record

The invention relates to a vehicle operating means for cable conveyor systems, in particular a cable car cabin, with transparent walls.

The term cable conveyor systems is to be understood as meaning, for example, funicular railways or cable car, it being irrelevant for the invention whether the cable car is an orbit or an aerial tramway. Cable car cabins, funicular car cabins or armchairs can count as driving equipment. In the case of cable car or funicular railway cabins, the transparent walls can be the relatively large windows or, in the case of chairlifts, the weather protection hoods arranged over the armchairs.

Funding is raised through advertising in many fields. For example, one of the main sources of income for private television or radio companies in particular is third-party advertising, where funds for other purposes are brought in through intermittent interventions. Attaching advertisements to products can also reduce their sales prices, since the manufacturer of the product for which the advertisement is being made pays part of the costs.

In the case of rope conveyor systems, it was previously only customary to indicate the manufacturer of the conveyor system in a rather inconspicuous manner. On the back of armchair cabins there is usually a small plaque or sticker with the manufacturer's logo. The booths have not yet been used for third-party advertising. However, it is well known that various information, prohibitions or warning notices, such as “Smoking prohibited” or “Throwing rubbish out of the window prohibited” for passengers on the inside of the windows or walls.

Advertising information is also known on transparent surfaces, such as the rear windows of vehicles. Various methods are used to ensure an unhindered view from the inside, while the information should be as easy to read from the outside as possible. For example, US Pat. No. 4,883,556 A, DE 90 05 582 U, FR 2 611 967 A or EP 0 170 472 B describe such advertising media or processes for their production.

The object of the invention is to create a vehicle operating means for cable conveyor systems which is designed in such a way that it can function as a decoration, in particular as an advertising medium. The aim is to ensure that the advertising can be easily changed without damaging the vehicle equipment. Furthermore, the view of the passengers through the transparent walls should not be significantly impaired. A longer-term goal is for the company being advertised to bear all of the acquisition and possibly maintenance costs of the running equipment of the rope hoisting system.

The object of the invention is achieved in that, in a manner known per se, for the purpose of decoration, in particular advertising, at least parts of the transparent walls, preferably all of the transparent walls, are provided with a transparent film containing the decoration, and the film at the points of the decor perforated, slotted or the like. is executed or the decoration is applied to the film in a grid, so that a view from the inside of the vehicle to the outside is guaranteed, and that the film is made plastic. In a further embodiment of the invention, plastic objects made of plastic or film are provided. This type of decoration creates a great information or advertising effect or purely aesthetic effect can be achieved without the view of the passengers of the vehicle operating equipment being significantly impaired. The easy interchangeability of the film, which can be ensured by adhesive known per se, enables the advertising to be changed at appropriate time intervals, thereby ensuring the quality of the motifs and also securing the sources of income, for example from the manufacturers of the products that are being advertised. This avoids that, for reasons of the costly acceptance of the advertising, it remains on the product even if the company no longer provides any funds for it. Easily exchangeable, a shorter period of time between which the advertisement can be switched can also be achieved in an efficient manner. This in turn can mean additional income for the operator of the rope conveyor system. Due to the mostly free-running cable car or chairlift cabins, these are visible to a large crowd. Just think of the ski slopes, from which at least a part of the cable conveyor systems and thus also their operating equipment can be seen. The effectiveness of advertising is also promoted by the permanent movement of the vehicle equipment, since the advertising changes.

AT 410 147 B

Any opaque walls of the driving equipment can also be provided with a film containing the decoration, or the decoration can be applied directly, for example by painting. In this way, the visual effect can be enhanced or the decor can be displayed larger.

If the film containing the decoration is attached to the outside of the transparent walls, a better protection of the film against the influences of the passengers is ensured and, moreover, a better optical effect is achieved, since the colors of the decoration are not weakened by the transparent walls. This can, for example, prevent the decoration from being scratched or deliberately destroyed by the skis transported inside a cable car cabin.

Any parts attached to the outside of the vehicle, such as bumpers, footrests, brackets, quivers for skis, grips or the like, can also be provided with a film containing the decor for an increased visual effect or the decor can be applied directly, for example by painting. As a result, the entire vehicle appears as a uniformly decorated object, with the decoration, in particular the advertising, being able to be presented as a unit without being disturbed.

In order to protect the decoration from various external influences, the film containing the decoration as well as any decorated, opaque walls of the driving equipment can be surrounded with a transparent protective layer or protective film. This protective layer can be applied in any way before or after the film is applied. In this way, an effective protection of the decoration from the weather and UV radiation can be achieved.

The end faces of the driving equipment can also be provided with the film containing the decoration. For the passengers of the upstream and downstream vehicles in a cable car, the front surfaces of the vehicle represent the most important information surfaces, as they can be seen during the entire journey.

For an increased visual effect, in particular for viewers away from the cable conveyor system, who can see all surfaces of the driving equipment, all side surfaces of the driving equipment are advantageously provided with the film containing the decoration. This is also more advantageous in the case of driving equipment for cable conveyor systems in shuttle operation, such as the cabins of a cable car or funicular railway. By appropriately designing the decoration of the side walls, a three-dimensional effect can be achieved so that the decoration shown on the vehicle has a three-dimensional effect or, for example, the vehicle itself appears as a product for which advertising is being made.

Shades, reflections or the like give the decor an increased depth effect.

If the decor contains images of depth, three-dimensional effects or so-called flips and motion effects can be achieved.

For increased flexibility in the creation of various decorations, the film is provided with the decoration in a manner known per se in digital printing processes. Digital printing processes, such as for example inkjet printing processes or airbrush printing processes, are also characterized by low ink consumption in contrast to, for example, screen printing processes. In addition, with the help of such methods, a “perforation” of the printed image can easily be created so that it is possible to see through the decorated film from inside the vehicle.

An even more impressive optical effect can be achieved if the film contains holograms that form parts of the decoration or the entire decoration.

If the film is made plastic according to further features of the invention or plastic objects made of plastic or film are provided, even more impressive effects can be achieved. Especially when the entire vehicle is used as an advertising medium, certain shapes can be achieved by adding certain materials. Plastic films can be produced, for example, by extrusion.

The features of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures.

1 shows a cable car cabin of a circulating cable car in a perspective view with an advertisement, and FIG. 2 shows a chair cabin used as an advertising medium with a transparent weather protection hood.

In Fig. 1 there is a vehicle operating means in the form of a cable car cabin 1 of a cable car

AT 410 147 B shown, which is connected to the support cable via a bracket 2, which is only partially shown. The cable car cabin 1 has a door 3 on one or both side walls which enables passengers to get on and off. Large-area transparent walls of the cable car cabin 1 in the form of windows 4 allow the passengers a good view during the journey. Parts of the roof and the floor of the cable car cabin 1 can also be made transparent. The remaining opaque walls 5 of the cable car cabin 1 can be made of light metal or plastic. Various parts, such as bumpers 6 or quivers for the skis (not shown) can be arranged on the outside of the cable car cabin 1. Otherwise, the cable car cabins 1 usually have relatively smooth outer surfaces. For the purpose of decoration, in particular advertising, the windows 4 of the cable car cabin 1 are at least partially, preferably completely, provided with a film 8 containing a decoration 7. To attach the film 8, adhesives are preferably used which can be removed easily and without leaving any residue, in order to enable the decoration to be changed easily, quickly and thus inexpensively. The film 8 can be attached to the window 4 both outside and inside. If the film 8 with the decoration 7 is attached on the outside, destruction by the passengers, for example by skis carried along in the cable car cabin 1, can be prevented. The intensity of the colors of the decoration 7 is also not weakened in this case. However, the film is exposed to the effects of the weather, such as wind, snowfall or solar radiation. As a remedy, a protective layer can be used over the film, which is, for example, sprayed over the film 8 provided with the decoration 7 or is arranged as a further transparent film over the film 8. In order not to impair the view of the passengers through the decoration 7, the film 8 is perforated, slotted or fabric-like at points of the decoration 7, or the decoration 7 is applied to the film 8 in a grid. This ensures that from a closer distance from the film 8 a view to the outside is possible, while the decoration 7 works completely from a further distance. Known blinds in the rear window of passenger vehicles function in a similar manner, which allow the driver to see outside while the solar radiation is prevented from outside. The decoration 7 is expediently applied to the cable car cabin 1 over the largest possible area. For this reason, the decoration 7, as in the example shown in the form of a wrist watch, is continued beyond the window 4 onto the opaque wall 5. The opaque walls 5 can be provided with a film 8 containing the decoration 7 in the same way as the window 4. It is also possible to apply the decoration 7 directly to the opaque walls 5, for example by painting. Any parts arranged on the outside of the cable car 1, such as the bumpers 6 for example, can also be provided with the decoration 7 for an increased visual effect. Here, too, various methods of applying the decoration 7, such as gluing with foils, painting or the like, can be used.

In FIG. 2, a chair cabin 9 is shown which has a transparent weather protection hood 10. The chair cabin 9 is connected to the suspension cable via a suspension 11, which is only partially shown. The transparent weather protection hood 10 can serve as an advertising medium and can be provided with a film 8 containing a decoration 7. The rear surface of the weather protection hood 10 is to be regarded as the most important information surface for the passengers of the following chair cabins. The film 8 can be attached to the weather protection hood 10 from the outside or inside. For an increased visual effect, the decoration 7 is also continued on the opaque walls 5 of the chair cabin 9. As already mentioned above for the cable car cabin, the decoration 7 can also be applied to the opaque walls 5 by means of a film, by painting or the like. Any parts such as footrests 12, bracket 13 can also be provided with parts of the decoration 7 so that the chair cabin 9 appears as an overall decoration.

Since the ropeway equipment is driven into a train station overnight or out of season, on the one hand the landscape is not disturbed by the decoration during these times and on the other hand the decoration is protected from the weather and thus has a longer shelf life.

Various three-dimensional effects can be achieved using various methods known in the advertising industry, such as shading. The decoration of the driving equipment can, for example, be carried out to such an extent that the driving equipment itself appears as the object for which, for example, advertising is being made. For example, it is conceivable to have a

AT 410 147 B

Represent the cable car cabin as a beverage can with the manufacturer's label. But purely artistic designs of the vehicle equipment are also possible. However, at least part of the acquisition costs of the transport equipment for the operator of the cable conveyor system can be brought in through advertising.