Patent ID: 8047137

Claim:
A mechanical lift installation including passenger loading and unloading areas, the mechanical lift installation comprising: a chair configured to receive a passenger; and a safety system configured to interact with a passenger embarked on the chair, the safety system comprising a magnetic device configured to operate in a retaining state and a releasing state, the retaining state being a state in which the magnetic device retains the passenger in the chair when the chair is outside the unloading areas, and the releasing state being a state in which the magnetic device releases the passenger from the chair when the chair is in the unloading areas, the magnetic device comprising: a movable element made of ferromagnetic material; and a magnetic part configured to magnetically interact with the movable element and comprising: a permanent magnet configured to generate a first magnetic field; an electromagnet configured to generate a second magnetic field that cancels out the first magnetic field, the canceling out of the first magnetic field causing the magnetic device to operate in the releasing state; and a control unit configured to activate the electromagnet to generate the second magnetic field when the chair is in the unloading areas and deactivate the electromagnet when the chair is outside the unloading areas.