Device for moving a guide track section of a guide track system for vehicles on a fun fair ride

Abstract

The present application relates to a device for moving back and forth a guide track section of a guide track system for vehicles of a fun fair ride from a first guide track connection part to a second guide track connection part which is arranged at a distance from the first guide track connection part, wherein the first and the second guide track connection parts are part of the guide track system, comprising a guide track section onto which at least one of the vehicles can travel, a carrier structure for carrying the guide track section, a guide structure which has an active connection with the carrier construction and with which the carrier structure can be guided in such a manner that the guide track section can be moved back and forth from the first guide track connection part to the second guide track connection part along the guide structure, and a drive device for moving the carrier structure along the guide structure, wherein the carrier structure comprises means for making another movement of the guide track section in addition to the movement along the guide structure.

Claims

1. A system, comprising: a guide track section onto which a fair ride vehicle travels, a carrier structure for carrying the guide track section, a guide structure, which has an active connection with the carrier structure, wherein the active connection guides the carrier structure in such a manner that the guide track section moves translatory and back and forth between a first guide track connection part and a second guide track connection part along the guide structure, and a drive device that moves the carrier structure along the guide structure, wherein the carrier structure comprises means for making a back-and-forth movement or a rocking movement of the guide track section in addition to the translatory movement along the guide structure, and the back-and-forth movement or a rocking movement is independent to the translatory motion along the guide structure, wherein the guide track section moves between the first guide track connection part and the second guide track connection part that is arranged at a distance from the first guide track connection part, wherein the first guide track connection part and the second guide track connection part are arranged in a vertically offset with the first guide track connection part being higher than the second guide track connection part, whereby the fair ride vehicle together with the guide track section accelerate in free fall due to being exposed for a certain time to the fair ride vehicle weight without a delay or engaging a brake; and wherein the first guide track connection part and the second guide track connection part are part of the guide track system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the means comprises a means first section connected to the guide structure and comprises a means second section connected to the guide track section, wherein the means second section moves relative to the means first section.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a second drive device that moves the first section relative to the second section.

4. The system according claim 2, further comprising a limiting unit that movement of the guide track section.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guide track section comprises a vehicle fixing device that secures the vehicle on the guide track section.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the drive device acts in such a manner on the carrier structure that movement along the guide structure is already made when the vehicle is still moving on the guide track section.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first guide track connection part and the second guide track connection part are arranged in a vertically offset manner and the carrier structure is guided by the guide structure in such a manner along the guide structure that the guide track section moves back and forth from the first guide track connection part to the second guide track connection part that is vertically offset from the first guide track connection part.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guide track connection parts are arranged inclined toward one another.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guide structure is arranged inclined relative to vertical.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guide structure is curved.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guide track system is a rail system.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guide structure is arranged on a tower or forms a tower itself.

13. A guide track system for vehicles of a fun fair ride, comprising a device according to claim 1.

14. A fun fair ride with a guide track system according to claim 13.

15. An amusement park ride system, comprising: a track system on which an amusement park ride vehicle travels, the track system comprising a movable track section, a first track connection and a second track connection, wherein the first track connection and the second track connection are separated from each other, a guide structure; a rotatable carrier coupled to the movable track section and coupled to the guide structure, wherein the guide structure guides the moveable track section back and forth between the first track connection and the second track connection, wherein the movable track section moves in translation along the guide structure, and wherein guiding the moveable track section back and forth between the first track connection and the second track connection is independent from the movable track section moving in translation along the guide structure; a drive system that moves the carrier along the guide structure such that the movable track section moves between the first track connection part and the second track connection part; and wherein the first track connection and the second track connection are at different heights with the first track connection being higher than the second track connection, whereby the amusement park ride vehicle, together with the guide structure, free fall without engaging brakes.

16. The amusement park ride system according to claim 15, further comprising: a carrier drive comprising a first support section coupled to the guide structure and a second support section coupled to the movable track section, wherein the first support section and the second support section are movable relative to each other, and wherein the carrier drive moves the first support section, the second support section or both the first support section and the second support section; and a stop that limits the movement of the first support section and the second support section relative to each other.

17. The amusement park ride system according to claim 15, further comprising: wherein the first track connection is vertically offset from the second track connection; and wherein the first track connection is inclined relative to the second track connection.

18. The amusement park ride system according to claim 15, further comprising: wherein movable track section is guided between the first track connection and the second track connection while the rotatable carrier is rotated.

19. An amusement park ride system, comprising: a track system on which an amusement park ride vehicle travels, the track system comprising a movable track section, a first track connection and a second track connection, wherein the first track connection and the second track connection are separated from each other, wherein the first track connection is vertically offset from and higher than the second track connection, and wherein the first track connection is inclined relative to the second track connection; a guide structure; a rotatable carrier comprising a first support section coupled to the guide structure and a second support section coupled to the movable track section, wherein the first support section and the second support section are movable relative to each other, wherein the guide structure guides the moveable track section back and forth between the first track connection and the second track connection, and wherein the rotatable carrier rotates about a first axis and a second axis; and a drive system that moves the carrier along the guide structure such that the movable track section moves between the first track connection part and the second track connection part; a carrier drive; wherein the carrier drive moves the first support section, the second support section or both the first support section and the second support section; and wherein movable track section is guided between the first track connection and the second track connection while the rotatable carrier is rotated and the amusement park ride vehicle together with the movable track section accelerate in free fall for a certain time due the amusement park ride vehicle weight and without a delay or engaging a brake.

20. The amusement park ride system according to claim 19, wherein the amusement park ride vehicle travels along the movable track section while the movable track section is guided between the first track connection and the second track connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the application is explained in detail in the following with reference made to the attached drawings. In the drawings

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the device according to the disclosure in a first position, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a second position,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a second position, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment of the device according to the disclosure in a first position using a basic representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a device 10 according to the disclosure using a basic representation. The device 10 comprises a guide structure 12 which is designed in the exemplary embodiment shown as a skeletal tower 14 and comprises a guide rail 16. The guide rail 16 is inclined by the angle α relative to the horizontal (and therefore also by the angle of 90°- α relative to the vertical) and is approximately 75° in the example shown. Of course, it is also possible to align the guide rail 16 substantially vertically.

(7) A carrier structure 18 can be moved by a drive device 19 along the guide rail 16. The drive device can comprise not-shown motors, actuators, spring-loaded brakes, traction cables and the like. In addition, the carrier structure 18 is connected to a guide track section 20 of the guide track system 21 on which one or more vehicles 22 can be moved. The guide track system 21 can be designed, for example, like a rail system with which the vehicles 22 are held on the desired guide track. In the example shown, the guide track system 21 comprises a first guide track connection part 24 and a second guide track connection part 26, wherein the first guide track connection part 24 is fastened at the upper end of the guide structure 12 or of the tower 14 and the second guide track connection part 26 is supported in a manner not shown in detail. Jacketed uprights (not shown) can be used to store the second guide track connection part 26. Other guide track connection parts can be provided. The first and the second guide track connection parts 24, 26 are arranged offset from one another in a vertical device by the height difference ΔH (see FIG. 2). The carrier structure 18 comprises means 27 with which the guide track section 20 can make another movement in addition to the movement along the guide rail 16. In the example shown, the means 27 comprises a first section 28 and a second section 30, wherein the carrier structure 18 is fastened to the first section 28 on the guide structure 12 and to the second section 30 with the guide track section 20. The first section 28 and the second section 30 are supported in a movable manner relative to one another so that they can make, for example, a rotation about a first axis of rotation D1 and/or about a second axis of rotation D2 relative to one another, for which, for example, ball and socket joints which are not shown here can be used. In order to make the movement available, the device 10 comprises another drive device 32. Furthermore, the device 10 comprises a fixing device 34 with which the vehicle 22 can be fixed on the guide track section 20 in the desired position. Furthermore, the device 10 comprises a limiting unit 36 with which the movement of the first section 28 of the carrier structure 18 can be limited relative to the second section 30 of the carrier structure 18, wherein the limiting unit 36 can comprise, for example, one or more stops 38. Furthermore, the second section 30 of the carrier structure 18 can comprise a counterweight 40 arranged on the side of the axes of rotation D1, D2 opposite the guide track section 20 in order to make the rotation of the first section 28 about the second section 30 more controllable.

(8) The device 10 according to the disclosure is operated in the following manner: In FIG. 1 the carrier structure 18 is arranged by the drive device 19 in such a manner regarding the guide structure 12 that the guide track section 20 is aligned with the first guide track connection part 24. Consequently, one or more of the vehicles 22 located on the guide track system 21 can travel from the first guide track connection part 24 onto the guide track section 20. Starting from the first guide track connection part 24, the guide track system 21 is interrupted at the end of the guide track section 20 so that the vehicle 22 leaves the guide track system 21 if it would travel beyond the guide track section 20. In order to prevent this, a limiting stop 42 can be extended against which the vehicle 22 strikes when it has reached the desired position on the guide track section 20. The vehicle 22 can comprise a braking device, which is not shown, in order to be able to be stopped in the desired position.

(9) In order to fix the vehicle 22 in the desired position on the guide track section 20, the fixing device 34 is now actuated, for example, in that a wedge 44, starting from the guide track section 20, is introduced into a receptacle of the vehicle, which receptacle is not shown in detail, with which the vehicle 22 is anchored with the guide track section 20. Subsequently or during the fixing, the carrier structure 18 is moved by a corresponding actuation of the drive device 19 along the guide structure 12 or the guide rail 16, in this case approximately vertically downward. The actuation of the drive device 19 can also include the case that the carrier structure 18 is exposed unbraked to the force of weight in order to be moved along the guide structure 12 (approximately a freefall).

(10) Furthermore, the other drive device 19 is actuated so that the second section 30 of the carrier structure 18 is moved relative to the first section 28 and in particular is rotated. Consequently, the linear movement along the guide structure 12 is superposed by a rotary movement about the first and/or the second axis of rotation D1, D2. The movements along the guide structure 12 and about the first and/or the second axes of rotation D1, D2 are continued until the travel of the vehicle 22 along the guide track system 21 should be continued. To this end, the carrier structure 18 is positioned by the drive device 32 and the other drive device 19 in such a manner that the guide track section 20 is aligned with the second guide track connection part 26 (see FIG. 2). The guide track section can also be located here temporarily below the second guide track connection part 26, as FIG. 3 shows. The wedge 44 is moved in by an appropriate actuation of the fixing device 34, which cancels the anchoring of the vehicle 22 on the guide track section 20 and the limiting stop 42 is moved in. The vehicle can now continue traveling along the guide track system 21.

(11) FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment of the device 10 according to the disclosure, which differs from the exemplary embodiment shown in the FIGS. 1 to 3 in that the second guide track connection part 26 is inclined relative to the first guide track connection part 24. Whereas the first guide track connection part 24 runs horizontally, the second guide track connection part 26 is inclined relative to the horizontal by the angle β, which can be, for example, 30°. The angle β can be selected as desired and even exceed 90°.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(12) 10 device 12 guide structure 14 tower 16 guide rail 18 carrier structure 19 drive device 20 guide track section 21 guide track system 22 vehicle 24 first guide track connection part 26 second guide track connection part 27 means 28 first section 30 second section 32 other drive device 34 fixing device 36 limiting unit 38 stops 40 counterweight 44 wedge ΔH difference in height D1 first axis of rotation D2 second axis of rotation