Mechatronic safety system for amusement rides, and in particular roller coasters, carousels and the like

• US 10,301,120 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mack Rides Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Mack Rides Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Inventors: Burger, Gunter
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lester, III, Rushin
• Application Number:
  US15/516,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20180134497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 1/00 Roundabouts
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 1/08 power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 3/00 Water roundabouts, e.g. freely floating
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 4/00 Accessories for roundabouts not restricted to one of groups A63G1/00 or A63G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 7/00 Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/02 detecting dangerous physical condition of load carriers, e.g. for interrupting the drive in the event of overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/00 Safety devices acting in conjunction with the control or operation of a machine; Control arrangements requiring the simultaneous use of two or more parts of the body F16P5/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A device for increasing the safety of amusement rides, in particular carousels, roller coasters or the like, and comprising at least one mechatronic system, characterized in that the mechatronic system comprises means for taking over completely or at least partially the function, in particular the support function, of a mechanic component in the event of a defect thereof and to detect said taking over and to provide an error signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for increasing the safety of amusement rides, with at least one mechatronic system, comprising:

mechanical means to fully or at least partially take over a load-bearing function of a defective mechanical component, and

a second electrical means to detect a defect of the mechanical component and to provide an error signal wherein the mechanical component is a structural part which takes over a supporting function of a load-bearing component of the amusement ride,

wherein the mechanical means takes over the load bearing function in the event of a defect, and

wherein the electrical means comprises optical means for monitoring the mechanical component or at least partially arranged on the mechanical component electrical means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second means generate an emergency stop signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the mechanical means comprise a redundant further component to take over the function of the mechanical component, the mechanical component and the further component being coupled to a control unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the coupling of the control unit is formed with the mechanical component and the further component electronically, electromagnetically, and/or optically.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the mechanical component is a hollow tube in which a rod is located as a second component.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the hollow tube and the rod are electrically and/or optically coupled to one another in such a way that a contact of the hollow tube and the rod provides an error signal in a control unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the apparatus can be retrofitted to existing rides.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a change in at least one characteristic in at least one component is detectable by the first means during operation of the ride.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the change of the characteristic of the component for which a change was detected by the first means is compensated by the second means during operation of the ride.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second means passively and/or with regard to their safety function unstressed during a non-detection of change of at least one characteristic of at least one component.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the mechatronic system is arranged on movable or immovable components.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first means can detect wear and/or a change in the bearing capacity in one component.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first means can detect a total failure of at least one component.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the first means can trigger an emergency stop of the ride upon detection of total failure.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the ride has as components welded assemblies and/or bolts, fasteners, in particular screws, and/or joints.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first means of the mechatronic system comprise components for processing at least one electrical signal.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second means of the mechatronic system have mechanical modules, in particular load-bearing elements.

18. A method for increasing the safety of an amusement ride, and in particular carousels or roller coasters, comprising the steps of:

providing a sensor device which detects when a component to be protected is replaced by a redundant component in its function, wherein the sensor devices is at least partially attached the component to be protected, and

generating an error signal as soon as the sensor device detects that a load-bearing function has been taken over.

19. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the mechatronic system performs an emergency stop of the ride when a total failure of at least one component of a ride is detected.

20. The method according to claim 18,

wherein test signals are permanently or randomly generated and evaluated during operation of the ride to monitor the availability of the mechatronic system.