Door closing detection device and gondola for ferris wheel

Abstract

To improve safety by surely detecting a locking of a door with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A door closing detection device of a door 1 for a person to get on / get off in an amusement facility comprises: a door lock part 10 in which a latch 12 elongated / contracted by a handle operation is installed in the door 1; and a light sensor 13 that detects the latch which extends and intrudes into a wall part 2 opposing the door 1 when closing the door. The light sensor 13 detects a reflection light by projecting light on the latch from an approximately perpendicular direction to an elongation / expansion direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a door closing lock device and a Ferris wheel gondola that take safety into consideration and enable reliable confirmation that a door is closed. [Background technology]

[0002] Ferris wheels installed in amusement parks, etc., have multiple gondolas (cars) that open their doors at the boarding and disembarking points on the platform as they move around, and passengers then get on and off. After that, workers close the doors, allowing the wheels to safely rotate to a higher position and be enjoyed. When workers close the doors of amusement facilities such as Ferris wheels, there is a risk that they may end up half-closed, so there is a need for safety measures that allow workers to confirm that the doors are completely closed.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a configuration in which a reflective photoelectric sensor installed outside the track along which multiple gondolas of a Ferris wheel revolve emits light and detects the light reflected by a reflective member installed in the car, thereby detecting whether the locking device of the car is in an unlocked or locked state.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a configuration in which, when the door is closed, a proximity switch 1 faces a detection body 2 made of ferrite embedded in a latch 4, causing it to oscillate and detect the closed state of the door. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] Patent document 1: Patent No. 6448091 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-156312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, the reflective photoelectric sensor is installed outside the car's orbit, so there is a problem in that if an obstacle such as a person blocks the light between the reflective photoelectric sensor and the car, it may not be possible to confirm that the lock is properly locked.

[0007] The device described in Patent Document 2 detects door closure by having a latch and a proximity switch face each other, but it has the problem of being complicated in structure, as it requires the latch to be embedded with ferrite and the installation of an oscillator circuit that oscillates in response to the proximity switch.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to reliably detect the locking of a door with a simple structure, thereby improving safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a door closing detection device for a door through which people get on and off at an amusement facility, comprising: a door lock unit having a latch on the door that expands and contracts by operating a handle; an optical sensor that detects the latch extending and entering a wall portion facing the door when the door is closed; The optical sensor projects light onto the latch from a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction and detects reflected light.

[0010] With this configuration, safety in amusement facilities such as flying towers and Ferris wheels can be improved and door locking can be reliably detected. Incidentally, "extending and penetrating into the wall" may mean a form in which the material extends and penetrates into the wall, or a form in which the material extends and penetrates into a hole of a protrusion provided on the outside of the wall.

[0011] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a gondola for a Ferris wheel, comprising: A door equipped with a door lock portion having a latch that expands and contracts by operating a handle; a wall portion into which the latch extends when the door is closed; a first sensor that detects the latch entering the wall portion, The present invention provides a gondola for a Ferris wheel, wherein the first sensor is an optical sensor that projects light onto the latch from a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the latch extends and retracts, and detects reflected light.

[0012] This configuration improves the safety of the Ferris wheel gondola and makes it possible to reliably detect whether the doors are locked.

[0013] The gondola for a Ferris wheel may be configured to allow passengers to board and disembark at a boarding and disembarking position while moving, and may be configured to issue a first alarm if the first sensor does not detect the latch at an alarm issuing position when the Ferris wheel gondola has passed the boarding and disembarking position.

[0014] With this configuration, an alarm can be sounded to prevent danger in advance if the door is not completely closed.

[0015] The Ferris wheel gondola may further include a pivoting metal fitting on the outside of the door that pivots and straddles the wall portion, and the wall portion may be provided with a second sensor that detects when the pivoting metal fitting is positioned in a predetermined closed position by straddling a receiving metal fitting on the wall portion.

[0016] This configuration doubly improves the safety of the Ferris wheel gondola and ensures that the door locking can be detected.

[0017] The gondola for a Ferris wheel may be configured such that the wall portion is a parent-child door facing the door, and a third sensor is provided to detect when the locking bar of a French drop lock provided on the parent-child door enters a hole in the bottom of the gondola.

[0018] This configuration triples the safety of the Ferris wheel gondola and ensures that the locking of the doors can be detected.

[0019] A Ferris wheel gondola may be configured so that, when the Ferris wheel gondola passes the boarding and disembarking position and reaches an alarm issuing position, a first alarm is issued if the first sensor does not detect the latch, a second alarm different from the first alarm is issued if the second sensor does not detect the hanging hardware, and a third alarm different from the first and second alarms is issued if the third sensor does not detect the locking bar of the French drop lock.

[0020] With this configuration, an operator can be notified of which sensor is sending an alarm indicating that the door is not completely closed, so that the door can be locked immediately and the safety of the Ferris wheel gondola can be improved.

[0021] In the Ferris wheel gondola, the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm may be emitted by light-emitting elements having different luminous colors.

[0022] With this configuration, it is possible to instantly know which locking device is defective.

[0023] The gondola for a Ferris wheel may be configured such that if at least one of the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm is not cancelled, the gondola for the Ferris wheel stops its circular movement at a stopping position past the alarm issuance position.

[0024] This configuration makes it possible to prevent the gondola from moving around in a dangerous state where any of the alarms is not released. Effect of the Invention

[0025] The door closing lock device and Ferris wheel gondola of the present invention improve the safety of amusement facilities and the like, and can reliably detect whether the doors are locked. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a gondola for a Ferris wheel in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a door lock unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA'. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining a hanging fitting in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a state in which the rotating fitting is released from engagement with the receiving fitting, and (b) shows a state in which the rotating fitting and the receiving fitting are engaged with each other. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the French drop portion of the parent-child door in the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows the state in which the lock bar is not dropped into the hole, and (b) shows the state in which the lock bar is dropped into the hole. [Diagram 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the movement of a Ferris wheel gondola on a platform in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a door lock unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS EXAMPLES

[0027] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining a Ferris wheel gondola in the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view and (b) is an AA' cross-sectional view. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining a door lock section in the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining a hook in the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state in which the pivot fitting is released from the receiving fitting, and (b) shows a state in which the pivot fitting and the receiving fitting are engaged. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a French drop section of a parent-child door in the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows a state in which the lock bar is not dropped into the hole, and (b) shows a state in which the lock bar is dropped into the hole. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the movement of a Ferris wheel gondola on a platform in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The Ferris wheel gondola 100 in the first embodiment is a rounded box shape having a door 1 for boarding and alighting, and after the door 1 is opened at the platform on the ground and passengers board and alight, the door 1 is closed and the gondola goes around the orbit. When a wide boarding and alighting space is required for wheelchairs, etc., the double door 2 can be opened by pulling up the lock bar 31 of the French drop part 30 through the hole 33 at the bottom.

[0029] To open the door 1, first rotate the pivot fitting 21 of the hanging fitting 20 clockwise to release the engagement with the receiving fitting 26. Next, rotate the handle 11 of the door lock unit 10 clockwise to contract the latch 12 and release the engagement with the parent-child door 2. Then, pull the handle toward you to open the door 1.

[0030] To close the door 1, the handle 11 of the door lock unit 10 or the door 1 itself is pressed, and the latch 12 enters the hole of the parent-child door 2 by contracting and expanding due to the action of the spring, locking the door 1 and the parent-child door 2. If the latch 12 does not enter the hole of the parent-child door 2 completely at this time, the door 1 will open thereafter, which is dangerous.

[0031] (Door lock section) For this reason, in the first embodiment, it is detected whether the latch 12 of the door lock section 10 has completely entered the hole of the parent-child door 2. Specifically, there is a light sensor 13 (also referred to as a "first sensor" in the present application) that projects light onto the latch 12 from a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the latch 12 expands and contracts (from above in the first embodiment) and detects the reflected light. It is preset so that the projected light L of the light sensor 13 is projected near the tip of the latch 12 when the door 1 is completely closed (see FIG. 2(b)). As a result, if the door 1 is only partially closed and the latch 12 has not completely entered the parent-child door 2, the projected light L is not projected onto the latch 12 and the reflected light is not reflected by the light sensor, so that it is possible to detect that the door 1 is not completely closed.

[0032] In the first embodiment, the optical sensor 13 is provided so as to project light onto the latch 12 from above in the direction in which the latch 12 expands and contracts, but this is not necessarily limited to this and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the optical sensor 13 may be provided so as to project light onto the latch 12 from below in the direction in which the latch 12 expands and contracts, or the optical sensor 13 may be provided so as to project light onto the latch 12 from at least a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the latch 12 expands and contracts.

[0033] Furthermore, if the optical sensor 13 cannot detect the latch 12, the door 1 is not completely closed, and an alarm is issued, as described below. When the alarm is issued, an operator completely closes the door 1 to ensure safety thereafter. Here, the door 1 is opened when people get on or off, so if an alarm is issued at this time, confusion will occur. Therefore, as described below, the system is configured to issue an alarm when the Ferris wheel gondola 100 moves from the boarding / disembarking position to the alarm issuing position. Furthermore, if the alarm is not released at the stop position, the Ferris wheel gondola 100 stops moving around.

[0034] (Hanging bracket) In the first embodiment, in addition to the optical sensor 13, the hanging fitting 20 has an optical sensor 25 (also referred to as a "second sensor" in the present application) so that the door 1 does not open against the will. This will be described. The hanging fitting 20 can be rotated counterclockwise around the fulcrum 22 from a state in which the lock between the pivot fitting 21 and the receiving fitting 26 is released as shown in FIG. 3(a) to a state in which the pivot fitting 21 and the receiving fitting 26 are locked as shown in FIG. 3(b) so that the hanging fitting 20 straddles the parent-child door 2. In the state in which the pivot fitting 21 and the receiving fitting 26 are locked, the door 1 cannot be opened even if the door lock unit 10 is not completely closed. In other words, in addition to the door lock unit 10, double safety is ensured against the closed state of the door 1.

[0035] The hanging fitting 20 has a light sensor 25 that detects that the rotating metal fitting 21 of the hanging fitting 20 is locked with the receiving metal fitting 26. The light sensor 25 detects the light reflected by the light sensor shielding piece 24 of the rotating metal fitting 21, which is emitted from the inside of the parent-child door 2 to the outside, and confirms that the hanging fitting 20 is locked. In other words, in the state in which the rotating metal fitting 21 is not locked with the receiving metal fitting 26 of FIG. 3(a), the light projected from the light sensor 25 is not reflected, and the light sensor 25 determines that the hanging fitting 20 is not locked. Conversely, in the state in which the rotating metal fitting 21 is locked with the receiving metal fitting 26 of FIG. 3(b), the light projected from the light sensor 25 is reflected by the light sensor shielding piece 24 of the rotating metal fitting 21, and it can be determined that the hanging fitting 20 is locked. In other words, the wall is provided with a second sensor that detects that the rotating metal fitting 21 is positioned in a predetermined closed position across the wall.

[0036] Here, the reason why a large light sensor shielding piece 24 is provided on the rotating fitting 21 is because the position for installing the light sensor 25 is set to the side edge part of the parent-child door 2 where installation is easy. This allows the light sensor 25 to be installed in a position that makes it easy to work from the side of the parent-child door 2, improving workability.

[0037] The optical sensor 25 prevents the latch 20 of the door 1 from being forgotten to be locked, and together with the above-mentioned optical sensor 13, double safety checks can be performed. As described below, if the optical sensor 25 does not detect the optical sensor shielding piece 24 at the alarm issuing position, an alarm is issued. Furthermore, if the alarm is not released at the stop position, the rotation of the Ferris wheel gondola 100 is stopped.

[0038] (France) The French drop section 30 will now be described. A French drop is a type of lock that is attached to the bottom of a door and locked by dropping a thin rod into a small hole in the floor. The French drop section 30 in the first embodiment is provided at the bottom of the parent-child door 2, and is configured to keep the parent-child door 2 closed by dropping a thin rod (lock rod 31 in the first embodiment) into a hole 33 provided in the bottom of the Ferris wheel gondola 100.

[0039] A microswitch 32 is provided in a hole 33 provided at the bottom of the Ferris wheel gondola 100, and can detect when the lock bar 31 has been dropped in. This prevents the parent-child door 2 from being left open, and together with the above-mentioned optical sensors 13 and 25, a triple safety check can be performed. As will be described later, if the microswitch 32 does not detect the lock bar 31 even at the alarm issuing position, an alarm is issued. Furthermore, if the alarm is not released at the stop position, the Ferris wheel gondola 100 stops moving around.

[0040] (Issuing an alarm) As shown in Fig. 5, the Ferris wheel gondola 100 in the first embodiment moves from right to left near the platform P on the ground, moving from (a) to (b), (b) to (c), and (c) to (d). Here, the Ferris wheel gondola 101 is moving to the position (b), which is the boarding and disembarking position. Here, a worker opens the door 1 or the door 1 and the parent and child doors 2, and passengers board and disembark. The position (c) after passing the boarding and disembarking position is the alarm issuing position, and if any of the above-mentioned optical sensor 13, optical sensor 25, or microswitch 32 in the moving Ferris wheel gondola 103 is in a non-detecting state with respect to the detection target, an alarm is issued.

[0041] In this application, the optical sensor 13 is referred to as the first sensor, the optical sensor 25 as the second sensor, and the microswitch 32 as the third sensor. If the first sensor does not detect the latch 12 to be detected, it emits a red light-emitting element to emit light and issues a first alarm, if the second sensor does not detect the optical sensor shielding piece 24 to be detected, it emits a blue light-emitting element to emit light and issues a second alarm, and if the third sensor does not detect the lock bar 31 to be detected, it emits a yellow light-emitting element to emit light and issues a third alarm.

[0042] In this way, the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm are each emitted by a light-emitting element with a different light color, so that the worker can instantly distinguish whether the alarm is from the first sensor, the second sensor, or the third sensor, and can quickly take action to reset the alarm. Any light-emitting element can be used, such as an LED or a lamp.

[0043] In the first embodiment, the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm are emitted by light-emitting elements having different luminous colors, but this is not necessarily limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm may each emit sounds with different tones.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the first alarm emits red light, the second alarm emits blue light, and the third alarm emits yellow light, but this is not necessarily limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the first alarm may emit pink light, the second alarm emit red light, and the third alarm emit blue light, and at least the first alarm, second alarm, and third alarm may emit light of different light-emitting elements. Any of the lights may be flashing.

[0045] The Ferris wheel gondola 104 shown in Fig. 5(d) is passing the stop position. If all alarms issued at the alarm issuing position in Fig. 5(c) have not been released, all Ferris wheel gondolas 100 are brought to an emergency stop when they reach this stop position. This makes it possible to prevent the Ferris wheel gondolas 100 from continuing to move around with door 1 or parent-child door 2 remaining in an incompletely closed state.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the Ferris wheel gondola 100 is configured to have a parent-child door 2 facing the door 1, but this is not necessarily limited to this and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the gondola may not have a parent-child door 2 and may be a wall portion that does not open or close.

[0047] In the first embodiment, the door 1 is provided on the Ferris wheel gondola 100, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the door 1 may be provided on an amusement facility such as an airplane tower.

[0048] Thus, in the first embodiment, a door closing detection device for a door through which people get on and off at an amusement facility is provided, a door lock unit having a latch on the door that expands and contracts by operating a handle; an optical sensor that detects the latch extending and entering a wall portion facing the door when the door is closed; The optical sensor is a door closure detection device that projects light onto the latch from a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension / retraction direction and detects the reflected light, thereby improving safety in amusement facilities such as flight towers and Ferris wheels and enabling reliable detection of door locking.

[0049] Also, a Ferris wheel gondola, A door equipped with a door lock portion having a latch that expands and contracts by operating a handle; a wall portion into which the latch extends when the door is closed; a first sensor that detects the latch entering the wall portion, The Ferris wheel gondola is characterized in that the first sensor is an optical sensor that projects light onto the latch from a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension / retraction direction of the latch and detects the reflected light, thereby improving the safety of the Ferris wheel gondola and enabling the locking of the door to be reliably detected. EXAMPLES

[0050] A second embodiment of the present invention differs from the first embodiment in that the structure of the door lock unit is different from that of the first embodiment. The second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the door lock unit in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] The Ferris wheel gondola 200 in the second embodiment has a door lock unit 210 on the door 201. The door lock unit 210 has a structure in which a latch 212 contracts and retracts when a handle 211 is gripped. When the door 201 is completely closed, the latch 212 enters the opposing wall, locking the door 201 and bringing it into a door-closed state. When the handle 211 is gripped and pulled toward oneself, the latch 212 contracts and retracts, allowing the door 201 to be opened. As in the first embodiment, the door lock unit 210 has a light sensor that projects light onto the latch 212 from a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the latch 212 expands and contracts, and detects the reflected light. This allows the door 201 to be checked for closure, improving safety.

[0052] In this way, in the second embodiment, the door closing detection device for the door through which people get on and off in the amusement facility is provided, a door lock unit having a latch on the door that expands and contracts by operating a handle; an optical sensor that detects the latch extending and entering a wall portion facing the door when the door is closed; The optical sensor is a door closure detection device that projects light onto the latch from a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension / retraction direction and detects the reflected light, thereby improving safety in amusement facilities such as flight towers and Ferris wheels and enabling reliable detection of door locking.

[0053] Also, a Ferris wheel gondola, A door equipped with a door lock portion having a latch that expands and contracts by operating a handle; a wall portion into which the latch extends when the door is closed; a first sensor that detects the latch entering the wall portion, The Ferris wheel gondola is characterized in that the first sensor is an optical sensor that projects light onto the latch from a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension / retraction direction of the latch and detects the reflected light, thereby improving the safety of the Ferris wheel gondola and enabling the locking of the door to be reliably detected. [Industrial Applicability]

[0054] The door closing detection device and the Ferris wheel gondola of the present invention can be widely used in the field of amusement facilities. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1: Door 2: Double door (wall) 10: Door lock section 11: Handle 12: Latch 13: Light sensor (first sensor) 20: Hanging hardware 21: Rotating bracket 22:Fulcrum 23: Knob 24: Light sensor shield 25: Light sensor (second sensor) 26: Receiving bracket 30: French Climax Club 31: Rock Stick 32: Microswitch (third sensor) 33: Hole 100~104: Ferris wheel gondola 200: Ferris wheel gondola 201: Door 210: Door lock section 211: Handle 212: Latch L: Light ray P: Platform

Claims

1. A door closing detection device for a door through which people get on and off at an amusement facility, comprising: a door lock unit having a latch on the door that expands and contracts by operating a handle; an optical sensor that detects the latch extending and entering a wall portion facing the door when the door is closed; The door closing detection device is characterized in that the optical sensor projects light onto the latch from a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction and detects reflected light.

2. A gondola for a Ferris wheel, A door equipped with a door lock portion having a latch that expands and contracts by operating a handle; a wall portion into which the latch extends when the door is closed; a first sensor that detects the latch entering the wall portion, A gondola for a Ferris wheel, wherein the first sensor is an optical sensor that projects light onto the latch from a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the latch extends and retracts and detects reflected light.

3. The Ferris wheel gondola according to claim 2, further comprising a pivoting metal fitting on the outside of the door that pivots to straddle the wall portion, and a second sensor on the wall portion that detects when the pivoting metal fitting is positioned at a predetermined closed position across the wall portion.

4. The gondola for a Ferris wheel as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the wall portion is a parent-child door facing the door, and is equipped with a third sensor that detects when the lock bar of a French drop lock provided on the parent-child door enters a hole in the bottom of the gondola.

5. The Ferris wheel gondola described in claim 4, characterized in that when the Ferris wheel gondola passes the boarding and disembarking position, a first alarm is issued when the first sensor does not detect the latch, a second alarm different from the first alarm is issued when the second sensor does not detect the hanging hardware, and a third alarm different from the first alarm and the second alarm is issued when the third sensor does not detect the locking bar of the French drop lock.

6. 7. The Ferris wheel gondola according to claim 6, wherein the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm are emitted by light-emitting elements having different luminous colors.

7. The Ferris wheel gondola according to claim 5, characterized in that if at least one of the first alarm, the second alarm, and the third alarm is not cancelled, the Ferris wheel gondola stops its circular movement at a stopping position past the alarm issuance position.

Images