Travel trajectory recording system for cart amusement facility

Abstract

To provide a travel trajectory recording system for a cart amusement facility capable of improving the maintainability of a travel path and facilitating inspection work.SOLUTION: In a cart amusement facility in which a travel path 11 having a plurality of bends 16, 17 is provided between a high portion and a low portion of an inclined site, and a user drives a cart 20 that slides along the travel path 11 under the action of gravity, with barriers 26 provided on both sides in the width direction of the travel path 11 to prevent the cart 20 from deviating, a GPS receiver is attached to the user or the cart 20 so that position information of the cart 20 is recorded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a running track recording system for cart amusement facilities in which a running path is provided on a slope, and the cart glides along this running path by gravity. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known amusement equipment in which a track is formed on a slope with a difference in elevation, such as a ski resort, and users ride in a non-powered cart and glide naturally from the top to the bottom of the track (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There are several types of this amusement equipment, such as one in which the track is an arc-shaped groove on which the cart runs, and one in which metal or other rails are laid and the cart is guided along these rails.

[0003] Among these amusement facilities, there is one in which a fairly wide, flat track is made of concrete or the like, and users slide around on this track using steerable carts. In the case of such cart amusement facilities, barriers are usually installed along the sides of the track to prevent the carts from straying from the track. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-112455 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above-mentioned running tracks usually have multiple bends to enhance the entertainment value, and depending on the shape of the running track, there are places where the carts frequently come into contact with the barriers. Attendants visually inspect the barriers in such places to determine their wear and tear and whether repairs are necessary, but the amount of work required for visual inspections varies depending on the length of the running track and the number of barriers installed, so a system for performing inspection work more efficiently was needed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a driving trajectory recording system for cart amusement equipment that can improve the maintenance of the driving path and ease of inspection work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention of claim 1 is a cart amusement facility that has a running path with multiple bends between high and low points on a slope, where users steer a cart that slides down the running path under the influence of gravity, and where barriers are provided on both sides of the width of the running path to prevent the cart from straying, and is characterized in that a GPS receiver is attached to the user or the cart to obtain location information and record the location information of the cart. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is easy to analyze the locations where contact or collision between carts and barriers is likely to occur, and maintainability is improved by identifying in advance the areas where maintenance inspections should be prioritized. Furthermore, the results of the above analysis can be used to change the placement of barriers or to display warning notices, thereby improving operational safety. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Plan of the track [Figure 2] Cart side view [Figure 3] Cross-section of the track seen from the front of the cart DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a track on which a cart slides. Track 11 is formed, for example, on the slope of a mountain or hill or a ski resort slope, and connects a top starting point 12 at a high altitude to a bottom ending point 13 at a low altitude. Track A 14 and track B 15 are shown, each with their own unique bends 16, 17 and slopes, allowing users to select track 14 or 15 based on their level of difficulty and preferences. A cart transport device 18, such as a cableway, is installed between top starting point 12 and bottom ending point 13 at a low altitude, allowing the cart to be transported back to top starting point 12 after sliding to bottom ending point 13, where it can be used again.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a side view of the cart 20. The cart 20 has a body 21 molded from synthetic resin or the like, rear wheels 22 and front wheels 23 that support the body 21 so that it can travel, and a handlebar 24 connected to the front wheels 23. A user of the cart 20 sits at the rear of the body 21 and rides with both feet placed at the front. The handlebar 24 is located between the user's feet when the user is riding on the cart. The rear wheels 22 and front wheels 23 are free to rotate without any driving force, and the cart 20 glides naturally due to the slope of the running paths 14, 15. When the user rotates the handlebar 24, the front wheels 23 rotate horizontally, thereby changing the direction of travel of the cart 20.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the runway 11 as seen from the front in the traveling direction of the cart 20. As shown in the figure, the runway 11 is formed to be flat in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the runway 11 has multiple bends 16, 17 in the traveling direction of the cart 20, and is formed so that the inclination angle in the traveling direction also changes. Barriers 26 are fixed along both sides of the runway 11 in the width direction. The barriers 26 are molded from synthetic resin or the like and are generally L-shaped. When the cart 20 approaches, the vertical surface of the barrier 26 comes into contact with the side of the cart 20, preventing the cart 20 from deviating from the runway 11.

[0013] The kart amusement facility configured as described above is operated as follows. First, when a user boards the kart 20 at the top starting point 12, the user attaches a GPS receiver to the user's helmet or to the kart 20 itself. The GPS receiver continuously records the position information of the kart 20 once the kart 20 starts moving. In other words, it records the running trajectory of the kart 20. As a method for recording, the GPS receiver itself may be equipped with a recording medium for recording, or a mobile phone company's server may be used over a mobile phone line, or a computer at the operating facility may be able to record if it has an internet connection.

[0014] If the cart 20 comes into contact with or collides with the barrier 26 while traveling, the recorded location information is confirmed by the user and facility operation staff after the cart 20 and user arrive at the lowest terminal 13, and the location information of the contact or collision location is sequentially stored in the operator's recording medium. By accumulating location information in this manner, it becomes easier to analyze locations where contact or collision between the cart 20 and the barrier 26 is likely to occur, and maintainability is improved by identifying in advance the areas where maintenance inspections should be prioritized. Furthermore, operational safety can be improved by changing the placement of the barrier 26 based on the results of the analysis or by displaying warning notices, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0015] 11 Running Track 12 Top starting point 13 Bottom End 14 A driving route 15 B running route 16 Bend 17 Bend 18 Conveyor equipment 20 Cart 21 Body 22 rear wheel 23 Front wheel 24 Handle 25 Running surface 26 Barrier

Claims

[Claim 1] A cart amusement facility has a running path with multiple bends between high and low points on a slope, and users steer a cart that slides down the running path under the influence of gravity, and barriers are provided on both sides of the width of the running path to prevent the cart from straying, characterized in that a GPS receiver is attached to the user or the cart to obtain location information and record the location information of the cart.

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