Zipline braking system

Abstract

To provide a braking device for a zip line which allows smooth braking and is easy to maintain and adjust the braking force regardless of the number of wires. [Solution] This zip line braking device 80 has a brake rail 60 that curves up on the end E side, and a slidable moving load section 50 is installed on this. A braking pulley section 40 is also installed on the wire 10, and when the pulley section 30 of the zip line 100 collides with the braking pulley section 40 and moves toward the end E, the moving load section 50 is pulled and climbs the brake rail 60, and the resistance generated by this process slows down the pulley section 30. This allows the pulley section 30 to decelerate smoothly. Furthermore, this zip line braking device 80 operates simply by installing the braking pulley section 40 on the zip line 100 side. Therefore, the zip line 100 and the braking device 80 can be designed independently, without restricting the design of either device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a braking device for a zip line, which is a zip line in which two points at different heights are connected by a wire and people glide along the wire while hanging from it. [Background technology]

[0002] Since ancient times, zip lines have been used primarily in mountainous areas as a way to transport people or cargo in mountainous regions, on slopes, cliffs, rivers, etc. A wire is stretched between two points of different elevations, and a pulley is set up that moves along the wire, with people or cargo suspended from the pulley to transport them to lower ground. Nowadays, zip lines are often used as play equipment and attractions in parks, amusement parks, leisure facilities, etc.

[0003] These zip lines typically slow down and stop the cyclist by bending the wire near the end, or by installing a coil spring or similar at the end to cushion the impact of a collision before stopping. However, because zip lines used as amusement equipment in recent years tend to be longer and travel faster, there is a need for a braking device at the end to slow the cyclist down and bring them to a safe stop. [Patent Document 1] below discloses an invention in which a zip line is made up of two wires, with the distance between the two wires wider at the end than in the sliding section, so that the distance between the wires narrows when the pulley section of the zip line reaches the end, and the restoring force and tension of the two wires brake the cyclist to a stop. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-172787 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it can only be used with zip lines with two wires. Furthermore, braking by adjusting the spacing of the wires limits braking force and makes adjustment difficult. Furthermore, the wires in the braking section wear out, requiring periodic replacement of the entire wire, resulting in maintenance costs and time.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a braking device for a zip line that allows smooth braking and is easy to maintain and adjust the braking force regardless of the number of wires. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides (1) A braking device installed on the end E side of the zip line 100 on which the pulley section 30 slides along the wire 10, an arc-shaped brake rail 60 positioned on the wire 10 and having an end E side curved upward; a moving load portion (50) that slides along the brake rail (60); a braking pulley unit 40 that is slidably installed on the wire 10 and that moves together with the pulley unit 30 toward the terminal end E when the pulley unit 30 collides with the braking pulley unit 40 while the wire 10 is running; a connecting member 62 connecting the moving load portion 50 and the braking pulley portion 40, The above problem is solved by providing a zip line braking device 80, which is characterized in that the braking pulley section 40 moves toward the terminal end E, causing the moving load section 50 to climb the braking rail 60 and decelerate the pulley section 30. (2) The above problem is solved by providing the braking device 80 for the zip line described in (1) above, characterized in that the moving load portion 50 has a weight of a predetermined weight. (3) The above problem is solved by providing the braking device 80 for the zip line described in (2) above, characterized in that the weight is a roller member of the moving load portion 50. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The zip line braking device of the present invention operates simply by installing a braking pulley unit on the zip line wire. Therefore, there are no design restrictions on either device, and the device can be applied to essentially any type of zip line, regardless of the number of wires. Furthermore, because the zip line and braking device can be designed separately, an appropriate braking device can be installed for the zip line to which it is applied. Furthermore, because everything except the braking pulley unit is independent of the zip line, maintenance work on the zip line and braking device can be easily performed separately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a zip line to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] 1 shows the moving parts of the braking device of the zip line according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a moving load section suitable for the present invention. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a braking pulley unit suitable for the present invention; [Figure 5] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the braking device of the zip line according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of a zip line braking device 80 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a zip line 100 to which the present invention is applied. Fig. 2 shows the movable parts (moving load unit 50, braking pulley unit 40) of the zip line braking device 80 according to the present invention.

[0011] First, a zip line 100 to which the present invention is applied spans a wire 10 between two points with a difference in elevation, i.e., a starting point S on the higher side and a terminal point E on the lower side. A pulley unit 30 is provided that moves along the wire 10. A person or cargo is suspended from the pulley unit 30, and the person or cargo is moved to the lower side by its own weight. The zip line braking device 80 of the present invention is provided on the terminal point E side of the zip line 100. Here, the zip line 100 to which the present invention is applied will be described as an amusement device in which a player M is suspended from the pulley unit 30. However, the present invention can be applied not only to amusement devices but also to zip lines 100 for transportation. When the zip line 100 is an amusement device, the pulley unit 30 is primarily composed of a pulley main body 32 that moves along the wire 10 and a suspension unit 34, such as a harness, chair, or handle, that is suspended from the pulley main body 32 and holds the player M.

[0012] The zip line braking device 80 of the present invention is installed on the end E side of the zip line 100 as described above, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, has a braking rail 60, a moving load section 50 that slides along this braking rail 60, a braking pulley section 40 that is installed so as to be able to slide on the line 10 of the zip line 100, and a connecting member 62 that connects the moving load section 50 and the braking pulley section 40.

[0013] The brake rail 60 is installed above the wire 10 of the zip line 100, and has an arc shape with the end E side curved upward. The tip of the brake rail 60 is approximately horizontal or approximately parallel to the wire 10. Therefore, the brake rail 60 gradually becomes steeper and higher as it approaches the end E side. The braking force and deceleration speed of the braking pulley unit 40 (pulley unit 30), which will be described later, can be set by the length and curvature radius of the brake rail 60.

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a brake rail 60 and a moving load section 50 suitable for the present invention. FIG. 3(a) is a front view of the brake rail 60 and the moving load section 50, and FIG. 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XX. For the brake rail 60 suitable for the present invention, a well-known I-beam or H-beam is preferably used with its flanges positioned above and below. This configuration allows the I-beam or H-beam to be used directly as the rail for the moving load section 50, facilitating procurement of components, simplifying construction, and reducing component costs. The brake rail 60 may be made of not only an I-beam or H-beam, but also any other known rail material, rails made from processed steel or pipe material, or any other material that allows the moving load section 50 to slide.

[0015] A suitable moving load section 50 when an I-beam is used for the brake rail 60 has a roughly U-shaped main body 54 that is open at the top, and a plurality of rollers 52 provided on the inside of both side surfaces of the main body 54. The rollers 52 are rotatably supported via well-known axle members such as bearings. A gap large enough to allow the web of the I-beam to pass between the opposing left and right rollers 52 is provided, and the left and right rollers 52 are installed so that they hang on the lower flange of the I-beam (brake rail 60). As a result, the lower flange of the I-beam (brake rail 60) is embraced by the main body 54 of the moving load section 50 and the left and right rollers 52, and the left and right rollers 52 slide along the I-beam (brake rail 60) using the left and right flanges on the lower side of the I-beam as rails. In addition, since the flanges of I-beams are generally inclined outward, it is particularly preferable to use rollers 52 in the moving load section 50 that are frustum-shaped with a tapered tip to match the inclination of the flange. Furthermore, for stability, it is preferable to provide at least two pairs of rollers 52, and more preferably four pairs (eight rollers). A hanging section 54a is provided at the bottom of the main body 54, and a connecting member 62 is connected via a well-known connecting device such as a carabiner.

[0016] The heavier the moving load section 50, the greater the braking effect. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a weight of an appropriate weight to the moving load section 50. While this weight may be provided separately from the main body section 54, it is particularly preferable from the perspective of reducing the number of parts to select weights of appropriate weight for the rollers 52 and their bearing members, and for these roller members (rollers 52 and their bearing members, base member, etc.) to also function as weights. However, if the roller members are not heavy enough, a separate weight may be installed by hanging it from the moving load section 50.

[0017] Next, a braking pulley unit 40 suitable for the present invention will be described. FIG. 4(a) is a side view showing the internal structure of the braking pulley unit 40, and FIG. 4(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line YY. The braking pulley unit 40 suitable for the present invention has a roughly U-shaped main body 44 that is open downward, and a pulley 42 is mounted inside the main body 44. The pulley 42 is rotatably supported via a well-known axle member such as a bearing. The pulley 42 has a groove on its circumferential surface for guiding the wire 10. It is particularly preferable to separate the installation positions of the pulley 42 into upper and lower sections, and to sandwich the wire 10 between the grooves on the circumferential surfaces of the pulleys 42 on the upper and lower sections to prevent the wire 10 from coming off the pulley. In this case, it is preferable to keep the wire 10 straight to reduce frictional resistance with the pulley 42. It is also preferable to install a buffer member 46, such as rubber, sponge, or spring, at the front (starting end S) of the main body 44 to absorb impact upon collision with the pulley main body 32.

[0018] The moving load unit 50 and the brake pulley unit 40 are connected by a connecting member 62. Note that the connecting member 62 can be a well-known wire, rope, link bar, chain, or the like. Furthermore, it is preferable that the length of the connecting member 62 is longer than the distance between the wire 10 and the brake rail 60 at the tip of the brake rail 60, and shorter than the distance between the wire 10 and the brake rail 60 at the end E. By optimizing the length of the connecting member 62, the connecting member 62 functions as a stopper that limits the movement of the moving load unit 50 and the brake pulley unit 40 toward the end E, and collision between the brake pulley unit 40 and the end E of the pulley unit 30 can be prevented.

[0019] Next, the operation of the zip line braking device 80 according to the present invention will be described. First, a harness serving as the suspension member 34 is fixed to the body of player M. Next, player M is positioned on the starting block 12 provided at the starting end S. Then, the pulley body 32 attached to the wire 10 is fixed to the suspension member 34. Next, player M jumps off the starting block 12. At this time, the wire 10 is stretched between the starting end S and the ending end E, which are at different heights, and since the starting end S is located at a higher position, the pulley body 32 slides along the wire 10 toward the ending end E together with player M, who is fixed to the suspension member 34.

[0020] Next, as the pulley unit 30 approaches the terminal end E, the pulley body 32 collides with the braking pulley unit 40 on the wire 10, as shown in FIG. 5(a). This collision with the pulley body 32 causes the braking pulley unit 40 to move toward the terminal end E together with the pulley unit 30. Then, as the braking pulley unit 40 moves toward the terminal end E, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the connecting member 62 pulls the moving load unit 50 toward the terminal end E, and the moving load unit 50 moves along the brake rail 60 toward the terminal end E. Note that because the tip of the brake rail 60 is approximately horizontal or approximately parallel to the wire 10, the moving load unit 50 initially starts to move relatively smoothly.

[0021] As the pulley unit 30 and the braking pulley unit 40 move toward the terminal end E, the moving load unit 50, pulled by the braking pulley unit 40, moves upward along the brake rail 60, and the increase in potential energy at this time applies resistance to the braking pulley unit 40, causing the pulley unit 30 and the braking pulley unit 40 to decelerate. As the brake rail 60 approaches the terminal end E, the inclination of the brake rail 60 gradually increases, and therefore the resistance from the moving load unit 50 also gradually increases. The braking force and deceleration speed on the pulley unit 30 and the braking pulley unit 40 at this time are determined by the radius of curvature of the brake rail 60 and the weight of the moving load unit 50. As a result, the pulley unit 30 and the braking pulley unit 40 gradually decelerate and finally come to a safe stop on the dismount platform 14, as shown in FIG. 5(c).

[0022] When pulley unit 30 stops on dismounting platform 14, suspension unit 34 is removed from pulley main body 32. Next, player M removes the harness serving as suspension unit 34 from his / her body, and ends the game. Furthermore, pulley main body 32 and suspension unit 34 are transported to the starting platform 12 side and made available to a new player M.

[0023] As described above, the zip line braking device 80 of the present invention provides a braking rail 60 with a curved upward end toward the terminal end E above the wire 10 of the zip line 100, and a slidable moving load unit 50 is installed on this. The wire 10 of the zip line 100 is also provided with a braking pulley unit 40, which is connected to the moving load unit 50 by a connecting member 62. When the pulley unit 30 of the zip line 100 enters the area of ​​the braking device 80, collides with the braking pulley unit 40, and moves toward the terminal end E together with the pulley unit 30, the moving load unit 50 connected to the braking rail 60 is pulled and climbs the braking rail 60, and the resistance generated by this movement decelerates the pulley unit 30. Therefore, the braking force gradually increases, allowing the pulley unit 30 to decelerate smoothly.

[0024] Furthermore, the zip line braking device 80 of the present invention operates simply by installing the braking pulley unit 40 on the wire 10 on the zip line 100 side, and does not significantly affect the configuration of the zip line 100. Furthermore, the number of wires 10 of the zip line 100 needs to be one or more, and the device can be applied to essentially any type of zip line 100. Therefore, the zip line 100 and the braking device 80 do not restrict each other's design, and the zip line 100 and the braking device 80 can be designed relatively freely independently. In particular, because the braking force of the braking device 80 is primarily determined by the radius of curvature of the brake rail 60, the present invention allows for the braking device 80 to be individually designed and installed with appropriate braking force and deceleration speed according to the zip line 100 to which it is applied. Furthermore, this braking force can also be adjusted depending on the weight of the moving load unit 50.

[0025] Furthermore, the braking pulley unit 40 can be attached and detached from the wire 10, and the rest of the configuration of the braking device 80 is independent of the zip line 100, so the zip line 100 and the braking device 80 can be maintained separately. This makes maintenance work easy.

[0026] Furthermore, the configurations, shapes, dimensions, mechanisms, designs, etc. of the zip line 100, braking device 80, braking rail 60, moving load section 50, braking pulley section 40, and other parts shown in this example are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented with modifications within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 10 wire 30 Pulley part 40 Braking pulley section 50 Moving load section 60 Brake Rail 62 Connecting member 100 Ziplines 80 Braking device E termination

Claims

1. A braking device installed at the end of a zip line where a pulley slides along a wire, an arc-shaped brake rail positioned on the wire and having an upwardly curved end; a moving load portion that slides along the brake rail; a braking pulley unit that is slidably installed on the wire and that moves together with the pulley unit toward the terminal end when the pulley unit collides with the wire during travel; a connecting member connecting the moving load portion and the braking pulley portion, A braking device for a zip line, characterized in that the braking pulley section moves toward the terminal end, causing the moving load section to climb the braking rail and decelerate the pulley section.

2. The zip line braking device according to claim 1, wherein the moving load portion has a weight of a predetermined weight.

3. The zip line braking device according to claim 2, wherein the weight is a roller member of the moving load portion.

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