Amusement Ride Bogie Passive Braking via Flange Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current track-based or zip line-like amusement ride systems pose safety concerns due to the potential for riders to experience a sudden and jarring halt at the end of the track, which can lead to injuries, especially when riders are pushed and gain significant speed and momentum.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a track with a flange of increasing width at the ends, combined with a bogie design featuring lateral wheels and compression springs that increase rolling resistance as the bogie approaches the end of the track, providing a passive braking mechanism to slow the bogie before reaching the end, thus reducing the impact of the stop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the track ends are sloped upward to slow the rider using gravity, then the rider's momentum is reduced before hitting the stop, but the upward slope alone is insufficient to slow the rider to a safe speed when the rider is being pushed by one or more people
Solution Approach 1:
The flange width is increased in advance at the end sections of the track, creating a progressive braking zone before the hard stop. This preliminary action allows the lateral wheels to engage the flange and generate rolling resistance that slows the bogie before it reaches the end stop, addressing the insufficiency of gravity-based slowing alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange width parameter is changed along the track length, being uniform in the central section and increasing in the end sections. This parameter change creates a progressive braking effect where the lateral wheels experience increasing rolling resistance as they traverse the widening flange, effectively reducing the bogie's speed before the hard stop.
2Speed
If the flange width is increased at the end sections to provide passive braking through increased rolling resistance, then the bogie speed is reduced before reaching the end, but the track structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The flange width is made non-uniform only in the end sections of the track, while maintaining uniform width in the central section. This local quality change applies the braking effect only where needed (at the ends) without complicating the entire track structure, achieving speed reduction with minimal additional complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces the speed of the bogie before it reaches the end of the track, enhancing safety by minimizing the risk of injury from sudden stops, even when riders are pushed and gain significant momentum.
Implementation Method 1
a mechanism configured to normally bias the second lateral wheel on each side of the vertical center plane toward a respective first position that is proximate the vertical center plane and to support a movement of each of the second lateral wheels toward a respective second position that is spaced away from the vertical center plane
Implementation Method 2
the width of the flange increases within at least one of the first and second opposite end sections of the track to a maximum flange width... providing a passive braking mechanism to slow the bogie before reaching the end
Data Source
AI summary
A bogie configured to move along a track of an amusement ride includes two first lateral wheels, on each side of a vertical center plane of the bogie, for rolling along a run of the track. A second lateral wheel is mounted on each side of the vertical center plane and is movable perpendicular to the vertical center plane between a first position proximate the vertical plane and a second position spaced-away from the vertical plane. The bogie also includes a mechanism that provides a force to normally bias the second wheel toward the first position. The mechanism is configured such that the magnitude of the provided force increases with increasing separation between the second lateral wheel on one side of the vertical center plane and the second lateral wheel on the other side of the vertical center plane.