Deployable Maintenance Platform for Round Rides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maintenance of round amusement park rides is costly and time-consuming due to the need for extensive equipment and safety harnesses to access elevated areas, posing safety hazards and restricting movement.
Innovation Solution
A deployable, elevated maintenance platform that utilizes the vehicle support arms to create a walking surface by extending plates outward from the arms when raised to a horizontal position, eliminating the need for additional equipment like ladders and safety harnesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ladders and safety harnesses are used to access elevated areas, then workers can reach maintenance positions, but safety hazards increase and movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
A platform is introduced as an intermediary structure between the ground and the elevated maintenance positions. The platform is supported by the ride's own structural arms, providing a stable working surface that eliminates the need for ladders and safety harnesses, thereby reducing safety hazards while improving access to elevated areas
Solution Approach 2:
The ride's structural arms serve a dual function: supporting passenger vehicles during operation and supporting the maintenance platform during maintenance. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate access equipment, reducing both safety hazards and equipment complexity
2Ease of operation
If additional equipment like ladders and safety harnesses is brought to the site, then workers can access elevated areas, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The structural arms of the ride are designed to perform multiple functions: supporting passenger vehicles during normal operation and supporting the maintenance platform during maintenance activities. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate access equipment, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance access system is merged with the ride's existing structural arms. Instead of using separate ladders and safety harnesses, the platform is integrated into the ride's structure, combining the support function into a single unified system that reduces overall equipment complexity
3Ease of operation
If ladders and safety harnesses are used for maintenance, then workers can reach elevated positions, but maintenance time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is pre-positioned and supported by the ride's structural arms before maintenance begins. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the time-consuming setup of ladders and safety harnesses, allowing workers to immediately begin maintenance tasks at elevated positions, thereby reducing overall maintenance time
4Reliability
If safety harnesses and extra personnel are required, then worker safety is improved, but labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
A stable platform is introduced as an intermediary that provides inherent fall protection through its design. The platform's structure and support system create a safe working environment that eliminates the need for additional safety harnesses and spotter personnel, thereby maintaining worker safety while reducing labor costs
Data Source
AI summary
A round ride adapted for efficient and safe maintenance of elevated components. The ride includes a central hub assembly with a hub and a hub drive adapted for selectively rotating the hub about a central axis. The hub assembly includes a plurality of vehicle support arms pivotally mounted at a first end to the hub and extending outward to a second end. The round ride includes a maintenance platform assembly with, for each of the vehicle support arms, extension plates proximate to the first end and extending outward from sides of the vehicle support arm. The extension plates each include a planar upper surface, and the planar upper surfaces are coplanar with an upper surface of the vehicle support arm. When the support arms are pivoted into a horizontal position, the upper surfaces of the plates combined with the upper surfaces of the arms creates a platform near the hub.