Movable Platform for Amusement Park Path Navigability

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Solution Overview

Problem

In amusement parks, ride vehicles often extend across user paths, hindering navigation and requiring users to step over or lift items like strollers or wheelchairs, reducing path navigability.

Innovation Solution

An auxiliary path and bridging system with a movable platform that translates and rotates along a railing, allowing users to traverse ride vehicles by adjusting between stowed and deployed configurations, facilitating easy navigation when ride vehicles are present or not.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a fixed auxiliary path system is installed to allow users to cross over ride vehicles, then user path navigability is improved, but space occupation increases when ride vehicles are not present

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser path navigabilityVSAvoidspace occupation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The auxiliary path system is designed to be movable rather than fixed. The platform can translate along the railing between a deployed position (when ride vehicles are present) and a retracted position (when ride vehicles are absent), allowing the system to adapt its space occupation dynamically based on operational needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The platform is configured to nest within or alongside the railing structure when not in use. The support panel and platform can be positioned within the railing's footprint, minimizing the space occupied by the auxiliary path system when it is not actively being used to cross ride vehicles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a movable platform is introduced to improve navigability, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration adaptabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The auxiliary path system is divided into discrete modular components: a platform, a support panel, and a mounting mechanism with rails. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured, assembled, and maintained, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The railing structure serves multiple functions: it acts as both a safety barrier for the user path and as a guide rail for the movable platform. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated structures, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12000151B2Movable platform for a path

Publication Date: 2024.06.04 UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC

AI summary

An amusement park attraction system includes a user path extending through at least a portion of the amusement park attraction system, a railing extending along the user path, and a platform slidingly and rotatably coupled to the railing. The platform is configured to translate along the railing to position the platform relative to the user path, and the platform is configured to rotate relative to the user path to adjust between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration.