Pivotable Brake Pad Carrier for Rail Vehicle Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail-guided amusement park devices, such as rollercoasters, face challenges in braking due to tight curves and unevenness in the rail course, making it difficult for conventional brake devices installed on the vehicle to effectively stop the vehicle at any desired point.
Innovation Solution
A brake device with a pivotally arranged brake pad carrier and brake pads that can pivot up to ±15° relative to the vehicle's direction of travel, allowing for flexible positioning and adjustment to compensate for rail irregularities, featuring a swivel pin, stop pins, and buffer elements to ensure secure braking at any point along the rail course.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If brake devices are fastened at the rail track at certain points, then braking power and effectiveness are improved, but the vehicle cannot be braked at any desired point along the route course
Solution Approach 1:
The brake pad carrier is made pivotable relative to the vehicle, allowing the brake pads to dynamically adjust their position and orientation. This enables the braking system to adapt to different locations along the rail track while maintaining effective braking power, resolving the contradiction between fixed braking points and flexible stopping positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of brake pad position through pivoting motion. By allowing the brake pad carrier to pivot, the brake pads can reach different positions along the rail track, transforming a fixed-position system into one with variable positioning capability, thus enabling braking at any desired point.
2Adaptability or versatility
If brake devices are located at the vehicle, then braking can occur at any position, but conventional brake devices cannot be used due to tight curves and unevenness in the rail course
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable brake pad carrier allows the brake pads to dynamically compensate for rail irregularities and tight curves by adjusting their orientation. This maintains reliable braking effectiveness while preserving the ability to brake at any position along the route course.
3Speed
If brake pads are positioned close together, then braking response is faster, but unintended contact and friction loss occur in the idle state
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable brake pad carrier enables the brake pads to be positioned close together for fast braking response while automatically pivoting to maintain a sufficient gap in the idle state. This dynamic adjustment prevents unintended contact and friction loss while preserving rapid braking capability.
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
Enables secure and effective braking at any desired point of the rail-guided route course, even on rollercoasters with tight curves and unevenness, by maintaining a sufficient distance between brake pads in the idle state to prevent unintended contact and friction loss, ensuring reliable vehicle stopping.
Implementation Method 1
a brake device (20) with one, preferably two, brake pad(s) (40, 50) fastened at a brake pad carrier (30) for braking and/or clamping tightly the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
pivoting means are provided by which the brake pad carrier (30) and/or at least two brake pads (40, 50) are pivotal in reference to a fixed brake carrier (22)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is an amusement-park device, comprising a rail-guided route course and at least one vehicle guided on the rail, which vehicle has a brake apparatus having at least one, preferably two brake pads fastened to a brake-pad carrier, which brake pads are provided for braking or clamping the vehicle at a point of the rail-guided route course during a braking event. According to the invention, the brake apparatus has a brake carrier and/or the at least two brake pads can be pivoted in relation to the stationary bike carrier. The vehicle equipped with such a brake apparatus can follow unevenness in the rail-guided route course in a simple manner, resulting in reliable braking behavior.