Pivoting Lap Bar Assembly with Movable Leg Shields
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passenger restraint systems for amusement park rides with upright, straddle-type seating face challenges such as bulky designs, slow loading/unloading, and limited space efficiency, particularly in rides with tight longitudinal envelopes, where deep footwells and fixed leg constraints hinder passenger safety and throughput.
Innovation Solution
A passenger restraint system featuring shallow footwells, a sliding behind-the-knee pin, and a U-shaped lap bar assembly with pivotally mounted front and side leg shields, allowing for quick and safe loading/unloading while maintaining effective leg containment, and accommodating a more open vehicle design with a shorter longitudinal envelope.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid leg constraints and deep footwells are used to protect passengers' legs, then passenger safety is improved, but loading and unloading time increases and vehicle complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The leg constraint system transitions from static fixed pins to dynamic movable shields that can shift between engaged and disengaged positions. The front leg shield and side leg shield are connected to the lap bar assembly, allowing them to move automatically as the lap bar transitions between up and down positions, providing safety during operation while facilitating quick loading and unloading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into the lap bar assembly: it serves as both the primary restraint mechanism and the actuating mechanism for the leg shields. When the lap bar moves down, it simultaneously engages the leg shields to provide lateral and longitudinal containment, eliminating the need for separate complex leg constraint systems.
2Reliability
If fixed behind-the-knee pins are used to limit backward movement of passengers' legs, then leg containment is improved, but loading and unloading becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The behind-the-knee constraint is transformed from a fixed pin that passengers must maneuver around to a movable shield connected to the lap bar assembly. The shield automatically moves into the engaged position when the lap bar is lowered, providing rearward leg containment without requiring passengers to perform complex maneuvers during loading and unloading.
3Reliability
If rigid shields are used to provide forward and side protection of passengers' legs, then passenger safety is improved, but the ride vehicle becomes bulky and heavily shrouded
Solution Approach 1:
The leg shields are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be positioned only when needed for safety during operation. When the lap bar is in the up position during loading and unloading, the shields can be retracted or positioned to minimize vehicle bulk, and only engage when the lap bar is lowered for the ride.
4Reliability
If conventional lap bar assemblies are used with upright straddle-type seating, then leg constraint is provided, but the design becomes bulky and loading speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the lap bar function with the leg shield actuation function. The lap bar assembly directly controls the movement of both the front leg shield and side leg shield, creating a compact integrated system that provides leg constraint without requiring separate mechanisms, thereby reducing vehicle bulk and improving loading speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A ride vehicle with upright, straddle-type passenger seating that includes a passenger restraint system. This restraint system includes a lap bar assembly and a lap bar pivotal mount element pivotally supporting the lap bar assembly within the vehicle body to pivot about a rotation axis passing through the vehicle body between the seat pan and the front end of the vehicle body. The lap bar assembly may include a lap bar along with side and front leg shields that contain a passenger's legs within the vehicle. The lap bar assembly is rotatable as a unit about the rotation axis, in a forward portion of the vehicle body, from a disengaged position to an engaged position. In the disengaged position, the leg shields are moved forward away from an access to the seat pan, and, in the engaged position, the passenger's legs are blocked from lateral and forward movement.