Reconfigurable Bogie Track System for Dynamic Direction Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional amusement park rides with fixed tracks limit the ability to perform unconventional turns with small or no turning radii, reducing excitement and thrill for passengers due to predictable centripetal acceleration.
Innovation Solution
A bogie system that can detach and reattach track members along a ride path, allowing for seamless changes in direction, including 90-degree turns, by using a combination of rotary joints and actuation mechanisms to move track members relative to each other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed track systems are used, then the ride path is stable and predictable, but the ability to perform unconventional turns with small or no turning radii is limited, reducing excitement and thrill
Solution Approach 1:
The track system is divided into modular track members that can be independently detached, repositioned, and reattached. This segmentation allows the track configuration to be changed dynamically to create unconventional turns with small or no turning radii, while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection mechanisms between modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The track system transitions from a static fixed configuration to a dynamic reconfigurable system. Track members can be detached and repositioned during operation to change the ride path geometry, enabling unconventional turns that were previously impossible with conventional fixed tracks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If track members are made detachable and reconfigurable, then unconventional turns become possible, but the complexity of the bogie system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bogie system is designed with universal track engagement mechanisms that can interface with track members in multiple configurations. The same bogie structure handles both conventional and unconventional turns, as well as the detachment and reattachment of track members, reducing the need for specialized components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The bogie system acts as an intermediary between the ride vehicle and the reconfigurable track members. It provides the mechanical interface and control mechanisms needed to detach, reposition, and reattach track members, isolating the complexity of track manipulation from both the ride vehicle and the track structure itself.
3Adaptability or versatility
If seamless changes in direction are enabled through track member manipulation, then excitement and thrill are increased, but the time required for track member detachment and reattachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
Track members are pre-positioned and pre-aligned in their various configurations. The detachment and reattachment mechanisms are pre-configured to engage with standardized interfaces, allowing rapid transitions without requiring complex real-time alignment or manual intervention during the actual direction change operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided herein are systems that include bogie systems configured to travel along track members that define a ride path, to detach certain track members from adjacent track members, and to re-attach the detached track members to other track members that may not be orthogonal or coplanar. By employing the embodiments described herein, the system may be able to seamlessly change the direction of travel of a ride vehicle from a lateral direction to a longitudinal direction, from a lateral direction to a vertical direction, or from a vertical direction to the longitudinal direction, to name but a few.