Wheel Alignment Fixture for Amusement Ride Trackside Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing maintenance methods for amusement ride vehicles are hindered by the need to adjust wheels while coupled to the ride track, which restricts access to certain parts and is time-intensive, especially when moving the ride vehicle between tracks.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance assembly for amusement ride vehicle wheels, comprising a foundational body, a wheel engagement section, and a datum section, which allows for adjustment of the wheels relative to the pad, providing a fixed distance and facilitating maintenance without the need to move the ride vehicle between tracks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If wheels are adjusted while coupled to the ride track, then wheel alignment can be maintained, but access to certain portions of the ride vehicle is inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance assembly is divided into distinct functional sections: a foundational body for stability, a wheel engagement section with adjustable arms for contacting wheel surfaces, and a datum section for reference measurements. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while maintaining overall coordination for precise wheel adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance assembly serves as an intermediary tool between the wheel assembly and the adjustment mechanism. It provides a stable reference framework that mediates the adjustment process, allowing wheels to be precisely aligned without requiring direct manual manipulation that would block access to wheel portions.
2Ease of operation
If the ride vehicle is moved to an alternate track for wheel adjustment, then access to wheel portions is improved, but maintenance time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance assembly is pre-configured with adjustable arms and datum sections positioned at optimal locations before contact with the wheel assembly. This preliminary setup eliminates the need to move the ride vehicle to alternate tracks, as all necessary adjustment components are already in place to provide access to wheel portions while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance assembly is designed to be self-contained with all necessary adjustment mechanisms integrated into the assembly itself. The adjustable arms can be independently positioned and locked without requiring external equipment or vehicle relocation, allowing the system to perform its own maintenance function efficiently.
3Manufacturing precision
If the ride vehicle is moved between tracks for maintenance, then wheel adjustment can be performed, but maintenance speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance assembly incorporates dynamically adjustable arms that can be quickly repositioned along the wheel assembly to contact different wheel surfaces. This dynamic adjustability allows maintenance personnel to rapidly adapt the assembly's configuration without moving the ride vehicle, thereby maintaining both adjustment precision and high maintenance speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable arms of the maintenance assembly can change their positional parameters (distance from foundational body, angular orientation) to accommodate different wheel configurations. This parameter adjustability enables precise wheel alignment to be achieved rapidly without the time-consuming process of moving the ride vehicle between tracks.
Data Source
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AI summary
A maintenance assembly for a wheel assembly of an amusement ride vehicle includes a foundational body, a wheel engagement section extending a first distance from the foundational body, and a datum section including a protrusion extending a second distance from the foundational body. The wheel engagement section is configured to contact a wheel surface of the wheel assembly, and the datum section is configured to contact a pad of the wheel assembly. Additionally, the wheel engagement section is rigidly positioned with respect to the datum section, and the second distance is greater than the first distance, such that the maintenance assembly provides a fixed distance between a surface of the datum section configured to contact the pad and a surface of the wheel engagement section configured to contact the wheel surface.