Railways – Amusement
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-21
2004-07-06
Jules, Frantz F. (Department: 3617)
Railways
Amusement
C104S063000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758144
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a fun vehicle as well as to a bob, toboggan or roller coaster run for using the vehicle.
2. Discussion of Background
Already a great variety of amusement rides entertain visitors at fairs and amusement parks. Among others, also roller coaster runs and summer toboggan runs have to be mentioned.
For example, DE 2330933 a toboggan run device is shown in which a toboggan sledge can slide on a toboggan run device constructed of several segments, using gravity. In this kind of toboggan run device the sledge is not bound to an accurately defined path, in the form of rails e.g., but within certain limits is freely movable on said toboggan run device.
Another kind of toboggan run device is described in DE 29800205 in which a vehicle is movable on a rail arrangement also using gravity. This kind of toboggan run device essentially really corresponds to the principle of a roller coaster run only with the difference that in a roller coaster run several sledges are connected to one another and the vehicles cannot be braked individually.
However, it is a disadvantage in these toboggan devices that to compensate for the centrifugal forces, the path must be inclined with respect to the curve axis in the curves, so that the drive does not have to compensate for the centrifugal force by structural strength alone. It is a problem that the lateral inclination of the path due to the different drives never does exactly correspond to the centrifugal forces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to create an amusement vehicle for a bob or toboggan run device in particular, offering high driving pleasure, with expense as low as possible and simple construction as well as eliminating the drawbacks of the prior art.
The invention is based on the basic idea of compensating for centrifugal forces acting on the driver of an amusement vehicle during passage of curves, by a seat arrangement which is freely movable in the perpendicular direction to the driving direction of the amusement vehicle. In this way the actual centrifugal forces are directly converted into the movement of the seat arrangement. For this purpose, the amusement vehicle in accordance with the present invention, in addition to a basic vehicle frame on which rollers and/or slide members for movement of the vehicle are arranged, includes a second frame on which one or several seats can be arranged and which is movably arranged on the basic vehicle frame essentially perpendicular to the moving direction of the vehicle. For this, it is advantageous to arrange a chassis on the basic vehicle frame, on which the second frame is movable.
In order to absorb the centrifugal forces correspondingly, it is advantageous that the second frame moves in its moving direction along a closed orbit or a segment of a circle. This, thus, means that the chassis is built as an open or closed pipe segment. In this way it is achieved that in curve drives, the centrifugal forces displace the second frame with the driver or drivers along the cylinder surface of the pipe segment in one direction or the other laterally or upwardly, the centrifugal forces being reduced thereby.
It is particularly advantageous to arrange the second frame as well as the amusement vehicle itself on a rail arrangement. By means of the rails, on one hand, an accurately predefined movement of the amusement vehicle as well as the second frame is possible with respect to the basic vehicle frame and, on the other hand, the rail arrangements offer a simple solution for providing for safe fixation to avoid the vehicle or the second frame from being lifted from the rails. Such a securing device which preferably is provided on the vehicle as well as on the second frame movable in the vehicle, can in advantageous manner consist of opposing pairs of rollers and/or slide members so that the opposing pairs of rollers and/or slide members encircle the rails in such a manner that detaching from the rails is impossible.
Due to the design of the amusement vehicle with a seat arrangement freely movable in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction, an increased driving fun for the user is achieved as well as a simplification for the construction of the path, preferably consisting of a rail arrangement arranged on a scaffold. The path namely no longer has to include inclinations to compensate for centrifugal forces. Consequently, it is advantageous to design the path such that in curves the path no longer is inclined with respect to the curve axis, i.e. thus essentially is arranged in perpendicular to the curve axis. Apart from that, the path, similar to known roller coaster runs, can include sloping, ascending or plane partial path sections.
By the bob, toboggan or roller coaster run device in accordance with the present invention and/or the amusement vehicle, respectively, provided therefore, a broad width of design of a bob or toboggan run is given in which multiple effects can be effected which severely increase driving pleasure for the user. For example, it is conceivable to arrange short and narrow curve radii in such a manner that the movable seat arrangement in the amusement vehicle due to the impulse caused by the centrifugal forces is pushed into a looping movement within a closed pipe-like chassis in which the movable seat arrangement is provided for.
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patent: 6487975 (2002-12-01), Gordon
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patent: 600300 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 2109252 (1983-06-01), None
patent: 04191170 (1992-07-01), None
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Jules Frantz F.
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