EP3235550B1 - Ride - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a ride according to the preamble of claim 1. Such rides serve the entertainment of passengers who take place in the passenger seat and then driven by the chassis on scenes, screens or other entertainment facilities over.

It is known to attach the passenger seat to a robot so that the passenger seat can be moved in all six degrees of freedom of movement. Such a structure is very flexible, but has the disadvantage that it is not intrinsically safe in the rule. This means that the passenger seat can be brought into positions that endanger the passengers. It must therefore be excluded that the vehicle is programmed incorrectly. However, proof of correctness is not feasible as a matter of principle. As a result, there is always a residual risk inherent in the system that causes passengers to be injured due to incorrect programming.

From the US 2005/0014566 A1 , the US 7,094,157 B2 , the DE 694 23 873 T2 , the CN 203 666 663 U and the WO 99/56846 Rides are known in which the passenger seat is moved by a hexapod drive. A disadvantage of such systems is that they are relatively expensive to construct, when the passenger accommodation has to overcome large differences in height.

From the DE 295 12 759 U1 , the US 7,033,177 B2 , the US 8 641 540 B2 and the US 2010/0184524 A1 Rides are known in which the passenger reception depends. Such systems are expensive because of the need for a superstructure construction.

From the WO 02/13934 A1 For example, a motion simulator having a passenger seat on a platform is known, wherein the platform has a plurality of actuators movable and the passenger seat is relatively pivotable about a, perpendicular to the platform, pivot axis.

From the WO 2015/101179 A1 For example, a vehicle is known having a platform pivotable about an articulation point. The platform has a plurality of passenger seats, which in turn can be pivoted relative to the platform.

A generic ride is from the DE 699 29 187 T2 known. Such a system is not suitable for use in theme parks that use large scenes.

The invention has for its object to propose a ride in which the passive safety is guaranteed even if it has a large hub.

The invention solves the problem by a ride with the features of claim 1.

An advantage of such a ride is that the vehicle can bring the passenger seat in all positions that reach the vehicle of the prior art and that are also necessary for use in the ride. At the same time, however, the vehicle can be built up in an intrinsically safe manner, that is to say that even a complete failure of all drives and / or incorrect programming can not lead to a collision endangering the passengers.

From the inherent safety achieved in this way also follows that the vehicle can be easily reprogrammed. It is no longer necessary to investigate a new course of motion in order to exclude the risk to passengers in all conceivable situations.

It is also advantageous that the supply of the vehicle with energy can be easily established. For if the energy supply fails, this only leads to the fact that the passengers come to a rest position in a ride according to the invention. In prior art systems must be ensured be that even a failure of the energy supply can not endanger the passengers. This is much more complicated.

The ride according to the invention also has the advantage that the number of passengers per vehicle can be chosen larger. Both a Hexapodantrieb and a turntable can be constructed by simple means by design so that they can absorb large forces. In contrast, it is complicated in serial robots to attach large loads on the robot hand, as this leads to considerable torques in the drive axles.

According to a preferred embodiment, the passenger seat is designed to accommodate more than four passengers. The vehicles known rides in which the passenger seat is attached to a robot, so far can only be built for four passengers, otherwise the equipment cost for applying the necessary torque would be unreasonably large. An inventive ride, however, easily allows the inclusion of more than four passengers, for example, seven, eight, nine, ten or even more passengers.

It is particularly favorable if the chassis is path-bound. By this is meant that it is designed so that it follows a structurally given path without being able to leave it. In other words, it is sufficient if the chassis always travels along the path by design. For example, the structurally prescribed path is exactly one rail or a pair of rails. In other words, the chassis may be a rail vehicle. Then the chassis is designed so that it is guided on or guided on exactly one rail. Alternatively, the chassis is designed such that it can be moved on or on two rails. The at least one rail can absorb forces and / or moments, but this is not necessary.

Alternatively, the structurally prescribed path may be a guiding strand, ie a device which extends along the trajectory which the vehicle is to take. The vehicle is then preferably designed to sense its position relative to the lead string and move it autonomously, so that it is spaced from the lead string is minimized. This has the advantage that the trajectory on which the vehicle moves is structurally predetermined and thus accidents due to faulty programming of the trajectory are excluded.

Preferably, the vehicle includes an image display area that is engageable with an active position in which the image display area is in a field of view of passengers seated on the passenger seat and an inactive position wherein the image display area is out of the field of view. It is particularly favorable if the image display area is curved. In particular, the image display area is curved so that it is concave when viewed from the passenger seat. The picture display area is understood to mean in particular a screen or a monitor.

When the image display surface is a screen, the vehicle preferably includes a projector arranged to project a film onto the screen. More preferably, the projector is arranged to project the film onto the screen when in its active position. In this way, the passengers can be shown a movie while being moved along a trajectory with the chassis.

It is particularly favorable if the ride has a control device, for example a control computer which synchronizes the movement of the vehicle, the movement of the image display surface and the projection of the film on the other hand. In this way, the movement of the vehicle can be tuned to the movie that the passengers see. It is particularly favorable if the control device also controls the hexapod drive and / or the turntable, so that the passengers can be simulated moving through a virtual space.

It is advantageous if the passenger seat has a backrest and the Hexapodantrieb and the passenger seat are formed so that the backrests can be brought into a tilt position in which an angle of inclination of the backrest to the horizontal is less than 20 °, in particular less than 15 °. In this way, passengers can be given the illusion, for example, that they would be sped up relative to their seat.

Preferably, the passenger seat is tiltable about a passenger receiving rotary axis and the Hexapodantrieb and the turntable can be brought into a position in which the passenger receiving rotary axis with a horizontal plane at an angle of at most 10 °, in particular at most 5 ° occupies. In this case, passengers can sit side by side in a horizontal line.

The hexapod drive has six telescopic drives fixed to respective platforms on a platform, the hexapod drive having a central point which is the midpoint of the balance circle of the foot points, with a vertical projection of the passenger receiving axis of rotation on a plane through the compensation circle a distance from the central point has at least two-thirds of the radius of the compensation circle. In other words, the passenger seat is centered on the hexapod drive so that the passenger seat can be moved up and down by operating the hexapod drive with a large stroke. It is possible, but not necessary, for all feet to be on a circle. Then this circle is the compensation circle. If the foot points are not all on a circle, the compensation circle is the circle for which the sum of the squares between the circle and the foot points becomes minimal.

It is advantageous if a turntable axis of rotation of the turntable passes through the compensation circle. In particular, it is advantageous if the turntable axis of rotation has a distance from the center of the compensation circle, which is smaller than half the radius of the compensation circle.

A particularly simple construction results when the turntable axis of rotation encloses an angle with the plane through the compensation circle, which deviates by at most 10 ° from the right angle.

Preferably, the Hexapodantrieb can be brought into a position in which an angle between the compensation circle and the horizontal plane is at least 25 °. In this way, the passenger seat can be moved up and down by a large distance.

As mentioned in the introduction, passive safety in rides is very important. Preferably, therefore, the vehicle has a clearance profile, the ride having scenes, and all scenes are located outside of the clearance space. Under the gauge space is in particular that envelope of the room understood that can reach a part of the ride due to design. The envelope thus surrounds the imaginary space in which the ride can be positioned in all possible positions of hexapod drive, turntable and passenger seat. In other words, the scenes are preferably arranged so that a collision of the passenger seat or a passenger with a backdrop is excluded because the vehicle is unable to move, which could lead to a collision.

Preferably, the vehicle is configured to move along a predetermined trajectory, the ride having at least a first backdrop in the form of a fix canvas at a first location along the trajectory and the ride having a controller configured to automatically move the vehicle along the trajectory Trajectory and for automatically projecting images onto the first fix canvas, wherein the projecting is synchronized with the movement of the vehicle. In other words, a predetermined movie sequence is projected onto the fixed screen at the exact time the vehicle arrives at a predetermined position.

Alternatively or additionally, the control device is arranged to automatically project a film onto the image display area that is part of the vehicle. It is particularly favorable when the projecting onto the fixed screen and the projection onto the image display area connected to the vehicle as well as the movement of the image display area are synchronized with one another.

For example, it is then possible for the vehicle to be automatically positioned in front of a fixed screen, then to display a predetermined film sequence with the image display area attached to the vehicle in its inactive position. Thereafter, the vehicle-mounted image display surface is brought into the active position, whereby it is possible that already during the bringing into the active Position showing a movie on the image display area is started. The control device is designed in this case to automatically drive the components of the ride, so this procedure is performed. A particularly impressive effect is obtained when the film projected on the image display surface corresponds to the film projected onto the fixed screen, so that the rendering of the image display surface from the inactive position to the active position is hardly perceived by the passengers.

Figur 1

ein erfindungsgemäßes Fahrgeschäft in einer ersten Position,

Figur 2

das Fahrgeschäft gemäß Figur 1, bei dem das Vehikel in einer zweiten Position ist, und

Figur 3

das Vehikel gemäß Figuren 1 und 2, bei dem die Bildwiedergabefläche in der inaktiven Stellung ist.

Figur 4

zeigt ein Ablaufdiagramm eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. It shows

FIG. 1

an inventive ride in a first position,

FIG. 2

the ride according to FIG. 1 in which the vehicle is in a second position, and

FIG. 3

the vehicle according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the image display area is in the inactive position.

FIG. 4

shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a ride 10, which has a vehicle 12 and a first link 14.1 in the form of a fixed screen. The vehicle 12 has a chassis 16 which is self-propelled and oriented on a rail 18. In other words, the landing gear 16 is configured to follow the rail 18 without being guided on the rail 18.

Alternatively, the vehicle 12 may be guided on exactly one rail, wherein the rail receives the driving force and the guiding force and possibly tilting moments.

The vehicle 12 has a hexapod drive 20 on which a turntable 22 is mounted. On the turntable 22 a passenger seat 24 is attached, can take in the passengers place.

FIG. 1 shows that the vehicle 12 also has a picture display surface 26, which could be referred to quite generally as a projection surface. In FIG. 1 the image display area 26 is shown in its active position, in which passengers can look at the image display area 26. FIG. 3 shows the image display area 26 in its inactive position. In the present embodiment, the image display surface 26 is pivotally mounted relative to the passenger seat 24.

In FIG. 1 schematically, a projector 28 is shown, by means of which a film can be projected onto the image display surface 26, which is formed as a curved screen. Of course, it is also possible that the vehicle alternatively or in addition to the image display area 26 has a screen.

FIG. 2 shows the vehicle 12 in a different position, in which the passenger seat 24 is raised. In FIG. 2 the image display area 26 is not shown. The passenger seat 24 has a plurality of seats, of which the seat 30.1 is shown schematically. The seat 30.1 has a backrest 32 which encloses an inclination angle α with the horizontal H, which in the in FIG. 2 shown position is smaller than α = 20 °. A schematically drawn passenger 34 is then virtually on his back.

The hexapod drive 20 has six telescopic drives of 36.1, 36.2,..., 36.6, which are fastened to a platform 40 with respective foot points 38.i (i = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). In the right part of the image, the platform 40 is shown schematically from above. It can be seen that the foot points 38.i in the present case lie on a compensation circle K, which has a center point M.

The passenger seat 24 is tiltably mounted about a passenger receiving rotary axis D ₂₄ . A distance of the passenger receiving rotation axis D ₂₄ from the center M is greater than a radius R of the compensation circle K in the present case. This represents a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows that the turntable 22 has a turntable axis of rotation D ₂₂ , which in the present case by the center M (see FIG. 2 ) of the compensation circle K runs. The turntable axis of rotation D _{22 also} extends perpendicular to a plane through the compensation circle K. The passengers 34 can look at a second backdrop in the form of a fixed screen 14.2.

In FIG. 3 For example, the image display area 26 is shown in its inactive position. It is outside a field of view S of the passengers 34. The field of view denotes the range of β ₁ = 60 ° above the horizontal and β ₂ = 70 ° below the horizontal. This information applies in particular when the passengers are in a normal seating position. If the passenger seat 34 is tilted backwards, this angle is not related to the horizontal, but to a plane that was tilted by the same angle as the passenger seat 34.

The image display area 26 may in the present case in the in FIG. 1 shown tilted active position, wherein the axis of rotation about which the tilting takes place, parallel to the passenger receiving rotary axis D ₂₄ .

The following describes how a method according to the invention for using the ride according to the invention is carried out. First, the vehicle 12 is brought into a position in which the passengers 34 can climb the passenger seat 24, in particular, the passengers 34 can sit in the passenger seat 24. Thereafter, the vehicle 12 travels, for example, to a first gate 14.1, which may be a fixed screen. There, after the vehicle 12 has arrived, a movie is presented that the passengers 34 can view. Towards the end of the film, the image display surface 26 pivots into the field of view of the passengers and the projector 28 projects a film onto this image display surface 26. This film can be designed so that the passengers 34 barely notice the pivoting of the image display surface 26.

Once the image display area 26 is completely in the field of vision of the passengers, the vehicle 12 moves to the next gate 14.2. During this movement, the hexapod drive together with the turntable can simulate motion that is matched to the film being projected onto the image display surface 26. Passengers then have the illusion that they are immersed in the scene shown in the film.

Once the vehicle has arrived in front of the next backdrop, the image display area 26 is folded away. It is in the second backdrop to a fixed screen and it can be shown on this another film. The specified method steps are carried out by a control device 42 controls the involved components of the ride 10, in particular of the vehicle 12, accordingly.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

ride

12

vehicle

14

first backdrop

16

chassis

18

rail

20

Hexapodantrieb

22

turntable

24

passenger reception

26

Image display face

28

projector

30

1 seat

32

backrest

34

passenger

36

telescopic drive

38

nadir

40

platform

D ₂₂

Turntable rotation axis

D ₂₄

Passenger Pick-axis of rotation

H

horizontal

K

balancing circuit

M

Focus

R

radius

S

field of view

α

tilt angle

Claims (8)

1. A ride (10), especially a ghost train,
   with a vehicle (12) that comprises

   (a) a travelling mechanism (16) and

   (b) a rider accommodation (24) for riders (34),

   (c) wherein the vehicle (12) comprises

   - a hexopod drive (20) arranged on the travelling mechanism (16), and

   - a rotary table (22) that is connected to the hexopod drive (20),

   (d) wherein the hexopod drive (20) has six telescopic drives (36), each of which is fixed at a respective base point (38) to a platform (38) and has a central point, which is the centre point (M) of the index circle (K) through all the base points,
   characterised by the fact that

   (e) the rider accommodation (24) is fixed to a rotary table (22) such that it can be tilted about a rider accommodation rotational axis (D₂₄), and

   (f) a vertical projection of the rider accommodation rotational axis (D₂₄) onto a plane (E) through the index circle (K) is at a distance from the central point that corresponds to at least two thirds of the radius (R) of the index circle (K).
2. The ride (10) according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the travelling mechanism (16) is track-borne, especially rail-borne.
3. The ride (10) according to one of the above claims, characterised by the fact that the vehicle (12) comprises an image reproduction surface (26), in particular a curved image reproduction surface, which can be brought

   - into an active position, in which the image reproduction surface (26) is in a field of vision (S) of riders (34) seated on the rider accommodation (24), and

   - into an inactive position, in which the image reproduction surface (26) is outside the field of vision (S).
4. The ride (10) according to one of the above claims, characterised by the fact that

   - the rider accommodation (24) features a back support (32) and

   - the hexopod drive (20) and the rider accommodation (24) are designed in such a way that the back support (32) can be brought into an inclined position in which an angle of inclination (α) of the back support (32) to the horizontal (H) is smaller than 20°, especially smaller than 15°.
5. The ride (10) according to one of the above claims, characterised by the fact that the vertical projection of the rider accommodation rotational axis (D₂₄) onto a plane (E) through the index circle (K) is at a distance from the central point that is greater than the radius (R) of the index circle (K).
6. The ride (10) according to one of the above claims, characterised by the fact that the vehicle (12) comprises a clearance gauge,

   - the ride (10) comprises backdrops (14.1, 14.2) and

   - all backdrops (14.1, 14.2) are arranged outside of the clearance gauge.
7. The ride (10) according to one of the above claims, characterised by the fact that

   - the vehicle (12) is configured to move along a predetermined trajectory,

   - the ride (10) comprises at least a first backdrop (14) in the form of a fixed screen (26) at a first point along the trajectory, and

   - the ride (10) has a control device (42), which is configured to automatically move the vehicle (12) along the trajectory and to automatically project images onto the first fixed screen (26), wherein the projection is synchronised with the movement of the vehicle.
8. The ride (10) according to one of the above claims, characterised by the fact that the trajectory follows at least one rail (18), such that the vehicle (12) can be moved along the trajectory via a movement on the track (18).

Images