WO2001008771A1

WO2001008771A1 - Bumper car amusement facility

Info

Publication number: WO2001008771A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/007259
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wieland Schwarzkopf; Vittorio Frison
Original assignee: Wieland Schwarzkopf Gmbh; S B F Srl; Wieland Schwarzkopf; Vittorio Frison
Priority date: 1999-07-30
Filing date: 2000-07-28
Publication date: 2001-02-08
Also published as: EP1200162A1; ATE248629T1; DE29913052U1; ES2206293T3; DE50003564D1; EP1200162B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a bumper car amusement facility. The inventive bumper car amusement facility differs from conventional installations that comprise a rectangular driving course by providing a continuous driving course (2) composed of a multitude of straight and curved partial pieces (4, 5). Said partial pieces are each comprised of a base frame (7) provided with supporting feet (12), of a metal driving course surface (11) situated on top of said base frame, and of two lateral rails which form the ties (3). The power supply to the vehicles (25) is provided by sheet metal strips (18) of the driving course which are positively and negatively charged in a reciprocal manner and which are isolated from one another. The three-wheeled vehicles (25) are provided with current collectors (28) which drag along the driving course.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Amusement facility like a bumper car

The invention relates to an amusement device in the manner of a bumper car with a metallic roadway surrounded by a gang and with three-wheel vehicles, of which a front steering wheel with an electric motor forms a drive unit which can be rotated through 360 °.

In conventional bumper cars, rectangular sections are assembled lengthways and crossways to form a large rectangular road surface. The gang is formed by an independent border around the pavement slab. The vehicles are equipped with upright pantographs that hold the electricity via a metallic network that is spanned at a suitable distance above the carriageway slab. The attraction of such conventional bumper cars is that the passengers can steer the steerable vehicles in such a way that both collisions and evasive maneuvers are possible.

The invention has for its object to develop an amusement device in the manner of a bumper car that enables a significant increase in the stimulus to experience that instead of the hectic driving style of conventional bumper cars, a fluid drive is possible, which also allows racing, car collages or overtaking maneuvers.

The solution to this problem according to the invention is that a large number of straight and curved sections are assembled to form an endless carriageway, the individual section consisting of a footed section

Base frame, a metal pavement that can be attached to it and two that form the gang, with the Base frame connectable and raised above the road surface spars.

Depending on the size of the available floor space, there are many endless shapes

Compile lane sections that are wide enough for vehicles to overtake or block each other. On the other hand, the length of the individual sections is dimensioned such that rapid assembly, disassembly and easy transportation of the amusement facility are possible.

In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the current supply to the electric motors of the vehicles takes place through the metallic road surface and current collectors located on the vehicle and sliding along the road.

Here, it has proven to be advantageous if the metallic road surface consists of a plurality of sheet metal strips, alternately positively and negatively charged, which extend side by side and along the direction of travel, between which insulating strips are arranged flush with the road level. The distance between the pantographs is chosen so large that there is always contact between at least two pantographs with a positively and negatively charged sheet metal strip. In this way it is possible to safely transport the vehicles equipped with DC motors if it is ensured that the metal brushes are arranged in such a way that they always touch metal strips with positive and negative charges at the same time. At least two pantographs must therefore be arranged on the individual vehicle at such a distance that they can never touch just one metal strip. The vehicle preferably has four pantographs, two of which have a lateral distance to each other, which is greater than the width of a single metallic road surface. The two other pantographs can lie one behind the other in the vehicle's longitudinal axis.

There are numerous in the subclaims

Exemplary embodiments and variants are shown which do not limit the scope of the invention but rather provide suggestions for further ideas according to the invention.

For example, it is provided that the sheet metal and insulating strips are attached to wooden plates and the plates are connected to the base frame. The wooden plates advantageously extend in the direction of travel and are connected to one another along their lateral edges by means of tongue and groove. The connection of the wooden plates to the base frame should be done in such a way that a metallic connection of differently polarized metal strips to one another and to the base frame is avoided.

According to the invention there are welded studs on the underside of the individual sheet metal strip which penetrate the wooden plate and are screwed to the underside of the plate. It proves to be expedient to carry out the power supply to each sheet metal strip from below via one of these stud bolts.

On their surface, the wooden panels have step-like recessed contact surfaces for the insulating strips, starting from the side edges. It is important to ensure that, depending on the thickness of the insulating strips and the depth of the step-like recess, the surfaces of the

Sheet metal strip and the insulating strip is guaranteed. To ensure the flow of electricity along the route, the metal strips of the adjacent sections can be connected to the direct current source via electrical plug connections. This prevents the constructionally induced gaps between the metal strips arranged one behind the other from interrupting the power supply.

However, it is also expedient to connect each sheet metal strip by cables transverse to the direction of travel to supply lines which extend along the carriageway.

In the context of an exemplary embodiment, the base frame consists of longitudinal beams which extend along the edges of the roadway and of crossbars which can primarily be detachably suspended thereon. This does not exclude that a base frame can be formed by welding the side members and cross members. If the system is to be portable, it may be preferable to attach the crossbeams because of the savings in packaging space.

The longitudinal members are preferably provided at their front ends with screw connections for connecting adjacent base frames. In addition, it proves to be expedient if the longitudinal members are provided at their front ends with support feet which carry the bars as a band at a distance above the driving surface.

In the further subclaims 12 to 14, advantageous dimensions for the formation of the individual base frames are specified, which are also illustrated in the drawing. - o -

In contrast to the conventional bumper cars, an essential advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is that the vehicles can be driven at different speeds. For this purpose, one or more transformers with several step-by-step output voltages, for example 30 V, 40 V and 50 V, and a DC electric motor on the vehicle, the winding of which is designed to absorb all voltages, are used.

With this basic requirement, different variants for generating different speeds of the vehicles can be achieved. For example, one generally sets different basic speeds from a control panel in order to adapt to the age of the passengers for safety reasons.

It is also possible to supply sections with different voltages, for example to form racetracks, delay tracks or even de-energized routes. Additional transformers for lower or higher voltages can also be used for this.

Finally, the invention also offers the possibility of supplying the sheet metal strips located next to one another with different voltages, as a result of which an overtaking process, especially in the area of race tracks, is made possible.

The attraction for the passengers is increased by the fact that they have to find out during the journey which lane or which part of the road provides the greatest driving pleasure. It is essential, however, that the tracks or sections supplied with different voltages are insulated from the adjacent sections by insulating strips which extend transversely in the area of the joints of the sections.

These and other features emerge from the drawing. In it, the invention is shown schematically and for example. Show it:

Figure 1: a plan view of a

Amusement facility like a bumper car with an endless lane,

Figure 2 shows a cross section through a straight line

Part of the carriageway along the line II-II in Figure 1,

FIG. 3: a plan view of a base frame forming a part according to FIGS. 1 and 2,

Figure 4: a horizontal section through the connection of two adjacent

Base frame along the line IV-IV in FIG. 2,

FIG. 5: a top view of a base frame made of mutually insulated, differently electrically charged sheet metal strips,

Figure 6: a partial cross section through the

Base frame according to FIG. 5, Figure 7: a reduced plan view of a

Base frame with differently loaded and isolated sheet metal strips,

Figure 8: an enlarged cross section through two sheet metal strips and isolated from each other

Figure 9 is a schematic side view of a

Vehicle with pantographs.

The amusement device according to FIG. 1 consists of an endless track slab (2) which is composed of a plurality of straight sections (4) and curved sections (5) which can be connected one behind the other. Each section (4, 5) has bands (3) aligned along the carriageway. The sections (4, 5) are assembled in the usual way by end connections, which form an overall plane

Enable road surface (11) (see FIG. 2).

The straight sections (4) preferably have a rectangular base, the length (a) of which can be approximately 250 cm and the width (b) of which can be approximately 350 cm.

Of course, these dimensions are only examples and can be varied as desired.

The curved sections (5) have the base of a segment of a circle, it being preferred that the center of the circle (6) of the individual segment is outside the

Driving surface (11) is located. The apex angle (α) of this curved section is preferably 45 °. This makes it possible to create curves with acute and obtuse angles, quite apart from the fact that the normal curve runs over 90 °. With such curves, curved sections (5) with an apex angle of 90 ° can also be used - o -

become.

Depending on how the straight and curved sections (4, 5) are arranged in relation to one another, it may be advisable to use spacers (13) of different lengths in order to form curves of more than 90 ° and to create a length compensation with other curve sections.

In Figures 2 and 3 it is shown that the single straight section (4) is composed of a base frame (7), which is composed of side members (8,9) and cross members (10). At a distance above the outer side members (8), spars are attached by suitable support devices to form the band (3). These spars (3) extend at a distance above the driving surface (11).

In the case of transportable systems, the crossbeams (10) can be attached to the outer longitudinal member (8) by means of stretch connections (16) and can thus be assembled or disassembled in any way. In the case of stationary systems, on the other hand, it is advisable to weld the side members (8) to the crossbeams (10) because there is no problem with the smallest possible packaging space.

At the lower end of the outer side members (8), support feet (12) are attached in places, which rest on the ground or a prepared base. These support feet (12) can be supported by wooden panels or similar spacer elements in order to bring the entire roadway panel (2) into the desired plane.

It has proven to be expedient to provide screw connections (17) at the ends of the outer longitudinal members (8) for connecting adjacent sections (4, 5). In O 01/08771 _ _Q y _ PCT / EP00 / 07259

Figure 4 is shown symbolically how such screw connections (17) can be formed by abutting U-shaped support feet (12), which are welded to the side members (8) and at the upper end carry the spars to form the band (3) or are welded to them.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show how the driving surface (11) of an individual section (4, 5) is designed if it is to be assumed that the power supply to the vehicles can take place through the driving surface plate (2).

The examples in FIGS. 5 and 7 initially show that electrically conductive sheet metal strips (18) and insulating strips (19) located between them alternate with one another. As shown in FIG. 7, the metal strips (18) are poled differently. The one sheet metal strip has a positive charge, the adjacent one a negative charge, etc. The vehicle (25) (see FIG. 9) located on the carriageway plate (2) has current collectors (28) on its underside, which are connected via resilient, isolated rocker arms ( 29) are set against the driving surface (11). The distance between these current collectors (28) should be selected so that in every possible driving position of the vehicle (25) at least one current collector (28) the positively charged sheet metal strip (18) and the other current collector (28) the other negatively charged sheet metal strip (18) touched. In this way it is achieved that the drive of the vehicle (25) is always and always with electricity in every driving position

DC, is supplied. FIG. 9 shows symbolically that a front wheel (26) is connected to a front wheel drive unit (26) which can be rotated through 360 °, as in conventional scooter vehicles. As a result, the vehicle (25) is enabled to carry out forward travel and circular travel on the spot. It has proven to be expedient to arrange four pantographs (28) on the vehicle (25). The two front are at a lateral distance from one another which is greater than the width of the individual sheet metal strip (18). The two other pantographs (18) are arranged one behind the other, for example, in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, so that a proper power supply is ensured even when the vehicle is at a right angle.

Steel blocks, metal brushes or the like can be used as current collectors (28). They are pressed resiliently against the carriageway slab (2). ie the enlargement in Figure 8, the sheet metal and insulating strips (18, 19) are attached to wooden plates (20) which extend as bars along the route. The wooden plates (20) are guided together at their lateral edges by tongue and groove connections (21). The sheet metal strips (18) are fastened directly to the surface of the wooden plate (20). For this purpose, stud bolts (22) are welded to the underside of the sheet metal strips (18), which penetrate the wooden plate (20) and have a screw connection (23) on their underside for mutual bracing. This ensures that the sheet metal strips (18) are insulated from the wooden plate (20).

In order to isolate the adjacent sheet metal strips (18) from one another, insulating strips (19) are provided which, according to the example in FIG. 8, are seated in step-like recessed support surfaces (24), the depth of which is selected so that the surface of the insulating strips (19) matches the The surface of the metal strips (18) lie flush with each other. The wooden plates (20), which carry the metal sheet strips (18), are in turn connected to the crossbars (10) by screw connections (30) at locations where no electrical line can arise.

In the area of the stud bolts (22), the power connection (34) to the individual sheet metal strips (18) can be made from below. This is done, for example, by cables (35), which are routed below the sections (4, 5) to the outside up to a collecting cable laid to the side of the carriageway slab (2) and connected there.

In the invention, DC motors are preferably used to drive the vehicles (25). In order to allow these vehicles to reach different speeds, there are several possibilities within the meaning of the invention.

First of all, it is assumed that a step-by-step transformer is used

Apply output voltages to the carriageway slabs (2). This presupposes that the DC drive motor of the individual vehicle (25) contains such a winding that withstands all adjustable voltage levels.

In the simplest case, certain voltages can be set continuously from a control panel in order to adapt the basic speed of the vehicles (25) to the age of the passengers.

You can also switch different speeds of the vehicles while driving by changing the voltage.

In the example in FIG. 1, different routes (31 to 33) of different speeds are shown for explanation. For example, one is arbitrary fixable racetrack (31) a higher speed than a delay track (32), especially in bends, in order to avoid damage due to excessive speed. In the area of the train station (15) there is even a current-free or current-free route (33) in the sense of an alternative lane in order to bring vehicles (25) to a stop, while other vehicles (25) can continue on the adjacent lane unhindered.

A further increase in the stimulus to experience can be achieved if lanes lying next to each other are provided with different tensions, because this enables overtaking maneuvers along the route.

It has proven to be useful to combine groups of lines of the same voltage and to connect them with transformers or special additional transformers.

In the border area between groups of different voltages, insulation of adjacent sheet metal strips (18) in the direction of travel is required. For this purpose, it is advisable to arrange transverse insulating strips in the joint area of the sections (4, 5), which have no influence on the driving behavior of the vehicles (25) because of their momentum.

The exemplary embodiments of the invention are only to be understood schematically. They do not rule out that, with knowledge of the disclosure according to the invention, other variants of the embodiments can be developed which extend within the scope of protection of the invention. PARTS LIST

1 amusement facility

2 slab

3 gang

4 straight sections

5 curved section

6 circle center

7 base frame

8 external side members

9 medium side members

10 crossbar

11 driving surface

12 piece feet

13 intermediate piece

14 circular segment arcs

15 Station α apex angle a length of the straight section b width of the straight section

vertex angle

R Radius of the segmental arc

16 plug connection

17 screw connection

18 metal strips

19 insulating strips

20 wooden plate

21 Tongue and groove connection

22 studs

23 screw connection

24 contact surface

25 vehicle

26 front wheel drive unit

27 rear wheels

28 pantographs -

resilient rocker arm

screw

Racetrack

Delay route without current

Connection

electric wire

Claims

1.) Amusement facility (1) in the manner of a

Bumper cars with a metallic roadway surrounded by a gang (3) and with three-wheelers

Vehicles (25), of which a front steering wheel with an electric motor forms a drive unit (26) which can be rotated through 360 °, characterized in that a plurality of straight and curved sections (4, 5) are combined to form an endless roadway (2), wherein the individual section (4, 5) consists of a base frame (7) provided with support feet (12), a metal road surface (11) which can be fastened thereon and two which form the band (3), with the

Base frame (7) connectable and raised above the road surface (11) spars.

2.) Amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the power supply to the electric motors of the vehicles (25) through the metallic road surface (2, 18) and on the vehicle (25) located along the road (2) pantographs (28) he follows.

3.) Amusement device according to claim 2, characterized in that the metallic road surface (2) consists of a plurality of side by side and along the direction of travel, alternately positively and negatively charged sheet metal strips (18), between which insulating strips (19) are arranged flush to the road surface are, the distance between the pantographs is chosen so large that there is always contact with a positively and negatively charged sheet metal strip.

4.) Amusement device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the sheet metal (18) and insulating strips (19) on wooden plates (20) attached and the plates (20) are connected to the base frame (7).

5.) Amusement device according to claim 4, characterized in that the wooden panels (20) extend in the direction of travel and are connected to one another along their lateral edges by means of tongue and groove (21).

6.) Amusement device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that on the underside of the individual sheet metal strip (18) there are welded stud bolts (22) which penetrate the wooden plate (20) and are screwed to the underside of the plate (20)

(23), the power supply to each sheet metal strip (18) via one of these stud bolts (22) from below.

7.) Amusement device according to claim 4 or the following, characterized in that the wooden plates (20) have on their surface, starting from the lateral edges, step-like recessed support surfaces (24) for the insulating strips (19).

8.) Amusement device according to claim 3 or one of the following, characterized by the fact that the sheet metal strips (18) of the adjoining

Parts (4,5) via electrical plug connections to the direct current source are connected.

9.) Amusement device according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the base frame

(7) from longitudinal beams (8) extending along the edges of the carriageway and from cross members which can be detachably attached thereto

(10) exists.

10.) Amusement device according to claim 9, characterized in that the longitudinal beams

(8) are provided at their ends with screw connections (17) for connecting adjacent base frames (7).

11.) Amusement device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the longitudinal members (8) are provided with support feet (12) at their ends.

12.) Amusement device according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the straight sections (4) a rectangular base of z. B. 250 cm x 350 cm edge length, the greater edge length extends across the route.

13.) Amusement device according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized in that the curved sections (5) a circular segment base with an apex angle () of z. B. 45 ° or 90 °.

14.) Amusement device according to claim 13, characterized g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the center of the circle (6) is outside the section road surface and the circular segment arc (14) has a radius (R) of z. B.

390 cm.

15.) Amusement device according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized in that for the drive of the vehicles (25) a transformer with a plurality of step-wise switched output voltages, for example of 30 V, 40 V and 50 V, and a DC electric motor are provided on the vehicle are, its winding to accommodate everyone

Voltages is designed.

16.) Amusement device according to claim 1 or one of the following, characterized in that partial areas of the roadway (2) are supplied with different voltages, for example a racetrack

(31) high voltage, a delay line

(32) with low voltage and a currentless route (33) with no voltage.

17.) Amusement device according to claim 16, characterized in that in partial areas of the roadway (2) the side by side arranged metal strips (18) of one or more sections (4,5) are supplied with different voltages, such that overtaking maneuvers can take place.

18.) Amusement device according to claim 16 or 17 characterized in that partial areas of the roadway (2) are assigned their own transformers.

19.) Amusement track according to claim 16 or one of the following, characterized by the fact that the sub-areas of the carriageway supplied with different voltage compared to the adjacent sub-areas by transversely in

Area of the joints of the sections (4,5) extending insulating strips are insulated.