Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1
Amusement ride and method of assembly
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an amusement ride and specifically to a
ferris wheel or
observation wheel. The invention further relates to a wheel for an amusement
ride and a method
for assembly and disassembly of an amusement ride.
Background art
Amusement rides, such as ferris wheels and observations wheels are well known
and have
been built all over the world as touristic attractions. For example, EP2055362
Al discloses a ferris
wheel. The ferris wheel has a moving wheel, suspended for rotation about a
shaft between two
masts. The wheel is constructed from a plurality of spokes, which extend
radially from the shaft and
are connected at their ends by two ring segments. The two ring segments
together form an outer
rim of the wheel. Suspended between the two ring segments are a plurality of
gondolas in which
passengers can sit.
Disadvantageous to this ferris wheel is that its components are relatively
heavy.
Consequently, heavy equipment and special transport vehicles may be required
for the assembly
and transport of the amusement ride. Specifically the shaft, also referred to
as a hub or axle of the
wheel, typically needs to be lifted and placed between the two masts using a
crane. This is relatively
expensive and time consuming. Moreover, the support structures and terrain
where the amusement
ride is placed needs to be suitable for carrying the heavy amusement ride.
It would be desirable to provide an amusement ride, which reduces the weight
of the
existing amusement rides and/or enables easier assembly of the amusement ride.
Summary of the invention
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an amusement
ride comprising
a wheel rotatable around a central rotation axis and a wheel support structure
for rotatably
supporting the wheel in a substantially upright position, the wheel
comprising: a peripheral rim
configured to support a plurality of passenger capsules; a first wheel flange
arranged around the
central rotation axis of the wheel; a second wheel flange arranged around the
central rotation axis
of the wheel and spaced from the first wheel flange along the central axis;
and a plurality of spokes
extending radially from the wheel flanges to the peripheral rim. The wheel
support structure
comprises a first mast comprising a first bearing assembly configured to
rotatably support the first
wheel flange; and a second mast comprising a second bearing assembly
configured to rotatably
support the second wheel flange, wherein the first and second bearing
assemblies are directly
connected to the first and second mast respectively.
Here the term "amusement ride" is used to cover any apparatus in the amusement
park
industry that has a rotatable wheel. Specifically, both ferris wheels with
gravity-oriented capsules
as well as observation wheels that use other means to keep the capsules
upright are considered
covered by the term amusement ride.
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The direct connection of the bearing assemblies to the masts enable a wheel
structure
wherein a traditional hub in the wheel is no longer required. This is
advantageous as the overall
construction is much lighter, mainly yielding advantages for transport and
installation of the wheel.
Specifically, a crane is not needed to arrange a hub between the two masts.
Typically, no stationary connection having a structural purpose is provided
between the first
and second masts. It will be understood by the skilled person that this means
that no stationary
connection is required for the functionality or the structural support of the
amusement ride. In
embodiments, a stationary connection may be provided between the first and
second masts for
aesthetic purposes, or for the sake of a false security for having people
believe that the wheel is
sufficiently supported by the wheel support structure.
In an embodiment, each of the bearing assemblies is configured to support an
axial load
acting in a direction along the central rotation axis. Due to the absence of a
stationary connection
between the masts, the bearing assemblies need to support an axial load that
is significantly larger
than in traditional amusement rides. In an embodiment, the bearing assembly
may comprise a
slewing bearing. This type of bearing is particularly suited for supporting
heavy but slow-turning
loads. Alternatively, the bearing assemblies may for example be a sliding
bearing or a type of roller
bearing that can support axial loads.
In an embodiment, the first and second mast each comprise a top portion that
is configured
to receive the respective bearing assembly, wherein the top portion is
configured to absorb the axial
forces along the direction of the central rotation axis C. The forces that the
mast needs to absorb
are significantly larger than in an amusement ride with a wheel that rotates
around a central hub.
Specifically, more forces need to be absorbed along the axial direction. To
compensate for the
larger forces, the mast has a top portion that is reinforced and configured to
absorb the axial load
from the bearing assembly.
In an embodiment, the wheel further comprises a plurality of connective
elements extending
from the first wheel flange to the second wheel flange, wherein the plurality
of connective elements
is configured to space the first and second wheel flanges from each other. The
connective elements
provide stability to the wheel, which in a conventional wheel would be
provided by a traditional hub.
The connective elements are easy to handle and significantly less heavy than a
traditional hub.
In an embodiment, the plurality of connective elements is arranged at a radial
distance
between 80 cm and 300 cm from the central rotation axis C of the wheel. The
positioning of the
connective elements is to a large extent dependent on the dimensions of the
bearing assembly in
the support structure that supports the wheel. Providing the connective
elements relatively close to
the center of the wheel enables an efficient transfer of forces through the
wheel and improves the
stability of the wheel.
In an embodiment, the connective elements are pins. The pins are preferably
made of
metal, such as iron or steel. Alternatively, beams or any other type of
construction element that can
sustain the forces developed in the wheel may be used. In addition, although a
pin is typically
straight, other connective elements may also comprise a knick-point or brace.
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In an embodiment, the connective elements extend from the first wheel flange
to the second
wheel flange in a direction parallel to the central rotation axis C. Due to
the connective elements
extending in parallel to each other they do not cross each other. This enables
an easy installation.
Nevertheless, it will be understood that alternative configurations are also
possible. For example,
the connective elements may also be arranged to extend in a transverse
direction between the
wheel flanges.
In an embodiment, each of the plurality of connective elements weights less
than 50 kg,
preferably less than 25 kg. The light-weight enables installation of the
amusement ride without the
use of additional lifting equipment. Further advantageous is that the total
weight is divided over the
plurality of connective elements. This eases installation.
In an embodiment, the peripheral rim comprises two rings interconnected
through a plurality
of rim connective elements. Alternatively, the rim may be made of a dense
material. Specifically for
observation wheels this is more customary, whereas the more open structure is
preferable for
traditional ferris wheels. The open structure reduces the weight and is more
aerodynamic as it
reduces wind resistance.
In an embodiment, each spoke comprises a first portion extending from the
first wheel
flange to the peripheral rim and a second portion extending from the second
wheel flange to the
peripheral rim, and wherein the first and second portion are connected to each
other through a
plurality of braces. This type of spoke provides good stability to the wheel.
It will be understood
however that also spoke patterns without braces are possible, wherein the
spokes cross over and
are alternatingly connected to the first and second wheel flange.
In a further embodiment, the braces extend diagonally with respect to the
first and second
portion. Here the term "diagonally" means that the braces connect the first
and second portion along
a trajectory that is not the shortest possible trajectory. Preferably, the
braces are arranged to form
a cross. Nevertheless, it will be understood that many variations to construct
the wheel are possible.
For example, in an alternative embodiment the first and second portion may be
connected through
a plurality of beams extending in a direction parallel to the central axis and
diagonal braces may be
arranged to connect to one of the portions and the beam.
In a further embodiment, the wheel further comprises an annular support
structure,
connecting the spokes to each other, the annular support structure connecting
to each spoke at a
distance between 40 to 60% of the length of each spoke along its radial
direction. The annular
support structure provides lateral stability to the wheel. The wheel may
comprise one or more
annular support structures.
In an embodiment, a plurality of diagonal struts are connected to the annular
support
structure, preferably wherein each spoke comprises two diagonal struts. The
diagonal struts provide
a structure for connecting the passenger capsules. In an embodiment, each
diagonal strut is
configured to carry a passenger capsule.
In an embodiment, the peripheral rim inscribes a circle having a diameter of
at least 20 m,
or at least 50 m. The hubless wheel structure is suited for any size of ferris
wheel. Nevertheless, it
will be understood that for larger wheels the weight related advantages are
larger.
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In an embodiment, the connective elements are made of iron. Preferably, also
the spokes
are made of iron. Alternatively, the spokes and connective elements may be
made of any other
suitable type of structural materiall like a reinforced plastic or a metal,
for instance steel.
In an embodiment, the amusement ride is transportable. Although the invention
has
advantages also for permanent ferris wheels and observation wheels, the wheel
without central hub
is particularly suited for transportable wheels. The omission of a hub in the
amusement ride allows
for the quick assembly and disassembly of the ferris wheel without using heavy
lifting equipment.
In addition, its lower weight also eases transportation.
According to a second aspect of the invention and in accordance with the
advantages
described herein above, there is provided a wheel for an amusement ride.
According to a further aspect of the invention and in accordance with the
advantages
described herein above, there is provided a method for assembling an amusement
ride, the method
comprising: providing a wheel support structure comprising a first mast having
a first bearing
assembly and a second mast having a second bearing assembly; installing a
wheel in the wheel
support structure by connecting a first wheel flange of the wheel to the first
bearing assembly and
a second wheel flange of the wheel to the second bearing assembly; and
connecting a plurality of
connective members to the wheel flanges to extend between the first and second
wheel flanges.
Specific for the method for assembling the amusement ride is that no machine
lifting equipment
such as a crane is required to install the wheel.
In an embodiment, the step of installing the wheel further comprises
connecting a plurality
of spokes to the wheel flanges; and unfolding the spokes and providing a
plurality of rim connective
elements to form a wheel, the wheel configured to rotate around a central
rotation axis.
Short description of drawings
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to
the
accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols
indicate
corresponding parts. In the drawings, like numerals designate like elements.
Multiple instances of
an element may each include separate letters appended to the reference number.
For example,
two instances of a particular element "20" may be labeled as "20a" and "20b".
The reference number
may be used without an appended letter (e.g. "20") to generally refer to an
unspecified instance or
to all instances of that element, while the reference number will include an
appended letter (e.g.
"20a") to refer to a specific instance of the element.
The present invention will be discussed in more detail below, with reference
to the attached
drawings, in which
Fig. 1A schematically shows a front view of a first embodiment of an amusement
ride
according to the invention.
Fig. 1B shows a side view of the amusement ride in Fig. 1A.
Fig. 1C shows a detail of the connection of the wheel to the mast in the
amusement ride of
Fig. 1A.
Fig. 2A shows a perspective view of a wheel for an amusement ride.
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Fig. 2B shows a detail of the centre of the wheel in Fig. 2A.
Description of embodiments
The following is a description of certain embodiments of the invention, given
by way of
5 example only and with reference to the figures.
Figure 1A schematically shows a front view of a first embodiment of an
amusement ride I.
The amusement ride 1 has a wheel 2, a wheel support structure 3, a base 4, a
drive mechanism 5,
a passenger platform 6, and passenger capsules 7. The wheel 2 is rotatable
around the central axis
C. The wheel support structure 3 holds the wheel 2 in a substantially upright
position while enabling
its rotation around the central axis C. The wheel support structure 3 is
mounted on the base 4 and
driven by the drive mechanism 5 that is arranged near the base 4. The drive
mechanism drives
rotation of the wheel 2 and can be operated to start and stop to allow
passengers on the platform 6
to access the passenger capsules 7 and take a ride.
The wheel 2 has a plurality of spokes 8 and a peripheral rim 10. The spokes 8
extend
radially outward from the central axis C toward the peripheral rim 10 to
provide the wheel 2 with
stability. The rim 10 supports the capsules 7. The rim 10 is approximately
circular and is formed by
a regular polygon having 45 edges. The height of the wheel (i.e., the diameter
of the wheel inscribed
by the polygon) is approximately 70 meters. The wheel 2 is therefore
particularly suited for use on
fairs and in theme parks.
Figure 1B schematically shows a side view of the amusement ride 1 in Fig 1A.
For the sake
of clarity, the capsules 7 have been omitted. The rim 10 has two identical
rings 11a, lib and a
plurality of rim connective elements 12 that connect the two rings 11. Each of
the rings lla and llb
define a wheel face 9a and 9b. The spokes 8 provide a large number of
connections between the
two wheel faces 9 to provide stability to the wheel 2.
The wheel support structure 3 comprises two masts 31a, 31b arranged adjacent
to the
wheel faces 9a, 9b. The masts 31 extend between the base 4 and the rotation
axis C. Specific
according to the invention is that the masts 31 are not connected through a
hub, shaft, axle, or other
type of structure that directly connects the first mast 31a to the second mast
31b. Instead the wheel
2 is configured to take up all forces developed when the wheel 2 is rotated.
Figure 1C shows a detail of the connection of the wheel 2 to the two masts
31a, 31b. Each
mast 31 has a body 33, top portion 34, and a bearing assembly 32. The bearing
assembly 32
comprises a slewing bearing. A slewing bearing can typically support a heavy,
yet slowly-oscillating
load and is therefore particularly suited for the application in the amusement
ride. Due the lack of a
central hub in the wheel, the axial loads are typically significantly larger
than in traditional wheels
with a hub and therefore this different type of bearing is applied.
Each bearing assembly 32 is in direct contact with a connection surface of the
top portion
34 of the respective masts 31. The top portions 34 comprises a cone shape,
extending from the
mast body 32. The cone shape provides additional strength to absorb the axial
loads and torque
from the wheel 2.
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Each wheel face 9a, 9b is provided with a circular flange 21a, 21b. The
bearing assembly
32 is configured to receive the circular flange 21. The spokes 8 are placed
under tension and extend
radially outward from the circular flange 21 towards the peripheral rim 10.
Between the spokes 8 in
the first wheel face 9a and in the second wheel face 9b, a plurality of
connective elements 24
extend. The connective elements 24 are cylindrical pins that extend
substantially parallel to the
central rotation axis C and can take up pressure forces developed in the wheel
2. The structure of
the wheel 2 near its center will be discussed in more detail in relation to
Figure 2B below.
The connective elements 24 can be made of steel. It will be clear that any
other suitable
constructing material is conceivable to make the connective elements 24. Each
connective element
is approximately 225 cm long and has a diameter of 6 cm. In this specific
embodiment, one
connective element 24 is provided for each spoke 8. Alternatively, fewer or
more connective
elements 24 may be used. In addition, the connective elements 24 not
necessarily need to be
straight nor need to be parallel to the central axis. The connective elements
24 are in this
embodiment connected to the spokes 8, but may alternatively directly be
connected to the flange
21.
Advantageous to this construction with connective elements 24 is the
relatively light weight
of the ferris wheel. The total construction of the ferris wheel is
approximately 350 T kg. The fifteen
connective elements 24 together weigh only 250 kg. For comparison, in a
conventional amusement
ride, a hub arranged in the central axis of the wheel have would have weighted
approximately 15000
kilograms. Consequently heavy equipment is typically required to arrange the
hub in position at the
center of the ferris wheel. Moreover, the hub is a single heavy component,
whereas the weight in
the hubless amusement ride according to the invention is distributed over the
plurality of connective
elements 24.
Figure 2A shows a perspective view of the wheel 2. Each spoke 8 has two
portions 13a,
13b extending from the center of the wheel to the peripheral rim 10. The
portions 13 are connected
to each other through a plurality of diagonal braces 14. The braces 14 provide
lateral stability to the
wheel 2. In addition, three annular support structures 15, 16, 17 are arranged
in the wheel. Each
annular support structure connects subsequent spokes 8 to each other. In this
specific embodiment,
the annular support structures are provided in the wheel faces. Nevertheless,
it will be understood
that alternatively also beams can be considered extend from one wheel face to
another that cross
each other.
Figure 2B shows a detail of the wheel 2 around the central axis C. As
explained above,
there is no axle connecting the first wheel face 9a with the second wheel face
9b. Instead the circular
flanges 21 can be connected to the masts 31 through the bearing assembly 32 as
discussed in
relation to Fig. 1A above.
The circular flange 21 has an annular body 22 protruding outward form the
wheel faces 9 and
configured to be received in the bearing assembly 32. The annular body can
thereby transfer the
axial loads from the wheel to the bearing assembly 32. The circular flange 21
further comprises an
attachment ring 23 extending from an outer circumference of the annular body
22. The connective
elements 24 extend between the attachment rings 23 of the first and second
wheel flanges 21. In
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this specific embodiment, the connective elements are not directly connected
to the attachment ring
23, but are instead connected to the spokes 8. Alternatively, the connective
elements 24 may also
be connected to the attachment rings 23 directly.
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