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Amusement ride safety restraint with angle indicatorAmusement ride safety restraint with angle indicator description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060202542, Amusement ride safety restraint with angle indicator. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The present invention is generally directed to amusement park rides, ski lifts, transport systems, and the like, for riders and is more particularly directed to restraints for safely positioning riders. [0002] Amusement and theme parks have become increasingly popular and almost always include ride attractions which typically include coaster type cars, rail cars, automobile type cars, along with water vehicles. [0003] On such amusement rides, a means of passenger restraint is provided to contain a seated, standing, or prone rider. With seated rides, these restraints often take the form of a bar place against the torso or thighs of the rider(s). They may be called "lap bars", "T-bars", and the like. The effectiveness of such restraints is limited by a number of factors, the principal being the ability to place the bar at a position in close enough proximity to the rear and bottom of the passenger seat to prevent the rider from being ejected past the bar restraint by ride induced forces. Injuries may occur on roller coasters because of this situation. [0004] It is common that the functionality of such restraint bars provides the ability to be pulled toward the rider to any relative position, but is restricted from being pushed in the opposite direction until the bar is unlocked by operating personnel. Failure to secure the bar in a position close enough to the rider and the seat may create a situation whereby the rider's body can move past the bar, and thus not be restrained. This is particularly true for riders that are overweight for their height, and for particularly short and/or thin individuals. [0005] Therefore, it is of utmost importance to the safety of the riders that the restraint bars are placed in a position determined to represent the minimum safe operating position. [0006] Prior to the present invention, restraint bars were positioned either by riders or ride attendants. When riders were permitted the option to position the restraint bars, they were placed at any position determined to be comfortable or acceptable to the rider. [0007] When ride attendants positioned the restraint bars, the position was based on some subjective position determined by the ride manufacturer or the owner/operator. It was then incumbent upon the ride attendants to interpret the position considering such directions at "sung", "firmly", or "check the position of the lap bars". [0008] Some attempted remedies to the deficiencies of positioning the restraint bars have been to paint stripes or position indicating marks on the bars or nearby structures, attached latching belts to each bar to assure a connection at some minimum position and using hand held measuring devices. [0009] Conventional inclinometers normally display a large range of inclination, and are inaccurate if inclined on a plane normal to that of the plane being measured. Bubble type inclinometers and rolling ball inclinometers commonly experience a "sticking" due to inertia, and may not immediately indicate movement or indicate a small range of movement. [0010] It is disadvantageous in restraint bar application for an inclinometer to display a range of positions. There is only one limit of acceptable positioning for the restraint bar to be effective and therefore, the inclination device should display only two statements: 1) acceptable position, or 2) unacceptable position. [0011] The use of the present invention permits a very specific and limited position of the restraint bar to be placed without any subjective evaluation by the rider or ride attendant. When the correct position is achieved, the viewing window displays the appropriate color or statement. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012] A safety device with angle indicator for an amusement ride, ski lift, transport system, or the like, having at least one seat for carrying a rider, in accordance with the present invention, generally includes a restraint disposed proximate the rider and movably mounted for enabling the restraint to be disposed between a position allowing ingress and egress by the rider and a restraining position toward the rider. [0013] An angle indicator is fixed to the restraint for displaying an acceptable position of the bar with respect to the rider. [0014] More particularly, the angle indicator in accordance with the present invention generally includes a housing with a viewing window therein and a pendulum rotatably mounted within the housing and having indicia thereon positioned for observation through the viewing window. [0015] Preferably, the pendulum is a weighted cylinder. A shaft is provided for rotatably supporting the weighted cylinder within the tubular housing. [0016] In addition, it is preferable that the indicia include at least two colors disposed on a circumference of the cylinder. Preferably, the colors indicate only two statements, namely an acceptable position of the bar and an unacceptable position of the restraint. [0017] More particularly, the weighted cylinder may include spaced apart internal arcuate members for receiving the shaft along an axis of rotation of the weighted cylinder. Further, arcuate members support a weight at a spaced apart distance from the axis of rotation within the cylinder. This arrangement provides for the weighted cylinder. In addition, a based fixed to the housing may be provided for mounting the housing to the restraint. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] The advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood with the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: [0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safety device in accordance with the present invention generally including an angle indicator affixed thereto, an indicator housing with a observation window therein, along with a base mounting the indicator to a restraint bar; [0020] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the indicator shown in FIG. 1; [0021] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the indicator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating a housing with a pendulum disposed therein with a cylinder having indicia thereon; [0022] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the indicator taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; Continue reading about Amusement ride safety restraint with angle indicator... Full patent description for Amusement ride safety restraint with angle indicator Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Amusement ride safety restraint with angle indicator patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Amusement ride safety restraint with angle indicator or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Modular vehicle seat having water-permeable seating surfaces Next Patent Application: Adjustable belt guide for the upper hold point of a three-point seat belt and vehicle seat with integrated three-point seat belt Industry Class: Chairs and seats ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Amusement ride safety restraint with angle indicator patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.12583 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Daimler Chrysler , DirecTV , Exxonmobil Chemical Company , Goodyear , Intel , Kyocera Wireless , 174 |
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