Passenger restraint for an amusement ride

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937426-B1
Application number	US-201715591914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 10, 2017
Priority date	May 10, 2017
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A ride assembly includes a ride vehicle configured to carry one or more passengers and to move in a direction along a ride path, a first passenger seat of the ride vehicle having a seatback, where the first passenger seat is configured to seat a first passenger of the one or more passengers, and where the seatback is configured to rotate with respect to the ride vehicle from a loading position to an active position, a second passenger seat of the ride vehicle positioned behind the first passenger seat with respect to the direction, where the second passenger seat is configured to seat a second passenger of the one or more passengers, and a passenger restraint coupled to the seatback of the first passenger seat, where the passenger restraint is configured to secure the second passenger in the second passenger seat when the seatback is in the active position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ride assembly, comprising:
a ride vehicle configured to carry one or more passengers and to move in a direction along a ride path;
a first passenger seat of the ride vehicle comprising a seatback, wherein the first passenger seat of the ride vehicle is configured to seat a first passenger of the one or more passengers, and wherein the seatback is configured to rotate with respect to the ride vehicle from a loading position to an active position;
a second passenger seat of the ride vehicle positioned behind the first passenger seat with respect to the direction, wherein the second passenger seat is configured to seat a second passenger of the one or more passengers; and
a passenger restraint coupled to the seatback of the first passenger seat, wherein the passenger restraint is configured to secure the second passenger in the second passenger seat when the seatback is in the active position.

2. The ride assembly of claim 1 , wherein the passenger restraint is positioned proximate to a lap of the second passenger when the seatback is in the active position.

3. The ride assembly of claim 2 , wherein the passenger restraint comprises an indentation configured to conform to the lap of the second passenger.

4. The ride assembly of claim 1 , wherein the passenger restraint comprises a semi-circular cross section.

5. The ride assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first passenger seat is coupled to a first passenger platform of the ride vehicle and the second passenger seat is coupled to a second passenger platform of the ride vehicle, wherein the first and second passenger platforms are configured to rotate with respect to a base of the ride vehicle from the loading position to the active position.

6. The ride assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first passenger platform, or the second passenger platform, or both are coupled to the base of the ride vehicle via a hinged connection.

7. The ride assembly of claim 6 , comprising an actuator configured to direct rotation of the first passenger platform, the second passenger platform, or both, about the hinged connection.

8. The ride assembly of claim 7 , comprising a controller configured to instruct the actuator to direct rotation of the first passenger platform, the second passenger platform, or both.

9. The ride assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first passenger seat is coupled to the first passenger platform via a first support, wherein the second passenger seat is coupled to the second passenger platform via a second support.

10. The ride assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first support, or the second support, or both include telescoping members configured to increase a length of the first support, or the second support, or both when the seatback moves from the loading position to the active position.

11. A ride assembly, comprising:
a ride vehicle configured to carry a plurality of passengers and to move in a direction along a ride path;
a plurality of passenger seats of the ride vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of passenger seats is configured to seat a corresponding passenger of the plurality of passengers;
a plurality of seatbacks of the plurality of passenger seats, wherein each seatback of the plurality of seatbacks is configured to rotate with respect to the ride vehicle from a loading position to an active position; and
a passenger restraint coupled to a first seatback of the plurality of seatbacks of a first passenger seat of the plurality of passenger seats, wherein the passenger restraint is configured to secure a passenger of the plurality of passengers in a second passenger seat of the plurality of passenger seats when the seatback is in the active position, wherein the second passenger seat is positioned behind the first passenger seat with respect to the direction.

12. The ride assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of passenger seats of the ride vehicle are arranged in a tiered configuration such that the plurality of passenger seats are offset with respect to one another along a lateral axis, crosswise to the direction.

13. The ride assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of passenger seats are offset with respect to one another, such that a distance between a base of the first passenger seat and the second passenger seat is between 7 inches and 10 inches.

14. The ride assembly of claim 11 , wherein each passenger seat of the plurality of passenger seats comprises a seat portion and a support, wherein the support is coupled to the ride vehicle.

15. The ride assembly of claim 14 , wherein the seat portion and the support are configured to remain substantially stationary with respect to the ride vehicle when the plurality of seatbacks rotate from the loading position to the active position.

16. The ride assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of passenger seats are configured to move to a reclined position when the plurality of seatbacks is in the active position, and wherein the plurality of passenger seats comprise an inflatable bladder.

17. A ride assembly, comprising:
a ride vehicle configured to carry one or more passengers and to move in a direction along a ride path;
a base of the ride vehicle;
a first passenger platform of the ride vehicle;
a second passenger platform of the ride vehicle positioned behind the first passenger platform with respect to the direction, wherein the first and second passenger platforms are configured to rotate with respect to the base from a loading position to an active position;
a first passenger seat of the ride vehicle coupled to the first passenger platform;
a second passenger seat of the ride vehicle coupled to the second passenger platform; and
a passenger restraint coupled to a seatback of the first passenger seat, wherein the passenger restraint is configured to secure a passenger of the one or more passengers in the second passenger seat when the first and second passenger platforms are in the active position.

18. The ride assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first passenger platform, or the second passenger platform, or both are coupled to the base via a hinged connection.

19. The ride assembly of claim 18 , comprising an actuator configured to direct rotation of the first passenger platform, the second passenger platform, or both, about the hinged connection, and wherein the second passenger seat is coupled to the second passenger platform via a support having a telescoping portion to substantially maintain a posture of the passenger of the one or more passengers in the second passenger seat.

20. The ride assembly of claim 19 , wherein the first passenger seat, the second passenger seat, or both are configured to be in a reclined position when the first and second passenger platforms are in the active position, and wherein the first passenger seat, the second passenger seat, or both comprise an inflatable bladder.

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Masterson Tom
• Blum Steven C
• Oliver Christopher
• Vance Eric A
• Freedman Daniel
• Van Winkle Ted W

Classifications

• A63G7/00 Primary

  Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks · CPC title

• B60R21/02

  Occupant safety arrangements or fittings {, e.g. crash pads (seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839)} · CPC title

• A63G31/12 Primary

  with inflatable and movable substructures · CPC title

• A63G4/00

  Accessories for roundabouts not restricted to one of groups A63G1/00 or A63G3/00 · CPC title