Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates generally to amusement park attractions and, specifically, to a restraint control system for an amusement park attraction.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be noted that these statements are to be read in this light and not as admissions of prior art.

Amusement parks include various features that entertain guests. For example, an amusement park may have rides, shows, and/or effects to provide a desirable experience to different guests. Some of these features may include a ride vehicle in which guests may be situated during operation of the attraction. For instance, the ride vehicle may have seats that the guests occupy, and restraints may be used to contain and secure the guests within the ride vehicle. It is now recognized that there is a need for improved restraints. Document <CIT> discloses a ride vehicle with a ride seat which describes a U-like retaining part provided in the pelvic region of a person. The retaining system comprises a recess having a detent that complements a rack with teeth attached to a bail and having a pivot leer, such that the teeth of the rack may fit into the detent in the recess.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a ride vehicle for an attraction of an amusement park is defined by claim <NUM>.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a restraint system for a ride vehicle of an amusement park is defined by claim <NUM>.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, in which:.

The present disclosure relates to an attraction system having a restraint control system used for selectively blocking rotation of a component of the attraction system. For instance, the attraction system may include a ride vehicle having seats and restraints for each seat. In an embodiment, the restraint is configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the restraint may enable a guest to enter the ride vehicle to occupy the seat and/or to leave the seat to exit the ride vehicle. Accordingly, the restraint may be in the open position at a station or loading platform of the attraction system so as to load guests onto and unload guests from the ride vehicle. In the closed position, such as when the ride vehicle is in motion, the restraint may contain (e.g., fasten) the guests within the ride vehicle. As used herein, the closed position refers to a position of the restraint that effectively secures the guest within the ride vehicle. Since each guest may have a different characteristic, such as a different body size, weight, body shape, and so forth, different restraints that secure different guests may also have dissimilar positions that may be considered closed positions. Indeed, the same restraint may have various suitable closed positions at different times of operation of the attraction system based on the guest to be secured by the restraint at a particular time of operation.

During operation of the attraction system, such as when the ride vehicle is in motion, the restraint may be maintained in the closed position to secure the guests within the ride vehicle. To this end, the restraint may have a locking mechanism. However, it may be difficult to implement a locking mechanism in the ride vehicle. For example, the locking mechanism may include a linkage system that has components, such as one or more gears, one or more shafts, one or more hinges, and so forth, that may effectively block movement of the restraint and lock the restraint in the second position. The linkage system may be designed to have sufficient strength and withstand movement of the ride vehicle so as to provide enough force for blocking movement of the restraint during operation of the attraction system. However, such a design of the locking system may substantially increase a weight of the ride vehicle and/or be difficult to install within a confined space or volume of the ride vehicle.

Thus, it is presently recognized that an improved system that blocks movement of the restraint may facilitate efficient operation and/or manufacture of the attraction system. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a system that may directly block rotation of a restraint. In one embodiment, the restraint may be configured to rotate about a pivot. The restraint may have a gear, and the attraction system may include a cap coupled to an actuator and configured to engage the gear. The actuator is configured to move the cap to engage with the gear to block rotation of the restraint about the pivot, and the actuator is configured to move the cap to disengage with the gear to enable rotation of the restraint about the pivot. By way of example, the gear has a first set of teeth and the cap has a second set of teeth. In an engaged position, the second set of teeth may engage with the first set of teeth to block movement of the first set of teeth relative to the second set of teeth, thereby blocking the gear and the restraint from rotating about the pivot to secure the position of the restraint (e.g., in the closed position). In a disengaged position, the second set of teeth are not engaged with the first set of teeth, and the restraint may rotate about the pivot (e.g., to rotate between the closed position and the open position). Thus, the actuator may enable and block rotation of the restraint.

Engagement between the cap and the gear, as described herein, may sufficiently provide enough force or resistance to block rotation of the gear about the pivot. Furthermore, the actuator may be used to move the cap to engage with or disengage with the gear without the use of a linkage system or other components. As used herein, a linkage system includes components that enable an actuator or other movable feature to indirectly couple to a component configured to engage with the gear. Accordingly, the linkage system may transfer movement of the actuator to cause movement of the component (i.e., movement of the actuator does not cause direct movement of the component) to engage or disengage with the gear. For example, the linkage system may include one or more additional gears, one or more additional actuators, one or more bars or levers, one or more pivots or hinges, and the like, that indirectly couples the actuator to the component. By directly coupling the actuator with the cap without the use of a linkage system, the restraint system may not substantially increase the weight of the ride vehicle and/or may be implemented within a limited space of the ride vehicle. Accordingly, the restraint system may improve the efficiency of operation and/or manufacture of attraction systems.

Turning now to the drawings, <FIG> is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an attraction system <NUM>, which may be a roller coaster, a dark ride, a drop tower, or any other suitable attraction system <NUM>. The attraction system <NUM> may have a ride vehicle <NUM> in which guests may be situated during operation of the attraction system <NUM>. For example, the ride vehicle <NUM> may have one or more ride seats <NUM> that guests may occupy within the ride vehicle <NUM>. In an embodiment, the ride seat <NUM> may further include a restraint system <NUM> having features described herein. The restraint system <NUM> is configured to secure one or more guests within the ride vehicle <NUM>. By way of example, the ride vehicle <NUM> may be configured to move along a ride path or track <NUM> of the attraction system <NUM>, and the guests may be contained within the ride vehicle <NUM> by the restraint system <NUM> during movement of the ride vehicle <NUM>.

The attraction system <NUM> may also include show effects <NUM> that further enhance the experience of the guests. The show effects <NUM> may include lighting, sounds, animated figures, and the like, that provide additional features to entertain the guests. In an embodiment, the attraction system <NUM> may also include a guest path <NUM> that guests may use to navigate within the attraction system <NUM>, such as from an entrance of the attraction system <NUM> to the ride vehicle <NUM> and/or from the ride vehicle <NUM> to an exit of the attraction system <NUM>. As an example, the guest path <NUM> may include a footpath (e.g., a queue line), a staircase, an escalator, an elevator, and so forth. The show effects <NUM> may provide entertainment for the guests as they navigate the guest path <NUM> in the attraction system <NUM> such that the guests may also be entertained while waiting within the attraction system <NUM> (e.g., when not in the ride vehicle <NUM>).

<FIG> is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the attraction system <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the attraction system <NUM> includes multiple ride vehicles <NUM> coupled together (e.g., via a link) and configured to travel along the ride path <NUM>. For instance, the ride path <NUM> may be a track that guides the movement (e.g., direction, speed, and/or orientation) of the ride vehicle <NUM> through the attraction system <NUM>. In an additional or an alternative embodiment, the ride path <NUM> may be an open surface through which the ride vehicle <NUM> may generally travel (e.g., be guided based on a user input).

Each ride vehicle <NUM> also includes one or more ride seats <NUM> that each may hold one or more passengers <NUM>. For example, the illustrated attraction system <NUM> shows five ride vehicles <NUM> that each accommodate two passengers <NUM>, but the attraction system <NUM> may include any suitable number of ride vehicles <NUM>, such as one, two, four, ten, twenty, or any number of ride vehicles <NUM>, and each ride vehicle <NUM> may accommodate any number of passengers <NUM>, such as one passenger <NUM>, three passengers <NUM>, four passengers <NUM>, or five or more passengers <NUM>. Indeed, there may be any suitable number of ride vehicles and/or passengers in each of the ride vehicles <NUM>.

Each ride vehicle <NUM> may include the restraint system <NUM>. The illustrated restraint system <NUM> is configured to be positioned above the lap of each passenger <NUM>. However, an additional or alternative restraint system <NUM> may have any configuration of restraint system <NUM>, such as a restraint system <NUM> configured to be positioned over a shoulder of each passenger <NUM>, across a torso of each passenger <NUM>, and so forth. Furthermore, the illustrated attraction system <NUM> includes a single restraint system <NUM> implemented within each ride vehicle <NUM>. Additionally or alternatively, each ride vehicle <NUM> may have any suitable number of restraint systems <NUM>, such as one for each passenger <NUM> or multiple for each passenger <NUM> (e.g., restraints for each of a passenger's legs, torso, lap and so forth).

Moreover, each restraint system <NUM> may be adjustable, such as to move between a first position and a second position. The first position may enable passengers <NUM> to enter and/or exit the ride vehicle <NUM>. Furthermore, the second position may secure the passengers <NUM> within the ride vehicle <NUM>. As described herein, the restraint system <NUM> may be secured in the second position, such as via a locking system, in order to hold the passengers <NUM> within the ride vehicle <NUM> (e.g., while the ride vehicle <NUM> is moving along the ride path <NUM>).

<FIG> is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the ride vehicle <NUM> having multiple restraint systems <NUM> configured to secure passengers in respective ride seats <NUM>, such as onto seating portions <NUM> on which each passenger is seated. In the illustrated embodiment, the restraint system <NUM> includes a restraint piece <NUM>, which may include tubing and/or bars, in a closed position, in which the restraint piece <NUM> (e.g., an over the shoulder restraint) extends over the shoulders of one of the passengers <NUM> and/or across the torso (e.g., the waist) of the passenger <NUM> to contain the passenger <NUM> within the ride vehicle <NUM>. The restraint system <NUM> also includes a pivot <NUM> and a pivot adapter <NUM> coupling the restraint piece <NUM> to the pivot <NUM>. The pivot adapter <NUM> may be fixably coupled to the restraint piece <NUM>, and the pivot adapter <NUM> may be rotatably coupled to the pivot <NUM>. Thus, the pivot adapter <NUM> may be configured to rotate about the pivot <NUM>, thereby rotating the restraint piece <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. For example, the pivot adapter <NUM> may enable the restraint piece <NUM> to rotate between the closed position and the open position.

The restraint system <NUM> further includes a restraint control assembly <NUM> configured to block movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. Therefore, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may also block movement (e.g., rotational movement) of the restraint piece <NUM> relative to the pivot <NUM> and relative to the ride seat <NUM> (e.g., relative to the seating portions <NUM>). Accordingly, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may secure the restraint piece <NUM> in the closed position and secure the passenger in the ride seat <NUM>. The restraint control assembly <NUM> is also adjustable to enable movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. Thus, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may also enable the restraint piece <NUM> to move between the closed position and the open position. For example, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may be adjustable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may enable movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. As such, the restraint piece <NUM> may be movable to enable the passenger to enter or exit the ride seat <NUM>. In the second configuration, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may block movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. By way of example, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may engage part of the pivot adapter <NUM> to block rotational movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> relative to the pivot <NUM>. Accordingly, the position of the restraint control assembly <NUM> may be substantially fixed about the pivot <NUM> and the ride seat <NUM> (e.g., to secure the passenger in the ride seat <NUM>).

To this end, the ride vehicle <NUM> may include or may be communicatively coupled to a control system <NUM>. The control system <NUM> may have a memory <NUM> and a processor <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), optical drives, hard disc drives, solid-state drives, or any other non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions to operate the ride vehicle <NUM>, such as the restraint control assembly <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general purpose processors, or any combination thereof. In an embodiment, the control system <NUM> may also include a user interface, such as a touch screen, a trackpad, a button, a switch, another suitable component, or any combination thereof, with which a user (e.g., an operator of the ride vehicle <NUM>) may interact, and the control system <NUM> may operate the ride vehicle <NUM> based on the interaction.

The control system <NUM> may operate the restraint control assembly <NUM> to enable or block movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. Thus, the control system <NUM> may also enable or block rotation of the restraint piece <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. For instance, the control system <NUM> may adjust the restraint control assembly <NUM> between the first configuration and the second configuration. In one embodiment, the control system <NUM> may be configured to set the configuration of the restraint control assembly <NUM> based on a time of operation of the ride vehicle <NUM> or of the attraction system that includes the ride vehicle <NUM>. As an example, at certain times of operation (e.g., when the ride vehicle <NUM> is at a station), the control system <NUM> may set the restraint control assembly <NUM> in the first configuration to enable the restraint piece <NUM> to move and enable passengers to enter and/or exit the ride vehicle <NUM>. At other times of operation (e.g., when the ride vehicle <NUM> is in motion), the control system <NUM> may set the restraint control assembly <NUM> in the second configuration to block movement of the restraint piece <NUM> (e.g., in the closed position) to secure the passenger within the ride vehicle <NUM>.

In an additional or an alternative embodiment, the control system <NUM> may set the configuration of the restraint control assembly <NUM> based on a detected operating parameter of the ride vehicle <NUM>. To this end, the control system <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to one or more sensors <NUM>, which may be part of the ride vehicle <NUM>, the ride path, or another part of the attraction system. The sensor(s) <NUM> may be configured to monitor the operating parameter of the ride vehicle <NUM> and to transmit feedback indicative of the operating parameter. In an example, the operating parameter includes a position of the ride vehicle <NUM> along the ride path. For instance, the control system <NUM> may set the restraint control assembly <NUM> in the first configuration when the operating parameter indicates the ride vehicle <NUM> is at the station (e.g., a loading and/or unloading platform). The control system <NUM> may then set the restraint control assembly <NUM> in the second configuration when the operating parameter indicates the ride vehicle <NUM> is moving and/or is not at the station. In other examples, the operating parameter may include a position of each passenger in the ride vehicle <NUM> (e.g., whether the passengers are situated in the ride seats <NUM> and/or on the seating portions <NUM>), an operating mode of the ride vehicle <NUM>, another suitable operating parameter, or any combination thereof.

In a further embodiment, the control system <NUM> may set the configuration of the restraint control assembly <NUM> based on user input. Therefore, in response to a user input indicative that the restraint piece <NUM> is to be movable relative to the pivot <NUM> and to the ride seat <NUM>, the control system <NUM> may set the restraint control assembly <NUM> in the first configuration. However, in response to another user input indicative that the position of the restraint piece <NUM> is to be fixed relative to the pivot <NUM> and to the ride seat <NUM>, the control system <NUM> may set the restraint control assembly <NUM> in the second configuration. Therefore, the control system <NUM> enables the user to select whether the restraint piece <NUM> is movable about the pivot <NUM> or fixed relative to the pivot <NUM>. The user may be a ride operator and/or a passenger. If the user is only a ride operator, access to an input device (e.g., a button or switch) for controlling the restraint control assembly <NUM> may be located in a position that is accessible to the rider operator but not the passenger.

It should be noted that the illustrated restraint control assembly <NUM> is positioned adjacent to the pivot <NUM> and the pivot adapter <NUM> such that the restraint control assembly <NUM> may directly engage with the pivot <NUM> and/or the pivot adapter <NUM> without the implementation of additional components (e.g., a linkage system). To this end, the restraint control assembly <NUM> is positioned behind a head support <NUM> of the ride seat <NUM>, such as onto an upper portion of a support <NUM> that is behind the ride seat <NUM>. However, in an additional or an alternative embodiment, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may be positioned in another suitable location in the ride vehicle <NUM>. In an example, for an embodiment in which the pivot <NUM> is located near the feet of the passengers (e.g., for a lap bar type restraint), the restraint control assembly <NUM> may be positioned in front of the corresponding ride seat <NUM>. Indeed, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may be at any suitable position in the ride vehicle <NUM> to engage with the pivot <NUM> and/or the pivot adapter <NUM> directly.

Furthermore, although the illustrated ride vehicle <NUM> is for a roller coaster type ride in <FIG> and <FIG>, the ride vehicle <NUM> may be for any suitable attraction system. For example, the ride vehicle <NUM> may be for a dark ride, a motion simulator, a scrambler, or any other suitable ride, and the ride vehicle <NUM> may have the restraint piece <NUM> for securing passengers in the ride vehicle <NUM>. The restraint control assembly <NUM> may also be implemented into such embodiments of the ride vehicle <NUM> to set the position of the restraint piece <NUM>.

<FIG> is a partial side perspective view of an embodiment of the restraint system <NUM> that may be implemented into the ride vehicle <NUM>, such as into one of the ride seats <NUM>. The restraint system <NUM> includes the restraint piece <NUM>, the pivot <NUM>, the pivot adapter <NUM>, and the restraint control assembly <NUM>. As illustrated, the pivot <NUM> may be a shaft, pin, or rod, and a portion of the pivot adapter <NUM> may be concentrically coupled to the pivot <NUM> such that the pivot adapter <NUM> may rotate about a rotational axis <NUM> around the pivot <NUM>. For instance, the pivot adapter <NUM> may include a gear <NUM> through which the pivot <NUM> may be inserted, and the gear <NUM> may rotate about the rotational axis <NUM> to enable the pivot adapter <NUM> and the restraint piece <NUM> to rotate about the rotational axis <NUM>.

The restraint control assembly <NUM> may include a cap <NUM> configured to fit over the gear <NUM> in order to block rotation of the gear <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. As an example, the gear <NUM> may have a first set of teeth <NUM>, and the cap <NUM> may be configured to engage the first set of teeth <NUM> to block rotation of the gear <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. However, in the illustrated embodiment, the cap <NUM> is not engaged with the gear <NUM> (e.g., the restraint control assembly <NUM> is in the first configuration) and therefore, the gear <NUM> and the pivot adapter <NUM> may rotate about the pivot <NUM>. In an embodiment, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may also include an actuator <NUM> configured to move the cap <NUM> relative to the gear <NUM>. For example, the actuator <NUM> may be a linear actuator configured to translate (e.g., linearly translate) the cap <NUM> along the rotational axis <NUM> or along another axis that is substantially parallel to the rotational axis <NUM> to move the cap <NUM> relative to the gear <NUM>. In one embodiment, the actuator <NUM> may include a solenoid that is actuated upon receiving an electrical signal, such as from the control system. The actuator <NUM> may move the cap <NUM> based on whether the electrical signal is received. For instance, in an energized state in which the actuator <NUM> is receiving the electrical signal, the actuator <NUM> may move the cap <NUM> toward the gear <NUM> to cover the gear <NUM> (e.g., in the second configuration of the restraint control assembly <NUM>), thereby blocking movement of the gear <NUM> relative to the pivot <NUM>. However, in a de-energized state in which the actuator <NUM> is not receiving the electrical signal, the actuator <NUM> may move the cap <NUM> away from the gear <NUM> such that the cap <NUM> does not cover the gear <NUM> (e.g., in the first configuration of the restraint control assembly <NUM>), thereby enabling movement of the gear <NUM> relative to the pivot <NUM>. Alternatively, in the energized state, the actuator <NUM> may move to disengage the cap <NUM> with the gear <NUM>, and in the de-energized state, the actuator <NUM> may move to engage the cap <NUM> with the gear <NUM>. Moreover, the actuator <NUM> may be any suitable type of actuator (e.g., hydraulic actuator, pneumatic actuator) that may move the cap <NUM> in any suitable manner to engage with or disengage with the gear <NUM> so as to enable or block movement of the gear <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pivot adapter <NUM> includes a single gear <NUM> located at a particular side (e.g., an interior side) of the pivot adapter <NUM>, and the restraint control assembly <NUM> includes a single actuator <NUM> configured to engage and disengage the cap <NUM> with the gear <NUM>. In an additional or an alternative embodiment, the pivot adapter <NUM> may include another gear <NUM> located at another side (e.g., an exterior side) of the pivot adapter <NUM>, and the restraint control assembly <NUM> may be positioned accordingly to engage and disengage the cap <NUM> with the gear <NUM>. In a further embodiment, the pivot adapter <NUM> may include multiple gears <NUM> (e.g., at different sides of the pivot adapter <NUM>), and multiple actuator <NUM> may be implemented to engage and disengage a respective cap <NUM> with each gear <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic section view of an embodiment of the restraint control assembly <NUM> in the first configuration to enable movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the pivot adapter <NUM> includes two gears <NUM> positioned on the support <NUM> at opposite sides of the pivot adapter <NUM>, and the restraint control assembly <NUM> therefore includes two actuators <NUM> that are each configured to move a respective cap <NUM> to engage and disengage with one of the gears <NUM>. Each actuator <NUM> may include one or more extensions <NUM> (e.g., springs) coupled to a respective cap <NUM> and translatable along the rotational axis <NUM> to move the caps <NUM> along the rotational axis <NUM>. For instance, the actuators <NUM> may move the respective extensions <NUM> relative to the gears <NUM>, thereby moving the caps <NUM> relative to the gears <NUM>. As an example, upon receiving a signal from the control system <NUM>, the actuators <NUM> may move the extensions <NUM> toward one of the gears <NUM> to move a corresponding cap <NUM> along the support <NUM> to engage the cap <NUM> with one of the gears <NUM>. When the signal is not received from the control system <NUM>, the extensions <NUM> may move away from the associated gear <NUM>, thereby moving the corresponding cap <NUM> along the support to disengage the cap <NUM> with the associated gear <NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, in order to block movement (e.g., rotational movement) of the cap <NUM> relative to the actuator <NUM> and maintain the position of the gears <NUM>, each actuator <NUM> may include multiple extensions <NUM> (e.g., each positioned about and connected to the cap <NUM> along a circumference or edge of the cap <NUM>) to secure the position of the cap <NUM> and therefore the position of the gear <NUM> during operation of the attraction system <NUM> and/or movement of the ride vehicle. Further, in order to block movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot, both actuators <NUM> may move the caps <NUM> to engage the respective gears <NUM>. Accordingly, both gears <NUM> engage with one of the caps <NUM>. Alternatively, it may be sufficient to engage only one of the caps <NUM> with the corresponding gear <NUM>. Thus, one of the gears <NUM> may be engaged with one of the caps <NUM>, while the other gear <NUM> may not be engaged with the other cap <NUM> in order to block movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot. In this way, the control system <NUM> may operate each actuator <NUM> independently from one another.

As illustrated in <FIG>, each cap <NUM> may also have a second set of teeth <NUM>. When the caps <NUM> cover the corresponding gears <NUM>, the second set of teeth <NUM> in the respective caps <NUM> may engage with the first set of teeth <NUM> of the gear <NUM>. In particular, the second set of teeth <NUM> may be substantially fixed (e.g., does not rotate), and the first set of teeth <NUM> may abut the second set of teeth <NUM> such that the first set of teeth <NUM> also remains substantially fixed. As such, engagement between the first set of teeth <NUM> and the second set of teeth <NUM> may substantially block movement of the pivot adapter <NUM> about the pivot. Although this disclosure primarily discusses the caps <NUM> as covering (e.g., enclosing) the gears <NUM> when engaged with the gears <NUM>, in additional or alternative embodiments, the caps <NUM> may be moved to engage the second set of teeth <NUM> with the first set of teeth <NUM> without covering the gears <NUM>. By way of example, the extensions <NUM> may be directly coupled to individual teeth of the second set of teeth <NUM>, and the actuator <NUM> may move the second set of teeth <NUM> to engage or disengage with the first set of teeth <NUM> without covering the gears <NUM>.

<FIG> is a detailed schematic cross-sectional view of an engagement between an embodiment of the cap <NUM> and the gear <NUM>, such as in the second configuration of the restraint control assembly <NUM>. Thus, the second set of teeth <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is engaged with the first set of teeth <NUM> of the gear <NUM>. In the illustrated embodiment, the second set of teeth <NUM> includes enough teeth to abut each tooth of the first set of teeth <NUM>. However, in an additional or an alternative embodiment, the second set of teeth <NUM> may have any suitable number of teeth, including one tooth, three teeth, five teeth, and so forth, to block movement of the gear <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, each tooth of the first set of teeth <NUM> and each tooth of the second set of teeth <NUM> may be particularly shaped to block rotational movement of the gear <NUM> in a particular manner. For instance, the gear <NUM> may be a ratchet, and each tooth of the first set of teeth <NUM> may be angled, sloped, or bent. Additionally, each tooth of the second set of teeth <NUM> may also be angled, sloped, or bent, such as in a manner similar to a pawl. Such geometries of the first set of teeth <NUM> and the second set of teeth <NUM> may enable the gear <NUM> to rotate in one rotational direction but not another rotational direction about the pivot <NUM> when the cap <NUM> is engaged with the gear <NUM>. Particularly, the illustrated gear <NUM> may be able to rotate in a first rotational direction <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. For example, rotation of the gear <NUM> in the first rotational direction <NUM> may cause the restraint piece <NUM> to move toward the ride seat (e.g., toward the seating portion) and the passenger, thereby providing greater securement of the passenger within the ride vehicle. However, the geometries of the first set of teeth <NUM> and the second set of teeth <NUM> may block the gear <NUM> from rotating in a second rotational direction <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. As an example, rotation of the gear <NUM> in the second rotational direction <NUM> may cause the restraint piece <NUM> to move away from the ride seat (e.g., away from the seating portion) and the passenger to move the restraint piece <NUM> toward the open position. Thus, the engagement between the gear <NUM> and the cap <NUM> may block movement of the restraint piece <NUM> toward the open position. Accordingly, the engagement between the gear <NUM> and the cap <NUM> may only enable the restraint piece <NUM> to rotate to provide securement and not release of the passenger.

It should be noted that moving the cap <NUM> along the rotational axis <NUM> and/or along an axis that is substantially parallel to the rotational axis <NUM> may enable the second set of teeth <NUM> to provide sufficient torque that blocks rotation of the gear <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>. For example, the cap <NUM> that moves along the rotational axis <NUM> may provide greater torque in comparison with a single tooth (e.g., a single pawl) that moves in a direction that is perpendicular to the rotational axis <NUM>, such in a radial direction of the gear <NUM>. Moreover, such movement of the cap <NUM> may enable the restraint control assembly <NUM> to be positioned more proximate to the gear <NUM> and to engage the cap <NUM> with the gear <NUM> without the use of additional components. That is, the actuator <NUM> may be directly coupled to the cap <NUM>, and the actuator <NUM> may enable the cap <NUM> to be directly engaged with the gear <NUM> (e.g., the first set of teeth <NUM> are directly engaged with the second set of teeth <NUM>). Positioning the restraint control assembly <NUM> proximate to the gear <NUM> may also improve certain operating parameters associated with the restraint control assembly <NUM>, such as the center of gravity, the moment of inertia, and the like, and further improve the design of the ride vehicle. For example, utilizing the cap <NUM> may reduce a complexity, an amount, and/or a weight of components used for blocking movement of the gear <NUM> about the pivot <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of an embodiment of the restraint control assembly <NUM> implemented to control movement of a feature <NUM> (e.g., a moveable element). In <FIG>, the feature <NUM> is representative of a gate. In one embodiment, the feature <NUM> may be implemented at the guest path of the attraction system to enable and block navigation through a portion of the guest path. For instance, the feature <NUM> may include a leg <NUM> that is rotatable about a rotational axis <NUM> extending along the leg <NUM>. The feature <NUM> may rotate between a first position, which may enable guests to navigate the portion of the guest path, and a second position, which may block guests from navigating the portion of the guest path. The restraint control assembly <NUM> may be used for enabling and blocking rotation of the feature <NUM> about the rotational axis <NUM>, such as to set the feature <NUM> in the first position or in the second position.

As an example, the feature <NUM> may have another gear, and the restraint control assembly <NUM> may include similar components as described above to enable or block movement of the gear of the feature <NUM> about the rotational axis <NUM>. That is, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may have another actuator configured to move a corresponding cap to engage or disengage the cap with the gear of the feature <NUM>. By way of example, if rotation of the feature <NUM> is desirable, such as to rotate the feature <NUM> from the first position to the second position or vice versa, the actuator of the restraint control assembly <NUM> may disengage the cap with the gear of the feature <NUM>. However, if rotation of the feature <NUM> is not desirable, such as to maintain the feature <NUM> in the first position or the second position, the actuator may engage the cap with the gear of the feature <NUM>. As such, the restraint control assembly <NUM> may enable rotational movement of the feature <NUM> and/or to set the position of the feature <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A ride vehicle (<NUM>) for an attraction of an amusement park, the ride vehicle comprising:
a ride seat (<NUM>);
a pivot adapter (<NUM>) configured to rotate relative to the ride seat about a rotational axis (<NUM>);
a gear (<NUM>) of the pivot adapter (<NUM>), the gear (<NUM>) being configured to rotate about the rotational axis, the gear (<NUM>) comprising a first set of teeth (<NUM>) and the rotational axis extending through the pivot adapter (<NUM>) and the gear (<NUM>);
a passenger restraint piece (<NUM>) coupled to the pivot adapter (<NUM>) and configured to rotate with the pivot adapter (<NUM>) about the rotational axis between a closed position and an open position;
a cap (<NUM>) comprising a second set of teeth (<NUM>), wherein the cap (<NUM>) is configured to be positioned to engage with the gear (<NUM>) of the pivot adapter (<NUM>) via relative movement between the cap (<NUM>) and the gear of the pivot adapter along the rotational axis such that the second set of teeth (<NUM>) of the cap (<NUM>) engages with the first set of teeth (<NUM>) of the gear (<NUM>), and wherein engagement between the second set of teeth (<NUM>) and the first set of teeth (<NUM>) substantially blocks movement of the pivot adapter (<NUM>) relative to the ride seat (<NUM>) in a rotational direction about the rotational axis.