Illuminated system for use with amusement rides
AssigneeUremet Corporation
InventorMark G. Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel for a roller coaster or other amusement ride vehicle includes a self-contained illumination system. The wheel comprises a hub through which an axle is disposed, a web extending from the hub and including a plurality of apertures, and an annular seat at a periphery of the web for receiving a tire thereon, the annular seat cooperating with the hub and the web to define an annular cavity. A PCB is disposed in the annular cavity and has a plurality of LEDs aligned with the plurality of apertures on the web. A permanent magnet generator within the wheel powers the PCB and the LEDS, the generator completely confined to the interior of the wheel.
Claims13
A wheel having a self-contained illumination system, comprising:
- a hub;
- a web extending from the hub and including a plurality of apertures;
- an annular seat at a periphery of the web for receiving a tire thereon, the annular seat cooperating with the hub and the web to define an annular cavity;
- a printed circuit board disposed in the annular cavity, the printed circuit board having a plurality of illumination devices aligned with the plurality of apertures on the web and a microprocessor for controlling the illumination of the illumination devices, the printed circuit board affixed to the hub and the annular seat;
- a stator enclosing the cavity, the stator including at least one permanent magnet that induces a current in a plurality of coils as a result of movement of the plurality of coils past the at least one permanent magnet;
- a rotor comprising the plurality of coils, the rotor fixed in rotational relationship with the printed circuit board and electrically connected thereto, and mounted for relative rotation with respect to the stator;
- and
- whereby an induced current in the plurality of coils powers the illumination devices and the microprocessor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.