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US 12,305,686 B2Granted
Systems and methods for inspection of fasteners in amusement park attractions
AssigneeUniversal City Studios LLC
InventorHoward Bruce Mall, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An attraction system includes a first component, a second component, a fastener configured to couple the first component to the second component, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including a torque stripe extending between the fastener and a reference point of the attraction system, wherein the RFID tag is configured to emit a radio frequency (RF) signal in response to the torque stripe being unbroken, and an RFID reader configured to detect the RF signal.
Claims23
An attraction system, comprising:
- a first component;
- a second component;
- a fastener configured to couple the first component to the second component;
- and
- a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising an RFID chip, an antenna, and a torque stripe extending from the RFID chip to the antenna and between the fastener and a reference point of the attraction system, wherein the antenna is configured to emit a radio frequency (RF) signal in response to the torque stripe being unbroken.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a torque stripe at least partially positioned over a fastener that connects portions of a track of an attraction system, wherein the fastener is tightened to a torque corresponding to a target torque;
- and
- an RFID tag comprising the torque stripe, an RFID chip, and an antenna configured to emit a radio frequency (RF) signal while the torque stripe is continuous, wherein the torque stripe extends from the antenna to the RFID chip while the torque stripe is continuous.
A method, comprising:
- detecting, via a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a radio frequency (RF) signal emitted by an RFID tag comprising an RFID chip, and antenna configured to emit the RF signal, and a torque stripe extending between a fastener and a reference point of an attraction system and from the RFID chip to the antenna such that the torque stripe completes a circuit formed by the RFID tag;
- determining, via the RFID reader and in response to the RFID tag failing to transmit an additional RF signal to the RFID reader, that the torque stripe is broken;
- and
- generating, via the RFID reader and in response to determining that the torque stripe is broken, an electronic notification indicating a fault mode corresponding to the fastener.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.