Amusement ride system and method

• US 20100248850A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blammo, LLC
• Original Assignee: Blammo, LLC
• Inventors: Yeh, Bing, Bloom, Philip Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 472/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/02 Shooting or hurling games throwing-implements for sports or recreational use A63B65/00; throwing or projecting toys per se A63H33/18; gun simulators F41A33/00, e.g. light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; practice apparatus for gun-aiming F41G3/26, e.g. using a light-emitting device F41G3/2616; targets, target ranges, bullet catchers F41J, photo-electric hit-detector systems F41J5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 33/00 Devices allowing competitions between several persons, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 5/00 Games on roundabouts
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 11/00 Target ranges timetables, lists or forms for shooter enlistment B42D15/0066

Abstract

An amusement ride system includes: a shooting device adapted to shoot a projectile; an aiming facility operable by a user to aim the shooting device; and a triggering device operable by the user to fire the shooting device. The user rides the vehicle, aims the shooting device, and fires the device to shoot the projectile. A method for a ride includes: providing a shooting device; providing a plurality of projectiles; and aiming and shooting the projectiles utilizing the shooting device.

Claims

1. A ride system utilizing a vehicle, a user riding the vehicle, and a projectile, the ride system comprising:

a shooting device adapted to shoot the projectile;

an aiming facility operable by the user to aim the shooting device; and

a triggering device operable by the user to fire the shooting device;

wherein the user rides the vehicle, aims the shooting device, and fires the device to shoot the projectile.

2. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the projectile is a dry media made of generally soft, impact-safe material.

3. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the aiming facility and triggering device are fixed to the vehicle in a location generally in front of the user, thereby allowing the user to aim and fire the shooting device.

4. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the shooting device is rotatably attached to the vehicle, and the aiming facility is a handle on the shooting device allowing the user to rotate the shooting device, thereby aiming the shooing device.

5. The ride system of claim 4, wherein the triggering device is located on or adjacent to the handle, thereby allowing the user to simultaneously operate the handle and the triggering device.

6. The ride system of claim 1, further comprising:

a repository to store a plurality of projectiles; and

a feeder mechanism to feed each of said projectiles from the repository to the shooting device.

7. The ride system of claim 6, wherein the repository is a bin located above the vehicle, the feeder mechanism is a tube, and each said projectile is transported by gravity down the tube to the shooting device.

8. The ride system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism to collect the projectile after the device shoots the projectile and deliver the projectile to the ride system.

9. The ride system of claim 1, further comprising:

targets that transition from a first observable state to a second observable state in response to impact by the projectile.

10. A ride system, comprising:

a ride vehicle;

a plurality of projectiles; and

a projectile launching device, aimed and activated from within the ride vehicle, to propel the projectiles.

11. The ride system of claim 10, wherein the ride vehicle is for a ride type selected from the group consisting of:

hanging rides, tracked rides, trackless rides, omni-mover rides, and boat rides.

12. The ride system of claim 10, further comprising:

resettable targets that react to impact by the projectiles.

13. The ride system of claim 10, wherein the projectile launching device is rotatably attached to the ride vehicle.

14. The ride system of claim 10, further comprising:

a repository to store the projectiles; and

a feeder mechanism to feed each of said projectiles from the repository to the shooting projectile launching device.

15. The ride system of claim 10, further comprising:

a return system to collect the projectiles.

16. A method for a ride, comprising:

providing a shooting device;

providing a plurality of projectiles; and

aiming and shooting the projectiles utilizing the shooting device.

17. The method of 16, further comprising:

attaching the shooting device to a ride vehicle; and

aiming and triggering the shooting device from within the ride vehicle during the ride.

18. The method of 16, further comprising:

collecting the projectiles.

19. The method of 16, further comprising:

storing the projectiles in a repository; and

feeding the projectiles from the repository to the shooting device.

20. The method of 16, further comprising:

providing a target that reacts to impact by a projectile; and

resetting the target after the target reacts.