MOTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN AMUSEMENT RIDE

• US 20140216297A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HM Attractions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: HM Attractions, Inc.
• Inventors: Hunter, Richard D., Smegal, Raymond T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,358,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 104/72
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/02 without rails
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/12 with special cars, e.g. horse-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/18 Water-chutes
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/007 involving water

Abstract

A amusement ride feature comprises a waterslide sliding surface, a vehicle having a vehicle bottom surface adapted to slide on said sliding surface and to convey at least one rider thereon, and at least one reaction plate and at least one permanent magnet each mounted to one of said vehicle and said sliding surface. The at least one reaction plate and the at least one permanent magnet are positioned to affect motion of the vehicle when the motion of the vehicle brings the reaction plate under the influence of the permanent magnet.

Claims

1. An amusement ride feature comprising:

a sliding surface;

a vehicle having a vehicle bottom surface adapted to slide on said sliding surface and to convey at least one rider thereon; and

at least one reaction plate and at least one permanent magnet each mounted to one of said vehicle and said sliding surface;

wherein the at least one reaction plate and the at least one permanent magnet are positioned to affect motion of the vehicle when the motion of the vehicle brings the at least one reaction plate under the influence of the at least one permanent magnet.

2. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the at least one reaction plate or the at least one permanent magnet mounted to the sliding surface is mounted to move relative to the sliding surface.

3. The amusement ride feature of claim 2 wherein the mounting comprises an endless driven member.

4. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the at least one reaction plate is mounted to the vehicle and the at least one permanent magnet is mounted to the sliding surface.

5. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the at least one reaction plate is mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto, and wherein said at least one reaction plate is covered by the vehicle bottom surface;

and wherein the permanent magnets are located beneath the sliding surface.

6. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein the permanent magnets are mounted on a mounting assembly which is movably towards and away from the sliding surface.

7. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein the permanent magnets are biased away from the sliding surface by a biasing mechanism that releases upon loss of power.

8. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 further comprising at least one linear motor unit mounted to one of said vehicle and said sliding surface for affecting sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

9. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 further comprising linear motor units located beneath the sliding surface for affecting sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

10. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the at least one reaction plate and the at least one permanent magnet are each mounted at at least one side of said respective vehicle and said respective sliding surface.

11. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the at least one permanent magnet is adapted to decelerate or stop the vehicle on the sliding surface.

12. The amusement ride feature of claim 6 wherein the at least one permanent magnet is adapted to hold the vehicle and the linear motor units are adapted to accelerate the vehicle.

13. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the permanent magnets are positioned to decelerate or stop the vehicle if the vehicle slides outside of a predetermined sliding area.

14. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the permanent magnet is positioned at a relative elevation of the sliding surface.

15. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the ride feature is flume-style, the sliding surface is a bottom surface of a water flume, and said vehicle is adapted to convey said at least one rider along said water flume.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing at least one linear motor unit mounted to one of said vehicle and said sliding surface for affecting sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface; and

operating the linear motor units to affect sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising positioning the permanent magnets to decelerate or stop the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising positioning the permanent magnets to decelerate or stop the vehicle and operating the linear motor units to accelerate the vehicle.

16. A method of controlling the sliding motion of a vehicle sliding on a sliding surface in an amusement ride, comprising:

providing the waterslide sliding surface;

placing the vehicle on the sliding surface, the vehicle having a vehicle bottom surface adapted to slide on said sliding surface and to convey at least one rider thereon;

providing at least one reaction plate and at least one permanent magnet each mounted to one of said vehicle and said sliding surface;

positioning the at least one reaction plate and the at least one permanent magnet to affect motion of the vehicle when the motion of the vehicle brings the reaction plate under the influence of the permanent magnet; and

initiating movement of the vehicle on the sliding surface.