Water slide systems

• US 4,805,897 A
• Filed: 05/21/1987
• Issued: 02/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Water Fun Products Corp.
• Original Assignee: David J. Dubeta
• Inventors: Dubeta, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHILCOT, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US07/052,067
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 272/56.5 R, 272/56.5 SS, 272/1 B, 272/32, 104/69, 104/70, 104/72, 104/73, 104/56, 104/57, 104/63, 104/64, 104/67, 104/134, 104/135, 104/136, 193/2 A, 193/2 E, 193/12, 193/13, 193/27, 193/28, 193/33, 193/38, 405/119, 405/121, 405/126, 405/120, 405/80, 405/87, 405/88, 405/94, 405/95, 251/12, 251/65, 251/68-74
• US Class Current: 472/117
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/18 Water-chutes

Abstract

Apparatus for connecting amusement water slides from continuous water flow down the slide to controlled, spaced apart gushes of water enhancing the thrill of the ride and improving the safety thereof. The slide run has a start position at the upper elevated end from a platform and an exit lower end that discharges the rider and water into a landing pool. At least one of the multiple runs is provided with apparatus of the foregoing for having intermittent gushes of water along such run as desired by operator or rider. A vertical tower with stairs and/or elevator provides for movement of the participants from the lower end of the runs to the upper start end of the runs. A water reservoir is provided at some location upstream from the end of the slide run (preferrably at the uppermost end, i.e. the start of the run), and water is pumped from the landing pool into the reservoir which, when full, overflows into the water chute slide.

Claims

1. Improvement in water slide recreational installations of the type that include a water chute slide for the participants, a platform at an elevated start end of the slide, a landing pool at the bottom end of the slide and a water pumping system that delivers water to the elevated end of the slide for flow down the slide for the occupants thereof, said improvement comprising a generally vertically rising water tower reservoir at some location upstream from the end of the slide, means for directing water from a source of the same into said reservoir, valve means having a valved outlet communicating with a bottom portion of the water tower reservoir for discharging water from said reservoir into said chute and means controlling said valve for suddenly releasing a quantity of water at selected intervals from said reservoir into said chute to provide gushes of water that flow in spaced relation one after the other down said slide.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 including a sensor that detects the presence of an occupant on said slide and in response thereto allows said valve to open.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein said sensor is downstream a selected distance from the beginning of the run of the slide.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein said valve is biased to a normal open position and locked in its closed position and wherein said sensor deactivates said lock as the slide occupant passes the sensor.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve is biased to a normally open position by the water in said reservoir and including releasable lock means for holding the valve in a closed position.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said reservoir comprises a vessel having an upper overflow and a lower water outflow passage, a base, said vessel being mounted on said base and projecting upwardly therefrom, a water flow passage through said base communicating with the outflow passage from the vessel and discharging into the slide chute at the beginning of the run and wherein said valve is mounted on said base and controls the flow of water through the passage of the base.

7. Improvements in water slide recreational intallations of the type that include a water chute slide for the participants, of the type that include a water chute slide for the participants, a platform at an elevated start end of the slide, a landing pool at the bottom end of the slide and a water pumping system that delivers water to the elevated end of the slide for flow down the slide for the occupants thereof, said improvement comprising a water tower reservoir at some location upstream from the end of the slide, means for directing water from a source of the same into said reservoir, a valved outlet from said reservoir discharging into said chute, said valve being biased to a normally open position by the water in said reservoir and including releasably lock means for holding the valve in a closed position and wherein said valve comprises a pivotally mounted plate having a first and second faces respectively on opposite sides of the pivot axis, said faces preventing water flow from the reservoir in a valve closed position and wherein one of said first and second faces has a greater area than that of the other and means controlling said valve for suddenly releasing a quantity of water at selected intervals from said reservoir into said chute to provide gushes of water that flow in spaced apart relation one after the other down said slide.

8. The improvement as defined in claim 7 wherein the valve face having the smaller area is upstream of the other face with reference to water flow from the reservoir when the valve is open.

9. Apparatus in combination with a water slide recreational installation of the type that includes a water chute slide for the participants, a platform at an elevated start end of the slide, a landing pool at the bottom end of the slide and water flow down the slide for the occupants thereof, said apparatus comprising a base, a water reservoir mounted on and projecting upwardly from said base, passage means through said base communicating with said reservoir for directing water from said reservoir into said chute, a valve in said passage means selectively operable for suddenly releasing a quantity of water repeatedly at spaced intervals from said reservoir into said chute to provide intermittent gushes of water that flow in sequence at spaced intervals one after the other down said slide and means directing a flow of water into said reservoir to replenish water that has been released therefrom.

10. The combination as defined in claim 9 including means for actuating said valve from a location remote from the valve to selectively open and close the same.

11. The combination defined in claim 9 including adjustable support means for said base.

12. The combination as defined in claim 9 wherein said reservoir is an elongate, vertially disposed tube.

13. The combination as defined in claim 12 wherein said tube is detachably mounted on said base.

14. In combination a water slide recreational installation of the type having at least one water slide chute, a platform at an elevated start end of the slide, a landing pool at the bottom end of the slide, and means for releasing selected quantities of water to flow down the slide at selected spaced apart intervals, said means comprising a generally vertically rising reservoir at some location upstream from the end of the slide, means for supplying a flow of water to said slide, means for directing water from a source of the same into said reservoir, valve means having a valved outlet communicating with a bottom portion of the reservoir for discharging water form said reservoir into said chute and means controlling said valve for suddenly releasing a quantity of water at intervals from said reservoir into said chute to provide intermittent gushes of water that run in sequence one after the other in spaced apart relation down said slide.

15. In combination a water slide recreational installation of the type having at least one water slide chute, a platform at an elevated start end of the slide, a landing pool at the bottom end of the slide, and means for releasing selected quantities of water to flow down the slide at selected spaced apart intervals, said means comprising a reservoir at some location upstream from the end of the slide, said reservoir comprising a base having a water chamber therein, and a tube detachably mounted on said base and projecting upwardly therefrom, said tube communicating with said chamber in said base and wherein said valve is located in an outlet passage from said chamber, means supplying a flow of water to said slide, means for directing water form a source of the same into said reservoir, a valved outlet from said reservoir discharging into said chute and means controlling said valve for suddenly releasing a quantity of water at intervals from said reservoir into said chute to provide intermittent gushes of water that run in sequence one after the other in spaced apart relation down said slide.

16. A method of using a water slide system having a water slide with means for supplying a flow of water to the water slide, and storage reservoir means with valve means connected to a bottom portion of the storage reservoir means, said method enhancing the thrill of the ride down the water slide and improving the safety thereof, comprising the steps of providing a flow of water from the water supplying means, suddenly releasing a selected quantity of water to gush down the slide from the storage reservoir means at spaced apart intervals co-related to the frequency of the riders, each gush of water carrying therewith a rider, said spaced apart gushes of water maintaining such riders spaced relative to one another along the same slide and thus improving the safety for the riders on such slide.

17. A method of using a water slide system having a water slide with means for supplying a flow of water to the water slide, and storage reservoir means with valve means connected to a bottom portion of the storage reservoir means, said method improving the safety of the water slide and comprising the steps of repeatedly releasing from the storage reservoir means through the valve means in a gush a selected quantity of water down the slide behind each rider as they approach the beginning of the slide in sequence one after the other so as to carry therewith such riders at spaced apart positions therealong, said gushes of water carrying the respective slide riders maintaining such riders at spaced apart positions relative to one another throughout the run of the slide.

18. A water slide, comprising:

a slide run having an upper end portion and a lower end portion and along which slide run a first flow of water flows;

means for providing the first flow of water to the upper end portions;

means

storage reservoir means containing water and valve connected to a bottom portion of the storage reservoir means and being openable for suddenly releasing a quantity of water from the storage reservoir means to provide a second flow in the slide run in the form of an intermittent gush of water.

19. The water slide of claim 18, wherein said storage reservoir means includes a reservoir extending upwardly from the valve means and containing said water.

20. The water slide of claim 19, wherein said reservoir structure is an elongate, vertically disposed tube, and further including a base and means for detachably mounting said tube to said base.

21. lmprovements in water slide recreational installations of the type that include a water chute slide for the participants, a platform at an elevated start end of the slide, a landing pool at the bottom end of the slide and a water pumping system that delivers water to the elevated end of the slide for flow down the slide for the occupants thereof, said improvement comprising a generally vertically rising water tower reservoir holding a quantity of water elevated with respect to and at a location upstream from the end of the slide, means for directing water from a source of the same into said reservoir, valve means having a valved outlet located below at least a portion of said generally vertically rising water tower reservoir and communicating with a bottom portion of the water tower reservoir for discharging water from said reservoir into said chute and means controlling said valve for suddenly releasing a quantity of water at selected intervals from said reservoir into said chute to provide gushes of water that flow in spaced relation one after the other down said slide.