Amusement ride for traveling down a water chute with reduced splash

• US 5,613,443 A
• Filed: 06/27/1995
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: The Walt Disney Company
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Toshihiro, Ariga, Moriaki, Ojima, Reiichi, Kawauchi, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US08/290,889
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 104/53, 104/59, 104/70, 104/72, 104/73, 104/86, 104/69, 472/117, 472/13, 472/128, 472/129
• US Class Current: 104/70
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/18 Water-chutes
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 7/00 Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks

Abstract

An amusement ride includes a vehicle traveling down a chute through a region of water. The vehicle is shaped to minimize splashing and to allow water to flow away from the vehicle. The vehicle flanks are curved to deflect splashing water down and away from the vehicle, and the vehicle bow has upper flanks to deflect water down and away from the vehicle. The vehicle bottom has a concave channel to accommodate water displaced by the vehicle. The vehicle has sets of wheels for traveling, for guiding lateral motion, and for interlocking with floating prevention mechanism. A groove along each side of the vehicle accommodates a splash prevention member on the water chute.

Claims

1. An amusement ride of the type in which passengers are transported down a vertically inclined chute having side walls, to pass through a region of the chute containing water, intended to prevent splashing of the passengers, the amusement ride comprising:

rail assemblies extending along said chute; and

a vehicle shaped to fit within the chute in spatial relation to the side walls and the rail assemblies to travel along the chute in a forward direction while maintaining such spacing, said vehicle comprising;

means for contacting the rail assemblies to guide said vehicle for motion in a forward direction longitudinally along the chute without flotation as it passes through the water filled region;

a watertight upwardly open interior region for accommodating the passengers;

a forward end and a rearward end;

a bottom configured to define a centered concave channel extending longitudinally substantially between said forward end and said rearward end of said vehicle, for accommodating the passage of water; and

side surfaces extending longitudinally rearwardly of said vehicle in spaced relation from and facing toward the side walls of the chute,

said side surfaces being curved upwardly and outwardly away from said interior region to deflect water displaced by the passing of the vehicle through the water away from the interior region to avoid splashing the passengers.

2. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein said rail assemblies of said chute are each configured to provide a substantially vertical surface, and said vehicle further comprises:

a plurality of main wheels rotatably attached to the vehicle positioned to allow the vehicle to roll upon said main wheels when moved upon a solid surface;

a plurality of guide wheels rotatably attached to the vehicle positioned to cause rolling of said guide wheels when the vehicle is moved in generally horizontal motion and said guide wheels contact said substantially vertical surface.

3. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle further comprises a plurality of anti-float wheels.

4. An amusement ride according to claim 3, wherein the rail assemblies comprise

floating preventive means adapted to engage said anti-float wheels to prevent the floating of the vehicle while the vehicle is travelling down the passage.

5. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle is provided, on its flanks, with guide grooves, and

each of said rail assemblies is provided, at its upper portions, with splashing preventive means to be idly engaged with said guide grooves.

6. An amusement ride comprising:

a vehicle comprising a bottom and a plurality of flanks extending upwardly from said bottom, wherein the upper portions of said flanks protrude outside in the width direction of the vehicle main body, said bottom defining a concave channel extending longitudinally along a central axis of said vehicle, said flanks being curved surfaces defining concave channels extending substantially longitudinally along said vehicle, said vehicle further comprising guide grooves; and

a water channel through which the vehicle may travel, said water channel having a gradient passage being provided with splashing preventive means at its upper portions, said splashing preventive means configured

to be idly engaged with said guide grooves.

7. An amusement ride of the type in which passengers are transported down a water incline, with diminished water splashing of the passengers, the amusement ride comprising:

rail assemblies extending along said incline,

a vehicle configured for contact with said rail assemblies, said vehicle having a forward end, a rearward end, and an open interior region situated therebetween for accommodating the passengers, the forward end being configured to provide an upwardly-facing cutout portion spreading outwardly from the forward end toward the rearward end for diminishing splashing of the passengers.

8. An amusement ride of claim 7, wherein said cutout portion of said vehicle has guide faces formed symmetrically about a central axis of said vehicle.

9. An amusement ride according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle has a bottom configured to provide a centered concave longitudinal channel extending substantially the length of the vehicle between said forward end and said rearward end.

10. An amusement ride according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle comprises side surfaces extending longitudinally rearwardly of said vehicle, said side surfaces being configured to curve upwardly and outwardly away from said interior region to deflect water displaced by the passage of the vehicle through the water.

11. An amusement ride according to claim 7, wherein said rail assemblies are each configured to provide a substantially vertical surface and said vehicle comprises:

a plurality of vertically-oriented wheels rotatably supporting said vehicle on said rail assemblies;

a plurality of horizontally-oriented wheels rotatably guiding said vehicle along said vertical surface of said rail assemblies.

12. An amusement ride according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of anti-float wheels.

13. An amusement ride according to claim 12, wherein said rail assemblies comprise floating preventive members configured for contact with said anti-float wheels.

14. An amusement ride according to claim 7, wherein said vehicle comprises lateral guide grooves, and said rail assemblies comprise splashing preventive members configured to idly engage said guide grooves.

15. An amusement ride according to claim 14, wherein said splashing preventive members comprise an elastic end member idly engaging said guide grooves.

16. An amusement ride according to claim 14, wherein said splashing preventive members comprise guard plates extending laterally from said rail assemblies.