Amusement attraction with moveable floor

• US 6,428,419 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal City Studios Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Sheldon, Benjamin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Application Number:
  US09/547,170
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 472/59, 472/60, 472/61, 472/130, 472/75, 472/76, 434/29, 434/55, 434/34, 434/58, 52/6, 52/7, 52/8, 52/9
• US Class Current: 472/60
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 2005/002 moving the spectator's body

Abstract

An amusement ride or theater attraction has a moveable floor for guest loading and unloading. A screen displays images. A motion base moves guests in at least one degree of freedom. The moveable floor that has a cutout for the motion base. The moveable floor is positioned to a raised position during guest loading and unloading. The moveable floor is lowered to a lowered position during ride operation, with the motion base passing through the cutout. Loading and unloading of passengers is simplified, without limiting motion base movement during operation of the ride.

Claims

1. An amusement attraction comprising:

a screen for displaying images;

at least one motion base supporting a passenger platform; and

a moveable floor including a cutout aligned with the motion base, so that the moveable floor can move from an up position for guest loading and unloading, to a down position, during operation of the ride.

2. An amusement ride according to claim 1, the motion base further comprising a ride vehicle mounted on the motion base.

3. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein said moveable floor includes a plurality of tiered levels.

4. An amusement ride according to claim 3, further including at least one set of stairs leading from a lower tier level to a higher tier level on the moveable floor.

5. An amusement ride according to claim 1, further including a theater building containing the screen, motion base, and moveable floor, and an area for storing said moveable floor when said floor is in the lowered position.

6. An amusement ride according to claim 5 further including a plurality of channels in the area for storing the moveable floor, with the channels engaging with guide shoes attached to the moveable floor.

7. An amusement ride according to claim 1 further including at least one floor movement device for moving the moveable floor between the up and down positions.

8. An amusement ride according to claim 7 further including at least one motor for driving the at least one floor movement device.

9. An amusement ride according to claim 7, wherein the at least one floor movement device comprises a push actuator.

10. An amusement ride according to claim 1, further including a plurality of doors leading to the moveable floor, the doors located adjacent to the floor when said moveable floor is in the raised position.

11. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein the motion base moves with at least one degree of freedom.

12. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein the motion base moves within an operational envelope, and the cutout is smaller than the operational envelope of the motion base.

13. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein the passenger platform comprises a ride vehicle.

14. An amusement ride according to claim 1, wherein the passenger platform is substantially flush with the moveable floor when said moveable floor is in the up position.

15. An amusement ride according to claim 1 further including a stationary deck surrounding at least a portion of said moveable floor.

16. An amusement ride according to claim 1 further including a live actor stage between the screen and the motion base.

17. An amusement attraction comprising:

a theater room containing a projection screen;

a door connecting an area outside the theater room to an inside area of the theater room;

at least one motion base supporting a passenger platform;

a moveable floor including a cutout for at least one motion base, wherein said moveable floor is in an up position for guest loading and unloading and in a down position during operation of the attraction; and

at least one floor movement device for raising and lowering said moveable floor.

18. An amusement attraction according to claim 17, with at least one motion base including a ride vehicle mounted thereon.

19. An amusement attraction according to claim 17, wherein said moveable floor includes a plurality of tiered levels.

20. A method of loading and unloading guests onto a passenger platform of a motion base located within a theater, comprising the steps of:

moving a moveable floor located within the theater to a raised position during the loading or unloading of guests; and

moving the moveable floor to a lowered position within the theater during ride operation.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of passing the motion base through a cutout in the moveable floor that is vertically aligned over the motion base during the step of moving the moveable floor to a lowered position.

22. An amusement attraction comprising:

an image display device;

at least one motion base supporting a passenger platform; and

a moveable floor including a cutout aligned with the motion base, so that the moveable floor can move from an up position for guest loading and unloading, to a down position, during operation of the ride.

23. An amusement ride according to claim 22, further including a theater containing the image display device, motion base, and moveable floor.

24. An amusement ride according to claim 23, further including a door connecting an area outside the theater room to an inside area of the theater room.