Containerless sheet flow water ride

• US 6,716,107 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Surf Park Pte, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Light Wave Limited
• Inventors: Lochtefeld, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Application Number:
  US10/010,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 472/116, 472/117, 472/128, 472/129, 104/69, 104/70, 405/79
• US Class Current: 472/117
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0093 for surfing, i.e. without a sail; for skate or snow boarding
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 19/00 Design or layout of playing courts, rinks, bowling greens or areas for water-skiing; Covers therefor golf courses A63B69/3691; water roundabouts A63G3/00; construction of surfaces of foundations E01C; roofs E04B7/00; buildings or groups of buildings for sports E04H3/10; swimming or splash baths or pools E04H4/00; coverings for baths E04H4/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/18 Water-chutes
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 3/02 with floating seats
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/00 Amusement arrangements hoop exercising apparatus driven by the user A63B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/007 involving water
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/0006 Devices for producing waves in swimming pools generating current of water in swimming pools A63B69/125
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Abstract

A water ride attraction is disclosed which utilizes a containerless riding surface to eliminate disadvantageous boundary layer effects. A sheet flow of water is directed up the incline to produce a simulated wave. The configuration and contour of the riding surface and the various flow parameters can be widely varied to produce numerous desirable wave conditions.

Claims

1. A water ride attraction for supporting a rider performing water skimming maneuvers, comprising:

an inclined riding surface adapted to receive and support the rider thereon, the riding surface having a lateral edge;

a water supply mechanism for providing a substantially supercritical high speed sheet flow of water which flows generally upward upon the inclined riding surface so that the flow generally conforms thereto, the high speed sheet flow having a Froude number between about 2-75, and a portion of the flow of water spills over the lateral edge;

wherein the riding surface is shaped so as to form at least a portion of the high speed sheet flow of water into a wave shape.

2. The water ride attraction of claim 1, wherein the high speed sheet flow of water has a Froude number between about 4-25.

3. The water ride attraction of claim 1, wherein the riding surface is configured so that the rider can ride the flow of water spilling over the lateral edge.

4. The water ride attraction of claim 3 additionally comprising an exit area adjacent the lateral edge.

5. The water ride attraction of claim 4, wherein the exit area comprises a pool.

6. A water ride for supporting a rider performing water skimming maneuvers, comprising:

a riding surface having an inclined slope, the riding surface being adapted to receive and support the rider thereon; and

a water supply mechanism for providing a substantially supercritical flow of water which flows generally upward upon the inclined slope so that the flow generally conforms thereto, the riding surface having at least one lateral edge and being configured so that a portion of the flow of water spills over the at least one lateral edge.

7. The water ride of claim 6, wherein the riding surface is configured so that the rider can perform skimming maneuvers upon the flow of water, and the rider can skim across the at least one lateral edge so as to exit the riding surface.

8. The water ride of claim 7 additionally comprising a rider exit area adjacent the at least one lateral edge.

9. The water ride of claim 8 additionally comprising a transition surface between the riding surface and the rider exit area.

10. The water ride of claim 9, wherein the exit area is positioned at a level at or below the lowest elevation of the riding surface.

11. The water ride of claim 10, wherein the exit area comprises a pool.

12. The water ride of claim 10, wherein the exit area comprises a shut-down floor comprising a plurality of drain holes.

13. The water ride of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the flow of water that spills over the at least one lateral edge is directed back to the water supply mechanism.

14. The water ride of claim 6, wherein the riding surface is characterized by having no containment walls along the at least one lateral edge.

15. The water ride of claim 6, wherein the at least one lateral edge extends generally in the same direction as the flow of water.

16. The water ride of claim 6, wherein the flow of water comprises a high speed sheet flow of water.

17. The water ride of claim 16, wherein the sheet flow of water has a Froude number between about 2-75.

18. The water ride of claim 17, wherein the sheet flow of water has a Froude number between about 4-25.

19. The water ride of claim 6, wherein the riding surface is shaped so as to form the flow of water into a wave shape.

20. A water ride attraction, comprising:

a riding surface having a generally inclined portion, the riding surface having at least one lateral edge; and

a water outlet for directing a flow of water onto the inclined portion so that the flow of water flows generally upward onto the inclined portion of the riding surface, wherein a rider may ride on the flow of water and perform water skimming maneuvers thereon;

wherein the riding surface is configured so that a portion of the flow of water flows over the at least one lateral edge off of the riding surface and downwardly therefrom.

21. The water ride of claim 20, comprising a source of water under pressure.

22. The water ride of claim 21, wherein the water ride is configured so that the flow of water on the riding surface has a sub-equidyne area, an equilibrium area, and a super-equidyne area.

23. The water ride of claim 21, wherein the riding surface comprises a second lateral edge.

24. The water ride of claim 23, wherein a portion of the flow of water flows over the second lateral edge off of the riding surface and downwardly therefrom.

25. The water ride of claim 23, wherein the water ride is configured so that the flow of water forms a hydraulic jump on the inclined portion of the riding surface, and white water from the hydraulic jump flows over the lateral edges of the riding surface and downwardly off the riding surface.

26. The water ride of claim 23, wherein the lateral edges are substantially parallel to one another.

27. The water ride of claim 23, wherein the lateral edges are not parallel to one another.

28. The water ride of claim 20, wherein the riding surface is configured so that rider ingress can be obtained by passing across the at least one lateral edge.

29. The water ride of claim 20, wherein the riding surface is configured so that rider egress can be obtained by passing across the at least one lateral edge.

30. The water ride of claim 20, wherein the flow of water comprises a high speed sheet flow of water.

31. The water ride of claim 30, wherein the sheet flow of water has a Froude number between about 2-75.

32. The water ride of claim 31, wherein the sheet flow of water has a Froude number between about 4-25.

33. The water ride of claim 20, wherein the riding surface is shaped so as to form the flow of water into a wave shape.

34. A water ride attraction, comprising:

an inclined riding surface adapted to receive and support a rider, the riding surface having a lateral edge;

an exit area adjacent the lateral edge, the exit area having an outlet for removing water therefrom; and

a sheet flow of water which flows generally upward onto the riding surface, the flow generally conforming to the shape of the riding surface, and a portion of the flow of water flowing across the lateral edge of the riding surface and into the exit area;

wherein the riding surface and sheet flow of water are configured so that a rider can perform skimming maneuvers on the flow of water, and the rider can ride across the lateral edge of the riding surface and into the exit area.

35. The water ride of claim 34, wherein the exit area is arranged at a level at or below the lowest elevation of the ride surface.

36. The water ride of claim 35 additionally comprising a transition surface between the ride surface and the exit area, wherein the transition surface is substantially contiguous with the ride surface.

37. The water ride of claim 36, wherein the transition surface is substantially downward sloping.

38. The water ride of claim 34, wherein the sheet flow comprises a high speed sheet flow.

39. The water ride of claim 38, wherein the sheet flow of water has a Froude number between about 2-75.

40. The water ride of claim 39, wherein the sheet flow of water has a Froude number between about 4-25.

41. The water ride of claim 34, wherein the exit area comprises a basin.

42. The water ride of claim 41 additionally comprising a pump for providing the sheet flow of water, and wherein the basin communicates with the pump, and at least a portion of the water that flows into the basin is directed to the pump.

43. A method for providing a simulated wave water ride attraction on which a rider may perform water skimming maneuvers, comprising:

providing a riding surface having a generally inclined slope and a lateral edge;

directing a high speed sheet flow of water onto the riding surface so that the flow of water is formed into a wave shape by the riding surface, wherein there is substantially no correspondence between the wave size and the water depth, and a portion of the flow of water spills over the lateral edge; and

controlling the speed of the flow of water.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the rider can ride the flow of water over the lateral edge.

45. The method of claim 43, comprising directing the high speed sheet flow of water onto the inclined riding surface at a speed so as to form an unbroken yet rideable wave face.

46. The method of claim 43, comprising directing the high speed sheet flow of water onto the inclined riding surface at a speed so as to form a spilling wave with a smooth unbroken shoulder.

47. The method of claim 43, comprising directing the high speed sheet flow of water onto the inclined riding surface at a speed so as to form a white water bore.

48. The method of claim 43, comprising directing the high speed sheet flow of water onto the inclined riding surface at a speed so as to form a stream tunnel wave.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein varying the speed of the sheet flow of water can vary the wave size and shape between an unbroken yet rideable wave face, a spilling wave with a smooth unbroken shoulder, and a white water bore.