Park ride with weight proportional water braking
AssigneeDisney Enterprises, Inc.
InventorKristopher M. Laffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A water ride including vehicles that ride on a track and using water for braking. A run-out section of the track is provided after a drop or down chute section, and the track in the run-out section runs through a pool of water at a depth causing at least a portion of a vehicle riding on the rails to contact a depth of the water to achieve vehicle braking. Significantly, the new water ride is adapted to adjust or set a variable height of the rails in the run-out chute or pool to adjust the depth of water providing water drag on a vehicle traveling through the run-out section based on the vehicle weight. A braking force is applied by the water that is proportional to vehicle weight, and the water ride may be thought of as slowing vehicles with a range of weights at about the same deceleration rate.
Claims20
A park ride providing water-based braking of vehicles based on vehicle weight, comprising:
- a vehicle configured for receiving one or more passengers;
- a track with a drop section and a run-out section, wherein the track defines a ride path for the vehicle through the park ride first through the drop section and second through the run-out section;
- and
- a pool with a base and sidewalls defining a space for receiving water,
- wherein the track in the run-out section includes at least one rail extending a distance through the pool along a direction of travel for the vehicle,
- wherein the vehicle includes rotatable wheels engaging a contact surface of the at least one rail when the vehicle travels through the run-out section, and
- wherein the run-out section comprises means for adjusting, in a manner proportional to a total weight of the vehicle, a height of the contact surface of the at least one rail relative to the base of the pool to set a depth of the water applying water drag to the vehicle.
A park ride providing water-based braking of vehicles based on vehicle weight, comprising:
- a passenger vehicle comprising a body adapted to receive passengers;
- a flume structure;
- water in the flume structure;
- rails extending along a length of the flume structure, wherein the rails include a surface for mating with wheels coupled to the body of the passenger vehicle and wherein the surface is positioned at a depth below an upper surface of the water in the flume structure;
- vertical track supports in the flume structure for supporting the rails;
- and
- one or more spring members each positioned between one of the vertical track supports and one of the rails, whereby the rails are non-statically supported in the flume structure.
A park ride providing water-based braking of vehicles based on vehicle weight, comprising:
- a vehicle comprising a body adapted to receive passengers, wherein the vehicle further comprises a set of load wheels coupled to the body;
- a pool filled with a water to a depth in a predefined range of depths;
- a drop section defining a ride path for the vehicle into an inlet to the pool, wherein the vehicle is accelerated in the drop section due to a drop in elevation along the ride path;
- at least one track rail extending along a length of the pool and having a contact surface for mating with the load wheels to vertically support the vehicle;
- and
- a plurality of spring members elastically supporting the at least one track rail in the pool, wherein the spring members are adapted to compress or move proportionately with a total weight of the passenger vehicle to define a depth of the water contacting a front surface of the body as the vehicle travels on the at least one track rail through the pool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.