Amusement park ride tunnel
AssigneeUniversal City Studios LLC
InventorPatrick Devin Boyle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ride system includes a tunnel, a vehicle ride path, a ride vehicle, and a projection system. The tunnel includes a first end and a second end and is curved between the first and second ends. The vehicle ride path extends within the tunnel from an entrance at the first end of the tunnel to an intermediate position within the tunnel. The second end of the tunnel is not visible from the intermediate position. The ride vehicle travels along the vehicle ride path and decelerates as the ride vehicle approaches the intermediate position. The projection system projects images onto one or more walls of the tunnel, such that the images are synchronized with the deceleration of the ride vehicle and a perceived speed of the ride vehicle, as perceived by a guest in the ride vehicle, exceeds an actual speed of the ride vehicle.
Claims17
An amusement ride system, comprising:
- a plurality of set pieces configured to travel along a vehicle ride path via a first actuator, wherein the plurality of set pieces extends transversely relative to the vehicle ride path, wherein each of the plurality of set pieces comprises a respective opening;
- a ride vehicle configured to travel along the vehicle ride path through the respective openings of each of the plurality of set pieces via a second actuator;
- and
- a controller configured to control the first actuator of the plurality of set pieces and the second actuator of the ride vehicle to coordinate a speed of first movement of the plurality of set pieces along the vehicle ride path and a speed of second movement of the ride vehicle along the vehicle ride path to provide a perception of travel speed to a rider of the ride vehicle that differs from the speed of the second movement of the ride vehicle.
A method for coordinating motion of amusement park components, the method comprising:
- controlling, via control circuitry, motion of a ride vehicle along a vehicle ride path, wherein a portion of the vehicle ride path is enclosed by a tunnel having a length between a first end and a second end of the tunnel;
- decelerating, via the control circuitry, the ride vehicle as the ride vehicle enters the tunnel via the first end of the tunnel as the ride vehicle is traveling along the vehicle ride path in a first direction;
- and
- translating, via the control circuitry and a first actuator, a plurality of set pieces along a set piece path in a second direction, opposite the first direction, between the first end and the second end as the ride vehicle travels along the vehicle ride path in the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.