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US 12,697,553 B2Granted
Propulsion for amusement park ride
AssigneeUniversal City Studios LLC
InventorsSarah Anne Kelley, Eric Allan Vance
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods, apparatuses, and systems for implementing a vehicle system for amusement parks. A vehicle system can have one or more vehicles for carrying passengers. Each vehicle can be propelled via a propulsion assembly that is propelled by a flow of fluid. In some aspects, the propulsion assembly can provide one or more adjustable surfaces that extend into the flow of fluid in a trough.
Claims18
A vehicle system comprising:
- a trough with a first fluid in the trough;
- and
- a vehicle comprising a propulsion assembly, the propulsion assembly comprising a first controllable surface and a second controllable surface that are configured to engage the first fluid,
- wherein the first controllable surface is adjustable to control a first force applied on the first controllable surface by the first fluid and the second controllable surface is adjustable to control a second force applied on the second controllable surface by the first fluid,
- wherein the first controllable surface and the second controllable surface are configured to be moved independent of each other.
2 more elements
A vehicle for an amusement park ride, the vehicle comprising:
- a hull for carrying a passenger in a body of a first fluid;
- and
- a propulsion assembly comprising a controllable surface to engage a flow of a second fluid,
- wherein the propulsion assembly is configured to adjust the controllable surface from a first configuration to a second configuration to change at least one of a speed or a direction of the vehicle in the body of fluid,
- wherein the controllable surface comprises at least one moveable propulsion element,
- wherein the at least one moveable propulsion element comprises a first propulsion element and a second propulsion element that are configured to be moved independent of each other to control respective forces received from the flow of the second fluid.
3 more elements
A method of operating an amusement park ride, the method comprising:
- generating a flow of a first fluid in a trough extending on a floor;
- propelling a vehicle above the floor using the flow of the first fluid, the vehicle comprising a propulsion assembly;
- and
- adjusting a controllable surface of the propulsion assembly to engage the flow of first fluid to control a force applied on the controllable surface by the flow of first fluid, wherein the controllable surface comprises at least one moveable propulsion element configured to be adjusted in a plurality of configurations, wherein the at least one moveable propulsion element comprises a first propulsion element and a second propulsion element that are configured to be moved independent of each other to control respective forces received from the flow of the first fluid.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.