US 5,161,104 A · Amusement ride having pivotable ingress-egress bridges

Abstract

A method and system is provided for moving passengers in and out of an amusement ride of the type having a passenger cabin capable of movement in multiple degrees of freedom within an enclosure. The cabin includes ingress doors on one side of the cabin and egress doors on the other side to admit and discharge passengers from seats within the cabin. Another set of ingress and egress doors are provided on opposite sides of the enclosure in respective alignment with the ingress and egress doors of the cabin when the cabin is at rest in a loading position. A plurality of ingress and egress platforms, located outside the operating envelope of the cabin when the cabin is in motion, are adapted to be moved to a deployed position when the cabin is in the loading position to connect the ingress and egress doors of the enclosure with the ingress and egress doors of the cabin. In this way, movement of passengers in and out of the cabin, which is spaced from the enclosure, is provided in a rapid and orderly fashion. Control means in the form of a computer also are included for controlling and coordinating the various movements of the doors, platforms and cabin. Restraints in the passenger seats also can be controlled by the computer so that the amusement ride cannot begin until the restraints in each occupied seat are fastened.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system for providing passenger ingress and egress in an amusement ride having a passenger cabin movable within an operating envelope and an enclosure outside the operating envelope, said system comprising:

a plurality of first doors arranged on surfaces of said cabin, said doors providing access to ingress and egress paths within said cabin;
a plurality of second doors arranged on surfaces of said enclosure, said second doors being substantially in alignment with said first doors when said cabin is in a loading position;
a substantially horizontal ledge within said enclosure having one end connected to said enclosure under said second doors and a free end located outside the operating envelope of said cabin;
a bridge pivotally connected to the free end of said ledge for pivoting motion between a retracted position, in which said bridge is pivotally retracted against said enclosure and above said ledge outside the operating envelope of said cabin, and a deployed position, in which said bridge is pivoted away from said enclosure to provide access from said ledge to said cabin through said first and second doors when said cabin is in said loading position;
pivoting means for pivoting said bridge between said retracted and said deployed positions;
and
control means for controlling and coordinating the opening of said first doors and said second doors and the pivoting of said platforms so as to enable rapid passenger ingress and egress to and from said cabin when said cabin is in said loading position.

4 more elements

a plurality of first doors arranged on surfaces of said cabin, said first doors providing access to ingress and egress paths within said cabin;
a plurality of second doors arranged on surfaces of said enclosure, said second doors being substantially in alignment with said first doors when said cabin is in a loading position;
a plurality of retractable platforms, each of said platforms comprising a substantially horizontal ledge within said enclosure having one end connected to said enclosure under said second doors and a free end located outside the operating envelope of said cabin, a bridge pivotally connected to the free end of said ledge for pivoting motion between a retracted position, in which said bridge is pivotally retracted against said enclosure and above said ledge outside the operating envelope of said cabin, and a deployed position, in which said bridge is pivoted away from said enclosure to provide access from said ledge to said cabin through said first and second doors when said cabin is in said loading position, and an actuator for pivoting said bridge between said retracted and said deployed positions, wherein said actuator is a linear actuator having one end pivotally connected to said enclosure underneath said ledge and another end pivotally attached to said bridge adjacent to the free end of said ledge;
and
control means for controlling and coordinating the opening of said first doors and said second doors and the pivoting of said platforms so as to enable rapid passenger ingress and egress to and from said cabin when said cabin is in said loading position.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Amusement ride having pivotable ingress-egress bridges

Life of this patent

Amusement ride having pivotable ingress-egress bridges

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17