Random path flume ride
AssigneeProSlide Technology Inc.
InventorRichard D. Hunter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides an improved water flume ride having one or more slide effects for presenting multiple random flume paths to riders. In one embodiment, a water flume comprises a primary flume portion, an uphill embankment culminating in a crest, and two or more adjoining secondary flume portions. The secondary flume portions provide mutually exclusive ride paths which are selected according to the particular kinetic energy and/or momentum possessed by a rider ascending toward the crest of the uphill embankment.
Claims17
A multi-path flume ride comprising:
- a generally downwardly-inclined main slide path sized and adapted to carry one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon and wherein each of the riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon has an associated kinetic energy and velocity;
- a velocity filter positioned at a selected desired point along the main slide path and being sized and adapted to intercept moving riders and/or ride vehicles and to deplete therefrom a threshold amount of velocity, said velocity filter being thereby adapted to discriminate riders and/or ride vehicles according to said associated velocity relative to said threshold amount of velocity;
- a first auxiliary slide path sized and adapted to carry one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon and arranged and adapted to receive and pass riders and/or ride vehicles whose velocity is greater than said threshold amount of velocity as determined by the velocity filter.
A flume ride comprising a main flume being sized and adapted to carry one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon and wherein each of the riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon has an associated kinetic energy and velocity, said main flume having a first generally downhill flume portion transitioning to a second generally uphill flume portion extending over a crest, and an auxiliary flume substantially smoothly transitioning and/or extending from the intersection of the first generally downhill flume portion and the second generally uphill flume portion whereby one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding along the main flume will continue either along one of the auxiliary flume and the second generally uphill flume, the auxiliary flume and the second generally uphill flume being arranged and configured such that the probability of a rider's path following a particular flume is substantially determined at least in part by the velocity of said rider.
A flume ride for allowing one or more riders to slide along a sliding surface, comprising a main flume path sized and adapted to carry one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon having an associated kinetic energy and velocity, said main flume path having a first generally downhill flume portion substantially smoothly transitioning into an uphill flume portion culminating at a crest or high-point, a first auxiliary flume path comprising an extension of said main flume path following the crest of the uphill embankment portion, a second auxiliary flume path comprising a sliding surface smoothly transitioning from and extending generally parallel to and at least partially adjoining the uphill embankment portion of said main flume path, the main flume path and said first and second auxiliary flumes paths all being sized and arranged such that riders and/or ride vehicles sliding along the flume ride slide down the first generally downhill flume portion and up the uphill flume portion and then, depending upon the velocity and/or kinetic energy of said rider or ride vehicle, continue sliding either:
- (i) over the crest of the uphill flume portion and down the first auxiliary flume path, or (ii) back down the uphill flume portion and down the second auxiliary flume path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.