Amusement ride track with motion base
AssigneeUniversal City Studios LLLP
InventorsSteven C. Blum, Michael R. Kiddoo, Scott R. Trowbridge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An amusement ride has a track defining a ride vehicle path with a section of the track that can be decoupled from the main track and is subsequently movable on or about up to three axes with between one and six independent degrees of freedom.
Claims18
A motion track for an amusement ride having a guide system defining a ride path for a ride vehicle, the motion track comprising:
- a movable track section decoupleable from adjacent connected fixed track sections of the ride path;
- and
- a motion base supporting the movable track section and the motion base being configured for moving the movable track section in a direction along any of three coordinate axes, or any combination thereof, while also being configured for carrying out pitch, roll and yaw motions with the movable track section when the movable track section is decoupled.
A method for imparting motion to a ride vehicle at a point along a ride path in an amusement ride having a track defining the ride path, the method comprising the steps of:
- decoupling a movable track section from surrounding fixed sections of the track;
- operating a motion base connected to the movable track section to move the movable track section in a direction along any of three coordinate axes, or any combination thereof, while also being configured for carrying out pitch, roll and yaw motions with the movable track section.
An amusement ride having a guide system defining a ride path for a ride vehicle, comprising a movable track section of the ride path decoupleable from surrounding fixed track sections of the ride path connected to motion means supporting the movable track section and the motion base being configured for moving the movable track section in a direction along any of three coordinate axes, or any combination thereof, while also being configured for carrying out pitch, roll and yaw motions with the movable track section when the movable track section is decoupled from the surrounding fixed track sections.
A motion track for an amusement ride having a guide system defining a ride path for a ride vehicle, the track section comprising:
- a movable track section decoupleable from adjacent connected fixed track sections of the ride path;
- a motion base supporting the movable track section and having from two to six independent degrees of freedom for moving the movable track section in a direction along any three coordinate axes, pitch, roll and yaw directions when the movable track section is decoupled;
- and
- sensing means associated with the movable track section for determining when the movable track section is aligned with at least one adjacent track section of the ride path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.