Reducing radius slide feature
AssigneeProSlide Technology Inc.
InventorRichard D Hunter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flume ride is provided having a funnel-shaped slide feature having a relatively larger entry end and a relatively smaller exit end, the funnel-shaped slide feature being configured and arranged such that a rider enters at the wider end with a predetermined expected velocity and swings back and forth and/or spins around the inner surface of the funnel before safely draining through the smaller end. Optionally, the wider end of the slide feature may be covered so as to darken its interior, and/or the slide feature may be configured such that the rider swings above a vertical portion of the inner surface. Additionally, a flume ride is provided having a plurality of such slide features.
Claims20
A slide feature comprising:
- an entry slide path sized and adapted to carry one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon;
- and
- a generally symmetrically formed main funnel portion having a conical sliding surface, an entry end sized and adapted for receiving riders/vehicles from said entry slide path, and an exit end,
- wherein said main funnel portion is tilted on its side relative to a central axis thereof such that a lower-most surface thereof is at least parallel to or slightly inclined from horizontal descending from said entry end to said exit end, said entry end is substantially larger in diameter than said exit end, and said entry end of said main funnel portion is substantially covered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.