LINEAR MOTOR DRIVEN AMUSEMENT RIDE AND METHOD

Abstract

A waterslide amusement ride having in a portion thereof, a linear induction motor to efficiently and effectively affect the motion of a vehicle sliding on the ride. The linear induction motor comprises linear induction motor units embedded below a sliding surface, and a reaction plate mounted to the bottom of the vehicle. Depending on the configuration of the linear induction motor units and the reaction plate, the linear induction motor drive can be used to accelerate the vehicle, decelerate the vehicle, maintain the speed of the vehicle up an uphill section, or rotate the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an uphill section of a flume of an embodiment of the present invention with a sliding surface of the flume removed to show components underneath;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the uphill flume section of FIG. 1 with the side walls of the flume removed to show a vehicle thereon;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a portion of the uphill flume section of FIG. 1 with the vehicle sliding thereon;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional end view of the portion of the uphill flume section shown in FIG. 1 with the vehicle sliding thereon;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an exemplary control system for the uphill flume section of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bowl of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective partial cut-away view of a funnel of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an uphill flume section of a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional end view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a side view of a flume ride feature in accordance with a method of the present invention.

Claims

1. An amusement ride feature comprising: a sliding surface;a vehicle adapted to slide on said sliding surface and to convey at least one rider thereon; anda linear motor associated with the vehicle and the sliding surface for affecting sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

2. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the linear motor is a linear induction motor.

3. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the linear motor is a linear synchronous motor.

4. The amusement ride feature of claim 2 wherein the linear motor comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and at least one reaction plate mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto, said at least one reaction plate covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface.

5. The amusement ride feature of claim 2 wherein the sliding surface is a waterslide sliding surface.

6. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein said linear motor comprises at least one reaction plate mounted to said vehicle.

7. The amusement ride feature of claim 6 wherein said at least one reaction plate is mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto.

8. The amusement ride feature of claim 7 wherein said at least one reaction plate is covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface.

9. The amusement ride feature of claim 6 wherein said linear motor further comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface.

10. The amusement ride feature of claim 8 wherein said linear motor further comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface.

11. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 further comprising sensors for detecting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, said vehicle parameter comprising at least one of a linear speed, a rotational speed, a direction of movement, a weight and a position of the vehicle, and a controller for operating the linear motor as a function of the detected vehicle parameter of the vehicle.

12. The amusement ride feature of claim 10 further comprising sensors for detecting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, said vehicle parameter comprising at least one of a linear speed, a rotational speed, a direction of movement, a weight and a position of the vehicle, and a controller for operating the linear motor as a function of the detected vehicle parameter of the vehicle.

13. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein the linear motor is adapted to maintain a speed of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

14. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein the linear motor is adapted to accelerate the vehicle on the sliding surface.

15. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein the linear motor is adapted to decelerate the vehicle on the sliding surface.

16. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein the linear motor is adapted to control a rotational speed of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

17. The amusement ride feature of claim 5 wherein the linear motor is adapted to change a direction of movement of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

18. The amusement ride feature of claim 1 wherein the ride feature is flume-style, the sliding surface is a bottom surface of a water flume, and said vehicle is adapted to convey said at least one rider along said water flume.

19. The amusement ride feature of claim 18 wherein the linear motor is a linear induction motor.

20. The amusement ride feature of claim 18 wherein the linear motor is a linear synchronous motor.

21. The amusement ride feature of claim 19 wherein the linear motor comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface along the flume, and at least one reaction plate mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto, said at least one reaction plate covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface.

22. The amusement ride feature of claim 19 wherein the sliding surface is a waterslide sliding surface.

23. The amusement ride feature of claim 19 wherein said linear motor comprises at least one reaction plate mounted to said vehicle.

24. The amusement ride feature of claim 23 wherein said at least one reaction plate is mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto.

25. The amusement ride feature of claim 24 wherein said at least one reaction plate is covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface.

26. The amusement ride feature of claim 23 wherein said linear motor further comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface along said flume.

27. The amusement ride feature of claim 25 wherein said linear motor further comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface along said flume.

28. The amusement ride feature of claim 23 wherein said at least one reaction plate is mounted on a side of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto, and wherein said linear motor further comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units mounted on a side surface of said flume.

29. The amusement ride feature of claim 22 further comprising sensors for detecting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, said vehicle parameter comprising at least one of a linear speed, a rotational speed, a direction of movement, a weight and a position of the vehicle, and a controller for operating the linear motor as a function of the detected vehicle parameter of the vehicle.

30. The amusement ride feature of claim 29 wherein said sensors are provided upstream of, and along a linear motor portion of the flume bearing the linear motor, said sensors adapted to detect a linear speed of the vehicle as it approaches the linear motor portion and while it is in said linear motor portion, and said controller is adapted to control the linear motor as a function of the detected speed to achieve a predetermined desired speed of the vehicle as it exits the linear motor portion.

31. The amusement ride feature of claim 27 further comprising sensors for detecting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, said vehicle parameter comprising at least one of a linear speed, a rotational speed, a direction of movement, a weight and a position of the vehicle, and a controller for operating the linear motor as a function of the detected vehicle parameter of the vehicle.

32. The amusement ride feature of claim 22 wherein the linear motor is adapted to maintain a speed of the vehicle in the flume.

33. The amusement ride feature of claim 28 wherein the linear motor is adapted to maintain the speed of the vehicle in an uphill portion of the flume.

34. The amusement ride feature of claim 22 wherein the linear motor is adapted to accelerate the vehicle in the flume.

35. The amusement ride feature of claim 22 wherein the linear motor is adapted to decelerate the vehicle in the flume.

36. The amusement ride feature of claim 22 wherein the linear motor is adapted to control a rotational speed of the vehicle in the flume.

37. The amusement ride feature of claim 22 wherein the linear motor is adapted to change a direction of movement of the vehicle in the flume.

38. An amusement ride which includes a feature comprising: a sliding surface;a vehicle adapted to slide on said sliding surface and to convey at least one rider thereon; anda linear motor associated with the vehicle and the sliding surface for affecting sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

39. The amusement ride feature of claim 38 wherein the linear motor is a linear induction motor.

40. The amusement ride feature of claim 38 wherein the linear motor is a linear synchronous motor.

41. The amusement ride of claim 39 wherein the linear motor comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and at least one reaction plate mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto, said at least one reaction plate covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface.

42. The amusement ride of claim 39 wherein the sliding surface is a waterslide sliding surface.

43. The amusement ride of claim 39 wherein the feature is flume-style, the sliding surface is a bottom surface of a water flume, and said vehicle is adapted to convey said at least one rider along said water flume.

44. The amusement ride of claim 43 wherein the sliding surface is a waterslide sliding surface.

45. A method of controlling the sliding motion of a vehicle sliding on a sliding surface in an amusement ride, comprising operating a linear motor associated with the vehicle and the sliding surface.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the linear motor is a linear induction motor.

47. The method of claim 45 wherein the linear motor is a linear synchronous motor.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein the linear motor comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and at least one reaction plate mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto, said at least one reaction plate covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface, and said operating of said linear motor comprises energizing the linear induction motor units to create a magnetic field which imparts a lateral force on the reaction plate.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the sliding surface is a waterslide sliding surface.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein the ride feature is flume-style, the sliding surface is a bottom surface of a water flume, and said vehicle conveys said at least one rider along said water flume.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the sliding surface is a waterslide sliding surface.

52. A method of controlling the sliding motion of a vehicle sliding on a sliding surface in an amusement ride, comprising: providing the sliding surface;placing the vehicle on the sliding surface; andoperating a linear motor associated with the vehicle and the sliding surface.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the linear motor is a linear induction motor.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein the linear motor is a linear synchronous motor.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein the linear motor comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and at least one reaction plate mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto, said at least one reaction plate covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface, and said operating of said linear motor comprises energizing the linear induction motor units to create a magnetic field which imparts a lateral force on the reaction plate.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein the sliding surface is a waterslide sliding surface.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein said linear motor comprises at least one reaction plate mounted to said vehicle.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein said at least one reaction plate is mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein said at least one reaction plate is covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface.

60. The method of claim 57 wherein said linear motor further comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and said operating of said linear motor comprises energizing the linear induction motor units to create a magnetic field which imparts a lateral force on the reaction plate.

61. The method of claim 59 wherein said linear motor further comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and said operating of said linear motor comprises energizing the linear induction motor units to create a magnetic field which imparts a lateral force on the reaction plate.

62. The method of claim 56 further comprising: providing sensors for detecting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, said vehicle parameter comprising at least one of a linear speed, a rotational speed, a direction of movement, a weight and a position of the vehicle;providing a controller for operating the linear motor; andoperating the controller to operate the linear motor as a function of the detected vehicle parameter of the vehicle.

63. The method of claim 61 further comprising: providing sensors for detecting a vehicle parameter of the vehicle, said vehicle parameter comprising at least one of a linear speed, a rotational speed, a direction of movement, a weight and a position of the vehicle; andproviding a controller for operating the linear motor as a function of the detected vehicle parameter of the vehicle; andoperating the controller to operate the linear motor as a function of the detected vehicle parameter of the vehicle.

64. The method of claim 60 wherein the linear motor is operated to maintain a speed of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

65. The method of claim 60 wherein the linear motor is operated to accelerate the vehicle on the sliding surface.

66. The method of claim 60 wherein the linear motor is operated to decelerate the vehicle on the sliding surface.

67. The method of claim 60 wherein the linear motor is operated to control a rotational speed of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

68. The method of claim 60 wherein the linear motor is operated to change a direction of movement of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

69. An amusement ride sliding surface for bearing a vehicle in sliding relationship thereto, said vehicle conveying at least one rider and having affixed thereto at least one reaction component, said sliding surface having located therebeneath, a plurality of linear induction motor units for interacting with the at least one reaction component affixed to the vehicle to affect sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

70. The amusement ride sliding surface of claim 69 wherein the sliding surface is a bottom surface of a waterslide flume.

71. An amusement ride vehicle adapted to slide on an amusement ride sliding surface and to convey at least one rider thereon, said vehicle having affixed thereto at least one reaction plate for interacting with linear induction motor units associated with the sliding surface to affect sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface.

72. The amusement ride vehicle of claim 71 wherein said at least one reaction plate is mounted near a bottom of said vehicle and substantially parallel thereto.

73. The amusement ride vehicle of claim 72 wherein said at least one reaction plate is covered by a vehicle bottom surface which slides on the sliding surface.

74. The amusement ride vehicle of claim 73 wherein the ride vehicle is a waterslide vehicle, and the sliding surface is a bottom surface of a flume.

75. The amusement ride feature of claim 2 wherein the linear motor comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and at least one electromagnet mounted near a bottom of said vehicle.

76. The amusement ride feature of claim 2 wherein the linear motor comprises a plurality of linear induction motor units located beneath the sliding surface, and at least one permanent magnet mounted near a bottom of said vehicle.