Patent Grant
7905790
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to theme or amusement park rides with video or projected images, and, more particularly, to ride designs that use vehicles to move passengers through a themed attraction or ride with show portions and that use doors or other devices to separate and/or isolate various segments of the ride or show (e.g., to block light and/or sound from traveling along a track with the passenger vehicles or to prevent or minimize mixing of ride or show segments).
2. Relevant Background
Millions of people visit amusement parks each year, and park operators seek rides to attract new and returning visitors to their parks including rides that make their parks unique compared with their competitors' parks. In theme and other amusement parks, most attractions utilize vehicles even when the attraction is a walk-through or slower ride because vehicles or people movers are useful for delivering entertainment to large numbers of guests (e.g., some rides have theoretical capacities of hundreds and even thousands of guests per hour) and maintain throughput or flow of the guests or passengers through the rides. Many rides include a slower portion or segment to allow them to easily provide a “show” in which animation, movies, three-dimensional (3D) effects and displays, audio, and other effects are presented in a carefully timed or synchronized manner to vehicles proceeding through such show portions. The show portions of rides are often run or started upon sensing the presence of a vehicle and are typically designed to be most effective when vehicles travel through the show portion at a particular speed such as several feet per second (or a typical walking pace or somewhat faster or slower).
In a typical show or theme ride, guests or passengers may walk into and through a pre-show area (e.g., a queue or waiting area) in which video or other effects such as animatronics are used to introduce the story or show to be provided during the ride. The guests then enter a loading area where they are loaded into a series of vehicles or people movers. The vehicles, which may be attached to a drive chain or cable, are moved along a track that is divided up into a number of show segments or portions. Some rides include video effects such as three-dimensional (3D) videos, and images are projected upon screens that are typically positioned along the walls or ceilings near the moving vehicles. To provide better viewing of these displayed images, the vehicles may be complex and costly such as vehicles with many moving parts and degree of freedom (DOF) motors to rotate the vehicle to view screens to the left or to the right of the moving vehicle. Vehicles may also include doors, roofs, and/or windows to direct the guests to view in a particular direction or to provide limited, directed line of sight toward show aspects. The projected images are preferably closely synchronized to the location and rate of travel of the vehicles, and this may require numerous sensors to determine the location of the vehicles and controllers to precisely start and stop projection of images based on sensed vehicle locations. For rides with 3D projected video, the passengers may also be given 3D glasses to wear. The show effects may also include animatronics and a set to add to the 3D effect or realism of displayed images.
It is typically desirable to separate the various show segments or portions to isolate the audio and lights associated with each segment to a particular length of the track, e.g., such that passengers can only see one show segment at a time. Rides may be configured to provide show segmentation and isolation by providing a circuitous path for the track with differing show segments provided in different “rooms” or along various lengths of track that may be separated by a bend or two in the track. Such an open track design may not prevent sounds and lights from traveling between these “rooms” or sections of the track especially in particularly loud shows or ones with bright lighting effects or displays. The bleed over or mixing of show segments may ruin the show effect for lead or trail vehicles or at least detract from the overall ride enjoyment for some of the guests.
To better isolate various show segments, the ride design may include doors or other barriers between neighboring show segments. For example, a door (e.g., a show action door) may be provided in a show tunnel that is operated to open to allow a series of vehicles to move from one show segment or room to another and then operated to close. The door may be a two-part door with each side or half hung on hinges and moved or swung open with hydraulic devices in response to a sensor detecting an approaching vehicle. The show action doors are desirable within the attraction for defining and isolating the individual scenes and for controlling light and sound. Unfortunately, these action doors may be expensive to design, install, and maintain due to the mechanical drive systems and electronic and optical sensors and/or control elements. Further and in some cases more importantly, existing show action doors are often undesirable because opening and closing them can be too loud, e.g., the hydraulic actuators used to open and close the doors typically generate noises that are heard by passengers in the vehicles that may distract the passengers from the show features and these noises are difficult to mask.
Hence, there remains a need for theme ride designs that provide effective ways to separate one show or ride segment from another and that support display of video images. Preferably, such ride designs would provide a very quiet way of isolating the show segments to limit distractions that may effect a passenger's or guest's enjoyment of a theme ride or ride with a show portion.
The present invention addresses the above problems by providing vehicle and screen assemblies that are adapted to provide touch free (or no contact) ride-through screen experiences in theme or amusement park rides. In this regard, a “screen” is considered any movable or pivotable show or scenic element that may be positioned in a vehicle's path. To this end, a vehicle may be equipped with a number of levitation rails that extend over a curved exterior surface of a vehicle. Each of these rails may be used to house a plurality of permanent magnets with like poles oriented outward or toward an exterior surface of the rail. A screen, door, animatronic figure, or other scenic element may be placed across or orthogonal to a track traveled or followed by the vehicle, and the screen may be segmented or include a number of segments similar to triangular wedges of a pie, be a side-by-side door arrangement, be a single mural or projector screen, or the like. Each screen segment is mounted with a hinge or other pivoting mount on a side of the body (e.g., triangle's base, rectangular door's edge, or the like). To provide magnetic levitation, one or more permanent magnets is placed in the tip of the segment body with a like pole as those in an aligned or corresponding levitation rail on the vehicle. Hence, as the vehicle passes through the closed screen, the screen segments are levitated away from the levitation rails by mutually repulsive or repelling magnetic forces, with the shape and length of the levitation rail or series of magnets being chosen to trace or approximate the swing or travel path of the magnets in the tips/edges of the screen segments as the segments rotate about their bases or mounted edges. In this manner, embodiments of the invention provide a screen actuating vehicle along with a passive screen in a ride path that may be used for displaying projected images as well as providing sound and light control to better define portions of a themed ride or attraction.
More particularly, an assembly is provided for use with a vehicle track of a ride system in a theme or amusement park to create a ride-through screen experience. The assembly includes a vehicle for carrying passengers that has a base adapted for mating with or riding on the vehicle track and, typically, for seating the passengers. The vehicle also includes a top or roof assembly with first and second sets of magnetic elements on an exterior surface of the top assembly, with each of the sets having a like pole oriented outward from the exterior surface. The assembly further includes a screen assembly with first and second screen segments (e.g., planar fabric sheets or the like that are pivotably mounted adjacent to each otherThe so as to hang or be positioned in a closed position for the screen assembly) that are transverse or, in some cases, orthogonal to the vehicle track. The first and second screen segments each include a magnetic element with an exposed pole that matches the outward facing pole of the corresponding or paired one of the sets of magnetic elements on the vehicle. During operation, the first and second screen segments are magnetically levitated away from the top assembly when the vehicle passes through the screen assembly on the ride track without the segments touching the vehicle.
The magnetic elements of each set may be permanent magnets that are arranged along a length of a levitation rail that is provided in the top assembly. The screen segments may have a body with a triangular shape (such as an isosceles triangle), and the magnet elements of the screen segments are provided in a tip that is distal to a base side of the triangular body. The levitation rails may then have a curved geometry or shape that is selected based on or to trace a swing or travel path followed by the corresponding one of the screen segment magnetic elements as the screen segment is rotated about the pivotable or hinged mount, e.g., about the base of the triangular body. The body may be formed of a material(s) to provide a projection surface for displaying a video image projected from one or more projectors. The screen assembly may also include third and fourth screen segments mounted adjacent the first and second segments, with these two segments also being triangular in shape and including a magnetic element in or near their tips. In this case, the vehicle will typically include third and fourth levitation rails that are arranged to be aligned (and their housed magnets) with the magnetic elements of one of the screen segments.
For example, the magnetic elements may be a plurality of permanent magnets (such as rare earth magnets) aligned within about 0.25 inches of the swing path of the corresponding screen segment magnets that are linearly arranged with a spacing between neighboring magnets of less than about 0.125 inches. The top assembly may include a flexible cover that extends between at least two of the levitation rails and one or more of the levitation rails may be positionable (e.g., rotated about its mounting points or the like) in a closed position and in an open position in which passengers may enter and exit the vehicle. The screen segments may close or return to the original or transverse plane passively under forces of gravity and/or return mechanisms may be provided as part of or separately to the mounting assembly to apply a force to the body of the screen segments to return them to the original position across the vehicle track or vehicle travel path.
Briefly, embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems, and associated methods, for theme or amusement park rides that provide a ride with show portions and a drive or ride-through screen. In some embodiments, the ride-through screen is also used as a projection screen such as for a video projection surface. The ride-through screen may be segmented with each segment rotating about its base or mounting end and including an actuator member at its tip (e.g., at its point when the segments are triangular in shape). The ride also includes a vehicle that is configured to actuate and/or move the ride-through screen (e.g., the vehicle and screen make up a vehicle/screen assembly of the invention). The vehicle is driven by a drive system such as a cable or chain drive or other useful drive arrangement for rides along a track that causes the vehicle to pass through a frame supporting the screen segments such as on hinges or similar mounts.
In one preferred embodiment, magnetic levitation is used such that the vehicle passes through the screen without contact (i.e., touch free) with screen segments. In this embodiment, the vehicle includes a top, cover, or roof with two or more levitation rail assemblies. Each such assembly includes an elongate, curved (or arcuate) rail extending over the vehicle top, which also is typically curved in shape (e.g., generally elliptical or spherical in shape or, in some cases, the vehicle body may be relatively egg-shaped with a shorter, wider base and a longer, more pointed front end corresponding to the trailing and leading ends of the vehicle while other cases may have a spherical vehicle body). The rail includes a groove or recessed surface along its length for receiving a series of magnets such as strong permanent magnets that are disk or circular in shape, are bar shaped, or other shapes, with each of the magnets being arranged with a same or like pole directed upward or outward from the rail (e.g., north or south poles facing out of the recessed surface).
In this embodiment, each of the segments of the screen includes at least one magnet near the tip or an edge (or an exposed portion) with the pole selected such that as the vehicle's rail approaches the screen magnetic repulsion of the screen magnets by the rail magnets causes the screen segments to be actuated (e.g., the magnet in the screen tip or edge acts as the actuator member of the tip or edge) or to be levitated away from the passing vehicle. The number of rails is selected to match the number of screen segments, and the location and shape of the rails is selected to align the series of magnets in the rail with the magnet(s) in the tip or edge at least at initial contact but more typically along the entire length of the rail or vehicle body so as to cause the screen segments to float over the top of the vehicle's outer surface. In other embodiments, the actuator member in the segment tip or edge/side is a roller that contacts the rail surface and rolls along the vehicle roof as the vehicle passes through to the next room or portion of the ride. After the vehicle passes through, the screen segments are returned to a closed position (e.g., each segment may be mounted on hinges and may return to a closed position due to the forces of gravity and/or counterweights may be provided to assist gravity (or for more horizontally mounted segments)), and, in the case of magnetic actuator members, the tips or edges of the screens/doors may be held together or in proximity (at least with a small amount of force) by the magnetic fields of the adjacent magnets.
The vehicle and screen assembly 130 may be thought of as combining the separate functions of a people mover and show action door into a single assembly or system with a master and slave relationship. The ride vehicle 132 is a dual-purpose component that provides show delivery (e.g., moving people through or to a show in ride system 100) and also provides show activating. Regarding the show activating function, the vehicle 132 functions itself to actuate or move the screen 150 rather than requiring the ride system 100 to include a number of vehicle sensors that are used to trigger noisy hydraulic actuators to operate a show action door. The screen assembly 150 is a passive component of the assembly 130 and is typically provided in relatively simple form (e.g., screen material mounted to rotate about hinged mounts or the like), which eliminates much of the mechanics and controls to reduce fabrication and maintenance costs. In some cases, the fabrication and operating costs of such a passive screen 150 are low enough that the ride may include many of such screens within one attraction or ride system 100, which allows the screens 150 themselves to be incorporated into the show to become a featured element to entertain the passengers of the vehicle 132.
As shown, the ride system 100 is adapted for a theme-type ride in which various show scenes or portions are provided in a series of rooms 110, 160. The ride system 100 may include a show wall 107 (e.g., a tunnel defined by two sidewalls and a ceiling/roof) extending along (and around in some cases) a ride track 120 that may include one or more rails or other components used to guide a vehicle 132 along a path through the ride system 100. A show including video and audio and other display components may be provided in the ride system 100. For example, as shown, a projection screen or surface 109 may be provided on the wall 107 of room 110 and video projection equipment 111 may be activated to display a scene or portion of a show to the vehicle 132 (e.g., in response to sensing of the location of the vehicle 132 within the room 110 by sensors 113). The show may also include audio from speakers and/or other audio equipment 115, and, of course, nearly any display devices such as high definition displays may be used for display screen 109 and projection device 111 (which may, instead, be incorporated in device 109 such as in a rear projection device, in a crystal display, or other device).
In some embodiments, the ride-through screen assembly 150 is also used as a video screen or display. As shown, the assembly 150 may include a frame (or mounting structure) 152 that supports and positions two or more screen segments 156 to separate room 110 from adjacent or neighboring room 160 defined by wall or tunnel 107. Specifically, the screen segments 156 are positioned or hung such that they are blocking or across/transverse to the path of the vehicle 132 in the ride assembly 100. In other words, the screen segments 156 are arranged transverse (and, in some cases, orthogonal) to the track 120 followed by the vehicle 132. A projector or projection assembly 117 may be provided to display video or still images upon the screen segments 156. Typically, the displayed images on segments 156 will be tied to the show provided on screen 109 and within room 110 and may even disguise the opening to the next room 160 (e.g., to increase a dark ride effect such as an illusion of danger of a crash, of travel through an environment such as a thick jungle, or the like).
The vehicle 132 generally includes a base or body 134 with wheels/casters 136 and is driven at a velocity, VCAR, along the track 120 by a drive 124 such as a drive cable or chain moving at a velocity, VCABLE, as shown at 125 and attached to the vehicle body 134 via linkage 126 extending up through slot or guide groove 122. Typically, these two velocities would be substantially the same and in many theme or show portions of a ride system 100 may be relatively small in magnitude (such as less than 10 feet per second and often less than about 5 feet per second), but vehicle velocity, VCAR, is generally not a limiting feature of the invention with the vehicle and screen assembly 130 being adapted in some embodiments for much higher speeds (e.g., the screen 150 can be actuated at high speeds by the vehicle 132).
An important concept of the ride system 100 is that the vehicle 132 is used to actuate or move the screen 150 to allow the vehicle 132 to pass from the first room 110 to the second room 160. In the illustrated embodiment 100, this is achieved by providing the screen 150 with a number of screen segments 156 that may move independently from each other such as about a rotatable or hinged edge connected to the frame or support structure 152. The vehicle 132 includes a cover or roof 140 that is adapted to actuate or move the segments 156. In some embodiments, this may be achieved by providing rollers on one of the roof 140 and the segments 156 such that the segments 156 roll over the outer surfaces of the vehicle cover or roof 140 (such as a roller provided at or near the tip or side/edge of each segment 156 that rides on a track or rail 144 of the roof 140). The screen segments 156 may then return to their original positions using their own weight (e.g., gravity based return that may be useful for at least partially vertically hanging segments 156) and/or using a forced return or force-assisted return to a closed or original position such as may be achieved with springs or other resilient members provided on the mounting assembly and/or by use of counterweights on the mounting assembly, which may be useful for segments 156 that are horizontally mounted and cannot rely on gravity and their own weight to return to a closed position.
In one preferred embodiment, the vehicle and screen assembly 130 are adapted to make use of magnetic levitation or magnetic repulsion to provide a touch free or no contact ride-through screen experience. In this embodiment, the ride vehicle 132 is designed or modified to include a set of rails 144 that are arranged on the cover 140 to align with the sweep of the individual screen segments 156. Typically, there are at least as many rails 144 as there are segments 156 in the screen assembly 150 (or like numbers in most cases) and each rail has an outward facing, line array of permanent magnets. In each rail, the magnets all have the same magnetic pole (e.g., N or S) facing outward from an outer (or exposed “contact”) surface of the rail 144. The screen 150 is segmented into triangular segments 156 in one embodiment to provide one useful structure and function for a screen 150 that may be closed together to separate room 110 from room 160, to receive a projected image from projector 117, and also to easily separate along its seams (or dividing/neighboring edges).
Each segment may be hinged or otherwise mounted on its outside edge (e.g., edge near the structure or frame 152), and, in some embodiments, its hinged geometry is centered and perpendicular to a corresponding or paired rail on the vehicle (e.g., a line extending from a tip of the triangular segment 156 from a proximate “contact” or exterior surface of the rail or array of magnets may be orthogonal to a base edge or side of the segment that is next to the frame 152 and may also bisect this edge or side to provide desired centering or alignment of the segment 156 with the rail 144). Each screen segment 156 may have on its tip a permanent magnet of the same pole as the magnets arrayed on a matching one of the rails 144 (e.g., a rail with N poles facing outward would be paired with a segment tip having a magnet with its N pole oriented toward the oncoming vehicle 132 such as with the magnetic field generally parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle or the track 120). As the vehicle 132 moves into or proximate to a plane of the screen segments 156, the screen segments 156 are levitated away from the roof 140 by the mutually repelling magnetic forces.
The screen-actuating vehicle 132 passes through the screen 150 without contact as the segments are maintained by the magnetic repulsion at a distance (e.g., 1/32 to ½ inch or more) that will vary in magnitude based on the power of the magnets utilized in the rails 144 and tips of segments 156 and other design parameters such as weight of screens 156, resistance of hinge or other mounting assemblies, speed, VCAR, of the vehicle 132, and the like. In some embodiments, the vehicle and screen assembly 130 is configured for the vehicle 132 to pass through in one direction and, in other embodiments, the vehicle 132 may actuate the screen 150 in both directions which may require a second magnet(s) to be provided on the tip of segments 156, to have the hinged attachment operate in both directions, and to have the rail be designed for mating with and levitating the segment 156 with the tip magnet in either direction (e.g., a symmetric arrangement or the like). Further, the roof 140 and the rails 144 are adapted to allow guests to enter and exit the vehicle 132 such as by having the roof 140 open or by having at least some of the rails articulate (e.g., rails 144 on one side may be pivoted about end mounts to allow passengers to enter and exit a vehicle 132).
In the shown embodiment of assembly 130, the screen 150 includes four relatively equally sized segments 156 (e.g., isosceles triangular shapes), and the vehicle 132 includes four arcuate or curved rails 144 extending across the exterior surface of the roof or cover 140 so as to be proximate to the tips of the segments 156 when the vehicle 132 passes through the screen 150. Of course, the screen 150 may include fewer segments such as one large screen but more typically two or three segments or more such as 5, 6, or more are included, and the vehicle 132 would be configured with at least a matching number of rails or series of magnets (e.g., the magnets may be provided on the roof 140 or vehicle without use of a rail in some embodiments such as by attaching the magnets directly to the roof outer surface in a pattern to provide desired alignment with the tips of segments 156 and any included magnets).
The screen assembly 400 includes four screen segments shown by adjacent representative segments 420, 424 that meet at seam 422 when the assembly 400 is in an at rest or closed position as shown. The four segments are shown to be of equal size and shape in this embodiment 400, although this is not required to practice the invention, and, more specifically, are shown to be triangular in shape (e.g., an isosceles triangle with a tip angle, β, such as up to about 75 degrees but more typically a smaller value in the range of 30 to 60 degrees is used). A magnetic element 428, 429 is provided at or near the extreme end of the tip of each element 420, 424 and assists in maintaining the segments in a closed or mating position 450 of the assembly 400. Typically, the magnetic elements 428, 429 are permanent magnets with similar poles directed toward an oncoming vehicle on track assembly 470. Each segment 420, 424 also includes a projection surface 421, 425 which may be a side of the body of segments 420, 424 that is adapted particularly for displaying an image that is projected upon the assembly 400. An optional open area or space 460 is provided at the bottom of the screen assembly 400 to facilitate the track 470 passing through the screen assembly 400, but, in other embodiments, segments may extend into space 460, e.g., with pivotable or hinged edges provided adjacent the tracks 470 and mounted to the floor such as one on either side of tracks or guide rails for the ride system.
Segment 430 is shown in more detail to better explain one useful configuration for the screen assembly 400. Segment 430 includes a body 431 that is configured as an isosceles triangle, and a projection surface 432 is provided on the body 431 and positioned to face a vehicle on track 470. The body 431 may be fabricated from a lightweight cloth or fabric with a surface texture and/or configuration adapted to achieve a desired visual effect, e.g., to suit the projected video from a display device and/or to suit the scene or show effect provided in the room containing the screen 400. Since a lightweight fabric may be used for body 431, side cables (or rigidity elements that may be formed of wire or the like) 434 and 435 may be provided on each side to allow the fabric of body 431 to be kept in the triangular shape and/or to allow the fabric to be stretched to a desired tightness (e.g., to make the surface 432 substantially planar and the edges sharp or well defined on sides near side cables 434, 435). The side cables 434, 435 may extend the length of the sides to the tip 447 where they may be joined or simply terminate. At the other end, the side cables 434, 435 may be linked to a base member 438 such as a rod, bar, or the like that extends along the base of the triangular body 431 and the fabric of the body 431 may be attached to this base member 438. To allow the body 431 to pivot or rotate about its base, the base member 438 may be attached to a hinge or pivotable mounting device 440, which is affixed to the frame member 412 (such as on the back side as shown in
A magnet element 446 such as a permanent bar or disk magnet (e.g., a powerful rare earth magnet or the like) is provided at or proximate to the tip 447 and centrally positioned to provide alignment with the other magnets in tips of other segments and with a corresponding series of actuating or levitating magnets on a vehicle. The magnet 446 may be positioned with a pole face in a plane that is perpendicular to a plane containing the track 470 as it passes through screen 400. In other embodiments, the magnet 446 is provided at an angle such as 0 to 45 degrees from such an orthogonal plane so as to better direct a repelling magnetic field toward magnets on an approaching vehicle's cover or roof. To provide further rigidity and structure, a support member or arm 436 is provided that extends out from the base member to the tip 447 (e.g., a 0.25 to 1 inch or larger metal or plastic rod or bar that extends outward from a midpoint of base member 438 to bisect the angle, β, at the tip 447).
The roof assembly 620 is attached to the body 610 at each end as shown by mounting elements 636, 637. The frame 630 may provide supports at one or more points along the expanse or length of the top 620. Significantly, the top 620 includes a set or number of actuation or levitation rail assemblies 622, 624, 710, 720 that extend along the length of and in spaced-apart fashion across the surface of the top 620 to function to actuate and/or move corresponding screen segments of screen 400 out of the path of the vehicle 600. Each of these assemblies 622, 624, 710, 720 typically is configured similarly.
With reference, for example, to rail assembly 624, the assembly 624 includes an elongate, arcuate or curved rail 628 that is pivotably mounted at its ends to mounting elements or pins 636, 637. The rail 628 is used to support and align a series of magnets 626, e.g., a plurality of permanent disk or bar magnets with like poles facing outward from the rail 628. A cover strip 629 may optionally be provided over the magnets 626 to retain them in place in the rail 628 and/or to provide a protective and/or disguising cover (e.g., to heighten the illusion of how the screen segments are actuated or moved away from the approaching vehicle 600).
Referring again to
To allow passengers 614 to enter and exit the vehicle, one, two, or more of the rail assemblies (and the adjoining roof screen 634) typically are able to be articulated or moved. For example, as shown in
After the passenger(s) 614 are positioned into the vehicle 600, the vehicle 600 is moved along the track 470 such as through a show portion or room where a video and audio show is presented, which may include displayed imagery on screen segments or display surfaces of screen assembly 400. The vehicle 600 then transverses the screen plane containing the screen segments 420, 424, 430 until the rail assemblies 622, 624, 710, 720 initially are placed in proximity to tips of the screen segments and the magnets 428, 429, 446 contained therein. Note, there are at least as many rail assemblies as screen segments and an actuating rail assembly is aligned with or paired to each screen segment (e.g., with the rail assembly placed in proximity with the magnet of the screen segment). The magnets in each rail assembly generate a magnetic field with a like polarity as that found in the aligned, paired screen segment (e.g., both N poles or both S poles), and this creates a repelling or levitating magnetic force between the nearest one, two, or more magnets in the rail and the tip magnet(s). As a result, the tip and the corresponding screen segment are pushed away from the proximal magnet(s) of the rail, which are approaching the screen assembly 400 at the velocity, VCAR, of the vehicle 600.
The rails are shaped such that as the vehicle travels through the screen each magnet in the series or set of levitation magnets in the rail is placed adjacent the tip magnet and repels the tip. The shape may be, as shown, a generally arcuate or elliptical shape or another shape/geometry to practice the invention with the shape depending upon the path traveled by the tip (or magnet in the tip) of the screen segment as it is rotated out of the path of the passing vehicle 600 (i.e., the invention is not limited to a particular rail shape as long as levitation is maintained as desired to provide touch free or, in some cases, a limited amount of contact such as after the passenger's or view portion of the vehicle 600 has passed the screen plane).
Some embodiments of the invention provide a vehicle and screen assembly in which the screen is actuated or moved by the vehicle, but the screen is actuated by physically contacting the exterior surface of the vehicle. For example, the vehicle may take a form similar to that shown in
At or near the tip 1013 of the segment 1000, a roller assembly 1020 is provided that may be connected with a central base or hub member 1014 to the structural member 1012. A pair of wheels, rollers, or casters 1026 may be pivotably attached (such as an axle(s)) to the hub member 1024. During operation, the rollers 1026 contact an exterior surface of a passing vehicle, such as the rail assemblies or their cover strips/sheets shown for vehicle 600. The roller 1026 typically stays in contact with the roof surface or rail as the screen segment 1000 (and others like it provided in a screen assembly) is actuated or pushed apart and around the passing vehicle. As with the screen assembly 400, the screen segment 1000 would then be returned to its original or closed position such as by gravitational forces and/or with assistance by a spring hinge, counterweight, or other mechanism.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed. One aspect of the above description is that the vehicle itself is used to actuate a screen, which may be used as a projection screen or surface for a video show portion of a themed ride. The actuation may be mechanical or by touch/contact while many preferred embodiments utilize permanent magnets such as rare earth magnets (round or bar) to magnetically repel or levitate the screen segments. To this end, a series of magnets of a same pole are arranged (such as in a rail, on the exterior surface of the roof, in recessed surfaces provided in a molded, retractable roof, or the like) to match a travel or swing path of a magnet(s) located in the tip or other portion of a screen segment as the screen segment rotates or pivots from the travel path of the vehicle. In some illustrated embodiments, the shape or configuration of the magnets may be an arc or a portion of an arc such as when the vehicle is more spherical. In other cases, the shape is more elliptical while in other cases the configuration or shape of the series of magnets on the vehicle may be somewhat irregular (e.g., a combination of linear and curved sections). The number of magnets provided on the tip of the segment may vary to practice the invention, and some embodiments use two or more magnets arranged in a line or linearly that are utilized to provide a levitating (or repulsive) force to maintain the screen segment spaced apart (e.g., up to 0.5 or more inches) from the exterior surfaces of the vehicle.
In some cases, the alignment of the magnets (or their centers) is required to be relatively close or fine with the travel or swing path of the magnet in the segment tip or edge. Such close alignment is required because of the behavior of magnets and a desire to align or orient the relative magnetic fields of the vehicle actuation magnets and the actuated (or repelled) magnets in the screen segments. In other words, the magnetic fields of the like pole magnets may have to be nearly directly opposite to provide a mutually repulsive force rather than an undesirable attraction force (e.g., improper alignment may cause the segment to be attracted to contact or be attached to the vehicle roof). In some embodiments, the alignment along the length of the series of magnets or the rail containing the magnets in vehicles using rails is in the range of plus or minus 0.25 inches, but, of course, the alignment obtained or used will vary with the geometry and power of the magnets chosen for the vehicle and screen assembly.
The illustrated embodiments show screen assemblies that are used in a single direction. However, in some embodiments, the ride system may be designed such that the vehicle may travel in both directions on a track. In such embodiments, the vehicle may be configured to be symmetric with passengers facing both directions, and the series of actuating magnets or an actuation rail/track on the roof or exterior surface of the vehicle typically would be symmetric (e.g., with a similar shape on a front half and a back half of the vehicle body). In other cases, the vehicle may turn around at some point of the track and return along a same length of the track and pass through some rooms in both directions. In either of these cases, the screen assembly may be configured such that the screen segments may open in either direction based on a two directional hinge or pivotable mounting at their base or another edge/side. Further, one or more additional magnets (or other actuation devices) may be provided on the “back” side of the screen segments near their tips or edges (e.g., a magnet with a particular pole (i.e., a pole that is the same as that exposed or facing outward on the vehicle)) is provided on both sides of the screen segment. In this way, the vehicle may actuate the screen when traveling in either direction. In these embodiments, the screen segments may also be designed as projection surfaces on both sides.
Note, also, the screen segments are shown to contain one or more magnets at or near the tip of their triangular body or edge of their non-triangular door or panel shape. In some configurations of the vehicles and their series of levitation magnets, the segment or door magnets may be provided in other locations with a key aspect being that the (or one of the) first surfaces of the segment that is positioned proximate to the approaching vehicle contains a magnet (or a mechanical mechanism) used for levitating (or moving) the screen away from or around the vehicle as it passes through or near the plane containing the screen segments.
Note, the above description uses the term “screen” to generally mean a scenic element or object that is in the pathway of the vehicle (e.g., screening the path of a vehicle and/or view of riders of such vehicles). For example,
For example,
The doors 1120, 1124 (or screen or scenic element) may be supported on frame 1112 over a track as discussed for other embodiments of the invention. Alternatively, as shown, the doors 1120, 1124 are supported over a platform or floor 1170 that has no tracks. In this embodiment, the vehicle track is removed and the door or screen assembly of
To this end, the vehicle 1200 includes a roof assembly 1204 with covers or panels (e.g., fabric or transparent/translucent materials) 1220. The roof assembly 1204 is attached at ends via mounting elements 1236. The top 1204 includes a set or at least a pair of actuation or levitation rail assemblies 1210, 1220 that extend along the length of or perimeter of the vehicle body 1210. The body 1210 differs from others shown in that it is generally spherical in shape, and the rail assemblies 1210, 1220 again include a rail 1212 housing a plurality or array of magnetic elements 1216 that are covered by a protective cover or shield 1214. The rail assemblies 1212, 1220 are positioned approximately at the midpoint of the spherical body 1210 with their location chosen to provide alignment with the magnetic elements 1128, 1129 on doors 1120, 1124 such that the vehicle 1200 functions to actuate or move the doors 1120, 1124 when the vehicle 1200 passes in proximity with the doors or in their plane.
In some embodiments, the scenic elements will be objects other than more traditional appearing doors that are placed in the path of a scenic element-actuating vehicle, and during operation, these objects are actuated or moved out of the way in response to the vehicle coming in proximity and/or contact with such objects. For example,
The illustrated embodiments of ride systems such as system 100 of
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1098711 | Clarke | Jun 1914 | A |
| 1260900 | Hartwick | Mar 1918 | A |
| 3625510 | Szigety | Dec 1971 | A |
| 3754756 | Szigety | Aug 1973 | A |
| 3831847 | Serritella | Aug 1974 | A |
| 3965613 | Saunders | Jun 1976 | A |
| 4486729 | Lee | Dec 1984 | A |
| 4726503 | Bowker | Feb 1988 | A |
| 5370430 | Mozafari | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5669821 | Prather et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5971451 | Huang | Oct 1999 | A |
| 6254489 | Drobnis et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6309306 | Geagley et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6565147 | Beals, Jr. | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6796908 | Weston | Sep 2004 | B2 |
| 7740359 | Schnuckle et al. | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 20060214756 | Elliott et al. | Sep 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 55119542 | Sep 1980 | JP |
| 4007483 | Jan 1992 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100062866 A1 | Mar 2010 | US |
