Patent Application
20240183178
The present invention relates generally to a wave forming apparatus and is partially concerned with water rides of the type provided in water-based amusement parks, particularly a wave forming apparatus and method for forming surfable waves.
It is common to observe wakes created by bows and hulls of boats in water. This has led to inventions using this concept to create “waves” in pools for purpose of surfing. Related, but different is the use of a foil moved through the water to produce the positive (upward relative the static surface) displacement resembling the peak of a wave. Foil being differentiated from hull by extending from the surface downward close to the bottom in order to be more efficient in water then a hull penetrating only part of the depth. Also the foil extends far enough above the water line to support the raised height of the wake or wave peak created by the positive displacement of water upwards and towards a shore.
Another class of moving object wake generation is a completely submerged hull which displaces water upward and outward also creating a wake.
Still another class is a surface cutting deflector which as it moves through the water lifts it and then throws it forward to create a rideable hydraulic nearly on top of the apparatus and operating in only the upper part of the total depth.
The short coming of the prior art is that only a part of the motion of a wave is created. This part is the upward and forward motion. A full wave, however, is comprised of downward and backward motion followed by upward and forward motion. A full wave surfs differently and more naturally then a partial wave of the prior art.
The wave generating apparatus of the present invention presents an elegant and effective solution to create large and ridable full waves. Specifically, a wave generating foil for use in a wave pool is disclosed. The foil has an inner surface that extends from a leading edge to a trailing edge, and the inner surface also extends below and above the water line of the wave pool. The inner surface faces the shore of the wave pool, and is constructed to be propelled along a travel line that defines a shore side and an opposite side. The inner surface has (1) a first section that extends away from the leading edge and runs substantially parallel to the travel line; and (2) a second section that extends away from the first section towards the opposite side.
The inner surface may also include a third section that extends away from the second section towards the shore side. The inner surface may also have a fourth section extending away from the third section and running substantially parallel to the travel line.
The foil may have a plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly from the travel line and intersecting the inner surface at the junction of the second and third sections. The symmetrical foil may be propelled in either direction along the travel line, and may create waves in either direction.
A wave generating system is also disclosed that incorporates the foil. The system has a wave pool, a conveyance and a foil connected to a conveyance. The conveyance can travel in a straight path or a curved path. The wave pool shore may be straight r curved. The wave pool may have a sloped floor with several slopes.
Additional aspects, alternatives and variations as would be apparent to persons of skill in the art are also disclosed herein and are specifically contemplated as included as part of the invention. The invention is set forth only in the claims as allowed by the patent office in this or related applications, and the following summary descriptions of certain examples are not in any way to limit, define or otherwise establish the scope of legal protection.
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components within the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on clearly illustrating example aspects of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views and/or embodiments. Furthermore, various features of different disclosed embodiments can be combined to form additional embodiments, which are part of this disclosure. It will be understood that certain components and details may not appear in the figures to assist in more clearly describing the invention.
Reference is made herein to some specific examples of the present invention, including any best modes contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying figures. While the invention is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the described or illustrated embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Particular example embodiments of the present invention may be implemented without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, process operations well known to persons of skill in the art have not been described in detail in order not to obscure unnecessarily the present invention. Various techniques and mechanisms of the present invention will sometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However, it should be noted that some embodiments include multiple iterations of a technique or multiple mechanisms unless noted otherwise. Similarly, various steps of the methods shown and described herein are not necessarily performed in the order indicated, or performed at all, in certain embodiments. Accordingly, some implementations of the methods discussed herein may include more or fewer steps than those shown or described. Further, the techniques and mechanisms of the present invention will sometimes describe a connection, relationship or communication between two or more entities. It should be noted that a connection or relationship between entities does not necessarily mean a direct, unimpeded connection, as a variety of other entities or processes may reside or occur between any two entities. Consequently, an indicated connection does not necessarily mean a direct, unimpeded connection unless otherwise noted.
The following list of example features corresponds with the attached figures and is provided for ease of reference, where like reference numerals designate corresponding features throughout the specification and figures:
The present water foil improves on the prior art by creating a full wave comprised of downward and backward motion followed by upward and forward motion. The inner foil surface turns away from shore to displace water rather than towards the shore to displace water, creating a negative displacement, or trough, behind the leading edge of the foil. This trough is lower than static water level and under force of gravity causes water to move downward and away from shore then up the face of the wave and the foil before moving towards the shore. Looking at from the top perspective, if a line represents the direction of travel of the foil, the inner foil is shaped to initially optimize for low drag and small bow wake, but then arcs or angles in a direction away from the line of travel and away from the shore and shallower water. This foil shape is the opposite of the prior art.
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The wave is initially created at the foil and so the propagation of the wave is in the path of the foil. The wave, however, is actually a three-dimensional feature and gravity induces it to spread outward from the foil (much like a wave created by dropping a pebble in a placid pond). Therefore after a time the wave swell appears to be at an angle to the foil path only because the initial wave profile has traveled towards shore under influence of gravity. This angle is related to the foil speed along the path and the gravity wave speed outward from the foil.
Although exemplary embodiments and applications of the invention have been described herein including as described above and shown in the included example Figures, there is no intention that the invention be limited to these exemplary embodiments and applications or to the manner in which the exemplary embodiments and applications operate or are described herein. Indeed, many variations and modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The invention may include any device, structure, method, or functionality, as long as the resulting device, system or method falls within the scope of one of the claims that are allowed by the patent office based on this or any related patent application.
This application is the non-provisional of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63/430,318, filed on Dec. 5, 2022, and also the non-provisional of U.S. Patent Application No. 63/457,048, filed on Apr. 4, 2023, the entire contents of both of these applications which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63430318 | Dec 2022 | US | |
| 63457048 | Apr 2023 | US |
