IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0026638
(2008-02-06)
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등록번호 |
US-7677179
(2010-04-21)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Marsh Fischmann & Breyfogle LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A vehicle for use in an amusement park ride to provide a flying corners effect. The vehicle includes a body and a guide slot or groove on the body. The guide slot is shaped for receiving and at least partially capturing or enclosing the track. The guide slot is defined in part by opposing first and
A vehicle for use in an amusement park ride to provide a flying corners effect. The vehicle includes a body and a guide slot or groove on the body. The guide slot is shaped for receiving and at least partially capturing or enclosing the track. The guide slot is defined in part by opposing first and second sidewalls that extend along a portion of the body. The guide slot is larger in width than the track such that the vehicle is able to move transversely or side-to-side a predefined distance such as in banked curves. Guides are provided on the sidewalls of the slot. The guides may be spaced apart from the edges when the vehicle is centered on the track and provide guidance after an amount of unrestrained lateral or transverse travel. Arms extend outward from the body to capture the track and prevent the vehicle from tipping.
대표청구항
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I claim: 1. A vehicle for use in an amusement park ride, the ride including an elongate track with a curved contact surface extending between two edges, comprising: a body with at least one seat for a passenger; and a guide slot provided on the body for receiving and at least partially capturing th
I claim: 1. A vehicle for use in an amusement park ride, the ride including an elongate track with a curved contact surface extending between two edges, comprising: a body with at least one seat for a passenger; and a guide slot provided on the body for receiving and at least partially capturing the track, wherein the guide slot is defined by opposing first and second sidewalls extending at least a portion of the length of the body and wherein the guide slot has a width defined by the first and second sidewalls that is greater than a width of the track as measured between the two edges, whereby a center of gravity of the body moves towards at least one of the edges of the curved contact surface a predefined distance transverse to a direction of travel for the vehicle as the vehicle moves along portions of the track. 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the width of the guide slot is at least 12 inches greater than the width of the track, whereby the predefined distance is at least 6 inches. 3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an upper slot wall extending between the first and second sidewalls and a pair of arms extending outward from the first and second sidewalls, wherein the upper slot wall defines an upper surface of the guide slot and the arms define a pair of upstop contact surfaces opposite the upper surface, at least one of the upstop contact surfaces contacting the track when a spacing between upper slot wall and the track exceeds a predefined maximum lift distance, whereby the body is allowed to lift off the track a distance without restraint. 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the track is physically supported by a support member and each of the arms extends outward from one of the sidewalls to a tip, the tips of the arms being spaced apart a distance, whereby when the vehicle receives the track in the guide slot the support member passes between the tips of the arms without contacting the arms. 5. The vehicle of claim 3, further comprising wheels attached to the upper slot wall for supporting the vehicle on the curved contact surface of the track, wherein the pair of upstop contact surfaces are spaced apart from a lower contact surface of the track provided opposite the curved contact surface when the wheels are in contact with the curved contact surface. 6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is unrestrained from traveling the predefined distance transverse to the direction of travel. 7. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising a guide mounted on each of the first and second sidewalls for guiding the vehicle toward the direction of travel on the track by abutting the edges of the track upon the vehicle traveling the predefined transverse distance. 8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the guides each comprise a resilient member for absorbing at least a portion of a force applied by the track upon the vehicle during contact between the edges of the track and the guides. 9. A track and vehicle assembly for use in a flying corners amusement park ride, comprising: a track assembly including a length of track comprising an upper, arcuate contact surface between two edges; and a vehicle comprising a body with a slot shaped for receiving the track, wherein the slot is defined in part by a pair of arms extending from the body and toward each other, each of the arms including an upstop contact surface spaced apart a distance from a lower contact surface of the track opposite the upper, arcuate contact surface when the body is supported upon the upper, arcuate contact surface, and wherein at least one of the upstop, contact surfaces abuts the lower contact surface when the body lifts vertically off the upper, arcuate surface the distance between the arms and the lower contact surface, whereby the vehicle has a range of vertically unrestrained movement during movement over portions of the track. 10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the track assembly further comprises a structural member supporting the track and wherein each of the arms extends to a tip and the tips are spaced apart to form a gap in the slot, whereby the vehicle travels on the track with the structural member passing through the gap. 11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the arms each extends over one of the edges of the track and each includes an inner sidewall defining a side of the slot adjacent one of the edges of the track, the sides of the slot defining a width of the slot greater by at least 12 inches than a width of the track as measured between the edges of the track. 12. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising a guide assembly positioned between each inner sidewall and an adjacent one of the edges of the track, each of the guide assemblies including a rotatable member abutting the adjacent one of the edges and a resilient member attached to the rotatable member adapted to allow at least some amount of transverse movement of the body of the vehicle relative to a longitudinal axis of the track. 13. The assembly of claim 11, further comprising a guide assembly positioned between each of the inner sidewalls and an adjacent one of the edges of the track, each of the guide assemblies including a rotatable member spaced apart a distance from the adjacent one of the edges, whereby the vehicle travels unrestrained transverse to a longitudinal axis of the track across the distance between the rotatable member and the adjacent one of the edges. 14. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the upper, arcuate contact surface has a cross sectional shape corresponding to a circle segment. 15. An amusement park ride with a flying corner effect, comprising: a track with a channel defined by a contact surface with an arcuate cross section; a structural assembly with members attached to a side of the track opposite the contact surface to structurally support the track; and a vehicle with a body including wheels for contacting the contact surface and arms extending from the body to at least partially enclose the track, the arms being spaced apart to define a gap through which the members of the structural assembly pass as the vehicle travels along the track, wherein the vehicle travels along a direction of travel in the channel and travels transverse to the direction of travel at least in banked portions of the track, wherein the arms each include an inner contact surface defining a sidewall adjacent an edge of the contact surface of the track and an upstop portion, the upstop portion contacting a lower contact surface of the track opposite the contact surface of the track when the wheels are spaced apart from the contact surface of the track a predefined maximum lift distance, wherein the sidewalls are spaced apart a distance greater than a width of the channel, whereby the vehicle is able to travel in the channel transverse to the direction of travel a predefined maximum transverse travel distance prior to contacting one of the sidewalls, and wherein a rotatable guide is mounted on the sidewall to contact the track about when the vehicle travels the predefined maximum transverse travel distance. 16. The amusement park ride of claim 15, wherein the rotatable guide includes a resilient element and a roller mounted on the resilient element for contacting the track. 17. The amusement park ride of claim 15, wherein at least one of the arms is detachably mounted to the body, whereby the vehicle can be mounted upon the track and the at least one arm is attached to the body to capture the track.
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