Track-based swing ride with long arm pendulum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155171-B2
Application number	US-201615088326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A track-based swing ride system providing passengers a unique swinging ride experience. The ride system includes a ride track that supports a moving bogie coupled to the ride track that includes a drive assembly driving the bogie along a ride path defined by the ride track. The ride apparatus includes a pendulum arm pivotally coupled at a first end to the bogie, whereby the pendulum arm is suspended below the ride track and moves along the ride path with the bogie. The ride apparatus includes a passenger vehicle coupled to a second end of the pendulum arm opposite the first end of the pendulum arm. To provide the swinging sensation, the ride apparatus includes a roll driver rotating, concurrently with the drive assembly of the bogie, the pendulum arm about a roll axis extending through the first end of the pendulum arm.

First claim

We claim:

1. A swing ride apparatus, comprising:
a ride track;
a bogie coupled to the ride track, wherein the bogie includes a drive assembly operable to drive the bogie along a ride path defined by the ride track;
a pendulum arm pivotally coupled at a first end to the bogie, whereby the pendulum arm is suspended below the ride track and moves along the ride path with the bogie;
a passenger vehicle coupled to a second end of the pendulum arm opposite the first end of the pendulum arm; and
a roll driver operable, concurrently with the drive assembly of the bogie, to rotate the pendulum arm about a roll axis extending through the first end of the pendulum arm,
wherein the roll driver operates to repeatedly rotate the pendulum arm through a swing arc defined by a range of roll angles that is transverse to the ride path, whereby the ride vehicle is positioned on opposite sides of the ride path during movement through the swing arc; and
wherein the drive assembly of the bogie is first operated to move the bogie in a first velocity range and second operated to move the bogie in a second velocity range less than the first velocity range, and
wherein the roll driver is first operated to rotate the pendulum arm through a first roll angle range concurrently with the first operating of the drive assembly and is second operated, concurrently with the second operating of the drive assembly, to rotate the pendulum arm through a second roll angle range that is greater than the first roll angle range, whereby translational motion of the passenger vehicle is synchronized with roll.

2. The swing ride apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the range of roll angles is 45 degrees clockwise (CW) to 45 degrees (CCW).

3. The swing ride apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the range of roll angles is at least 15 degrees (CW) to 15 degrees (CCW).

4. The swing ride apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pendulum arm has a length as measured between the first and second ends that is at least 6 feet.

5. The swing ride apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ride track is flat and is free of banked corners.

6. The swing ride apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the roll axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ride track.

7. An apparatus for providing a swinging ride experience, comprising:
a track structure comprising an elevated track;
a powered bogie rollably engaging the elevated track;
a passenger vehicle with at least one seat for receiving and restraining a passenger;
an elongated arm pivotally supported at a first end and coupled to at a second end to the passenger vehicle;
a drive mechanism operable to rotate the elongated arm about a roll axis extending through the first end of the elongate arm in a CW direction and in a CCW direction; and
a ride controller concurrently operating the powered bogie to move in a direction of travel on the elevated track and the drive mechanism to rotate the elongated arm in at least one of the CW and CCW directions, whereby the passenger vehicle has concurrent translational and roll motions,
wherein the ride controller operates the powered bogie to have a velocity selected based on a current roll angle of the elongated arm, whereby translation motion of the passenger vehicle is synchronized with roll of the passenger vehicle, and
wherein the elongated arm has a length as measured between the first and second ends that is at least 10 feet.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the roll axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the flat track.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the ride controller operates the drive mechanism to repeatedly rotate the elongated arm first in the CW direction and second in the CCW direction as the bogie is moved along the flat track, whereby the passenger vehicle is moved through a plurality of swing arcs.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the swing arcs is defined by a maximum CW roll angle and a maximum CCW roll angle and wherein the maximum CW and CCW roll angles are in the range of 45 and 115 degrees.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the ride controller operates the drive mechanism to rotate the elongated arm in a first range of roll velocities when the elongated arm is in a first range of roll angles and in a second range of roll velocities less than the first range or roll velocities when the elongated arm is in a second range of roll angles greater than the first range of roll angles.

12. A swing ride apparatus for use with an elevated ride track, comprising:
a bogie adapted for rollably engaging the ride track, wherein the bogie includes a drive assembly operable to drive the bogie along the ride track;
a pendulum arm pivotally coupled at a first end to the bogie via a pendulum support assembly, whereby the pendulum arm is suspended from the bogie and moves translationally with the bogie along the track;
a passenger vehicle coupled to a second end of the pendulum arm opposite the first end of the pendulum arm; and
a roll driver operable to rotate the pendulum arm about a roll axis extending through the first end of the pendulum arm,
wherein the ride track is flat and is free of banked corners,
wherein the range of roll angles is at least 15 degrees (CW) to 15 degrees (CCW),
wherein the drive assembly of the bogie is first operated to move the bogie in a first velocity range and second operated to move the bogie in a second velocity range less than the first velocity range, and
wherein the roll driver is first operated to rotate the pendulum arm through a first roll angle range concurrently with the first operating of the drive assembly and is second operated, concurrently with the second operating of the drive assembly, to rotate the pendulum arm through a second roll angle range that is greater than the first roll angle range.

13. The swing ride apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the pendulum arm has a length as measured between the first and second ends that is at least 10 feet.

14. The swing ride apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the roll axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ride track.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Crawford David W
• Howard Derek Lee

Classifications

• A63G31/02

  with moving substructures · CPC title

• A63G21/08 Primary

  with additional rotation of cars · CPC title

• A63G27/02 Primary

  with special movements of the seat-carriers · CPC title

• A63G21/20

  Slideways with movably suspended cars, or with cars moving on ropes, or the like · CPC title