Waterslide with angled transition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179293-B2
Application number	US-201313873110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2013
Priority date	Jul 16, 2008
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a waterslide comprising an upstream flume segment having a first cross-section, the upstream flume segment defining a first slide path, and a downstream flume segment having a second cross-section different than the first cross-section, the downstream flume segment defining a second slide path. The waterslide further comprises an angled transition linking the upstream flume segment to the downstream flume segment, wherein the angled transition defines a discontinuity between the upstream and downstream flume segments, thereby defining an inflection between the first and second slide paths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waterslide comprising:
a first flume having first and second sidewalls and an exit end, the first flume defining an exit line extending substantially parallel to the first and second sidewalls of the first flume;
a second flume configured to be downstream of the first flume and having first and second sidewalls and an entrance end, the second flume defining an entrance line extending substantially parallel to the first and second sidewalls of the second flume; and
a sharply angled transition, different from the first flume and the second flume and connecting the first flume to the second flume, the angled transition creating an inflection and discontinuity point at an intersection of the exit line and the entrance line, the inflection and discontinuity point positioned at least partially within the angled transition,
such that the inflection and discontinuity point of the sharply angled transition causes a rider exiting the first flume to be introduced to the second flume at a substantial angle with a transverse velocity that causes the rider to travel up at least one of the first and second sidewalls of the second flume.

2. The waterslide of claim 1 wherein the second flume has a substantially constant cross-section along the entire length of the second flume.

3. The waterslide of claim 2 wherein the first flume has a substantially constant cross-section along the entire length of the first flume.

4. The waterslide of claim 3 wherein the substantially constant cross-section of the first flume is different than the substantially constant cross-section of the second flume.

5. The waterslide of claim 4 wherein the substantially constant cross-section of the second flume is larger than the substantially constant cross-section of the first flume.

6. The waterslide of claim 1 wherein the first flume or the second flume form an open-channel flume and wherein the first and second sidewalls of the first flume or the first and second sidewalls of the second flume are curved.

7. The waterslide of claim 1 wherein the first flume or the second flume form a closed-channel flume.

8. The waterslide of claim 1 further comprising a rim coupled with the entrance end of the second flume for retaining water at the angled transition.

9. The waterslide of claim 1 wherein the angled transition is configured to cause a rider to oscillate as the rider travels along the second flume.

10. In a waterslide having an upstream flume segment having a first edge and defining a first slide path extending substantially perpendicular to the first edge and a downstream flume segment having a second edge, a sharply angled transition configured to link the upstream flume segment to the downstream flume segment for defining an oscillating side-to-side ride path of a rider in the downstream flume segment, the sharply angled transition comprising:
a first transition segment defined by at least a portion of the second edge of the downstream flume segment and having a first wall; and
a second transition segment extending between the first transition segment and the first edge of the upstream flume segment,
wherein an intersection of the first and second slide paths defines an inflection and discontinuity point that is positioned within the angled transition and wherein the first wall has an upper edge, the upper edge not extending from the upstream flume segment to the downstream flume segment, and
wherein the inflection and discontinuity point of the sharply angled transition cause the oscillating side-to-side ride path in the downstream flume segment by imparting a transverse velocity to and causing the rider to travel up the wall of the angled transition and then a sidewall of the downstream flume segment.

11. The angled transition of claim 10 wherein: the upstream flume segment has a cross-section and the downstream flume segment has a cross-section that does not reduce in radius from a first end of the downstream flume segment to a second end of the downstream flume segment, the cross-section of the downstream flume segment being larger than the cross-section of the upstream flume segment.

12. The angled transition of claim 11 wherein the second transition segment increases in cross-sectional size as the second transition segment extends between the upstream flume segment and the first transition segment.

13. The angled transition of claim 10 further comprising a first rim extending along at least a portion of the second edge of the downstream flume segment.

14. The angled transition of claim 13 further comprising a second rim extending along at least a portion of a substantially transverse upstream edge of the first transition segment.

15. A portion of an amusement ride comprising:
a first flume having an exit edge and defining an exit path extending substantially perpendicular to the exit edge;
a second flume having an entrance edge and an exit edge and defining an entrance path extending substantially perpendicular to the entrance edge, the second flume having a first cross-section at the entrance edge of the second flume and a second cross-section at the exit edge of the second flume, the first cross-section being larger than the second cross-section; and
a sharply angled transition having a first surface that extends upwardly to an upper edge having an upper elevation, an entrance edge coupled with the exit edge of the first flume, and an exit edge coupled with the entrance edge of the second flume, the sharply angled transition configured with the exit path and the entrance path defining therein a discontinuity and inflection point to impart a transverse velocity to and cause a rider moving through the sharply angled transition to travel up the first surface and to travel up a sidewall of the second flume,
wherein the inflection is positioned at least partially within the angled transition and wherein the upper edge of the first surface does not form a continuous edge that extends from the first flume to the second flume at the upper elevation.

16. The portion of the amusement ride of claim 15 wherein an angle between the exit path and the entrance path at the inflection is at least 30 degrees.

17. The portion of the amusement ride of claim 15 wherein a cross-section of the angled transition at the entrance edge is less than a cross-section of the angled transition at the exit edge.

18. The portion of the amusement ride of claim 15 further comprising a first flange coupled with the entrance edge of the second flume, the first flange configured to retain water within the angled transition.

19. A waterslide comprising:
a first flume having an exit end and opposing sidewalls, the first flume defining a first slide path out of the exit end between the opposing sidewalls;
a second flume configured to be downstream of the first flume and having an entrance end and opposing sidewalls, the second flume defining a second slide path into the entrance end between the opposing sidewalls; and
a sharply angled transition having:
an upwardly extending first surface that is substantially parallel with the opposing sidewalls of the second flume and wherein the first surface is connected with one of the opposing sidewalls of the second flume,
an entrance end connected with the exit end of the first flume, and
an exit end connected with the entrance end of the second flume,
wherein the angled transition creates an inflection and discontinuity point at least partially within the angled transition and an intersection of the first slide path

Assignees

• Whitewater West Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Brassard Daniel

Classifications

• A63G21/18 Primary

  Water-chutes · CPC title