Vertical motion drive system for a ride system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11058959-B2
Application number	US-201916588607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2019
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A ride system includes a platform assembly that receives a ride vehicle for transporting a ride passenger, an upward drive pulley system, and a downward drive pulley system. The upward drive pulley system is drivingly coupled to the platform assembly and upwardly drives motion of the platform assembly along a vertical axis oriented along a gravity vector. The downward drive pulley system is drivingly coupled to the platform assembly and downwardly drives motion of the platform assembly along the vertical axis. Additionally, upwardly and downwardly driving motion of the platform assembly exposes the ride passenger to a plurality of entertainment shows, and the entertainment shows are positioned on a different vertical level with respect to one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An amusement park ride system configured to control ride vehicle motion, the amusement park ride system comprising:
a platform assembly configured to receive a ride vehicle of the amusement park ride system;
an upward drive pulley system coupled to the platform assembly and configured to upwardly drive motion of the platform assembly along a vertical axis oriented along a gravity vector;
a downward drive pulley system coupled to the platform assembly and configured to downwardly drive the motion of the platform assembly along the vertical axis; and
a clutch system configured to selectively engage the upward drive pulley system and the downward drive pulley system, wherein the motion of the platform assembly is restricted to being along an upward direction along the vertical axis when the clutch system engages the upward drive pulley system, and wherein the motion of the platform assembly is restricted to being along a downward direction along the vertical axis when the clutch system engages the downward drive pulley system.

2. The amusement park ride system of claim 1 , comprising:
a control system communicatively coupled to the platform assembly, the upward drive pulley system, and the downward drive pulley system, wherein the control system comprises processing circuitry and memory circuitry storing instructions thereon, wherein the instructions are configured to be executed by the processing circuitry, and wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processing circuitry to:
instruct a securing device of the platform assembly to secure the ride vehicle to the platform assembly;
selectively actuate an upward drive winch of the upward drive pulley system and selectively actuate a downward drive winch of the downward drive pulley system, thereby controlling the motion of the platform assembly and the ride vehicle motion, in response to determining that the securing device secures the ride vehicle to the platform assembly; and
allow egression of the ride vehicle out from the platform assembly by disengaging the securing device.

3. The amusement park ride system of claim 1 , wherein:
the upward drive pulley system comprises an upward drive winch drivingly coupled to an upward drive pulley cable, and wherein the upward drive winch is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction to upwardly drive the motion of the platform assembly; and
the downward drive pulley system comprises a downward drive winch drivingly coupled to a downward drive pulley cable, and wherein the downward drive winch is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction, opposite the first rotational direction, to downwardly drive the motion of the platform assembly.

4. The amusement park ride system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of entertainment shows are visible to a ride passenger in response to the upward drive pulley system upwardly driving the motion of the platform assembly, the downward drive pulley system downwardly driving the motion of the platform assembly, or any combination thereof.

5. The amusement park ride system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of entertainment shows comprise a visual projection, a screen configured to display relevant theming content, an experience enhancing visualization, or any combination thereof.

6. The amusement park ride system of claim 1 , wherein a first entertainment show of a plurality of entertainment shows is positioned on a first level, wherein a second entertainment show of the plurality of entertainment shows is positioned on a second level, wherein the second level is positioned vertically higher than the first level, and wherein the amusement park ride system is configured to transition the platform assembly between the first level and the second level.

7. The amusement park ride system of claim 6 , wherein the first entertainment show remains hidden from a ride passenger while the ride passenger is exposed to the second entertainment show, and wherein the second entertainment show remains hidden from the ride passenger while the ride passenger is exposed to the first entertainment show.

8. The amusement park ride system of claim 1 , wherein the platform assembly is configured to receive the ride vehicle from a first ride path, and wherein the platform assembly is configured to allow egress of the ride vehicle out toward a second ride path.

9. The amusement park ride system of claim 8 , wherein the second ride path is positioned on a level above the first ride path, wherein the upward drive pulley system is configured to transport the ride vehicle from the first ride path to the second ride path by upwardly driving the motion of the platform assembly.

10. The amusement park ride system of claim 1 , wherein the platform assembly is configured to be upwardly and downwardly driven to expose a ride passenger to a plurality of entertainment shows, and wherein the entertainment shows of the plurality of entertainment shows are positioned on a different vertical level with respect to one another.

11. A method for controlling ride vehicle motion of a ride vehicle of an amusement park ride system, the method comprising:
positioning and securing the ride vehicle on a platform assembly drivingly coupled to a motion drive system, wherein the platform assembly is configured to receive the ride vehicle, wherein the motion drive system comprises an upward drive pulley system configured to drive motion of the platform assembly in an upward direction along a vertical axis oriented along a gravity vector and a downward drive pulley system configured to drive the motion of the platform assembly in a downward direction along the vertical axis; and
coordinating the ride vehicle motion with a plurality of entertainment shows positioned on corresponding levels by vertically displacing the platform assembly;
wherein coordinating the ride vehicle motion comprises instructing a first entertainment show of the plurality of entertainment shows to execute a first show in response to the ride vehicle being positioned within a first vertical distance range;
wherein coordinating the ride vehicle motion comprises instructing a second entertainment show of the plurality of entertainment shows to execute a second show in response to the ride vehicle being positioned within a second vertical distance range;
wherein the second vertical distance range is above the first vertical distance range;
wherein the ride vehicle is configured to transition from the first vertical distance range to the second vertical distance range in response to the upward drive pulley system driving the motion of the platform assembly in the upward direction, and wherein a clutch system is configured to selectively engage the upward drive pulley system to restrict the ride vehicle motion along the upward direction along the vertical axis; and
wherein the ride vehicle is configured to transition from the second vertical distance range to the first vertical distance range in response to the downward drive pulley system driving the motion of the platform assembly in the downward direction, and wherein the clutch system is configured to selectively engage the downward drive pulley system to restrict the ride vehicle motion along the downward direction along the vertical axis.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein positioning and securing the ride vehicle on the platform assembly comprises receiving the ride vehicle from a first ride path on a first level.

13. The method of claim 11 , comprising instructing, via a control system, the ride vehicle to egress out from the platform assembly onto a second ride path on a second level positioned above

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Tresaugue Michael Joseph
• Levy Lisa Marie
• Brister Michael Keith

Classifications

• A63G31/16

  creating illusions of travel · CPC title

• A63G31/10

  with escalators or similar moving substructures · CPC title

• A63G31/00 Primary

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title

• A63G7/00 Primary

  Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks · CPC title

• A63J1/028

  Means for moving hanging scenery · CPC title