Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AMUSEMENT SLIDE ELEMENTS AND SYSTEMS
BACKGROUND
[0001] The current invention relates to leisure and amusement slide
elements and systems.
[0002] GB 2224948 discloses a leisure slide comprising a circular bowl
having an exit aperture formed in its base. A rider travels down a tubular
slide and
circuits at least partway around the bowl before exiting the bowl through the
exit
aperture. The rider may slide with the aid of flowing water or a waxed plastic
bag. In
those arrangements in which the slide is a waterslide, the rider drops into a
splash
pool provided below the bowl.
[0003] US 6,354,955 and US 6,485,372 disclose a waterslide bowl
element having a bottom wall configured to form a throat around a rider exit
opening
in the bottom of the bowl. The bowl holds an annular ring of water around the
throat
that slows down and conducts the rider to the exit opening. The waterslide
bowl may
be used by riders on inner tubes.
[0004] The known leisure rides of this type have a limited throughput,
as
there must be sufficient interval between riders to ensure that consecutive
riders do
not collide with each other. Typically, a rider should have exited the bowl
before the
next rider begins their ride. This is undesirable for individuals wanting to
ride the
slides, as they may have to queue to ride the slide. Equally, it is
undesirable for the
operator, as they may need to provide additional waterslides to cope with
demand.
[0005] At least some of the problems associated with known prior art
leisure rides may be overcome by the disclosed elements and systems.
SUMMARY
[0006] Leisure and amusement slide elements and systems are disclosed.
In one embodiment, a waterslide apparatus includes a bowl having a curved
sidewall,
two or more rider entrances for enabling riders to slide into the bowl and to
circuit at
least a portion of the bowl, and a receptacle for forming a pool of water to
receive a
rider exiting the bowl. A nozzle is provided for directing a jet of water to
bias a rider
towards an edge of the pool.
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[0007] In another embodiment, a waterslide apparatus includes a bowl,
at
least one chute for introducing a rider into the bowl, and a receptacle for
forming a
pool of water to receive a rider exiting the bowl. A nozzle is provided for
providing a
jet of water to bias a rider towards an edge of the pool.
[0008] In still another embodiment, a slide apparatus includes a bowl
having upper and lower ends and first and second entrances. The first and
second
entrances are distinct from one another and are spaced apart from the bowl
lower end.
The first and second entrances are configured to bias all users of the first
and second
entrances to travel about at least a portion of the bowl in a common
direction, whether
clockwise or counter-clockwise.
[0009] In yet another embodiment, an exit system is provided for use
with
a leisure slide having a bowl. The exit system includes first and second exit
slides
and a housing configured to be positioned at a lower end of the bowl. The
housing
has a first exit port leading to the first exit slide and a second exit port
leading to the
second exit slide. The first and second exit ports are spaced apart from one
another
such that one user may pass through the first exit port generally
simultaneously with
another user passing through the second exit port.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Figure 1 shows a plan view of a waterslide in accordance with
one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] Figure 2 shows a first side elevation of the waterslide of
Figure 1.
[0012] Figure 3 shows a second side elevation of the waterslide of
Figure
1.
[0013] Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a launch mechanism
for the waterslide of Figure 1.
[0014] Figure 5 shows a plan view of a waterslide in accordance with
another embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] Figure 6 shows a side elevation of the waterslide of Figure 5.
[0016] Figure 7 shows a plan view of a waterslide in accordance with
yet
another embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 8 shows a side elevation of the waterslide of Figure 7.
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[0018] Figure 9 shows an enlarged view of the launch station of the
waterslide of Figure 7.
[0019] Figure 10 shows a partial cutaway side elevation of the
waterslide
of Figure 7.
[0020] Figure 11 shows an exit system according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0021] Figure 12 shows a top view of the exit system of Figure 11.
[0022] Figure 13 shows a partial view taken from line A¨A of Figure 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] A plan view of a waterslide 1 in accordance with a first
embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. The waterslide 1
comprises a bowl 3, first and second chutes 5, 7 and a spiral staircase 9. The
waterslide 1 may be used, for example, in a leisure or amusement park.
[0024] The bowl 3 has a generally oval plan form and is approximately
13.5 meters long and approximately 9.5 meters wide. While various dimensions
are
described herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other
dimensions may
also be appropriate. The bowl 3 has a sidewall 11 formed from a series of
moldings
supported on a metal framework 13. A rim 15 is provided around an upper edge
of
the bowl 3, and an aperture 17 is formed in the center of the bottom of the
bowl 3.
The rim 15 curves inwardly, and a middle region of the sidewall 11 below the
rim 15
is substantially vertical. The lower region of the sidewall 11 slopes
downwardly
towards the aperture 17.
[0025] A first rider entrance 19 is provided at a first end of the bowl
3, and
a second rider entrance 21 is provided at a second end thereof. The first and
second
rider entrances 19, 21 are provided proximal the upper edge of the bowl 3 and
are
arranged generally tangential to its circumference. The first and second
chutes 5, 7
are connected to the first and second rider entrances 19, 21 such that riders
R, R' may
slide down the chutes 5, 7 and enter the bowl 3. The momentum of the riders R,
R'
allows them to travel at least partway around the bowl 3 before exiting
through the
aperture 17.
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[0026] It may be desirable for the first and second chutes 5, 7 to be
substantially the same as each other. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first
and
second chutes 5, 7 comprise upper sections 23, 23', mid-sections 25, 25' and
lower
sections 27, 27'. The upper sections 23, 23' are positioned above the center
of the
bowl 3 and are inclined at approximately 150 to the vertical. The mid-sections
25, 25'
and the lower sections 27, 27' in plan form curve through approximately 2700
to guide
the riders R, R' to the rider entrances 19, 21. The lower sections 27, 27' are
arranged
substantially horizontally such that the riders R, R' enter the bowl 3
travelling
substantially parallel to the rim 15. The term chute is used herein to refer
to slides,
flumes, and the like.
[0027] The staircase 9 leads to a gantry 29 where a launch station 31
is
located. As shown in Figure 4, the launch station 31 comprises first and
second
pivotally mounted platforms 33, 35. A pair of riders R, R' enters the launch
station 31
from the side and each stand on their respective platforms 33, 35. A launch
mechanism 37 is provided for pivoting the platforms 33, 35 between an extended
position and a retracted position (shown in dashed lines in Figure 4). The
launch
mechanism 37 is configured to ensure that the platforms 33, 35 pivot to their
retract
positions generally simultaneously, thereby ensuring that the riders R, R' are
launched
together.
[0028] The launch mechanism in the embodiment of Figure 4 comprises a
lever 39 to be actuated manually, for example by an operator; but the
mechanism 37
could be automated. The launch station 31 may be provided with means to allow
the
riders R, R' to confirm that they are ready to be released. For example, the
riders R,
R' may be required to each press a respective button 41, and once both buttons
41
have been pressed, the message "READY" may be displayed on screens 43, and
countdown timers 45 may activate.
[0029] The framework 13 supports the bowl 3 and the staircase 9 and
may,
for example, be of conventional construction. The gantry 29 is mounted on a
pair of
vertical columns. To provide additional support for the gantry 29, a first set
of
tethered cables 49 may be provided. A second set of cables 51 may additionally
(or
alternately) extend from the gantry 29 to support the upper sections 23, 23'
and the
mid-sections 25, 25' of the chutes 5, 7.
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[0030] A splash pool 53 (Figure 2) may be provided below the bowl 3 so
that the riders R, R' exit the bowl 3 through the aperture 17 and fall into
the pool 53.
A filtration system 55 may be provided to treat the water in the pool 53, and
may be
provided with a pump (not shown) to pump the water to the top of the chutes 5,
7 via
a pipe 57. In use, water may be continuously introduced into the top of the
chutes 5, 7
so that there is a steady stream of water down the chutes 5, 6. Water may also
be
pumped to a perforated conduit extending around the rim 15 to wet the interior
surface of the bowl 3 to reduce friction. Or, rather than provide a stream of
water
over the chutes 5, 7 and/or the interior of the bowl 3, a water spray may be
provided
to provide lubrication. A heater may be provided in the filtration system 55
to heat
the water.
[0031] The operation of the waterslide 1 will now be described with
reference to Figures 1 to 4. The riders R, R' climb the staircase 9 to the
gantry 29 and
enter the launch station 31 in pairs. A rider R, R' stands on each of platform
33, 35 in
the launch station 31 and respectively press the buttons 41 to confirm that
they are
ready to be launched. Once both riders R, R' have confirmed that they are
ready, the
countdown timer 45 begins. When the countdown timer 45 reaches zero, the
operator
pulls the lever 39 to operate the launch mechanism 37, and the platfoims 33,
35 pivot
to their retracted positions. The riders R, R' then drop at generally the same
time into
the upper sections 23, 23 of the respective first and second chutes 5, 7 and
accelerate
as they slide towards the bowl 3.
[0032] The riders R, R' travel down the chutes 5, 7 and both enter the
bowl
3 at substantially the same time. The riders R, R' are travelling
substantially
horizontally when they exit the lower sections 27, 2'T of the chutes 5, 7 and
enter the
bowl 3 through the first and second rider entrances 19, 21 respectively. The
rider
entrances 19, 21 are located near the rim 15 of the bowl 3 and the momentum of
the
riders R, R' allows them to travel at least partway around the bowl 3.
[0033] The riders R, R' are unlikely to collide with each other as
they
travel around the bowl 3. If a first rider R is travelling quicker than a
second rider R',
then the quicker first rider R will be higher up the sidewall of the bowl 3
than the
slower second rider R'. Thus, if the first rider R is travelling sufficiently
quickly to
catch up with the second rider R, the riders R, R' will be at different
heights.
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[0034] The riders R, R' slow down due to frictional forces, and the
reduced
centripetal forces cause them to travel towards the bottom of the bowl 3. The
riders
R, R' may come to rest at the bottom of the bowl 3, or they may slide directly
through
the aperture 17 and enter the pool 53. The riders R, R' may then exit the
waterslide 1
at the side of the pool 53. To reduce the likelihood of the riders R, R'
colliding with
each other as they enter the pool 53, a divider or partition (not shown) may
be
provided in the middle of the aperture 17. The likelihood of the riders R, R'
colliding
with each other is reduced since the divider or partition keeps them apart if
they enter
the pool 53 from opposite sides of the aperture 17. Instead of (or in addition
to) the
divider or partition, a jet of water may be provided in the pool 53 to move
the riders
R, R away from the area below the aperture 17 once they are in the water. It
may be
desirable for the jet of water to be provided in the middle of the pool 53 and
directed
upwardly, thereby causing the water at the top of the pool 53 to move out
towards the
edges of the pool 53. The jet of water will thereby move the riders R, R
towards the
sides of the pool 53.
[0035] A waterslide 101 according to another embodiment of the present
invention is shown in Figures 5 and 6. The waterslide 101 corresponds in many
ways
to the waterslide 1 shown in Figures 1-4, and like reference numerals have
been used
for like components, albeit incremented by 100 for clarity.
[0036] The waterslide 101 comprises a bowl 103 into which riders are
introduced. The bowl 103 is shown to be circular rather than oval, and the
waterslide
101 comprises three chutes 105, 106, 107 down which three riders travel
simultaneously. The riders enter the bowl 3 through three rider entrances 119,
120,
121 equally spaced around the circumference of the bowl 103 (i.e. spaced apart
from
each other by approximately 120 ). The launch station (not shown) may be
modified
from the launch station 31 to launch the three riders into the respective
chutes 105,
106, 107 at substantially the same time.
[0037] A further distinction between embodiments 1, 101 is that the
bowl
103 is not provided with an aperture 17 in its base. Rather, a shallow pool
153 is
formed in the base of the bowl 3 and the riders drop directly into the pool
153. This
arrangement may be desirable since the pool 153 does not have to be as deep as
the
pool 53. Thus, an individual who is not a confident swimmer can ride the
waterslide
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101 and then stand up in the pool 153. A second spiral staircase 159 is
provided in
the middle of the pool 153 leading to a platform 161 to allow a rider to exit
the
waterslide 101.
[0038] A waterslide 201 according to yet another embodiment of the
present invention is shown in Figures 7 to 10. The waterslide 201 corresponds
in
many ways to the waterslide 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4, and like reference
numerals
have been used for like components, albeit incremented by 200 for clarity.
[0039] The waterslide 201 comprises a bowl 203 into which riders R, R'
are introduced. As shown most clearly in Figure 7, the bowl 203 is circular
and the
two rider entrances 219, 221 are opposed from each other. The launch station
231 is
provided on a gantry 229 accessed via a staircase 209, as shown in Figure 8.
The
launch station 231 is adapted to launch two riders R, R' into the respective
chutes 205,
207 at substantially the same time. An enlarged side view of the launch
station 231 is
shown in Figure 9. Although the launch station 231 is shown with the riders R,
R'
standing back-to-back, it will be appreciated that they may face each other
prior to
launch.
[0040] As shown in the cutaway section of Figure 10, the bowl 203 has
a
shallow pool 253 formed in the base thereof, similar to the arrangement in the
waterslide 101. The riders R, R' may walk through the pool 253 to the
centrally
located spiral staircase 259.
[0041] As shown in Figure 10, the chutes 205, 207 have a substantially
circular cross-section, but it will be appreciated that different cross-
sections, for
example oval cross-sections, may also be appropriate. Moreover, the chutes
205, 207
may be open in sections or along a portion of their length. The bowl 203 has
an
inwardly directed rim 215, as shown in Figure 10.
[0042] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the
waterslides
and bowls described herein may be adapted to be ridden by a rider travelling
on a
craft, such as an inflatable inner ring or the like. Further, while
embodiments have
been described with particular reference to waterslides, it will be
appreciated that the
elements and features described herein may be applied to other leisure rides.
For
example, a rider may travel on a waxed fabric bag or a waxed fabric mat
without the
aid of flowing water. In addition, the bowl described herein may faint only
part of a
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larger system. For example, a rider may exit the bowl and enter another chute
or
slide.
[0043] Figures 11 through 13 show an exit system 500 that may be
incorporated into a leisure slide, including those shown in Figures 1 through
10. For
example, the system 500 may replace the aperture 17 and the pool 53 in the
embodiment of Figures 1 through 4. The exit system 500 has a pool 502 at a
base 504
of the bowl and a housing 510 with two exit ports 512, 512' at offset (e.g.,
generally
opposed) angles. The pool 502 surrounds the housing 510 and is created by a
shallow
ridge 503 at the entrance to the ports 512, 512' that is higher than the base
504 of the
bowl. The housing 510 is shown to be generally semi-spherical, though other
shapes
may alternately be used. It may be desirable for the angle between the exit
ports 512,
512' to be generally equivalent to an angle between entrances (e.g., entrances
19, 21).
The exit ports 512, 512' are sized to allow the riders R, R' to pass through,
and lead to
exit slides (or "chutes") 514, 514' designed to take the riders R, R' clear of
the bowl or
on to another part of the ride, aided by the flow of water from the pool 502.
As the
chutes 514, 514' may pass closely to one another, it may be desirable for the
chutes
514, 514' to have side walls that prevent undesirable contact between the
riders R, R'.
[0044] In use, the two exit ports 512, 512' may allow two riders R, R'
to
generally simultaneously exit the bowl while travelling in different (e.g.,
generally
opposite) directions. As such, multiple riders may generally simultaneously
enter the
bowl while travelling in different directions, and may generally
simultaneously exit
the bowl while travelling in different directions. While at any given time the
riders
may travel in different directions, it should be appreciated that the riders
may travel in
a common overall direction (i.e., all of the riders may travel clockwise, or
all of the
riders may travel counter-clockwise). The ride may accordingly be safe for
multiple
users at one time, and may be cleared much quicker for use by subsequent users
compared to rides with a single exit. While an arrangement for two riders R,
R' is
shown in Figures 11 through 13, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
alterations
may be made to accommodate additional riders in light of the teachings herein
(e.g.,
an additional exit port and chute may be added for each additional rider). In
addition,
the exit system 500 may be constructed without the pool 502 for slides that do
not
include water.
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[0045] Many different arrangements of the various components depicted,
as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the
spirit and
scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention have been
described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive.
Alternative
embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not
depart from
its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the
aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present
invention. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are
of
utility and may be employed without reference to other features and
subcombinations
and are contemplated within the scope of the claims.
[00461 For the avoidance of any doubt, the contents of UK patent
applications GB 0809011.0 (filed May 19, 2008) and GB 0815789.3 (filed August
29,
2008)¨both of which are incorporated by reference into PCT/GB2009/002286¨are
incorporated herein by reference.
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