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EP-4736974-A2 - TRACKLESS DARK RIDE VEHICLE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD

EP4736974A2EP 4736974 A2EP4736974 A2EP 4736974A2EP-4736974-A2

Abstract

A motion assembly that produces pitch and roll motions includes lower and upper plates. A pivotable coupling having upper and lower shafts extending from its center is coupled between the upper and lower plates. At least two linear actuators are coupled between the plates. Extension and retraction of the actuators pivots the upper plate about the pivotable coupling relative to the lower plate. A vehicle includes two steerable propulsion wheels coupled to a chassis. A lower plate of a pitch and roll assembly, similar to that just described, couples to the chassis via a slew bearing. Seating is coupled to the upper plate. The seating rotates with respect to the chassis via controlled rotation of the slew bearing with reference to the chassis. The seating can be rotated to point in any direction with respect to the chassis regardless of the direction the steerable propulsion wheels move the chassis.

Inventors

  • FOSTER, SAMUEL T.
  • BOSHEARS, MICHAEL WAYNE
  • GRANT, ANDREW
  • HASS, FRANK PETER
  • JENNINGS, CLIFFORD ALLEN
  • KING, ERIC ARTHUR
  • KROSLOWITZ, KENNETH THOMAS
  • MALGHAN, SUHAS SUBHASCHANDRA
  • SYWAK, STEPHEN A.

Assignees

  • Falcon's Beyond Global, LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20120511

Claims (15)

  1. A ride vehicle (900), comprising: a. a ride vehicle navigation system (920), comprising a navigation sensor (922); i. a controller (901); ii. a communication interface (904) operatively coupled to the ride system controller (924) and to the controller; and iii. a first unique address addressable via the communication interface (904) operatively coupled to the ride system controller (924) via the communication interface (904); b. a chassis (102); c. a propulsion assembly operatively in communication with the ride vehicle navigation system, the propulsion assembly comprising: i. a first independently controlled steerable propulsion wheel (104) coupled to the chassis, and configured to propel and steer the vehicle according to commands issued by the ride system controller, the first actively steerable propulsion wheel comprising: 1. an electrical steering motor; and 2. an integrated drive motor and transmission assembly rotatable in a first predetermined direction at a first predetermined speed to propel the ride vehicle along a preprogrammed route without use of a mechanical track or a wire stretched along the preprogrammed route; and ii. a second independently controlled steerable propulsion wheel (106) coupled to the chassis and configured to propel and steer the vehicle according to commands issued by the ride system controller independently with respect to the first actively steerable propulsion wheel, the second actively steerable propulsion wheel comprising: 1. an electrical steering motor; and 2. an integrated drive motor and transmission assembly rotatable in a second predetermined direction at a second predetermined speed along the preprogrammed route without use of a mechanical track or a wire stretched along the preprogrammed route; and d. a slew bearing (120) fixed to the chassis and to the lower reaction plate, comprising: i. a slew bearing upper half (122) comprising a slew bearing gear rotatably coupled to the chassis; ii. a slew bearing lower half (123); iii. a slew bearing pinion motor (827) rotatably coupled to the chassis at a commanded slew speed and direction and operatively in communication with the controller, the slew bearing pinion motor comprising a shaft (126); and iv. a slew bearing pinion (124) coupled to the shaft and engagable with the slew bearing gear.
  2. The ride vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable battery configured as a sole source of operating energy of the vehicle.
  3. The ride vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a. a lower reaction plate coupled to chassis; b. an upper reaction plate spaced apart from the lower reaction plate; c. a pivotable coupling having an upper shaft and a lower shaft extending away from a center of the pivotable coupling and terminating at respective upper and lower shaft ends, the upper shaft end fixed to the upper reaction plate and the lower shaft end fixed to the lower reaction plate; and d. at least two linear actuators spaced apart from each other and from the pivotable coupling, and coupled at respective upper ends to the upper reaction plate and at respective lower ends to the lower reaction plate, and configured to extend and retract to pivot the upper reaction plate about the pivotable coupling to produce pitch and roll motions of the upper reaction plate relative to the lower reaction plate.
  4. The ride vehicle of claim 3, further comprising: a. a passenger platform fixed to the upper reaction plate; and b. at least two rows of seats fixed to the passenger platform.
  5. The ride vehicle of claim 3, wherein the upper portion of at least one linear electric actuator extends at least partially through the upper reaction plate.
  6. The ride vehicle of claim 3, wherein: a. the lower reaction plate is coupled to the chassis via the slew bearing by fixing the lower reaction plate to the slew bearing; and b. the lower reaction plate rotates with the slew bearing and produces a yaw motion of the upper reaction plate with respect to the chassis.
  7. The ride vehicle of claim 3, wherein: a. the pivotable coupling comprises a vertically oriented pivotable coupling; and b. the central axis of the vertically oriented pivotable coupling passes through a point at a geometric center of the slew bearing.
  8. The ride vehicle of claim 7, wherein: a. the vehicle further comprises: i. a passenger platform fixed to the upper reaction plate; and ii. two rows of seats connected to the passenger platform; and b. the vertically oriented pivotable coupling comprises a central axis which passes through a point at a geometric center of the slew bearing and through a point on the passenger platform that is between a first row of the two rows of seats and a second row of the two rows of seats.
  9. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the pivotable coupling is a U-joint.
  10. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is configured for propulsion in a crabbing motion by: a. simultaneously setting a first commanded direction and a second commanded direction equal to an identical commanded direction, θ, where θ is one of 0°<θ<180° and 180°<θ<360°; and b. simultaneously setting a first commanded speed equal to a second commanded speed.
  11. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the ride navigation system (920) comprises a free range on grid navigation system.
  12. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the navigation sensor (922) comprises a magnetic detector, an optical detector, or a radio frequency detector.
  13. The ride vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a safety system (916) comprising at least one safety component.
  14. The ride vehicle of claim 13, wherein the at least one safety component comprises a door open/close detector.
  15. The ride vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a lighting and sound system (918).

Description

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/484,942, filed on May 11, 2011, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully presented herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to multi-passenger vehicles used in amusement park rides. More specifically, the vehicle is battery operated and includes features permitting passengers to experience motion with three degrees of freedom (yaw, pitch, and roll) while simultaneously being propelled along a preprogrammed route, which is autonomously traveled by the vehicle without use of a mechanical track or wire stretched along the route. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vehicles for amusement park rides have existed for a long time. Earliest vehicles rode on tracks. These vehicles were loud, due to the metal-on-metal sound of wheels on tracks. Rides making use of these vehicles were not amenable to changes, because of the difficulty of removing, reconfiguring, and reinstalling the tracks. Additionally, these vehicles were not self-powered. Each vehicle, or a string of vehicles, may have been coupled to a rope, chain, or cable that ran in a continuous loop throughout the ride. The movement of the rope, chain, or cable also caused undesirable noise. Moreover, the mere existence of the rope, chain, or cable posed a physical threat (due to tripping or entanglement) to any person departing the safety of the ride vehicle and to the amusement ride operators themselves. An innovation applied to the earliest vehicles came in the form of an on-board electric motor that was powered by an off-board power supply. To transfer electrical power to the electric motor, vehicles running on tracks made use of a "third rail" that ran between or to the side of the tracks typically at a predetermined fixed distance from the track. Conductive metal brushes or shoes protruding from the vehicle made contact with the third rail. Electrical power typically ran from the third rail to the electric motor of the vehicle via the brushes or shoes and was returned to ground via the vehicle's metal wheel making contact with the grounded metal track of the ride. Electrical vehicles of this type presented the serious danger of electrocution of a patron if the patron left the ride vehicle and stumbled on an electrified third-rail. Additionally, electrical vehicles of this type were still bound to a track and all of the problems related thereto. Not all electric ride vehicles are bound to tracks. Vehicles such as "bumper cars," which are steered by the passenger, typically obtained electrical power via a brush or solid conductor scraping across an electrified grid positioned above the ride. Electrical current was returned to ground via similar contacts or metal rollers directly to the solid metal floor of the ride. Electrical vehicles of this type also present the serious danger of electrocution of a patron if the patron made contact with an improperly insulated pole (supporting the contact scraping the electrified grid above the ride) and ground at the same time. These vehicles moreover typically presented the problem of a lack of safety features that could disable one or all of the vehicles in the ride if a patron was to leave a vehicle during the ride. Similar lack of safety features were present in electrified vehicles running on tracks. Innovations relating to the powering of vehicles freed some vehicles from tracks. For example, Disney Enterprises, Inc. introduced a battery-powered ride vehicle in 1982 at its "Universe of Energy" pavilion at EPCOT ® theme park. The World According to Jack, http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2010/10/universe_of_energy_1.html (last visited May 8, 2012). In this ride, patrons "were transported through the pavilion in large battery-powered 'traveling theatre cars' that followed guide-wires embedded in the floor as opposed to riding along conventional ride tracks." Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe_of_Energy (last visited April 17, 2012). This type of ride presents two problems in the field of ride vehicles. First, the locomotion of large battery-operated vehicles consumes a great deal of energy. Storage of a large amount of energy requires many rechargeable-type batteries. For the Universe of Energy vehicles, "each vehicle carries eight automotive batteries. Of course, these batteries need to be recharged frequently so within the attraction's two turntables are 'charging plates' that contain electromagnets. The magnets work in conjunction with onboard magnets that create an electric current that is transferred to the vehicle's batteries." The World According to Jack, supra. It is believed that the ratio of the amount of time this type of vehicle spends on its charging station (e.g., turntable) vs. the amount of time the vehicle spends moving under its own power, is greater than one. Accordingly, the vehicle's batteries are slowly being charged for long periods relati