EP3116618B1 - Water ride having a variable water level - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a water ride according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Such water rides are well known and enjoy in theme parks more and more popularity. These water rides usually have a track layout with rails along which vehicles can travel. At least one section of this route is designed so that the vehicle is at least partially immersed in the water and is guided by this.

An example of such a water ride is in DE 298 23 592 U1 the applicant described. The water ride is a whitewater course, in which the floating in an aquifer channel boats are equipped with a special suspension and running and guide wheels. In the water-bearing channel is provided that the boat floats while leaving the water-bearing channel, the chassis with its running and side wheels leads the boat in a rail system.

The DE 10 2004 062 315 A1 the applicant describes another water ride, in which the vessel is safely guided even with firing ranges with large differences in height and the float of the vessel when entering the water performs natural swimming movements even with different loading. For this purpose, the vessel is provided with a floating body, which is connected to a serving as a guide unit chassis via a flexible and / or articulated connection unit. hereby a limited relative movement between the float of the vessel and the landing gear is allowed.

Finally, that describes DE 198 03 465 C2 an amusement boat ride facility in which passengers in a boat-like vehicle can travel back and forth from a first landing at one end of the watercourse to an opposite end along a channelway and back from there. As a drive, a pull rope is attached to the passenger boat, through which the passenger boat can be pulled over two take-up reels at the end of the watercourse.

All these known water ride shops have in common that they drive in a predetermined section with their vehicles through a water level having a predetermined water level, in which a water level is fixed.

This is where the present invention begins.

The invention has the goal of developing a water ride of the type mentioned so that the passengers while driving on the one hand experience increased driving pleasure when driving the water ride and on the other hand it is readily possible in the area of the water-filled stretch, the watercraft accelerate without being exposed to increased water resistance.

This object is achieved by a water ride with the features of claim 1.

Further developments of such a water ride are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention is essentially based on providing means with which it is possible in a predetermined section of the water ride in a simple manner to raise the water level as quickly as possible and lower again. As a result, in the same section of the route, the vessels can be moved on the fixed route once at an increased water level and at other times at a lower water level, which may also be zero.

Suitable means are, for example, water basins with flood doors provided in the area of the mentioned section of the route and a pumping station. The water basins are first filled with water and open the flood doors or locks on this pool through a suitable control device to fill the section of the route through which the vehicles drive, up to a predetermined water level with water. When driving the rides then drive the vehicles in this section by relatively high water, resulting in the appropriate speed of the vehicles to the popular bow waves (Splash) in front of the vehicle and the water fountains at the end of the vehicle when driving through the stretch.

In a renewed driving through this section can then be lowered by the mentioned means the water level, possibly even down to zero. For this purpose, the mentioned flood doors are closed and returned via the pumping station, the water from the stretch back into the water basin. The vehicles then pass through this stretch of road with relatively little or no water Water. The resistance acting on the vehicles can be significantly reduced. This is advantageous if in this section acceleration devices, such as linear drives, are arranged for the vehicles.

It is within the scope of the present invention that the mentioned section, in which the existing water level is variable, is part of a closed or open roller coaster. The latter are known as the so-called "shuttle coaster". Instead of a roller coaster can also arbitrarily other routes, such as a to-and-fro, for example, a rocking track, use.

It has also proven to be useful to place a loading and unloading device for the vehicles in the area of the mentioned section of the route. A suitable loading and unloading device may also be a turntable on which a vehicle or several vehicles are arranged. From this turntable, the vehicles are then placed on the track section.

Although it has hitherto been described that the water level in the mentioned section is varied, it is also within the scope of the present invention that the water level in the section remains constant and for that purpose the rail system in the section where the vehicles are guided is raised is lowered. However, this variant is much more complex to realize.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht des Wasserfahrgeschäftes eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels,

Fig. 2

eine Draufsicht auf das Wasserfahrgeschäft von Figur 1,

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Ansicht des in Figur 1 und Figur 2 dargestellten Wasserfahrgeschäftes,

Fig. 4

eine Prinzipdarstellung eines Streckenabschnittes des Wasserfahrgeschäftes in den Figuren 1 bis 3 mit einem auf dem Streckenabschnitt befindlichen Fahrzeug und einem verhältnismäßig hohen Wasserpegel,

Fig. 5

eine ähnliche Darstellung wie Figur 4, allerdings mit erniedrigtem Wasserpegel,

Fig. 6

eine ähnliche Darstellung des Wasserfahrgeschäftes wie in Figur 3 in perspektivischer Ansicht mit einer Ablade- und Zuführstation zum Zuführen von Fahrzeugen auf die Streckenführung bei niedrigem Wasserpegel,

Fig. 7

das Wasserfahrgeschäft von Figur 6, wobei im Streckenabschnitt ein hoher Wasserpegel vorhanden ist,

Fig. 8

eine Seitenansicht eines Wasserfahrgeschäfts nach einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel, und

Fig. 9

eine Draufsicht auf das Wasserfahrgeschäft von Figur 8.

The water ride according to the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to several figures for two embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1

a side view of the water ride of a first embodiment,

Fig. 2

a top view of the water ride from FIG. 1 .

Fig. 3

a perspective view of the in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 represented water ride,

Fig. 4

a schematic representation of a section of the water ride in the FIGS. 1 to 3 with a vehicle on the stretch and a relatively high water level,

Fig. 5

a similar representation as FIG. 4 but with lowered water level,

Fig. 6

a similar representation of the water ride as in FIG. 3 in a perspective view with an unloading and feeding station for feeding vehicles on the route at low water level,

Fig. 7

the water ride from FIG. 6 with a high water level in the section,

Fig. 8

a side view of a water ride according to a second embodiment, and

Fig. 9

a top view of the water ride from FIG. 8 ,

In the following figures, unless otherwise stated, like reference numerals designate like parts with the same meaning.

In the FIGS. 1 to 3 the embodiment of a water ride 10 is shown. In the exemplary embodiment, this water ride 10 has a route guide 20, which is designed as a double-railed, straight running track. The route 20 is chosen so that seen in Figure 1 from left to right, the route 20 initially begins with a vertical sloping portion, then merges into a quarter-circular arc to lead into a straight segment 22. At this section 22, another section 23 connects, which forms a wave-shaped elevation. At the end of this further section 23, in turn, a quarter-circle-shaped arc follows to allow the route 20 in turn to end in a vertical range. For this purpose, a first tower 25 and a second tower 26 are provided on the vertical areas, on which the route guide 20 is fixed with its two ends. The two towers 25, 26 may be, for example, over one hundred meters apart. The height of the towers can be for example forty meters. In FIG. 1 is on the right tower 26 shown a vehicle 12 befindlich located. This vehicle 12 can travel along the route 20 via a suitable acceleration device.

As an acceleration device, for example, a linear drive or a plurality of linear drives can be provided. These linear drives, which are known per se, are in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 at the route guide 20 in the region of the route section 22 and are denoted by the reference numeral 40 provided. Furthermore, the described drives can also be arranged in all other areas of the routing.

In order to be able to accelerate the vehicles 12 with such linear drives 40, the vehicles 12 themselves are in turn equipped with suitable drive components, such as permanent magnets.

As in FIG. 2 is shown, located in the section 22 immediately adjacent to the route 20, that is, next to the tracks, a loading and unloading station 50 to carry a vehicle 12 to the rail or to the rail. The loading and unloading station 50 may be, for example, a turntable. If the vehicle 12 is placed on the track section 22, by activating the linear drives 40, the vehicle 12 can be accelerated to the left or to the right. In this case, the acceleration can be varied so that the vehicle approaches, for example, up to the upper end of the route 20 on the tower 26, where it can be held by suitable braking means or immediately due to Erdanziehungskräften reverses its direction independently or even accelerated by suitable drives. After, for example, the braking means are released, the vehicle 12 accelerates down on the route guide 20 and first reaches the route section 23 and then the subsequent route section 22. There, a further acceleration of the vehicle 12 can take place with the linear drive 40, so that this on the routing 20 extends to the upper end of the route on the tower 25. There, the vehicle 12 can again be held or released immediately for a return trip.

A special driving pleasure results from the fact that the section 22 can be filled with water and there the water level can be varied. For this purpose, the water ride 10 has, for example, two water tanks 35, 37 located directly next to the section 22, which are filled with water. The water basins 35, 37 have lock doors 38. Once these have an in FIG. 2 not shown, the water floods the tracks in the section 22 more or less, depending on when the lock doors 38 are closed again. It is understood that the route 20 in the area of the section 22, on the left and right, the two basins 35, 37 are arranged at their entrances or exits is designed so that at these points, the water can not drain, so only the section 22 is flooded. It is therefore necessary to ensure that from the section 22, not the water that comes out of the tanks 35, 37, can flow uncontrollably. This goes without saying.

In FIG. 4 a water level 32a is shown which is relatively high and extends to near the upper edge of the watercraft 12. About one in FIG. 2 indicated pumping station 60, this high water level 32a can be lowered by pumping out the water from the stretch section 22, for example to a level as shown in FIG FIG. 5 represented by the reference numeral 32b. The water level 32b is so low that only the wheels of the vehicles 12 are still covered by water. However, it is also possible to lower the water level 32b to zero via the pumping station 60, so that not only the rails of the track section 22 but also the floor 24 can be seen.

At such a low water level as in FIG. 5 is shown with the reference numeral 32b, or even further lowered water level, it is easily possible to drive the vehicles 12 via the linear drives 40, without a large water resistance is overcome.

In connection with the FIGS. 6 and 7 the operation of the water ride 10 is clarified.

It is believed that in FIG. 6 the water level has a low level, for example, as in FIG. 5 explained with the reference numeral 32b. On a turntable 50 are located at an angle of 180 ° to each other offset two vehicles 12. One of the vehicles 12 has just been placed on the track section 22. About the linear actuator 40 of this vehicle 12 is then accelerated to about half the height of the tower 26 on the route 20. Due to gravity, the vehicle 12 reverses its direction of travel halfway up the tower 25 and accelerates due to gravitational force to subsequently enter the track section 22 where a relatively low water level 32b is present. By the linear drive 40, the vehicle in the section 22 is accelerated again, but in the opposite direction than before, so that the vehicle 12 moves at an increased speed on the slight rise in the section 23 and reaches close to the upper end of the tower 26. There it returns due to gravity again to drive back over the section 23, up to the top of the tower 25, wherein after leaving the section 22, the lock doors 38 are opened, so at high speed, the water from the pools 35, 37 can flood the section 22, causing the water level to the height according to FIG. 4 rises (compare there Reference numeral 32a). At the highest point of the tower 25, the vehicle 12 then reverses to then travel at high speed through the flooded section 22, producing the desired large splash wave (Splash) and drawing water fountain behind it. The area of the route at which this large splash wave (splash) is generated in the route 20 is in the Figures 1 and 2 marked with the reference numeral 27.

After the vehicle 12 has then again driven on the tower 26 and reversed due to gravity, it finally returns to the area of the section 22, where the linear drives 40 now provide for braking and resting the vehicle 12. Subsequently, the vehicle 12 is received by the turntable 50. The turntable 50 rotates to place the second vehicle 12, which in the meantime is filled with persons, on the track system of the route 20 in a similar manner. The process can be varied as required in the number of passes.

In FIG. 8 and in FIG. 9 a second embodiment of a waterway with variable water level is shown. FIG. 8 shows, similar to FIG. 1 , the water ride 10 in side view and FIG. 9 shows this water ride 10 in top view. In contrast to the first embodiment of the FIGS. 1 to 7 now the linear drives 40 are no longer in the area between the water basins 35, 37 arranged, so not in the section 22, but in the right side of it located section 23. Similarly, the loading and unloading station 50 is no longer in the area between the two basins 35, 37, but in the present case between the area of the linear drives 40 and the right tower 26. The loading and unloading station 50 is in turn designed as a turntable, in the present alternately two vehicles 12 can be placed on the route guide 20. It is of course also within the scope of the invention that the entire ride is operated only with a single vehicle 12. Then the loading and unloading station 50 is dispensable.

Although in the context of the embodiments only one designed as a to-or Herbahn ride was described, it is also in the context of the present invention, only a section of a circular track, in particular a roller coaster, equipped with a back and forth possibility. There is no or little water in one direction when driving in one direction, and when driving in the opposite direction, there is significantly more water in this area to achieve the desired "splash".

Furthermore, it is also within the scope of the invention, instead of a rail guide for the vehicles another guide, for. B. by magnetic strip, a cable guide or the like. It is also possible to make the leadership of the vehicles similar to a bob channel, in which the vehicles are guided within a trough-shaped route.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

Water ride

12

vehicle

20

route

22

stretch

23

stretch

24

ground

25

first tower

26

second tower

27

Splash zone

30

water

32

water level

32a

high water level

32b

low water level

35

water basin

37

water basin

38

lock door

40

linear actuator

50

Loading and unloading station

60

pump station

Claims (10)

1. Water ride (10) having a route (20) along which at least one vehicle (12) provided to accommodate at least one rider can be moved, wherein the route (20) has at least one fixedly arranged route section (22) in which the at least one vehicle (12) is guided through water (30), characterised in that in the region of the route section (22) means are provided for raising or lowering the water level (32) of the water (30) in such a way that during a ride the at least one vehicle (12) can pass through the route section (22) both at a raised water level (32a) and at a lowered water level (32b).
2. Water ride (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the lowered water level (32b) is a water level (32) between the raised water level (32a) and zero or approximately zero.
3. Water ride (10) according to claim 2, characterised in that the means comprise at least one device for raising and lowering the water level (60) and a water basin (35, 37), by means of which the water (30) can be conveyed out of the route section (22), and a flood device or pump or the like (38), by which the water (30) can be moved out of the water basin (35, 37) into the route section (22).
4. Water ride (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the vehicle (12) or the vehicles (12) can be driven by means of one or more drives, preferably linear drives (40).
5. Water ride (10) according to claim 4, characterised in that the drive (40) or the drives (40) are placed along the route.
6. Water ride (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the route section (22) extends in a straight line and preferably has a height profile.
7. Water ride (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the route section (22) is part of a roller coaster.
8. Water ride (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the route section (22) is part of a back and forth coaster.
9. Water ride (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the vehicle (12) or the vehicles (12) can be moved onto the route (20) in the region of the route section (22) by means of a loading and unloading station (50)
10. Water ride (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the route (20) is a rail, on or along which the vehicles (12) can be moved.

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