NZ536656A - Recreational apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A recreational apparatus comprising: a support cable assembly, having one or more support cables, that is secured so as to extend across a void; a passenger carriage for one or more passengers that is supported by the support cable assembly; a positioning system associated with the passenger carriage that is operable to raise and lower the passenger carriage between a lowered position toward or at a base area of the void and a raised position above the base area; and a descent apparatus that is securable to a part of the apparatus to enable a passenger to perform a descent-based activity. The secured descent apparatus is accessible from the passenger carriage when the passenger carriage is in the raised position. The descent apparatus is further arranged to be fastened to a passenger or passengers to enable the passenger(s) to descend from the passenger carriage into the void when the passenger carriage is in the raised position.

Description

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 536656 Date: 18 November 2004 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION RECREATIONAL APPARATUS Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 18 NOV 2005 received We, H.A.T. 2 LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand, of Level 2, The Station, Corner Shotover & Camp Streets, Queenstown, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of recreational apparatus for recreational activities such as bungy jumping.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Bungy jumping is a well-known and popular recreational activity. Bungy jumping is usually done from fixed structures such as bridges, cranes or platforms constructed over natural voids such as gorges and valleys or over man-made voids such as road cuttings or the voids between or around tall buildings or free-standing towers.

The bungy jumper attaches a bungy cord made of a resilient material such as elastic, to his or her body, typically to a tether secured around his or her ankles. The other end of the bungy cord is secured to the structure from which the jump is to take place. The bungy cord is constructed to a specification in relation to the height of the jump and the weight of the jumper. The jumper is then able to jump from the structure into the void in relative safety.

NZ Patent No. 330873 discloses a bungy jumping apparatus wherein cables are extended across a void and a transportation means carries bungy jumpers across the cables from one edge of the void to a central point from which bungy jumping can take place.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved recreational apparatus, or to at least provide the public with a useful alternative form of recreational apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect, the present invention broadly consists in a recreational apparatus comprising: a support cable assembly, having one or more support cables, that is secured so as to extend across a void; a passenger carriage for one or more passengers Intellectual Property Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED that is supported by the support cable assembly; a positioning system associated with the passenger carriage that is operable to raise and lower the passenger carriage between a lowered position toward or at a base area of the void and a raised position above the base area; a descent apparatus that is securable to a part of the recreational apparatus to enable a passenger to perform a descent-based activity, the secured descent apparatus being accessible from the passenger carriage when the passenger carriage is in the raised position, the descent apparatus being further arranged to be fastened to a passenger or passengers to enable the passenger(s) to descend from the passenger carriage into the void to perform the descent-based activity when the passenger carriage is in the raised position.

Preferably, the positioning system comprises a hoisting system that is operable to raise or lower the passenger carriage between the lowered and raised positions.

In one form, the hoisting system comprises a hoist cable secured so that it extends between a winching system mounted to the passenger carriage and another part of the recreational apparatus or a location at the base area of the void, the winching system being operable to retract or release the hoist cable to raise or lower the passenger carriage between its lowered and raised positions. Preferably, the hoist cable extends between the winching system mounted to the passenger carriage and another part of the recreational apparatus or a location at the base area of the void either directly or alternatively indirectly via one or more pulleys provided on the support cable assembly.

In another form, the hoisting system comprises a hoist cable secured so that it extends between the passenger carriage and a winching system mounted to another part of the recreational apparatus or located at the base area of the void, the winching system being operable to retract or release the hoist cable to raise or lower the passenger carriage between its lowered and raised positions. Preferably, the hoist cable extends between the passenger carriage and the winching system mounted to another part of the recreational apparatus or located at the base area of the void either directly or alternatively indirectly via one or more pulleys provided on the support cable assembly.

Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 5 MAY 2007 RECEIVED In one form, the support cable assembly comprises a single support cable that is secured so as to extend across the void. Preferably, the support cable assembly further comprises a crosshead frame that is mounted to the single support cable at a position substantially above the base area of the void.

In another form, the support cable assembly comprises an arrangement of two or more support cables that extends across the void. Preferably, the support cable assembly further comprises a crosshead frame that is coupled to the support cables and being positioned substantially above the base area of the void. More preferably, the support cables and crosshead frame are arranged in a star configuration across the void. By way of example, the support cable assembly may comprise two support cables, the ends of one support cable being anchored at spaced apart locations on one side of the void and the ends of the other support cable being anchored at spaced apart locations on the opposite side of the void, the intermediate portions of both support cables extending toward each other over the void and being coupled together via the crosshead frame. Preferably, the intermediate portions of the support cables are coupled to the crosshead frame by looping around sheaves of the crosshead frame.

Preferably, at least one end of the or each support cable of the support cable assembly is anchored in place via connection to an anchor block provided at or toward one side of the void.

Preferably, at least one end of the or each support cable is coupled, via a sheave of an anchor block provided at or toward one side of the void, to a counter-weight that is arranged to maintain constant tension in the support cable.

Preferably, the recreational apparatus further comprises a guide cable system that extends between the base area of the void and the support cable assembly, the passenger carriage being coupled for relative movement up and down the guide cable assembly in response to operation of the positioning system. More preferably, the guide cable assembly comprises one or more guide cables that extend downward from the support cable assembly and are secured at the base area of the void, the passenger carriage being Intellectual Property Office Of N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED coupled to the guide cable(s) such that the passenger carriage can move relative to the guide cable(s) through the path provided by the guide cable(s) when being raised or lowered by the positioning system.

Preferably, the or each guide cable of the guide cable assembly extends on an incline relative to the vertical between the base area of the void and the support cable assembly.

In one form, the support cable assembly comprises a crosshead frame that is coupled with the support cable(s) and positioned substantially above the base area of the void, the guide cable(s) of the guide cable assembly being anchored at one end at the base area of the void and being attached at the other end to the crosshead frame. By way of example, the guide cable assembly may comprise two pairs of guide cables, each pair extending down from the crosshead frame of the support cable assembly and being secured at the base area on opposite sides below the crosshead frame, the two guide cables of each pair being arranged in a substantially parallel configuration.

Preferably, the guide cable(s) of the guide cable assembly have associated tension components that maintain a constant tension in the guide cable(s) so that the guide cable(s) act to stabilise any movement of the support cable(s) of the support cable assembly.

Preferably, the passenger carriage is provided with an automatic braking system that clamps the passenger carriage to the guide cable(s) of the guide cable assembly in the event of a positioning system failure.

Preferably, the descent apparatus is securable to the passenger carriage.

In one form, the descent apparatus comprises a bungy cord to enable a passenger to perform a bungy jump into the void from the passenger carriage when it is in the raised position.

IntetlQCtual Property Office of N.Z. \ 5 MAY 2007 received In another form, the descent apparatus comprises a swing apparatus to enable a passenger to perform a swinging jump into the void from the passenger carriage when it is in the raised position.

In yet another form, the descent apparatus comprises an abseiling apparatus to enable a passenger to abseil into the void from the passenger carriage when it is in the raised position.

Preferably, the void is any of the following: a gorge, valley, space between two structures, or space between two anchor points.

The term 'comprising' as used in this specification and claims means 'consisting at least in part of, that is to say when interpreting statements in this specification and claims which include that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred forms of the invention will be described by way of example only and with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation view of a preferred form of the recreational apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the recreational apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the recreational apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 4a is a front view of a crosshead frame of the recreational apparatus; Figure 4b is an end view of the crosshead frame shown in Figure 4a; Figure 5a is a cross-sectional view of a cable anchor block and counter-weight assembly of the recreational apparatus; j^,^, pr0pa^ Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 6 r e ceived Figure 5b is a cross-section view of the cable anchor block shown in Figure 5a; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a passenger carriage and descent apparatus of the recreational apparatus; Figure 7 is a front view of the passenger carriage shown in Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a side view of the passenger carriage shown in Figure 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FORMS The recreational apparatus of the present invention is for descent-based activities, such as bungy jumping, swinging, abseiling or the like, that are conducted within a void or jump cavity, which may be provided naturally by a gorge or valley, or which may be man-made, such as those created between adjacent man-made structures like buildings, towers or other suitable structures. The recreational apparatus may also be arranged to be installed in the vicinity of a void or jump cavity that is created partially from natural landscape and partially from man-made structures.

The recreational apparatus comprises at least one support cable that is securely suspended across a void into which the descent-based activity is to be conducted. The support cable(s), either directly or indirectly, support a passenger carriage from which one or more people can perform the descent-based activity. The passenger carriage has an associated positioning system that is operable to move the passenger carriage up and down in height between a lowered position toward or at the base area of the void where people may be loaded onto and unloaded from the passenger carriage and a raised position above the base area from which one or more people may jump from the passenger carriage into the void to perform their descent-based activity on an appropriate descent apparatus, such as a bungy cord, swinging assembly, abseiling assembly or the like.

By way of example only, a preferred form recreational apparatus 10 will be described in the context of bungy jumping, although it will be appreciated that the recreational apparatus may be modified for other descent-based activities that do not utilise bungy cords. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the recreational apparatus 10 comprises two support Imenectuai Property Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 cables 11,12 anchored at points 13,14 and coupled together via a coupling component, such as a crosshead frame 16, so as to extend across a void generally indicated at 15. Typically, the void 15 is a gorge or valley and anchor points 13,14 are located on hillsides on either side of the valley or gorge.

As shown in Figure 2, the first support cable 11 is anchored at two spaced points 13a and 13b on one side of the void. The second support cable 12 is anchored at points 14a and 14b on the other side of the void. The mid-portions of the support cables 11,12 extend towards each other across the void and are secured to the crosshead frame 16 at a point substantially above a base area of the void. This "X" or "star" configuration provides additional stability to the apparatus. In an alternative form of the recreational apparatus, the two support cables 11, 12 may be replaced by multiple cables, for example four or more, with each support cable secured at one end to one of the spaced anchor points 13a, 13b, 14a, 14b and at the other end to the crosshead frame 16. In another alternative form of the recreational apparatus, one support cable may be provided that extends over the entire void with the ends of the support cable being anchored into opposite hillsides and the support cable may or may not be provided with an intermediate integral or attached crosshead frame. Further, an arrangement of at least two substantially parallel support cables may be suspended over the void. It will be appreciated that there are various single and multiple support cable assembly arrangements that may be suitable for the recreational apparatus and, depending on the arrangement, a crosshead frame is not necessarily an essential part of the assembly. It will be appreciated that the support cable(s) or support cable assembly may either support the passenger carriage directly or indirectly and further that the support cable(s) or support cable assembly may support the passenger carriage at least partially or fully. In this respect, the term "supported" is intended to cover direct or indirect support, whether partial or full. For example, the support cable(s) or support cable assembly may work in combination with the positioning system, such as the hoisting system, to support the passenger carriage.

As mentioned, the recreational apparatus 10 comprises a passenger carriage 17 that is supported by the support cables. The passenger carriage may be an enclosed carriage, J intellectual Property | Office of N.Z. -8- 15 MAY 2007 similar to a gondola car, or alternatively may be any other suitable structure for transporting and supporting people, such as a movable open platform. An example of the preferred form passenger carriage 17 will be described in detail later.

In operation, the passenger carriage 17 is movable between a lowered position at a base area 19, typically at the bottom of the valley or gorge, where prospective participants and possibly supervisors can board the passenger carriage, and a raised position above the base area that is sufficiently high for bungy jumping or other similar descent-based or other recreational activities to be carried out from the passenger carriage. For this purpose, the recreational apparatus 10 also includes a descent apparatus that is securable to the passenger carriage 17, one of the support cables 11,12, the crosshead frame 16 or any other suitable part of the recreational apparatus 10. The descent apparatus allows participants to descend and/or be suspended from the passenger carriage when it is in a raised position above the base area of the void. Typically, the descent apparatus will be of the type that can be fastened to a participant's body. For example, the descent apparatus may be an elastic bungy cord 21 for bungy jumping that is attached between the passenger carriage 17 at one end and to a person 22 or persons at the other end as shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, it could also be a swing apparatus, abseiling apparatus or any other appropriate descent and/or suspension apparatus.

The passenger carriage structure is raised and lowered by an associated positioning system. The preferred form positioning system comprises a hoisting system that utilises a hoist cable and an operable winching system. In particular, the preferred form positioning system comprises at least one hoist cable 20 that is supported by the support cables 11,12 and crosshead frame 16 arrangement. In particular, the hoist cable 20 is supported by the crosshead frame 16 that is coupled between the support cables 11,12 at an appropriate point above the base area 19. By way of example, the hoist cable 20 may be secured at one end to the passenger carriage 17 and at the other end to a cable retracting mechanism for controllably retracting and releasing cable, such as an operable winch or winches, at or near the base area 19 of the void. The hoist cable 20 may pass over a sheave supported by the support cable(s) or on the crosshead frame 16 as described later. The winch(es) may then be operated to controllably retract the hoist Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. "9" 15 MAY 2007 RECEIVED cable 20 to raise the passenger carriage 17 from the base area 19, or to controllably release the hoist cable to lower the passenger carriage towards the base area. It will be appreciated that various winch and hoist cable arrangements could alternatively be utilised. The winch could, for example, be mounted to the passenger carriage with the hoist cable connected to the crosshead frame or support cable(s), or the winch could be mounted to the crosshead frame, support cable(s) or any other part of the recreational apparatus, with the hoist cable being securely attached to the passenger carriage.

The positioning system may alternatively employ a cable or chain climbing system or a winch system mounted to a support cable 11,12, the crosshead frame 16 or any other appropriate part of the recreational apparatus 10. Any combination of such known mechanisms may be employed in the positioning system. Cables used in the positioning system may or may not incorporate counter-weights. Further, the passenger carriage may be moved between the raised and lowered positions via the hoist cable 20 by any other known means.

The recreational apparatus 10 may also include a guide cable assembly that may have at least one, preferably two, and even more preferably four guide cables 23. As shown in Figures 1-3, the preferred form recreational apparatus 10 includes four guide cables 23 in the form of two pairs of substantially parallel cables, each pair of cables being secured to the crosshead frame 16 and extending downward at an angle to anchor blocks 24 at or toward the base area 19 of the void on opposite sides below the crosshead frame 16. In the preferred form, the passenger carriage 17 is suspended under the support cables 11,12 and crosshead frame 16 and between one pair of guide cables 23 via the hoist cable 20 of the positioning system. In particular, the passenger carriage 17 may be coupled for relative movement with respect to the guide cables 23 to provide stability when the passenger carriage is raised and lowered. In addition, the guide cables 23 provide an inclined vertical path through which the passenger carriage 17 may travel and this creates free space below the passenger carriage into which a participant may safely perform a bungy jump or some other descent-based activity without tangling with or being impeded by the guide 23 or hoist 20 cables. In particular, all cables utilised in the preferred form recreational apparatus 10 are arranged and positioned so as to allow a Intellectual Property Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED safe area around and below the passenger carriage 17 into which a bungy jumper may jump and subsequently bounce without contacting any of the cables or other equipment. As shown in Figure 3, the passenger carriage 17 may travel up and down the guide cables 23 in an inclined path and this arrangement provides a safe area into which a bungy jumper 22 may jump from the passenger carriage 17.

Both pairs of guide cables 23 also function to effectively pull the support cables 11,12 down to prevent them from bouncing when the imposed loads change, for example when a bungy jumper hits the end of a bungy swing or when wind loads try and sway the passenger carriage 17. Further, the combination and arrangement of support cables 11,12 and guide cables 23 provides an "A frame" arrangement that is substantially stable in most conditions. It will be appreciated that the slope of the guide cables 23 may be varied to suit particular design requirements.

Figures 4a and 4b show a preferred form of the crosshead frame 16 that is formed from steel for example, although other suitable materials could be utilised. The crosshead frame 16 forms part of the support cable assembly. The support cables 11,12 may, for example, be secured to ends of the crosshead frame 16 via one or more sheaves 25 of pulley blocks or the like. In particular, the preferred form support cables 11,12 are secured at one end to a respective anchor point 13 a, 14a at the edge of the void, for example on a hillside, then extend about a sheave 25 of the crosshead frame 16, and then return back to the hillside and are secured at the other end to the other respective anchor points 13b, 14b. In this arrangement, the sheaves 25 at each end of the crosshead frame 16 act to transfer the load equally between the support cables 11,12. In an alternative form, a single support cable may extend across the entire void, being anchored at each end on opposite sides of the void as previously mentioned, and in this form the crosshead frame may be securely attached or located upon or under the support cable via sheaves or any other appropriate attachment means, such as clamps or the like. For example, the support cable may run across the crosshead frame.

In the preferred form, the hoist cable 20 may pass over one or more sheaves 26 of pulley blocks provided on the crosshead frame 16. By way of example, the sheaves 26 are Intellectual Property Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED positioned on the crosshead frame 16 so that the hoist cable 20 is diverted from the centre of the crosshead frame as it extends up from the passenger carriage 17 to one side of the crosshead frame to then run down alongside a guide cable 23 to remain clear of the jump zone. As previously mentioned, one end of the hoist cable 20 may be secured to the passenger carriage 17 and the other to a tensioning mechanism such as a counterweight or to a cable retracting mechanism, for example a winch.

The guide cables 23 are each securely attached at one end to the crosshead frame 16 at points 27 for example. The guide cables 23 may also include at least one, but preferably two, integral or attached stopper components 28 to prevent the passenger carriage 17 from being raised any further once it has reached the optimum raised position. Stopper components 28 are only provided on one or both guide cables 23 of the pair that actually guide the passenger carriage 17 up and down. It will be appreciated that the hoist cable 20 could also be provided with one or more integral or attached stopper components to control the limits of travel of the passenger carriage 17.

Referring to Figures 5a and 5b, an example of the anchor assembly for the support cables 11,12 at the anchor points 13a, 13b, 14a, 14b on the hillsides at the edge of the void is shown. In one form, each end of the support cables 11,12 may be securely attached to an eye component 29 embedded in a concrete anchor block 30 in the ground. By way of example, the anchor blocks 30 may be rock anchored or buried in the ground and further secured with anchor bars 30a. In the preferred form, one end of each of the support cables 11,12 may be securely connected to a counter-weight, such as a inclined moveable and weighted trolley 31 on a track and bogey system in a trench, via a sheave or pulley wheel 32 coupled to the anchor block 30. This counter-weight assembly maintains a constant tension in the support cables 11,12 in order to minimise the effects of temperature fluctuations, tolerances, and creep extensions.

It will be appreciated that the support cables 11,12 may be anchored in other known ways and that the anchor points may be elevated above the ground to give more effective height to the void. The anchor points do not necessarily have to be level in height either. Further, the anchor assemblies may be integrated into tower, building or Intellectual Property Office ef N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED other structures when the recreational apparatus is installed across man-made voids or partially man-made voids.

Referring to Figure 6, a preferred form passenger carriage 17 is shown. The passenger carriage includes a car 33 or carriage into which prospective participant(s) and possibly supervisors may be loaded. The car 33 is preferably substantially enclosed and includes a series of perspex or glass windows 34 on both sides, an opening 35 for passenger entry and exit, and a platform 36 to which the descent apparatus, such as a bungy cord 21, may be attached to and from which a participant 22 bungy jumping may launch themselves into the void below when the passenger carriage 17 is in the raised position. The car 33 may also include a door at the opening 35 and safety belts, ropes or harnesses and seats for passengers.

The preferred form passenger carriage 17 also includes a frame that couples the car 33 to the guide cables 23 on each side. In the preferred form, the frame is symmetrical about the car 33. Each side of the car is provided with 4 lateral support members 37, arranged in upper and lower pairs, with the support members 37 of each pair extending from the side of the car 33 in an arced and angled manner such that they converge toward each other at the guide cable 23 adjacent the side of the car 33. Each side of the frame also includes a strut 38 that extends between the points of convergence of the upper and lower pairs of lateral support members 37. In the preferred form, the struts 38 are aligned and orientated to be parallel with the guide cables 23. Each side of the frame is coupled to the adjacent guide cable 23 via coupling mechanisms, such as guide rings, rollers, or wheels or any other mechanisms that allow the passenger carriage 17 to travel along or move relative to the guide cables 23. The coupling mechanisms may, for example, be provided at points 39 on each side of the frame.

An automatic braking system may also be provided that is operable to clamp the passenger carriage 17 to the guide cables 23 in the case of hoist cable 20 failure. The braking system may, for example, comprise one or more operable brakes located in the vicinity of the coupling mechanisms that couple the frame of the passenger carriage 17 to the guide cables 23 at points 39. The passenger carriage 17 may also have an Intellectual Property Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED emergency abseiling system to enable the passengers to evacuate if required. A trolley system that rides upon one of the support cables 11,12 may also be provided to enable access to the crosshead frame, cables and sheaves for maintenance.

As shown in Figure 6, the hoist cable 20 is securely attached to the roof of the car 33 of the passenger carriage 17. However, it will be appreciated that the hoist cable 20 may alternatively be connected securely to any other part of the car 33 or frame of the passenger carriage 17.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the passenger carriage 17 is shown in a lowered position at the base area of the void. As shown in Figure 7, a housing structure 40 may be provided adjacent the guide cables 23 for housing one or more winches that are coupled to the hoist cable 20 and which are operable to retract or release the hoist cable 20 in order to raise or lower the passenger carriage 17 as desired. Referring to Figure 8, a set of stairs 41 or the like may be provided to enable passengers to enter and exit the passenger carriage via platform 36 and opening 35 of the passenger carriage 17.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the concrete anchor blocks 24 embedded in the ground each for the guide cables 23 are shown. It will be appreciated that the anchor blocks 24 do not necessarily have to be embedded into dry land. They may be embedded in the bed of a river at the base area of the void, for example if the void is formed from a gorge or the like. A tensioning system 42, for example an in-line tensioning component, will also be provided for each guide cable 23 to maintain constant tension on the guide cables 23. The in-line tensioning component may be a hydraulic tensioning component. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the guide cables could be tensioned by a counter-weight assembly that is arranged to apply a constant load to the guide cables to maintain a constant tension.

In regard to tensioning of the support cables 11,12 and the guide cables 23, it will be appreciated that both sets of cables need not necessarily be tensioned. For example, the support cables 11,12 may be tensioned, or the guide cables 23 may be tensioned. Both may be tensioned if desired, although this is not essential. The tensioning system is Intellectual Property Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED designed to minimise the effects of temperature fluctuations, tolerances, and creep extensions on the "A frame" cable arrangement.

A typical operation cycle of the recreational apparatus 10 will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 8 where the descent apparatus is a bungy cord 21 for bungy jumping. Firstly, the winch coupled to the hoist cable 20 is operated to move the passenger carriage 17 to a lowered position toward or at the base area of the void, as indicated generally by arrow A in Figure 3. With the passenger carriage 17 in the lowered position A, the bungy jumper enters the car 33 of the passenger carriage 17, along with one or more other round-trip passengers, for example a jumpmaster, photographer, supporter or the like. All passengers, including the bungy jumper, enter the car 33 via steps 41 and safety harnesses, belts or ropes are provided in the car to secure occupants within the car.

Once inside the car 33, the bungy jumper is connected to the bungy cord 21. The winch is then operated to raise the passenger carriage 17 via the hoist cable 20 up to a raised position toward or at the crosshead frame 16, for example at the position generally indicated by arrow B. Once the passenger carriage 17 is in the raised position or at an appropriate jump height above the base area, the jumpmaster may prepare the bungy cord 21 for the jump and make all necessary safety checks. The bungy jumper's safety rope is then released and the door of the passenger carriage opened so that the bungy jumper can proceed to the platform 36 and make the jump.

Once the jump is completed, the winch may be operated to lower the passenger carriage 17 with the remaining occupants, such as the jumpmaster and other spectators, to the lowered position A at the base area 19 of the void. As the bungy cord 21 is attached to the passenger carriage 17, the bungy jumper lowers with the passenger carriage and therefore the passenger carriage may be halted briefly during descent at, for example, position C when the bungy jumper nears the ground to enable recovery. Once the bungy jumper is detached from the bungy cord 21, the jumpmaster may recover the bungy cord 21 as the passenger carriage 17 descends to its lowered position at the base area 19 of the void. The operation cycle above may then proceed again for another bungy jumper.

Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 5 MAY 2007 RECEIVED It will be appreciated that the specifications of the components utilised in the recreational apparatus may vary from one installation site to the next and will primarily depend on the profile and size of the void or jump cavity to be created. By way of example only, some typical component specifications will be provided for a recreational apparatus 10 as described with reference to Figures 1-8 for a valley that is approximately 200m deep and approximately 700m wide. For such a valley, the support cables 11,12 may be 60mm in diameter, the hoist cable 20 may be 20mm in diameter, and the guide cables 23 may be 40mm in diameter, with the guide cables 23 of each pair being spaced approximately 12m apart and having a slope of 1 in 4. The lateral support members 37 of the frame of the passenger carriage 17 may, for example, be formed from 100mm diameter tubes that may have a fine lacing of stainless steel to provide buckling stability. The struts 38 of the frame of the passenger carriage 17 may also be formed from similar tubes, but may be 75mm in diameter. The sheaves 25 of the crosshead frame 16 may be 120mm diameter cable sheaves to accommodate the support cables 11,12. The winch of the positioning system may be operated to move the passenger carriage at approximately 2 meters per second, although it will be appreciated that faster or slower speeds could alternatively be utilised. The component specifications mentioned above are purely by way of example only and are by no means limiting. It will be appreciated that the component specifications, such as cable lengths, cable diameters, sheave specifications, frame component specifications, materials and all other component specifications can be modified and altered to suit particular requirements in relation to the void and recreational activity being performed. It will be appreciated that the recreational apparatus may be installed in voids, natural or man-made, of all sizes and profiles, whether large or small.

The recreational apparatus may be provided with a control system that may be operable to control the tensioning system of the guide cables, the passenger carriage braking system, and the positioning system for the passenger carriage. For example, the control system may have associated sensors that sense the height and speed of the passenger carriage and the control system may be operable to control the ascent and descent of the passenger carriage according to signals from those sensors. The control system may also intellectual Property Office of N.Z.

MAY 2007 RECEIVED have a communications module to provide for communication between people at the base area of the void and those people in the passenger carriage. It will be appreciated that the control system may be located at the base area of the void, in the passenger carriage, or in a remote area, or a combination thereof, and that it may have one or more operable control panels. The control system may communicate with sensors and the tensioning system, braking system, and positioning system via hardwired channels or wireless mediums. It will also be appreciated that a central control system for the recreational apparatus is not essential. The tensioning and braking systems may be configured to operate automatically and the positioning system may be manually operated to control the movement of the passenger carriage as desired.

It will be appreciated that the recreational apparatus may be scaled to suit particular design requirements for various types of voids. Further, the recreational apparatus may be modified to increase throughput of passengers. For example, the recreational apparatus may be modified to include more than one passenger carriage, each moveable by a separate positioning system. In particular, there may be multiple passenger carriages supported by the support cable assembly of the recreational apparatus, each being independent of the other and having its own travel path.

The foregoing description of the invention includes preferred forms thereof. Modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.

Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 5 MAY 2007 received

Claims (22)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A recreational apparatus comprising: a support cable assembly, having one or more support cables, that is secured so as to extend across a void; a passenger carriage for one or more passengers that is supported by the support cable assembly; a positioning system associated with the passenger carriage that is operable to raise and lower the passenger carriage between a lowered position toward or at a base area of the void and a raised position above the base area; and a descent apparatus that is securable to a part of the recreational apparatus to enable a passenger to perform a descent-based activity, the secured descent apparatus being accessible from the passenger carriage when the passenger carriage is in the raised position, the descent apparatus being further arranged to be fastened to a passenger or passengers to enable the passenger(s) to descend from the passenger carriage into the void to perform the descent-based activity when the passenger carriage is in the raised position.

2. A recreational apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the positioning system comprises a hoisting system that is operable to raise or lower the passenger carriage between the lowered and raised positions.

3. A recreational apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the hoisting system comprises a hoist cable secured so that it extends between a winching system mounted to the passenger carriage and another part of the recreational apparatus or a location at the base area of the void, the winching system being operable to retract or release the hoist cable to raise or lower the passenger carriage between its lowered and raised positions.

4. A recreational apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the hoist cable extends between the winching system mounted to the passenger carriage and another part of the recreational apparatus or a location at the base area of the void either -18- Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 5 MAY 2007 RECEIVED directly or alternatively indirectly via one or more pulleys provided on the support cable assembly. 9.

5. A recreational apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the hoisting system comprises a hoist cable secured so that it extends between the passenger carriage and a winching system mounted to another part of the recreational apparatus or located at the base area of the void, the winching system being operable to retract or release the hoist cable to raise or lower the passenger carriage between its lowered and raised positions.

6. A recreational apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the hoist cable extends between the passenger carriage and the winching system mounted to another part of the recreational apparatus or located at the base area of the void either directly or alternatively indirectly via one or more pulleys provided on the support cable assembly.

7. A recreational apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the support cable assembly comprises a single support cable that is secured so as to extend across the void.

8. A recreational apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the support cable assembly further comprises a crosshead frame that is mounted to the single support cable at a position substantially above the base area of the void.

9. A recreational apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6 wherein the support cable assembly comprises an arrangement of two or more support cables that extends across the void.

10. A recreational apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the support cable assembly further comprises a crosshead frame that is coupled to the support cables and being positioned substantially above the base area of the void. -19- 1 5 MAY 2007

11. A recreational apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the support cables and crosshead frame are arranged in a star configuration across the void.

12. A recreational apparatus according to claim 10 or claim 11 wherein support cable assembly comprises two support cables, the ends of one support cable being anchored at spaced apart locations on one side of the void and the ends of the other support cable being anchored at spaced apart locations on the opposite side of the void, the intermediate portions of both support cables extending toward each other over the void and being coupled together via the crosshead frame.

13. A recreational apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the intermediate portions of the support cables are coupled to the crosshead frame by looping around sheaves of the crosshead frame.

14. A recreational apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one end of the or each support cable of the support cable assembly is anchored in place via connection to an anchor block provided at or toward one side of the void.

15. A recreational apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one end of the or each support cable is coupled, via a sheave of an anchor block provided at or toward one side of the void, to a counter-weight that is arranged to maintain constant tension in the support cable.

16. A recreational apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the recreational apparatus further comprises a guide cable system that extends between the base area of the void and the support cable assembly, the passenger carriage being coupled for relative movement up and down the guide cable assembly in response to operation of the positioning system.

17. A recreational apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the guide cable assembly comprises one or more guide cables that extend downward from the support cable -20- Intellectual Property Office of N.Z. 1 5 MAY 2007 RECEIVED assembly and are secured at the base area of the void, the passenger carriage being coupled to the guide cable(s) such that the passenger carriage can move relative to the guide cable(s) through the path provided by the guide cable(s) when being raised or lowered by the positioning system.

18. A recreational apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the or each guide cable of the guide cable assembly extends on an incline relative to the vertical from the base area of the void to the support cable assembly.

19. A recreational apparatus according to claim 17 or claim 18 wherein the support cable assembly comprises a crosshead frame that is coupled with the support cable(s) and positioned substantially above the base area of the void, the guide cable(s) of the guide cable assembly being anchored at one end at the base area of the void and being attached at the other end to the crosshead frame.

20. A recreational apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the guide cable assembly comprises two pairs of guide cables, each pair extending down from the crosshead frame of the support cable assembly and being secured at the base area on opposite sides below the crosshead frame, the two guide cables of each pair being arranged in a substantially parallel configuration.

21. A recreational apparatus according to any one of claims 17-20 wherein the guide cable(s) of the guide cable assembly have associated tension components that maintain a constant tension in the guide cable(s) so that the guide cable(s) act to stabilise any movement of the support cable(s) of the support cable assembly.

22. A recreational apparatus according to any one of claims 17-21 wherein the passenger carriage is provided with an automatic braking system that clamps the passenger carriage to the guide cable(s) of the guide cable assembly in the event of a positioning system failure. -21- Intellectual Property Office of N.Z 15 MAY 2007 received A recreational apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the descent apparatus is securable to the passenger carriage. A recreational apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the descent apparatus comprises a bungy cord to enable a passenger to perform a bungy jump into the void from the passenger carriage when it is in the raised position. A recreational apparatus according to any one of claims 1-23 wherein the descent apparatus comprises a swing apparatus to enable a passenger to perform a swinging jump into the void from the passenger carriage when it is in the raised position. A recreational apparatus according to any one of claims 1-23 wherein the descent apparatus comprises an abseiling apparatus to enable a passenger to abseil into the void from the passenger carriage when it is in the raised position. A recreational apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the void is any of the following: a gorge, valley, space between two structures, or space between two anchor points. A recreational apparatus according to claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment disclosed. A recreational apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. I 5 MAY 2007