Amusement Ride Installation

Abstract

An amusement ride installation has at least one passenger carrier adapted for supporting one or more passengers, and a launch system for launching the at least one passenger carrier. The launch system has a launch guide structure supporting and guiding the at least one passenger carrier to be launched along a launch path, a drive means providing a variable drive speed, and drive means-carrier connection means, including at least one mechanical connecting member, e.g. a cable, providing a temporary mechanical connection between the drive means and the at least one passenger carrier to be launched. The launch system is adapted to accelerate said at least one passenger carrier from a starting position along said launch path until at least a predetermined terminal launch speed has been reached by said at least one passenger carrier, where after said passenger carrier is disconnected from said connecting member and said at least one passenger carrier travels further along the amusement ride path.

1 . Amusement ride installation comprising: 
 at least one passenger carrier adapted for supporting one or more passengers,    an amusement ride guide structure supporting and guiding the at least one passenger carrier along an amusement ride path defined by the amusement ride guide structure,    a launch system for launching the at least one passenger carrier, said launch system comprising: 
 a launch guide structure supporting and guiding the at least one passenger carrier to be launched along a launch path,  
 a drive means providing a variable drive speed,  
 drive means-carrier connection means, including at least one mechanical connecting member, providing a temporary mechanical connection between the drive means and the at least one passenger carrier to be launched,  
 wherein said launch system is adapted to accelerate said at least one passenger carrier from a starting position along said launch path until at least a predetermined terminal launch speed has been reached by said at least one passenger carrier, after which said passenger carrier is disconnected from said connecting member and said at least one passenger carrier travels further along the amusement ride path,  
   wherein said launch system further comprises: 
 launch control means associated with said drive means, said launch control means including at least one desired launch characteristic representing the desired acceleration of the at least one passenger carrier during the launch thereof,  
 said launch control means being adapted for collecting at least one actual launch parameter and for comparing said actual launch parameter with said desired launch characteristic during said lauch, said launch control means further being adapted for adjusting said variable drive speed provided by the drive means on the basis of said comparison during said launch.  
   
   
   
       2 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch characteristic is a desired launch curve representing desired launch speed vs. position along the launch path for the at least one passenger carrier during the launch thereof.  
   
   
       3 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch system further comprises at least one of: 
 acceleration detection means associated with said launch control means for detecting actual launch acceleration of the at least one passenger carrier during the launch thereof;    speed detection means associated with said launch control means for detecting actual launch speed of the at least one passenger carrier during the launch thereof;    position detection means associated with said launch control means for detecting actual position of the at least one passenger carrier during launch.    
   
   
       4 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said drive means include a winch having a rotatable winch drum for a connecting cable, which forms part of the drive means-carrier connection means, and associated winch drive means providing a variable winch drive speed.  
   
   
       5 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 2 , wherein said speed detection means are adapted to detect the angular speed of the winch drum.  
   
   
       6 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 2 , wherein said position detection means are adapted to calculate the actual carrier position on the basis of the detected actual launch speed.  
   
   
       7 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 2 , wherein said speed detection means is adapted to calculate the actual carrier speed on the basis of the detected actual carrier position and elapsed time.  
   
   
       8 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means further comprise a database containing multiple desired launch characteristics and selection means for selecting one of said desired launch characteristics.  
   
   
       9 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means further comprise logging means for logging an actual launch speed curve representing actual launch speed during a launch.  
   
   
       10 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 2 , wherein said launch control means further comprise an acceleration calculation means calculating actual acceleration during a launch.  
   
   
       11 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 10 , wherein said launch control means further comprise logging means for logging an actual launch acceleration curve representing actual launch acceleration during a launch.  
   
   
       12 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means further include a maximum allowable acceleration associated with a launch characteristic, said control means being adapted to adjust launch speed such that actual acceleration is within said maximum allowable acceleration.  
   
   
       13 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means is adapted to detect said actual launch speed with a frequency of at least 1 kHz.  
   
   
       14 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein a desired launch characteristic includes an acceleration stretch, wherein said at least one passenger carrier is accelerated, and a constant terminal launch speed stretch following said acceleration stretch, wherein said predetermined terminal launch speed is maintained.  
   
   
       15 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 14 , wherein a constant acceleration is represented by said acceleration stretch.  
   
   
       16 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 14 , wherein said acceleration stretch contains at least two sub stretches of representing different accelerations.  
   
   
       17 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means include weighing means for weighing said a passenger and/or a passenger carrier with passenger(s) therein.  
   
   
       18 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 8 , wherein said selection means are adapted to select a launch characteristic at least in dependency on the weighing performed by the weighing means.  
   
   
       19 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means includes means for inputting the age of the at least one passenger.  
   
   
       20 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 8 , wherein said selection means are adapted to select a launch characteristic at least in dependency on the input age(s).  
   
   
       21 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the launch control means include camera means for obtaining an image from each passenger and storage means for storing said image.  
   
   
       22 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means include at least one sensor for at least one environmental parameter.  
   
   
       23 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 8 , wherein said selection means are adapted to select a launch characteristic in dependency of said environmental parameter sensor.  
   
   
       24 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein a braking system for braking said at least one passenger carrier at a position downstream of the position where said at least one carrier has been disconnected from said connecting member.  
   
   
       25 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch path is inclined so as to elevate or descend in the direction of the launch.  
   
   
       26 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said amusement ride guide structure contains at least one of a curve, looping, screw.  
   
   
       27 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said amusement ride guide structure and said launch guide structure together define a continuous looped structure.  
   
   
       28 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said amusement ride guide structure and/or launch guide structure is a rail structure including at least one or multiple parallel rails upon which said at least one passenger carrier engages.  
   
   
       29 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch control means include graphic display means for displaying an desired and/or actual launch curve.  
   
   
       30 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 29 , wherein wherein said graphic display means are located such that said desired and/or actual launch curve are visible for at least one passenger.  
   
   
       31 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said launch system includes a pusher cart and an associated pusher cart guide structure, said pusher cart being connected to said connecting cable and said pusher cart being adapted to engage said at least one passenger carrier to be launched during launch thereof and disconnect therefrom.  
   
   
       32 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 31 , wherein said pusher cart guide structure diverts the pusher cart from the launch path so that the pusher cart is disconnected from said passenger carrier.  
   
   
       33 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the launch control means include means for obtaining a physical parameter from each passenger, and storage means for storing said parameter.  
   
   
       34 . Amusement ride installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the lauch system includes a hydraulic transmission having a pump and a motor.  
   
   
       35 . A method for operating an amusement ride installation comprising: 
 at least one passenger carrier adapted for supporting one or more passengers,    an amusement ride guide structure supporting and guiding the at least one passenger carrier along an amusement ride path defined by the amusement ride guide structure,    a launch system for launching the at least one passenger carrier, said launch system comprising: 
 a launch guide structure supporting and guiding the at least one passenger carrier to be launched along a launch path, said launch guide structure being interconnected to the amusement ride guide structure,  
 a drive means providing a variable drive speed,  
 drive means-carrier connection means, including at least one connecting cable, providing a temporary connection between the drive means and the at least one passenger carrier to be launched,  
   in which method said at least one passenger carrier is accelerated from a starting position along said launch path until at least a predetermined terminal launch speed has been reached by said at least one passenger carrier, whereafter said passenger carrier is disconnected from said connecting cable and said at least one passenger carrier travels further along the amusement ride path,    characterised in that said launch system further comprises: 
 launch control means associated with said drive means, said launch control means including at least one desired launch characteristic representing the desired acceleration of the at least one passenger carrier during the launch thereof,  
 said launch control means being adapted for collecting at least one actual launch parameter and for comparing said actual launch parameter with said desired launch characteristic during said lauch, said launch control means further being adapted for adjusting said variable drive speed provided by the drive means on the basis of said comparision during said launch.