Technical Field

The invention relates to an amusement apparatus for dynamic simulation. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus for dynamic simulation which can reproduce a predetermined situation, for example a situation encountered in everyday life, in a context which produces an effect of enjoyment for a predetermined number of people, for example in a fairground. Background Art

It is common knowledge fairgrounds have attractions installed which are specifically aimed at providing the participants with sensations that are very close indeed to those felt in similar situations in real everyday life, or in particularly entertaining situations. These attractions provide a simulation of these situations by means of special apparatus, which the participants ride on. A first example of these apparatus are fairground rides in the form of vessels, which are hinged to a fixed structure in order to rotate about a horizontal axis by an angle of about 180°. In this way a sense of being in a ship is recreated, with the further characteristic of the wide oscillating swing of the vessel, which adds to the participants' entertainment.

Very similar are flying carpets, which translate vertically along a circular trajectory while remaining horizontally-arranged in order to impart to the participants the sensation that they are flying in the air. Also in existence are space ships having orientable support arms for supporting the respective end cabins.

SUBSTITUTE SHEEX SULE- ² ^- In all these cases, the attractions can be used both by adult and young participants, and have the function of providing entertainment for them by imparting a sensation of enjoyment and strong emotional involvement. However, often there is the need to provide an attraction which is able to reproduce a situation that is closer to real everyday life, i.e. which is more familiar especially to children.

To this end, the present applicant has found that one of the real-life situations which most attracts and amuses children is car-washing. In a car- wash, children always try to stay on-board the vehicle during the wash, if this is permitted, as the washing operations seen from inside the car are very pleasing.

Known attractions, however, as described above, are prevalently aimed at creating a state of high-speed motion and accelerations rather than reproducing a situation that can crop up on a daily basis. Therefore, the usual rides often do not give full satisfaction to children and actually might turn out to be dangerous due to the strong acceleration and speeds involved. Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to make available an amusement apparatus for dynamic simulation, especially for applying in fairgrounds or the like, which can reproduce a car-wash situation.

The technical task and set aims are substantially attained by an amusement apparatus for dynamic simulation, especially for application in amusement parks or the like, comprising the technical characteristics set out in one or more of the claims.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the non-limiting description now made of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an apparatus for amusement for dynamic

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE 2€ simulation, especially for use in amusement parks or the like, as illustrated in the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which: figure 1 is a lateral section view of an amusement apparatus for dynamic simulation according to the present invention, and seen in a rest configuration; figure 2 is a section view of the apparatus of figure 1, in a working configuration; figure 3 is a plan view, partly in full view and partly in section according to a horizontal plane, of the apparatus of figure 1, with some parts removed better to evidence others; figure 4 is a lateral view of a first part of an actuator which is part of the apparatus of figure 1; figure 4 is a lateral view of a second part of the actuator of figure 4.

In the figures, 1 denotes in its entirety an amusement apparatus for dynamic simulation according to the present invention. The apparatus 1 is destined to realise an amusement and entertainment attraction, for example in amusement parks.

The apparatus 1 comprises a cabin 2 associated to an actuator 3 for spatial movement of the cabin 2. In particular, the actuator 3 is destined to move the cabin 2 in a raising/lowering direction and in a rotation movement about at least a vertical axis X. The detailed description of the actuator 3 will be set out herein below.

In figures 1 to 3, the cabin 2 comprises a platform 4 having a substantially rectangular shape and a cover structure 5 defining, in cooperation with the platform 4, a preferably closed volume.

The platform 4 is destined to be arranged in a horizontal plane in the rest position of the apparatus 1 (figure 2).

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE Ii The volume 6 is destined to house one or more users, especially one or more participants in the attraction. To this end, the platform 4 is equipped with one or more seats 7 for participants, arranged preferably in one or more ordered rows. Each seat 7 can comprise special safety devices of known type destined to keep each participant stably anchored to the respective seat 7, for example a hydraulically- or pneumatically- commanded safety bar acting on the participant's legs. In the central portion, the platform 4 exhibits an opening which is slidably engaged by the actuator 3.

The cover structure 5 is rigid and envelopes the upper part of the platform 4 such as to close, in cooperation with the platform 4, practically the whole volume 6.

The cover structure 5 exhibits one or more transparent portions, for example windows, either with glass panes or the like, so that the people inside the cabin 2 can see outside it.

Preferably, and in an advantageous aspect of the invention, the cabin 2 has a configuration similar to a bus or a minibus, such as immediately to give the riders the impression of being in a bus or minibus. This sensation is essentially given by the contemporary presence of a plurality of participants, by the presence of the windows on the lateral sides of the cover structure 5, and by the size of the platform. The volume 6 is preferably about seven metres long, 2 metres wide and about 2.2 metres high.

In the invention, the apparatus 1 further comprises at least a brush 8 active on the external surface of the cabin 2, and in particular the cover structure 5, to simulate an automatic washing of the cabin 2, similar to a car wash. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the brush 8 rotates about an axis Y which is substantially parallel to the external surface of the cabin 2.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE 26 The rotating brush 8 is of a size, measured along the axis Y, which is substantially equal to the corresponding size of the surface of the cabin 2 on which it acts. Preferably, therefore, the rotating brush 8 is about 2 metres long.

The structure of the brush 8 is substantially similar to the structure of known brushes used in car washes. In particular, the brush 8 exhibits a central shaft on which numerous rows of bristles are radially arranged. However, the conformation of the brush 8 might be different, as the brush 8 is destined to realise a simulation of a car wash. To this end, the important point is that the external aspect of the brush 8 is such as at first sight to appear identical to a real brush for a car wash.

The accompanying figures of the drawings show a single rotating brush 8 acting on the top surface of the cabin 2. However, the rotating brush 8 could act on a side surface (i.e. a transversal surface to the platform 4) of the cabin 2. In further embodiments which are not illustrated, two or more rotating brushes act on different portions of the external surface of the cabin 2.

The rotating brush 8 is preferably supported by the cabin 2 and is mobile with respect to the cabin 2 in order to pass once or twice over at least a part of the surface on which the brush 8 is applied.

The brush 8 is advantageously active at least at the above-mentioned transparent portions of the cabin 2, and in particular the covering structure 5 thereof. In this way the participants inside the cabin 2 see the movement of the brush 8 and have the sensation of actually being inside a vehicle during a real car-wash operation.

With the aim of moving the rotating brush 8, the apparatus 1 comprises movement means 9 acting between the cabin 2 and the brush 8 in order to move the brush along a parallel direction to the external surface of the

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE IM, cabin 2 on which the brush 8 is arranged. The brash 8 is preferably moved forward and backward along a parallel direction to a prevalent development direction of the cabin 2.

In a preferred embodiment (not illustrated inasmuch as the figures constitute simplified representations), the movement means 9 comprise a pair of lateral guides provided with racks or, alternatively, an advancing system on guides with chain traction.

With the aim of increasing the realism of the simulation, one or more nozzles 9 are located inside the cabin 2, which nozzles 9 are connected to a source of a liquid (preferably water, even more preferably foam or a mixture of water and foam) in order to spray the liquid internally of the cabin 2, preferably towards one or more participants on board.

In connection with the presence of the nozzles, an opening (not illustrated) can advantageously be provided, for example defined by an openable window and reclosable in order to simulate, in cooperation with dispensing through the nozzles 10, an undesired passage of water from the externally rotating brush 8 towards the inside of the cabin 2.

In a variant control means are provided (for example a control panel, not illustrated) which act on the window in order to open it on starting up the brush 8 or during the operating stage of the brush 8.

A cabin 2 as in the above description is moved by an actuator of the type illustrated in figures 4 and 5.

The actuator 3 exhibits a central stalk 11 having a lower part 11a (figure 4) and an upper part l ib (figure 5) adjacent and solidly constrained to one another.

The lower part 11a develops along the axis X which is preferably vertical.

The upper part l ib develops according to a direction Z which is inclined with respect to the axis X and which is incident to the axis X itself. The

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE 26 direction Z is preferably arranged at an angle of about 15° with respect to the axis X (and thus with respect to the vertical).

The lower part 11a of the stalk 11 is rotatably connected to a support base

12 by means of a first fifth wheel 13. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the invention, the base is a plane of a semi-trailer.

The rotation of the stalk 11 is generated by a first electric motor 14, which acts preferably on a first annular sprocket 15 fixed to the stalk 11.

A sliding body 16 is slidably arranged on the stalk 11, which body 16 can move along axis X and in direction Z. The sliding body 16 advantageously exhibits internal sliding rollers 17 and external sliding rollers 18 which enable the sliding body 16 to adapt to a change in inclination between the two parts 11a, l ib of the stalk 11 (denoted by a thin line in figure 4).

The sliding body 16 is connected to the cabin 2, and in particular to the platform 4, such as to be rotatable with respect to the cabin 2 but solidly constrained to the cabin 2 in a sliding movement. In this way the sliding of the sliding body 16 on the stalk 11 causes a raising or a lowering of the cabin 2.

The sliding body 16 is rotationally solid to the stalk 11 ₅ in particular thanks to the sliding rollers 17, 18.

A second electric motor 19 is fixed to the sliding body 16, which second electric motor 19 transmits a rotating motion to an annular sprocket 20 rotatably supported on the sliding body 16. The annular sprocket 20 is fixed to the cabin 2 frame such that the second electric motor 19 causes a reciprocal rotation between the cabin 2 and the sliding body 16 and, thus, between the cabin 2 and the stalk 11.

The sliding body 16 and the annular sprocket 20 thus make up a second fifth wheel 21. The first fifth wheel 13 is fixed, as it is solidly constrained

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE 2έ to the base 12, while the second fifth wheel 21 is mobile as it is rotatable together with the stalk 11.

The rising and lowering movements of the cabin 2 with respect to the base

12 are powered by one or more hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 22. The cylinders 22 have an end which is connected to the base 12 and a further end which is connected to the sliding body 16.

The functioning of the above-described apparatus is as follows.

Starting from the rest configuration of figure 1, in which the platform 4 is arranged in a horizontal plane, the first electric motor 14 rotates the stalk

11 while the second electric motor 19 rotates the sprocket 20 and thus the cabin 2 with respect to the stalk 11. Should the sprocket 20 be located in rotation in an opposite direction to the stalk 11, the cabin 2 might stay still.

The rotation axis of the sprocket 20 coincides with the rotation axis X of the lower part l la of the stalk 11.

On activating the cylinders 22 the cabin 2 is raised up to when the sliding body 16 reaches the upper part l ib of the stalk 11 (figure 2). In this configuration the sprocket 20 rotates about direction Z which is inclined with respect to the rotation axis X of the stalk 11. In order words, the second fifth wheel 21 is no longer coplanar to the first fifth wheel 13 and since the rotation direction of the fifth wheels 13, 21 is opposite (and preferably has a different number of rotations) a vertical oscillation of the cabin 2 (meaning an oscillation about a vertical axis) is obtained.

At any moment following start-up of the actuator the rotating brush 8 can be activated, providing a realistic simulation of the automatic washing.

This simulation is made more attractive and amusing by the oscillating motion of the cabin 2.

Furthermore, the operating cycle of the brush 8 can be performed dry on the external surface of the cabin 2, i.e. without using water. Alternatively,

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE 26 water can be used or a mixture of water and foam on the brash 8 too, apart from in supply to the nozzles 10.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE 26