Field and Background of the invention

The present invention relates to an amusement ride, in particular a sort of round about or merry-go-round with a rotating walkable, skatable or navigatable curved floor which is shaped to convey a unique sensation in relation to other people on the ride and vice-versa.

Prior Art

Walkable rotating amusements rides are known, e.g. rotating plane disks, on which the centrifugal force is physically experienced. There, the rider is always aware of the rotation: first, because he sees it and second, because he must stand inclined in order to maintain equilibrium (as long as he is not standing at the centre of rotation).

German utility model DE 201 14 763 U 1 discloses a roller-coaster track having a parabolic intermediate section (18) about an apex (24) . The riders inside the cab in experience a state of weightlessness as the cabin enters and rides up the par abolic section, progressively decelerating as the track nears the apex, and accel- erating down again after passing the apex. The riders are subjected to an accel eration higher than gravity ( 1 G) before the cabin enters the parabolically extend ing section, along which a state of weightlessness (0 G) prevails. On leaving this section, an acceleration higher than gravity ( 1 G) prevails again.

United States patent US 6,629,500 B1 discloses a U-shaped roller-coaster track having a parabolic bottom segment (3) intermediate a first vertical end-segment (2) providing the start and end points of the track at the top and a second verti cal end-segment (4) at the top of which the rail-guided vehicles reverse direction.

Austrian patent AT 392,597 B discloses a rail layout for an amusement vehicle with a parabolically curved track section inducing a gravity-free (weightless) state for simulating space-flight. The parabolic track section passes through a tunnel (1 ) and leads out into a spiral rail section (2), the tunnel itself being de signed solely as a safety device for the riders.

All these rides have in common a line or rail featuring a parabolic shape. The de sired effect of these rides is to at least partially neutralize gravity in order that the riders feel a sensation of near-weightlessness. In addition, the rider cannot move freely but is bound to a vehicle running on a rail.

Summary of the invention

The invention possesses a rotating floor (or rink) which is curved in a way so that its normal direction is everywhere, or nearly everywhere, parallel to the vec tor sum of gravitational and centrifugal forces. The simplest shape satisfying this condition is the paraboloid of revolution as known to persons skilled in the phys ics of a rotation. On such a surface and with the proper rotational speed, the rider would stand orthogonal on the floor everywhere.

Besides this, the amusement ride of the invention contains an opaque cupola as a shield against external visible stimuli. A synchronously rotating cupola is the preferred solution; alternatively a rotationally symmetric homogenous inner sur face in order not to serve as a reference itself through which the rider could per ceive his movement. According to the general theory of relativity, an observer cannot distinguish be tween gravitational and inertial forces. So, without visual perception, the rider would assume to stand upright on an inclined disk.

Rather than give riders a sensation of near-weightlessness conveyed by the prior art, in the present invention there is a sensation of gravity but the riders, which may be free to move around everywhere on the ride, each have the unique im pression of being the only person which is standing upright.

By elimination of external visual stimuli and with the perception of a horizontal floor beneath his feet, the static rider does not notice any movement. This leads to a series of interesting perceptions:

1 . Each rider perceives himself as standing vertically and others as inclined.

In a sufficiently large amusement ride, two riders at opposite borders of the floor would stand orthogonal to each other. Each of them would perceive himself as vertical and the other as horizontal.

2. When a rider walks from the centre to the border, his apparent weight in creases.

3. When a rider moves (e.g. walks or skates) sufficiently fast, or runs, he feels a lateral pseudo-force, the so-called Coriolis force.

4. A thrown object, as well as one's own body during a leap, follows a tra jectory which seems to be curved sideways.

In a variation of the present invention, the amusement ride can be partially filled with water, the surface of which too assumes the shape of a paraboloid of revo lution. When this is navigated with boats (e.g. paddling-boats), the rider makes the surprising experience that other boats swim on slanted water surfaces, which can even be vertical.

Summary of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective schematical view of the parabolic floor of an amusement ride according to a preferred embodiment of this invention but with out a cupola.

Figure 2 illustrates the construction of the parabolic floor of figure 1 accord ing to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective outside schematical view of the amusement ride of figure 1 with its cupola (such that the curved floor inside is not visible).

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the amusement ride according to a first pre ferred embodiment of this invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view from below of the parabolic floor of the amusement ride according to the preferred embodiment.

Figure 6 is a magnified perspective schematical view showing one of several possible embodiments of the running gear and drive set-up for rotating the amusement ride, wherein part of the base has been cut out to show a drive means.

Figure 7 shows a cylindrical and stationary entry and exit which allows access of the moving amusement ride.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The preferred embodiments are described hereinafter.

Figure 1 shows the amusement ride with its cupola removed to expose its curved disk-shaped floor 1 1 on which riders P may stand, walk, run, etc. The shape of the floor 1 1 is a paraboloid defined by a parabolic curve of revolution so as to eliminate or vastly reduce the perception of rotation by the riders P.

The parabolic floor 1 1 is made up of individual parabolic shells 12. The material used may be epoxy resin reinforced with fiberglass (similar to boat construction) or with an equivalent material in resistance and density. The parabolic shells 12 of the same parallel may be produced out of a mould. The shells 12 may be fixed to each other by glue (resin) or screws when surrounded by a reinforced frame. The standard deviation of the distribution of the parabolic surface errors is esti mated as 0-006 rad, which indicates the high accuracy of the parabolic surface.

Figure 3 further illustrates a second essential component of the amusement ride, a cupola 1 3 for shielding the riders P from external visual stimuli and without which riders P would perceive rotation by the outside surroundings whizzing by. The cupola 1 3 is of spherical shape like a half globe. The construction can be done by mounting of spherical shells produced in a mould similar to the parabolic floor. The material could be epoxy resin reinforced with fibre glass.

In one embodiment, the cupola 13 is capable of rotation together with and at the same speed as the floor 1 1 , either by structurally integrating the cupola 13 with the wheel-mounted floor structure 1 1 (as shown in figure 1 ) or else by inde pendently mounting the cupola 1 3 on wheels 1 7 rolling on the same or a differ ent circular rail about the perimeter of the floor 1 1 as illustrated by figures 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the rotating cupola 1 3 has an inner roof surface 14 painted with visual features to enhance the impression in the eyes of the riders P that the floor 1 1 is still.

The cupola 1 3 plays an important role in the present invention although it may not absolutely essential under certain specific circumstances. In an alternative embodiment, the cupola 13 may be static (i.e. not rotating) with respect to the ground, e.g. for economic reasons. In this case it must not bear any visible structure, such as no paintings nor lamps, and it must be substantially homoge neous, e.g. painted white, without any markings which would evidence tangen tial speed differential between floor 1 1 and cupola 1 3. Any still illumination of the inner side of the cupola 1 3 must be substantially homogeneous too. As this is difficult to achieve, the illuminating lamps can be mounted on the rotating floor, or rotate with the same speed. This way, the inhomogeneities of illumina tion would rotate with the same speed as the riders P and thus not be perceived by them (in fact the inhomogeneities could enhance the stillness impression) . Such a cupola 13 could be independent of the rotating floor structure 1 1 and may be fixedly mounted to a ground structure, such as a shed (not illustrated).

The floor 1 1 is mounted on rotating running gear 1 6 with wheels 17 supported by a stationary base 18. The running gear 16 bears the cupola 13, shown in Fig ure 2, as well as the curved floor 1 1 below, which is not visible in this figure.

The floor 1 1 has an upper rim structure 19 which is mounted on the wheels 17 which roll on a rotation structure embodied by a cylindrical wall 18 anchored to the ground 19 such that the paraboloid shape therof, which is nearly horizontal at its centre, curves progressively upwards towards the vertical. In the embodi ment envisaged herein, the floor 1 1 has a diameter of around 10 metres and a height of about 2-5 metres, and is made to rotate by suitable drive means at a speed of around 13½ RPM.

If it is envisaged to allow the ride to be used as a rink, the floor 1 1 surface should be smooth to facilitate skating. Otherwise it may be carpeted if for walk ing or jogging only.

Several types of drive means are foreseen, such as:

1 . Electric drive motor(s) 21 on the shaft of one or more of the supporting wheels 17. As they are part of the rotating complex, the power is transmitted via slip rings.

2. The running gear 16 is equipped with teeth and meshes with one or more small gears driven by motors fixed on the stationary base 18.

3. Motorized wheels with tyres which are biased against the running gear 16 and transmit torque through friction.

4. Instead of being fixed on the running gear 16, the shafts of the supporting wheels 17 may be fixed on the stationary base 18, whereas the running surface is on the gear. The motors and driving gears or wheels of cases 2 and 3 could be situated on the inner as well as on the outer side of the running gear 16. Combustion en gines may be used as an alternative to electric motors 21 . Combustion motors would require suitable clutches and/or gearboxes for a smooth acceleration. All of the four drive alternatives require an electronic control for defined acceleration and constant final velocity. Deceleration may be achieved with brakes or, in the case of electrical drives, with the driving motors 21 .

One of such possibilities is detailed in fig. 6 corresponding to case 4 here inabove. The running gear 16 includes a circular rail 22 having a double-T profile affixed to the bottom thereof by suitable means such as brackets and bolts (not illustrated) . The rail 22 rests on rimmed wheels 1 7 mounted to a shaft 23 mounted by means of ball- or roller-bearings 22, for instance, to the wall 18. The drive comprises individual electric motors 21 affixed to the inner side of the wal l 18 coupled to the shaft 23 by conventional transmission means 24 to rotate the floor 1 1 structure at a speed of 13½ RPM.

Access to the amusement ride is most conveniently gained at the centre of the rotating floor 1 1 via a rider entry/exit chute embodied as a static upright tubular structure 26. Since this point coincides with the axis of rotation of the floor 1 1 , the speed here is theoretically null, in practice the speed differential is low mak ing it quite easy for average riders P to step onto the rotating ride from here.

The entrance tube 26 with an inner diameter large enough to embody a spiral stairway 27 leading up to the bottom of the rotating floor 1 1 which has an en trance/exit hole there as illustrated by figure 7. A circular railing 28 on the top of the tube 26, with an opening 29 at the end of the stairs, protects the riders P from falling down. Considering the speed of 13½ RPM and a diameter of the tube of 1 metre, the linear velocity the rider has to overcome stepping from the static tube 26 to the rotating floor would be 2-5 km/h, corresponding to slow walking.

Alternatively, the rider entrance tubular structure 26 may rotate together with or at the same speed as the floor, such that the speed differential from ground 19 onto the entrance structure 26, and vice-versa, is equally low. If it is desirable to lower the speed differentials more, the rider entrance 26 may be made to rotate slower than the floor, such as at around one-half of the floor speed, thereby halving the speed differentials from ground 19 to entrance 26 and from entrance to ride, and vice-versa.

Either way, continuous access is possible, without having to stop rotation of the ride.

In a further embodiment, an acquatic amusement game (not illustrated) is envis aged by filling the floor 1 1 with water on which riders P may swim, paddle or navigate on floating articles, such as paddle-boats or surf-boards. In this acquat ic embodiment, since the water filling the ride up to a certain level indicated would assume by friction the same velocity as the floor 1 1 and since the water surface will assume a shape which is orthogonal to the sum of gravitational and inertial forces, this shape too will be a paraboloid with the same effects on the perception of the rider as in the dry case.

The surface shape of the water is independent of the shape of the floor 1 1 , so this needs not be parabolic; it can be so however, in order to minimize the nec essary amount of water.