AMUSEMENT FACILITY FOR ANNUAL FAIRS, LEISURE PARKS OR THE SAME

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an amusement device for fairs, theme parks or the like, comprising a substantially circular, flat base on which a star-shaped drive device is arranged, which is rotatably fastened to a support bearing of the base, and a passenger gondola is arranged on each arm of the drive device.

[0002] Such an amusement ride can already be found in US Pat. No. 1,745,719 from 1930. It describes a star-shaped propulsion system on a base, with gondolas at the ends of each arm that orbit along a concentric track on the base, rotating in their own way. However, the amusement effect is limited and relatively monotonous.

[0003] US 1,863,653 A shows an amusement ride in which gondolas move around a rotating disc in a positively guided manner. Carriers arranged on the underside of the gondolas are guided through slots formed radially in the track and connected to thrust devices that allow the gondolas to be moved radially via the carriers.

[0004] Today, operators of amusement rides at fairs are increasingly striving to make the movement of passenger gondolas as random or variable as possible, with unpredictable and interactive movement sequences, in particular, leading to a heightened enjoyment experience. On the other hand, the target audience varies in age and interest, so rides for teenagers need to be designed differently than rides for young children and those less interested in extreme effects or strong acceleration forces.

[0005] The invention is essentially aimed at the latter audience, who also expect to be able to experience surprising elements and to be able to interact with the device.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing an amusement facility for fairs, theme parks or the like, which offers a great amusement experience for the target audience, which can be set up in a small space, is easy to control and allows a variable movement sequence.

[0007] This object is achieved by the invention defined in claim 1. Further developments of the invention are defined in subclaims.

[0008] The invention relates to an amusement facility for fairs, theme parks, or the like, having a substantially circular, flat base on which a star-shaped drive device is arranged, which is rotatably fastened to a support bearing of the base, and at least one passenger gondola is arranged on each arm of the drive device, wherein one or more of the passenger gondolas arranged on the arms can be displaced in the radial direction of the base by means of thrust devices arranged displaceably in the longitudinal direction of the arms. For radial displacement, the respective passenger gondola is coupled to the respective thrust device, wherein the thrust devices follow a predetermined guide path as the drive device rotates on a travel platform, so that the passenger gondolas follow a circulating path on the base that corresponds to the course of the guide path.

[0009] According to the characteristic features of the invention, the drive device is mounted eccentrically on the base, wherein the base forms the bottom of a water basin, and the passenger gondolas are designed as buoyant boats. The passenger gondolas are transported to the edge of the basin at the beginning or end of a ride of the amusement device to allow passengers to board or disembark. One or more gondolas are attached to a gondola frame, which is connected to the thrust device for horizontal pivoting or rotation.

[0010] In the subject matter of the invention, the passenger gondolas float in a water basin and are moved by arms of a drive device.

[0011] The orbital path of the gondolas on the base depends on the selected course of the guide track. In a simple design, the guide track runs concentrically to the base. In more advanced designs, it is circular, oval, triangular, or irregularly shaped, with the star-shaped drive mechanism for the passenger gondolas being mounted eccentrically on the base. The guide track defines the orbital path of the gondolas on the base. The mutual distance between the passenger gondolas as they orbit on the base changes if the drive mechanism mounting is arranged eccentrically to the guide track. As a result, the length of the virtual chord between two passenger gondolas varies more the further the drive mechanism mounting is from the center of the base and the guide track runs concentrically to the center of the base.Furthermore, the distance between two consecutive passenger gondolas increases when the thrusters for the passenger gondolas on the arms are located far from the center of the propulsion system, while the length of the virtual chords decreases when the thrusters are located near the center of the propulsion system. This allows the passenger gondolas to be accelerated and decelerated during their rotation on the base.

[0012] Preferably, the passenger gondolas are coupled to the respective thruster in a rotatable or free-running manner. Using a control device, e.g., a steering wheel, passengers can pivot or rotate the passenger gondolas relative to the thruster.

[0013] To connect the passenger gondolas to the respective pusher devices, the pusher devices are equipped with vertically directed, preferably rod-shaped, carriers that extend through a rail-shaped guide slot and thus follow the course of the guide track. An upper end of the carriers can support the steering wheel operated by the passengers.

[0014] Instead of a static guide rail, a further embodiment of the invention provides for the displacement of the thrusters to be controlled by means of pneumatic, hydraulic, chain, rack, or electric drives. In this way, virtually any movement pattern of the passenger gondolas can be implemented during the rotation of the drive mechanism. However, this requires that the arms of the drive mechanism are either located on top of the travel platform or that the travel platform rotates with the drive mechanism, in which case the carriers are guided through gaps in the travel platform running parallel to the arms.

[0015] The invention is advantageously applicable to an amusement ride designed as a water basin, where the passenger gondolas are floating. This eliminates the need for a fixed platform. The guide track can be formed by underwater rails. However, the thrusters can also be operated by the aforementioned active drives, in which case no static guide track is required.

[0016] If active drives are used to move the thrusters, the passenger gondolas can be moved to the edge of the water basin at the start or end of a ride to allow passengers to board and disembark without having to raise an underwater platform to allow passengers to board or disembark from passenger gondolas that are not located at the edge of the pool.

[0017] In a further embodiment of the invention, the arms of the drive device can also be designed to be vertically pivotable in such a way that the outer ends of the arms can be moved in the vertical direction by resting on a vertically profiled path, in order to allow the passenger gondolas to follow an up and down path.

[0018] Instead of a single passenger gondola on one arm, two or more passenger gondolas can also be assigned to one arm by using a gondola frame to which the passenger gondolas are attached, the gondola frame being coupled to the pushing device.

[0019] The gondola frame is preferably pivotably or rotatably connected to the thrust device, so that the passengers can rotate around the

[0020] The connecting axis of the gondola frame with the thrust device can be experienced. The rotation preferably occurs by means of a push rod arranged between a joint on the drive device, e.g., an arm, and a joint on the gondola frame.

[0021] Furthermore, the individual passenger gondolas can also be rotatable relative to the gondola frame.

[0022] The gondolas of the gondola frame can further be designed to be displaceable on the gondola frame by being coupled to displacement devices that run over the gondola frame, wherein the displacement devices are connected to arms of a drive device that is rotatably arranged on the pushing device.

[0023] It may also be provided that the passenger gondolas can be pivoted about a horizontal axis in order to give the passengers in a water basin the illusion of sitting in an actual boat, although there is a mechanical connection between the passenger gondola, the thrust device and the arm.

[0024] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments. They show: Fig.1 a plan view of an amusement facility in which the guide track is circular, Fig. 2 a sectional view of the representation of Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 is a plan view of a vehicle, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an amusement ride according to the invention, Fig. 5 is a plan view of an amusement ride of the invention in a loading position, Fig. 6 is a plan view of an amusement ride of the invention in an operating position, Fig. 7 is a view of a gondola frame, and Fig. 8 is a view of a gondola drive.

[0025] At the amusement facility according to the Figure 1 It is a circularly designed device, essentially a rotating ride. Passenger gondolas, either in the form of vehicles on a platform or boats in a basin, move along a basically circular course.

[0026] In the Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, a series of vehicles 6, each provided with two seats 12, are shown, which travel in a circle on a platform 2 which runs above and parallel to the base 1. Between the base 1 and the platform 2 there is a drive device 3 which is rotatably mounted eccentrically from the base center 4 in a support bearing 5. The drive device 3 has a series of radially directed arms 8 which extend below the platform 2 from the support bearing 5 to near the outer edge of the base 1. On each arm 8 of the drive device 3 there is a pushing device 15 ( Fig. 2 ) are arranged displaceably in the longitudinal direction of the arms. Each pushing device 15 is provided with a rod-shaped, vertically directed driver 9. All drivers 9 of the pushing devices 15 arranged on the arms extend through a guide gap 7 formed in the platform 2. The pushing devices 15 are coupled to the individual vehicles 6 above the platform 2 via the drivers 9.

[0027] The guide rail is formed by two rails which are fixed to the platform at a distance from each other, forming a gap 7, so that the respective carriers 9 can follow the course of the gap 7 of the guide rail. Figure 1 The guide gap 7 shown is circular, but other shapes of the guide path, such as oval, triangular or irregular, are preferred. Alternatively, the guide path is Fig. 2formed by a guide rail 14 formed on the base 1, on which a running wheel 16 connected to the pushing device 15 runs, which wheel follows the guide rail 14 during the rotation of the drive device 3. The guide track running in the platform 2 is merely a guide gap 7 through which the carriers 9 coupled to the vehicles run.

[0028] The vehicles 6 coupled to the carriers 9 have two rear wheels 13, while the front part of the vehicles rests on the carriers 9. The carriers 9 also have a vertical extension to which a steering wheel 11 is attached. This allows the passengers sitting in the vehicles 6 to swivel the vehicle sideways at a swivel angle 10 of, for example, 70° by rotating the steering wheel 11 relative to the vehicle while driving.

[0029] In the Figure 2 shown sectional view of Figure 1It is shown that the drive device 3 is mounted in a support bearing 5 on the base 1. The support bearing 5 is located between the base 1 and the platform 2 and forms the axis of rotation of the drive device 3. This can be motor-driven at the support bearing 5. In an alternative embodiment, the ends of the arms 8 can be mounted on an annular support rail 20 ( Fig. 4 ) via which the friction wheel drive 21 ( Fig. 5 , 6 ) causes the rotation of the drive device 3. In this case, the support bearing 5 is a free-running bearing.

[0030] A sliding device 15 is movably mounted on each of the radially directed arms 8. Depending on the design of the arms 8, the sliding device 15 is, in particular, a freely running sleeve, slide rails coupled to the arms, or a sliding carriage. The sliding devices 15 can be moved essentially freely in the longitudinal direction of the arms. The arms 8, which can also have a curved shape, in particular a sickle, can be designed as U-profiles, as beams, or as frame structures.

[0031] The carriers 9 attached to the pusher devices 15 extend through guide gaps 7 and are coupled to the vehicles 6 above the platform. When the drive device 3 rotates, the carriers 9 therefore follow the course of the guide gap 7, and thus the vehicles travel on the platform according to the course of the guide track.

[0032] To support the pushing devices 15 and the arms 8, running wheels 16 are formed, which either engage in the running rail 14 and thereby form the guide track or are merely support wheels to relieve the weight of the arms.

[0033] Passengers can enter and exit platform 2 via entrances and exits 30.

[0034] Figure 3 shows a top view of a vehicle 6 with two seats 12 and wheels 13. Facing the seats 12 is a steering wheel 11, which is curved and firmly coupled to the driver 9. The passengers can thus turn the vehicle sideways up to a predetermined swivel angle 10 by operating the steering wheel 11.

[0035] The amusement ride operates as follows: After passengers have been admitted to the platform, boarded the ride vehicles, and secured, the amusement ride vehicle is started by rotating the drive mechanism 3. The individual ride vehicles 6 follow the slotted guide track 7 or the guide rail 14 designed as a support bearing by means of the drivers 9. With a guide track running concentrically around a support bearing 5 located centrally on the base, the travel path of the ride vehicles would also run concentrically around the support bearing. However, if the support bearing 5 is arranged eccentrically to the base center 4 of the base 1, while the guide track is designed centrally to the base center 4, the thrust devices 15 move on the respective arms 8 due to the guidance of the drivers on the guide track during the rotation of the drive mechanism, corresponding to the distance between the base center 4 and the support bearing 5.With a circular guideway layout, the vehicles' orbital path remains circular, but the spacing between successive vehicles constantly changes due to the distance between the drive mechanism bearings and the base center, resulting from shortened or lengthened chord lengths between the respective thrusters on the arms. Furthermore, if the guideway is not circular but oval, triangular, or freely shaped, the vehicles can follow a path that is unpredictable for passengers and can cover a large area of ​​the platform. Furthermore, if the possible pivoting of the vehicles is taken into account and the drive mechanism is rotated at sufficient speed, powerful acceleration and deceleration effects result, ensuring great potential for enjoyment.

[0036] In the Figures 4 - 8In the embodiment of the invention shown, the amusement facility is designed with boats 19 floating in a pool 18. The bottom of the pool forms the base 1 of the device. After passing through the ticket office 17, the passengers can board the boats 19 according to Figure 5 Enter at the edge of the pool and exit at the edge of the pool after the end of a ride.

[0037] In this case, a drive device 31 is provided which essentially corresponds to the drive device 3 and via which the passenger gondolas designed as boats 19 are moved.

[0038] In Figure 4A perspective view of such a device is shown. Located in the water basin 18 is the drive device 31, which is centrally mounted in a pivot bearing 28 and carries three radially outward-pointing arms 32, each consisting of two parallel tubes. The ends of the arms 32 are connected to a circumferential support rail 20, against the side of which friction wheel drives 21 arranged on the circumference of the basin 18 press, wherein the support rail 20 is additionally supported by free-running support wheels 26. The arms 32 are further supported by support rollers on an annular support rail 22 arranged on the bottom of the basin. Alternatively, in this case too, the drive device 31 can be driven by a central drive instead of by friction wheels.

[0039] In this embodiment, two boats 19 are arranged on a triangular gondola frame 23, which in turn is attached to the respective thruster 24, which is arranged displaceably on the arms 32. In this case, the thrusters 24 are preferably controlled by pneumatic drives or, alternatively, by hydraulic, rack-and-pinion, chain, cable, or electric drives, whereby the control can be implemented programmatically. Manual control of the displacement of the thrusters is also possible, so that any desired travel paths can be realized. To simplify the operation of the amusement ride, predefined profiles of the movement sequence can be set up for the programmatic control, which can control the displacement of the thrusters depending on location and / or time.A mechanically designed guide system via a carrier running along a guide track, as in the first design, is not required. However, if the amusement ride is designed as a water basin, a fixed guide track located at the bottom of the water basin can also be used.

[0040] In Figure 5 A top view of the facility is shown in a position where passengers can board or disembark the boats. Here, all boats 19 are located at the edge of the pool 18, allowing passengers to board or disembark the boats without getting wet. This position of the boats is achieved by the respective pusher devices 24 transporting the boats to the edge of the pool, and drive rollers 33 aligning the boats at the edge of the pool.

[0041] Figure 6shows the system in a position in which the boats 19 move in the water according to the control of the thrusters. Since the boats are arranged in pairs on gondola frames 23, and the gondola frames 23, in addition to being moved on the arms 32 via the thrusters 24, can also be pivoted or rotated through a large angle according to the travel path 25 by means of rotary drives 27 located on the thrusters 24, countless movement patterns of the boats in the water result.

[0042] The rotation or pivoting of the gondola frames is achieved by the bote according to Figure 7are attached to sleeve-shaped displacement devices 39 and 40, which run on the one hand on arms 37 and 38 connected to the rotating device 27 and on the other hand on a circumferential rail 29 of the gondola frame 23. When the rotary drive 27 is actuated, the displacement devices 39 and 40 and the boats attached to them move along the rail 29 of the gondola frame 23.

[0043] The gondola frame 23 itself can be rotated or pivoted relative to the arm 32 in a simple manner by inserting a push rod 35 between a joint 34 on the gondola frame and a joint 36 on the arm 32, as shown in the Figures 5 and 6 There it is shown that in the state in which a pushing device 24 has guided a gondola frame 23 to the edge of the pool, the push rod runs essentially parallel to the arm 32, while in the state of Figure 6the push rod has rotated the gondola frame by a certain angle.

[0044] It can also be provided that the boats can perform smaller vertical movements by having the support rails 20 with a vertical profile, with the arms 32 being mounted vertically pivotably in the bearing 28. If the profile is designed in a stepped manner, the boats can thus cause a sudden, strong water displacement with splashing effects.

[0045] Finally, the boats 19 can also be rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the gondola frame. This can be controlled by the passengers themselves via a steering wheel if the passenger gondolas are designed so that the passengers sit opposite each other in the gondolas.

[0046] In a further embodiment of the second embodiment, it can also be provided that the boats can be pivoted to a certain extent about one or two horizontal axes in order to achieve the appearance of actually free-floating boats that move freely in the water. Reference symbol 1 base 21 Friction wheel drive 2 platform 22 Support rail 3 drive device 23 Gondola frame 4 Base Center 24 Pusher 5 Support bearing 25 Track 6 vehicle 26 support wheel 7 Guide gap 27 rotary drive 8 poor 28 Pivot bearing 9 Driver 29 rail 10 Swivel angle 30 Entry and exit 11 steering wheel 31 drive device 12 seats 32 poor 13 Wheels 33 Drive rollers 14 guide rail 34 joint 15 Pusher 35 push rod 16 balance bike 36 joint 17 Ticket office 37 arm 18 pool 38 arm 19 boats 39 Shifting device 20 Mounting rail 40 Shifting device

Claims

1. An amusement device for fun fairs, amusement parks or the like, comprising a substantially circular plane base (1) on which a star-shaped drive unit (3, 31) is arranged, which is rotatably mounted on a support bearing (5, 28) of the base (1), and at least one passenger gondola is arranged on each arm of the drive unit (3, 31), wherein one or more of the passenger gondolas arranged on the arms (8, 32) are displaceable in the radial direction of the drive unit (3, 31) by means of respective pushing devices (15, 24) each displaceably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the arms (8, 32), the respective passenger gondolas being coupled to the respective pushing devices (15, 24) for radial displacement, and in that the pushing devices (15, 24) follow a predetermined guide track (7, 14) during the circulation of the drive unit (3, 31) on the base (1), so that the passenger gondolas follow a circulation path on the base (1) which corresponds to the course of the guide track (7, 14), characterized in that the drive unit (3, 31) is eccentrically mounted on the base (1), the base (1) forms the bottom of a water basin (18) and that the passenger gondolas are formed as floatable boats (19), the passenger gondolas being conveyed to the rim of the basin at the beginning or end of a ride of the amusement device to allow the passengers' entrance or exit and in that one or more gondolas are attached to a gondola frame (23) which is connected to the pushing device (15, 24) in a horizontally pivotable or rotatable manner.

2. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gondola frame (23) is connected via a push rod (35) to a joint (34) on the drive unit (31) in such a way that a pivoting of the gondola frame (23) takes place when the displacement device is displaced.

3. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pushing device (24) has a rotary drive (27) with radially directed arms (37, 38) and in that the gondolas (19) arranged on the gondola frame can be displaced along a rail (29) of the gondola frame (23) by means of a displacement device (39, 40), in each case one arm (37, 38) of the rotary drive (27) being coupled to a displacement device (39, 40) assigned to a gondola (19).

4. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide track (7, 14) is shaped circumferentially circular, oval, triangular or irregular.

5. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective passenger gondola is rotatably coupled to the pushing device (15, 24) and that the passenger gondola is pivotable or rotatable during the circulation of the amusement device around the base (1) by actuation of a control device (11).

6. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pushing devices (15, 24) are displaceable on the respective arm (8) by means of pneumatic, hydraulic, chain, rack and pinion or electric drive.

7. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the arms (32) of the drive unit (31) are vertically pivotally received at their inner end in the support bearing (5).

8. An amusement device according to claim 7, characterized in that the arms (32) of the drive unit (31) are vertically pivotally supported at their inner end such that the outer ends of the arms can follow a vertically up and down path.

9. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective passenger gondola (19) is pivotable about a horizontal axis.

10. An amusement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit (3) is driven by a friction wheel drive (21) on the outer circumference of a circular support rail (20) to which the outer ends of the arms (8, 32) are attached.