Three-Axis Concave Water Slide for Dynamic Ride Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional water slide designs fail to provide unique and exciting ride experiences, leading to a demand for innovative designs that offer varied and stimulating paths for riders, while also allowing park owners to attract larger crowds.
Innovation Solution
A water slide feature with a concave sliding surface that is curved about three axes, allowing riders to follow a non-predetermined path, including upward and looping trajectories, providing a unique and dynamic experience by varying the entry and exit points and shapes such as spherical, ellipsoidal, or paraboloidal surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional water slide designs are used, then the ride path is predetermined and simple, but the ride experience becomes less exciting and unique
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spherical and curved surfaces to create a concave sliding surface that enables riders to follow non-predetermined paths. The spherical geometry allows riders to naturally deviate from a fixed path while maintaining control, creating unique and exciting ride experiences without requiring complex mechanical systems or multiple separate slide structures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a concave sliding surface with non-predetermined path is implemented, then ride excitement and uniqueness increase, but the complexity of the slide structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The concave sliding surface serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the structural support for the ride, creates the non-predetermined path through its geometry, ensures rider safety through the enclosed design, and enables various ride configurations (upward, downward, looping paths) without requiring separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional flat slide surfaces to a three-dimensional concave spherical surface. This dimensional change allows riders to move in multiple directions (radially across the spherical surface) rather than being constrained to a single predetermined path, naturally creating variability without adding structural complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If upward and looping paths are added to the slide, then ride thrill and excitement increase, but the energy requirements and pump power increase
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosed concave slide design allows water to be recirculated through gravity-driven flow paths that utilize the natural potential energy differences within the closed loop. Water falls from higher elevation entry points to lower exit points, converting potential energy to kinetic energy that propels riders upward and through looping paths without requiring additional pump power beyond what is needed to overcome friction and maintain circulation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The concave sliding surface design creates a dynamic and unpredictable ride path, enhancing the thrill and uniqueness of the experience for riders, allowing for multiple ride paths and configurations within a single water slide, thereby attracting larger crowds and meeting the demand for exciting attractions.
Implementation Method 1
The water provides cooling fun for the ride participants, and also provides a lubricious film or fluid between the rider/vehicle and the ride surface so as to increase the speed of the rider down the flume path.
Implementation Method 2
The water provides cooling fun for the ride participants, and also provides a lubricious film or fluid between the rider/vehicle and the ride surface so as to increase the speed of the rider down the flume path.
Implementation Method 3
The water is typically continuously recirculated from the lower elevation to the higher elevation using one or more pumps and then continuously falls with gravity from the higher elevation to the lower elevation flowing along the slide/flume path.
Implementation Method 4
The water is typically continuously recirculated from the lower elevation to the higher elevation using one or more pumps
Data Source
AI summary
A water slide feature comprising a sliding surface concave about three axes. The waterslide feature is sized and adapted to carry one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon on anon-predetermined path. The water slide feature has an entry sized and positioned to direct the one or more riders and/or ride vehicles along the sliding surface on a path which is at least partially upward.