Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Derek Lee Howard

David Crawford

David Durham

Mark W Sumner

Paul E Baker

Christopher J Rose

Edward Allen Nemeth

James H Shull

Peyton B Buhler

Thomas Fitzgerald

Spencer T Banks

David W Crawford

A roller coaster with a vehicle rolling under gravity along a track defining a ride path. The vehicle includes a chassis coupled to the track to roll on one or more surfaces of the track, and the vehicle includes a passenger compartment mounted on the chassis. The coaster also includes a compartment positioning mechanism that operates to move, such as with yaw, the passenger compartment between a first position in a passenger load/unload section of the ride path and one or more differing positions in the gravity-based ride section of the ride path. The coaster includes a power supply assembly with a charging element mounted on the track. The power supply assembly includes an onboard energy storage mounted on the vehicle that is charged by the charging element. The onboard energy storage powers the compartment positioning mechanism to move the passenger compartment between the first and second positions.

Roller coaster with passenger compartment motion powered through stored onboard energy

A ride vehicle with upright, straddle-type passenger seating that includes a passenger restraint system. This restraint system includes a lap bar assembly and a lap bar pivotal mount element pivotally supporting the lap bar assembly within the vehicle body to pivot about a rotation axis passing through the vehicle body between the seat pan and the front end of the vehicle body. The lap bar assembly may include a lap bar along with side and front leg shields that contain a passenger's legs within the vehicle. The lap bar assembly is rotatable as a unit about the rotation axis, in a forward portion of the vehicle body, from a disengaged position to an engaged position. In the disengaged position, the leg shields are moved forward away from an access to the seat pan, and, in the engaged position, the passenger's legs are blocked from lateral and forward movement.

Passenger restraint for upright, straddle-type seating in an amusement park ride vehicle

A track-based swing ride system providing passengers a unique swinging ride experience. The ride system includes a ride track that supports a moving bogie coupled to the ride track that includes a drive assembly driving the bogie along a ride path defined by the ride track. The ride apparatus includes a pendulum arm pivotally coupled at a first end to the bogie, whereby the pendulum arm is suspended below the ride track and moves along the ride path with the bogie. The ride apparatus includes a passenger vehicle coupled to a second end of the pendulum arm opposite the first end of the pendulum arm. To provide the swinging sensation, the ride apparatus includes a roll driver rotating, concurrently with the drive assembly of the bogie, the pendulum arm about a roll axis extending through the first end of the pendulum arm.

Track-based swing ride with long arm pendulum

A vehicle for use in an amusement park ride with upright passenger seating. The vehicle includes a vehicle body and a seat assembly including a seat pan provided in the vehicle body between a front end and a rear end of the vehicle body. The vehicle further includes a passenger restraint system with: (a) a lap bar assembly; (b) a lap bar mount pivotally supporting the lap bar assembly within the vehicle body to pivot about a lap bar rotation axis passing between the seat pan and the front end of the vehicle body; (c) a side leg shield; and (d) a shield articulating assembly concurrently pivoting the side leg shield about a shield rotation axis from an open to a closed position with a pivoting of the lap bar assembly about the lap bar rotation axis from a disengage to an engaged position.

Passenger restraint providing lateral leg containment in an amusement park ride vehicle

An amusement park ride adapted to provide passengers unobstructed lines of sight in turns and increased turn velocities. The ride includes a track and a ride vehicle. The ride vehicle includes a track connector assembly coupled to the track for movement along the ride path in a direction of travel. The vehicle also includes a vehicle base mounted to the track connector assembly to move with the track connector. The vehicle includes a bridge, or cantilever support arm or boom, extending from the vehicle base. The vehicle further includes a passenger compartment with one or more passenger seats. The passenger compartment is mounted to the bridge such that the seats and any passengers seated therein are spaced apart from the base at a cantilever distance. As a result, the passenger compartment has fore or aft cantilever mounting relative to the track connector assembly and relative to the vehicle base.

Amusement park ride with cantilevered ride vehicles

Ride systems providing guest compartment(s) with a roll degree of freedom through radial mount(s) are described. The guest compartment of the vehicles is attached to a track via a chassis. The guest compartment and the chassis are configured such that the guest compartment has a roll degree of freedom relative to the chassis.

Roller coaster vehicle

A roller coaster with seats articulated between vertical and reclined positions. The roller coaster includes a track with a load/unload portion and a ride portion. The coaster includes a vehicle with a body supported on the track and a passenger seat positioned in the body mounted for articulation between a first position and a second position. The roller coaster includes a seat positioning mechanism coupled to the passenger seat operating while the vehicle is in the load/unload portion to articulate the seat into the first position and operating, prior to the vehicle traveling into the ride portion of the ride path, to articulate the seat into the second position. The passenger seat includes a seat back that is substantially vertical in the first position and is at an obtuse angle in the second position or horizontal position, such that a passenger has an upward point of view during the ride.

Roller coaster with articulable seat backs

A ride system provides guest compartment(s) with a roll degree of freedom through a pivoting connection. The guest compartment is attached to a track via a chassis, the chassis being attached to the track such that the guest compartment rides substantially above the track but has a roll degree of freedom relative to the chassis.

A ride system is provided that allows selective relative positioning of vehicles in an amusement or theme park ride to simulate racing or other effects. The ride system includes a chassis that is adapted to be supported by and to travel on or along a length of track of a particular ride. A support is attached to the chassis and moves with the chassis during operation of the ride. The ride system includes first and second passenger vehicles that are spaced apart on and supported by the support. A drive assembly is linked to the support and configured to rotate the support about its central axis. During support rotation, the first and second vehicles are moved concurrently relative to the track to alter their relative positioning. The vehicles are each rotated about an axis that extends parallel to the rotation axis, and the rotation may be independent or concurrent.

Amusement park ride with vehicles pivoting about a common chassis to provide racing and other effects

An amusement park ride with one or more evacuation zones. The ride includes a track with a rail defining a ride path. The ride path includes at least one evacuation zone along a first length of the track at a first height and a non-evacuation zone along a second length of the track with one or more portions at a second height greater than the first height. The track is sloped in the non-evacuation zone toward the evacuation zone. The ride includes a vehicle supported on the rail via roller elements such as load bearing wheels. The ride includes a drive assembly that provides a driving force to selectively move the vehicle along the ride path. The drive assembly is adapted to automatically disengage from the vehicle upon loss of power. The vehicle is free rolling upon loss of power to travel to the evacuation zone based on gravity.

Growing community of inventors

Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Derek Lee Howard