Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Other

The Walt Disney Company

Mark W Sumner

David Crawford

Derek Lee Howard

Paul E Baker

David Durham

Christopher J Rose

David Whitehead

Richard A Stein

Richard Scholl

Michael G Kilbert

Mark R Gold

David W Crawford

Derek Howard

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

A boat ride with precise speed and orientation control. The ride includes a track assembly positioned in a water basin and includes front and rear bogies engaging the track assembly. The boat ride includes a passenger boat and front and rear tethering assemblies coupling the front and rear bogies, respectively, to the boat. The ride includes a propulsion assembly positioned along the track assembly that is operable to independently propel, with linear motors, the front and rear bogies at the same or differing first and second velocities by applying a magnetic force to reaction plates on the bogies. The track assembly includes a joined section and a divided section, which includes a primary track on which the front bogie travels and a secondary track, spaced apart from the primary track, on which the rear bogie travels. The boat may be rotated to any orientation in the divided track section.

Amusement park ride with underwater-controlled boats

Methods and apparatuses of for detecting lint are disclosed. In one embodiment, a light is directed to a plate. The light can be being emitted by a light source. A reflectometer is calibrated to a specific thermal emissivity of the plate. The thermal emission resulting from the light directed to the plate is received at the reflectometer. Lint is permitted to deposit on the plate. A change in thermal emission is detected if lint deposits on the plate. The change in thermal emission can be detected by the reflectometer. An indication that lint is present within the clothes dryer is provided if a change in thermal emission is detected by the reflectometer.

Lint detector methods and apparatuses

A device and method for detecting lint in a clothes dryer are disclosed. A lint detector is positioned within the clothes dryer. A light source is also positioned within the clothes dryer. The lint detector has a surface that receives light emitted by the light source. Further, the lint detector has a photocell that receives light reflected from the surface if lint covers the surface. A determination is made as to whether a threshold amount of light has been received. An indication such as the activation of a warning light can be provided if the threshold amount of light is received. Another response is shutting the clothes dryer down.

Clothes dryer with lint detector

A motion simulator including passenger carrying apparatus designed to receive and carry a number of seated passengers from a first position in which the passengers board the apparatus into a second position from which the passengers view visual images displayed on a presentation screen. The apparatus includes multiple passenger carriers, each carrier including multiple rows of passenger seats, arrayed with a single presentation screen. Operation of the apparatus is such that the passenger seats are pivoted upwardly into a position directly above a portion of the presentation screen. A wing-shaped deployable canopy is provided over each passenger seat. In the deployed position, the canopy is positioned to block a portion of the passenger's visual field outside the presentation screen. Apparatus is provided for moving air and scent materials over the passengers to enhance the sense of flight created in the minds of the passengers. The motion simulator is suitable for use in an amusement park or theme park as an amusement ride.

Amusement apparatus and method

An amusement water ride is provided including a water course for carrying one or more circular water rafts. The water course is provided with at least one downhill section for accelerating the water rafts into a splash point. A spin mechanism is provided near the top of the downhill section for imparting a spin to the water rafts as they move past the spin mechanism. The spin mechanism includes a movement retarding surface along one wall of the water course and a movement expediting surface along an opposite wall of the water course. The movement retarding surface is provided with a high friction coating which retards sliding movement in a downstream direction of the surface of the raft which contacts the movement retarding surface, and induces rotation of the raft and movement towards the opposite wall. As the raft rotates into contact with the movement expediting surface it encounters no frictional resistance, and the spin is accelerated by the force of gravity acting on the mass of the raft as it moves downhill. The spinning raft increases thrill and introduces uncertainty among the passengers regarding who will be in a position to be splashed when the raft hits the splash zone.

Water raft amusement ride including a device for spinning a circular

The present invention provides a water slide which includes a device for reducing the impact felt by riders or users when they contact the slower-moving water at the bottom of an incline. Such slower moving water can be particularly injurious to a user who is traveling at relatively high speed (e.g., down a particularly long or steep slope). The device for reducing impact is a section of slide of predetermined length which includes air injection nozzles for reducing the apparent density and viscosity and increasing compressibility of the water to enable the user to slow down more gradually by transitioning from reduced density water to normal density water.

Growing community of inventors

Saugus, CA, United States of America

Mark W Sumner