Submarine Amusement Ride

Abstract

An underwater mobile observatory system comprising an aquarium able to hold water and large enough to support fish, coral, and to display artificial objects such as shipwrecks and ruins, a vehicle track extending through the aquarium the track generally being adjacent the bottom of the aquarium, the track having a portion which rises to a loading/unloading position, and a passenger vehicle coupled to the track for movement therealong and unable to leave the track such that changes in inclination of the track causes the vehicle to move up and down through water in the aquarium, the passenger vehicle having a main body portion to seat passengers and which is capable of being submerged, and a top portion which is open to the air, the spacing between the hack and the water level being controlled such that water does not pass over the top portion.

Claims

1. An underwater mobile observatory system comprising: an aquarium able to hold water and large enough to support fish, coral, and to display artificial objects such as shipwrecks and ruins; a vehicle track extending through the aquarium, the track generally being adjacent the bottom of the aquarium, the track having a portion which rises to a loading/unloading position; at least one passenger vehicle slidingly locked to the track for movement there long and unable to be lifted from the track such that inclination of the track causes the vehicle to move up and down through water in the aquarium, the passenger vehicle having a main body portion to seat passengers and which is capable of being submerged and a top portion which is open to the air; a spacing between the track and the water level being controlled such that water does not pass over the top portion; and a walkway provided above and substantially along the track and sufficiently above the waterline to allow the at least one passenger vehicle to pass below the walkway with the walkway being accessible via at least one exit hatch in the top portion of the vehicle.

2. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one passenger vehicle includes a secondary internal back-up power source with sufficient reserve power to allow one passenger vehicle to drive any one or more other passenger vehicles in a passenger vehicle string to the loading/unloading position.

3. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each passenger vehicle includes an automatic pressure-activated coupling system to allow hands free connection for the passenger vehicles.

4. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 1 including a system of seating designed to fold away onto itself away from a centre aisle, to be easily and functionally secured against the lower bulkheads on either lateral side of the interior of the vehicle.

5. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 1 including a representation of a futuristic city including at least two elliptical domed structures inter-connected by transparent sealed walkways.

6. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the walkways and domed structures are ventilated and pressurised to provide pedestrian access, as an alternative viewing platform for aquarium patrons.

7. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one passenger vehicle includes fall length convex viewing screens in one or more sidewalls of the at least one passenger vehicle

8. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the at least one passenger vehicle includes an enlarged brow provided adjacent to an external topside of the full length convex viewing screens.

9. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the brow includes an approximately 30 cm outward protrusion on each side of the vehicle above each of the full length convex viewing screens.

10. An underwater mobile observatory system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the brow includes an approximately 30 cm outward protrusion extending along each side of the vehicle above the full length convex viewing screens.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0031] Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows:

[0032] FIGS. 1 and 2 are plan part section views of an underwater mobile observatory system taken along sections A-A and B-B.

[0033] FIGS. 3 and 4 are side section views taken along A-A (FIG. 3) and B-B (FIG. 4).

[0034] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view of the vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a transverse section view of the vehicle of FIG. 5.

[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates an upper part of the vehicle and its associated overhead walkway.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, an underwater mobile observatory amusement ride is provided.

[0038] Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an underwater mobile observatory complex. The complex has an annular shaped aquarium 20. Inside aquarium 20 is an annular track 21, the diameter of the track being about 80 m and the length of the track being about 220 m (it being appreciated that this is only one of many different possible diameters and lengths).

[0039] Coupled to track 21 are a pair of vehicles 22, the vehicle being linked together to allow more passengers per hour through the aquarium. Of course, it should be appreciated that the vehicle need not be linked together or that more than two vehicles can be provided.

[0040] The central hub area 23 includes infrastructure, lounge, dining rooms, and various other themed accessories for visitors. For instance, referring to FIG. 1, the central hub area 23 includes audio-visual theatre and static marine display 8, marine life display tanks 9, staff and administration center 10, floating pontoon waiting lounges, 11, concession area and servery 12, toilets 13 queuing platform 14 to embark vehicles 22, a shop 15 and a themed tropical rainforest and aviary 16.

[0041] Track 21 is formed from marine concrete or other similar material which is corrosion resistant in an aquatic environment, and is T-shaped when viewed in section which is more clearly illustrated with reference to FIG. 6.

[0042] Track 21 is footed in the bottom of aquarium 20 and extends slightly above the bottom of the aquarium such that a vehicle 22 can be coupled to the track in a manner illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0043] Track 21 rises to a loading unloading zone 24 (see FIG. 1), and as illustrated in FIG. 3, this is achieved by raising the bottom of the aquarium such that track 21 also rises. At the loading unloading zone 24, vehicle 22 is sufficiently above water to allow easy and quick loading and unloading of passengers. As illustrated in FIG. 1, passengers embark through one side of vehicle 22 and via the queuing platforms 14, and passengers disembark through the other side of vehicle 22 and towards an exit 25. As the aquarium is annular in shape, access to the central hub portion 23 is via a tunnel 26 which can be an acrylic tunnel such that visitors can view the aquarium as they walk through the tunnel.

[0044] Central hub 23 has an upper and lower level and FIG. 2 shows the lower level part of central hub 23 which includes a 300 seat restaurant 27, a restaurant service area 28, more toilets 29, a filtration plant, ozone generator and emergency power plant 30, a marine research centre 31 and a dive store 32. Restaurant 27 may have a glass wall 33 to allow patrons to view a portion of the aquarium.

[0045] FIG. 5 illustrates a typical vehicle. Vehicle 22 has a main body portion 35 designed to accommodate passengers. Vehicle 22 is attached to track 21 through a number of upper rollers 36 and lower rollers 37. This ensures that vehicle 22 is coupled to track 21 and cannot inadvertently be removed from the track. The vehicle is powered along the track by any suitable drive system including cable system, electric motors and the like.

[0046] The main body portion of vehicle 35 is designed to be fully submersed with only a top wall 38 being above the level of water in the aquarium. Top wall 38 is provided with a number of escape hatches 39 which are always above water such that should an emergency situation arise, passengers can very quickly disembark through escape hatches 39.

[0047] The aquarium is provided with a walkway 40 which is positioned above track 21 and therefore above escape hatches 39. Passengers passing through an escape hatch 39 can simply clamber on to walkway 40 and walk away from vehicle 22. Walkway 40 can also house, in a safe manner, electric supply power 42 to power the vehicle. The vehicle can have one or more extending members or fins 41 which extend up along the side of the walkway 40 and couple with the source of electric power, possibly in a manner similar to an electric rail vehicle.

[0048] The system does not require specially skilled operators necessitating extensive training and/or marine licenses. The vehicles can be manned by tour guides having some underwater experience. The vehicles can be controlled from a central location which can monitor speeds, turnarounds and the like.

[0049] The vehicles are extremely safe and if any unavoidable incidents such as breakdown arises, the passengers can disembark through the escape hatches at any point in the ride. The vehicle 22 requires no controls on the vehicle itself and hence a standard ballasting system is not required. By not requiring a standard ballasting system, the vehicles can be moved around more quickly as there is no need to careful ballasting to occur.

[0050] The vehicles are captivated on the track and submergence and emergence is controlled by the depth of the rail relative to the water surface rather than ballasting or other complicated requirements.

[0051] There is no change in ballast to the vehicle whilst submerged and therefore the vehicle is subjected to positive buoyancy at all time. The captivating track keeps the vehicle underwater.

[0052] The drive system can vary. One possible drive system is a mechanical system which can consist either of a conveyor-type system or an adoption of a simple wire and winch mechanism. If an electrical power system is required, power is supplied to electric motors on board the vehicles which would drive rollers attached to the rails.

[0053] Power can be drawn from a power source on walkway 40.

[0054] The vehicle can move over a 240 m track at a rate of 2-3 km per hour making the duration of the voyage about 7 minutes.

[0055] The vehicle can have a length of about 13 m, a beam of about 3 m, a height of about 5 m, a weight of about 12 tonnes, and can carry about 50 persons.

[0056] It is envisaged that the entire system can entertain up to, about 1,200 people per hour in a temperature controlled environment and if four vehicles are used with a ride of about 7-8 minutes, up to 9,000-10,000 persons can be entertained in an 8 hour day.

[0057] The system gives passengers the experience of an authentic submarine ride within a safe controlled environment and the turnaround of passengers is large compared to existing systems.

[0058] Each vehicle can have full length viewing windows on either side to give passengers an unrestricted view with an arc of 180°. Many variations exist giving seated passengers in the vehicles an excellent arc of visibility of all the aquarium marine life and attractions through full length viewing screens.

[0059] Due to the height of the vehicle, it is possible that a passenger could, at some locations on the amusement ride, have an external view that of the waterline 90 which would detract from the reality of the ride because the illusion of depth would be lost for that passenger. In order to avoid this, it is preferred that the arc of visibility from the full length viewing screens be wide when a passenger is looking outwardly (laterally and downwardly), but restricted when a passenger looks out and upward. Preferably, an enlarged “brow” 80 such as that illustrated in FIG. 6 is provided adjacent an external topside of the preferred full length convex viewing screens of the vehicles.

[0060] In a preferred form, the brow 80 may be or include an approximately 30 cm outward protrusion on each side of the vehicle above each of the full length convex viewing screens (or a single outward protrusion on each side of the vehicle above the full length convex viewing screens to intentionally restrict or constrain the upward viewing angle of seated passengers, thereby maintaining the illusion of depth for the passengers.

[0061] In the present specification and claims (if any), the word ‘comprising’ and its derivatives including ‘comprises’ and ‘comprise’ include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.

[0062] Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘an embodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.

[0063] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims (if any) appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.