Amusement ride

Abstract

Provided is an amusement ride. The amusement ride includes a vehicle for one or more passengers and a lifting device to move the vehicle between a lower position and a raised position. The lifting device includes a nested tube arrangement having a plurality of nested tubes, a fluid reservoir for housing an operating fluid fluidically connected to the nested tubes, and a pressurizing device to pressurize the operating fluid for supplying pressurized operating fluid within the nested tubes to extend the nested tube arrangement in order to lift the vehicle from the lower position to a raised position.

1 . An amusement ride comprising a vehicle for one or more passengers and lifting means to move said vehicle between a lower position and a raised position, the lifting means comprising a nested tube arrangement, having a plurality of nested tubes, a fluid reservoir for housing an operating fluid fluidically connected to said nested tubes, and pressurizing means to pressurize said operating fluid for supplying pressurized operating fluid within said nested tubes to extend said nested tube arrangement in order to lift said vehicle from said lower position to said raised position. 
     
     
         2 . The amusement ride according to  claim 1 , wherein said operating fluid is water. 
     
     
         3 . The amusement ride according to  claim 1 , wherein said nested tube arrangement comprises a fluid ejecting means, arranged to eject operating fluid from said nested tube arrangement. 
     
     
         4 . The amusement ride according to  claim 3 , wherein said fluid ejecting means are arranged to eject operating fluid at an angle (α) equal to or lower than 90 degrees, with respect to the axis of said nested tube arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . The amusement ride according to  claim 1 , wherein said pressurizing means comprise an air compressor. 
     
     
         6 . The amusement ride according to  claim 1 , further comprising weighing means to weigh said vehicle at least when it is at the lower position. 
     
     
         7 . The amusement ride according to  claim 1 , wherein the nested tubes are provided with at least one gas chamber defined between subsequent nested tubes of the nested tube arrangement, arranged so that the dimension of said gas chamber varies according to the relative position between the subsequent nested tubes of the nested tube arrangement. 
     
     
         8 . The amusement ride according to  claim 7 , wherein said gas chamber is provided with openings, wherein the nested tube arrangement is provided with sealing means to seal at least part of said openings, according to the relative position of said nested tubes. 
     
     
         9 . The amusement ride according to  claim 6 , further comprising braking means to brake said vehicle for at least part of the run from said raised position towards said lower position. 
     
     
         10 . The amusement ride according to  claim 9 , wherein said braking means and/or said weighing means comprise at least one pneumatic piston placed laterally with respect to the nested tube arrangement. 
     
     
         11 . The amusement ride according to  claim 10 , wherein said braking means and said weighing means coincide. 
     
     
         12 . A method of operating an amusement ride according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 (a) loading at least one passenger on said vehicle when said vehicle is at the lower position;   (b) operating the pressurizing means to pressurize the operating fluid ( 10 );   (c) supplying said pressurized operating fluid to said nested tubes ( 3   a - 3   f ) to extend said nested tube arrangement in order to lift said vehicle from said lower position to said raised position;   (d) operating the pressurizing means to reduce pressure of the operating fluid or to stop pressurizing of the operating fluid to retract said nested tube arrangement in order to lower said vehicle from said raised position to said lower position.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein between said steps (a) and (b), the vehicle is weighed, and the pressurizing means are operated to pressurize the operating fluid at a pressure calculated as a function of the weight of the vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the braking means are operated to brake the lowering of the vehicle of step (d). 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein during said step (c), the operating fluid is ejected from the nested tube arrangement. 
     
     
         16 . The amusement ride according to  claim 3 , wherein said fluid ejecting means is arranged to eject said operating fluid from said nested tube arrangement at the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The amusement ride according to  claim 3 , wherein said fluid ejecting means are arranged to eject operating fluid at an angle (α) equal to or lower than 60 degrees, with respect to the axis of said nested tube arrangement. 
     
     
         18 . The amusement ride according to  claim 3 , wherein said fluid ejecting means are arranged to eject operating fluid at an angle (α) equal to or lower than 45 degrees, with respect to the axis of said nested tube arrangement. 
     
     
         19 . The amusement ride according to  claim 1 , further comprising braking means to brake said vehicle for at least part of the run from said raised position towards said lower position. 
     
     
         20 . The amusement ride according to  claim 6 , wherein said weighing means comprise at least one pneumatic piston placed laterally with respect to the nested tube arrangement.