Railways – Amusement – Submarines
Patent
1999-05-05
2000-11-14
Morano, S. Joseph
Railways
Amusement
Submarines
104 59, 104 70, 104 73, B60K 2900
Patent
active
061454427
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an aquarium/oceanarium containing underwater mobile observatory vehicles, and which functions to provide education and entertainment to patrons.
BACKGROUND ART
Studies have shown that underwater adventures are popular and attractive to members of the public, and some theme parks and amusements parks have some form of underwater or aquatic observatory system in place.
A well-known system has a clear plastic tunnel passing through a large aquarium or oceanarium which is filled with coral and marine life. The tunnel has a moving walkway and patrons stand on the walkway and are transported through the aquarium.
Another popular known system also has a large aquarium or oceanarium and a semi-submersible vehicle is powered through the oceanarium with a low powered motor. The semi-submersible vehicle is powered through a propeller and requires stringent safety controls and highly trained operators to use the semi-submersible vehicle in a safe manner. The vehicles are difficult and clumsy to maneouver and loading and unloading of passengers is a slow process as the vehicle needs to be carefully powered into a mooring position, then needs to be moored (which can be time consuming), and passengers then need to embark and disembark in a manner to keep the correct buoyancy level of the vehicle. These semi-submersible vehicles suffer from a number of disadvantages including a low limit of passengers (usually about 20-25), singular viewing windows and ports required because of the high hull strength required.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an underwater mobile observatory system using vehicles which are coupled to a track with the track passing through an aquarium/oceanarium, the vehicles being powered along the track. In this manner, the vehicle is not clumsy to manoeuvre, and by being coupled to the track, the vehicle can be made to surface and semi-submerge by rise and fall of the track rather than by complicated buoyancy requirements. The arrangement allows the vehicle to be virtually fully automated. The vehicle can quickly be moved to a loading and unloading position merely by tavelling along the track.
It is an object of the invention to provide an underwater mobile observatory system which may overcome the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful of commercial choice.
In one form, the invention resides in 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 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 passenger and which is capable of being submerged, and a top portion which is open to the air, the spacing between the track and the water level being controlled such that water does not pass over the top portion.
The terms aquarium/oceanarium can be used interchangeably with both terms including a large body of water in which the track can be laid and through which the vehicle can pass.
In another form, the invention resides in a vehicle as described above.
By having the vehicle coupled to the track and by allowing the track to rise and fall relative to the water level, the vehicle by moving along the track, can quickly go to a loading and unloading position and ten semi-submerge back into the oceanarium to a viewing position.
It is preferred that the bulk of the vehicle is below the water level and especially the main body portion. An upper portion or top wall of the vehicle can be positioned just above the water, and this portion can be fitted with emergency or escape hatches. By des
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patent: 1606024 (1926-11-01), Gorthum et al.
patent: 1849226 (1932-03-01), Erban
patent: 2064035 (1936-12-01), Rynearson
patent: 3114333 (1963-12-01), Fowler et al.
patent: 5215061 (1993-06-01), Futami
patent: 5762018 (1998-06-01), Huang
Jules Frantz
Morano S. Joseph
Underwater Mobile Observatories Pty. Ltd.
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