Patent ID: 6743108
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: A63G

Abstract:
In a flume ride comprising a generally downwardly-inclined main slide path comprising a flume sized and adapted to carry one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon along a defined ride path wherein each of the riders and/or ride vehicles has a kinetic energy and/or momentum associated therewith, a multi-path slide effect for safely intercepting at least some of the riders and/or ride vehicles and redirecting them to one or more auxiliary slide paths, comprising:an energy threshold gate positioned at a selected desired point along the main slide path and being sized and adapted to successively intercept moving riders and/or ride vehicles and to deplete therefrom a threshold amount of kinetic energy and/or momentum, said energy threshold gate being adapted to thereby discriminate and separate successive riders and/or ride vehicles according to whether their associated kinetic energy and/or momentum is greater than or less than said threshold amount; a first auxiliary slide path comprising a flume sized and adapted to guide one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon along a defined path and arranged and adapted to receive and pass riders and/or ride vehicles whose kinetic energy and/or momentum is greater than said threshold amount as determined by the energy threshold gate; and a second auxiliary slide path comprising a flume sized and adapted to guide one or more riders and/or ride vehicles sliding thereon along a defined path and arranged and adapted to receive and pass riders and/or ride vehicles whose kinetic energy and/or momentum is less than said threshold amount as determined by the energy threshold gate.