Patent Publication Number: US-11040289-B2

Title: Padded grate drainage system for water rides

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 15/413,245, filed on Jan. 23, 2017, which is a continuation of Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 14/220,577, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,550,127, filed on Mar. 20, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/804,038, filed Mar. 21, 2013, each of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Water ride attractions have become popular in water theme parks and other entertainment facilities throughout the country. Some of these water ride attractions comprise a ride surface having a sheet flow of water thereon designed to allow participants to ride on the flowing body of water, and therefore, for the safety of the participants, they require the ride surface to be provided with adequate surface padding. And to enable the water flowing on the ride surface to be easily propelled thereon, such as from front to the back, and easily drained therefrom, such as along the back, it is desirable for the ride surface to have a means for draining water from the ride surface. This not only helps facilitate the development of the proper sheet flow and clearance of water from the ride surface, but it also helps enable the participants riding on the ride surface to properly enter and safely exit from the ride surface when needed. 
     For this purpose, many such water ride attractions have previously incorporated the use of conventional industrial grating or a combination of industrial grating with a layer of PVC matting attached thereon with open spaces between them to allow water to drain through, such as into a storage tank below. An example of this type of drainage system is one that has been used in connection with Applicant&#39;s previous water ride attraction known as the FlowRider®. The FlowRider® is essentially a stationary wave generating machine that has a resilient inclined ride surface on which a sheet flow of water is propelled relatively upward thereon. The rider who participates is able to use the upward force of the flowing body of water, on one hand, along with the downward force of gravity, on the other hand, to reach an equilibrium point, wherein it is desirable for the participants to be able to safely enter onto the ride surface and exit therefrom, such as near the front or back, respectively. Accordingly, it was desirable to furnish a floor support system that helps not only support the flowing body of water on the ride surface, but also allows the flowing body of water to be drained from the ride surface and into the storage tank below. 
     It should be noted that a drainage system near the front close to where the nozzles that propel the water onto the ride surface are located is desired so that water does not buildup as it is being injected onto the ride surface. The front drainage system preferably safely supports the participants as they enter onto the water ride from, the front. Likewise, it is desirable to have a drainage system, near or along the back, to support any participant that may fall and be swept toward the back, and to allow water flowing on the ride surface to be drained into a tank and recirculated back toward the front nozzles. 
     One problem with the above mentioned drainage system is that when the grating with the matting thereon continued to be unevenly loaded during operation, the matting tended to tear or loosen from the grating, and these tears would either take place along the seams due to weak weld joints or along the upper and lower layers where the matting would eventually come apart. And unfortunately, when these problems occurred, the grating was not reparable and therefore the attraction became unsafe to operate as well as costly and time consuming to replace. 
     An additional problem with the previous design is that the matting required a pre-determined mold to be used, which ended up limiting the size (width and length) that the matting could come in, which can foe a. problem especially because the production is often outsourced to outside fabricators. This often resulted in having to put together a patch-work of pieces and associated seams where multiple pieces of matting had to be joined together, which resulted in weak joints containing discontinuities and potential scratch hazards, such as in the event a participant slides over the joint, etc. 
     Because of these problems, a need has arisen to develop an improved drainage system design for water rides such as the FlowRider®. 
     SUMMARY 
     The current invention represents an improvement over prior water ride drainage systems in the manner in which it is formed, constructed and installed, and helps to avoid the problems mentioned above. 
     The present system preferably comprises sheets of composite members that are secured together with at least two support bars to form a monolithic sheet of composite members that can be used as a drainage system for water rides such as the FlowRider®. In particular, each composite member is formed using multiple rigid bars (such as made of fiberglass or stainless steel, etc.) adhered to a layer of foam padding on one side thereof (such, as with urethane adhesive, etc.), wherein each composite member is encapsulated in a PVC or plastic shrink wrap material (such as a tube or sleeve) that helps to make each water impervious. The completed composite members are secured with screws to the support bars (such as made of stainless steel, etc.) to help form a single monolithic sheet of composite members, wherein the composite members are extended substantially parallel to each other and spaced a predetermined distance apart from, each other and are cut to a predetermined length and size. The ends of the composite members are preferably sealed with a sealant, like rubber, to prevent water penetration, etc. 
     Each sheet of composite members is preferably anywhere from eight to twelve feet in length, although any length or width is possible. The preferred sheets can be prefabricated to the appropriate length and width, or custom, cut on site, which makes them easy to adapt and fit into the desired shape, such as in any existing or new water ride, etc. On site, the sheets of composite members are preferably used modularity and positioned and secured to the water ride surface with the padded side facing up and the rigid side facing down, wherein the composite members are preferably fastened to additional support members located on the ride surface using screws and connected into place. The encapsulated composite members are preferably relatively narrow in width, such as anywhere from 10.0 mm to 100.0 mm in width, but sufficiently thick enough to support the weight of the water and participant riding on the water ride. The composite members are preferably spaced, apart with a gap of no more than about 8.0 mm between them, which helps to prevent fingers and toes from getting caught, while at the same time, allowing water to drain through. The support bars are preferably placed center to center (such as 24″ apart) to prevent the composite members from deflecting and the gaps from widening during operation. The composite member ends are preferably covered with a liquid sealant, or capped with a molded shrink cap, as desired. 
     The encapsulated composite members and sheets of composite members are preferably constructed using the following method: 
     The first step comprises forming multiple rigid bars such as made of fiberglass or stainless steel that are elongated and have a substantially rectangular cross section and that have a predetermined length. 
     The second step comprises gluing the rigid bars onto a sheet of foam using an adhesive such as urethane spread over the sheet. The rigid bars are preferably positioned onto the sheet substantially parallel to each other, side by side, with little or no space between them, wherein the adhesive is allowed to dry to bond the rigid bars to the foam. 
     The third step comprises trimming off any excess foam from the edges of the sheets beyond where the rigid bars are attached. 
     The fourth step comprises using a sharp blade to cut the sheet of foam in between the rigid bars and separating the rigid bars from the sheet and each other to form the composite members. Each composite member then formed comprises a rigid bar on one side and a layer of foam adhered thereto on the other side. 
     The fifth step comprises sliding each composite member into a water impervious tube or sleeve such as made of plastic or PVC. 
     The sixth step comprises passing the composite member with the tube or sleeve around it through an oven or other heated space to melt or otherwise shrink wrap the tube or sleeve around the composite member to effectively seal the PVC or plastic around them. 
     The seventh step comprises securing the encapsulated composite members to at least two support bars to create a monolithic sheet of composite members using screws that extend from the support bars and into the composite members. Preferably, a jig with spaces is used to help line up the composite members such that they are spaced with a predetermined distance between them and extended substantially parallel to each other. 
     The eighth step comprises cutting or trimming the ends of each composite member to remove any excess PVC or plastic material and to form the monolithic sheets having a predetermined size and length. 
     The ninth step comprises turning the completed sheets of composite members on their ends, i.e., vertically, and dipping the ends into a liquid sealant to seal the ends thereof. Alternatively, molded caps can be provided and secured to the ends to seal the ends thereof. 
     Other aspects of the invention will become evident from reviewing this specification and the associated drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a single monolithic sheet of composite members made according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the monolithic sheet of composite members shown in  FIG. 1 , along with an end view at the bottom; 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the monolithic sheet of composite members shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a detail section view taken through A-A in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a detail of the area D shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows the first step of the method of making the monolithic sheet of composite members, wherein the first step comprises applying an adhesive onto a sheet of foam and adhering multiple rigid bars onto the sheet of foam; 
         FIG. 7  shows the completed sheet of foam with multiple rigid bars adhered thereto before the ends are cut or trimmed: 
         FIG. 8  shows the completed sheet of foam with multiple rigid bars adhered thereto after the ends have been cut or trimmed; 
         FIG. 9  shows tire next step where the sheet of foam is being cut in between each composite member shown in  FIG. 1  and each composite member is removed from the sheet of foam; 
         FIG. 9A  shows that it is important to make the cuts specified above in connection with  FIG. 9  at right angles relative to the sheet of foam as well as that the rigid bars are placed adjacent to each other with very little or no space between them, which avoids wasting foam and having to trim excess foam from each one; 
         FIG. 10  shows the composite member with the rigid bar on one side and the layer of foam padding on the other; 
         FIG. 11  shows the next step of sliding the composite member into a tube or sleeve made of plastic or PVC; 
         FIG. 12  shows the composite member after it has been inserted into the tube or sleeve of the PVC or plastic; 
         FIG. 13  shows the next step of extending the composite member with the tube or sleeve of PVC or plastic around it through an oven or other heat source to shrink wrap the plastic or PVC around the composite member; 
         FIG. 14  shows the completed composite member after it has been encapsulated inside the tube or sleeve of PVC or plastic and after the tube or sleeve of PVC or plastic has been heated and shrink wrapped around the composite member; 
         FIG. 15  shows the next step of placing multiple composite members together side by side in a substantially parallel manner using the jig shown in  FIG. 15A , wherein predetermined spaces are provided on the jig to enable the composite members to be properly oriented and positioned with a predetermined space between each one; 
         FIG. 15A  shows the jig that is used to help orient and position the composite members into sheets, such that they are positioned in a substantially parallel manner with a predetermined space between each one—note that the rigid bar is facing up and the padded surface is facing down while the composite members are positioned on the jig; 
         FIG. 16  shows the bottom side of the sheet of composite members with at least two support bars, in this ease three, fastened to the underside of the sheet of composite members, wherein multiple composite members are positioned substantially parallel to each other and secured In place with a predetermined space between each on—an end view of the same sheet is provided at the bottom of this figure: 
         FIG. 16A  is a detail view of the area A shown in  FIG. 16 , showing the jig with the composite members positioned therein, wherein the support bars are positioned thereon; 
         FIG. 17  shows the sheet of composite members upside down with the support bars screwed into the bottom of each composite member to bold and orient the composite members in place; 
         FIG. 18  shows the next step of using screws to fasten the support bars to the bottom of the composite members, with the jig helping to orient and position the composite members substantially parallel to each other, with a predetermined space between each one; 
         FIG. 19  is a bottom view of the sheet of composite members showing the support, bars secured to the bottom of the composite members; 
         FIG. 19A  is a section view taken through area D-D shown in  FIG. 19 ; 
         FIG. 20  is a bottom view showing the completed sheet of composite members that has been trimmed or cut to the appropriate length; 
         FIG. 21  shows how the completed sheet of composite members can be turned on its end and dipped into a liquid sealant to seal the ends thereof; 
         FIG. 21A  shows the sheet of composite members standing vertically with the ends of the composite members being dipped into a liquid sealant; 
         FIG. 22  is an end view showing how the sheets of composite members can be stored in a crate, where the preferred arrangement is for the sheets to be positioned vertically, side by side, so as not to put too much weight or pressure on the padded sides of the composite members; 
         FIG. 23  shows a crate with sheets of composite members positioned substantially vertically inside; 
         FIG. 24  is a cross section view of a typical single composite member with its rigid side facing down and the padded side facing up, with the tube or sleeve of PVC or plastic surrounding it, before, it has been shrink wrapped; 
         FIG. 25  is a cross section view of a typical single composite member with its rigid side facing down and the padded side facing up, with the tube or sleeve of PVC or plastic surrounding it after it has been shrink wrapped; 
         FIG. 26  is a drawing showing a FlowRider® with drainage areas on the front and back end of the water ride surface; and 
         FIG. 27  is a photograph showing a FlowRider® being used with drainage areas on the front and back end of the water ride surface. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a single monolithic sheet  1  of encapsulated composite members  3  made according to the present invention wherein multiple encapsulated composite members  3  are positioned side by side, substantially parallel to each other, with a slight gap  6  in between each one, wherein the gap  6  is preferably no more than about 8.0 mm in width, which is small enough to prevent fingers and toes from getting caught in between them, while at the same time, large enough to allow water to pass through. As shown in  FIG. 2 , multiple support bars or battens  5 , such as made of stainless steel, are preferably extended across the bottom side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of composite members  3  and used to secure composite members  3  to create monolithic sheet  1 . Preferably, stainless steel screws  7  are used and extended through support bars or battens  5  and into composite members  3  to secure them together, although any suitable connection can be used. The number and spacing of the support bars or battens  5  can vary depending on the length of the composite members  3  and the size of the overall monolithic sheet  1 . Each monolithic sheet  1  is preferably anywhere from one meter to six meters in length, although virtually any size is possible, wherein the width and length can vary depending on the size of the drainage area and ride surface that is being installed. The width also varies depending on the number of composite members  3  that are used in each sheet  1 . 
     Preferably, each composite member  3  is constructed as follows: 
     First, to provide rigidity and support, composite member  3  preferably comprises a substantially elongated rigid bar  13 , such as made of fiberglass or stainless steel or other strong material, that is formed with a rectangular cross section, such as shown in  FIG. 25 , and extended into strips or bars having a predetermined elongated length. These bars  13  are preferably relatively flat and narrow but also have sufficient width and thickness to provide adequate moment resistance to support the weight of participants who may traverse on the ride surface. Generally speaking, the width of each rigid bar  13  is preferably in the range of from 10.0 mm to 100.0 mm, wherein the width of each one is preferably greater than its depth. The depth is preferably thick enough to provide adequate moment resistance, which is dependent on the spacing of the supports and the distance that the supports span. 
     Second, to provide adequate padding and cushioning on the ride surface, composite members  3  preferably comprise a layer of foam  15  adhered thereto, such as made of closed cell urethane, which is adhered to rigid bar  13  with an adhesive, such as urethane or other glue. As can be seen in  FIG. 25 , foam layer  15  is preferably adhered, to rigid bar  13  and has a sufficient depth or thickness to provide padding and cushioning support for participants who may traverse on the water ride, which helps to reduce injuries, etc. The depth of foam layer  15  can be anywhere from one to three times the depth of rigid bar  13 , although the ratio is preferably above two. Foam layer  15  is preferably substantially rectangular in cross section and the side facing rigid bar  13  is preferably substantially flat to provide adequate adherence to rigid bar  13 . The combination of rigid bar  13  and foam layer  15  comprise composite member  3 . 
     Third, encapsulating the composite member  3  is preferably an outer layer of water impervious material  17 , such as PVC or plastic, etc., which, has been heated and shrink wrapped around composite member  3 . In this respect,  FIG. 24  shows what outer layer  17  looks like before it has been shrink wrapped, and  FIG. 25  show&#39;s outer layer  17  after it has been shrink wrapped. Surrounding composite member  3  with tire outer layer material  17  helps to seal and protect the composite member  3  from water damage which can occur if the outer layer is torn or otherwise damaged. 
     A unique aspect of the present invention relates to how the encapsulated composite members  3  are formed and how the monolithic sheet  1  is created, which is diagrammatically shown in  FIGS. 6 through 21 , and explained as follows: 
     The first step involves the process of creating the composite members  3  which is done by first forming the elongated rigid bars  13  which can be made of fiberglass or stainless steel. These rigid bars  13  are preferably elongated narrow bars having a substantially rectangular cross section and predetermined length to provide an adequate amount of strength and moment resistance which is dependent on the support spacing, etc. The rigid bars  13  are preferably relatively narrow in width, such as anywhere from 10.0 mm to 100.0 mm wide, but sufficiently thick enough to support the weight of the water and participants riding on the water ride. 
     The second step comprises gluing the rigid bars  13  onto a sheet of foam  19 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , using an adhesive such as urethane  21  that has been spread across the sheet. Preferably, rigid bars  13  are positioned on the sheet of foam  19  adjacent to each other with little or no space between them, wherein rigid bars  13  are pressed firmly against the adhesive and the adhesive is allowed to dry and harden, until rigid bars  13  are bonded securely to the sheet of foam  19 , To ensure full coverage by the foam, sheet  19  is preferably slightly larger than the total length and width of the collective rigid bars  13 . A completed sheet of foam  23  with the rigid bars  13  adhered thereto is shown in  FIG. 7 . Excess foam  20  is shown around the edges. 
     The third step comprises trimming the sheet of foam  19  and cutting off any excess foam  20  from the edges, i.e., anywhere beyond where rigid bars  13  are located.  FIG. 8  shows sheet of foam  23  with the rigid bars  13  adhered thereto, but with excess foam  20  removed. Preferably, a. sharp blade such as a box cutter or knife is used to neatly cut the foam, by extending it along the edges at a 90 degree angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the rigid bars  13 . 
     The fourth step, as shown in  FIG. 9 , comprises using a sharp blade to cut the sheet of foam  19  to form composite members  3 , This is done by inserting the sharp blade in between the rigid bars  13  and slicing the sheet of foam until each rigid bar  13  is separated from sheet  19  and each other. Once the foam sheet  19  is cut, and composite members  3  are formed, each rigid bar  13  will have a layer of foam  15  adhered thereto on one side, wherein the foam  15  will have substantially the same width and length as rigid bar  13 , Again, as shown in  FIG. 9A , it is desirable to insert the sharp blade in between the rigid bars  13  such as at a 90 degree angle  22 , Once cut, each composite member  3  shall comprise one rigid bar  3  on one side and a layer of foam  15  adhered thereto on the opposite side, A completed composite member  3  is shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     The fifth step comprises sliding each finished composite member  3 , as shown in  FIG. 10 , into a water impervious tube or sleeve  24  such as made of plastic or PVC.  FIG. 11  shows composite member  3  partially covered, and  FIG. 12  shows composite member  3  fully covered. At this point, tube or sleeve  24  preferably covers rigid bar  13 , but is preferably slightly longer than composite member  3  so that a portion of it extends or hangs from its end to ensure full coverage and encapsulation of composite member  3  and to account for linear shrinkage of tube or sleeve  24 , etc. 
     The sixth step comprises passing the composite member  3  with the tube or sleeve  24  around it through an oven or other heated space  25  (in the direction of arrow  26  as shown in  FIG. 13 ), to melt or otherwise shrink tube or sleeve  24  around composite member  3  to effectively seal composite member  33  and form the encapsulated composite member  33 , as shown in  FIG. 14 . Note that the encapsulated composite member  33  will hereafter be referred to as item number  33  whereas in the previous discussion composite member  3  was referred to as item  3 . This is because now composite member  3  has been encapsulated by tube or sleeve  24  to form an encapsulated composite, member  33 , although ends  9  have not been trimmed and cut and sealed and excess PVC or plastic is likely to be hanging from each end. 
     The seventh step comprises securing the encapsulated composite members  33  to support bars or battens  5 , as shown in  FIG. 15 , to create a single monolithic sheet  1  of encapsulated composite members  33 . Three support bars  5  are shown although any number of support bars two and over can be used. The support bars  5  are preferably placed center to center (such as 24″ apart from each other) to prevent composite members  33  from deflecting and the gaps from widening during operation. The connection is preferably made using screws  7  that extend through support bars  5  and into the rigid bar side of composite members  33 , Preferably, two jigs  27  with spaces  29 , such as the one shown in  FIG. 16A , are used as a template to help line up, orient and position encapsulated composite members  33  such that they are positioned properly and with the correct spacing, i.e., such that a predetermined gap  6  of about 8.0 mm is provided between each composite member  33  and the composite members  33  are extended substantially parallel to each other. To do this, encapsulated composite members  33  are preferably inserted into spaces  29  on jig  27 , wherein the width and center to center spacing of spaces  29  are preferably predetermined based on the final desired spacing of gaps  6  and positioning of composite members  33 . Again, gap  6  between composite members  33  is preferably about 8.0 mm, although not necessarily so.  FIG. 16  shows a partially completed monolithic sheet  1  of encapsulated composite members  33  with three support bars  5  secured to the underside thereof and  FIG. 16  A is a detail view of an end A-A shown in  FIG. 16  of two composite members  33  within spaces  29  in jig  27 , but with support bar  5  on the top (which is actually the bottom when Installed) of composite members  33 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 16A , it is important or at least preferred that ends of support bar  5  extend outward a distance  31  from, the last composite member  33 , wherein distance  31 , as shown in  FIG. 16A , is preferably half the distance of gap  6 , such that when two sets of monolithic sheets  1  are positioned together, i.e., side by side, the proper full gap  6  can be provided between them.  FIG. 17  shows partially completed monolithic sheet  1  lying upside down which allows support bars  5  to be secured perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the composite members  33  using screws  7 .  FIG. 18  shows screws  7  being progressively inserted through support bars  5  and into the rigid bar portion of encapsulated composite members  33 , Screws  7  are preferably made of stainless steel and are extended through openings or apertures formed in support bars  5 , wherein the apertures are preferably slightly larger than the diameter of screws  7 . Screws  7  are preferably tightened to compress support bar  5  against composite member  33  to help seal the opening. Note that  FIGS. 3 and 4  show how encapsulated composite members  33  are attached to support bar  5  wherein  FIG. 4  is a cross section taken along section A-A in  FIG. 3  showing screws  7  extended through support bars  5  and into rigid bar  13 . Screws  7  are preferably tightened and alternatively provided with a sealant to prevent leakage of water into composite member  33 , such as through the openings that have been created by screws  7 . 
     The eighth step comprises cutting or trimming each completed encapsulated composite member  33  to a predetermined length, which achieves the purpose of cutting monolithic sheet  1  to its final length as shown in  FIGS. 19 and 19A , This can be done by cutting each encapsulated composite member  33  one by one, or by cutting the entire set of composite members  33  collectively such as by using a radial arm saw or cutting press, etc. This is diagrammatically shown in  FIG. 19A . This not only cuts composite members  33  and monolithic sheet  1  to the proper length, but also enables any excess PVC or plastic  35  banging from, the ends  9  of each composite member  33  to be removed as well. Note that the cut should be made at a 90 degree angle relative to the monolithic sheet  1  to ensure that each sheet  1  is formed properly. The amount of excess material to be cut should be minimized to minimize waste and cost. Each sheet  1  of composite members  33  can be anywhere from one to six meters in length, and is preferably from eight to twelve feet in length, although any length or width is possible, depending on the size of the application and the distance of the support spacing, etc. They can also be adapted and fit into the desired shape, such as in the shape of a drainage area of any existing or new water ride structure, etc. 
     The ninth step comprises taking the monolithic sheet  1 , as shown in  FIG. 20 , and turning it on its end, i.e., vertically, and dipping the ends  9  of each composite member  33  into a liquid sealant (in bath  37 ), to seal the ends thereof. This is shown in  FIGS. 21 and 21A . A possible sealant that can be used is Plasti-dip-F906, Preferably, ends  9  are dipped square to the bath  37  and to a depth of at least 10.00 mm to ensure proper coverage. Alternatively, molded caps  11  can be provided and secured to the ends and heat shrunk to seal the ends thereof. 
     For shipping, multiple completed monolithic sheets  1  are preferably positioned vertically on their sides or ends, and not horizontally on top of each other, as this can cause distortion and possible damage to the foam portion of the composite members  33 .  FIGS. 22 and 23  show how multiple monolithic sheets  1  can be positioned vertically on their sides in a shipping crate  41 . 
       FIGS. 26 and 27  show a water ride attraction such as the FlowRider® which has certain drainage areas on the front and back of the ride surface, which is where the appropriate drainage systems are located. In this respect, each monolithic sheet  1  of composite members  33  can either be prefabricated to fit over and cover the drainage areas, or they can be cut in the field to cover specific areas, in either ease, the sheets can be modularized for easier installation.