US 11,986,743 B2
Guided boat with external discrete yaw control
Kristopher M. Laffin, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to Disney Enterprises, Inc., Burbank, CA (US)
Filed by DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC., Burbank, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/084,143.
Prior Publication US 2022/0134244 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. A63G 3/00 (2006.01); A63G 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC A63G 3/00 (2013.01) [A63G 21/18 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A water ride system, comprising:
a flume for receiving and containing flowing water, wherein the flume includes first and second sidewalls and a bottom wall extending between lower edges of the first and second sidewalls;
within the flume, a boat with a hull, wherein the boat travels with the flowing water in a direction of travel (DOT) coinciding with a direction of flow of the flowing water;
only one guide bogie included on a lower surface of the hull of the boat, wherein a body of the guide bogie that pivotally supports a plurality of guide wheels is at least partially submerged in the flowing water; and
a guideway provided on an upper surface of the bottom wall of the flume, the guideway including a pair of spaced-apart contact surfaces,
wherein the guide wheels at least periodically contact and roll upon the contact surfaces of the guideway when the body of the guide bogie is received within the guideway while the boat travels along a ride path defined by the guideway in the DOT, and
wherein the body has four sides with equal lengths to define a square cross sectional shape of the body.