Show effect system for attraction system
A show effect system of an amusement park attraction includes a prop component and a linkage system having an extension and a contactor system. The linkage system is configured to move relative to the prop component to move the extension toward the prop component and to cause engagement between the contactor system and the prop component, cause the prop component to move, via the engagement between the contactor system and the prop component, in conjunction with the extension, and block direct contact between the prop component and the extension. The extension is coupled to an animated figure such that the linkage system is configured to cause movement of the animated figure via the extension.
1 . A show effect system of an amusement park attraction, the show effect system comprising:
an animated figure;
a prop component; and
a linkage system comprising an extension, a contactor system, and a support, wherein the extension is directly coupled to the animated figure, a first end of the support is directly coupled to the extension, and a second end of the support is directly coupled to the contactor system, wherein the linkage system is configured to:
move the contactor system relative to the prop component to move the extension, the support, and the animated figure toward the prop component and to cause engagement between the contactor system and the prop component;
cause the prop component to move, via the engagement between the contactor system and the prop component, in conjunction with the extension, the support, and the animated figure; and
block direct contact between the prop component and the extension, the prop component and the support, and the prop component and the animated figure via the engagement between the contactor system and the prop component.
2 . The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the contactor system is configured to move during the engagement between the contactor system and the prop component, and wherein the contactor system comprises a press configured to engage with a portion of the prop component to move the prop component in a movement direction.
3 . The show effect system of claim 2 , wherein the prop component comprises a weight configured to block the prop component from moving in the movement direction during disengagement between the press of the contactor system and the prop component.
4 . The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the extension and the support cooperatively form a channel, the prop component is disposed in the channel, and wherein a visibility of the extension is obscured via visual blending of the extension with other aspects of the show effect system.
5 . The show effect system of claim 1 , comprising a motor coupled to the linkage system, wherein operation of the motor drives movement of the linkage system.
6 . The show effect system of claim 1 , comprising an enclosure, wherein the prop component is external to the enclosure, and the extension extends into the enclosure.
7 . The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the prop component is a first prop component, the show effect system comprises a second prop component, the linkage system is configured to move to align with the second prop component, and the linkage system is configured to move relative to the second prop component to cause engagement between the contactor system and the second prop component instead of the first prop component to cause the second prop component to move while aligned with the second prop component.
8 . An attraction system of an amusement park, the attraction system comprising:
a prop component comprising a first section and a second section;
an extension;
an animated figure directly coupled to the extension;
a contactor system comprising a press configured to engage with the second section of the prop component; and
a support directly coupled to the extension and to the contactor system, wherein the support extends between the contactor system and the extension and is configured to:
move relative to the prop component to move the contactor system, the extension, and the animated figure toward the first section of the prop component until the press of the contactor system engages the second section of the prop component; and
move while the press of the contactor system is in engagement with the second section of the prop component to cause concurrent movement of the component and the animated figure to avoid direct contact between the prop component and the animated figure, the prop component and the extension, and the prop component and the support.
9 . The attraction system of claim 8 , comprising a base and an actuator, wherein the support is coupled to the base, and the actuator is configured to move the support along the base.
10 . The attraction system of claim 9 , wherein the actuator is configured to:
cause the contactor system to move in a first direction along the base to move the animated figure toward the first section of the prop component until the press of the contactor system engages the second section of the prop component; and
cause the contactor system to move in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the base to move the animated figure away from the first section of the prop component and to disengage the press of the contactor system from the second section of the prop component.
11 . The attraction system of claim 8 , wherein the first section of the component and the second section of the prop component cooperatively form a channel, the press of the contactor system is positioned within the channel, and movement of the support relative to the prop component causes the press to move within the channel.
12 . The attraction system of claim 8 , wherein a visibility of the second section of the prop component is obscured, the second section of the prop component comprises a protrusion, and the support is configured to move to cause the press to engage the protrusion and move the prop component.
13 . The attraction system of claim 11 , wherein the support is configured to move the animated figure without moving the prop component by moving the press within the channel relative to the prop component.
14 . The attraction system of claim 8 , comprising an enclosure, wherein the extension extends into an internal volume of the enclosure via an opening of the enclosure, the contactor system and/or the support are at least partially disposed within the internal volume of the enclosure, and the attraction system comprises a dark cover applied onto the extension and/or the enclosure to conceal the extension and/or the internal volume of the enclosure.
15 . The attraction system of claim 8 , comprising a guest area, wherein a portion of the animated figure is positioned between the guest area and a coupling of the extension to the animated figure to interrupt a sightline from the guest area to the coupling of the extension to the animated figure.
16 . The attraction system of claim 8 , comprising an actuator and a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:
operating the actuator to move the support and cause the animated figure to move toward the first section of the prop component and cause the contactor system to engage the second section of the prop component; and
operating the actuator to move the support while the contactor system is in engagement with the second section to cause the concurrent movement of the prop component and the animated figure.
17 . A method of operating an attraction system of an amusement park, the method comprising:
moving, via movement of a linkage system coupled to an animated figure, the animated figure, a contactor system of the linkage system, a support of the linkage system, and an extension of the linkage system toward a movable prop component of an attraction system, wherein the extension is directly coupled to the animated figure, a first end of the support is directly coupled to the extension, and a second end of the support is directly coupled to the contactor system;
engaging, via the movement of the linkage system, the contactor system with the movable prop component; and
causing, via the movement of the linkage system during engagement between the contactor system and the movable prop component, movement of the movable prop component in conjunction with movement of the animated figure, the support, and the extension to block direct contact between the animated figure and the movable prop component, the extension and the movable prop component, and the support and the movable prop component.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the contactor system is coupled to an actuator, and moving the animated figure via the linkage system comprises instructing the actuator to cause movement of the contactor system to drive movement of the support and the extension coupled to the animated figure.
19 . The method of claim 17 , comprising:
disengaging, via the movement of the linkage system, the contactor system from the movable prop component; and
moving, via the movement of the linkage system and while the contactor system is disengaged from the movable prop component, the animated figure away from the movable prop component.
20 . The method of claim 17 , comprising:
causing, via movement of the linkage system in a first direction during the engagement between the contactor system and the movable prop component, movement of the movable prop component in a first direction; and
causing, via movement of the linkage system in a second direction during the engagement between the contactor system and the movable prop component, movement of the movable prop component in a second direction, opposite the first direction.