Low-friction recreational slide system
A recreational slide system is provided. The recreational slide system includes a slide and a ride vehicle configured to support a rider down the slide. The slide includes a slide body with a non-wet lubricated slide surface that extends between a top entrance of the slide and a bottom exit of the slide. The ride vehicle includes a fabric layer that forms a top surface configured to contact the rider and a mesh layer that forms a bottom surface configured to contact the slide surface. The coefficient of friction between the mesh layer of the ride vehicle and the non-wet lubricated slide surface is within a range of between about 0.03 to about 0.2.
1. A recreational slide system, comprising:
a slide including a slide body with a non-wet lubricated slide surface that extends between a top entrance of the slide and a bottom exit of the slide; and
a ride vehicle configured to support a rider down the slide, the ride vehicle including a top surface configured to contact the rider and a mesh layer that forms a bottom surface configured to contact the slide surface;
wherein a coefficient of friction between the mesh layer of the ride vehicle and the non-wet lubricated slide surface is within a range of between about 0.03 to about 0.2.
2. The recreational slide system of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of friction is kinetic coefficient of friction.
3. The recreational slide system of claim 1 , wherein the slide surface includes a dry lubricant material.
4. The recreational slide system of claim 3 , wherein the dry lubricant material comprises a dry lubricant coating over the slide surface.
5. The recreational slide system of claim 4 , wherein the dry lubricant coating includes a thickness that is within a range of between about 1 micron to about 5 micron.
6. The recreational slide system of claim 4 , wherein the slide body includes a base wall and a pair of sidewalls and the dry lubricant coating covers a sliding surface of the base wall.
7. The recreational slide system of claim 6 , wherein the dry lubricant coating covers at least a portion of the pair of sidewalls.
8. The recreational slide system of claim 3 , wherein the dry lubricant material includes a resin, a lubricant, a thermal conductor, and a hardener.
9. The recreational slide system of claim 8 , wherein the dry lubricant material applied to the slide surface comprises:
20% to 30% by weight of the resin;
30% to 50% by weight of the lubricant;
1% to 5% by weight of the thermal conductor; and
20% to 30% by weight of the hardener.
10. The recreational slide system of claim 9 , wherein the resin comprises a silicon-based epoxy resin.
11. The recreational slide system of claim 9 , wherein the lubricant comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.
12. The recreational slide system of claim 9 , wherein the thermal conductor comprises copper.
13. The recreational slide system of claim 9 , wherein the hardener comprises an anhydride-based or an amine-based catalyst.
14. The recreational slide system of claim 1 , wherein the mesh layer of the ride vehicle comprises a weave of threads formed of monofilament synthetic fibers.
15. The recreational slide system of claim 14 , wherein the monofilament synthetic fibers comprise a polyamide monofilament structure.
16. The recreational slide system of claim 14 , wherein the weave of threads comprises a plurality of weft threads each having a thread diameter within a range of between 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm and a plurality of warp threads each having a thread diameter within a range of between about 0.1 mm to about 0.6 mm.
17. The recreational slide system of claim 14 , wherein the mesh layer includes a plurality of interstitial openings that define an open area of the mesh layer, wherein the open area of the mesh layer is within a range of between about 35% to about 50%.
18. A non-wet lubricated recreational slide, comprising:
a slide body with a slide surface that extends between a top entrance of the slide and a bottom exit of the slide, the slide surface including a dry lubricant coating comprising a resin, a lubricant, a thermal conductor, and a hardener,
wherein the thermal conductor comprises copper.
19. The non-wet lubricated recreational slide of claim 18 , wherein the dry lubricant coating comprises:
20% to 30% by weight of the resin;
30% to 50% by weight of the lubricant;
1% to 5% by weight of the thermal conductor; and
20% to 30% by weight of the hardener.
20. The non-wet lubricated recreational slide of claim 18 , wherein the slide body includes a base wall and a pair of sidewalls and the dry lubricant coating covers a sliding surface of the base wall.
21. The non-wet lubricated recreational slide of claim 20 , wherein the dry lubricant coating covers at least a portion of a sliding surface of the pair of sidewalls.
22. A ride vehicle configured to support a rider down a non-wet lubricated recreational slide, the ride vehicle comprising:
an elongate body that extends between a first end and an opposite second end, the body including a central core positioned between a top surface of the ride vehicle and a woven mesh layer that forms a bottom surface of the ride vehicle that is configured to contact the non-wet lubricated recreational slide;
wherein the mesh layer includes a plurality of interstitial openings that define an open area of the mesh layer, wherein the open area of the mesh layer is within a range of between about 35% to about 50%.
23. The ride vehicle of claim 22 , wherein the woven mesh layer comprises a weave of threads formed of monofilament synthetic fibers.
24. The ride vehicle of claim 22 , wherein the monofilament synthetic fibers comprise a polyamide monofilament structure.
25. A ride vehicle configured to support a rider down a non-wet lubricated recreational slide, the ride vehicle comprising:
an elongate body that extends between a first end and an opposite second end, the body including a central core positioned between a top surface of the ride vehicle and a woven mesh layer that forms a bottom surface of the ride vehicle that is configured to contact the non-wet lubricated recreational slide;
wherein the mesh layer includes a plurality of weft threads each having a thread diameter within a range of between 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm and a plurality of warp threads each having a thread diameter within a range of between about 0.1 mm to about 0.6 mm.
26. The ride vehicle of claim 22 , wherein the central core is surrounded by a fabric liner that is positioned between the central core and the fabric layer and the woven mesh layer.
27. A recreational slide system, comprising:
the ride vehicle of claim 22 ; and
a slide including a slide body with a non-wet lubricated slide surface that extends between a top entrance of the slide and a bottom exit of the slide;
wherein a coefficient of friction between the mesh layer of the ride vehicle and the non-wet lubricated slide surface is within a range of between about 0.03 to about 0.2.
28. The recreational slide system of claim 27 , wherein the coefficient of friction is kinetic coefficient of friction.