Radio controlled vehicle within a sphere

• US 4,541,814 A
• Filed: 12/23/1983
• Issued: 09/17/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John E. Martin
• Original Assignee: John E. Martin
• Inventors: Martin, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, F. Barry
• Application Number:
  US06/564,838
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 446/443, 446/454, 446/456, 446/458, 446/461, 446/462, 446/463, 446/431, 446/433, 446/437, 446/448, 446/457, 280/206, 180/10, 180/21
• US Class Current: 446/456
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys

Abstract

A radio controlled vehicle within a sphere has two wheels touching the sphere at diametrically opposite points, with the mass of the body of the vehicle hanging underslung from the wheels; to preserve a constant length always fitting the sphere interior the wheel which steers has a steering axis substantially congruent with the sphere diameter on which the wheels touch the sphere; when confronted with an obstacle stopping roll of the sphere in a given direction, the vehicle climbs the interior wall of the sphere and either tumbles backwards or to the side, or may perform an Immelmann maneuver, depending on course taken within the sphere by the wheels which are free to travel in any part of the sphere interior.

Claims

1. In a system of radio controlled, wheeled vehicle-within-sphere, said sphere having an inner surface substantially concentric with the outer surface thereof;

the improvement comprising in combination;

the vehicle having only two wheels;

a steering wheel and a drive wheel, means for holding said steering wheel and drive wheel at a spacing providing for said steering wheel and drive wheel to hold the vehicle in rattle-free relation to the sphere at all orientations of said steering wheel;

said radio control providing for turning said steering wheel in steering said vehicle;

means for maintaining said rattle-free relation while permitting freely turning said steering wheel in steering said vehicle, said means for holding comprising a frame holding said steering wheel and drive wheel substantially in tandem and said spacing being such that said steering wheel and drive wheel are simultaneously in contact with said sphere inner surface at opposite ends of a diameter of said sphere, said means for maintaining comprising said turning being about an axis, said axis being substantially along said diameter, and said frame being substantially underslung relative to said steering wheel and said drive wheel.