The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 18, 1984
Filed:
Dec. 10, 1982
John E Martin, Timonium, MD (US);
Other;
Abstract
A vehicle within a ball self-maneuvers to escape obstacles with which confronted, without need for special sensors or programmed response; the vehicle has four wheels, two in front and two behind, but the wheels are of two different tread widths, wider tread widths being one in front and, for example, one diagonally from it at the rear, and similarly narrower tread widths being supplied on the remaining two wheels; relation of the wheel spacing and ball inner diameter prevents more than three wheels from touching the ball at any one time; this, combined with tumbling causing the vehicle to operate upside down at times and initiated by stoppage of the ball at an obstacle, turns the vehicle as it oscillates within the ball and redirects the ball, freeing it from the obstacle.