Vacuum assisted wall climbing toy

Abstract

The toy of the subject invention is an action figure or plush character toy that climbs or moves on walls and other vertical surfaces by means of suction adhesion. The toy could also crawl across the floor. The toy has suction cups on its arms and legs that allow it to adhere to the wall by selective sequential application and release of a vacuum. A swiveling motion at the waist of the toy provides the means for locomotion. Arms and legs lift off the wall and make contact in a way that advances across the wall.

1 . A toy movable on, and vacuum attachable to, horizontal and vertical surfaces comprising: 
 a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion and the lower portion being pivotally connected for swinging movement therebetween;    at least four limbs connected to the body including a left upper, right upper, left lower and right lower, the left upper and right lower defining a first opposite limb group and the right upper and left lower defining a second opposite limb group;    suction cups on each of the at least four limbs of the first opposite limb group and the second opposite limb group, the suction cups each having an interior with a vacuum passageway therethrough;    first vacuum passages in vacuum communication with the first opposite limb group and with the vacuum passageways of the suction cups thereon;    second vacuum passages in vacuum communication with the second opposite limb group and with the vacuum passageways of the suction cups thereon;    a first vacuum release valve in vacuum communication with the vacuum passageway of at least one of the suction cups on the first opposite limb group;    a second vacuum release valve in vacuum communication with the vacuum passageway of at least one of the suction cups on the second opposite limb group;    a motor causing the swinging movement between the upper portion of the body and the lower portion of the body;    a motor creating a vacuum in the first vacuum passages and in the second vacuum passages, the vacuum being released alternately in the first opposite limb group and in the second opposite limb group by one of the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve during alternate disengagement from the horizontal or vertical surfaces of the first opposite limb group and the second opposite limb group based upon the swinging movement between the upper portion of the body and the lower portion of the body.    
   
   
       2 . The toy of  claim 1  further comprising a remote control to control the motor causing the swinging movement and the motor creating a vacuum.  
   
   
       3 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the suction cups have on the interior thereof ridges forming concentric rings that provide traction and that form independent vacuum seal chambers.  
   
   
       4 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the motor creating a vacuum includes flexible bellows for vacuum formation.  
   
   
       5 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve each include a membrane with slits therethrough, the membrane being resiliently deformable from an initial vacuum tight configuration with the slits closed to a subsequent deformed configuration in which the slits open to release the vacuum.  
   
   
       6 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve each include a compression spring that initially biases a vacuum passageway block that has a seal thereon toward a plunger on the vacuum release valve for the seal and the plunger to initially form a vacuum seal.  
   
   
       7 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the first vacuum release valve is on the at least one of the suction cups of the first opposite limb group and the second vacuum release valve is on the at least one of the suction cups of the second opposite limb group.  
   
   
       8 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve are in the lower portion of the body.  
   
   
       9 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the motor creating a vacuum is activated continuously during the movement of the toy.  
   
   
       10 . The toy of  claim 1  wherein the motor creating a vacuum is deactivated upon movement of the toy.  
   
   
       11 . A toy movable on, and vacuum attachable to, horizontal and vertical surfaces comprising: 
 a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion and the lower portion being pivotally connected for swinging movement therebetween;    at least four limbs connected to the body including a left upper, right upper, left lower and right lower, the left upper and right lower defining a first opposite limb group and the right upper and left lower defining a second opposite limb group;    suction cups on each of the at least four limbs of the first opposite limb group and the second opposite limb group, the suction cups each having an interior with a vacuum passageway therethrough;    first vacuum passages in vacuum communication with the first opposite limb group and with the vacuum passageways of the suction cups thereon;    second vacuum passages in vacuum communication with the second opposite limb group and with the vacuum passageways of the suction cups thereon;    a first vacuum release valve in vacuum communication with the vacuum passageway of at least one of the suction cups on the first opposite limb group, the first vacuum release valve on the at least one of the suction cups of the first opposite limb group;    a second vacuum release valve in vacuum communication with the vacuum passageway of at least one of the suction cups on the second opposite limb group, the second vacuum release valve on the at least one of the suction cups of the second opposite limb group;    a motor causing the swinging movement between the upper portion of the body and the lower portion of the body;    a motor creating a vacuum in the first vacuum passages and in the second vacuum passages, the motor creating a vacuum being activated continuously during the movement of the toy, the vacuum being released alternately in the first opposite limb group and in the second opposite limb group by one of the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve during alternate disengagement from the horizontal or vertical surfaces of the first opposite limb group and the second opposite limb group based upon the swinging movement between the upper portion of the body and the lower portion of the body.    
   
   
       12 . The toy of  claim 11  further comprising a remote control to control the motor causing the swinging movement and the motor creating a vacuum.  
   
   
       13 . The toy of  claim 11  wherein the suction cups have on the interior thereof ridges forming concentric rings that provide traction and that form independent vacuum seal chambers.  
   
   
       14 . The toy of  claim 11  wherein the motor creating a vacuum includes flexible bellows for vacuum formation.  
   
   
       15 . The toy of  claim 11  wherein the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve each include a membrane with slits therethrough, the membrane being resiliently deformable from an initial vacuum tight configuration with the slits closed to a subsequent deformed configuration in which the slits open to release the vacuum.  
   
   
       16 . The toy of  claim 11  wherein the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve each include a compression spring that initially biases a vacuum passageway block that has a seal thereon toward a plunger on the vacuum release valve for the seal and the plunger to initially form a vacuum seal.  
   
   
       17 . A toy movable on, and vacuum attachable to, horizontal and vertical surfaces comprising: 
 a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion and the lower portion being pivotally connected for swinging movement therebetween;    at least four limbs connected to the body including a left upper, right upper, left lower and right lower, the left upper and right lower defining a first opposite limb group and the right upper and left lower defining a second opposite limb group;    suction cups on each of the at least four limbs of the first opposite limb group and the second opposite limb group, the suction cups each having an interior with a vacuum passageway therethrough;    first vacuum passages in vacuum communication with the first opposite limb group and with the vacuum passageways of the suction cups thereon;    second vacuum passages in vacuum communication with the second opposite limb group and with the vacuum passageways of the suction cups thereon;    a first vacuum release valve in vacuum communication with the vacuum passageway of at least one of the suction cups on the first opposite limb group, the first vacuum release valve in the lower portion of the body;    a second vacuum release valve in vacuum communication with the vacuum passageway of at least one of the suction cups on the second opposite limb group, the second vacuum release valve in the lower portion of the body;    a motor causing the swinging movement between the upper portion of the body and the lower portion of the body;    a motor creating a vacuum in the first vacuum passages and in the second vacuum passages, the motor creating a vacuum being deactivated upon the movement of the toy, the vacuum being released alternately in the first opposite limb group and in the second opposite limb group by one of the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve during alternate disengagement from the horizontal or vertical surfaces of the first opposite limb group and the second opposite limb group based upon the swinging movement between the upper portion of the body and the lower portion of the body.    
   
   
       18 . The toy of  claim 17  further comprising a remote control to control the motor causing the swinging movement and the motor creating a vacuum.  
   
   
       19 . The toy of  claim 17  wherein the suction cups have on the interior thereof ridges forming concentric rings that provide traction and that form independent vacuum seal chambers.  
   
   
       20 . The toy of  claim 17  wherein the motor creating a vacuum includes flexible bellows for vacuum formation.  
   
   
       21 . The toy of  claim 17  wherein the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve each include a membrane with slits therethrough, the membrane being resiliently deformable from an initial vacuum tight configuration with the slits closed to a subsequent deformed configuration in which the slits open to release the vacuum.  
   
   
       22 . The toy of  claim 17  wherein the first vacuum release valve and the second vacuum release valve each include a compression spring that initially biases a vacuum passageway block that has a seal thereon toward a plunger on the vacuum release valve for the seal and the plunger to initially form a vacuum seal.