Rolling and Flipping Vehicle

Abstract

A remotely controlled four-wheeled toy vehicle has first and second parallel rotational axes with a first pair of wheels disposed and rotational about the first rotational axis in first and second opposing directions, and a second pair of wheels disposed and rotational about the second rotational axis in first and second opposing directions. Each of the wheels has a circular periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and outboard positions. A remote control causes rotation of the first and/or second pairs, together or independently. The flaps are all disposed substantially on or within the circular peripheries of their associated wheels during their inboard positions and all extend external to the circular peripheries during their outboard positions. Each flap is disposed in its inboard position allowing its associated wheel to roll along a support surface in one of the first and second directions and is disposed in its outboard position denying its associated wheel to roll along the support surface in the other direction to cause the vehicle to flip over relative to the support surface.

1 . A wheeled vehicle comprising:
 a rotational axis;   a wheel having a circular periphery and disposed and rotational about said rotational axis in first and second opposing directions;   a flap affixed to said wheel and disposable in inboard and outboard positions;
 said inboard position being on or within said circular periphery; and 
 said outboard position extending external to said circular periphery; 
   wherein said flap is disposed in said inboard position allowing said wheel to roll along a support surface when said wheel rotates in said first direction; and   wherein said flap is disposed in said outboard position denying said wheel to roll along the support surface when said wheel rotates in said second direction.   
   
   
       2 . The vehicle of  claim 1  wherein said flap is displaced from said inboard position to said outboard position by centrifugal force about said rotational axis during said rotation in said second direction. 
   
   
       3 . The vehicle of  claim 2  wherein said wheel is a first wheel and said vehicle further comprises:
 a second wheel, displaced from and parallel to said first wheel and having a second circular periphery, said second wheel disposed and rotational about said rotational axis, in said first and second opposing directions;   a second flap affixed to said second wheel and disposable in second inboard and outboard positions;
 said second inboard position being on or within said second circular periphery; and 
 said second outboard position extending external to said second circular periphery; 
   wherein said second flap is disposed in said second inboard position allowing said second wheel to roll along the support surface when said second wheel rotates in said first direction; and   wherein said second flap is disposed in said second outboard position denying said second wheel to roll along the support surface when said second wheel rotates in said second direction.   
   
   
       4 . The vehicle of  claim 3  wherein said rotation of said first and second wheels in said second direction and said denials of said first and second wheels to roll along the support surface cooperate to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the support surface. 
   
   
       5 . The vehicle of  claim 4  wherein said rotational axis is a first rotational axis and said vehicle further comprises:
 a second rotational axis displaced from and parallel with said first rotational axis;   a third wheel having a third circular periphery and disposed and rotational about said second rotational axis in said first and second opposing directions;   a third flap affixed to said third wheel and disposable in third inboard and outboard positions;
 said third inboard position being on or within said third circular periphery; and 
 said third outboard position extending external to said third circular periphery; 
   wherein said third flap is disposed in said third inboard position allowing said third wheel to roll along the support surface when said third wheel rotates in one of said first and second directions; and   wherein said third flap is disposed in said third outboard position denying said third wheel to roll along the support surface when said third wheel rotates in the other of said first and second directions.   
   
   
       6 . The vehicle of  claim 5  wherein said rotation of said third wheel in said other of said first and second directions and said denial of said third wheel to roll along the support surface cooperate to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the support surface. 
   
   
       7 . The vehicle of  claim 6  further comprising a remote-control for causing said wheels to rotate in said first or second directions. 
   
   
       8 . The vehicle of  claim 7  wherein said remote control is adapted to cause said rotations of said first and second wheels independently of said third wheel. 
   
   
       9 . The vehicle of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a flap pivot axis disposed parallel to said rotational axis and adjacent to said circular periphery; and wherein   said flap is disposed substantially along said circular periphery during said first position;   said flap pivots about said pivot axis from said inboard position to said outboard position; and   said flap is substantially tangentially disposed relative to said circular periphery during said outboard position.   
   
   
       10 . The vehicle of  claim 1  further comprising a remote-control for causing said wheel to rotate in said first or second directions. 
   
   
       11 . A method of controlling the rolling of a wheeled vehicle along a support surface comprising:
 rotating a wheel having a circular periphery about a rotational axis in a first direction wherein a flap affixed to said wheel is disposed in a inboard position within said circular periphery and said wheel is thereby allowed to roll along the support surface; and   rotating said wheel about said rotational axis in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, wherein said flap becomes disposed into a outboard position extending external to said circular periphery and denying said wheel to roll along the support surface.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 employing centrifugal force to cause said flap to become disposed into said outboard position during said rotation in said second direction.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said wheel is a first wheel and said method further comprises:
 rotating a second wheel, displaced from and parallel to said first wheel and having a second circular periphery, about said rotational axis in said first direction wherein a second flap affixed to said second wheel is disposed in a second inboard position within said second circular periphery and said second wheel is thereby allowed to roll along the support surface; and   rotating said second wheel about said rotational axis in said second direction wherein said second flap becomes disposed into a second outboard position extending external to said second circular periphery and denying said second wheel to roll along the support surface.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said rotation of said first and second wheels in said second direction and said denials of said first and second wheels to roll along the support surface cooperate to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the support surface. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said rotational axis is a first rotational axis and said method further comprises:
 rotating a third wheel having a third circular periphery and disposed and rotational about a second rotational axis displaced from and parallel with said first rotational axis in one of said first and second opposing directions wherein a third flap affixed to said third wheel is disposed in a third inboard position within said third circular periphery and said third wheel is thereby allowed to roll along the support surface; and   rotating said third wheel about said second rotational axis in the other of said first and second opposing directions wherein said third flap becomes disposed into a third outboard position extending external to said third circular periphery and denying said third wheel to roll along the support surface.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said rotation of said third wheel in said other of said first and second directions and said denial of said third wheel to roll along the support surface cooperate to cause the wheeled vehicle to flip over relative to the support surface. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 employing a remote-control to cause said wheels to rotate in said first or second directions.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising;
 employing said remote control to cause said rotations of said first and second wheels independently of said third wheel.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 employing a remote-control to cause causing said wheel to rotate in said first or second directions.   
   
   
       20 . A remotely controlled four-wheeled toy vehicle comprising:
 first and second parallel rotational axes;   a first pair of wheels disposed and rotational about said first rotational axis in first and second opposing directions, each of said first pair having a first circular periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and outboard positions;   a second pair of wheels disposed and rotational about said second rotational axis in first and second opposing directions, each of said second pair having a second circular periphery and a flap disposable in inboard and outboard positions;   a remote control for causing rotation of said first and second pairs in said first and second opposing directions, together or independently;   wherein said flaps are all disposed on or within said circular peripheries of said associated wheels during said inboard positions and said flaps all extend external to said circular peripheries of said associated wheels during said outboard positions; and   wherein each flap is disposed in its inboard position allowing said associated wheel to roll along a support surface when said associate wheel rotates in one of said first and second directions, and each flap is disposed in its outboard position denying said associated wheel to roll along the support surface when said associate wheel rotates in the other of said first and second directions to cause the vehicle to flip over relative to the support surface.