Patent ID: 8591281
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: A63H,B62D

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a body having an upper portion and a lower portion; a vibrating mechanism coupled to the body, and wherein the vibrating mechanism has a rotational axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis defined by the body; a plurality of appendages each having an appendage base proximally secured to the body and an appendage tip distal to the body, and wherein each appendage has average axial cross-section of at least five percent of a length of the appendage between the appendage base and the appendage tip, and the plurality of appendages are constructed from a resilient material and have resilient characteristics configured to cause the apparatus to propel across a surface in a forward direction and further configured to cause a portion of the plurality of appendages to leave the surface as the apparatus translates in the forward direction generally defined by a longitudinal offset between the appendage base and the appendage tip as the vibrating mechanism causes the apparatus to vibrate; and, a first appendage, from the plurality of appendages, extends from the body such that a first appendage tip defined on the first appendage is positioned above the upper portion, and wherein the first appendage is a non-rotating vibrating appendage, and a second appendage, from the plurality of appendages, extends from the body such that a second appendage tip defined on the second appendage is positioned below the lower portion such that the first and second appendages are configured to contact different surfaces laying in two different planes, whereby the first non-rotating vibrating appendage and second appendage are configured to to apply forces against two differently laying surface planes to produce a net force in a direction generally defined by the longitudinal offset such that the net force propels the apparatus in the forward direction between the two differently laying surface planes.