Patent ID: 7175723

Claim:
A structure for adhering to a contact surface comprising: an annular curved surface rotatable about an axis of rotation; and a plurality of nano-fibers disposed on the curved surface, each nano-fiber having a diameter between 50 nanometers and 2.0 microns and a length between 0.5 microns and 20 microns, wherein the curved surface is configured to rotate from a first position to at least a second position, wherein when the curved surface is in the first position, at least a first nano-fiber of the plurality of nano-fibers contacts the contact surface and provides an adhesive force at the contact surface, and at least a second nano-fiber of the plurality of nano-fibers is unattached to the contact surface; and wherein when the curved surface rotates to the second position from the first position, at least the first nano-fiber is leveraged away from the contact surface, and at least the second nano-fiber contacts the contact surface and provides an adhesive force at the contact surface, and wherein the first and second nano-fibers are oriented at an oblique angle other than 0 degrees and 90 degrees with respect to the annular curved surface when unattached to the contact surface and extend in the circumferential direction of the annular curved surface.