Patent ID: 7980916

Claim:
A battery powered, remotely-controlled toy vehicle configured for operation on a substantially flat horizontal, inverted or vertical surface, comprising: a chassis having an undersurface; at least one wheel mounted on and cooperating with said chassis so as to support said chassis with respect to said substantially flat surface against which said wheel bears, such that the undersurface of said chassis is maintained at a predetermined distance from said substantially flat surface, a receiver responsive to a control signal from a remote transmitter, a battery, a first drive motor being supplied with current from said battery responsive to signals provided from said receiver, said at least one wheel being controllably driven by said first drive motor, a second fan drive motor, also being supplied with current from a battery, and a fan driven by said second motor, said fan being mounted in a fan duct extending through said chassis and arranged generally orthogonally with respect to said substantially flat surface, so as to draw a stream of air from between said undersurface of said chassis and said substantially flat surface, wherein said undersurface of said chassis is shaped so that when said vehicle is placed on said substantially flat surface with said at least one wheel in contact with said substantially flat surface, said undersurface and said substantially flat surface together define an underbody venturi duct, said underbody venturi duct extending from an entry portion at a periphery of said undersurface to said fan duct, whereby differential pressure between said stream of air flowing in said underbody venturi duct and the ambient air induces downforce urging said chassis toward said substantially flat surface; wherein the underbody venturi duct defined by said undersurface and said substantially flat surface comprises (1) the entry portion, having an inlet opening at the periphery, (2) an extended transition portion, of substantially uniform cross-sectional area, joining said entry portion to (3) an exit portion, said exit portion being connected to said fan duct, whereby air flows through said underbody venturi duct, from said inlet opening of said entry portion to and out of said fan duct; and wherein the portion of said undersurface which defines said extended transition portion is the portion of the undersurface most closely juxtaposed to said substantially flat surface.