Patent ID: 6848527

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: (a) a skateboard comprising (i) a platform defining generally a first plane and (ii) front and rear trucks, each truck comprising at least one rotatable wheel, the bottom of the wheels of the trucks generally defining a second plane spaced apart from and below the first plane; (b) a drive wheel mounted to the skateboard by an arm, the arm having one portion mounted to the skateboard and extending to an end to which the drive wheel is rotatably mounted, the drive wheel having a diameter this is at least on the order of the distance between the first and second planes; (c) an opening in the platform generally aligned with a third plane which is generally orthogonal to the first and second planes, the opening between the first and second trucks and adapted to allow passage of at least a portion of the drive wheel; (d) a biasing member connected between the skateboard and the arm to bias the arm and the drive wheel away from the skateboard but allowing a range of travel generally in the third plane towards and away from the skateboard, the range of travel comprising a first position wherein a portion of the drive wheel passes into the opening in the platform and the bottom of the drive wheel is above the second plane and nearer the first plane, to a second position wherein the drive wheel is substantially or completely below the opening and the bottom of the drive wheel is below the second plane; (e) a motor operatively connected to rotate the drive wheel.