US PATENT SUBCLASS 180 / 164
WITH POWERED MEANS FOR CREATING FLUID FORCE TO ATTRACT VEHICLE TO SURFACE OF TRAVEL


Current as of: June, 1999
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180 /   HD   MOTOR VEHICLES

164WITH POWERED MEANS FOR CREATING FLUID FORCE TO ATTRACT VEHICLE TO SURFACE OF TRAVEL


DEFINITION

Classification: 180/164

WITH POWERED MEANS FOR CREATING FLUID FORCE TO ATTRACT VEHICLE TO SURFACE OF TRAVEL:

(under the class definition) Vehicle provided with a fluid-moving device (e.g., blower, fan) driven by the vehicle's propulsion motor or by an auxiliary motor, for causing a flow of fluid (ordinarily air) away from all or a portion of the region between the vehicle and a surface on or along which it may travel (usually a vehicle-underlying surface) and with such confining structure (e.g., apron, seal) for the region as may be necessary to cause the flow of fluid therefrom to result in a less-than-ambient pressure in the region, thus causing the vehicle to be attracted to the surface (by a force greater than that of gravity when the surface is a vehicle-underlying one).

(1) Note. The art of this subclass is not limited to the scope of the class definition; rather, the subclass has been utilized as a collecting point for load transporting devices, not otherwise provided for, which devices may lack the propulsion motor of a motor vehicle and, in fact, may amount to no more than a movable load transporting platform; however, the devices do meet the requirement of having a powered (ordinarily by an onboard power plant) means for developing the suction-creating, fluid flow.

(2) Note. The devices of this subclass occasionally have the alternative capability of maintaining a cushion of fluid between themselves and a reaction-supporting surface (e.g., by a reversal of the direction of fluid flow) as provided for

in subclasses 116+ below; cross-reference copies of patents to such devices are found in the appropriate subclass of that area (subclasses 116+). In rare instances, the attractive force of this subclass (164) and the fluid cushion of subclasses 116+ may be operative simultaneously in different regions of a single device.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

116+, for a motor vehicle of the surface effect type, and see (2) Note above.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

248, Supports, 362, for a vacuum hold-down.