Grip enhancing structure having vacuum adhesion micro, miniature_suction cups and method and apparatus for making same
A vacuum adhesion-gripping surface is provided by an array of miniature suction cups. The surface is provided on a glove or other object for which an improved grip is desired. The miniature suction cups are of very small sizes and high densities. The vacuum adhesion micro suction cups are formed with a tooling structure having a pair of plates. A first plate includes a plurality of holes and a second plate includes a plurality of pins. When the plates are placed together, small cavities are created between the holes and pins for forming an array of vacuum adhesion micro suction cups using a molding or similar process. Alternatively a glove, such as a medical glove, utilizing the micro suction cup gripping design can be made using a dipping process.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/271,152, filed Nov. 9, 2005. It further claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/626,356 and 60,627,861, filed Nov. 9, 2004 and Nov. 15, 2004, respectively.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface manufactured as an integrated part of objects for improving gripping. More particularly, it relates to a material having micro miniature suction cups on a glove or other object for improved gripping performance.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Various types of work, medical, military and athletic gloves are used to increase the gripping strength and control of the user. Some such gloves have friction material at least at locations where the user's hand contacts the object. However, the gripping capacity of the friction material can significantly decrease under certain conditions, such as water or other foreign matter on the glove or the object. Furthermore, friction material provides little increase in gripping capacity for objects.
Several structures on the surface of a glove have been proposed to provide improved gripping strength and control. U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,928 discloses a glove with enhanced grip strength through the use of indentations that form a suction area. Alternatively, it discloses a glove with suction cups formed on the surface. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,248 discloses a grip-enhancing glove with suction cups of 1/16 “and larger. These structures work best on smooth surfaces. They are unable to provide an enhanced grip for uneven or irregular surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one aspect of the present invention, a glove has an enhanced gripping surface. The enhanced gripping surface is achieved through the use of extremely small micro sized suction cups. The suction cups have a diameter of less than 1/16 of an inch. According to one aspect of the invention, the suction cup diameter is approximately 0.031 inch. According to another aspect of the invention, the micro suction cups have a density greater than 300 per square inch. According to another aspect of the invention, the micro suction cups have a density of approximately 600 per square inch. According to another aspect of the invention the micro suction cups have a density of 1000 per square inch. According to another aspect of the invention, the micro suction cup density is determined by the amount of grip required. According to another aspect of the invention, the micro suction cups of the vacuum enhanced gripping surface have a conical shape.
According to another aspect of the invention, the enhanced vacuum gripping micro suction cups are manufactured as an integral part of a surface. According to another aspect of the invention, the array of vacuum adhesion micro suction cups is imbedded into a surface. According to another aspect of the invention, the array of vacuum adhesion micro suction cups is formed as part of a surface.
According to another aspect of the invention, specialized tooling and manufacturing process is used to form an array of vacuum grip enhancing micro suction cups. The tooling includes a first plate having a plurality of holes corresponding to the plurality of suction cups. Each hole includes a cylindrical end and a conical shoulder. The tooling includes a second plate having a plurality of small diameter pins. Each of the pins is positioned to fit within a hole in the first plate. Each pin has a conical top surface. When the two plates are engaged, a space remains between the top surface of each pin and the conical shoulder of the corresponding hole. According to another aspect of the invention, a process for creating the tooling allows the formation of a dense array of suction cups. The process utilizes a casting plate for forming the pins. A plurality of holes is drilled into the casting plate. The shape of the holes corresponds to the shape of the pins. The second plate with the pins is formed through casting into the drilled holes. A first plate is machined with holes matching the cast pins of the second plate and suction cup shape.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention relates to a grip enhancing vacuum adhesion structure. The structure can be added to a glove, shoe or other object to provide an improved vacuum adhesion grip. The material includes a plurality of miniaturized vacuum adhesion micro sized suction cups formed in an array. The processes of the present invention allow suction cups to be formed having diameters on the order of 0.055 inches or less. Of course, any other smaller diameter can be used. Such suction cups are smaller than prior art suction cups. Suction cups of this size are not clearly visible to the naked eye as suction cups. The grip-enhanced surface appears as a texture. However, the array of vacuum adhesion micro sized suction cups can provide significant holding power when touching different surfaces. The vacuum grip due to its size can adhere to more surfaces than standard suctions cups that exist in other designs.
A first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the perspective view of
According to an embodiment of the invention, the arrays of vacuum adhesion micro sized suction cups can have different spacing and sizes positioned in portions of a glove, as illustrated in
The holes 110 have a specific shape for forming the suction cups. The shape is illustrated in
The suction cups of the present invention can have different shapes.
Another embodiment, as illustrated in
A fourth embodiment of the suction cup shape, illustrated in
A unique process is used for manufacturing the tooling used for forming the suction cups of the present invention. A casting plate is formed from a block of steel, or similar material, plastic ceramic or similar material. A plurality of holes is drilled in the casting plate. The holes are positioned according to the desired pattern for the suction cups. Holes are drilled in the shape of the pins, as illustrated in
The pins are cast into the holes in the casting plate 100 by forcing material through the fill hole 411. Any material may be used to cast the pins. Preferably, the pins are formed using a plastic or ceramic material or a similar material or metal. Once the pins are formed, they are separated from the casting plate as an array on the second plate. The spacers 420 create the holes in the second plate for attaching it to the first plate for forming the vacuum adhesion micro suction cups.
A first plate is drilled to a depth that is deeper than the holes of the casting plate. The deeper holes form the space for the conical portion of the suction cups. The space for the stems of the micro suction cups is also formed.
The second plate with the array of formed pins is reinserted into drilled holes of the first plate. The array of vacuum adhesion micro suction cups may be formed within the spaces using any known technique, such as by casting or injection molding, rotor molding or extrusion. According to an embodiment of the invention, a molding process is used to form the vacuum adhesion micro suction cups. Once the material in the molding process has cured, the plates are separated such that the pins are removed from the holes. The material can then be peeled from the first plate. The vacuum adhesion micro suction cups are withdrawn through the holes.
The technique used will depend, in part, upon the materials used for the vacuum adhesion micro suction cups. Various materials can be used depending upon the desire use of the glove or other object incorporating vacuum adhesion micro suction cups of the present invention. For medical gloves, latex, natural rubber, enzyme treated natural rubber, polyurethane, polychloroprene, neoprene, nitrile and polyisoprene or latex could be used. Of course, these are only examples of materials and the present invention is not limited to the use of any particular material.
In the process discussed above, an array of micro suction cups is formed in a molding process. The array can be then be formed into or as an integral part to a glove or other object. Alternatively, molds could be formed for the glove or other object with shaped holes for the suction cups.
Having disclosed at least one embodiment of the present invention, various adaptations, modifications, additions, and improvements will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such adaptations, modifications, additions and improvements are considered part of the invention that is only limited by the several claims attached hereto.
Claims
1. A grip enhancing vacuum adhesion structure comprising of:
- a flexible base material; and
- a plurality of vacuum adhesion micro suction cups extending from the same base material, the vacuum adhesion micro suction cups having a diameter less than 0.055 inches.
2. The grip enhancing vacuum adhesion structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of vacuum adhesion micro suction cups is formed jointly with the flexible base material.
3. The grip enhancing structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the vacuum adhesion micro suction cups include:
- a stem extending from the base material; and
- a concave cup extending from the stem opposite the base.
4. The grip enhancing structure according to claim 3, wherein the concave cup includes:
- a convex conical surface facing the base material having a first angle relative to the base material;
- a concave conical surface, having a second angle relative to the base material, wherein the first angle and second angle could be the same; and
- a sidewall extending cylindrically between the convex conical surface and the concave conical surface.
5. The grip enhancing structure according to claim 4, wherein the concave conical surface extends substantially to a point, flat or radius.
6. The grip structure material according to claim 4, wherein the concave cup includes a flat, circular surface in the center of the concave conical surface.
7. The grip enhancing structure according to claim 4, wherein the concave cup includes a flat, ring surface between the side wall and the concave conical surface.
8. The grip enhancing structure according to claim 1 further comprising of a material that can be absorbed into the surface of an object.
9. The grip enhancing structure according to claim 8, wherein the surface allows absorption and transfer molding into the material substrate of a glove.
10. A tooling system for creating at least one suction cup, the tooling system comprising of:
- a first plate having at least one hole extending through the plate; and
- a second plate, attachable to the first plate, having at least one pin extending therefrom positioned to be disposed within at least one hole when the second plate is attached to the first plate.
11. The tooling system according to claim 10, wherein when at least one hole and at least one pin are sized such that a suction cup shaped space is formed when the second plate is attached to the first plate.
12. The tooling system according to claim 11, wherein at least one hole includes a first portion of a first diameter and a second portion of a second diameter less than the first diameter, and wherein at least one pin has a diameter of the first diameter and is positioned within the first portion of at least one hole when the second plate is attached to the first plate.
13. The tooling system of claim 10, wherein at least one hole includes a plurality of holes and wherein at least one pin includes a plurality of pins.
14. The tooling system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of holes is arranged in an array and the plurality of pins are arranged in an array.
15. A method for forming a tooling system for forming at least one suction cup, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming at least one hole in a casting plate, at least one hole not extending completely through the casting plate;
- casting a second plate on the casting plate such that at least one pin is formed in at least one hole;
- a first plate is made such that when at least one hole is deeper than the pin of the second plate. A through hole is then added to the first plate such that when at least one pin of the second plate is inserted in at least one hole of the first plate, a suction cup shaped cavity remains within at least one hole.
16. A method for forming suction cups using a tooling system having a first plate with holes therethrough and a second plate with pins thereon, the first and second plates being attachable such that the pins extend within a portion of the holes and leave suction cup shaped cavities within a portion of the holes, the method comprising the steps of:
- attaching the second plate to the first plate such that the pins are disposed within the holes;
- depositing a viscous material on a surface of the first plate opposite the second plate so that a portion of the material passes within the suction cup shaped cavities and a portion of the material remains on a surface of the first plate;
- curing the material to solidify the material;
- removing the second plate from the first plate; and
- removing the cured material from the first plate.
17. A method for forming a medical glove having a plurality of vacuum adhesion micro suction cups on a portion thereof, the method comprising the steps of:
- creating a glove form with a plurality of suction cup shaped cavities in the glove form at the portions thereof;
- forming a glove using a dipping process.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 7, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 21, 2006
Inventors: David Olson (Upton, MA), Richard Barlik (North Attleboro, MA)
Application Number: 11/348,610
International Classification: A41D 19/00 (20060101);