SUCTION CUP
A suction cup comprising: a convex surface; a concave surface located on an opposite side of the convex surface; a perimeter located on an outer edge of the concave surface; a concentrated pressure band located on the concave surface when the suction cup is in use; and at least one annular band of soft, resilient and sticky material located on the concave surface.
The present invention relates generally to suction cups and more specifically to a suction cup with a resilient ring of material.
BACKGROUNDSuction cups have long been in use to temporarily attach one object to another. Suction cups are not to be confused with vacuum cups, which rely on a device such as a vacuum pump for maintaining a vacuum between the inner surface of the cup and the surface to which the cup is to be attached. The obvious advantage of the suction cup over the vacuum cup is the ease with which the cup may be maneuvered, applied and released. Other advantages include eliminating the need for the vacuum-producing apparatus, thereby reducing cost of manufacture and operation.
A major problem has plagued users of suction cups from the beginning, and that is early release. Early release occurs when a suction cup detaches from a surface earlier than intended. This is especially true if the surface is textured and/or has a surface roughness greater than glass. Many attempts have been made to address this problem, including adding an external biasing device to the suction cup to urge its center away from the surface, using a multiple layer suction holder that applies pressure to the outside perimeter of a softer bottom shell using a suction cup with a resilient gasket in a molded channel, using a suction cup with a non-resilient gasket, using a suction cup that is a one piece dual material cup having a soft inside surface and a harder biasing outer shell and using a sealant or vacuum grease at the interface between the cup and the surface to enhance the seal. The external biasing device applies an external biasing force to increase the strength of the vacuum within the chamber formed by the cup and the surface, thereby providing a more secure attachment.
One known suction cup device provides a suction cup device comprising a sucking body to be pressed against a surface and a resilient member superimposed above the sucking body that will tend to urge the sucking body away from the surface, which in turn results in the sucking body being more securely attached to the surface. One disadvantage of this approach is that the complexity of the device is increased, thereby increasing both manufacturing costs and likelihood of failure. Another disadvantage is that, while the biasing force increases the strength of the vacuum in the chamber, it does nothing to change the limited “seal zone” of the contact surface.
Therefore a suction cup that overcomes the above described and other disadvantages is needed.
SUMMARYThe disclosed invention relates to a suction cup comprising: a convex surface; a concave surface located on an opposite side of the convex surface; a perimeter located on an outer edge of the concave surface; a concentrated pressure band located on the concave surface when the suction cup is in use; and at least one annular band of soft, resilient and sticky material located on the concave surface.
The present disclosure will be better understood by those skilled in the pertinent art by referencing the accompanying drawings, where like elements are numbered alike in the several figures, in which:
Referring still to
The concentrated pressure band 26 may be located between 50-80% of the diameter of a 3½ inch mounted suction cup. The concentrated pressure bands were measured to be about 1/16 inch to about 3/16 inch in width on a 3½ inch mounted suction cup. However, the disclosed invention encompasses suction cups that have diameters greater and less than 3½ inches.
The band of material may be created by dispensing a liquid adhesive or sealant onto a concave surface 22 of a suction cup 10, and then curing that material in place. The band of material may be a radiation cured material or a hot melt or some other material that is very resilient and sticky. Another method of installing an annular band of material on a suction cup 10 is to have an annular space manufactured into the concave surface 22 of a suction cup, and simply have a slight interference fit for the band of material (which may be shaped like an O-ring gasket). The band of material may be made out of a urethane, silicone, hot melt or some other suitable material that is very soft, resilient and sticky. The suction cups may be made out of PVC, urethane, or other suitable material.
The disclosed suction cup may be used as follows, however one of ordinary skill will recognize that the suction cup may be used in a variety of suitable ways: 1.) Press the suction cup flat against the mounting surface displacing the air that was under the cone just like a regular suction cup. 2.) While still holding the cup in place, take a finger and firmly press and slide it around the entire seal circumference. This forces the band of sealing material to conform to the surface features and the tack bonds it to the surface to form an airtight seal. 3.) To remove and reuse the cup slowly peel it from the mounting surface releasing the vacuum. Due to the band of sealing material's inherent tacky property it may be reused and mounted on another surface.
The disclosed suction cup may be manufactured as follows, however one of ordinary skill will recognize that the suction cup may be manufactured using a variety of methods: 1.) Use an existing suction cup design made from PVC or other suitable material. 2.) Mount the cup to a smooth flat fixture. This fixture will be made such that the band of sealing material region is exposed and accessible. The fixture keeps the band of sealing material region on the cup flat and level. 3.) Dispense a radiation curable, liquid sealant/adhesive with pressure sensitive adhesive properties onto the inside surface of the cup in the band of sealing material region. 4.) Cure the band of sealing material-in-place with UV, Visible light, or other form of radiation. (With the proper lamp this may take only seconds.) 5.) Apply a release liner onto the band of sealing material to protect from contamination.
The advantages of the disclosed suction cup are that the disclosed suction cup can mount to textured surfaces. The suction cup has a very resilient, low durometer, sticky, band of material located on the concave surface. When pressed against a mounting surface the compliancy of the band of material conforms to the textured surface features and the sticky exterior of the material bonds it to these features creating an air impervious barrier. This seal created by the band of material prevents air from leaking into the vacuum chamber so the cup is held in place by atmospheric pressure and the suction of the vacuum. Once mounted it performs very similar to a regular suction cup except that the sealing of the vacuum chamber is no longer dependent solely on the concentrated pressure band. The friction between the cup and the mounting surface at the concentrated pressure band along with the adhesion of the band of material prevents vertical sliding of the suction cup.
It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like may be used herein to modify elements performing similar and/or analogous functions. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A suction cup comprising:
- a convex surface;
- a concave surface located on an opposite side of the convex surface;
- a perimeter located on an outer edge of the concave surface;
- a concentrated pressure band located on the concave surface when the suction cup is in use; and
- at least one annular band of soft, resilient and sticky material located on the concave surface.
2. The suction cup of claim 1, wherein the annular band has a durometer of about 35 Shore OOO to about 50 Shore A.
3. The suction cup of claim 1, wherein the annular band has a tackiness that produces a 90° Peel strength of about 0.1 lb/in to about 40 lbs/in.
4. The suction cup of claim 1, wherein the annular band of resilient and stick material is located generally only on the perimeter.
5. The suction cup of claim 1, wherein the annular band of resilient and sticky material is located generally between the perimeter and the concentrated pressure band.
6. The suction cup of claim 1, wherein the annular band of resilient and sticky material is located generally from the perimeter to just outside the concentrated pressure band.
8. The suction cup of claim 1, wherein there is a first annular band of resilient and sticky material located on the concave surface and a second annular band of resilient and sticky material located on the concave surface.
9. The suction cup of claim 8, wherein the first annular band of resilient and sticky material is located between the perimeter and the concentrated pressure band, and wherein the second annular band of resilient and sticky material is located generally on the concentrated pressure band.
10. The suction cup of claim 1, wherein the at least one annular band of resilient and sticky material has an elliptical shape.
11. The suction cup of claim 10, wherein the at least one annular band is partially located on the perimeter, and outside of the concentrated pressure band.
12. The suction cup of claim 10, wherein the at least one annular band is located between the perimeter and the concentrated pressure band.
13. The suction cup of claim 1, further comprising:
- a grippy non-slip coating located on the concave surface.
14. The suction cup of claim 1, further comprising:
- a plurality of individual nodules located on the concave surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 28, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2009
Inventor: John Orban (Torrington, CT)
Application Number: 11/846,254
International Classification: A47G 29/00 (20060101); A47F 5/00 (20060101);