Suction mounting assembly

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a suction mounting assembly with a suction cup having a flexible internal structure extending radially outward toward the suction cup's periphery. When the suction mounting assembly is actuated, particularly when the suction cup uses a softer material to facilitate adhesion to textured surfaces, the flexible internal structure helps prevent warping of the suction cup's peripheral edges. This helps prevent loss of vacuum seal, which could cause the suction mounting assembly to detach from its mounting surface. A threaded post can extend from the center of the suction cup assembly and through the housing of the mounting assembly. A rod-type adapter at the distal end of the threaded post allows the use of a rod-type cam mechanism instead of a rotatable handle to actuate the suction mounting assembly.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 800,163, filed May 5, 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to a suction installation assembly commonly used in shower rooms or bathroom cubicles. Background Technology

[0004] Many bathroom accessories, such as hooks, baskets, shower organizers, soap dishes, etc., use suction-mount components to attach to a vertical wall surface (i.e., the mounting surface). Conventional components may not provide optimal fixation. For example, when the mounting surface of such a suction-mount component is textured, gaps may form between the periphery of the suction cup's wall-facing contact surface and the mounting surface. These gaps disrupt the local vacuum, thereby allowing the suction-mount component to detach from the mounting surface. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the suction mounting assembly according to the present invention may have suction cups that are softer than those used elsewhere, facilitating the suction mounting assembly to adhere to mounting surfaces with minimal texture. To prevent the softer suction cup from wrinkling or warping more easily near its edges when the central region is pulled away from the mounting surface to create a local vacuum (such wrinkling or warping would compromise the vacuum seal), the embodiments include a flexible support structure on or within its suction cup. The flexible support structure extends toward the radial periphery of the suction cup and may extend completely or almost completely to the radial periphery of the suction cup. The flexible support structure may be overmolded from the material used to manufacture the suction cup or co-molded with the suction cup.

[0006] Furthermore, in a disclosed embodiment of the suction mounting assembly according to the invention, a threaded post can extend vertically from the center of the flexible suction cup and pass through the housing of the mounting assembly. A rod-type adapter can be attached to the distal end of the post. The rod-type adapter can be configured to allow a rod-type cam mechanism to pull the threaded post and thus pull the suction cup away from the mounting surface. Using such a rod-type adapter allows the suction mounting assembly to be actuated and attached to the mounting surface using a configuration of the suction cup assembly with a rotatable handle or a rod-type cam mechanism. This is advantageous for manufacturing different product configurations using the same components, and thereby reduces manufacturing costs.

[0007] Therefore, in a first aspect, the invention is characterized by a suction mounting assembly comprising a housing having a cavity defined and partially defined by a top wall and side walls of the housing. The top wall of the housing has a central opening. A suction cup member is supported by the housing and includes: a suction cup support portion; a support rod extending perpendicularly from the center of the suction cup support portion and through the central opening of the top wall of the housing; and a flexible suction cup extending across the cavity of the housing and having a substantially flat lower contact surface. The suction cup support portion includes a flexible structure at least partially embedded within the suction cup and extending radially outward from a central portion of the suction cup support portion toward a radially outer peripheral edge of the suction cup. The suction mounting assembly also includes an actuator located outside the cavity. The actuator is configured and arranged such that, when the actuator is manipulated, the suction cup support portion of the suction cup member is pulled toward the cavity of the housing via the support rod.

[0008] In another aspect, the invention features a suction mounting assembly comprising a cavity defined and partially defined by a top wall and side walls of a housing. The top wall of the housing has a central opening. A suction cup member is supported by the housing and includes: a suction cup support portion; a support rod extending vertically from the center of the suction cup support portion and through the central opening in the top wall of the housing; and a flexible suction cup extending across the cavity of the housing and having a substantially flat lower contact surface. The suction mounting assembly also includes an actuator located outside the cavity, the actuator being configured and arranged to, when the actuator is manipulated, pull the suction cup support portion of the suction cup member toward the cavity of the housing via the support rod. The support rod is externally threaded and also includes a rod-type adapter screwed to the distal end of the support rod and extending partially through the central opening of the housing, and the actuator is connected to the support rod via the rod-type adapter. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the suction mounting assembly according to the present invention, and Figure 2 It is its exploded diagram;

[0010] Figure 3 Is Figure 1 and Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the housing used in the suction mounting assembly shown;

[0011] Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 They are in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Perspective view, side view, and cross-sectional view of the suction cup component used in the suction mounting assembly shown;

[0012] Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 They are in Figure 7-9 Perspective view, side view, and cross-sectional view of the suction cup support frame used in the suction cup component shown;

[0013] Figure 10 and Figure 11 They are in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Perspective and cross-sectional views of the rod-type adapter used in the suction mounting assembly shown;

[0014] Figure 12 and Figure 13 These are cross-sectional views of the suction mounting assembly in its unacted and actuated states, respectively; and

[0015] Figure 14 and Figure 15 They are in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Perspective and cross-sectional views of the lever handle used in the suction mounting assembly shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Figure 1-15 An embodiment of the suction mounting assembly 10 according to the present invention is shown. Typically, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the suction mounting assembly 10 includes a housing 12, a suction cup component 14, a rod adapter 16, and a rod handle 18, which is pivotally attached to the rod adapter 16 via a pivot pin 20.

[0017] like Figure 1-3 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the housing 12 includes a main suction cup support portion 22 and an accessory support portion 24. The suction cup support portion 22 of the housing 12 includes a circular top wall 26, a side wall 28 surrounding the top wall 26 and inclined away from the top wall 26, and a base flange 30 extending radially outward from the side wall 28 at a portion of the side wall 28 opposite to the top wall 26. The top wall 26 and the side wall 28 together define and partially define a cavity 31 into which the suction cup member 14 is partially drawn during actuation of the suction mounting assembly 10. The base flange 30 lies in a plane spaced apart from and generally parallel to the top wall 26. Suitablely, the bottom surface of the base flange 30 (i.e., the surface of the base flange 30 facing away from the top wall 26 of the housing 12 and toward the mounting surface when the suction mounting assembly 10 is installed for use) includes at least two concentric circular grooves 34, 36 located radially outward from the side wall 28. The concentric circular grooves 34 and 36 receive the corresponding concentric raised rings of the suction cup to prevent the suction cup from warping during use, as described in more detail below.

[0018] A central opening 38 is provided in the top wall 26 of the housing 12, and a rod-type adapter 16 attached to the suction cup member 14 extends from the bottom side of the housing 12 (i.e., the side of the housing 12 where the suction cup is located) through the central opening 38 to the outer top of the housing 12. Suitablely, the central opening 38 is non-circular in order to prevent relative rotation between the suction cup member 14 and the housing 12.

[0019] The housing 12 can be made of any suitable waterproof material (e.g., plastic, metal, etc.). For example, suitable plastics include polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), nylon, etc. As shown, the accessory support portion 24 of the housing 12 can be formed as an extension of the base flange 30 and can include an accessory support feature 40 (e.g., a hook, etc.) integrally formed therewith.

[0020] like Figure 4-9 As shown, the suction cup component 14 includes a disc-shaped suction cup support portion 42 having a substantially flat lower contact surface 44 and a threaded support rod 46 extending perpendicularly from the center of the suction cup support portion 42. Figure 6 As shown, the suction cup component 14 includes a suction cup support frame 48, which is overmolded or co-molded with the material used to form the suction cup 50 itself, such that the suction cup support frame 48 is at least partially embedded within the suction cup 50. The suction cup support frame 48 can be made of any suitable material (including plastics, metals, etc.). For example, suitable plastics include PP, ABS, HIPS, nylon, polycarbonate, etc.

[0021] Typically, the material used to form the suction cup 50 can be softer than the materials most commonly used in the prior art for forming suction cups of suction mounting assemblies. Exemplary materials used in the disclosed embodiments may include TPR (thermoplastic rubber), TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), and similar soft, flexible, and surface-adaptive materials. Suitablely, the material used to form the suction cup 50 has a Shore hardness range from about 20A (the lower limit of the Shore hardness range for TPU) to about 95A (the upper limit of the Shore hardness range for TPE), which allows the disclosed suction mounting assembly 10 to adhere to a textured surface.

[0022] Furthermore, the suction cup support frame 48 includes: a central disc-shaped hub 52; a plurality of flexible fingers 54 (e.g., eight as shown) extending radially outward from the hub 52 in a spoke-like manner; and a radially outer support ring 56 integrally formed with and attached to the radially outer ends of the flexible fingers 54. As shown, the hub 52 is significantly thicker and more integral than the flexible fingers 54, which makes the rigidity of the hub 52 significantly greater than that of the flexible fingers 54. As a result, when the suction mounting assembly is actuated by pulling the center of the suction cup support portion 42 away from the mounting surface, the hub 52 remains substantially undeformed.

[0023] Ideally, as shown, the threaded support rod 46 is integrally formed with the hub 52. Alternatively, the hub 52 may include an internally threaded center hole (not shown), and the threaded support rod can be screwed into such an internally threaded center hole.

[0024] like Figure 6-9 As shown, a pair of concentric rings 58 and 60 protrude upward from the upper surface of the support ring 56 and extend circumferentially along the support ring 56. Furthermore, a plurality of holes 62, spaced at an angle around the hub 52, extend from the upper surface of the hub 52 through the hub 52 to the lower surface of the hub 52. Additionally, a plurality of grooves 64, spaced circumferentially along the support ring 56, extend from the upper surface of the support ring 56 through the support ring 56 to the lower surface of the support ring 56. Furthermore, a plurality of protrusions 66 are formed on the upper surface of the hub 52 and / or the upper surface of the flexible finger 54. During the formation of the suction cup 50 (as described above, by overmolding or co-molding), suction cup material flows into the respective holes 62 and grooves 64 and around the protrusions 66, which helps to fix the suction cup 50 in position on the frame 48.

[0025] As described above, the suction cup 50 has a pair of concentric raised rings 68 and 70 protruding from its upper surface. The concentric raised rings 68 and 70 of the suction cup 50 cover the concentric raised rings 58 and 60 formed on the support ring 56 of the suction cup support frame 48. Furthermore, as... Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, when assembling the suction mounting assembly 10, the diameter and profile of the concentric rings 68 and 70 of the suction cup 50 are configured to fit within concentric circular grooves 34 and 36 formed on the bottom surface of the housing base flange 30. This engagement of the concentric rings 68 and 70 of the suction cup 50 within the concentric grooves 34 and 36 on the bottom surface of the housing base flange 30 further helps prevent the suction cup 50 from warping when the suction mounting assembly is actuated, thereby helping to maintain the local vacuum that secures the suction mounting assembly 10 to the mounting surface.

[0026] like Figure 2 , Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, the rod adapter 16 may be a generally blocky element with a square or rectangular outline (not shown) when viewed from above, having a flat lower end 72 and a rounded upper end 74 when viewed from above. The outline of the rod adapter 16 when viewed from above matches the shape of the central opening 38 in the top wall 26 of the housing 12, although the rod adapter is slightly smaller to allow easy fitting of the rod adapter 16 into the central opening 38 in the top wall 26 of the housing 12. The rod adapter 16 may have an internally threaded hole 76 extending therefrom from the lower end 72 of the rod adapter 16 and one or more flanges 78 projecting slightly outward from the lower end of the side wall of the rod adapter. A pin receiving hole 80 extends from one side of the rod adapter 16 through the upper end 74 of the rod adapter 16 to the opposite side of the rod adapter 16.

[0027] lever handle 18 Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown in the figure. The lever handle 18 can be made of any suitable material, including plastics, metals, etc. For example, suitable plastics include PP, ABS, HIPS, nylon, etc. The lever handle 18 includes a generally triangular central body portion 82 having an actuating flange 84 extending slightly downward and away from the central body portion 82. The lower surface 86 of the central body portion 82 is flat, and the upper surface 88 of the central body portion 82 is inclined upward at an angle away from the actuating flange 84.

[0028] A pair of spaced-apart ears 90, 92 extend rearward from the central body portion 82 of the lever handle 18, with one ear on each side of the lever handle 18, and a pair of aligned pin receiving holes 94, 96 extending through the ears 90, 92. The ears 90, 92 are spaced far enough apart to accommodate the body of the lever adapter 16 between them. The rear surface 98 of the ears 90, 92 may be substantially perpendicular to the lower surface 86 of the central body portion 82. The upper corners 100 of the ears 90, 92 are rounded, their curvature matching the curvature of the upper end 74 of the lever adapter 16 for a smooth aesthetic, and the lower corners 102 of the ears 90, 92 are rounded, but their radius of curvature is smaller than that of the upper corners 100 of the ears 90, 92. When the suction mounting assembly 10 is actuated, the lower corners 100 of the ears 90, 92 serve as cam surfaces.

[0029] like Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, the suction mounting assembly 10 is assembled by screwing the rod adapter 16 onto the distal end of the threaded support rod 46, and then inserting the rounded upper end 74 of the rod adapter 16 through the central opening 38 in the top wall 26 of the housing 12 from the underside of the receiving suction cup of the housing 12 toward the outward-facing upper side of the housing 12. A flange 78 protruding outward from the lower end of the side wall of the rod adapter prevents the rod adapter 16 from completely passing through the central opening 38 in the top wall 26 of the housing 12. The rod handle 18 is then positioned by the ears 90, 92 on either side of the rod adapter 16 such that the pin receiving holes 94, 96 in the ears 90, 92 are aligned with the pin receiving hole 80 extending through the upper end 74 of the rod adapter 16; the rear surface 98 of the ears 90, 92 is flush with or adjacent to the upper surface of the top wall 26 of the housing 12; and the actuating flange 84 extends upward, as... Figure 12 As shown. Then, the pivot pin 20 is inserted through the pin receiving holes 94 and 96 in the ears 90 and 92 and the pin receiving hole 80 extending through the upper end 74 of the rod adapter 16, thereby securing the rod handle 18 to the rod adapter 16 in a manner that allows the rod handle 18 to pivot relative to the rod adapter 16 and the threaded support rod 46.

[0030] Suitablely, the dimensions and positions of the various components and features of the suction mounting assembly 10 are arranged such that when the lever handle 18 is in position... Figure 12 In the indicated position, the lower contact surface of the suction cup 50 remains substantially flat, the rear surface 98 of the ears 90, 92 is flush with or adjacent to the upper surface of the top wall 26 of the housing 12, and the concentric rings 68, 70 protrude from the upper surface of the suction cup 50 within the concentric grooves 34, 36 received on the bottom surface of the housing base flange 30. Then, by positioning the bottom surface of the suction cup 50 against the mounting surface and pivoting the lever handle 18 downwards around the pivot pin 20... Figure 13 As shown, the suction mounting assembly 10 can be attached to the mounting surface and can be easily actuated. When the lever handle 18 is pivoted downwards, the lower corners 102 of the ears 90, 92 abut against the upper surface of the top wall 26 of the housing 12, and the lever handle 18 pivots about and slides along these corners 102. Simultaneously, the pivot pin 20 is pushed upwards, thereby pulling the screw 46 upwards and partially out of the housing 12.

[0031] When the screw 46 is pushed upward, it pulls the essentially rigid hub 52 of the suction cup support frame 48 and thus pulls the central portion of the suction cup 50 away from the mounting surface and toward the cavity 31 of the housing 12, thereby creating a local vacuum between the suction cup 50 and the mounting surface that holds the suction mounting assembly 10 on the mounting surface. However, as described above, the fingers 54 extending from the hub are flexible, which allows them to tilt downward from the raised position of the hub 52, together with the covered / overmolded suction cup 50, to a position adjacent to the mounting surface below the base flange 30. This helps to prevent the periphery of the suction cup 50 from being pulled radially inward and warped when the suction mounting assembly 10 is actuated. The same applies to the support ring 56; the protruding concentric rings 68, 70 on the upper surface of the suction cup 50 engage within the grooves 34, 36 on the bottom surface of the base flange 30; and the pressure exerted by the protruding concentric rings 68, 70 on the support ring 56 helps to hold the concentric rings 68, 70 of the suction cup 50 within the grooves 34, 36 of the base flange, because the suction and screw 46 “pull” the housing 12 toward the mounting surface. As long as the periphery of the contact surface of the suction cup 50 remains sealed against the mounting surface, a partial vacuum can be maintained within the recessed suction cup, thus firmly holding the suction mounting assembly 10 onto the mounting surface.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment of the suction mounting assembly, a cam-actuated handle 18 serves as an actuator configured and arranged to pull the central portion of the suction cup 50 upward toward the cavity 31 of the housing 12, thereby creating a partial vacuum that holds the suction mounting assembly on the mounting surface. Alternatively, a knob mechanism (or similar mechanism) such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,415,166 (incorporated by reference) can be used as an actuator to pull the central portion of the suction cup 50 upward toward the cavity 31, thereby creating a partial vacuum.

[0033] In the above-described embodiment of the suction-mount assembly, the suction cup holds the assembly on the mounting surface. However, in another embodiment (not shown), the user can choose between using a suction cup or an adhesive pad utilizing a single suction cup housing. The user can selectively use a flexible suction cup, or remove the suction cup and replace it with an adhesive pad capable of adhering to various surfaces. Thus, the mounting assembly can be secured to a bathroom wall or other smooth surface using either the suction cup or the adhesive pad.

[0034] In such interchangeable adhesive pad configurations, the mounting assembly includes the same housing and lever handle as the suction mounting assembly described above. The adhesive pad of the mounting assembly will include an adhesive contact sheet having an outer contact surface, an outer peripheral edge, and an inner surface. The adhesive contact sheet is typically square with rounded corners extending beyond the radially outer edge of the base flange. This allows the user to grip the corners when removing the mounting assembly from the wall, and it provides a larger adhesive surface area than the base flange. Alternatively, any other shape (e.g., circular) can be used for the contact sheet. The adhesive contact sheet can typically have a thickness of 0.1 to 7 mm, for example, 0.5 to 3 mm.

[0035] The adhesive contact sheet can be made of any suitable material, including plastics such as polyethylene (PE), PP, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). An adhesive material layer can be applied to the contact surface of the adhesive contact sheet. The adhesive material can be applied to the entire contact surface or a portion of the contact surface. Suitable adhesive materials include conventional pressure-sensitive adhesives. A conventional release film can be applied to the adhesive contact surface of the contact sheet before the user installs the mounting assembly.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “containing,” and similar terms are understood to be synonymous with “comprising” in the context of this application and are therefore open-ended, not excluding the presence of additional undescribed or unlisted elements, materials, stages, or method steps. As used herein, “consisting of…” is understood in the context of this application to exclude the presence of any unspecified elements, materials, stages, or method steps. As used herein, “substantially constitutes…” is understood in the context of this application to include specified elements, materials, stages, or method steps, and, where applicable, any unspecified elements, materials, stages, or method steps that do not materially affect the essential or novel features of the invention.

[0037] Although the numerical ranges and parameters used to illustrate the broad scope of this invention are approximate, the values ​​described in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains a certain degree of error, which inevitably arises from the standard deviation manifested in their respective test measurements.

[0038] In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural, and the plural encompasses the singular, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, in this application, the use of "or" means "and / or" unless otherwise specified, although "and / or" may be explicitly used in certain circumstances. In this application and the appended claims, the articles "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless explicitly and unambiguously limited to a single referent.

[0039] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described above for illustrative purposes, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the details of the invention without departing from the invention.

Claims

1. A suction mounting assembly, comprising: A housing having a cavity defined and partially defined by a top wall and side walls of the housing, the top wall of the housing having a central opening; A suction cup component, supported by the housing, includes: a suction cup support portion; a support rod extending vertically from the center of the suction cup support portion and passing through a central opening in the top wall of the housing; and a flexible suction cup extending across a cavity of the housing and having a substantially flat lower contact surface, the suction cup support portion including a flexible structure at least partially embedded within the suction cup and extending radially outward from the central portion of the suction cup support portion toward the radially outer peripheral edge of the suction cup; and An actuator located outside the cavity is configured and arranged such that, when the actuator is manipulated, the suction cup support portion of the suction cup component is pulled toward the cavity of the housing via the support rod.

2. The suction mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein, The cavity of the shell is circular and the suction cup is disc-shaped.

3. The suction mount assembly of claim 1, wherein, The suction cup support portion includes a hub in the central portion of the suction cup support portion, and the flexible structure includes flexible fingers extending radially outward from the hub, the hub being thicker than the flexible fingers in the extension direction of the support rod.

4. The suction mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein, The hub has a channel extending through the hub, and the material forming the suction cup is present within the channel.

5. The suction mount assembly of claim 3, wherein, The hub has a plurality of protrusions formed on the hub, and the material forming the suction cup surrounds the protrusions.

6. The suction mount assembly of claim 1, wherein, The suction cup support portion further includes a support ring located radially outside the flexible finger portion and connected to the end of the flexible finger portion, the support ring being at least partially embedded within the suction cup.

7. The suction mounting assembly of claim 6, wherein, The support ring has a channel extending through the support ring, and the material forming the suction cup is present within the channel.

8. The suction mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein, The flexible finger portion has a plurality of protrusions formed on the flexible finger portion, and the material forming the suction cup surrounds the protrusions.

9. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The housing also includes a base flange located at the lower portion of the housing facing the mounting surface, the base flange surrounding the cavity and extending radially outward from the housing.

10. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 9, in, The base flange has a plurality of concentric grooves formed in the lower surface of the base flange facing the mounting surface; and The suction cup has a plurality of concentric rings that protrude from the upper surface of the suction cup near the outer periphery of the suction cup. The size and arrangement of each concentric ring are such that when the suction mounting assembly is actuated and the suction cup is pulled toward the cavity of the housing, the concentric ring is fitted into one of a plurality of concentric grooves in the lower surface of the base flange facing the mounting surface.

11. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 10, wherein, The support ring has a plurality of concentric rings protruding from the upper surface of the support ring. When the suction mounting assembly is actuated and the suction cup is pulled toward the cavity of the housing, the concentric rings protruding from the upper surface of the support ring align with the concentric rings protruding from the upper surface of the suction cup, thereby pressing the concentric rings protruding from the upper surface of the suction cup into engagement with the concentric grooves in the lower surface of the base flange facing the mounting surface.

12. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The actuator includes a cam-actuated rod that is pivotally connected to the support rod and disposed outside the housing.

13. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 12, wherein, The support rod has external threads and also includes a rod-type adapter screwed to the distal end of the support rod, the rod-type adapter being partially located outside the housing, and the cam actuating rod being pivotally connected to the support rod via the rod-type adapter.

14. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 12, The cam actuator includes a body portion and an actuating flange extending from the body portion; The cam actuator is configured and arranged such that when the cam actuator pivots to cause the actuation flange to extend upward and away from the housing, the suction mounting assembly is in an unactuated configuration where the suction cup is not pulled into the cavity of the housing; and The cam actuator is configured and arranged such that when the cam actuator has been manipulated to pivot the actuation flange toward the housing, the suction mounting assembly is in an actuated configuration in which the suction cup is pulled toward the cavity of the housing.

15. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The suction cup has a Shore hardness of approximately 20A to approximately 95A.

16. A suction mounting assembly, comprising: A housing having a cavity defined and partially defined by a top wall and side walls of the housing, the top wall of the housing having a central opening; A suction cup component, supported by the housing, includes: a suction cup support portion; a support rod extending vertically from the center of the suction cup support portion and passing through a central opening in the top wall of the housing; and a flexible suction cup extending across a cavity of the housing and having a substantially flat lower contact surface. An actuator located outside the cavity is configured and arranged such that, when the actuator is manipulated, the suction cup support portion of the suction cup component is pulled toward the cavity of the housing via the support rod. The support rod has external threads and also includes a rod-type adapter screwed to the distal end of the support rod and extending partially through the central opening of the housing, and the actuator is connected to the support rod via the rod-type adapter.

17. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 16, wherein, The cavity of the shell is circular and the suction cup is disc-shaped.

18. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 16, wherein, The actuator includes a cam-actuated rod that is pivotally connected to the rod-type adapter.

19. The suction mounting assembly according to claim 18, The cam actuator includes a body portion and an actuating flange extending from the body portion; The cam actuator is configured and arranged such that when the cam actuator pivots to cause the actuation flange to extend upward and away from the housing, the suction mounting assembly is in an unactuated configuration where the suction cup is not pulled into the cavity of the housing; and The cam actuator is configured and arranged such that when the cam actuator has been manipulated to pivot the actuation flange toward the housing, the suction mounting assembly is in an actuated configuration in which the suction cup is pulled toward the cavity of the housing.

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