Rough Suction Layer Structure for Uneven Surface Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional suckers fail to achieve a tight and secure attachment on uneven or unsmooth surfaces due to insufficient contact area and vacuum leaks, leading to detachment over time.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of a rough suction layer with protrusions and grooves creates multiple independent negative pressure zones, increasing suction force and air-tightness by compressing the layer against the surface, reducing air leaks and enhancing attachment on unsmooth surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional smooth suction surface is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the suction force is insufficient on uneven surfaces and vacuum leaks occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment reliabilityVSAvoidsuction layer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suction layer is segmented into multiple protrusions and grooves, creating divided suction zones that can independently adapt to surface irregularities. This segmentation allows each protrusion to make contact with the uneven surface while grooves accommodate surface variations, preventing vacuum leaks and improving attachment reliability without requiring an overly complex overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The suction layer incorporates localized protrusions with different heights and distributions, creating areas of varying suction strength. The local quality varies across the surface, with higher protrusions targeting specific contact points and lower areas forming grooves that adapt to surface contours. This local differentiation enhances attachment reliability on uneven surfaces while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Force

If the contact area between the sucker and the attached face is increased, then the suction force is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and the manufacturing difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuction forceVSAvoidmanufacturing ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusions in the suction layer feature curved surfaces rather than sharp edges, allowing them to conform to uneven attached faces. This curvature increases the effective contact area between the sucker and the surface, improving suction force. The curved geometry is relatively simple to manufacture using conventional molding techniques, avoiding excessive manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Reliability

If a rough suction layer with multiple protrusions is used, then the air-tightness is improved and vacuum leaks are reduced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair-tightnessVSAvoidsuction layer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suction layer is constructed as a flexible structure that can deform and conform to the attached face. This flexibility allows the protrusions and grooves to adapt to surface irregularities, maintaining air-tightness and preventing vacuum leaks. The flexible thin-film structure is simpler than rigid complex mechanisms, as it relies on material elasticity rather than intricate mechanical components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures a secure and airtight attachment to unsmooth surfaces, preventing detachment and maintaining suction effectiveness even on cracked or uneven faces.

Implementation Method 1

when the rough suction layer of the sucker body presses an attached face and is disposed at a negative pressure state, the sucker body is pressed toward the attached face by a normal force from the ambient air, so that the rough suction layer of the sucker body is compressed, and the grooves of the rough suction layer form multiple independent negative pressure or vacuum zones

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNegative pressure (vacuum): Vacuum

Implementation Method 2

the rough suction layer of the sucker body is compressed, and the grooves of the rough suction layer form multiple independent negative pressure or vacuum zones

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 3

the sucker body is pressed toward the attached face by a normal force from the ambient air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNormal force from ambient air: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentUS8973877B2Sucker with optimum suction attachment effect

Publication Date: 2015.03.10 TRU MILES HARDWARE

AI summary

A sucker includes a sucker body having a rough suction layer which includes a plurality of protrusions which are juxtaposed to each other closely, and a plurality of grooves defined between the protrusions. When the rough suction layer presses an attached face and is disposed at a negative pressure state, the sucker body is pressed toward the attached face by a normal force from the ambient air, so that the rough suction layer is compressed, and the grooves form multiple independent negative pressure or vacuum zones, to increase a negative pressure of the rough suction layer, to decrease air existing in the rough suction layer, and to reduce a vacuum leak in the rough suction layer, so as to increase an air-tightness between the rough suction layer and the attached face.