Suction Cup Seal Structure for Rough-Surface Vacuum Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing detachable vacuum holding devices struggle to achieve a secure and gas-tight seal on rough or uneven contact surfaces, such as walls, which can lead to reduced effectiveness in holding objects.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates a holding body with a pressure web and edge web, featuring a U-shaped seal with legs that surround the pressure web, forming a vacuum chamber. This design ensures a gas-tight seal by using a soft, elastic material for the seal, which compresses to create a tight fit against the contact surface when negative pressure is applied, and includes a valve for controlled vacuum generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional seal is used in a vacuum holding device, then the device can be manufactured with simple structure, but the seal fails to achieve adequate gas-tightness on rough or uneven contact surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple U-shaped profiles with separate legs that can independently engage with the pressure web. This segmentation allows each leg to adapt to surface irregularities separately, improving gas-tightness on rough surfaces while maintaining a manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The seal incorporates regions with different properties: the U-shaped profiles provide flexibility and adaptation to surface variations, while the base surface provides the sealing contact area. This local differentiation enables the seal to effectively address surface roughness without requiring complete structural redesign
2Reliability
If the seal is made softer and more elastic to improve sealing on rough surfaces, then the gas-tightness improves, but the seal may deform excessively under vacuum pressure
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the seal into multiple U-shaped profiles with legs, the structure distributes vacuum pressure across multiple engagement points with the pressure web. This segmentation allows the use of softer, more elastic material for better surface adaptation while the distributed leg structure prevents excessive overall deformation under vacuum pressure
Solution Approach 2:
The seal combines the flexibility of elastic material with the structural support of the U-shaped profile geometry. The merging of these properties allows the seal to be soft enough for rough surfaces while maintaining sufficient structural stability through the geometric configuration of the U-profiles and their engagement with the pressure web
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 provides an improved seal that securely attaches objects to various surfaces, including rough ones, ensuring reliable holding and easy detachment, while maintaining airtightness and versatility in surface compatibility.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum can be generated in the vacuum chamber after it has been applied to the contact surface
Implementation Method 2
a seal (13), which closes the vacuum chamber to the outside in a gas-tight manner against the contact surface, The seal has one or more U-profiles
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a releasable holding device (1) for attaching objects to a contact surface (8), with a vacuum chamber (7), which is open towards the contact surface (8) and in which, after application to the contact surface (8) by means of a suction device (20) generating a vacuum, a vacuum can be generated, the vacuum drawing the holding device (1) onto the contact surface (8) with the use of an elastic seal (13) which is provided towards the contact surface (8) and, in the event of a vacuum, brings about the adhesive connection to the contact surface (8), wherein the elastic seal (13) consists of at least one encircling seal which is U-shaped in profile and the limbs (15) of which engage over an encircling press-on web (11) of the holding body (2) and the foot surface (14) of which is firmly pressed in order to form the vacuum chamber (7) and the seal between web front edge (11b) and contact surface (8). Suction device and holding device are of two-part design.