Suction Cup With Threaded Expansion Control for Cellophane Seals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vacuum crane games struggle to effectively pick up prizes with cellophane packaging, such as snacks and foodstuffs, due to the inability of suction cups to maintain a seal on uneven surfaces, leading to unsuccessful prize capture.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an adhesively applied target with a diameter that matches the suction cup, allowing precise attachment, and the use of a threaded member within the suction cup to control expansion, ensuring a secure seal and preventing rim expansion beyond the target's width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a suction cup is used to pick up cellophane-wrapped prizes, then the prize capture capability is improved, but the seal reliability deteriorates due to uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the prize into two functional parts: the cellophane-wrapped prize body and the rigid target attached to it. The suction cup only needs to seal with the rigid target, not the flexible cellophane surface, thereby resolving the seal reliability issue while maintaining versatility in picking up various packaged prizes
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid target acts as an intermediary between the suction cup and the cellophane-wrapped prize. It provides a stable sealing surface for the suction cup while being attached to the flexible prize, enabling reliable prize capture without requiring the suction cup to directly seal with the uneven cellophane surface
2Area of stationary object
If the suction cup expands during attachment, then the seal area increases, but the rim moves radially outward and breaks the seal on cellophane surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the sealing function from the prize body by attaching a rigid target to the cellophane-wrapped prize. The suction cup seals with the rigid target which does not expand or deform, preventing seal breakage while still enabling capture of the flexible prize through the attached target
3Manufacturing precision
If the target diameter matches the suction cup diameter, then the attachment precision is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the target visually distinct from the suction cup by using different colors or patterns. This asymmetry in visual appearance helps players easily detect and locate the target during gameplay, reducing the difficulty of alignment while maintaining the precision benefits of matched diameters
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
Enables reliable capture and retention of cellophane-wrapped prizes by maintaining a consistent seal and adjusting the suction cup's expansion, enhancing gameplay difficulty and success rates.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum cup creates a suction force that is used to pick up and hold prizes
Implementation Method 2
The negative pressure inside the cup due to the vacuum tube is sufficient to connect the prize to the cup
Implementation Method 3
The target is affixed to the prize with an adhesive sufficient to maintain a seal against the suction cup when under vacuum pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A machine for use in picking up objects having a cellophane outer covering using a vacuum, the machine comprising a housing, a vacuum source, a suction cup coupled to the vacuum source, a transport system for moving the suction cup horizontally and vertically within the housing, and a plurality of objects having a cellophane outer covering in the housing below the pick-up device. The plurality of objects include an adhesively applied target on at least one of the cellophane outer coverings, the adhesively applied target having a surface area greater than a surface area circumscribed by a lowermost edge of the suction cup, and the suction cup includes a threaded tubular member extending axially therein through, the threaded tubular member including stops that engage an upper and lower surface of the suction cup.