Bellows Suction Cup With Vacuum Locking for Mark-Free Lifting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional suction cups lose stability and friction when lifting objects at a third of their maximum load limit, and existing solutions either become too rigid in a fully compressed state or risk marking surfaces due to the use of a hub, which can cause indentations and instability.
Innovation Solution
A suction cup design featuring a lip and compressible bellows with strategically positioned through open holes and raised sealing portions that allow for locking in a partly compressed state, eliminating the need for a hub and maintaining flexibility, thereby reducing the risk of surface marking and improving stability and friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a hub is used to provide friction and stability, then lifting force is improved, but the suction cup becomes too rigid and may mark surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hub component entirely from the suction cup design. Instead of using a rigid hub to provide friction and stability, the invention relies on the bellows structure and lip configuration to achieve the same functions without contact pressure that causes surface marking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible bellows structure with multiple convolutes to replace the rigid hub. The bellows can deform and adapt to surface contours while providing friction through its flexible material, eliminating the marking problem associated with rigid hubs.
2Force
If the suction cup is fully compressed to maximize friction, then lifting force is improved, but flexibility is lost and stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the bellows with multiple convolutes that allow dynamic compression and expansion. The suction cup can be compressed to engage surfaces and then locked in intermediate positions without full compression, maintaining flexibility while providing sufficient friction for lifting.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows is divided into multiple convolutes or segments that can compress independently. This segmentation allows the suction cup to achieve compression for friction while retaining flexibility through the uncomressed convolutes, solving the contradiction between force and ease of operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the suction cup is made rigid to improve stability, then lifting force is improved, but adaptability to non-flat surfaces decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible bellows structure that can conform to non-flat surfaces while maintaining stability through its multi-convolute design. The flexibility of the bellows material allows adaptation to surface irregularities, while the overall structure provides stability for lifting.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows structure with its curved convolutes can adapt to curved and non-flat surfaces better than rigid structures. The curvature of the bellows segments allows the suction cup to conform to various surface geometries while maintaining structural stability.
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 design enables improved flexibility and stability, minimizing the risk of surface damage and leakage while maintaining maximum lifting force, allowing for better engagement with non-flat surfaces and reducing the risk of sudden expansion upon release.
Implementation Method 1
a bellows (30) comprising at least one compressible bellows segment (37)
Implementation Method 2
air entrapped in a sealed exterior volume formed between the lip and bellows and/or between one or more segments of the bellows in an operative state being evacuated through one or more through open holes provided in the lip and/or bellows when vacuum is connected to the suction cup
Implementation Method 3
at least one raised sealing portion (50) in at least one of said opposing surfaces, which raised sealing portion is capable of forming a seal between opposing surfaces in a compressed state of the suction cup
Implementation Method 4
Many suction cups tend to lose their stability and friction when lifting objects at about 1/3 of their maximum load limit
Implementation Method 5
suction cup for engaging and lifting an object by means of using a reduced pressure in the suction cup
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2~3
Figure 5~8
AI summary
A suction cup for engaging and lifting an object is disclosed, comprising a lip, a bellows, and an upper portion sealingly connected to the bellows for connecting an inner volume of the suction cup to a source of vacuum, which cup, in an operative state, is capable of being locked in an at least partly compressed state of the lip and/or bellows. Locking is accomplished by air entrapped in a sealed exterior volume formed between the lip and bellows and/or between one or more segments of the bellows in an operative state being evacuated through one or more through open holes provided in the lip and/or bellows when vacuum is connected to the suction cup. A corresponding lip and a corresponding bellows for use in the suction cup are also disclosed.