Vacuum Holder With Extensible Skirt Gasket
First Claim
1. A vacuum holder, wherein said vacuum holder has a retaining surface for holding an article against said retaining surface by vacuum, said vacuum holder comprising:
- a main body having an outer surface, said main body having at least one air passageway associated therewith leading to a vacuum port at said retaining surface;
a valve joined to said main body and in fluid communication with said air passageway; and
an elastically extensible gasket adjacent at least a portion of the outer surface of the main body, wherein said gasket has an opening therein, wherein when said gasket is stretched and relaxed, said opening is sized and configured for fitting around the portion of the surface of the article to be held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder and at least some portions of the article adjacent thereto,wherein at least one of the retaining surface and the surface of the article is configured to provide a void space between the surface of an article and the retaining surface, and said vacuum holder has;
an activated configuration wherein said void space has at least partial vacuum therein, and said valve is closed to retain said at least partial vacuum and hold the surface of an article against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source, andan unactivated configuration when the vacuum is released.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum holder for articles, a combination of a vacuum holder and an article, a system for holding and conveying articles, and a method for holding and conveying articles are disclosed. The vacuum holder includes a main body having a surface and an air passageway leading to the surface, and a valve joined to the main body and in fluid communication with the air passageway. The vacuum holder includes an extensible skirt gasket with an opening therein. An article can be placed adjacent to the surface of the main body, and a vacuum can be drawn through the air passageway to hold the article to the vacuum holder. The valve maintains the vacuum between the article and the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source, until it is desired to release the article from the vacuum holder.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A vacuum holder, wherein said vacuum holder has a retaining surface for holding an article against said retaining surface by vacuum, said vacuum holder comprising:
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a main body having an outer surface, said main body having at least one air passageway associated therewith leading to a vacuum port at said retaining surface; a valve joined to said main body and in fluid communication with said air passageway; and an elastically extensible gasket adjacent at least a portion of the outer surface of the main body, wherein said gasket has an opening therein, wherein when said gasket is stretched and relaxed, said opening is sized and configured for fitting around the portion of the surface of the article to be held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder and at least some portions of the article adjacent thereto, wherein at least one of the retaining surface and the surface of the article is configured to provide a void space between the surface of an article and the retaining surface, and said vacuum holder has; an activated configuration wherein said void space has at least partial vacuum therein, and said valve is closed to retain said at least partial vacuum and hold the surface of an article against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source, and an unactivated configuration when the vacuum is released. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for holding an article using a vacuum holder, said method comprising:
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a. providing an article, said article having a surface, wherein a portion of said article surface is to be held by a vacuum holder; b. providing a vacuum holder, said vacuum holder having a retaining surface for holding an article against said retaining surface by vacuum, said vacuum holder comprising; a main body having an outer surface, said main body having at least one air passageway associated therewith leading to a vacuum port at said retaining surface; a valve joined to said main body and in fluid communication with said air passageway; and an elastically extensible gasket overlying the outer surface of said main body, wherein when said gasket is stretched and relaxed, said hole is sized and configured for fitting around the portion of the surface of the article to be held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder, wherein said vacuum holder has; an activated configuration wherein said void space has at least partial vacuum therein, and said valve is closed to retain said at least partial vacuum and hold the surface of an article against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source, and an unactivated configuration when the vacuum is released c. stretching said elastically extensible gasket so that said opening is larger than said portion of said article surface to be held by vacuum; d. placing said article onto the outer surface of said vacuum holder so that said portion of the surface of said article to be held by vacuum is positioned over said vacuum port of said vacuum holder and said portion of the surface of said article is inside the opening in said gasket; e. releasing the forces extending said gasket so that portions of said gasket adjacent said opening contact said article and fit snugly against said article; and f. drawing a vacuum on the article.
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Specification