Vacuum Holder and Carrier with Autonomous Vacuum

• US 20180072505A1
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Lyman, Christopher Robert, Levandoski, Mark, Granitz, Michael, Orndorff, Jason Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,442,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 11/005 Vacuum work holders
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0625 provided with a valve
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 21/2036 for retaining the load on the load-carrying surface individual suction grippers B65G17/323
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0261 Puck as article support

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. 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.

Claims

1. A vacuum holder for one or more articles, wherein said vacuum holder has a retaining surface for holding an article against said retaining surface by vacuum, a vacuum port at said retaining surface, a valve in fluid communication with said vacuum port through a passageway extending from said valve to said vacuum port, wherein said valve can be closed so that after a vacuum is drawn, the vacuum holder can hold an article by vacuum untethered from attachment to a vacuum source.

2. 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; and

a valve joined to said main body and in fluid communication with said air passageway,

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.

3. The vacuum holder of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the retaining surface of the vacuum holder is substantially planar.

4. The vacuum holder of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the retaining surface of the vacuum holder has a concavity therein.

5. The vacuum holder of claim 2 wherein the outer surface of said main body comprises said retaining surface.

6. The vacuum holder of claim 2 further comprising a gasket on at least a portion of the outer surface of the main body, wherein said gasket has a surface that comprises at least a portion of said retaining surface.

7. The vacuum holder of claim 2 wherein said gasket is compliant.

8. The vacuum holder of claim 2 wherein said valve is a Schrader valve.

9. The vacuum holder of claim 2 wherein when in said activated configuration, said at least partial vacuum is greater than or equal to −

1 psig (−

7 kPa).

10. The vacuum holder of claim 2 wherein when in said activated configuration, said at least partial vacuum is greater than or equal to −

13 psig (−

90 kPa).

11. The vacuum holder of claim 2 further comprising runners joined to said main body, wherein said runners allow said vacuum holder to slide to form a vehicle with autonomous vacuum.

12. The vacuum holder of claim 2 further comprising wheels joined to said main body to form a vehicle with autonomous vacuum.

13. The combination of a vacuum holder of claim 3 and an article having a surface with a concavity therein which is held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder when the vacuum holder is in its activated configuration, and the concavity in the surface of the article provides the void space between the surface of an article and the retaining surface.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said article is a bottle having a top and a bottom, and the concavity is in the bottom of the bottle, and the concavity in the bottom of the bottle provides the void space between the surface of the article and the retaining surface.

15. The combination of a vacuum holder of claim 4 and an article which is held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder when the vacuum holder is in its activated configuration, and the concavity in the retaining surface of the vacuum holder provides the void space between the surface of the article and the retaining surface.

16. A system for holding and conveying articles comprising:

a vacuum holder for one or more articles, wherein said vacuum holder has a retaining surface for holding an article against said retaining surface by vacuum, wherein said vacuum holder has a valve associated therewith that can be closed so that said vacuum holder can hold an article by vacuum untethered from attachment to a vacuum source;

a conveyor for moving said vacuum holder with an article held thereon from a first location to

a second location; and

a vacuum station along said conveyor for drawing a vacuum through said valve and closing the valve on said vacuum holder to hold an article against said retaining surface by vacuum.

17. A method for holding and conveying articles comprising:

(a) providing a system for holding and conveying articles according to claim 16;

b) providing at least one article, wherein each article has a top, a bottom, one or more sides, wherein said bottom and sides form the surface of the article;

c) placing an article adjacent to the retaining surface of the vacuum holder;

d) at a first location, drawing a vacuum through the valve that is joined to the main body using said vacuum station, wherein said vacuum is drawn until the article is held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder;

e) closing the valve so that the article is held adjacent to the retaining surface of the main body without being connected to the vacuum station;

f) moving the vacuum holder with the article joined thereto on said conveyor to a second location.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the bottom of the article is placed adjacent to the retaining surface of the vacuum holder.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the article comprises a container, and said method further comprises performing an operation on said article, wherein said operation comprises one or more of the following:

filling the article with a substance;

placing a cap on the article; and

decorating the article.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

g) at said second location, opening the valve to release the vacuum to release the article from contact with said vacuum holder.