Method for fabricating sliding vacuum cups
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating a vacuum cup for a robotic device, comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a female mold shaped in the desired vacuum cup foot shape;
(b) providing a flat Teflon sheet of desired thickness and shape to fill said female mold;
(c) providing a male mold shaped complementary to said female mold;
(d) deforming said flat Teflon sheet by heating and compressing components (a), (b), and (c) in an oven at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two hours or until said Teflon sheet conforms to the desired shape;
(e) providing a second mold for containing said conformed Teflon sheet and a poured resilient polymer in a preselected vacuum cup shape;
(f) pouring said resilient polymer in said mold;
(g) allowing said polymer to cure;
(h) removing said vacuum cup from said mold.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surface clinging robotic device. The device includes a supporting structure or base, on which is mounted (a) a lead pivoting support surface, such as a pivoting wheel, and (b) two or more traction drives, such as drive wheels. Each of the traction drives are independently driven by a separate drive motor. A plurality of vacuum cups are mounted on the bottom of the base. The vacuum cups each have a low friction foot designed for movement over a surface with minimal friction while vacuum is maintained. The low friction foot portion is provided by a generally surface direction oriented C-shaped Teflon skin. The robotic device can move over gaps or obstructions in the surface without losing vacuum in all of the vacuum cups, using a fluid limiting valve at each vacuum cup to interrupt flow in the event of loss of vacuum in that vacuum cup.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a vacuum cup for a robotic device, comprising the following steps:
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(a) providing a female mold shaped in the desired vacuum cup foot shape; (b) providing a flat Teflon sheet of desired thickness and shape to fill said female mold; (c) providing a male mold shaped complementary to said female mold; (d) deforming said flat Teflon sheet by heating and compressing components (a), (b), and (c) in an oven at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two hours or until said Teflon sheet conforms to the desired shape; (e) providing a second mold for containing said conformed Teflon sheet and a poured resilient polymer in a preselected vacuum cup shape; (f) pouring said resilient polymer in said mold; (g) allowing said polymer to cure; (h) removing said vacuum cup from said mold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A vacuum cup for a robotic device, said device comprising:
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(a) an upper seal ring surface; (b) a sidewall comprising one or more resilient accordion pleats (34), said resilient pleats compressible and expandable along a compression range D and adapted to withstand constant flexing under vacuum during robotic operations; (c) a shaped sliding contact foot, said contact foot bonded directly to a lower portion of said sidewall, said shaped sliding contact foot comprising a low-stiction wear surface, said contact foot adapted for sliding action while under vacuum during robotic operations. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification