Suction device and supporting device having the same

• US 7,658,354 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dual Memristor Ltd Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Chen-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): EPPS, TODD MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/896,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20080210833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 248/205.5, 248/205.6, 248/205.7, 248/205.8, 248/683, 248/363, 248/206.1, 248/206.2
• US Class Current: 248/205.5
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 47/00 Suction cups for attaching purposes; Equivalent means using adhesives devices using adhesives, suction or magnetism for hanging or supporting pictures or the like A47G1/17; vacuum work holders B25B11/005; anchoring of ships using suction B63B21/27; suction cups for handling glass B65G49/061; load-engaging elements for cranes using suction means B66C1/02

Abstract

A suction device includes a sucking member having a connecting body connected integrally to a flexible disc body that is disposed under an upright sleeve, a connecting member disposed in the sleeve and connected to the connecting body, an operating member connected to a pivot rod extending through the sleeve, and a cam body accommodated in a cam-accommodating space in the connecting member and pivotable together with the pivot rod. The operating member is operable so as to pivot the pivot rod and the cam body such that an assembly of the connecting member and the connecting body is pulled upwardly by the cam body, thereby forming a vacant space between a central portion of the disc body and a supporting surface to which a peripheral portion of the disc body is attached sealingly.

Claims

1. A suction device comprising:

an upright sleeve having an annular surrounding wall formed with two aligned through holes;

a sucking member having a flexible disc body disposed under said sleeve and having a peripheral portion that is adapted to be attached sealingly to a supporting surface and that abuts against said sleeve, and a central portion connected integrally to said peripheral portion and adapted to be spaced apart from the supporting surface, and a connecting body connected to said central portion of said disc body and extending upwardly into said sleeve;

a connecting member disposed in said sleeve, and having a lower end portion connected to said connecting body of said sucking member so as to allow synchronous movement of said connecting member and said connecting body of said sucking member, an upper end portion, and a cam-accommodating space defined between said lower end portion and said upper end portion;

a cam body disposed rotatably in said cam-accommodating space in said connecting member and having an axial hole;

a pivot rod extending through said through holes in said annular surrounding wall of said sleeve and pivotable relative to said sleeve about a central axis thereof, said pivot rod having two opposite ends extending outwardly from said sleeve, and a central rod portion extending through and engaging said axial hole in said cam body such that said cam body is pivotable together with said pivot rod; and

an operating member disposed outwardly of said sleeve and connected to at least one of said ends of said pivot rod;

wherein said operating member is operable so as to pivot an assembly of said pivot rod and said cam body relative to said sleeve such that an assembly of said connecting member and said connecting body of said sucking member is pushed by said cam body to move upwardly away from the supporting surface, thereby forming a vacant space between said central portion of said disc body of said sucking member and the supporting surface; and

wherein said connecting member is a generally inverted U-shaped plate that has opposite lateral plate portions connected respectively to opposite sides of said connecting body of said sucking member, and an intermediate plate portion interconnecting said lateral plate portions, cooperating with said lateral plate portions to define said cam-accommodating space, and abutting against said cam body when said vacant space is formed.

2. The suction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member has an inner surface; and

said cam body is elliptical and has two projecting edge portions opposite to each other along a major axis thereof such that, when said cam body rotates in said sleeve, one of said projecting edge portions of said cam body abuts movably against said inner surface of said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member so as to push upwardly said connecting member.

3. The suction device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inner surface of said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member is formed with a positioning recess that engages said one of said projecting edge portions of said cam body so as to position said cam body in said sleeve when said vacant space is formed, thereby maintaining said vacant space between said central portion of said disc body of said sucking member and the supporting surface.

4. The suction device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sleeve further has a lower end portion, said suction device further comprising a coil spring disposed in said sleeve and sleeved around said connecting member, said coil spring having opposite ends abutting respectively against said lower end portion of said sleeve and said central portion of said disk body for biasing said central portion of said disk body to move downwardly when said projecting edge portions of said cam body disengages said positioning recess in said inner surface of said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member.

5. The suction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said operating member has an operating plate portion, and a connecting arm portion connected to said operating plate portion and formed with an engaging hole that engages said pivot rod.

6. The suction device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sleeve further has an annular flange extending radially, horizontally and outwardly from a bottom end thereof and pressing downwardly against said peripheral portion of said disc body of said sucking member.

7. A supporting device adapted for an electronic device, comprising:

a suction device including

an upright sleeve having an annular surrounding wall formed with two aligned through holes,

a sucking member having a flexible disc body disposed under said sleeve and having a peripheral portion that is adapted to be attached sealingly to a supporting surface and that abuts against said sleeve, and a central portion connected integrally to said peripheral portion and adapted to be spaced apart from the supporting surface, and a connecting body connected to said central portion of said disc body and extending upwardly into said sleeve,

a connecting member disposed in said sleeve, and having a lower end portion connected to said connecting body of said sucking member so as to allow synchronous movement of said connecting member and said connecting body of said sucking member, an upper end portion, and a cam-accommodating space defined between said lower end portion and said upper end portion,

a cam body disposed rotatably in said cam-accommodating space in said connecting member and having an axial hole,

a pivot rod extending through said through holes in said annular surrounding wall of said sleeve and pivotable relative to said sleeve about a central axis thereof, said pivot rod having two opposite ends extending outwardly from said sleeve, and a central rod portion extending through and engaging said axial hole in said cam body such that said cam body is pivotable together with said pivot rod, and

an operating member disposed outwardly of said sleeve and connected to at least one of said ends of said pivot rod; and

a supporting member having an inserting end portion inserted into an upper end of said sleeve of said suction device, and a mounting end portion adapted to be mounted with the electronic device thereon;

wherein said operating member is operable so as to pivot an assembly of said pivot rod and said cam body relative to said sleeve such that an assembly of said connecting member and said connecting body of said sucking member is pushed by said cam body to move upwardly away from the supporting surface, thereby forming a vacant space between said central portion of said disc body of said sucking member and the supporting surface; and

wherein said connecting member of said suction device is a generally inverted U-shaped plate that has opposite lateral plate portions connected respectively to opposite sides of said connecting body of said sucking member, and an intermediate plate portion interconnecting said lateral plate portions, cooperating with said lateral plate portions to define said cam-accommodating space, and abutting against said cam body when said vacant space is formed.

8. The supporting device as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member of said suction device has an inner surface; and

said cam body of said suction device is elliptical and has two projecting edge portions opposite to each other along a major axis thereof such that, when said cam body rotates in said sleeve, one of said projecting edge portions of said cam body abuts movably against said inner surface of said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member so as to push upwardly said connecting member.

9. The supporting device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said inner surface of said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member of said suction device is formed with a positioning recess that engages said one of said projecting edge portions of said cam body so as to position said cam body in said sleeve when said vacant space is formed, thereby maintaining said vacant space between said central portion of said disc body of said sucking member and the supporting surface.

10. The supporting device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said sleeve of said suction device further has a lower end portion;

and said suction device further includes a coil spring disposed in said sleeve and sleeved around said connecting member, said coil spring having opposite ends abutting respectively against said lower end portion of said sleeve and said central portion of said disk body for biasing said central portion of said disk body to move downwardly when said projecting edge portions of said cam body disengages said positioning recess in said inner surface of said intermediate plate portion of said connecting member.

11. The supporting device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said operating member of said suction device has an operating plate portion, and a connecting arm portion connected to said operating plate portion and formed with an engaging hole that engages said pivot rod.

12. The supporting device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sleeve of said suction device further has an annular flange extending radially, horizontally and outwardly from a bottom end thereof and pressing downwardly against said peripheral portion of said disc body of said sucking member.