GB2166487A

GB2166487A - Suction-cup assemblies

Info

Publication number: GB2166487A
Application number: GB08524452A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Edmund Talbot Garman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-11-03
Filing date: 1985-10-03
Publication date: 1986-05-08
Also published as: GB2166487B; GB8524452D0; GB8427880D0

Abstract

A suction cup assembly comprising a collar 14 around a push-in bearing 13; a rigid connector 12 having a ball head 20 pivotally held by the bearing 13; and an elastomeric suction member 10 secured to an anchor part 22 of the connector 12 so as to be movable accurately relative to the collar 14. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Suction-cup assemblies This invention concerns suction-cup or sucker assemblies, of the kind comprising a resilient or elastomeric cup, disc or other concave suction member and a mounting for securing the suction member to an article to be supported by the assembly.

Known assemblies of this kind have various disadvantages. For example, they rely upon the flexibility of the suction member to compensate for mis-alignment of the suction member with the surface to which it adhers; the mounting often applies loads to the suction member in such a manner as to reduce the effective holding power of the suction member; and the assemblies are often either expensive and complicated to manufacture or are difficult to replace or repair after a period of use.

An object of the present invention is to enable such disadvantages to be reduced or avoided.

According to the present invention there is provided a suction-cup assembly comprising a suction member and a mounting, wherein the mounting comprises a bearing and a rigid connector; wherein the rigid connector has a shank connecting an anchor part, secured to or in the suction member, and a ball head; and wherein the bearing provides a socket in which the ball head is pivotally and captively embraced so that the shank extends through an opening in one end portion of the bearing.

Said opening may provide a conically tapered abutment surface engageable by the shank to limit pivotal movement of the ball head; and said one end portion may provide a stop flange engageable by the suction member or by said anchor part to limit pivotal movement of the ball head.

The bearing preferably includes a hollow slotted end portion, remote from said one end portion, which provides at least one slot extending to the socket to allow the slotted end portion to be constricted.

The bearing may comprise a plurality of bearing members each of which defines part of said opening and socket, or may be a one piece moulding.

The mounting preferably includes a collar, which may be secured to or integral with an article on which the assembly is mounted, the bearing being a push or press fit into the collar. Said slotted end portion is preferably flanged to project beyond and engage one end of the collar.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are diametrical cross sections of a suction cup assemblies of the invention.

The suction cup assembly comprises a suction member 10 and a mounting 11, the latter including a rigid connector 12 and a bearing 13, or 13A..

The rigid connector 12 comprises a ball head 20, a short shank 21 and an anchor part 22 having a terminal annular flange 23. The suction member 10 is moulded from an elastomeric material so that the flange 23 is embedded in the suction member 10.

The bearing 13 in Fig. 1 comprises two bearing members 30 of hard plastics material, and the bearing members 30 are substantially identical; whereas the bearing 13A in Fig. 2 is a one piece moulding. In use, the members 30 are held together so that the bearing 13 effectively includes, and the bearing 1 3A is formed to provide: (1) a median portion 31 having a substantially cylindrical outer surface and a part spherical inner surface which defines a socket in which the ball head 20 is located; (2) a lower end portion 32 having a peripheral stop flange 33 and an opening 34 through which the shank 21 extends; (3) and an upper end portion 35 which is hollow, slotted and provided with a bevelled flange 36 providing a retaining surface in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical outer surface.

The dimensions of the connector 12 may be such that arcuate movement of the ball head 20 in the socket is restricted in one manner by contact between the shank 21 and a conically tapered abutment surface 37 of the opening 34, or in another manner by contact between the anchor part 22 and the stop flange 33, but said dimensions are preferably such that arcuate movement is restricted by contact between the stop flange 33 and an upper part 44 of the suction member 10.

The mounting 11 includes a collar 14 around the cylindrical outer surface, which collar extends between the retaining surface of the flange 36 and a further retaining surface on the stop flange 33. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the collar 14 holds the bearing members 30 together around the ball head so that the latter is embraced by, and held captive in, the socket; whereas in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the collar surrounds the bearing 13A to prevent the latter being expanded to release the ball head.In the form shown in Fig. 1, the collar 14 comprises an aperture, in a panel 40 of an article, and a metal sleeve 41 having a terminal flange which is secured to the panel; whereas in the form shown in Fig. 2 the collar 14 comprises a tubular spigot 42 integral with a part 43 of an article to which the assembly is secured, but either form of collar 14 may be used with the bearings 13 and 13A.

The slots in the upper end portion 35 are arranged so that said portion 35 is interrupted to provide six flexible claws (three on each bearing member 30 in the Fig. 1 embodiment) each of which claws provides a portion of the flange 36 which is likewise interrupted by the slots and by any space at the junction 45 of the bearing members 30. The upper end portion 35 of the bearing may thus be radially compressed so that it can be passed upwards through the collar 14 until the flange 36 emerges from the collar and expands radially to engage the upper end of the collar. The bevel 38 on the flange facilitates insertion of the bearing into the collar and can be engaged by a hollow tool having a complementary bevel for compressing the portion 35 and driving the portion 35 down into the collar for extracting the bearing from the collar.

The flange of the sleeve 41 need not be secured to the panel, whereby to enable the bearing to be inserted into the aperture prior to the sleeve 41 being thrust downwards onto the portion 35 until said flange abuts the panel.

The distance between the centre of the ball head and the working or suction plane 50 of the suction side 15 of the suction member 10 is preferably as small as is required by the thickness of the suction member and the maximum angle of movement, and is preferably less than half, e.g. between one third and one quarter, of the overall diameter or width of the suction member.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example, and many variations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The bearing 13a may be slotted or split longitudinally to facilitate expansion sufficient to allow the ball head to be thrust into the socket prior to the bearing being inserted into the collar, but the bearing is preferably sufficiently resilient to allow the ball head to be pushed or driven past a constriction 47 between the socket and the opening 34 without requiring the provision of a slot or split extending entirely along the length of the bearing. The slots in the portion 35 may extend downwards to the socket, e.g. as exemplified in broken lines by the slot 46 in Fig. 2. The collar may be of any suitable form, e.g. it may be constituted by the wall of a socket in the article, the socket being undercut to accept the flange 36.

It has been found that the assembly is easy to manufacture, assemble and instal, and is particularly reliable and effective in use; and in particular when several of the assemblies are provided on a single article, the self-aligning capabilities of the assemblies enable the article to be secured to a curved surface or surfaces of varying relative inclination.

For ease of moulding the bearing 13 or 13a may have fewer claws, e.g. four claws (two on each bearing member 30).

Claims

1. A suction-cup assembly comprising a suction member and a mounting, wherein the mounting comprises a bearing and a rigid connector; wherein the rigid connector has a shank connecting an anchor part, secured to or in a suction member, and a ball head; and wherein the bearing provides a socket in which the ball head is pivotally and captively embraced so that the shank extends through an opening in one end portion of the bearing.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said opening provides a conically tapered abutment surface engageable by the shank to limit pivotal movement of the ball head.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said one end portion is provided with a stop flange engageable by the suction member or said anchor part to limit pivotal movement of the ball head.

4. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bearing is a one piece moulding, the ball head being a push or snap fit in the bearing.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the bearing comprises a plurality of bearing members each of which defines parts of said opening and socket.

6. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bearing includes a hollow slotted end portion, remote from said one end portion, which provides at least one slot extending to the socket to allow the slotted end portion to be constricted.

7. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mounting includes a collar, which may be secured to or integral with an article on which the assembly is mounted, the bearing being a push or press fit into the collar.

8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7 as appended to Claim 6 wherein said slotted end portion is flanged to project radially beyond and engage one end of the collar.

9. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the suction member is moulded from elastomeric material so that the anchor part is at least partially embedded in the suction member.

10. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the suction member is moulded from elastomeric material and is bonded to he anchor part.

11. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig.2 of the accompanying drawings.