Pipe joints or couplings – With support
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-08
2001-04-10
Arola, Dave W. (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
With support
C285S082000, C285S317000, C285S361000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213521
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to suction cups and, more particularly, to a suction cup having a quick release mount.
Suction cups are used in a wide variety of manufacturing environments. Typically, they are used to hold and position a workpiece during transfer, assembly or machining operations.
Typically, suction cups are mounted to a housing that is attached to a robot arm or a workholding arm of a tooling machine. The suction cups need to be in an reproducible position to ensure that the workpiece is properly positioned during the machining or assembly process. To ensure that the workpiece is held in the proper location, the suction cup housing is usually secured in fixed position relative to the robot or workholding arm by a clamping mechanism. The suction cups occasionally need to be replaced with suction cups of a different shape to accommodate the contour of the workpiece. In addition, the suction cups frequently either break or need to be replaced due to wear. It is desirable that, the exchange or replacement be rapidly accomplished and that it not change the orientation of the suction cup housing relative to the arm. It is also desirable to incorporate a means for releasably locking the suction cup within the housing.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a quick release suction cup mount that permits a user to easily exchange or replace suction cups without altering the orientation of the suction cup housing relative to the robot or workholding arm that it is associated with. In addition, it is further desirable to provide a releasable locking mechanism which further secures the suction cup mount to the housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general terms, this invention provides a unique mounting mechanism and a locking feature that permits a suction cup to be rapidly mounted and locked in position to a housing and to be released from the housing rapidly.
Preferably, the suction cup is mounted to a bayonet coupling that is received within a space in a housing. The space is defined by a pair of semi-circular flanges mounted on a rim of the housing. The bayonet coupling fits within the rim and has a pair of ears that are received under the semi-circular flanges when the bayonet coupling is placed in the space and rotated 90 degrees from an unsecured position to a secured position. When the bayonet coupling ears are received under the semi-circular flanges, a locking member is biased into a recessed portion located in at least one of the ears and the locking member locks the bayonet coupling within the space in the housing. A button is coupled to the locking member and permits it to be moved out of engagement with the recess in the bayonet coupling thus allowing the rapid unlocking of the bayonet coupling from the housing in order to exchange or remove the suction cup. A central passage extends through the housing, bayonet coupling, and the suction cup to provide a vacuum through the suction cup. The vacuum secures the workpiece to the suction cup.
These and other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be described as follows.
REFERENCES:
patent: 815476 (1906-03-01), Schaffer
patent: 1117762 (1914-11-01), Barcus
patent: 1415053 (1922-05-01), Robertson
patent: 1842449 (1932-01-01), Gray
patent: 2647768 (1953-08-01), Exton
patent: 2757682 (1956-08-01), Nicks
patent: 3538950 (1970-11-01), Porteners
patent: 4438884 (1984-03-01), O'Brien
patent: 4732415 (1988-03-01), Martin et al.
patent: 5213385 (1993-05-01), Nagai et al.
patent: 5582450 (1996-12-01), Nagai et al.
patent: 5626378 (1997-05-01), Puhl et al.
patent: 5876031 (1999-03-01), Ohkoda et al.
Herbermann Alfred P.
Land Jacob Van't
Arola Dave W.
Carlson & Gaskey & Olds
Syron Engineering & Manufacturing Corporation
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