Abstract:
A vacuum disk includes a hollow base having an open leading end adapted to engage a flat support surface. The hollow base and the support surface define a vacuum space when the hollow base abuts the support surface. A gasket formed of styrene block copolymers forms an airtight seal around the vacuum space. A hub formed integrally with the base defines an airflow passageway through which air in the vacuum space may flow. A valve is seated within the airflow passageway. A hollow cylinder has a leading end that sealingly engages the hub and a piston head is slideably positioned within the hollow cylinder. A vacuum is created in the vacuum space by abrupt withdrawal of the piston head from the hollow interior of the cylinder. Ambient air rushing into the hollow interior of the cylinder abruptly closes the valve before the vacuum is lost.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/481,643 filed by the same inventor on Nov. 14, 2003, entitled: “High Vacuum Disk.” 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This invention relates to a vacuum disk. More particularly, it relates to a vacuum disk having a manually created high vacuum.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     Suction cups are formed of a flexible and resilient material formed into a concavity. When the material is pressed firmly against a flat surface, the material flattens and most of the air in the concavity is driven out. In this way, a partial vacuum is created. However, an externally applied force in excess of about four (4) ounces is about all that is needed to defeat the vacuum and separate the suction cup from the flat surface.  
         [0006]     Thus, a conventional suction cup can be used to hold light, unbreakable objects such as washcloths, pictures having frames formed of a high impact plastic, and the like. They gradually lose their vacuum over time and cannot be used to hold objects that might break if dropped.  
         [0007]     An improved suction cup includes a rigid frame that surrounds a flexible and resilient conventional suction cup. A hook from which a washcloth, picture frame, or the like may be hung is pivotally mounted to the rigid frame. After the flexible and resilient part of the structure is pressed tightly against a flat surface, the hook is pivoted into its operable position. The hook includes a cam that bears against the rigid frame so that when the hook is pivoted into its operable position, a cammed surface thereof drives the rigid frame into tightly overlying relation to the flexible and resilient part of the suction cup. This enhances the vacuum within the space surrounded by the flexible and resilient part of the structure. An externally applied force of three to four pounds is needed to separate the improved suction cup from its mount.  
         [0008]     However, it has been established that the vacuum created by the improved suction cup does not endure for more than a few hours. What is needed, then, is an improved device that has greater strength than the just-described improved suction cup and which does not lose its holding power so quickly.  
         [0009]     However, in view of the prior art taken as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill how the identified needs could be fulfilled.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a device having qualities superior to that of a conventional suction cup, including enhanced holding power vis a vis the holding power of the known suction cups, is now met by a new, useful, and non-obvious invention.  
         [0011]     The novel apparatus of this invention is a high vacuum disk having sustained holding power as distinguished from a low vacuum suction cup of short-lived utility. The novel vacuum disk includes a hollow base having a predetermined geometrical shape and an open leading end adapted to engage a substantially flat support surface. A sealing member in the hollow interior of the hollow base is adapted to seal the hollow interior when the base is pressed firmly against the substantially flat support surface so that ambient air may not enter into the hollow interior of the base.  
         [0012]     A vacuum space is defined within the hollow interior of the base when the sealing member is disposed in firmly abutting relation to the support surface.  
         [0013]     A hub is formed integrally with the base and defines an airflow passageway through which air in the vacuum space may exit when the sealing member is disposed in firmly abutting relation to the support surface.  
         [0014]     A hollow cylinder has a leading end adapted to sealingly engage the hub about an outer periphery of the hub. A piston head is slideably positioned within the hollow cylinder and a piston rod is secured to a trailing end of the piston head. The piston rod has an axis of symmetry coincident with an axis of symmetry of the hollow cylinder. A handle is secured to a trailing end of the piston rod. A sealing means is disposed about a periphery of the piston head to substantially prevent air from flowing around the piston head, i.e., to prevent air on the leading side of the piston head from flowing to the trailing side of the piston head when the piston head is positioned within the hollow cylinder.  
         [0015]     A valve is seated within the airflow passageway. The valve allows airflow from vacuum air space to flow through the airflow passageway into the hollow cylinder on a leading side of the piston head when the piston head is displaced within the hollow cylinder in a direction away from the valve. The valve is fully seated and substantially prevents flow of ambient air into the vacuum space from the hollow cylinder after the piston head is fully withdrawn from the hollow cylinder.  
         [0016]     A vacuum is created in the vacuum space by withdrawal of the piston head from the hollow interior of the cylinder. Ambient air rushing into the hollow interior of the cylinder abruptly closes the valve before the vacuum is lost.  
         [0017]     An important object of the invention is to provide a vacuum disk having increased holding power vis a vis the holding power of suction cups.  
         [0018]     Another object is to provide a vacuum disk that holds a vacuum for a sustained period of time vis a vis the time a suction cup maintains a suction.  
         [0019]     These and other objects will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds. The invention includes the features of construction, arrangement of parts, and combination of elements set forth herein, and the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims appended hereto. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the novel vacuum disk;  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the first embodiment with the plunger almost fully advanced;  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the first embodiment with the plunger almost fully retracted;  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the first embodiment with the plunger fully retracted;  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  is an exploded side elevational view of the base of the first embodiment;  
         [0027]      FIG. 7  is an exploded, side elevational, sectional view of a second embodiment;  
         [0028]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational. sectional view of the piston of the second embodiment;  
         [0029]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational, sectional view of the cylinder of the second embodiment;  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational, partially sectional view of the second embodiment in its assembled configuration;  
         [0031]      FIG. 11A  is a side elevational, sectional view of the base of the second embodiment;  
         [0032]      FIG. 11B  is a side elevational view of the base of the second embodiment;  
         [0033]      FIG. 12A  is a top plan view of a base having a detachable handle;  
         [0034]      FIG. 12B  is a side elevational view of the base depicted in  FIG. 12A ; and  
         [0035]      FIG. 12C  is an exploded, perspective view of said base having said detachable handle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0036]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , it will there be seen that an illustrative embodiment of the invention is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral  10 . The novel apparatus is known as a vacuum disk because it is not a conventional suction cup. The vacuum in a suction cup is small in magnitude and quickly dissipates. The vacuum in the novel vacuum disc, on the other hand, is a much greater vacuum and is not subject to quick dissipation. The novel vacuum disk will be known commercially as the VakuDisk.  
         [0037]     Apparatus  10  includes hollow base  12 , preferably having a disc shape although a shape of any predetermined geometrical configuration is within the scope of this invention. Apparatus  10  further includes sealing member  13  and a central hub  14  that is formed integrally with hollow base  12 . Annular step  16  is formed in said central hub  14  about mid-height thereof and has a downward slope.  
         [0038]     In this embodiment, sealing member  13  is provided in the form of a sealing ring but non-annular sealing members are within the scope of this invention.  
         [0039]     Hub  14  defines an opening within which is received a valve member, the trailing end  18  of which is depicted in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0040]     Cylindrical housing  20  includes flange  23  formed integrally therewith at its leading end. Flange  23  has a downward slope that matches the downward slope of annular step  16 .  
         [0041]     Housing  20  houses a plunger having a trailing end  22  that is depicted in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0042]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , it will there be seen that trailing end  22  is a handle adapted to be manually grasped. Handle  22  is formed integrally with plunger rod  24  having a plunger head or piston  26  formed integrally therewith at a leading end thereof.  
         [0043]     Annular grooves are formed in the periphery of piston head  26  to accommodate O-rings  28   a ,  28   b . Said O-rings perform a sealing function that substantially seals air in trailing space  30   a  from air in leading space  30   b  when the novel structure is used in the way disclosed hereinafter.  
         [0044]     Valve member  32  includes trailing end  18  as aforesaid. It further includes base  34  formed integrally with said trailing end  18 , said base  34  having a diameter that is less than that of trailing end  18 .  
         [0045]     Valve member  32  further includes neck  36  that is formed integrally with base  34  and which has a reduced diameter with respect thereto. Leading end  38  of valve member  32  is formed integrally with neck  36  and has a diameter greater than that of neck  36 . The diameter of leading end  38  is less than that of base  34  in this illustrative embodiment but such dimension is not believed to be critical.  
         [0046]     Hub  14  includes flat top wall  40  of annular configuration. Flat top wall  40  supports trailing end  18  of valve  32  when valve  32  is in its position of repose as depicted in  FIG. 2 . Hub  14  further includes an integrally formed, radially inwardly extending first step  42  that similarly supports base  34  when valve  32  is in repose.  
         [0047]     Hub  14  further includes undercut  44  that provides a stop means for leading end  38  of valve  32 .  
         [0048]     The operation of apparatus  10  is best understood in connection with  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  FIG. 4  depicts piston head  26  in a position where it is almost fully advanced within cylindrical housing  20 . When fully advanced, flat leading end  26   a  of piston head  26  bears against trailing end  18  of valve  32 . This is the position the apparatus is placed into at the start of the vacuum-creating procedure.  
         [0049]     After positioning apparatus  10  in the position depicted in  FIG. 4 , with sealing member  13  bearing firmly against a suitable support surface such as a wall, handle  22  is abruptly retracted from cylindrical housing  20  as indicated by single-headed directional arrow  46  in  FIG. 5 . Air in vacuum space  48  flows in the direction indicated by directional arrows  50  during the time said handle  22  is being retracted. Trailing end  18  of valve  32  is transiently bent as depicted in  FIG. 5  so that air in said vacuum space  48  may flow therepast.  
         [0050]     When piston head  26  is fully retracted from cylindrical housing  20 , ambient air then rushes into said cylindrical housing as indicated by arrows  52  in  FIG. 6 , forcing flat trailing end  18  into sealing relation to top wall  40  and sealing a vacuum in vacuum space  48 .  
         [0051]     Tests have shown that the vacuum thereby created can withstand an externally applied pulling force of nineteen (19) pounds, far in excess of all suction cups heretofore known. Moreover, the vacuum is sustained at high levels for a very long period of time, far longer than heretofore achieved.  
         [0052]     Cap  54  in  FIG. 7  is provided with novel apparatus  10  at the time of purchase and is used to seat trailing end  18  of valve  32  firmly against top wall  40  of hub  14  when apparatus  10  is in storage.  
         [0053]     A second embodiment is depicted in  FIGS. 7-12C . The same reference numerals are applied to parts that clearly correspond to parts in the first embodiment, even if the second embodiment of said parts is not exactly the same as the first embodiment.  
         [0054]     Handle  22  of this embodiment is provided in the form of a rectangle so that it is easier to use than the flat handle of the first embodiment. A user may place one or two fingers through the loop formed by the rectangle so that plunger rod  24  may be quickly and easily pulled out of cylindrical housing  20 .  
         [0055]     Plunger rod  24  has a transverse cross-sectional shape of a plus (+) sign to save materials. Annular raised ridges  28   a ,  28   b  are integrally formed with piston head  26 , in lieu of the O-rings of the first embodiment, but said raised ridges perform the same sealing function as said O-rings.  
         [0056]      FIG. 7  indicates that plunger rod  24  and plunger head  26  are separate parts. Plunger rod  24  is formed of a relatively stiff, high impact plastic but plunger head  26  and the piston rings formed integrally therewith are formed of a soft, flexible and resilient elastomer. Said plunger head  26  is engaged to mounting disc  26   a  that is secured to plunger rod  24 . Accordingly, plunger head  26  does not separate from plunger rod  24  when handle  22  is pulled.  
         [0057]     Cylindrical housing  20  includes flat flange  21  at its trailing end but said flange is provided for aesthetic purposes.  
         [0058]     The leading end of cylindrical housing  20  is connected to a separate part  20   a . As best understood in connection with  FIG. 9 , said separate part  20   a  slidingly receives the leading end of housing  20  and engages said leading end in the manner depicted. Specifically, housing  20  has a radially-inwardly turned lip  21   a  that is engaged by a radially outwardly turned catch  21   b.    
         [0059]     Significantly, cylindrical housing  20  is made of a relatively stiff, high impact plastic like piston rod  24 , but separate part  20   a  is formed of a soft, flexible and resilient elastomer like piston head  26 .  
         [0060]     Elastomeric sealing member  13  is affixed to an underside of base  12 . In this second embodiment, sealing member  13  has a generally square shape but other predetermined geometrical configurations are within the scope of this invention.  
         [0061]     More particularly, a generally square channel having upstanding sidewalls is formed in the underside of base  12  and elastomeric sealing member  13  is press fit into said channel. Accordingly, no adhesive is required to secure sealing member to the underside of base  12 . However, it is within the scope of this invention to secure sealing member  13  to the underside of base  12  by employing adhesives or other attachment means.  
         [0062]     The thickness of sealing member  13  is greater than the height of the sidewalls of base  12  as indicated in the drawings. This provides ample compression space before said sidewalls abut the support surface to which the novel vacuum disk is attached.  
         [0063]     Hub  14  surmounts base  12  and arm  15  extends therefrom as shown. Arm  15  may have a bend formed therein as depicted, or it may be hook-shaped, straight, or the like. An item to be supported by the novel vacuum disc is hung from said arm  15  in a well-known way.  
         [0064]     Base  12  and hub  14  are both centrally apertured. The aperture formed in base  12  is denoted  12   a  and the aperture formed in hub  14  is denoted  14   a.    
         [0065]     As best understood in connection with  FIGS. 11A and 12C , neck  36  of valve  32  extends through aperture  12   a . Base  34  of said valve, which forms a “T” with said neck  36 , is positioned below the plane of base  12  in space  48 .  
         [0066]     A radially inwardly extending annular step  23  is formed in elastomeric part  20   a  and said step  23  abuts the top of hub  14  when the leading end of elastomeric part  20   a  abuts base  12  as depicted in  FIG. 10 . Empty space  25  is thus defined between piston head  26  and hub  14  when the leading end of elastomeric part  20   a  abuts base  12 . Space  25  expands as piston head  26  is retracted from cylindrical housing  20 , thereby creating a vacuum within the hollow interior of cylindrical housing  20 . The air in sealed vacuum space  48  therefore momentarily lifts valve  32  so that air in vacuum space  48  may flow into expanding space  25 . Base  34  of valve  32  limits the upward travel of valve  32  so that said valve  32  has a very short downward distance to travel when ambient air rushes into the hollow interior of cylindrical housing  20 .  
         [0067]     As in the first embodiment, with the leading end of elastomeric part  20   a  disposed in abutting relation to base  12  so that hub  14  is snugly received within said elastomeric part  20   a  as depicted in  FIG. 10 , withdrawal of plunger rod  24  from cylindrical housing  20  momentarily unseats valve  32  as air in vacuum space  48  is pulled into the hollow interior of cylindrical housing  20 . Complete withdrawal of piston head  26  from cylindrical housing  20  allows ambient air to rush into said hollow interior, thereby quickly sealing valve  32  so that a strong vacuum is maintained in vacuum space  48 .  
         [0068]     A cap made of a soft, flexible and resilient material may then be placed over hub  14  for aesthetic purposes, l,e,, to conceal valve  32 .  
         [0069]     An alternative embodiment is depicted in  FIGS. 12A-12C . Instead of integrally forming arm  15  and base  12 , arm  15  is integrally formed with a separate piece that slidingly engages hub  14 . The separate piece is a hub cover  50  having external flange  52  and interior flange  54  that slidingly engages neck  14   b  of hub  14 .  
         [0070]     In all embodiments, sealing member  13  provides a good seal not only on perfectly flat surfaces but also on slightly uneven surfaces and on textured surfaces as well. Significantly, hollow cylinder  20  need not be positioned at a precise perpendicular relation to base  12 . This is because the leading end  20   a  of said cylinder  20  is formed of a flexible and resilient material as aforesaid and therefore said cylinder may be tilted relative to its perpendicular position without substantially affecting its performance.  
         [0071]     To obtain a good seal on even surfaces as well as on textured surfaces, the material from which the sealing member or gasket is made must have certain properties. In the manufacturing process, the material must go into a plastic state when heat-treated and must change into an elastic state after cooling down. Determining the ability of the material to seal on a rough surface is important, as is the modulus of the material. Materials of the same hardness may have a different stiffness because the quality of hardness indicates resistance to deformation or indenture and the quality of stiffness relates to the ability of a material to bend or stretch. A low compression set must be achieved to provide a long-term lifetime to the material and to enable its re-use. Any elastic material will lose its ability to return to its original thickness over time. The loss of resiliency may reduce, over time, the capability to perform of an elastomeric material in the form of a gasket, cushioning pad, sealing member, or the like. The resulting permanent set that a sealing member may attain may cause a leak.  
         [0072]     Accordingly, the sealing material is preferably based on styrene-block-copolymers that are generally available as styrene-ethylenebutylene-styrene. Additional components include oils, secondary polymers such as polypropylene, and additives that achieve specific goals. There is a wide choice of components. Moreover, the proportions may be changed but it is important to attain the required degree of hardness to ensure that the sealing member or gasket will seal tightly on flat, uneven, and textured surfaces. Those skilled in the chemical arts can therefore tailor the compounds to reach specific targets, and change certain properties while retaining other properties.  
         [0073]     The microstructure includes block-copolymers/oil phase in an interpenetrating network with a secondary copolymer. A fine interpenetration network is important and is achieved by choosing a secondary copolymer which has good miscibility with the block-copolymer, and with similar viscosity to the block-copolymer/oil mixture. When a good interpenetration network is achieved, then the properties of the secondary polymer and the block-copolymer/oil phase are synergistically enhanced.  
         [0074]     The desired properties of the sealing member include weathering resistance and ability to reach a low hardness. The sealing member should have high resistance against acids, bases, and alcohols. It should exhibit high ozone and UV-resistance. The durometer reading on the Shore hardness A scale should be between 5 and 60.  
         [0075]     The novel seal conforms to uneven surfaces very well as aforesaid. It was tested by NASA using helium instead of atmospheric air and found to have no leaks.  
         [0076]     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.  
         [0077]     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.  
         [0078]     Now that the invention has been described,