Abstract:
A sucker and film combination including a sucker comprising a body useful for attaching the sucker to a surface. A column is in contact with the body. The column includes a groove useful for engaging a film. A stem useful for detaching the body from the surface is in contact with the body. The film comprises a substantially planar surface. A through-hole wall extends through the substantially planar surface. The through-hole wall defines a column receiver portion and a stem receiver portion.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
   The present invention relates to a sucker and film combination, and, more particularly, to a sucker and film combination that allows for reduced movement between the film and the sucker when the sucker is repositioned. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
   Suckers are useful devices that allow lightweight objects to be attached to generally smooth and substantially planar surfaces. Suckers can be attached to such a surface by means of a suction force. Commonly, the sucker will include a holding structure to hold an object, such as a hanging decoration or a film. Many suckers also include a handle, separate or integral with the holding structure, useful for applying force to the sucker to attach or detach it from a surface. 
   Many known suckers able to achieve sufficient sucker force to hold an object are difficult to remove from the surface to which they are attached. Current suckers with special detachment members combine them with the holding structure. Others provide the holding structure without a feature to appropriately secure the object. Therefore, known suckers of these types allow the object to move relative to the holding structure while the sucker is being detached from the surface. This movement may damage the object, especially when the object is delicate or easily torn, such as a film. 
   Known films have generally circular apertures or slits to receive a sucker, and the holding structure of the sucker supports the films at these generally circular apertures or slits when the film and sucker assembly is attached to a surface. These types of apertures or slits do not appropriately receive the sucker to provide a fit that allows for relatively little movement between the film and the sucker. This lack of appropriate fit allows the film to move relative to its support structure on the sucker, which may damage the film. The risk of damage is especially great during times the sucker and film assembly is being attached or detached from a surface. Hence, the need exists for a sucker that is both easily attachable and detachable from a surface, and also provides for relatively small movement between an object and the holding structure. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
   The present invention includes both a sucker and film, individually and in combination, as well as their method of use. 
   In certain embodiments, the sucker includes a body useful for attaching the sucker to a surface, at least one stem in contact with the body, a gripper in some multiple stem embodiments bridging at least two of the stems, and a column in contact with the body which includes a groove useful for engaging a film. Applying a force to the stem causes a detachment of the body from the surface axially extending in a certain direction. 
   The invention also includes a film. The film comprises a substantially planar surface, a through-hole wall defining a column receiver portion useful for receiving the column of a sucker, and at least one stem receiver portion useful for receiving at least one stem of a sucker. 
   In use, the film is supported by the column of a sucker when the sucker is attached to a surface. When a force is applied to at least one stem of the attached sucker it causes the sucker to detach from the surface without the film substantially moving relative to the column. 
   The invention also includes the method of use of the sucker and film, both individually and in combination. In certain embodiments, the method comprises providing both a sucker and film such as those described above. The film may be placed in contact relation with the sucker, and the sucker may be attached to the surface. The sucker may be attached to the surface before the film is placed in contact relation with the sucker, or the film may be placed in contact relation with the sucker before the sucker is attached to the surface. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sucker and film combination in an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of a sucker and film combination in an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of a sucker and film combination in an embodiment of the of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
   Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 , the invention comprises a sucker  10  that includes a body  20 , a stem  30 , a gripper  40 , a column  50 , and a groove  60 . The invention also includes a film  70 , having a substantially planar surface  80 , a through-hole wall (or via)  90 , a column receiver portion  100 , and a stem receiver portion  110 . 
   The sucker  10  may be attached to a surface (not shown) by its body  20 . The body  20  may be any size or shape that allows it to attach to a surface by suction force. For example, the body  20  may be circular or rectangular. The body  20  generally comprises a soft material that allows it to be depressed against a surface to apply a suction force. However, the body  20  may also include a relatively harder material, and the suction force may be applied with a vacuum pump or the like. Additionally, the body  20  may include two or more sections. One section may be relatively flexible and be located towards the outside edge of the body  20 . The other section may be relatively inflexible and located inwards of the relatively flexible section, the relatively inflexible section useful for supporting the column  50 . 
   The surface can be any surface that will allow the sucker to attach by suction force. For example, the surface may be a sheet of glass or the like. The surface may be located, for example, in a building or a vehicle. 
   The stem  30  has a first end in contact with the body  20 . As many stems  30  as desired may be in contact with the body  20 . The stems  30  may be formed integrally with the body  20 , or may be a separate piece attached in ways well understood in the art, such as adhesives or fasteners. If a gripper  40  is provided, the stem  30  has a second end attached to the gripper  40 . The gripper  40  may be of any shape or size suitable to allow a user to propagate force through it to the stems  30 , and may be formed integrally with the stems  30 , or may be a separate piece attached to the stems  30 . When a user wants to remove the sucker  10  form the surface, the user can pull the gripper  40  in any direction away from the body  20 , thereby breaking the vacuum. The force applied to the gripper  40  can propagate through any or all of the provided stems  30  to concentrate on the portion of the body  20  connected to the first end of the stem  30  to raise a part of the body  20 . When there are two stems  30  placed across from each other as shown in  FIGS. 1–3 , applying a force to the stems  30  causes a detachment of the body  20  from the surface axially extending in a certain direction. Accordingly, the sucker  20  can be removed from the surface easily. If no gripper  40  is provided, the user may pull the second end of the stem  30 , and the body  20  will detach from the surface in the same manner as described above. 
   The column  50  has a first end in contact with the body  20 . The column  50  may be of any shape or size suitable for supporting the film  70 , and may be formed integrally with the body  20 , or be a separate piece attached thereto. The column  50  contains a groove  60 . The groove  60  is designed to engage with the film  70 . The shape and size of the groove  60  can be of any shape and size to be able to engage the film  70 , and the column  50  may contain as many grooves  60  as desired. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the column  50  contains two grooves  60  that are symmetrically straight. Preferably, when the film  70  is attached to the sucker  10 , the column receiver portion  100  of the through-hole wall  90  is in contact relation with the groove  60 . An example of the column receiver portion  100  engaging with the groove  60  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Of course, such a sucker  10  as described above may be used to support objects other than films. 
   The film  70  may be any object capable of containing a substantially planar surface  80 . For example, the film  70  could be a shade or sunscreen. The film  70  can comprise any suitable material. For example, the film may comprise polyester. The substantially planar surface  80  may be of any size that allows for a through-hole wall to be placed therein. The through-hole wall  90  defines an aperture and is designed to receive and be supported by the sucker  10 . There may be as many through-hole walls  90  in the film  70  as desired. Preferably, the film includes four through-hole walls  90 . The through-hole wall  90  has a column receiver portion  100 . The column receiver portion is sized to receive the column  50 . The through-hole wall  90  also has a stem receiver portion  110 . The stem receiver portion  110  is designed to receive the stem  30 . In some embodiments, there are two stem receiver portions  110  placed across the column receiver portion  100  from each other. Also in some preferred embodiments, such as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the column receiver portion  100  is greater in width than the stem receiver portions  110 . In such embodiments, the area between the stem receiver portions  110  and the stems  30  is reduced. This is desirable, for example, when the film  70  is a shade because it reduces the area where light may bypass the shade. 
   In some embodiments, the column receiver portion  100  and the stem receiver portion  110  are sized to allow the stems  30  and the gripper  40  to pass through them in order to allow the column receiver portion  100  to engage with the column  50 . The column receiver portion  100  may also be sized to allow the stems  30  and the gripper  40  to move relative to the film  70 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . Preferably, the column receiver portion  100  is sized to allow the column  50  to pass through, although it may contact column  50 , before engaging with the groove  60 . 
   In operation of certain embodiments, a film  70  is attached to a sucker  10  by inserting the sucker  10  through the aperture defined by the through-hole wall  90  until the column receiver portion  100  becomes engaged with the groove  60 . The sucker  10  can be attached to a surface by, for example, placing its body  20  against the surface and applying a force downward onto the body  20  to expel any gases contained therein, thereby creating a suction force. The film  70  is held proximate to the surface by the sucker  10 . In such a state, the film  70  is supported by the column  50  in such a manner that any of the stems  30  may be moved without causing the film  70  to substantially move relative to the column  50 . Of course, the sucker  10  may be attached to the surface before the film  70  is placed in contact relation with the column  50 , or the film  70  may be placed in contact relation with the column  50  before the sucker  10  is attached to the surface. 
   While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that other alternative, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations which fall within the spirit and broad scope of the claims.