Patent ID: 7731166

Claim:
A universal support insert for supporting a part ( 1 ) of random and/or complex shape that with a surface that can match the shapes of the said part ( 1 ), the apparatus comprising: a rigid base ( 11 ); a deformable enclosure ( 3 ), containing incompressible particles ( 4 ) and comprising a hole which is connected or is connectable to a vacuum source ; the enclosure ( 3 ): is in contact with the rigid base ( 11 ), is totally filled with said particles ( 4 ), has a part contacting surface positioned to contact a part ( 1 ) to be held, is deformable at constant volume, has a rest position which the enclosure adopts when the enclosure is not evacuated and no part is in place for support, maintains a constant volume when the enclosure is evacuated and when the enclosure is not evacuated, becomes immobilised without shrinking in a shape and in a work position determined by a said part ( 1 ) contacting the flexible surface when vacuum is applied to the enclosure, and has on the outside at least one concave shape ( 6 ) which crushes when the enclosure and the part are placed in the work position so as to permit large deformations when there is no vacuum in the enclosure ( 3 ), and the said concave shape ( 6 ) is open to the outside to permit the discharge or intake of air in the concave zone during crushing or a return to the rest position of the enclosure, and at least one said concave shape ( 6 ) is open to the outside of the enclosure and is totally or partially filled by a deformable elastic body ( 7 ) so as to give elasticity to the insert when vacuum is not applied in order to bring the enclosure ( 3 ) back to the rest position.