Patent ID: 7406758

Claim:
A vacuum cup assembly for supporting a manufacturing assembly on a workpiece, comprising: a housing having a vacuum generator formed therein and coupleable to a source of pressurized fluid, the vacuum generator including an internal flow duct disposed therein and adapted to expand a flow of pressurized fluid to generate a reduced pressure region within the internal flow duct, and an exhaust port adapted to release the flow of pressurized fluid from the internal flow duct following expansion; and a compliant sealing member coupled to the housing and projecting outwardly therefrom, the sealing member being adapted to at least partially form an at least partially enclosable region between the housing and the workpiece, the enclosable region being in fluid communication with the reduced pressure region so that a reduced pressure may be formed within the enclosable region when the flow of pressurized fluid is expanded, wherein the housing includes a retaining plate having at least one aperture disposed therethrough, the sealing member having a slotted portion being coupled around an outer peripheral edge of the retaining plate, the enclosable region fluidly communicating with the reduced pressure region through the at least one aperture, wherein the sealing member comprises a first sealing member and the enclosable region comprises a first enclosable region, and wherein the housing includes a first vacuum port in fluid communication between the reduced pressure region and the first enclosable region, the vacuum cup assembly further comprising a second compliant sealing member adapted to at least partially form a second at least partially enclosable region between the housing and the workpiece, the housing having a second vacuum port in fluid communication between the reduced enclosable region and the second enclosable region so that a second reduced pressure may be formed within the second enclosable region when the flow of pressurized fluid is expanded.