Patent ID: 7280890

Claim:
A method of fabricating a vacuum cup for a robotic device, comprising the following steps: (a) providing a female mold shaped in the desired vacuum cup foot shape; (b) providing a flat Teflon sheet of desired thickness and shape to fill said female mold; (c) providing a male mold shaped complementary to said female mold; (d) deforming said flat Teflon sheet by heating and compressing components (a), (b), and (c) in an oven at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two hours or until said Teflon sheet conforms to the desired shape; (e) providing a second mold for containing said conformed Teflon sheet and a poured resilient polymer in a preselected vacuum cup shape; (f) pouring said resilient polymer in said mold; (g) allowing said polymer to cure; (h) removing said vacuum cup from said mold.