Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a suction cup for securing a fixture to a smooth surface. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assembly for securing a suction cup made from a resilient material such as plastic or rubber to a fixture enabling the fixture to be secured to a smooth surface.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Suction cups attached to fixtures which in turn enable the fixtures to be secured to various smooth surfaces are well known in the industry and commonly used. Such suction cups may be attached to fixtures such as hooks, wire baskets, plastic baskets, garbage bag holders, wire or plastic shelves, soap dishes, soap holders, scouring pad holders, bottle holders, eyeglass holders, glare shields, support lights, plastic cups, and bathroom accessories such as toothbrush holders, wire frame shower hangers, shower seats, shower caddies, and the like.  
           [0005]    Conventional suction cup-fixture assemblies generally employ a system wherein the posterior end of the suction cup comprises a head or knob and fits into a slot on the fixture. The slot generally has a diameter which can accommodate the size of the head upon compression of the head. Upon decompression the head of the suction cup returns to its natural form and size and is retained in place, thus enabling the suction cup to be secured to the fixture.  
           [0006]    A major shortcoming is that the fixture is loosely held to the suction cup and occasionally tilts when objects are placed in the fixture off-center. This can easily cause the object to fall from the fixture and/or the fixture itself to become disengaged from the suction cup.  
           [0007]    Another problem with such a conventional system is that suction cups attached to fixtures are commonly used in association with bathroom accessories and the like. The nature of such use causes the suction cups to become wet. Once wet, the suction cup becomes lubricated and the potential to become displaced from the fixture is increased.  
           [0008]    Another problem with such conventional assemblies is that the suction cup becomes worn from constant use. This in turn also increases the potential that the suction cup head will become displaced or dislodged from the fixture to which it is secured.  
           [0009]    Yet another problem with conventional assemblies is that they tend to be vulnerable to relatively heavy objects. Although the head of the suction cup has a wider diameter than the slot on the fixture in which the suction cup is secured, the downward force created by a relatively heavy fixture could force the head to be decompressed and to slip back through the slot causing the fixture to fall to the ground.  
           [0010]    Therefore, there is an unsatisfied need to have a more efficient and more durable means of attaching suction cups to a fixture for securing the fixture to a smooth surface.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for firmly securing a suction cup to a fixture.  
           [0012]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a means for securing a suction cup to a fixture in a more durable and sturdy manner.  
           [0013]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an assembly such that the resulting assembly is strong, thereby enabling the assembly to hold heavy objects when secured to a surface.  
           [0014]    These and other objects of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art from the description to follow and from the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a side view of the suction cup assembly secured to a hook.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rivet cap assembly.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rivet base protruding from a suction cup.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a side view of a suction cup with a rivet cap assembly.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a front view of a suction cup with a rivet cap assembly. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    The present invention is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment according to the present invention is shown being an assembly  10  and including a suction cup  20  with a rivet assembly  12  and a functional member  30 . For purposes of this description only, assembly  10  is shown having rivet  12  secure suction cup  20  to functional member  30  where functional member  30  is a hook. It should be understood however that this particular illustration is for exemplary purposes only and it should be understood that suction cup  20  can be secured to any other type of functional member or fixture known in the art by rivet  12 , such as wire baskets, plastic baskets, garbage bag holders, wire or plastic shelves, soap dishes, soap holders, scouring pad holders, bottle holders, eyeglass holders, glare shields, support lights, plastic cups, and bathroom accessories such as toothbrush holders, wire frame shower hangers, shower seats, shower caddies, and the like. It is also noted that for exemplary purposes only, suction cup  20  is shown in conjunction with a second suction cup  21 , each being secured by rivet  12  and an additional rivet  13  respectively. However, any desirable number of suction cups  20  may be employed. When multiple suction cups  20  and  21  are employed, the minimum distance between edges of suction cups  20  and  21  can in this type of unit be 0.1 inch, such distance shown at reference “D”, and edges of suction cups  20  and  21  being defined by first edge  20   a  and second edge  21   a.    
         [0022]    Hook  30  can be any standard hook conventional in the art and comprising a straight body portion  32  and a curved portion  34 . Body portion  32  extends downwardly into curved portion  34 , which in turn extends outwardly and upwardly and ends at a substantially upward curve  36 , including a tip  38 , from which hook  30  can support other objects. Rivet  12  also is any type of standard rivet conventional in the art, such as oval head rivets, flat head rivets, countersunk rivets or any special purpose rivet specially designed for this particular application. It is appreciated that rivet  12  can be made of any standard material, such as aluminum, brass, copper, stainless steel or any alloy thereof and can additionally have any standard type of finish, such as black oxide, brass, nickel, passivation, tin, zinc clear, zinc yellow or zinc black.  
         [0023]    Turning now to FIG. 2, a rivet head, the female portion of rivet assembly  12 , is shown and referred to generally at numeral  40 . Head  40  comprises a top  42  and a receiving portion  44 . Receiving portion  44  is a hollow, annular orifice which can slightly protrude outwardly from the underside of top  42 . Receiving portion  44  is hollow so as to be able to receive a corresponding male portion, which is discussed in greater detail below.  
         [0024]    Turning now to FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b , a rivet base, the male portion of rivet  12 , is shown and referred to generally at numeral  50 . Rivet base  50  is formed in an integral manner with suction cup  20 , via any conventional method known in the art, such as injection molding and the like. An annular neck portion  22  of suction cup  20  is centrally located on the non-suctioning side of suction cup  20  and is integrally formed around rivet base  50  thereby embedding rivet base  50  integrally and securely therein. Post  52  extends outwardly from rivet base  50  so as to couple with receiving portion  44  of rivet head  40  by means of an appropriate rivet gun or other riveting machine or device known in the art. Post  52  is substantially annular and has a diameter that is substantially the same as the diameter as that of receiving portion  44  of female head portion  40 , thereby allowing a secure engagement between head  40  and base  50 . Rivet base  50  is aligned accordingly with a slot  33  (FIG. 4) of hook body portion  32  and post  52  extends therethrough for coupling with receiving portion  44 .  
         [0025]    It should be appreciated of course that in an alternative embodiment, head portion  40  is the male portion and base portion  50  is the female portion. It should be further appreciated that rivet  20  as explained herein is just one example of a type of rivet that may be employed and that any alternative type of rivet may be used in lieu of the present rivet  12  to the same effect.  
         [0026]    Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, assembly  10  of the present invention in shown in operation. Rivet base  50  is shown being integrally formed with suction cup  20  and having post  52  extending through slot  33  of hook body portion  32  to couple with receiving portion  44  of rivet head  40 , thereby securing suction cup  20  to hook  30 . Assembly  10  in turn can be secured to a vertical surface  60  via suction cup  20 .  
         [0027]    The present invention can be formed via any method conventional in the art, preferably via injection molding methods. For example, the plastic material employed for the formation of suction cup  20  can be melted down and inserted into a mold having a desirable suction cup shape and allowing for neck portion  22  to be formed thereon. Rivet base  50  is inserted into the liquefied plastic which is to form neck portion  22 . The plastic inside the mold is allowed to cool into the desired shape of the mold, thereby incorporating rivet base  50  therein.  
         [0028]    What has been described above are preferred aspects of the present invention. It is of course not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, combinations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: f