BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum suction holder for an apparatus carrier,
FIG. 2 is a side view of the vacuum suction holder in an operating position,
FIG. 3 is a side view of the vacuum suction holder in release position, and
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The figures show a vacuum suction holder for an apparatus carrier. The suction holder includes a bell-shaped suction housing 1, across the bottom end of which a suction membrane 2 extends. The suction housing 1 is provided with a console 3 for the connection of a goose neck or another support structure. Molded onto the console 3 and the suction housing 1 is furthermore a guide sleeve 4 which, at its lower end, is connected to the center area of suction membrane 2 and which accommodates a spiral compression spring 10 biasing the shaft 2′ downwardly. The arrangement including the shaft 2′ and the spring 10 is known for example from the US patent referred to earlier. The upper end of the shaft is connected to the operating lever 6 via a transverse pin 5. The end of the operating lever 6 connected to the shaft is forked and each end is provided with an eccenter cam 7 rotatable about the transverse pin 5.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are side views showing the vacuum suction holder with the operating lever 6 in operating position, that is, in the suction position (FIG. 2) and in the release position (FIG. 2).
The guide sleeve 4 is provided with diametrically opposite slots 5′ for accommodating the slide movement of the transverse pin 5 in axial direction of the guide sleeve 4 during the movement of the operating lever 6 between the release and the operating positions. The eccenter cam 7 is supported on the suction housing 1 when the operating lever 6 is pivoted down to the horizontal operating position as shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the transverse pin 5 is disposed at the greatest distance from the suction housing 1 and the operating shaft is pulled upwardly by the transverse pin 5 so that the suction membrane 2 is pulled into the suction housing 1. In FIG. 3, the operating lever 6 is shown into the upwardly pivoted release position in which the eccenter cam 7 is removed from the top side of the suction housing 1 and the transverse pin 5 is disposed closer to the suction housing 1 so that also the operating shaft is moved downwardly to its lower end position together with the suction membrane 2, which is then disposed flat at the bottom of the suction housing 1.
In accordance with the present invention, the operating lever 6 is provided with a release position locking structure for the suction membrane operating mechanism which comprises the operating lever 6, the transverse pin 5, the operating shaft 2′ and the spring 10 in the guide sleeve 4. For retaining the lever 6 and also the operating rod and the suction membrane 2 in the release position retaining brackets 8 are provided on the guide sleeve 4 so as to project over the forked ends of the operating lever 6 and the operating lever is provided with counter cams 9 which abut the retaining brackets 8. In the operating position as shown in FIG. 2, the retaining brackets are not engaged by the counter cams as the cams 7 abut the suction housing 1. However, when the operating lever 6 is pivoted out of the operating position as shown in FIG. 2 into the release position as shown in FIG. 3, the counter cams 9 abut the brackets 8. At their tops, the counter cams 9 are provided with a flattened portion 9′ so that they are firmly seated on the flat bracket surfaces resulting in a retaining force which has to be overcome for movement of the operating lever out of the release position. The arrangement is easy to establish as the operating lever 6 and the guide sleeve 4 with the retaining brackets 8 all consist of plastic. By cooperation of the counter cam 9, with the flat retaining surface area 9′ and the brackets 8, the suction operating mechanisms is firmly held in the release position of the suction membrane 2 and of course, also the membrane 2 is forced into its flattened position even if the membrane has been deformed by previous extended use. A deformed membrane can therefore not bend back into the suction housing 2 because of internal material stresses and, in the process, move the operating shaft upwardly with a certain compression of the compression spring 10, where such a spring is provided, as the operating shaft is locked by the operating lever via the transverse pin 5. The additional engagement between the brackets 8 and the flat surface areas 9′ holds the operating lever 6 in the release position so that it cannot be moved accidentally out of the release position as shown in FIG. 3.
Although the solution of the problem being solved by the present invention is very simple, its effect eliminates the problems of vacuum suction holders described earlier and provides for a substantial advance and use advantage of vacuum suction holders as their operational life span is substantially extended.
Patent Application
20070257167
