Vacuum holder and carrier with autonomous vacuum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10442629-B2
Application number	US-201715698686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2017
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A vacuum holder for articles, a combination of a vacuum holder and an article, a system for holding and conveying articles, and a method for holding and conveying articles are disclosed. The vacuum holder includes a main body having a surface and an air passageway leading to the surface, and a valve joined to the main body and in fluid communication with the air passageway. An article can be placed adjacent to the surface of the main body, and a vacuum can be drawn through the air passageway to hold the article to the vacuum holder. The valve maintains the vacuum between the article and the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source, until it is desired to release the article from the vacuum holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combination comprising a vacuum holder and an article, wherein said vacuum holder has a retaining surface for holding the article against said retaining surface by vacuum, said vacuum holder comprising:
a main body having an outer surface, said main body having at least one air passageway associated therewith leading to a vacuum port at said retaining surface; and
a valve joined to said main body and in fluid communication with said air passageway,
wherein at least one of the retaining surface and the surface of the article is configured to provide a void space between the surface of the article and the retaining surface, and said vacuum holder has:
an activated configuration wherein said void space has at least partial vacuum therein, and said valve is closed to retain said at least partial vacuum and hold the surface of an article against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder without being connected to a vacuum source,
an unactivated configuration when the vacuum is released;
wherein at least a portion of the retaining surface of the vacuum holder is substantially planar; and
the article having a surface with a concavity therein which is held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder when the vacuum holder is in its activated configuration, and the concavity in the surface of the article provides the void space between the surface of the article and the retaining surface.

2. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the retaining surface of the vacuum holder has a concavity therein.

3. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 2 , wherein the article is held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder when the vacuum holder is in its activated configuration, and the concavity in the retaining surface of the vacuum holder provides the void space between the surface of the article and the retaining surface.

4. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of said main body comprises said retaining surface.

5. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 1 further comprising a gasket on at least a portion of the outer surface of the main body, wherein said gasket has a surface that comprises at least a portion of said retaining surface.

6. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 5 wherein said gasket is compliant.

7. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 1 wherein when in said activated configuration, said at least partial vacuum is greater than or equal to −1 psig (−7 kPa).

8. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 1 wherein when in said activated configuration, said at least partial vacuum is greater than or equal to −13 psig (−90 kPa).

9. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 1 further comprising runners joined to said main body, wherein said runners allow said vacuum holder to slide to form a vehicle with autonomous vacuum.

10. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the article of claim 1 further comprising wheels joined to said main body to form a vehicle with autonomous vacuum.

11. The combination comprising the vacuum holder and the method of claim 1 wherein said article is a bottle having a top and a bottom, and the concavity is in the bottom of the bottle, and the concavity in the bottom of the bottle provides the void space between the surface of the article and the retaining surface.

12. A method for holding and conveying articles comprising:
a) providing at least one article comprising a container, wherein each article has a top, a bottom, one or more sides, wherein said bottom and sides form the surface of the article;
a) placing an article adjacent to the retaining surface of a vacuum holder, wherein the bottom of the article is placed adjacent to a retaining surface of the vacuum holder;
b) at a first location, drawing a vacuum through a valve that is joined to a main body using a vacuum station, wherein said vacuum is drawn until the article is held against the retaining surface of the vacuum holder;
c) closing the valve so that the article is held adjacent to the retaining surface of the main body without being connected to the vacuum station;
d) moving the vacuum holder with the article joined thereto on a conveyor to a second location; and
e) performing an operation on said article, wherein said operation comprises one or more of the following: filling the article with a substance; placing a cap on the article; and decorating the article.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
g) at said second location, opening the valve to release the vacuum to release the article from contact with said vacuum holder.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Lyman Christopher Robert
• Levandoski Mark
• Granitz Michael
• Orndorff Jason Matthew

Classifications

• B65G2201/0261

  Puck as article support · CPC title

• B25B11/005

  Vacuum work holders · CPC title

• B65G21/2036 Primary

  for retaining the load on the load-carrying surface (individual suction grippers B65G17/323) · CPC title

• B25J15/0625

  provided with a valve · CPC title