A SUCKER DEVICE FOR LIFTING AND HANDLING ITEMS SUCH AS CDs The present invention relates to a sucker device for lifting and handling items such as CDs, compris- ing an elongate, possibly curved suction body having a cross section with a body portion and two legs pro- truding downwards and obliquely to either side from the bottom of the body portion, at least the legs be- ing resiliently deformable. The items intended to be lifted and handled by means of the sucker device are in particular disc-shaped information carriers like CDs, CD-ROMs and the like, which weigh little and which are provided with a through-going hole in the centre.

A sucker device of this type is known form DE-A-43 04 937, which discloses a device comprising a disc- shaped profiled member of a comparatively rigid mate- rial, in which two suction bodies are positioned in respective slits in such a manner that they are posi- tioned diametrically opposite one another on a circu- lar arc around a central push button portion. The de- vice is released from a CD by curving the member by pressure on the rim created in two diametrical places. Thereby, the suction bodies will slip with an inelegant"popping sound\'.

Other known devices for lifting and handling a CD or any other disc-shaped information carrier like a CD-ROM or a record are disclosed in WO-A-00/45996, FR-A-2 750 910 and DE-A-32 13 635, which i. a. de- scribe devices with an annular sucker, and in US-A-5 201 913, which all describe devices, in which the sucker has a passage with access to the air or a separate suction chamber. These devices are thus com- paratively complicated.

Moreover, US-A-4 214 785 discloses a suction dish for handling bigger items like glass panes and metal sheets. The suction dish is provided with a single

circular flap for tight-fitting abutment against the item, said flap being raisable in places by twisting a circumferential gripping edge on the suction dish to release the suction dish from the item. This suc- tion dish is not suitable for CDs and the like, be- cause, if used for that purpose, air would be sucked in through the hole in the middle of the CD, and the vacuum, which makes the suction dish function, would disappear.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sucker device of the kind described by way of in- troduction, said sucker device not suffering from the drawbacks inherent in the prior art devices.

The object is met in that an engagement portion extends upwards from a part of the upper surface of a leg, said part being limited in the longitudinal di- rection of. the suction body, for engagement with a view to releasing the sucker device from an item. By applying a force to the engagement portion, the edge of the adjacent leg will be lifted together with the leg in the place in question, and the sucker will be released from a secured CD without any pulling or any popping sound. At the same time, the engagement por- tion will on account of the limited extension not prevent the leg from being resiliently shaped in or- der to ensure that the sucker may be attached to a CD by a slight pressure.

It is to be understood that the term"elongate, possibly curved"in connection with the suction body in one extreme covers a rectilinear suction body and in the other extreme covers a suction body, which is curved and the ends of which are combined for the formation of a closed ring.

The body portion may comprise a substantially rigid part, and in a preferred embodiment, the suc- tion body is accommodated in a substantially rigid member such that the legs protrude from the rigid member. In this way the device is given a rigidity,

which makes it easier to handle. The rigid member may be annular. Thereby, the device may as a whole be an- nular with a hole in the middle, which allows visual control of the positioning of the device on a CD and manual influence on (release of) the locking mecha- nism, which in some CD cassettes extends up into the hole in the CD.

The body portion is preferably discontinued at the engagement portion. Thereby, the handling of the sucker device is facilitated, i. e. the establishing of the deformation, which is carried out by means of the engagement portion and which has the effect that the vacuum below the sucker is released.

The rigid member has, if provided, preferably a U- shaped cross section, and in a sidewall it is pro- vided with an opening or a weakening to allow appli- cation of a force to the engagement portion. If an opening is provided, a push button is preferably pro- vided in the sidewall of the rigid member, through which push button the engagement portion may be stressed. This push button is preferably coherent with the engagement portion and is preferably pro- vided with a branch extending over the upper surface of the rigid member. In this manner, a lever arm function is obtained, by means of which the push but- ton and consequently the engagement portion are lifted, when the push button is pushed.

The invention will be described in detail in the following by means of an example of an embodiment with reference to the schematic drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the device, Fig. 3 is a partially intersected lateral view of the device, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a part of the de- vice.

The device according to the invention comprises, in the embodiment shown, an annular suction body 1 with a body portion 2 and an interior leg and an ex- terior leg 3 and 4, respectively. Each leg ends in a foot 5 and 6, respectively.

The legs 3,4 and the feet 5,6 of the suction body 1 are made from a comparatively smooth, resilient material, for instance silicone rubber. A part of the body portion 2 is constituted by a rigid part 7, which is secured to the resilient member by a form- fit engagement.

An engagement portion 8 in the form of a block ex- tends upwards from the exterior leg 4, said block be- ing integral with the leg 4. The rigid part 7 is dis- continued in this place in such a manner that the en- gagement portion 8 is movable relative to the body portion 2.

In the upward facing side the rigid part 7 is pro- vided with a groove 9 which may accommodate and se- cure a flange 10 of a rigid, substantially U-shaped member 11, which gives the device its exterior shape.

In a recess in the U-shaped member 11 a push but- ton 12 having a curved exterior wall 13 and two plane sidewalls 14 is provided. The push button 12 is se- cured by the engagement portion 8, a pin-shaped pro- trusion 15 on the inner side of the exterior wall 13 being accommodated in a hole 15a in the engagement portion 8, and the sidewalls 14 surround the two sides of the engagement portion 8.

The push button 12 is in its sidewalls 14 provided with wedge-shaped incisions 16, which taper towards their mouth in the edge of the sidewall, such that the sidewalls 14 may engage the plane top wall of the U-shaped member 11. On account of the wedge-shape the incisions 16 contribute to keeping the push button 12 in place in vertical direction, the mouths of the in- cisions 16 gripping with a comparatively small clear- ance the top wall of the U-shaped member 11. At the

same time, the wedge-shape allows the push button 12 to be tilted relative to the rest of the device, as shown in Fig. 3, which will be explained in detail in the following.

The device functions in the following way.

For lifting and handling for instance a CD 17 the device is placed centrally on the CD 17 and is given a slight push downwards towards the surface of the CD. Thereby, air is pressed out of the interspace be- tween the CD 17 and the underside of the suction body 1, the resilient legs 3 and 4 being bent outwards.

When the pressure against the device stops, the re- turn of the legs 3,4 will produce a vacuum below the suction body 1, which retains the CD 17, the feet 5, 6 contributing to ensure an airtight fitting of the legs 3,4 to the surface of the CD.

The CD 17 can now be lifted by means of the de- vice. It is an advantage that the device is open in the middle, as thus firstly, it is possible to con- trol the central position of the device on the CD and secondly, it is possible with a finger to influence a locking mechanism, if any, which holds the CD in a cassette of a kind known per se.

For release of the CD 17 from the device the push button 12 is influenced as indicated by the arrow 18 in Fig. 3. Thereby, the leg 4 and the foot 6 are lifted opposite the engagement portion 8 and the vac- uum is released.

By a radial pressure from the outside towards the upper part of the engagement portion 8, the upper part will rotate, as it at its lower end is connected with part of the body portion 2 and the exterior leg 4. This rotation reproduces through the material to an upwards directed lifting of the leg 4. This lift- ing is enhanced through co-operation between the top wall of the U-shaped member 11 and the incisions in the sidewalls 14 of the push button 12, the edge of the upper mouth of the incisions sliding along the

upper side of said top wall such that the push button and consequently the engagement portion 8 are forced to rotate upwards around said mouth edge, as will be seen in Fig. 3.

The suction body is in the embodiment shown annu- lar. Alternatively, a single suction body may be pro- vided, which may be rectilinear or, preferably, curved, and advantageously into the shape of nearly a whole circle. It is also possible to provide two suc- tion bodies opposite one another, where at least one suction body is provided with an engagement portion and where, preferably, the engagement portion of one suction body faces away from the second suction body.