Description

VACUUM SUCTION APPARATUS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a vacuum suction apparatus, and more particularly, to a vacuum suction apparatus to be firmly attachable on the uneven surface.

[2]

Background Art

[3] The vacuum suction apparatus is widely used to attach various kinds of goods such as rack or hanger on the wall by means of vacuum strength, and is easily detachable without any trace. But this type of vacuum suction apparatus has a drawback that it can not be attached on the uneven surface. For example, the vacuum suction apparatus may not be attached to the uneven surface tile wall which has carved or projected decorations.

[4] To solve the above problem, a vacuum suction apparatus to be attachable on the uneven surface was suggested. FIG. 1 shows this type of vacuum suction apparatus, which includes cup shape case 3 having a center opening 2, a suction pad 5 disposed below the case 3 and having screw shaft 4 engaged to the opening 2, a jelly ring 6 being made of gel type polyurethane resin with high viscosity and disposed around periphery of the lower surface of the case 3 and a part of it being overlapped on the upper edge of the suction pad 5 and a adjusting cap 7 engaged to the upper end of the screw shaft 4. If the suction pad 5 is pressed on the attaching surface, the jelly ring 6 should tightly contact on the attaching surface and seal the inner space of the suction pad 5, so that the suction pad 5 could be air- tightly attached on the attaching surface. Then the viscosity of the jelly ring 6 also assists to increase the bonding force of the vacuum suction apparatus.

[5] Meanwhile, as the jelly ring 6 is made of gel type resin with high viscosity, if the vacuum suction apparatus is pressed on the uneven surface, the jelly ring 6 may be firstly deformed, but the pressing force can not be sufficiently transmitted to the suction pad 5 due to the buffering effect of the jelly ring 6. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, though the jelly ring 6 may be deformed to tightly contact to the uneven surface, the edge of the suction pad 5 can not be sufficiently deformed to contact to the uneven surface. Nevertheless, once the inner space of the suction pad 5 is sealed by the pressed jelly ring 6, the vacuum generated inside the suction pad 5 keeps the vacuum suction pad being attached on the uneven surface.

[6] But, as the resin material of the jelly ring 6 has some air permeability, air may be infiltrated through the jelly ring 6 into the inner space of the suction pad 5 as time flows.

Therefore, the vacuum condition may be broken and the vacuum suction apparatus may be eventually detached from the uneven surface of the wall.

[7] In addition, in the above vacuum suction apparatus, as the lateral deformation of the jelly ring 6 may not be restricted, the jelly ring 6 can not be sufficiently deformed into the deep or narrow recess a of the uneven surface 1, so that air tightness between the suction pad 5 and the attaching surface 1 may not be satisfactory. Therefore, the conventional vacuum suction apparatus can not be firmly attached on the uneven surface having deep and narrow recess. And as the viscosity of the jelly ring 6 is high, the jelly ring 6 may not be clearly detachable and the attaching trace may be remained.

[8]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[9] The invention is suggested to solve the above problems, and the object of the invention is to provide a vacuum suction apparatus to be attached firmly on the uneven surface for long time, and the attaching trace may not be remained after the vacuum suction apparatus is detached.

[10]

Technical Solution

[11] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vacuum suction apparatus comprising a cup shape case 10 having a center opening 12, a suction pad 20 disposed under the case 10 and having a screw shaft 22 engaged into the center opening 12 of the case 10, a adjusting cap 30 disposed on the case 10 and threadly engaged on the upper end of the screw shaft 22, and a soft ring 40 provided on the lower periphery of the case 10 and a part of it being overlapped on the edge of the suction pad 20, and the soft ring 40 is made of the material softer than that of the suction pad 20, wherein a downward wall 18 is provided along the edge of the case 10 outside the soft ring 40, and a downward wall 16 or upward wall 24 is formed inside the soft ring 40 on the lower surface of the case 10 or on the upper surface of the suction pad 20, so that when the soft ring 40 is pressed on the attaching surface 1, the downward wall 18 of the case 10 and the downward wall 16 of the case 10 or the upward wall 24 of the suction pad 20 may restrict the lateral deformation of the soft ring 40.

[12] According to another aspect of the invention, the suction pad 20 has a flap 26 along the periphery of it.

[13] According to another aspect of the invention, the hardness of the soft ring 40 is 7 to

20 Shore A and the hardness of the suction pad 20 is 50 to 80 Shore A.

[14]

Advantageous Effects

[15] According to the invention as described above, if the external force is applied on the soft ring 40, the pressing ring 40 may be deformed to fill into the recess a of the attaching surface 1 and tightly contact on the attaching surface 1. And the deformed soft ring 40 will also incur the deformation of the edge part of the suction pad 20, which will be deformed in conformity to the contour of the attaching surface 1 and tightly contact on it. Therefore, the vacuum suction apparatus of the invention can be effectively attached on the uneven attaching surface 1. And even though the air may infiltrate into the material of the soft ring 40 slowly, as the edge part of the suction pad 20 tightly contacts on the attaching surface 1, the air tightness of the suction pad 20 could be maintained and the attaching force of the vacuum suction apparatus can be also sustained, [16] In addition, the lateral deformation of the soft ring 40 could be restricted by the downward wall 18 and the downward wall 16 of the case 10 or the upward wall 24 of the suction pad 20, so the soft ring 40 may be easily deformed in vertical direction to fill into the relatively deep or narrow recess a of the attaching surface 1 effectively and the air tightness between the soft ring 40 and the attaching surface 1 can be achieved. [17] And as the suction pad 20 has the flap 26 along the periphery of it, which can be pressed by the soft ring 40, the flap 26 can be effectively deformed along the contour of the attaching surface 1, and it also enhances the air tightness between the surface 1 and the suction pad 20.

[18] In particular, if the hardness of the soft ring 40 is determined to be 7 to 20 Shore A, and the hardness of the suction pad 20 is determined to be 50 to 80 Shore A, the soft ring 40 can be easily deformed and it may press the edge part of the suction pad 20 effectively, and the female or the aged can easily press the vacuum suction apparatus and attach it on the wall. [19]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[20] The above and other objects or advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

[21] FIG. 1 and 2 is a sectional view showing the conventional vacuum suction apparatus,

[22] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the invention,

[23] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the invention in use,

[24] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention in use and

[25] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the other embodiment of the invention.

[26]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[27] A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals denote like elements through the following embodiments.

[28] As shown in the drawings, the vacuum suction apparatus of the invention includes a cup shape case 1 having the center opening 12, a suction pad 20 disposed under the case 10 and having a screw shaft 22 engaged into the center opening 12 of the case 10, a adjusting cap 30 disposed on the case 10 and threadly engaged on the upper end of the screw shaft 22 and a soft ring 40 provided on the lower periphery of the case 10 and a part of it being overlapped on the edge of the suction pad 20.

[29] The case 10 is made of hard plastic material and has the shape of inverted cup which is upwardly convex. The case 10 has the center opening 12 at the center and the downward wall 18 along the periphery of the case 10. And the case 10 has the downward wall 16 inside the downward projection 18. An insert projection 14 is provided between the downward projection 18 and the downward wall 16.

[30] A suction pad 20 is a disc shape and a screw shaft 22 is vertically embedded on the center of the upper surface. The suction pad 20 is made of elastic rubber or elastic resin. A flap 26 is formed along the periphery of the suction pad 20. The thickness of the flap 26 is relatively thinner than that of the main body of the suction pad 20, and is preferably determined to be 0.3 to 0.5 mm. The total diameter of the suction pad 20 including the flap 26 is smaller than that of the case 10. The screw shaft 22 of the suction pad 20 is upwardly inserted into the center opening 12 of the case 10, and the adjusting cap 30 is threadly engaged on the upper end of the screw shaft 22. A grip groove 32 is formed on the surface of the adjusting cap 30 to be easily gripped and rotated.

[31] The soft ring 40 has the outer diameter larger than the diameter of the suction pad 20 and smaller than the diameter of the case 10, and the inner diameter smaller than the diameter of the suction pad 20. And a groove 46 is formed along the upper surface of the soft ring 40, which can be engaged with the corresponding insert projection 14 of the case 10. Therefore, if the soft ring 40 is inserted between the downward projection 18 and the downward wall 16 of the case 10, a part of the bottom of the soft ring 40 may be overlapped on the edge or flap 26 of the suction pad 20 and the other part of the bottom of the soft ring 40 may be exposed.

[32] The soft ring 40 is made of soft material such as silicon resin or rubber, and the hardness of the soft ring 40 is lower than that of the suction pad 20. The hardness of the soft ring 40 is determined such that it should be easily deformed by external force but it could also transmit the external force to the edge of the suction pad 20 and

deform it. The preferable range of the hardness of the soft ring 40 is 7 to 20 Shore A. If the hardness of the soft ring 40 is lower than 7 Shore A, the soft ring 40 may be easily deformed to tightly contact on the uneven surface of the attaching surface 1, but it can not transmit the external force to the suction pad 20 effectively so the suction pad 20 may not be deformed. If the hardness of the soft ring 40 is higher than 20 Shore A, the external force can be effectively transmitted to the suction pad 20, but it can not be sufficiently deformed to tightly contact the uneven surface 1. If the hardness of the soft ring 40 is 7 to 20 Shore A, the preferable hardness of the suction pad 20 will be 50 to 80 Shore A. If the hardness of the soft ring 40 and the suction pad 20 is determined as above, the female and the aged can easily press the vacuum suction apparatus and attach it on the wall.

[33] In order to attach the vacuum suction apparatus of the invention on the wall, the user should firstly press the case 10 on the attaching surface 1 as the adjusting cap 40 being released. Then the soft ring 40 may be deformed by the external force and fill into the recess a of the attaching surface 1. In particular, as the lateral deformation of the soft ring 40 is restricted by the downward wall 18 and the downward wall 16 of the soft ring 40, the soft ring 40 may be effectively deformed into the relatively deep or narrow recess a to achieve a tight contact on the attaching surface 1. The soft ring 40 may also transmit the external force on the edge of the suction pad 20, that is, the flap 26 of the suction pad 20, which will be easily deformed to tightly contact the uneven contour of the attaching surface 1. After that, the user should screw up the adjusting cap 30. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the central part of the suction pad 20 is lifted and the vacuum condition may be generated between the attaching surface 1 and the suction pad 20 because the soft ring 40 and the flap 26 are deformed in conformity to the contour of the attaching surface 1 and tightly contact on it. The generated vacuum force can fix the vacuum suction apparatus on the wall firmly.

[34] FIG. 6 is another embodiment of the invention, in which an upward wall 24 is formed on the upper surface of the suction pad 20. In this embodiment, the lateral deformation of the soft ring 40 may be restricted by the downward wall 18 of the case 10 and the upward wall 24 of the suction pad 20. The upward wall 24 is formed inside the flap 26.