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US 2023/0405839 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for object mounting system
AssigneeNeil Buttermore
InventorNeil Buttermore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of an active object mounting system secure an object of interest to a surface of a secured-to object using one or more vacuum mounting modules, wherein each vacuum mounting module comprises at least one vacuum pump controllably coupled to a microcontroller, a vacuum cup fluidly coupled to the at least one vacuum pump, and a transceiver that receives an instruction corresponding to one of a vacuum cup actuation signal or a vacuum cup release signal.
Claims20
A vacuum object mounting system, comprising:
- a plurality of vacuum mounting modules, wherein each one of the plurality of vacuum mounting modules comprises:
- a cover member with an outer surface that is securable to a secured-to object;
- a body member defined by a cavity that is covered by the cover member;
- a vacuum cup coupled to the body member, wherein the vacuum cup is disposed on an exterior of the body member on a side of the body member opposing the cover member;
- a microcontroller residing within the cavity of the body member;
- a vacuum pump residing within the cavity of the body member, wherein the vacuum pump is controllably coupled to the microcontroller, and wherein the vacuum pump is fluidly coupled to the vacuum cup;
- a power source controllably coupled to the microcontroller and connected to the vacuum pump;
- and
- a transceiver communicatively coupled to the microcontroller, wherein the transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate with the transceivers in each one of the plurality of vacuum mounting modules using a low power near-field communication signal;
- and
- a vacuum control device that is communicatively coupled to each one of the transceivers in the plurality of vacuum mounting modules using the low power near-field communication signal, and wherein the vacuum control device is coupled to a remote electronic device that is controllable by a user,
- wherein in response to a generated control signal initiated by the user and communicated from the remote electronic device to the vacuum control device, the vacuum control device communicates an actuation signal that is communicated to each one of the transceivers in the plurality of vacuum mounting modules using the low power near-field communication signal,
- wherein in response to the actuation signal received at each one of the transceivers in the plurality of vacuum mounting modules, the respective power source in each one of the plurality of vacuum mounting modules powers the respective vacuum pump to create a predefined vacuum pressure between a surface of an object of interest and the respective vacuum cup.
10 more elements
A vacuum mounting module, comprising:
- a cover member with an outer surface that is securable to a secured-to object;
- a body member defined by a cavity that is covered by the cover member;
- a vacuum cup coupled to the body member, wherein the vacuum cup is disposed on an opposing side of the cavity;
- a microcontroller residing within the cavity of the body member;
- a vacuum pump residing within the cavity of the body member, wherein the vacuum pump is controllably coupled to the microcontroller, and wherein the vacuum pump is fluidly coupled to the vacuum cup;
- a power source controllably coupled to the microcontroller and connected to the vacuum pump;
- and
- an outer seal defined by a first surface and an opposing second surface, wherein the outer seal is configured to form a continuous ring of material around the vacuum cup,
- wherein the power source powers the vacuum pump in response to an actuation signal received at the microcontroller to cause the vacuum pump to create a predefined vacuum pressure between a surface of an object of interest and the vacuum cup,
- wherein the vacuum cup partially collapses when the vacuum pump is powered to create the predefined vacuum pressure, and
- wherein the partial collapsing of the vacuum cup pulls the surface of the secured-to object onto the first surface of the outer seal and pulls the surface of the object of interest onto the second surface of the outer seal so that the outer seal is compressed to form a frictional seal between the surface of the object of interest and the surface of the secured-to object.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.