Suction cup with potting material

Abstract

A suction cup is provided which is configured to be selectively secured to an object. The suction cup may include a suction cup housing defining a suction chamber, a vacuum pump configured to adjust the pressure within the suction chamber to selectively secure the suction cup to an object, and a pressure sensor positioned within the suction cup housing to detect suction chamber pressure information. The suction cup may also include at least one electrical line coupled to the pressure sensor to transmit suction chamber pressure information to a location outside of the suction cup, and a potting material positioned in at least a portion of the suction cup housing to prevent pressure loss within the suction chamber. The suction cup may be in combination with a carrier device for securing an accessory to a vehicle, where the suction cup is configured to be selectively secured to a vehicle. Methods of assembling a suction cup configured to be selectively secured to an object are also provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.