Vacuum device for handling articles

Abstract

A hand held device for manipulating articles having a generally vacuum sustaining face surface. The hand held device includes a suction cup having generally pliable side walls and a hand held portion attached to the suction cup. In a first embodiment the hand held portion includes an electric motor coupled to a vacuum pump. An electronic circuit within the hand held portion allows the operator to directly control the application of vacuum to the suction pump. Also, an electronic circuit senses the vacuum sustained between the suction cup and the article being manipulated and if that vacuum falls below a predetermined level the electronic circuit warns the operator of the condition and automatically actuates the motor until an exceptable vacuum level is reestablished. Alternative embodiments of the present invention include embodiments which utilize a venturi pump or a hand actuated pump which can directly replace the electric motor vacuum generation module. Thus, the present invention not only offers an improvement over the prior art with its automated sensing and actuation circuit but offers a modular approach to configuring the vacuum generator from at least three vacuum different sources.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.