Vacuum cup with precision hard stop
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsPaul R. Stone, David E. Strand, Paul E. Nelson
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for holding a part on a fixture in a precisely known predetermined position includes pressing a surface of the part against a vacuum head and sealing an annular elastomeric sealing ring against the part surface. A valve button of a valve is engaged by the part surface to open the valve and establish communication between a vacuum source. The part is pulled by the vacuum against a hard stop in the vacuum head having a fixed precisely known relationship to said vacuum head reference surface. The hard-stop can be mounted in the base of the vacuum head for pivoting about at least one axis to self-align the hard-stop face with the part face.
Claims4
A method of holding a part on a fixture in a precisely known predetermined position, comprising:
- pressing a surface of said part against a hard-stop, mounted on a spherical bearing in a base of a vacuum head for universal swiveling about a center of curvature of said spherical bearing at a known position in said base;
- allowing said hard-stop to swivel universally about said center of curvature and for said hard-stop in said base to self-align with said surface on said part;
- sealing an annular elastomeric sealing ring mounted on aid base around said hard-stop against said part surface to create a suction chamber between said part and said base within said sealing ring;
- engaging a valve button of a valve with said part surface to move said valve and establish communication between a source of partial vacuum and said suction chamber;
- pulling said part with said partial vacuum against said hard stop in said vacuum head, and holding said part with said partial vacuum at a known position against said hard-stop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.