Holder fixed by vacuum for industrial use

Claim 1

A holder for attachment to an object by means of a vaccum from a vacuum source to enable the object to be lifted, transported or held stationary comprising a rigid backpiece, a seal element having a peripheral sealing ring portion terminating in a sealing lip, which lip defines a plane and is adapted to engage a substantially planar surface portion of the object, and having a deformable flange portion joined to the sealing ring portion adjacent its perimeter and to the backpiece at a first sealed juncture therewith inwardly of its perimeter, the flange portion being deformable to enable movement of the sealing ring portion between active and idle positions relative to the backpiece, and a substantially rigid distance-maintaining element affixed to the backpiece within the sealing lip and having a frontal surface spaced-apart toward the backpiece from the plane of the sealing lip when the sealing ring portion is in its idle position and located to engage the object when the sealing ring portion in its active position, valve means coacting between the flange portion of the seal element and the distance-maintaining element, the valve means being closed when the sealing ring portion is in its idle position and open when the sealing ring is in its active position, means associated with the backpiece for communicating a volume V 1 within the seal element and upstream of the valve means with the vacuum source, and resilient means acting between the backpiece and seal element for urging the sealing ring portion toward its idle position to keep the valve means closed when the object is not engaged and for yielding upon movement of the sealing ring portion toward its active position by engagement with the object surface to enable the valve means to open and communicate the vacuum from the vacuum source to a second volume V 2 defined by the seal element and the object.