The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 18, 1995
Filed:
Aug. 26, 1993
David M Zehnpfennig, Manhattan Beach, CA (US);
Matthew G Driggs, Manhattan Beach, CA (US);
Danny R Chandler, Redondo Beach, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A reconfigurable clamping and supporting apparatus. The inventive apparatus (20) includes first and second arrays (32, 34) of elements (30) and a mechanism for activating same (60, 62, 64-49). The first array (32) comprises at least two rows of elements (30) extending along a first axis and at least two columns of elements extending along a second axis substantially transverse to the first axis. The second array (34) comprises at least two rows of elements (30) extending along the first axis and at least two columns of elements extending along the second axis. Each of the elements (30) is adapted to reciprocate from a first position to a second position along a third axis substantially transverse to the first and second axes. The first position is a home position and the second position is a retaining position. The second array (34) is mounted in opposing face-to-face relation relative to the first array (32) to retain an object therebetween when at least one element of each array is disposed at the second position.