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:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1998
Yasuo Sugimoto, Wako, JP;
Taro Fukuda, Wako, JP;
Abstract
A load retainer assembly includes a pair of lower and upper plates pivotably mounted on a main shaft, and an inverting mechanism provided between the lower and upper plates that, as the lower plate is driven to pivot, causes the upper plate to pivot in the opposite direction to the pivoting direction of the lower plate. The load retainer assembly further includes a first retaining member for interconnecting distal end portions of a pair of links pivotably connected to one end of the lower plate and one end of the upper plate, respectively, and a second retaining member for interconnecting distal end portions of another pair of links pivotably connected to the other end of the lower plate and the other end of the upper plate, respectively. A suction pad is attached to each of the retaining members to retain a load by suction. The first and second retaining members are movable toward and away from each other by causing the upper plate to pivot in the opposite direction to the pivoting direction of the lower plate, and with this arrangement the load retainer assembly can be moved between folded and unfolded positions.