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. 03, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 18, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:
Jeffrey C. Madsen, Vancouver, WA (US);
Steven P. Downing, Camas, WA (US);
Assignee:
Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B65H 2/968 ; B65H 2/932 ; B65H 5/02 ; B65H 5/04 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B65H 2/968 ; B65H 2/932 ; B65H 5/02 ; B65H 5/04 ;
Abstract
A vacuum holddown has a holddown member with an outer surface for temporarily capturing a flexible sheet material via a vacuum force distributed across the outer surface through discrete vacuum channels. A vacuum force valve mechanism abuts an inner surface of the holddown member in a selectable sliding engagement. The valve mechanism has a pattern of apertures therethrough in predetermined pattern such that discrete valve mechanism positions produce discrete vacuum force patterns at the outer surface of the holddown member.