Suction cup 3331283 224203038 2008-07-07T20:02:15Z Mysid 338839 rv; [[WP:NOT]] a crystal ball... A '''suction cup''' is a device, usually made of rubber or plastic, that sticks to smooth, [[pore|nonporous]] surfaces. They are usually used to attach objects together with the use of [[suction]]. Upon pressing the suction cup to a surface, the air pressure inside is drastically reduced. The relatively higher atmospheric pressure outside prevents the cup from lifting off the surface; friction does the rest of the work. Suction cups are believed to have first been used in the 3rd century, [[Anno Domini|B.C.]], and were made out of [[gourd]]s. They were used to suction "bad blood" from internal organs to the surface. [[Hippocrates]] is believed to have invented this procedure. Suction cups are used on nerf darts and can also be found on plungers. [http://www.suctioncupmuseum.com/html/history.html] The modern suction cup was patented in 1882, and is based on the suction cup-like features on [[octopus]] arms. The patent has expired. {{tool-stub}} [[Category:Tools]] [[de:Saugnapf]] [[et:Iminapp]] [[it:Ventosa (strumento)]] [[nl:Zuignap]] [[ja:吸盤]] [[fi:Imukuppi]]