Back to results
US 11,357,957 B2Granted
Method and device for forming a balloon
AssigneeBIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG
InventorsMatthias Wesselmann, Amir Fargahi, Christoph Hoser, Daniela Santos, Bodo Quint, Tobias Schaefer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for forming a balloon provides a preform that encloses an internal space. The preform is pre-heated to a shaping temperature by passing a heated gas or fluid via an inlet of the preform into the internal space. The preform is then shaped the preform into a balloon. A device is configured to heat a preform using heated gas or fluid to decouple heating from the temperature of a shaping tool.
Claims20
A method for forming a balloon comprising the steps of:
- providing a preform having a circumferential wall that encloses an internal space, pre-heating the preform while it is held in an open state by passing a heated gas or fluid through the preform via an inlet of the preform into the internal space and out of an outlet of the preform, wherein the preheating is conducted to raise a temperature of the preform to a temperature just below the melting temperature for a period to allow temperature equalisation over an entire wall thickness of the preform, and shaping the pre-heated preform into a balloon by increasing the pressure of the heated gas or fluid in the preform while maintaining an essentially same temperature of the heated gas or fluid from the pre-heating.
A method for forming a balloon comprising the steps of:
- providing a preform having a circumferential wall that encloses an internal space, pre-heating the preform while it is held in an open state to a shaping temperature by passing a heated gas or fluid through the preform via an inlet of the preform into the internal space and out of an outlet of the preform, and shaping the pre-heated preform into a balloon, wherein the shaping comprises reducing flow of the gas or fluid by applying a counter pressure to the end of the preform via the outlet.
The method according to 7, wherein the counter pressure is created by heated gas or fluid passed into the internal space of the preform via the outlet.
A method for forming a balloon comprising the steps of:
- providing a preform having a circumferential wall that encloses an internal space, pre-heating the preform to a shaping temperature by passing a heated gas or fluid via an inlet of the preform into the internal space, and shaping the pre-heated preform into a balloon, wherein the step of providing comprises providing a tool comprising a tube extending in an axial direction, a first cone and an opposing second cone facing each other in the axial direction, and arranging the preform in the tool such that the preform extends in the axial direction through the first cone, the tube and the second cone, and is surrounded by the first cone, the tube and the second cone, and creating a spot at which shaping of the preform starts on a section of the preform that is arranged in the tool, wherein the creating comprises:
- mechanically stretching a region of the section,
- locally heating a region of the section,
- adjusting the temperature of the tool to a level below the melt temperature of the balloon material,
- heating the first cone using a separate heater in order to heat the section to a temperature at which an expansion pressure in the internal space of the preform leads to a radial expansion of the section towards a tapered inside of the first cone, wherein the expansion pressure is smaller than a pressure that would cause further axial expansion of the preform.
2 more elements
A device for shaping a balloon, comprising:
- a tool configured to receive a preform that is to be shaped into a balloon, the tool having a first cone, a second cone, and a tube extending in an axial direction between the first and second cones that face each other in the axial direction and are both insertable into the tube at opposing ends of the tube so that tapered insides of the first and second cones together with an inside of the tube delimit an internal space without moving parts during preheating and shaping, the internal space without moving parts defining the form of the balloon to be shaped,
- at least a first clamping device to hold a first end section of the preform when the preform is arranged in the tool,
- at least a first heater configured to heat a gas or a fluid, wherein the first heater is in fluid connection with the first clamping device such that a gas or fluid heated by the first heater can be passed into an internal space of the preform via an inlet of the preform at the first end section of the preform for pre-heating the preform when the first end section is held by the first clamping device and that the gas or fluid can be passed in the internal space of the preform to form the balloon formed with the internal space without moving parts.
A method for forming a balloon comprising the steps of:
- providing a preform having a circumferential wall that encloses an internal space, pre-heating the preform while it is held in an open state to a shaping temperature by passing a heated gas or fluid through the preform via an inlet of the preform into the internal space and out of an outlet of the preform until the preform attains the shaping temperature, and shaping the pre-heated preform into a balloon by passing a heated gas or fluid into the internal space of the pre-heated preform to apply a pressure in the internal space of the preform such that the preform expands radially and axially.
A method for forming a balloon comprising the steps of:
- providing a preform having a circumferential wall that encloses an internal space, pre-heating the preform while it is held in an open state to a shaping temperature by passing a heated gas or fluid through the preform via an inlet of the preform into the internal space and out of an outlet of the preform until the preform attains the shaping temperature;
- after the preform attains the shaping temperature, mechanically axially stretching the preform;
- and
- shaping the pre-heated preform into a balloon by passing a heated gas or fluid into the internal space of the pre-heated preform to apply a pressure in the range of 7 bar to 50 bar in the internal space of the preform such that the preform expands radially and axially.
1 more element
A method for forming a balloon comprising the steps of:
- providing a perform having a circumferential wall that encloses an internal space, pre-heating the preform while it is held in an open state to a shaping temperature by passing a heated gas or fluid through the preform via and inlet of the preform into the internal space and out of an outlet of the preform, and shaping the pre-heated preform into a balloon, wherein the pre-heating is conducted in three phases that may overlap each other and comprise an axial phase, a radial phase and final phase, wherein
- in the axial phase, the heated gas or fluid travels as an axial heating wave through the initially cold preform and gradually cools down by transferring heat to the inner surface of the preform;
- in the radial phase, when an inner surface temperature of the approaches a temperature of the heated gas or fluid, heat transfer from the heated gas or fluid to the inner preform surface drops and an axial temperature profile of the preform is substantially homogenous, whereby a second temperature wave travels in the radial direction through the preform due to heat conduction;
- and
- in the final phase, a final pre-heat temperature profile of the preform is established due to radiant heat exchange and thermal conduction with its surroundings.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.