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US 11,447,900 B2Granted
Apparatus for making surgical braids
AssigneeEverestMedica LLC
InventorBrock P. Allen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for making surgical braids comprises a plurality of bobbin carrier assemblies. An active track engages at least some of the bobbin carrier assemblies. A passive track arranged to selectively engage at least one of the bobbin assemblies, and a gate positioned between the active track and the passive track. The gate defines an inter-track path and an intra-track path. The gate has an open position wherein the inter-track path is aligned between the active and passive tracks. The gate further has a closed position wherein the intra-track path is aligned with the active track.
Claims36
An apparatus for making surgical braids, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of bobbin carrier assemblies, the bobbin carrier assemblies carrying strands;
- an active track engaging at least some of the bobbin carrier assemblies, wherein strands carried by bobbin carrier assemblies moving along the active track are braided into a surgical braid;
- a passive track arranged to selectively engage at least one of the bobbin carrier assemblies, wherein strands carried by bobbin carrier assemblies on the passive track are not braided while on the passive track;
- and
- a gate positioned between the active track and the passive track, the gate defining an inter-track path and an intra-track path, the gate having an open position wherein the inter-track path is aligned between the active and passive tracks, the gate further having a closed position wherein the intra-track path is aligned with the active track.
2 more elements
An apparatus for making surgical braids, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of bobbin carrier assemblies;
- an active track engaging at least some of the bobbin carrier assemblies;
- a passive track arranged to selectively engage at least one of the bobbin carrier assemblies, the active track comprises a plurality of active track sections, the active track sections arranged to provide an endless track, the plurality of active track sections forming a clockwise oscillating path and a counterclockwise oscillating path, the clockwise oscillating path being out-of-phase from the clockwise oscillating path;
- a gate positioned between the active track and the passive track, the gate defining an inter-track path and an intra-track path, the gate having an open position wherein the inter-track path is aligned between the active and passive tracks, the gate further having a closed position wherein the intra-track path is aligned with the active track, the passive track comprises at least a first passive track section, the first passive track section being adjacent to at least one of the active track sections.
1 more element
An apparatus for making surgical braids the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of bobbin carrier assemblies;
- an active track engaging at least some of the bobbin carrier assemblies;
- a passive track arranged to selectively engage at least one of the bobbin carrier assemblies wherein the passive track comprises a plurality of passive tracks;
- and the gate comprises a plurality of gates, at least one inter-track path being positioned between each of the passive tracks and the active track;
- and
- a gate positioned between the active track and the passive track, the gate defining an inter-track path and an intra-track path, the gate having an open position wherein the inter-track-path is aligned between the active and passive tracks, the gate further having a closed-position wherein the intra-track path is aligned with the active track.
3 more elements
An apparatus for making surgical braids, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of bobbin carrier assemblies;
- an active track engaging at least some of the bobbin carrier assemblies, the active track comprises a plurality of active track sections, the active track sections arranged to provide an endless trick;
- a passive track arranged to selectively engage at least one of the bobbin carrier assemblies;
- a gate positioned between the active track and the passive track, the gate defining an inter-track path and an intra-track path, the gate having an open position wherein the inter-track path is aligned between the active and passive tracks, the gate further having a closed position wherein the intra-track path is aligned with the active track, the gate comprising a plurality of active gates, each active gate positioned between two active track sections;
- and
- each active gate defining an inter-track path and an intra-track path, each active gate having an open position wherein the inter-track path is aligned between two active track sections, the first active gate further having a closed position wherein the intra-track path is aligned between the clockwise and counter clockwise paths.
3 more elements
An apparatus for guiding bobbins in a braiding machine, the apparatus comprising:
- a plate defining an active track and a passive track, the active track being endless and defining clockwise and counterclockwise oscillating paths, the clockwise path being out-of-phase with the counterclockwise path, the passive track being positioned proximal to the active track;
- and
- a gate positioned between the active and passive track, the gate having a first position blocking communication between the active track and the passive track and a second position providing a path between the active track and the passive track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.