Braiding machine and methods of use
AssigneeInceptus Medical, LLC
InventorRichard Quick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for forming a tubular braid are disclosed herein. A braiding system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, an upper drive unit, a lower drive unit, a mandrel coaxial with the upper and lower drive units, and a plurality of tubes extending between the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit. Each tube can be configured to receive individual filaments for forming the tubular braid, and the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit can act against the tubes in synchronization to cross the filaments over and under one another to form the tubular braid on the mandrel.
Claims20
A braiding system, comprising:
- a plurality of elongate members each configured to receive a corresponding one of a plurality of filaments;
- a plate assembly including a plurality of slots positioned circumferentially about a longitudinal axis, wherein each of the slots is configured to receive a corresponding one of the elongate members;
- a cam extending circumferentially about the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a drive mechanism configured to rotate the cam about the longitudinal axis to drive at least a set of the elongate members radially through the slots relative to the longitudinal axis.
A braiding system, comprising:
- a plurality of elongate members each having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein individual ones of the elongate members are configured to receive individual filaments;
- an upper drive unit including (a) a first upper cam configured to act against the upper portions of the elongate members to drive the upper portions of the elongate members radially inward toward a longitudinal axis and (b) a second upper cam configured to act against the upper portions of the elongate members to drive the upper portions of the elongate members radially outward away from the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a lower drive unit coaxially aligned with the upper drive unit along the longitudinal axis, wherein the upper drive unit includes (a) a first lower cam configured to operate in synchrony with the first upper cam and act against the lower portions of the elongate members to drive the lower portions of the elongate members radially inward toward the longitudinal axis as the first upper cam drives the upper portions of the elongate members radially inward and (b) a second lower cam configured to operate in synchrony with the second upper cam and act against the lower portions of the elongate members to drive the lower portions of the elongate members radially outward away from the longitudinal axis as the second upper cam drives the upper portions of the elongate members radially outward.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.