Method and device for manufacturing an electromagnetic navigation sensor
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorNathan J. Knutson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and device for forming a sensor, the method including winding a desired length of wire from a first spool to a second spool, transferring the second spool to a spindle mounted in axial alignment with a substrate, securing the wire to a substrate, rotating the substrate about its axis such that the wire is drawn from the first spool to form a wound region, transferring the second spool to a twist former on which the first spool is mounted, and rotating the first spool and the second spool relative to each other to form a twist pair from the wire.
Claims20
A method of forming a sensor comprising:
- securing a first spool in a twist former;
- securing a second spool on a spindle mounted in axial alignment with a substrate;
- securing the wire to the substrate;
- rotating the substrate about its axis such that the wire is drawn from the first spool to form a wound region;
- transferring the second spool to the twist former on which the first spool is secured;
- rotating the first spool and the second spool relative to each other to form a twist pair from the wire.
A sensor winding device comprising:
- a pair of headstocks aligned along a first axis, each headstock having a chuck for receiving and securing a substrate therebetween;
- a twist former including two spindles each configured to receive either a first spool or a second spool and a shaft, the two spindles configured to rotate by rotation of the shaft;
- a spool support mounted on one of the chucks and configured to receive the second spool;
- and
- a wire housed partially on the first spool and partially on the second spool, wherein with the second spool secured on the spool support, rotation of the chucks forms a wound portion of a sensor, and wherein with both the first spool and second spool mounted in the two spindles, rotation of the shaft forms a twist pair portion of the sensor.
A method of forming a sensor comprising:
- winding a length of wire on a second spool with a pre-winder, the pre-winder drawing wire from a first spool mounted on a spindle associated with a twist former;
- mounting a substrate between a pair of chucks;
- transferring the second spool to a spindle mounted in axial alignment with a substrate;
- securing the wire to the substrate, such that the wire extends from the first spool through a wire guide to the substrate and to the second spool;
- rotating the pair of chucks about an axis such that the wire is drawn from the first spool to form a wound region on the substrate;
- driving a carriage to which the chucks are operably connected, such that axial movement of the carriage forces the wire against the wire guide to form a wound portion of the sensor;
- transferring the second spool to the twist former, wherein a portion of the wire extending from the second spool is led between two posts of the wire guide and parallel to the portion of the wire extending from the first spool;
- rotating the first spool and the second spool relative to each other to form a twist pair from the wire;
- and
- driving a second carriage until a length of twisted pair is achieved.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.