Spring Carrier
AssigneeSanofi Winthrop Industrie
InventorsPhilippe Chabert, David Darras
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring carrier for receiving, retaining, and discharging of a coil spring in a manufacturing process includes an elongate hollow body defining an inner cavity to receive the coil spring and an opening at a first proximal end of the hollow body for the insertion of the coil spring into the inner cavity and extraction of the coil spring from the inner cavity. The hollow body includes a second distal end opposite to the first proximal end. The hollow body includes a magnetic member to magnetically attract and retain the coil spring when the coil spring is located within the inner cavity.
Claims21
1-15. (canceled)
A spring carrier for receiving, retaining, and discharging of a coil spring in a manufacturing process, the spring carrier comprising:
- an elongate hollow body defining an inner cavity configured to receive the coil spring;
- an opening at a first proximal end of the hollow body for insertion of the coil spring into the inner cavity and extraction of the coil spring from the inner cavity;
- and
- the hollow body including a second distal end opposite to the first proximal end, wherein the hollow body includes a magnetic member configured to magnetically attract and retain the coil spring when the coil spring is located within the inner cavity.
An apparatus comprising:
- a spring carrier comprising:
- an elongate hollow body defining an inner cavity configured to receive a coil spring;
- an opening at a first proximal end of the hollow body for insertion of the coil spring into the inner cavity and extraction of the coil spring from the inner cavity;
- the hollow body including a second distal end opposite to the first proximal end,
- wherein the hollow body includes a magnetic member configured to magnetically attract and retain the coil spring when the coil spring is located within the inner cavity;
- and
- an electromagnet configured for placement proximate the spring carrier and configured to generate a magnetic field to make the magnetic member an induced magnet.
An apparatus comprising:
- a spring carrier comprising:
- an elongate hollow body defining an inner cavity configured to receive a coil spring;
- an opening at a first proximal end of the hollow body for insertion of the coil spring into the inner cavity and extraction of the coil spring from the inner cavity;
- the hollow body including a second distal end opposite to the first proximal end,
- wherein the hollow body includes a magnetic member configured to magnetically attract and retain the coil spring when the coil spring is located within the inner cavity;
- and
- an airflow generator configured to generate a flow of air into the hollow body to facilitate extraction of the coil spring from the hollow body.
A method of manipulating a coil spring using a spring carrier for receiving, retaining, and discharging of the coil spring in a manufacturing assembly process, the spring carrier comprising an elongate hollow body defining an inner cavity, an opening at a first proximal end of the hollow body, the hollow body including a second distal end opposite to the first proximal end, and a magnetic member provided proximate to the second distal end of the hollow body, the method comprising:
- inserting the coil spring into the inner cavity through the opening at the first proximal end of the hollow body;
- and
- magnetically attracting and retaining, with the magnetic member, the coil spring within the inner cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.