Braiding apparatus for a tubular braid structure
AssigneeMurata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYasuo Akiyama, Zenichiro Maekawa, Hiroyuki Hamada, Atsushi Yokoyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The apparatus comprises a tubular braid machine, a mandrel having branched portions, a holding body for the mandrel capable of effecting upward movement, downward movement, horizontal movement about a braiding point or rotation within a vertical surface, an annular guide detachably mounted at a braiding position to a mandrel main portion, an annular guide detachably mounted at a braiding position to a mandrel branch portion, and a closeable annular guide detachably mounted therebelow.
Claims13
A method of forming a tubular braided structure from continuous strands on a mandrel, the mandrel having an end portion and first and second portions defining a junction, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to a braiding axis with the first portion of the mandrel being substantially coaxial with the braiding axis and braiding the strands on the first portion at a braiding location during said movement;
- rotating the mandrel generally about the junction when the braiding approximately reaches the junction to bring the second portion of the mandrel into substantially coaxial alignment with the axis;
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to the axis in the same direction as in the first step and braiding the strands on the second portion at a braiding location during said movement;
- holding the end portion of the mandrel by a holding body continuously during the steps of moving and rotating the mandrel;
- and
- continuously maintaining the end portion of the mandrel held by the holding body outside the braiding location during the steps of moving and rotating the mandrel.
A method of forming a tubular braided structure from continuous strands on a mandrel, the mandrel having first and second portions defining a junction, each of the first and second portions having a central axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to a braiding axis with the first portion of the mandrel being substantially coaxial with the braiding axis and braiding the strands on the first portion during said movement;
- rotating the mandrel generally about the junction when the braiding approximately reaches the junction to bring the second portion of the mandrel into substantially coaxial alignment with the axis;
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to the axis in the same direction as in the first step and braiding the strands on the second portion during said movement,
- braiding the strands on the first portion of the mandrel while guiding the strands generally symmetrically about the central axis of the first portion;
- and
- braiding the strands on second portion of the mandrel while guiding the strands generally symmetrically about the central axis of the second portion;
- positioning a first annular braiding guide for guiding the strands to the first portion;
- and
- positioning a second annular braiding guide for guiding the strands to the second portion of the mandrel, the second annular braiding guide having a diameter smaller than that of the first annular braiding guide.
A method of forming a tubular braided structure from continuous strands on a mandrel, the mandrel having an end portion and first and second portions defining a junction, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to a braiding axis with the first portion of the mandrel being substantially coaxial with the braiding axis and braiding the strands on the first portion at a braiding location during said movement;
- moving the mandrel in a direction transverse to the braiding axis when the braiding approximately reaches the junction to bring the second portion of the mandrel into substantially coaxial alignment with the axis;
- and
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to the axis in the same direction as in the first step and braiding the strands on the second portion at a braiding location during said movement;
- holding the end portion of the mandrel by a holding body continuously during the steps of moving and rotating the mandrel;
- and
- continuously maintaining the end portion of the mandrel held by the holding body outside the braiding location during the steps of moving and rotating the mandrel.
A method of forming a tubular braided structure from continuous strands on a mandrel the mandrel having first and second portions defining a junction, each of the first and second portions having a central axis, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to a braiding axis with the first portion of the mandrel being substantially coaxial with the braiding axis and braiding the strands on the first portion during said movement;
- moving the mandrel in a direction transverse to the braiding axis when the braiding approximately reaches the junction to bring the second portion of the mandrel into substantially coaxial alignment with the axis;
- moving the mandrel linearly relative to the axis in the same direction as in the first step and braiding the strands on the second portion during said movements;
- braiding the strands on the first portion of the mandrel while guiding the strands generally symmetrically about the central axis of the first portion;
- braiding the strands on the second portion of the mandrel while guiding the strands generally symmetrically about the central axis of the second portion;
- positioning a first annular guide for guiding the strands to the first portion;
- and
- positioning a second annular guide for guiding the strands to the second portion of the mandrel, the second annular guide having a diameter smaller than that of the first annular guide.
A method of forming a tubular braided structure from continuous strands on a mandrel, the mandrel having an end portion and first and second portions defining a junction, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the mandrel along a braiding axis with the first portion being substantially coaxial with the braiding axis and braiding the strands on the first portion at a braiding location during said movement;
- positioning the mandrel when the braiding approximately reaches the junction to bring the second portion of the mandrel into substantially coaxial alignment with the axis;
- moving the mandrel along the axis in the same direction as in the first step and braiding the strands on the second portion at a braiding location during said movement;
- holding the end portion of the mandrel by a holding body continuously during the steps of moving and rotating the mandrel;
- and
- continuously maintaining the end portion of the mandrel held by the holding body outside the braiding location during the steps of moving and rotating the mandrel.
A method of forming a tubular braided structure from continuous strands on a mandrel, the mandrel having first and second portions defining a junction, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the mandrel along a braiding axis with the first portion being substantially coaxial with the braiding axis and braiding the strands on the first portion during said movement;
- positioning the mandrel when the braiding approximately reaches the junction to bring the second portion of the mandrel into substantially coaxial alignment with the axis;
- moving the mandrel along the axis in the same direction as in the first step and braiding the strands on the second portion during said movement;
- braiding the strands on the first portion of the mandrel while guiding the strands generally symmetrically about the central axis of the first portion;
- braiding the strands on the second portion of the mandrel while guiding the strands generally symmetrically about the central axis of the second portion;
- positioning a first annular braiding guide for guiding the strands to the first portion;
- and
- positioning a second annular braiding guide and a third annular braiding guide for guiding the strands to the second portion of the mandrel, each of the second annular braiding guide and the third annular braiding guide having a diameter smaller than that of the first annular guide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.