Apparatus and method for coating of elongate flimsy members
AssigneeHarland Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorsJonathan D. Anderson, Scott D. Schmidt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coating apparatus and method for flimsy elongate members has at least one elongate funnel tube with an inlet, an outlet, and an intermediate portion, the inlet in a basin, a fluid circulating system suitable connecting the outlet to provide flow into the inlet. Each inlet receives an elongate flimsy component and utilizes the circulating fluid to pull the flimsy elongate member into the funnel tube whereby the coating of the flimsy elongate member is accomplished. The invention also includes the method for coating such a flimsy elongate member utilizing the coating apparatus.
Claims14
A method of insertion of elongate flexible members into a coating tube, the elongate flexible members each having a first end, an opposite second end, and an intermediate portion, the method comprising:
- providing fluid circulation to a coating tube, the coating tube having an inlet and a subordinate portion positioned below the inlet, the fluid circulation entering the inlet and flowing through the subordinate portion,
- insertion of the second end of an elongate flexible member into the inlet, and providing sufficient fluid flow into the inlet to provide a bias for drawing the elongate flexible member into said coating tube.
A method of insertion of elongate flimsy members into coating tubes for coating said elongate flimsy members, the method comprising forming a fluid vortex at an inlet of said coating tubes and utilizing the vortex to draw the elongate flimsy member into said coating tube.
A method of insertion of a plurality of elongate flimsy members into a coating portion of process equipment, the method comprising creating a plurality of vortexes in a plurality of inlets configured as funnels, and simultaneously lowering the plurality of elongate flimsy members into the inlets.
A method of coating elongate flexible members, the elongate flexible members each having a first end, an opposite second end, and an intermediate portion, the method comprising:
- providing a fluid circulation system having an inlet and a subordinate portion positioned below the inlet, portion,
- circulating the coating fluid into the inlet and flowing through the subordinate portion thereby providing a bias for drawing the elongate flexible member into said inlet, and
- insertion of the first end of the elongate flexible member into the inlet whereby the bias draws the first end into the intermediate portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.