Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
     Applications exist for dispensing medications by way of inhaler devices. Such devices long have been popular for use by persons with asthma to deliver vapor medications stored under pressure, through a chamber, and ultimately, to an inhaler which is placed in the mouth of the person requiring the medication. The medicine which is dispersed in asthma inhalers, however, is vaporized liquid, which is placed in a pressure dispenser associated with the inhaler. Whenever a dosage of medicine is to be delivered, a valve is momentarily opened to dispense and vaporize the stored liquid for inhalation by the user. 
     In recent years, experimentation has been undertaken for delivering powdered medicine by way of an inhaler. Particularly promising is the development of insulin powder which may be inhaled, thereby eliminating the need for injected insulin and all of the problems which are attendant with medications which must be injected at frequent intervals. For delivering powdered medication such as insulin powder, the inhaler device must be designed to blow a stream of compressed air through the powder, creating a cloud of tiny medication particles which then may be inhaled from the device. 
     The Haber U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,850 is directed to a powdered pharmaceutical inhaler mechanism. The device of this patent delivers pressurized air through a coiled tube for dispersing and driving powdered pharmaceutical into the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user. Different parts of the mechanism shown in this patent are designed to be moved from a loading position to a delivery position; and this includes the coiled tube which interconnects these parts. The movement of the tube in this device, however, is quite limited, as is readily apparent from an examination of the device shown in the patent. 
     For inhaler mechanisms where there is a manual pressurization of a charge of air, different parts of the mechanism need to be moved toward and away from one another a greater distance than the parts of the Haber patent. Typically, such mechanisms require movement of from one-half inch to 1½ inches in order to effect the desired charging and cocking of the mechanism. In such manual pressurization mechanisms, it is necessary to utilize a flexible tube to interconnect the charged air with the delivery portion. This tube must be capable of handling the air pressure charge, as well as extension and retraction as the device is utilized. Because there is a relatively long distance of travel between the parts in the various stages of operation, it has been found that a sufficiently long straight length of plastic tubing tends to bend and rub against other internal parts. This rubbing ultimately causes weakness in the wall of the tube, resulting in failure of the device. Because of the relatively large distance of travel in such a manual charging and cocking mechanism, it also is possible to crimp or kink the tube, which also leads to incomplete or ineffective delivery of the medication, and a failure of operation of the device. 
     It is desirable to provide a machine and method for forming a thermoplastic tube, with a uniform cross-sectional thickness throughout its length, as a helical spring, which can be extended and released to its thermoset, coiled, biased condition repeatedly for use in manually charged powdered medication delivery systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a method for forming a helical coil in a length of hollow cylindrical plastic tubing. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a method for forming a helical coil in a length of hollow cylindrical plastic tubing, where the wall thickness of the tubing is uniform throughout its length, including the helical coil. 
     It is an additional object of this invention to provide a machine for forming a helical spring coil in a length of hollow cylindrical thermoplastic tubing. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and machine for forming a thermoset spring coil in a length of hollow cylindrical thermoplastic tubing. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, a method and machine form a helical coil in a length of hollow cylindrical thermoplastic tubing. This is accomplished by clamping the ends of a predetermined length of plastic tubing between first and second opposed spaced clamping mechanisms, which may be in the form of first and second sections of a mandrel. The clamping mechanisms, or first and second mandrel sections, then are rotated relative to one another and simultaneously moved toward one another to form a helical coil in the tubing. Where first and second mandrel sections are employed, the helical coil is formed around the mandrels as they move toward one another. Once the coil is formed, the region of at least the coil portion of the tubing is heated to the thermosetting temperature of the tubing to heat-form the coil in the tubing. Following the heating to set the coil, the coil and tubing are cooled; and the spring coil tube is released from the machine. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a thermoplastic tube segment, which is formed into a thermoset coil by the machine of the preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of a completed part made by the machine of the preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional detail of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail of the portion encircled as “8” in FIG. 6; and 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged detail of the portion shown encircled as “9” in FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which the same or similar components have the same reference numbers throughout the different figures. FIG. 1 is a side view of a short length of elongated flexible tube or conduit, which is intended to be formed into a coiled spring conduit member designed to interconnect two different parts of a powdered medicine delivery inhaler mechanism. 
     An inhaler device, in which the tube shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , is used, is subjected to air pressure of approximately 80 psi when air is released through the dispenser device and the tube  10 . The tube  10  of FIG. 1 is formed from thermoplastic material, which may be extruded and then subsequently heat formed. Initially, extruded tubular material, having the desired internal and external diameters, is cut into the desired length; and segments  14  and  16 , at both ends, are flared by means of heat forming insert mandrels. The manner in which this is accomplished is not important to an understanding of the present invention. It is to be noted, however, that the starting material for use with the machine described subsequently is the tube  10 , shown in FIG. 1, with the enlarged or flared segments  14  and  16  on the ends. The flared segments are selected to have an internal diameter which is greater than the uniform internal diameter of the main body  10  of the tube, for purposes of interconnecting the finished product in an inhaler with a uniform internal diameter airflow passage throughout the length of the entire mechanism, including the portions to which the flared end segments  14  and  16  are attached. 
     In order to form a substantially single-turn helical coil  12 , thermoset into the shape shown in FIG. 2, from the straight length of tube  10  of FIG. 1, the machine shown in FIGS. 4 through 9 is employed. This machine is designed to simultaneously produce six thermoset coiled spring tube members of the type shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with each cycle of operation. The finished product, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is a thermoplastic tube  10  with a uniform cross-sectional thickness throughout its length. The tube is thermoset formed as a helical spring which may be extended and released repeatedly to its thermoset-biased coiled condition, for use in manually-charged, powdered medication delivery systems. 
     FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the primary operating components of the machine of the preferred embodiment used to form the product shown in FIG.  2 . Some conventional mechanisms, which may be associated with the machine of FIGS. 4 and 5, have not been shown in order to more clearly present the features which are unique to the operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     Basically, the machine includes two spaced-apart parallel mounting blocks  20  and  22 , which are secured to a machine base (not shown) in any suitable manner. The blocks are spaced a uniform distance apart; and each of them includes six aligned, equally spaced support bearings for rotating mandrels. The mandrels, in turn, are supported in a pair of movable, bearing support members  24  and  26  for the blocks  20  and  22 , respectively. Six mandrels  28  extend through bearings  32  in the member  24 ; and a corresponding six mandrels  30  extend through bearings  34  in the mandrel support member  26 . 
     As shown in both FIGS. 4 and 5, the mandrels  30  also slidably extend through the bearings  36  in the main support block  22 , as well. Similar bearings (not shown) in the support block  20  are used for allowing pivotal rotation of the mandrels  28  in that support block for either or both sets of mandrels  28  and  30 . The mandrel support members  24  and  26  for either or both sets of mandrels  28  and  30  are arranged to be moved toward and away from the blocks  20  and  22 , respectively, through means of a suitable electromechanical system  94 . This is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 4, by means of the dotted lines  100  and  102  interconnecting the mandrel support members  24  and  26  with a control and drive motor unit  94 . 
     In the operation of the machine, at the beginning of each cycle, six pre-formed plastic tube sections of the type shown in FIG. 1 are dropped into aligned slots  62  and  83 , formed on the upper surfaces of opposite sleeves  60  and  82 , respectively, which surround the mandrels  30  and  28 , as shown most clearly in FIG.  6 . One of the pre-formed lengths of tube  10 , with the flared end segments  14  and  16 , is placed in each of these opposing sleeves in the slots on the top of the mandrels  30  and  28 , in each of the six different positions of the six-unit machine shown in FIG.  4 . Each of the different positions are identical; and one of them is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates, in an exploded view, the portions of the sleeves and operating parts which are associated with one of the mandrels  30 . It should be noted that each of the mandrels  30  are identical, and that the corresponding parts which are associated with those mandrels are identical. For that reason, only one has been shown in exploded detail. Similarly, the mandrels  28  are surrounded with sleeves and operating collars which are identical to one another, and are identical to the one shown in exploded view in FIG.  5 . In order to avoid cluttering the drawing with unnecessary details, only one of the mandrel and sleeve sets is shown in exploded detail; and only a partial cross section of some of the operating features is shown in FIG.  6 . 
     When a part  10  is dropped into the slots  62  and  83 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the flared end rests on a wider flat portion  61  on the sleeve  60  (and a corresponding flat portion on the sleeve  82 ) with the main body of the tube  10  which is located between the end segments  14  and  16  extending through the narrower slot  62 , for example, in the sleeve  60 . An identical construction on all of the other sleeves on both sides of the machine is employed; so that the tube  10  extends through the narrow slots  60  on the machine portion carried by the block  22 , and a similar set of slots  83  carried by the sleeves  82  on the block  20 . 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of this portion of the machine, which illustrates the orientation of the sleeve  82  and its slot  83 , with respect to the mandrels  28 . Again, a similar cross section taken on any of the other sleeves and mandrels, on both sides of the machine, is identical to the one shown in FIG.  7 . 
     In order to lock the thermoplastic tube section  10 / 14 / 16  into place for effecting a subsequent rotating operation, a second sleeve is provided at each of the mandrel positions. This is a larger sleeve,  90  for the mandrels associated with the block  20 , and  54  for the mandrels  30  associated with the block  22 . The cross-sectional views of FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the general orientation of the locking sleeves  90  and  54  with respect to the other parts. 
     After the tube section  10  of FIG. 1 is placed in the slots on the smaller sleeves  82  and  60 , as described above, the locking sleeves  90  and  54  are rotated to cause the open gap, such as the gap  84  shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to rotate over and close the opening over the top of the flanges  14  and  16 . The flanges  14  and  16  stick up just slightly above the upper diameter projection of the sleeves  60  and  82 ; so that when this rotation of the sleeves  90  and  54  is effected, a vice-like clamping action is provided to tightly grip the end segments  14  and  16  in place, and hold them against any rotation of the tube  10  during the next cycle of operation of the machine. 
     To effect the clamping of the end segments  14  and  16 , a rectangular sliding bar assembly, including a pair of spaced-apart horizontal end members  76  and  88 , which are interconnected by elongated side members (not shown) is provided. This rack slides in facing slots  70  and  72  in the support blocks  22  and  20 , respectively, and. is operated by the control and drive motor mechanism  94  at the beginning and end of each cycle to reciprocate back and forth, as indicated by the double-ended arrow at the left-hand end of FIG.  4 . Once all of the tubes  10  are in place as described above, the rack  76 / 88  is moved toward the right, as viewed in FIG. 4, to cause six spaced engaging pins  78 , on the right-hand end side of the rack  76 , and a corresponding set of six engaging pins  80  on the left-hand side of the rack, to engage corresponding slots  52  and  42  located, as is most readily apparent in FIGS. 4 and 5, on the lower sides of circular operators  48  and  38  which are fixedly attached for rotation with the sleeves  54  and  90 , respectively. When the rack  76 / 88  moves toward the right, as seen in FIG. 4, the operators  48  associated with the sleeves  54  are rotated clockwise (as viewed in FIG.  5 ); and the operators  38 , associated with the sleeves  90  in the support block  20 , are operated counterclockwise (as viewed in FIG. 4) to rotate over the openings in the ends of the slots  62  and  83  and effect the clamping of the flanges  14  and  16 , as described above. The rack  78 / 88  remains in its rightmost position for the duration of the next portion of the cycle of operation. It should be noted, however, that for the operation just described, the pins  78  and  80  engage the slots  52  and  42 , respectively, to effect the rotation. This causes a second set of slots (located 180° from the slots  42  and  52  engaged by the pins  78  and  72 ) to be rotated into position for subsequent engagement for rotating the assembly back to the starting position, once a complete cycle of operation has taken place. For the purposes of the next portion of the ensuing discussion, however, it should be noted that the rack  78 / 88  moves from the position shown in FIG. 4 toward the right (as shown in FIG.  4 ), as described above, and remains there until it is time to commence a new cycle of operation. 
     After the flanges  14  and  16  are locked into place, the control and drive motor mechanism  94  commences rotation of the mandrels  30 , through a set of drive shafts, while the mandrels  28  remain in a fixed or non-rotating condition. At the same time, the control and drive motor  94  moves the mandrel support members  24  and  26  toward the blocks  20  and  22 , respectively, in synchronism with the rotational force applied through the drive shafts  96  to the mandrels  30  to cause a coil  12  to be formed in the center of the pre-formed cut length of thermoplastic tubing  10  of FIG.  1 . In FIG. 2 the coil  12  is shown offset from the center, but in reality, the coil  12  will form at the center of the tube  10  because of the uniform wall thickness and strength of the material. 
     The movement of the mandrel support blocks  24  and  26 , toward one another, is at a rate to accommodate for the reduction in length between the ends of the tube  10  as the coil  12  is formed in it. The coil  12  forms around the path of the mandrels  28  and  30 ; and in fact, as they approach one another, the coil  12  is wound around the mandrels  28  and  30 . 
     At the end of the rotation to form the coil  12  (chosen to be slightly more than 360° of relative rotation between the mandrels  30  and  28 ), the mandrel ends  29  and  31  engage one another. FIGS. 6,  8  and  9  show details of this portion of the mechanism. The mandrels  28  have a slot  29  formed in their end; and the mandrels  30  have a flat projection  31  formed in the end, which mates with the slot  29 . As a consequence, when the mandrel  30  is moved into engagement with the end of the mandrel  28 , the flat projection  31  extends into the slot  29 . Continued rotation of the mandrel  30  under control of the drive motor  94 , through the shaft  96 , now causes the entire assembly of joined mandrels  30  and  28  to rotate together at the same rate. This occurs immediately after the coil is formed in the tube  10 . 
     During the time mandrels  28  and  30  are engaged (as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 6) for rotation together, hot air at a sufficiently high temperature to exceed the thermosetting temperature characteristics of the plastic used in the tube  10 , is applied to the coils  12  through a heater  110 . The coils  12  rotate in the region of the hot air applied from the heater  110 ; and this rotation in thermosetting heat is effected for a length of time sufficient to cause the thermosetting formation of the coil  12 . Once thermosetting of the coil  12  in the tube  10  has been completed, heat application from the heater  110  is discontinued. Continuous rotation of the mandrels  30  and  28  together is effected; and if desired, cooling air may be blown across each of the coils  12  in a conventional manner (not shown) to effect a more rapid cooling down of the parts. Once the parts are sufficiently cooled, the rack  78 / 88  is operated by the control and drive motor mechanism  94 , through the control link indicated in dotted lines  98 , to move back toward the left and to rotate the sleeves  54  and  90  back to the relative positions shown in FIGS. 4,  5  and  7 . The slots  62  and  84  once again are opened. Continued rotation of the mandrels  30  and  28  then causes the assembly, including the sleeves  54 ,  90 ,  60  and  82 , to rotate where the openings  62 ,  83 ,  56  and  84  are pointed downwardly; so that gravity allows the finished parts of the type shown in FIG. 2 to drop out of the open slots. Rotation another 180° back to the position shown in FIGS. 4,  5  and  7  is effected. Rotation of the mandrels  30 / 28  ceases; and the mandrel support members  24  and  26  are moved back to the positions shown in FIG. 4 by the control and drive motor mechanism  94 . The finished parts drop free. The system now is ready for a new cycle of operation, repeating all of the steps which have been described above. 
     The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is to be considered as illustrative and not as limiting. Various changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art for performing substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve substantially the same result without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Technology Category: 1