| 主权项 |
1. An apparatus for reinforcing a medical balloon, said apparatus comprising:
1) a first and a second coaxial spaced apart drive shafts, said first and said second drive shafts being rotatable, around an axis of rotation, at the same speed but in opposite directions of rotation, as viewed from a point located between said first and said second drive shafts, each of said drive shafts having i) a free end, ii) a spring ends anchoring block rigidly attached to it, said anchoring block being connected to a reinforcement sleeve clamp by at least one tension spring, said tension spring extending between said anchoring block and said reinforcement sleeve clamp, and iii) a balloon end clamping gripper rigidly attached to it and coaxially extending beyond the free end of each of said drive shafts, said clamping gripper having a fulcrum, a release handle and a gripping end, said gripping end being normally closed under the action of a spring, said balloon end clamping gripper being adapted to grip an end of a balloon shaft of a pressurized and hermetically-sealed medical balloon, said balloon having an axis, coinciding with said axis of rotation and comprising a balloon body, a first balloon shaft, a first transitional zone, a second balloon shaft, and a second transitional zone, said reinforcement sleeve clamp being adapted to i) clamp an end of a reinforcement sleeve, said reinforcement sleeve having an axis coinciding with said axis of rotation and having a first end and a second end, and ii) apply a tensile force, to said reinforcement sleeve, in a direction parallel to said axis of rotation, said reinforcement sleeve covering said balloon body, said first and second transitional zones of said balloon, at least a portion of said first balloon shaft and at least a portion of said second balloon shaft, 2) at least one yarn-traversing actuator, said actuator being adapted to i) have at least one yarn-traversing guide, ii)) receive a lateral motion, from a lateral motion source in a direction parallel to said axis of rotation and iii) transmit said lateral motion to said at least one yarn-traversing guide, 3) at least one yarn package comprising a yarn and being positioned and oriented to allow unwinding of said yarn, and, 4) at least one yarn-path-guide adapted to guide said yarn to said at least one yarn-traversing guide, thereby enabling wrapping a yarn a) around said first end and said second end of said reinforcement sleeve, and/or b) around said first balloon shaft, said first transitional zone, said balloon body, said second transitional zone and said second balloon shaft. |
