Drip retainer

Details Drip retainer Drip retainer

2002-08-15

2004-08-24

Davis, Robert B. (Department: 1722)

Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes

Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article

Shaping against forming surface

C220S475000, C220S571000, C118S501000, C425S215000, C425S270000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06780366

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to methods and materials for containing and retaining fluid drips and runoff from a dipping mandrel.
BACKGROUND
Processes for manufacturing dipped elastomeric components often are carried out by hand. A mandrel having a mold in the desired form connected to a shaft is repeatedly dipped in or coated with an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent. Between coatings, the dipping mandrel can be inverted and then held upright to allow the fluid to cover the anterior and posterior surfaces of the mold evenly. The mandrel typically is heated between coatings to allow the solvent to evaporate, and also can be heated at the end of the procedure to allow the elastomeric compound to set or cure.
SUMMARY
The invention provides methods and materials for producing dipped elastomeric components such as mammary implants. Specifically, the invention provides dipping mandrels that contain a mold, a shaft, and drip retainer. In general, the mold and drip retainer are attached to the shaft such that fluid (e.g., an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent) traveling away from the mold and toward the drip retainer is captured by the drip retainer. Thus, the drip retainers provided herein can be configured to catch and retain fluids that run or drip off the mold and shaft. In addition, the drip retainers provided herein can be designed to retain captured fluids when the dipping mandrel is inverted.
The invention also provides drip retainers that can catch and contain fluids when attached to a shaft of a dipping mandrel. Such drip retainers can retain the captured fluids when the dipping mandrel is inverted. A dipping mandrel containing a drip retainer provided herein can be repeatedly coated with an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent, inverted, and righted, such that the collected fluid runoff is substantially retained in the drip retainer. This prevents return of the fluid to the mold or the shaft. This also prevents the contamination of other equipment used in the coating process by fluid runoff.
The dipping mandrels and drip retainers described herein can be used for automated processes, since fluid runoff is completely or substantially prevented from (1) returning to the mold between coatings and (2) contaminating the equipment and work areas. In addition, a dipping mandrel containing a drip retainer provided herein is well-suited to an automated manufacturing process, since the operator need not constantly monitor the process to ensure that fluid does not drip or flow from the drip retainer back to the mold or onto other equipment used in the coating process.
The invention is based on the discovery that a drip retainer can be configured to resemble a hollow funnel having one or more openings in its top surface and can, when attached to the shaft of a dipping mandrel, be used to catch and retain fluids that drip off the mold and/or flow down the shaft. The invention also is based on the discovery that when a drip retainer of the invention is attached to a dipping mandrel that is repeatedly coated with a fluid, such as an elastomeric compound dispersed in a solvent, and transferred from an upright position to a tilted (e.g. sideways or inverted) position, the fluid can be completely or substantially retained within the drip retainer.
In one aspect, the invention features a dipping device. The dipping device can contain: (a) a shaft having a first end and a second end; (b) a mold having a top surface and a bottom surface; and (c) a drip retainer. The bottom surface can define,an attachment point and the mold can be attached to the first end at the attachment point. The top surface can define a top reference point opposite the attachment point. The drip retainer can be attached to the shaft between the first end and the second end, and can collect fluid that moves in a direction away from the mold and toward the drip retainer when the dipping device is in an upright position such that the top reference point is centered above the attachment point. The drip retainer can prevent substantially all of the collected fluid from contacting the mold when the dipping device is inverted from the upright position. The shaft can extend in a single direction from the first end to the second end. The shaft can contain steel, aluminum, plastic, metal, or wood. The mold can be a mammary prosthesis mold (e.g., a high profile mammary prosthesis mold, a medium profile mammary prosthesis mold, or a low profile mammary prosthesis mold). The mammary prosthesis can be a 900 cc mammary prosthesis or a 225 to 300 cc mammary prosthesis. The mold can be reversibly attached to the first end (e.g., by a threaded joint, a slip fit, a twist lock, a deformable elastomeric grip, or a magnetic lock). The mold can contain steel, aluminum, porcelain, plastic, an elastomer, wax, glass, or a cellulose-based material.
The drip retainer can have a shell defining an inner space. The shell can have an upper adapter defining an upper aperture, wherein the upper aperture is configured to receive the shaft. The upper adapter can form a fluid tight seal with the shaft. The shell can have a lower adapter defining a lower aperture, wherein the lower aperture is configured to receive the shaft. The lower adapter can form a fluid tight seal with the shaft. The lower adapter can form a taper lock with the shaft. The lower adapter can form a friction fit with the shaft when the shaft enters the lower aperture in a direction toward the upper aperture. The lower adapter can be positioned on the shaft by an o-ring. The upper and lower apertures can be aligned such that the shaft extends through the drip retainer. The upper and lower apertures can be aligned vertically. The shell can have a top surface defining an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, wherein the top surface slopes downward from the outer perimeter toward the inner perimeter. The top surface can define at least one opening. The at least one opening can be adjacent to an upper adapter (e.g., within 3 centimeters of the upper adapter). The at least one opening can be positioned at a point along the inner perimeter. The inner perimeter can slope toward at least one point along the inner perimeter, and the at least one opening can be positioned at the at least one point. The drip retainer can have an inlet structure that protrudes from the underside of the top surface into the inner space. The shell can have a bottom surface defining an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, wherein the bottom surface slopes downward from the outer perimeter toward the inner perimeter. The drip retainer can be positioned on the shaft between about 1 centimeter and about 10 centimeters from the mold. The drip retainer can be detachable from the shaft. The drip retainer can contain an absorbent or adsorbent material, a thermoplastic material, or metal. The thermoplastic material can be a polyolefin (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, or polymethylpentene). The metal can be aluminum, copper, or steel. The fluid can contain an elastomeric compound (e.g., silicone or polyurethane) dispersed in a solvent.
In another aspect, the invention features a dipping device containing: (a) a shaft having a first end and a second end; (b) a mold having a top surface and a bottom surface; and (c) a drip retainer. The bottom surface can define an attachment point, and the mold can be attached to the first end at the attachment point. The top surface can define a top reference point opposite the attachment point, and the drip retainer can be attached to the shaft between the first end and the second end. The drip retainer can collect fluid that moves in a direction away from the mold and toward the drip retainer when the dipping device is in an upright position such that the top reference point is centered above the attachment point, and can prevent substantially all of the collected fluid from contacting the mold when the dipping device is rotated 90 degrees from the upright position.
In another aspect, the invention features a drip retainer having a shell defining an

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