Core wire processing system

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the technical field of medical device processing equipment, in particular to a core wire processing system.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

Guide wires are medical devices widely used in interventional surgeries. Generally, guide wires consist of core wires, sheaths, and coatings. The core wires are typically metal wires that provide support for the guide wires. The sheaths are usually made of PU materials, which adhere to surfaces of the core wires to protect the core wires. The coatings are applied to surfaces of the sheaths to reduce friction on surfaces of the guide wires, facilitating sliding of the guide wires.

Currently, methods for producing guide wires typically involve pre-cutting metal wires into required lengths for core wires. Subsequently, each of the core wires undergoes following seven processes: extrusion, peeling, taper grinding, rheology, secondary peeling, end sealing and coating, specifically:

Extrusion: PU materials are heated and plasticized through an extruder, and attached to surfaces of a core wire to form a sheath for a guide wire.

Peeling: part of the PU materials at head portions of the core wire are cut off to expose core wire at the head portions.

Taper grinding: exposed core wire is placed between a grinding wheel and a guide wheel of a grinder, and the guide wheel drives to rotate and grind the exposed core wire and the head portions of the core wire is ground into a tapered section.

Rheology: the tapered section of the core wire is inserted into a PU tube, and a heat shrinkable tube is put on outer portions of the PU tube, the heat shrinkable tube covers joint portions between the PU tube and the sheath, the PU tube is softened by heating and the heat shrinkable tube is tightened, the PU tube is attached to the tapered section, and the PU tube is fused with a cut portion of an original sheath to form a new sheath.

Secondary peeling: the heat shrinkable tube is peeled and removed from surfaces of the new sheath.

End sealing: UV glue dots are applies to head and tail end portions of the core wire to seal the core wire within the new sheath.

Coating: a hydrophilic coating is applied to surfaces of the new sheath.

The main issue with the above production method is that when a grinding wheel is used for core wire processing, inherent properties of core wires are ideally suited to meet performance requirements of guide wires. However, direct action of the grinding wheel on the core wires leads to mechanical impact on the core wires, which can easily alter the core wires' original inherent properties, resulting in decreased core wire performance.

Furthermore, due to the requirement that a tapered section of a core wire must be formed through grinding, the core wire needs to be rotated during the grinding process. Consequently, it is impossible to continuously process tapered sections of multiple core wires on a single metal wire. As a result, it is necessary to pre-cut core wires from a bundle of raw metal wire into certain lengths and manually grind core wires one by one, making continuous processing of tapered sections unachievable. Moreover, guide wires are primarily used in the human body's blood vessels, demanding high safety and stability. Therefore, the radial dimension of the core wires is extremely fine, requiring high precision and quality in its processing, as well as demanding skilled grinding capabilities from workers.

Moreover, wear and tear of grinding wheels during a grinding process is unavoidable. In actual production, it's impractical to repair or replace grinding wheels after processing each tapered section. The inevitable wear and tear of grinding wheels almost certainly leads to inconsistent grinding precision for each core wire, resulting in unstable processing quality. To ensure grinding precision, frequent repairing of grinding wheels is required, but this would lead to frequent interruptions in the processing. Additionally, the repairing of grinding wheels used for processing core wires is highly complex, demanding a high level of skill from the workers.

In addition, the above production method may also encounter following issues:

Due to the need for full coverage of PU materials on surfaces of the guide wires, it is necessary to bond the PU materials to metal wire surfaces and then conduct peeling before grinding.

During the peeling process, manual removal of the PU materials is typically employed, which can lead to uneven incisions and low work efficiency.

In the taper grinding process, high energy consumption occurs, accompanied by significant noise generation. Additionally, the atomization of the grinding fluid during grinding can result in air pollution.

During the rheology process, large temperature differences in the splicing area can lead to surface fluctuations, as well as quality defects such as core wire leakage from side portions or protrusion from top end portions. And this process also involves additional material consumption, such as heat shrinkable tubing and stripped PU tubing.

In the secondary peeling process, when product head end portions are spliced, the PU sheaths being split structures and jointed portions have wavy surfaces, which can result in uneven quality.

In the coating process, as each core wire needs to be coated individually, the coating performance gradually decreases with working time, leading to poor consistency in coating quality. Moreover, the coating heavily relies on manual labor, resulting in high time consumption and poor process stability.

The overall production process is lengthy and cumbersome, involving a high degree of manual intervention, and maintaining product cleanliness requires the consumption of a large amount of cleaning agents.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

In the process of guide wire production, grinding wheels are commonly used to grinding core wires. The direct impact of grinding wheels on the core wires will cause mechanical shock to the core wires, easily altering original properties thereof and leading to a decline in performance. Additionally, manual processing of each core is required, demanding high skill from workers and making it impossible to achieve continuous processing of tapered sections. Moreover, during the grinding process, the grinding wheels continuously wear down, making it difficult to ensure consistent grinding precision for each core wire, resulting in unstable quality of core wire processing. To maintain grinding precision, frequent repairing of the grinding wheels is also necessary.

TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS

An embodiment of the present invention provides a core wire processing system, comprising a frame and an electrochemical corrosion section arranged on the frame, wherein the electrochemical corrosion section comprises a core wire corrosion device and the electrochemical corrosion section comprises an electrolytic tank, a cathode, and anodes;

Inside the electrolytic tank is provided a solution cavity, inside the solution cavity contains an electrolyte, a plurality of core wire passage holes are symmetrically provided on tank walls on opposite sides of the electrolytic tank, and the plurality of core wire passage holes are located below a liquid level of the electrolyte;

at least one side of the electrolytic cell is provided with one of the anodes, inside the anodes are provided a plurality of core wire passages, and the plurality of core wire passages and the plurality of core wire passage holes are arranged in one-to one correspondence and are arranged concentrically with center lines; and

the cathode is disposed in the electrolytic tank, bottom end portions of the cathode are immersed below the liquid level of the electrolyte, and the cathode and the anodes have opposite polarities.

In a possible implementation, the electrolytic corrosion section of the present embodiment further comprises a core wire cleaning unit, the core wire cleaning unit comprises core wire cleaning devices, and the core wire cleaning devices are located at a rear side of the core wire corrosion device;

the core wire cleaning devices comprise ultrasonic cleaning machines and liquid collecting tanks, the ultrasonic cleaning machines are located in the liquid collecting tanks, and bottom end portions of the liquid collecting tanks are provided with drain ports; and

the ultrasonic cleaning machines comprise ultrasonic generators and cleaning tanks, inside the cleaning tanks contain water liquid, bottom portions of the cleaning tanks are provided with liquid inlets, and top end portions of the tank walls on opposite sides of the cleaning tanks are provided with a plurality of overflow openings distributed at intervals.

In a possible implementation, the core wire cleaning unit of the present embodiment further comprises core wire blow-drying devices, the core wire blow-drying devices comprise liquid receiving tanks and blower pipes, the liquid receiving tanks are located at a rear side of the core wire cleaning devices, and top end portions of tank walls on opposite sides of the liquid receiving tanks are provided with a plurality of gaps distributed at intervals; and

the blower pipes are arranged above the liquid receiving tanks, and bottom end portions of the blower pipes are provided with a plurality of air holes distributed at intervals along a length direction of the blower pipes.

In a possible implementation, the core wire processing system of the present embodiment further comprises a fixed bending processing section provided on the frame, wherein the fixed bending processing section is located at a rear side of the electrolytic corrosion section;

the fixed bending processing section comprises a core wire fixed bending device, the core wire fixed bending device comprise a fixed bending bracket, fixed bending shafts, a servo motor and a heating device, the fixed bending bracket comprises two symmetrically arranged support plates, and bearings are provided on the support plates;

a quantity of the fixed bending shafts is two, and two end portions of the fixed bending shafts are respectively connected to two of the bearings on the support plates, and the servo motor is connected to one of the fixed bending shafts; and

the heating device is arranged on one side of the fixed bending shafts, and a side of the heating device close to the fixed bending shafts comprises a heating curved surface.

In a possible implementation, the fixed bending processing section of the present embodiment further comprises a core wire clamping device, the core wire clamping device is arranged at a rear side of the core wire bending device, the core wire clamping device comprises a bottom frame, a downward pressure cylinder, a lower clamping plate and an upper clamping plate, the downward pressure cylinder is arranged above the bottom frame, the lower clamping plate is arranged on a top end portion of the bottom frame, and the upper clamping plate is connected to a bottom end portion of the downward pressure down cylinder.

In a possible implementation, the frame of the present embodiment is further provided with a traction device, wherein the traction device comprises a traction frame, a traction assembly and a pressure roller assembly;

the traction frame comprises a base plate and two vertical plates, the base plate is connected to the frame, and the two vertical plates are connected to opposite sides of top end portions of the base plate;

the traction assembly is fixedly connected between the two vertical plates, the pressure roller assembly is located on an upper side of the traction assembly, and the traction assembly is connected between the two vertical plates so as to be movable up and down.

In a possible implementation, the two vertical plates of the present embodiment are provided with height adjustment assemblies, and the height adjustment assemblies comprise height adjustment plates, slide rails, slide blocks, connecting plates, screw rods and hand wheels;

the height adjustment plates are fixed on top end portions of the vertical plates, and the height adjustment plates are provided with screw holes;

the slide rails are vertically connected to the vertical plates, the slide blocks are installed on the slide rails, and the pressure roller assembly is connected to the slide blocks;

the connecting plates are connected to the slide blocks, and on the connecting plates are provided bearings; and

the screw rods are cooperatively connected to the screw holes of the height adjustment plates, lower end portions of the screw rods are connected to the bearings on the connecting plates, and upper end portions of the screw rods are provided with the hand wheels.

In a possible implementation, the traction assembly comprises stepping wheel mounting plates, stepping wheels, stepping belts and a traction motor;

two stepping wheel mounting plates are arranged, and the two stepping wheel mounting plates are respectively connected to the two vertical plates; and

two stepping wheels are arranged, the two stepping wheels are arranged at horizontal intervals, and the two stepping wheels are rotationally connected between the two stepping wheel mounting plates, and the stepping belts are sleeved on the two stepping wheels.

In a possible implementation, the pressure roller assembly comprises pressure roller mounting plates and rubberized pressure rollers;

two pressure roller mounting plates are arranged, and the two pressure roller mounting plates are connected to the slide blocks on the two vertical plates; and

two rubberized pressure rollers are arranged, the two rubberized pressure rollers are arranged at horizontal intervals, and the two rubberized pressure rollers are rotationally connected between the two pressure roller mounting plates.

In a possible implementation, the core wire processing system of the present embodiment further comprises an unwinding device and a rewinding device, wherein the unwinding device and the rewinding device are respectively provided at a front end portion of the frame and a rear end portion of the frame;

the unwinding device comprises an unwinding frame and unwinding assemblies and the unwinding assemblies are arranged on the unwinding frame; the unwinding assemblies comprise unwinding supports, unwinding wheels, unwinding reels, and unwinding dampers; the unwinding supports are installed on the unwinding frames, the unwinding damper is installed on the unwinding supports, and the unwinding wheels are connected to the unwinding dampers through the unwinding reels;

the rewinding device comprises a rewinding frame and rewinding assemblies, and the rewinding assemblies are arranged on the rewinding frame; the rewinding assemblies comprise rewinding supports, rewinding wheels, rewinding reels, a rewinding motor and rewinding dampers; the rewinding supports are installed on the rewinding frame, the rewinding dampers are installed on the rewinding supports, the rewinding wheels are connected to the rewinding dampers through the rewinding reels, and the winding reels are connected with the winding motor.

BENEFICIAL EFFECTS

The core wire processing system in embodiments of the present invention uses electrochemical corrosion instead of traditional grinding to process tapered sections of core wires, which avoids mechanical impact on the core wires, prevents degradation of core wire performance and ensures that the core wires retain original properties thereof; furthermore, there is no need to pre-cut metal wires into certain lengths for core wire processing; instead, it is possible to process multiple core wire tapered sections on a single metal wire before cutting, so continuous processing of tapered sections is achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly explain the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without exerting any creative effort.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a core wire processing system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an electrolytic corrosion section in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the electrolytic corrosion section in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an electrolytic corrosion device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrolytic corrosion device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a metal wire after electrolytic corrosion;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of core wire cleaning devices in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a fixed bending processing section in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a core wire bending device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 10a-10b show a metal wire bending process;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a core wire clamping device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a traction device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an exploded schematic diagram of the traction device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of an unwinding device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic structural diagram of an unwinding assembly in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a rewinding device in the core wire processing system provided by the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 17 is an enlarged schematic view of part “A”in FIG. 16.

The markups in the drawings are indicated as follows:

• • 100—frame;
  • 200—electrochemical corrosion section;
  • 210—electrolytic tank;
  • 210a—core wire passage hole;
  • 220—anode;
  • 220a—core wire passage;
  • 230—cathode;
  • 300—core wire cleaning device;
  • 310—ultrasonic cleaning machine;
  • 311—cleaning tank;
  • 311a—overflow opening;
  • 320—liquid collecting tank;
  • 400—core wire blow-drying device;
  • 410—liquid receiving tank;
  • 410a—gap;
  • 420—blower pipe;
  • 500—core wire fixed bending device;
  • 510—fixed bending bracket;
  • 511—support plate;
  • 520—fixed bending shaft;
  • 520a—cavity;
  • 530—servo motor;
  • 540—heating device;
  • 540a—heating curved surface;
  • 550—telescopic cylinder;
  • 600—core wire clamping device;
  • 610—bottom frame;
  • 620—downward pressure cylinder;
  • 630—lower clamping plate;
  • 640—upper clamping plate;
  • 700—traction device;
  • 710—traction frame;
  • 711—base plate;
  • 712—vertical plate;
  • 713—height adjustment plate;
  • 714—slide rail;
  • 715—slide block;
  • 716—connecting plate;
  • 717—screw rod;
  • 718—hand wheel;
  • 720—traction assembly;
  • 721—stepping wheel mounting plate;
  • 722—stepping wheel;
  • 723—stepping belt;
  • 724—traction motor;
  • 730—pressure roller assembly;
  • 731—roller mounting plate;
  • 732—rubberized pressure roller;
  • 800—unwinding device;
  • 810—unwinding frame;
  • 820—unwinding assembly;
  • 821—unwinding support;
  • 822—unwinding wheel;
  • 823—unwinding reel;
  • 824—unwinding damper;
  • 900—rewinding device;
  • 910—rewinding frame;
  • 920—rewinding assembly;
  • 921—rewinding support;
  • 922—rewinding wheel;
  • 923—rewinding reel;
  • 924—rewinding damper;
  • 925—rewinding motor;
  • 10—metal wire; and
  • 11—tapered section.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1-6, an embodiment of the present invention provides a core wire processing system, comprising a frame 100 and an electrochemical corrosion section arranged on the frame 100, wherein

the electrochemical corrosion section comprises a core wire corrosion device, the core wire corrosion device is mainly used for processing tapered sections 11 on a metal wire 10, and comprises:

an electrolytic tank 210, a container made of corrosion-resistant insulating materials, wherein inside the electrolytic tank 210 is provided a solution cavity, inside the solution cavity contains an electrolyte, a plurality of core wire passage holes 210a are symmetrically provided on tank walls on opposite sides of the electrolytic tank 210, and the plurality of core wire passage holes 210a are located below a liquid level of the electrolyte;

anodes 220, a box made of corrosion-resistant materials and serves as positive poles for electrolysis reactions, wherein a plurality of core wire passages 220a are provided inside the anodes 220, and the plurality of core wire passages and the plurality of core wire passage holes are arranged in one-to one correspondence and are arranged concentrically with center lines, and in order to facilitate insertion of the metal wire 10 into core wire passage holes 210a, the anodes 220 are divided into upper and lower portions, and the plurality of core wire passage holes 210a are opened between the upper and lower portions, and generally, on both sides of the electrolytic tank 210 (sides where the core wire passage holes 210a is located) is provided one of the anodes 220;

a cathode 230 disposed in the electrolytic tank 210, made of corrosion-resistant materials and serving as a negative pole for electrolysis reactions, wherein bottom end portions of the cathode are immersed below the liquid level of the electrolyte.

Principle of Operation: the core wire processing system is primarily used to process tapered sections 11 of core wires via an electrochemical corrosion method, wherein by applying different current densities at different positions on metal wires 10, so as to adjust the degree of corrosion at different positions, thereby machining tapered sections 11 on core wires; different current densities at different positions on metal wires 10 depend on distances from the different positions to the cathode 230, that is, the closer a distance, the greater a current density, and the farther a distance, the smaller a current density; for example, bottom surfaces of the cathode 230 can be arranged to be a curved surface, so that positions on the metal wires 10 corresponding to a lowest point of the curved surface are corroded the most, and the degree of corrosion gradually decreases from the position towards both ends of the metal wires 10, so that two symmetrically distributed tapered sections 11 are machined.

Please refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, during operation, the metal wires 10 are first threaded through the core wire passages 220a of an anode 220 on one side and are then passed from the core wire passage holes 210a located on the same side through holes 210a into the solution cavity of the electrolytic tank 210. Subsequently, the metal wires 10 are threaded out through the core wire passages 220a on another side of the solution cavity and pass through the core wire passage holes of an anode 220 on another side. At this point, the metal wires 10 are positioned within the solution cavity, with each core wire passage 220a and core wire passage hole 210a on a same center line corresponding to the processing of one of the metal wires 10. According to the number of core wire passages 220a and core wire passage holes 210a, a corresponding number of metal wires 10 can be passed through at the same time.

Next, an electrolyte is added to the solution cavity, and core wires in electrolyte are completely submerged, while ensuring that the bottom end portions of the cathode 230 is submerged below the liquid surface of the electrolyte. The anodes 220 and the cathode 230 are respectively connected to the positive and negative poles of the power supply, forming a circuit—consisting of the anodes 220, metal wires 10, the electrolyte, and the cathode 230—which initiates an electrolytic reaction. This reaction corrodes outer surfaces of the metal wires 10 until tapered sections 11 are formed.

Once the tapered sections 11 are formed on the metal wires 10 through corrosion, the power supply is turned off, and the metal wires 10 are pulled forward to remove the tapered sections 11 from the electrolytic tank 210. Simultaneously, subsequent segments of the metal wires 10 are also pulled into the electrolytic tank 210 and submerged in the electrolyte. The power supply is then restarted, corroding the subsequent segments of the metal wires 10 until tapered sections 11 are formed. This process repeats, allowing for the continuous processing of several tapered sections 11 on the metal wires 10 (refer to FIG. 6).

The core wire processing system provided in the present embodiment uses electrochemical corrosion to process tapered sections 11 of core wires, replacing traditional grinding. This method avoids mechanical impact on the core wires, prevents a decline in performance thereof, and ensures that the core wires retain original properties thereof.

Furthermore, as electrochemical corrosion replaces traditional grinding, the metal wires 10 are static during the processing. There is no need to pre-cut the metal wires 10 into certain lengths for core wire processing; instead, multiple core wire tapered sections 11 can be processed on each of the metal wires 10 individually before cutting, thereby achieving continuous processing of the tapered sections 11.

Moreover, electrochemical corrosion is simpler compared to grinding. By setting the electrolysis time and ensuring electrolyte concentration, high-precision and stable quality tapered sections 11 can be continuously processed with minimal manual intervention, requiring relatively low technical skills from workers.

Additionally, electrochemical corrosion eliminates inconsistent grinding precision, unstable quality, and the need for frequent repairing of grinding wheels. Although electrolyte consumption during the processing of tapered sections 11 can lead to changes in electrolyte concentration, maintaining electrolyte balance is much easier compared to wheel repairing. Furthermore, there is no need to stop the operation. For instance, existing instruments can be used to monitor electrolyte concentration, allowing for real-time discharge or replenishment of electrolyte based on monitoring results to ensure electrolyte balance. Even through pre-production testing and adjustment of parameters such as the flow rate of discharged or replenished electrolyte based on the tested product quality, high-precision and stable quality tapered sections 11 can be guaranteed during production.

The core wire processing system provided in the present embodiment not only optimizes the processing of core wires by using electrochemical corrosion instead of traditional grinding but also enables corresponding optimizations in subsequent processes of guide wires. For example:

As multiple tapered sections 11 are continuously processed on each of the metal wires 10, during the extrusion process, an extruder can be used to form polyurethane (PU) layers of guide wires on entire length of the metal wires 10, serving as sheaths of the core wires. Subsequently, hydrophilic coatings are applied to surfaces of the PU layers on the entire length of the metal wires 10, which are then cut into certain length of guide wires form conducting sealing at the end portions.

The above optimization eliminates the need for peeling, avoiding issues caused by uneven manual removal of PU materials.

Rheology processes are eliminated as well, preventing uneven surfaces, excessive joint positions, quality defects such as side leakage or top breakthrough of the core wires, and additional material consumption.

In addition, secondary peeling processes are eliminated, and splicing of product head portions leads to split structures of PU sheaths and wave-like surfaces of PU sheaths arise inconsistent quality are avoided.

In coating process optimization of the present embodiment, continuous coating reduces the gradual decline in coating performance over operational time and ensures consistent coating quality.

Moreover, the optimizations and reduction of corresponding processes significantly improve the production efficiency of the core wires. The core wire production process becomes much simpler and more automated, and reduces manual intervention.

In order to prevent electrolyte from flowing out of the core wire passage holes 210a, silicone seal sleeves need to be installed on the core wire passage holes 210a. The silicone seal sleeves are both corrosion-resistant and capable of sealing the core wire passage holes effectively. The metal wires (10) pass in and out of the core wire passage holes 210a through the silicone seal sleeves, preventing the electrolyte from flowing out of the core wire passage holes 210a. Please refer to FIG. 7, which illustrates the structure of the core wire cleaning devices in the core wire processing system provided in the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7, since the electrolyte has a certain corrosive nature, it is difficult to avoid some electrolyte adhering to surfaces of the metal wires 10 when passing through the electrolyte. To prevent corrosion of equipment or injury to personnel caused by the electrolyte, in the present embodiment, the electrochemical corrosion section further comprises a core wire cleaning unit. The core wire cleaning unit comprises core wire cleaning devices 300, located at a rear side of the core wire corrosion device, designed to remove electrolyte adhering to the metal wires 10.

Specifically, the core wire cleaning devices 300 comprise ultrasonic cleaning machines 310 and liquid collecting tanks 320.

The liquid collecting tanks 320 are mounted on the frame 100 and are containers with open tops, and bottom end portions of the liquid collecting tanks 320 are equipped with drain ports, which are used to collect and discharge water liquid after clean process.

The ultrasonic cleaning machines 310 are located in the liquid collecting tank 320, and comprise ultrasonic generators and cleaning tanks 311, inside the cleaning tanks 311 contain water liquid, bottom portions of the cleaning tank are provided with liquid inlets for refilling clean water liquid, and top end portions of the tank walls on opposite sides of the cleaning tanks are provided with a plurality of overflow openings 311a distributed at intervals, which are used for the metal wires to pass through. Each metal wire corresponds to one overflow opening 311a, allowing the water liquid in the cleaning tanks 311 to be discharged through the plurality of overflow openings 311a.

The cleaning process is as follows: the metal wires 10, which have undergone electrochemical processing, being pulled out through the wire passage holes 210a of the electrolytic tank 210, then enter the cleaning tanks 311 through the overflow openings 311a on one side, and exit through the other side's overflow openings 311a, and the metal wires 10 are submerged in the water liquid in the cleaning tanks 311. During this process, clean water liquid is continuously added to the cleaning tanks 311 through the inlets, causing water liquid levels in the tanks to rise until overflowing from the overflow openings 311a, which maintains a continuous flow of water liquid in the cleaning tanks 311, ensuring the cleanliness of the water liquid, and allows the water liquid to continuously rinse surfaces of the metal wires 10, removing the electrolytes adhering to the metal wires'surfaces; meanwhile, the ultrasonic generators emit ultrasonic waves into the cleaning tanks 311 to enhance the cleaning effect; and the overflowed water liquid flows into the liquid collecting tanks 320 along outer walls of the electrolytic tank 210, and are collected and discharged through the drain ports of the liquid collecting tanks 320.

Referring to FIG. 7, based on the above cleaning structure, the core wire cleaning unit also comprises core wire blow-drying devices 400, which are used to dry surfaces of the metal wires 10 after cleaning.

Specifically, the core wire blow-drying device 400 comprise liquid receiving tanks 410 and blower pipes 420. The liquid receiving tanks 410 are located at the rear side of the core wire cleaning devices 300. Several intermittently distributed notches 410a are arranged at the top of the opposite sides of the tank wall of the liquid receiving tank 410, allowing the metal wires to pass through. Each gaps 410a corresponds to one metal wire and is aligned with each overflow openings 311a for the wires to pass through easily.

The blower pipes 420 are positioned above the liquid receiving tanks 410. Along the length of the blower pipes 420, there are several intermittently distributed air holes along its bottom, connected to high-pressure air, continuously blowing air downwards through the holes.

After the metal wires 10 have been cleaned by the core wire cleaning devices 300, they are pulled from one side of the liquid receiving tanks 410 through the corresponding gaps 410a, entering the space between the liquid receiving tanks 410 and the blower pipe 420. The water on the surfaces of the metal wires 10 is blown off or dried by the high-pressure air expelled through the air holes, falling into the liquid receiving tanks 410. Subsequently, the metal wires 10 exit from the liquid receiving tanks 410 through the corresponding gaps 410a, ensuring that the metal wires 10 remain dry.

To further improve the cleanliness of the metal wires 10, additional core wire cleaning unit 300 and core wire drying unit 400 can be added correspondingly. This will ensure that the metal wire 10 undergoes multiple rinsing and drying cycles, guaranteeing a clean and dry surface.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixed bending processing section in the core wire processing system provided in the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the core wire fixed bending device in the core wire processing system provided in the present embodiment; FIGS. 10a to 10b are schematic diagrams of the metal wire fixed bending process; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the core wire clamping device in the core wire processing system provided in the present embodiment.

Currently, some mainstream guide wires have curved heads. In order to produce guide wires with curved heads.

As shown in FIGS. 8-11, in the present embodiment, the core wire processing system further comprises a fixed bending processing section set on the frame 100, which is located behind the electrolytic etching section.

The fixed bending processing section comprises a core wire fixed bending device 500, which is used to bend and heat-set the metal wire 10. The core wire fixed bending device 500 comprises a fixed bending support 510, a fixed bending shaft 520, a servo motor 530, and a heating device 540, wherein:

The fixed bending support 510 is installed on the frame 100, and it comprises two symmetrically arranged support plates 511, each of which is equipped with a bearing. There are two fixed bending shafts 520, with each end of the fixed bending shaft 520 connected to the bearings on the two support plates 511, and one of the fixed bending shafts 520 is connected to the servo motor 530. The heating device 540 is positioned on one side of the fixed bending shaft 520, with a heating surface 540a located near the fixed bending shaft 520. The heating device 540 generally utilizes electric heating.

Bending process: When the area of the metal wire 10 that needs to be bent enters between the two fixed bending shafts 520 (as shown in FIG. 10a), the metal wire 10 is braked. The servo motor 530 drives the fixed bending shaft 520 to rotate counterclockwise, causing the metal wire 10 to bend into an S-shape (as shown in FIG. 10b) and clamping the metal wire 10 between the heating surface 540a and the fixed bending shaft 520. Subsequently, the heating device 540 heats up and thermally sets the metal wire 10, forming the curved section. The servo motor 530 then drives the fixed bending shaft 520 to rotate clockwise to return to its initial position, moving the metal wire 10 a certain distance until the curved section exits the core wire fixed bending device 500. Then, the next area of the metal wire 10 requiring bending enters between the two fixed bending shafts 520, initiating the next bending process. This sequence continues until multiple desired curved sections have been formed on the metal wire 10.

Specifically, in order to rapidly cool the metal wire 10 after bending, the fixed bending shaft 520 can be designed as a hollow structure, with a cavity 520a inside the fixed bending shaft 520. This cavity 520a can be connected to an air supply pipe to facilitate continuous airflow, thereby dissipating heat and cooling the metal wire 10.

Additionally, the heating device 540 can be connected to an expandable and contractible air cylinder 550, which can extend or retract the heating device 540. When heating of the metal wire 10 is required, the expandable and contractible air cylinder 550 extends the heating device 540 close to the metal wire 10; after the heating process is completed, the air cylinder 550 retracts the heating device 540 away from the metal wire 10, preventing further heating.

Specifically, the fixed bending processing section also comprises a core wire clamping device 600, which is positioned at the rear side of the core wire fixed bending device 500. The core wire clamping device 600 comprises a base frame 610, a lower pressing cylinder 620, a lower clamping plate 630, and an upper clamping plate 640, with the lower pressing cylinder 620 positioned above the base frame 610 and the lower clamping plate 630 placed at the top of the base frame 610, while the upper clamping plate 640 is connected to the bottom end of the lower pressing cylinder 620.

In this manner, after the metal wire 10 is braked, before the servo motor 530 drives the fixed bending shaft 520 to rotate, the lower pressing cylinder 620 presses down the upper frame plate, clamping the rear section of the metal wire 10 between the lower clamping plate 630 and the upper clamping plate 640, thereby keeping the metal wire 10 in a taut state. Subsequently, the servo motor 530 drives the fixed bending shaft 520 to rotate counterclockwise, causing the metal wire 10 to bend into an S-shape, thereby slightly elongating the metal wire 10, applying tension to it, and facilitating the core wire fixed bending process.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the traction device in the core wire processing system provided in the embodiment of the present application; FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the traction device in the core wire processing system provided in the embodiment of the present application.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 12, and 13, in the present embodiment of the application, a traction device 700 is also provided on the frame 100 for controlling the payout length and speed of the metal wire 10 to ensure the stability of the metal wire 10 during movement. The traction device 700 is arranged at the front side of the frame 100, and related equipment for processing the metal wire 10 is arranged at the rear side of the traction device 700.

Specifically, the traction device 700 comprises a traction frame 710, a height adjustment component, a traction component 720, and a pressure roller component 730.

The traction frame 710 comprises a base plate 711 and two upright plates 712, with the base plate 711 connected to the frame 100 and the two upright plates 712 connected to the top ends of the base plate 711 on opposite sides, and the height adjustment component is arranged on the upright plates 712.

The number of traction roller components 720 is two, and the two traction roller components 720 are symmetrically arranged up and down, with the lower traction roller component 720 being fixedly connected between the two upright plates 712, and the upper traction roller component 720 being connected to the height adjustment component on the two upright plates 712.

The height adjustment component comprises a height adjustment plate 713, a slide rail 714, a slider 715, a connecting plate 716, a lead screw 717, and a hand wheel 718. The height adjustment plate 713 is fixed at the top of the upright plate 712, with threaded holes provided on the height adjustment plate 713, the slide rail 714 vertically connected to the upright plate 712, the slider 715 mounted on the slide rail 714, and the pressure roller component 730 connected to the slider 715. The connecting plate 716 is connected to the slider 715, with bearings installed on the connecting plate 716, the lead screw 717 cooperatively connected to the threaded hole on the height adjustment plate 713, with the lower end of the lead screw 717 connected to the bearing on the connecting plate 716, and the upper end of the lead screw 717 equipped with the hand wheel 718.

The traction component 720 comprises two stepper wheel mounting plates 721, stepper wheels 722, a timing belt 723, and a traction motor 724. There are two stepper wheel mounting plates 721, each connected to one of the two upright plates 712. The stepper wheels 722 are rotatably connected between the two stepper wheel mounting plates 721, the traction motor 724 is connected to the stepper wheels 722, and the timing belt 723 is fitted on the two stepper wheels 722.

Roller assembly 730 comprises roller mounting plate 731 and adhesive roller 732. There are two roller mounting plates 731, each of which is connected to slider 715 on two vertical plates 712. There are two adhesive rollers 732, horizontally spaced apart, and both are rotatably connected between the two roller mounting plates 731.

When installing metal wire 10, first rotate handwheel 718 to move roller assembly 730 upward to separate from traction assembly 720, then place metal wire 10 on the stepping belt 723 of traction roller assembly 720, and then rotate handwheel 718 to move roller assembly 730 closer to traction assembly 720 and close, clamping the metal wire 10 between adhesive roller 732 and stepping belt 723.

In this way, traction motor 724 drives stepping wheel 722 to rotate, and drives stepping belt 723 to advance, which can make the metal wire 10 move a certain distance in the relevant equipment for processing the metal wire 10 at a certain interval, thereby ensuring the stability of the processing quality.

In addition, in order to prevent slight axial misalignment between adhesive roller 732 and stepping belt 723, which may twist the metal wire 10, the adhesive roller 732 is not fixed axially but rather can slide. So even if there is axial displacement of the stepping belt 723, it will also drive the adhesive roller 732 to move in the same direction, thereby avoiding twisting the metal wire 10.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the unwinding device in the core wire processing system provided in the present application embodiment; FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the unwinding assembly in the core wire processing system provided in the present application embodiment; FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the winding device in the core wire processing system provided in the present application embodiment; and FIG. 17 is an enlarged schematic diagram of section A in FIG. 16.

Referring to FIGS. 14 to 17, the core wire processing system also comprises an unwinding device 800 and a winding device 900, which are respectively set at the front and rear ends of the frame 100. The unwinding device 800 is used to place the raw metal wire 10, while the winding device 900 is used to collect the processed metal wire 10 and straighten it.

The unwinding device 800 comprises an unwinding rack 810 and an unwinding assembly 820, with the unwinding assembly 820 being set on the unwinding rack 810. The unwinding assembly 820 comprises an unwinding bracket 821, an unwinding wheel 822, an unwinding shaft 823, and an unwinding damper 824. The unwinding bracket 821 is mounted on the unwinding rack 810, and the unwinding damper 824 is installed on the unwinding bracket 821. The unwinding wheel 822 is connected to the unwinding damper 824 via the unwinding shaft 823.

The winding device 900 comprises a winding rack 910 and a winding assembly 920, with the winding assembly 920 being set on the winding rack 910. The winding assembly 920 comprises a winding bracket 921, a winding wheel 922, a winding shaft 923, a winding motor 925, and a winding damper 924. The winding damper 924 provides constant tension and traction, enabling the tightening of the core wire released by the traction roller assembly 720. The winding bracket 921 is mounted on the winding rack 910, and the winding damper 924 is installed on the winding bracket 921. The winding wheel 922 is connected to the winding damper 924 via the winding shaft 923, which is in turn connected to the winding motor 925.

SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

The embodiments of the present application provide a core wire processing system, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, comprising a frame 100 and an electrochemical corrosion section set on the frame 100, wherein:

The electrochemical corrosion section comprises a core wire corrosion device mainly used to process a tapered section 11 on the metal wire 10. The core wire corrosion device comprises:

An electrolytic tank 210 made of corrosion-resistant insulating material with a solution cavity inside, accommodating an electrolyte. Several transverse core wire through-holes 210a are symmetrically arranged on the opposite sides of the tank wall of the electrolytic tank 210. The core wire through-holes 210a are located below the liquid surface of the electrolyte.

An anode 220, made of corrosion-resistant material, serves as the anode of the electrolytic reaction. Several core wire channels 220a correspond one-to-one with several core wire through-holes 210a and are centrally aligned for ease of inserting the metal wire 10 into the core wire through-holes 210a. The anode 220 is divided into upper and lower parts, with the core wire through-holes 210a placed between the upper and lower parts. Generally, an anode 220 is set on each side (the side where the core wire through-holes 210a are located) of the electrolytic tank 210.

A cathode 230 is provided inside the electrolytic tank 210, made of corrosion-resistant material, and serves as the cathode of the electrolytic reaction. The bottom end of the cathode 230 is submerged below the liquid surface of the electrolyte.

Operation principle: This core wire processing system is primarily used to process the tapered section 11 of the core wire using the electrochemical corrosion method. Different current densities are applied at different positions on the metal wire 10 to regulate the degree of corrosion at different positions, thus producing the tapered section 11 on the core wire. The current density at different positions on the metal wire 10 depends on the distance between that position and the cathode 230—the closer the distance, the greater the current density; the farther the distance, the smaller the current density. For example, the bottom surface of the cathode 230 can be designed as a curved surface, so that the area near the corresponding position on the metal wire 10 corrodes the most, gradually decreasing the degree of corrosion from this position towards both ends of the metal wire 10, thereby producing two symmetrically distributed tapered sections 11.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, during operation, first, the metal wire 10 is passed through the core wire channel 220a of one side of the anode 220, and the metal wire 10 is then inserted into the solution cavity of the electrolytic tank 210 through the core wire through-hole 210a on the same side. Subsequently, the metal wire 10 is threaded out of the solution cavity through the core wire through-hole on the other side of the solution cavity and passes through the core wire channel 220a of the other side of the anode 220. At this point, the metal wire 10 is located within the solution cavity, and processing of the metal wire 10 corresponds to the core wire channel 220a and the core wire through-hole on the same center line. Depending on the number of core wire channels 220a and core wire through-holes 210a, the corresponding number of metal wires 10 can be simultaneously processed.

Then, an electrolyte is added to the solution cavity to immerse the core wire in the electrolyte, while the bottom end of the cathode 230 is submerged below the liquid surface of the electrolyte. The anode 220 and the cathode 230 are connected to the positive and negative poles of a power supply respectively, forming a circuit with the metal wire 10, the electrolyte, and the cathode 230 to initiate the electrochemical reaction. This results in the corrosion of the outer surface of the metal wire 10 until the tapered section 11 is formed on the metal wire 10.

After the tapered section 11 is formed on the metal wire 10, the power supply is disconnected, and the metal wire 10 is pulled forward to move the tapered section 11 away from the electrolytic tank 210. Meanwhile, the subsequent section of the metal wire 10 is also pulled and enters the electrolytic tank 210 to be immersed in the electrolyte. The power supply is then reactivated to continue the corrosion process on the subsequent section of the metal wire 10 until another tapered section 11 is formed. This process continues, allowing the consecutive processing of multiple tapered sections 11 on the metal wire 10 (refer to FIG. 6).

INDUSTRIAL UTILITY

The embodiment provides a core wire processing system that uses electrochemical corrosion instead of traditional grinding to process the tapered section 11 of the core wire. This method avoids mechanical impact on the core wire, ensuring that the inherent performance of the core wire is maintained.

Additionally, since electrochemical corrosion replaces traditional grinding, the metal wire 10 in the processing process remains static. It eliminates the need to pre-cut the metal wire 10 into core wire lengths before processing. Instead, it can process multiple core wire tapered sections 11 on a single metal wire 10 before cutting, enabling continuous processing of the tapered section 11.

Moreover, electrochemical corrosion is simpler than grinding. By setting the electrolysis time and ensuring the electrolyte concentration, it can continuously produce high-precision, stable quality tapered section 11 with minimal manual intervention and relatively low technical requirements for workers.

Furthermore, using electrochemical corrosion helps avoid problems such as inconsistent grinding precision, unstable quality, and the need for frequent repairing of the grinding wheel. Although electrolyte consumption during the processing of the tapered section 11 can lead to changes in electrolyte concentration, balancing the electrolyte concentration is much easier compared to repairing the grinding wheel, and it does not require machine downtime. For example, existing instruments can monitor the electrolyte concentration, and based on the results, electrolyte can be discharged or replenished in real time to ensure electrolyte balance. Additionally, through pre-production testing and adjusting parameters such as the flow rate of discharging or replenishing electrolyte based on the tested product quality, this set of parameters can ensure the production of high-precision, stable quality tapered section 11 during production.

Not only that, but the use of the core wire processing system provided in the present embodiment also allows for corresponding optimization of subsequent wire drawing processes due to the replacement of traditional grinding with electrochemical corrosion. For example:

As multiple tapered sections 11 are continuously processed on a single metal wire 10, in the extrusion process, an extrusion machine can form a PU layer, namely the protective sheath of the wire, on the entire metal wire 10. Then, a hydrophilic coating is applied to the surface of the PU layer on the entire metal wire 10, which is then cut into lengths and terminated to create individual wires.

Through the above-mentioned optimization, it eliminates the need for peeling operations, avoiding uneven cutting caused by manual removal of PU materials and other related issues. It also eliminates the rheological process, preventing uneven surfaces and excessive joint positions, which could lead to quality defects such as core wire leakage from the side or top, and additional material consumption. Moreover, it eliminates secondary peeling operations, avoiding end joints in products, uneven quality due to PU sheath being a split structure, and wave-like joint positions. In the coating process, continuous coating reduces inconsistency in coating quality due to performance degradation over time.

By optimizing and reducing the corresponding processes, the production efficiency of wire drawing is significantly improved. The overall wire production process becomes simpler; more automated, and reduces the level of manual intervention in wire production