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Apparatus and method for handling lens carriers

A carrier and lens technology, applied in optical elements, optical components, glasses/goggles, etc., can solve the problems of complex lens quantity, limitation, over-complex design and operation, etc.

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-08-19
JOHNSON & JOHNSON VISION CARE INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, simply increasing the number of lenses cured simultaneously is complicated by several factors
For example, as this number increases, the size of the area or areas required for pre-curing and curing tends to increase, and other design constraints or considerations may limit the size of the area or areas
Additionally, as the number of lenses in the pre-cure and cure areas increases, the design and operation of the article handling equipment used to move all of these lenses into, through, and out of these areas can become overly complex

Method used

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  • Apparatus and method for handling lens carriers
  • Apparatus and method for handling lens carriers
  • Apparatus and method for handling lens carriers

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Embodiment Construction

[0023] figure 1 Generally shown is a system 100 for making soft contact lenses from a polymerizable monomer or monomer mixture. Soft contact lenses are formed in a mold assembly having a first female mold half and a second male mold half. The mold half itself is molded in an injection molding machine, indicated schematically at 102, and formed of polystyrene transparent to visible and ultraviolet light. The mold is thin enough to transmit heat quickly and rigid enough to withstand the breakaway forces applied to the separated mold halves during demolding.

[0024] From the injection molding machine 102 , the mold halves are stored in a tray member or carrier 104 . In particular, the front mold half is placed in a first set of carriers and the second mold half is placed in a second set of carriers, each carrier being designed to accommodate a number of mold halves, for example eight; After molding, the carriers are conveyed from the injection molding area. Then, in a dosing...

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for operating a carrier for soft contact lenses in a lens manufacturing system. In a first aspect of the invention, an article handling device is positioned below a pre-curing station (110) and a curing station (112) of a lens manufacturing system for moving lens carriers between the stations. In a second aspect of the invention, multiple sets of assemblies are used to move a large number of lens carriers to, through and out of the pre-curing and curing stations. In a third aspect of the invention, the curing station is provided with an intelligent buffer zone.

Description

[0001] related application [0002] This application is a continuation-in-part of US Application Serial No. 09 / 923562 filed August 9, 2001 of the same title to Calvin et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. technical field [0003] The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of flexible contact lenses from a polymerizable monomer or monomer mixture, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for moving lens carriers (or carriers) during such manufacture, and even more particularly Specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus that are particularly well suited for moving lens carriers through pre-curing and curing stations. Background technique [0004] During the past few years, an apparatus for the automated mass production of soft contact lenses using the direct molding process has been successfully developed. One such apparatus is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,220,845, the entire disclosure of which is here...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(China)
IPC IPC(8): B29D11/00G02C7/04B29C31/00B29C35/08B29C39/06B29C39/22B29C39/42B29L11/00
CPCB29C2035/0827B29C2791/001B29C2035/0833B29C31/006B29D11/00144B29C35/0888B29K2105/243B29L2011/0041
Inventor O·卡尔文G·S·哈尔M·维德曼R·W·阿布拉姆斯D·多兰
Owner JOHNSON & JOHNSON VISION CARE INC
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