An automatic lens loading and unloading device

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic contact lens loading and unloading device, specifically relating to the technical field of contact lens manufacturing equipment. The device includes a support frame with an X-axis motion module on its rear side and a Z-axis motion module on one side of the top of the X-axis motion module. The X-axis and Z-axis motion modules are connected by corner fittings. A vacuum generator is located on the top of the X-axis motion module, and multiple vacuum suction cups are located at the bottom of one side of the vacuum generator. A variable-pitch cylinder is located on the top of each vacuum suction cup to move it. This invention utilizes a soft silicone suction cup head to adhere the contact lens, avoiding damage. Multiple honeycomb pores evenly distribute the suction force, preventing deformation. Furthermore, the injection channel allows the water flow to flush the contact lens down, preventing surface tension from preventing release.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of contact lens manufacturing equipment technology, specifically to an automatic contact lens loading and unloading device. Background Technology

[0002] Eyeglasses are simple optical devices made to correct vision or protect the eyes, consisting of lenses and frames. There are four types of eyeglasses for vision correction: nearsightedness glasses, farsightedness glasses, reading glasses, and astigmatism glasses. When people experience vision problems, resulting in blurred vision, wearing eyeglasses is the fastest way to adjust vision back to normal, helping people see clearly. Traditional eyeglasses can easily compress the bridge of the nose, and their shape can also affect facial aesthetics. Therefore, to overcome the limitations of eyeglasses, contact lenses were created. Contact lenses are lenses that are attached directly to the tear film layer on the surface of the cornea. By changing the eye's refractive power, they correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and treat certain eye diseases. Based on the hardness of the material, they are classified into rigid, semi-rigid, and soft types.

[0003] Because contact lenses are relatively soft, the processing equipment used in their production requires high precision to avoid damaging them.

[0004] However, in order to maintain the humidity of contact lenses during the production process, they need to be soaked in lens care solution. Therefore, existing equipment is prone to adhering to contact lenses when transferring them due to the liquid tension on the surface of the contact lenses, which makes it impossible to release the contact lenses in time. Furthermore, it is easy to scratch or damage the contact lenses during adsorption.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to invent an automatic contact lens loading and unloading device to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic contact lens loading and unloading device. By using a soft silicone suction cup head to adhere the contact lens and avoid damage, and by using multiple honeycomb pores to evenly adhere the contact lens and prevent deformation, the device utilizes a liquid injection channel to flush the contact lens down with the liquid flow, preventing the contact lens from being unable to be released due to surface tension of the liquid. This addresses the aforementioned shortcomings in the technology.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automatic contact lens loading and unloading device, comprising a support, an X-axis motion module on the rear side of the support, a Z-axis motion module on one side of the top of the X-axis motion module, the X-axis motion module and the Z-axis motion module being connected by corner fittings, a vacuum generator on the top of the X-axis motion module, a plurality of vacuum suction cups on the bottom side of one side of the vacuum generator, and a variable pitch cylinder on the top of the vacuum suction cups for driving the vacuum suction cups to move;

[0008] Each of the vacuum suction cups includes a suction cup rod, a suction cup connector, and a silicone suction cup head. The suction cup connector is located on one side of the suction cup rod, and the silicone suction cup head is located on one side of the suction cup connector. The silicone suction cup head has multiple honeycomb holes and multiple liquid injection channels, with the liquid injection channels located outside the honeycomb holes.

[0009] Preferably, the injection channel is located on the outer ring of the silicone suction head, and the honeycomb pores are located on the inner ring of the silicone suction head. The multiple honeycomb pores can ensure that each contact lens is subjected to uniform force when adsorbing contact lenses, and can prevent the contact lenses from deforming due to high vacuum.

[0010] Preferably, the suction cup connector has a vacuum pipe inside, and the suction cup rod has a vacuum port inside. The vacuum port is connected to the vacuum pipe, and a vacuum generator can be used to create a vacuum inside the suction cup rod by opening the vacuum port.

[0011] Preferably, the suction cup connector has an injection hole and an air leakage hole at the top. The air leakage hole is located on one side of the injection hole. The injection hole is connected to multiple honeycomb holes, and the air leakage hole is connected to a vacuum pipe. The injected liquid can be used to flush the contact lens down with the water flow, preventing the contact lens from being unable to be released due to the surface tension of the liquid.

[0012] Preferably, a first servo motor is provided on the rear side of the bracket. The first servo motor is used to drive the X-axis motion module, and the first servo motor can provide power for the operation of the X-axis motion module.

[0013] Preferably, the top of the Z-axis motion module is provided with a second servo motor, which is used to drive the Z-axis motion module. The Z-axis motion module is provided with a drag chain on the side near the X-axis motion module. The first servo motor is located on one side of the bracket and between the bracket and the X-axis motion module.

[0014] Preferably, the silicone suction cup head is injection molded from food-grade silicone. The silicone suction cup head made of food-grade silicone material is soft and can be well adapted to the relatively soft product structure such as contact lenses, and can prevent scratching contact lenses.

[0015] Preferably, the suction cup connector is made of stainless steel. Stainless steel has high hardness, which can extend the service life of the invention, making the invention durable and highly practical.

[0016] The technical effects and advantages provided by the present invention in the above technical solution are as follows:

[0017] 1. By using a silicone suction head made of food-grade silicone injection molding, the soft texture of the silicone suction head is well-suited for the soft structure of products such as contact lenses, and can prevent scratching contact lenses. In addition, by opening multiple honeycomb holes at one end of the silicone suction head, the suction force at each suction point is relatively small and the suction force is evenly distributed, so that the contact lens will not be deformed due to high vacuum. Furthermore, the outer ring of the silicone suction head is also equipped with multiple liquid injection channels, so that when releasing the contact lens, the liquid flow can be used to flush the contact lens down, preventing the contact lens from being unable to be released due to the surface tension of the liquid.

[0018] 2. By connecting the inside of the suction cup connector to the inside of the suction cup rod, and setting a vent hole at the top of the suction cup connector, water residue inside the suction cup rod during contact lens adsorption can be effectively prevented from causing the liquid volume to be inaccurately controlled, resulting in overflow and swelling.

[0019] 3. By utilizing the X-axis motion module and the Z-axis motion module, contact lenses can be automatically adsorbed from the material tray and automatically moved to the lens placement position, and automatically released into the packaging box. This structure is compact and reasonable, operates smoothly, and can completely replace manual lens loading, thus improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a front view of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum suction cup of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 The left view;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the vacuum suction cup of the present invention.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 1. X-axis motion module, 2. Z-axis motion module, 3. Cable chain, 4. Bracket, 5. First servo motor, 6. Second servo motor, 7. Variable pitch cylinder, 8. Vacuum suction cup, 801. Suction cup rod, 802. Suction cup connector, 803. Silicone suction cup head, 804. Vacuum interface, 805. Vacuum pipe, 806. Honeycomb holes, 807. Liquid injection channel, 808. Liquid injection port, 809. Leakage hole, 9. Vacuum generator. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] This invention provides, for example Figure 1-3 An automatic contact lens loading and unloading device is shown, comprising a support 4. To facilitate left-right movement of the contact lens, an X-axis motion module 1 is provided on the rear side of the support 4. To facilitate up-down movement of the contact lens, a first servo motor 5 is provided on the rear side of the support 4. The first servo motor 5 drives the X-axis motion module 1 and provides power for its operation. A Z-axis motion module 2 is provided on one side of the top of the X-axis motion module 1. To facilitate movement of the Z-axis motion module 2, a second servo motor 6 is provided on the top of the Z-axis motion module 2. The second servo motor 6 drives the Z-axis motion module 2. The Z-axis motion module 2 is equipped with a drag chain 3 on the side near the X-axis motion module 1. The first servo motor 5 is located on one side of the bracket 4 and between the bracket 4 and the X-axis motion module 1. The top of the X-axis motion module 1 is equipped with a vacuum generator 9. The bottom side of the vacuum generator 9 is equipped with multiple vacuum suction cups 8. By using the vacuum generator 9 to create a vacuum inside the vacuum suction cups 8, the contact lens can be adsorbed onto one end of the vacuum suction cup 8 to facilitate the movement of the contact lens. In order to accurately move the vacuum suction cup 8, the top of the vacuum suction cup 8 is equipped with a variable pitch cylinder 7 to move the vacuum suction cup 8.

[0031] Specifically, in this invention, the X-axis motion module 1 and the Z-axis motion module 2 are connected by corner fittings to form a robotic arm that can move back and forth and up and down. Furthermore, the vacuum generator 9 enables the bottom of the vacuum suction cup 8 to adsorb contact lenses. The distance between the vacuum suction cup 8 is changed by the up and down movement of the variable-pitch cylinder 7. The vacuum suction cup 8 also controls the adsorption and release of contact lenses. Moreover, by utilizing the cooperation of the X-axis motion module 1 and the Z-axis motion module 2, the contact lenses can be automatically adsorbed from the material tray, automatically moved to the placement position, and automatically released into the packaging box. This structure is compact, reasonable, and operates smoothly, completely replacing manual lens loading and improving production efficiency.

[0032] In order to prevent damage to contact lenses during the attachment process, such as Figure 4-6 As shown, each vacuum suction cup 8 includes a suction cup rod 801, a suction cup connector 802, and a silicone suction cup head 803. The suction cup connector 802 is located on one side of the suction cup rod 801, and the silicone suction cup head 803 is located on one side of the suction cup connector 802. A vacuuming pipe 805 is provided inside the suction cup connector 802, and a vacuuming interface 804 is provided inside the suction cup rod 801. The vacuuming interface 804 is connected to the vacuuming pipe 805. By providing the vacuuming interface 804, a vacuum generator 9 can be used to create a vacuum inside the suction cup rod 801. A liquid injection hole 808 and a vent hole 809 are provided at the top of the suction cup connector 802. The vent hole 809 is located on one side of the liquid injection hole 808. The liquid injection hole 808 is connected to multiple honeycomb pores 806. Liquid can be injected into the honeycomb pores 806 through the liquid injection hole 808, and the injected liquid can be used to... The liquid flow can be used to flush the contact lens down, preventing the contact lens from being unable to be released due to the surface tension of the liquid. The vent 809 is connected to the vacuum pipe 805. The vent 809 is provided on the top of the suction cup connector 802 to effectively prevent water residue from remaining inside the suction cup rod 801 when adsorbing contact lenses, which would cause the liquid volume to be unable to be accurately controlled, resulting in overflow and swelling. The silicone suction cup head 803 has multiple honeycomb holes 806 and multiple liquid injection channels 807. The liquid injection channels 807 are located outside the honeycomb holes 806 and on the outer ring of the silicone suction cup head 803. The honeycomb holes 806 are located on the inner ring of the silicone suction cup head 803. The multiple honeycomb holes 806 can make each contact lens evenly stressed when adsorbing contact lenses, which can prevent the contact lenses from deforming due to high vacuum.

[0033] Furthermore, in order to prevent damage to contact lenses during the adsorption process, the silicone suction head 803 is injection molded from food-grade silicone. The silicone suction head 803 made of food-grade silicone material is soft and can be well adapted to the relatively soft product structure of contact lenses, and can prevent scratching contact lenses. In addition, in order to extend the service life of the invention, the suction cup connector 802 is made of stainless steel. Stainless steel has high hardness, making the invention durable and highly practical.

[0034] Specifically, in this invention, since the silicone suction head 803 is injection molded from soft, food-grade silicone, damage to the contact lens can be avoided during the suction process. After suction, liquid is injected into the injection hole 808, and the liquid flows into the injection channel 807 through the injection hole 808 and can flow out through the injection channel 807. The flowing liquid can flush the contact lens down, preventing the contact lens from being unable to be released due to the surface tension of the liquid. Moreover, the inner ring of the silicone suction head 803 has multiple silicone suction heads 803. During the vacuuming process, the vacuum generator 9... The vacuum suction cup 8 can be evacuated to a vacuum state through the vacuum port 804, vacuum pipe 805, and honeycomb holes 806. During vacuuming, the contact lens can be adsorbed onto the outer end of the silicone suction cup head 803, which facilitates the movement of the contact lens by the variable pitch cylinder 7, Z-axis motion module 2, and X-axis motion module 1, thus achieving automatic lens loading and unloading. Furthermore, the opening of multiple honeycomb holes 806 ensures that the suction force at each adsorption point is relatively small and the adsorption force is evenly distributed, preventing the contact lens from deforming due to the high vacuum degree.

[0035] The foregoing has only described certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic contact lens loading and unloading device, comprising a support (4), characterized in that: The bracket (4) is provided with an X-axis motion module (1) on the rear side, and a Z-axis motion module (2) is provided on the top side of the X-axis motion module (1). The X-axis motion module (1) and the Z-axis motion module (2) are connected by corner fittings. The top of the X-axis motion module (1) is provided with a vacuum generator (9). The bottom side of the vacuum generator (9) is provided with multiple vacuum suction cups (8). The top of the vacuum suction cups (8) is provided with a variable pitch cylinder (7) that drives the vacuum suction cups (8) to move. Each of the vacuum suction cups (8) includes a suction cup rod (801), a suction cup connector (802), and a silicone suction cup head (803). The suction cup connector (802) is located on one side of the suction cup rod (801), and the silicone suction cup head (803) is located on one side of the suction cup connector (802). The silicone suction cup head (803) has multiple honeycomb holes (806) and multiple liquid injection channels (807). The liquid injection channels (807) are located outside the honeycomb holes (806). The suction cup connector (802) has a vacuum pipe (805) inside, and the suction cup rod (801) has a vacuum interface (804) inside, which is connected to the vacuum pipe (805). The suction cup connector (802) has an injection hole (808) and an air leakage hole (809) on its top to effectively prevent water residue from remaining inside the suction cup rod (801) when adsorbing contact lenses, which would cause the injection volume to be unable to be accurately controlled, resulting in overflow and swelling. The air leakage hole (809) is located on one side of the injection hole (808). The injection hole (808) is connected to multiple honeycomb holes (806), and the air leakage hole (809) is connected to the vacuum pipe (805).

2. The automatic lens loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The injection channel (807) is located on the outer ring of the silicone suction head (803), and the honeycomb holes (806) are located on the inner ring of the silicone suction head (803).

3. The automatic lens loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket (4) is provided with a first servo motor (5) on the rear side, which is used to drive the X-axis motion module (1).

4. The automatic lens loading and unloading device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top of the Z-axis motion module (2) is provided with a second servo motor (6), which is used to drive the Z-axis motion module (2). The Z-axis motion module (2) is provided with a drag chain (3) on the side near the X-axis motion module (1). The first servo motor (5) is located on one side of the bracket (4) and between the bracket (4) and the X-axis motion module (1).

5. The automatic lens loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The silicone suction cup head (803) is injection molded from food-grade silicone.

6. The automatic lens loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suction cup connector (802) is made of stainless steel.

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