Rotary contact lens color pattern pad printing method and system

The rotary layout and visually guided contact lens mold transfer printing device solves the problems of low automation and poor printing quality of existing equipment, realizes rapid transfer and efficient printing of mold materials, and improves production efficiency and product quality.

CN119682380BActive Publication Date: 2026-03-10SIGMA SQUARES (BEIJING) TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-12-10
Publication Date
2026-03-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing contact lens mold pad printing equipment suffers from problems such as low automation, inaccurate visual alignment, poor color difference detection, and unreasonable equipment layout, resulting in low production efficiency and unstable product quality.

Method used

The contact lens mold transfer device with a rotary layout enables rapid mold transfer and zone switching through a rotary unit, rotary device and connecting device. Combined with visual guidance components and full inspection components, it improves printing quality and efficiency.

Benefits of technology

It enables rapid switching of mold materials between workstations, reduces equipment space occupation, improves the quality of printed patterns and the timeliness of color difference detection, and enhances overall production efficiency and yield.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of contact lens automatic production, in particular to a rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method and system, and the specific steps are as follows: S10. The mold discharges; S20. Pad printing pre-treatment; S30. The connection device is ferried to the pad printing area; S40. Ink printing and ink light curing, complete pattern printing to obtain a color mold; S50. Solidification is completed, and the connection device is ferried to the supply area again; S60. Pattern defect and color difference detection; S70. The mold is transported to the discharging mechanism; The present application realizes the rapid switching of the mold material operation station; The working area is centralized layout, the partition rapid switching is realized through the connection device, the overall working efficiency is improved; The long thread and the large occupied space are improved, the waste of the center area space of the rotary layout is avoided, and the defects of the mold circulation realized by the multiple transfer equipment are avoided; The printing pattern quality is improved, the color difference defect is detected in time, and the good product and the processing efficiency of the mold pad printing work are improved as a whole.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated contact lens production technology, specifically to a rotary contact lens color mold transfer printing method and system. Background Technology

[0002] Colored contact lenses (cosmetic lenses) feature various colored patterns on the iris. During the manufacturing process, there are several methods for printing patterns onto colored contact lenses, with die-cutting (grooving) being a commonly used method.

[0003] Currently, there are many types of equipment for pad printing of contact lens molds, but they all have certain defects and shortcomings. 1. Some equipment pursues cost-effectiveness and adopts an equidistant transport mechanism, which is relatively simple to implement, but the synchronous printing does not support visual automatic alignment, and the products often have pad printing misalignment defects. 2. Another type of equipment has a higher degree of automation and has visual automatic alignment function, but its performance in color difference detection is average, and it adopts a single linear layout, which is not user-friendly for operation and maintenance. There are also equipment with a rotating layout, which wastes the space in the middle of the turntable and is also easy to waste in terms of site layout. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a highly automated, rotary layout...

[0005] A contact lens mold pad printing device that integrates defect and color difference detection in pad printing and provides visual guidance.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution;

[0007] A rotary contact lens color model transfer printing method includes a rotary unit, one side of which is a supply area and the other side is a transfer printing area; the transfer printing area is equipped with at least one set of transfer printing stations and a curing station; the rotary unit includes at least two rotary devices, a rotary rotor, and a connecting device; each rotary rotor is equipped with a model carrier; several transfer and handling mechanisms are erected above the rotary devices. The specific method steps are as follows:

[0008] S10. The feeding assembly discharges the mold; the transfer and handling mechanism then transports the mold to the mold carrier in the supply area;

[0009] S20. The rotary device drives the rotary rotor, which in turn moves the mold carrier to the pre-treatment position for pre-dust removal and surface treatment.

[0010] S30. After dust removal and surface treatment are completed, the mold carrier is transferred to the rotary device in the pad printing area by the connecting device;

[0011] S40. A visual guidance component is used to position and guide the actions of the pad printing station. The pattern printing and curing operations are completed through at least one ink printing at the pad printing station and one ink curing at the curing station. After the mold is printed, a color mold is obtained.

[0012] S50. After the final curing is completed, the mold carrier is transferred back to the supply area by the connecting device;

[0013] S60. The rotating device moves the mold carrier to the underside of the full inspection assembly to inspect for defects in the colored mold;

[0014] S70. The inspected mold is transferred to the unloading mechanism by the transfer and handling mechanism;

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] This invention achieves rapid switching of workstations for mold materials through a rotary conveyor system; it centralizes the work area by separating the supply area and the printing area, and uses a connecting device to achieve rapid switching between zones, improving overall work efficiency; this layout not only overcomes the shortcomings of long threads and large space occupation in traditional linear layouts, but also avoids the waste of space in the center area of ​​the turntable and the need for multiple transfer devices to achieve mold transfer in rotary layouts; in the pattern printing industry, visual guidance components and full inspection components are used to improve the quality of printed patterns, detect color differences and defects in a timely manner, and improve the yield and processing efficiency of mold printing. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a top view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary unit of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of point A in the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the gyrotron of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer and handling mechanism of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 This is the overall structure of the feeding assembly of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a side view of the feeding assembly of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a rear-view perspective view of the feeding assembly of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the surface treatment mechanism of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the pad printing station of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the micro-adjustment mechanism for the rubber head of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of the pad printing head assembly structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the full inspection component of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0032] refer to Figure 1-14 As shown, the device includes a rotary unit 30, with a supply area 301 on one side and a pad printing area 302 on the other side. The rotary unit 30 includes at least two rotary devices 31, rotary rotors 32, and a connecting device. Each rotary rotor 32 is equipped with a mold-bearing carrier 33. Several transfer and handling mechanisms 60 are mounted above the rotary devices 31. The specific steps are as follows:

[0033] S10. The feeding mechanism 10 discharges the mold; the transfer and handling mechanism 60 transfers the mold to the mold carrier 33 in the supply area;

[0034] S20. The rotary device 31 drives the rotary rotor 32, which in turn drives the mold carrier 33 to move to the pre-treatment position for pre-dust removal and surface treatment.

[0035] S30. After dust removal and surface treatment are completed, the mold carrier 33 is transferred to the rotary device 31 in the pad printing area by the connecting device;

[0036] S40. The visual guidance component 401 is used to position and guide the movement of the pad printing station 40. The pattern printing and curing operation is completed through at least one ink printing of the pad printing station 40 and ink curing of the curing station 50. After the mold is printed, a color mold is obtained.

[0037] S50. After the final curing is completed, the mold carrier 33 is transferred to the supply area again by the connecting device;

[0038] S60. The rotating device 31 moves the mold carrier 33 to the underside of the full inspection component 70 to inspect for pattern defects and color differences;

[0039] S70. The transferred and conveying mechanism 60 transfers the inspected mold to the unloading mechanism;

[0040] The curing mechanism 50 is a UV curing device used to cure the printed pattern of the pre-printing station 40, thereby improving the printing quality of the pattern.

[0041] In actual use, the rotary unit 30 is used for mold circulation and driving, responsible for transferring the mold to be printed to various processing stations and completing the mold transfer work; the rotary unit 30 divides the working area into two sides, one side is the supply area, in which the feeding mechanism 10 is used to provide materials, the full inspection component 70 is used to detect the printing quality and color difference of the pattern, and the receiving component 90 is used to store the printed mold; the other side is the printing area, which is used to perform multiple pattern printing operations as needed, and each printing is completed by a set of pad printing stations 40 and light curing mechanism 50;

[0042] The rotary device 31 can drive the rotary rotor 32 to move a predetermined distance, thereby driving the mold carrier 33 to move in a controllable manner; the transfer and handling mechanism 60 is mounted above the rotary device 31 and is correspondingly arranged on the side of the feeding mechanism 10 and the receiving component 90, which is used to assist in handling the mold and ensure the transfer and handling of the mold between the mold carrier 33 and the feeding mechanism 10 and the receiving component 90 in the supply area;

[0043] During the pad printing operation, the feeding mechanism 10 supplies the mold to be printed. After the mold reaches the predetermined position, the transfer and handling mechanism 60 on the side of the feeding mechanism 10 transfers the mold to the mold carrier 33. The rotary device 31 drives the mold carrier 33 to the end of the supply area. The connecting device drives the mold carrier 33 to switch with the corresponding rotary device 31, thereby switching the mold carrier 33 between the supply area and the pad printing area. The mold carrier 33 performs multiple pattern printing in the pad printing area. Each printing is performed by the corresponding visual guidance component (401) corresponding to the auxiliary pad printing station 40. After the first printing is completed, the pattern is cured by the curing mechanism 50 to ensure the printing quality. After the final printing and curing, the mold carrier 33 is transferred to the supply area by the connecting device. The rotary device 31 drives the mold carrier 33 to the full inspection component 70 for pattern quality and color difference detection. Then, the transfer and conveying mechanism 60 on the side of the receiving component 90 transports the mold from the mold carrier 33 to the receiving component 90, completing a complete pattern printing operation. The rotary device 31 is equipped with and drives several rotary rotors 32, thereby realizing the continuous operation of multiple sets of mold carriers 33.

[0044] This rotary contact lens color mold transfer printing method utilizes a rotary conveyor system to achieve rapid switching of mold material workstations. It features a centralized layout of a supply area 301 and a transfer printing area 302, with a connecting device enabling rapid switching between zones and improving overall work efficiency. This layout not only overcomes the drawbacks of traditional linear layouts, such as long threads and large space requirements, but also avoids the wasted space in the turntable's central area and the need for multiple transfer devices for mold transfer in rotary layouts. In the pattern printing process, a visual guidance component 401 and a full inspection component are used to improve the quality of printed patterns, promptly detect color differences and defects, and overall improve the yield and processing efficiency of the mold transfer printing work.

[0045] In this embodiment, the feeding mechanism 10 includes a material cylinder assembly 11 for placing the mold, a material handling assembly 13 for picking up and placing the mold, and a height adaptation assembly 12 for adjusting the mold feeding height; the material cylinder assembly 11 includes a rotating material cylinder 112, a material cylinder drive 111 for driving the rotating material cylinder 112 to rotate, a push rod 114 for pushing the mold inside the rotating material cylinder 112, and a push rod module 113 for driving the push rod 114 to rise and fall;

[0046] During the loading action, the push rod module 113 drives the push rod 114 to extend into the rotating cylinder 112, pushing the mold to the transport position of the material handling component 13. The material handling component 13 absorbs the mold and places it on the height adaptation component 12. The height adaptation component 12 suspends the mold at a specified height, waiting for subsequent actions. During the unloading action, the external component places the mold on the height adaptation component 12. The height adaptation component 12 lifts the mold to the working position of the material handling component 13. The material handling component 13 absorbs the mold and places it in the rotating cylinder 112. The push rod module 113 drives the push rod 114 to press against the mold and gradually lower it.

[0047] Specifically, the feeding mechanism 10 and the receiving component 90 have the same structural features, with only functional differences, and both adopt the same technical features.

[0048] In practical use, it can be freely selected for loading or unloading according to layout requirements. During loading, the rotating cylinder 112 serves as a temporary storage mold for the feeding section. The push rod module 113 is a linear motor used to drive the push rod 114 to extend into the rotating cylinder 112, which can push the mold inside the rotating cylinder 112 to rise, so that the uppermost mold is always at the starting transport position of the material handling component 13. The material handling component 13 picks up the mold from the rotating cylinder 112 and transports it to the height matching component 12. The height matching component 12 moves the mold to a height that matches the external assembly line or other turnover components, thereby improving the overall loading efficiency and ensuring that the loading stage can adapt to various types of equipment layouts. During unloading, the overall process is that the mold is received into the rotating cylinder 112. Inside the rotating drum 112, after the external assembly line or other turnover components place the mold on the height adaptation component 12, the height adaptation component 12 moves the mold to the working height of the conveying component 13. The conveying component 13 then transports the mold into the rotating drum 112. During the mold receiving process, the push rod module 113 drives the push rod 114 to gradually descend, reserving space for each mold to be received. The overall structure is simplified and can be functionally differentiated as needed to meet the requirements of loading and unloading operations. The cylindrical temporary storage of materials makes reasonable use of longitudinal space, reduces the equipment's footprint, and improves the overall efficiency of loading and unloading operations. Furthermore, the height adjustment structure can meet and adapt to various types of material conveying structures, improving the overall adaptability of the loading and unloading mechanism.

[0049] In this embodiment, the rotating material cylinder 112 includes several material cylinder groups 1121, the bottom of which is mounted on a rotating base plate 1122. The material cylinder drive 111 drives the rotating base plate 1122 to rotate. This application adopts a double material cylinder group 1121 design, which is centrally symmetrically mounted on the rotating base plate 1122. When the mold in one material cylinder group 1121 is completely conveyed or the storage is full, the material cylinder drive 111 rotates the rotating base plate 1122 to rotate the other rotating material cylinder group 1121 back to the working position of the conveying structure 13, realizing the backup and use of the material cylinder group 1121. The material cylinder group 1121 can be adjusted in multiple groups according to the actual operation situation, thereby improving the capacity release of one-time loading and unloading and the adjustment of product storage capacity.

[0050] In this embodiment, the rotating base plate 1122 has a push rod through hole 1123 at the bottom of the material cylinder assembly 1121 to facilitate the push rod 114 to extend into the material cylinder assembly 1121. The diameter of the push rod through hole 1123 is smaller than the diameter of the mold. The height of the material cylinder assembly 1121 matches the installation height of the material handling assembly 13. The push rod 114 enters the material cylinder assembly 1121 through the push rod through hole 1123. The mold can be smoothly stored or removed in the material cylinder assembly 1121, which matches its size. The diameter of the push rod through hole 1123 is smaller than the mold to prevent the mold from falling out of the material cylinder assembly 1121. The push rod 114 is driven by the push rod module 113 to push the mold up and down to meet the different height changes of the mold material during the loading and unloading process.

[0051] In this embodiment, the material handling assembly 13 includes a material handling suction cup 135, a material handling frame plate 132 for assembling the material handling suction cup 135, and a material handling drive 131 for driving the material handling frame plate 132. The material handling suction cup 135 is connected to the material handling frame plate 132 via a material handling guide rod 134. In this embodiment, the material handling frame plate 132 is also equipped with a suction cup push cylinder 133 for pushing the material handling suction cup 135 downward. The telescopic end of the suction cup push cylinder 133 passes through the material handling frame plate 132 and is connected to the material handling suction cup 135. The material handling suction cup 135 is connected to an external air source. The material handling suction cup 135 is a multi-head suction cup, connected to an external air source to adsorb the mold. The suction cup push cylinder 133 is used to control the downward height of the material handling suction cup 135. The material handling guide rod 134 ensures that the material handling suction cup 135 can slide smoothly with the material handling frame plate 132, so as to ensure that the material handling suction cup 135 can completely adsorb the mold.

[0052] In this embodiment, the material handling drive 131 is supported and installed by a material handling frame 136, and the height adaptation component 12 is installed on the material handling frame 136. In this embodiment, the height adaptation component 12 includes a height adjustment film frame 121 for temporarily storing the mold and a height adaptation drive 122 for driving the height adjustment film frame 121 to rise and fall. The height adjustment film frame 121 is installed on the moving end of the height adaptation drive 122, and the placement hole of the height adjustment film frame 121 corresponds to the material handling suction cup 135. The height adaptation drive 122 is a linear motor module installed on the material handling frame 126 and is used to drive the height adjustment film frame 121 to rise and fall. The height adjustment film frame 121 is movably installed on the moving end of the height adaptation drive 122 and can be quickly replaced as needed according to the material handling suction cup 135 or the rear conveying equipment. This ensures that the mold can be quickly turned over between the material handling component 13 and the conveying equipment. The height adaptation component 12 can adapt to more equipment layout types and various heights and sizes of conveying equipment.

[0053] In this embodiment, according to the mold flow direction, the rear end of the feeding mechanism 10 is also provided with a dust removal component 21 and a surface treatment mechanism 22 for dust removal of the mold to be printed, and S20 also includes:

[0054] S21. The mold enters the dust removal component 21 station for dust removal under the operation of the mold carrier 33;

[0055] S22. After dust removal, the mold carrier 33 moves the mold to the surface treatment mechanism 22 for corona treatment. In the supply area 301, the dust removal component 21 can adsorb dust on the mold to be printed, so as to avoid dust or other impurities from affecting the printing effect. The surface treatment mechanism 22 is a corona component, which can promote the surface oxidation of the mold to be printed, moderately increase the roughness, and help the display effect of the printing effect.

[0056] The dust removal component 21 is a pneumatic dust blowing device that is connected to an external air source to blow away the dust or other particulate impurities attached to the mold on the mold carrier 33.

[0057] In this embodiment, the surface treatment mechanism 22 includes a corona positive electrode head 225, a corona drive 223 for driving the corona positive electrode head 225 to rise and fall, a corona negative electrode assembly 227 installed below the corona positive electrode head 225, a corona support plate 222 for supporting the mold, and a support plate drive 221 for driving the corona support plate 222; one end of the corona support plate 222 is supported by an auxiliary rail, and the support plate drive 221 connects to and drives the other end of the corona support plate 222; the corona support plate 222 moves back and forth between the transfer and conveying mechanism 60 and below the corona positive electrode head 225;

[0058] The surface treatment mechanism 22 is a corona assembly. During the treatment operation, the rotary unit 30 transfers the mold to the transfer and transport mechanism 60 on the side of the surface treatment mechanism 22. The transfer and transport mechanism 60 transfers the mold to the corona tray 222. The tray drive 221 drives the corona tray 222 to move to the treatment station. The corona negative electrode group 227 is pushed upward by the negative electrode cylinder 226, and the corona positive electrode head 225 is pushed downward by the corona drive 223. After both the positive and negative electrodes contact the mold, corona treatment is performed to increase the surface roughness of the mold, so as to improve the quality of subsequent mold pattern printing.

[0059] In this embodiment, the connecting device includes a connecting module 35 and a rotary drive 34 that drives the connecting module 35 to move; both the rotary device 31 and the connecting module 35 are magnetic drive linear motors; the two rotary devices 31 are arranged in parallel, and the rotary drive 34 drives the connecting module 35 to achieve alternating switching with the rotary device 31.

[0060] During the rotation process, each of the rotating devices 31 is driven in one direction, driving the rotating rotor 32 to move to the connecting module 35. Then, the turnover drive 34 drives the connecting module 35 to move to another rotating device 31 moving in the opposite direction, realizing the turnover of the film carrier 33. The rotating device 31 is the main turnover track. Several rotating rotors 32 are slidably mounted on the rotating device 31 and driven. Then, the turnover drive 34 controls the movement of the connecting module 32, realizing the connecting and ferrying action of the rotating rotor 32 that has run to the end, and turning it to another rotating device 31; thus realizing the rapid and stable turnover of the film carrier 33.

[0061] In this embodiment, both the rotary device 31 and the connecting module 35 are magnetically driven linear motors. The rotary device 31 is arranged in parallel, and the rotation drive 34 drives the connecting module 35 to alternately swing with the rotary device 31. The magnetically driven linear motor has a small overall size, runs smoothly, and can freely select its stroke to drive the rotary stator 32, thereby enabling the film carrier 33 mounted on the rotary stator 32 to be suspended at a predetermined position. The rotary device 31 is arranged in parallel, and the rotation drive 34 is installed perpendicular to the rotary device 31, ensuring that the rotation drive 34 can smoothly connect and swing with the connecting module 35.

[0062] In this embodiment, the rotary device 31 and the connecting module 35 differ only in their drive stroke, while the other parameters are matched. In this embodiment, both the rotary device 31 and the connecting module 35 are equipped with an auxiliary upper rail 311 on their top and an auxiliary side rail 312 on their side end faces. The rotary rotor 32 is slidably assembled using the auxiliary upper rail 311 and the auxiliary side rail 312. Both the rotary device 31 and the connecting module 35 are equipped with auxiliary upper rails 311 and auxiliary side rails 312 to ensure the smooth operation of the rotary rotor 32.

[0063] In this embodiment, the rotary rotor 32 is an L-shaped plate; the auxiliary upper rail 311 and the auxiliary side rail 312 are both installed on the inner wall of the L-shaped plate, and the top of the L-shaped plate is connected to the film carrier 33; the rotary rotor 32 is also equipped with an anti-tilt plate 323; on the basis of the double slide rails of the auxiliary upper rail 311 and the auxiliary side rail 312 ensuring stable operation, the addition of the anti-tilt plate 323 can further prevent accidental tilting of the rotary rotor 32 during operation, and ensure the safety of transporting and operating the film carrier 33.

[0064] In this embodiment, the film carrier 33 includes a carrier plate 331 mounted on a rotary rotor 32 and a mold clamp 334 for positioning the mold; the bottom of the mold clamp 334 is provided with an opening and closing lever 333; the carrier plate 331 is provided with a clamping clearance hole 332; the mold clamp 334 is used to place the mold that needs to be printed with color film, and the mold clamp 334 is a movable clamp. By operating the opening and closing lever 333, unlocking and locking can be achieved to prevent the mold from shifting or falling off during transportation; the clamping clearance hole 332 on the carrier plate 331 can reduce weight and also allow the opening and closing lever 333 to be positioned.

[0065] In this embodiment, an unlocking component 36 and a supplementary lighting component 37 are also provided inside the rotary device 31. In this embodiment, the unlocking component 36 is a thin pneumatic finger. The unlocking component 36 is set as needed and can lock and unlock the film carrier 33, which facilitates the handling of the mold at the feeding mechanism 10, the unloading mechanism 90 and the surface treatment mechanism 22. The supplementary lighting component 37 is used to assist the pad printing station 40 and the full inspection component 70 in performing illumination compensation.

[0066] In this embodiment, the pad printing station 40 includes two pad printing head assemblies 42, a pad printing head micro-adjustment mechanism 43 for fine-tuning the pad printing head assemblies 42, a pad printing robot 41 for driving the pad printing head micro-adjustment mechanism 43, an ink scraping mechanism 45 for providing ink to the pad printing head assemblies 42, and a cleaning mechanism 44; the pad printing head 42 is also provided with an air blowing structure;

[0067] During pad printing, the vision guidance component 401 guides and positions the pad printing robot 41. The pad printing robot 41 drives the pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43 and the pad printing pad assembly 42 installed at the end of the pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43. The pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43 further fine-tunes the horizontal and vertical movement of the pad printing pad assembly 42. The ink scraping mechanism 45 provides ink for the pad printing pad assembly 42. The air blowing structure blows air onto the pad printing pad assembly 42 and the ink scraping mechanism 45 to control the ink viscosity. After a single pad printing operation, the cleaning mechanism 44 cleans the pad printing pad assembly 42, and the printed mold enters below the light curing mechanism 50.

[0068] In practical applications, the pad printing robot 41 drives the pad printing head assembly 42 to perform the main actions. During the pad printing process, the squeegee mechanism 45 prepares the ink for the pad printing operation. The pad printing head assembly 42 is driven by the pad printing robot 41 to be above the squeegee mechanism 45 to pick up the ink. During the picking process, the air blowing structure can blow air onto the squeegee mechanism 45 and the pad printing head assembly 42. The blowing air can evaporate the moisture in the ink, thereby adjusting and controlling the ink viscosity. After picking up the ink, the pad printing of the mold to be printed is carried out. (Vision guidance component) (401)25 is used to capture images of the execution end of the pad printing robot 41 to obtain image information of ink dipping and pad printing process. The control host processes and provides feedback based on the image information, and further outputs control signals to the pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43. The pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43, in conjunction with the pad printing robot 41, further fine-tunes the position and height of the two pad printing pad assemblies 42. After a single pad printing is completed, the cleaning mechanism 44 cleans the pad printing pad assembly 42; then the next pad printing cycle of the mold to be printed is carried out.

[0069] The visual guidance component 401 acquires position information in real time and provides visual guidance to precisely control the dual-station pad printing head component 42 and fine-tune the printing position. This adapts to the pad printing of eyeglass molds with different printing requirements. The added air blowing structure enables control of ink viscosity during the ink dipping process, improving the quality of pattern writing and color. The overall structure is ingenious, highly versatile, and improves the overall quality and efficiency of contact lens pad printing.

[0070] In this embodiment, the visual guidance component 401 includes a first camera 46 for pad printing positioning and a second camera 47 located above the ink scraping mechanism 45; both the first camera 46 and the second camera 47 are suspended by a vision frame 48; a visual guidance component 401 is correspondingly set above each pad printing station 40; the dual-camera layout can more accurately obtain the position information of the execution end of the pad printing robot 41, ensuring the accuracy of the actions of the pad printing robot 41 during the ink dipping process and the printing process; and through the auxiliary positioning and guidance of the guidance camera 46, the difficulty of adjusting and debugging the pad printing head assembly 42 of the dual-station execution end of the pad printing robot 41 is further reduced.

[0071] In this embodiment, each pad printing head assembly 42 includes a pad sensor 424 mounted on the pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43, a pad fixing seat 425 disposed at the end of the pad sensor 424, and a pad printing head 421 mounted at the end of the pad fixing seat 425.

[0072] In this embodiment, the air blowing structure includes an air blowing ring 422 disposed on the pad printing pad 421 and located on the upper edge of the pad printing pad 425; the lower end face of the air blowing ring 422 is provided with a plurality of air blowing holes 423; the upper ends of the plurality of air blowing holes 423 are connected and connected to an external air source by an air blowing valve 426.

[0073] The pad sensor 424 is a tension / compression sensor that can collect the pad printing pressure applied by the pad printing head during operation, which helps to improve the transfer quality and display effect of the pattern; the air blowing ring 422 is connected to an external air source through the air blowing valve 426, and is supplied with air by the external air source. During the ink dipping process, the external air is blown out through the air blowing hole 423 to control the evaporation of moisture in the ink on the scraper mechanism 45 and the pad printing head 421, and to appropriately adjust the ink viscosity, thereby improving the quality of pad printing.

[0074] In this embodiment, the pad printing robot 41 is connected to the pad printing frame 411 and the pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43. The pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43 includes a height fine-tuning slide 431 vertically mounted on the pad printing frame 411, a first translation slide 432 horizontally mounted on the pad printing frame 411, and a second translation slide 433 mounted on the execution end of the first translation slide 432. A pad printing pad assembly 42 is mounted on the execution end of both the second translation slide 433 and the height fine-tuning slide 431. The pad micro-adjustment mechanism 43, in conjunction with the pad printing robot 41, realizes the pad printing pad assembly 42... The dual-station control of the 2-position system allows the pad printing robot 41 to adjust and control the overall position of the two pad printing head assemblies 42 and the downward stroke during the pad printing operation. Furthermore, the relative position between the two pad printing head assemblies 42 is adjusted via the second translation slide 433 at the execution end of the first translation slide 432, and the relative height between the two pad printing head assemblies 42 is adjusted via the height fine-tuning slide 431. This enables the adaptation of printing effects for various patterns. For dual-station operations, only the horizontal position of one pad printing head assembly 42 and the height position of the other need to be controlled.

[0075] In this embodiment, the height fine-tuning slide 431, the first translation slide 432, and the second translation slide 433 are all electric slides; the pad printing robot 41 is a high-precision Scara robot.

[0076] In this embodiment, the ink scraping mechanism includes a pad printing steel plate 453, a base plate mounting seat 453 for mounting the pad printing steel plate 453, a pad printing ink cartridge 452 that slides in contact with the pad printing steel plate 453 and has a scraper at the bottom, and an ink cartridge drive cylinder 451 that drives the pad printing ink cartridge 452 to reciprocate. The ink drive cylinder 451 is a reciprocating cylinder that drives the pad printing ink cartridge 452 to reciprocate on the pad printing steel plate 453. The scraper in the pad printing ink cartridge 452 can scrape the pad printing steel plate 453 to ensure that the ink is evenly spread on the pad printing steel plate 453. The pad printing steel plate 453 can be quickly replaced on demand on the base plate mounting seat 454, improving the overall scalability of the pad printing operation.

[0077] In this embodiment, within the supply area 301, a laser marking component 80 for marking the mold after inspection and identification is further provided between the full inspection component 70 and the unloading mechanism 90; S60 also includes:

[0078] S61. After the color difference detection of the full inspection component 70 is completed, the mold enters the laser marking component 80 station under the operation of the mold carrier 33 to mark the defective products; the laser marking component 80 can laser mark the mold after the full inspection is completed, which helps to further sorting work.

[0079] In this embodiment, the full inspection component 70 includes a full inspection base 76 installed on the side of the rotary unit 30 and a full inspection camera 71 mounted on the full inspection base 76 using a full inspection bracket 711. The full inspection base 76 is also provided with a full inspection drive 73, and the execution end of the full inspection drive 73 is connected to a supplementary light cover 72. A camera cover 75 is provided on the full inspection bracket 711. The full inspection component 70 performs color pattern quality and color difference detection on the mold that has been transferred from the rotary unit 30. The full inspection camera 71 is used to acquire the pattern and color. During this process, by pushing down the supplementary light cover 72 by the full inspection drive 73, the mold to be inspected can be better illuminated. In addition, the camera cover 75 is added externally to avoid interference from other external light sources with the image acquisition of the full inspection camera 71.

[0080] In this embodiment, the transfer and handling mechanism 60 includes a transfer and handling drive 61 mounted on top of the rotary device 31 using a transfer bracket 66. The execution end of the transfer and handling drive 61 is provided with a transfer mounting plate 63. The transfer mounting plate 63 is movably suspended by a suction cup guide rod 641 to hold a transfer suction cup assembly 65. A transfer downward drive 62 for driving the transfer suction cup assembly 65 is installed on the transfer mounting plate 63. During transfer and handling, the transfer and handling drive 61 drives the transfer mounting plate 63 to move back and forth within the working area. After the transfer mounting plate 63 reaches the handling position, the transfer downward drive 62 drives the transfer suction cup 65 to descend and rise, completing the gripping and placement of the mold. This enables the color film to flow between the rotary unit 30 and the supply area.

[0081] Specifically, a transfer and handling mechanism 60 is provided on the side of the feeding mechanism 10, the receiving component 90, and the surface treatment mechanism 22. The transfer and handling drive 61 is a linear motor, which is mounted on the rotary device 31 via a transfer bracket 66. One end of the transfer mounting plate 63 is slidably mounted on the transfer bracket 66 using an auxiliary rail, and the other end is driven by the transfer and handling drive 61. Driven by the transfer and handling drive 61, the transfer mounting plate 63, carrying the transfer suction cup 65, moves back and forth between the rotary device 31 and the workstation in the supply area to complete the handling and transfer of the mold, thereby improving the material transfer speed between the processing station and the rotary unit 30.

[0082] A rotary contact lens color mold transfer printing system is used to implement a rotary contact lens color mold transfer printing method. It includes a rotary unit 30 for transferring the mold. One side of the rotary unit 30 is a supply area 301 for auxiliary mold materials, and the other side is a transfer printing area 302 for printing mold patterns. The supply area 301 is equipped with a feeding mechanism 10, a receiving component 90, a dust removal component 21, a surface treatment mechanism 22, and a laser marking component 80. The transfer printing area is equipped with a transfer printing station 40 and a light curing component 50. The feeding mechanism 10, the receiving component 90, and the surface treatment mechanism 22 all use a transfer and handling mechanism 60 to interact with the rotary unit 30 to achieve mold interaction.

[0083] A rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method includes a rotary unit 30 that drives the mold to be printed to rotate. One side of the rotary unit 30 is a supply area, which is provided with a feeding mechanism 10, a receiving component 90 and a full inspection component 70. The other side of the rotary unit 30 is a pad printing area, which is provided with a plurality of pad printing stations 40 for printing patterns on the mold to be printed and a light curing mechanism 50 for curing ink.

[0084] The rotary unit 30 includes a rotary device 31, a plurality of rotary rotors 32 mounted on the rotary device 31, and a connecting device installed at the end of the rotary device 31 for transporting the rotary rotors 32; each rotary rotor 32 is equipped with a mold-bearing carrier 33 for placing molds; a plurality of transfer and handling mechanisms 60 for transporting molds are mounted above the rotary device 31.

[0085] During pad printing, the transfer assembly 60 transfers the mold to be printed from the feeding mechanism 10 to the mold carrier 33. The rotating device 31 drives the mold carrier 33 to rotate in the supply area. When it reaches the end of its stroke, the connecting device transfers the mold carrier 33 to the pad printing area. Multiple pad printing stations 40 are evenly spaced in the pad printing area. Each pad printing station 40 has a corresponding light curing mechanism 50 installed on its side. Each pad printing station 40 has a corresponding visual guidance component (401) above it. After the pad printing is completed, the connecting device on the side of the last light curing machine 50 transfers the mold carrier 33 back to the supply area. The full inspection assembly 70 performs pattern pad printing and color difference full inspection. Finally, the transfer assembly 60 transports the mold carrier 33 to the receiving assembly 90 to complete the printing operation.

[0086] The curing mechanism 50 is a UV curing device used to cure the printed pattern of the pre-printing station 40, thereby improving the printing quality of the pattern.

[0087] In actual use, the rotary unit 30 is used for mold circulation and driving, responsible for transferring the mold to be printed to various processing stations and completing the mold transfer work; the rotary unit 30 divides the working area into two sides, one side is the supply area, in which the feeding mechanism 10 is used to provide materials, the full inspection component 70 is used to detect the printing quality and color difference of the pattern, and the receiving component 90 is used to store the printed mold; the other side is the printing area, which is used to perform multiple pattern printing operations as needed, and each printing is completed by a set of pad printing stations 40 and light curing mechanism 50;

[0088] The rotary device 31 can drive the rotary rotor 32 to move a predetermined distance, thereby driving the mold carrier 33 to move in a controllable manner; the transfer and handling mechanism 60 is mounted above the rotary device 31 and is correspondingly arranged on the side of the feeding mechanism 10 and the receiving component 90, which is used to assist in handling the mold and ensure the transfer and handling of the mold between the mold carrier 33 and the feeding mechanism 10 and the receiving component 90 in the supply area;

[0089] During the pad printing operation, the feeding mechanism 10 supplies the mold to be printed. After the mold reaches the predetermined position, the transfer and handling mechanism 60 on the side of the feeding mechanism 10 transfers the mold to the mold carrier 33. The rotary device 31 drives the mold carrier 33 to the end of the supply area. The connecting device drives the mold carrier 33 to switch with the corresponding rotary device 31, thereby switching the mold carrier 33 between the supply area and the pad printing area. The mold carrier 33 performs multiple pattern printings in the pad printing area. Each printing is performed by the corresponding visual guidance component 401 corresponding to the auxiliary pad printing station 40. After printing is completed, the pattern is cured by the curing mechanism 50 to ensure the printing quality. After the final printing and curing, the mold carrier 33 is transferred to the supply area by the connecting device. The rotary device 31 drives the mold carrier 33 to the full inspection component 70 for pattern quality and color difference detection. Then, the transfer and conveying mechanism 60 on the side of the receiving component 90 transports the mold from the mold carrier 33 to the receiving component 90, completing a complete pattern printing operation. The rotary device 31 is equipped with and drives several rotary rotors 32, thereby realizing the continuous operation of multiple sets of mold carriers 33.

[0090] This rotary contact lens color mold pad printing equipment achieves rapid switching of mold material workstations through a rotary conveyor system. It features a separate supply area and printing area, centralizing the workspace and using a connecting device for rapid switching between zones, thus improving overall work efficiency. This layout not only overcomes the shortcomings of traditional linear layouts, such as long threads and large space requirements, but also avoids the wasted space in the turntable's central area and the need for multiple transfer devices for mold transfer in rotary layouts. In the pattern printing process, a visual guidance component 401 and a full inspection component are used to improve the quality of printed patterns, promptly detect color differences and defects, and overall improve the yield and processing efficiency of mold pad printing.

[0091] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples illustrating the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the scope defined by the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A rotary contact lens color pattern pad printing method, characterized by, The application relates to a rotary unit (30) which is provided with a feeding area (301) on one side and a pad printing area (302) on the other side; the pad printing area (302) is provided with at least one pad printing work station (40) and a light curing work station (50); The rotary unit (30) comprises at least two parallel rotary devices (31), a rotary rotor (32) and a transfer device; the rotary rotor (32) is provided with a mold supporting carrier (33); the rotary devices (31) are provided with a plurality of transfer conveying mechanisms (60) above; the pad printing steps of the contact lens mold are as follows: S10. The mold is discharged by the feeding mechanism (10); the mold is transferred to the mold supporting carrier (33) in the feeding area by the transfer conveying mechanism (60); S20. The mold supporting carrier (33) is driven by the rotary device (31) in the feeding area (301) to move to a pre-treatment position to perform pre-treatment dust removal and surface treatment; S30. After the dust removal and surface treatment, the mold supporting carrier (33) is transferred to another rotary device (31) in the pad printing area by the transfer device; S40. The action of the pad printing work station (40) is positioned and assisted by a visual guide assembly (401); the pattern printing and curing operation are completed through at least one time of ink printing of the pad printing work station (40) and ink curing of the light curing work station (50); and the mold pad printing is completed to obtain a colored mold; S50. After the last curing is completed, the mold supporting carrier (33) is transferred to the feeding area (301) again by the transfer device; S60. The mold supporting carrier (33) is transferred to the full inspection assembly (70) below to perform defect detection of the colored mold by the rotary device (31); S70. The mold is transferred to the discharging mechanism after being detected by the transfer conveying mechanism (60); The feeding mechanism (10) comprises a barrel assembly (11) for placing the mold, a material conveying assembly (13) for taking and placing the mold and a height adapting assembly (12) for adjusting the feeding height of the mold; the barrel assembly (11) comprises a rotating barrel (112), a barrel drive (111) for driving the rotating barrel (112) to rotate, a pushing rod (114) for pushing the mold in the rotating barrel (112) and a pushing rod module (113) for driving the pushing rod (114) to ascend and descend; in the feeding action, the pushing rod module (113) drives the pushing rod (114) to extend into the rotating barrel (112), pushes the mold to the conveying position of the material conveying assembly (13), the mold is adsorbed by the material conveying assembly (13) and placed on the height adapting assembly (12), and the mold is suspended at a specified height by the height adapting assembly (12); The top of the rotating device (31) and the top of the connecting module (35) are provided with auxiliary upper rails (311), and the side end faces are provided with auxiliary side rails (312); the rotating rotor (32) is slidably assembled by the auxiliary upper rails (311) and the auxiliary side rails (312); the rotating rotor (32) is an L-shaped plate body; the auxiliary upper rails (311) and the auxiliary side rails (312) are installed on the inner wall of the L-shaped plate body, and the top of the L-shaped plate body is connected with the mold carrying carrier (33); the rotating rotor (32) is further provided with an anti-inclination plate (323).

2. A rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method according to claim 1, wherein In the feeding area (301), a dust removal assembly (21) for dust removal of the mold to be printed and a surface treatment mechanism (22) are further arranged at the rear end of the feeding mechanism (10) according to the mold flow direction, and S20 further includes: S21. The mold is operated by the mold carrying carrier (33) to enter the dust removal assembly (21) station to perform dust removal; S22. After the dust removal is completed, the mold carrying carrier (33) operates the mold to enter the surface treatment mechanism (22) station to perform corona treatment.

3. A rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method according to claim 2, wherein The surface treatment mechanism (22) includes a corona positive electrode head (225), a corona drive (223) for driving the corona positive electrode head (225) to ascend and descend, a corona negative electrode group (227) installed below the corona positive electrode head (225), a corona supporting plate (222) for carrying the mold, and a supporting plate drive (221) for driving the corona supporting plate (222); One end of the corona supporting plate (222) is supported by an auxiliary rail, and the other end of the corona supporting plate (222) is connected and driven by the supporting plate drive (221); the corona supporting plate (222) reciprocates between the transfer conveying mechanism (60) and below the corona positive electrode head (225).

4. The rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method of claim 1, wherein, The connecting device includes a connecting module (35) and a rotation drive (34) for driving the connecting module (35) to move; In S30 and S60, the rotation drive (34) drives the connecting module (35) to realize alternating transfer between the two rotating devices (31).

5. The rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method of claim 1, wherein, The pad printing work station (40) includes two pad printing rubber head assemblies (42), a rubber head fine adjustment mechanism (43) for fine adjustment of the pad printing rubber head assembly (42), a pad printing mechanical arm (41) for driving the rubber head fine adjustment mechanism (43) to move, an ink scraping mechanism (45) for providing ink for the pad printing rubber head assembly (42), and a cleaning mechanism (44); the pad printing rubber head assembly (42) is further provided with a gas blowing structure; The visual guiding assembly (401) guides the position of the pad printing manipulator (41) during the pad printing operation. The pad printing manipulator (41) drives the micro-adjusting mechanism (43) of the rubber head and the pad printing rubber head assembly (42) installed at the end of the micro-adjusting mechanism (43). The micro-adjusting mechanism (43) further adjusts the horizontal and height of the pad printing action of the pad printing rubber head assembly (42). The ink scraping mechanism (45) provides ink for the pad printing action of the pad printing rubber head assembly (42). The air blowing structure blows air to the pad printing rubber head assembly (42) and the ink scraping mechanism (45) to control the viscosity of the ink. After a single pad printing is completed, the cleaning mechanism (44) cleans the pad printing rubber head assembly (42), and the printed mold enters the light curing station (50) below.

6. The rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method of claim 1, wherein, In the supply area (301), a laser marking assembly (80) for marking the molds after detection and identification is arranged between the full inspection assembly (70) and the blanking mechanism (90). In S60, the following step is further included: S61. After the color difference detection of the full inspection assembly (70) is completed, the mold enters the laser marking assembly (80) station under the operation of the mold supporting carrier (33) to mark the defective products.

7. The rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method of claim 1, wherein, The full inspection assembly (70) includes a full inspection base (76) installed on the side of the rotating unit (30) and a full inspection camera (71) installed on the full inspection base (76) by a full inspection support (711). The full inspection base (76) is further provided with a full inspection drive (73), and the execution end of the full inspection drive (73) is connected with a light supplement lampshade (72). The full inspection support (711) is provided with a camera guard (75).

8. The rotary contact lens color mold pad printing method of claim 1, wherein, The transfer carrying mechanism (60) includes a transfer carrying drive (61) erected above the rotating device (31) by a transfer support (66). The execution end of the transfer carrying drive (61) is provided with a transfer mounting plate (63). The transfer mounting plate (63) movably suspends a transfer suction disc group (65) by a suction disc guide rod (641). The transfer mounting plate (63) is provided with a transfer down-driving drive (62) for driving the transfer suction disc group (65). During the transfer carrying, the transfer carrying drive (61) drives the transfer mounting plate (63) to move back and forth in the working area. After the transfer mounting plate (63) reaches the carrying position, the transfer down-driving drive (62) drives the transfer suction disc group (65) to descend and rise, thereby completing the grabbing and placing actions of the mold. The colored mold is circulated between the rotating unit (30) and the supply area.

9. A rotary contact lens color pattern pad printing system for carrying out the rotary contact lens color pattern pad printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The application relates to a rotary unit (30) for a flow transfer mold, one side of the rotary unit (30) being a feeding area (301) for assisting mold material feeding, and the other side being a pad printing area (302) for mold pattern printing; the feeding area (301) is provided with a feeding mechanism (10), a discharging mechanism (90), a dust removal assembly (21), a surface treatment mechanism (22) and a laser marking assembly (80); the pad printing area is provided with a pad printing work station (40) and a light curing work station (50); the feeding mechanism (10), the discharging mechanism (90) and the surface treatment mechanism (22) all adopt a transfer carrying mechanism (60) to realize mold interaction with the rotary unit (30).

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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