Conveying module for cleaning machine, related cleaning machine and method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transport module (1) configured to hold at least one ophthalmic article (3) to be cleaned in a cleaning machine, the transport module comprising:-a first plate portion (5) and a second plate portion (15) arranged at a fixed distance for defining a holding space (25), -at least one ophthalmic article holder (31) protruding into the holding space (25),-complementary clamping means (46, 47) carried by the first plate portion (5) and the second plate portion (15), the complementary clamping means being configured to interconnect the transport module (1) to at least another transport module, therefore, an assembly which can move together is formed by adjacent interconnected conveying modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveying module for a cleaning machine configured to clean ophthalmic articles, in particular lenses, and a related cleaning machine and method. Background Art

[0002] The discussion of the background of the present disclosure herein is included to explain the context of the present disclosure. This should not be regarded as an admission that any of the materials mentioned was published, known, or part of common general knowledge as of the priority date of any claim.

[0003] Document US 2023091347 discloses a cleaning machine in which lenses are conveyed in a conveying direction through a plurality of horizontally separated cleaning stations by means of a conveying device and are reciprocated simultaneously in a direction parallel to the conveying direction during the cleaning process in the cleaning stations. The disclosed conveying device is a cyclic, linear, and / or chain conveyor.

[0004] The disadvantage of this known cleaning machine is its unoptimized and cumbersome footprint. Additionally, by using a chain conveyor, liquid (in particular, cleaning agent) can also be conveyed between different cleaning stations via the links of the chain. Therefore, the cleaning machine has significant cleaning agent consumption, and the cleaning stations dedicated to rinsing or drying may perform poorly. Additionally, the chain conveyor always needs to be equipped with lens holding devices, although the lens holding devices are idle on the return path. Finally, in the case of a problem with the chain conveyor, such as when a lens holding device is damaged and has to be replaced, the entire cleaning station needs to be stopped during the maintenance process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure aims to at least partially overcome at least one of the technical problems of the prior art as described above by providing an improved conveying device for a cleaning machine configured to clean ophthalmic articles.

[0006] Another independent objective is to optimize, for example, the footprint of the cleaning machine.

[0007] Another independent objective is to reduce, for example, the maintenance time in the case where, for example, a lens holder has to be replaced.

[0008] Accordingly, the object of the present disclosure relates to a conveying module configured to hold at least an ophthalmic article to be cleaned in a cleaning machine, the conveying module comprising:

[0009] - a first plate portion having a front end, a rear end, and two side ends,

[0010] - A second plate portion having a front end, a rear end, and two side ends, the second plate portion being aligned with the first plate portion and arranged at a fixed distance from the first plate portion to define a holding space between the rear end of the first plate portion and the front end of the second plate portion,

[0011] - At least one ophthalmic article holder projecting into the holding space,

[0012] - Complementary clamping means carried by the front end of the first plate portion and the rear end of the second plate portion, the complementary clamping means being configured to interconnect the conveying module to at least one other conveying module via the rear end of the second plate portion or via the front end of the first plate portion to form a movably together component of adjacent interconnected conveying modules.

[0013] According to the present disclosure, each conveying module can be selectively interconnected to one (only one side, front side and rear side) or two (each side, front side and rear side) adjacent conveying modules to simplify the shifting of each conveying module. Notably, no dedicated conveyor is required, and the interconnected conveying modules form an interconnected chain when assembled. In addition, no continuous loop is required, and when the processing is completed, each conveying module can be separated from another conveying module to be independently removed from the end of the processing line (rear end disassembly) and reused at the start of the processing line (front end assembly). Finally, when a conveying module is defective, it can be replaced by another conveying module in an easy manner, for example, after or before any cleaning cycle, without stopping the cleaning process of other conveying modules.

[0014] The present disclosure may also include one or more of the following optional features taken individually or in combination.

[0015] The first plate portion and the second plate portion may be fixed together, for example.

[0016] The conveying module may include, for example, two rods fixed to the respective side ends of the first plate portion and the second plate portion.

[0017] The conveying module may include at least one bridging portion between the first plate portion and the second plate portion, the at least one bridging portion and the first plate portion and the second plate portion being integrally formed.

[0018] The clamping means at the front end of the first plate portion may have at least one connecting cylinder presenting laterally spring-loaded pins on its skirt that are movable between a deployed position and a retracted position.

[0019] The clamping device at the rear end of the second plate part may have at least one cylindrical hole and a lateral hole. A connecting cylinder can be assembled in at least one cylindrical hole, and the lateral hole is configured to receive a laterally spring-loaded movable pin of another conveying module in the deployed position, so as to connect the conveying module to the said another conveying module. The lateral hole is configured to receive, for example, a control pin, so as to push the spring-loaded movable pin to the retracted position, so as to disconnect the conveying module from the said another conveying module.

[0020] The cylindrical hole can be a cylindrical blind hole having a frustoconical inlet shape for guiding the laterally spring-loaded movable pin of the said another conveying module from the deployed position to the retracted position.

[0021] At least one ophthalmic article holder projecting into the holding space may include at least one spring-loaded retractable holding fork between a grasping position and a retracted position, and the at least one spring-loaded retractable holding fork is carried by the rear end of the first plate part or by the front end of the second plate part.

[0022] The ophthalmic article holder may include, for example, two spring-loaded retractable holding forks facing each other. One spring-loaded retractable holding fork is carried by the rear end of the first plate part, and the other spring-loaded retractable holding fork is carried by the front end of the second plate part. The two spring-loaded retractable holding forks may be configured to move towards each other in the grasping position.

[0023] At least one spring-loaded retractable holding fork may include four fork teeth, namely two inner fork teeth and two outer fork teeth. The two inner fork teeth have ends bent outward relative to the retraction direction of the teeth of the spring-loaded retractable holding fork to push against the edge of the ophthalmic article in the grasping position. The ends of the two outer fork teeth project more in the holding space than the ends of the two inner fork teeth and project in the opposite direction to the ends of the two inner fork teeth to support the ophthalmic article in the grasping position.

[0024] The first plate part and the second plate part may be made of plastic material, especially polyethylene.

[0025] Another object of the present disclosure relates to a cleaning machine for cleaning ophthalmic articles, which includes at least one cleaning station configured to perform at least one cleaning process on at least one ophthalmic article arranged in a conveying module as above. Wherein, the cleaning station includes two side walls having sealing grooves for the conveying module to enter / leave relative to the cleaning station, and the length of the conveying module is longer than the distance between these sealing grooves.

[0026] According to the present disclosure, each conveying module is capable of suspending at least one ophthalmic article in each cleaning station with improved sealing. Apparently, the consumption of the cleaning agent is thus reduced (when the conveying module is displaced from the cleaning station, no or only very little cleaning agent is transferred) and rinsing or drying is improved (the cleaning station with the inserted conveying module forms a small enclosed volume with no or only very limited unloading fluid).

[0027] Furthermore, there is no need to use a continuous loop. When the processing is completed, each conveying module can be separated from another conveying module to be independently displaced from the end (unloading station) of the processing line to the start (loading station) of the processing line, so that the cleaning device has a very compact footprint. Thus, advantageously, according to the present disclosure, the cleaning processing steps can have independent displacement of the (adjacent interconnected conveying modules used) with respect to the return displacement of (each unused unconnected conveying module), thereby allowing optimal management of the number of required conveying modules.

[0028] Finally, when a conveying module is defective, it can be replaced by another conveying module in an easy manner, for example, after or before any cleaning cycle (all processing), especially when it is displaced from the end of the processing line to the start of the processing line, without stopping the cleaning processing of other conveying modules.

[0029] The present disclosure may also include one or more of the following optional features taken individually or in combination.

[0030] The sealing groove may be equipped with a double-lip seal configured to contact the first or second plate portion of the conveying module to retain fluid within the cleaning station.

[0031] The cleaning machine may include at least four cleaning stations, one cleaning station with a rotary brush, two cleaning stations for rinsing, and one cleaning station for drying.

[0032] The cleaning machine may include a guide rail with rollers that at least span all the cleaning stations for guiding the translation and conveyance of the interconnected conveying modules.

[0033] The cleaning machine may further include at least one actuator for pushing and / or pulling the interconnected conveying modules through these cleaning stations.

[0034] The cleaning machine may further include an assembly and loading station arranged upstream of the (multiple) cleaning stations in the conveying direction and configured for loading the ophthalmic articles to be cleaned in the conveying module and for connecting the loaded conveying module to another conveying module arranged downstream, the other conveying module being arranged in the cleaning station located downstream.

[0035] The cleaning machine may further include a separation and unloading station, which is arranged downstream of the (one or more) cleaning stations and is configured to unload the cleaned ophthalmic articles from the conveying module and to separate the conveying module from the conveying module placed in the cleaning station located upstream.

[0036] The separation and unloading station may include at least one motorized control pin, which is configured to push the spring-loaded movable pin of the conveying module to the retracted position in order to disconnect the two conveying modules from each other.

[0037] The cleaning machine may further include a return station, which includes a picking device, an extendable return conveyor, and a placing device. The picking device is configured to pick up the conveying module to place it on one end of the extendable return conveyor. The extendable return conveyor is arranged above these cleaning stations and is configured to convey the conveying module upstream in the direction of the assembly and loading station. The placing device is configured to place the conveying module in the assembly and loading station.

[0038] The cleaning machine may include at most one conveying module for each station.

[0039] Finally, another object disclosed relates to a method for operating a cleaning machine as above, wherein the conveying module reciprocates by pulling and pushing one end of the assembled conveying module during a specified processing cycle time.

[0040] According to the present disclosure, these interconnected conveying modules form an interconnected chain when assembled. Therefore, the downstream conveying module for each successive cleaning step is successively used to displace all upstream adjacent interconnected conveying modules. Thus, the displacement is simplified and only one actuator is required. In addition, the reciprocating movement during the cleaning process improves the effectiveness of the cleaning process.

[0041] The present disclosure may also include one or more of the following optional features taken individually or in combination.

[0042] During the cleaning cycle, the conveying module may be loaded with ophthalmic articles to be cleaned.

[0043] During the cleaning cycle, the conveying module may be unloaded from the cleaned ophthalmic articles.

[0044] During the cleaning cycle, the unloaded conveying module may return to the assembly and loading station. Description of the Drawings

[0045] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description (provided as a non-limiting illustration) with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0046] - Figure 1 An example of an embodiment of a delivery module in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in a perspective view,

[0047] - Figure 2 is Figure 1 a cross-sectional top view of the delivery module,

[0048] - Figure 3 is Figure 1 a perspective view of details of an ophthalmic article holder of the delivery module,

[0049] - Figure 4 is Figure 1 a side view of details of an ophthalmic article holder of the delivery module,

[0050] - Figure 5 is

[0051] - Figure 6 a cross-sectional top view of details of the front and rear ends of two successive delivery modules to be connected, Figure 1 is

[0052] - Figure 7 is Figure 1 a perspective view of another detail of,

[0053] - Figure 8 a schematically simplified view of a cleaning machine in accordance with the present disclosure,

[0054] - Figure 9 is Figure 8 a perspective view of details of the cleaning machine,

[0055] - Figure 10 is Figure 8 a perspective schematic view of some conveying details of the cleaning machine,

[0056] - Figure 11 is Figure 8 a perspective schematic view of some details of the cleaning machine,

[0057] - Figure 12 is Figure 8 a perspective schematic view of some other details of the cleaning machine,

[0058] - Figure 13 shows a simplified view of two cleaning stations, with two connected delivery modules therebetween, and

[0059] - Figure 14 shows details between the two cleaning stations of the cleaning machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The embodiments in the following description are only considered as examples. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. In the various figures, the same or similar elements have the same reference numerals, optionally with an index added. Therefore, the description of their structures and their functions is not systematically reiterated.

[0061] It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate, and the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are capable of operating in other orientations different from those described or shown herein. Additionally, the features described in relation to one embodiment may also be relevant to another embodiment, even if this is not explicitly mentioned. The simple features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide additional implementations.

[0062] The terms "comprising", "including", "having", "possessing", "being able to", "accommodating", etc. and their variants significantly used in the claims should not be construed as being limited to the means listed thereafter. It does not exclude other elements or steps. Therefore, it should be construed as expressly indicating the presence of the recited features, integers, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or combinations thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device comprising components A and B" should not be limited to a device consisting only of components A and B. This means that, with respect to the present disclosure, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

[0063] For "upstream" or "downstream" of two elements or stations, it refers to the conveying direction T within the cleaning machine. Thus, for example, in the case where the ophthalmic article being conveyed first passes through a first station where it is subjected to a specific treatment and then passes through a second station where it is subjected to a specific treatment, the first station is arranged upstream of the second station.

[0064] The term "ophthalmic article" should specifically be understood to mean, for example, lenses, corrective lenses or other lenses that can be used as spectacle lenses for glasses (in particular, sunglasses, goggles, visors, etc.).

[0065] Medical advice is to wear sunglasses especially when it is very bright outdoors to protect an individual's long-term vision potential, and also for safety reasons, such as when driving.

[0066] For the purposes of the present disclosure, the term "cleaning" should specifically be understood to include mechanical treatment using cleaning elements (such as brushes), and / or treatment using cleaning agents, for example by spraying, rinsing or soaking, and / or treatment by exposure to an air or gas stream (for example by a hair dryer), and / or treatment for drying.

[0067] The cleaning of ophthalmic articles can include one or more cleaning processes, in particular successive treatment steps that can be carried out in a predetermined order.

[0068] In the sense of the present disclosure, the cleaning process is preferably a defined process, especially in terms of time, where the cleaning is carried out, for example, by mechanical treatment with a cleaning element and / or by the action of a liquid and / or by exposure to an air or gas stream.

[0069] Figure 1 and Figure 2 Shown is a transport module 1, which is configured to hold at least one (two in this example) ophthalmic article 3 to be cleaned in a cleaning machine to be described in detail later.

[0070] The transport module 1 has the general form of a tray and includes:

[0071] - A first plate portion 5, which has a front end 7, a rear end 9, and two side ends 11 and 13,

[0072] - A second plate portion 15, which has a front end 17, a rear end 19, and two side ends 21 and 23.

[0073] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the second plate portion 15 is aligned with the first plate portion 5 and is arranged at a fixed distance from the first plate portion 5 for defining a holding space 25 between the rear end 9 of the first plate portion 5 and the front end 17 of the second plate portion 15.

[0074] The first plate portion 5 and the second plate portion 15 can be made of a plastic material, especially polyethylene. The surface can be as smooth as possible and be liquid-repellent / water-repellent.

[0075] According to Figure 1 and Figure 2 the exemplary embodiment shown, the first plate portion 5 and the second plate portion 15 are fixed together. This can be done, for example, by two rods 27 and 29 made of metal, specifically by screwing, which are fixed on the corresponding side ends 11, 13 and 21, 23 of the first plate portion 5 and the second plate portion 15.

[0076] According to an alternative embodiment not shown, the transport tool 1 can further include at least one bridging portion between the first plate portion 5 and the second plate portion 15.

[0077] At least one bridging part according to this embodiment, as well as the first and second plate parts, can be realized in one piece, for example, made of plastic by molding (such as injection molding). According to a further development, the side ends 11, 13 and 21, 23 extend to form two bridging parts, which connect the first plate part to the second plate part 15 in a manner similar to the side bars described above. According to another further development, a rectangular tray made of plastic material can be taken and the holding space 25 can be cut out.

[0078] As can be seen in Figure 1 , the conveying module 1 further includes at least one (here two) ophthalmic article holders 31, which project into the holding space 25.

[0079] As can be seen in Figure 2 , the ophthalmic article holder 31 includes at least one (two in this specific embodiment) spring-loaded retractable holding forks 33, which are carried by the rear end 9 of the first plate part 5 and / or by the front end 17 of the second plate part 15. Each spring-loaded retractable holding fork 33 is configured to move between a gripping position and a retracted position. The spring-loaded retractable holding fork 33 is configured to move along the retraction direction RD (see arrow 41) of the holding fork 33, which may be parallel to the conveying direction T.

[0080] More specifically, one ophthalmic article holder 31 particularly includes two spring-loaded retractable holding forks 33 facing each other. One spring-loaded holding fork is carried by the rear end 9 of the first plate part 5, and the other spring-loaded holding fork is carried by the front end 17 of the second plate part 15. The two spring-loaded retractable holding forks 33 are configured to move towards each other in the gripping position.

[0081] As Figure 2 shown and to some extent as Figure 3 shown, the cylindrical base 35 of the spring-loaded retractable holding fork 33 is mounted in the cylindrical recess 37 of the first plate part 5 / second plate part 15. A spring (such as a helical push spring 39) is arranged in the recess 37 to push the spring-loaded retractable holding fork 33 in the direction of the center of the holding space 25.

[0082] The fact that both of the spring-loaded retractable holding fork members 33 of the ophthalmic article holder 31 are subject to spring forces is advantageous because when a reciprocating movement is applied at the cleaning station, particularly at a mechanical cleaning station with a brush, the ophthalmic article 3 may also be subject to a slight relative reciprocating movement. The spring forces limit the restraint exerted by the spring-loaded retractable holding fork members 33 on the ophthalmic article 3 during cleaning and thus reduce the risk of damage to the ophthalmic article 3 during cleaning.

[0083] In other alternative embodiments not shown, it is foreseeable that the ophthalmic article holder 31 includes two fork members 33 facing each other as described, but only one fork member is a spring-loaded retractable holding fork member 33 and the other holding fork member 33 may be static.

[0084] As can be seen in detail in Figure 3 , the spring-loaded retractable holding fork member 33 specifically includes four fork teeth, two inner fork teeth 43 and two outer fork teeth 45. The inner fork teeth 43 have ends that project outward relative to the retraction direction RD (see arrow 41) of the holding fork member 33, particularly having ends that are bent almost perpendicular to the retraction direction RD to abut against the edge of the ophthalmic article 3 in the gripping position. The ends of the outer fork teeth 45 project more in the holding space 25 than the ends of the two inner fork teeth 43 and are bent at an angle α (see Figure 4 ) relative to the retraction direction RD and in the opposite direction to the ends of the two inner fork teeth 43 to support the ophthalmic article 3 in the gripping position.

[0085] Referring again to Figure 1 and Figure 2 and further referring to Figure 5 , the conveying module 1 further includes complementary clamping devices 46, 47 which are carried on the one hand by the front end 7 of the first plate portion 5 and on the other hand by the rear end 19 of the second plate portion 15.

[0086] The complementary clamping devices 46, 47 are configured to connect the conveying module 1 to at least one other conveying module 1' via the rear end 19 of the second plate portion 15 or via the front end 7 of the first plate portion 5.

[0087] The front end 7 of the first plate portion 5 may have Figure 6 the two clamping devices 46 shown in detail in. The clamping device 46 includes a connecting cylinder 48 or stud which has on its outer skirt 49 a laterally spring-loaded pin 51 movable between a deployed position and a retracted position. The laterally spring-loaded pin 51 is oriented perpendicular to the conveying direction T indicated by the arrow 53 in Figure 5 .

[0088] The rear end 19 of the second plate part 15 may also have two complementary clamping devices 47 as shown in detail in Figure 7 The clamping device 47 includes a cylindrical hole 55 and a lateral hole 57. The connecting cylinder 48 can be assembled in the cylindrical hole to facilitate the docking and undocking of the two conveying modules 1, 1'.

[0089] The cylindrical hole 55 may be a cylindrical blind hole with a truncated conical inlet shape 59 for guiding the laterally spring-loaded movable pin 51 of the other conveying module 1' from the deployed position to the retracted position.

[0090] The lateral hole 57 (also shown in Figure 7 is configured to receive the laterally spring-loaded movable pin 51 of the other conveying module 1' in the deployed position to connect the conveying module 1 to the other conveying module 1'. The lateral hole is also configured to receive a control pin (not shown) to push the spring-loaded movable pin 51 to the retracted position, thereby allowing the disconnection of the conveying module 1 from the other conveying module 1'.

[0091] As Figure 1 shown, the front end 7 of the first plate part 5 may also have a groove 60, which extends, for example, in the lateral direction, meaning perpendicular to the conveying direction T (arrow 53) and formed on the lower side of the first plate part 5. The groove 60 is used to pull and push the conveying module 1, as will be described below.

[0092] The conveying module 1 as described above is configured and contemplated for use with a cleaning machine 100 for cleaning ophthalmic articles 3, as shown in Figures 8 to 13 shown.

[0093] The cleaning machine 100 includes at least one cleaning station 102, 104, 106, and 108, which are four cleaning stations in this example.

[0094] Each of the cleaning stations 102, 104, 106, and 108 is configured to perform at least one cleaning process on at least one ophthalmic article 3 arranged in the conveying module 1.

[0095] In this example, the cleaning station 102 includes, for example, a rotating brush for mechanical cleaning in addition to liquid agents. The cleaning stations 104 and 106 are rinsing stations, and the cleaning station 108 is a drying station with a hair dryer. The conveying direction T of the cleaning process (see arrow 53 in the figure) is linear and extends from the cleaning station 102 to the cleaning station 108.

[0096] According to the above, especially Figures 5 to 7 and Figure 13It is clear that the conveying modules 1 can be clamped / connected together releasably to form an assembly of adjacent interconnected conveying modules 1. One of the ideas behind this disclosure is that pushing or pulling one of the conveying modules 1 located at one of the ends of the interconnected conveying modules 1 will move all the conveying modules 1 together in the same way.

[0097] To do this and as Figure 9 shown, the cleaning machine 100 includes guide rails 110 having rollers 112 that span at least all the cleaning stations 102 to 108 for guiding the translation and conveyance of the interconnected conveying modules 1. In this example, the guide rails 110 include an upper guide rail 110A and a lower guide rail 110B. The rollers 112 on the upper guide rail 110A are arranged in an alternating manner relative to the rollers 112 of the lower guide rail 110B. The rollers 112 contact particularly the lateral bars 27 and 29 of the conveying module 1. They are made, for example, of the same material as the first plate part 5 and the second plate part 15, which means they can be made of a plastic material, particularly polyethylene.

[0098] Returning to Figure 8 , in addition to the cleaning stations 102 to 108, the cleaning machine 100 may further include:

[0099] - An assembly and loading station 114 that is arranged upstream of the cleaning stations 102 to 108 in the conveying direction T,

[0100] - A separation and unloading station 116 that is arranged downstream of the cleaning stations 102 to 108, and

[0101] - A return station 118 to convey the separate disconnected conveying modules 1 from the separation and unloading station 116 to the assembly and loading station 114 for reuse.

[0102] Figure 10 Some details of the guide rails 110 are shown, which are used to convey the conveying modules 1 between the stations 114 and 116 according to the conveying direction T (arrow 53), and then return through the return station 118 according to the return direction (see arrow 54). In Figure 10 the figure, the reference numerals 102 to 118 are reproduced to show the positions of these stations relative to the guide rails 110.

[0103] The assembly and loading station 114 is configured to load the ophthalmic articles 3 to be cleaned in the conveying module 1 and to connect the loaded conveying module 1 to another conveying module 1' arranged downstream, which is arranged in the downstream cleaning station 102. The assembly and loading station particularly includes a robotic arm having a suction organ to pick up and place the ophthalmic articles 3 in the conveying module 1.

[0104] The separation and unloading station 116 is configured to unload the cleaned ophthalmic articles 3 from the conveying module 1 and to separate the conveying module 1 from the conveying module 1 placed in the cleaning station 108 located upstream. The assembly and loading station particularly includes a robotic arm with a suction organ to pick up and place the ophthalmic articles 3 outside the conveying module 1.

[0105] In Figure 11 is shown an actuator 120 for pushing and / or pulling the interconnected conveying modules 1 through the cleaning stations 102 to 108. The actuator 120 includes a lever 122 which at its free end includes a hook 124 configured to engage with a slot 60 of the conveying module 1. More specifically, the hook 124 points upwards so as to penetrate into the slot 60 from below. In this regard, the actuator 120 can effect an up-and-down movement to engage the hook 124 with the slot 60 and, when the hook is engaged in the slot 60, effect a reciprocating movement within a defined processing cycle time. In the present example, the actuator 120 is arranged at the level of and below the separation and unloading station 116 which is only partially represented in Figure 11 as shown.

[0106] Also as can be seen in Figure 11 the separation and unloading station 116 includes at least one (in fact two) motorized control pins 126 configured to push the spring-loaded movable pins 51 of the conveying module 1 into a retracted position in order to disconnect the two conveying modules from each other.

[0107] Figure 12 is shown a part of the assembly and loading station 114 arranged upstream of the cleaning stations 102 to 108. In particular, Figure 12 is shown a connecting actuator 128 configured to effect a pushing movement in the conveying direction T and to push the rear end 19 of the second plate part 15.

[0108] The stroke of the connecting actuator 128 is such that it first pushes against the rear end 19 of the subsequent conveying module 1 arranged in the cleaning station 102 and is thus interconnected with the subsequent conveying module by the fact that the connecting cylinder 48 is pushed into the cylindrical hole 55 of the subsequent conveying module and the lateral spring-loaded pin 51 engages with the corresponding lateral hole 57 in order to dock the two conveying modules 1, 1' together.

[0109] During the stroke of the connecting actuator 128, the reciprocating actuator 120 disengages from the slot 60 and is in a lower position.

[0110] Furthermore, the stroke of the connecting actuator 128 is such that the conveying module 1 located in the cleaning station 108 is pushed into the separation and unloading station 116.

[0111] Before the reciprocating actuator 120 engages with the slot 60 of the conveyor module 1 in the last cleaning station 108, two motorized control pins 126 are enabled to push the spring-loaded movable pin 51 of the conveyor module 1 to the retracted position, thereby allowing the conveyor module 1' in the cleaning station 108 to be disconnected from the conveyor module in the separation and unloading station 116 accordingly.

[0112] As Figure 10 shown, the return station 118 includes a pick-up device 130, an extendable return conveyor 132, and a placement device 134.

[0113] The pick-up device 130 (such as a robot) is configured to pick up the conveyor module 1 and place it on one end of the extendable return conveyor 132.

[0114] The extendable return conveyor 132 can be arranged above the cleaning stations 102 to 108 and is configured to convey the conveyor module 1 in the return direction 54 upstream to the assembly and loading station 114. The conveyor 132 is "extendable" because the conveyor has a basic conveyor whose belt length spans from the entrance of the cleaning station 102 to the exit of the cleaning station 108, and has a drive module of the basic conveyor that can drive one end of the basic conveyor to the level of the assembly and loading station 114 and the other end to the level of the separation and unloading station 116.

[0115] The placement device 134 is configured to pick up the returned conveyor module 1 from the extendable return conveyor 132 and place the conveyor module in the assembly and loading station 114.

[0116] It should be noted that the conveyor module 1 reciprocates through the actuator 120 within a specified processing cycle time. Therefore, the conveyor module stays in one of the cleaning stations 102, 104, 106, or 108 during the specified processing cycle time.

[0117] When the actuator 120 is disengaged and in the lower position, such that no reciprocating movement is applied at this moment, and when the connecting actuator 128 moves forward in the conveying direction 53 as described above for connecting the two conveyor modules 1 together and pushing the conveyor module 1 in the cleaning station 108 into the separation and unloading station 116, the cleaning process is only interrupted to some extent. Therefore, it can be understood that the idle time of the cleaning machine 100 is greatly reduced, and the efficiency of this cleaning machine is quite high.

[0118] In addition, the cleaning machine 100 can include at most one conveying module 1 per station, for example six conveying modules 1, which is advantageous compared to the prior art. In fact, for ophthalmic articles 3, fewer ophthalmic article holders 31 are required because in the prior art, the lens holding devices were mounted on a chain and the entire chain (including the return part) needed to be equipped with lens holding devices. Additionally, in the case of a failure of the conveying module 1 as described above, only the relevant conveying module 1 needs to be replaced by another conveying module, and the cleaning machine 100 can return to production (i.e., cleaning) quite quickly. In contrast, in the prior art, in the case of problems with the chain and / or the holding device of the chain, the cleaning machine needs to stop completely until maintenance and / or compensation have been carried out.

[0119] Another aspect of the cleaning station 100 and the conveying module 1 relates to the separation of the cleaning stations 102 to 108 from each other.

[0120] Figure 13 A simplified view shows two cleaning stations 102 and 104, for example, with two connected conveying modules 1, 1' therebetween.

[0121] Figure 14 Certain aspects at the junction of the two cleaning stations are shown in detail; for example, cleaning station 102 and cleaning station 104.

[0122] Reference Figure 13 and Figure 14 , each cleaning station includes a housing 200 having two side walls 202, 204 which have sealing grooves 206 for the conveying module 1 to enter / leave with respect to the cleaning station 102 or 104.

[0123] The length of the conveying module 1 is longer than the distance between the sealing grooves 206.

[0124] The sealing grooves 206 are equipped with double-lip seals 208 which are configured to contact the first plate portion 5 or the second plate portion 15 of the conveying module 1 to hold fluid within the cleaning station 102 or 104.

[0125] This allows for a reduction in the amount of liquid reagent used and in particular a reduction in the possible contamination of downstream cleaning stations by such liquid cleaners.

[0126] It should be understood that the cleaning machine 100 includes a control unit, not shown, such as a computer having a processor, a memory, inputs and outputs, and specific software programs for controlling the cleaning machine 100, in particular the overall operation of actuators, conveyors, robotic arms, brushes, etc.

[0127] As described above, during the operation of the cleaning machine 100, the assembled conveying module 1 can be reciprocated within the cleaning stations 102, 104, 106, 108 by pulling and pushing one end of the conveying module 1 during a specified processing or cleaning cycle time, and the ophthalmic article 3 supported by the conveying module 1 located within the cleaning stations 102, 104, 106, 108 can be cleaned.

[0128] Meanwhile, during the cleaning cycle,

[0129] - the conveying module 1 is loaded with the ophthalmic article 3 to be cleaned, and / or,

[0130] - the conveying module 1 unloads from the cleaned ophthalmic article 3, and / or,

[0131] - the unloaded conveying module 1 returns to the assembly and loading station 114.

[0132] Therefore, it can be understood that the idle time is limited and the output of the cleaning machine 100 is optimized.

[0133] Of course, the present disclosure is not limited to the presented embodiments and variations, but can cover various other embodiments and / or variations, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Thus, although some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments but not others, the combination of features of different embodiments should be within the scope of the present disclosure and form different embodiments, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0134] Reference signs

[0135] 1 - Conveying module

[0136] 3 - Ophthalmic article

[0137] 5 - First plate portion

[0138] 7 - Front end of the first plate portion

[0139] 9 - Rear end of the first plate portion

[0140] 11 - Side end of the first plate portion

[0141] 13 - Side end of the first plate portion

[0142] 15 - Second plate portion

[0143] 17 - Front end of the second plate portion

[0144] 19 - Rear end of the second plate portion

[0145] 21 - Side end of the second plate portion

[0146] 23 - Side end of the second plate part

[0147] 25 - Holding space

[0148] 27 - Rod

[0149] 29 - Rod

[0150] 31 - Ophthalmic article holder

[0151] 33 - Spring - loaded retractable holding fork

[0152] 35 - Base

[0153] 37 - Cylindrical recess

[0154] 39 - Spring

[0155] 41 - Retraction direction arrow

[0156] 43 - Inner fork teeth

[0157] 45 - Outer fork teeth

[0158] 46 - Clamping device

[0159] 47 - Clamping device

[0160] 48 - Connecting cylinder

[0161] 49 - Outer skirt

[0162] 51 - Pin

[0163] 53 - Arrow in the conveying direction

[0164] 54 - Return direction

[0165] 55 - Cylindrical hole

[0166] 57 - Lateral hole

[0167] 59 - Frustoconical inlet shape

[0168] 60 - Groove

[0169] 100 - Cleaning machine

[0170] 102 - Cleaning station

[0171] 104 - Cleaning station

[0172] 106 - Cleaning station

[0173] 108 - Cleaning station

[0174] 110 - Guide rail

[0175] 110A - Upper guide rail

[0176] 110B - Lower guide rail

[0177] 112 - Roller

[0178] 114 - Assembly and loading station

[0179] 116 - Separation and unloading station

[0180] 118 - Return station

[0181] 120 - Actuator

[0182] 122 - Lever

[0183] 124 - Hook

[0184] 126 - Motorized control pin

[0185] 128 - Connecting actuator

[0186] 130 - Pickup device

[0187] 132 - Extendable return conveyor

[0188] 134 - Placing device

[0189] 200 - Housing of the cleaning station

[0190] 202 - Side wall<X

[0191] 204 - Side wall

[0192] 206 - Sealing groove

[0193] 208 - Lip seal

[0194] RD - Retraction direction

[0195] T - Conveying direction

Claims

1. A conveying module (1) configured to hold at least one ophthalmic article (3) to be cleaned in a cleaning machine (100), the conveying module comprising: - A first plate portion (5) having a front end (7), a rear end (9), and two side ends (11, 13); - A second plate portion (15) having a front end (17), a rear end (19), and two side ends (21, 23), the second plate portion (15) being aligned with the first plate portion (5) and arranged at a fixed distance from the first plate portion (5) for defining a holding space (25) between the rear end (9) of the first plate portion (5) and the front end (17) of the second plate portion (15); - At least one ophthalmic article holder (31) projecting into the holding space (25); - Complementary clamping means (46, 47) carried by the front end (7) of the first plate portion (5) and the rear end (19) of the second plate portion (15), the complementary clamping means being configured to interconnect the conveying module (1) to at least another conveying module (1') via the rear end (19) of the second plate portion (15) or via the front end (7) of the first plate portion (5) to form a movably together component of adjacent interconnected conveying modules (1, 1').

2. The conveying module (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein, The first plate portion (5) and the second plate portion (15) are fixed together, in particular when the conveying module (1) comprises two rods (27, 29) fixed to the respective side ends (11, 13, 21, 23) of the first plate portion (5) and the second plate portion (15).

3. The conveying module (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The conveying module further comprises at least one bridging portion between the first plate portion (5) and the second plate portion (15), the at least one bridging portion and the first and second plate portions being integrally formed.

4. The conveying module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The clamping means (46) at the front end (7) of the first plate portion (5) has at least one connecting cylinder (48) presenting on its skirt (49) a laterally spring-loaded pin (51) movable between a deployed position and a retracted position, and / or wherein the clamping means (47) at the rear end (19) of the second plate portion (15) has at least one cylindrical hole (55) and a lateral hole (57), the connecting cylinder (48) being able to fit into the at least one cylindrical hole, the lateral hole being configured to receive a laterally spring-loaded movable pin (51) of another conveying module (1’) in the deployed position for connecting the conveying module (1) to the other conveying module (1’), the lateral hole (57) being configured to receive a control pin for pushing the spring-loaded movable pin (51) to the retracted position for disconnecting the conveying module (1) from the other conveying module (1’).

5. The conveying module (1) according to the previous claim, wherein, The cylindrical hole (55) is a cylindrical blind hole having a frustoconical inlet shape (59) for guiding the laterally spring-loaded movable pin (51) of the other conveying module (1') from the deployed position to the retracted position.

6. The conveying module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The at least one ophthalmic article holder (31) protruding into the holding space (25) includes at least one spring-loaded retractable holding fork (33) between a gripping position and a retractable position, and the at least one spring-loaded retractable holding fork (33) is carried by the rear end (9) of the first plate portion (5) or by the front end (17) of the second plate portion (15).

7. The conveying module (1) according to the previous claim, wherein, An ophthalmic article holder (31) includes two spring-loaded retractable holding forks (33) facing each other. One spring-loaded retractable holding fork is carried by the rear end (9) of the first plate portion (5), and the other spring-loaded retractable holding fork is carried by the front end (17) of the second plate portion (15). The two spring-loaded retractable holding forks (33) are configured to move towards each other in the gripping position. The at least one spring-loaded retractable holding fork (33) particularly includes four fork teeth (43, 45), namely two inner fork teeth (43) and two outer fork teeth (45). The two inner fork teeth have ends protruding outward relative to the retraction direction (RD) of the spring-loaded retractable holding fork (33) to push against the ends of the edge of the ophthalmic article (3) in the gripping position. The ends of the two outer fork teeth protrude more in the holding space (25) than the ends of the two inner fork teeth (43) and protrude in a direction opposite to the ends of the two inner fork teeth (13) to support the ophthalmic article (3) in the gripping position.

8. A cleaning machine (100) for cleaning ophthalmic articles (3), the cleaning machine comprising at least one cleaning station (102, 104, 106, 108), the at least one cleaning station being configured to perform at least one cleaning process on at least one ophthalmic article (3) arranged in a conveying module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The cleaning station (102) includes two side walls (202, 204) having sealing grooves (206) for the conveying module (1) to enter / leave with respect to the cleaning station (102, 104, 106, 108), and the length of the conveying module (1) is longer than the distance between the sealing grooves (206).

9. The cleaning machine (100) according to the previous claim, wherein, The sealing groove (206) is equipped with a double-lip seal (208) configured to contact the first plate portion (5) or the second plate portion (15) of the conveying module (1) to retain fluid within the cleaning station (102, 104, 106, 108).

10. The cleaning machine (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The cleaning machine includes a guide rail (110) having rollers (112), and the rollers span at least all the cleaning stations (102, 104, 106, 108) to guide the translation and conveyance of the interconnected conveying module (1).

11. The cleaning machine (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 10 further includes at least one actuator (120) for pushing and / or pulling the interconnected conveying module (1) through the cleaning stations (102, 104, 106, 108).

12. The cleaning machine (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising - an assembly and loading station (114) arranged upstream of the one or more cleaning stations (102, 104, 106, 108) in the conveying direction (T) and configured for loading the ophthalmic articles (3) to be cleaned in the conveying module (1) and for connecting the loaded conveying module (1) to a further conveying module (1') arranged downstream, the further conveying module being arranged in the cleaning station (102) located downstream, and / or - a separation and unloading station (116) arranged downstream of the one or more cleaning stations (102, 104, 106, 108) and configured for unloading the cleaned ophthalmic articles (3) from the conveying module (1) and for separating the conveying module (1) from the conveying module (1) placed in the cleaning stations (102, 104, 106, 108) located upstream, and / or - a return station (118) comprising a pick-up device (130), an extendable return conveyor (132), and a placement device (134), the pick-up device (130) being configured to pick up the conveying module (1) for placing the conveying module on one end of the extendable return conveyor (132), the extendable return conveyor (132) being arranged above the cleaning stations (102, 104, 106, 108) and configured to convey the conveying module upstream in the direction of the assembly and loading station (114), the placement device (134) being configured to place the conveying module in the assembly and loading station (114).

13. The cleaning machine (100) according to the previous claim, wherein, The separation and unloading station (116) includes at least one motorized control pin (126) configured to push the spring-loaded movable pin (51) of the conveying module (1) to the retracted position in order to disconnect two conveying modules (1) from each other.

14. A method of operating a cleaning machine (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein, By pulling and pushing one end of the assembled conveying module (1), the conveying module (1) reciprocates within a specified processing cycle time.

15. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein, During the cleaning cycle, - the conveying module (1) is loaded with ophthalmic articles (3) to be cleaned, and / or, - the conveying module (1) is unloaded from the cleaned ophthalmic articles (3), and / or, - the unloaded conveying module (1) returns to the assembly and loading station (114).

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