Device for turning over lens in coating device and method for producing ophthalmic lens

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (200) for turning over an ophthalmic lens (101) in a coating device (100), comprising a carrier (105) which is rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation (107) and on which a plurality of lens holders (109) are arranged on concentric rings (112) of different diameters in order to hold the ophthalmic lens (101) to be coated, the lens holders (109) are mounted such that the lens holders can be turned about a pivot axis (110) by means of a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator (113). The magnetic field generator (113) is configured such that the magnetic field (117) generated by the magnetic field generator (113) is substantially constant over the at least two adjacent circular rings (112).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus for flipping spectacle lenses in a coating apparatus. The apparatus includes a cap-shaped carrier rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation forming the axis of symmetry of the carrier. On the carrier, a plurality of lens holders are arranged on concentric rings of different diameters to hold the spectacle lenses to be coated. The lens holders are mounted in openings in the carrier such that they can be flipped about the pivot axis by means of a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator. Furthermore, this invention relates to a method for producing spectacle lenses. Background Technology

[0002] Spectacular lenses or other ophthalmic lenses typically undergo a coating process during their manufacture. In some cases, for example, an antireflective coating may be applied to the lens substrate to improve the optical properties of the final lens. These antireflective coatings, along with other functional coatings, are typically produced under vacuum or high vacuum conditions in a coating apparatus or system. The lens to be coated is releasably mounted in individual lens holders on a dome-shaped carrier by applying clamping force or by other suitable methods, such that one side of the lens faces the evaporation or sputtering source. The lens holders are typically inserted into recesses or openings in the carrier provided for this purpose. The carrier may be segmented and may consist of three or four segments. The segmentation of the carrier facilitates the handling of the lens because these segments can be individually removed from the vacuum chamber of the coating apparatus to load the lens onto the carrier or lens holder before the coating process or to unload the lens from the carrier or lens holder after the coating process. The carrier can be rotated by means of a motor-driven rotating device about the axis of symmetry (i.e., the axis of rotation) of the dome. Lens holders are arranged on a round cap, on concentric rings, or on concentric circles to arrange as many lenses as possible on the carrier. Because the lenses are arranged on concentric rings or circles, all lenses face the evaporation source, and each lens is at the same distance from the evaporation source, providing uniform evaporation conditions and thus a uniform coating result. However, since only one side of the lens mounted on the carrier (i.e., the side facing the evaporation source) can be coated by the coating equipment, it is necessary to open the vacuum chamber during the coating process to remove the carrier or its sections from the vacuum chamber and manually flip each lens so that the second side of the lens can also be coated in a further coating process. For example, WO 2022 / 012955 A1 and WO 2004 / 108977A2 describe the use of individual lens holders to mount the lenses on a round cap-shaped carrier, which is then inserted into the coating apparatus to arrange the substrate at a predetermined position and orientation relative to the particles or evaporation source in the coating system.

[0003] US 5,026,469 A relates to an apparatus for holding and flipping spectacle lenses, the apparatus being connectable to a substrate holder held in a processing chamber of a high-vacuum vapor deposition or sputtering system.

[0004] WO 2015 / 043712 A1 relates to a positioning device for moving a substrate, the positioning device having a base and a support. The support is movable relative to the base and is arranged on the base in a non-contact manner by means of a magnetic support device, wherein the magnetic support device has at least one permanent magnet unit and at least one first solenoid unit, wherein the permanent magnet unit is designed to generate a supporting force acting on the support and greater than the weight of the support, and wherein the first solenoid unit is designed to generate an adjusting force to counteract the supporting force.

[0005] However, a proven disadvantage is that the flipping of the lens and / or lens holder on the cap-shaped carrier must be done manually. Furthermore, this can only be done with the vacuum chamber open, so the coating apparatus must first be ventilated so that the operator can open the vacuum chamber and remove a section of the carrier or the carrier itself from the vacuum chamber to manually flip or turn the lens in the corresponding holder. After flipping, the gas in the chamber must be evacuated again to create the required high vacuum before the second side of the lens can be coated. However, this is quite time-consuming and detrimental to the efficient coating process of the lens and the overall production process.

[0006] To reduce this manual work, DE 102006041137 B4 is considered the closest prior art to the present invention, disclosing a method and apparatus for flipping spectacle lenses on a lens holder mounted on a carrier without removing the lenses from the lens holder, and in particular without opening a vacuum chamber. The core concept of DE 102006041137 B4 is that the entire lens holder can be tilted or flipped 180° about a pivot axis. The tilting occurs by means of the interaction between the magnetic field of a magnetic field generator, in the form of an electromagnet including coils, and the ferromagnetic portion of the lens holder. As the cap-shaped carrier rotates about the axis of rotation, the magnetic field generator interacts with the ferromagnetic portion of the lens holder positioned below it, thereby generating a magnetic force sufficient to flip the corresponding lens holder, as further described in DE 102006041137 B4, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. In this way, the lens holder is flipped together with the spectacle lenses mounted therein, such that the uncoated side of the lenses now points towards the evaporation source. In DE 102006041137B4, the lens holder is also arranged on a concentric ring or concentric circle.

[0007] Specifically, in the coating apparatus described in DE 102006041137 B4, lens holders are arranged on two concentric rings or concentric circles. To flip the lens holders and corresponding spectacle lenses of each ring, a total of two magnetic field generators are provided, each assigned to a single ring of lens holders. These magnetic field generators are positioned in a vacuum chamber such that the lens holders automatically flip when a cap-shaped carrier rotates about a rotation axis below the magnetic field generators. The magnetic field generators can be switched on and off to prevent accidental flipping of the spectacle lenses.

[0008] For cap-shaped carriers (where lens holders are arranged in two concentric rings, each with a dedicated magnetic field generator), the prior art flipping mechanism itself has proven quite useful. Since each concentric ring is assigned its own magnetic field generator, positioned directly above the assigned ring or loop, the solutions known from the prior art ensure that each lens holder of the corresponding ring, and the spectacle lens mounted therein, reliably flips when the cap-shaped carrier rotates. However, if the number of spectacle lenses to be coated in a single coating process is to be increased, the solutions known from the prior art reach their limit. If the number of spectacle lenses increases, the number of concentric rings must eventually also increase to allow all the spectacle lenses to be coated to be placed on the cap-shaped carrier.

[0009] Therefore, in a further development of the apparatus known from DE 102006041137 B4, attempts were made to increase the number of rings on the cap-shaped carrier to allow for the coating of more spectacle lenses in a single coating step, and also to increase the number of magnetic field generators. However, due to the limited space within the vacuum chamber, the number of magnetic field generators could not be matched with the number of rings in which the lens holders were arranged. This resulted in the problem that not all lens holders and corresponding spectacle lenses were rotated on all concentric rings. This, in turn, led to a situation where sometimes one side of some spectacle lenses was coated twice, while the other side of the corresponding spectacle lens was not coated at all. This resulted in increased workload after the coating process to identify the double-coated lenses in the first step. In subsequent steps, the double coating must then be removed, and the spectacle lenses must be recoated, or the spectacle lenses in question must be disposed of and completely remanufactured. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Therefore, the problem relates to providing a device that reduces the problems mentioned below and ensures reliable rotation of the spectacle lens mounted in the lens holder.

[0011] According to the present invention, this problem is solved by an apparatus for flipping a lens in a coating apparatus and a method for producing spectacle lenses, having the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments that can be implemented individually or in any combination are set forth in the dependent claims or throughout the following description.

[0012] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for flipping spectacle lenses in a coating apparatus, the apparatus comprising a carrier rotatably mounted about a rotation axis, on which a plurality of lens holders are arranged on concentric rings of different diameters to hold the spectacle lenses to be coated, wherein the lens holders are mounted such that they are flipped about a pivot axis by means of a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator. According to the invention, the magnetic field generator is configured such that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator is substantially constant on at least two adjacent rings.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for producing spectacle lenses, the method comprising the following steps: - The spectacle lens, mounted in one of a plurality of lens holders arranged in concentric rings of different diameters on a carrier of the coating apparatus, is flipped using a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator; wherein, A magnetic field generator produces a magnetic field that is substantially constant over at least two adjacent rings.

[0014] As commonly used, the term "ophthalmic lens" refers to a lens body of a specific shape configured to measure, correct, and / or protect the eye, or to alter its appearance, and which alters the vision of the wearer of the ophthalmic lens. Based on section 3.5.2 of standard ISO 13666:2019 (also referred to herein as the "Standard"), the term "spectacle lens" refers to a specific type of ophthalmic lens used to determine and / or alter the vision of the wearer of a spectacle lens, wherein the spectacle lens is worn in front of the wearer's eyes, thereby avoiding direct contact with the wearer's eyes. In addition to the term "wearer," different terms such as "person" or "subject" may be used. "Spectacle lens" can be one of the following: "blank," i.e., a piece of optical material having one optically finished surface for manufacture of spectacle lenses, according to ISO 13666:2019 3.8.1; "finished lens," i.e., a spectacle lens having its final optical surface on both sides, according to ISO 13666:2019 3.8.7; an uncut lens, i.e., a finished lens before edging, according to ISO 13666:2019 3.8.8; or an edged lens, i.e., a finished lens edged to its final size and shape, according to ISO 13666:2019 3.8.9.

[0015] As is commonly used further, the term "side" in spectacle lens means: "front surface," that is, the surface of the spectacle lens intended to be away from the eye assembly, according to ISO 13666:2019 3.2.13; or "rear surface," that is, the surface of the spectacle lens intended to be closer to the eye assembly, according to ISO 13666:2019 3.2.14.

[0016] As is commonly used, the terms “flip” or “turn”, or any grammatical variation thereof, used interchangeably in this document, refer to rotating the lens about 180° about an axis substantially perpendicular to the normal of one of the sides of the lens. Thus, after flipping the lens, the side of the lens that initially faced the evaporation source subsequently faces away from the evaporation source.

[0017] As commonly used, the terms "coating apparatus," "coating system," or "coating device," or any variation thereof, refer to a means by which optically active materials can be evaporated or sublimated from an evaporation source or sputtered from a sputtering source and deposited onto a spectacle lens under preferably at least high vacuum conditions. All these expressions "coating apparatus," "coating system," or "coating device" are synonyms and can be used interchangeably. Further, as commonly used, the term "evaporation source" refers to the actual material source of the coating apparatus, in which the optically active material is stored and evaporated or sublimated. It should be noted that the term "evaporation" refers to all forms of material deposition, including sputtering and sublimation.

[0018] As commonly used, the term "carrier" refers to a structure on which the spectacle lens to be coated is arranged. As described above, the carrier is in the shape of a cap or dome, and in a preferred embodiment may consist of several segments, most preferably a total of four segments, which can be individually removed from the coating apparatus to load the spectacle lens before coating and unload the spectacle lens after coating. As commonly used, a "cap-shaped" carrier means that the shape of the carrier follows the shape of a cap. Thus, the carrier can be dome-shaped, wherein the dome can have the shape of a hemisphere or any other part of a sphere having the shape of a spherical cap or spherical dome. A cap-shaped carrier can have the appearance of a spherical cap, but may deviate from the strict mathematical shape of a spherical cap. A cap-shaped carrier can be rotationally symmetric about a central axis, wherein the central axis may form the central axis of the sphere defining the shape of the cap or spherical cap that describes the shape of the carrier. The cap-shaped bearing can have a radius of curvature ranging from 0.5 m to 2 m, particularly from 0.5 m to 1 m. That is, the sphere describing the shape of the cap-shaped holder can have a radius of curvature ranging from 0.5 m to 2 m, particularly from 0.5 m to 1.2 m or 0.8 m to 1.2 m. If the radius of curvature differs at different height positions of the cap shape, then the radius of curvature at any position can be within the specified range. In other words, any radius of curvature exhibited by the cap-shaped bearing can be entirely within the specified range.

[0019] As commonly used, the term "lens holder" refers to a structure located on a carrier in which an operator mounts an eyeglass lens. A lens holder may consist of a clamping structure that holds the lens by means of a clamping force (e.g., by using a spring in radial contact with the lens). However, lens holders may also be constructed in other ways, as long as they facilitate the mounting and removal of the lens. The lens holder itself may be rotated about a pivot axis on the carrier to allow the corresponding eyeglass lens mounted therein to be rotated. Movement of the lens holder about the pivot axis is preferably limited to 180°. Each lens holder includes a magnetic or ferromagnetic portion, thereby allowing the rotation of the lens holder and the eyeglass lens mounted therein.

[0020] As commonly used, the term "concentric rings" refers to the arrangement of lens holders and the spectacle lenses mounted therein. Each lens holder assigned to a particular individual ring is at a distance from the axis of symmetry (i.e., its axis of rotation) of the carrier, which is substantially the same as the distance from the axis of symmetry of another lens holder on the same ring. Therefore, "concentric rings" can be used as a synonym for "concentric rings."

[0021] As commonly used, the term "magnetic field generator" refers to a device that permanently generates a magnetic field (e.g., in the case of a permanent magnet) or, when an electric current is applied (e.g., in the case of an electromagnet). A magnetic field generator may consist of several individual magnets, but these magnets are arranged as a single unit as a whole. As further commonly used, the term "substantially constant on at least two adjacent rings" means that the magnetic field exhibits spatial extension without significant deviation on at least two adjacent rings.

[0022] By applying a substantially constant magnetic field to the lens holders of adjacent rings or loops, it can be ensured that all lenses mounted in the lens holders of adjacent rings can also be reliably flipped. As mentioned above, in the context of this invention, a substantially constant magnetic field means that the statement covers small deviations in the magnetic field. However, this means that the magnetic field is not only assigned to the lens holder of a single ring, but also has a spatial extension over the lens holders of at least two adjacent rings. In other words, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator extends over several (at least two) rings of the carrier, exhibiting a constant magnetic field. In this way, it is ultimately possible to reliably flip the lens holders of adjacent rings using a single magnetic field generator, without needing to assign a single magnetic field generator to each individual ring. However, within the scope of this invention, it is also conceivable that, although the magnetic field is constant over adjacent rings, the resulting magnetic force applied to a ring with a smaller diameter is higher than that applied to a ring with a larger diameter. This takes into account that, since the lens holder is arranged on a dome-shaped support, the lens holder arranged on a larger diameter ring will eventually be steeper, so that the gravity that needs to be counteracted by the magnetic force to flip the lens holder and the corresponding lens is ultimately smaller than that of the lens holder arranged on a smaller diameter ring.

[0023] In this context, it has proven useful that the resulting magnetic force applied to the lens holder is between 0.001 N and 0.025 N. This ensures that the force is sufficient to flip the lens holder and the lens mounted therein. As mentioned above, the final magnetic force that must be applied to flip the lens mounted in the respective lens holder depends on the position of the ring on the support and therefore on the gravity to be counteracted. Since the individual lens holders are arranged on a dome-shaped support, the magnetic force to be applied varies depending on the ring. In addition to the position of the lens holder on the dome-shaped support, the gravity to be counteracted also depends on the size and thickness of the lens to be coated. In a preferred embodiment, the lens holder is arranged in a total of five rings. The smallest diameter ring located at the top of the carrier (often referred to as the "first ring") will have the greatest force required to flip the lens holder together with the associated lens, up to 0.025 N, and the smallest force required to flip the lens holder will be required for the largest diameter ring (often referred to as the "fifth ring"), up to only about 0.001 N.

[0024] It has also proven useful that the shape of the magnetic field generator is adapted to the shape of the carrier. As is commonly used, the term "one shape adapted to another shape" or any grammatical variation thereof means that one shape at least partially follows another shape, implying that the two shapes exhibit the same or similar curvature or have a constant distance. However, within the scope of this invention, the linear or straight shape of the magnetic field generator is also considered to be "adapted" to, for example, the curved shape of the carrier. In this case, the magnetic field generator can be considered as a tangent to the carrier. This is a simple way to ensure that the distance between the magnetic field generator and the carrier is substantially constant. However, the dimension of the distance between the magnetic field generator and the carrier must be determined such that the lens holder can be flipped about a pivot axis without colliding with the magnetic field generator. In particular, within the context of this invention, a magnetic field generator having an elongated but curved shape that precisely follows the dome shape of the carrier is also provided. By adapting the external shape of the magnetic field generator to the shape of the carrier, it can be ensured in a particularly simple manner that the force applied to the individual rings of the carrier by the lens holder is substantially constant, thereby reducing the risk that not all eyeglasses will be flipped. Alternatively, within the scope of the invention and as described above, "adapting the shape of the magnetic field generator to the shape of the carrier" also encompasses the magnetic field generator having a non-curved, elongated, straight shape. In this case, the magnetic field generator can preferably be arranged closer to the smaller diameter ring than the larger diameter ring. This shape of the magnetic field generator facilitates its construction. Furthermore, this straight shape and the aforementioned arrangement also take into account that the magnetic force required to flip the spectacle lenses arranged on the smaller diameter ring will be greater than that required to flip the spectacle lenses arranged on the larger diameter ring. Since the distance between the magnetic field generator and the smaller diameter ring is smaller than that between the larger diameter ring and the smaller diameter ring, the resulting magnetic force on the lens holder and the corresponding spectacle lenses arranged on these rings will be greater, while the distance between the magnetic field generator and the lens holder will also be greater for the larger diameter ring, resulting in a lower magnetic force applied to the lens holder arranged on the larger diameter ring.

[0025] Another advantage is that the magnetic field generator is shaped such that it extends on at least two of the concentric rings. In particular, by using a single magnetic field generator covering several concentric rings, it can be ensured that the magnetic field at the lens holders of two adjacent rings is substantially constant. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic field generator exhibits an elongated, straight shape with a longitudinal axis, which preferably lies in a plane defined by a section passing through the dome-shaped support, including the axis of rotation. Within the scope of the invention, it is also particularly preferred to use only a single magnetic field generator extending on at least two, preferably all, rings or loops. However, within the scope of the invention, it is also contemplated that the magnetic field generator is arranged only on two adjacent loops. In this case, more than one magnetic field generator is provided.

[0026] It has proven particularly advantageous that the magnetic field generator includes a Halbach array. By using a Halbach array, a directional magnetic field can be provided. As commonly used, the term "Halbach array" refers to the unique arrangement of the magnets constituting the Halbach array. More precisely, the magnets, which can be permanent magnets or electromagnets, are arranged in an alternating manner, with adjacent magnets rotating 90° relative to each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the magnetic field generator (i.e., the Halbach array). This causes the field lines on one side of the Halbach array to be strengthened or enhanced, while the field lines on the other side of the Halbach array partially cancel each other out. Thus, this arrangement ultimately produces a strong side and a weak side of the magnetic field generator, thereby generating a directional magnetic field. This directional magnetic field has the decisive advantage that the magnetic force is induced only in the lens holder and that the adverse effects of the magnetic field on the surrounding environment of the vacuum chamber can be avoided without providing shielding for the magnetic field generator.

[0027] In this context, it has also proven advantageous that the Hellbeck array comprises multiple permanent magnets. The use of permanent magnets has proven particularly advantageous because these permanent magnets can be easily arranged in an alternating manner to form the aforementioned Hellbeck array. In this context, it has proven advantageous that the number of permanent magnets in the Hellbeck array of the magnetic field generator is between 3 and 21, preferably between 6 and 15, and particularly preferably between 9 and 12. Since the individual permanent magnets in the Hellbeck array are rotated 90° relative to each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the magnetic field generator, it is particularly advantageous that the permanent magnets have a substantially square cross-section. This, in turn, ensures that the Hellbeck array has a uniform shape regardless of the orientation of the permanent magnets.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, according to the invention, the permanent magnets of the Hellbeck array can pivot at least 120° about the longitudinal axis of the magnetic field generator. Since the Hellbeck array ultimately generates a directional magnetic field, the magnetic field can be flipped away from the lens holder by pivoting the Hellbeck array about the longitudinal axis. Ultimately, in this way, the magnetic force applied by the magnetic field generator to the acting lens holder can be "on" and "off". If the enhanced magnetic field of the magnetic field generator is directed towards the lens holder, the magnetic force can be considered "on", and the lens holder can be flipped. However, if the magnetic field generator is flipped, the enhanced magnetic field is directed away from the lens holder, the magnetic force can be considered "off", and the lens holder will not be flipped. Here, within the scope of the invention, it is particularly preferred that the pivoting of the magnetic field generator is achieved by means of mechanical and / or motorized adjustment. In particular, the mechanical pivoting of the magnetic field generator can be actuated by means of a vacuum feedthrough from outside the device. In this case, it is also provided that the pivoting movement of the magnetic field generator can be restricted between two extreme positions, each extreme position defined by a stop. However, alternatively or additionally, it is also provided that the mechanical pivoting of the magnetic field generator is motor-assisted, and in particular, can be operated from outside the chamber. In the latter case, the motor can be arranged outside the vacuum chamber. Moreover, automatic adjustment or pivoting movement of the magnetic field generator is provided. Thus, after all the lens holders have been flipped, the magnetic field generator will pivot, and the magnetic force will be turned off.

[0029] In a further preferred embodiment, the Hellbeck array is formed by multiple electromagnets and can be switched between a first state of generating a magnetic field and a second state of deactivating the magnetic field generator. Compared to the Hellbeck array composed of multiple permanent magnets as described above, forming a Hellbeck array with multiple electromagnets requires a more refined design to generate a directional magnetic field. However, using electromagnets facilitates the process of switching the magnetic field generator between a first state where the electromagnets are on (i.e., generating a magnetic field) and a second state where the electromagnets are off (i.e., not generating a magnetic field). Moreover, here, automatic switching between "on" and "off" can be provided after all the spectacle lenses mounted in the lens holder have been flipped.

[0030] It has also proven advantageous that the angle between the magnetic field generator and the axis of rotation is greater than 40°, preferably greater than 45°. As commonly used, the "angle between the magnetic field generator and the axis of rotation" is defined by the angle between the longitudinal axis of the magnetic field generator and the axis of rotation, which is generally applicable to magnetic field generators exhibiting an elongated shape. Here, it is noted again that the magnetic field generator is arranged such that its longitudinal axis intersects the axis of rotation, that is, both axes are in the same plane.

[0031] It has also proven useful to set up at least two magnetic field generators. This is a simple way to ensure that the shape of the magnetic field generator matches the shape of the support, even when using an unbent (i.e., straight) magnetic field generator.

[0032] To prevent vapor deposition on the magnetic field generator, it has proven advantageous to include protective devices for at least partially covering the generator. These devices can be selected from a group including shielding elements and tubing. This means the magnetic field generator can be additionally encapsulated (or at least shielded) to reduce the risk of the magnet being vaporized by the vapor deposition source, which would otherwise increase cleaning workload during use. Particularly advantageously, the protective devices are made of non-conductive materials, i.e., they only form shielding elements to prevent parasitic coatings without limiting or affecting the magnetic effect of the generator. In a preferred embodiment, the tubing is isolated from the vacuum seal and designed to prevent gas from evacuating the chamber. This facilitates the creation of a vacuum within the vacuum chamber between different coating periods.

[0033] As used herein, the terms “have,” “include,” or “contain,” or any grammatical variations thereof, are used in a non-exclusive manner. Thus, these terms can refer either to a situation where no other features exist in the entity described in this context besides those introduced by these terms, or to a situation where one or more other features exist. For example, the statements “A has B,” “A includes B,” and “A contains B” can all refer to a situation where no other elements besides B exist in A (i.e., A is solely and exclusively composed of B), or to a situation where entity A contains one or more other elements besides B, such as element C, element C and element D, or even other elements.

[0034] As further used herein, the terms “preferredly,” “more preferably,” “particularly,” “even more particularly,” or similar terms are used in combination with optional features without limiting the possibility of alternatives. Therefore, features described by these terms are optional features and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the invention can be practiced by using alternative features. Similarly, features described by “in embodiments of the invention” or similar expressions are intended to be optional features, without any limitation on alternative embodiments of the invention, without any limitation on the scope of the invention, and without any limitation on the possibility of combining features described in this way with other features of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Preferably, other optional features and embodiments of the invention are disclosed in more detail in the following description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the dependent claims. As those skilled in the art will recognize, each optional feature can be implemented in isolation and in any feasible combination. It is emphasized here that the scope of the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a coating apparatus with a device for flipping spectacle lenses, according to the prior art. Figure 2 The diagram schematically illustrates a coating apparatus according to the invention, which includes a means for flipping spectacle lenses. Figure 3 An embodiment of the flipping device according to the invention is shown in detailed view, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a Heilbeck array formed by a plurality of permanent magnets. Figure 4 Another embodiment of the flipping device is shown in detailed view, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a Heilbeck array formed by multiple electromagnets. Figure 5 The schematic diagram illustrates the general structure of the Hellbeck array. Figure 6 Another embodiment of the flipping device is schematically illustrated, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises a single electromagnet, and Figure 7 A flowchart of a method for producing eyeglass lenses is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a coating apparatus 100 known from the prior art, more precisely DE 102006041137 B4, is shown, in which a functional layer can be coated onto a spectacle lens 101. The coating apparatus 100 includes a vacuum chamber 102 in which the material to be applied can be melted and evaporated or sublimated by means of an evaporation source 103. A pump 104, indicated only in this figure, is provided for generating a vacuum and can be used to evacuate gas from the vacuum chamber 102 to create a high vacuum within the chamber. The spectacle lens 101 to be coated by means of the evaporation source 103 is arranged on a carrier 105, which has a cap shape and is coupled to a motor 106 so that it can rotate about a rotation axis 107 within the vacuum chamber 102. The carrier 105 has a plurality of openings 108 into which lens holders 109 are arranged, into which the spectacle lens 101 to be coated can be inserted and mounted. The opening 108 and the lens holder 109 therein, which houses the spectacle lens 101, are arranged in concentric rings 112.1 and 112.2 with different diameters. Since only the side of the spectacle lens 101 facing the evaporation source 103 can be coated, it is necessary to rotate the spectacle lens 101 during the coating process by means of a rotating device 200. In order to rotate the spectacle lens 101 mounted in the lens holder 109 without airflow and with the vacuum chamber 102 open, the lens holder 109 is mounted in the corresponding opening 108 in such a way that the lens holder can be rotated about a pivot axis 110. In order to provide the force required to rotate the lens holder 109 together with the spectacle lens 101 mounted therein, a magnetic field is provided acting on the ferromagnetic portion 111 of the lens holder 109. For this purpose, in coating apparatus 100 known from the prior art, each concentric ring 112.1 and 112.2 is provided with its own magnetic field generator 113.1 and 113.2. When the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are turned on, if the carrier 105 rotates about the rotation axis 107, a magnetic force is induced in the ferromagnetic portion 111 of the lens holder 109. This causes the lens holder 109, which is pivotally mounted on the carrier 105, to automatically flip when the corresponding lens holder 109 is located below the magnetic field generator 113.1 or 113.2 assigned to the corresponding ring 112.1 or 112.2.

[0037] Compared to embodiments of coating equipment 100 known in the prior art, in this embodiment, only two rings 112.1 and 112.2 of the lens holder 109 are ultimately provided, each ring being assigned its own magnetic field generator 113.1 and 113.2, while... Figure 2In the embodiment of the coating apparatus 100 according to the present invention, the lens holder 109 of the spectacle lens 101 to be coated is arranged in a total of five concentric rings 112.1-112.5, each concentric ring having a different diameter. Because the carrier 105 has a dome or cap shape, the distances from each ring 112.1-112.5 to the axis of rotation 107 of the carrier 105 are different. The numbering of the rings 112 increases with the radius, such that... Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, a total of five rings 112 are provided, with the ring 112.1 having the smallest diameter designated as the "first ring" and the ring 112.5 having the largest diameter designated as the "fifth ring" in this exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 A schematic representation of a magnetic field generator 113 is shown, and the specific design of this magnetic field generator will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. In this embodiment, only a single magnetic field generator 113 is provided, which is responsible for flipping the lens holders 109 arranged on all the rings 112.1 to 112.5. The magnetic field generator 113 is mounted or fixed to the top plate 114 of the vacuum chamber 102 and ultimately follows the shape of the dome-shaped support 105. As already described, a coating apparatus 100 known from the prior art... Figure 1 The described apparatus 200 for flipping a spectacle lens 101 in a coating apparatus 100 includes a carrier 105 rotatably mounted about a rotation axis 107. To facilitate loading and unloading the spectacle lens 101 from and from the carrier 105 outside a vacuum chamber 102, the carrier 105 is segmented, allowing the operator to install and remove one segment of the carrier 105 at a time during the coating process to load and unload the spectacle lens 101. Multiple lens holders 109 are arranged on annular rings 112.1 to 112.5 of varying diameters to hold the spectacle lens 101 to be coated. The lens holders 109 are also mounted in openings 108 in the carrier 105, allowing them to be flipped about their respective pivot axes 110 by means of a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator 113. Figure 2 In one embodiment, the magnetic field generator 113 is configured such that the resulting magnetic field 117 generated by the magnetic field generator 113 is substantially constant over at least two adjacent rings 112. In this embodiment, the magnetic field generator 113 is shaped and configured such that it extends over all rings 112.1 to 112.5.

[0038] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a device 200 for flipping spectacle lenses 101 is shown. In this embodiment, two magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are provided, each comprising a plurality of permanent magnets 115 arranged in the form of a Helbeck array 116. Reference will be made below. Figure 5 The Hellbeck array 116 is characterized by the special arrangement of individual permanent magnets 115 as described above, by means of which a directional magnetic field 117 is generated, such as... Figure 3 The field lines in the diagram indicate this. The arrangement of the permanent magnets 115 causes amplification or enhancement of the field lines on one side of the Hellbeck array 116 (these field lines are indicated by...). Figure 3 In the current configuration shown, the field lines point downwards, while on the other side of the Hellbeck array 116, the field lines are weakened and partially cancel each other out. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, two magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are arranged such that the first magnetic field generator 113.1 covers the first ring 112.1, the second ring 112.2, and the third ring 112.3, while the second magnetic field generator 113.2 covers the fourth ring 112.4 and the fifth ring 112.5. Since the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are straight, the distances between the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 and the corresponding rings 112.1 to 112.3 and 112.4 to 112.5 will not be uniform, but will increase with the increase of the diameter of the rings 112.1 to 112.5 or the increase of the numbering of the corresponding rings 112.1 to 112.5. However, the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 ultimately still conform to the shape of the support member 105, such that the longitudinal axis 118 of the two magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 has different angles α1 and α2 with the rotation axis 107 of the support member 105. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the angle α1 between the longitudinal axis 118 of the first magnetic field generator 113.1 and the rotation axis 107 of the support member 105 is approximately 80°, and the angle α2 between the longitudinal axis 118 of the second magnetic field generator 113.2 and the rotation axis 107 of the support member 105 is approximately 60°. To control the effect of the magnetic field 117 provided by the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 on the lens holder 109, in Figure 3In this embodiment, magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are each arranged such that they can pivot about the longitudinal axis 118 by at least 120°, as indicated by arrow 122. This allows the amplified or enhanced field lines of the magnetic field generator 113 to eventually rotate away from the lens holder 109, thereby ultimately turning the magnetic force applied to the lens holder 109 on and off. This provides a simple way to prevent the lens holder 109 from being accidentally flipped. The adjustment of the Hellbeck array 116 between the “on” and “off” positions is only illustrative and can be performed from outside the vacuum chamber 102, for example, by means of a rotating feedthrough. Furthermore, this adjustment can be motor-assisted or manually performed. Preferably, this adjustment is performed automatically. Thus, during the actual coating of the first side of the spectacle lens 101, the first side of the Hellbeck array 116, enhanced by the magnetic field 117, can be rotated away from the spectacle lens 101 until the coating of the first side of the spectacle lens 101 is completed. In this configuration, magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are considered to be in the "disconnected" position, meaning their influence on the lens holder 109 is suppressed, and accidental flipping or overturning of the lens holder 109 is prevented. The Hellbeck array 116 can then rotate again about the longitudinal axis 118, so that its enhanced or amplified magnetic field 117 faces the lens holder 109 and the spectacle lens 101 mounted therein. In this configuration, magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are considered to be in the "connected" position, where the lens holder 109 can be flipped by applying a magnetic force to the ferromagnetic portion 111 of the lens holder 109. Once the flipping of the lens holder 109 and the spectacle lens 101 is complete, the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 can again pivot 120° away from the lens holder 109. In this configuration, the enhanced magnetic field 117 faces away from the lens holder 109, thereby effectively preventing accidental flipping of the spectacle lens 101 again. In a preferred embodiment, the "on" and "off" positions of the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are each defined by a stop.

[0039] exist Figure 4 In the exemplary embodiment of the device 200 for flipping the spectacle lens 101 shown, two magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are also provided. These two magnetic field generators are also designed as a Hellbeck array 116, thus this alternative embodiment has a plurality of electromagnets 119. The electromagnets 119 can switch between a first state for generating magnetic force (i.e., the "on" position) and a second state (i.e., the "off" position) in which the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 are deactivated. Similar to the reference above. Figure 3 The described embodiment (where the Hellbeck array 116 is composed of permanent magnets 115). Figure 4The magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 shown also have a directional magnetic field 117, which is amplified or enhanced on one side of the generators 113.1 and 113.2 and weakened on the other side, thus ultimately producing a directional magnetic field 117 oriented in the direction of the rings 112.1 to 112.5. The electromagnet 119 can also be easily switched on and off using the electromagnet. Therefore, during the actual coating process, the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 can be deactivated and only switched on when the coating of the first side of the lens 101 is completed, so that the lens 101 mounted in the lens holder 109 can be flipped over, after which the second side of the lens 101 can be coated. Therefore, for an alternative embodiment of the Heilbeck array 116 including the electromagnet 119, the magnetic field 117 applied to the respective lens holder 109 of the respective ring 112 can also be “switched on” or “disconnected” as needed.

[0040] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic field generator 113 is shown, which can be used in a device 200 for flipping spectacle lens 101 according to the invention. The magnetic field generator 113 is formed as a Hellbeck array 116, which, in the example shown, consists of a plurality of permanent magnets 115. Adjacent permanent magnets 115 are each tilted 90° in the direction of the longitudinal axis 118 of the magnetic field generator 113, thereby ultimately generating a directional magnetic field 117. Therefore, the field lines on the first weak side 123 of the Hellbeck array 116 cancel each other out, weakening the magnetic field 117 and thus reducing the applicable magnetic force on that side. However, on the second strong side 124 of the Hellbeck array 116, the field lines are enhanced, amplifying or strengthening the resulting magnetic force that can be generated by the magnetic field generator 113 in the corresponding lens holder 109. Thus, a directional magnetic field 117 is ultimately generated, which can be used to flip the lens holder 109 together with the spectacle lens 101 mounted therein.

[0041] Figure 6 Another embodiment of the flipping device 200 according to the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, as already referred to in... Figure 3 and Figure 4The embodiment described herein features two magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 arranged to conform to the shape of the support member 105. In other words, the angle between the magnetic field generator 113.1, positioned above the first ring 112.1, the second ring 112.2, and the third ring 112.3, and the axis of rotation 107 of the support member 105 is larger than the angle between the magnetic field generator 113.2, positioned above the fourth ring 112.4 and the fifth ring 112.5, and the axis of rotation of the support member. In this embodiment, each of the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 includes a single electromagnet 119 having an elongated, straight shape and providing a uniform magnetic field 117. Figure 6 As further indicated, the electromagnet 119 is surrounded by a protective device 120, which in the shown embodiment is formed by a closed tube 121 that ultimately isolates it from the vacuum present in the surrounding vacuum chamber 102. Alternatively, however, the protective device 120 may consist solely of a shielding element that does not allow any encapsulation relative to the vacuum present in the vacuum chamber 102 and is intended only to ensure that the evaporation source 103 does not accidentally coat the magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2.

[0042] refer to Figure 7 The method 400 for producing spectacle lens 101 is presented.

[0043] The method includes step S405 of providing at least one spectacle lens 101, preferably a plurality of spectacle lenses 101, which may have undergone other manufacturing steps, such as shaping steps or other surface treatment steps, to apply, for example, a hard coating. Method 400 further includes step S410, in which at least one spectacle lens 101, preferably a plurality of spectacle lenses 101, is mounted on a lens holder 109 positioned on a carrier 105, as described above. Figure 2This is a portion of the coating apparatus 100 described. To facilitate installation step S410, the carrier 105 can be divided into several parts or sections, which can be individually removed from the coating apparatus 100 by an operator to load the spectacle lens 101 into the lens holder 109 mounted on these parts or sections. The carrier 105 has a cap shape, and one side of each of the spectacle lenses 101 mounted on the carrier 105 is oriented toward the common point where the evaporation source 103 is located. The lens holder 109 and the spectacle lenses 101 mounted therein are arranged in concentric rings 120 of different diameters on the carrier 105 of the coating apparatus 100. In coating step S415, at least one layer (or sublayer) of coating is applied to the side of the spectacle lens 101 facing the evaporation source 103. Method 400 further includes step S420 of flipping the spectacle lens 101 by means of a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator 113. The flipping step 420 of the lens holder 109 and the corresponding spectacle lens 101 is performed after the coating step 415, in which the side of the spectacle lens 101 facing the evaporation source 103 is coated. Magnetic field generators 113.1 and 113.2 generate a magnetic field 117 that is substantially constant over at least two adjacent rings 112. To apply magnetic force to the lens holder 109, the lens holder 109 includes a ferromagnetic portion 111 that interacts with the magnetic field generator 113 during the flipping step as the carrier 105 rotates about its axis of rotation. Subsequently, another coating step 415 is performed on the uncoated side of the spectacle lens 101. In the subsequent step S425, the coated spectacle lens is further processed by removing it from the vacuum chamber 102 of the coating apparatus 100 and subjecting it to further production steps, such as cutting it to its final size.

[0044] Further embodiments are described below to aid in understanding the invention: 1. An apparatus (200) for flipping a spectacle lens (101) in a coating apparatus (100), the apparatus comprising a carrier (105) rotatably mounted about a rotation axis (107), on which a plurality of lens holders (109) are arranged on concentric rings (112) of different diameters to hold the spectacle lens (101) to be coated, wherein the lens holders (109) are mounted such that the lens holders are flipped about a pivot axis (110) by means of a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator (113), characterized in that the magnetic field generator (113) is configured such that a magnetic field (117) generated by the magnetic field generator (113) is substantially constant on at least two adjacent rings (112).

[0045] 2. The device (200) according to Embodiment 1 is characterized in that the magnetic force applied to these lens holders (109) is between 0.001 N and 0.025 N.

[0046] 3. The device (200) according to any one of the foregoing embodiments is characterized in that the shape of the magnetic field generator (113) is adapted to the shape of the support member (105).

[0047] 4. The device (200) according to any one of the foregoing embodiments is characterized in that the magnetic field generator (113) is shaped such that the magnetic field generator (113) extends over at least two of the concentric rings (112).

[0048] 5. The device (200) according to any one of the foregoing embodiments, characterized in that the magnetic field generator (113) comprises a Heilbeck array (116).

[0049] 6. The device (200) according to embodiment 5 is characterized in that the Heilbeck array (116) comprises a plurality of permanent magnets (115).

[0050] 7. The device (200) according to embodiment 6 is characterized in that the permanent magnet (115) of the Heilbeck array (116) is capable of pivoting at least 120° about the longitudinal axis (118) of the magnetic field generator (113).

[0051] 8. The apparatus (200) according to embodiment 5 is characterized in that the Heilbeck array (116) is formed by a plurality of electromagnets (119) and is capable of switching between a first state in which the magnetic field (117) is generated and a second state in which the magnetic field generator (113) is deactivated.

[0052] 9. The device (200) according to any one of the foregoing embodiments is characterized in that the angle between the magnetic field generator (113) and the rotation axis (107) is greater than 40°, preferably greater than 45°.

[0053] 10. The apparatus (200) according to one of the foregoing embodiments is characterized in that at least two magnetic field generators (113) are provided.

[0054] 11. The apparatus (200) according to one of the foregoing embodiments is characterized in that a protective device (120) is provided for at least partially covering the magnetic field generator (113), the protective device being selected from the group including shielding members and tubes (121).

[0055] 12. A method (400) for producing spectacle lenses (101), the method comprising the following steps: - The spectacle lens (101) is flipped (420) in one of a plurality of lens holders (109) by means of magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator (113), the lens holders being arranged in concentric rings (112) of different diameters on a carrier (105) of a coating device (100); Its features are, The magnetic field generator (113) generates a magnetic field (117) that is substantially constant over at least two adjacent rings (112).

[0056] List of reference numerals 100 Coating Equipment 101 Eyeglass Lenses 102 Vacuum Chamber 103 Evaporation Source 104 pump 105 Bearing Component 106 motors 107 Rotation axis 108 Opening 109 Lens Holder 110 Pivot axis 111 Ferromagnetic Part Circular rings of different diameters: 112, 112.1 – 112.5 113, 113.1 – 113.2 Magnetic field generator 114 Top Plate 115 permanent magnet 116 Heilbeck Array 117 Magnetic Field 118 Longitudinal axis 119 Electromagnets 120 Protection Device 121 tube 122 arrows 123 Weak side 124 Strong side 200 Tilting Device 400 Production Method S405 – S425 Method Steps α Angle.

Claims

1. A device (200) for flipping a spectacle lens (101) in a coating apparatus (100). The device includes a support (105) that is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis (107). Furthermore, on the carrier, multiple lens holders (109) are arranged on concentric rings (112) of different diameters to hold the spectacle lens (101) to be coated. in, These lens holders (109) are mounted such that they can be rotated about the pivot axis (110) by means of a magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator (113). The magnetic field generator (113) is characterized in that the magnetic field (117) generated by the magnetic field generator (113) is substantially constant on at least two adjacent rings (112), and wherein the magnetic field generator (113) has a shape that extends on at least two of these concentric rings (112).

2. The apparatus (200) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resulting magnetic force applied to these lens holders (109) is between 0.001 N and 0.025 N.

3. The apparatus (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The shape of the magnetic field generator (113) is adapted to the shape of the carrier (105).

4. The apparatus (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The magnetic field generator (113) includes a Heilbeck array (116).

5. The apparatus (200) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The Heilbeck array (116) includes multiple permanent magnets (115).

6. The apparatus (200) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The permanent magnet (115) of the Heilbeck array (116) is capable of pivoting at least 120° about the longitudinal axis (118) of the magnetic field generator (113).

7. The apparatus (200) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The Helbeck array (116) is formed by multiple electromagnets (119) and is able to switch between a first state in which the magnetic field (117) is generated and a second state in which the magnetic field generator (113) is deactivated.

8. The apparatus (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The angle between the magnetic field generator (113) and the rotation axis (107) is greater than 40°, preferably greater than 45°.

9. The apparatus (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least two magnetic field generators (113) were installed.

10. The apparatus (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A protective device (120) is provided for at least partially covering the magnetic field generator (113), the protective device being selected from the group including shielding elements and pipe fittings (121).

11. A method (400) for producing spectacle lenses (101), the method comprising the following steps: - The spectacle lens (101) is flipped (420) in one of a plurality of lens holders (109) by means of magnetic force generated by a magnetic field generator (113), the lens holders being arranged in concentric rings (112) of different diameters on a carrier (105) of a coating device (100); Its features are, The magnetic field generator (113) generates a magnetic field (117) that is substantially constant over at least two adjacent rings (112), wherein, The magnetic field generator (113) has a shape that extends over at least two of these concentric rings (112).

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