Lens coating equipment, system and method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of lens coating, and discloses lens coating equipment, system and method. The lens coating equipment comprises a coating piece, a bearing piece and a positioning piece, the bearing piece comprises a hollowed-out working area, and the working area can cover the to-be-coated surface of the lens. The number of the positioning pieces is at least two, and the positioning pieces are arranged on the bearing piece and distributed on the peripheral side of the working area so as to bear and limit the lens from different positions of the edge of the lens. And at least two coating pieces are arranged so as to coat the front and back surfaces of the lens respectively. According to the lens coating equipment, synchronous coating of the front face and the back face of the lens is achieved, the overall operation process of lens coating is shortened, and then the machining efficiency is improved. According to the lens coating system, a continuous operation mode of automatic feeding, automatic coating and automatic discharging is formed, the overall treatment period of a single lens is remarkably shortened, and the overall productivity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lens coating technology, and more particularly to a lens coating apparatus, system and method. Background Technology

[0002] In the production and maintenance of lenses, it is often necessary to coat the lens surface to improve its key optical and mechanical properties such as abrasion resistance and light transmission, so as to ensure that the lens meets the usage requirements or extends its service life.

[0003] Current mainstream lens coating equipment typically coats one side of the lens (front or back) first, then cures the coating on that side, and then flips the lens 180 degrees, repositions it, and coats the other side (front or back).

[0004] However, the above-mentioned single-sided step-by-step processing method is prone to quality problems such as coating contamination due to flipping, and the additional flipping and positioning and secondary curing process prolong the operation cycle, resulting in low processing efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, the above problems urgently need to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a lens coating device, system and method to achieve simultaneous coating of the front and back sides of a lens, shorten the overall lens coating process and thus improve processing efficiency.

[0007] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A lens coating apparatus, comprising a coating component, a carrier component, and a positioning component, wherein:

[0009] The carrier includes a hollowed-out working area that can cover the surface of the lens to be coated.

[0010] At least two positioning elements are provided, each of which is disposed on the support element and distributed around the periphery of the working area to support and limit the lens from different positions on the lens edge;

[0011] At least two coating components are provided to coat the front and back sides of the lens respectively.

[0012] Preferably, the positioning member includes a horizontal supporting part and a vertical limiting part; the horizontal supporting part is used to support the edge of the lens from below, and the vertical limiting part is used to abut against the lens from the side.

[0013] Preferably, the coating is divided into two groups, one group corresponding to the front side of the carrier and the other group corresponding to the back side of the carrier;

[0014] The lens coating apparatus further includes an adjustment component configured to drive the two sets of coating elements closer to or further away from the carrier.

[0015] Preferably, the adjustment assembly includes two adjustment units that correspond one-to-one with the two sets of coatings;

[0016] Each adjustment unit includes a fixed frame and a movable frame. Each set of coatings is disposed on its corresponding movable frame. At least one of the fixed frame and the movable frame is provided with an oblong hole extending along the relative movement direction of the two sets of coatings. The movable frame is connected to the fixed frame by fasteners passing through the oblong hole.

[0017] Preferably, the lens coating apparatus further includes a drive assembly, which is connected to the carrier and configured to drive the carrier to move along a preset path, so that the carrier can move to the coating area between each of the coating elements, or cause the carrier to exit from the coating area.

[0018] Preferably, the drive assembly includes an electric module, and the carrier is disposed on the moving part of the electric module;

[0019] The drive assembly further includes a position detection element electrically connected to the electric module, the position detection element being configured to detect the position of the carrier element to send a stop signal to the electric module when the carrier element is detected to be in an initial position.

[0020] Preferably, the lens coating equipment further includes a chassis, the interior of which is provided with a partition to divide the interior of the chassis into a working cavity and a functional cavity. The working cavity is used to accommodate the coating component, the carrier component and the positioning component, and the functional cavity is used to accommodate the electrical control components of the lens coating equipment.

[0021] A lens coating system, the lens coating system comprising a transfer device and the above-described lens coating device, wherein:

[0022] The transfer device is configured to pick up lenses and transfer them from the outside to the lens coating device for loading, and to transfer coated lenses from the lens coating device to the outside for unloading.

[0023] Preferably, the lens coating system further includes a cleaning fluid storage unit, a coating material storage unit, and a switching valve, wherein:

[0024] The input end of the switching valve is connected to the cleaning fluid storage unit and the coating material storage unit, respectively, and the output end of the switching valve is connected to the coating component.

[0025] The switching valve can switch the working state to connect the cleaning fluid storage unit with the coated part, or to connect the coating material storage unit with the coated part;

[0026] When the cleaning fluid storage unit is connected to the coating component, the cleaning fluid is delivered to the lens surface through the coating component to achieve lens cleaning.

[0027] When the coating material storage unit is connected to the coating component, the coating material is transported to the lens surface through the coating component to achieve lens coating.

[0028] A lens coating method, comprising coating a lens using the aforementioned lens coating equipment, the lens coating method including the following steps:

[0029] Clean the lenses to remove impurities from their surface;

[0030] The lens is placed in the working area of ​​the carrier and supported and limited by at least two of the positioning elements;

[0031] Each of the aforementioned coating components performs a coating operation simultaneously on the front and back surfaces of the positioned lens;

[0032] Maintain the lens's positioning and cure the coating on both sides of the lens;

[0033] Remove the coated lens.

[0034] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0035] The lens coating equipment provided by the present invention supports and limits the lens from the edge of the lens through each positioning component, so that the front and back of the lens are always in a suspended and exposed state, and at least two coating components are coated simultaneously on the front and back of the lens respectively, without the need to flip the lens in the middle, thus avoiding coating contact contamination that may occur during the flipping process and ensuring the integrity of the coating.

[0036] In addition, once the lens is limited by each positioning component, it remains in a fixed position throughout the process. The coating operations on both sides are completed based on the same initial positioning, eliminating the need for secondary positioning. This avoids edge alignment deviations caused by secondary positioning and ensures the positional consistency of the coating on both sides.

[0037] In addition, the coating can be applied to both the front and back of the lens simultaneously, eliminating the need for phased coating and the need for additional waiting or adjustment steps due to flipping, thus shortening the overall lens coating process and improving processing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lens coating equipment provided by the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lens coating equipment removal unit and curing lamp provided by the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lens coating equipment removal unit and curing lamp provided by the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the bearing and positioning components provided by the present invention;

[0042] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0043] In the picture:

[0044] 1. Coated parts;

[0045] 2. Supporting component; 21. Working area; 22. Magnetic adsorption component; 23. Base block; 24. Functional block;

[0046] 3. Positioning component; 31. Horizontal support part; 32. Vertical limiting part;

[0047] 4. Curing lamp;

[0048] 5. Adjustment assembly; 51. Adjustment unit; 511. Fixed frame; 512. Movable frame;

[0049] 6. Drive components; 61. Electric module; 62. Position detection components;

[0050] 7. Chassis; 71. Partition. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Before explaining any implementation of this application in detail, it should be understood that this application is not limited to its application to the structural details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or shown in the above drawings.

[0052] In this application, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0053] In this application, the term "and / or" describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, a centrifugal vortex magnetic pump and / or a centrifugal vortex magnetic pump can represent: the existence of only one centrifugal vortex magnetic pump, the simultaneous existence of one centrifugal vortex magnetic pump and a centrifugal vortex magnetic pump, or the existence of only one centrifugal vortex magnetic pump. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "and / or" relationship.

[0054] In this application, the terms "connection," "combination," "coupling," and "installation" can refer to direct connection, combination, coupling, or installation, or indirect connection, combination, coupling, or installation. For example, a direct connection refers to two parts or components being connected together without the need for an intermediary, while an indirect connection refers to two parts or components each being connected to at least one intermediary, with the connection achieved through the intermediary. Furthermore, "connection" and "coupling" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, but can also include electrical connections or couplings.

[0055] In this application, those skilled in the art will understand that relative terms (e.g., “about,” “approximately,” “basically,” etc.) used in conjunction with quantities or conditions are to include the values ​​and have the meaning indicated by the context. For example, such relative terms include at least the degree of error associated with the measurement of a particular value, tolerances associated with the particular value due to manufacturing, assembly, use, etc. Such terms should also be considered as disclosing a range defined by the absolute values ​​of the two endpoints. Relative terms may refer to a certain percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more) of the indicated value. Numerical values ​​that do not use relative terms should also be disclosed as specific values ​​with tolerances. Furthermore, “basically” when expressing relative angular relationships (e.g., substantially parallel, substantially perpendicular) may refer to a certain degree (e.g., 1 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees or more) added to or subtracted from the indicated angle.

[0056] In this application, those skilled in the art will understand that the function performed by a component can be performed by one component, multiple components, one part, or multiple parts. Similarly, the function performed by a part can also be performed by one part, one component, or a combination of multiple parts.

[0057] In this application, the directional terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are used to describe the orientation and positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, in the context, it should be understood that when an element is mentioned as being connected "upper" or "lower" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower," or indirectly connected through an intermediate element. It should also be understood that directional terms such as upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, and rear side not only represent positive orientation but can also be understood as lateral orientation. For example, "below" can include directly below, lower left, lower right, lower front, and lower rear.

[0058] Please see Figures 1 to 5 This embodiment provides a lens coating apparatus, which includes a coating component 1, a support component 2, and positioning components 3. The support component 2 includes a hollowed-out working area 21, which can cover the surface of the lens to be coated. At least two positioning components 3 are provided, each disposed on the support component 2 and distributed around the periphery of the working area 21, to support and limit the lens from different positions on the lens edge. At least two coating components 1 are provided to coat the front and back surfaces of the lens respectively.

[0059] Correspondingly, this embodiment provides a lens coating method, which uses the above-mentioned lens coating equipment to coat the lens. The lens coating method includes the following steps:

[0060] Clean the lenses to remove impurities from their surface;

[0061] The lens is placed in the working area 21 of the carrier 2, and supported and limited by at least two positioning elements 3;

[0062] Each coated component 1 is coated simultaneously on both the front and back sides of the positioned lens;

[0063] Maintain the lens's positioning and cure the coating on both sides of the lens;

[0064] Remove the coated lens.

[0065] It is understandable that each positioning component 3 supports and limits the lens from the edge of the lens, so that the front and back of the lens are always in a suspended and exposed state, and at least two coating components 1 are coated simultaneously on the front and back of the lens respectively, without the need to flip the lens in the middle, thus avoiding coating contact contamination that may occur during the flipping process and ensuring the integrity of the coating.

[0066] It is also understandable that after the lens is limited by each positioning component 3 in one go, it remains in a fixed position throughout the process. The coating operation on the front and back sides is completed based on the same initial positioning, without the need for secondary positioning. This avoids edge alignment deviation caused by secondary positioning and ensures the positional consistency of the coating on the front and back sides.

[0067] In addition, coating component 1 can coat both the front and back of the lens simultaneously, eliminating the need for phased coating and the need for additional waiting or adjustment steps due to flipping, thus shortening the overall lens coating process and improving processing efficiency.

[0068] In this embodiment, the carrier 2 has two working areas 21, and each working area 21 has at least two positioning elements 3 on its periphery. For each working area 21, at least two coating elements 1 are configured on both the front and back sides of the lens. That is, the number of positioning elements 3 and coating elements 1 matches the number of working areas 21. In other embodiments, the number of working areas 21 can be adjusted to one, three, or more according to actual production needs, and the number of positioning elements 3 and coating elements 1 can also be increased or decreased accordingly to accommodate different numbers of working areas 21. Specific details are not elaborated here. Furthermore, the coating element 1 uses an atomizing nozzle, which can atomize the coating material into fine particles and spray them evenly onto the lens surface to achieve the coating operation. The specific model of the atomizing nozzle can be selected according to the actual application scenario, such as the viscosity of the coating material, the size and specifications of the lens, the required coating thickness and uniformity requirements, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0069] To achieve rapid coating setting, the lens coating equipment also includes at least two curing lamps 4, at least one corresponding to the front of the lens and at least one corresponding to the back of the lens, to cure the coating applied to both sides of the lens. This configuration, with the curing lamps 4 positioned to match the coated part 1, allows for simultaneous curing of both sides of the coating immediately after coating is completed on both sides. Unlike traditional equipment, which requires waiting for one side to cure before flipping the lens for curing the other side, this eliminates the need for coating damage or positioning errors that may occur during flipping, ensuring consistent curing results. Simultaneous curing also reduces the waiting time and process connection time required for traditional step-by-step curing, further shortening the overall processing cycle for a single lens and improving equipment efficiency.

[0070] It should be noted that the curing lamp 4 is existing technology, and the specific model and placement can be selected according to the actual application scenario. No specific requirements or restrictions are imposed on it.

[0071] Specifically, the positioning component 3 includes a horizontal support portion 31 and a vertical limiting portion 32. The horizontal support portion 31 supports the lens edge from below, and the vertical limiting portion 32 abuts against the lens from the side. The horizontal support portion 31 provides stable support to the lens edge from below, preventing vertical displacement of the lens due to its own weight. The vertical limiting portion 32 abuts against the lens edge from the side, limiting horizontal displacement of the lens. The combination of these two components creates dual constraints on the lens in both the vertical and horizontal directions, ensuring that the lens maintains its preset position throughout the coating and curing process. This reduces problems such as coating edge misalignment or uneven thickness caused by unstable positioning, further guaranteeing the stability of the coating quality.

[0072] It should be noted that three positioning elements 3 are provided, and the three positioning elements 3 are evenly spaced along the periphery of the working area 21. In other embodiments, the number of positioning elements 3 can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual application scenario. For example, for lenses that are small in size and light in weight, only two positioning elements 3 can be provided, and stable positioning can be achieved by supporting and limiting the lenses on opposite sides. For lenses that are large in size, heavy in weight, or require higher positioning accuracy, more positioning elements 3 can be provided.

[0073] Specifically, the coating components 1 are divided into two groups, one group corresponding to the front of the carrier 2 and the other group corresponding to the back of the carrier 2. The lens coating equipment also includes an adjustment component 5, which is configured to drive the two groups of coating components 1 closer to or further away from the carrier 2. With this configuration, the adjustment component 5 can drive the two groups of coating components 1 closer to or further away from the carrier 2, which can indirectly adjust the actual coating distance between the coating components 1 and the front and back of the lens. This allows lenses of different thicknesses to be matched with a suitable coating distance, avoiding the problem of insufficient adaptability caused by a fixed distance, and ensuring the uniformity of coating thickness and the stability of coating quality when coating various types of lenses.

[0074] In this embodiment, the adjustment assembly 5 includes two adjustment units 51 corresponding to the two sets of coating parts 1. Each adjustment unit 51 includes a fixed frame 511 and a movable frame 512. Each set of coating parts 1 is disposed on its corresponding movable frame 512. At least one of the fixed frame 511 and the movable frame 512 is provided with an oblong hole extending along the relative moving direction of the two sets of coating parts 1. The movable frame 512 is connected to the fixed frame 511 by fasteners passing through the oblong hole.

[0075] Understandably, the two adjustment units 51 correspond one-to-one with the two sets of coating parts 1, enabling independent adjustment to meet the different coating requirements of the front and back of the lens and improve adaptability. In addition, the cooperation between the waist-shaped hole and the fastener makes the adjustment operation convenient. Loosening the fastener allows the movable frame 512 to move in the preset direction, and tightening the fastener after adjustment can fix it, simplifying the adjustment process.

[0076] Preferably, the lens coating equipment further includes a drive component 6, which is connected to the carrier 2 and configured to drive the carrier 2 to move along a preset path, so that the carrier 2 can move to the coating area between each coating component 1, or remove the carrier 2 from the coating area. This realizes the automated movement of the lens between the coating area and the pick-up and drop-off position, reduces the manual handling of the lens, avoids the contamination or positioning deviation that may be caused by manual contact, and shortens the lens conversion time between different processes, thereby improving the overall work efficiency.

[0077] In addition, the carrier 2 moves along a preset path, which ensures that the lens is in the position corresponding to the coating component 1 every time it enters the coating area, avoiding the problem of inaccurate coating position caused by movement deviation and ensuring the stability of coating quality.

[0078] Specifically, the drive assembly 6 includes an electric module 61, and a carrier 2 is mounted on the moving part of the electric module 61. The electric module 61 itself has high motion precision, and the movement trajectory, speed, and position control precision of its moving part can be precisely controlled by the electronic control system. The carrier 2 is directly mounted on the moving part and can directly support the high-precision motion characteristics of the electric module 61. This ensures that when the carrier 2 drives the lens to move along the preset path, the positional deviation when entering the coating area is smaller each time, further improving the accuracy of the relative position between the lens and the coating component 1 and avoiding coating position offset problems caused by insufficient movement precision.

[0079] Furthermore, the drive assembly 6 also includes a position detection element 62 electrically connected to the electric module 61. The position detection element 62 is configured to detect the position of the carrier 2 and send a stop signal to the electric module 61 when the carrier 2 is detected to be in the initial position. Thus, when the carrier 2 returns to the initial position (i.e., the reference position for lens pick-up and drop) along a preset path after completing the coating operation, the position detection element 62 can promptly identify the position status and send a stop signal to the electric module 61. This prevents the carrier 2 from overshooting the initial position due to inertia, or from failing to fully reach the initial position due to positioning deviation. This simplifies the operation process and avoids lens positioning reference offset caused by the initial position deviation of the carrier 2, further ensuring the positional accuracy of subsequent coating.

[0080] It should be noted that the position detection component 62 can be any structure in the prior art that can detect the position of the workpiece, such as a proximity switch, photoelectric sensor, etc.

[0081] Preferably, the lens coating equipment further includes a chassis 7, inside which a partition 71 is provided. The partition 71 divides the interior of the chassis 7 into a working chamber and a functional chamber. The working chamber is used to accommodate the coating component 1, the carrier component 2, and the positioning component 3, while the functional chamber is used to accommodate the electrical control components of the lens coating equipment. During the coating operation, a mist-like coating material is generated in the working chamber. The partition 71 separates the working chamber from the functional chamber containing the electrical control components, preventing the mist-like material from entering the functional chamber and avoiding material adhering to the surface of the electrical control components, thus preventing it from affecting heat dissipation performance or causing circuit failures, and ensuring the stable operation of the electrical control components. The electrical control components refer to electrical components used to control the coating operation and related functions of the equipment, such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) for controlling the operation of the lens coating equipment and a relay for controlling the start and stop of the coating process.

[0082] To further enhance the applicability of the lens coating equipment, the carrier 2 includes a base block 23 and a functional block 24. The working area 21 and each positioning element 3 are disposed on the functional block 24. One of the base block 23 and the functional block 24 has a groove, and the other has a mating part adapted to the groove, which can be embedded into the groove to allow the two to be joined together. One of the base block 23 and the functional block 24 has a magnetic adsorption element 22, which is configured to adsorb the other.

[0083] When it is necessary to adapt to different lens specifications, the function block 24 can be directly replaced with the corresponding specification function block 24 by disassembling it, without the need to adjust the base block 23 and other parts of the equipment, which greatly improves the equipment's ability to adapt to diverse lenses and enhances its versatility.

[0084] In addition, the base block 23 and the functional block 24 are precisely positioned by the fitting of the groove and the mating part. With the adsorption force of the magnetic adsorption component 22, the positional accuracy after the two are assembled can be guaranteed, and a stable connection force can be provided to prevent the functional block 24 from shifting due to vibration during equipment operation, thus ensuring the clamping stability of the positioning component 3 on the lens during the lens coating process.

[0085] It should be noted that the groove and the mating part can adopt a common interlocking structure. For example, the base block 23 is provided with a T-shaped groove extending in the horizontal direction, and the bottom of the functional block 24 is provided with a T-shaped mating part that matches the T-shaped groove. After the T-shaped mating part is embedded along the length direction of the T-shaped groove, it can restrict the vertical and horizontal displacement of the functional block 24 perpendicular to the groove direction; or the base block 23 is provided with a dovetail groove, and the functional block 24 is provided with a corresponding dovetail-shaped mating part. The inclined side of the dovetail structure can form a tight fit, further improving the pull-out resistance and positioning accuracy after assembly.

[0086] In this embodiment, the functional block 24 has a receiving groove, and the receiving groove is positioned close to the base block 23. The magnetic adsorption component 22 is specifically a magnet, which is fixed in the receiving groove by an embedded method. The embedded structure can prevent the magnetic adsorption component 22 from shifting during the operation of the device, ensuring that its magnetic force application area always corresponds to the edge of the lens near the base block 23. Correspondingly, the base block 23 needs to have a metal structure that can be attracted by a magnet, which will not be described in detail.

[0087] This embodiment also provides a lens coating system, which includes a transfer device and the aforementioned lens coating device. The transfer device is configured to pick up a lens and transfer it from the outside to the lens coating device for loading, and to transfer the coated lens from the lens coating device to the outside for unloading.

[0088] This setup eliminates the need for operators to manually place lenses onto the carrier 2 of the coating equipment, avoiding surface oil and fingerprint contamination caused by hand contact with the lenses, or positioning deviations due to manual placement, thus further ensuring the stability of coating quality. Furthermore, the transfer equipment can quickly connect the unloading and loading stages. While the coating equipment is coating and curing the current lens, the transfer equipment can prepare the lens to be coated in advance, and immediately complete the unloading and loading after the current process is finished, reducing equipment waiting time. Combined with the automatic coating and curing processes within the coating equipment, a continuous operation mode of automatic loading, automatic coating, and automatic unloading can be formed, significantly shortening the overall processing cycle of a single lens and increasing overall production capacity.

[0089] It should be noted that the transfer device preferably uses a robotic arm structure found in existing technologies, with a vacuum suction head at its actuator. The vacuum suction head generates negative pressure to tightly adhere to the lens surface, gripping the lens in a non-contact manner, thus avoiding scratches, indentations, or other damage to the lens edges or surface caused by mechanical restraints. The robotic arm has multi-axis linkage capabilities, enabling precise translation and rotation along a preset path. This allows it to transfer the lens to be coated from the external rack to the carrier 2 of the coating equipment for loading, or, after coating, transfer the lens from the carrier 2 to the external storage area for unloading.

[0090] Specifically, the lens coating system also includes a cleaning fluid storage unit, a coating material storage unit, and a switching valve. The input of the switching valve is connected to both the cleaning fluid storage unit and the coating material storage unit, and the output of the switching valve is connected to the coating element 1. The switching valve can switch operating states to connect either the cleaning fluid storage unit to the coating element 1 or the coating material storage unit to the coating element 1. When the cleaning fluid storage unit is connected to the coating element 1, the cleaning fluid is delivered to the lens surface through the coating element 1 to clean the lens. When the coating material storage unit is connected to the coating element 1, the coating material is delivered to the lens surface through the coating element 1 to coat the lens.

[0091] It is understandable that by switching the valve to supply cleaning fluid and coating material, coating component 1 can function as both a coating actuator and a cleaning tool. This eliminates the need for additional dedicated nozzles and piping systems for the cleaning function, significantly reducing the number of equipment parts and simplifying the overall structural layout.

[0092] It is also understandable that, before coating, the cleaning fluid storage unit can be connected via a switching valve. The cleaning fluid is then atomized using coating component 1 and used to evenly rinse the lens surface, quickly removing oil, dust, and other impurities, providing a clean substrate for coating. After coating, the system is switched back to the cleaning fluid path to directly rinse coating component 1 and the connecting pipes, removing any residual coating material and preventing deposits in the pipes from clogging the flow channels or affecting the quality of subsequent coatings. The entire cleaning, coating, and pipe maintenance process is completed in a closed loop within the same equipment, eliminating the need to transfer lenses or disassemble components, significantly shortening the cycle time for a single batch.

[0093] Specifically, the cleaning fluid storage unit is a sealed container with an internal liquid level monitoring device to provide real-time feedback on water volume. It is externally connected to a delivery pipeline for storing cleaning water. The coating material storage unit is also a sealed container, with the material selected based on the characteristics of the coating material. In some scenarios, a built-in stirring component can be incorporated to prevent sedimentation and stratification of the coating material. It is externally connected to subsequent components via pipelines. The switching valve is a multi-channel control valve. Its core structure includes a valve core with a sealing function and a valve body. Switching the position of the valve core allows for selective connection of different input and output channels.

[0094] When the three are used together, the two input ends of the switching valve are connected to the outlets of the cleaning fluid storage unit and the coating material storage unit through pipelines, respectively, and the output end is connected to the inlet of the coating part 1 through a pipeline. When it is necessary to clean the lens or pipeline, the switching valve switches to the cleaning fluid passage to connect the cleaning fluid storage unit and the coating part 1. When it is necessary to perform coating operations, the switching valve switches to the coating material passage to connect the coating material storage unit and the coating part 1.

[0095] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lens coating apparatus, characterized in that, The lens coating equipment includes a coating component (1), a carrier component (2), and a positioning component (3), wherein: The carrier (2) includes a hollowed-out working area (21) that can cover the surface of the lens to be coated. At least two positioning elements (3) are provided, each of which is provided on the support element (2) and distributed around the periphery of the working area (21) to support and limit the lens from different positions on the edge of the lens; The coating element (1) is provided in at least two parts to coat the front and back sides of the lens respectively.

2. The lens coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning member (3) includes a horizontal support portion (31) and a vertical limiting portion (32). The horizontal support portion (31) is used to support the edge of the lens from below, and the vertical limiting portion (32) is used to abut against the lens from the side.

3. The lens coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coating part (1) is divided into two groups, one group is arranged on the front side of the carrier (2), and the other group is arranged on the back side of the carrier (2); The lens coating apparatus further includes an adjustment component (5) configured to drive the two sets of coating elements (1) closer to or further away from the carrier element (2).

4. The lens coating equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The adjustment assembly (5) includes two adjustment units (51) that correspond one-to-one with the two sets of coatings (1); Each adjustment unit (51) includes a fixed frame (511) and a movable frame (512). Each set of coatings (1) is disposed on the corresponding movable frame (512). At least one of the fixed frame (511) and the movable frame (512) is provided with an oblong hole extending along the relative movement direction of the two sets of coatings (1). The movable frame (512) is connected to the fixed frame (511) by fasteners passing through the oblong hole.

5. The lens coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lens coating device further includes a drive assembly (6), which is connected to the carrier (2) and configured to drive the carrier (2) to move along a preset path so that the carrier (2) can move to the coating area between each of the coating elements (1) or remove the carrier (2) from the coating area.

6. The lens coating apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive assembly (6) includes an electric module (61), and the carrier (2) is disposed on the moving part of the electric module (61); The drive assembly (6) further includes a position detection element (62) electrically connected to the electric module (61), the position detection element (62) being configured to detect the position of the carrier (2) to send a stop signal to the electric module (61) when the carrier (2) is detected to be in the initial position.

7. The lens coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lens coating equipment also includes a housing (7), inside which is provided a partition (71), which divides the interior of the housing (7) into a working cavity and a functional cavity. The working cavity is used to accommodate the coating component (1), the carrier component (2) and the positioning component (3), and the functional cavity is used to accommodate the electrical control components of the lens coating equipment.

8. A lens coating system, characterized in that, The lens coating system includes a transfer device and a lens coating device as described in any one of claims 1-7, wherein: The transfer device is configured to pick up lenses and transfer them from the outside to the lens coating device for loading, and to transfer coated lenses from the lens coating device to the outside for unloading.

9. A lens coating system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The lens coating system further includes a cleaning fluid storage unit, a coating material storage unit, and a switching valve, wherein: The input end of the switching valve is connected to the cleaning fluid storage unit and the coating material storage unit respectively, and the output end of the switching valve is connected to the coating part (1); The switching valve can switch the working state to connect the cleaning fluid storage unit with the coating part (1) or to connect the coating material storage unit with the coating part (1). When the cleaning fluid storage unit is connected to the coating (1), the cleaning fluid is delivered to the lens surface through the coating (1) to achieve lens cleaning; When the coating material storage unit is connected to the coating element (1), the coating material is transported to the lens surface through the coating element (1) to achieve lens coating.

10. A lens coating method, comprising coating a lens using the lens coating equipment as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The lens coating method includes the following steps: Clean the lenses to remove impurities from their surface; The lens is placed in the working area (21) of the carrier (2), and the lens is supported and limited by at least two positioning elements (3); Each of the coating components (1) performs a coating operation simultaneously on the front and back surfaces of the positioned lens; Maintain the lens's positioning and cure the coating on both sides of the lens; Remove the coated lens.

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