Ring for coating an optical article

Abstract

A ring (2) for coating an optical article, the ring (2) comprising a lower ring portion (4), an upper ring portion (8) having an angular extension less than 180° and vertically aligned with the lower ring portion (4), and an intermediate portion (6) placed between the lower ring portion (4) and the upper ring portion (8); wherein the lower ring portion (4) and the upper ring portion (8) have respective inner inclined sides (32, 36) arranged to hold the optical article, and wherein the intermediate ring portion (6) forms a protrusion (44) projecting radially outward with respect to the lower ring portion (4) and the upper ring portion (8), so that the ring (2) can be connected to a coating machine via said protrusion (44).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in coating processes of optical articles (e.g., in AR (anti-reflective) coating processes of lenses).

[0002] The present invention relates to a ring for coating optical articles, which is used in a coating machine during the loading, coating and unloading phases of the coating process. Background Technology

[0003] Rings for securing lenses of various shapes and geometries during coating processes (such as AR coating processes) are known. These durable rings prevent lenses from falling from a sector or section of the coating machine into the body of the coating machine itself, thereby eliminating damage to the lenses.

[0004] These rings are typically made of metal (such as stainless steel) and are one-sided.

[0005] The single-sided ring only has one side (a flap) that fits into the sector of the coating machine, so it is necessary to manually flip the lens itself in the ring in order to coat both sides of the lens.

[0006] Therefore, the single-sided ring requires manual manipulation of the lens during use, which increases the risk of the lens falling out or being damaged.

[0007] Accordingly, there is a need for an innovative ring for coating optical articles, which reduces the amount of lens manipulation required during the coating process. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This article provides a ring for coating optical articles, the ring including a lower ring portion, an upper ring portion and a middle portion, the upper ring portion having an angular extension range of less than 180° and being vertically aligned with the lower ring portion, and the middle portion being placed between the lower ring portion and the upper ring portion;

[0009] The lower ring portion and the upper ring portion have corresponding inwardly tilted sides arranged to hold the optical article.

[0010] The middle ring portion forms a protrusion that projects radially outward relative to the lower and upper ring portions, allowing the ring to be connected to the coating machine via the protrusion.

[0011] The proposed ring provides a two-sided configuration, which reduces the need for manual removal of the lens during flipping and reduces lens manipulation.

[0012] With the ring design, the operator no longer needs to remove the lens from the ring to flip it from the concave side to the convex side before applying the lens.

[0013] In an embodiment, the upper ring portion includes an outer upper vertical side, the lower ring portion includes an outer lower vertical side that is vertically aligned with the outer upper vertical side, and the middle portion includes an outer middle vertical side. The outer middle vertical side is parallel to the outer upper vertical side and the outer lower vertical side and extends radially outward relative to the outer upper vertical side and the outer lower vertical side.

[0014] In this embodiment, the outer upper vertical side, the outer lower vertical side, and the outer middle vertical side are connected to each other via the upper horizontal side and the lower horizontal side, respectively.

[0015] In the embodiment, the upper ring portion includes an inner upper vertical side (28), the middle ring portion includes an inner middle vertical side, the inner middle vertical side is parallel to the inner upper vertical side and is placed radially outward relative to the inner upper vertical side, and the lower ring portion includes an inner lower vertical side, the inner lower vertical side is parallel to the inner upper vertical side and the inner middle vertical side and is placed radially inward relative to the upper vertical side.

[0016] In one embodiment, the inner upper vertical side and the inner middle vertical side are connected to each other via a first inclined side.

[0017] In one embodiment, the height of the first inclined side is equal to 3.75 mm.

[0018] In one embodiment, the inner lower vertical side and the inner middle vertical side are connected to each other via a second inclined side and a horizontal side.

[0019] In this embodiment, the height of the second inclined side is equal to 3.5 mm.

[0020] In this embodiment, the distance between the inner lower vertical side and the axis of the ring is in the range of 31 mm to 38 mm.

[0021] In this embodiment, the distance between the inner middle vertical side and the axis of the ring is in the range of 33 mm to 40.5 mm.

[0022] In one embodiment, the outer upper vertical side and the inner upper vertical side are connected to each other via a top horizontal side, and the outer lower vertical side and the inner lower vertical side are connected to each other via a bottom horizontal side.

[0023] In an embodiment, the upper ring portion has an angular extension range of 152.31° to 157.27°.

[0024] In one embodiment, the optical article includes a lens. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, provided only by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 A top perspective view of a ring according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A plan view of the ring;

[0028] Figure 3 It shows along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the ring with section plane III-III as indicated in the middle; and

[0029] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the ring from below. Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the following description, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some features may be shown in a generalized or schematic form for clarity and brevity or for informational purposes. The embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the invention. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that all technical features defined relative to the method can be transposed individually or in combination to the apparatus, and conversely, all technical features relative to the apparatus can be transposed individually or in combination to the method. To avoid unnecessary details for practicing the invention, certain information known to those skilled in the art may be omitted from this specification.

[0031] Figure 1 A top perspective view of ring 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Ring 2 is arranged to carry an optical article, such as a lens (not shown).

[0032] Ring 2 includes a lower ring portion 4, a middle ring portion 6, and an upper ring portion 8.

[0033] Advantageously, the upper ring portion 8 has an angular extension range of 152.31° to 157.27°.

[0034] Figure 2 A plan view of ring 2 is shown.

[0035] Figure 3 It shows along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of ring 2, with the cross-sectional plane indicated as III-III.

[0036] like Figure 3As shown, ring 2 has a generally C-shaped cross section (i.e., a cross section along a plane passing through the axis of ring 2), with an upper portion 12 corresponding to the upper ring portion 8, a middle portion 14 corresponding to the middle ring portion 6, and a lower portion 16 corresponding to the lower ring portion 4.

[0037] Parts 12, 14 and 16 are configured such that the C-shaped section of ring 2 has a radially outer profile and a radially inner profile as defined below.

[0038] The radial outer contour has an outer upper vertical side 18 (i.e., the side extending parallel to the axis of ring 2), an outer lower vertical side 20 vertically aligned with the outer upper vertical side 18 (i.e., located on the same vertical line as the outer upper vertical side 18), and an outer middle vertical side 22 parallel to the outer upper vertical side 18 and the outer lower vertical side 20 and extending radially outward relative to the outer upper vertical side 18 and the outer lower vertical side 20 (i.e., at a greater distance from the axis of ring 2 than the outer upper vertical side 18 and the outer lower vertical side 20).

[0039] The outer upper vertical side 18 and the outer lower vertical side 20 are connected to the outer middle vertical side 22 via the upper horizontal side 24 (the side extending perpendicular to the outer vertical sides 18, 20 and 22) and the lower horizontal side 26, respectively.

[0040] The outer upper vertical side 18 is placed corresponding to the upper ring portion 8, the outer middle vertical side 22 is placed corresponding to the middle ring portion 6, and the outer lower vertical side 20 is placed corresponding to the lower ring portion 4.

[0041] The radial inner contour has an inner upper vertical side 28 and an inner middle vertical side 30 that are parallel to each other. The inner middle vertical side 30 is positioned radially outward relative to the inner upper vertical side 28. The inner upper vertical side 28 and the inner middle vertical side 30 are connected to each other by a first inclined side 32.

[0042] The height x1 of the first inclined side 32 (i.e., the distance between the upper and lower ends of the first inclined side 32) is preferably equal to 3.75 mm.

[0043] The radial inner profile further includes an inner lower vertical side 34 parallel to the inner upper vertical side 28 and the inner middle vertical side 30. The inner lower vertical side 34 is positioned radially inward relative to the inner upper vertical side 28. The inner lower vertical side 34 and the inner middle vertical side 30 are connected to each other by a second inclined side 36 and a horizontal side 38.

[0044] The height x2 of the second inclined side 36 (i.e., the distance between the upper and lower ends of the second inclined side 36) is preferably equal to 3.5 mm.

[0045] The upper vertical side 28 and the first inclined side 32 are placed corresponding to the upper ring portion 8, the middle vertical side 22 is placed corresponding to the middle ring portion 6, and the lower vertical side 34 and the second inclined side 36 are placed corresponding to the lower ring portion 4.

[0046] The distance between the inner lower vertical side 34 and the axis of the ring 2 is preferably in the range of 31 mm to 38 mm, so the inner diameter of the lower ring portion 4 is in the range of 62 mm to 76 mm.

[0047] The distance between the inner middle vertical side 30 and the axis of the ring 2 is preferably in the range of 33 mm to 40.5 mm, so the inner diameter of the middle ring portion 6 is in the range of 66 mm to 81 mm.

[0048] The radial outer contour and the radial inner contour are connected to each other via the top horizontal side 40 and the bottom horizontal side 42, respectively.

[0049] The ring 2 is arranged to hold the lens between the first inclined side 32 and the second inclined side 36, and is connected to the coating machine via a protrusion 44 formed by the intermediate ring portion 6, which protrudes radially outward relative to the lower ring portion 4 and the upper ring portion 8 and is defined by the upper horizontal side 24 of the radial outer contour, the outer intermediate vertical side 22 and the outer lower horizontal side 26.

[0050] Ring 2 can rotate about the rotation axis Y of the central vertical side 22 that is perpendicular to the radial outer contour, so that the lens can be flipped to coat both sides without removing the lens from ring 2.

[0051] Ring 2 allows for a reduction in the overall rotation time of placing the lens into the coating machine, as rotating Ring 2 itself is sufficient, eliminating the need to rotate the lens into Ring 2, where the lens is mounted in the ring and held by the first inclined side 32 and the second inclined side 36. This allows the operator to process more lenses per working hour, thus improving the productivity, quality, efficiency, and sustainability of the coating process.

[0052] Figure 4 This is a bottom-view perspective view of ring 2, showing in detail the bottom view of the lower ring part 4.

[0053] Obviously, the principles of the present invention remain the same, and the embodiments and details of production may vary significantly from those described and shown by way of non-limiting example only, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A ring (2) for coating optical articles, the ring (2) comprising a lower ring portion (4), an upper ring portion (8) and a middle portion (6), the upper ring portion having an angular extension range of less than 180° and being vertically aligned with the lower ring portion (4), the middle portion being placed between the lower ring portion (4) and the upper ring portion (8); in, The lower ring portion (4) and the upper ring portion (8) have corresponding inwardly inclined sides (32, 36) arranged to hold the optical article, and The intermediate ring portion (6) forms a protrusion (44) that protrudes radially outward relative to the lower ring portion (4) and the upper ring portion (8), so that the ring (2) can be connected to the coating machine via the protrusion (44).

2. The ring (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The upper ring portion (8) includes an outer upper vertical side (18); The lower ring portion (4) includes an outer lower vertical side (20) that is vertically aligned with the outer upper vertical side (18); and The middle portion (6) includes an outer middle vertical side (22) which is parallel to the outer upper vertical side (18) and the outer lower vertical side (20) and extends radially outward relative to the outer upper vertical side (18) and the outer lower vertical side (20).

3. The ring (2) as described in claim 2, wherein, The outer upper vertical side (18), the outer lower vertical side (20), and the outer middle vertical side (22) are connected to each other through the upper horizontal side (24) and the lower horizontal side (26), respectively.

4. The ring (2) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The upper ring portion (8) includes an inner upper vertical side (28); The intermediate ring portion (6) includes an inner intermediate vertical side (30), which is parallel to the inner upper vertical side (28) and is radially outward relative to the inner upper vertical side (28); and The lower ring portion (4) includes an inner lower vertical side (34), which is parallel to the inner upper vertical side (28) and the inner middle vertical side (30) and is placed radially inward relative to the upper vertical side (28).

5. The ring (2) as claimed in claim 4, wherein, The upper inner vertical side (28) and the middle inner vertical side (30) are connected to each other via a first inclined side (32).

6. The ring (2) as claimed in claim 5, wherein, The height (x1) of the first inclined side (32) is equal to 3.75 mm.

7. The ring (2) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The inner lower vertical side (34) and the inner middle vertical side (30) are connected to each other by a second inclined side (36) and a horizontal side (38).

8. The ring (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The height (x2) of the second inclined side (36) is equal to 3.5 mm.

9. The ring (2) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein, The distance between the inner lower vertical side (34) and the axis of the ring (2) is in the range of 31 mm to 38 mm.

10. The ring (2) as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The distance between the inner middle vertical side (30) and the axis of the ring (2) is in the range of 33 mm to 40.5 mm.

11. The ring (2) as claimed in any one of claims 2 and 4, wherein, The outer upper vertical side (18) and the inner upper vertical side (28) are connected to each other by a top horizontal side (40), and the outer lower vertical side (20) and the inner lower vertical side (34) are connected to each other by a bottom horizontal side (42).

12. The ring (2) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The upper ring portion (8) has an angular extension range in the range of 152.31° to 157.27°.

13. The ring (2) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The optical products include lenses.

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