Hydration device for batch crane of contact lenses

Abstract

The hydration device is characterized in that a gantry double-side crane is arranged above an outer side span frame in a crossing manner, a feeding box is arranged in a hydration box from top to bottom in a placement manner, the feeding box comprises an immersion material box and a supporting top plate, the supporting top plate is arranged on the top surface of the immersion material box, and the immersion material box is connected with the gantry double-side crane; the supporting top plates are arranged on the outer sides of the left end and the right end of the immersion material box in an outer edge protruding mode, the left end and the right end of each supporting top plate are arranged on the upper edges of the left side and the right side of the hydration box in a protruding supporting lap joint mode, and movable gantry bilateral cranes are arranged below the two sides of each supporting top plate. According to the device, a large batch can be effectively treated at a time in the long-time working procedure of hydration, a large-size and large-weight feeding box can be conveniently and directly carried from the two ends of the device, the original simple crane structure can be improved through the form of the two chain machines, the stability and compatibility of overall transportation are guaranteed, and the overall transportation efficiency is improved. Therefore, large-batch hydration operation can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This article belongs to the technical field of contact lens cleaning and hydration, specifically relating to a hydration device for mass production of contact lenses. Background Technology

[0002] Because contact lenses are used continuously or for extended periods of time, in addition to ensuring comfort and safety during wear, special attention must be paid to whether corneal hypoxia can lead to discomfort, corneal edema, blurred vision, and other problems for the wearer. Therefore, a type of soft hydrogel contact lens (soft contact lens) has emerged that is more comfortable to wear and has better oxygen permeability.

[0003] Soft contact lenses are manufactured by molding solutions of monomers such as HEMA through various processes. During molding, HEMA and other raw materials undergo a polymerization reaction to form P-HEMA, thus creating the contact lens. After polymerization, the lenses are typically hydrated by soaking in a solution with heating. This process allows the lens to fully absorb water, becoming a soft and flexible contact lens that fits the wearer's eye's parameters. It also helps to extract any unreacted HEMA residue from the polymerization process, minimizing or eliminating the potential harm of unpolymerized HEMA to the user.

[0004] In traditional soft contact lens production, lens hydration is done manually by placing the lenses into a hydration tank. During hydration, manual intervention is required to change the water and move the lenses. The hydration time also needs to be manually timed. This method is often inefficient, resulting in a small number of lenses being hydrated at a time, requiring many operators, leading to high production intensity, and is labor-intensive and time-consuming, which is not conducive to the large-scale production of soft contact lenses.

[0005] Therefore, an automated hydration method for contact lenses was developed, patent titled "An Automatic Hydration Method for Soft Contact Lenses," application number CN201310722133.5. This invention proposes an automatic hydration method for soft contact lens lenses, comprising the following steps: 1) placing the lens in a cage and positioning it at the automatic loading position; 2) injecting hydration solution into the hydration tank; 3) operating the automatic overhead crane device; 4) automatic hydration soaking, water replacement, and circulation; 5) automatic unloading. This invention requires only one person to operate throughout the entire process. During the hydration process, the operator can perform other tasks without needing to control the lens continuously.

[0006] However, existing equipment methods can only achieve small-batch hydration operations. The number of contact lenses that can be placed in each batch of hydration tank is not large, and the capacity of each hydration tank is also small. As a result, automated hydration devices that occupy a large area and require dedicated pipelines can only achieve small-batch production. However, the hydration operation itself requires a certain amount of soaking time. Therefore, large-volume, large-scale automated hydration devices that can produce a large number of lenses at once are the way to greatly improve production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes a hydration device for mass production of contact lenses. The hydration device comprises several hydration tanks arranged equidistantly side-by-side. Outer spans are mounted on the outer sides of each hydration tank, and a gantry crane spans across the top of these spans. Inside each hydration tank, a feed box is placed from top to bottom. The feed box includes an immersion tank and a supporting top plate. The front and rear surfaces of the immersion tank have hinged doors. Both the outer surface of the immersion tank and the surfaces of the hinged doors have several immersion holes. A supporting top plate is mounted on the top surface of the immersion tank, protruding from the outer edges of the left and right ends of the immersion tank. The left and right ends of the supporting top plate overlap the upper edges of the left and right sides of the hydration tank. A movable gantry crane is located below both sides of the supporting top plate. The gantry crane includes a movable truss, a translation wheel assembly, a vertical chain mechanism, a vertical guide rod, a lifting arm, and a fixed base. The transverse frame is located on both the front and rear sides of the outer frame. The two ends of the movable truss are connected to the front and rear sides of the top of the outer frame via translation wheel sets. Vertical chain machines are installed below both ends of the movable truss. Vertical guide rods are provided on the inner side of the vertical chain machines. Lifting arms are provided on the outer side of the vertical guide rods for vertical translation. The inner end of the lifting arm is linked to the internal chain of the vertical chain machine. The top surface of the outer end of the lifting arm is lifted and locked to the bottom surfaces of the two sides of the supporting top plate. By improving the original simple hanging hydration device into a large-scale, large-volume device, it can effectively process large batches of hydration, a long process, in one go. It also facilitates the direct transport of large-volume and heavy feed boxes from both ends of the device. The use of two sets of chain machines improves the original simple overhead crane structure, ensuring the stability and compatibility of the overall transportation, thereby enabling large-scale hydration operations.

[0008] The outer span frame is a horizontally rectangular frame structure. The top of the outer span frame is equipped with a reinforcing top frame. The top surfaces of the front and rear sides of the reinforcing top frame are equipped with guide rails. The guide rails are connected to the moving truss by a set of translation wheels. The left and right ends of the bottom inner side of the outer span frame are respectively equipped with a feeding seat and a discharging seat. The outer span frame with the reinforcing top frame provides the strength for setting up a gantry crane at the top. All the water-cooling devices are located inside the span frame, which not only facilitates the fully automated hoisting of the crane, but also ensures the safety and orderly arrangement of each component inside the device.

[0009] The feeding seat and the discharging seat are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the inner side of the outer frame. Both the feeding seat and the discharging seat are push-type placement seats. The upper surface of both the feeding seat and the discharging seat is equipped with push rollers. The front, rear and right sides of the feeding seat and the discharging seat are equipped with positioning baffles. Several hydration tanks are provided between the feeding seat and the discharging seat. The hydration tank adjacent to the discharging seat is a self-heating tank. The feeding seat and the discharging seat at both ends can facilitate the direct pushing of the material cart, which is convenient for loading and unloading. The positioning baffles and push rollers on the feeding seat and the discharging seat not only facilitate movement but also ensure accurate positioning and lifting.

[0010] The hydration tank is a rectangular box with an open top. Each hydration tank has a circulating fluid pipeline at its bottom and lifting feet on its bottom surface. Supporting edges are provided around the top opening of the hydration tank. The internal opening size of the hydration tank is larger than the outer contour size of the immersion tank. Several stiffening plates are provided at the bottom of the supporting edges, connecting to the outside of the hydration tank. The circulating fluid pipelines of each hydration tank are interconnected with a main pipeline located on the inner side of the bottom surface of the outer frame. By connecting all pipelines to the same hydration tank, the entire hydration device can be uniformly controlled, facilitating hydration operations. Furthermore, a self-heating tank is independently provided for heated hydration operations, improving the overall functionality of the hydration device.

[0011] The immersion tank is a rectangular plate box with doors on both the front and rear sides. The top of the immersion tank is fixedly connected to a supporting top plate, which is a high-strength rectangular composite profile combination plate. The length of the supporting top plate is greater than the length of the hydration tank. Positioning openings are provided on the bottom surfaces of both ends of the supporting top plate. The supporting top plate is positioned and lifted by the lifting arm through the positioning openings. With the large volume of the immersion tank, a large-scale hydration operation can be achieved in one go. In addition, a high-strength supporting top plate is set on the top to ensure that the immersion tank maintains strength and stability during hoisting.

[0012] The vertical chain conveyor is a built-in type. It has an outer casing, and fixed seats are located at both ends of the inner surface of the casing. Vertical guide rods, cylindrical in shape, are vertically positioned between these fixed seats. A lifting arm, which slides vertically along the outer side of the guide rod, is connected to the chain inside the vertical chain conveyor via a vertical slot on the inner surface of the casing. The lifting arm is rectangular in shape, with a through-hole at its center that slides vertically along the guide rod. The rear end of the lifting arm is connected to the chain via a connecting rod. A positioning post is located on the upper surface of the front end of the lifting arm, which is connected to the feed box for lifting and positioning. This chain conveyor system enables double-end lifting and can automatically adjust itself if the lifting center at both ends is not aligned, ensuring safe transport under heavy loads.

[0013] Beneficial effects:

[0014] By transforming the original simple hanging hydration device into a large-scale, large-volume device, it is possible to effectively process large quantities of this time-consuming hydration process in one go. It also facilitates the direct transport of large-volume, heavy-weight feed boxes from both ends of the device. Furthermore, the use of two sets of chain conveyors improves upon the original simple overhead crane structure, ensuring the stability and compatibility of the overall transportation, thereby enabling large-scale hydration operations.

[0015] The strength of the double-sided gantry crane at the top is achieved by using an outer span frame with a reinforced top frame, and all the water-cooling devices are located inside the span frame. This not only facilitates fully automated hoisting by the crane, but also ensures the safety and orderly arrangement of each component inside the device.

[0016] The feeding and discharging seats at both ends facilitate direct pushing of the material cart, making loading and unloading easy. Positioning baffles and pushing rollers are also installed on the feeding and discharging seats, ensuring not only convenient movement but also precise positioning and lifting. A hydration tank connecting all pipelines allows for unified control of the entire hydration system, simplifying the hydration operation. An independent self-heating tank further enhances the functionality of the hydration system by heating the hydration process.

[0017] The large-volume immersion tank enables large-scale hydration operations in a single operation, and a high-strength support plate is installed on top to ensure the strength and stability of the immersion tank during hoisting.

[0018] The chain hoist enables double-end driven lifting, and can automatically adjust itself if the lifting center at both ends is not accurate, ensuring safe transportation under heavy weight. The lifting arm with positioning columns ensures the stability of the center of gravity of the lifting arm and prevents deviation during lifting and movement. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a front view of a hydration device for mass production of contact lenses using a crane.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a side view of a hydration device for mass production of contact lenses;

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Outer span, 2. Gantry double-sided crane, 21. Moving truss, 22. Translation wheel set, 23. Vertical chain conveyor, 24. Vertical guide rod, 25. Lifting arm, 26. Fixed seat, 3. Feed seat, 4. Hydration tank, 5. Self-heating tank, 6. Discharge seat, 7. Circulating liquid pipeline, 8. Feed box, 81. Immersion tank, 82. Support top plate. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enhance understanding of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to explain the present utility model and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0023] Outer span frame 1, gantry double-sided crane 2, moving truss 21, translation wheel set 22, vertical chain machine 23, vertical guide rod 24, lifting arm 25, fixed seat 26, feeding seat 3, hydration tank 4, self-heating tank 5, discharge seat 6, circulating liquid pipeline 7, feed box 8, immersion tank 81, supporting top plate 82.

[0024] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown;

[0025] A hydration device for mass production of contact lenses is provided. The hydration device comprises several hydration tanks 4 arranged equidistantly side-by-side. An outer spanning frame 1 is provided on the outer spanning frame 1, and a gantry crane 2 is horizontally mounted above the outer spanning frame 1. Inside each hydration tank 4, a feeding box 8 is placed from top to bottom. The feeding box 8 includes an immersion tank 81 and a supporting top plate 82. The front and rear surfaces of the immersion tank 81 are provided with opening and closing doors. The outer surface of the immersion tank 81 and the surface of the opening and closing doors are provided with several immersion holes. The top surface of the immersion tank 81 is provided with the supporting top plate 82, which protrudes outwards from the left and right ends of the immersion tank 81. The left and right ends of the supporting top plate 82 are provided with overlapping support structures. On the upper edges of the left and right sides of the hydration tank 4, below the supporting top plate 82, are movable gantry cranes 2. The gantry cranes 2 include a movable truss 21, a translation wheel assembly 22, a vertical chain mechanism 23, a vertical guide rod 24, a lifting arm 25, and a fixed base 26. The movable truss 21 is horizontally positioned on the front and rear sides of the outer span 1. Both ends of the movable truss 21 are connected to the front and rear sides of the top of the outer span 1 via the translation wheel assembly 22. Vertical chain mechanisms 23 are vertically positioned below both ends of the movable truss 21. A vertical guide rod 24 is located inside the vertical chain mechanism 23. A lifting arm 25 is located outside the vertical guide rod 24, guiding vertical movement. The inner end of the lifting arm 25 is connected to... The internal chains of the vertical chain machine 23 are linked together. The top surface of the outer end of the lifting arm 25 is lifted and connected to the bottom surfaces of both sides of the supporting top plate 82. The outer span frame 1 is a horizontally rectangular frame structure. The top of the outer span frame 1 is equipped with a reinforcing top frame. The top surfaces of the front and rear sides of the reinforcing top frame are equipped with guide rails. The guide rails are connected to the moving truss 21 through the translation wheel set 22. The left and right ends of the inner bottom of the outer span frame 1 are respectively equipped with a feeding seat 3 and a discharging seat 6. The feeding seat 3 and the discharging seat 6 are symmetrically arranged at the inner ends of the outer span frame 1. Both the feeding seat 3 and the discharging seat 6 are push-type placement seats. The upper surface of the feeding seat 3 and the discharging seat 6 are equipped with push rollers. The front, rear and right sides of the feeding seat 3 and the discharging seat 6 are equipped with positioning stops. A plurality of hydration tanks 4 are provided between the plate, the feed seat 3, and the discharge seat 6. The hydration tanks 4 adjacent to the discharge seat 6 are self-heating tanks 5. The hydration tanks 4 are rectangular boxes with an open top surface. The bottom of each hydration tank 4 is provided with a circulating liquid pipeline 7. The bottom surface of each hydration tank 4 is provided with lifting feet. The top surface of the opening of each hydration tank 4 is provided with a supporting outer edge. The internal opening size of the hydration tank 4 is larger than the outer contour size of the immersion tank 81. The bottom of the supporting outer edge is provided with a plurality of stiffening plates connected to the outside of the hydration tank 4. The circulating liquid pipelines 7 of each of the plurality of hydration tanks 4 are all connected to a main pipeline. The main pipeline is located on the inner side of the bottom surface of the outer spanner 1. The immersion tank 81 is a rectangular plate box. The front and rear sides of the immersion tank 81 are provided with doors.The top surface of the immersion tank 81 is fixedly connected to the supporting top surface. The supporting top plate 82 is a high-strength rectangular composite profile combination plate. The length of the supporting top plate 82 is greater than the length of the hydration tank 4. Positioning openings are provided on the bottom surfaces of both ends of the supporting top plate 82. The supporting top plate 82 is positioned and lifted by the lifting arm 25 through the positioning openings. The vertical chain machine 23 is a built-in chain machine. The outer side of the vertical chain machine 23 is equipped with a shell. Fixed seats 26 are provided at both the upper and lower ends of the inner surface of the shell of the vertical chain machine 23. Vertical guide rods 24 are vertically arranged between the fixed seats 26. The vertical guide rod 24 is cylindrical in shape. A lifting arm 25 is provided on the outer side of the vertical guide rod 24, sliding vertically. The lifting arm 25 is connected to the chain inside the vertical chain machine 23 via a vertical slot on the inner surface of the machine's outer casing. The lifting arm 25 is rectangular in shape, with a through-hole at its center that slides vertically to the vertical guide rod 24. The rear end of the lifting arm 25 is connected to the chain of the vertical chain machine 23 via a connecting rod. A positioning post is provided on the upper surface of the front end of the lifting arm 25, and the front end of the lifting arm 25 is connected to the feed box 8 for lifting and positioning via the positioning post.

[0026] Implementation example;

[0027] In use, the assembled contact lens box 8 is pushed onto the feeding seat 3 from one side of the feeding seat 3 by a trolley. Then, the hydration device is activated, and the translation wheel group 22 moves the moving truss 21 above the outer span to the sides below the support top plate 82 of the feeding box 8. Then, the lifting arm 25 is lifted along the vertical guide rod by the vertical chain machine, and lifted in the form of two ends. Then, it is moved down and placed into the unused hydration box 4 for hydration as needed.

[0028] After hydration is completed, the gantry double-sided crane 2 repeats the above operation, placing the feed box 8 onto the discharge seat 6, and then moving it out by a trolley.

[0029] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A hydration device for mass production of contact lenses, comprising a plurality of hydration tanks arranged side-by-side at equal intervals, an outer spanning frame on the outside of the hydration tanks, and a gantry crane spanning across the top of the outer spanning frame, characterized in that... The hydration tank contains a feed box arranged from top to bottom. The feed box includes an immersion tank and a supporting top plate. The front and rear surfaces of the immersion tank have hinged doors. The outer surface of the immersion tank and the surfaces of the hinged doors have several immersion holes. The top surface of the immersion tank has a supporting top plate, which protrudes from the outer edges of the left and right ends of the immersion tank. The left and right ends of the supporting top plate overlap and support the upper edges of the left and right sides of the hydration tank. A movable gantry crane is located below both sides of the supporting top plate. The gantry crane includes a movable... The system includes a truss, a translation wheel assembly, a vertical chain machine, a vertical guide rod, a lifting arm, and a fixed base. The movable truss is horizontally positioned on both the front and rear sides of the outer span. Both ends of the movable truss are connected to the front and rear sides of the top of the outer span via the translation wheel assembly. Vertical chains are installed below both ends of the movable truss. A vertical guide rod is installed inside the vertical chain machine. A lifting arm is installed outside the vertical guide rod for vertical translation. The inner end of the lifting arm is linked to the internal chain of the vertical chain machine. The top surface of the outer end of the lifting arm is lifted and engaged with the bottom surfaces of both sides of the supporting top plate.

2. The hydration device for mass production of contact lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer span frame is a horizontally rectangular frame structure. The top of the outer span frame is equipped with a reinforcing top frame. The top surfaces of the front and rear sides of the reinforcing top frame are equipped with guide rails. The guide rails are connected to the moving truss by a set of translation wheels. The left and right ends of the bottom inner side of the outer span frame are respectively equipped with a feeding seat and a discharging seat.

3. The hydration device for mass production of contact lenses according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feed seat and discharge seat are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the inner side of the outer frame. Both the feed seat and discharge seat are push-type placement seats. The upper surface of both the feed seat and discharge seat is equipped with push rollers. The front, rear and right sides of the feed seat and discharge seat are equipped with positioning baffles. Several hydration tanks are provided between the feed seat and discharge seat. The hydration tank adjacent to the discharge seat is a self-heating tank.

4. The hydration device for mass production of contact lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydration tank is a rectangular box with an open top. The bottom of each hydration tank is equipped with a circulating liquid pipeline. The bottom surface of the hydration tank is equipped with lifting feet. The top surface of the hydration tank is equipped with a supporting outer edge around its opening. The internal opening size of the hydration tank is larger than the outer contour size of the immersion tank. The bottom of the supporting outer edge is equipped with several stiffening plates that are connected to the outside of the hydration tank. The circulating liquid pipelines of the various hydration tanks are all connected to a main pipeline. The main pipeline is located on the inner side of the bottom surface of the outer span.

5. The hydration device for mass production of contact lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The immersion tank is a rectangular plate box with doors on both the front and rear sides. The top surface of the immersion tank is fixedly connected to the supporting top surface. The supporting top plate is a high-strength rectangular composite profile combination plate. The length of the supporting top plate is greater than the length of the hydration tank. The bottom surfaces of both the left and right ends of the supporting top plate are provided with positioning openings. The supporting top plate is positioned and lifted by the lifting arm through the positioning openings.

6. The hydration device for mass production of contact lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical chain machine is a built-in chain machine. The outer side of the vertical chain machine is equipped with a shell. The upper and lower ends of the inner surface of the shell are equipped with fixed seats. A vertical guide rod is vertically arranged between the fixed seats. The vertical guide rod is cylindrical in shape. A lifting arm is arranged on the outer side of the vertical guide rod in a vertically sliding manner. The lifting arm is connected to the chain inside the vertical chain machine through a vertical slot on the inner surface of the shell.

7. The hydration device for mass production of contact lenses according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting arm is rectangular in shape. The center of the lifting arm is slidably connected to the vertical guide rod through a guide hole. The rear end of the lifting arm is connected to the chain of the vertical chain machine through a connecting rod. The upper surface of the front end of the lifting arm is provided with a positioning post, and the front end of the lifting arm is connected to the lifting and positioning of the feed box through the positioning post.

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