A wet contact lens testing device and production line

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of contact lens technology, specifically to a contact lens wet lens testing device and production line. The device includes a frame and a turntable rotatably mounted on the frame. The turntable has several circumferentially distributed trays storing wetting liquid, each tray including a testing area and a replacement area. The frame has at least partially extending above the turntable and circumferentially distributed according to the turntable's rotation direction, including a feeding station, a testing station, a qualified parts receiving station, a non-qualified parts receiving station, a drainage receiving station, and a water replenishment station. The frame also has a qualified parts replenishment station located next to the qualified parts receiving station. This utility model eliminates the need for re-feeding and re-inspection or manual inspection by setting up the qualified parts replenishment station, without affecting the equipment's UPH or increasing manual re-inspection, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of contact lens technology, and more specifically, to a contact lens wet lens testing device and production line. Background Technology

[0002] In the contact lens manufacturing industry, products produced in injection molding workshops often have various defects, such as micro-tears, dents, protrusions, broken edges, and dust introduced during the production process. Therefore, these defective contact lenses must be removed from the market to prevent them from causing harm to consumers.

[0003] Traditional automated optical inspection (AOI) equipment for contact lenses typically uses a rotary table design, with the process being: loading – inspection – unloading of qualified products – unloading of unqualified products – drainage – water replenishment – ​​loading. Products that fail the first inspection require manual re-inspection or a second loading for AOI testing, wasting significant manpower and equipment capacity. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a wet contact lens testing device and production line to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] This utility model discloses a wet contact lens testing device, which includes a rotating turntable mounted on a frame. The turntable has several circumferentially distributed trays storing wetting liquid. Each tray includes a testing area and a replacement area. The frame is equipped with a feeding station, a testing station, a qualified parts receiving station, a non-qualified parts receiving station, a drainage receiving station, and a water replenishment station, all extending at least partially above the turntable and arranged circumferentially in the direction of turntable rotation. A qualified parts replenishment position is also provided on the frame, located next to the qualified parts receiving station.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the testing station includes a first testing station and a second testing station arranged sequentially.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, a robotic arm is also provided on the frame; the robotic arm transfers the abnormal products detected by the detection area at the first detection station to the placement cavity of the replacement area, or the robotic arm removes the abnormal products detected by the detection area at the first detection station and puts them back into the original placement cavity of the detection area, and performs a second detection through the second detection station.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the tray is provided with a tray code.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the tray is provided with multiple placement cavities, and each placement cavity is provided with a placement cavity code.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, at least a portion of the plurality of placement cavities forms the detection area, and the remaining placement cavities form the replacement area. The placement cavities of the detection area and the replacement area are filled with an impregnation liquid, and the impregnation liquid includes pure water.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the number of placement cavities in the detection area and the replacement area are equal.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, both the first inspection station and the second inspection station are equipped with inspection cameras.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the turntable is connected to the drive power source.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention lie in its automation of the contact lens production process through the integration of a frame, turntable, material trays, loading station, testing station, and post-processing station, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality. The turntable's rotation allows multiple material trays to rotate around a central axis, enabling a continuous production process. Each material tray is divided into a testing area and a replacement area. This partitioned design allows products failing the initial testing in the testing area to be placed in the replacement area, facilitating secondary testing and preventing false positives. A qualified parts replenishment station is also provided to replenish qualified lenses without requiring re-feeding or manual inspection, thus not affecting the equipment's UPH or increasing manpower for re-inspection. Based on the testing results, contact lenses are sent to separate qualified and unqualified parts receiving stations. Qualified lenses are collected for shipment, while unqualified lenses are rejected. Furthermore, drainage and water replenishment stations ensure proper management and timely replenishment of the wetting fluid used during testing. The production of contact lenses requires strict quality control to ensure the safety and comfort of wearers. Traditional manual inspection methods are not only inefficient but also prone to human error. This invention aims to improve production efficiency and product quality.

[0015] On another front, the contact lens wet lens production line provided by this utility model includes the aforementioned contact lens wet lens testing device, which has the same beneficial effects as the contact lens wet lens testing device, and will not be described in detail here. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wet contact lens testing device provided in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the material tray provided in an embodiment of this utility model; In the diagram: 1. Material tray; 11. Inspection area; 12. Replacement area; 13. Placement cavity; 2. Turntable; 21. Loading station; 22. First inspection station; 23. Transfer station; 24. Second inspection station; 25. Qualified parts receiving station; 251. Qualified parts replenishment station; 26. Unqualified parts receiving station; 27. Drainage receiving station; 28. Water replenishment station; 3. Robotic arm. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this utility model, but are not intended to limit its scope.

[0018] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0019] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0020] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] Example 1, combined with Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a wet contact lens testing device, including a frame and a turntable 2 rotatably mounted on the frame. The turntable 2 has several circumferentially distributed trays 1 storing wetting liquid. The turntable 2 is connected to a drive power source, thereby achieving rotation and causing the trays 1 to rotate around the central axis of the turntable 2. The wetting liquid stored in the trays 1 is used to hold the product to be tested, i.e., a contact lens.

[0022] Specifically, the driving force is such as a DD motor, but this embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0023] Preferably, the frame is provided with a feeding station 21, an inspection station, a qualified parts receiving station 25, a defective parts receiving station 26, a drainage receiving station 27, and a water replenishment station 28, all extending at least partially above the turntable 2 and arranged circumferentially in the direction of rotation of the turntable 2. A qualified parts replenishment position 251 is also provided on the frame, located beside the qualified parts receiving station 25. The qualified parts replenishment position 251 is used to place qualified products. The inspection station includes a first inspection station 22 and a second inspection station 24 arranged sequentially.

[0024] Specifically, a shifting station 23 is set between the first inspection station 22 and the second inspection station 24.

[0025] It is understandable that the turntable 2 drives the material tray 1 to rotate, so that the material tray 1 moves sequentially between the workstations that are distributed in a circle above the turntable 2.

[0026] Furthermore, in the traditional automated optical inspection (AOI) process for contact lenses, products that fail the first inspection require manual re-inspection or a second re-feeding for AOI testing, wasting significant manpower and equipment capacity. This embodiment, through the setting of the qualified part replenishment position 251, eliminates the need for re-feeding for re-inspection or manual inspection, without affecting the equipment's UPH or increasing the need for manual re-inspection.

[0027] Preferably, the tray 1 includes a testing area 11 and a replacement area 12. The testing area 11 is used to place the products to be tested, and the replacement area 12 is used to place the unqualified products detected in the testing area 11 at the first testing station 22.

[0028] Preferably, a robot arm 3 is also provided on the frame. The robot arm 3 is used to transfer the products to be tested between the workstations above the material tray 1 and the turntable 2.

[0029] Specifically, after the first inspection station 22 completes one inspection of the products to be inspected in the inspection area 11, there are two inspection schemes when the second inspection station 24 performs a second inspection: Option 1: The robotic arm 3 transfers the abnormal products detected in the first inspection station 22 of the inspection area 11 to the placement cavity 13 of the replacement area 12. When the material tray 1 moves to the second inspection station 24, it is inspected again through the second inspection station 24.

[0030] Option 2: The robotic arm 3 removes the abnormal products detected in the first inspection station 22 of the inspection area 11 and puts them back into the original placement cavity 13 of the inspection area 11. When the material tray 1 moves to the second inspection station 24, it is inspected a second time through the second inspection station 24.

[0031] Specifically, the first inspection station 22 and the second inspection station 24 can use AI visual defect recognition technology for inspection, which is existing technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0032] Understandably, in traditional automated optical inspection (AOI) systems for contact lenses, the product is placed separately in a transparent container with an immersion liquid added before testing. Impurities in the immersion liquid can increase the false judgment rate of AOI, and the product's shape is not fixed in the immersion liquid, easily resulting in curling or sticking to the edge of the fixture, making it impossible for AOI to make a judgment. In this embodiment, Scheme 1 avoids the influence of impurities in the immersion liquid on the test results, and Scheme 2 avoids the influence of the product's shape on the test results.

[0033] Furthermore, in Scheme 1, the abnormal products detected by the first inspection station 22 are removed by the robotic arm 3 and placed back into the original placement cavity 13 of the inspection area 11. Then, they are subjected to a second inspection by the second inspection station 24. By comparing the photos taken during the first and second inspections, it is observed whether the location of the defective product changes between the two inspections. If it does not change, the product is indeed defective. If the location of the defect changes, it indicates that there are impurities in the wetting liquid in the placement cavity 13, which causes the product to fail the inspection, but the product itself is a qualified product. In Scheme 2, the abnormal products detected by the first inspection station 22 are removed by the robotic arm 3 and transferred to the placement cavity 13 of the replacement area 12. Then, they are subjected to a second inspection by the second inspection station 24. This changes the inspection environment of the product and avoids the influence of the product's shape on the inspection results.

[0034] Preferably, the material tray 1 is provided with a material tray code, and the material tray 1 is provided with a plurality of placement cavities 13, and the placement cavities 13 are provided with placement cavity codes.

[0035] Understandably, tray codes and placement cavity codes can be in the form of numbers, letters, or barcodes, facilitating rapid identification and management by automated testing equipment, thereby improving production efficiency and accuracy. Since products do not need to be removed from the equipment or replenished within it, a system coding method can be used to trace each product, and this traceability can extend to upstream and downstream processes, achieving full traceability for a single product throughout the entire manufacturing process.

[0036] Preferably, at least a portion of the placement cavities 13 forms a detection area 11, and the remaining placement cavities 13 form a replacement area 12. The placement cavities 13 of the detection area 11 and the replacement area 12 are filled with an impregnating liquid, which includes pure water.

[0037] Preferably, the number of placement cavities 13 in the detection area 11 and the replacement area 12 is equal.

[0038] Understandably, the replacement area 12 is used to place the non-conforming products detected in the first inspection station 22 of the inspection area 11, so that they can be replaced when needed, thus ensuring the continuity and efficiency of the inspection process.

[0039] Preferably, both the first inspection station 22 and the second inspection station 24 are equipped with inspection cameras.

[0040] Specifically, the inspection camera is one or more cameras capable of taking pictures from multiple angles, which reduces the impact of the shaking of the product to be inspected in the placement cavity 13 on the inspection results.

[0041] The detection method of the contact lens wet lens detection device in this embodiment includes the following steps: S1. At the loading station 21, pure water is added to the placement cavity 13 of the detection area 11 and the replacement area 12 of the material tray 1, and then the product to be tested is transferred to the placement cavity 13 of the detection area 11 by the robot arm 3. S2, the material tray 1 moves to the first inspection station 22 for an inspection; S3, the material tray 1 moves to the transfer station 23, and the transfer station 23 uses the robot arm 3 to transfer the unqualified products detected on the first inspection station 22 to the placement cavity 13 corresponding to the replacement area 12; S4. The material tray 1 moves to the second inspection station 24, and the second inspection station 24 performs a second inspection on the unqualified products in the replacement area 12 that were inspected in the first inspection. S5. The material tray 1 moves to the qualified product unloading position. If the product that failed the first inspection in the replacement area 12 still fails the second inspection, the product position remains unchanged. If the product that failed the first inspection in the replacement area 12 passes the second inspection, the qualified product in the replacement area 12 is transferred to the corresponding placement cavity 13 in the inspection area 11 by the robot arm 3, and the qualified part is unloaded by the robot arm 3 of the qualified part receiving station 25. S6. If a product that fails the first inspection in the replacement area 12 also fails the second inspection, the defective part shall be unloaded through the defective part receiving station 26. S7. The material tray 1 moves to the drainage receiving station 27. If all the products detected at the first inspection station 22 are qualified, the pure water in the placement cavity 13 on the material tray 1 does not need to be discharged at the drainage receiving station 27 and can continue to be used. Otherwise, the pure water in the placement cavity 13 needs to be discharged at the drainage receiving station 27. S8. When a product that fails the first inspection still fails the second inspection, the qualified product from the qualified part replenishment position 251 is filled into the placement cavity 13 corresponding to the inspection area 11. S9. The material tray 1 is coded, and the placement cavity 13 on the material tray 1 is coded. The product can be traced through the material tray code and the placement cavity code.

[0042] Example 2: The present invention provides a wet contact lens production line, which includes the above-mentioned wet contact lens testing device and has the same beneficial effects as the wet contact lens testing device, and will not be described again here.

[0043] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. 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 wet contact lens testing device, comprising a frame and a turntable (2) rotatably mounted on the frame, wherein the turntable (2) is provided with a plurality of circumferentially distributed trays (1) storing wetting liquid, characterized in that: The material tray (1) includes a detection area (11) and a replacement area (12). The frame is provided with a feeding station (21), a detection station, a qualified part receiving station (25), a non-qualified part receiving station (26), a drainage receiving station (27), and a water replenishment station (28) that extend at least partially above the turntable (2) and are distributed circumferentially in the direction of rotation of the turntable (2). The frame is also provided with a qualified part replenishment position (251) located next to the qualified part receiving station (25).

2. The contact lens wet sheet detection device of claim 1, wherein, The testing station includes a first testing station (22) and a second testing station (24) arranged sequentially.

3. A contact lens wafer inspection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, A robotic arm (3) is also provided on the frame; the robotic arm (3) transfers the abnormal products detected in the first inspection station (22) of the inspection area (11) to the placement cavity (13) of the replacement area (12), or the robotic arm (3) takes out the abnormal products detected in the first inspection station (22) of the inspection area (11) and puts them back into the original placement cavity (13) of the inspection area (11), and performs a second inspection through the second inspection station (24).

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to detect a wet contact lens. The tray (1) is equipped with a tray code.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to detect a wet contact lens. The tray (1) is provided with multiple placement cavities (13), and each placement cavity (13) is provided with a placement cavity code.

6. A contact lens wetting sheet detection device according to claim 5, wherein, At least a portion of the placement cavities (13) form the detection area (11), and the remaining placement cavities (13) form the replacement area (12). The placement cavities (13) of the detection area (11) and the replacement area (12) are filled with an impregnating liquid, and the impregnating liquid includes pure water.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to detect a wet contact lens. The number of placement cavities (13) in the detection area (11) and the replacement area (12) are equal.

8. The contact lens wetting sheet detection device of claim 2, wherein, Both the first inspection station (22) and the second inspection station (24) are equipped with inspection cameras.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein, The turntable (2) is connected to the drive power.

10. A contact lens wafer production line characterized by, The device includes a wet contact lens testing device as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images