Coloring system

Abstract

To provide a coloring system that can suppress increase of burden on a worker and also can color different types of lenses excellently.SOLUTION: An ultraviolet radiation device 20 includes a light source 223 for emitting ultraviolet rays. A controller performs an information acquisition step, a determination step, and an ultraviolet irradiation step. The information acquisition step acquires information on a lens L of a conveyance unit U conveyed by a conveyance device 10. The determination step determines whether an ultraviolet ray need to be radiated according to each conveyance unit U on the basis of information of the lens. The ultraviolet radiation step radiates ultraviolet rays on the lens L of a conveyance unit L on which an ultraviolet ray needs to be radiated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dyeing system for dyeing resin lenses.

Background Art

[0002] Various techniques for dyeing resin lenses have been proposed. For example, in a dyeing method called the dipping method, the lens is dyed by immersing the lens in a dyeing solution. Also, a technique has been proposed in which a dye is transferred onto the surface of the lens and the lens with the attached dye is heated to dye the lens.

[0003] In order to improve the dyeing quality of the lens, a technique of irradiating the lens before dyeing with ultraviolet rays has also been disclosed. For example, in the dyeing method described in Patent Document 1, ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the lens surface to cut the bonds of the main chain and side chains of the polymer organic compound constituting the lens, thereby improving the uniformity of dyeing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Conventionally, the process of irradiating the lens with ultraviolet rays has been performed manually by an operator. Therefore, it has been difficult to reduce the burden on the operator when dyeing the lens. Also, when dyeing the lens, it is difficult to sufficiently improve the dyeing quality unless an appropriate process is performed for each of a plurality of lenses of different types. That is, a technique that can dye each of a plurality of lenses of different types with high quality while suppressing an increase in the burden on the operator is desired.

[0006] A typical objective of this disclosure is to provide a dyeing system that can dye each of several lenses of different types with high quality while minimizing an increase in the burden on the operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A typical embodiment of the present disclosure provides a dyeing system for dyeing resin lenses, comprising: a transport device for transporting transport units including lenses; an ultraviolet irradiation device having a light source that emits ultraviolet light and irradiating the lenses to be dyed with ultraviolet light; and a controller, wherein the controller performs an information acquisition step of acquiring information about the lenses of the transport units transported by the transport device; a determination step of determining whether or not it is necessary to irradiate each transport unit with ultraviolet light based on the lens information acquired in the information acquisition step; and an ultraviolet irradiation step of performing an ultraviolet irradiation process by the ultraviolet irradiation device on the lenses of the transport units that are determined to require ultraviolet irradiation in the determination step.

[0008] The dyeing system described herein allows for high-quality dyeing of multiple lenses of different types while minimizing the burden on the worker. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the system configuration of staining system 1. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a staining tray 80, with two lenses L installed but no dye-coated substrate, seen from the upper right. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20, taken from the front right. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the lifting mechanism 210, taken from the front right. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the illumination unit 220, with the top, front, right, and left sides of the light source housing unit 222 removed, as seen from the front right. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the top, front, right, and left sides of the light source housing 222, and the illumination unit 220 with the light source 223 removed, viewed from the front right. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 3, showing the transport unit U in the handover position and the shutter 227B in the closed position. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 3, showing the transport unit U in the ultraviolet irradiation position PB and the shutter 227B in the retracted position. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart of the irradiation control process performed by the ultraviolet irradiation device 20. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <Overview> The dyeing system illustrated in this disclosure dyes resin lenses. The dyeing system comprises a transport device, an ultraviolet irradiation device, and a controller. The transport device transports transport units containing lenses. The ultraviolet irradiation device is equipped with a light source that emits ultraviolet light and irradiates the lenses to be dyed with ultraviolet light. The controller performs an information acquisition step, a determination step, and an ultraviolet irradiation step. In the information acquisition step, information about the lenses of the transport units transported by the transport device is acquired. In the determination step, based on the lens information acquired in the information acquisition step, it is determined for each transport unit whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is necessary. In the ultraviolet irradiation step, the ultraviolet irradiation process using the ultraviolet irradiation device is performed on the lenses of transport units that were determined to require ultraviolet irradiation in the determination step. The controller does not perform the ultraviolet irradiation process on the lenses of transport units that were determined not to require ultraviolet irradiation in the determination step.

[0011] Among resin lenses, some improve dye quality when exposed to ultraviolet light before dyeing, while others actually degrade dye quality when exposed to ultraviolet light before dyeing. According to the dyeing system of this disclosure, ultraviolet light is automatically irradiated to the lenses of transport units that are determined to require irradiation, out of a group of transport units containing lenses. Therefore, each of multiple lenses of different types is dyed to a high quality, while the increase in workload is appropriately suppressed.

[0012] Furthermore, the information about the lens of the transport unit acquired in the information acquisition step may include information about the lens's substrate. In the determination step, it may be determined whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is necessary (whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is required) depending on the substrate of the lens included in the transport unit. In this case, the necessity of ultraviolet irradiation is appropriately determined according to the lens's substrate. More specifically, the information about the lens of the transport unit acquired in the information acquisition step may include information about the refractive index of the lens's substrate. For resin lenses, whether or not it is appropriate to irradiate them with ultraviolet light before dyeing often differs depending on the refractive index of the lens. Therefore, by using information about the refractive index of the lens, the necessity of ultraviolet irradiation can be determined more appropriately. In addition, whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is necessary may be pre-set for each transport unit depending on the type of lens. In this case, the information about the lens of the transport unit acquired in the information acquisition step may be information indicating whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is necessary.

[0013] The staining system may include a reader that reads information about the transport unit. The controller may acquire information about the lens read by the reader in the information acquisition step. In this case, information about the lens of the transport unit is appropriately acquired for each transport unit.

[0014] The reading unit may include an identifier reading unit that reads an identifier provided for each transport unit. The controller may obtain information corresponding to the identifier read by the identifier reading unit from a database that stores information about the lens (e.g., information about the lens substrate) for each transport unit. In this case, even if the order of multiple transport units changes, for example, the controller can appropriately grasp the information about the lens of each transport unit. The identifier may be provided, for example, on the staining tray on which the lens is placed, or on the substrate used in the transfer process (details will be described later).

[0015] The wavelength of ultraviolet light emitted by the light source of the ultraviolet irradiation device (generally 400 nm or less) may be 300 nm or less. In this case, even lenses and other materials with high refractive index substrates can be dyed with higher quality. In this disclosure, a light source emitting ultraviolet light with a peak wavelength of 254 nm is used.

[0016] In the ultraviolet irradiation step, the controller may change the ultraviolet irradiation conditions for the lens based on the lens information acquired in the information acquisition step (hereinafter referred to as "lens information") when performing the ultraviolet irradiation process. For resin lenses, in addition to whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is suitable, the appropriate irradiation conditions when irradiating with ultraviolet light also differ depending on the lens. Therefore, by changing the ultraviolet irradiation conditions based on the lens information, the dyeing quality of the lens is further improved.

[0017] The irradiation conditions of ultraviolet rays that are changed based on the lens information may be any conditions that can appropriately adjust the integrated light amount of the ultraviolet rays irradiated onto the lens. For example, the irradiation conditions may be the irradiation time of the ultraviolet rays on the lens. In this case, even if the output of the ultraviolet rays irradiated onto the lens is not changed, by appropriately changing the irradiation time, the ultraviolet rays are irradiated under conditions suitable for each lens (in other words, the integrated light amount of the ultraviolet rays irradiated onto the lens becomes an amount of light suitable for the lens). That is, since control for changing the output of the light source or the like according to the lens information is not required, the irradiation process is unlikely to become complicated. Also, since it becomes possible to use a light source with a constant ultraviolet emission output (for example, a germicidal lamp described later), the options for the light source also increase. However, the controller may change other irradiation conditions according to the lens information together with or separately from the irradiation time. For example, the controller may adjust the integrated light amount of the ultraviolet rays irradiated onto the lens by changing irradiation conditions such as the output of the ultraviolet rays irradiated onto the lens based on the lens information. Also, when the ultraviolet irradiation device includes a plurality of light sources, the controller may adjust the integrated light amount of the ultraviolet rays irradiated onto the lens by changing the number of light sources that irradiate the lens with ultraviolet rays as an irradiation condition. Also, when moving the lens within the irradiation area of the ultraviolet rays, the controller may adjust the integrated light amount of the ultraviolet rays by changing the moving speed of the lens within the irradiation area based on the lens information. Also, the controller may adjust the integrated light amount of the ultraviolet rays by changing the ratio of the irradiation time and non-irradiation time of the ultraviolet rays on the lens based on the lens information. Needless to say, a plurality of irradiation conditions may be changed based on the lens information.

[0018] The dyeing system may include a transfer device and a dye fixing device. The transfer device transfers the dye attached to the substrate to the lens in a state where the substrate with the dye attached is opposed to the lens of the conveyance unit. The dye fixing device fixes the dye attached to the surface of the lens to the lens by heating the lens onto which the dye has been transferred by the transfer device. In this case, the lens irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation device is appropriately dyed by the transfer device and the dye fixing device.

[0019] Each transport unit may be transported by a transport device in the order of an ultraviolet irradiation device, a transfer device, and a dye fixing device. In this case, after the ultraviolet irradiation process is appropriately performed on the lens that needs to be irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the dye transfer process and the fixing process to the lens are smoothly performed.

[0020] The dye fixing device may be a laser fixing device that fixes the dye adhered to the surface of the lens to which the dye has been transferred by the transfer device by irradiating and heating the surface of the lens with laser light. According to the laser fixing device, the dye can be fixed in a shorter time compared to the case where the dye is fixed to the lens by an oven or the like. On the other hand, when the dye is fixed to the lens by the laser fixing device, the number of types of lenses that are difficult to improve the dyeing quality without irradiating ultraviolet rays before dyeing increases compared to the case of using an oven or the like. In contrast, according to the dyeing system of the present disclosure, ultraviolet rays are automatically irradiated to the lens of the transport unit determined to require ultraviolet irradiation. Therefore, each of a plurality of lenses of different types is dyed in a short time and with high quality.

[0021] The dyeing system may further include a substrate placing device that places the substrate to which the dye is attached at a predetermined position of the transport unit including the lens. Each transport unit may be transported by a transport device in the order of an ultraviolet irradiation device, a substrate placing device, a transfer device, and a dye fixing device. In this case, at the stage where the lens is irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet irradiation device, the substrate is not placed on the transport unit. Therefore, the ultraviolet rays emitted from the ultraviolet irradiation device are appropriately irradiated to the lens without being blocked by the substrate. Simplification of the configuration of the ultraviolet irradiation device is also facilitated compared to the case of irradiating the lens with ultraviolet rays in the state where the substrate is placed.

[0022] The light source may be a germicidal lamp (i.e., a so-called fluorescent type germicidal lamp, where the tube wall is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, and electrodes coated with a sealed gas, mercury, and electron-emitting material are sealed inside)

[0023] The ultraviolet irradiation device may further include a shutter and a shutter drive unit. The shutter moves between the ultraviolet irradiation position where the transport unit is positioned when ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the lens and the light source, thereby blocking the ultraviolet light emitted from the light source toward the ultraviolet irradiation position. The shutter drive unit moves the shutter between a blocking position between the ultraviolet irradiation position and the light source, and a retracted position where the shutter is moved away from the blocking position. The controller may switch between irradiating and blocking ultraviolet light toward the ultraviolet irradiation position by controlling the drive of the shutter drive unit. In this case, the irradiation and blocking of ultraviolet light toward the ultraviolet irradiation position can be quickly switched by the shutter and shutter drive unit. For example, even without finely switching the light source on and off, the irradiation and blocking of ultraviolet light can be appropriately switched by using the shutter and shutter drive unit.

[0024] The light source may remain lit even between the ultraviolet irradiation processes for each of the multiple transport units. In this state, the irradiation and blocking of ultraviolet light may be switched by the shutter and shutter drive unit. Generally, the output of a light source often stabilizes after a certain period of time has elapsed since it was turned on. Also, many light sources have a shorter lifespan the more times they are turned on and off. Therefore, by keeping the light source lit even between irradiation processes and switching between ultraviolet irradiation and blocking with the shutter, it becomes easier to irradiate the lens with ultraviolet light at a more stable output, and the lifespan of the light source is also likely to be extended.

[0025] Furthermore, the aforementioned fluorescent-type germicidal lamps stabilize in output after a certain period of time has passed since being switched on, and their lifespan is shortened the more they are switched on and off. In addition, the power required to switch on a fluorescent-type germicidal lamp is greater than the power required to keep it lit while it is in operation. Therefore, especially when using a fluorescent-type germicidal lamp as a light source, it is effective to keep the light source lit even between irradiation steps.

[0026] However, if a light source is used that can be easily switched on and off with a stable output, the light source may be turned off after each ultraviolet irradiation process is completed.

[0027] The ultraviolet irradiation device may further include a light source housing. The light source housing is made of a material that blocks ultraviolet rays and houses a light source inside. A portion of the lower part of the light source housing may have an ultraviolet pass-through section that allows ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source to pass through to the bottom of the light source housing. The transport unit may be positioned at a predetermined ultraviolet irradiation position in contact with the bottom surface of the light source housing so that ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source pass through the ultraviolet pass-through section and irradiate the lens of the transport unit, and leakage of ultraviolet rays to the outside may be blocked by the light source housing and the transport unit at the ultraviolet irradiation position.

[0028] In this case, by positioning the transport unit at the UV irradiation location, UV light is properly irradiated onto the lens through the UV passage, while also preventing UV light leakage to the outside. Therefore, the UV irradiation process is carried out appropriately while ensuring safety.

[0029] The ultraviolet irradiation device may further include a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism moves the transport unit between the transport path of the transport device and the ultraviolet irradiation position above the transport path by raising and lowering the transport unit. While the lifting device positions the transport unit at the ultraviolet irradiation position, other transport units may pass through the transport path below the transport unit at the ultraviolet irradiation position via the transport device. In this case, the lifting device can appropriately position the transport unit at the ultraviolet irradiation position by raising the transport unit that has been determined to require ultraviolet irradiation. Furthermore, since other transport units can pass below the transport unit at the ultraviolet irradiation position while the transport unit is positioned there, there is no need to keep other transport units waiting on the transport path until the ultraviolet irradiation process is completed. Therefore, the dyeing process can proceed efficiently with a simple configuration.

[0030] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, one typical embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The dyeing system 1 automatically and continuously dyes resin bodies. In this embodiment, the resin body to be dyed is a resin (plastic) lens L used in eyeglasses (see Figure 2, etc.). However, at least a part of the technology exemplified in this disclosure can also be applied when dyeing resin bodies other than lenses L. For example, at least a part of the technology exemplified in this disclosure can be applied when dyeing various resin bodies such as goggles, mobile phone covers, light covers, accessories, toys, films (e.g., with a thickness of 400 μm or less), and sheet materials (e.g., with a thickness of 400 μm or more). The resin bodies to be dyed also include resin bodies attached to materials other than resin bodies (e.g., wood or glass, etc.). Furthermore, the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment dyes multiple resin bodies while continuously transporting them. However, at least a part of the technology exemplified in this disclosure can also be adopted in a dyeing system that transports and dyes resin bodies one set at a time.

[0031] (System Configuration) Referring to Figure 1, the system configuration of the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment will be described in general terms. The dyeing system 1 of this embodiment comprises a transport device 10, an ultraviolet irradiation device 20, a dye-coated substrate manufacturing device 30, a transfer device 40, a dye fixing device 50, and a control device 70.

[0032] The transport device 10 transports the dyeing tray 80 (see Figure 2), on which the resin lens L is placed, to each device in the dyeing system 1. The dyeing tray 80 on which the lens L is placed becomes a transport unit U that is transported by the transport device 10. In detail, the transport device 10 of this embodiment transports a plurality of transport units U continuously within the dyeing system 1. The transport device 10 of this embodiment transports the transport units U in the order of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20, the dye substrate manufacturing device 30, the transfer device 40, and the dye fixing device 50 (that is, from left to right in Figure 1).

[0033] The ultraviolet irradiation device 20 automatically irradiates ultraviolet light onto the lens L to be dyed (in this embodiment, the lens L included in the transport unit U). Among the resin lenses L, there are some for which the dyeing quality is improved by irradiation with ultraviolet light before dyeing, and others for which the dyeing quality is actually reduced by irradiation with ultraviolet light before dyeing. The ultraviolet irradiation device 20 in this embodiment selectively irradiates ultraviolet light onto the lens L in the transport unit U that is determined to require irradiation with ultraviolet light. As a result, each of the multiple lenses L of different types is dyed with high quality, and the increase in workload is also suppressed. Details of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 will be described later.

[0034] The dye-coated substrate manufacturing apparatus 30 manufactures a dye-coated substrate (not shown) used in a dyeing process for dyeing a resin body (lens L). The dye-coated substrate comprises a sheet-like substrate and a dye attached to one side of the substrate. In this embodiment, the substrate has a metal layer (a layer of aluminum foil in this embodiment) and is flexible. More specifically, the substrate is formed by laminating a dye-retaining layer (a layer of hydrophilic polymer film in this embodiment) on the metal layer to enhance the retention of the printed dye. Therefore, the dye printed on the substrate is easily retained. However, other materials such as paper, glass plate, heat-resistant resin, and ceramic can also be used for the substrate material.

[0035] The dye-coated substrate manufacturing apparatus 30 of this embodiment comprises a printing apparatus 31 and a substrate placement apparatus 32. The printing apparatus 31 manufactures a dye-coated substrate by printing ink containing dye onto the substrate. In the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment, in order to properly transfer the dye to the lens L while preventing dye aggregation, etc., the dye on the substrate is heated in a vacuum (including near-vacuum) environment with the substrate and lens L separated and facing each other, thereby transferring (depositing) the dye onto the surface of the lens L (the dyeing method in this embodiment is called a vapor-phase transfer dyeing method). Therefore, the printing apparatus 31 uses an inkjet printer that prints ink containing sublimable dye onto the substrate. The printing apparatus 31 can also print ordinary ink that does not contain sublimable dye onto the substrate. The printing apparatus 31 performs printing based on print data created by the control device 70, which is an information processing device (in this embodiment, a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC")). As a result, the appropriate amount of ink (dye) is attached to the appropriate position on the substrate. It is also easy to create dye-coated substrates for gradient dyeing.

[0036] It is also possible to change the configuration of the printing device 31. For example, the printing device may be a laser printer. In this case, the toner may contain a sublimation dye. Alternatively, instead of the printing device 31, the dye may be applied to the substrate by a dispenser (liquid quantitative application device), rollers, etc.

[0037] The substrate placement device 32 places the dye-coated substrate at a predetermined position on the dyeing tray 80 (see Figure 2) with the dye printed on the substrate by the printing device 31 facing (non-contact in this embodiment) the lens L placed on the dyeing tray 80. Therefore, the dye-coated substrate is automatically placed at the appropriate position on the dyeing tray 80 without the operator having to manually place it on the tray 80.

[0038] The transfer apparatus 40 transfers the dye attached to the substrate from the substrate to the lens L while the substrate is facing the lens L. As described above, in this embodiment, the dye is transferred from the substrate to the lens L by a vapor phase transfer method. However, it is possible to change the method of transferring the dye to the lens L. For example, the dye may be transferred from the substrate to the lens L while the dye on the substrate and the lens L are in contact.

[0039] The dye fixing device 50 fixes the dye attached to the surface of the lens L to the resin body by heating the lens L to which the dye has been transferred by the transfer device 40. In this embodiment, the dye fixing device 50 heats the lens L by irradiating it with laser light, which is an electromagnetic wave. In detail, the dye fixing device 50 in this embodiment is a laser fixing device equipped with a laser light source and a scanner. The laser light source emits laser light. The scanner scans the laser light emitted from the laser light source. The surface of the lens L is heated as the laser light is scanned two-dimensionally on the surface of the lens L by the scanner. The laser fixing device can fix the dye to the lens L in a shorter time than an oven or the like. However, a device that irradiates the lens L with electromagnetic waves other than laser light (for example, an oven) may be used as the dye fixing device.

[0040] The control device 70 is responsible for various controls in the dyeing system 1. Various information processing devices (for example, at least one of a PC, server, and mobile terminal) can be used as the control device 70. The control device 70 includes a controller (for example, a CPU) 71 that is responsible for control and a database 72 that stores various data. It is also possible to change the configuration of the control device 70. First, multiple devices may cooperate to function as the control device 70. For example, the control device that is responsible for various controls in the dyeing system 1 and the control device that has the database 72 may be different devices. Alternatively, the controllers of multiple devices may cooperate to execute various controls in the dyeing system 1. For example, at least one of the transport device 10, ultraviolet irradiation device 20, dye substrate manufacturing device 30, transfer device 40, and dye fixing device 50 often has a controller. In this case, the controller of the control device 70 and the controllers of the other devices may cooperate to control the dyeing system 1. In this embodiment, the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 functions as the controller that is responsible for the control of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20.

[0041] Each transport unit U is transported by the transport device 10 in the following order: ultraviolet irradiation device 20, dye-coated substrate manufacturing device 30, transfer device 40, and dye fixing device 50. Therefore, after the ultraviolet irradiation process is properly performed on the lens L which requires ultraviolet irradiation, the dye transfer and fixing processes are carried out on the lens L. Furthermore, at the stage when ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the lens L by the ultraviolet irradiation device 20, there is no dye-coated substrate placed on the transport unit U. Therefore, the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 is properly irradiated onto the lens L without being blocked by the substrate.

[0042] The staining system 1 includes a reading unit 2 that reads information about the lens L to be stained for each unit being transported (including a staining tray 80 and a lens L placed on the staining tray 80). As an example, the reading unit 2 in this embodiment is an identifier reading unit that reads an identifier provided for each unit being transported (for example, each staining tray 80). The transport unit is identified by the identifier read by the reading unit 2. Once the transport unit is identified, information about the lens L contained in the transport unit (for example, information about the refractive index of the lens L's substrate) is obtained.

[0043] In this embodiment, the reading unit 2 is an identifier reader corresponding to the identifier being used (for example, a QR code (registered trademark) reader, a barcode reader, an identification hole reader, etc.). Alternatively, the reading unit 2 may be a tag reader that reads information from a tag on which information can be written (for example, an IC tag, etc.). In this case, the tag may store information related to the lens L. In this embodiment, the reading unit 2 is provided in at least the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 among the multiple devices that constitute the staining system 1. However, reading units may also be provided in parts of the staining system 1 other than the ultraviolet irradiation device 20.

[0044] (Conveyor unit U, staining tray) Referring to Figure 2, the transport unit U and the staining tray 80 will be described. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the staining tray 80 (transport unit U) with two lenses L installed (placed) on it and the base not installed. The staining tray 80 of this embodiment comprises a tray body 81, a mounting frame 89, and a spacer 87. The resin body to be stained (lenses L in this embodiment) is placed on the mounting frame 89. The mounting frame 89 of this embodiment is formed in a ring shape with an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the lenses L. The spacer 87 extends upward in a cylindrical shape from the outer circumference of the part of the mounting frame 89 on which the lenses L are placed. The tray body 81 has a mounting portion 82. The mounting frame 89 and the spacer 87 are detachably mounted on the mounting portion 82. In this embodiment, two mounting portions 82 are formed on one tray body 81. Therefore, a pair (left and right) of lenses L used in one pair of eyeglasses are stained while placed on a single staining tray 80.

[0045] On the tray body 81, a projection 84 is provided that protrudes upward at a position outside the mounting portion 82. In addition, a bottom fitting portion 86, which is a recessed part that is indented upward, is formed on the bottom of the tray body 81 (two locations on the bottom of each mounting portion 82 in this embodiment). Of the multiple projections 84 formed on the upper part of the tray body 81, the four projections 84 adjacent to the mounting portion 82 fit into the bottom fitting portions 86 of the stacked dyeing tray 80 when another dyeing tray 80 (tray body 81) is stacked on top of the dyeing tray 80. Thus, multiple dyeing trays 80 can be stacked vertically in a stable manner.

[0046] (Ultraviolet irradiation device) The ultraviolet irradiation device 20 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 8. In Figures 3 to 6, the lower left side of the paper is the front of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20, the upper right side of the paper is the rear of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20, the upper left side of the paper is the left side of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20, and the lower right side of the paper is the right side of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 comprises a base section 21 and a box section 25. The base section 21 serves as the base for supporting the entire ultraviolet irradiation device 20. A start switch 22, a monitor 23, and an emergency stop button 24 are provided on the front of the base section 21. The start switch 22 is operated to activate the ultraviolet irradiation device 20. The monitor 23 displays various images. The emergency stop button 24 is operated to input a command to forcibly stop the operation of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20.

[0048] The box section 25 is roughly box-shaped and fixed to the top of the base section 21. Inside the box section 25 are a part of the transport device 10, and a lifting mechanism 210 and irradiation unit 220 (details of which will be described later) that are assembled to the transport device 10. A wide area of ​​the box section 25 (front, rear, and top) is made of transparent material. Therefore, workers can check the process being carried out by the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 through the transparent material. In addition, the front of the box section 25 is rotatably connected at the upper end via a hinge. When maintenance of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 is performed, the front of the box section 25 is opened.

[0049] The conveying device 10 can continuously convey multiple conveying units U from the upstream side (left side of Figure 3) to the downstream side (right side of Figure 3) in the conveying direction. The conveying device 10 includes a pair of rails 101 extending in the conveying direction. Near the rails 101, a rotating belt 102 is provided, arranged along the rails 101. The rotating belt 102 is connected to a conveying motor (e.g., a stepper motor). When the conveying motor is driven, the rotating belt 102 rotates. As the rotating belt 102 rotates, the conveying units U move along the rails 101 in the conveying direction.

[0050] Sensors (photoelectric sensors in this embodiment) are provided at multiple locations on the rail 101 to detect the presence or absence of the transport unit U. The control device 70 can detect the position of the transport unit U being transported by the transport device 10 based on the detection results of each of the multiple sensors. In addition, the rail 101 is provided with the aforementioned reading unit 2 (see Figure 1).

[0051] The lifting mechanism 210 will now be described. The lifting mechanism 210 moves the transport unit U between the handover position on the transport path by the transport device 10 (the position of the transport unit U shown in Figure 7) and the ultraviolet irradiation position above the handover position (the upper position of the transport unit U in Figure 8) by raising and lowering the transport unit U. In this embodiment, two ultraviolet irradiation positions are provided. Therefore, two lifting mechanisms 210 are installed in the transport device 10 at positions corresponding to each of the two ultraviolet irradiation positions (below each of the two ultraviolet irradiation positions).

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, the lifting mechanism 210 comprises a base 211, a left arm 212, a right arm 213, and a vertical movement unit 114. The base 211 connects the left arm 212 and the right arm 213. In detail, the left arm 212 extends upward from the left end of the base 211 and bends to the right from its upper end. The right arm 213 extends upward from the right end of the base 211 and bends to the left from its upper end. The distance between the upper end of the left arm 212 and the upper end of the right arm 213 is set to be slightly shorter than the length of the dyeing tray 80 (see Figure 2) in the left-right direction. During lifting and lowering, the left and right ends of the dyeing tray 80 of the transport unit U are supported by the upper ends of the left arm 212 and the right arm 213.

[0053] The vertical movement unit 214 is fixed to the base unit 211. The vertical movement unit 214 is an actuator such as a motor, cylinder, or solenoid (in this embodiment, a cylinder). When the vertical movement unit 214 is driven, the base unit 211, the left arm unit 212, and the right arm unit 213 move up and down together. When the transport unit U (i.e., the staining tray 80 on which the lens L is placed) is transported to a handover position below the ultraviolet irradiation position, the left arm unit 212 and the right arm unit 213 move upward, lifting the transport unit U at the handover position and moving it to the ultraviolet irradiation position. After the ultraviolet irradiation process is completed, the left arm unit 112 and the right arm unit 113 are lowered, returning the transport unit U to the handover position on the transport path.

[0054] The irradiation unit 220 will now be described. As shown in Figure 3, the irradiation unit 220 is supported above the transport path of the transport device 10 by four support columns 221. The irradiation unit 220 includes a roughly box-shaped light source housing 222.

[0055] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the irradiation unit 220, seen from the front right, with the top, front, right, and left sides of the light source housing unit 222 removed. As shown in Figure 5, the light source housing unit 222 houses a light source 223 that emits ultraviolet light. In this embodiment, the wavelength of the ultraviolet light emitted by the light source 223 is 300 nm or less. In this case, even lenses made of high refractive index substrates can be dyed with higher quality. In this embodiment, a light source 223 that emits ultraviolet light with a peak wavelength of 254 nm is used. The light source housing unit 222 is made of a material that blocks ultraviolet light (for example, metal). As a result, ultraviolet light is prevented from leaking to the outside of the light source housing unit 222 from parts other than the ultraviolet passing parts 225A and 225B, which will be described later.

[0056] In this embodiment, two elongated light sources 223 are arranged to cross above the four ultraviolet-passing sections 225A and 225B along the transport path so that the amount of ultraviolet light passing through each of the four ultraviolet-passing sections 225A and 225B is uniform. Specifically, the light sources 223 in this embodiment are so-called fluorescent-type germicidal lamps. In a fluorescent-type germicidal lamp, electrodes coated with a sealed gas (e.g., argon gas), mercury, and electron-emitting material are sealed inside a tube whose tube wall is formed of a material that transmits ultraviolet light. By using a fluorescent-type germicidal lamp as the light source 223, the manufacturing cost, maintenance cost, etc. of the device can be easily reduced compared to when other light sources (e.g., mercury lamps) are used.

[0057] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the top, front, right, and left sides of the light source housing 222, and the irradiation unit 220 with the light source 223 removed, viewed from the front right. An ultraviolet light passing section 225 is formed at the bottom of the light source housing 222, which allows ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 223 to pass through to the bottom of the light source housing 222. Therefore, by positioning the transport unit U at the ultraviolet irradiation positions PA and PB on the bottom (back) side of the light source housing 222, ultraviolet light is appropriately irradiated onto the lens L through the ultraviolet light passing section 225. In this embodiment, the ultraviolet light passing section 225 is a hole that penetrates the bottom surface of the light source housing 222. However, it is possible to change the configuration of the ultraviolet light passing section 225. For example, the internal space of the light source housing 222 may be closed by placing an ultraviolet light-transmitting material in the ultraviolet light passing section.

[0058] In this embodiment, two ultraviolet irradiation positions PA and PB are provided on the bottom (back) side of the light source housing 222 along the transport path. Accordingly, two ultraviolet passing sections 225A are formed at the bottom of the light source housing 222, allowing ultraviolet light to pass through to each of the two lenses L of the transport unit U located at ultraviolet irradiation position PA, and two ultraviolet passing sections 225B are formed at the bottom of the light source housing 222, allowing ultraviolet light to pass through to each of the two lenses L of the transport unit U located at ultraviolet irradiation position PB.

[0059] The light source housing section 222 of the irradiation section 220 is provided with shutters 227A, 227B and shutter drive units 228A, 228B. The shutters 227A, 227B are plate-shaped members formed of a material that blocks ultraviolet rays (for example, metal). When ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the lens L, the shutters 227A, 227B are moved to blocking positions between the ultraviolet irradiation positions PA, PB where the transport unit U is positioned and the light source 223 (see Figure 5), thereby blocking the ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source 223 toward the lens L.

[0060] The shutter drive units 228A and 228B are fixed to the shutters 227A and 227B. The shutter drive units 228A and 228B move the shutters 227A and 227B between a blocking position that blocks ultraviolet light (the position of shutters 227A and 227B shown in Figures 5 and 7) and a retracted position that is moved away from the blocking position (the position of shutters 227A and 227B shown in Figures 6 and 8). The shutter drive units 228A and 228B are actuators such as motors, cylinders, or solenoids (in this embodiment, cylinders). The controller 71 controls the driving of the shutter drive units 228A and 228B to switch between irradiating and blocking ultraviolet light directed towards the ultraviolet irradiation positions PA and PB.

[0061] In this embodiment, a shutter 227A and shutter drive unit 228A that block ultraviolet light to the ultraviolet irradiation position PA on the upstream side of the transport path, and a shutter 227B and shutter drive unit 228B that block ultraviolet light to the ultraviolet irradiation position PB on the downstream side of the transport path are provided separately. In other words, shutters 227A, 227B and shutter drive units 228A, 228B are provided for each of the ultraviolet irradiation positions PA and PB. Therefore, the controller 71 can independently switch between irradiating and blocking ultraviolet light for each of the two ultraviolet irradiation positions PA and PB.

[0062] Furthermore, the shutter and shutter drive unit may be provided separately for each of the two lenses L of the transport unit U located at the ultraviolet irradiation positions PA and PB. In other words, the shutter and shutter drive unit may be provided for each of the multiple (four in this embodiment) ultraviolet passing sections 225A, 225B where the lenses L are located. In this case, it is also possible to irradiate only one of the two lenses L of the transport unit U with ultraviolet light.

[0063] The light source housing 222 is equipped with an intake fan 230 that draws external gas (air) into the interior and an exhaust fan 231 that expels internal gas to the outside. By driving the intake fan 230 and the exhaust fan 231, the gas inside the light source housing 222 is replaced. As a result, for example, excessive temperature rise inside the light source housing 222 is suppressed.

[0064] The process of irradiating the lens L with ultraviolet light by the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Both Figures 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views taken in the direction of the arrow AA in Figure 3. In the following description, the configuration near the ultraviolet irradiation position PB on the downstream side of the transport path will be used as an example, but the configuration near the ultraviolet irradiation position PA on the upstream side is similar. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view when the transport unit U is at the handover position on the transport path and the shutter 227B is in the blocking position. In the state shown in Figure 7, the shutter 227B is positioned at the blocking position between the light source 223 and the ultraviolet irradiation position PB. Therefore, ultraviolet light emitted downward from the light source 223 is blocked by the shutter 227B and does not pass through the ultraviolet passage section 225B.

[0065] The controller 71, which controls the ultraviolet irradiation device 20, determines for each transport unit U whether or not it is necessary to irradiate the lens L of the transport unit U (i.e., the lens L placed on the staining tray 80) with ultraviolet light (details of this will be described later). When a transport unit U that has been determined to require ultraviolet light irradiation reaches the handover position on the transport path of the transport device 10 shown in Figure 7, the arrival of the transport unit U is detected by a sensor provided on the transport device 10. Upon detection of the arrival of the transport unit U, the controller 71 controls the drive of the vertical movement part 214 of the lifting mechanism 210 to raise the transport unit U, thereby positioning the transport unit U at the ultraviolet irradiation position PB. Next, the controller 71 controls the drive of the shutter drive unit 228B to move the shutter 227B from the blocked position to the retracted position.

[0066] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the transport unit U in the ultraviolet irradiation position PB and the shutter 227B in the retracted position. As shown in Figure 8, when the transport unit U is placed in the ultraviolet irradiation position PB, the top of the transport unit U comes into contact with the bottom surface (back surface) of the light source housing 222. In this state, when the shutter 227B is moved to the retracted position, ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 223 passes downward through the ultraviolet passage section 225B and irradiates the lens L of the transport unit U in the ultraviolet irradiation position PB. Furthermore, the light source housing 222 and the transport unit U (specifically the dyeing tray 80) which is in contact with the bottom surface of the light source housing 222 in the ultraviolet irradiation position PB, effectively block the leakage of ultraviolet light to the outside.

[0067] Here, as shown in Figure 8, while the lifting mechanism 210 positions the transport unit U at the ultraviolet irradiation position PB, other transport units U' can pass through the transport path below the transport unit U at the ultraviolet irradiation position PB via the transport device 10. Therefore, even while the ultraviolet irradiation process is being carried out on the lens L at the ultraviolet irradiation position PB, there is no need to keep other transport units U' waiting on the transport path.

[0068] When the ultraviolet irradiation process for lens L at ultraviolet irradiation position PB is completed, the controller 71 controls the drive of the shutter drive unit 228B to move the shutter 227B from the retracted position to the blocked position, thereby switching the ultraviolet irradiation state to the blocked state. Next, the controller 71 controls the drive of the vertical movement unit 214 of the lifting mechanism 210 to lower the transport unit U, thereby positioning the transport unit U at the handover position on the transport path. The transport unit U positioned at the handover position is transported by the transport device 10 to the downstream side of the transport path (in this embodiment, the dye-coated substrate manufacturing apparatus 30). This completes the ultraviolet irradiation process for one transport unit U.

[0069] In this embodiment, the light source 223 is kept lit not only during the UV irradiation process but also in between UV irradiation processes for each of the multiple transport units U. In this state, the shutter 227B and shutter drive unit 228B switch between UV irradiation and blocking. Therefore, compared to, for example, repeatedly turning the light source 223 on and off at the start and completion of the UV irradiation process, it is easier to irradiate the lens L with UV light at a more stable output, and the lifespan of the light source 223 is also likely to be longer. In particular, the fluorescent type germicidal lamp used as the light source 223 in this embodiment stabilizes its output after a certain period of time has elapsed since being turned on, and its lifespan shortens the more it is turned on and off. Furthermore, the power required to turn on the fluorescent type germicidal lamp is greater than the power required to keep it lit while it is continuously lit. Therefore, especially when using a fluorescent type germicidal lamp as the light source 223, it is effective to keep the light source 223 lit even in between irradiation processes.

[0070] Referring to Figure 9, the irradiation control process performed by the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 (staining system 1) of this embodiment will be described. The controller of the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 (in this embodiment, the controller 71 of the control device 70) executes the irradiation control process shown in Figure 9 according to the irradiation control program stored in the storage device.

[0071] First, the controller 71 determines whether the transport unit U has reached the information reading position of the transport device 10 by the reading unit 2 (see Figure 1) (S1). If it has not reached the position (S1: NO), the process enters a standby state. When the transport unit U reaches the reading position (S1: YES), the controller 71 acquires the information about the lens L of the transport unit U that has been read by the reading unit 2 (S2).

[0072] The controller 71 determines, based on information about the lens L of the transport unit U, whether or not it is necessary to irradiate the lens L with ultraviolet light for each transport unit U that has reached the reading position (S4). In this embodiment, the information about the lens acquired in S2 includes information about the substrate of the lens L contained in the transport unit U. In S4, the necessity of ultraviolet irradiation is appropriately determined according to the substrate of the lens L. Specifically, the information about the lens L acquired in S2 includes information about the refractive index of the substrate of the lens L contained in the transport unit U. For resin lenses L, whether or not it is appropriate to irradiate with ultraviolet light before dyeing often differs depending on the refractive index of the lens L. For example, for lenses with refractive indices of 1.67, 1.70, 1.74, 1.76, etc. (so-called high refractive index lenses), the dyeing quality is improved by irradiating with ultraviolet light before dyeing. In S4, the necessity of ultraviolet irradiation is more appropriately determined by using information about the refractive index of the lens L. Note that the necessity of ultraviolet irradiation may be set in advance by the user for each substrate of the lens L.

[0073] If it is determined that ultraviolet irradiation is not necessary (S4:NO), the controller 71 does not perform the ultraviolet irradiation process on the transport unit U, and instead transports the transport unit U directly to the downstream side of the transport path (the dye-coated substrate manufacturing apparatus 30 in this embodiment) using the transport device 10. The process returns to S1. Therefore, ultraviolet irradiation will not be applied to the lens L, which does not need to be irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the dyeing quality will not be reduced.

[0074] If it is determined that ultraviolet irradiation is necessary (S4: YES), the controller 71 sets the ultraviolet irradiation conditions for the lens L based on the information about the lens L of the transport unit U (S5). For resin lenses L, in addition to whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is appropriate, the appropriate irradiation conditions when irradiating with ultraviolet light also differ depending on the lens L. Therefore, by setting the ultraviolet irradiation conditions based on the information about the lens L, the dyeing quality of the lens is further improved. In this embodiment, appropriate irradiation conditions are pre-associated with the type of lens L (specifically, the refractive index of the base material of the lens L). In S4, the irradiation conditions associated with the type of lens L are set. The irradiation conditions according to the type of lens L may be changed by the user.

[0075] In this embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation condition set based on the lens information is the irradiation time of ultraviolet light to the lens L. Therefore, even without changing the output of the ultraviolet light irradiated to the lens L, the irradiation time is appropriately changed (set), so that ultraviolet light is irradiated under conditions suitable for each lens L. In other words, control to change the output of the light source 223 etc. according to the lens information is unnecessary, so the irradiation process does not become complicated. Furthermore, as in this embodiment, it becomes possible to use a light source 223 with a constant ultraviolet emission output (for example, a fluorescent type germicidal lamp).

[0076] However, other irradiation conditions may be changed based on lens information, either along with or independently of the irradiation time. For example, the controller 71 may adjust the cumulative amount of ultraviolet light irradiated onto the lens L by changing irradiation conditions, such as the output of ultraviolet light irradiated onto the lens L, based on lens information. Also, if the ultraviolet irradiation device 20 is equipped with multiple light sources 223, the controller 71 may adjust the cumulative amount of ultraviolet light irradiated onto the lens L by changing the number of light sources 223 that irradiate the lens L with ultraviolet light as an irradiation condition. Furthermore, if the lens L is moved within the ultraviolet irradiation area, the controller 71 may adjust the cumulative amount of ultraviolet light by changing the movement speed of the lens L within the irradiation area based on lens information. Additionally, the controller 71 may adjust the cumulative amount of ultraviolet light by changing the ratio of ultraviolet irradiation time to non-irradiation time for the lens L based on lens information.

[0077] Next, the controller 71 performs the ultraviolet irradiation process on the lens L using the irradiation conditions set in S5 (S6). Since the ultraviolet irradiation process has already been explained, a detailed explanation is omitted here. Once the ultraviolet irradiation process is complete, the controller 71 transports the transport unit U to the downstream side of the transport path using the transport device 10, and the process returns to S1.

[0078] Note that the process in S2 of Figure 9 to acquire information about the lens L of the transport unit U is an example of an "information acquisition step". The process in S4 of Figure 9 to determine whether or not ultraviolet irradiation is necessary for each transport unit U is an example of a "determination step". The processes in S5 and S6 of Figure 9 to execute the ultraviolet irradiation process are an example of an "ultraviolet irradiation step". [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1. Staining System 10 Conveying device 20 Ultraviolet irradiation device 32 Substrate mounting device 40 Transfer device 50 Dye fixing device 70 Control device 71 Controllers 210 Lifting mechanism 220 Irradiation section 222 Light source storage section 223 Light source 225A,225B Ultraviolet passing section 227A, 227B shutter 228A, 228B Shutter drive unit L lens U-shaped transport unit PA,PB UV irradiation position

Claims

1. A dyeing system for dyeing a resin lens, comprising: A conveying device that conveys a conveying unit including a lens; an ultraviolet irradiation device having a light source that emits ultraviolet rays and irradiating the lens to be dyed with ultraviolet rays; A controller; Equipped with The controller: an information acquiring step of acquiring information about the lens of the transport unit transported by the transport device; a determination step of determining whether or not ultraviolet light needs to be irradiated for each of the transport units based on the information about the lens acquired in the information acquisition step; an ultraviolet irradiation step of executing an ultraviolet irradiation process by the ultraviolet irradiation device on the lens of the transport unit that is determined to need to be irradiated with ultraviolet rays in the determination step; A dyeing system comprising:

2. 2. The dyeing system according to claim 1, A dyeing system characterized in that, in the ultraviolet irradiation step, when executing the ultraviolet irradiation process, the controller changes the ultraviolet irradiation conditions for the lens based on the information about the lens acquired in the information acquisition step.

3. A dyeing system according to claim 1 or 2, a transfer device that transfers the dye adhered to the substrate to the lens in a state in which the substrate faces the lens of the conveying unit; a dye fixing device that heats the lens to which the dye has been transferred by the transfer device, thereby fixing the dye attached to the surface of the lens to the lens; A dyeing system comprising:

4. A dyeing system according to claim 3, A dyeing system, characterized in that each of the transport units is transported by the transport device in the order of the ultraviolet irradiating device, the transfer device, and the dye fixing device.

5. A dyeing system according to claim 3 or 4, a substrate mounting device that mounts the substrate having the dye attached thereto at a predetermined position of the conveying unit that includes a lens; A dyeing system, characterized in that each of the transport units is transported by the transport device in the order of the ultraviolet irradiating device, the substrate mounting device, the transfer device, and the dye fixing device.

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