Dyeing method, attachment for a dyeing tray used in the dyeing method, and dyeing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a staining method that suppresses center waves generated in the lens while enabling integrated management of the lens in a tray, as well as an attachment used in a staining tray and a staining system. [Solution] A dyeing method for eyeglass lenses, comprising: a transfer step in which the lens to be dyed is placed on a dyeing tray with the front surface of the lens facing downwards and the rear surface of the lens facing upwards, and the substrate on which the dye is printed is heated with the substrate facing the rear surface of the lens to transfer the dye to the lens; a tray inversion step in which, after the transfer step, the lens and the dyeing tray are rotated together as a unit with the lens placed on it, so that the front surface of the lens faces upwards and the rear surface of the lens faces downwards; and a dye fixing step in which the lens and the dyeing tray, with the inverted lens and dyeing tray are heated to fix the dye to the lens.

Description

Technical Field

[0002]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dyeing method for dyeing lenses for glasses, an attachment used in the dyeing method, and a dyeing system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a method for dyeing lenses for glasses (hereinafter referred to as lenses), using an inkjet printer, a dyeing ink containing a sublimable dye is applied (output) onto a substrate such as paper, and this is placed in a vacuum in a non-contact manner with the lens, and a method of dyeing by flying the sublimable dye to the lens side (hereinafter referred to as the gas-phase transfer dyeing method) has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [[ID=十三]]

[0003] Furthermore, in the gas-phase transfer dyeing method, a dyeing system for automatically dyeing lenses (resin bodies) has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this method, the front surface of the lens is placed on the dyeing tray in a state where it faces the placement position during conveyance, and based on the treatment information of the lens read by the reading unit on the dyeing tray, the lenses with respect to the tray are integrally managed while the dyeing work in each process is performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The dye fixing process described in Patent Document 2 above involves fixing the transferred dye by heating the lens with laser light. However, there is a desire to heat multiple lenses together in the dye fixing process. Therefore, when the dye trays (lenses) are heated together in a dye fixing device (e.g., an oven) with the front surfaces of the lenses facing the mounting position, it was found that depending on the shape of the lens, a center wave (a phenomenon in which a slight distortion occurs in the center of the front surface of the lens) may occur. It is thought that the center wave occurs because, when the front surface of the lens is facing the mounting position and is gradually heated in the dye fixing device, the center of the front surface of the lens becomes more susceptible to the effects of gravity, etc.

[0006] As a response to this, the inventor considered various methods for processing the lenses and found that the lenses should be inverted during the dye fixing process. However, according to the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, the lenses are managed integrally with respect to the tray while the dyeing process is carried out in each step. Therefore, if an operator changes the orientation of the lenses so that the front surface faces upward, or removes each lens from the dyeing tray, the integrated management of the lenses with respect to the tray is disrupted, which could affect subsequent processes.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned problems, this disclosure aims to provide a staining method that suppresses center waves generated in the lens while enabling integrated management of the lens in a tray, as well as an attachment used in a staining tray and a staining system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, this disclosure is characterized by having the following configuration.

[0009] A dyeing method according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a dyeing method for dyeing lenses for eyeglasses, comprising: a transfer step of placing the lens on a placement portion of a dyeing tray on which the lens to be dyed is placed, with the front surface of the lens facing downward and the rear surface of the lens facing upward, and heating the substrate with a dye printed on it with the substrate facing the rear surface of the lens to transfer the dye to the lens; a tray inversion step of rotating the lens and the dyeing tray together as a unit after the transfer step, with the lens placed on the tray, to reverse the vertical direction of the lens so that the front surface of the lens faces upward and the rear surface of the lens faces downward; and a dye fixing step of heating the lens and the dyeing tray, which have been reversed vertically by the tray inversion step, to fix the dye to the lens. An attachment for a staining tray according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is an attachment for a staining tray used in a staining method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a mounting portion for mounting the attachment to the staining tray; and a lens fixing portion for fixing the lens to the staining tray by the attachment and the mounting portion of the staining tray when mounted on the staining tray, characterized in that by mounting the attachment to the staining tray, the lens is fixed to the staining tray and the lens and the staining tray can rotate integrally. A dyeing system according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a dyeing system for dyeing lenses for eyeglasses, the dyeing system being a conveying device for conveying a dyeing tray on which the lenses to be dyed are placed to a plurality of devices for performing a dyeing process for dyeing the lenses, the conveying device being for conveying a plurality of the dyeing trays in succession, a printing device for printing dye onto a substrate, and the lens being placed on the placement portion of the dyeing tray on which the lenses to be dyed are placed such that the front surface of the lens faces downward and the rear surface of the lens faces upward, and the substrate on which the dye has been printed by the printing unit is facing the rear surface of the lens. The invention is characterized by comprising: a transfer device that heats the substrate in a certain state and transfers the dye to the lens; an attachment for a dyeing tray configured to reverse the vertical direction of the lens by rotating the lens and the dyeing tray together as a whole while the lens is placed on it, so that the front surface of the lens faces upward and the rear surface of the lens faces downward after the dye has been transferred to the lens by the transfer device; and a dye fixing device that fixes the dye to the lens by heating the lens and the dyeing tray, which have been reversed vertically by the attachment for the dyeing tray. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the system configuration of staining system 1. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the staining tray 80 with two lenses L installed (placed) and the substrate S not installed. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the staining tray 80, showing the mounting frame 89, lens L, and spacer 87 attached to the mounting section 82, disassembled. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing attachment 90 and staining tray 80. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of attachment 90. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the configuration in which the attachment 90 is mounted on the staining tray 80. [Figure 7]This is a cross-sectional view of the staining tray 80 with attachment 90 attached, when it is inverted vertically. [Figure 8] This figure shows that the dyeing tray 80 with attachment 90 attached is placed on the dye fixing device 50. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates an example of a transformation of attachment 90 shown in Figure 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <Overview> Embodiments of the staining method, the attachment for the staining tray used in the staining method, and the staining system according to this embodiment will be described. The items classified in <> below may be used independently or in relation to each other.

[0012] The dyeing method of this disclosure is performed by a dyeing system (e.g., dyeing system 1). The dyeing system illustrated in this disclosure comprises a transport device (e.g., transport device 10), a printing device (e.g., printing device 30), a transfer device (e.g., transfer device 40), an attachment for dyeing trays (e.g., attachment 90), and a dye fixing device (e.g., dye fixing device 50, oven 100). The transport device transports dyeing trays (e.g., dyeing tray 80) in a continuous manner. The transported dyeing trays may be provided with an identifier (e.g., identifier 88). In this case, each device may further include a reading unit (e.g., reading unit 2) to read information about the dyeing tray. Furthermore, the drive of each device may be controlled according to parameters obtained from the dyeing tray from which information has been read. The printing device prints dye onto a sheet-like substrate (e.g., substrate S). The transfer device transfers the dye onto a lens (e.g., lens L) of a dyeing tray transported by the transport device, with the lens facing the substrate on which the dye has been printed. The attachment for the staining tray is mounted on the staining tray, fixing the lens to the staining tray and allowing the lens and staining tray to rotate as a single unit (details will be described later). The dye fixing device heats the lens in the staining tray transported by the transport device, thereby fixing the dye attached to the surface of the lens to the lens. The dye fixing device may also fix the dye to the lens by heating it with an electromagnetic wave irradiating device (e.g., an oven). The dye fixing device may also include a laser light source that emits laser light and a scanning unit that scans the laser light emitted from the laser light source, and fix the dye to the lens by irradiating the lens with laser light. In this case, the dye is fixed to the lens as the temperature of the lens surface rises due to the laser light. The lens may include resin lenses such as plastic, polycarbonate, or acrylic. Furthermore, each device may be equipped with a control unit (e.g., controller 71) for controlling each device. The control unit may acquire parameters for the treatment content to be performed on the lens contained in the staining tray from which the information was read, based on the information read by the reading unit.The control unit may store parameters indicating the treatment content in a database (e.g., database 72) in association with the identifier of the staining tray containing the lens, based on treatment information indicating the treatment content to be performed on the lens.

[0013] The staining method illustrated in this disclosure may include a transfer step, a tray inversion step, and a dye fixing step. The control unit performs at least the transfer step and the dye fixing step. In the transfer step, the control unit controls the transfer device to place the lens on the placement section (e.g., placement section 89) of the staining tray on which the lens to be stained is placed, such that the front surface of the lens faces downward and the rear surface of the lens faces upward. The substrate on which the dye is printed is heated with the substrate facing the rear surface of the lens, and the dye is transferred to the lens. In the tray inversion step, after the transfer step, with the lens placed on the tray, the lens and the staining tray are rotated together to invert the vertical direction of the lens so that the front surface of the lens faces upward and the rear surface of the lens faces downward. The vertical direction of the lens refers to the vertical direction in which gravity acts. Furthermore, the tray inversion step may involve rotating the dyeing tray and lens together as a single unit while the lens is fixed to the dyeing tray, in order to invert the lens vertically while maintaining the positional relationship between the lens's placement position on the dyeing tray and the positions of the lens's front and rear surfaces. For example, the lens may be fixed to the placement position on the dyeing tray. In the dye fixing step, the control unit controls the dye fixing device to heat the vertically inverted lens and dyeing tray, thereby fixing the dye to the lens. In this way, the lens is inverted vertically as a single unit with the dyeing tray so that the front surface of the lens faces upward, in order to suppress center waves while maintaining the integrated management of the lens relative to the tray. This makes it possible to suppress center waves generated on the lens while enabling integrated management of the lens relative to the tray. Moreover, for example, when inverting the vertical direction of the lens, if the operator changes the orientation of the lens so that the front surface of the lens faces upward, or removes each lens from the dyeing tray, the integrated management of the lens relative to the tray may be disrupted, potentially affecting subsequent processes. Therefore, it is desirable to maintain the relative positions of the staining tray and the lens. Accordingly, while maintaining the relative positions of the staining tray and the lens, the lens is fixed to the staining tray, and the staining tray and lens are rotated together as a single unit.This allows the lens placed on the staining tray to be fixed in place when the staining tray and lens are inverted, thus maintaining the relationship between the staining tray and the lens.

[0014] The dyeing method illustrated in this disclosure may further include a tray re-inversion step and a transport step. In the tray re-inversion step, after the dye fixing step, the dyeing tray and lens are rotated integrally while the lens is fixed to the dyeing tray, in order to invert the vertical direction of the lens while maintaining the positional relationship between the placement position of the lens on the placement section of the dyeing tray and the positions of the front and rear surfaces of the lens. In the transport step, after the tray re-inversion step, the dyeing tray on which the lens is placed is placed on a transport device and the lens is transported in order to perform a color information measurement step in which the color information of the dye fixed to the lens is measured. In the transport step, the dyeing system may further include a dye colorimeter (e.g., dye colorimeter 60). The dye colorimeter measures the color information of the dye fixed to the lens. As a result, the front surface of the lens faces downward and the rear surface of the lens faces upward again, so that it can be returned to the transport configuration by the transport device (in other words, the orientation of the dyeing tray and lens). The dyeing tray can also be returned to the transport device, and the system can easily return to the next automated transport step.

[0015] The staining method exemplified in the present disclosure may use an attachment for a staining tray (e.g., attachment 90). By attaching the attachment to the staining tray, the lens is fixed to the staining tray, and the lens and the staining tray can be integrally rotated. The attachment may include a mounting portion and a lens fixing portion. The mounting portion (e.g., mounting support base 91) attaches the attachment to the staining tray. The mounting portion may be a fitting portion that integrally fits the staining tray and the attachment. Also, the mounting portion may be a connecting member that integrally connects the staining tray and the attachment. The lens fixing portion (e.g., lens fixing portion 92) fixes the lens to the staining tray by the attachment and the placement portion of the staining tray when the attachment is attached to the staining tray. The lens fixing portion may have a contact member (e.g., lid member 93) that contacts the peripheral edge on the rear surface side of the lens. As an example, the peripheral edge on the rear surface side of the lens may be the flange or the flange corner of the lens. As an example, by attaching the attachment to the staining tray and sandwiching the lens between the attachment and the placement position of the lens placed on the staining tray, the lens is fixed to the staining tray. In this case, there is no need to provide a member for newly fixing the lens to the staining tray, and the lens can be fixed to the placement position of the staining tray with a simple configuration. Also, since the lens can be fixed to the placement position of the staining tray simply by attaching the attachment, it becomes easier to invert the staining tray upside down.

[0016] When the attachment is mounted on the staining tray, the lens fixing part may fix the lens to the staining tray by sandwiching the lens between the contact member and the staining tray. As an example, the lens may be fixed to the staining tray by sandwiching the lens between the contact member and the mounting part of the staining tray. By doing so, the lens can be fixed without touching the dye transferred to the rear surface of the lens. The contact member may be composed of a lid member having a diameter larger than the diameter of the lens. When the lid member abuts against the peripheral edge of the rear surface of the lens, the attachment may be configured such that the space between the rear surface of the lens and the lid member is sealed (sealing includes substantially sealed). Thereby, the space between the rear surface of the lens and the lid member is sealed, the heat for fixing the dye can be kept constant, and the dye fixing to the lens can be made more stable.

[0017] The attachment may further include an adjustment part (for example, adjustment part 95). The adjustment part adjusts the vertical position of the lens fixing part. The attachment enables the vertical position of the lens fixing part to be adjusted according to the position of the peripheral edge on the rear surface side of the lens placed on the mounting part of the staining tray by the adjustment part. The adjustment part may be composed of an adjustment member (for example, shaft 94) movable in a direction orthogonal to the rear surface of the lens and a fixing member (for example, fixing screw 97) for fixing the adjustment member in the vertical position.

[0018] <Example>

[0019] <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the staining system 1. The system configuration of the staining system 1 of the present embodiment will be schematically described. The staining system 1 of the present embodiment includes a transport device 10, a printing device 30, a transfer device 40, a dye fixing device 50, a dye colorimetric device 60, and a control device 70.

[0020] The transport device 10 transports the dyeing trays 80 (see Figure 2), on which the lenses to be dyed are placed, to multiple devices that perform the dyeing process for dyeing the lenses. Specifically, the transport device 10 in this embodiment transports multiple dyeing trays 80 continuously throughout the dyeing system 1. The transport device 10 in this embodiment transports the dyeing trays 80 in the order of the printing device 30, the transfer device 40, the dye fixing device 50, and the dye colorimeter 60 (i.e., from left to right in Figure 1). In this embodiment, the dyeing trays 80 are transported to each device by the transport device 10 with the mounting surface of the mounting section 89 (see Figure 2), on which the lenses L are placed, facing upwards on the belt conveyor or the like that transports the dyeing trays 80. Furthermore, the lens L placed on the staining tray 80 is transported to each device with its front surface (in other words, the convex surface) facing downwards (in this specification, the vertical direction of the lens L refers to the vertical direction in which gravity acts) and its rear surface (in other words, the concave surface) facing upwards.

[0021] The printing device 30 prints dye (in this embodiment, ink containing dye) onto a sheet-like substrate. In this embodiment, the substrate is made of paper or a metallic film (in this embodiment, made of aluminum) of appropriate hardness. However, other materials such as glass plates, heat-resistant resins, and ceramics can also be used for the substrate. In the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment, in order to properly transfer the dye to the lens L while preventing the aggregation of the dye, 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 device 30 uses an inkjet printer that prints ink containing sublimable dye onto the substrate. The printing device 30 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 a dyed substrate for gradient dyeing.

[0022] It is also possible to change the configuration of the printing device 30. 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 30, the dye may be applied to the substrate by a dispenser (liquid quantitative application device), rollers, etc.

[0023] The printing device 30 may also include a substrate placement device (not shown). The substrate placement device places the dye-coated substrate S at a predetermined position on the dyeing tray 80 (see Figure 2) with the dye printed on the substrate S (see Figure 3) by the printing device 30 facing (non-contact facing in this embodiment) the lens L placed on the dyeing tray 80. Therefore, the dye-coated substrate S is automatically placed at the appropriate position on the dyeing tray 80 without the operator having to manually place the dye-coated substrate S on the dyeing tray 80.

[0024] The transfer apparatus 40 places the lens L on a mounting frame 89, which is an example of a mounting section of a dyeing tray 80 on which the lens L to be dyed is placed, with the front surface of the lens L facing upwards and the rear surface of the lens L facing downwards. The substrate, on which the dye is printed, is heated with the substrate facing the rear surface of the lens L, and the dye is transferred to the lens L. As described above, in this embodiment, the dye is transferred from the substrate S to the lens L by a vapor phase transfer method. For details of the configuration of the transfer apparatus 40, please refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-217208.

[0025] The dye fixing device 50 fixes the dye to the lens L placed on the dyeing tray 80 by heating the lens L. In this embodiment, the dye fixing device 50 heats the lens L by irradiating it with electromagnetic waves. In this embodiment, an oven is used as the dye fixing device 50. When an oven (especially a forced-air constant-temperature oven) is used, the temperature of the lens L rises gradually over a long period of time, making it difficult for temperature differences to occur. However, a device that heats the lens L by irradiating it with laser light, which is an electromagnetic wave, may also be used as the dye fixing device 50. In this embodiment, the dye fixing process using the dye fixing device 50 is performed manually by an operator. After fixing the dye by placing the dyeing tray 80 on the dye fixing device 50, the operator places the dyeing tray 80 on the transport device 10 again to transport the dyeing tray 80 to the dye colorimeter 60. In other words, the dye fixing process using the dye fixing device 50 is performed manually by an operator (details will be described later). In this process, an attachment 90 (see Figure 4) is mounted on the staining tray 80 to enable integrated management of the lens L relative to the staining tray 80.

[0026] The dye colorimeter 60 is used to measure the color information of the lens L to which the dye has been fixed by the dye fixing device 50. The measured color information is used to check the quality of the dyeing, etc.

[0027] 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, printing device 30, transfer device 40, dye fixing device 50, and dye colorimeter 60 often has a controller. In this case, the controllers of multiple devices may cooperate to control the dyeing system 1.

[0028] The staining system 1 includes a reading unit 2 for each staining tray 80 that reads information about the staining tray 80. As an example, the reading unit 2 in this embodiment is an identifier reading unit that reads an identifier provided on the staining tray 80. The identifier 88 (see Figure 2) read by the identifier reading unit 2 identifies the staining tray 80. The type of identifier used in the staining system 1 can be selected as appropriate. For example, at least one of the following can be used as an identifier: a QR code (registered trademark), a barcode, or an identification hole formed according to a predetermined rule. The identifier reading unit 2 can be any identifier reader that corresponds to the identifier being used (for example, a QR code (registered trademark) reader, a barcode reader, an identification hole reader, etc.).

[0029] The identifier 88 contains treatment information for the lens L placed on the staining tray 80. For example, the treatment information obtained by reading the identifier 88 includes at least one of the following: information on the color to stain the lens L (i.e., the color of the dye to be printed on the substrate S), information on the density of the color to be stained, information on the material of the lens L, and information on the shape of the lens L. The treatment information may also include information indicating whether and in what direction gradient staining will be performed, information on the number of lens L to be included in one staining tray 80 (one or two), and information on the coating to be applied to the lens L. In this way, the identifier 88 is linked to the treatment information of the staining tray 80 and the lens L, and these are operated as a single unit in the staining system 1.

[0030] <Tray> Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the staining tray 80 used in the staining system 1 of this embodiment will be described. As mentioned above, the staining tray 80 is an example of a mounting section on which the lenses L are placed during transport. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the staining tray 80 with two lenses L installed (placed) and the base S not yet installed. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the staining tray 80, showing the mounting frame 89, lenses L, and spacer 87 attached to the mounting section 82 in an exploded view.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the staining tray 80 of this embodiment comprises a tray body 81, a mounting frame 89, and a spacer 87. The tray body 81, the mounting frame 89, and the spacer 87 are all made of a material capable of withstanding high temperatures and low pressures (approximately vacuum). In this embodiment, at least the portion of the mounting frame 89 on which the lens L is placed and in contact (in this embodiment, the entire mounting frame 89) is made of a material with a melting point of 200°C or higher (for example, at least one of fluororesins such as Teflon®, stainless steel, and aluminum). In the fixing process of the vapor phase transfer staining method (details will be described later), the lens L becomes hot. Therefore, by setting the melting point of the material of the mounting frame 89 to 200°C or higher, deformation of the mounting frame 89 is appropriately suppressed. In this embodiment, the tray body 81, the spacer 87, and the mounting frame 89 are made of metal (aluminum). However, it is also possible to change the material of the staining tray 80. For example, the tray body 81, spacer 87, and mounting frame 89 may be made of resin or the like.

[0032] The mounting frame 89 is a mounting section on which the lens L to be stained is placed. In this embodiment, the lens L is placed on the mounting frame 89 such that its front surface faces downward and its rear surface faces upward. The mounting frame 89 is formed in a ring shape with an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the lens L. A light-transmitting section 89S, which is a circular hole that transmits light in the vertical direction, is formed in the center of the mounting frame 89. The light-transmitting section 89S may be formed of a light-transmitting material (for example, glass) instead of a hole. Multiple types of mounting frames 89 are available, each with a different diameter for the annular stepped section on which the lens L is placed, depending on the diameter of the lens L to be installed. The operator places the lens L on the staining tray 80 using the mounting frame 89 corresponding to the diameter of the lens L to be stained.

[0033] The spacer 87 extends upward in a cylindrical shape from the outer circumference of the mounting frame 89 where the lens L is placed. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the spacer 87 and the mounting frame 89 are separate components. Therefore, the worker can place the lens L on the mounting frame 89 with the spacer 87 removed. Thus, the worker can easily place the lens L on the mounting frame 89. However, the mounting frame 89 and the spacer 87 may be integrated.

[0034] An installation section 82 is formed below the tray body 81. A mounting frame 89 and a spacer 87 are detachably attached to the installation section 82. Therefore, the worker can remove the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 from the installation section 82 of the tray body 81 and wash or discard only the removed mounting frame 89 and spacer 87. Thus, of the dyeing tray 80, only the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87, which are prone to dye adhesion during the dyeing process, can be efficiently washed or discarded.

[0035] In this embodiment, the mounting section 82 is formed in a closed-bottom cylindrical shape with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the ring-shaped mounting frame 89 and the diameter of the cylindrical spacer 87. Therefore, the worker can easily attach the mounting frame 89 to the mounting section 82. Needless to say, however, the shapes of the mounting frame 89 and the mounting section 82 can be changed as appropriate.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, a light-transmitting portion 82S, which is a hole (a circular hole in this embodiment) that transmits light in the vertical direction, is formed at the bottom (center of the bottom in this embodiment) of the bottom cylindrical mounting portion 82. The light-transmitting portion 82S may be formed of a light-transmitting material (for example, glass) instead of a hole. Since a light-transmitting portion 82S is formed on the mounting portion 82 and a light-transmitting portion 89S is also formed on the mounting frame 89, the color information and optical properties of the lens L can be measured when the lens L is installed (placed) on the staining tray 80 and the base S is removed from the staining tray 80.

[0037] In this embodiment, two mounting sections 82 are formed on a single tray body 81. Therefore, a pair (left and right) of lenses L used for one pair of eyeglasses are dyed while placed on a single dyeing tray 80. This improves the worker's work efficiency.

[0038] On the tray body 81, a base mounting section 85 is formed on the outer side above the mounting section 82, on which a sheet-like base S (see Figure 3) to which a sublimation dye is attached is placed. When the base S is placed on the base mounting section 85, the sublimation dye attached to the base S comes into contact with the lens L placed on the mounting frame 89. Therefore, the dye is properly transferred to the lens.

[0039] The cylindrical spacer 87 forms a space between the base S placed on the base mounting section 85 and the lens L placed on the mounting frame 89. Therefore, the sublimable dye is properly transferred from the base S to the lens L through the space formed by the spacer 87. In addition, the spacer 87 effectively prevents the sublimated dye from leaking to the outside. As a result, the area outside the space is less likely to be soiled with dye, and the dyeing quality is less likely to deteriorate.

[0040] When the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 are mounted on the mounting section 82, the upper end of the spacer 87 protrudes above the mounting surface of the base mounting section 85. Therefore, the base S placed on the base mounting section 85 and the upper end of the spacer 87 are more likely to come into close contact, making it even more difficult for the sublimated dye to leak to the outside.

[0041] In this embodiment, recesses 83 are formed around the mounting portion 82 of the tray body 81, extending outward from the mounting portion 82 (i.e., recesses 83 that form a space between the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 and the tray body 81). Therefore, the operator can easily remove the mounting frame 89, spacer 87, and lens L from the mounting portion 82 by inserting their fingers or the like into the recesses 83. In this embodiment, the recesses 83 are notches formed in the substantially plate-shaped tray body 81. However, it is possible to change the configuration of the recesses 83. For example, recesses that are recessed below the upper surface of the mounting frame 89 when it is mounted on the mounting portion 82 may be formed. Also, in this embodiment, four recesses 83 are formed around each mounting portion 82. However, it goes without saying that the number of recesses 83 can be changed as appropriate.

[0042] On the tray body 81, protrusions 84 (84A, 84B) are provided at a position outside the mounting portion 82 (more specifically, outside the base mounting portion 85) that project upward above the mounting surface of the base mounting portion 85 on which the base S is placed.

[0043] The base body S in this embodiment is a rectangular sheet that covers both mounting portions 82. In this embodiment, a plurality of (8) protrusions 84 are formed along the outer circumference of the base body S when it is placed in the appropriate position on the staining tray 80 (i.e., when it is placed appropriately on the base body placement portion 85). Therefore, by placing the base body S in the area surrounded by the plurality of protrusions 84 (the base body placement portion 85), the base body S is appropriately positioned relative to the lens L. Furthermore, the possibility of the placed base body S being misaligned relative to the lens L is also reduced. In other words, at least a portion of the plurality of protrusions 84 in this embodiment (all of the protrusions 84A, 84B in this embodiment) functions as a positioning portion that positions the base body S relative to the lens L.

[0044] Furthermore, at least some of the multiple protrusions 84 (in this embodiment, all of the protrusions 84A, 84B) extend above the mounting surface of the base mounting section 85 on which the base S is placed, to a position greater than the thickness of the base S. Therefore, even if some objects are stacked on the staining tray 80 with the base S on it, the stacked objects are likely to come into contact with the protrusions 84, making it difficult for the objects to come into contact with the base S. Thus, damage to the base S is less likely to occur. As described above, the protrusions 84 in this embodiment function as a base protection section that protects the base S placed on the staining tray 80 from objects stacked on top of the base S. In this embodiment, the multiple protrusions 84 serve as both a positioning section and a base protection section. In other words, at least some of the positioning section and at least some of the base protection section are combined by the protrusions 84. Therefore, the structure of the staining tray 80 is easily simplified.

[0045] The bottom of the tray body 81 (in this embodiment, two locations at the bottom of each mounting portion 82) has a bottom fitting portion 86 which is a recessed portion that is indented upwards. Of the multiple protrusions 84 formed on the upper part of the tray body 81, the four protrusions 84B adjacent to the mounting portion 82 engage with the bottom fitting portion 86 of the stacked dyeing tray 80 when another dyeing tray 80 (tray body 81) is stacked on top of the dyeing tray 80. In other words, the four protrusions 84B function as upper fitting portions that engage with the bottom fitting portion 86 of the other tray body 81 stacked on top. Therefore, multiple dyeing trays 80 can be stacked vertically in a stable manner. Note that the bottom fitting portion 86 and the upper fitting portion in this embodiment are arranged asymmetrically (for example, rotationally asymmetrically). Therefore, it is easy for the worker to stack multiple dyeing trays 80 in the same orientation.

[0046] Furthermore, the height of the projection 84B from the mounting surface of the base mounting portion 85 is greater than or equal to the sum of the depth of the bottom fitting portion 86 (depth of the recess) and the thickness of the base S. Therefore, even when multiple staining trays 80 are stacked with the base S placed on the base mounting portion 85, the base S is unlikely to come into contact with the staining trays 80 stacked on top of it, thus reducing the likelihood of damage to the base S.

[0047] As described above, in this embodiment, the protrusion 84B serves as both the upper fitting portion, the positioning portion, and the base protection portion. Therefore, the structure of the staining tray 80 is easily simplified. However, two or all of the upper fitting portion, the positioning portion, and the base protection portion may be composed of separate members.

[0048] The tray body 81 is provided with an identifier 88 that is read by the reading unit 2. The tray body 81 can be used many more times than the mounting frame 89, etc. Therefore, the frequency of installing the identifier 88 on the component is reduced compared to when the identifier 88 is provided on the mounting frame 89, etc.

[0049] <Attachment> The attachment 90 used in the staining system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the attachment 90 and the staining tray 80. In Figure 4, the direction in which the two mounting parts 82 of the staining tray 80 are aligned is the X direction, the vertical direction is the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions is the Z direction. The explanation of the XYZ directions was omitted in Figures 2 and 3, but the XYZ directions are similarly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the attachment 90. Figure 5(a) is a view of the attachment 90 from the direction of arrow D along the X direction in Figure 4. Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 5(a). Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration in which the attachment 90 is mounted on the staining tray 80. Figure 6(a) is a view of the state in which the attachment 90 is mounted on the staining tray 80 on which the two lenses L are placed, from the direction of arrow D along the X direction in Figure 4. Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 6(a). Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the staining tray 80 with the attachment 90 mounted on it, when it is inverted vertically compared to Figure 6(b). Normally, a pair of lenses L are placed on the two mounting frames 89 of the staining tray 80s, but in Figure 6(b), in order to make it easier to explain the configuration of the attachment 90, a large-diameter negative-power lens La is placed on the left mounting section 82 in the figure, and a small-diameter positive-power lens Lb is placed on the right mounting section 82 in the figure.

[0050] The attachment 90 is mounted on the staining tray 80, thereby fixing the lens L to the staining tray 80 and allowing the lens L and the staining tray 80 to rotate together. The attachment 90 is also used to maintain the vertical orientation of the lens L relative to the staining tray 80 (mounting frame 89 in this embodiment) even when the lens L and the staining tray 80 are rotated together (inverted upside down). The attachment 90 comprises a mounting base 91, a lens fixing part 92, an adjustment part 95, and a leg part 99. All of these components are made of materials capable of withstanding high temperatures and low pressures (approximately vacuum). The lens fixing part 92 and the adjustment part 95 are provided in two parts on the mounting base 91, corresponding to the lens La side and lens Lb side, respectively, which are mounted on the two mounting frames 89. Therefore, in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the same reference numerals are used for the lens fixing part 92 and the lens Lb side.

[0051] The substrate S (see Figure 3) is removed from the staining tray 80 when the attachment 90 is attached after the transfer step by the transfer device 40 is completed.

[0052] The mounting base 91 is formed of a flat plate and is shaped to be positioned and mounted on the mounting space P (dotted line in Figure 4) of the staining tray 80 (on the base mounting portion 85) by a plurality of protrusions 84 on the staining tray 80. In other words, the mounting base 91 functions as a mounting part for attaching the attachment 90 to the staining tray 80 by fitting the mounting base 91 onto the plurality of protrusions 84 on the staining tray 80. The mounting base 91 may further include a connecting portion (not shown) for integrally connecting the staining tray 80 and the mounting base 91.

[0053] The lens fixing part 92 is configured to fix the lens L to the staining tray 80 by the attachment 90 and the mounting frame 89 of the staining tray 80 when the attachment 90 is mounted on the staining tray 80. The lens fixing part 92 comprises a lid member 93 and a shaft 94. The lid member 93 functions as a contact member that abuts against the peripheral edge of the rear surface of the lens L placed on the mounting frame 89 of the staining tray 80. In this embodiment, the lid member 93 is formed with a diameter larger than the diameter of the rear surface of the lens L, and with a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the spacer 87. As a result, the lid member 93 can be dropped into the spacer 87 and abuts against the peripheral edge of the rear surface of the lens L placed on the mounting frame 89. In this embodiment, the lid member 93 is made of a flat plate so as to seal (including substantially sealing) the inside of the concave surface of the lens L when it abuts against the peripheral edge of the rear surface of the lens L.

[0054] A shaft 94 extending in the vertical direction (Y direction) is fixed to the center of the upper surface of the lid member 93. As shown in Figure 5, the shaft 94 is made vertically movable relative to the mounting base 91. In this embodiment, the shaft 94 is held vertically movable by a holder 96 attached to the upper part of the mounting base 91.

[0055] Furthermore, the vertical position of the shaft 94 relative to the mounting base 91 is fixed by tightening the fixing screw 97 provided on the holder 96. This adjusts the vertical position of the lid member 93. In other words, the shaft 94, holder 96, and fixing screw 97 are configured as an adjustment part 95 for adjusting the vertical position of the lens fixing part 92 (lid member 93).

[0056] With the mounting base 91 attached to the staining tray 80 and the lid member 93 in contact with the rear edge of the lens L, the vertical position of the shaft 94 is fixed by the fixing screw 97, thereby fixing the vertical position of the lid member 93. As a result, as illustrated in Figure 6(b), even if the vertical position of the rear edge of lens La and the vertical position of the rear edge of lens Lb are different, the lid member 93 is fixed to the mounting base 91 so that it contacts the rear edge of each lens L. In other words, the adjustment unit 95 is configured to allow adjustment of the vertical position of the lens fixing unit 92 according to the position of the rear edge of lens L placed on the mounting frame 89 of the staining tray 80 (i.e., according to the thickness of the edge of lens L). The adjustment unit 95 may also be configured as part of the components of the lens fixing unit 92.

[0057] The lens L is fixed to the dyeing tray 80 by being sandwiched between the lid member 93 and the mounting frame 89 of the dyeing tray 80. At this time, the lid member 93 does not come into contact with the concave surface of the rear surface of the lens L, but only with the peripheral edge of the rear surface of the lens L, thus maintaining the state of the dye transferred to the rear surface of the lens. In addition, the space between the concave surface of the rear surface of the lens L and the lid member 89 is sealed (approximately sealed), which makes the fixation of the dye to the lens L more stable when heated by the dye fixing device 50.

[0058] In Figures 4 and 5, two legs 99 are attached to the upper surface of the mounting base 91 along the X direction. The height of the legs 99 relative to the upper surface of the mounting base 91 (distance in the Y direction) is set to protrude above the height of the holder 96 and shaft 94. Therefore, even when the attachment 90 is inverted, the attachment 90 and the dyeing tray 80 can be stably and properly grounded in the installation location (see Figure 7). The legs 99 may also be provided with openings 98. This allows heat from the dye fixing device 50 to easily enter the gap between the mounting base 91 and the legs 99 when the lens L and dyeing tray 80, which are inverted together with the attachment 90, are heated by the dye fixing device 50. Therefore, when the lens L is heated by the dye fixing device 50, the heat applied to the area around the lens L becomes more uniform.

[0059] Here, we will explain center wave using Figures 6 and 7. Center wave is a phenomenon in which a slight distortion occurs in the center LF of the front surface of lens L. Center wave is thought to occur because, when the attachment 90 is not attached to the staining tray 80, and the front surface of lens L is facing the mounting frame 89 as shown in Figure 6 (as shown in Figure 2), and the lens L is gradually heated by the dye fixing device 50, the center LF of the front surface of lens L becomes more susceptible to the effects of gravity, etc.

[0060] Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, with the attachment 90 mounted on the staining tray 80, the staining tray 80 and the attachment 90 are rotated together, that is, the lens L and the staining tray 80 are rotated together, thereby reversing the vertical direction of the lens L so that the front surface of the lens L faces upward and the rear surface faces downward. As a result, the gravitational force on the lens L does not concentrate on the central front surface LF of the lens L, but rather is more likely to affect the peripheral edge LB of the rear surface of the lens L, and the gravitational force acting on the entire lens L is dispersed compared to the state where the front surface of the lens L faces downward. This makes it possible to suppress the generation of a center wave. It should be noted that there is a possibility that distortion may occur in the peripheral edge LB of the rear surface of the lens L due to the effect of gravity, but since the peripheral edge LB of the lens L is removed when it is processed to the shape of the rim of the eyeglasses when the eyeglasses are made, the effect of distortion is less than that of the generation of a center wave.

[0061] The operation of the dyeing process in the dyeing system 1 having the above configuration will be explained.

[0062] <Printing Steps> The printing and transfer control processes performed by the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 will now be described. First, the controller 71 transports the dyeing tray 80 to the printing device 30 by controlling the drive of the transport device 10. The dyeing tray 80 is transported to the printing device 30 with the front surface of the lens L facing downwards and the rear surface of the lens L facing upwards. The controller 71 confirms that the dyeing tray 80 has been transported to the printing device 30 and acquires treatment information by reading the identifier 88 of the dyeing tray 80 using the reader unit 2 of the printing device 30. Based on the acquired treatment information, the controller 71 controls the printing device 30 and prints dye onto a two-dimensional area on the surface of the substrate S at a discharge amount corresponding to the color of the lens to be dyed. In other words, for each of the pixels to be coated with dye among the multiple pixels spread in two dimensions, at least one of a plurality of dyes with different colors from each other is printed at a discharge amount determined by the printing data. The controller 71 controls the substrate placement device (not shown) of the printing device 30 and places the dye-coated substrate S in a predetermined position on the dyeing tray 80.

[0063] <Transfer Steps> Next, the controller 71 controls the drive of the transport device 10 to transport the staining tray 80 to the transfer device 40. The controller 71 confirms that the staining tray 80 has been transported to the transfer device 40 by reading the identifier 88 of the staining tray 80 with the reading unit 2 of the transfer device 40, and also acquires treatment information. Based on the acquired treatment information, the controller 71 controls the transfer device 40 to transfer the dye printed on the substrate S to the surface of the lens. Specifically, the lens L and the substrate S are transported to the transfer device 40. The substrate S is placed facing the lens without contact, and the area around the substrate and lens is kept in a near-vacuum state, and the dye on the substrate is heated with electromagnetic waves. As a result, the dye printed on the substrate sublimes and is transferred to the surface of the lens.

[0064] <Tray inversion step> In this embodiment, the tray inversion step is performed manually by the operator. After the transfer step by the transfer device 40 is completed, the operator removes the staining tray 80 from the transport device 10. The operator removes the substrate S placed on the staining tray 80. The operator then attaches the attachment 90 to the staining tray 80. The operator rotates the staining tray 80 with the attachment 90 attached as a whole, thereby inverting it vertically.

[0065] The vertical inversion of the lens using attachment 90 will now be explained. As shown in Figure 5, with the lens L placed on the staining tray 80, the operator attaches the attachment 90 to the mounting space P (dotted line in Figure 4) of the staining tray 80. The operator loosens the fixing screw 97. This causes the shaft 94 and the lid member 93 to descend by gravity, and the lid member 93 comes into contact with the periphery of the rear surface of the lens L placed on the mounting frame 89 of the staining tray 80. The operator then tightens the fixing screw 97 to fix the vertical movement of the shaft 94 and the lid member 93. This causes the lens L to be sandwiched between the lid member 93 and the mounting frame 89 of the staining tray 80, fixing the lens L to the staining tray 80. The operator then rotates the staining tray 80 with the attachment 90 attached as a whole, thereby inverting it vertically. As a result, as shown in Figure 7, when the lens L is placed on the mounting frame 89 of the staining tray 80, the lens L's orientation is reversed so that its front surface faces upward and its rear surface faces downward. Therefore, integrated management of the lens L relative to the staining tray 80 becomes possible.

[0066] <Dye fixing step> Figure 8 shows that the dyeing tray 80 with attachments 90 attached is placed on the dye fixing device 50. In this embodiment, the dye fixing device 50 is an oven 100, and multiple dyeing trays 80 (lenses L with sublimable dye attached) with attachments 90 attached are placed together in the oven 100.

[0067] After completing the tray inversion step of the dyeing tray 80, the operator places the inverted dyeing tray 80 in a predetermined position on the oven tray 110. The oven tray 110 only needs to be large enough to hold at least two dyeing trays 80 and should be made of a material that can withstand high temperatures. After placing multiple dyeing trays 80 on the oven tray 110, the operator places the oven tray 110 on the oven 100. The oven 100 heats the dyeing trays 80 (lenses L coated with sublimable dye) at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time to fix the dye to the lenses L. When heating the dyeing trays 80 in the oven 100, a lid may be placed over the entire top of the dyeing trays 80 placed on the oven tray 110. As an example, an aluminum plate of the same size (including approximately the same size) as the oven tray 110 may be used. This makes it easier to apply heat more uniformly to the area around the lens L when heating the lens L, thereby reducing dyeing defects.

[0068] <Tray Reversal Step> After the dye fixing step is completed, the operator rotates the lens L and the dyeing tray 80 together while the lens L is sandwiched between the lid member 93 and the mounting frame 89, thereby reversing the vertical orientation of the lens L so that the front of the lens L faces downwards and the rear of the lens L faces upwards. In other words, after the dye fixing step, the operator reverses the dyeing tray 80 and attachment 90 that were removed from the dye fixing device 50. After that, the operator removes the attachment 90 from the dyeing tray 80. For example, the dyeing tray 80 is transported on the transport device 10 with the mounting surface on which the lens is placed facing upwards. Therefore, if the dyeing tray 80 is reversed vertically, it cannot be placed back on the transport device 10 with the mounting surface on which the lens L is placed facing downwards. Therefore, by rotating the lens L and the staining tray 80 together again, the transport configuration by the transport device 10 can be returned to the orientation before the staining tray 80 and lens L were inverted, and the process can be easily returned to the next automated transport step.

[0069] <Transport Steps> After the tray re-inversion step, in order to perform a color information measurement step to measure the color information of the dye fixed to the lens L, the dye tray 80 on which the lens L is placed is placed on the transport device 10 and the lens L is transported.

[0070] The color measurement control process performed by the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 will now be described. In the color information measurement process, the measurement of the color information of the lens L (color measurement) is controlled. When an instruction to start the dyeing process of the lens L is input to the controller 71, the controller 71 executes the color measurement control process according to the color measurement control program stored in the memory device.

[0071] The controller 71 controls the drive of the transport device 10 to transport the dyeing tray 80 to the dye colorimeter 60. The controller 71 confirms that the dyeing tray 80 has been transported to the dye colorimeter 60 by reading the identifier 88 of the dyeing tray 80 using the reading unit 2 of the dye colorimeter 60, and also acquires treatment information. Based on the acquired treatment information, the controller 71 controls the dye colorimeter 60 and acquires the measurement result of the color information of the lens L by the color information measuring instrument (for details, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-217208).

[0072] <Example of transformation> In this embodiment, the attachment 90 was described as fixing the shaft 94 by tightening a fixing screw 97 as a fixing member for the adjustment part 95 that adjusts the vertical position of the lens fixing part 92, but it is not limited to this. For example, a mechanism that clamps the sides of the shaft 94 from two directions may also be used.

[0073] Figure 9 illustrates an example of a modification of the attachment 90 shown in Figure 4. Figure 9(a) is a perspective view of the attachment 200. Figure 9(b) is a view of the fixing mechanism 210 of the attachment 200, viewed from the direction of arrow E, which is aligned with the upward direction (upward direction in the Y direction) in Figure 9(a). The attachment 200 includes a clamping portion 210 and a semi-type lid retaining portion 220. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components identical to those of the attachment 90 shown in Figure 4, and their descriptions are omitted. All of these components are made of materials capable of withstanding high temperatures and low pressures (approximately vacuum).

[0074] The clamping portion 210 fixes the shaft 204 by clamping it with its left clamping portion 210a and right clamping portion 210b. The left clamping portion 210a and right clamping portion 210b may also rotate around the axis of the clamping portion fixing screw 230. The left clamping portion 210a and right clamping portion 210b have shaft contact portions 240, and the vertical position of the shaft 204 may be fixed by the contact portion 240 contacting the shaft 204. The semi-type lid stopper portion 220 fixes and releases the opening and closing of the left clamping portion 210a and right clamping portion 210b of the clamping portion 210 by raising or lowering the lever 250. In this way, by opening and closing the clamping portion 210 with the semi-type lid stopper portion 220, the shaft 94 can be opened and closed with a single touch. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1. Staining System 2 Reading section 10 Conveying device 30 Printing device 40 Transfer device 50 Dye fixing device 60 Dye colorimeter 71 Controllers 72 Databases 80 staining trays 90 Attachments L lens S base

Claims

1. A dyeing method for dyeing lenses for eyeglasses, A transfer step is performed in which the lens to be dyed is placed on a dyeing tray with the front surface of the lens facing downwards and the rear surface of the lens facing upwards, the substrate on which the dye is printed is heated with the substrate facing the rear surface of the lens, and the dye is transferred to the lens. After the transfer step, with the lens placed on it, the lens and the staining tray are rotated together to reverse the vertical orientation of the lens so that the front surface of the lens faces upward and the rear surface of the lens faces downward. The dye fixing step involves heating the lens and the dyeing tray, which have been inverted vertically by the tray inversion step, to fix the dye to the lens. A dyeing method characterized by comprising the following:

2. In the dyeing method according to claim 1, The tray inversion step is, A staining method characterized by rotating the staining tray and the lens as a whole, while the lens is fixed to the staining tray, in order to reverse the vertical direction of the lens, while maintaining the positional relationship between the position of the lens on the front mounting portion of the staining tray and the positions of the front and rear surfaces of the lens.

3. In the dyeing method according to claim 1 or 2, After the dye fixing step, with the lens placed on the aforementioned mounting section, the lens and the dyeing tray are rotated together to reverse the vertical orientation of the lens so that the front surface of the lens faces downwards and the rear surface of the lens faces upwards (tray reversal step). After the tray re-inversion step, in order to perform a color information measurement step for measuring the color information of the dye fixed to the lens, the dye tray on which the lens is placed is placed on a transport device and the lens is transported, A dyeing method characterized by further comprising the features.

4. An attachment for a staining tray used in the staining method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A mounting section for attaching the attachment to the staining tray, When mounted on the staining tray, the lens fixing part secures the lens to the staining tray using the attachment and the mounting part of the staining tray. Equipped with, An attachment for a staining tray, characterized in that by attaching the attachment to the staining tray, the lens is fixed to the staining tray, and the lens and the staining tray can be rotated integrally.

5. In the attachment for a staining tray according to claim 4, The lens fixing portion is equipped with an adjustment unit for adjusting its vertical position, An attachment for a staining tray, characterized in that the vertical position of the lens fixing part can be adjusted by the adjustment part according to the position of the peripheral edge on the rear side of the lens placed on the front mounting part of the staining tray.

6. In the attachment for a staining tray according to claim 4 or 5, The lens fixing portion has a contact member that abuts against the peripheral edge on the rear side of the lens. An attachment for a staining tray, characterized in that when the attachment is mounted on the staining tray, the lens is fixed to the staining tray by sandwiching the lens between the contact member and the staining tray.

7. In the attachment for a staining tray according to claim 6, The contact member is composed of a cover member with a diameter larger than the diameter of the lens. An attachment for a staining tray, characterized in that when the lid member is in contact with the peripheral edge of the rear surface of the lens, the space between the rear surface of the lens and the lid member is sealed.

8. A dyeing system for dyeing lenses for eyeglasses, The aforementioned dyeing system is A conveying device for transporting a dyeing tray on which the lenses to be dyed are placed to a plurality of devices for performing a dyeing process for dyeing the lenses, the conveying device for transporting a plurality of the dyeing trays in succession, A printing device for printing dye onto a substrate, A transfer device is provided which a lens to be dyed is placed on a dyeing tray, with the front surface of the lens facing downwards and the rear surface of the lens facing upwards, and the substrate on which the dye has been printed by the printing unit is heated with the substrate facing the rear surface of the lens, thereby transferring the dye to the lens. After transferring the dye to the lens using the transfer device, the lens and the dyeing tray are rotated together while the lens is in place, thereby reversing the vertical orientation of the lens so that the front surface of the lens faces upward and the rear surface of the lens faces downward. A dye fixing device that fixes the dye to the lens by heating the lens and the dye tray, which are inverted vertically by the attachment for the dyeing tray, A dyeing system characterized by comprising the following features.

9. In the staining system according to claim 8, The aforementioned dyeing system is The device further comprises a dye colorimeter for measuring the color information of the dye fixed to the aforementioned lens, A dyeing system characterized in that, after the dye has been fixed to the lens by the dye fixing device, the lens is placed on the aforementioned mounting part, and the lens and the dyeing tray are rotated integrally so that the front surface of the lens faces downward and the rear surface of the lens faces upward, the vertical direction of the lens is reversed by the attachment for the dyeing tray, and in order to perform the color information measurement process by the dye colorimeter, the dyeing tray on which the lens is placed is placed on the transport device and the lens is transported.

Images