Contact Lens Mold Assembly Alignment Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current contact lens molding technologies face challenges in reducing production time and costs while increasing productivity, as existing mold assemblies can be cumbersome and prone to misalignment, leading to inefficiencies in the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
The use of a contact lens mold assembly comprising two mold parts with specific surface features, including stop surfaces and alignment surfaces, that engage in a precise interference fit to ensure correct longitudinal and lateral alignment, facilitating faster assembly and disassembly, and allowing for efficient curing and separation of contact lenses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional contact lens mold assemblies are used, then the manufacturing process can be completed, but the mold parts are prone to misalignment and jamming, reducing productivity and increasing production time
Solution Approach 1:
The mold assembly is divided into separate male and female mold parts with distinct functional surfaces. The female mold part includes a lens-forming surface, stop surface, and alignment surface, while the male mold part corresponds with matching features. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and assembly of components with specific alignment features, improving both productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment surfaces and stop surfaces act as intermediary elements between the male and female mold parts. The alignment surface ensures precise lateral positioning, while the stop surface controls longitudinal positioning. These intermediary features facilitate quick and accurate assembly without requiring complex alignment procedures, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If mold parts are designed with simple geometry, then manufacturing is easier, but alignment control and prevention of misalignment are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the mold parts have different geometric qualities tailored to specific functions. The lens-forming surface has precise optical geometry, the stop surface has a specific radial extension for longitudinal positioning, and the alignment surface has a defined area for lateral positioning. This local differentiation of geometric quality allows each surface to perform its function optimally while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized features.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the mold assembly uses multiple components, then functionality is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The female mold part combines multiple functional surfaces (lens-forming surface, stop surface, and alignment surface) into a single integrated component. Similarly, the male mold part integrates corresponding features. This merging of functions into unified components enhances versatility while minimizing device complexity by avoiding the need for separate adjustment mechanisms or multiple small parts.
Data Source
AI summary
A contact lens mold part and a contact lens mold assembly (1) are provided. The contact lens mold assembly includes a first mold part (2) and a second mold part (3) assembled together. Each mold part has a lens-forming surface with a circumferential edge, a stop surface extending from the circumferential edge, an intermediate region extending from the stop surface, and an alignment surface extending from the intermediate region. The mold parts can be made to fit together with an interference fit. A method of making a contact lens using the contact lens mold assembly is also provided.