Deblocking Optical Workpieces Using Cam-Controlled High-Pressure Jets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deblocking devices for spectacle lenses face challenges such as damage risk due to uneven force application, long processing times, and equipment complexity, particularly in smaller workshops with low automation levels.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a first movement device for rotating the workpiece and a nozzle delivering a high-pressure jet transversely onto a defined point of incidence between the block piece and workpiece, with a second movement device allowing relative movement and cam-controlled nozzle positioning for precise jet direction, enabling rapid and secure deblocking without pre-heating or softening processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a high-pressure water jet is applied from the outside to separate the spectacle lens from the block piece, then the spectacle lens can be supported over the entire area and damage risk is reduced, but the device complexity increases and equipment cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blocking material as an intermediary element between the block piece and the spectacle lens. This blocking material can be selectively removed to enable controlled access and force application, allowing the high-pressure water jet to be applied in a controlled manner that supports the lens over the entire area while managing device complexity through the modular blocking material system
2Productivity
If a piston is used in the block piece to apply mechanical forces during deblocking, then the spectacle lens can be separated from the block piece, but the spectacle lens may be destroyed due to strong forces and high stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a blocking material that can be selectively removed at specific locations. This allows the high-pressure water jet to be applied locally and controllably at the interface between the blocking material and the spectacle lens, enabling efficient separation without subjecting the lens to the strong, uncontrolled forces that would occur with a piston applied directly to the lens center
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical piston system with a hydraulic system using high-pressure water jet. The water jet is delivered through a nozzle that can be positioned to apply force at the blocking material-lens interface. This hydraulic approach provides controlled, distributed pressure that is sufficient for separation but avoids the concentrated, destructive forces of a piston, while maintaining high productivity
3Reliability
If the blocking material is removed to allow high-pressure jet application, then the spectacle lens can be deblocked safely, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the blocking material in a controlled manner before the deblocking process. The blocking material is mounted on the block piece in advance, allowing the high-pressure water jet to be applied immediately at the correct interface without requiring additional preparation time during the deblocking operation itself, thus maintaining short processing times while ensuring safe, controlled separation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for quick, safe, and damage-free deblocking of spectacle lenses, suitable for use in smaller workshops, without the need for temperature-controlled media or complex equipment, optimizing deblocking efficiency and reducing the risk of lens damage.
Implementation Method 1
use is made of a pressure medium such as water in order to release the spectacle lens from the block piece by application of hydraulic forces
Data Source
AI summary
A device for deblocking optical workpieces, having a first moving device for rotating a workpiece, which is blocked on a blocking piece, about a workpiece rotational axis and a nozzle for dispensing a pressurized stream in a direction that is essentially transverse to the workpiece rotational axis onto a point of incidence in an edge region between the blocking piece and the workpiece. The device also has a second moving device for generating a relative movement between the nozzle and the workpiece. The second moving device has a nozzle guiding portion on which the nozzle is mounted and by which the nozzle can be positioned with respect to the blocking piece in a cam-controlled manner in order to aim the pressurized stream towards the point of incidence in a defined manner.