Ophthalmic Lens Mold Tooling with Adjustable Step Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing contact lens manufacturing process requires a large number of posterior and anterior mold halves to accommodate different lens designs, leading to increased costs and complexity due to the need for multiple mold types for various powers and optical characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a matrix array of mold tooling with adjustable posterior and anterior molds, allowing for incremental step tooling and varying conic constants to maintain consistent spherical aberration across different lens powers, reducing the number of required mold types by allowing any posterior step tool to be used with any anterior tool within predetermined limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple posterior and anterior mold halves are used to accommodate different lens designs, then lens power precision and optical characteristics are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal posterior mold that can produce multiple lens powers by adjusting the anterior step tool. Instead of requiring separate posterior molds for each power, the system uses one posterior mold combined with interchangeable anterior step tools having different step heights. This multi-functional approach allows the same posterior mold to accommodate various lens prescriptions by simply changing the anterior tooling element.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold system is segmented into distinct functional components: a posterior mold half, an anterior mold half, and interchangeable anterior step tools. The anterior step tool is further segmented into a base portion and removable step elements with different heights. This segmentation enables independent optimization and replacement of components, allowing precise control over lens power without requiring complete mold sets for each prescription.
2Reliability
If traditional mold halves are discarded after single use, then contamination risk is reduced, but manufacturing costs increase due to continuous mold production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a reusable mold system where posterior and anterior mold halves are sterilized and reused across multiple production cycles. Instead of discarding molds after single use, the system recovers and reuses them by implementing rigorous sterilization protocols. The mold surfaces are designed to be easily cleaned and sterilized, allowing repeated use while maintaining product sterility and preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The master mold surfaces are used to create multiple identical mold copies that can be sterilized and distributed for production. Rather than using the original master mold directly for all productions, replicated molds serve as working copies that can be independently sterilized and used, maintaining the integrity of the master while enabling repeated production cycles with contamination control.
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
This approach significantly reduces the number of mold types needed, achieving consistent spherical aberration within a narrow range, thereby decreasing manufacturing complexity and costs while maintaining lens power precision.
Implementation Method 1
The liquid is then cured within the mold cavity
Data Source
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AI summary
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for forming an ophthalmic lens. An exemplary method includes providing a plurality of posterior tools each having a posterior optic defining surface and a plurality of anterior tools each having an anterior optic defining surface, wherein each one of the plurality of posterior tools has a different central posterior optic defining surface including a unique conic section. The method further includes selecting one of the plurality of posterior tools and one of the plurality of anterior tools based on a criteria, and forming a posterior mold by the selected one of the plurality of posterior tools and an anterior mold by the selected one of the plurality of anterior tools, the posterior mold and the anterior mold operable to form an ophthalmic lens having the criteria.