Ophthalmic Lens Pair Processing for Mounting Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing process for mounting ophthalmic lenses in eyeglasses frames is inefficient, leading to inaccuracies, errors, and increased production costs due to the sequential processing of lenses, which can result in improper mounting and high handling risks, causing delays and damage to lenses.
Innovation Solution
An automated or assisted method and device that measures and processes pairs of lenses together, reconciling centering characteristics and geometrical data to confirm if the lenses can be properly mounted before cutting, allowing for simultaneous cutting and reducing handling errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If lenses are processed sequentially one at a time, then the processing steps are simple to manage, but the production time increases and handling errors occur more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lenses (typically a pair of eyeglass lenses) into a single processing unit or group. The measurement device measures multiple lenses simultaneously or in rapid succession, and the cutting device cuts multiple lenses in sequence without full repositioning between each lens. This merging approach reduces the total number of handling operations and measurement cycles, thereby decreasing production time while maintaining manageable system complexity through coordinated control of the processing steps.
2Productivity
If lenses are measured and cut immediately without full verification, then the production speed increases, but mounting inaccuracies and errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary measurement and verification step for multiple lenses before the actual cutting operation begins. The measurement device measures all lenses in the group first, determining their optical centers, axes, and other critical parameters. Only after all measurements are complete and verified does the control device initiate the cutting sequence. This preliminary action ensures that all necessary data is confirmed before material removal, preventing mounting errors while maintaining efficient production speed through batch processing.
3Ease of operation
If lenses are handled and repositioned multiple times during processing, then the processing flexibility increases, but the risk of lens damage and handling errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a continuous processing flow where lenses are measured and then cut in sequence without being removed from the processing station or subjected to intermediate handling steps. The measurement device completes measurements on all lenses in the group, and then the cutting device proceeds to cut each lens in turn, all while the lenses remain in the same positioned state. This continuous action eliminates interruptions and repositioning operations that could cause handling errors or lens damage, while the coordinated control maintains necessary processing flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Method of automatically preparing an ophthalmic lens for mounting, includes the following steps:automatically measuring centering characteristics of the lens;blocking the lens on cutting-out elements;feeling the lens; andcutting out the lens,wherein the lenses are treated together in pairs of lenses belonging to the same jobs, with the following consecutive steps being performed:measuring and feeling both lenses of the job; thenreconciling the detected centering characteristics and the feeler information for both lenses of the job taken together, so that as a function of the result of this reconciliation, the job is confirmed or refused, and then if the job is confirmed, cutting both lenses of the job to shape, or if the job is refused, stopping the preparation of the lenses of the job.