Optical Lens Centering Spindle Layout to Prevent Clamping Tilt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing centering machines for optical lenses with curved surfaces face issues such as transverse forces, tilting, and surface damage during the bell clamping process due to non-coaxial arrangements of lifting and rotary drives, leading to inaccurate alignment and potential surface marks.
Innovation Solution
A centering machine with coaxially arranged lifting and rotary drives on the centering spindle shafts, using a voice coil actuator and annular piston for precise alignment and clamping, along with air bearings to minimize transverse forces and ensure accurate axial alignment, preventing surface damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If non-coaxial arrangement of lifting and rotary drives is used, then device complexity is reduced, but transverse forces and tilting occur causing poor alignment precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by positioning the rotary drive coaxially with the lifting device rather than symmetrically or offset. This specific asymmetric arrangement along the axial direction eliminates transverse force components that would otherwise cause tilting and alignment errors during the bell clamping process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the contradiction by transitioning from a planar or offset arrangement to a three-dimensional coaxial arrangement. By aligning both drives along the same axial dimension, the system eliminates transverse force components while maintaining structural compactness, thereby improving alignment precision without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Volume of moving object
If non-coaxial arrangement is used, then space occupation is reduced, but heat buildup and surface damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The coaxial arrangement creates an asymmetric thermal pathway where heat generated by the rotary drive is naturally dissipated along the axial direction away from the workpiece surface, rather than being transmitted through transverse mechanical connections that would conduct heat directly to the clamping interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful thermal transmission path by separating the rotary drive's thermal field from the clamping interface through coaxial positioning. This allows heat to be managed independently through the spindle structure without affecting the workpiece surface, effectively removing the thermal harm source from the critical clamping zone.
3Manufacturing precision
If axial movement force is increased for better alignment, then alignment precision improves, but transverse forces increase causing tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by moving the rotary drive into the axial dimension (coaxial arrangement) rather than positioning it in the radial or transverse dimension. This spatial reconfiguration ensures that rotational forces are applied purely along the axial centerline, preventing transverse force components that would destabilize the spindle during alignment operations.
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 coaxial arrangement prevents transverse forces and heat buildup, ensuring precise axial alignment and minimizing surface damage, allowing for efficient and accurate edge machining of optical lenses.
Implementation Method 1
a voice coil actuator (electromagnetic lifting device) which cooperates with a permanent magnet to form a coaxial electromotor
Implementation Method 2
air bearings to minimize transverse forces and ensure accurate axial alignment
Data Source
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AI summary
A centering machine for optical lenses (L) comprises two centering spindles (22, 30) whose rotating driven centering spindle shafts (24, 34) are axially aligned with respect to a centering axis (C) and accommodate clamping bells (36, 38) at their ends, a lifting device (44) by means of which one centering spindle shaft can be axially moved relative to the other centering spindle shaft for aligning the lens between the clamping bells along the centering axis, a clamping device (50) for applying a clamping force to a centering spindle shaft to clamp the aligned lens, and at least one machining unit movable relative to the centering axis with a tool for edge machining of the clamped lens.In order to enable an optimized bell clamping process, a rotary drive (48) for the axially adjustable centering spindle shaft and the lifting device are arranged coaxially with respect to the centering axis, so that due to the arrangement of the rotary drive on the centering spindle shaft being centered with respect to the centering axis, only a torque about the centering axis can be generated without introducing a transverse force into the centering spindle shaft.