Optical Surfacing Tool With Flexible Petal Collar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surfacing tools for optical surfaces, such as ophthalmic lenses and semiconductor substrates, face challenges in achieving high-quality finishes with minimal defects, particularly in adapting to varying curvatures and maintaining consistent contact over complex surface topographies.
Innovation Solution
The surfacing tool incorporates a flexible collar with subdivided petals, an elastically compressible interface, and flexible buffer with elastic return means in the form of curved strips, allowing for adaptive deformation and stabilization during the surfacing process, ensuring optimal contact and material removal across diverse surface altitudes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rigid support with a single flat surface is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to varying curvatures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is divided into multiple flexible petals that can independently deform to adapt to varying curvatures of the optical surface, while the rigid support maintains manufacturing precision through its segmented connection to the petals
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible collar composed of thin petal structures enables the tool to adapt to complex surface topographies while the rigid support with flat end surface maintains dimensional stability and manufacturing precision
2Adaptability or versatility
If elastic return means are added to provide adaptive deformation, then adaptability to varying curvatures is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible collar made of thin petal structures provides adaptive deformation capability without requiring complex elastic return mechanisms, achieving simplicity through material flexibility rather than mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The tool transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system where the flexible petals can continuously adjust their configuration to match the curvature of the optical surface being processed
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple flexible components are introduced, then adaptability to complex surface topographies is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation of the collar into multiple rigid petals connected to a rigid support maintains manufacturing precision while the segmented structure enables adaptation to complex surface topographies through controlled deformation of individual petals
Solution Approach 2:
The tool combines rigid support material with flexible petal material to create a composite structure that simultaneously achieves manufacturing precision from the rigid portion and adaptability to complex surfaces through the flexible portion
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 configuration enhances the tool's ability to achieve high-quality finishes with reduced defects by providing flexible, progressive, and continuous deformation, effectively handling surfaces with significant variations in curvature, such as those found in presbyopic, myopic, and astigmatic lenses.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically compressible interface connected to the rigid support... During the surfacing, the elastically compressible interface makes it possible to compensate for the difference in curvature between the end surface of the support for the tool and the optical surface
Implementation Method 2
elastic return means disposed between said rigid support and the peripheral part of said interface, the combination of said peripheral part of the buffer, of said peripheral part of the interface and of the elastic return means forming a means for stabilizing the tool during the surfacing
Data Source
AI summary
An optical-grade surfacing tool (101) is provided with a resilient return element (115) including a plurality of resiliently flexible strips (118) that transversely project from a rigid central mounting (104), each strip (118) having a distal portion (144) that engages by bearing directly upon a petal (134) of a flexible flange (131) that surrounds the rigid mounting (104). The distal portion is curved along a round loop such that the end (145) of each the strip (118) is rotated toward the rigid mounting (104).