Method for handling a lens

• US 10,442,053 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision International GMBH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision International GMBH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Meschenmoser, Ralf, Puetz, Joerg, Schirle, Thomas, Kurz, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Mellott, James M
• Application Number:
  US15/208,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20160318147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/005 Spin coating
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/18 performed by dipping
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 13/005 Blocking means, chucks or the like; Alignment devices
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00884 Spin coating
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00942 where the lens material is mounted in a support for mounting onto a cutting device, e.g. a lathe, and where the support is of machinable material, e.g. plastics
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/24 Vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 Processes

Abstract

A carrier device (10) is for handling a lens (12) which is received therein and which has a lateral edge (21), in particular for handling an eyeglass lens (12) in a machining or finishing process. The carrier device (10) comprises a main body (14) and has a connecting member (24) for releasably connecting the main body (14) to the received lens (12). The connecting member (24) forms, with the main body (14), a protective cover (15) surrounding the lateral edge (21) of the received lens (12) and a surface (30) of the received lens (12) directed toward the main body (14). The connecting member (24) is releasably connected to the main body (14).

Claims

1. A method for finishing an eyeglass lens with a packaging system which includes a carrier device and the eyeglass lens accommodated thereon, the eyeglass lens having first and second lens surfaces and a lateral peripheral edge delimiting said first and second lens surfaces and defining an edge surface extending between said first and second lens surfaces;

the carrier device including;

a main body;

a singular annular connecting member directly contact engaging both said main body and said lens and being configured to releasably connect said main body to said lens;

said lens being accommodated in said carrier device so as to cause said first lens surface to face toward said main body and said second lens surface to face away from said main body;

said main body and said connecting member conjointly defining a protective cover surrounding said first lens surface thereof facing toward said main body;

said connecting member being in contact engagement with said edge surface when said lens is held in said carrier device; and

,

said connecting member being one of;

an adhesive tape placed around the lateral edge of the lens and a clamping ring engaging around the lateral edge of the lens;

the method comprising the step of;

moving said packaging system to a processing station configured as a coating station and coating said second lens surface in said coating station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing the adhesive tape or clamping ring and then inverting the eyeglass lens so as to cause the second surface thereof to face toward the main body and the first surface thereof to face away from the main body;

reapplying the adhesive tape or clamping ring to secure the eyeglass lens in place on the main body; and

,

moving said packaging system to a processing station configured as a coating station and coating said first surface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said coating is a hard lacquer coating.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there activating or conditioning said first surface in order to increase adhesion.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there providing an anti-reflection coating.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there providing an anti-reflection layer on said coating.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said anti-reflection layer is produced by means of chemical wet-coating or by means of physical vapor deposition.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there activating or conditioning said first surface in order to increase adhesion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said coating is a hard lacquer coating.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

removing the adhesive tape or clamping ring and then inverting the eyeglass lens so as to cause the second surface thereof to face toward the main body and the first surface thereof to face away from the main body;

reapplying the adhesive tape or clamping ring to secure the eyeglass lens in place on the main body; and

,

moving said packaging system to a processing station configured as a coating station and coating said first surface.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there activating or conditioning said second lens surface in order to increase adhesion prior to coating said second lens surface.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there activating or conditioning said second lens surface in order to increase adhesion prior to coating said second lens surface.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

removing the adhesive tape or clamping ring and then inverting the eyeglass lens so as to cause the second surface thereof to face toward the main body and the first surface thereof to face away from the main body;

reapplying the adhesive tape or clamping ring to secure the eyeglass lens in place on the main body; and

,

moving said packaging system to a processing station configured as a coating station and coating said first surface.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there providing an anti-reflection coating.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said anti-reflection layer is produced by means of chemical wet-coating or by means of physical vapor deposition.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of moving said packaging system to a processing station and there providing an anti-reflection layer on said coating.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said anti-reflection layer is produced by means of chemical wet-coating or by means of physical vapor deposition.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said eyeglass lens defines an axis perpendicular to said first and second lens surfaces;

and, said lens is accommodated in said carrier device so as to cause said first lens surface to be in spaced relationship to said main body measured along said axis.

19. A method for wet-coating an eyeglass lens with a processing system including a fluid container for holding the fluid for wet-coating the eyeglass lens and a packaging system which defines a rotational axis and includes a carrier device and the eyeglass lens accommodated thereon, the eyeglass lens having first and second lens surfaces and a lateral peripheral edge delimiting said first and second lens surfaces and defining an edge surface extending between said first and second lens surfaces;

the carrier device including;

a main body;

a singular annular connecting member directly contact engaging both said main body and said lens and being configured to releasably connect said main body to said lens;

said lens being accommodated in said carrier device so as to cause said first lens surface to face toward said main body and said second lens surface to face away from said main body;

said main body and said connecting member conjointly defining a protective cover surrounding said first lens surface thereof facing toward said main body;

said connecting member being in contact engagement with said edge surface when said lens is held in said carrier device;

said connecting member being one of;

an adhesive tape placed around the lateral edge of the lens and a clamping ring engaging around the lateral edge of the lens; and

,

said fluid container including a conduit having several nozzles for directing said fluid to said second lens surface;

the method comprising the following steps;

lowering said packaging system into said fluid container above said nozzles of said conduit and the surface of said fluid; and

,

moving fluid from said fluid container into said conduit and through said nozzles toward said second surface of said eyeglass lens while simultaneously rotating said packaging system about said rotational axis to drive said coating fluid under the effect of centrifugal force to the edge of the eyeglass lens thereby ensuring that the layer of fluid applied to the eyeglass lens adheres to said second surface with a uniform layer thickness.

20. A method for coating an eyeglass lens with a processing system including a vapor deposition system for vapor depositing a coating on the eyeglass lens and a packaging system which includes a carrier device and the eyeglass lens accommodated thereon, the eyeglass lens having first and second lens surfaces and a lateral peripheral edge delimiting said first and second lens surfaces and defining an edge surface extending between said first and second lens surfaces and each of said first and second lens surfaces defining a surface centroid;

the carrier device including;

a main body;

a singular annular connecting member directly contact engaging both said main body and said lens and being configured to releasably connect said main body to said lens;

said lens being accommodated in said carrier device so as to cause said first lens surface to face toward said main body and said second lens surface to face away from said main body;

said main body and said connecting member conjointly defining a protective cover surrounding said first lens surface thereof facing toward said main body;

said connecting member being in contact engagement with said edge surface when said lens is held in said carrier device;

said connecting member being one of;

an adhesive tape placed around the lateral edge of the lens and a clamping ring engaging around the lateral edge of the lens; and

,

said vapor deposition system including a calotte having an inner surface and a vapor deposition device for directing vaporized coating material to said second lens surface;

the method comprising the following steps;

attaching a plurality of said packaging systems to said inner surface of said calotte so as to cause the second lens surface to face toward said vapor deposition device;

adjusting said packing systems so as to cause the centroid of corresponding ones of said second lens surfaces to lie in an imaginary spherical surface concentric with said inner surface of said calotte; and

,

simultaneously vapor depositing said coating material onto said second lens surfaces of corresponding ones of said eyeglass lenses.

21. A method for wet-coating an eyeglass lens with a processing system for wet-coating the eyeglass lens with a fluid and a packaging system which defines a rotational axis and includes a carrier device and the eyeglass lens accommodated thereon, the eyeglass lens having first and second lens surfaces and a lateral peripheral edge delimiting said first and second lens surfaces and defining an edge surface extending between said first and second lens surfaces;

the carrier device including;

a main body;

a singular annular connecting member directly contact engaging both said main body and said lens and being configured to releasably connect said main body to said lens;

said lens having a vertex and being accommodated in said carrier device so as to cause said first lens surface to face toward said main body and said second lens surface to face away from said main body;

said main body and said connecting member conjointly defining a protective cover surrounding said first lens surface thereof facing toward said main body;

said connecting member being in contact engagement with said edge surface when said lens is held in said carrier device;

said connecting member being one of;

an adhesive tape placed around the lateral edge of the lens and a clamping ring engaging around the lateral edge of the lens; and

,

said processing system including a container defining a vertical axis and being configured for receiving and holding the fluid for wet-coating the second lens surface of said eyeglass lens and a circulating arrangement for circulating the fluid through said container;

the method comprising the following steps;

circulating the fluid through said container;

immersing said carrier device with said eyeglass lens obliquely into said fluid so as to cause said rotational axis and said vertical axis to conjointly define an angle β and

so as to cause the eyeglass lens to be immersed up to said vertex thereof; and

,

rotating said carrier device with said eyeglass lens about said rotational axis so as to drive said fluid under the effect of centrifugal force to the edge of the eyeglass lens.