Eyeglass lens processing apparatus

• US 20060240747A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugiura, Yoichi, Natsume, Katsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,322,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 451/5
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2215/40 Spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/12 Trimming or finishing edges, e.g. deburring welded corners
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 49/00 Measuring or gauging equipment for controlling the feed movement of the grinding tool or work; Arrangements of indicating or measuring equipment, e.g. for indicating the start of the grinding operation B24B33/06, B24B37/005 take precedence; if applicable to other machine tools, B23Q15/00 - B23Q17/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 9/14 of optical work, e.g. lenses, prisms control of the position of the tool for bevelling optical work B24B47/225
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/143 lens-drilling machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/50 Convertible metal working machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5114 Lathe and tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53865 with arm connecting engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/56245 including tool-guide [or bushing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/307728 including gantry-type cutter-carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/309576 Machine frame

Abstract

An eyeglass lens processing apparatus for processing a periphery of an eyeglass lens, the apparatus includes: a lens chuck shaft that holds and rotates the lens; an end mill that processes the periphery of the lens; an end mill tilting unit that varies a tilt of the end mill with respect to the lens chuck shaft; an end mill moving unit that relatively moves the end mill with respect to the lens held by the lens chuck shaft; a target lens shape input unit that inputs an target lens shape; a lens measuring unit that detects a position of a processing edge of the lens based on the input target lens shape; a memory that stores a beveling shape including a beveling tilt angle on a front surface side of the lens and a beveling tilt angle on a rear surface side of the lens; and a control unit that controls the end mill tilting unit and the end mill moving unit to perform a roughing process on the lens using the end mill based on the input target lens shape and to perform a beveling process on the roughing-processed lens using the end mill based on the detected position of the processing edge and the stored beveling shape.

Claims

1. An eyeglass lens processing apparatus for processing a periphery of an eyeglass lens, the apparatus comprising:

a lens chuck shaft that holds and rotates the lens;

an end mill that processes the periphery of the lens;

an end mill tilting unit that varies a tilt of the end mill with respect to the lens chuck shaft;

an end mill moving unit that relatively moves the end mill with respect to the lens held by the lens chuck shaft;

a target lens shape input unit that inputs an target lens shape;

a lens measuring unit that detects a position of a processing edge of the lens based on the input target lens shape;

a memory that stores a beveling shape including a beveling tilt angle on a front surface side of the lens and a beveling tilt angle on a rear surface side of the lens; and

a control unit that controls the end mill tilting unit and the end mill moving unit to perform a roughing process on the lens using the end mill based on the input target lens shape and to perform a beveling process on the roughing-processed lens using the end mill based on the detected position of the processing edge and the stored beveling shape.

2. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end mill is a plurality of end mills,

wherein the end mill tilting unit varies tilts of the end mills with respect to the lens chuck shaft, respectively, and

wherein the end mill moving unit relatively moves the end mills with respect to the lens held by the lens chuck shaft, respectively.

3. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the number of the end mills is two, and

wherein the control unit controls the end mill tilting unit and the end mill moving unit to perform the beveling process on the front surface side of the lens using one of the end mills and to perform the beveling process on the rear surface side of the lens using the other end mill.

4. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the end mill tilting unit and the end mill moving unit to perform the roughing process and the beveling process simultaneously using the plurality of end mills.

5. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores a chamfering shape including a chamfering tilt angle on the front surface side of the lens and a chamfering tilt angle on the rear surface side of the lens, and

wherein the control unit controls the end mill tilting unit and the end mill moving unit to perform a chamfering process on the roughing-processed lens using the end mill based on the detected position of the processing edge and the stored chamfering shape.

6. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a drilling tool that forms a hole through a refractive surface of the lens, the drilling tool being coaxial with the end mill; and

a hole position input unit that inputs a hole position,

wherein the control unit controls the end mill tilting unit and the end mill moving unit to drill the lens using the drilling tool based on the input hole position.

7. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the end mill serves as the drilling tool.