Holding assembly and transport arrangement for handling lenses and method for finishing lenses

• US 20080007849A1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision GMBH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision GMBH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Meschenmoser, Ralf, Littek, Martin, Weiss, Gerhard, Dangelmaier, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/819
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 13/02 for particular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/02 the work being immersed in the liquid or other fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/084 using adhesive means
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00009 Production of simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00432 Auxiliary operations, e.g. machines for filling the moulds B29D11/00125 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 11/12 Cooling, heating, or insulating the plunger, the mould, or the glass-pressing machine; cooling or heating of the glass in the mouldC03B9/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/50 Substrate holders
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/505 for rotation of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/025 using glue

Abstract

A holding device (1) holds a lens (6) at its lens edge (5) with the aid of an adhesive connection (16, 17). The adhesive connection (16, 17) is applied only at one adhesive point or only at two spaced apart adhesive points (16, 17). A transport arrangement handles lenses (6) during hard coating in a dip trough. The transport arrangement includes a dip frame with receptacles for holding devices for lenses (6). Each holding device (1) provided with a lens (6) is positioned on the dip frame in such a manner that the lens (6) is positioned above its holding device (1). A method is provided for finishing lenses (6) wherein the lenses (6) are subjected to various sequential finishing steps of a finishing process and the lenses (6) are cemented to the same holding device during finishing. The application of adhesive is only at one adhesive point or at two spaced apart adhesive points (16, 17). A turning arrangement for turning a holding device (1) holding a lens (6) at its lens edge (5) includes a turning tooth system associated with the holding device (1) and a translatorily movable turning element that coacts with the turning tooth system.

Claims

1. A holding assembly for holding a lens at the edge thereof, the holding assembly comprising:

a holding device for holding said lens;

said holding device including an adhesive connection for holding said lens at said edge thereof; and

,

said adhesive connection being provided at only one adhesive point or at only two adhesive points spaced from each other.

2. The holding assembly of claim 1, wherein said adhesive connection includes an adhesive element which can be cemented to said edge of said lens.

3. The holding assembly of claim 1, said holding device including first and second holding elements for attaching said two adhesive points, respectively, to said edge of said lens.

4. The holding assembly of claim 2, wherein said holding device includes said first and second holding elements configured as first and second holding arms arranged at an angle to each other;

and, said first and second holding arms have respective ends for attaching corresponding ones of said adhesive points to said edge of said lens.

5. The holding assembly of claim 4, wherein said adhesive connection is produced with a light curable adhesive.

6. The holding assembly of claim 5, wherein said holding arms each have light transmissive regions for passing light to cure said adhesive.

7. The holding assembly of claim 2, further comprising a turning arrangement coacting with said holding device to turn said lens.

8. The holding assembly of claim 7, wherein said turning arrangement includes a turning tooth system coacting with first and second holding elements to turn said lens.

9. The holding assembly of claim 8, further comprising a transport arrangement and an attachment unit for attaching said holding device to said transport arrangement.

10. The holding assembly of claim 9, wherein said attachment unit is a latching device.

11. The holding assembly of claim 9, further comprising means for preventing a rotation of said holding device relative to said transport arrangement.

12. The holding assembly of claim 2, wherein said holding device has a surface which is, at least in part, formed in the manner of an orange skin.

13. The holding assembly of claim 9, further comprising a holding element for holding said holding device on said transport arrangement.

14. The holding assembly of claim 13, wherein said holding element is configured for holding said holding device on said transport arrangement almost without contact.

15. The holding assembly of claim 14, wherein said holding element has an element made of a magnetizable material or a magnetic material;

and, said transport arrangement has a counterelement made of a magnetizable material or a magnetic material in order to hold said holding element with almost no contact.

16. A holding device for manipulating a lens having an edge, the holding device comprising:

at least one holding element which can be cemented to said edge of said lens; and

,

said holding device being cementable to said edge at one point or at two points spaced from each other.

17. A holding assembly for manipulating a lens having an edge, the holding assembly comprising:

a holding device including at least one holding element;

an adhesive element;

said holding element being cemented to said edge of said lens with said adhesive element; and

,

said holding device being cementable at one point or at two points separated from each other.

18. The holding assembly of claim 17, wherein said holding device is so configured that said holding device can be used to hold a lens at said edge thereof for a plurality of different diameters and geometric forms of lenses.

19. The holding assembly of claim 17, wherein said holding element has a rod shape and a bevel at the end thereof to be cemented to said edge.

20. The holding assembly of claim 17, wherein said holding device is suitable for manipulating said lens during the process of treating the surface of said lens.

21. The holding assembly of claim 17, wherein said holding element comprises a holding comb defining at least one receptacle and a holding rider pluggable into said receptacle;

and, said holding rider is cemented to said edge of said lens with said adhesive element.

22. The holding assembly of claim 21, wherein said receptacle is a first receptacle and said holding comb defines a second receptacle;

said holding rider is a first holding rider and said holding element further comprises a second holding rider;

said holding riders are pluggable into said receptacles, respectively, and have respective bores; and

, said holding assembly further comprises a gripper insertable into said bores.

23. The holding assembly of claim 17, wherein said holding element comprises a link chain having several links.

24. The holding assembly of claim 23, wherein said link chain has a plurality of bores;

and, said holding assembly comprises a gripper insertable into said bores.

25. The holding assembly of claim 23, wherein said adhesive element is assigned to one of the links of said link chain.

26. The holding assembly of claim 17, wherein said adhesive element is configured as an adhesive droplet or a double-sided adhesive band.

27. The holding assembly of claim 17, further comprising a coding associated with said holding device with said coding comprising a prescription.

28. The holding assembly of claim 27, wherein said coding is configured as a data matrix or a bar code.

29. The holding assembly of claim 27, wherein said coding is applied by stamping, impressing or by laser.

30. A transport arrangement for manipulating lenses during the application of a hard coating in a dip trough, the arrangement comprising:

a plurality of holding devices for holding corresponding ones of said lenses;

a dipping unit having a frame defining receiving members for receiving said holding devices thereon; and

,

said holding devices being arranged on said frame so as to cause each of said lenses to be disposed above and/or laterally of the holding device assigned thereto.

31. The transport arrangement of claim 30, wherein each of said holding devices comprises a holding comb defining at least one receptacle;

a holding rider pluggable into said receptacle; and

, an adhesive element for cementing said rider to the edge of the lens.

32. A method for finishing lenses wherein the lenses are subjected to different finishing steps of a finishing process in sequence, the method comprising the steps of:

cementing each of the lenses with adhesive to a corresponding one of a plurality of holding devices at one point or at two points separated from each other; and

,

exclusively utilizing the same ones of said holding devices throughout said finishing process.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein each of said holding devices comprises a holding comb defining at least one receptacle;

a holding rider pluggable into said receptacle; and

, an adhesive element for cementing said holding rider to the edge of the lens.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said finishing process includes the steps of washing, hard coating and tempering said lenses.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said finishing process includes the finishing step of applying an antireflection coating to said lenses.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said finishing process includes the finishing step of applying a dirt repellent coating to said lenses.

37. A turning arrangement for turning a lens having an edge, the turning arrangement comprising:

a holding device holding said lens at said edge thereof;

a turning tooth system operatively connected to said holding device; and

,

a translatorily movable turning element coacting with said turning tooth system to impart a turning movement to said holding device.

38. The turning arrangement of claim 37, wherein said turning tooth system has at least two teeth.

39. The turning arrangement of claim 37, wherein said turning tooth system includes an annular or ring-shaped holding plate having an outer periphery;

and, teeth formed in said plate at said outer periphery.

40. The turning arrangement of claim 37, wherein said turning element comprises a pin.

41. The turning arrangement of claim 40, further comprising a movable wagon or carriage and said pin being mounted on said movable wagon or carriage.