EYEGLASS LENS PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20140297016A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Tadamasa, TANAKA, Motoshi, OBAYASHI, Hirokatsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,475,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/109
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00932 Combined cutting and grinding thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00961 using microprocessors or computers

Abstract

An eyeglass lens processing apparatus includes a lens chuck unit that holds an eyeglass lens; a processing unit that has a processing tool to process the eyeglass lens held by the lens chuck unit; and an adjustment unit that adjusts a relative distance between the eyeglass lens and the processing tool. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus operates the processing unit and processes the eyeglass lens by operating the adjustment unit based on processing data. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus includes a check unit that checks whether or not the eyeglass lens is properly processed in a state where the eyeglass lens is held by the lens chuck unit.

Claims

1. An eyeglass lens processing apparatus configured to process an eyeglass lens based on processing data, comprising:

a lens chuck unit configured to hold the eyeglass lens;

a processing unit including a processing tool configured to process the eyeglass lens held by the lens chuck unit;

an adjustment unit configured to adjust a relative distance between the eyeglass lens and the processing tool;

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the eyeglass lens processing apparatus to function as;

a check unit configured to check whether or not the eyeglass lens is properly processed in a state where the eyeglass lens is held by the lens chuck unit.

2. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the eyeglass lens processing apparatus to function as:

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there is a malfunction in the processing unit based on a check result of the check unit.

3. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the eyeglass lens processing apparatus is configured to process a rim of the eyeglass lens by operating the processing unit,

wherein the check unit checks for the presence or absence of an unprocessed portion of the eyeglass lens in a region further away from a chuck shaft of the lens chuck unit than a processing path along which the rim of the eyeglass lens is to be processed based on the processing data, and

wherein the determination unit determines that there is a malfunction in the processing unit if the unprocessed portion is present.

4. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the check unit checks for the presence or absence of the unprocessed portion of the eyeglass lens only at one radius vector angle.

5. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the check unit checks for the presence or absence of the unprocessed portion of the eyeglass lens at a plurality of radius vector angles.

6. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the check unit calculates a check position of the eyeglass lens related to the radius vector angle based on the processing data.

7. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the eyeglass lens processing apparatus processes a whole circumference of the rim of the eyeglass lens by relatively moving at least one of the processing tool and the eyeglass lens along a processing path based on the processing data, and

wherein the check unit determines at least one check position based on a radius vector angle at a beginning of processing or an end of the processing in the processing path and checks for the presence or absence of the unprocessed portion at the determined check position.

8. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the eyeglass lens processing apparatus can process the rim of the eyeglass lens over 360 degrees in the whole circumference by at least any one of rotations of the lens chuck unit and movements of the processing tool, and

wherein the check unit acquires at least one of the radius vector angles of the eyeglass lens which is processed after the half of the circumference passes through based on the processing data and checks for the presence or absence of the unprocessed portion of the eyeglass lens at the acquired radius vector angle.

9. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the eyeglass lens processing apparatus processes the whole circumference of the rim of the eyeglass lens by relatively moving at least one of the processing tool and the eyeglass lens along the processing path, and

wherein the check unit determines the check position in the latter half of the circumference from the beginning of the processing or the end of the processing in the processing path.

10. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the check unit includes a calculator configured to calculate the check position of the eyeglass lens in a circumferential direction based on a diameter of the processing tool and a radius vector length of a target lens shape.

11. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the check unit includes a positional information measurement unit configured to measure at least one of front surface positional information and rear surface positional information of the eyeglass lens corresponding to target lens shape data,

wherein the check unit checks whether or not the eyeglass lens is properly processed based on a measurement result related to at least one of the front surface positional information and the rear surface positional information of the eyeglass lens.

12. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein after measuring at least one of the front surface positional information and the rear surface positional information of the eyeglass lens corresponding to the target lens shape data, the check unit sequentially checks whether or not the eyeglass lens is properly processed.

13. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein after measuring at least one of the front surface positional information and the rear surface positional information of the eyeglass lens corresponding to the target lens shape data in a chuck shaft direction of the lens chuck unit is completed over 360 degrees in the whole circumference, the check unit checks whether or not the eyeglass lens is properly processed at least at a measurement completion position where the measuring is completed.

14. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a notification unit configured to notify an operator of a determination result determined by the determination unit.

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

a target lens shape acquisition unit configured to acquire a target lens shape data of the eyeglass lens,

wherein the check unit includes a radius vector length measurement unit configured to measure a radius vector length which is a diameter of the eyeglass lens held by the lens chuck unit,

wherein the check unit determines that the eyeglass lens is not properly processed when the radius vector length of the processed eyeglass lens measured by the radius vector length measurement unit is different from a radius vector length estimated based on the target lens shape data.

16. An eyeglass lens processing system comprising:

a plurality of eyeglass lens processing apparatuses configured to process an eyeglass lens based on processing data, each of the plurality of eyeglass lens processing apparatuses comprising;

a lens chuck unit configured to hold the eyeglass lens;

a processing unit including a processing tool configured to process the eyeglass lens held by the lens chuck unit;

an adjustment unit configured to adjust a relative distance between the eyeglass lens and the processing tool;

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the eyeglass lens processing apparatus to function as;

a check unit configured to check whether or not the eyeglass lens is properly processed in a state where the eyeglass lens is held by the lens chuck unit,

a conveyer configured to convey the eyeglass lens to the plurality of eyeglass lens processing apparatus, and

a conveyer controller configured to control an operation of the conveyer, select one of the eyeglass lens processing apparatuses to which the eyeglass lens is conveyed based on a check result of the check unit, and controls conveying of the eyeglass lens.