Injection molding process for rotationally asymmetric contact lens surfaces

• US 5,968,422 A
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Gabriel Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Vargot, Mathieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/095,703
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 264/1.1, 264/2.5, 264/219, 264/328.1, 425/542, 425/175, 425/808
• US Class Current: 264/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/26 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00019 with non-spherical faces, e.g. toric faces
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00125 Auxiliary operations, e.g. removing oxygen from the mould, conveying moulds from a storage to the production line in an inert atmosphere
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0048 Moulds for lenses moulds for plastic articles in general B29C33/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0041 Contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/808 Lens mold

Abstract

A method of injection molding contact lens molds for cast molding contact lenses having a rotationally asymmetric lens surface, and apparatus for carrying out the method, are disclosed.

Claims

1. An assembly for injection molding a contact lens mold comprising:

a first molding tool including a convex or concave first molding surface that is rotationally asymmetric and has an optical quality finish, said first molding surface for forming an optical surface on the contact lens mold,

a second molding tool including a concave or convex second molding surface that is rotationally asymmetric, said second molding surface for forming a surface of the contact lens mold which is opposed to said optical surface of the contact lens mold,

wherein the first and second molding tools are positioned in opposed relationship to form a space therebetween in a manner that the first and second molding surfaces are spaced substantially uniformly across their surfaces,

means for injecting a plastic resin into the space formed between the first and second molding surfaces to form the contact lens mold.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein spacing between the first and second molding surfaces varies no more than 0.2 mm across said surfaces.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein spacing between the first and second molding surfaces varies no more than 0.1 mm across said surfaces.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first molding tool includes a rotationally asymmetric, convex molding surface with an optical quality finish, and the second molding tool includes a concave molding surface that is rotationally asymmetric, said mold assembly for injection molding an anterior contact lens mold.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the second molding surface has concave curves approximating convex curves on the first molding surface.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the anterior contact lens mold has a mold cavity defining surface shaped to provide ballast to an anterior surface of a contact lens molded thereagainst.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the contact lens mold has a mold cavity defining surface for forming a toric contact lens surface molded thereagainst.

8. A method for injection molding a contact lens mold comprising:

providing a first molding tool including a convex molding surface, and a second molding tool including a concave molding surface, wherein one of said convex or concave molding surfaces has an optical quality finish and is rotationally asymmetric, said one molding surface for forming an optical surface on the contact lens mold, and the other of said convex or concave molding surface is rotationally asymmetric, said other molding surface for forming a surface of the contact lens mold which is opposed to the optical surface of the contact lens mold,

positioning the molding tools in opposed relationship to form a space therebetween, such that the respective molding surfaces are spaced substantially uniformly across their surfaces, and

injecting a plastic resin into the space formed between the molding surfaces to form the contact lens mold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first molding tool includes a rotationally asymmetric, convex molding surface with an optical quality finish, and the second molding tool includes a concave molding surface that is rotationally asymmetric, said mold assembly for injection molding an anterior contact lens mold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the anterior contact lens mold has a mold cavity defining surface shaped to provide ballast to an anterior surface of a contact lens molded thereagainst.

11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the contact lens mold has a mold cavity defining surface for forming a toric contact lens surface molded thereagainst.