Gasket and mold assembly for producing plastic lenses

• US 6,698,708 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vision Dynamics LLC (New England Low Vision & Blindness)
• Original Assignee: Q2100, Inc.
• Inventors: Lossman, Loren C., Joel, Larry H., Powers, Galen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vargot, Mathieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/539,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 264/1.1, 264/2.5, 264/1.36, 264/1.38, 425/808, 249/82, 249/105, 249/119, 249/155
• US Class Current: 249/105
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/24 Feeding the material into the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/38 Heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/44 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00413 made by moulding between two mould parts which are not in direct contact with one another, e.g. comprising a seal between or on the edges B29D11/00019 - B29D11/00355, B29D11/00423, B29D11/00432 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00442 Curing the lens material
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00528 Consisting of two mould halves joined by an annular gasket
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2988 for protecting the lamp against abnormal operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/808 Lens mold

Abstract

An annular gasket may be configured to engage a mold set for forming a mold assembly. The gasket includes at least four discrete projections. The projections are preferably arranged upon inner surface such that they are substantially coplanar. The projections may be evenly spaced around the interior surface of the gasket.

Claims

1. A gasket configured to engage a first mold set for forming a first lens of a first power, the first mold set defining a mold cavity for receiving a lens forming composition, the gasket comprising at least four discrete projections for spacing mold members of the first mold set, wherein the projections are arranged on an interior surface of the gasket;

wherein the projections form an oblique angle with a steep axis and a flat axis of a mold member of the first mold set; and

wherein the gasket further comprises a fifth projection positioned such that the fifth projection contacts a mold member of the first mold set, and wherein the fifth projection extends into the mold cavity when the gasket engages the first mold set.

2. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the at least four discrete projections are evenly spaced around the interior surface of the gasket.

3. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the at least four discrete projections are spaced at about 90 degree increments around the interior surface of the gasket.

4. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the gasket is configured to engage a second mold set for forming a second lens of a second power.

5. The gasket of claim 1, further comprising a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is fully engaged to a mold set.

6. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the gasket comprises an interior surface and an exterior surface, and wherein the gasket further comprises a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is engaged to a mold set, and wherein the fill port extends from the interior surface of the gasket to the exterior surface.

7. The gasket of claim 1, wherein the fifth projection is positioned such that the projection contacts a first mold member of the first mold set during use, and wherein the gasket further comprises a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is engaged to a mold set, and wherein the fill port is positioned near a second mold member of the first mold set during use.

8. An assembly for making plastic prescription lenses, comprising:

a first mold set for forming a first lens of a first power, the first mold set comprising a first mold member and a second mold member;

a gasket for engaging the first mold set, the gasket comprising at least four discrete projections for spacing the front mold member from the back mold member and a fifth projection positioned such that the fifth projection contacts a mold member of the first mold set, wherein the fifth projection extends into the mold cavity when the gasket engages the first mold set;

wherein the second mold member comprises a steep axis and a flat axis, and wherein each of the at least four discrete projections forms an oblique angle with the steep axis and the flat axis of the second mold member; and

wherein the first mold member, the second mold member, and the gasket at least partially define a mold cavity for retaining a lens forming composition.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein each of the at least four discrete projections forms an about 45 degree angle with the steep axis and the flat axis of the second mold member.

10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the gasket is configured to engage a second mold set for forming a second lens of a second power.

11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the gasket further comprises a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is fully engaged to the mold set.

12. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the fifth projection is positioned such that the projection contacts the first mold member of the first mold set during use, and wherein the gasket further comprises a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is engaged to a mold set, and wherein the fill port is positioned near the second mold member of the first mold set during use.

13. A gasket configured to engage a first mold set for forming a first lens of a first power, the gasket comprising four discrete projections for spacing mold members of a mold set, wherein the projections form an oblique angle with a steep axis and a flat axis of a mold member of the first mold set;

and wherein the projections are arranged on an interior surface of the gasket and further comprising a fifth projection positioned such that the fifth projection contacts a mold member of the first mold set, wherein the fifth projection forms a groove in the lens during use; and

wherein the groove facilitates separation of the mold set.

14. The gasket of claim 13, wherein the four discrete projections are evenly spaced around the interior surface of the gasket.

15. The gasket of claim 13, wherein the four discrete projections are spaced at about 90 degree increments around the interior surface of the gasket.

16. The gasket of claim 13, wherein the gasket is configured to engage a second mold set for forming a second lens of a second power.

17. The gasket of claim 13, further comprising a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is fully engaged to a mold set.

18. The gasket of claim 13, wherein the gasket comprises an interior surface and an exterior surface, and further comprising a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is fully engaged to a mold set, wherein the fill port extends from the interior surface of the gasket to the exterior surface.

19. The gasket of claim 13, wherein the fifth projection is positioned such that the fifth projection contacts a first mold member of the first mold set during use, and wherein the gasket further comprises a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is engaged to a mold set, and wherein the fill port is positioned near a second mold member of the first mold set during use.

20. An assembly for making plastic prescription lenses, comprising:

a first mold set for forming a first lens of a first power, the first mold set comprising a first mold member and a second mold member;

a gasket for engaging the first mold set, the gasket comprising four discrete projections for spacing the front mold member from the back mold member and further comprising a fifth projection positioned such that the fifth projection contacts a mold member of the first mold set, wherein the fifth projection forms a groove in the lens during use, and wherein the groove facilitates separation of the mold assembly during use;

wherein the second mold member comprises a steep axis and a flat axis, and wherein each of the at least four discrete projections forms an oblique angle with the steep axis and the flat axis of the second mold member; and

wherein the first mold member, the second mold member, and the gasket at least partially define a mold cavity for retaining a lens forming composition.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein each of the four discrete projections forms an about 45 degree angle with the steep axis and the flat axis of the second mold member.

22. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the gasket is configured to engage a second mold set for forming a second lens of a second power.

23. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the gasket further comprises a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is fully engaged to the mold set.

24. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the fifth projection is positioned such that the fifth projection contacts a first mold member of the first mold set during use, and wherein the gasket further comprises a fill port for receiving a lens forming composition while the gasket is engaged to a mold set, and wherein the fill port is positioned near a second mold member of the first mold set during use.