Methods and systems for coating eyeglass lens molds

• US 7,044,429 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Q2100, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Q2100, Inc.
• Inventors: Foreman, John T., Lattis, Matthew C., Powers, Galen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckenberg, Donald
• Application Number:
  US10/098,736
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 249/205, 425/162, 425/174.4, 425/808, 264/1.38
• US Class Current: 249/205
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00173 Conveying moulds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/808 Lens mold

Abstract

Systems and methods for storing, locating, identifying and coating eyeglass lens mold members for use in the production of eyeglass lenses are disclosed. An embodiment includes storing eyeglass lens mold members in a storage array. A plurality of indicators may be coupled to the storage array and associated with storage locations. A controller may be configured to select mold members, and to identify the locations of the mold members. A user may input mold member identifying information. The controller may activate indicators associated with determined storage location. A mold reader may be used to input the mold member identifying information. The mold reader may detect a light pattern formed by illumination of the identifying information and determine the identity of the mold member based on the light pattern. Additional embodiments relate to separating a cast lens from a lens mold. Such embodiments may include a clamping mechanism for elastically deforming the lens mold. The lens mold and lens may then be separated by applying a separating force.

Claims

1. An eyeglass mold member storage system, comprising:

a body comprising a plurality of mold member storage locations;

one or more shelves, wherein one or more of the shelves are angled between about 5 degrees and 15 degrees off of horizontal;

one or more indicators proximate one of more of the mold member storage locations, wherein at least one of the indicators is configured to produce a user detectable signal upon receipt of an activation signal; and

a plurality of mold members configured to be disposed within the plurality of mold member storage locations, wherein one or more of the mold members comprises an identifying mark.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to provide the activation signal to at least one of the indicators.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, the controller comprising an application specific integrated circuit, and wherein the controller is configured to provide the activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate at least one of the mold member storage locations.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive input from a user identifying at least one of the mold members;

determine at least one of the mold member storage locations associated with the mold member; and

send an activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate the mold member storage location associated with the mold member.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, the controller comprising a memory, and the controller is configured to:

receive input from a user identifying at least one of the mold members;

determine at least one of the mold member storage locations associated with the mold member; and

send an activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate the mold member storage location associated with the mold member; and

wherein the memory comprises data usable by the controller in determining the mold member storage location associated with the mold member.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive input, wherein the input comprises eyeglass lens information;

determine at least one of the mold members useable in forming an eyeglass lens based on the eyeglass lens information; and

send an activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate at least one of the mold member storage locations associated with the determined mold member.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, the controller comprising a computer, and wherein the controller is configured to provide the activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate at least one of the mold member storage locations.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive input from a user via a user input device, wherein the input from the user identifies one of the mold members, and wherein the user input device comprises at least one voice recognition device;

determine one of the mold member storage locations associated with the mold member; and

send an activation signal to one of the indicators proximate the mold member storage location associated with the mold member.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive input from a user via a user input device, wherein the input identifies at least one of the mold members, and wherein the user input device comprises one or more light based code readers;

determine at least one of the mold member storage locations associated with the mold member; and

send an activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate the mold member storage location associated with the mold member.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein one of the light base code readers comprises a light detection device and a light source, wherein the light detection device and light source are configured such that a portion of the light from the light source is directed toward at least one of the mold members to be read and another portion of the light is directed toward the light detection device.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive input from a user via a user input device, wherein the user input device comprises at least one keyboard, and wherein the input identifies at least one of the mold members;

determine at least one of the mold member storage locations associated with at the mold member; and

send an activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate the mold member storage location associated with the mold member.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive input identifying at least one of the mold members;

determine at least one of the mold member storage locations associated with the mold member;

send an activation signal to at least one of the indicators proximate the mold member storage location associated with the mold member;

receive input regarding the status of other mold members associated with the mold member storage locations; and

adjust inventory based on the received status.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold member storage locations comprises at least one separating device configured to inhibit adjacent mold members from touching one another when mold members are stored in the eyeglass mold member storage system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold member storage locations is configured to inhibit movement of mold members when mold members are stored in the eyeglass mold member storage system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold member storage locations comprises a plurality of separating devices.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect the removal of at least one of the mold members from at least one of the mold member storage locations.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold member storage locations comprises a dispensing end and wherein the mold member storage location is configured to move at least one of the mold members disposed within the mold member storage location toward the dispensing end.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the indicators comprises at least one light.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the indicators comprises at least one light, and wherein at least one light is configured to illuminate at least a portion of one of the mold member storage locations.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the indicators comprises an electromechanical indicator.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a multi-dimensional array of the mold member storage locations.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a plurality of chutes forming the mold member storage locations.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold member storage locations is designated for storage of the mold members having at least one property in common.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the mold members are configured to be arranged within the eyeglass mold member storage system according to frequency of use.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold members comprises a data code.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein a user detectable signal produced by a first indicator of the indicators is different from a user detectable signal produced by a second indicator of the indicators.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein a first indicator of the indicators is configured to produce a user detectable signal comprising a first color of light, and wherein a second indicator of the indicators is configured to produce a user detectable signal comprising a second color of light, the first color being different from the second color.

28. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one roll-back inhibitor coupled to at least one of the mold member storage locations, wherein at least one roll-back inhibitor is configured to inhibit at least one of the mold members from moving toward a loading end of the mold member storage location.

29. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of panels comprising mold member storage locations, and at least one end-panel on at least one end of the body, the end-panel comprising a plurality of openings that provide access to the mold member storage locations, and wherein at least two of the panels comprising the mold member storage locations are substantially maintained in a desired spaced relationship to one another by one or more spacers on a back side of the end-panel.

30. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one end-panel on at least one end of the body, wherein the end-panel comprises at least one circuit board comprising at least one indicator.

31. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one end-panel on at least one end of the body, wherein the end-panel comprises at least one circuit board comprising at least one indicator and at least one interface connector for coupling the indicator to a controller.

32. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of panels, wherein at least one of the panels comprises one or more support members, and wherein the body comprises one or more engaging members for engaging one or more of the support members.

33. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one work surface coupled to the body.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the mold members comprising an identifying mark further comprises a machine readable data code.

35. An eyeglass mold member storage system, comprising:

a body comprising a plurality of eyeglass mold member storage locations;

wherein the eyeglass mold member storage locations are configured to hold a plurality of mold members, and

wherein at least one of the mold member storage locations comprises a plurality of rocking cam members configured to use the weight of a first mold of the mold members to inhibit a second mold of the mold members from moving toward the first mold member.

36. An eyeglass mold member storage system, comprising:

a body comprising a plurality of eyeglass mold member storage locations;

wherein the eyeglass mold member storage locations are configured to hold a plurality of mold members, and

wherein at least one of the mold member storage locations comprises a dispensing end, the dispensing end comprising one or more mold member retaining devices, wherein at least one of the mold member retaining devices comprises a resilient member configured to reduce an exit opening size of the mold member storage location.

37. An eyeglass mold member storage system, comprising:

a body comprising a plurality of mold member storage locations;

a plurality of mold members configured to be disposed within the plurality of mold member storage locations, wherein at least one of the mold members comprises an identifying mark;

one or more indicators proximate at least one of the mold member storage locations, wherein at least one of the indicators comprises at least one light configured to produce a plurality of user detectable signals comprising different colors of light.