Eyeglass lens processing apparatus

• US 7,617,579 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: Natsume, Katsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cadugan; Erica E
• Application Number:
  US11/413,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20070015440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 29/26.A, 29/26.R, 29/28, 451/5, 451/7, 451/41, 451/42, 451/43, 451/54, 408/56, 408/61, 408/3
• US Class Current: 29/26.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 9/146 Accessories, e.g. lens mounting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/143 lens-drilling machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5107 Drilling and other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/511 Grinding attachment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/08 with means to regulate operation by use of templet, tape, card, or other replaceable information supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/46 including nozzle

Abstract

An eyeglass lens processing apparatus includes a lens holding unit for holding an eyeglass lens, a roughing tool, a finishing tool, a drilling tool, a processing water supply unit for applying processing water to a processed part of the lens held by the lens holding unit, and a controller for controlling driving operations of each of the processing tools and the processing water supply unit in order to execute roughing for the lens by the roughing tool without application of the processing water, drilling for the lens by the drilling tool without the application of the processing water after the roughing and finishing for the lens by the finishing tool with the application of the processing water after the drilling.

Claims

1. An eyeglass lens processing apparatus comprising:

a lens holding unit that holds an eyeglass lens;

a roughing tool;

a finishing tool;

a drilling tool;

a processing water supply unit that applies processing water to a processed part of the lens held by the lens holding unit; and

a controller that controls, in accordance with a program, driving operations of each of the tools and the processing water supply unit to execute roughing on the lens by the roughing tool without application of the processing water, drilling on the lens by the drilling tool without the application of the processing water after the roughing, and finishing on the lens by the finishing tool with the application of the processing water after the drilling.

2. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a chamfering tool,

wherein the controller controls the driving operations of each of the tools and the processing water supply unit to execute chamfering on the lens by the chamfering tool with the application of the processing water after the drilling.

3. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a material setting unit for setting a material of an eyeglass lens to be processed,

wherein, in the case that a polycarbonate material is set by the material setting unit, the controller controls the driving operations of each of the tools and the processing water supply unit to execute the roughing without the application of the processing water, the drilling without the application of the processing water after the roughing and the finishing with the application of the processing water after the drilling.

4. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a material setting unit for setting a material of an eyeglass lens to be processed,

wherein, the controller controls the driving operations of each of the tools and the processing water supply unit in order to execute the roughing without the application of the processing water, the drilling without the application of the processing water after the roughing, and the finishing with the application of the processing water after the drilling in the case that polycarbonate is set by the material input unit, and controls the driving operations of each of the tools and the processing water supply unit to execute the roughing with the application of the processing water, the drilling without the application of the processing water after the roughing, and the finishing with the application of the processing water after the drilling in the case that plastic other than the polycarbonate is set by the material setting unit.

5. The eyeglass lens processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drilling includes at least one of processing of forming a through hole on a refractive surface of the lens, processing of forming a non-through hole on the refractive surface of the lens, and processing of forming a semicircular hole on an edge of the lens.

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

a data input unit for inputting data on a target lens shape; and

a lens measuring unit for measuring a shape of the lens based on the data on the target lens shape,

wherein the controller controls a driving operation of the lens measuring unit to measure the shape of the lens after the roughing.