Tray for use in manufacturing contact lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029430-B2
Application number	US-201715684960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A tray (20) for holding contact lens mold assemblies (70) during thermal curing of a contact lens precursor material in an oven (210) to form contact lenses. The tray (20) comprises a plurality of plates (60) and a frame (25) supporting the plates (60). The frame (25) is configured to be stacked vertically with a plurality of identical frames to form a tray stack (10). Each plate (60) is a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer plate and comprises a plurality of support structures (110) each arranged to support one contact lens mold assembly (70) during curing and a plurality of channels (90, 100) connecting the support structures (110), to allow gases to flow between them in the tray stack (10) during curing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tray for holding contact lens mold assemblies during thermal curing of a contact lens precursor material in an oven to form contact lenses, wherein the tray comprises:
(a) a plurality of plates; and
(b) a frame supporting the plates, the frame being configured to co-operate with identical frames so that a plurality of the trays can be stacked vertically to form a tray stack;

wherein each plate comprises:
(i) a plurality of support structures each arranged to support one contact lens mold assembly during curing; and
(ii) a plurality of channels connecting the support structures, to allow fluid communication between the support structures in the tray stack during curing;

and wherein each plate is a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer plate.

2. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , in which the carbon-fibre reinforced polymer is carbon-fibre reinforced polyamide or polyarylamide.

3. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , in which the carbon-fibre reinforced polymer is 25% to 35% carbon fibre.

4. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a plurality of plates in which each of the plurality of plates is joined horizontally with at least one other of the plurality of plates to form an extended plate.

5. A tray as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of plates comprises a first edge and a second edge, the first edge including projections that are complementary to projections on the second edge, so that two or more of the plurality of plates can be joined together to form the extended plate.

6. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , in which the support structure is configured to support the mold assemblies in a raised position.

7. A tray as claimed in claim 6 , in which the support structure comprises walls configured to support the mold assemblies in the raised position.

8. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , in which the plate includes a plurality of holes, with each hole positioned under the location of a mold assembly during use.

9. A tray as claimed in claim 8 , in which each hole has at its periphery a support structure, which may surround or substantially surround the hole.

10. A tray as claimed in claim 9 , in which each hole is round with a support structure in the form of one or more arcuate support walls around its periphery.

11. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , in which the channels are arranged to provide fluid communication between adjacent holes in the plate.

12. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , including one or more alignment devices, to ensure correct alignment of the frame with at least one frame immediately above or below it in the tray stack.

13. A tray as claimed in claim 1 , in which the frame includes crossbars that separate the plates and thereby provide a fluid communication path in the tray stack.

14. A stack of the trays as claimed in claim 1 , including a plurality of the contact lens mold assemblies.

15. A stack as claimed in claim 14 , loaded with mold assemblies on the support structures wherein mold assemblies do not extend to all of the edges of the tray.

16. A plate for use in a tray as claimed in claim 1 , the plate being a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer plate and comprising:
(i) a plurality of support structures each arranged to support one contact lens mold assembly during curing; and
(ii) a plurality of channels connecting the support structures, to allow fluid communication between the support structures in the tray stack during curing.

Assignees

• Coopervision Int Holding Co Lp

Inventors

• Gibson John Robert
• Payne Geoffrey Douglas Sydney

Classifications

• B29K2877/00

  Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as mould material · CPC title

• B29C35/02

  Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing {during moulding, e.g. in a mould}(cold vulcanisation B29C35/18 {; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601}) · CPC title

• B29D11/00134 Primary

  Curing of the contact lens material · CPC title

• B29D11/00182 Primary

  using carrier plates · CPC title

• B29C33/305

  Mounting of moulds or mould support plates (handling of moulds B29C31/006; mounting of moulds for injection moulding B29C45/1742) · CPC title