Carrier for carrying an ophthalmic lens during its treatment in a bath

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759126-B2
Application number	US-201815940245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2018
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A carrier for carrying an ophthalmic lens comprises:
a basket ( 10 ) comprising a basket wall defining a concave cavity for accommodating an ophthalmic lens ( 100 ), the basket further comprising at least three recesses ( 12 ) arranged in the basket wall at different locations along the circumference of the basket ( 10 ); and

a retainer ( 20 ) comprising at least three retainer arms ( 21 ) arranged in a star-shaped configuration corresponding to the arrangement of the recesses ( 12 ) along the circumference of the basket ( 10 ).

In an assembled state each retainer arm ( 21 ) of the retainer ( 20 ) engages with a corresponding one of the recesses ( 12 ) in the basket wall of the basket ( 10 ) to retain the ophthalmic lens ( 100 ) in the cavity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Carrier for carrying an ophthalmic lens, in particular a contact lens such as a soft contact lens, during its treatment in a bath, the carrier comprising:
a basket ( 10 ) comprising a basket wall defining a concave cavity for accommodating an ophthalmic lens ( 100 ), the basket ( 10 ) further comprising at least three recesses ( 12 ), said recesses ( 12 ) open toward a cavity defined by the basket wall and arranged in the basket wall at different locations along the circumference of the basket ( 10 ); and
a retainer ( 20 ) comprising at least three retainer arms ( 21 ) arranged in a star-shaped configuration corresponding to the arrangement of the recesses ( 12 ) along the circumference of the basket ( 10 ),
wherein in an assembled state each retainer arm ( 21 ) of the retainer ( 20 ) engages with a corresponding one of the recesses ( 12 ) in the basket wall of the basket ( 10 ) to retain the ophthalmic lens ( 100 ) in the cavity;
wherein the basket wall comprises at least three circumferentially arranged basket wall segments ( 11 ) defining the concave cavity,
wherein between adjacently arranged basket wall segments ( 11 ) of the at least three circumferentially arranged basket wall segments ( 11 ) one of the said recesses ( 12 ) is arranged, respectively,
wherein each basket wall segment ( 11 ) of the at least three basket wall segments comprises a U-shaped or C-shaped frame ( 13 , 14 ).

2. Carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the recesses ( 12 ) are continuous recesses extending through the basket wall.

3. Carrier according to claim 2 , wherein the retainer arms ( 21 ) extend radially outwards through the continuous recesses ( 12 ) in the basket wall.

4. Carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the recesses ( 12 ) are arranged to extend downwards from an upper rim of the basket wall.

5. Carrier according to claim 1 , wherein an open area percentage of the basket wall is at least 30%.

6. Carrier according to claim 1 , wherein each of the retainer arms ( 21 ) comprises a fin or a blade or a bar.

7. Carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the retainer arms ( 21 ) radially merge in a common central hub ( 22 ) of the retainer arms.

8. Carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the basket wall and each of the retainer arms ( 21 ) comprise a lens-contacting surface, and wherein the lens-contacting surface of the basket wall is larger than the sum of the lens-contacting surfaces of all retainer arms ( 21 ).

9. Carrier according to claim 8 , wherein the lens-contacting surface of the respective retainer arm ( 21 ) is convex.

10. Carrier array ( 40 ) for forming a plurality of carriers according to claim 1 , the carrier array ( 40 ) comprising a plurality of baskets ( 10 ) and a plurality of retainers ( 20 )
each basket ( 10 ) comprising a basket wall defining a concave cavity for accommodating an ophthalmic lens ( 100 ), the basket ( 10 ) further comprising at least three recesses ( 12 ) arranged in the basket wall at different locations along the circumference of the basket ( 10 ); and
each retainer ( 20 ) comprising at least three retainer arms ( 21 ) arranged in a star-shaped configuration corresponding to the arrangement of the recesses ( 12 ) along the circumference of the basket ( 10 ),
wherein a said retainer ( 20 ) is integrally formed with each basket ( 10 ) and is arranged on a side of the basket ( 10 ) opposite to the basket wall defining the concave cavity, and
wherein the baskets ( 10 ) and retainers ( 20 ) of the carrier array ( 40 ) are arranged in one or more rows or in a matrix configuration comprising rows and columns.

11. Carrier tray ( 30 ) comprising a frame ( 31 ) and one or more carrier arrays ( 40 ) according to claim 10 attached to the frame ( 31 ).

12. Carrier stack system ( 50 ) comprising a plurality of carrier trays ( 30 ) according to claim 11 arranged one above the other to form a stack, wherein with respect to two carrier trays ( 30 ) adjacently arranged in the stack the retainer arms ( 21 ) of the retainer ( 20 ) of an upper carrier tray of the two adjacently arranged carrier trays ( 30 ) engage with the recesses ( 12 ) in the basket wall of the basket ( 10 ) of the lower carrier tray of the two adjacently arranged carrier trays ( 30 ).

Assignees

• Novartis Ag
• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Stutz Michael
• Leibold Thomas
• Schmitt Jennifer
• Biel Roger
• Braun Matthias
• Struckmeier Katrin Sylke
• Waldern Michael Frederick
• Wilhelm Daniel

Classifications

• B29D11/0025 Primary

  Removing impurities from contact lenses, e.g. leaching · CPC title

• B29D11/0023

  Transferring contact lenses · CPC title

• B08B3/04

  Cleaning involving contact with liquid · CPC title

• B29C71/0009 Primary

  using liquids, e.g. solvents, swelling agents (spectacle cases, e.g. for cleaning contact lenses A45C11/04; disinfecting or sterilising contact lenses A61L12/00, using liquid substances A61L2/20; cleaning involving the use of liquid in general B08B3/00; for hydrating contact lenses B29D11/00067) · CPC title

• B29L2011/0016

  Lenses · CPC title