Gripper for an ophthalmic lens and process for transporting an ophthalmic lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11059680-B2
Application number	US-201916662650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A gripper ( 1 ) for an ophthalmic lens comprises
a gripper head ( 14 ) having a bearing surface ( 140 ), the bearing surface ( 140 ) having at least one through-opening ( 14 ), the bearing surface ( 140 ) further having a separate detection through-opening ( 142 ) other than the at least one through-opening ( 141 ); a suction channel ( 170 ) arranged in an interior of the gripper, the suction channel ( 170 ) leading to the at least one through-opening ( 141 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ); an overpressure channel ( 130 ) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the overpressure channel ( 130 ) leading to the at least one through-opening ( 141 ); and a detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) leading to the separate detection through-opening ( 142 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ).

The detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) has a distal end which is arranged in the detection through-opening ( 142 ) in a fluid-tight manner, and the detection through-opening ( 142 ) is arranged in the center of the bearing surface ( 140 ) of the gripper.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Gripper ( 1 ) for an ophthalmic lens, in particular a contact lens such as a soft contact lens, the gripper comprising:
a gripper head ( 14 ) having a bearing surface ( 140 ), the bearing surface ( 140 ) having at least one through-opening ( 141 ) to which suction or overpressure can be applied, the bearing surface ( 140 ) further having a separate detection through-opening ( 142 ) other than the at least one through-opening ( 141 ), through which detection through-opening ( 142 ) a separate detection vacuum can be applied independent from the suction or overpressure that can be applied to the at least one through-opening ( 141 );
a suction channel ( 170 ) arranged in an interior of the gripper, the suction channel ( 170 ) leading to the at least one through-opening ( 141 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ) for applying suction from the interior of the gripper to the at least one through-opening ( 141 ) in order to suck the lens against the bearing surface ( 140 );
an overpressure channel ( 130 ) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the overpressure channel ( 130 ) leading to the at least one through-opening ( 141 ), for applying overpressure from the interior of the gripper to the at least one through-opening ( 141 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ) in order to release the lens from the bearing surface ( 140 ); and
a detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) leading to the separate detection through-opening ( 142 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ), the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) having a distal end which is arranged in the detection through-opening ( 142 ) in a fluid-tight manner in order to allow the detection vacuum to be applied through the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) to the detection through-opening ( 142 ) independent from the application of the suction or overpressure applied to the at least one through-opening ( 141 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ),
wherein the detection through-opening ( 142 ) is arranged in the center of the bearing surface ( 140 ) of the gripper.

2. Gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the gripper has a central longitudinal gripper axis ( 18 ), and wherein both the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) in the interior of the gripper and the detection through-opening ( 142 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ) are arranged coaxial with the central longitudinal gripper axis ( 18 ).

3. Gripper according to claim 2 , wherein the gripper further comprises, viewed from a proximal end of the gripper towards a distal end of the gripper
a mounting portion ( 10 ; 100 , 101 ) for mounting the gripper to a mounting support;
a manifold ( 11 ) attached to the mounting portion and comprising
a first inlet ( 111 ) for the supply of the suction, and a first supply channel ( 1111 ) extending between the first inlet ( 111 ) and a distal end of the first supply channel for supplying the suction in a fluid-tight manner to the distal end of the first supply channel ( 1111 ),
a second inlet ( 110 ) for the supply of overpressure, and a second supply channel ( 1101 ) extending between the second inlet ( 110 ) and a distal end of the second supply channel for supplying the overpressure in a fluid-tight manner to the distal end of the second supply channel ( 1101 ),
a third inlet ( 112 ) for the supply of the detection vacuum, and a third supply channel ( 1121 ) extending between the third inlet ( 112 ) and a distal end of the third supply channel for supplying the detection vacuum to the distal end of the third supply channel ( 1121 ), and
a connecting portion ( 113 ) at a distal end of the manifold ( 11 ), the connecting portion ( 113 ) having a connecting portion outer thread ( 1130 ),

a connection insert ( 12 ) comprising
a first connection channel connecting in a fluid-tight manner the distal end of the first supply channel ( 1111 ) to a proximal end of the suction channel arranged in the interior of the gripper,
a second connection channel connecting in a fluid-tight manner the distal end of the second supply channel ( 1101 ) to a proximal end of the overpressure channel arranged in the interior of the gripper, and
a third connection channel connecting in a fluid tight manner the distal end of the third supply channel ( 1121 ) to a proximal end of the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) arranged in the interior of the gripper;

a suction tube ( 17 ) coaxially arranged with the central longitudinal gripper axis ( 18 ) and surrounding the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) thus forming the suction channel ( 170 ) between the detection vacuum tube ( 16 ) and the suction tube ( 17 ), the distal end of the suction tube ( 17 ) being arranged axially spaced apart from an inner end of the detection through-opening ( 141 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ) by a predetermined distance ( 173 );
a hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ) coaxially arranged with the central longitudinal gripper axis ( 18 ) and surrounding the suction tube ( 17 ), thus forming the overpressure channel ( 130 ) between the suction tube ( 17 ) and the hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ), the hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ) at a proximal end thereof having an abutment flange ( 131 ) protruding radially outwardly from the hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ), and at a distal end thereof having a mounting portion ( 132 ) with a mounting portion outer thread ( 133 );
a hollow gripper head ( 14 ) at a distal end thereof having the bearing surface ( 140 ) with the at least one through-opening ( 141 ) and the detection through-opening ( 142 ), and at a proximal end thereof having an open end, with a gripper head inner thread ( 143 ) being provided on an inner wall at the proximal end of the hollow gripper head ( 14 ), the gripper head inner thread ( 142 ) being screwed onto the mounting portion outer thread ( 133 ) at the distal end of the gripper shaft ( 13 ) thus mounting the gripper head ( 14 ) to the gripper shaft ( 13 );
a union nut ( 15 ) comprising a distal nut portion ( 150 ) having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the gripper head ( 14 ) and larger than the outer diameter of the hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ) but smaller than an outer diameter of the abutment flange ( 131 ) that protrudes radially outwardly from the hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ), the union nut ( 15 ) further having a proximal nut portion ( 151 ) having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the abutment flange ( 131 ) that protrudes radially outwardly from the hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ), the proximal nut portion ( 151 ) having a union nut inner thread ( 153 ), the union nut inner thread ( 153 ) being screwed onto the connection portion outer thread ( 1130 ) of the connection portion ( 113 ) of the manifold ( 11 ), thus connecting the hollow gripper shaft ( 13 ) with the gripper head ( 14 ) mounted thereto to the manifold ( 11 ).

4. Gripper according to claim 3 , wherein to each of the first inlet ( 111 ), the second inlet ( 110 ) and the third inlet ( 112 ) of the manifold 11 a separate valve ( 1110 ; 1100 ; 1120 ) is connected.

5. Gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing surface ( 140 ) is a smooth surface which does not comprise any channels or grooves.

6. Gripper according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one through-opening ( 141 ) in the bearing surface ( 140 ) comprises a plurality of openings which are arranged in the bearing surface along a circle ( 1410 ; 1410 A; 1410 B).

7. Gripper according to claim 6 , wherein the circle ( 1410 ; 1410 A, 1410 B) has a diameter in the range of 5 mm to 10 mm, and in particular has a diameter of 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, or 10 mm.

8. Process for transporting an ophthalmic lens, in particular a contact lens such as a soft contact lens from a start location to a destination location, the

Assignees

• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Brinckmann Felix
• Schweizer Nils
• Cocora Gabriela
• Bayer Alexander

Classifications

• B65B35/18

  by suction-operated grippers · CPC title

• B65G47/91 Primary

  incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers · CPC title

• B25J15/0658

  Pneumatic type, e.g. air blast or overpressure · CPC title

• B65B35/38

  by suction-operated grippers · CPC title

• B29D11/0024 Primary

  using a vacuum suction gripper · CPC title