Lens inspection module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11499888-B2
Application number	US-202017021305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2020
Priority date	Sep 17, 2019
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A lens inspection module comprises:a lens insertion station, at least one lens inspection station, and a lens removal station as well as a closed-loop transportation rail,a cuvette transportation shuttle with a plurality of inspection cuvettes, anda self-driving cleaning shuttle for cleaning the rail.Cleaning shuttle comprises a driving unit a cleaning head, a suction unit, and a tube connecting cleaning head and suction unit. Cleaning head is spaced apart from suction unit and driving unit in the transportation direction and is pivotally arranged about a pivot axis. Cleaning head may comprise a distance sensor for detecting the distance between cleaning shuttle and transportation shuttle. Driving unit is configured to change the speed of the self-driving cleaning shuttle when the distance between the cleaning shuttle and the transportation shuttle is shorter than a predetermined threshold distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Lens inspection module ( 1 ) for the inspection of ophthalmic lenses, comprising:
a lens insertion station ( 10 ) for the insertion of the ophthalmic lenses to be inspected into inspection cuvettes,
at least one lens inspection station ( 11 , 12 ) for the inspection of the inserted ophthalmic lenses in the inspection cuvettes,
a lens removal station ( 13 ) for removal of the inspected ophthalmic lenses from the inspection cuvettes,
a closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) extending in a plane (X, Y), with the lens insertion station ( 10 ), the at least one lens inspection station ( 11 , 12 ) and the lens removal station ( 13 ) being arranged along the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ),
a cuvette transportation shuttle ( 5 ) arranged on the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ), the cuvette transportation shuttle ( 5 ) having a plurality of inspection cuvettes ( 2 ) arranged thereon, for transportation of the plurality of inspection cuvettes ( 2 ) in a transportation direction (T) along the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) from the lens insertion station ( 10 ) to the at least one lens inspection station ( 11 , 12 ), from there to the lens removal station ( 13 ), and back to the lens insertion station ( 10 ), and
a self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) for cleaning the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ), the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) being arranged on the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) and comprising a driving unit ( 70 ) for moving the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) along the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) in the transportation direction (T), and further comprising a cleaning head ( 71 ), a suction unit ( 72 ), and a tube ( 73 ) connecting the cleaning head ( 71 ) and the suction unit ( 72 ),
the cleaning head ( 71 ) being arranged spaced apart from the suction unit ( 72 ) and the driving unit ( 70 ) in the transportation direction (T), and being pivotally arranged about a pivot axis ( 710 ) extending perpendicular to the plane (X, Y) in which the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) extends, the cleaning head ( 71 ) comprising at least one suction opening ( 714 ) arranged to face the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) for removing debris from the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) and for transporting the debris to the suction unit ( 72 ) through the tube ( 73 ), wherein either the cleaning head ( 71 ) or the driving unit ( 72 ) or both comprise a distance sensor ( 711 ) for detecting the distance between the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) and the cuvette transportation shuttle ( 5 ), the distance sensor ( 711 ) being connected to the driving unit ( 70 ) for providing a signal to the driving unit ( 70 ) representing the distance between the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) and the cuvette transportation shuttle ( 5 ),

and wherein the driving unit ( 70 ) is configured to change the speed of the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) when the distance between the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) and the cuvette transportation shuttle ( 5 ) is shorter than a predetermined threshold distance.

2. Lens inspection module according to claim 1 , wherein the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) further comprises a platform ( 74 ) having a first end ( 741 ) and a second end ( 742 ), the first end ( 741 ) of the platform ( 741 ) being pivotally connected to the cleaning head ( 71 ) and the second end ( 742 ) of the platform being pivotally mounted to the driving unit ( 70 ).

3. Lens inspection module according to claim 1 , wherein the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) is arranged on the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) with the cleaning head ( 71 ) arranged at a leading end and with the driving unit ( 70 ) arranged at a trailing end of the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) when viewed in the transportation direction (T).

4. Lens inspection module according to claim 1 , wherein the tube ( 73 ) has a first end ( 731 ) and a second end ( 732 ), and wherein the first end ( 731 ) of the tube ( 73 ) is pivotally connected to the cleaning head ( 71 ) about an axis ( 730 ) which is parallel to the pivot axis ( 710 ) which the cleaning head ( 71 ) is pivotable about, and wherein the second end ( 732 ) of the tube ( 73 ) is fixedly connected to the suction unit ( 72 ).

5. Lens inspection module according to claim 3 , wherein the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 5 ) is arranged on the closed-loop transportation rail ( 6 ) such that the cleaning head ( 71 ) arranged at the leading end of the self-driving shuttle ( 7 ) is arranged behind a trailing end of the cuvette transportation shuttle ( 5 ), and wherein the distance sensor ( 711 ) for providing a signal to the driving unit ( 70 ) representing the distance between the self-driving cleaning shuttle ( 7 ) and the cuvette transportation shuttle ( 5 ) is arranged at a front end of the cleaning head ( 71 ).

Assignees

• Alcon Inc

Inventors

• Pfaff Bernhard
• Biel Roger
• Fechner Susanne
• Kessler Daniel

Classifications

• G01M11/0278

  Detecting defects of the object to be tested, e.g. scratches or dust (investigating the presence of flaws or contamination on materials by optical means G01N21/88) · CPC title

• G01M11/0207 Primary

  Details of measuring devices · CPC title

• B29D11/0098

  Inspecting lenses · CPC title

• G01M11/0214 Primary

  Details of devices holding the object to be tested · CPC title

• B08B5/04

  Cleaning by suction, with or without auxiliary action · CPC title