Contact lens dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724870-B2
Application number	US-202217580679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2022
Priority date	Jan 22, 2019
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Contact lens dispensers are provided including a pens dispenser having an interior and a dispensing end. A delivery screw is provided in the interior of the tubular housing. The delivery screw has a thread pitch and a plurality of contact lenses, one contact lens per pitch. Upon actuation of an actuator, each contact lens moves along the thread by a distance of one pitch and a single contact lens is dispensed from the dispensing end of the tubular housing. A case and disposable foil contact lens cartridge are also provided as a re a case and disposable contact lens foil spool, wherein actuation of push-buttons dispense contact lenses ready for immediate application onto an eye.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of dispensing a contact lens, said method comprising:
a) actuating an actuator of a contact lens dispenser to present a contact lens at the dispensing end of the tubular housing, wherein the contact lens dispenser comprises:
a tubular housing having an inner sidewall, an interior defined by the inner sidewall, and a dispensing end;
a delivery screw in the interior of the tubular housing and surrounded by the inner sidewall, the delivery screw comprising a thread having an outer edge and the delivery screw having an axis of rotation, the thread having a pitch, and the delivery screw mounted for rotation within the tubular housing about the axis of rotation, wherein the outer edge is in contact with the inner sidewall; and
the actuator configured to rotate the dispensing screw upon actuation of the actuator wherein a plurality of contact lenses is disposed in the interior, suspended in solution, on the thread, the contact lenses are each spaced apart from adjacent ones, along the thread, by the pitch, and the thread is configured to hold the contact lenses and the contact lens solution along the thread such that, upon actuation of the actuator, each of the contact lenses is moved along the thread by a distance of one pitch and a single contact lens is dispensed from the dispensing end of the tubular housing; and
b) touching the contact lens presented to a tip of a finger of a user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is disposed at an actuating end of the tubular housing, opposite the dispensing end.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said contact lens dispenser is further configured to prevent the dispensing of more than one contact lens from the dispensing end upon actuation of the actuator.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a rotatable knob.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thread of the dispensing screw has an outer diameter, the tubular housing has an inner diameter, and the outer diameter and the inner diameter are the same.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer edge of the thread fits snuggly against the inner sidewall.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the outer edge comprises of hydrophobic material.

Assignees

• Coopervision Int Ltd

Inventors

• Almond Sarah
• Ortiz Carlos
• Hunt Gary
• Nelson Mike
• Beard Russell
• Harkin Thomas
• Gavelle Pauline

Classifications

• B65D83/76

  for dispensing fluent contents by means of a piston · CPC title

• B65D83/761

  the piston being actuated by a screw-shaft · CPC title

• B65D83/768

  the piston or movable bottom being pulled upwards to dispense the contents · CPC title

• B65D83/775 Primary

  Containers comprising an internal rotating wing for expelling the contents · CPC title

• B65D83/764

  the piston cooperating with a screw-thread in the side wall of the container · CPC title