Container for accommodating an ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9801445-B2
Application number	US-201615274079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A container ( 1 ) for accommodating an ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process has a longitudinal axis ( 11 ) and comprises as separate elements a containment element ( 2 ), a mounting element ( 3 ), and a retaining element ( 4 ). The containment element ( 2 ) comprises a tubular section ( 21 ) and a bottom ( 22 ) arranged at a distal end of the tubular section ( 21 ), the bottom ( 22 ) protruding convexly towards the outside at the distal end of the tubular section ( 21 ) and being provided with a number of apertures ( 23, 24 ), the tubular section ( 21 ) at a proximal end ( 25 ) thereof having a latch ( 26 ) protruding from the proximal end ( 25 ) of the tubular section ( 21 ) towards the mounting element ( 3 ). The mounting element ( 3 ) comprises a sidewall ( 31 ) extending along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ) of the container ( 1 ), the sidewall ( 31 ) being provided with recesses or orifices ( 32 ) which are in engagement with the latch ( 26 ) of the containment element ( 2 ). The mounting element ( 3 ) further comprises an access opening ( 37 ) arranged at a proximal end of the mounting element ( 3 ) remote from the containment element ( 2 ). The retaining element ( 4 ) is fixedly arranged in between the containment element ( 2 ) and the mounting element ( 3 ), the retaining element ( 4 ) being configured to prevent the ophthalmic lens from being washed out of the containment element ( 2 ) and to permit access for a gripper through the access opening ( 37 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) into the containment element ( 2 ) for insertion and removal of the ophthalmic lens.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Container ( 1 ) for accommodating an ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process, the container having a longitudinal axis ( 11 ) and comprising as separate elements a containment element ( 2 ), a mounting element ( 3 ), and a retaining element ( 4 ),
wherein the containment element ( 2 ) comprises a tubular section ( 21 ) and a bottom ( 22 ) arranged at a distal end of the tubular section ( 21 ), the bottom ( 22 ) protruding convexly towards the outside at the distal end of the tubular section ( 21 ) and being provided with a number of apertures ( 23 , 24 ) for enabling a free flow of a treatment liquid into and out of the containment element ( 2 ), the tubular section ( 21 ) at a proximal end ( 25 ) thereof having a latch ( 26 ) protruding from the proximal end ( 25 ) of the tubular section ( 21 ) towards the mounting element ( 3 ),
wherein the mounting element ( 3 ) comprises a sidewall ( 31 ) extending along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ) of the container ( 1 ), the sidewall ( 31 ) being provided with recesses or orifices ( 32 ) which are in engagement with the latch ( 26 ) of the containment element ( 2 ), and wherein the mounting element ( 3 ) further comprises an access opening ( 37 ) arranged at a proximal end of the mounting element ( 3 ),
wherein the retaining element ( 4 ) is fixedly arranged in between the containment element ( 2 ) and the mounting element ( 3 ), the retaining element ( 4 ) being configured to prevent the ophthalmic lens from being washed out of the containment element ( 2 ) and to permit access for a gripper through the access opening ( 37 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) into the containment element ( 2 ) for insertion and removal of the ophthalmic lens.

2. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting element ( 3 ) further comprises a plurality of elongated flow openings ( 34 ) arranged in the sidewall ( 31 ) for allowing a treatment liquid to flow into and out of an inner space ( 38 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ).

3. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the elongated flow openings ( 34 ) are tapering, towards a proximal end thereof.

4. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining element ( 4 ) comprises a through-hole ( 41 ) arranged in a circumferential portion of the retaining element ( 4 ), with the latch ( 26 ) of the containment element ( 2 ) extending through the through-hole ( 41 ) of the retaining element ( 4 ).

5. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting element ( 3 ) has at least one lug ( 33 ) protruding in longitudinal direction from a distal end of the mounting element ( 3 ) towards the proximal end ( 25 ) of the tubular section ( 21 ) of the containment element ( 2 ), and wherein the retaining element ( 4 ) has at least one indentation ( 42 ) arranged in a circumferential portion of the retaining element ( 4 ), with the at least one lug ( 33 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) engaging into the at least one indentation ( 42 ) of the retaining element ( 4 ).

6. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the retaining element ( 4 ) comprises a through-hole ( 41 ) arranged in a circumferential portion of the retaining element ( 4 ), with the latch ( 26 ) of the containment element ( 2 ) extending through the through-hole ( 41 ) of the retaining element ( 4 ).

7. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the mounting element ( 3 ) has at least one lug ( 33 ) protruding in longitudinal direction from a distal end of the mounting element ( 3 ) towards the proximal end ( 25 ) of the tubular section ( 21 ) of the containment element ( 2 ), and wherein the retaining element ( 4 ) has at least one indentation ( 42 ) arranged in a circumferential portion of the retaining element ( 4 ), with the at least one lug ( 33 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) engaging into the at least one indentation ( 42 ) of the retaining element ( 4 ).

8. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sidewall ( 31 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) extends along the longitudinal axis of the container ( 1 ) from the access opening ( 37 ) to the proximal end ( 25 ) of the tubular section ( 21 ) of the containment element ( 2 ) and defines an inner space ( 38 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) allowing for introduction of the containment element ( 2 ) of another such container ( 1 ) into the inner space ( 38 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) of the container ( 1 ) through the access opening ( 37 ).

9. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the sidewall ( 31 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) extends along the longitudinal axis of the container ( 1 ) from the access opening ( 37 ) to the proximal end ( 25 ) of the tubular section ( 21 ) of the containment element ( 2 ) and defines an inner space ( 38 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) allowing for introduction of the containment element ( 2 ) of another such container ( 1 ) into the inner space ( 38 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) of the container ( 1 ) through the access opening ( 37 ).

10. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the sidewall ( 31 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) is arranged to conically taper towards the distal end of the mounting element ( 3 ).

11. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting element ( 3 ) is provided with a flange ( 35 ) surrounding the access opening ( 37 ), the flange ( 35 ) having a square shape.

12. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the mounting element ( 3 ) is provided with a flange ( 35 ) surrounding the access opening ( 37 ), the flange ( 35 ) having a square shape.

13. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the sidewall ( 31 ) of the mounting element ( 3 ) is provided with at least one resilient locking tab ( 36 ) arranged beneath the flange ( 35 ).

14. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining element ( 4 ) comprises a diaphragm ( 40 ) having flexible fins ( 43 ) which extend from a circumferential portion of the retaining element ( 4 ) towards a center of the diaphragm ( 40 ), and wherein the flexible fins ( 43 ) are inclined towards the bottom ( 22 ) of the containment element ( 2 ) and are provided with fin through-holes ( 44 ) for enabling free passage of treatment liquid into and out of the containment element ( 2 ).

15. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the apertures ( 23 , 24 ) in the containment element ( 2 ) comprise bottom through-holes ( 23 ) and longitudinal slots ( 24 ), the longitudinal slots ( 24 ) extending from the bottom ( 22 ) into the tubular section ( 21 ) towards the proximal end of the tubular section ( 21 ) of the containment element ( 2 ).

16. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the apertures ( 23 , 24 ) in the containment element ( 2 ) comprise bottom through-holes ( 23 ) and longitudinal slots ( 24 ), the longitudinal slots ( 24 ) extending from the bottom ( 22 ) into the tubular section ( 21 ) towards the proximal end of the tubular section ( 21 ) of the containment element ( 2 ).

17. The container ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least on an inner surface of the bottom ( 22 ) of the containment element ( 2 ) the apertures ( 23 , 24 ) open out into the inner surface of the bottom ( 22 ) with rounded edges.

18. A transport carrier ( 5 ) comprising an elongated web ( 50 ) and two engagement portions ( 51 ) capable of engaging with a transport device, one of the two engagement portions ( 51 ) being arranged at one longitudinal end of the elongated web ( 50 ) and the other one of the two engagement portio

Assignees

• Novartis Ag

Inventors

• Beil Roger
• Struckmeier Katrin Sylke
• Bernard Jan
• Kopp Andrea

Classifications

• G02C13/008

  Devices specially adapted for cleaning contact lenses · CPC title

• A61L12/08

  using chemical substances · CPC title

• A61L12/086

  Container, accessories or devices therefor · CPC title

• B05C13/025

  relatively small cylindrical objects, e.g. cans, bottles · CPC title

• B05C3/10

  the articles being moved through the liquid or other fluent material (conveying articles through baths B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) · CPC title