JP2006145929A - Plastic lens half color tinting method and machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a half color tinting method and machine of a plastic lens which can efficiently tint it in a desired color by moving the lens minimum up and down for the area desired to tint. <P>SOLUTION: The half color tinting method dips the lens in the liquid S in the dye tank 4 of a tinting machine 1 deep enough to dip the area desired to make color gradation on the surface of a lens L. The sequence control 31 calculates the speed and the pulse train the motor 21 moves up and down based on the basic density curve of the lens L and the inputted tinting information of the lens L, and outputs the calculated pulse train to the motor 21. It tints the lens L with a density gradation by making one round of the up and down movement of gradually pulling up the lens L from the liquid S. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a half dyeing method for dyeing a plastic lens having a density gradient, and a dyeing apparatus.

  In recent years, plastic lenses are the mainstream for spectacle lenses, and plastic lenses can make fashionable lenses rich in color change due to their excellent dyeability. In particular, a half-stained lens (also called a blur lens or a gradation lens) in which a density gradient is continuously formed and dyed has high fashionability and high added value. Against this background, a technique for stably coloring a wide variety of plastic lenses is required.

  By the way, the principle of the blur dyeing method for producing a half dyed lens is to give a continuous dye density gradient to the lens surface by changing the immersion time and changing the immersion position. Such a dyeing method for plastic lenses includes a dyeing bath, a device for adjusting the temperature of the dyeing solution in the dyeing bath, and a device for dipping in the dyeing solution while holding the lens to be dyed. Used.

As such a staining apparatus, a staining apparatus capable of staining with a concentration gradient by repeating up and down movements of two types of large and small amplitudes in the same cycle is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).
In addition, a staining apparatus is disclosed that can perform staining with a concentration gradient by repeating vertical movement of a small period and vertical movement of a large period (see Patent Document 2).

JP 58-43427 A JP-A-63-36220

  However, the dyeing devices described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are both dyeing devices that impart a density gradient by repeating the up-and-down movement of the lens. Other than that, wasted time has occurred. Specifically, when the vehicle rises or descends, or rises from the descent, standby time is required to switch to each direction, and wasteful standby time is accumulated every time the vertical movement is repeated. In addition, since the same vertical movement is performed for all lenses having different lens diameters, in the case of a lens having a small lens diameter, it continues to move up and down even when there is no lens. Inefficiency is occurring.

  In any dyeing apparatus, since the vertical movement is repeated, it is difficult to dye the lens to a predetermined color tone because the temperature of the lens surface fluctuates with time. Such a phenomenon appears particularly prominently in half dyeing (gradation dyeing).

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a plastic lens that can be efficiently dyed to a predetermined color tone by a minimum vertical movement of only a portion to be dyed of the plastic lens to be dyed. An object is to provide a half dyeing method and a dyeing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has been completed based on the knowledge that if the actuator is finely controlled so as to follow the basic concentration gradient curve of half staining, half staining of the target concentration gradient curve can be obtained. It is.

  That is, the half dyeing method of the plastic lens of the present invention is a one-time reciprocation in which the plastic lens is half dyed by immersing the surface of the plastic lens in a staining solution to a portion where a concentration gradient is to be applied, and pulling up from the staining solution. The plastic lens is dyed with a density gradient by moving up and down.

  According to this, by immersing the dye lens up to the portion where the concentration gradient is applied to the surface of the plastic lens and pulling it up from the dye solution, it is possible to move the dyeing apparatus unnecessarily by moving it up and down once. Efficient half dyeing can be performed, and temperature variation on the lens surface is small, and half dyeing can be performed to a predetermined color tone for the lens.

  Further, the plastic lens dyeing device of the present invention is a plastic lens dyeing device, and includes a vertically moving means for immersing the dye lens in a dye solution up to a portion giving a concentration gradient to the surface of the plastic lens and pulling it up from the dye solution. And the vertical movement means includes an actuator controlled by a programmable sequencer.

  According to this, the staining apparatus is provided with the vertical movement means for immersing the dye lens to the portion that gives the concentration gradient to the surface of the plastic lens and pulling it up from the staining liquid, and the vertical movement means is controlled by the programmable sequencer. Thus, by changing the control program stored in the programmable sequencer, it is possible to cope with half dyeing of various plastic lenses.

  Further, in the plastic lens dyeing apparatus of the present invention, the programmable sequencer moves the actuator up and down based on the basic density gradient curve of the plastic lens to be dyed and the dyeing information of the plastic lens to be inputted. And a pulse train in which the actuator moves up and down is output to the actuator.

  According to this, the programmable sequencer of the dyeing device calculates the moving speed at which the actuator moves up and down based on the basic density gradient curve of the plastic lens to be dyed and the dyeing information of the plastic lens that is input, and the actuator moves up and down. By outputting the pulse train to the actuator, half staining of the target concentration gradient curve along the basic concentration gradient curve of staining can be obtained, and the staining information of the plastic lens can be input to the programmable sequencer to It can easily cope with dyeing.

In the plastic lens dyeing device of the present invention, the actuator is a servo motor or a stepping motor.
According to this, since the actuator of the vertical movement means is a servo motor or a stepping motor, the plastic lens to be dyed can be finely moved up and down. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain half staining of a target density gradient curve along the basic density gradient curve of staining, and to obtain half staining of a density gradient without the locus of movement of the actuator on the staining surface.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the staining apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a graph showing an example of a basic density gradient curve of a lens to be half-stained, and FIG. 3 is a basic density gradient curve of a lens to be half-stained. It is a graph which shows an example of a movement transition diagram of a motor. The basic density gradient curves in FIGS. 2 and 3 are graphs of the staining density on the stained surface passing through the center of the lens in the staining direction of the half-stained lens.

First, the configuration of the staining apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
The staining apparatus 1 includes an operation unit 2 that performs staining of a plastic lens (hereinafter referred to as a lens), a control unit 3 that controls the operation of the operation unit 2, and a dyeing tub 4 that stores a staining solution S. .
In the operation unit 2, a motor 21 as an actuator, a timing pulley 22, and a slide guide rail 23 are disposed in a housing 20.

The motor 21 is, for example, a stepping motor, is fixed to the housing 20 so as to be rotatable, and is rotated by a control signal output from the control unit 3 described later. A timing pulley 24 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 21. The rotation of the motor 21 can be rotated forward and backward by a control signal input from the control unit 3.
The timing pulley 22 is pivotally attached to the housing 20 at a lower position that is a predetermined distance away from the rotation axis of the motor 21 disposed in the housing 20. A timing belt 25 is belted between the timing pulley 22 and the timing pulley 24, and the timing belt 25 reciprocates on the timing pulleys 22 and 24 by the rotation of the motor 21.

  The slide guide rail 23 is fixed to a timing belt 25 (timing pulley 22 and timing pulley 24) disposed on the housing 20 in a position juxtaposed substantially in parallel. A slide guide 26 is slidably mounted on the slide guide rail 23.

  The slide guide 26 includes an attachment 27 for attaching and fixing a support 28 that holds the lens L to be dyed, and is fixed to the timing belt 25. The slide guide 26 moves the slide guide rail 23 up and down in synchronization with the vertical movement of the timing belt 25 by the rotation of the motor 21. Note that both ends of the slide guide rail 23 are provided with stoppers ST <b> 1 and ST <b> 2 that regulate the movement range of the slide guide 26. The stoppers ST1 and ST2 are attached to predetermined positions inside the rotation shafts of the timing pulleys 22 and 24, respectively, and limit the range of vertical movement of the slide guide 26, thereby causing the motor 21 to run out of control and a lens described later. The holder 5 (lens L) is prevented from falling.

  The fixture 27 provided in the slide guide 26 has one end of a rod-like support 28 attached to the tip of an arm extending from the main body of the slide guide 26 in a direction perpendicular to the slide guide rail 23 (timing belt 25). The other end of the slide guide rail 23 (that is, the timing belt 25) is attached substantially in parallel with the other end in the vertical direction.

The support 28 is provided with a hook at the tip of the other end of the rod-like shape, and the lens holder 5 that holds the lens L vertically is attached to the hook so as to be removable in the vertical direction.
The operation unit 2 configured as described above is the vertical movement means.

The control unit 3 includes a sequence control unit 31 and an operation unit 32.
The sequence control unit 31 is a so-called programmable sequencer (that is, PLC (Programmable Logic Controller)), a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that calculates and controls the number of pulses for driving the motor 21 and a moving speed, and a basic concentration of staining. It comprises a ROM that stores gradient curves and various control programs, a memory such as a RAM that temporarily stores staining data of lenses to be stained, an input unit, an output unit, and the like.

  The operation unit 32 is composed of, for example, a digital switch, and operates the digital switch to input dyeing information (dyeing time, lens outer diameter, product type) of the lens L to be dyed, or input operation (start) of the operation unit 2 , Stop, or move up and down). The sequence control unit 31 (output unit) and the operation unit 2 (motor 21), the sequence control unit 31 (input unit) and the operation unit 32 are electrically connected via a connection cable, and control signals and the like are mutually connected. I / O is performed.

  The dyeing tub 4 containing the staining liquid S is arranged in a lower direction of the support tool 28 of the operation unit 2, and the lens held by the lens holder 5 attached to the support tool 28 when the operation unit 2 operates. L can move between a position where it is submerged in the staining liquid S and a position away from the liquid surface.

Next, a half dyeing method using the dyeing apparatus 1 will be described.
The half dyeing method of the present embodiment moves the lens L to be dyed up and down in the dye solution S by finely controlling the rotation of the motor 21 as an actuator so as to follow the target basic concentration gradient curve. Thus, half staining along the target basic concentration gradient curve is obtained on the stained surface. That is, the motor 21 is arranged so as to follow the data (that is, the basic density gradient curve) obtained by measuring and grasping the relationship of the density of the dyed lens L with respect to the time for immersing the lens L in the dyeing solution S accommodated in the dye bath 4. Half dyeing is performed by controlling the speed.

  However, since the density gradient curve is not a straight line like the basic density gradient curve α of the lens shown in FIG. 2, the basic density gradient curve α is divided into almost straight sections, for example, 10 sections a to j. By controlling the motor 21 in each divided section at a constant speed, a predetermined concentration gradient curve which is almost aimed can be obtained. As for the division of the straight section, if it is divided finely, the restoration property for the basic concentration gradient curve is improved. However, since the control becomes complicated, it is preferable to divide the section into 10 to 15 as a practical division. Further, the resolution of the amount (distance) by which the motor 21 (lens L to be dyed) moves is set to about 0.05 mm as a level at which the locus of movement of the motor 21 on the dyed surface of the lens L cannot be visually discerned. Is preferred.

Next, the operation of the staining apparatus 1 that performs half staining on the lens L will be described.
First, the lens L to be dyed is attached to the lens holder 5 in a predetermined direction for dyeing. Then, the lens holder 5 to which the lens L is attached is hooked on the hook at the tip of the support tool 28.

  Then, the staining data (staining density, lens outer diameter, product type) of the lens L to be dyed is input by operating the digital switch of the operation unit 32. Then, the digital switch (up / down movement switch) of the operation unit 32 is operated to move (lower) the lens L from the start position to the level of the staining solution S stored in the dyeing tub 4. The lowering position of the lens L moves to a position where the lens portion to be dyed is in the liquid S. Then, the digital switch (start switch) of the operation unit 32 is operated. The staining density input as staining data indicates the density at a position 10 mm away from the geometric center of the lens on the dark staining change side of the half staining.

  When the start switch is operated, the sequence control unit 31 detects that the start switch has been operated. Then, in the CPU of the sequence control unit 31, the lens staining data (staining density, lens outer diameter, product type) previously input from the operation unit 32, and the basic density gradient curve of the corresponding product stored in advance in the ROM. From α, the basic concentration gradient curve α is divided into, for example, 10 sections, and the number of pulses output to the motor 21 (ie, movement amount) and the movement (rise) speed are calculated for each divided section. To do.

  When the lens L having a lens diameter of 60 mm is subjected to half staining of a stained portion 47 mm (non-stained portion 13 mm), it corresponds to certain staining data (concentration 10%, outer diameter φ80 mm, product type) and product type. Calculated on the basis of the basic concentration gradient curve α (the same as the basic concentration gradient curve shown in FIG. 2), and the number of pulses (that is, movement amount) input from the sequence control unit 31 to the motor 21 and the calculation result of the movement speed Is shown in Table 1. FIG. 3 shows a movement transition diagram of the motor 21 and a graph showing the basic density gradient curve α of the lens. The moving speed in Table 1 is indicated by the number of pulses per second.

  In the movement transition diagram shown in FIG. 3, the basic concentration gradient curve α is divided into 10 sections a to j. The horizontal axis indicates the movement amount for each section, and the vertical axis indicates the movement speed for each section. Regarding the movement amount of the section a, when the outer diameter of the lens L to be dyed is smaller than the outer diameter of the maximum lens LL (the maximum outer diameter of a general spectacle lens is φ80 mm), A calculation in consideration of the outer diameter dimension is performed in the sequence control unit 31 so that the movement amount is shortened according to the outer diameter.

  Since the outer diameter of the lens L shown in FIG. 3 is smaller than the outer diameter of the maximum lens LL, the distance between the outer diameter of the lens L to be dyed and the outer diameter of the maximum lens LL (that is, the section a) is constant. Since the concentration is sufficient, the motor 21 is controlled at a constant speed. The basic concentration gradient curve α is set for each product in advance and stored in the ROM of the sequence control unit 31. The number of pulses (pulse train) input to the motor 21 and the moving speed are calculated based on the input staining data each time a different lens L is stained.

そして、シーケンス制御部３１のＣＰＵにおいて演算されたパルス列の制御信号は、出力部を介して動作部２（モーター２１）に出力される。そして、モーター２１は、シーケンス制御部３１から入力されたパルス列に従って回動する。そして、モーター２１の回動と共に、動作部２の上下移動により、レンズ保持具５に取り付けられたレンズＬが上下移動（上昇）して、レンズＬに所定のハーフ染色が行われる。

The pulse train control signal calculated by the CPU of the sequence control unit 31 is output to the operation unit 2 (motor 21) via the output unit. The motor 21 rotates according to the pulse train input from the sequence control unit 31. As the motor 21 rotates, the lens L attached to the lens holder 5 moves up and down by the vertical movement of the operation unit 2, and predetermined half-staining is performed on the lens L.

  When the predetermined dyeing movement of the lens L is completed, the motor 21 moves (rises) to the start position (position away from the dyeing tub 4). Then, a warning (buzzer sound) informing the end of dyeing is issued from a buzzer (not shown), and the half dyeing of the lens L is finished.

Next, the operation of the mechanism in which the motor 21 rotates (forward / reverse rotation) and is transmitted to the lens L held by the lens holder 5 will be described.
When the motor 21 is rotated, the timing pulley 24 fixed to the motor 21 is rotated in synchronization with the motor 21, and the timing belt 25 belted between the timing pulley 24 and the timing pulley 22 is connected to the timing pulley 22, 24 reciprocates.

  When the timing belt 25 reciprocates, the slide guide 26 fixed to the timing belt 25 is synchronized with the reciprocation of the timing belt 25 on the slide guide rail 23 fixed in parallel with the timing belt 25. Then, it moves up and down (up and down). At the same time, the fixture 27 configured integrally with the slide guide 26 and the support fixture 28 attached to the fixture 27 move up and down in synchronization with the reciprocation of the timing belt 25. Accordingly, the lens holder 5 hooked on the hook at the tip of the support tool 28 and the lens L held by the lens holder 5 move up and down.

  Thus, the rotation of the motor 21 is smoothly transmitted to the lens L, and the lens L can move up and down in the dyeing tub 4. It should be noted that the ratio of the distance that the motor 21 moves (that is, the amount of movement per pulse) to the distance that the final lens L moves needs to consider the pulley diameters of the timing pulleys 24 and 22 so that they can be easily calculated. In the present embodiment, the distance that the lens L moves with respect to one pulse input from the control unit 3 (sequence control unit 31) to the motor 21 is set to 0.05 mm, for example.

  As described above, according to the plastic lens half dyeing method and the dyeing device of the present invention, the portion of the lens L to be dyed is moved up and down by one reciprocation, thereby eliminating unnecessary movement of the dyeing device. Efficient half-staining. Further, by inputting the dyeing information of the plastic lens to be dyed to the sequence control unit 31, the vertical movement of the dyeing device 1 is controlled, and the half-staining of the target density gradient curve along the basic density gradient curve of the plastic lens is performed. can get. Further, by changing the program stored in the sequence control unit 31, it is possible to flexibly deal with changes in specifications such as adding product types, and easily deal with half-dying of various plastic lenses.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the motor 21 made of a stepping motor is used as the actuator has been described. However, even when the motor 21 is composed of a servo motor, a similar motor operation is obtained, and the lens L to be half-stained is obtained. The same dyeing performance can be obtained.

  Further, in the dyeing operation of the dyeing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the lens portion where the lens L is dyed from the start position is in the dye solution S by operating the digital switch (vertical movement switch) of the operation unit 32. Although the lens L is half-dyed when the digital switch (start switch) of the operation unit 32 is operated and the operation unit 2 is gradually raised after moving to the position, the following dyeing method is used. Even if it exists, the same half dyeing is obtained.

The digital switch (up / down movement switch) of the operation unit 32 is operated to move (lower) the lens L from the start position to the liquid level of the staining solution S accommodated in the dyeing tub 4, and the digital switch ( By operating the start switch), the operation unit 2 is actuated based on the control signal from the sequence control unit 31 and gradually descends to a position where the lens portion dyed by the lens L is in the staining solution S. Then, it rises rapidly to the start position and is half-stained. The operation of the operation unit 2 is performed by changing or adding a control program of the sequence control unit 31 (ROM).
Note that these two different methods of moving the lens L up and down are selectively used depending on the type (material) of the lens L to be dyed or the staining agent added to the staining solution.

  Further, when the lens L is half-stained, the digital switch of the operation unit 32 of the staining apparatus 1 is operated to move (lower) the lens L from the start position to the position where staining is started by a so-called manual operation. The case where half-staining is performed by operating the digital switch (start switch) of the operation unit 32 has been described.

  As the dyeing data of the lens L to be dyed, a program in which the lens distance (dimension) of the portion not to be dyed is added as a setting item, and the digital switch (start switch) of the operation unit 32 is operated, whereby the lens L is moved to the start position. Then, after automatically moving (lowering) to a position where dyeing is started, the lens L may be moved (raised or lowered) to perform predetermined half-staining.

The conceptual diagram of the dyeing | staining apparatus of this invention. The graph which shows the basic density gradient curve of the lens dye | stained. The graph which shows the basic density gradient curve of the lens dye | stained, and the movement transition diagram of a motor.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Staining apparatus, 2 ... Operation part as a vertical movement means, 3 ... Control part, 4 ... Dyeing tub, 5 ... Lens holder, 20 ... Housing, 21 ... Motor as an actuator, 22, 24 ... Timing pulley, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 23 ... Slide guide rail, 25 ... Timing belt, 26 ... Slide guide, 27 ... Mounting tool, 28 ... Supporting tool, 31 ... Sequence control part, 32 ... Operation part, L ... Lens, S ... Staining liquid, ST1, ST2 ... Stopper, α… Basic concentration gradient curve.

Claims (4)

In half dyeing of plastic lenses,
By immersing up to a portion that gives a concentration gradient on the surface of the plastic lens in the staining solution, and pulling up from the staining solution, by moving up and down once,
A plastic lens half-dyeing method, wherein the plastic lens is dyed with a density gradient. A dyeing device for plastic lenses,
Immerse up to a portion to give a concentration gradient on the surface of the plastic lens in the staining solution, and comprises a vertical movement means to pull up from the staining solution,
The plastic lens dyeing apparatus, wherein the vertical movement means includes an actuator controlled by a programmable sequencer. The plastic lens dyeing device according to claim 2,
The programmable sequencer calculates the moving speed at which the actuator moves up and down based on the basic density gradient curve of the plastic lens to be dyed and the inputted dyeing information of the plastic lens, and generates a pulse train in which the actuator moves up and down. The plastic lens dyeing device, wherein the plastic lens is output to the actuator. In the plastic lens dyeing | staining apparatus of Claim 2 or 3,
The plastic lens dyeing apparatus, wherein the actuator is a servo motor or a stepping motor.

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