JP2007516401A - Packaging drying apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for drying a sealing area (316) prior to attaching a lid to the sealing area (316) of a blister pack (300) of contact lenses.
An apparatus and method for drying a seal area (316) prior to attaching a lid to the seal area (316) of a blister pack (300) of contact lenses, the apparatus comprising one or more vacuums A vacuum block (54) to which the head is detachably mounted is included. The vacuum head (50) operates to trace the entire area while contacting the seal area (316) to remove moisture. If the vacuum head (50) breaks, it can be quickly and easily replaced on the vacuum block (54).
[Selection] Figure 6a

Description

  The present invention relates to the manufacture and packaging of ophthalmic lenses, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for drying a blister package seal area immediately prior to sealing a cover (lid) to the package seal area, for example, by heating.

  For example, ophthalmic lenses such as contact lenses are usually packaged in disposable plastic containers commonly known as “blister packs”. This “blister wrap” has a lens and a recess for containing the packaging solution. This packaging solution is necessary to keep the lens hydrated during shipping and storage. For example, a cover such as a foil-shaped lid is applied to the region surrounding the recess and sealed with heat. The user peels off the foil-like lid member and usually removes the lens with his / her finger from the depression. At this time, the blister package, the solution and the cover may be discarded.

  This cover must be securely sealed to the blister pack to prevent leakage of the solution from the blister pack during shipping and storage. If the solution leaks, the sterilized and hydrated state of the lens cannot be maintained, and the entire lens and blister package must be discarded.

A typical molded soft lens manufacturing environment includes the following basic processing operations (in no particular order):
a) Step of making concave and convex halves b) Step of injecting monomer into the concave half c) Step of covering the concave half with the convex half d) Step of curing the monomer e) Convex F) Step of separating the lens from the concave half. F) Step of peeling the lens from the mold. G) Step of hydrating and removing volatile components from the molded lens if necessary (sometimes this process is directly into the lens packaging). May be implemented)
h) A step of placing the lens in the depression of the blister package (the blister package may be convex. For example, see US Pat. No. 5,573,108)
i) The step of injecting the solution into the recess together with the lens j) The step of applying the cover to the recess and sealing the lens and the solution in the blister packaging
US Patent 5,573,108

  In this way, the cover is applied to the blister packaging with the lens and solution enclosed in the recess. A typical cover is made of a flexible lid material such as foil, and the surface is printed with information about the production lot and, if necessary, other lenses. As described above, in order to prevent liquid leakage and keep the lens sterilized, the lid member is attached to the blister package with a liquid-tight sealing material along the entire circumference of the recess. One method of affixing the lid to the blister package is a method of heat-sealing the area surrounding the recess between the cover and the blister package using heating means, but other methods may be used. A portion of the lid located outside the seal area is usually not attached to the blister pack so that the lid can be easily removed from the blister pack when the package is opened and the lens is removed. . Since the lens is housed with the stock solution in the dent of the package, this solution may wet the area surrounding the dent to which the lid is attached. Needless to say, moisture in the sealing area is highly undesirable because it interferes with the seal between the lid and blister pack as described above. Therefore, it is necessary to dry the sealing area before the cover material is attached to the sealing area. This can be achieved by sucking moisture from the seal area using a vacuum head so that the lid can be fixed to the steadily dried seal area. In a lens manufacturing process that is performed in a batch process, the lenses that are arranged are usually packaged simultaneously.

  In a broad sense, the present invention relates to a vacuum block having an array of vacuum heads that dry each array of blister packs at once. This array of vacuum heads is aligned with the array of blister packs arranged at the same interval and operates to draw a circle so as to trace the entire sealing area around the recess. Each vacuum head provides a dry seal area for application of the lid by removing moisture from such area to follow the seal area of each blister package. A particularly effective feature of the present invention is that the vacuum head is a part that can be individually attached to and detached from the vacuum block. The vacuum block is hollow, and a vacuum channel is formed to allow individual vacuum heads to communicate with each other. Each vacuum head has a longitudinal cavity that mates with the vacuum channel of the vacuum block at a fully inserted position. If a vacuum head that can be attached to and detached from the vacuum block is provided, it is possible to replace the damaged vacuum head with the entire vacuum block or to quickly replace the vacuum block on the vacuum block without any loss of operating time of the apparatus.

  FIG. 1 represents one embodiment of a disposable plastic blister package used to package contact lenses. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the packaging container 10 generally comprises a support substrate 12 having a recessed area 14 for receiving and holding a contact lens 5 therein. Typically, contact lenses are packaged in a recessed area 14 with a storage aqueous solution, such as a buffered saline solution. The packaging container 10 is formed from a material such as polyethylene. The support substrate 12 includes a substantially flat upper surface 16 and a sealing region 20 that surrounds the periphery of the recessed region 14. The seal area 20 may be raised relative to other portions of the top surface 16 if desired. Further, although the raised surface 20 is formed in a ring shape, other shapes may be adopted. For example, the circumference of the depression is raised in a mountain shape.

  FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a blister pack 200. The blister pack has a normally circular sealing area 210 that surrounds the indentation area 212, in which a lens 214 is contained with an aqueous storage solution 216. As described above, in order to secure a liquid-tight seal, it is necessary to dry the seal region 210 before attaching the lid.

  FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a blister pack 300. This blister pack is a convex half that was used to mold the lens 310 that is housed in the recessed area 312 with the solution 314. The blister package 300 has a seal region 316 that surrounds a recessed region 312 to which the lid 318 is attached. As described above, in order to secure a liquid-tight seal, it is necessary to dry the seal region 316 before applying the lid.

  Although several blister pack configurations have been shown here, the advantages of the present invention that the lid is securely and reliably applied to the blister pack, particularly the provision of a dry seal area, is another package configuration. Can also be enjoyed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in an embodiment where the seal area surface 20 is elevated, the outer wall 22 is substantially perpendicular to the elevated surface 20. The contact lens 5 is accommodated in the recessed area 14 together with a certain storage aqueous solution 7. The lid 30 is applied so as to cover almost the entire upper surface 16, and the lens is hermetically sealed in the recess 14 of the packaging container 10 by, for example, heat-sealing the lid around the annular surface 20 (see FIG. 3). ). The raised surface 20 is generally a flat annular surface as shown in FIG. Therefore, for example, at the time of liquid injection, moisture tends to accumulate on the surface 20, and if not dried, proper sealing of the lid member 30 may be hindered.

  FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate an apparatus that is effective for drying the sealed area of a blister pack prior to application of a lid according to one embodiment of the present invention. The present invention has one or a plurality of vacuum heads 50 having a vacuum tip 52 at one end and a vacuum channel V1 in the vertical direction in the vacuum head. The vacuum head 50 is attached to a vacuum block 54 having at least one vacuum channel V2 connected to the vacuum source Vs. The vacuum block 54 and the vacuum head 50 need only be made of a suitable material, and an example is acetal. The vacuum block 54 operates so that the vacuum head, more specifically, the vacuum tip 52 contacts the seal region 316 of each packaging container 300. In the state where the suction is started, the vacuum block 54 operates so that the vacuum tip 52 traces the entire seal region, and moisture is removed. When the drying is finished, the vacuum block 54 and the vacuum head 50 are moved, and the blister package is in a state in which a lid material can be attached. In a preferred embodiment, the lid is affixed by heat, but other affixing methods such as adhesives may be used if possible. The lid and blister pack are hermetically sealed to prevent liquid leakage and maintain the sterilized state of the recessed area. The lid material portion outside the seal region may be left as it is without being attached, and the lid material may be easily peeled off from the package when the package is opened to take out the lens.

  In a manufacturing process that is processed at high speed, lenses are usually processed in batches, and are placed in an ordered array when moving from one processing station to the next. As an example, 15 lenses are arranged in a 3 × 5 array. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular number of arrays of lenses. In such an array, the blister package is held in the array by a suitable support. As the lens and stock solution are stored in each blister pack in the array, the array of lens packs is vertically aligned with the vacuum block positioned over the array. The vacuum block and the array are brought close together so that each vacuum head contacts the sealing area of each blister package. In a state where the vacuum source is operated, the vacuum head is operated so as to trace the entire seal region, and moisture in the seal region is removed. Normally, it is possible to remove all the moisture from this area only by making the sealing area go around the vacuum head. However, of course, this process may be repeated if necessary. The vacuum block is then moved out of the blister pack along with the vacuum head, and the preparation for attaching the lid to the array of blister packs is complete.

  The vacuum head of the present invention can be easily removed from the vacuum block and can be easily replaced on the vacuum block. Thus, even if one or more vacuum heads are damaged, only the damaged vacuum heads need be removed from the vacuum block and replaced. This allows cost and time savings for the vacuum block with an integral vacuum head. When the vacuum head is provided integrally with the vacuum block (for example, computer numerical control processing) and the entire vacuum block has to be replaced, it is expensive both in terms of cost and time.

  As best shown in FIG. 6 a, the vacuum head 50 is a separate part and is secured to the vacuum block 54 with a screw 55, which is secured to the end of the vacuum head 50 that is opposite the vacuum tip 52. Has been. An annular positioning flange 57 is formed adjacent to the vacuum tip 52, and the vacuum head 50 is fixed to each vacuum head hole 59 formed in the vacuum block 56. A pair of rubber O-rings 61a and 61b are attached around the vacuum head 50 above and below the vacuum channel V1 to ensure a vacuum state. When the array type manufacturing form is adopted, the vacuum head holes are formed in the vacuum block 56 at the same interval and array as the blister package, so that the vacuum head 50 and the blister package can always be aligned in the correct position. it can.

  In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6c, each vacuum tip 52 has a frame structure consisting of two orthogonal grooves S1 and S2. This is because the vacuum head is effectively evacuated for drying when the vacuum head is brought close to the sealing area of each blister package and operated to trace the area. The frame structure is more susceptible to damage than other parts of the vacuum head. By providing a vacuum head that can be individually removed and replaced on the vacuum block 56, a damaged vacuum head 50 can be quickly and easily replaced on the vacuum block 56.

It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of blister packaging for contact lenses. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the blister packaging which affixed the cover material. It is a figure which shows the state by which the cover material was affixed in FIG. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of the blister packaging for contact lenses. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of the blister packaging for contact lenses. FIG. 6a is an exploded sectional view of the vacuum block and vacuum head of the present invention. FIG. 6b is an exploded cross-sectional view of the vacuum block and the vacuum head that are brought close to the seal area of the blister pack. FIG. 6c is an end view of the vacuum head.

Claims (8)

A device that vacuum-drys the seal area of the blister pack before applying the lid to the seal area,
(A) a vacuum block having one or more vacuum channels in communication with the vacuum source;
(B) having a vacuum tip at one end and a vacuum channel extending vertically from the vacuum tip to the inside, the channel being detachably attached to the vacuum block so as to communicate with the vacuum channel of the vacuum block; Comprising at least one vacuum head for performing suction from the vacuum tip by operating the vacuum source;
The vacuum tip is in contact with the seal area of the blister package and sucks and removes moisture from the seal area before the cover material is attached to the seal area. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
A plurality of vacuum heads mounted on the vacuum block;
Each sealing region of a plurality of blister packages having the same shape is dried so that the sealing region is in contact with the respective vacuum tips. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
Each vacuum head of the one or more vacuum heads has a frame structure formed by first and second slots orthogonal to each other at the tip of each vacuum. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The one or a plurality of vacuum heads are detachably mounted by screwing each end of each vacuum head opposite to the vacuum front end to the vacuum block via the vacuum block. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The or each vacuum head is formed of acetal. A method of sucking and drying the seal area of the blister pack before attaching the lid material to the seal area,
(A) providing a vacuum block having one or more vacuum channels in communication with a vacuum source;
(B) having a vacuum tip at one end and a vacuum channel extending vertically from the vacuum tip to the inside, the channel being detachably attached to the vacuum block so as to communicate with the vacuum channel of the vacuum block; Providing at least one vacuum head for performing suction from the vacuum tip when the vacuum source is activated;
(C) a step of moving the vacuum tip while tracing it while sucking moisture from the seal region at the vacuum tip and bringing the vacuum tip into contact with the seal region of the blister package;
(D) The process of sticking a cover material on a seal | sticker area | region is comprised.   An apparatus shown or described in substantially any of the accompanying drawings.   A method of suction drying a sealed area of a blister pack substantially as described in any of the accompanying drawings.

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