JP3663961B2 - Lens manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lens manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus structure used in a process of processing a surface of a molded lens after the lens is molded.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, in the manufacturing process of various lenses, after molding the lens, the lens molding is inspected, and then the lens is washed before shipment. For example, as an example of a contact lens manufacturing method, a bar made of a transparent plastic material is cut into a disk shape, and both the front and back surfaces are sequentially molded into a lens shape, and then the lens shape is inspected. Wash the lens.
[0003]
An outline of the manufacturing process of such a contact lens is shown in FIG. A rod 10 made of a transparent synthetic resin is formed into a disk-shaped lens base 11 by cutting, and the holding portion 11a of the lens base 11 is held by a chuck 12 to form one optical surface 13a. Next, the optical surface 13a is fixed to the jig 14, and the other optical surface 13b is molded to complete the lens 13. Further, the lens 13 is removed from the jig 14, the lens shape is inspected, and the product is shipped after a cleaning process.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the contact lens manufacturing method has a problem in that the lens surface is not sufficiently wetted with water immediately after the molded lens is shipped, and dirt is likely to adhere to the lens surface. . In particular, contact lenses with high oxygen permeability use polymers containing Si and F, so lipids and proteins in tears may adhere to the contact lens, causing the contact lens to become cloudy and obstruct the field of view. This is remarkable at the beginning of the process. Also, if the lens is washed strongly with tap water immediately after shipment, the wettability will deteriorate and dirt will easily adhere, so the wearer should use a cleaning product or other care product. , It puts a burden on the user. Therefore, on the manufacturing side, measures are taken to improve the wettability by the shipping liquid and the discharge treatment. However, in the conventional normal electric discharge processing apparatus, since products must be processed one by one by batch processing, there is a problem that production efficiency deteriorates.
[0005]
Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the object is to provide a lens manufacturing apparatus for performing surface treatment that can improve the wettability of water on the lens surface in the initial stage without reducing productivity. It is something to be offered.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a lens manufacturing apparatus that exposes a surface of a molded lens to gaseous active species under normal pressure to perform surface treatment, and supplies the gaseous active species. A gas supply unit that supplies the gaseous active species from the gas supply unit and faces a conveyance path that conveys the lens, and exhausts the gaseous active species from the treatment chamber. A spray nozzle for spraying the gaseous active species to the lens is disposed in the processing chamber, and the lens is placed on a transport pallet that moves along the transport path The conveying pallet is characterized in that a surface groove extending below the lens placement surface is formed along the spraying direction of the spray nozzle.
[0007]
According to the present invention, by exposing the surface of the molded lens to gaseous active species under normal pressure, the wettability of the lens surface to water can be improved, and depending on the type of gaseous active species, bactericidal properties can be obtained. The lens surface can be cleaned by the reactivity. Further, the use of the gaseous active species facilitates the processing, simplifies the apparatus configuration, and reduces the labor for process management. Furthermore, a processing chamber is provided so as to face the transfer path, gaseous active species are introduced into the processing chamber, exhaust means for exhausting the gaseous active species from the processing chamber is provided, and the transfer path is in the form of gaseous active species. Since it has a mechanism for reducing the amount of leakage, it can be processed as it is in the transfer line, and can be processed without diffusing a large amount of gaseous active species to the surroundings or leaking.
[0008]
Here, since it is sufficient that the exhaust means is configured to exhaust the gaseous active species from the processing chamber, for example, when the exhaust path is directly connected to the processing chamber, An exhaust path may be connected to an exhaust chamber, an apparatus cover, etc., which will be described later, and the gaseous active species may be indirectly discharged from the processing chamber.
[0009]
In the above invention, the lens has a lens stopping means for temporarily stopping the lens inside the processing chamber, and the lens temporarily stopped by the lens stopping means is in the processing chamber. It is preferably configured to be exposed to the seed.
[0010]
According to the present invention, the lens is exposed to the gaseous active species while the lens is temporarily stopped in the processing chamber, so that the lens can be exposed to the gaseous active species for a long time in the processing chamber. In addition, since it is not necessary to move the processing chamber, the structure of the apparatus can be simply configured. Further, since it is not necessary to move the processing chamber, the amount of gaseous activated species leaking out of the apparatus can be reduced.
[0011]
In the above invention, the processing chamber is preferably configured to move along the conveyance path together with the lens in a predetermined section in a state where the lens is accommodated.
[0012]
According to the present invention, since the processing chamber is configured to move along the conveyance path together with the lens, processing can be performed without stopping the lens.
[0013]
In each of the above inventions, the processing chamber is configured to be able to contact and separate from the transport path, and is configured to cover the lens transported along the transport path when approaching the transport path. It is desirable.
[0014]
According to the present invention, since the processing chamber is configured so as to be able to contact with and separate from the conveyance path, when processing the lens, the processing chamber approaches the conveyance path and covers the lens so that the outside of the apparatus of the gaseous active species Leakage amount can be reduced. In addition, when introducing the lens into the processing chamber and when the lens is led out from the processing chamber, the processing chamber may be separated from the conveyance path. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the leakage of the gaseous active species to the outside of the apparatus.
[0015]
In each of the above inventions, an exhaust chamber containing the processing chamber is provided outside the processing chamber, and the gaseous active species leaked from the processing chamber are exhausted from the exhaust chamber by the exhaust means. Preferably it is.
[0016]
According to this invention, since the gaseous active species leaking from the processing chamber is configured to be discharged from the exhaust chamber containing the processing chamber, the amount of leakage of the gaseous active species to the outside of the apparatus can be further reduced.
[0017]
In each of the above inventions, it is preferable that an opening / closing means is provided at the inlet and / or outlet of the lens in the processing chamber or the exhaust chamber.
[0018]
According to this invention, by providing an opening / closing means at the inlet and / or outlet of the lens, the amount of gaseous active species leaking out of the apparatus can be further reduced, and the gaseous active species in the processing chamber or exhaust chamber can be reduced. Therefore, the concentration of gaseous active species in contact with the lens increases, and the lens surface treatment can be performed more efficiently.
[0019]
In each of the above inventions, it is preferable that a spray nozzle for spraying the gaseous active species on the lens is provided in the processing chamber.
[0020]
According to the present invention, by providing the spray nozzle for spraying the gaseous active species to the lens, it is possible to cause the gaseous active species to act on the lens surface more effectively and reliably.
[0021]
In this invention, the lens is mounted on a transport pallet that moves along the transport path, and a surface groove extending below the lens mounting surface along the spray direction of the spray nozzle is formed on the transport pallet. It is preferable that
[0022]
According to the present invention, the surface groove is formed in the transport pallet in the spraying direction by the spray nozzle, and the surface groove is formed so as to extend below the lens mounting surface. Can be exposed to gaseous active species, and both front and back surfaces of the lens can be processed efficiently and simultaneously.
[0023]
In this invention, it is preferable that the surface groove is formed so as to penetrate both sides of the lens mounting surface.
[0024]
According to this invention, since the surface groove is formed so as to penetrate both sides of the lens mounting surface, the gaseous active species can circulate smoothly along the surface groove, so that it faces the lens mounting surface. The lens surface can be treated more effectively.
[0025]
In each of the above inventions, as the gaseous active species, ozone or a gas containing ozone, a gas containing active species such as ions that are chemically active by an atmospheric pressure plasma generator or a discharge device, or the like Itself.
[0026]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of a lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail. Each embodiment described below performs surface treatment on a molded contact lens. However, the lens manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a contact lens, but for spectacle lenses and other various optical lenses. Can be processed similarly.
[0027]
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 schematically shows a schematic structure of a first embodiment of a lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. This lens manufacturing apparatus is installed at a predetermined location along the transport direction of the transport conveyor 20 for transporting the molded lens 13 shown in FIG. The conveyor belt 20 is provided with a conveyor belt 21 installed in the horizontal direction in the figure. A conveyance pallet 22 is mounted on the conveyance belt 21, and the lens 13 is placed on the conveyance pallet 22.
[0028]
Above the transport conveyor 20, a processing chamber 31 made of a transparent material, preferably made of vinyl chloride resin or acrylic resin, is provided. The processing chamber 31 has both ends in the moving direction of the transport belt 21. An inlet 31a and an outlet 31b are formed in each part. A supply pipe 32 is drawn into the processing chamber 31 from the outside, and a spray nozzle 33 is formed at the tip of the supply pipe 32. Connected to the supply pipe 32 is an ozone supply means (not shown) consisting of an ozone generator (equipped with a discharge means for generating ozone, etc.) or an ozone container (cylinder container storing ozone in a compressed state). The ozone is supplied at a controlled flow rate.
[0029]
An exhaust chamber 34 is formed of the same material as the processing chamber 31 so as to surround the processing chamber 31 from the periphery. The exhaust chamber 34 is provided with inlets 34a and outlets 34b at both ends in the moving direction of the conveyor belt 21, and an exhaust pipe 35 is connected thereto. The tip of the exhaust pipe 35 is connected to an unillustrated exhaust device (exhaust fan or exhaust pump or the like) having a function of removing ozone, and is configured to exhaust the atmosphere inside the exhaust chamber 34 at a predetermined flow rate. Yes.
[0030]
A pallet stop mechanism 36 is disposed at a position slightly upstream of the introduction port 34a of the exhaust chamber 34 on the side of the conveyor belt 21 (the back side with respect to the drawing sheet). The pallet stop mechanism 36 is provided with a stopper 36a configured to be able to appear and retract on the conveyance belt 21, and the conveyance pallet 22 that attempts to enter the exhaust chamber 34 can be stopped by the stopper 36a. . A pallet stop mechanism 37 is disposed on the side of the conveyor belt 21 inside the exhaust chamber 34 and outside the outlet 31 b of the processing chamber 31. The pallet stop mechanism 37 includes a stopper 37a configured to be able to appear and retract on the conveyor belt 21, and the conveyor pallet 22 that has moved on the conveyor belt 21 by the stopper 37a can be stopped in the processing chamber 31. ing.
[0031]
FIG. 5 shows a schematic structure of the transport conveyor 20 described above. The conveyor 20 is configured such that a conveyor belt 21 is installed on the frame 23 and the conveyor belt 21 is moved along an endless track by a driving mechanism 24 including a known electric motor, a driving roller, or a driven roller. ing. As described above, the transport pallet 22 on which the lens 13 is mounted is placed on the transport belt 21 and is transported along with the movement of the transport belt 21. A side plate 25 configured to project from the frame 23 onto the conveyor belt 21 is provided on the upper portion of the frame 23, and the processing chamber 31 and the exhaust chamber 34 described above are disposed on the side plate 25. The processing chamber 31 and the exhaust chamber 34 are preferably mounted and fixed on the side plate 25 and their mounting portions are preferably sealed. Since the conveyor belt 21 and the side plate 25 are arranged so as to overlap each other in this way, the conveyance belt 21 and the side plate 25 also secure a certain level of sealing performance under the conveyance pallet 22, and below the ozone gas described later. Leakage amount can be reduced.
[0032]
FIG. 6 shows the structure of the transport pallet 22. The conveying pallet 22 has a substantially rectangular pallet base portion 22a formed so as to be fitted to the stoppers 36a and 37a, and a disk-shaped pallet mounting portion 22b formed so as to protrude above the pallet base portion 22a. And have an integrated structure. The pallet base portion 22a is formed with a mounting housing portion to which a recording plate 26 having an ID tag recorded is attached on the bottom surface side. A surface groove 22c is formed on the surface of the pallet mounting portion 22b so as to cross the central portion on which the lens 13 is mounted. The surface groove 22c preferably includes a widened portion 22d slightly enlarged below the mounting portion of the lens 13 as shown. Further, it is preferable that the surface groove 22c is formed so as to cross and penetrate the pallet mounting portion 22b, that is, both end portions of the surface groove 22c face the outer peripheral surface of the pallet mounting portion 22b.
[0033]
In the present embodiment, when the transport pallet 22 on which the lens 13 is placed moves from the upstream side of the transport conveyor 20, a pallet stop mechanism is provided when another transport pallet 22 is already arranged in the processing chamber 31. The stopper 36a protrudes by 36, and the transport pallet 22 that has moved is stopped in front of the exhaust chamber 34. When there is no transfer pallet 22 in the processing chamber 31, the stopper 36a does not protrude and the transfer pallet 22 is introduced into the exhaust chamber 34 as it is from the introduction port 34a. When the transport pallet 22 in the processing chamber 31 is led out from the processing chamber 31, the protruding stopper 36 a is retracted from the top of the transport belt 21 to the side, and the released transport pallet 22 is placed in the exhaust chamber 34. It is introduced in the same way.
[0034]
When the transport pallet 22 is introduced into the exhaust chamber 34, it is directly introduced into the processing chamber 31 from the inlet 31 a and is stopped in the processing chamber 31 by the stopper 37 a of the pallet stop mechanism 37. Next, ozone gas supplied through the supply pipe 32 is sprayed from the spray nozzle 33 to the lens 13 on the transport pallet 22 stopped in the processing chamber 31. At this time, the blowing direction of the ozone gas by the blowing nozzle 33 is set in the extending direction of the surface groove 22c of the conveying pallet 22 shown in FIG. The ozone gas that comes into contact with the surface and is blown against the surface groove 22c comes into contact with the optical surface on the back surface of the lens 13 from the surface groove 22c. In particular, by providing the widened portion 22d in the surface groove 22c, the ozone gas can be uniformly brought into contact with the optical surface on the back surface of the lens 13.
[0035]
The ozone gas released in the processing chamber 31 leaks to the outside from the introduction port 31a or the outlet port 31b, but the exhaust pipe 34 is provided so that the exhaust pipe 35 remains held in the exhaust chamber 34. Discharged from. In order to prevent ozone gas from leaking out, it is preferable that the inside of the exhaust chamber 34 is always kept at a negative pressure from the outside by an exhaust device (not shown). Further, it is preferable that an ozone sensor or a pressure sensor is disposed in the processing chamber 31 and the exhaust chamber 34 and the exhaust amount of the exhaust device is controlled by the ozone concentration and the pressure value in the processing chamber 31 and the exhaust chamber 34. In this way, when the ozone concentration or pressure in the processing chamber 31 and the exhaust chamber 34 increases, the exhaust amount of the exhaust device can be increased to prevent ozone leakage.
[0036]
According to the present embodiment, the optical surfaces of the front and back surfaces of the lens 13 exposed to ozone gas are improved in wettability with water, and the adhesion of dirt in the initial use after shipment is reduced. In particular, surface treatment with ozone gas in this way cleans the surface, so that the quality of the product can be further improved, and even when washing is performed afterwards, the wettability to water is improved. Therefore, the cleaning effect can be enhanced. In addition, when the optical surface of the lens 13 before processing according to the present embodiment is clean to some extent, it may not be necessary to perform cleaning again after the surface treatment with ozone gas. Furthermore, exposure to ozone gas exhibits the same effect as when the lens 13 is sterilized or disinfected.
[0037]
As the above-mentioned ozone gas, a gas containing ozone may be simply used. In addition, the lens surface can be treated by various gaseous active species (ions or atomic radicals) other than ozone.
[0038]
[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 schematically shows a schematic structure of the apparatus of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the conveyance pallet 22 is exactly the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
[0039]
In the second embodiment, the conveyor 20 is divided into an upstream conveyor 20A on the upstream side of the apparatus and a downstream conveyor 20B on the downstream side of the apparatus, and the lens manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment is configured as both conveyors 20A and 20B. It is comprised as what was provided with 20 C of apparatus conveyors arrange | positioned between.
[0040]
The in-device conveyor 20C is surrounded by a processing chamber 41, and the processing chamber 41 includes an upper cover 41A that covers the in-device conveyor 20C from above and a lower cover 41B that covers the in-device conveyor 20C from below. Between the upper cover 41A and the lower cover 41B, the introduction port 41a formed so that the transfer pallet 22 can be passed from the transfer conveyor 20A to the in-device conveyor 20C and the transfer from the in-device conveyor 20C. A lead-out port 41b is formed so as to allow the transport pallet 22 to be transferred to the conveyor 20B to pass therethrough.
[0041]
The inlet 41a and the outlet 41b are configured to be closed by opening and closing plates 45 and 47. The opening and closing plates 45 and 47 are moved up and down by driving mechanisms 46 and 48 such as air cylinders, respectively, to open and close the introduction port 41a and the outlet port 41b.
[0042]
In the processing chamber 41, a supply pipe 42 is drawn into the upper cover 41 </ b> A from the outside, and a spray nozzle 43 is formed at the tip of the supply pipe 42. The spray nozzle 43 has a shape whose tip is opened in a trumpet shape, and is configured such that the transport pallet 22 that has been moved by the in-device conveyor 20 </ b> C stops immediately below the spray nozzle 43. An exhaust pipe 44 is connected to the upper cover 41A, and the exhaust pipe 44 is connected to an exhaust device (not shown).
[0043]
In this embodiment, when the transport pallet 22 on which the lens 13 is mounted is moved from the upstream side by the transport conveyor 20A, when another transport pallet 22 is disposed in the processing chamber 41, the outside of the introduction port 41a. The stopper 49a of the pallet stop mechanism 49 arranged at the position protrudes and the transport pallet 22 is temporarily stopped. The structure of the pallet stop mechanism 49 is exactly the same as that shown in the first embodiment. When the transport pallet 22 is not in the processing chamber 41, the stopper 49a is retracted from the transport belt or is not originally projected on the transport belt, and the transport pallet 22 is introduced into the processing chamber 41 from the introduction port 41a. . Here, when the transport pallet 22 passes through the introduction port 41a, the opening / closing plate 45 is raised and the introduction port 41a is opened. When the transfer pallet 22 is completely accommodated in the processing chamber 41, the opening / closing plate 45 is lowered. Thus, the introduction port 41a is closed. In the processing chamber 41, the transport pallet 22 is transported by the in-device conveyor 20 </ b> C, and the in-device conveyor 20 </ b> C stops at a position where the lens 13 is disposed immediately below the spray nozzle 43.
[0044]
When the transport pallet 22 is stopped, ozone gas is discharged from the spray nozzle 43 through the supply pipe 42 from the ozone supply means similar to the first embodiment, and the ozone gas is sprayed onto the lens 13 on the transport pallet 22. The sprayed ozone gas spreads in the processing chamber 41 but is forcibly discharged from an exhaust pipe 44 connected to an exhaust device (not shown). In the present embodiment, since the open / close plates 45 and 47 close the inlets 41a and 41b while ozone gas is blown against the lens 13, the leakage amount of ozone gas to the outside is kept low.
[0045]
In the present embodiment, the spray nozzle 43 may be configured to be movable up and down, and may be configured to spray the ozone gas onto the lens 13 when the transport pallet 22 stops and the spray nozzle 43 descends.
[0046]
[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a processing chamber 51 is disposed on the same conveyor 20 as in the first embodiment, and is connected to an exhaust pipe 55 so as to surround the processing chamber 51. An exhaust chamber 54 is formed. In the processing chamber 51, inlet ports 51 a and outlet ports 51 b are formed at both ends in the moving direction of the conveyor belt 21 of the conveyor 20. A supply pipe 52 is drawn into the processing chamber 51, and a spray nozzle 53 is formed at the tip thereof. The supply pipe 52 includes an expansion / contraction part 52 a configured to be able to move the position of the spray nozzle 53 in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 20.
[0047]
The exhaust chamber 54 is installed at a predetermined position so as to straddle the conveyor 20, and an inlet 54 a and an outlet 54 b are formed at both ends in the moving direction of the conveyor belt 21. A pallet stop mechanism 56 having a stopper 56a configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment is installed outside the introduction port 54a.
[0048]
In this embodiment, the processing chamber 51 is configured to be movable in the transporting direction of the transport conveyor 20 in the exhaust chamber 54 together with the distal end side of the supply pipe 52 and the spray nozzle 53, as shown by a dashed line in the figure. When the transfer pallet 22 placed on the transfer belt 21 moves together with the transfer pallet 22 from the right end in the exhaust chamber 54 in the transfer direction (left direction in the figure), that is, to the downstream side, and moves to the left end in the exhaust chamber 54, it returns to the upstream side again. Configured to go back. The operation of the processing chamber 51 is controlled by a control device for the transfer conveyor 20 (not shown). The conveyance conveyor 20 is provided with a position detection sensor (for example, a proximity sensor) of the conveyance pallet 22 (not shown), and the position of the conveyance pallet 22 on the conveyance belt 21 is grasped by this position detection sensor. The control device of the transfer conveyor 20 obtains the timing at which the transfer pallet 22 is introduced from the introduction port 54a according to the grasped position of the transfer pallet 22, and at this timing, the processing chamber 51 is moved downstream at the same speed as the moving speed of the transfer belt 21. Move to.
[0049]
In the present embodiment, the processing chamber 51 is configured to move downstream with the transfer pallet 22 disposed therein, and ozone gas is blown onto the lens 13 on the transfer pallet 22 during the moving period. Moreover, the stop period of the conveyance pallet 22 can be reduced as compared with the first embodiment and the second embodiment. In particular, if the repetitive movement operation of the processing chamber 51 can catch up with the transport cycle of the transport pallet 22, the processing is performed by exposing the lens 13 to ozone gas without stopping each transport pallet 22 transported by the transport conveyor 20 at all. be able to.
[0050]
The lens 13 on the transport pallet 22 is exposed to ozone gas in the exhaust chamber 54 by the processing chamber 51. However, when the transport pallet 22 approaches the outlet 54b, the processing chamber 51 is eventually stopped and then returned to the upstream side. The transfer pallet 22 is led out from the outlet 51b of the processing chamber 51, further led out from the outlet 54b of the exhaust chamber 54, and further conveyed downstream.
[0051]
In this embodiment, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, a box-shaped processing chamber 57 that does not include an inlet and a outlet is configured to be movable up and down and left and right, and is placed in the exhaust chamber 54 of the transport pallet 22. After being introduced, the processing chamber 57 descends from above the conveyance pallet 22 so as to wrap around the conveyance pallet 22, moves together with the conveyance pallet 22 toward the downstream side, and enters the outlet 54 b of the exhaust chamber 54. When approaching, the processing chamber 57 may be retracted upward so as to release the transport pallet 22. In this case, the spread of ozone gas during the ozone treatment can be suppressed. In this case, since leakage of ozone gas from the processing chamber 57 is reduced, the ozone gas supply is stopped after a certain amount of ozone gas is introduced into the processing chamber 57, and the lens 13 is held in an ozone atmosphere. You may make it process.
[0052]
[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the processing apparatus 60 in which the processing chamber 61 and the exhaust chamber 64 surrounding the processing chamber 61 are integrated on the transfer conveyor 20 similar to the third embodiment is moved up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown). It is arranged so that it can move left and right. A supply pipe 62 is drawn into the processing apparatus 60, and a tip of the supply pipe 62 is a spray nozzle 63 that opens in the processing chamber 61. A flexible supply tube 67 is connected to the supply pipe 62. A flexible exhaust pipe 65 is attached to the exhaust chamber 64 of the processing apparatus 60 and connected to an exhaust apparatus (not shown).
[0053]
The processing apparatus 60 includes the transparent case structure shown in FIG. 7, and the exhaust chamber 64 includes an opening 64 a that can accommodate the transport pallet 22 on the bottom surface, and the opening 64 a faces the processing chamber 61. It is configured. The inside of the processing chamber 61 and the inside of the exhaust chamber 64 communicate with each other through a gap 61a formed in the front and rear directions in the transport direction.
[0054]
The pallet stop mechanism 66 arranged on the side of the conveyor 20 has the same structure as that of each of the above embodiments, and includes a stopper 66a configured to be able to appear and retract on the conveyor belt 21.
[0055]
In the present embodiment, when the transport pallet 22 moves from the upstream side, the processing device 60 descends from above and introduces the transport pallet 22 into the processing chamber 61 through the opening 64a. The processing device 60 moves to the downstream side together with the transport belt 21 in a state of being finally in contact with the transport belt 21 as shown in the figure. At this time, the ozone gas supplied through the supply pipe 62 is sprayed from the spray nozzle 63 to the lens 13, and the sprayed ozone gas fills the processing chamber 61. On the other hand, the inside of the exhaust chamber 64 is always exhausted through an exhaust pipe 65 by an exhaust device (not shown), and is preferably always kept at a negative pressure. The ozone gas leaking from the processing chamber 61 passes through the gap 61 a and is discharged from the exhaust pipe 65 through the exhaust chamber 64. When a sufficient ozone treatment is applied to the lens 13 in the state shown in the drawing, the processing device 60 eventually leaves the conveyor belt 21 and retracts upward.
[0056]
Note that ozone gas is not released from the spray nozzle 63 before the processing device 60 descends and comes into close contact with the conveyor belt 21, and ozone gas has already been sprayed from the spray nozzle 63 before the processing device 60 is retracted upward. In order to prevent ozone leakage, it is preferable that the processing apparatus 60 is withdrawn upward after the ozone concentrations in the processing chamber 61 and the exhaust chamber 64 are sufficiently lowered.
[0057]
It should be noted that the lens manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples described above, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0058]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, by exposing the surface of the molded lens to gaseous active species under normal pressure, the wettability of the lens surface to water can be improved, and the gaseous active species The surface of the lens can be cleaned by the sterilization property and reactivity. Further, the use of the gaseous active species facilitates the processing, simplifies the apparatus configuration, and reduces the labor for process management. Furthermore, a processing chamber is provided so as to face the transfer path, gaseous active species are introduced into the processing chamber, and exhaust means for exhausting the gaseous active species from the processing chamber is provided. In addition, it is possible to perform the treatment without diffusing a large amount of gaseous active species to the surroundings or leaking out of the apparatus.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the structure of a first embodiment of a lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a structure of a lens manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the structure of a third embodiment of the lens manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a structure of a lens manufacturing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a conveyor according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic structure of a transport pallet according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view (perspective view) showing a schematic structure of a processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a process explanatory view showing an example of a contact lens manufacturing process.
[Explanation of symbols]
13 Lens
20, 20A, 20B Conveyor
21 Conveyor belt
22 Transport pallet
22c Surface groove
31, 41, 51, 61 Processing chamber
33, 43, 53, 63 Spray nozzle
34, 54, 64 Exhaust chamber

Claims (7)

A lens manufacturing apparatus that exposes a surface of a molded lens to a gaseous active species under normal pressure to perform surface treatment,
A gas supply unit for supplying the gaseous active species;
A treatment chamber configured to face the conveyance path for conveying the lens while the gaseous active species is supplied from the gas supply unit;
Exhaust means for exhausting the gaseous active species from the processing chamber;
With
A spray nozzle for spraying the gaseous active species to the lens is provided in the processing chamber, and the lens is placed on a transport pallet that moves along the transport path, and the spray pallet has the spray spray on the transport pallet. A lens manufacturing apparatus, wherein a surface groove extending below the lens mounting surface is formed along a nozzle spraying direction.   2. The lens according to claim 1, further comprising lens stop means for temporarily stopping the lens inside the processing chamber, wherein the lens temporarily stopped by the lens stop means is in the gaseous state in the processing chamber. A lens manufacturing apparatus configured to be exposed to active species.   The lens manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing chamber is configured to move along the conveyance path together with the lens in a predetermined section in a state where the lens is accommodated.   4. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing chamber is configured to be able to contact and separate from the transport path, and is transported along the transport path when approaching the transport path. A lens manufacturing apparatus configured to cover the lens.   5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: an exhaust chamber that contains the processing chamber outside the processing chamber, wherein the gaseous active species that leaked from the processing chamber are extracted from the exhaust chamber. A lens manufacturing apparatus configured to be exhausted by an exhaust means.   6. The lens manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an opening / closing means is provided at the inlet and / or outlet of the lens in the processing chamber or the exhaust chamber.   7. The lens manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface groove is formed so as to penetrate both sides of the lens mounting surface.

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